Fisk Tower
"So these are the raw recruits, huh?" John Walker aka U.S. Agent asked, looking over the files. A few teenagers with some interesting powers but who he honestly felt would be more of a liability. "Why are you so adamant on them being a part of this?"
"The answer is twofold," Fisk replied, interlacing his fingers. "But first, let me ask you something? How familiar are you with the multiverse?"
Walker shrugged. "I've heard of it and I am aware it exists but I don't put too much stock into it. What's the point of wondering what could have been when it's better to focus on what could be right now?"
"A respectable answer. However, these young heroes are from another world, one in which this program we are enacting here is not only in effect there but actually governs their world."
Now Walker was interested. "Ah, I see now. You want to use their knowledge and expertise to our advantage. But why kids? Why not adult heroes?"
"While adult heroes provide other assets, I believe in this case these young heroes would be more advantageous. As you know, our current roster's lineup has quite a few…wild cards. And their reputation isn't…good."
"One way to put it," Walker muttered, looking at the files for all the other members. Too many checkered pasts for his liking.
"That's why it's better to have these young kids. People love young heroes. They're more…relatable than the older ones, especially ones with histories like these. We need heroes that the people will root for and cheer on. And young heroes have a tendency to inspire many so, if we play this right, these new heroes will…"
"Inspire any other upcoming heroes to follow the program we set rather than go rogue and do their own thing," Walker finished.
"Precisely," Fisk nodded. "We want to mold society to follow the example we're setting here that heroes must act within the confines of the law. In doing so, we can build a better future for this city so it does not resemble the wild west as much."
Walker nodded, now understanding Fisk's plans. It was a good, solid plan that just might work. During the Civil War between the heroes, he had been stationed way out in Canada as a liaison and had helped apprehend many runaway villains trying to escape the Registration Act. Still, he hadn't been anywhere near the main action despite his agreeance with the Act itself. Now maybe, he could actually do something good with it.
"Alright, let's get started then."
Kirishima stared down at his hero costume. Or, at least, the one Fisk had made for him since his original was still back home in his room in a whole other dimension. This one was almost the same. In fact, it looked almost exactly like the original. But it just didn't feel right. And from the look on Ojiro's face, he was thinking the same thing.
"I know guys," Kendo said. "But…let's just make the best of this, alright?"
"Yeah," Kirishima said, grimacing.
"Alright," Ojiro added. They'd all come to terms with their situation. They may not like it, but they would deal with it. And no matter what Fisk threw at them, they were all determined to be heroes.
"Let's go then," Kendo nodded, leading the way out of their changing rooms. Kirishima was glad she was with them. If it had just been him and Ojiro, he would have felt lost. He wasn't really the smartest guy or the most proactive. A lot of the time he just followed others around. Like with Bakugo or his mentor Fat Gum. He wasn't someone who really made the big decisions or anything like that, he usually just followed his gut. And he wouldn't have known what to do in this situation without someone like her to help.
It was funny, he barely had any interaction with her before now. Some odd conversations here and there when she talked to their class as a whole. But he'd respected the command she had over Class 1-B and the way she treated everyone in both classes equally, despite Class B's Monoma constantly trying to amp up the supposed rivalry between the two.
Now he could fully see why she was chosen to be the representative of the class as despite the insane situation they were in, she kept a clear head and made decisions rationally. With her here, Kirishima didn't feel nearly as lost as he would have been.
They turned the corner and spotted the double doors at the end of it, one door already open with a man standing in front of it. He looked up as they walked over and Kirishima noted how his costume resembled an American flag except with black instead of blue. Something about that seemed ominous. On his back was a round shield with the same colors circling it with a lightning bolt in the center.
"Hello there," he greeted, lifting up an arm. "I am John Walker but out on missions you can address me as U.S. Agent or sir. And I know all your names already. Eijiro Kirishima, codename: Red Riot. Itsuka Kendo, codename: Battle Fist. And Mashirao Ojiro, codename: Tailman."
"Uh, yeah," Kirishima said hesitantly, not quite sure what to say in this situation.
"I just want to say this before we go in. If it was up to me, you wouldn't be near combat like this. However, Mr. Fisk feels you will play an important role in this program so I will bend to his wishes. Still, I'll be keeping my eye on you. Now, come on."
With that, he turned and opened the doors fully. Kirishima again was at a loss of what to say. The guy's attitude threw him off. He couldn't tell if the man was just being rude or was trying to be a responsible adult or something. But he didn't have long to dwell on it as he walked into the main room, seeing a bunch of men and women in black track-suits lined up.
"Right now, I need to assess your skills for myself," Walker explained. As he talked, he strapped his shield on and held it firmly. "First thing's first, those doors there," he said, gesturing to another pair of large double doors, "lead to an obstacle course with different settings. I'm going for setting 3 to start off. Nothing too bad but challenging enough so I can a good estimate of you all. It is timed so try and get through it as quickly as you can. Now, begin."
The obstacle course was actually very simple. They went in turns, Kirishima offering to go first. The first leg was really simple with a narrow hallway filled with bars at different heights, forcing Kirishima to lift himself over them or duck under them. Then he faced off against a large wooden wall he had to climb over but thanks to his hardened fingers he was able to scale it with ease. Then came the balance beam which was a bit more difficult for him but he was still able to cross it, albeit more slowly than he would have liked.
Then things became a little harder as he faced off against a line of swinging logs on a narrow bridge over a pool of water. He only managed to dodge the first two logs before the third one struck him, knocking him into the water. And, unfortunately, the second he got back up, he was struck down again. It took some trial and error but he eventually was able to make it past them all after figuring out the timing.
The next obstacle was a chamber full of guns that fired off rubber bullets. Once he realized that, it became the easiest room as he just hardened his skin and dashed right through, the bullets doing absolutely nothing to him.
He found one chamber just like the third obstacle from the Sports Festival where the floor had mines hidden beneath them except instead of exploding, these ones gave him an electric shock. Still, after going through Kaminari's accidents for the last year and having his skin hardened again, he was able to cross the room as well with no problem.
The next room was a problem as here, pillars popped up from the ground at random intervals, like a wild version of whack-a-mole except he wasn't able to do any whacking. He just had to dodge the best he could but still he crashed into at least a dozen before he made it through.
There was one room where he was able to fight robots that was fun as he easily turned them into scrap metal. Another room fired cables off randomly, constantly tripped him up. And another room where one wrong step would send him falling into through a false tile and into a pit where he'd have to climb up to start again.
Eventually, he made it out, panting a little after more than a dozen different chambers. To his surprise, he found only Walker waiting for him when he emerged.
"I sent in the others in after a certain point. Your friend Ojiro just left about a minute ago," Walker explained. "I don't want this to take too much time."
"How'd I do?"
"Not too bad but not great either. Took you 20 minutes and 32 seconds to complete it but it's clear you wouldn't have made that without your powers. Your reflexes need work. Still, not too bad."
Kirishima grunted but didn't say anything else. If such a comment had come from Mr. Aizawa or any of his teachers back at U.A., he would have taken it to heart. But since it came from a man who was helping to hold him and his friends prisoner, it really pissed him off. Still, he buried it inside and just waited for the others, though it did feel awkward and a little nerve-wracking with all the men and women lined up nearby, as if they were just waiting for the order to jump him. Actually, they probable were.
He didn't have to wait too long for Kendo, she arriving only a minute later, having finished the course in a little over 12 minutes, Walker praising her on her agility and flexibility. Ojiro came in at around 22 minutes, his agility helping him in some obstacles but too many others tripping him up.
"Alright then, good warm-up," Walker told them. "Now we're going to go through the real training session." He clapped his hands and all the gathered agents stepped forward. "I want you all to spar with the agents here. Use whatever moves you have. And these aren't individual ones just yet. This particular exercise is team oriented given how I'll be working with you going forward. Now, begin."
