Heroes Never Die It's Hero Time

by Guardian-Sigil

One would think that in a world where everyday people possess impossible abilities nothing would really be a surprise. Izuku Midoriya, who upon the age of four was diagnosed as quirkless, was denied of his dream of become a hero that can save everyone with a smile. But fate gives him a chance; allowing him access not to one but a universe of powers and abilities.

94. Ch:86 Devastation

*It's finally here. Ch.86 Devastation. A week late but it was worth it. I think this is the best chapter yet so enjoy! Now that being said, fanfic is finally working again and sending out notifications. Or at least I think so I got a flood of emails last night that I should have gotten months ago so here's hoping. That said if you are just hopping in then you may want to know that there are at least 4 other chapters you need to read first before you can read this chapter. But if you are all caught up…then GREAT! Let's get right to it!

*We have a lot of artwork in this chapter so I will try my best to provide URLs. Worst case please visit this story on AO3 the links always work there.

**ARTWORK** We have new fanart! Thank you to SpeedDemon099 on fanfic and DeviantArt for the beautiful piece of fanart! Everyone! You need to check it out it's called "Hisashi Midoriya: Heroes Never Die: It's Hero Time" by SpeedDemon099 on DeviantArt!

Link to Artwork: h_t_t_ps_:/_/w_w_w_.d_e_vi_an_t_ar_t.c_o_m_/speeddemon099/art/Hisashi-Midoriya-Heroes-Never-Die-It-s-Hero-Time-1075484519

**NEW ARTWORK** OH BOY! SpeedDemon099 has done it again with another amazing piece of fanart! Everyone! You really need to check out their works, especially this new piece called "Way Big vs AFO | Heroes Never Die: It's Hero Time!" by SpeedDemon099 on DeviantArt!

Link to Artwork: h_t_t_p_s_:/_/w_w_w_.d_e_v_ia_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m_/speeddemon099/art/Way-Big-vs-AFO-Heroes-Never-Die-It-s-Hero-Time-1077053429

*TV TROPES LINK*: delete the spaces (_ ) within the URL below in order to get the full link.

ht_tp_s:/_/t_v_t_r_op_es.o_r_g/p_m_wi_k_i/p_m_wi_k_i.p_h_p/F_anf_ic/HeroesNeverDieItsHeroTime

---

This place is a nightmare. No. It's a series of nightmares, each one playing out all at once in quick succession. No matter where he looks, no matter how hard he tries to look away, his vision is plagued with horrors of fire, war, and destruction.

As his father leads a band of marauders through battalions of enemies.

Fire consumes passageways, incinerating all that are trapped within.

Monsters, creatures, and beings of the dark rampage through the enemy's kingdom all for the name of freedom.

And an assassin of purple clashes with a warrior of red while opposing armies wage all out war.

It's chaos. It's pandemonium. It's. A. Nightmare.

"Isn't this glorious? Isn't it a sight to behold?"

Izuku doesn't dare look; not willing to meet Vilgax's intimidating gaze that he knows is burrowing through his skull.

But it certainly is a sight of terror. It's all he can even see while within the black void of Vilgax's personal arena. Only the hexagonal panels tiling the wall provide any light within their prison, displaying various scenes across the entire Chimeran Hammer. And every scene is worse than the last… More nightmares.

"This is a party! Hahaha!" Nue cackles watching as a Dominator wrestles with Ectoplasm's giant clone. "All we're missing is the music and drinks! Hahaha!"

"You're sick…*Cough!-Cough!*"

Izuku winces at every cough, guilt chokes at his own throat as bits of spit and blood sputter from the corners of Toshinori Yagi's bruised lips.

The former Symbol of Peace is kneeling beside him and although their arms and limbs might be free they might as well be shackled by the guilt and shame weighing them down.

Izuku can't even picture it, even though he's right there, kneeling just beside him. But he never thought he'd witness just how…defeated All Might could look. The Symbol of Peace, the Number One Hero has been reduced to this. The man is a shell of himself silent, quiet, broken… With his eyes glazed over it gives his already sickly appearance an even more skeletal nature. It was like having an inspiring golden statue withering and crumbling to rust before his very eyes.

'And it's all my fault…' Izuku thinks as his head falls.

"Don't you dare look away!" Vilgax barks at them both, causing both to flinch and straighten their heads. "I don't want either of you to miss a second of your allies' destruction."

"Hahaha! Hey Deku!"

Peering up, Izuku is met with a row of jagged teeth all lined up into a nasty mutated smile.

"Look who's decided to join the party! Take a guess! You'll never guess who!"

Izuku follows Nue's Lodestar-like hand towards one of the displays. The display in question appears to be broadcasting a chain reaction of small explosions running across a hallway. He can only assume some sort of internal wirings have been fried. But no, that's no chain reaction. Those Explosions aren't random. They're controlled, measured, and being generated by a single source. By a single person, and it's the last person Izuku ever expected to be here.

Katsuki Bakugou is a man on a mission. Like a spirit of fiery vengeance, he rockets through the ship, his red armor shining with every burst and spark of heat. The picture zooms in on his face; a face that's a mixture of fury, determination, and utter thrill. "SHOW TIME MOTHERFUCKERS! HAHAHA!"

"Kacchan…?!"

"Hahahaha!" Nue can't stop smiling at the screen, his tail and tendrils swishing behind him in excitement as surges of electricity dance off his shell. "Now this is a real party! HAHAHAHA!"

---

[PLAY: "Dr. STONE NEW WORLD - Opening Song | "Wasuregataki" by Huwie Ishizaki" - link can be found in this chapter on the AO3 site.]

youtu._be/eKeoHejslp0?si=hrwFYRRwMIgQs6Ym

(Instrumental~~~)

The camera shows Izuku Midoriya with his head hanging down before zooming up to show Vilgax's battleship floating over Earth's moon.

Sou kore kona itami ga~

Uravity Uraraka gazes up to the sky as the title appears from above her.

Sujikaki no nai monogatari ni wa~

She begins to walk forward as her friends slowly fade into existence: Pinky Ashido, Katsuki Bakugou, Shoto Todoroki, Creati Yaoyorozu, Tenya Ingenium, and Eijiro Red Riot.

Hitsuyou fukaketsu nanda~

Inko Midoriya holds a picture of her family as she cries and is comforted by Mitsuki Bakugou and Eirene Ashido.

Yoru no umi ni wa Tsuki ga isuwaru~

Unseen to them Cinder is at the door. He looks up with determination as he heads out to rescue his son.

Sugita kunou wo~

Katsuki Bakugo holds an old All Might card as an image of him and Deku as kids cheering as they hold their cards out appears behind him.

Bikasuru hima ga~

Nue looks down at a watch as an image of him and Izuku in middle school laughing appears behind him.

Aru nara ima dake utsuseyo~

The screen splits between the two, both standing back-to-back, and with determined glares they both march away in opposite directions.

Ororkamono demo shoujiki te itai~

Panels shift and fold away, creating a portal, that reveals Izuku bound in an iconic ring of metal as Toshinori Yagi stares up at it in a mix of shock-and-awe and despair.

Haato ga sawagu yo~

Vilgax the Conqueror makes himself known from atop his throne. As he peers down at his inferiors with an air of ominous superiority.

(Instrumental~~~)

Below his throne his minions have been assembled: Psyphon, Malware, Sunder, Ragnarok, SevenSeven, the Techadon, Rojo, and Nue.

Tatoe dareka wo kizutsuke tato shitemo~

Cinder unleashes a wave of flames as he mows through Vilgax's drone army with his blazing dual-edged spear! Before swiftly speeding away as the Techadon gets pulled in by Thirteen's swirling Black Hole!

Yuzurenai hikari ga arunda~

Pinky slides across the narrow hallways as Ingenium races by. They're followed by a sword wielding Creati and a Hardened Red Riot. Before the screen is consumed by pillars of fire and ice with Shot's eyes piercing back.

Mushi kaesu tsumori wa betsu ni nari keredo~

Uravity smashes through the ice before unleashing a wave of glowing gravity in every direction causing the army of silhouetted aliens to be blasted away.

Kono seaki de kono sekai de~

Bakugou rockets past her in a blaze of a Howitzer Impact that crashes into a grinning Nue like an exploding meteor.

Wasuregataki naru niwa mada hayai~

Vilgax looms menacingly over the Rising Star and the Symbol of Peace as nine dark threads of fate swirl through and around his form.

Yume migachi na shinisokonai sa~

Toshinori looks on at the teen with a look of shame that soon transitions to that of deterPinkytion. And in a wave of smoke a scowling All Might rises to meet the Mad Titan.

Zero kara hairiagare sora ga waretatte~

Vilgax's tentacles reach for the defiant Deku as the Omnitrix begins to spark and glow with inspiring green lightning.

Ano sekai e ano sekai e~

A massive discharge of green explodes outward, overtaking everything and swallowing up everything in a brilliant show of green light.

Nanjyukkai nan byakkai~

Deku gazes out towards the vastness of space from the portal window of his prison cell.

nanzenkai nomikonde~

While Uravity gazes out into the star-filled sky through the windshield of the RazorCrest.

Nanjyuunen~

Deku slowly raises his left fist towards the shrinking window.

nanbyaku nen~

Uravity slowly raises her right fist towards the expanding window.

nan zen nen~

The screen splits between the two, zooming in on their fists just as they gently connect. And the camera is blinded by flashes of green and pink before washing away to white.

Sakimidare~!

A still Omnitrix lays on upon the moon, alone and in the dark, before the Sun majestically peeks out from behind the Earth over the edge and shines its rays of hope down upon it.

(Illustrated by Drag0n5on)

---

Ch. 86 Devastation

This ship is a hellscape of cold metal and red shadows. Its passageways seem to stretch on forever before reaching a web of identical intersections just to make navigation that much more confusing. Pipes and bulkheads cast shadows across the iron walls, and with the flicker of lights those passing through see movement and shapes that were never there.

This ship, the Chimeran Hammer, is a labyrinth but it's navigational especially for those with a certain disposition.

^Woo.^ Chopper wheels ahead, his antenna spinning as he maps the route forward while scanning for threats, traps, and dead ends.

"How much further?" Eraserhead sprints alongside the robot's master; the green gleam of his blaster stands out in the red light. He keeps the S.A.G.E. Gun at the ready in one hand while his other grips the end of his Capture Scarf.

"The arena isn't far." Cinder answers while still keeping a running pace.

"Good!" Detective Tsukauchi runs along at his other side with the Phaser locked into his grip. "But are you positive that they're there?"

"You heard it from Lucy herself." answers Patelliday, who's opted to take the rear of this vanguard. "Miss Uravity confirmed it herself we'll find our cadet and your champion waiting for us right where she said."

"Yes, but this Lucy also warned us that Vilgax would be waiting for us." Tetrax Shard growls in a mix of anger and frustration. "No doubt that steaming pile of poodoo is plotting to annihilate us the moment we step inside."

"That much is obvious." agrees Cinder. "Just take a look around, we haven't run into a squad of Bioids or Hover drones or anything for a while now. Wanna wager a guess as to why that is?"

Eraserhead wagers, "It's because he wants us to get there."

Well that's an unsettling thought. They should be the ones setting the trap, hunting their prey, tracking their quarry, not the other way around. But then again should they really be so surprised when they've run headfirst into the lion's den. Of course they're running towards a trap. What else could it be?

"If we're running head first into a trap, wouldn't it be a good idea to think of a new plan?" Eraserhead ponders aloud.

"Sure, you got one?" asks Cinder.

Eraserhead glares at him in annoyance. "Must be genetic…" He mumbles.

"What is?" asks a curious Detective.

"I think I finally understand why Midoriya's so irrational and reckless."

"Hahaha!" several laughs escape their throats.

"Reckless we might be but we're never without a plan." Cinder clarifies. "Vilgax has always fallen for his own pride, he likes to gloat. He's vindictive and vengeful. So, we'll use all that to our advantage. He'll have his eyes particularly on me and you as well, Tetrax. You betrayed him and delayed his plans; he's not going to let you get away with that. This will be particularly dangerous for you; you aren't obligated to help us. You don't have to risk your life."

The being of diamond mulls over the Plumber's words, "The moment I decided to finally stand up to that monster was the day I finally decided to fight for something greater than myself…" He pauses looking sullen yet steadfast. "I'm with you till the end; I'll make sure the Mad Titan pays for what he's done." That might sound heroic, but he can't lie that it wouldn't feel oh so satisfying to run the monster through with the edge of his bladed arm.

"Remember the goal isn't to win." Eraserhead states almost in warning. "This is a rescue mission first and foremost. The logical plan should be for the majority of us to hold the villain's attention. That should give Tsukauchi and the droid plenty of time to free All Might."

Detective Tsukauchi considers the plan, "I get it. If we get All Might back then not even Vilgax can win!"

Cinder gives the teacher a playful smirk, "Heh, are you sure I'm the reason why Izuku's so reckless?"

Eraserhead smirks back equally as playful.

"Tsukauchi," Cinder addresses. "That also means we'll be relying on you to get Izuku back to the Rustbucket. We'll make an opening for you both to escape ahead of us. This way if we have to retreat it'll be one less thing to worry about. We can't let Vilgax have any sort of edge over us."

"You can rely on me!" That's a policeman's promise.

