Katsuki pulled on the uniform he was wearing, grumbling under his breath.

"Not going to make it fit any better," the fucker known as 'Gentle' said. Katsuki wondered what kind of fucking name was Gentle for a hero and REALLY hoped he wasn't stuck with some special needs case. Like… Make A Wish where some sick kid wished to be a hero and the entire city let him live out his fantasy before he died. Katsuki had always hated those kinds of things… All Might had done them a few times and one time his parents had been pulled into doing the costume for one of the sick brats. Oh, he didn't want them to die… despite what people might think he wasn't some fucked up villain believing that the weak needed to be culled. He just didn't like people who didn't know their place in the world. Letting a sick kid believe they were a hero merely was a waste of time and money. Make your fucking wish for some eggheads with super intelligence quirks to cure you instead, that's what he'd wish for.

Granted, looking at the man in question he seriously doubted he was talking to some sick kid. Unless said kid had some quirk that turned them into an old man with a pretentious voice. Which he supposed was possible…

"I mean it, young man," Gentle stated. "The suit is designed to fit as it does for a reason."

"I prefer my-"

But Gentle cut him off. "Remember, nothing revealed if you don't need to."

"…right," Katsuki grumbled to himself.

Everyone knew about the Black Suits. Or rather they knew OF them but didn't know much about them. Just that they always showed up during massive villain attacks, workings with the police and medical personnel to get civilians out of danger before they pretty much disappeared. Most guesses were they worked for the Hero Commission though Deku, during one of his long rambling rants back when Katskui actually let him eat lunch with him, had claimed that wasn't the case. He had said that they were in fact a group of retired heroes, brought together by 'Broke Back Bob', a rich American who had a weak quirk but a deep sense of justice. They answered to no one and were dedicated to saving all lives. Broke Back Bob would recruit heroes who had grown tired of death and destruction and longed to be saviors rather than heroes.

'And like everything else Deku said… that was fucking bullshit,' Katsuki thought.

In reality the Black Suits were, he had learned just an hour ago, run by All Might himself. His support team that went to different mass villain attacks and disasters and helped protect the innocent and get them out of harm's way. It made sense… All Might's quirk was very offensive and destructive and thus could cause a lot of damage as he fought a villain. And because a bunch of people in the world were fucking idiots who didn't know when to run away rather than watch a hero battle a villain that meant there were more chances for someone to get caught in the middle of a fight. The Black Suits worked to get the morons away so that All Might could focus on his battle.

The reason no one knew ANYTHING about the Black Suits was their strict vows of secrecy. All of them had code names and they shared almost nothing with one another. They weren't allowed to discuss what they did, with most people believing that they worked at Might Tower in other roles. And maybe they did… he simply didn't know. After all, the Black Suits had been told that he was an intern… but not his name. Not his school. Only his quirk.

"Dynamight," and Katsku winced at that; he had been asked for a code name, couldn't be his hero name, and he'd blurted out one of the childish names he'd created as a boy, pretending to be All Might's sidekick and running around the park. From the way some of the Black Suits had shifted the bastards had sensed his embarrassment but still decided to go with the name. "You are with the Fire Rescue Team," Gentle informed him. Even with his face covered SOMETHING must given away his annoyance at his assignment in his body language because the older man let out a laugh. "Yes yes, you want to go fighting those villains. But trust me, you're far better suited for this."

"That some kind of crack Shadow Bitch?"

"Oh, how vulgar," Gentle said with a sniff but with also enough derision to make Katsuki growl even more. "And no, it isn't. I mean that your quirk makes you the best suited to be assisting the Fire Rescue Team in this situation."

Katsuki… could understand that. While he didn't have a normal Fire Quirk and thus lacked the Fire Proofing nearly every person with a Fire Quirk possessed (or at least the ones that survived for more than five seconds after saying, "Check out my neat new quirk!") he did have Fire Resistance. He could still get burned but it took a lot more to damage him. Combined with the Black Suits outfit he was wearing, however, that meant that he was now completely Fire Proof.