There was no other warning and Kirishima blinked as all the agents suddenly rushed forward, pulling out weapons from nowhere. Fortunately, he'd been studying under Mr. Aizawa for almost a year now and was prepared for such quick tests. He instantly hardened up and punched the first agent that came at him, knocking him back. He felt things striking him and saw rubber bullets collecting at his feet. He looked up at the agents standing back with the guns. He could take the hits thanks to his hardened skin but the others…
He glanced back and saw Kendo and Ojiro in the thick of the agents, using their martial arts to get an edge. The fact that they were surrounded was actually working in their favor as the gunmen couldn't get a clear shot but that wouldn't last long.
Without thinking any further, Kirishima rushed towards the gunmen. "Red Gauntlet!" he cried out, striking the first one down. The others began to back off but he didn't give them a chance to escape, charging right into them and knocking them all down and destroying their guns.
The whole fight lasted only another minute or two as the U.A. students wiped the floor with the agents, using all their training and experience to handle their opponents.
Walker watched from the side and had to admit he was impressed. The kids may be young but they were trained well and knew how to use their powers effectively. Plus, they also knew how to work together. He had noted how Kendo had instinctively taken charge, using her oversized hands to knock most of the agents back and give her and her teammates some room. Then, Ojiro had attacked the remainder, knocking them down. And Kirishima had charged the gunmen, keeping them out of the fight and away from his more vulnerable teammates. Solid w anork there.
"Alright," he said, stepping forward. "Nice work there. But now let's take it up a notch." He hefted up his shield and stared down at them. "Your next opponent is me. So come at me with all you've got."
Kirishima didn't hesitate, coming at the man with his hardened body. He was hoping to at least keep the man at bay on the defensive, but as he charged, Walker suddenly dropped down, making Kirishima's fist swing over him uselessly. Before Kirishima could react, Walker leapt back up, hefting Kirishima upwards and then tossing him like a ragdoll. Kirishima flew through the air for a second or two before coming back down with a painful grunt, rolling across the ground.
Walker didn't have time to prepare any further as Ojiro was instantly on him, leaping up and bringing his tail down with a twirl. A good move that lent power to the boy's extra appendage. But not good enough. Walker swung his shield arm in the tail's path, his strength outmatching the boy's and knocking him askew midair. Off balance as he landed, he wasn't ready for Walker's next attack and was struck in the face, knocked down.
Walker turned and his eyes went wide, him barely bringing his shield up in time before the giant fist struck him. The shield took the brunt of it but sadly wasn't capable of absorbing the impact as well and Walker was shoved back a few yards. He grunted but grinned. It seemed his instincts had been correct. This girl was the real threat of the group.
Kendo stared down at her opponent, breathing in deep. She knew this wouldn't be easy. The group they'd just fought had been simple grunts with little training. But Walker was the real deal. One look told her he had real combat experience and serious power. She'd been able to catch him off guard when he took down Ojiro, but he'd recovered swiftly and was now going on the attack, charging right for her.
She swung her arm back, hoping to catch him, but he easily leapt over it and kept coming without breaking his stride. His shield came right for her and she was forced to duck aside, the metal rim just missing. She brought her other arm down to try and squash him but he just rolled to the side at the last second and came up, launching his fist right into her gut, doubling her over.
She gasped, stumbling back but he didn't give her an inch, his shield coming up to finish her off. She brought her hands up on instinct, catching the shield. Even so, she was shocked by the power behind it and felt herself drop to her knees from the force.
"A good effort," Walker acknowledged, pushing her down. "But this is-"
"Red Gauntlet!"
Kirishima came charging in, punching right towards Walker's shield side, forcing him to block Kirishima's fist with it and free Kendo who stepped back for a second to recover. There was an echoing clang as Kirishima's fist struck the shield but it didn't last long, Walker shoving the fist aside to punch the boy in the chest. Since it was hardened skin, Kendo was sure that had been a mistake but to her surprise it was Kirishima who stumbled from the blow.
Enhancement type? she wondered, looking at Walker carefully. It was hard to tell with this new world. Apparently, not everyone had Quirks here, something that would definitely take some getting use to. Walker so far had shown no sign of any abilities, just natural skill. But maybe he did have some level of power.
She acted fast, coming at Walker with a haymaker. He saw her coming and raised his shield to block or deflect her. But at the last second, she dropped down and brought her arm around, enlarging it to knock Walker off his feet. The man grunted as he hit the ground and Kendo breathed out in relief. But that quickly soured when Walker rolled to his side, on his feet again in seconds.
"Never waver," he told her, rushing her. She tried to block him with her hands, but he slid down beneath them and came up with his own haymaker, punching her right in her ribs. The force sent her flying back and she felt all the air explode from her lungs. She landed on the ground on her back, completely stunned.
She had been having a hard time processing everything that had happened to her so far. She'd done her best to keep her cool in front of the other two since they had looked completely lost and had then turned to her. She couldn't let them down and show them how scared she was.
When they'd held the elections for the student representatives, she'd nominated herself as she truly wanted to help lead the others. It was what she'd done in her martial arts classes. Her Quirk wasn't as flashy or in some ways impressive as others so she had prioritized skill above all else. When she'd started excelling at the dojo, all the other kids started looking up to her, asking her for tips and advice, and even the trainers began calling on her to help out. And she found she actually enjoyed it. So, when the time came at U.A., she'd jumped at the chance to keep helping her fellow students. She enjoyed having them look up to her and wanted to keep helping all of them achieve their dreams of being the best heroes.
She didn't really understand what it meant to be a leader though. Because there was nothing that could prepare her for this. She'd just managed to keep a brave face on for Kirishima and Ojiro but the second she'd gone to her own room, she'd broken down completely, crying her eyes out into the plush, fancy pillow on her ridiculously huge bed. It was probably for the best that she was stuck with people from Class-A. Anyone from her class would have seen right through her.
She didn't know how she could lead these two. She didn't want to be the one in charge here because she truly had no idea what the best call was. All she could do was make a good guess and hope it worked out. She knew working for the man who kidnapped them was a bad idea but she also couldn't see what choice they had. What else could they do?
Still, she had planned to make the most of it and do her best to find even the tiniest way out of here. She would do her best to get these two home as well as everyone else from her class and Class-A until they were all back home in their universe.
That's not going to happen like this, she thought to herself as she lay on the matted floor, breathing in loud and wheezing pants. With a grunt, she got back on her feet, ignoring all the aches and pains from her body. She looked up just in time to see Ojiro get thrown into Kirishima, both getting knocked down.
"Hmm, well, you won't last long against plenty of the villains out there but…" Walker started to say when his senses went off. His shield came up but she didn't try to hit it. Instead, with her right arm, she caught the shield by the rim, holding it fast. Then, with her left arm, Kendo enlarged it and grabbed him around the middle. With a grunt, she lifted him up off the ground, holding him midair.
"What the hell?" he growled, taking stock of his situation. Once he did, he let out a chuckle. "Not bad kid."
Kendo smirked, thinking for a second that she had him. But then she felt him begin to struggle and her eyes widened, forced to tighten her grip. But even that wasn't enough. She had managed to only catch his left arm in her hand as her other hand still had a tight grip on his shield. Now, he was flexing with his trapped arm and trying to break free of her grip with his shield arm. She tried to stop him but she didn't have firm grip on the shield and his strength was insane. She could only hold on a few more seconds before he tore the shield from her grasp.
Still, despite that, she reacted fast, swelling up her freed up arm and wrapping it around him as well, now trapping his shield arm too.
"Impressive," Walker chuckled. "You think on your feet huh?"
"I have to in this line of work," she replied.
"Indeed you do."