"This plan is well and good, but I've always been a fan of pack hunting." comments Patelliday. "By chance do you think we can give Gran Torino a call? If they have the Omnitrix maybe he and a few others could give us a hand?"

Cinder is just about to vocalize his agreement when all their com-sets buzz in their ears.

["Come in Firestarter, this is Purple Stuff. Come in, Firestarter."]

Cinder clicks his communicator on. "This is Firestarter, go ahead Purple Stuff."

["Frag, I hate this codename even Sludgepuppy would have been better…"] Lucy Mann's voice sighs from the other end of the call. ["Listen, I just received a status report from Cheeks. Seriously, who came up with these names?"]

When Eraserhead thinks back he does remember Thirteen handing Bakugou a name chart and assigning him to come up with communication handles.

["Anyway, they just reported in that they managed to retrieve the package."]

Tetrax releases a breath he didn't know he was holding as the others smile and celebrate in brief victory.

Cinder practically cheers into the mic, "That's excellent!" He grins, giving the rest of them a big thumbs up.

But if they were listening closely they would have picked up on the fact that Lucy wasn't exactly as thrilled as they were. ["Yes but there were complications. Old Man and Raccoon Eyes will be unable to rejoin you due to…complications."] She's trying to avoid outright saying what the issues are due to the fear that one of the ship's many drones or villains could be listening in on this frequency.

But even though she's being vague, Cinder is able to piece it together. "Not good, we could have used the extra help to combat Vilgax."

["About that Cheeks managed to find a stowaway that was more than forthcoming with some much needed information."] She sounds hurried, worried even, and maybe scared. ["Our intel is incomplete! There's…Cinder…it's not good."]

What could that mean, they wonder. How much worse could the Grand Destroyer be?

Cinder clicks on the com-set once again, "Go ahead, Lucy. We're listening…"

---

"Such tenacity. Such determination. It's quite enjoyable to watch, I see why the masses of your planet find your exploits so fascinating. Wouldn't you both agree?" Vilgax turns away from his screens in order to get a good look at his two prisoners who slowly shrink away as to not meet his gaze.

Satisfied with their reactions, he goes back to observing the many scenes playing out before him. In the hanger there's SevenSeven tossing a flash grenade and flying away before he's torn apart by Present Mic's sonic scream.

More and more prisoners are making it further away from their confinements and are running through the halls searching for an exit.

Fires rage across other sectors of his ship which just adds to the mayhem.

And yet there are faces missing from the screens, and not just of the heroes but four members of his Negative Nine are unaccounted for. He's tried hailing them via his com-link, buzzing each of them and waiting for an answer. Again and again, he gives them each a ring but not one of them answers.

He decides to call upon someone else, "Psyphon."

Almost instantly like an automated message, Psyphon responds over Vilgax's personal com-link. ["Yes, Master?"]

"Divert power from the engines and transfer it to the communications array. I want you to broadcast a signal jammer."

["But Master, the communications array was damaged when the Ideon Canon was destroyed. Granted it's still operational but it will hinder our own communications as well!"]

"Then so be it. Just be sure to keep the signal running to the arena intact."

["But Master-"]

"We've already lost communications with Sunder, Rojo, Ragnarok, and the Techadon. Our forces are in disarray. And chaos has spread across the entire ship. Let's just guarantee that this chaos works in our favor."

---

["Alright."] Lucy takes a breath before gathering her thoughts. ["Cheeks told me everything she could but Vilgax, somehow, stole Qu-"]

Like a television dying mid-sentence, Lucy's voice is cut out and silenced.

"Purple Stuff? Purple Stuff?! LUCY!?" Cinder calls but there's no answer, only static.

"What happened?" asks Tsukauchi.

Chopper rattles and quivers, clearly upset about something. ^Bo-wop! Bz-op!^ His antenna's stopped working, he's not receiving any signals.

---

"Principal Nezu!" Cementoss cries out from behind his monitor.

The Plus Ultra's bridge goes silent despite the rain of lasers coming from outside and the occasional tremor of their ship from Malware's laser assault.

"What is it?" Magister Nezu asks.

"Our signal's jammed!"

They all gasp. "What?!"

"Curses!" Xylene is seething with rage, if her ship hadn't been damaged she could still be out there fighting.

"We're being jammed!" Cementoss shouts once again. "We've lost all communications with those on the inside!"

---

Meanwhile, Hangar 7 is in complete disarray. It looks like a warzone has broken out in the middle of the ship with Hover Drones firing from the air as an army of Bioids try to push for more ground. Dominators are towering over the battlefield before toppling over when they are met with a supersonic scream. Which adds more fuel to the already spreading fires.

"Stay alert!" warns Midnight. With a crack of her electrified whip, she minces an incoming swarm of Hover Drones. "There's no end to them!"

An army of Ectoplasm clones charge forward, each armed with a DC-15S Blaster Carbine.

They're sudden rush forward forces SevenSeven's hand, and he guns them down in quick succession of each other.

"I thea loesnc!" SevenSeven lets out an ungodly shriek as he guns down more approaching clones.

"Raagh!"

The bounty hunter quickly leans forward, and ducks away from the incoming slab of red rock.

But it's no rock, that solid red slab that just flew over his head was in fact an arm, an arm so Hard that it might as well be made of living stone.

"Raagh!" Red Riot lunges at the freak, if he can grab him he can give Midnight the chance to knock him out for good!

"Pneo!" SevenSeven's jetpack ignites and launches him away into the air. "Uoy'er oto mnlay ofr em."

"Raagh! Stop flying away you coward!" Red Riot rages but can't do a thing as SevenSeven flies further away and vanishes into a column of smoke.

SevenSeven observes the battlefield, despite their numbers he's hardly made any progress. Heck the Plumbers' ships remain virtually untouched as do the heroes themselves. He's also noticed that less and less drones have been coming his way. He'd really like to know what's going on and what exactly is delaying his reinforcements. Perhaps it's time to swallow his pride and ask for some assistance?

Activating the comlink on his wrist pad he signals an S.O.S. "Ot em ym Ngetavei Inne!"

But much to his shock there's no reply; not from Psyphon nor his master.

"Mnda ti! Ddi i rogfte ot ayp ym phoen ilbl…?"

---

'Dank Farrik!' Lucy nearly slams her fist into the monitor, but she manages to hold her composure.

The last thing she needs is to expose her disguised self to Psyphon and all the Bioids around her.

But what's even more frustrating is the fact that she can't just simply shut down the jammer. If she did that then it would be pretty clear that someone was here on the bridge causing snafus. And she needs to be on the bridge in case they try to pull anything else.

She'll have to find other ways around it to help.

---

"Lucy?!" Uravity is racing through the ship with the chains of Sunder's Axe clang against her shoulders as she tries to call Lucy through her helmet. "What's the status? Are they waiting for me? Did Mina and Gran Torino make it back yet?"

As with everyone else, she receives no answer.

"Lucy? Mr. Midoriya? Principal Nezu?! Thirteen?! Can anybody HEAR ME!?"

---

Izuku can hear her. And he desperately wants to call out to her, to all of them. He wants to warn them, tell them to run and escape, to forget about him… But he doesn't bother, though, he knows his words will never reach their ears. It's useless. He's useless… "I'm sorry, everyone…"

"Young Midoriya…?" Toshinori wasn't sure if he heard the young lad apologize or not but it doesn't take long for him to realize just how defeated the boy is.

He never had the chance to admit it but the boy always had a spark to him; a sense of righteous bravery and determination that ignited a fire in all of those around him. But that spark, that fire, it's gone. No, it's not the fact that his Quirks, or rather his watch, is gone. His confidence, his sense of duty, has been shattered.

He has to reach out to him, he has to inspire him, that's what All Might does. But then again can he really make such a bold statement, is it really his place? He never once managed to encourage the boy, is it too late to try…? No, it's not but… What can he say? What can he tell him? After all, his own world, his pride as the Symbol of Peace, has been shattered as well. "It's…it's- not your…fault."

"Isn't it though…?" Izuku whispers, not meeting the broken man's gaze.

Toshinori has no idea how to respond. So instead, he listens.

"This is all on me… If I had just…been more realistic."

Toshinori winces, watching as the boy tries to blink back the tears pricking at his eyes.

"It all started that day… Y-you…t-tried to set me st-straight. A-and I know it wasn't…out of malice."

'No, but I could have been more empathetic…'

"And then I found the Omnitrix." The boy cracks a smile, it's broken and small, but just as quickly as it appears it vanishes. "I was so happy, I thought that I finally had a Quirk. I had all the Quirks I could ever dream of, but look at where that's gotten me… If I had never gone to that stupid beach that day would we even be here? Would any of this have happened? If it weren't for me then the League of Villains would have never attacked the camp… If it weren't for me my friends wouldn't constantly be in danger! Maybe Nue would have never turned into a monster! Maybe Vilgax would have left Earth alone! And maybe you would have been-…!" He stops, the words catching in his throat before he dares to finish that statement.

But Toshinori knows. He knows what the boy is thinking. "…Would the Symbol of Peace still be standing?"

The boy quivers in place.

"I think…the answer is…no."

Izuku's head snaps up, his teary eyes wide and full of shock.

"Whether…you found the Omnitrix or not. Whether Vilgax got involved with our home… All For One would have seeked my downfall one way or another… I've given it a lot of thought, ever since the U.S.J. I've thought about how things could have been different. What if I was on time? What if I never received this injury? What if I was faster? What if? What if? But no matter how much I run different scenarios in my head the result is always the same… I fail."

The truth sets you free? Well in this case the truth feels like chains choking around his frame…

"The League of Villains still would have attacked the U.S.J. They still would have attacked the camp."

"B-but they came after me!" Izuku snaps, nearly crying.

"And they took Young Bakugou too. And attempted the same with Young Tokoyami. No matter what the League was always going to come after you and your classmates. Vilgax just…gave them an edge."

"A-All Might…"

Toshinori peers up, his sapphire gaze falling upon the scenes of chaos and fire displayed across the arena's walls. "All of this is just an unforeseen consequence of my actions. This is on me for not being more aware, more dutiful, to both my duty as the Symbol of Peace but also…as your teacher. Th-this…is all on me…"

Izuku wants to say something. He wants to tell the hero that it's not his fault. It's his. But…

"Young Midoriya I can barely imagine what you've been dealing with all on your own? I can only imagine how much of a burden I unknowingly drop onto your shoulders?" Shoulders that somehow look even thinner and weaker than his own, but that might just be his perspective. After all it should be the adults, the heroes, the teachers to lift the burdens of those under their care. 'And yet, I couldn't do any of that…'

"All this time, you've been fighting battles without anyone's knowledge. Without proper support and yet…you've always kept going. You've always moved forward, jumping in to help before you could even think. Like a hero should… Young Midoriya, you are far stronger than you give yourself credit for…"

The boy's mind is blank, but for a moment a comforting warmth gives him light, however the cold touch of despair quickly seeps back in, doubting him. "All Might… I'm-"

[*BOOM!*] A sharp explosion screams in their ears, making them jump, but it was nothing more than one of Bakugou's Explosions rocketing too close to one of the surveillance systems.

["Come out!"] Bakugou cackles while rocketing through the air. ["Show yourselves you alien scumbags! You're do for some overdo dissections!"]

It seems the thundering Explosions and shouts have caught Vilgax's attention as well. With a swipe of his claw the display shifts to the foreground and upon enlarging the image he reveals that it's not just Bakugou running around. "Seems that these young warriors have become quite restless."

---

"COME ON!" Bakugou releases one last Explosion that rattles the nearby bulkheads and pipes running along the hall.

His boots hit the ground hard, leaving skid marks along the ground before coming to a stop by pressing his hand to the floor. "I thought this was an alien spaceship! So, where in the hell are all the fucking aliens at?!"

There's not a drone, Bioid, or alien in sight. In fact, he hasn't seen a single threat or an ounce of action since they split up from everyone else. Talk about a rip-off, he brought all those blue-colored grenades for nothing! Now he looks like a red easter bunny carrying around a bandolier of blue eggs. Heck he even brought his grenade gauntlets all the way up here but those have been useless too. "I'm gonna go crazy with boredom at this rate!"

"Going to be? I thought you already were."

"Shut your mouth, Icy-Hot!"

Shoto Todoroki gives a rare smirk, finding some humor despite the situation. With a splintered ice trail underfoot, he slides to a stop. He's almost impressed with himself for being able to keep up with a flying Bakugou in such narrow conditions, but he's more impressed with the red Plumber suit he was lent. It's circulating his external temperatures perfectly; he rarely felt any cold as he propelled himself forward with bursts of ice. It makes him wonder just how much this suite can really take against more extreme conditions.

"Stay focused Damnit!" Bakugou snarls. "Last thing I want to do is drag your ass outta here when you bite it!"

"Why would I bite?"

"Now now you two. There's no need for that." Thirteen goes from a sprint to a light jog before coming to a rest between the boys, acting as a buffer between them. They bend over, propping themselves on their knees, out of breath. "Save the cutthroat attitude… for the…bad guys. Phew! You guys are fast." They say between breaths, normally they are much more limber than this but that might have something to do with the strange battery-shaped container strapped to their back.

Bakugou, however, is quick to point out a flaw in Thirteen's logic, "What bad guys?! Ain't nobody here!"

"Isn't that a good thing? It means the plan is working." At least that's how it looks to Shoto. "Afterall it means that the Rescue Team and the Hanger Team are doing exactly as promised and diverting away the overlord's army, leaving our path free and clear."