But Gentle surprised him by not mentioning that. "You are used to being around explosions. They are second nature to you. Civilians are going to scream at the big ones and panic. Flinch even at the tiny little pops. You'll keep going even as the buildings get hit. And you also understand how much a structure could take."

"Of course I fucking do," Katsuki replied. "Wouldn't be able to use my fucking quirk properly if I didn't know that." He knew that most of the shitty extras that made up his class thought that he just loved to run in, throwing out 'big boom booms' as Ashido had once said, and move out. But there was an art to his quirk. He had over a decade understanding it. How to use it properly. It was how he could release a tiny explosion from his hand and not have it go out of control. It was how he knew just how far to throw his droplets of sweat so he didn't create a shockwave that crushed his ribs in. And he knew just how much to use.

UA had only improved that.

'Kenobi forced me to be smart with my quirk,' he thought. 'He's a fucking prim and proper nerd but he also knows that sometimes its better to go with less… not because you shouldn't stand out but because why waste all you have on a bunch of nothings?'

"That's why we'll be sending you in with our lead Fire Rescue Suit, Girder." He gestured as a very large woman who gave him a two finger wave. "You two will check buildings for signs of life and get people out of there. That way All Might can focus on the villains."

"Sir," another Black Suit called out, "update from Nedzu. We are referring to any villain with an exposed brain as a Nomu."

"Exposed brain?" Katsuki found himself asking. "What the frilly fuck?"

Gentle shared his sentiments. "You sure on that?"

"Nedzu sent it out. Its believed that these villains are criminals that have been experimented on and are controlled."

That made the lead Black Suit pause.

"Buddy system, everyone," he commanded. "Check in every 5 minutes, no more than ten."

Katsuki instantly saw what was worrying the man and he found himself not blaming him. 'This would be the perfect opportunity to gather test subjects. Send a Nomu out to cause destruction and then begin picking off the injured or the isolated, taking them back to become Nomu.'

"Sick fuckers."

"Crass but my sentiments exactly," Gentle said as the troop carrier they were in came to a halt. "Alright… we get in, we get out, no one gets left behind. Move!"

The door to the troop carrier opened and Katsuki stepped out… into hell.

The city was burning.

People were screaming.

Demons roamed the streets and took to the air.

This wasn't the fairytale that parents told their children. Or the games that kids played where the villain was always defeated and the heroes smiled as the public cheered their name. This was the dark times, the Dawn of Quirks come again. Before the true Heroes of the world had arisen. Before the Symbol of Peace.

They had been brought back to the beginning.

Katsuki took a breath, slowly let it out…

…and sneered.

"Let's go rescue some fuckers."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Like old times, Rex," Anakin said as they hoped out of the car. Anakin had managed to get them through much of the destruction, somehow cutting through debris and squeezing the car through spaces that were far too small for it without getting a single scratch.

"I would have preferred them to stay old, General," Rex said, falling into old habits.

Anakin didn't correct him. "Alright, you know what we need to do."

Obi Wan nodded. "Prioritize the rescue, take down the villains, secure the area." He looked to the students. "We're going to find one of the evacuation sites and get you situated there. You are on protection duty."

"Do you believe that is the best use of our skills?" Tenya asked. "I could make the search quicker."

But Obi Wan shook his head. "We do not know how intelligent these Nomu are… or how cruel their masters might be. It is entirely possible that they will seek out such areas as perfect targets for further destruction. That's why we need you three to protect them."

Anakin nodded. "The heroes aren't going to be thinking about that. They will be leaving that to the cops. But if a Nomu decides to rush in-"

At once Tenya gave a choppy nod. "Yes. Apologizes." He bowed. "I understand."

"Kid," Anakin said with a sigh, "for the next… 3 hours… cut it with the formality. It's a waste of time."

"It-" An explosion rang out to their right. "I see your point."

"We will do our task flawlessly and with grace!" Aoyama declared.

"…right," Rex said before looking at Izuku. "Stay on the comms and be my eyes, kid."

"On it," Izuku stated.

"Rex… let's go!" And with that Anakin and Rex charged forward, leaving Obi Wan to get their interns settled. "I mean it though… this really does feel like the old days."

"Except its not," Rex muttered. "We don't have the backup we once did."