Kendo winced, a small gasp slipping out, as she felt him flex again, only this time with both arms. She could feel the strength in his body as he stretched out and she could barely stop him. She didn't know if this was an ability or not, though she didn't think any ordinary person could have this level of strength.
She knew instantly that she wouldn't be able to hold him. Not like this anyway. It was already a chore just keeping him off the ground, his weight making her legs tremble. If he kept flexing out like this, he would break free. She needed something else to gain an advantage. She needed…leverage.
"Ha!" she cried out, suddenly rushing to the side.
"What are you doing now? I don't think runn…oh," he paused, seeing the incoming wall. He quickly flexed out again and Kendo felt the burning strain all the way from her enlarged fingertips to her shoulders. But still, she held on right up until she smacked him against the wall and held him there. Once she'd done that, she planted her feet against the ground and pushed as hard as she could, not letting him go.
"You keep surprising me," he commented, shaking his head.
"Nice, you got him!" she heard Kirishima cry out behind her.
"Good work!"
She allowed herself a small smile but never let off her attack. She was just glad she'd done training like this with Tetsutetsu and Shishida. If she hadn't, she didn't think she'd have lasted as long as she had.
"But there is a problem with your plan," Walker told her, not looking the least bit perturbed by her attack. "You may have gained some leverage like this, but so have I."
Kendo's eyes widened as she saw his feet lift up off the wall and then strike back down against. As soon as they made contact, he shoved his whole body off the wall from the momentum. Kendo did her best to brace herself but it was still too much, Walker pushing her away and giving himself room. He instantly freed his arms and then grabbed hold of Kendo's enlarged hands, using them to pull his whole body out from her trap and then leap away, landing squarely on the floor a yard away from her.
"What else you got?" he asked.
Kendo grimaced, it becoming pretty clear to her that they couldn't beat him. Not as they were. But before she could even ponder that for long, Kirishima rushed forward at breakneck speed.
"Unbreakable!" he roared and Kendo saw his whole body armor up, his skin hardening to the point where he looked like a gargoyle, his fingers turning into claws. He charged at Walker who just managed to get his shield up in time. Kirishima launched a barrage of punches at the shield, his fists becoming a blur as he kept it up. It didn't look like he was making too much headway, that shield holding up well, but Kendo could see Walker himself being pushed back from the onslaught.
"Kendo!" She turned to see Ojiro come up next to her. "What's the plan?"
"The plan?" she questioned, realizing Kirishima was just buying them time. He most certainly couldn't hold that form for long. But right now, Walker was distracted. "Here," she said, enlarging her hands and taking hold of him. "He can't block you as much without his shield."
"Right."
"Curl up," she ordered. "Makes it easier for me."
With that said, she pulled him back into a throwing position and then tossed him across the room right for Walker. The man barely saw it coming, still doing his best to resist Kirishima's attack. Ojiro came in for a landing right behind him, just managing to catch himself on the ground. His tail came up instinctively, swinging right for Walker's unprotected back.
"Damn it."
Even Kendo heard the growl as she rushed towards the fight, seeing Walker grimace this time as he raised his free arm in time to block the tail. But, that still left him vulnerable to her.
"Big Fist!" she cried, throwing a punch as she came at him and enlarging it at the last second. She saw his eyes widen in shock and knew that they finally had him.
Then her fist struck something else that suddenly appeared before Walker. She gasped at the strength behind the small object holding her back, it painfully driving into her knuckles. She took a look around her fist and gasped when she saw it was Walker's foot, the man now standing on one leg as he held the three of them off.
But they still had the advantage.
"Push!" she cried, shoving her fist forward with all her strength. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the others doing the same, Kirishima driving his own fists while Ojiro pushed with his tail, all of them giving it everything. Walker roared out, struggling against them, but it was too much for even him to handle and he was shoved down, falling flat on his back.
Kendo breathed out in relief for a second, her heart beating like a thunderstorm. Looks at Ojiro and Kirishima told her that they felt the same, the red-haired boy's skin returning to normal.
"We got him," Kirishima said, offering them both a grin.
The next instant, he was down, Walker's feet driving into his stomach. Kendo gaped as her classmate went down instead, cradling his stomach gingerly, while Walker got back on his feet. Once he'd fallen, he'd used his hands to catch himself and absorb the impact before launching himself back up. All this went through Kendo's mind as she saw Walker charge for Ojiro, the kid swinging his tail around and Walker deflecting it off the side of his shield, getting in close to trip Ojiro up and then chop him on the back of the head, downing him as well.
Kendo cursed herself for staying still, rushing forward as well now, but Walker saw her coming, twirling around and throwing his shield right at her. The second she saw the spinning disc come for her, she ducked down on pure instinct, the shield flying right over her face as she slid under it, her heart in her throat.
She came up again and managed a small gasp right before Walker's arm slammed into her in a lariat and then piledrove her into the ground, the shock rippling through her whole body. She couldn't even cry out from the impact, just a gargling gasp coming out.
"Not too bad," Walker commented, rising up over her. "You handled yourself well out there. All of you. With those kind of attacks, you'll be able to take on most of the small fry criminals we'll come across. Alright, all of you, we'll be meeting up with the rest of the team at 1300 hours in room 2A which means you'll have til then to get yourselves cleaned up. There are showers over there," he gestured to the doorway on the far side of the room. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of the guards on duty. Good workout."
With that, he walked off. Kendo groaned, getting back on her feet. She saw the other two starting to do the same, all of them clutching the worst of their new bruises.
"What is that guy made of?" Kirishima groaned.
"I don't think I want to know," Ojiro moaned.
Kendo just grunted. That had been a brutal training session but it honestly felt like something out of the Training Camp. And she was grateful for that. If Walker was an example of the kind of people that existed in this new world, then she would take all the training sessions he could offer. She had to get stronger fast, to protect all her friends and fellow students.
She clenched her fist tightly, already ready for the next fight.
Walker stared out at the assembled team that would make up the latest iteration of the Thunderbolts. They were currently in a large chamber that they would use for their headquarters. There was a gym section on one side for training purposes and a lounge area with a table and a monitor set up for mission briefings. A good setup but he still wished he could have specifically picked out the members of the team. As it was, things weren't that good.
Aleksei Sytsevich aka the Rhino. The main source of muscle in the group thanks to his strength enhancements and practically invincible armor that, as far as he know, was somehow stuck to his body, making it impossible to come off. The man had done a lot of damage in his work as a mercenary, especially during his fights with the local vigilante Spider-Man. But he'd also worked under Fisk before and was now joining the Thunderbolts as part of his community service. Still, he was a wild card who loved destruction. Not someone Walker would consider reliable. But his power was an asset. The man was currently lounging on one of the recliners designed specifically for him, going through his phone.
Ava Starr aka Ghost. The supposed daughter of supervillain Egghead who had the ability to phase her body through objects due to an accident as a child. Apparently no relation to the other supervillain known as Ghost. After working for S.H.I.E.L.D. for many years, she was now attempting to turn her life around and make a name for herself as a hero. She was someone Walker could work with. Was used to following orders and was actually trying to do some good. She was currently reading a book in another chair.
Karla Sofen aka Moonstone. The other source of muscle for the team. She'd been a big part of the Thunderbolts during the whole Civil War way back and Walker had taken note of her distinct enjoyment of beating down the vigilantes and anti-registration heroes. She had been a former supervillain and had leapt at the chance to use her powers against her adversaries without any consequences. That would not fly here. Walker himself had issues with those heroes but he also respected all the good they had done. From what he could tell, Sofen just leapt from opportunity to opportunity with no real regard for doing any real good. She was someone he would have to keep an eye on. She was currently looking at her phone with a bored expression.