"I know that!" Bakugou snaps, before grumbling to himself. "I'm just craving for some action."

---

However, that wasn't as much to himself as Bakugou would have thought.

"So, the young warrior wishes for action. Then I shall grant that desire." Vilgax shifts away from the overhead display in order to address his nearest minion. "Nue see to it that our guests are well entertained."

Nue is more than pleased to do so, after all their last fight was interrupted by too many party crashers and a flood of goo. "With pleasure."

He stomps past Izuku and Toshinori, his tail nearly whipping their faces as he heads for the now opened portal door. His claws and tendrils flex, his muscles shuttering, as if awakening from a deep sleep as he takes in the not-so-fresh air. Before he steps out of the cold void of the arena he pauses and grants his former friend a malicious grin. "Smile Deku. Even you have to admit, Blasty deserves everything that's been coming to him."

Izuku doesn't dare to openly acknowledge the threat. Instead, he turns away, not wanting to watch the inevitable disaster that is soon to follow…

---

These hallways are such a bore. It's the same thing over and over: it's bulkheads after bulkheads with exposed piping and wiring acting as wallpaper, some random red lights indicating problems, and the sensation of being watched. It's all the same. At first it was ominous and trippy, but now it's doing nothing but driving him insane.

"I'm so bored!" Bakugou announces like it's the worst thing to ever happen to him. "Just how much further is it?!" He shouts back, yelling louder than the Explosions carrying him forward.

"It's not far!" Thirteen shouts while hanging onto Shoto's back and shoulders as they ride a wave of ice like a pair of surfers. "The Power Core's just up ahead!"

"Tsk!"

Shoto peers up at the blonde while resisting the urge to flinch away from the blinding blasts of heat. "What's your hurry?"

"What's my hurry?!" Bakugou's in disbelief, he can't believe the Icy-Bastard just asked him that. "The longer we take the longer it'll be till I can shove that bastard's tentacles down his own throat!" With rage fueling his fire, his Explosions roar and rattle the halls. "Not just that, but I am going to make sure Deku knows that this Vilgax guy is nothing! I'm going to make the freak pay for all the bullshit he's caused us!"

Shoto contemplates his classmate's words, Bakugou may be talking the usual smack but there's some underlining to it.

He prods for more insight, "Will it be that simple? We're not going up against petty thieves or psychos here. We're fighting aliens… Hasn't that registered for you yet?"

Bakugou, however, is unwilling to give in. Opting to pretend that he didn't hear him.

Shoto continues, "We've gone up against Midoriya and his aliens before and it's always been a challenge." Just look at how he did against Heatblast alone in the Sports Festival or Bakugou did against the same alien during the Final Exams. "It takes everything we have just to compete. And now…we're fighting aliens that have more experience with their powers, while on their turf, on their terms, meanwhile we hardly understand what we're up against. They've nearly outplayed us on every turn without us even realizing it. Doesn't that worry you…?"

Again the bomber ignores him, but he knows he's listening. His silence, his lack of a reaction, speaks for itself.

"How can we even fight beings like that…?" The question hangs in the air, unanswered, uncertain, and heavy with dread.

"I wouldn't count yourselves out like that."

Shoto nearly jumps, he had almost forgotten that Thirteen was right there, listening.

Thirteen continues, "You both might have lost to the same alien but you each grew from that experience. Todoroki, you've been using your flames more openly since the Sports Festival. And Bakugou you are much more cooperative since the Final Exams. You've proven yourself to be a real team player and leader when it comes down to it." They aren't sure but they think Bakugou's blushing. "You're all students, you are meant to be pushed, to be challenged. So, when you do succeed, it's earned. It's yours." And they'll be there watching with pride. "Just because someone has a stronger Quirk than yours doesn't mean you are any less valuable or unique. Each of you can do something that the other can't. You just have to find it. And sometimes you'll have to look outside the box to find that answer."

'Look outside the box…?' What could that mean they both think to themselves. How can they look past their own Quirks? Their limitations? It's like asking someone to see through a brick wall without any windows; how can they see through to the other side?

"We're here."

Thirteen's words snap them out of their heads and that's when they find a set of massive doors that stretch three stories towering before them. This is it. This is what they were gunning for: the Power Core.

"RAAAGH!" Bakugou rockets ahead and blasts right through the gates, leaving a gaping hole in his wake.

As the smoke and heat fade away Bakugou finds his vision assaulted with flashes of blue. As the others enter they take a moment to observe their surroundings. And although it is certainly the power center of the ship it somehow feels like they've entered another dimension; where before they were surrounded by a world of cold metal of red and darkness, now they are surrounded by a chamber of cool blues and ever-present light.

The chamber is cylindrical is shape and it is massive, probably about ten stories tall and as wide as a baseball field, although you wouldn't know it at first glance. Whereas, the rest of the ship is laid out in a sort of organized chaos, the power core itself is the very definition of symmetry and efficient organization. Catwalks from all cardinal directions intersect at the center, allowing those entering to monitor and maintain the rows and rows of servers and electrical conduits below. Between each catwalk is a set of arches used to link cables from one end of the chamber to the other. More cables and electrical conduits have been intertwined up the walls like vines, they loop and hang off of strategically built vertical arches, and bulkheads which support the cables on their climb up towards the top of the chamber.

Halfway up the chamber a collection of nine generators are set against the wall about half way up the cylindrical chamber. They each sit upon a track that rings around the outline of the chamber's mid column. They spin in succession of each other, with their husks just barely scraping past each other as they go. They're comparable to watching nine sets of blue school buses being spun around in midair. And as they spin they seem to be continuously generating power that surges through their systems and up towards the shining Power Core above.

At the top of the chamber sits the Power Core itself. The Power Core is massive, looking like an upside-down dome that's constantly illuminating a burning blue light. It's like Vilgax has his own artificial sun stuffed away into its own special corner, glowing magnificently with energy. Energy that will forever fuel this entire ship.

"What a dump!" Bakugou barks, disgusted by the overly clean and organized assembly.

Shoto and Thirteen give the teen a pair of deadpan stares as they oh so casually stroll through the gaping hole Bakugou left behind in the doorway.

"At least we're alone." Shoto comments.

*PEW!*

He and Thirteen duck just as a laser bolt flies over their heads.

"You were saying!" Thirteen shouts, pointing up at the squad of Hover Drones descending upon them from between the cable-linked arches.

Bakugou couldn't be more thrilled to see them, "FINALLY!"

The drones fire upon them, their lasers like rain, but for Bakugou it might as well be a drizzle. Rocketing through the air, it's like he's dancing in the rain, before blowing away the storm of drones with a single Explosion!

*BOOM!*

The resulting fireball lights up the chamber before extinguishing and volleying a shower of unrecognizable parts that were once killer drones all across the chamber.

Like a red blur, Bakugou skids across the ground to a screeching halt with his hands hanging low and an annoyed scowl on his face. "Is that it?! I was expecting more!"

As if this was all scripted, another dozen or so squadrons of Hover Drones emerge from several entrance vents near the upper walls. A legion of Bioids emerge from between the massive servers from below like an army of the undead. And finally crawling down the walls like giant spiders a pair of sentinel drones descend upon the catwalk before standing up and towering over the valiant heroes with dangerously glowing red eyes that make even Bakugou shutter.

Moving up to Bakugou's right, Shoto can't help but ask, "Happy now?"

The blonde bites his tongue in frustration.

Even if he had something to say he wouldn't have the time to get it out as every single murder drone prepares to fire.

It's a choir of blaster fire as every drone unleashes their pay load upon the teens. Who, in turn, prepare to dodge and block the incoming attacks. However, the rain of laser bolts miss their intended targets completely. It's not as a result of bad aim or miscalculation, but due to the sudden air vacuum that's so powerful that it diverts their vectors.

An air lock must have been breached because every air molecule, every loose piece of metal and cable are suddenly pulled in one single direction. Turbulence picks up as every laser bolt is sucked away past the boys' heads. The drones desperately hold their ground but their armor, their joints, their very atoms, begin to rip apart until they're nothing but dust and debris that vanishes within an endless void. Thirteen seals Blackhole away only after every spec of their enemy has been erased. Leaving the teens in a mix of shock-and-awe.

But after a moment Bakugou shakes off the astonishment and spins around in a huff, "Hey! They were mine!"

Thirteen is devoid of humor, instead glowering, taking their job point blank efficiency and professionalism. "No. That's yours." Thirteen corrects and points up towards the blinding Power Core. "All that matters is completing our mission. We don't have time for fun and games." Suddenly sparks of electricity surges into Thirteen from behind and they let out an ungodly scream. "AAAAAHHHH!"

"THIRTEEN!"

The surprise zapping extinguishes, leaving Thirteen as a partly burnt husk, the hero's body sways before they lose consciousness and collapse revealing a pair of elongated tendrils pierced into their spine. The tendrils rip themselves off like a pair of leeches that retreat back towards the blast hole in the doorway.

"What a buzzkill. Luckily for you guys," Two pairs of red hands grab the edges of the gaping hole and pry it apart. The metal shrieks as a monster of twisted proportions pulls its hulking body through with a vile smile and foul intentions. "I have all the time in the world. Hahahaha!"

[ARTWORK: "Henzu(Monster)" by "Voidv25" on DeviantArt: h_t_t_p_s_:/_/w_w_w_.d_e_v_ia_n_t_a_r_t._c_o_m/voidv25/art/Henzu-Monster-883288185]

"UUICHI!" Bakugou roars. "You fucking coward!"

His outburst makes Nue chuckle, "Hey, don't be like that. I even got rid of the one shot wonder out of the way for us. After all, I don't want our rematch to be interrupted again."

Shoto scowls, "A rematch? I seem to recall we had you on the ropes."

"Pft! Did you hit your head? The only reason you got the edge last time was because you called all your little friends to help. But trust me, things won't play out the same way this time."

Bakugou's face hardens in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Concerned, Shoto clicks down on his com-set and tries to hail a response. He hears nothing but static. "Bakugou! Communications are down! I can't reach anyone!"

Bakugou spins around in disbelief, "What?!"

"Haha! Typical Blasty. Always so egotistical. Never a team player. If it's not about you, you don't care. Why give a fuck?"

"Don't act like you know me." He growls.

"Oh?" With a grin Nue's chest holes begin to spew out a whirlwind of air that soon has him launching straight into the air. "Don't I?!"

Shoto recognizes the bait, and he hurries to stop Bakugou. "Bakugou, wait-!"

Unfortunately, as Nue predicted Bakugou bites down on that hook and is reeled in for a fight. The Mad Bomber rockets after the mutant freak with reckless abandon up towards the rotating cylindrical-generators.

"No! Comeback!" Shoto prepares to launch himself into the air with a pillar of ice, however as the ground beneath his feet begins to freeze over a spit of fire burns away his foundation. "Aah!"

A legion of nine multi-colored Dominators roar out from between the servers and catwalks. It's a full "Domination Parade" with one of every Dominator subclass now locking onto a single target.

It was the Red Dominator that melted his ice but it's the Orange Dominator that's the most eager to draw blood. It scuttles forward quickly and with its size it's upon the dual-typed teen in seconds with one arm raised back with a burning laser blade.

Reacting quickly, the boy shields himself with the sudden appearance of a glacial burst! The ice wall nearly swallows up the giant's entire frame, leaving only its head and laser blade freed.

Just as he thinks he's earned an edge; the air begins to vibrate and a high pitched whistle grows louder and louder until the ice begins to crack and inevitably shatter as a result of the Purple Dominator's sonic waves.

"I wanted to do this cleanly. But if you're this insistent then I have no alternatives!" With a roar the young Todoroki unleashes an entire geyser of flames. The flames threaten to burn and melt them all and that's just what he intends to do…however, two separate springs of water and ice douses his flames from either side. And as his flames vanish into clouds of steam two Dominators, one of Blue and the other of White, make their presence known. More and more of the Dominators step forth to form the complete line up of the live-wired Yellow, the acidic Green, armored Brown, and humming Silver.

The Brown Dominator lunges for the boy, a drill takes the place of its fist since it intends to bury the boy alive.

Quickly said boy unleashes another ice wall but it's only a smokescreen, allowing him to quickly dive away out of the robot's vision. And good thinking too because that massive drill combined with the bot's heavy weight make quick work of the flimsy ice.

Shoto's in a bind. Not only is he outnumbered, but these robots are too highly specialized. They can counter his powers perfectly. But also, it's not just himself he has to worry about.

He peers down at the still form of Thirteen who lies unconscious just a few feet behind him.

He has no choice; he's going to have to stand his ground and find a way to defeat these monsters while keeping his downed ally safe.

The Dominators truly live up to their Domination Parade, stomping forward each eager to for a kill; all in the name of their Master.

As Shoto glares at their towering figures a part of his brain thinks back to Midoriya, specifically how he'd handle such a situation. For some reason he has the sneaking suspicion that he would lead in with some clumsy one liner… "Please form a line. It'll be a pleasure to take you all out."

Nailed it.

The Dominators look at each in confusion before resuming their assault.

Meanwhile, as chaos ensues on the ground, the air is a storm of fire and wind.

"Raagh!" Bakugou lets out a roar with every Explosion that fails to land.