Anakin had to nod at that. No Ahsoka, as she would be assisting Nedzu. No troopers save for Rex. No gunships or assault tanks. And their enemy was far different.

"Do you… do you think they are really slaves?" Anakin asked. "People captured and forced to fight?"

"Maybe," Rex said. "But considering Nedzu can't find anything on these people… I think the theory that they were experimented on and turned into these… things… is the correct one."

"Then death is a kindness," Anakin said, repeating once again the old slave mantra. One engraved in his mind by his mother. The first lesson she had ever taught him: life was precious. Fight to live. But… never look down on one who decided to die. Because death was a kindness.

But even as he thought those words his held out his hand and called his lightsaber to it, igniting it and remembering what his response had been, if only in his mind, to that lesson.

The Promise.

'I am going to free the Slaves.'

That one he had spoken to Qui Gon.

'And I will kill every Slave Master.'

That one… he had not.

~MC~MC~MC~

Ochaco slipped off of Mirko's motorcycle and took a moment to gather her bearings. "That was… faster than I expected."

"Fun as fuck, right?"

"…no."

That only made her mentor laugh. "When you are the big badass hero you can decide how to get to the scene of a battle! Now come on… we got some Nomu to take out."

Ochaco nodded and followed after the rabbit hero. "You think Nedzu is right? That these things are mutated creatures, forced to fight for another? Brainwashed?"

Before Mirko could answer a Nomu decided to land right before them.

Mutation Quirks were rather common yet there were still so many that judged people for their looks. That someone looked 'villainous' or 'monstrous' and thus they must be that way. But her parents' construction company had never turned away someone with a mutation quirk. In fact they proved to be the hardest workers. They had so little and understood the opportunity they were being given and refused to squander it. They never complained if the weather was too hot or it was cold and rainy. If overtime was offered they leapt at the chance. And they were nice. Kind. Ochaco had fond memories of being at a worksite, playing with the nails and screws, using scraps of wood as dolls, and workers coming by to chat with her. Some would make her toys; she still had each and every one of them tucked away. Ugly things that no other child would have treasured but she did.

It was why, despite how it confused so many of her friends at her old schools had when they found out, she didn't mind horror movies. Never screamed when some vile creature pulled itself from the muck. It was their actions that scared her, not their looks. Because she understood that someone's appearance did not determine their nature.

But… the Nomu before her?

She knew at once that it wasn't a mutation.

And she knew there wasn't a good person under the horrid skin.

The Nomu was 6 feet tall and had dark black skin, like a blood blister that had become old and dried out. Far too big teeth filled out a mouth that was too long, pulled down so that it looked to not even have a neck but just a massive gaping maw. Lidless eyes stared at her with madness but also a dullness; filmy and blank. Upon its hands were a pair of thick heavy metal gloves, studded with rivets and caked in grim. And then there was the brain, exposed as they had been warned and clearly meddled with.

Of course, there was the fact that within its one hand was a screaming businessman, dangling by his ankle.

"I'm going to give you one chance to drop that man. Just one."

The Nomu considered Mirko for a long moment… before throwing the businessman over his shoulder, the man's screams becoming more high pitched before they were suddenly cut off.

Ochaco forced herself not to think about WHY he had stopped screaming.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy taking you down!" the Rabbit hero snapped before launching herself forward, sending a kick right at his head. But the Nomu suddenly lashed out with his hand, grabbing her ankle and halting her assault. But if the villain thought that would stop her he was dead wrong as Mirko held up her hands, fists crackling as she activated her electrically charged brass knuckles. She drove a punch into his forearm, the shock causing the villain's arm to spasm and he dropped her down, allowing her to go for a leg sweep.

Her kick hit his thigh… and did nothing.

It was like she had tried to attack a steel beam.

"Okay… tough one are you?" she asked even as the Nomu held out its arms… and caused them to stretch and grow into long whips.

Suddenly the heavy gauntlets took on a whole new meaning.

"Oh, this is going to be fun!" Mirko shouted, rushing at the Nomu. "Kid, do what you can to distract it, okay? But don't distract me!"