Flint Marko aka the Sandman. Walker wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but it wasn't this. The Sandman had been an enemy of the Fantastic Four as well as Spider-Man for years, doing much harm to the city of New York as well as other cities. He'd recently gotten into a huge scuffle with the two Spider-Men and had nearly destroyed the city in a massive sandstorm. But, evidently, he had been forced into it by another group of villains and was now actively trying to turn his life around for the sake of his daughter. He also had a certain device around his head that would keep his mind stable during his transformations, something he'd been struggling with. Walker wasn't sure about someone with such mental problems on the team but he did prefer a powered individual like him on the team given his capabilities. And a source of power that wasn't such a wild card like Rhino or Moonstone was also good. The man was currently in the corner, looking at a photo in his hand, one of his daughter presumably.
Frederick Myers aka Boomerang. A former mercenary for hire who had apparently turned his life around during Hydra's attempted assault on the country a little while back. Now he was actively attempting to become a hero. There were even a few reports of team-ups with Spider-Man. But none of that counted here. Walker wasn't sure about the man but his boomerangs, while sounding stupid, had shown to be effective against his opponents, even over-powered ones like the Hulk, albeit not for long. Walker was sure he could find some use from him during their missions. The man was on a chair, giggling like an idiot over what Walker had to guess was a dirty magazine.
And last but certainly not least, Yelena Belova aka the White Widow. She would be serving as Walker's right hand woman and would essentially be co-leader. The two may not like each other much personally but when it came to the mission, they did trust each other to get the job done. She would be their shadow member while everyone else would be made public. They had worked together while under Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the CIA before being moved here to aid Fisk in his Thunderbolts program. Walker was well aware of Belova's relationship with her sister, the infamous Black Widow. She was the only one on the team that he could say he trusted which was paramount considering the membership. She was currently leaning against the wall, eying him as he walked in.
Then there were the final three members. A few teenage superheroes who would apparently be the main face of the program. Japanese too. Walker wondered how that would fly around here. Well, they did have two Russians on the team as well, so it didn't really matter. As long as the job got done.
He'd looked over their files. Two martial artists and a brawler, each with a unique ability. One whose hands could grow to huge proportions, one who had a tail growing out of him, and one who could harden his skin. Didn't seem too impressive but Walker had seen what they were capable of in that training session. Rather impressive. Especially that Kendo who had the makings of a good leader. They may be young but they knew how to use their powers effectively. That was what mattered.
But, then again, that had been training. He needed to see what they were capable of in real situations, which would be happening today.
"Let's not fuck it up, shall we?"
When Kendo was led into the room, she took a close look at all the people inside. These were going to be her new teammates apparently. There was a massive dude who had some sort of armor all over his body that made him look like a rhino, especially with that horn on his head. Someone in a gray costume that had a hood over it and a mask with glowing red eyes, making them look like the villain in a videogame. A woman in a yellow bodysuit and a metal helmet cracking her knuckles aggressively. A man in a green striped shirt whose lower half seemed to be composed of sand. A man in a costume that had a bunch of boomerangs strapped to him. And a woman in a white bodysuit who regarded her and the others coldly as they walked in.
"Attention!" Walker called out, causing everyone to look up at him. "Stand at formation when I enter from now on." There were a few snorts and eye-rolls at that but no one said anything. Walker gave them all a hard look before continuing. "You have all been chosen for the new Thunderbolts program which is designed to show the people how heroes that are properly trained, licensed, and working under the authority of the United States Government can operate better than any vigilantes. I understood that many of you come from…murky backgrounds to say the least. While that doesn't affect your acceptance in this program, if you step out of line, you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. For some of you, this is your only chance. Don't blow it."
Kendo couldn't help but notice how Walker looked pointedly at a few individuals specifically such as the woman in the yellow suit and the rhino guy. She also wondered what Walker meant by 'murky' backgrounds. It almost sounded like a second chance program for villains, but that couldn't be right. Could it?
Just then, the woman in the yellow suit raised her hand. "What is it, Sofen?" Walker asked.
"Yeah, what's up with the pipsqueaks over there? I thought this was an assault team for dangerous missions, not a babysitting club."
"First off," Walker said pointedly, "this isn't an assault team. Some missions may require assaulting the bad guys first, but first and foremost we are to stand on guard and stay on patrol, keeping watch."
"Boring," rhino guy snorted.
"And second, these three are going to be the center of our program," Walker said. "Given all of your pasts, the higher ups figured it would be better to have some new blood come in to assure the public for various reasons. I understood some of may have misgivings given the age of these three but I have assessed them personally and approved them fit for combat."
"Really?" the rhino-looking guy snorted as he stared at them. "These little brats can fight? They look like one punch will flatten them."
Kendo braced herself, feeling the looks all her new teammates were giving her and her companions. This didn't look like it was going to end well.
"Coming from a man who's been beaten by someone we've confirmed to be a teenager, that doesn't say very much does it?"
"You bastard!" the rhino guy roared at Walker, standing up quickly. Kendo gaped at him as he stood at full size, looking like a true monster. But Walker held his ground.
"Stand down, now!" Walker ordered. "Or would you prefer more years added to your sentence?"
The rhino guy hesitated, glaring at Walker with rage, but he soon backed off, fists clenched tightly.
"Smart move," Walker told him. "Don't forget who's in charge, Rhino. You may have been chosen for this team but I'm the one leading it and I can decide whether or not you're up for it. And if I decide you're not, you'll be heading right back to prison."
Kendo's eyes widened at that. Prison? This Rhino was from prison? So…he was a criminal then? She was surprised, but only for a moment. Then she remembered her own position here and how that occurred. It totally made sense that Mayor Fisk would hire criminals instead of actual superheroes to work for him. What self-respecting hero would? She had to assume everyone here was a criminal of some sort.
Great. Just great.
"Now, I suppose we should start with introductions. I'll go first. Name's John Walker. In the field, you'll refer to me as U.S. Agent or sir. And-"
"Hey, I remember you now!" the guy with all the boomerangs suddenly said. "You're that Captain American wannabe. Ha! Weren't you dishonorably discharged though?"
Walker glared at the man. "That is none of your concern. Yes, I did serve as Captain America for a time but that proved…ineffective. Which is why I've taken on this new title. And I have been chosen both by our mayor and the U.S. government to oversee the latest iteration of the Thunderbolts program. So, if there aren't any more interruptions," he glared at the boomerang guy who held up his hands in mock surrender, a mocking grin on his face, "let's continue. From left to right."
"I'm the Rhino," the rhino guy said, though it was pretty obvious why he was called that. "And you get in my way, I'll smash you."
"Lovely," Kendo murmured.
"What the hell are we involved in?" Ojiro muttered darkly.
The next person, the one in the strange, assassin-like getup, lifted their head briefly. "Ghost," came the voice within. She didn't say anything else.
"Moonstone," the next person, the woman in the yellow bodysuit, said. "The real powerhouse of this team. So you'd best be nice to me or else I might not come save you if you're in trouble."
Kendo was getting more and more worried about these people. She'd thought maybe at least Walker would be alright after their training session with him but the way he'd talked about this 'Captain America' thing, the look on his face specifically. It had sent shivers down her spine. Whatever had happened, it hadn't been good.
"Sandman," the next guy said, staying silent after that just like Ghost.
"Saving the best for last, I gotcha," the boomerang guy said, winking. "I'm the boomerang, and my babies here always hit their targets. I'm the best of the best, the greatest marksman in the world and-"
"Hawkeye."
"Bullseye."
"Black Widow."
"Taskmaster."
"Domino."
"Shut up!" Boomerang roared as all the others spoke. "I'm the best and I'll prove it to you. Watch." He grabbed a pair of boomerangs from his belt and was ready to throw them when Walker stepped forward.
"That's enough of that," he said firmly. "You can prove yourself later. We don't have time for childish nonsense like this."
Boomerang glared at him but relented. "Fine. I'll show you how good I am in the field then."