But Nue is all smiles, leading Bakugou on like a jumping frog with every burst of air and kick off the walls. "What's the matter?! Did your aim get worse since the bootcamp?!" He lands on one of the generators as it rotates around the outline of the chamber. "Or are you still in shock of all this?!"

"Don't give me that!" Bakugou rockets towards the creature who speeds up the wall as a blur with XLR8's speed before stopping atop another generator that's three rows up. "It doesn't matter! Alien! Human! I know what you are! You're a monster!" He rockets after him just before the second rotating generator can knock him off the first.

"I knew you'd say that." Nue lashes out a tendril that swings him away much like Sero or Eraserhead.

And once again, Bakugou's Explosion misses. "Don't act like you know me!"

"Oh, but I do, Blasty. I know exactly who you are! I told Shigaraki not to bother with you! I knew you'd never take his offer! But I never expected you to join Deku's little Space Club either."

"Why? Did you think I couldn't handle it?!" Anticipating the trajectory of Nue's path, he unleashes a blast so strong it shakes the entire generator rod.

"Exactly right!" While in mid-swing, Nue takes aim at him with his lower pair of arms and fires a barrage of water blasts to which Bakugou weaves through like a fighter jet. "It's in your nature!" Nue's tendril lets go and he plummets, whizzing past the boy before he can react and then chases after him. "You never cared about anyone but yourself!" He blasts a gust of wind down which springs him up quickly.

Not anticipating such a move Bakugou is defenseless as Nue spins and strikes him with a hammer-shaped crystal fist! The boy's vision blackens for a moment, and he swears he sees stars as he's flung across the air and into the wall. Thankfully a generator rod was rotating around the chamber slow enough to catch his fall.

"And yet here you are! Why? To save Deku of all people! Ha! Yeah right! You're here because you wanted to patch up your bruised ego!"

"S-shut up…!" Bakugou wheezes but refuses to show any weakness. "Last thing I need is to be criticized by a hypocrite!"

That gives Nue pause, "Me? A hypocrite?" He's offended. "I was always honest about what I was. But you… You've always been a LIAR!" His lower claws stretch out and as they do the Feedback-like tendrils coil around them, feeding electricity into the water bubbling at his palms. "And the biggest lie you ever told was telling yourself that you're the HERO!"

---

Izuku can hear every word and he has the perfect view to witness Nue unleashing a blast of electrically charged jets of water at Bakugou.

The idiot stands his ground, unleashing his own Explosion against the incoming strike. The resulting blast causes an eruption of steam and electricity to fill the air, temporarily hindering the camera's view for a few agonizing moments.

"Stop…"

Vilgax grows annoyed, not out of pettiness but that the boy can't command himself. "Speak up, Izuku Midoriya."

"…Please, stop." Izuku begs while fighting back tears. "You have the Omnitrix. You have your weapon. You have your powers. You have everything you wanted. Why not just…leave us alone? What do you have to gain from all this?"

"You probably believe that I am after a trivial end goal: revenge, satisfaction, and the like. Perhaps a hint of those. But no, my purposes are far more elaborate than petty squabbling." The titan considers the youngling's question. "I will humor you. I am the Conqueror of Worlds. A title that we already established was earned."

It's salt in the wound for the boy that called himself Deku as he's reminded why his body and heart are hurting so much…

"I have spread my conquest upon worlds with minimal obstructions. Granted, nearly all of them fought back one way or another, some proved more resilient than others of course. But I always succeeded." He peers out past the holographic displays, past the projected images of the Plus Ultra, past the moon's surface, and straight towards the giant blue sphere below. "But now I face a planet so seemingly insignificant that it'd be lucky if it was even documented on a bygone era's star charts. And yet somehow its inhabitants managed to elude my hold one way or another. And just as astonishingly they wield powers far more versatile than any other race that I have ever encountered. Pyronites can be weakened with a simple compound of Sodium bicarbonate. Remove a Piscciss Volann from water and they're gutted. A Lepidopterran's entire nest can be burned away with a simple candle. One weakness. One flaw. Is all I ever needed to exploit. But those rules don't apply to you humans. I may drown out one's fire with water. But one that can command water can drown my flame. I can gas the planet. Only for those that can command the air to dissipate my attack. I can lead an entire army of drones to attack your cities. But a single human with the ability to control technology can halt my entire advance. And bombarding your planet from space does not suit me. Like I said, I earn what is mine."

The boy's head falls, his efforts for peace were in vain. But he knew that from the start…

Toshinori however, needs answers as well, he needs to know what this is all for. So, he repeats the boy's question, "But what do you have to gain?"

"Everything." Vilgax answers, his voice rumbling with a sort of dark eagerness. "I am presented with an opportunity here."

He gestures towards the many holograms displaying various battles that have or are raging across his ship: from the attack on the hangar, the prison fiasco, Malware's assault on the Plus Ultra, the Techadon's last stand, Nue's ambush, and so forth. "Did you simply think I was recording everything because I wish to be entertained? No. In truth, I am taking a page from your very own Magister Nezu's book."

Both Toshinori and Izuku perk up with nervous curiosity.

"I am in fact broadcasting this entire feed out into the universe for all to see!"

Izuku is stunned. He couldn't be? That can't be right!

Toshinori's just as stunned, so much so his maw hangs agape. "Y-you're w-what…?"

"What is the earthling saying? When life gives you lemons." Yes, such a profound proverb. "You may destroy my ship. You may defeat my army. But none of that will matter when I triumph in the end. When I am the one standing over your bodies with my fist in the air, declaring my victory!" Oh, it will be legendary. There is no doubt about that. "Many worlds are aware of you humans, especially you All Might. The "former" Symbol of Peace."

If Izuku felt salt on his wounds before then Toshinori was just burned with fire…

"They have already witnessed first hand the power I wield. The power that defeated Earth's greatest Champion!" A new display appears, showing a recording of All Might and Izuku's fight with the Mad Titan. "And now they will see for themselves that the Plumbers they depend on so dearly have no hope against me." The other displays illuminate as more and more holograms begin to broadcast edits of the day's on goings. "This broadcast will strike terror in all those that even think of opposing me. And it will influence others to flock to my side! And once I show this to all the humans! No one on Earth will be willing to stand against my rule! You say I have everything I want. That is incorrect. There is one more thing I want." He doesn't need to say it and yet he does as he looks out towards his significant prize. "Earth."

This can't be. They cannot believe their eyes or ears and yet they know it to be true. Once Vilgax has his army collected, his ship repaired, and his weapons prepared he will let his presence be known to the entire Earth. Their home. He'll destroy everything they've ever known…

The Grand Destroyer seems bored of this conversation now as with a simple wave a portal opens along the dome wall and a squad of four armed Bioids march into the arena. The Bioids follow their master's silent orders: two of which begin to bind the humans' wrists in electrical cuffs linked by a single device while the other two prepare a matching set of metallic muzzles.

But neither of them have the strength or will to fight. Toshinori especially is in complete disbelief. "N-no…"

"M-my D-dad will s-stop you…!" Izuku all but cries in a desperate attempt to cling onto any wisps of hope. "They're c-coming. T-they w-won't let y-you get away with t-this…!"

Vilgax remains still, his gaze never leaving his prize as he answers with a low eagerness, "I'm counting on it."

And if his calculations are correct they shall be arriving here very soon.

---

Whether it's because they haven't seen any enemies in a while or the fact that the growing anticipation is killing time, but Cinder and his crew have switched from the guns-a-blazing approach to a black-ops stealth mission.

Cinder and Patelliday take the lead, checking corners and every blind spot for an ambush they just know is coming. But it never does, they find no traps, no enemies, no signs of danger. At least not until they've reached their destination.

Cinder just barely leans his head out from behind the bulkhead but those two Bioids might as well be blind. Even though they are on guard duty for the large portal-shaped gate they in no way spot him.

Turning back around, Cinder signals the others to get back and hide before he points two fingers at Chopper and swings his fingers back towards the direction of the Bioids.

The little astro-mech understands his orders, and while a little salute he's off to make history.

^Woop-wo! Woop-wo! Woop-wo!^ Chopper speeds out from behind their hiding spot with his hands up and his head spinning like he's doing his own version of an idol dance. Or maybe it's a call for help. But either way it grabs the Bioids' attention immediately.

^You there, halt!^ One of the two bots orders.

^Bp-oop!^

^How dare you!^

^No one says that about our creators!^

^Wawawa!^ Laughing, Chopper wheels away taunting them.

They take the bait. ^Get back here you piece of recycled metalloids!^

^Wowowow!^ Chopper turns the corner and vanishes from sight.

But the Bioids are right on his heels. ^We have you now!^

The moment they turn the corner one Bioid has its skull completely ripped into ribbons by a set of sharp claws. While the other gets wrapped into a Capture Scarf and then bashed into exposed pipes lining the wall.

The two bots fall apart before a poised Patelliday and stoic Eraserhead.

Seeing them work so efficiently, Cinder couldn't be more honored to be here with them both. "Good work, men. Now, what do you say we thank our host for his gracious hospitality?" He gestures back towards the now unguarded gate.

To which, every member of his party gives an eager grin.

"Tetrax, if you would do the honors."

The Ex-Bounty Hunter grins enthusiastically, "With pleasure." His hands turn into hammers as he approaches the portal door. "RAAAGH!" With a single strike the portal falls apart into hexagonal-shaped pieces.

But there's no time to focus on the small details as Cinder, Patelliday, Eraserhead, Tsukauchi, Tetrax, and Chopper all rush into the dome.

The arena is just how Cinder remembers it: large and dome shaped but pitch black like a seemingly endless void. The only light is what they've brought in with them via their weapons and the red light pouring in from the shattered gate. But yet despite the darkness, they sense nothing; there are no signs of their friends or Vilgax. Not one soul is seemingly in here.

Eraserhead's eyes flash red from behind his goggles as his grip tightens around the S.A.G.E. Gun. "I got a bad feeling about this."

Detective Tsukauchi gulps, "So, do I." Aiming his Phaser out towards the darkness he scans the arena for any signs of movement. "There! Look!"

Somehow they missed them, lying on the ground in the distance are the bound and muzzled forms of his dear friend and missing student.

"Izuku!/All Might!" The father and the detective immediately run to them with Chopper right on their heels.

Eraserhead, Patelliday, and Tetrax hang back out of pure suspicion.

Eraserhead remains ever vigilant as he continues to search for any signs of danger, "This isn't right. Where's Vilgax?"

"Izuku! Izuku!" Cinder drops to his knees, and hovers over his son.

He's been gagged and bound. And he seems to be out cold, with nasty bruises covering his broken body. But he's breathing. Same goes for the skinny hero lying beside him.

"All Might…" Tsukauchi hovers a hand over his friends as if afraid that if he touches him then he might just crumble to dust. "What have they done to you?" Finally, he reaches for his friend's shoulder but only for his hand to go straight through his friend like he was nothing but air. "What?"

The holograms vanish into thin air and the entire dome flashes red as every accent between each hexagonal panel glow with alarm. Meanwhile, the shattered pieces of the portal door summon themselves back into the place, sealing them in.

Patelliday screams, "It's a Trap!"

A portion of the dome wall retreat back to the floor revealing that the heroes had only been occupying half of the true arena.

"Greetings heroes, welcome to my domain." Announces a being far more terrifying than either Eraserhead or Tsukauchi could envision. He is the definition of a monster, a titan that can call upon their destruction with a single thought.

"Have you come to face your doom?" Vilgax smiles from underneath his respirator.

Izuku and Toshinori are kneeling beside him, both gagged and with their hands bound behind their backs much like their holograms.

Their eyes are pleading, praying for them to run, to forget them… They've given up so much so they don't even make an attempt to run to them, but that might be because of the four Bioids posted around them.

The sight of his bloodied and bruised son sends Cinder over the edge, "VILGAX!" He roars, flames spitting from the end of his maw-mask.

But Vilgax's response is far calmer, like someone who's seeing an old friend after years spent apart. "Firebreather, it's been too long."

"Not long enough." Cinder spits.

Vilgax smiles at that, "Tell me, did you enjoy my surprise entrance at Kamino? I learned that maneuver from you."

"The art of making a grand entrance… Somehow I am not honored that you copied me."

"Honor? I don't honor you." His tentacles and muscles pulse with bloodlust as he calmly states. "I pity you."

Cinder's knuckles crack and turn white against his Amenonuhoko spear.

Sensing a fight, Patelliday gives one last go at diplomacy. "Mr. Vilgax, sir. I'd like to state for the record that this is a clear violation of the Intergalactic Peace and Law Accord. This will be considered a violation of the truce between you and the Plumbers. If you do not submit to the terms of the truce then you will have the entire Plumber Armada descending upon you!"

Vilgax considers the Plumber's ultimatum and calls his bluff, "That's the biggest tail that's ever been spun. I am well aware of the Accord. And might I remind you that it is "you" that is in clear violation of the cease fire. Not to mention this mission is completely un-sanctioned by the Plumbers and therefore out of their jurisdiction. As far as the law is concerned, I am a law-abiding citizen."

"INNOCENT!?" Tetrax roars. "You are anything but! You're-...you're-"

"A villain." Vilgax finishes the statement for him, and it seems that he's quite proud to wear this new title. "I suppose that I am. Now Heroes, are you ready to die at my hand?"

It seems that diplomacy has failed. There's only one course of action now.

Tsukauchi steps back, his Phaser aimed and at the ready. "Is there really no other way?"