"That sounds conflicting!" Ochaco complained.

"I know! Great isn't it?"

Ochacho grumbled under her breath but set to work looking for things to throw at the Nomu. "Next time I'm interning with Snipe."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Ma'am," Obi Wan said as he approached the officer that was manning the evacuation site. He felt sorry for the poor woman as she clearly looked ready to collapse, her shoulders slumping in relief at the sight of him and the three Hero Students. "I'm Negotiator. These are Ingineer, Longshot, and Never Stop Twinkling." He grimaced behind his mask at Aoyama's name; the boy NEEDED something far shorter. "What is the situation?"

"We are using the tunnels to get people out of the city. Power has been cut but a local with an Illumination Quirk is helping so people can see. We aren't using the trains, for obvious reasons."

"Is that safe?" Obi Wan asked. "With the explosions-"

"The tunnels are rated at 89 on the Gynger-Breck Scale."

Obi Wan didn't know WHAT that was but it sounded good enough. "I need to go out into the city and assist. But I will be leaving you these three. They are hero students and have been activated to assist in this situation." He looked at three students. "You are allowed full use of your quirks but only in defensive matters unless it is a situation that means life or death. And you will be explaining every use of your quirk."

"Yes sir," Ida and Aoyama stated.

"Midoriya-"

"Combat zone, General," the boy said and Obi Wan wondered just how much Rex had told him about the Clone Wars. Because he felt like he was talking to a young trooper instead of a student. "I'm going to take up point, be ready to fire on any that attack. Tenya, you should see to helping them organize people to evacuate. Perhaps use your speed to rush those that need medical attention out. Aoyama, you do what you can to keep spirits up, you're good at that. I'm on comm station 7." He tapped his helmet before he lifted up his left hand and fired off a grappling cable, quickly attaching it to his belt before he yanked himself up over the group and onto the top of the train station's roof.

"He… he is made for this," Aoyama whispered.

"You all are. Stay safe."

Obi Wan turned and headed out… wishing it didn't feel like he was abandoning them. "Fulcrum, are you there?"

"I am Ma… Negotiator," Ahsoka said in his comm unit.

"Longshot is on comm 7. He is at the 5th Street Station as point. Ingineer and Never Stop… Twinkling-"

"He needs a better name."

"I know. They are assisting with evacs. Sir Steel and Dualshot are in the city."

Nedzu came on the line. "We are in contact with them. Also with Padme… you might have told me she was Star Might."

Obi Wan didn't feel an ounce of regret. "If you didn't know, Nedzu, then you should retire now."

"…heheh, very correct. They are fighting several Nomu right now."

"Master," Ahsoka said, "some criminals are taking advantage of the chaos to attack the Hosu Fire Station. That's going to make things worse, especially with Endeavor and his sidekicks showing little regard for property."

"Of course," Obi Wan said, spotting a motorcycle that had been abandoned. Hoping on, he turned the key and started it up, thankful he had taken Anakin's lessons on Earth vehicles to heart. "Can you give me some directions."

"Its on-"

Ahsoka stopped.

"Fulcrum."

"Naboo Street?"

"…well, that is rather strange." Obi Wan shrugged and took off. "Tell them I'll be there!"

Ahsoka was silent for a long moment.

"…you are enjoying riding that motorcycle, aren't you?"

"Never let Anakin know," Obi Wan replied.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Corellia Smash!"

Padme drove her fist into rubble the Villain had created, shattering it. The man, wearing what looked like a mix of punk gear and mining equipment, merely set about slamming his hands together to try and create a new ball of junk to hurl at her.

"Why are you doing this?" she declared as she stared him down. "This city has enough problems without you deciding to add to the chaos!"

"But that's why its perfect to attack now!" the Villain said as he moved to attack the Manual Hero Agency. "While you stupid heroes are dealing with those monsters those of us that want real and true change can actually do something for once!" He thrust out his left hand and the boulder of rubble and random bits of debris flew at Padme. "I am going to tear down all these fakes!"

Padme merely punched the boulder, shattering it. She didn't even bother to give her attack a name.

"I am trying to save people. I don't have time to deal with you endangering them!"