"Perfect. Now, last but most certainly best…"
"Hey!" Boomerang complained. "You did that on purpose!"
Walker ignored him, gesturing a hand to the blonde woman in the white bodysuit who stepped forward. "The White Widow," she said coldly in a Russian accent. Kendo felt another shiver in her spine. The way this woman spoke, that look in her eyes. She was deadly, no question about that. The woman looked at her and Kendo had to stop herself from trembling, meeting her gaze firmly. The exchange lasted only a few seconds before the Widow smirked and glanced away.
"The Widow is my second in command. You will obey her instructions as if they come from me. Is that understood?" Walker said.
There was some grumbling and muttering but no one really said anything.
"Good. Now, you three," Walker turned to Kendo and the others.
Kendo stepped forward first, taking a quick breath. "I'm Battle Fist," she said, lifting her hand up and throwing out a fist, enlarging it at the last second. It definitely caught everyone off guard except Walker and the White Widow. A few stumbled back, Boomerang almost tripping over himself.
"That's all you can do?" the woman Moonstone snorted. "Is it just your hands or can you enlarge anything else?"
"I'm called Battle Fist for a reason," Kendo replied coolly. "I'm also a trained martial artist."
"Yeah, I'm sure that'll be a big help," Moonstone said, rolling her eyes.
"Moving on," Walker said firmly. He gestured for Ojiro to come up, the boy clearly doing his best not to look too nervous.
"Hello everyone," he said. "I go by Tailman for obvious reasons."
"Tailman? Seriously?" Moonstone smirked, shaking her head. "Your power is only your tail? Is this a joke or something?"
"Puny child," Rhino chimed in.
"Enough!" Walker barked.
Ojiro stepped back, scratching his head. Kendo could tell the atmosphere in the room was getting dangerous. Everyone had already been looking at them like they were beneath them but not it seemed more predatory, especially from Moonstone and Rhino. Those two were going to be problems.
Kirishima stepped up now, a wild grin on his face. "Hey, my name's Red Riot. And I make my skin so tough that it can become unbreakable."
As he said that, his skin hardened in front of them to the point where it did look like he was made of rock.
"Unbreakable, huh?" Moonstone said, eyeing him with more interest. "Now that is interesting. Let's put it to the test."
Before anyone could even blink, she suddenly rushed forward, punching Kirishima solidly in the chest. He went flying backwards, striking the back wall and getting lodged several inches into it.
"Kirishima!" Kendo and Ojiro yelled simultaneously.
"Moonstone!" Walker barked angrily. "What the hell was that?"
"What?" Moonstone asked innocently. "I was just trying to make sure he wasn't lying. And look," she gestured, showing Kirishima land back on the ground, a little shaken up but otherwise alright. "The kid's fine. So what's the-"
She didn't get to finish as Kendo punched her in the face.
That turned out to be a mistake as Kendo had to bite her lip from crying out, her hand throbbing in pain from the blow. That woman wasn't just strong but incredibly durable. And Kendo had just pissed her off.
"Oh, you want a fight, little girl?" Moonstone smirked. "Bet you're regretting it already. Well too bad. You asked for this, brat!"
"Now hold o-"
But Walker was too slow, Moonstone rushing forward at superhuman speed to throw her own punch at Kendo. Except, Kendo was ready for it. She threw herself back as the punch came, eyes going wide as the fist went over her face, missing her by mere inches. She then ducked to the side and leapt.
"Oh you think you're so clever!" Moonstone snarled, moving to grab her. But before she could, Ojiro interrupted.
"Twirling Tail Dance!" he called out, twirling his tail around to gain more momentum before slamming it into the woman's face. It clearly didn't do too much damage but it did help distract her for a second which was all Kendo needed.
"You little-"
"Gotcha!" Kendo cried, wrapping her enlarged fists around the woman's face, blinding her.
"What the hell?" Moonstone shrieked, whirling around blindly. Kendo was surprised when they suddenly went airborne, not realizing the woman could apparently fly as well. But it didn't matter, she held on tight, pulling back on the woman's head to screw with her balance.
"You think this'll stop me? Think again!"
Moonstone's arms shot up to grab hold of her but Kendo was ready for that, quickly releasing her hold on Moonstone's head and instead grabbing hold of her arms a little below her wrists, holding tightly to them instead.
"What do you think that'll accomplish?" Moonstone smirked up at her on her back. "I'll jus-"
"Red Gauntlet Unbreakable!"
Moonstone turned just in time for Kirishima to give her a punch right in the gut, his unbreakable form powering through her defenses, making her fold over slightly from the blow and even spit up a little.
Kendo leapt down and stepped back with Ojiro and Kirishima, watching the woman carefully. That had been close, way too close. But hopefully it had accomplished something.
"You little bastards!" Moonstone started as she stood straight again, glaring at them murderously. "I'm going t-"
"You'll do nothing," Walker interrupted, stepping between them now. "This idiocy has gone on long enough. Stand down or face the consequences.
Moonstore glared at him, seething, but she stepped back. Kendo breathed out in relief. She didn't know what they would have done if she'd kept going.
"Does anyone else have a problem with these three?" Walker asked.
"Ha!" Rhino chuckled. "I like them. They got spunk."
"Whatever," Sandman sighed.
"Ah, I don't care," Boomerang shrugged.
Ghost and White Widow remained silent while Moonstone just continued to glare at them. Kendo had a feeling that would be a problem going forth.
"Good. As I said previously, they are an integral part of making this program work. And despite all your experience and abilities, every single one of you is disposable. So, act like that without my permission again, you get booted right back to prison to serve out the remainder of your sentence. Is that clear?" Walker said, staring right at Moonstone.
"Crystal," she replied.
"Good. Now then, seeing as we're all acquainted, we'll begin discussing patrols."
"Patrols?" Rhino questioned.
"Yes. We'll be splitting into five pairs of two and, starting the day after tomorrow, begin walking our routes around the city. We want the population to familiarize themselves with us and what we're doing."
"We didn't do that back in the registration days," Moonstone complained. "Why the heck are we doing them now?"
"I just said. We can't just sit around waiting for emergencies to happen. If we do that, more often than not we'll be too late to be of any real help. The routes were devised to calculate the parts of the city where crime is most likely to occur."
"And we got to do this every day?" Boomerang checked.
"For now, yes. The leaders of the program will be going over the pros and cons of this system at the end of the day."
From the way they were all talking, Kendo had the feeling they didn't hero work this way. Even for Walker, the idea of going on patrol was completely new. Must have been something else Fisk took from all they told him about their world. Though, given what Walker said, it was clear that most of these people were part of some second chance program meaning they were likely all previously villains or criminals of some sort.
"Alright, here are the pairs. Moonstone, you're with me."
"What? Why?"
"Because you need watching," he replied firmly. "Same goes for you Rhino, that's why you're with Widow."
"Whatever," Rhino muttered.
"Battle Fist, you're with Ghost."
Kendo looked over at her new partner who remained completely expressionless behind the mask. Kendo wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. Definitely apprehensive and more than a little scared.
"Red Riot, you're with Boomerang."
"Cool. Gimme some!" Boomerang cried, holding up his hand for a high five. Kirishima shrugged and obliged. "Nice!" Boomerang grinned. "I think we'll get along just fine."
"Alright man, let's see what you've got!"
"Well at least he's got someone friendly," Kendo muttered.
"And Tailman, you're with Sandman."
Ojiro gulped, looking at the man in question who barely gave him a glance before staring at his hands in silence. Kendo wasn't sure what to make of him either. She made a mental note to look up everyone here later on. There should be something about them online.
"Question," Moonstone said. "What happens when we run into any vigilantes out there?"
Walker sighed. "It depends," he said. "Given how badly the registration act went before, we can't have a repeat. So as long as they're helping people and not causing too much damage when stopping crime, you do nothing. You will always try to take their crime away from them but only if it won't affect the civilians. If it comes down to it, prioritize the civilians while the vigilante handles the villain."