The ends of the Amenonuhoko spear ignite with fire as Cinder gives him a malicious yet somber answer. "There never was."

The rest of them take their ques: Patelliday readies his blaster rifle, Eraserhead readies his Capture Scarf and the S.A.G.E. Gun, while Tetrax steps forth with his hands as maces, and even Chopper prepares himself chopping the air with his little hands like he was a karate master.

The sight of all of them is truly amusing. "I am going to enjoy ripping each of you apart." He marches forward away from the prisoners, his heavy steps echoing across the entire dome. "Now, which of you is brave enough to face me first?"

No one is brave enough to answer the challenge. They wait with bated breaths, for one of their own to make the first call. For Vilgax to make the first move. But it doesn't come; Vilgax doesn't even seem to be guarding himself. Instead, he stands there, chest out and arms behind his back like he were standing upon a podium.

As the fire across his spear crackles, Cinder's temper burns hotter and hotter, but he does his best to quell his raging flames. But it's all for naught.

"RAAAAGH!" Upon Cinder's roar the others join in and rush the imposing titan. "Claws off my son, VILGAX!" Cinder throws himself at the villain, his spear overhead and poised to skewer the monster's skull with his special move, "AMENONUHOKO: DUAL BURN!"

"Fire Breather!" Vilgax's claw cracks upward and catches the flaming spear.
Wishing to see his claw burn like BBQ on the grill, Cinder Firebreathes down at the spear causing the flames to flare.

Vilgax's augmentations steam as his tentacles unreal and wrap themselves around the spear, squeezing out the flames as his muscles bulge and strain.

Cinder's stunned, this amount of flames would have scarred him, it certainly had in the past. "Just when did you get so buff?!"

"I think you will find that I am much stronger than our last encounter, Firebreather!" A tentacle grips Cinder's arm and with him and his spear locked Vilgax whips him back at his own comrades like a flying bowling ball. "Much STRONGER!"

His left arm bulges and shifts as if something living inside his own skin is squirming to get free, and like blood an inky darkness spills forth from the monster's veins. But unlike blood it does not pool to the ground but instead pools around his tendrils and towards his claws forming between his grip as an Infernal Sword.

It's like watching him wield a sword right out of a nightmarish realm. One that comes crashing down from above as Vilgax swings it down at their heads like a guillotine.

To say the heroes are in shock is an understatement; they're minds are stunned. They only snap out of their trance when Eraserhead, the only sensible one, shoves Tetrax and Patelliday aside before tackling the others away. And just in time as the Infernal Sword crashes just inches from their heels.

The muzzled Izuku and Toshinori watch on in horror as the extended arm unfurls around the sword and the muscular tentacles snap through the air, knocking the heroes in all directions.

Two of which quickly recover, Patelliday springs into action, chomping down on one of the slithering tentacles as Tetrax catches another two between his arms.

"Valiant. But useless." The veins in his muscles flare red before that burning glow travels down his limbs and to the tips of his tentacles, generating waves of heat that flare like fire.

Patelliday's mouth sizzles as the tentacle overpowers him and launches him upward before slinging him off.

Tetrax braces himself, the burning muscles doing nothing against his diamond skin. But when it comes to strength he's outmatched, he's pulled in like a fish on a line. And met with Vilgax's horn-encrusted Bio-Fist that nearly dislodges his jawline! And down the bounty hunter goes!

Cinder can't believe his eyes: this kind of power and strength not seen on Vilgax before. Since when?! Why wasn't he warned about this? No matter! He's got to be stopped one way or another. "Take him out! I want him stir fried!" With a roar he unleashes a spinning inferno of flames upon the unmoving and unnerved titan. "FIRE TORNADO!"

Eraserhead and Tsukauchi take to his sides and unleash their blasters' entire payloads. Tetrax and Patelliday recover and soon unleash their own barge of shards and laser bolts. Even Chopper gets in on the action by launching little jolts of electricity.

It's an explosion of heat and smoke as all their fire is concentrated onto one target.

Cinder holds up his fist, "Hold your fire!"

Pulling their fingers away from their triggers, they hold.

Silence. Then an eerie stillness. Smoke rises from where Vilgax stood, and yet there's no movement. No signs of the villain. He must be ash by now.

"He's cooked." Patelliday assumes and Cinder's almost inclined to agree. If it wasn't for one thing: he's Vilgax.

They each spread out, encircling the smoke column with their blasters aimed. There's no way he survived all that. There's absolutely no way he-

There's a shimmer, a golden shimmer of light, transparent yet solid, firmly planted within the smoke. Astonishment and horror wash over the heroes as Vilgax remains untouched and protected behind a golden force shield, the Ziegel Shield. "Did you really think victory would come so easily?"

A powerful gust of wind erupts from the smoke from seemingly nowhere. Propelling them all back without any hope of bracing themselves.

Shocked beyond belief, Cinder's body nearly stumbles against the fierce wind which vanishes just as quickly as it arrived. "How…? You shouldn't…"

Vilgax's Ziegel Shield remains shining as his left fist coats itself with scales and his right fist grips an Infernal Sword. His gaze glows red with fury as the air trembles around his covered maw and his veins burn with rage. It's like witnessing a creature claw its way out from their nightmares, here to sack retribution upon them all. "Poor deluded fools. You have no idea what horrors I'm capable of!" As his eyes glow brighter, he unleashes twin beams of burning light!

---

"Hahaha! You have no idea what horrors I'm capable of! Hahahaha!" Nue cackles in glee as his tendrils rip through the air with cracks of lightning.

Jolting forward he unleashes a barrage of lighting that dances around Bakugou who rockets through the air before stomping against the wall mid-air.

Catching some loose cables and an edge of a metal paneling, the ash-blond holds himself in place as he shouts back. "What's with that corny line?! No way you came up with that on your own!"

Suddenly the metal panel pries itself off the wall, flinging him against it like a flyswatter.

The air ripples around Bakugou, he can feel Lodestar's magnetic pull reel him in towards Nue's waiting claws.

"Raagh!" With a roar he slams his hand against the panel and rocks the air with a smoke-billowing Explosion!

"You're mine now!" Nue cackles as the smoke billowing panel races near, with his four arms outstretched he catches the panel and presumably Bakugou in a bone crushing hug that crumbles the steel panel.

"Hm?" Or not, with the smoke gone he can clearly see the gaping hole in the center of the crumpled panel.

"Hahaha! Sucker!" Bakugou howls from above; he's rocketing himself up past the rotating generator rods and right towards the glowing Power Core.

He unleashes a sudden series of Explosion as he gives his body a spin, increasing his speed tenfold! He intends on finishing the mission right here, right now. And after that he'll kick in Nue's jagged teeth right down his throat! "HOWITZER IMPACT!"

This is it. This will be enough to finish the ship off!

However, Nue is just slightly faster. A blur of red and black speeds up the wall, weaving past the rotating rods and right to the center of the Power Core before stopping and falling.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not in my house!" Nue grins, aiming his chest down he unleashes a whirlwind mixed with dual geysers of water, creating a waterspout that drowns the boy in midair! Launching him away in a deluge of watery bullets.

"You think you're hot shit!" A single Explosion tears a hole in the waterspout, giving Bakugou his escape. "If you wanted to stop us you should have shown your ugly mug sooner!"

"You think you're the only one who's been going to class?" Nue splits into three and the newly cloned trio plummet from above. "I've learned a few valuable lessons myself!"
Bakugou dodges the first, but he gets caught in the second clone's tendril.

"Like how to crush a man!"
Bakugou blasts the tendril away before it can stun him. And then he takes to the air once again.

"To let him see his goal, the light at the end of the tunnel, only to have it all taken away from him before his very eyes!"

Bakugou's too slow as the third Nue body checks him, making sure to put his diamond encrusted shoulder forward. Bakugou is knocked out of the air and sent crashing onto one of the large generator rods, denting it.

Nue lands on the opposite end of the generator rod, his clones soon join him and reemerge together. "Face it, Blasty. You're out of your league here!"

Bakugou groans, grateful that the red Plumber armor is more durable than it looks. "*Cough!* Believe me Uuichi *cough!*" He smirks cockily. "Everyone's out of your league."

Nue's smile drops. "I am going to rip your face off! RAAAGHH!" He lunges forth, maw wide with gruesome fangs intending to do exactly what he promised!

Meanwhile, things are going just as ugly for Shoto as well. He's stuck between a rock and hard place, forced to fend off the incoming Dominators while shielding the unconscious Thirteen with all his strength.

The Dominators move in sequence with each other with the Yellow Dominator striking at him first with electrified cables.

Shoto barely jumps back before shoving the robot away with a glacier of icicles.

But then he has to quickly construct another wall to his left in order to block the Green Dominator's geyser of corrosive acid.

"Bakugou! Bakugou!" He shouts to no avail. He can barely make Bakugou zipping around up there. "Dammit!" He's on his own.

More Dominators are inbound and leading the charge is the armored Brown Dominator, plowing through the glacier walls with brute force.

Knowing he can't hope to stop it in its tracks, Shoto grabs Thirteen and launches them both away with an icicle trail. They race across the catwalk as the Brown Dominator makes several attempts to crush them with its drills only to miss as Todoroki uses an ice slide to move up into the air like Marvel's Iceman. Taking to the air, Shoto loops them over the grid of servers as the Red and Blue Dominators launch rays of fire and water at them.

Shoto spots the gaping hole they left behind in the gateway, without another thought, he launches them towards it. But the White Dominator reads their trajectory and uses its cold ray to freeze over the entrance way.

Acting fast before they can crash, Shoto's trail turns into a wave of ice and like a surfer he completes a 180-degree turn. Only to be met with the imposing figures of the Orange and Silver Dominators.

Shoto is about to slide him and Thirteen away when the air itself pulls him right off his feet. The vortex pulls him towards the Silver Dominator's outstretched claws.

With their target immobilized by the silver robot's vacuum, the Orange Dominator swings its laser swords.

Not willing to make it easy for them, Shoto unleashes a veil of flames. The flames blind the Orange Dominator making it miss, and the Silver Dominator reels back as it now accidentally sucks in the flames.

Shoto and Thirteen bounce off the ground, hard, before sliding to a stop against one of the cabled arches.

Struggling to get up the boy barely has time to pull both himself and Thirteen out of the way as the Purple Dominator shatters their section of the catwalk with a trailing sonic blast.

Acting quickly Shoto blocks the Purple Dominator's path of destruction with a massive ice wall. Deciding that he needs a second to hold out, Shoto quickly constructs a fortress. Generation walls and walls of ice all around himself and Thirteen.

The Dominators immediately siege the fortress, clawing, bashing, and attacking the walls with all they got. Slowly chipping away.

'This is futile!' Shoto tries to reinforce the ice walls with more layers but they're breaking their way through. 'It's not enough!' There's only so much he can do. There's…so little he can do. He's outmatched and outnumbered. They have more power, more Quirks than he does. His Ice isn't enough. His Fire isn't enough. "My Quirk…isn't enough!"

From beside his feet, Thirteen begins to stir, "…Todoroki?"

%%%%%%%%%[MEANWHILE]%%% %%%%%

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* Explosions light up the air like fireworks that are traveling higher and higher into the air. Bakugou's desperately trying to reach the Power Core and blast it to bits, but Nue's defense is too strong: swatting him away every time.

"Ugh!" Bakugou bounces off one of the rotating generator rods only to land on the one below just as it passes by. "You, damn, bastard! You ugly pile of shit! Do you really think you can stop me?!"

Using his tendrils and claws to hook himself against one of the tracks of a generator, Nue grins down at the defiant blonde. "Awful brave talk for a deadman."

Bakugou snarls, "I'm not dead yet."

"You're right. My watch is about ten seconds fast." A generator rod follows the track towards Nue who slices through the generator rod's base with a simple swipe of his claw. Before grabbing it at the sliced end and launching down at Bakugou.

The giant projectile crashes into Bakugou. The force of the hit crushes the generator rod he was using as a platform, snapping off its connection line to the track. And the two rods discharge with massive bolts of electricity as they crash and plummet down to the floor. Crashing into the servers below causing them to explode with electricity and rubble. Giving even the Dominators pause for concern.

But thankfully Bakugou wasn't in that mess, he somehow managed to squeeze his way out and get himself stuck in a web of loose cables which keeps him dangling in midair at the exact center of the entire chamber. All around him the remaining generators rotate, their massive frames spinning around him just barely out of reach.

"Damn." He whistles down at the explosion of electricity. "That would have been nasty."

Nue lands with a thud at the end of the rod, which rotates him 360 degrees around the boy. "Look at you! Fighting so hard for a cause!" It's almost laughable. He knew Bakugou would always strive to be a hero but to actively pursue the safety of others, now that's a surprise. But then again… "No that's not it. You're not here out of the goodness of your heart. You're here to get even. You need to get even. Save the Quirkless freak and then make him pay for playing you! Haha! What a riot!"

"You're the only freak here, Uuichi!" Bakugou bites back, he struggles to straighten himself up; but his ankles are tangled and so too are his Grenade Gauntlets.

"You always were determined. And stubborn."

"Be quiet!"

"Come on, you can tell me. What's your stake in all this? Huh?!" Nue mocks while slowly being rotated around the exhausted boy. "Are you trying to make it up to your childhood best friend? Maybe this is to make it up to him? Apologize for all you did? HA! Ya, right!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"I remember seeing your face at the U.S.J. I could see the hate in your eyes! You hate the fact he's stronger than you. Faster than you! Smarter than you! …Better than you."