That made the villain laugh. "Who gives a fuck about these peons?" He gestured at a group of civilians who had been trapped in a bar when the villain had begun his attack; they had thought that they were safe near a hero's agency but the boulder-making villain had shown how wrong that hope had been. "They should be joining me instead of sobbing and shaking! This is our chance! The chance to do all we wish! To destroy!" He threw back his head. "This is what Stain has been preaching! No more heroes! Just anarchy-"

Something came down on him and Padme's eyes went wide as the villain jerked, a katana having been driven through his mouth and out the back of his head.

"Do not ever speak of what I want."

"Stain," Padme said at once.

"Star Might," the Hero Killer said with a simple nod, flicking his blade and cleaving the villain's head in half. "That building is about to collapse." Padme turned and saw that, indeed, the bar was beginning to fracture. She glanced back only to find Stain gone.

"Damn it," she muttered before hurrying over, bracing her body just as the doorway began to cave in. With a heave she held it up, smiling at the people inside. "Don't worry… I am here!" Shifting so a hand was free she touched her comm unit. "Nedzu, I need Manual to open his Agency doors. I have civilians in danger-"

"Manual is instructing his workers to open the doors now and apologizes for not thinking of it sooner," Nedzu replied cheerfully.

"Thanks," Padme said before looking to the crowd. "Get to the agency! Go!" She shifted and allowed the people in the bar to hurry out…

…only for the first three out to scream when a Nomu crashed down before them.

"GO!" Padme shouted at the others, lifting the beam she was holding a bit higher so the last 10 people could make it out. The moment they were through she dropped her load and moved to confront the Nomu but it was shaking its head and she could see it was battered. This one was pale gray in color and had odd stitching upon his body; it took her a few seconds to remember where she had seen such scarring before: on people who had had limbs removed and the skin around the area pulled to seal it up. Anakin had never done that and almost never removed his false hand but she had seen plenty of that after the Invasion of Naboo from people who had suffered infections thanks to the concentration camps and been forced to have arms and legs removed to save their lives.

And the Nomu… had those scars all over its body.

"What happened to you?" she said softly.

The Nomu turned towards her… only to be engulfed in flames, Endeavor landing down and pouring more fire upon the Nomu.

So much that the flames went past the villain and right at the people still making their way towards Manual's agency.

"NO!" Padme screamed but it was too. Two stragglers were caught in Endeavor's attack and their screams filled the air as they were engulfed by the flames. She ran to them but even as she approached she saw it didn't matter… they had been completed consumed by the fire, their bodies falling to the ground, screams cut off as their bodies twisted on themselves.

Padme turned and saw Endeavor… not even looking at what he had done. Focused instead on taking out the Nomu.

She saw red.

"Ah, Star Might," Endeavor said with a dismissive look as she stormed towards him. "Don't worry, I-"

"Killed two innocent people!" she roared, waving her hand at the dead bodies. "What the hell were you thinking!?"

"I was thinking," the hero said, his tone growing even more arrogant, "that this city is falling apart and we need to save it. That villain there was a threat."

"And so are you, apparently!" Padme shouted. "You could have moved to put them at your back! You could have grabbed the Nomu and shifted it away. You could have waited five seconds for me to come and assist! Dialed back your flames!"

But Endeavor merely glared at her. "I have been doing this far longer than you. I know how to be a hero. Those people should have sought cover instead of watching you fight. Its their fault they were killed."

"They did seek cover-"

"I don't have time for this. Come along, we have more to do and you clearly need someone to teach you how to deal with villains. Your father has been poor in his lessons if you fall apart because of some collateral damage."

"Co… collateral damage?" Padme screamed. "They were people!"

"Yes. And they got in my way."

And with that Endeavor shot out his flames, using them to launch himself into the air.

Padme clenched her jaw, tempted to leap after him and punch the arrogant look off his face… but that would do nothing. It wouldn't bring the people back. And it would mean others might suffer.

With a strangled growl Padme turned, forcing herself to look calm as she moved towards the now utterly stunned and startled civilians. "Come… let's get you inside."

She did her best not to stare at the two she'd failed to save.