"Boring," Moonstone said, snorting again.
"That's also why you're all in pairs. If you wind up fighting some villains or criminals and there are civilians around, the most adept of the two will handle the villain while the other will take care of the civilians. That goes especially for you three," Walker stated, looking at Kendo, Ojiro, and Kirishima. "Only get involved with a fight if need be. Understood?"
"Got it," Kendo said for the three of them. She didn't really want to fight beside another criminal anyway. She'd always feel like she'd have to watch her back.
"Good. Alright, that's enough for today," Walker said. "Tomorrow, I want you all here at 0800 to prepare for the Mayor's press conference announcing the Thunderbolt program to the city. Make sure you look presentable or else there will be consequences. That'll be all. I don't really care what you do until then."
Most of the group filed away as he wrapped up, Sandman and Ghost in particular. Moonstone shot the three of them one last glare before walking off herself.
Kendo sighed as she watched them go. Each of them most likely a dangerous criminal and now she and her friends were stuck with them. Their situation just seemed to be moving around from danger to danger and she had no idea what to do about that.
"Hey." She turned to see Kirishima and Ojiro walk up to her. "It's going to be ok," Kirishima said, putting on a grin. "We've got this."
"Yeah," Ojiro nodded, forcing a smile across his face as well. "We'll make it through this somehow."
Kendo smiled as well, feeling a little better. "You bet we will. And we'll make that fatso up there pay for what he's done."
"No doubt about it!" Kirishima nodded, pumping his fist.
Kendo sighed again, though not as deep. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she was going to meet it head-on with one giant-ass fist alongside her.
Helicarrier
Uraraka stared at the wall, hands clasping and unclasping constantly. They'd been led to this room maybe an hour or two ago and told to wait. She'd hoped that when they arrived at this flying ship, that everything would be alright again. But she'd noticed the expressions of Fury and the others when they'd talked, like they hadn't really understood what they were being told.
Ever since, Uraraka had felt like she was a prisoner again. Well, not really. Asui had opened the door before to ask the guards outside if they could get something to eat and a few minutes later they had a tray of sandwiches.
Still, the whole situation put Uraraka on edge. There was something else going on here and it scared her not knowing what it was. She just wanted to go home and feel safe again.
"What's taking so long?" Rin complained. "We gave them all the information. I even identified that Abomination guy who attacked our class. Why are we still here?"
"Maybe they're flying us back home already?" Asui suggested though she didn't sound too certain herself.
"Then why not tell us? Why keep us in here?"
She didn't answer and Uraraka just looked down at her hands. So much about this didn't make sense. She wondered what her parents were thinking right now. They were probably worried sick. And everyone else's parents and families as well.
She just wanted this all to be over.
"Hey, that's weird."
She looked up to see Rin standing next to a calendar. "What is it?" Asui asked him.
"This calendar…it's on the wrong year."
Uraraka frowned. "Why is that so strange?"
"Yeah, maybe they never got around to changing it after the New Year," Asui said, shrugging.
"It's not last year either or even the year before that. This date…it's from like 150 years ago."
Now he had Uraraka's attention. "What?" she asked, standing up to come look at it as well. He was right, the year on the calendar was from more than a century ago. But…why would that be here.
"Must be some sort of gag calendar or something," Asui suggested but from her tone, Uraraka wasn't sure she even believed it.
There was definitely something else going on here and she was done waiting around. She wanted answers. She turned towards the door, determined to go find some, but before she could even take a step forward, the door opened on its own.
"Hey there, sorry for the wait," Sharon Carter said as she walked through, a smile on her face. "But look who I brought with me."
Uraraka gasped in relief as she saw Tsunotori walk in behind her. "Hey guys," the pony girl said a little sheepishly. "Sorry for-"
"Pony!" Rin cried, rushing over and pulling the girl in for a hug.
"Ow!"
"Oh, sorry," Rin said, pulling away just as quickly. "Are you not fully healed yet? Shouldn't you be resting then? Should we get you back into bed? Sho-"
"Whoa, slow down kid," Carter told him. "The doctors here are some of the best around. They fixed her up pretty quickly but she's still a little sore so take it easy."
"Right, of course. Just glad to see you up on your feet," Rin told Tsunotori.
"Thanks."
"Hey," Uraraka said, turning to Carter. "When are we going home? You said-"
"Yeah," Carter interrupted, looking sheepish herself now, "about that. We've run into some complications."
"What kind of complications?" Asui asked suspiciously.
"I don't think I'm the best person to say it. We have a specialist coming in right about now. We're hoping we're wrong but given the evidence…well, it doesn't look good."
"What doesn't look good?" Uraraka asked, very concerned now.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Asui questioned.
Carter opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, another person appeared in the doorway. He was tall with salt-and-pepper hair and a beard. He was almost certainly another hero from his costume, an all-blue suit with the number 4 printed on his chest.
"Hello there," he said, smiling at them. "My name is Reed Richards. I'm also known as Mr. Fantastic but I suspect you might not have heard of me before."
Uraraka paused. "Uh…should we have?" she asked apologetically. "Sorry, I'm not too familiar with American heroes."
"Not a problem at all."
"Why did you suspect?" Asui asked, still suspicious. "What is going on here?"
Mr. Fantastic sighed. "That's what I'm here to determine. I just need to run a few tests to determine if my assumption is correct."
"And what's your assumption?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, why are you acting so weird about it?" Tsunotori chimed in.
"Look, everyone, we don't want to needlessly alarm you," Carter told them, raising her hands. "I promise we are doing everything we can to get you home but-"
"But what?" Rin demanded. "Why can't we go home?"
"Yeah, what aren't you telling us?" Asui said.
"Please," Mr. Fantastic told them. "Let me run the tests. If we're wrong, then there is absolutely nothing for you to be concerned about. But, if we're right, then…"
"Then what?"
"Then we'll figure something else out for you," Carter said. "I promise, we will look after you. All of you. We already have teams deployed looking for all your classmates. Please, I know this is frustrating, but bear with us just a little bit longer."
Uraraka wasn't so sure. There was definitely something else going on here. But the thing was, she didn't think she was in danger. Not really. The way Carter and Mr. Fantastic were acting, they were truly apologetic about the whole thing and really seemed like they wanted to help. She also didn't sense any lies when they said they were looking for all of her classmates. And they had saved her and her friends here. She couldn't believe they were bad people.
"Ok," she said, standing up. "I'll do the tests."
"Uraraka?" Asui interrupted. "Are you sure? I mean…"
"I trust them," she replied firmly. "I don't believe they mean us any harm. So, let's do these tests and find out whatever it is they need to find out."
"Thank you," Mr. Fantastic told her. "Don't worry, the test is very simple."
He pulled out a strange device that had a square frame and a handle that he gripped firmly. He held it up to them and there was a sudden red glow around them that lasted a few seconds before suddenly vanishing.
"What was that?" Tsunotori asked.
"All done," Mr. Fantastic said, surprising them.
"Just like that?" Rin questioned.
"Yes. Like I said, it's very simple. The results should be coming in right about…now."
On his word, there was a slight beeping sound. He looked closer at the device, his eyebrows scrunching down. He stayed that way for about a minute, clearing looking at the results. Uraraka felt her nerves growing. She still didn't know what Carter and Mr. Fantastic were referring to when they said 'complications' and 'assumption' but it was starting to freak her out. Just what was going on. They were safe, right? They were away from the bad guys? If so, then why was everyone still so freaked out. Did they have some sort of disease? Did the villains plant something on them? What?
"I'm sorry," Mr. Fantastic suddenly said, looking up. "But…out assumptions were correct."
"But what does that mean?" Asui demanded.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Rin asked.