"SHUT UP-!" Bakugou's shouting seizes up as Nue grabs him by the throat and squeezes down on his windpipe.

"Oh~? What's the matter, Blasty? Can't handle the truth?"

Bakugou's eyes flare with rage as he struggles for breath. All the while Nue smiles on, enjoying not just the show of despair in his grip but also the show of futility that's occurring down below.

%%%%%%%%%[MEANWHILE]%%% %%%%%

Shoto is desperately trying to keep up with every crack in his fortress walls; he reinforces them each with expansive sheets of thick ice. Only for the Dominators to burn and bash their way through them too. He tries and he tries, but his own internal temperatures are reaching their limits as frost has begun to form across his face and skin. At this rate, the robots will be upon them both and he'll be helpless to stop it.

"Todoroki…"

"Thirteen!" Spinning around the dual-haired teen is more than relieved to find Thirteen awake and talking. "Can you stand?!"

Thirteen's body quivers in pain, it's like they're whole body's been paralyzed with numbing jolts of pain; it'll take some time to pass. "That shock…really took it out of me." They explain between wheezes of pain.

"Dang it!" Shoto uncharacteristically shouts in frustration. "I can really use your help! I can't do this on my own!"

"You got this… I-...I believe in you…"

"No, I don't!" Shoto cries.

The sudden outburst catches Thirteen off guard, but instead of addressing it Thirteen figures that it's better to listen.

"I-I can't keep this up. They're too much for me…" Shoto admits with much regret and shame. "T-Thirteen I-I'm not like Midoriya. My Quirk has limits. I-...I can't keep up with something so in-…inhuman." His head falls, "I can't do it…"

"…That's bullshit."

Shoto nearly jumps when a hand clamps onto his collar and roughly pulls him down.

Thirteen, despite the pain, manages to reach up and pull him in close with frustrated determination. "Listen to me… Listen to the words I am saying… You. Can. Do. This."

Shoto's breath hitches; coming out as a puff of white.

"You are more capable than you realize… You have so much potential… You all do. But you're never gonna realize it until you actually try to reach for it…" Their grip breaks and Thirteen's arm falls but that fire in their eyes never dissipates. "If you can't beat them with power… Then beat them with smarts… If they're smarter, beat them with brute force… If neither works then you need to think outside the box!"

"You don't get it!" Shoto roars. "I'm not like Midoriya or Bakugou or Uraraka! I can't think outside the box!"

"Then break out of the box!" Thirteen snaps. They had hoped the boy would understand but judging by his face he clearly can't wrap his mind around it. "You're always going to fight enemies stronger than you… More powerful. Smarter. More dangerous… But it's a hero's job to stop them… And you will."

Shoto's not sure how to respond, he's not even sure what they mean.

"Don't say you can't keep up… Don't say you've reached your limit… Don't ever give up!" Thirteen tries to blink away the fading lights, but it's getting harder. "That's what it means to go…Plus…Ultra." The pain's pushed them too far and they fall quiet once again.

"Thirteen? Thirteen!" But it's no use, they're already out cold.

And he's alone once again. Alone against the army literally knocking at his door. And he has no idea what to do about it. All he has is the teacher's advice.

'Think outside the box. Think outside the box. Think outside the box.' He chants the phrase in his head again and again. But it's hard to focus with the Dominators' claws bashing against the ice and the frost crawling up the right side of his body. Normally, the Half-Hot part of his Quirk would regulate his body temperature, but with how much he's been relying on his Half-Cold in the already cold spaceship has pushed his body's limit. Maybe if he had a way to more efficiently regulate his temperatures he'd be more effective.

He holds himself, gripping his elbows in comfort as he strains to think. His hands rub over the Plumber's red armor, taking comfort in its warmth. 'Warmth…?'

Shoto pauses, peering down at his own frost covered hands and towards the frost free armor. The armor's internal temperature regulation system must be next level, or maybe several levels, because not a single ice crystal is stuck to the armor; the only frost around is what's on his exposed skin.

This realization loops again and again in his mind until it finally comes together into a single idea, a crazy and maybe stupid idea.

"Break out of the box."

---

"I am going to break you!" Tetrax roars over the chaos of battle and charges the Mad Titan. His mace shaped fists clashes against Vilgax's metal claws, putting them in a contest of strength. "You took everything!" Tetrax seethes, "You destroyed everything! Everyone!" Taking a step, he manages to shove Vilgax back just an inch. "I am not going to let you do the same to Earth!"

But the villain is undeterred, "Such courage. Such chivalry. Tell me Tetrax Shard where was this bravery and honor when I came to your world?"

If Tetrax's face could turn red with rage then it certainly would, "You betrayed me! And you still expected me to be your dog?!"

"You are the only traitor here, Tetrax Shard. But if you miss your people so much then do not worry." Vilgax's eyes begin to burn red. "I shall reunite you with them."

Before the Petrosapien can react he's blasted in the chest and sent flying across the arena via Vilgax's twin Omega Beams. The beams chase and bash into Tetrax again and again before drilling him into the paneled wall.

"You will shatter just as they did."

With his back turned, Vilgax is left exposed and unaware of the firing squad lining up behind him.

Eraserhead takes aim with the S.A.G.E. Gun and tells Patelliday, "On your mark."

To which the Plumber roars, "Fire at will!"

To which he, Eraserhead, and Tsukauchi unleash all that their blasters can handle. Bolts of green, red, and orange fly, racing towards a single target.

Unfortunately the sudden appearance of a transparent golden wall stands in the way.

Protected by his Ziegel Shield, Vilgax inhales and then exhales, unleashing a Turbulent Exhale of devastating winds that knocks the three away!

"Meaningless. You would waste less time if you turn the heat onto yourselves."

"Now that wouldn't be any fun now, would it?!" Cinder bomb-rushes the Grand Destroyer as the dragon-inspired fangs around his respirator shift, creating several layers of slit openings. "RED HOT BULLETS!" In rapid succession, quick small wisps of flames are fired out from between the slits, zipping through the air just as the name suggests!

Vilgax swings the shield around, blocking the searing bullets, "RAAAGHH!"

He takes a swing at the Red-Spot, who leaps away, and he strikes the floor instead; smashing it and creating a fissure between the shattered panels.

Landing in a squat, Cinder whistles, impressed. "Those augmentations are really working out for you. I hate to admit it, but they suit you."

"They have." Vilgax agrees as the cybernetic augmentations whir and steam across his body. "But I find that my new powers suit me even more!"

Every vein is his body glows red and transparent waves of heat cause his muscles to ripple and strain from the Inflame. Activating his Infernal Sword power an inky ooze coaks his arm before forming into one massive Warhammer. "RAAAAA!"

Using his Amenonuhoko for leverage, Cinder stabs the spear into the floor and uses it as a pole vault to spin himself away from the crushing force that shakes the ground. "Been meaning to ask! Where'd you find a few spare powers lying around? Did someone leave it in a drawer?"

"Not found, taken." Vilgax fires his Omega Beam, the laser zig-zags through the air, targeting Cinder's heart.

But the Plumber deflects the beams with a few swings of his burning Amenonuhoko. "First you steal from me and now you're stealing All For One's gimmick. Have you no shame?"

"I hold no guilt, Firebreather. Just is the fate of all things in the known universe, all is in my right to be taken!" Pursuing the Plumber once again the titan swings a shell-armored Bio-Fist down at the fleeing hero. "Nothing will escape my reach!" His Inflamed tentacles lash out and although they miss the dodging Cinder they strike the side of the arena so hard that it leaves gashes. "Nothing is out of my reach!"

Izuku watches on in despair and horror, unable to move and unable to help while being guarded by these Bioids. Which have made no attempts to aid their master, undoubtedly they were commanded not to by said commander. And yet Izuku wishes, prays, that his friends just realize what those powers are.

As the Conqueror of Worlds makes his claim over all things, Detective Tsukauchi is recovering from being tossed around like a salad. Groaning he witnessed the entire exchange with gritted teeth and fearful resentment, "This guy…this monster. He's just like…All For One."

Helping him to his feet is Eraserhead who pauses at the Detective's observation. 'Just like All For One… I wonder how far that goes?'

"Eraserhead…? Eraserhead, stop!"

Aizawa ignores Tsukauchi's cries, not that he doesn't understand; he must look like a mad man, charging up to the unholy being like he is. But if his hunch is correct then it may just turn the tide!

Izuku and Toshinori have the perfect view, they watch in awe and horror as Eraserhead makes a beeline straight for Vilgax. His dark locks begin to flow up as does his scarf, both floating in the air as if he were underwater. Still racing ahead, his gaze, that not once leaves the rampaging titan, illuminates like red lanterns in the night from behind his yellow goggles.

Cinder is down and he's dropped his spear. And now he is left defenseless at the feet of this towering menace.

Vilgax has his Inflamed arms hoisted over his head, both merged together into an Infernal wrecking ball of a mace with spikes of Bio-Fist generated horns laced within. However before he can bring this fatal blow down on his archenemy the inky ooze evaporates away, the horns around his fist fall off, and the burning strength in his body vanishes.

"What?!"

With great acrobatic ability, Eraserhead jumps and lodges his elbow into the side of the squid's skull. And with his entire weight behind it along with his momentum, he brings the giant to the ground in a single move. The titan falls like a red wood, crashing and landing with a thunderous rumble.

"My students must be rubbing off on me. In the past I would have never made such a gamble." Eraserhead stands atop Vilgax's chest, his hair flowing like a mane of black fire as the S.A.G.E. Gun's barrel glows green with energy. "I'll teach you what I try to instill into my students; Quirks aren't everything." Although he never takes his gaze off the monster, he prays that the Problem Child can hear him.

Laying there on his back, Vilgax looks from the blaster to its wielder, as if weighing his options. "I concur. One must always rely on their own might. Their own warrior skills and knowledge."

A disgusted shiver slides down Eraserhead's spine; he hates the fact that a monster such as this is agreeing with him.

Tetrax can't believe his eyes, a mere human is holding the Conqueror of Worlds at gunpoint. He never thought he'd see the day. "What's going on here? How are you doing that?"

"My Quirk, Erasure, cancels out any Quirk when I look at my target." Eraserhead admits while recalling Midoriya's Final Exam. "Looking back, I should have realized something was up whenever Erasure failed to work on Midoriya. Clearly alien powers can't be considered Quirks; I can't erase their powers. But I can erase yours." He states with finality at the squid laying underneath his feet.

Patelliday doesn't quite know what to make of this, "But how is that even possible? Aliens can't have Quirks."

^Wa-bp!^ Chopper rebuts.

"You're right, Chop." Cinder responds, "Aliens can't have Quirks but half-alien half-humans like Ashido can."

Tetrax snarls in disgust, "Last I checked this pile of Banatha dung was anything but human."

That leaves Tsukauchi to beg the question, "Did All For One have a hand in this?"

"Not sure. Let's ask him." Eraserhead locks the gun closer to the titan's skull.

And yet the titan himself remains unfazed despite the circumstances, "I must commend you for your efforts, Eraserhead."

The underground hero shutters in genuine surprise.

"Yes, I am well aware of who you are." The commander's gaze shifts towards the collection of holographic monitors displaying the various battles raging across his ship, and around the ship of his enemy. "As well as those that command that vessel."

The end of the S.A.G.E. Gun glows brighter in warning. "Is that a threat?"

"You should be less concerned with their survival and more concerned about yours-RAAAGH!" Faster than any of them can anticipate, Vilgax's arms unravel and thrash out in a tornado of slimy green limbs.

The heroes take action to defend himself, with Cinder hiding behind Tetrax before they're both bashed away. Or Patelliday who takes a hit to the chest and is tossed aside and into Tsukauchi. But worst of all as his tentacles lash out, Vilgax manages to spring himself upward with nothing but his core muscles.

The sudden movement shoves Eraserhead off but the pro hero keeps his gaze locked on, preventing any use of the stolen Quirks.

But his focus is divided as each and every tentacle shifts directions and loops back towards him. The withering limbs are coming from all directions, it seems hopeless, if just one grabs him it's over.

'He's trying to force me too look away!' Somehow someway with nothing but his other senses and peripheral vision he manages to weave his way back and through the web of tentacles, however, they don't clap or squeeze together. No, they pierce the air right past where he once was like arrows. 'No, he's trying to kill me!' Just one of those stabbing limbs would have skewered him.

The Mad Titan rises to his feet, his tentacles writhing at his sides like living vines. "A Quirk such as yours would suit me well, surrender, and perhaps I'll let you live long enough to witness the conquest of your world."

"Sounds like a rotten deal. No thanks!" He had hoped to god that this would end with an arrest, but that's clearly no longer an option. And so, taking the S.A.G.E. Gun, he fires a single bolt of burning green plasma. He shouldn't be able to block this, not without that forcefield Quirk, and he's too close to dodge the bolt too. One shot, and it'll be over.

But he knows better than to assume anything would be that easy.

As if on Vilgax's silent command a section of the floor in front of the villain shoots up as a set of pillars.

The plasma bolt burns against the sudden wall and explodes in a brilliant flare of greenlight.

"Ahhh!" It's too bright, too sudden, and way too close. It's burning at his eyes and with how unexpected it was Eraserhead's concentration slips, and his eyes begin to close. 'No! No! NOOO!' His vision, for the briefest of milliseconds, goes dark.