"What are the complications?" Uraraka chimed in.
Carter and Mr. Fantastic shared a look before she walked out. "I'll go brief Fury as well as the others. Reed," she said carefully. "Be gentle. They're just kids."
"You are aware I'm a father, right?"
"I do," she said pointedly before walking out.
"Well that was a little hurtful," he muttered before taking a seat and facing them, an uncomfortable look on his face. "You'd all best take a seat," he told them. "This will come as a shock."
Uraraka sank down in her chair, her heart practically in her throat. She didn't know what kind of news she was about to hear but she knew it had to be bad. Her mind went wild with the possibilities but none of them came close to what Mr. Fantastic said next.
"What do you know about the multiverse?"
Uraraka didn't know how long it took. Maybe ten minutes, maybe thirty, maybe even an hour or more. She'd heard of the multiverse and basically knew what it meant but never really paid much attention to its meaning. Mr. Fantastic went into a long explanation of it, of all the vast universes out there, each one of them unique and different from the others even if in only the smallest of ways. Uraraka had been interested in it all but had also been wondering what it had to do with them.
Evidently Asui and Rin were a little sharper as she'd noticed the horror growing on their faces, already realizing the truth. And, by the time Mr. Fantastic got to it, she'd practically figured it out as well.
They were stuck in another universe.
She didn't believe it, hadn't wanted to believe it, but then Mr. Fantastic showed them proof. He'd shown them that there was no record or trace of them anywhere. Not even of their family or friends. No sign of U.A. High School or of any known hero. No matter what Uraraka or any of the others looked up, it just didn't exist.
"I'm sorry," Mr. Fantastic told them. "I know this is a bit of a shock but-"
"A bit?" Rin gasped. "A bit of shock? We're in another freaking universe and it's just a bit of a shock?"
"How is this even possible?" Asui croaked.
"How did we get here?" Tsunotori managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.
"How do we get home?" Uraraka asked, hands clenched tightly.
"That is why I am here," Mr. Fantastic told them. "For you, the multiverse is a new and unknown phenomenon. But I have been dealing with such things for more than a decade now. And I promise you that I will find a way to get you home."
"Can't you just…I don't know pinpoint our universe or something?" Rin asked desperately. "I mean, how many can there really be?"
"Millions," Mr. Fantastic told him. "Billions even, perhaps more."
Uraraka gasped in shock. The weight that had been pressing down on her suddenly seemed to triple in size, threatening to crush her completely. Billions of universes out there? How was she ever going to get home? Was she ever going to see her family again?
"Don't worry," Mr. Fantastic said. "You're right, it is near impossible to pinpoint your universe if I don't know where to look. But, those villains who captured you clearly did. Which is now a new reason for why we're hunting them down. Once we do that, we'll be able to find out how they found your universe, find it ourselves, and presto!"
He smiled reassuringly at them and Uraraka felt the weight lessen just a little. What he said made sense. Those villains had found their universe somehow so all they needed to figure out was the 'how.' When they did, it should be easy to get back home.
Of course, all this was beyond her understanding. She just really understood the basics but that seemed to be enough anyway.
"So…why were they after us anyway?" Asui asked.
"That is a very good question," Mr. Fantastic replied, stroking his chin as he regarded them. "From what I've been told, you refer to your abilities as Quirks, correct?"
They all looked at each other before back at him. "Is…is that now how you do it?" Uraraka asked.
"No, not at all. Here, it depends on the individual I suppose but most just say 'abilities' or 'powers' or something like that. I've never heard the term 'Quirk' like that before. So now, tell me about your world."
It was weird to hear him say it like that. And it was weird for Uraraka to start talking about her world, a place that should be common knowledge to him. She explained that 80% of their world was populated with super-powered people, something that amazed him as he replied that less than 20% here super-powered, something that truly shocked her and the others.
"Truly fascinating," Mr. Fantastic said a few minutes later. "A whole world dominated by super powers. Or, as you would say, Quirks. And all naturally too."
"Naturally?" Asui questioned.
"Yes, not all superpowered individuals here receive their powers from birth," Mr. Fantastic told them. "Me and my family received ours more than a decade ago due to cosmic radiation." He demonstrated by stretching his hand out. "Before that…well, we didn't have abilities at all."
Uraraka couldn't help but gape at that revelation. "You…you didn't…" she stuttered, trying to come to grips with that.
"Wow," Rin murmured.
"That's…incredible," Tsunotori said.
"Indeed. On our world, many heroes and, sadly, villains received their powers from other means. Usually some form of radiation was the cause, such as with Spider-Man or the Hulk. I think even the serum that was given to Captain America had some form of radiation in it. Hmmm, I'll have to ask him about that."
Uraraka wasn't sure what to make of all this. It felt like every time she felt like she couldn't be surprised again, he added something else that just swept her feet from under her even harder.
"Ah," he said, a nervous expression appearing on his face. "I think perhaps this is all a bit too much for you right now. We can go into all the details later on. For now, let's return to the others. We'll need to discuss what to do with you all for now."
Uraraka nodded. She'd been so wrapped up in the latest information, she'd briefly forgotten the most important bit of all. That she and all her friends were trapped in another universe. Honestly, she would have preferred hearing about how heroes here gained powers through other means than think about what they were all going to do now.
Still, she got up and let Mr. Fantastic lead them back down the hallways of the Helicarrier all the way to the main conference room at the ship's bridge, open sky filling the windows. Fury, Carter, and the two Captain Americas all stood there along with three other individuals. Fury was currently talking to Carter and another blonde woman who was in a similar outfit to Mr. Fantastic's. Another guy was in the same outfit too, a blonde man looking maybe in his mid-to-late twenties who was flirting with one of the nearby officers. But the person who immediately caught her eye was the figure in the center of the room talking to the Captains. He was bare-chested and looked like he was composed out of rock itself and had a spherical head. He had a similar '4' on his trousers.
"This is my team and family," Reed introduced proudly. "The Fantastic Four."
Castle Doom
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Deku woke up as the ringing sounded in his ears. He blinked, clearing his vision and brain as his sleep was chased away. It took him a second to realize where he was and he sighed deeply as it hit him once more. Captured by the villain Doctor Doom in another universe.
The despair threatened to overwhelm him but he pushed through it. He had a job to do and he refused to let his situation bring him down. With that thought, he got up and got dressed. Doom said their next trial would be happening now.
As he walked out of his room/cell, he spotted Sero and Honenuki walking out of their as well, dressed in their costumes and ready for combat followed shortly by Tokoyami and Shiozaki.
"Ready?" Honenuki asked.
"Obviously not," Sero replied sourly.
"Still, let us do what we can," Tokoyami told them in his calm manner.
"Let us prevail against wickedness with our strength and fortitude," Shiozaki added, her voice bringing some slight hope to them all.
Deku nodded. "No matter what, we will make it through this. So let's go beyond. Plus Ultra!"
"Yeah!"
"How rousing."
Deku shivered at the voice and turned in surprise when he saw Doctor Doom standing only a few meters away. He briefly wondered if this was just another robot or a hologram or something. But no, something told him this was the real deal. The villain's presence was proof of that, almost paralyzing him on the spot. From the corner of his eye, he could see the others in similar positions.
"I have noted your power levels in the last two trials and seen your team efficiency which is why today, we'll be, uh, kicking it up a notch. Or perhaps several notches."
"Wha-what's that supposed to mean?" Honenuki managed to say.
"You claim to be heroes, correct?" he asked.
"We are heroes," Deku said defiantly.
"Then this should be no problem for you. It seems that an unfortunate incident has occurred." Doom pushed a button on his gauntlet and a screen appeared in front of them, showing several images of a plane and a facility in the mountains. "A passenger plane that crossed into Russian airspace was detained yesterday. Now, most of the passengers were freed. However, it seems that four individuals have not." An image of four people, a man, a woman, and two young children, appeared next. "The man is a diplomat under me. He was vacationing with his family abroad while also doing some work for me. The Russians believe he is a spy and has detained him under such suspicions, holding him and his family captive." Doom turned to them. "I wish for you to free them."
"What?" Sero asked. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"That's not how a hero acts," Honenuki added. "We can't just wander into another country and free people like that. We have to respect the laws. Even if what the Russians are doing are wrong, we have to go through certain channels…"
Doom snorted. "Spoken like a politician. Like a coward."
"How do we know that man wasn't actually spying on the Russians for you?" Tokoyami asked.
"Yeah!" Dark Shadow chimed in. "How do we know you're the one in the right?"
Doom glowered at the two, making Dark Shadow shrink back. "If I'd been spying on the Russians, then they never would have been aware of it," he replied.
"Thinking highly of yourself," Sero muttered.
As they all talked, Deku focused not on the man but the kids in the photo. The girl couldn't be more than six or seven and the boy was even younger, maybe three years old. If what Doom was saying was true, they were being held captive by the Russian government, probably terrified. An image of Eri popped in his head, a terrified girl huddling in her cell, wondering if she'd ever be free.
"Why ask us?" he asked, glaring at Doom. "I'm sure you have plenty of people to do this. So why us?"
"I would have thought the answer obvious," Doom replied. "All my people would be recognizable to the Russian government and would risk a diplomatic incident with Latveria. I cannot allow such a thing to occur. My country is small and the majority of its people are simple, peaceful folk. While I have no doubt I would win any incursion Russia makes to me, it would come at a cost to my people, something I will not allow."
Deku frowned at the man's words. Most of what he said seemed to be hidden behind something else, mostly threats and sometimes lies. But now, Deku could somehow sense that he was speaking the truth. He might be a terrifying villain who was holding them hostage, but he did seem to care about his people.
"So you want us to do it since we have no affiliation with Latveria?" Honenuki checked.
"No affiliation with anyone since you do not exist in this universe," Doom corrected. "You are well-trained and your abilities work well for such an operation. I could do it myself but it would be more difficult. This works out for both of us."
"Both?" Sero snorted. "How does it benefit us?"
"Your trials continue and you get to act like heroes at the same time."
"How does that benefit u-"
"Ok," Deku said, looking at the picture. "I'll go."
"What?" the others all exclaimed.
"Excellent," Doom said though from his voice, Deku could tell he wasn't surprised in the slightest.
"Midoriya, are you sure?" Sero asked.
"This isn't our…well…" Honenuki paused for a second. "Everything, I suppose."
"I know," Deku replied, glaring up at Doom. "But there are kids in danger. So I'm going to help them. You guys don't have to come though," he added quickly, turning to them. "I understand this isn-"
"If they don't go, they stay for an extra trial," Doom said firmly. They all glared up at him but he just stared back at them. "This mission works best with a team, not a single person. And I am evaluating you."
"Why are you doing that?" Honenuki asked him.
"Personal interest. I've seen how your abilities work in combat but that was in controlled environments where I could foresee all the factors at play. Here, we deal with the unknown in a real-world situation. I get to see what you heroes really are capable of. From there, I can make accurate predictions of what your kind will do to my world."
Deku didn't like the way he said 'kind.' It made him feel like he was another species, subhuman or something. Like he had when the other kids had bullied him as a kid for being Quirkless. He wondered if the opposite was more true here but not for long.
"Fine, guess we're going," Sero sighed.
"No real choice," Honenuki muttered.
"May the Lord light our path," Shiozaki prayed.
Tokoyami didn't say anything but nodded in agreement.
"Excellent. I will give you the full details on the flight over, especially the best way to access the facility and extract the family. But the main thing you need to be worried about is the Winter Guard."
"The Winter Guard?" Sero asked. "And who are they?"
Russia
The plane came to a solid landing outside Tretyakovo Airport in the town of Lukhovitsy, 84 miles southeast of Moscow. The brunette woman with the soft blue eyes took her bag out from under her seat, making sure to cradle her baby bump gently as she stood up, and was one of the first off the plane, making her way towards the airport proper, bundling up from the harsh cold hitting her. She had already noted at least ten different suspicious individuals and sensed the presence of maybe a dozen others.
She was not happy to be home.
She looked around carefully for her contact. He wasn't anywhere to be seen at the moment but knowing him, she had a good guess of where he could be. She sighed and looked around instead for the nearest bar.
As soon as she entered it, she heard the loud laughing and spotted the man raising his hands high to the air while the man sitting opposite cradled his arm against his chest.
"Pay up!" the first man cried out in Russian. "Ten consecutive victories! And all in under three seconds!"
The woman swore a little under her breath. "After all this time and he still doesn't know the meaning of the word 'discreet.'"
She walked up to him. "Such a strong man," she almost purred though the action made her feel physically ill. "Buy me a drink?"
"Why naturally…" he stopped, feeling her fingers tap a code into his arm. His eyes widened in recognition. "Ah!" he said before her nail dug into his skin and he had to suppress a wince. "Let us…heh…go then," he told her, rising up from his seat to walk over to the bar.
"I told you not to make a scene," she hissed.
"I am sorry, but you took your time."
"I was on a plane," she reminded him, giving him the stink eye.
"I remember when your mother gave me that look," he told her, grinning.
"This finger can be replaced with a knife, so can it Alexei."
"What, no 'papa?'"
Natasha Romanoff never lost her smile for the entire walk to the bar, never lost her cool, and made sure that nothing about their appearance or conversation seemed suspicious. But already a minute into their meeting and she wanted to smack him upside the head with Thor's hammer.
"Alexei, what am I doing here?" she said, hissing through her teeth.
His smile faded slightly. "I am sorry for bringing you back here, but I had no choice. I didn't know who else to turn to."
Natasha didn't like the way he'd said all that. "What's going on?"
"There have been some waves lately, mainly concerning the Winter Guard."
Natasha nodded. "They're guarding that Latverian family right now. Big mistake on their part, pissing off Doom like that."
Alexei snorted. "That is not their goal, though it is still very stupid."
"So what is their goal?"
"I am not sure of all the details. Just a small message left to me by Melina."
"Melina?" Natasha's voice cracked a smidge in her surprise. She hadn't heard from her foster mother in years. She'd gone to ground, presumably into retirement.
"She sent me a coded message. I was only able to decipher what she clearly wanted me to decipher: to get you for the rest."
"Do you have it?" Natasha asked worriedly.
"On me?" Alexia gave her a look. "Your papa may be an idiot but he's not that stupid. It is in a safe place. A very safe place," he added when she gave her own look back at him.
"Alright, then let's go get it," Natasha said. "Though we may want to lose the seven tails on us first."
"Eight," Alexei corrected, making her blink in surprise. He gestured with a grin to the man he'd just arm wrestled who was still cradling it, shooting them a glare. "Why you think I challenge him, eh?"
"Nice work," she admitted. "But I'm still not calling you papa."
"Ah, day's still young."
Hello all. Hope you liked the latest chapter. As you can see, more and more Marvel characters will be integrated and just wait til next chapter where things pick up even more. Already working on that one.
I have to say, I originally had a different plan for Deku and Doom but I decided to do this. The other thing is still happening and I'm super excited for it, but this felt more natural. And I get to bring in Black Widow and the Winter Guard who I am a fan of.
Hope you like the Thunderbolts roster. Don't worry, the Avengers lineup will be shown next chapter though I think it'll be pretty obvious.
In terms of Marvel reading nothing much has changed. Still going through the same runs. Also, if any of you are interested, I've been putting up my rankings of my favorite Marvel comics from the 1970s on my blog. Just finished up Fantastic Four and Hulk. Thor will be going up this Sunday. Here's the link: .