Not a millisecond later that his eyes close is he struck with the power of a tornado that sends him sailing across the arena. Despite it being just air, it feels like he's being run over by a truck. He's flattened and dragged across the ground by this invisible force that rips away chunks of his armor, his goggles, and the S.A.G.E. Gun which bounces across the dome before landing near the Turbulent Exhaling kraken.

"ERASERHEAD!" Everyone screams in worry and outrage; Izuku freezes in his binds, his heart stopping. Toshinori pales, he makes a move as if to run to him but a quick shove from the drone's blaster sets him back.

Vilgax extinguishes the whirlwind as his arms reform back at his sides. "You were a worthy obstacle, Eraserhead. You not only abide by your own rules, but you enforce them. Quirks are not everything. Only one's might and intelligence matters. That is why I will win. That is why, only I have the right to wield such power!"

Stomping forward his foot knicks the comparably tiny green blaster. The sounds of its shell hitting his toe catches the kraken's attention almost immediately. The way his head snapped downward so fast is as if he recognized that sound itself. When he finally spots the item in question, his eyes widen with a hint of exhilaration.

"A Super Advanced Green Energy Gun?" He stops and takes the time to reach down and pick up the device between his claws, taking great care to be as gentle as he can be with it.

[ARTWORK: "Deku's S.A.G.E. Gun" by "Voidv25" on DeviantArt: h_t_t_p_s:/_/w_w_w_.d_e_v_ia_n_t_a_r_t.c_o_m_/voidv25/art/Deku-s-S-A-G-E-Gun-908079453]

"I have not seen one of these since the Gilgamesh Epic." A single tentacle slides over the green and red casing like one would de-smudge a trophy. "Such fine Galvan craftsmanship. It's in perfect condition. I'll have you know that it was this very weapon that gave me the appreciation for Galvan Technology. So adaptable. So powerful. But more importantly," His tentacle wraps around the center grip of the S.A.G.E. Gun and unexpectedly the blaster's entire form begins to glow. Its entire frame becomes highlighted in a neon green as the casing itself begins to remold and reshape itself. "It is so incredibly deadly."

[ARTWORK: "SAGE-BAZOOKA" by "Voidv25" on DeviantArt: h_t_t_p_s:_/_/w_w_w_.d_e_v_ia_n_t_a_r_t.c_o_m_/voidv25/art/Sage-Bazooka-1084646652]

The blaster looks nothing like it once did; it still holds its same green, red, and black design, but that doesn't change the fact that it's almost five times larger and is a completely different shape than before. It's like the two halves of the ring-shaped gun have merged together and then was stretched forward and then enlarged to become a single-barreled bazooka. The red and white rods that made up the grip protectors have woven together creating a pair of intertwined and branching handles. Creating the perfect set of grips for Vilgax's tentacles to securely lock themselves in place by intertwining between themselves and the branching handles to the point that it would seem that the bazooka has become part of Vilgax's own arm.

Vilgax admires the new design with a mix of pride and nostalgia. Before he turns his attention back towards the heroes, its large barrel burning green. "Care to see why?"

He fires and the S.A.G.E. Bazooka explodes with power, launching a green bolt so large it could be compared to Uravity's Ryou Spheres.

The single bolt flies like a cannonball and soars straight towards the groaning Eraserhead, who remains sprawled across the floor with shattered armor and a bleeding forehead.

"Never again!" Tetrax roars and summons a wall of crystal, it shoots out from under his palms and races forth before springing up and shielding Aizawa from the explosive force that detonates like dynamite against the shards.

Disappointed that his shot was blocked, Vilgax fires his Omega Beam at the annoying Petrosapien. Who is quick to form a second wall for himself. However, what he was not ready for was for the pair of red laser beams to suddenly make several 90 degree turns around the crystal wall before slamming into him.

"Ahhhh!" Tetrax is blasted away and a slight crack forms in his crystalline armor.

"You ink-spraying varmint!" Patelliday leaps up and grapples the titan from behind before chomping down on his shoulder.

Despite the set of fangs digging into his flesh, Vilgax bites back the pain and instead wraps his entire claw, which coats itself in a thick layer of sharp coral, over the Plumber's head.

Patelliday's muffled screams are barely heard through the layer of coral. But with his jaws slackened, Vilgax rips him off like a leech before throwing him to the ground with a sickening crunch.

The poor Plumber has the wind knocked out of him, and with the fish gasping for breath, Vilgax raises his foot in order to crush him.

His foot never lands, however, as a jet of fire strikes his knee and throws his foot off course.

With a growl, the villain locks eyes with the Firebreather's.

Cinder holds his ground, gripping the spear he twirls it before readying himself for a duel.

Vilgax accepts the challenge, he holds the elongated S.A.G.E. Bazooka out to his side like a fencer, and as he does his Quirk, Infernal Sword, activates. That inky ooze returns, crawling down his arm before coating itself around his tentacles and the bazooka-blaster. And what forms is a nightmarish gunlance of a cannon for an arm.

"…Now that's just not fair."

"All is fair in hate and war, Firebreather. Now…PERISH!" With a swing the tip of gunlance bursts with an explosion of devastating green energy.

With the others holding Vilgax's ire, Tsukauchi hurries towards the downed teacher. "Eraserhead! Quickly! We need you!"

The pro hero hisses in pain, his eyes sting from the blood dripping in. And something is certainly broken, maybe a rib or two, either way it's an effort to move. "H-Help me up."

Tsukauchi gets behind him and grabs him from underneath his arms before hoisting him up into a sitting position. With his head now up Eraserhead can take a moment to scan for his target. He finds him and he locks on, his hair floating up and his exposed eyes glowing red as a result.

Vilgax makes another explosive swing for Cinder but then the Infernal Sword evaporates away leaving him with nothing but the corrupted S.A.G.E. Bazooka. Scanning the battlefield, he spots the one responsible for the interference.

Tsukauchi panics, his heart beating so fast it hurts, thinking that the alien is about to turn the weapon on them.

But no, instead of turning the weapon onto them, but instead every panel across the floor becomes highlighted in red. And with a whir, random sections of panels; creating a maze of pillars that shoot up and retreat back down before repeating the cycle again and again. More and more panels join in the chaos and soon Eraserhead can't keep his gaze locked in as Vilgax's form vanishes behind the repairing pillars.

"Shit! Where is he?" Tsukauchi's breaking into a cold sweat, half-expecting the monster to show up right behind them.

However flames and shards of crystals are flying across the air, a clear sign that both Cinder and Tetrax have engaged the enemy. But even so he doesn't like the fact that he doesn't have eyes on said enemy.

Wa-WA!Chopper is racing through the shifting maze, his clunky body is too slow and less maneuverable than everyone else so he's helpless against the reappearing pillars that shove him this way and that. ^Waaaaa!^ Chopper shakes off the harm before realizing he landed beside the detective and underground hero. ^Bp-bz. Wawawawawa!^

Tsukauchi and Eraserhead frown; neither of them understand what the little droid is saying.

"Are you understanding any of this?" asks Eraserhead.

Only for the detective to respond with, "Not a thing."

^Brrrr…^

"He says we can't win!" From between the shifting pillars, a banged up Patelliday hurriedly limps towards them. "The droid is right. We're getting nowhere fast!"

"Are you saying it's hopeless? That we're giving up?" Eraserhead's not buying it, if the fishman is serious about this then he must be joking.

^Wop! Bp!^ Chopper shakes his head angrily before beeping off about something neither human can understand.

Said humans look to the Plumber to translate.

"You fleshbags don't get it! Are you morons or something?"

^Pb-op!^

"There's no hope in us fighting him alone. We need more muscle. Duh!"

^Wa-bpop!^

"Like one big musclehead! One that'll beat the ever living shit out of that Poser!"

The humans stare, put off by the Plumber's words.

Patelliday shrugs, "Hey, you asked me to translate."

That they did and they understand. Eraserhead can only think of one musclehead that can turn this battle around. And he's currently bound and gagged.

"Tsukauchi. Droid." Eraserhead starts, "Go get our boys. We'll need them both if we want any chance of making it out of here."

Tsukauchi hesitates, "What about you?"

"I got him." Patelliday offers, "You just go get them."

Tsukauchi hesitates but decides that it'd be more helpful to get All Might than to waste any more time. "Hurry, robot!"

^Waaaa!^ Chopper wheels after him in a hurry.

Meanwhile, Patelliday takes Eraserhead's side and with one hand he hoists him up, wrapping the hero's arm over his shoulders. "Let's get you back in there, champ. Just lean on me, I'll be your legs."

"Wonderful…"

Chopper leads the way, using his scanner he predicts when and where the panels are going to shoot up, and guides the detective straight towards their friends. And as a bonus the shifting pillars provide the perfect cover for them both to rush the four Bioids that are guarding the captured duo.

Chopper shocks a Bioid from behind until its circuits are fried as Tsukauchi uses his Phaser to blast two others. That leaves the fourth angrily aiming its blaster but it never gets to fire a shot as it takes a Phaser to the face and an electrical jolt to its back.

Izuku and Toshinori jump in their binds and gags, not expecting the bomb rush but still grateful to finally see some friendly faces.

Tsukauchi's happy to see them too, he was so worried and he's sure they were too. "Don't worry, we're here to help." He fiddles with the futuristic gag, but the controls are a little too complicated for him.

Thankfully Chopper's there and with a simple flick of his wrench-like hand against the binds do they shut off and peel away.

Toshinori rubs his wrists, grateful that the heavyweight and slight shocking sensations are gone. "Tsukauchi… What are you-"

"We came for you! We came to help!" Tsukauchi explains in a panic, he can hear that bazooka blaster of Vilgax's going off from here. "And we need your help! We can't beat him on our own! We need you, All Might! Help us!"

He expected the Symbol of Peace to return. To rise amongst the chaos and part the storm clouds like an angel from high on above to deliver heaven's glorious work. He expected that sense of hope and inspiration that only All Might himself can bring just with a smile. But there is no such reality here…not anymore.

"All Might?"

"You shouldn't have come for us…"

This is wrong. Something's wrong. No, something is missing. "All Might…?"

"I…I don't have it anymore."

"I-I know, All Might, you passed it on to-"

"No, Tsukauchi…" Toshinori shakes his head in anguish. "The embers, the little I had left of One For All is gone. My torch…has been snuffed out."

Tsukauchi nearly stumbles in devastation, "T-that can't be t-true… It can't be…! You're still All Might! You're still the Symbol of Peace!"

Toshinori can't bear to meet his friend's gaze, he's afraid it'll hurt too much. "No, no I'm not…" "Toshi… "

Izuku remains kneeling and shrunk into himself; wincing at every word exchanged between the two, his heart aches with a heavy guiltiness. One For All is gone… The Symbol of Peace is gone… The Omnitrix is gone… All because of him.

Peering up he gazes out as Vilgax's Omega Beams sear across the ever-shifting arena, sending shards of ruble and heat to rain down on Cinder and the others.

That's what makes this so much worse for him. It's the fact that everyone's risking their lives for him. For his mistakes. His rotten luck. For his recklessness.

His father. His teachers. His friends. Even Bakugou, who hates his guts, is here to help. But…it's hopeless. How can they win? They can't. It's-it's- "Impossible…"

Tsukauchi is on the verge of tears, "Come on you two! It's not over yet!"

"Yes it is…" Izuku hangs his head, and with it the small threads of hope he's been clinging to begin to slip away.

But these threads aren't ready to drift away, desperately they cling to his unwilling fingers like webbing.

From one of the holographic monitors, the one showcasing the Power Core, the camera feed becomes hazy, foggy. Not because of a faulty signal but due to the sudden fog that's appeared within the core itself. It's so thick that Izuku can't see the Dominators ramming Todoroki's ice fortress anymore, but there is a light. A single light illuminates through the mist like a candle of hope in a vast ocean of despair.

---

A mysterious mist has settled across the Power Core. It appeared from seemingly out of nowhere; silently, swiftly, and as thick as smoke. Nothing but an ominous white surrounds the towering Dominators, making them feel smaller and more exposed then they truly are.

There's a shifting within the mist, heavy steps along with what sounds like cracking ice.

The Orange and Silver Dominators stay close to each other while scanning the fog warily. The echoing steps get closer and closer, but they are unable to pinpoint a location. But then that's when the Orange Dominators spots it, a small red gaze shines ever dimly through the mist, staring back at the robot that it is being watched with contempt.

Its Laser Swords whir to life across its arms before it charges and takes a swing down at the pair of eyes. But its burning blades strike nothing but condensed air and an empty catwalk. It listens closely for the ice-cracking steps that seem to be moving away from it now.

*Pstzzzzz…! CRASH!*

The Orange Dominator jumps and spins around, it expected to find its Silver companion standing guard, but it appears to have vanished within the mist. Staying on guard, the Orange mecha marches forward, searching for its alley.

Its insectoid leg bumps into something large and mechanical, it halts and peers down where it finds its mutilated alley.

The Silver Dominator is virtually unrecognizable, laying on the floor as a pile of partly melted metal. The center of its armor has been completely melted away from some external heat source. Its internal systems seem to have burst internally thanks to the liquid mercury and internal wiring being overheated. From there it seems that the entire bot was cooked alive from the inside out leaving it as an empty husk of itself, like a poisoned bug that was left to curl up dying on the dirt.

The Orange Dominator's eyes blink with light as it beeps and whirs a signal of warning to its squad mates.

This puts the other Dominators on edge, with each of them taking up arms. And slowly they scan, waiting, and searching. But not for their prey or for some unexpecting target…but for their enemy. For their hunter.

The White Dominator would be perturbed by this realization if it had the capability to feel any sort of emotional data. But even so it remains on high alert, ready to blast any target with its locked-in cold guns.

There's a slight shift, those ice-cracking steps return. But from where?

It searches and then it sees it: that red gaze of contempt.

It wastes no time in firing, unleashes twin streams of ice. The red gaze vanishes, assumingly consumed by the cold, which is confirmed as a glacier begins to form out from the mist.

The White Dominator holds its fire and leans in close in order to inspect the ice. Something, albeit small when compared to its own size, is inside the ice. It seems that the threat has been thoroughly neutralized. It should move on and shift its focus to eliminating the human currently in combat with the commander above. Yes, it shall-

A hand. A left hand of ice breaks through the glacier as if it were a part of it and locks itself right between the Dominator's eyes. But instead of cold or the feeling of ice merging around its head, the Dominator senses nothing but a burning heat as the palm of this icicled hand begins to glow with the intensity of magma.

With a pop its entire head bursts into flames so intense its eyes explode and its hydraulics snap. The Dominator tries to lurch away but it's too late, its mechanical body whirrs in agonizing pain, as the heat travels down its spine, igniting every gear, wire, and circuit on its way. The tanks of liquid nitrogen on its back explodes, coating itself in ice that begins to bubble and shatter against its burning armor. And then with one final choke of a shriek the White Dominator folds in on itself as a pile of bubbling metal.

And standing before it is a living man of ice. Thick layers of ice have besieged a set of underlying red armor. Part of this red armor remains exposed, but its joints and weakest points are encoded with layers of icicles, creating a sort of suit of ice. These icicles even encase the wearer's entire head like a helmet, leaving their face barely visible with nothing but a burning red-hot gaze as any proof of life underneath.

[FLASHBACK]

Back on Earth, Shoto stares skeptically at the armor while it sits in pieces atop of the locker room bench. The underlayer looks too thin to keep out the cold, and the plating looks awkward and clunky. How is this supposed to protect him against anything in space? "Does this really have an internal temperature system?"

"That they do." Thirteen replies after handing him the armor. "We need to be able to survive the sub-zero temperatures of space after all."

Shoto stares at the armor intensely, "Will these really protect us?"

"If you're asking if they're that advanced, then yes. These suits are made to be universal for any species. A Pyronite, er-someone like Heatblast, can wear one and his flames wouldn't be snuffed out. Or an alien like a Polar Manzardill would still feel like they're on their arctic home."

Shoto raises an eyebrow, "This little suit can accommodate for all that?"

"Oh, you bet they can! I even heard of some Plumbers like Methanosians customizing them for their own uses. Why do you ask? You got an idea for something?"

"No, not really…"

[End of FLASHBACK]

Shoto releases a breath so thick that it adds to the already thick mist. As he announces his newest form, "PLUTO'S WHITEFIRE."

It would seem that his gamble on the Plumber's Suit's thermal systems has paid off immensely.

This plated armor of ice is heavy and cumbersome but well balanced and thick. And thankfully, it's not as difficult to maintain as he presumed. Once he fed it enough Cold and ice, the Plumber suit did all the internal working itself, and it is now regulating the ice for him. Now that may be maintaining the ice armor, but it does not regulate his own internal body temperature. Thankfully with no need to control his Cold output he can focus all he can to his Hot, allowing him to walk around in this suit of ice without any issue. Plus, he can do this.

Touching the glacier that he just broke out of, his hand glows and boils the entire glacier in seconds; it evaporates and adds more mist to the fog.

He cannot shoot out flames like this but having such intense heat trapped inside the ice with him has created a strange side-effect of making all that he touches melt and burn. Hence the burning hands and the glowing red eyes. Kinda like Mr. Freeze's suit from The Batman (2004) show.

"I wonder how far beyond I can go."

He's about to find out as from out of the mist the Brown Dominator comes barreling through.

Unable to properly use his ice and with such a heavy weight across his body, Shoto is unable to react. And with a thundering WHAM from the Dominator's giant drill he finds himself buried 6-feet deep.

---

Watching from the holographic monitor, Izuku lets out an anguishing cry at having to watch his friend be buried alive. There's no way someone like him, a human, could survive that!

However-

---

With such a direct hit, the Dominator assumes victory. However, its drill begins to glow with heat before melting away like butter.

Quickly it pulls away as if in pain only to find that Shoto's PLUTO'S WHITEFIRE has kept him completely unscathed.

Shoto is just as surprised. It would seem that ice combined with the suit has become extremely compact and dense which has increased his defenses tenfold while sacrificing his speed and long-distance attacks!

It's a relief to both him and to anybody else that's watching. Such as Thirteen who has just begun to stir.

Despite the fog, Thirteen can make out Shoto's Whitefire form perfectly. The internal fire from within the ice ensures that. "Todoroki…!"

Shoto takes a moment to admire the ice plated to his arms, "This new technique is amazing. With it I'm more efficient. Stronger. More capable. I-...I can do this! I can help my friends!" His eyes burn red with a courageous fury to which all Dominators should fear. "Thirteen! I've broken out of my box! I broke it! I can GO BEYOND!"

The pro swells with pride, "So cool."

They have no doubt that Shoto can't handle things down here. Even as the remaining 6 Dominators make to cut him down!

The Dominators unleash all they have from fire, to lightning, to acid, sound, and water. The combined elements clash into their target, but they all prove useless against the Pluto's Whitefire armor. The only real effect they have is causing more mist to spew across the Power Core.

Up and up the fog travels, like columns of smoke, higher and higher towards the rotating generator rods. The momentum of which keeps the fog back.

However, condensation begins to collect across Bakugou's brow, although that may just be the sweat from struggling to breath.

Nue has his throat in a tightening grip, one that with just a flick can break his neck. "Aw. What's the matter, Blasty? Getting choked up?"

Bakugou grabs and pulls at Nue's arm, but it's no use, he's got an iron grip. His mind races for anything to do like maybe grab at one of the blue alien grenades he took back from the Plumber Base. Or maybe-...but then he loses the strength in his arms, and they fall to his sides. With his strength waning and his breath fainting, he still tries in vain to hurl one final insult.

Wanting to gloat, Nue pulls Bakugou in close to his ear, "Oh, what was that? I couldn't hear ya." He loosens his grip just enough for the boy to speak.

"Go…to…hell." Like an old western Bakugou draws his hand up and aims one of his Grenade Gauntlet right at the monster's bare chest. And like a western, he fires before the no-good crook has a chance to fire back. "DIIIIIEEEEE!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Nue is blasted across the air and thrown against the opposite wall as a beam of Explosions plow into his chest. "AAAAAHHHH!"

Bakugou falls, but lands on one knee against the now stalled out generator rod. He coughs and wheezes profusely, his lungs working overtime to catch his breath. And he better hurry. Because, although he wished it weren't so, he knows that that hit wouldn't be enough to put the freak down.

With a groan, Nue pries himself out from the burning wall with a singeing burn to his chest. "You…Bastard! Pulling a dirty trick like that! It's PATHETIC!"

"*Cough! Cough!* You're-*cough* pathetic…"

"What?!"

"You heard me." Bakugou spits, his saliva coming out red. "You're pathetic. You're more of a waste of space, then any of us!"

That sets off the mutant who lets out a roar before leaping across the chamber, "RAAAGH!"

Bakugou smirks, 'Sucker.'

Like a rocketeer he takes to the air, launching himself up and away from the incoming Nue.

Nue crashes onto the once occupied generator and roars after Bakugou's flying form. "The only waste of space are the likes of you and Deku! You're both worthless!" Combined with Terraspin's whirlwind boost and Four Arm's leg strength he launches himself after the brat!

Bakugou lands against one of the rotating generators, to which he clings to the side of. Quickly and with his back to Nue he hurries to set something in place. The only warning he has of incoming danger is Nue's enraged shouting.

"You still don't get it do you? I'm better than you!"

Bakugou rockets himself down and away just as Nue crashes into the generator.

"I'm faster!" He chases after the flying brat who once again lands against a generator, sets something and rockets away again.

"I'm stronger!" Nue's claws and fists leave craters against the generator's haul. Before he once again zooms after his prey. "I'm better than you!"

And again, and again the cycle continues with Bakugou leading him by the nose as they both ricochet this way and that across each and every generator rod. "No one can stand up to me! Not you! Not All Might! And especially not DEKU!"

Bakugou smirks, he's got this freak dead to rights. "You really got a hardon for hating Deku, don't you?!" He blasts himself away just seconds before Nue can rip his face off. "I don't buy it."

"WHAT!?" Nue is stunned, he expected Bakugou to fly away again but instead he's flying right back!

*BOOM!* An Explosion right to the face rocks his brain. So much so he can barely hear the crap coming from Blasty's mouth.

"I never understood it! Never!" Bakugou flips up and over the gasping villain while his hands spark with power. "He was weak!"

*BOOM!*

"Aaahhh!" That explosion was right to his skull and sent him plummeting down past the generator rods.

"He was a wimp!" Bakugou screams while rocketing after him like a missile.

Expecting another blast, the plummeting Nue throws up a crystal shield.

"He was QUIRKLESS!"

And although he has a shield up it does nothing to protect Nue from the force itself. And he's sent crashing into the side of the wall while in midair.

"And yet you stayed by his side!"

Prying himself from the wall, Nue reacts and splits into two more clones of himself. The two new clones swing and fly into the air respectively to meet the Mad Bomber.

Having familiarized himself with Nue's fighting style up to now and the fact he's witnessed how Deku fights with each alien, makes the task of reading their movements a breeze.

"You two were practically joint at the hip!" Rocketing past Bakugou blasts the swinging's Nue's tendril at his own clone. The tendril accidentally latches onto its partner and now with a off handed made slingshot, Bakugou lands on top of the outstretched tendril and blasts it dead center, sending both clones plummeting out of the sky. "But you turned your back on him!"

Nue zooms across the wall like a blur and collects his two clones back into his body in mere seconds. "He turned his back on me!"

"Why? Because he turned you into a monster? News flash, you already were one. Now everyone can see it."

"Raaagh!" Electricity dances off Nue's entire body as the wind around him surges, and then like a rocket himself he launches into the air with a burst of Four Arm's strength and XLR8's speed. "What about you?! You two were practically raised as brothers?!"

He's too fast, and he strikes the zooming Bakugou like a cannonball.

The kid spins out of control but manages to catch himself with some hanging cables.

"Then what happened?! He wasn't good enough for you?!" Nue roars, his claws digging into the side of the wall until he comes to a total stop just stories above Bakugou's head. "Did the toy wear out its luster? Did he stab you in the back? Did he even fucking stand up to you?!"

Bakugou bites his lips, not that he needs to, he doesn't even have an answer…

"No. Of course he didn't. He was singing your praises. FUCK! He looked up to you! Worshiped the ground you stood on! But you treated him like dirt! RAAAAGHH!" Nue lets out a howl so loud, so agonizing, it makes Bakugou wonder if it's really for himself. "That's not what a heroes supposed to be!"

"…Careful you sound just like the Hero Killer."

"Met the guy, not a fan. But he had some good points." Nue snarls in disgust. "A hero's supposed to be selfless! Not out for glory or to beat up villains! They're not supposed to be fucked up shits like you!" He is seething with rage, a rage he's not too sure where it's coming from. "You didn't get the bond between me and Deku. Well, I never understood the fucked-up relationship you had with him either! You are a terrible person! You disrespect everyone! You look down on everybody! You're the biggest piece of shit to ever exist! So why?! Why can't anybody see that?! Why did Deku choose you over me?! Why am I the bad guy!? What makes you so special!?" With one final exhale he exclaims in full anguish. "WHY DOES EVERYONE PRETEND THAT YOU'RE A HERO!?"

His words ring out like an echo, one that repeats in Bakugou's ears like a haunting rhyme.

Nue waits for a response…any response. These questions have been clawing at his mind for what feels like forever. But it's true. Deku was always so awestruck by anything Bakugou did back in Jr. High. No matter how much he got bullied because of it, Deku was too stupid or stubborn to let reality sink in. Same with the teachers and other extras, they all worshiped the brat that couldn't even bother to remember their names. It's infuriating to watch.

That's why he just had to say something. He needed, no, wanted more than anything to pummel some reality into Bakugou. It's been a long time coming: to crush him, to put him in his place, and make him see just how meaningless he is!

"Well, LET'S HEAR IT! Just what do you have to say for yourself?!"

"…You're right."

Nue's freezes, a smile begins to creep.

"But you're so wrong."

The smile vanishes as Bakugou begins to speak his piece, "Yeah, I'm a piece of shit. I can acknowledge that. And yeah, I look down on others…" Especially those he always thought of as weaker to him… "I always thought I was better. That I was on top, better than everyone else." Talk about a shitty mindset. "It's almost funny to think about how pathetic that is. But that all changed, the moment I enrolled at U.A."

Nue's taken back, the last thing he expected was…this.

"Ever since day one, that mindset of mine was challenged. No, it was beaten down, picked back up and put into the ground again and again. When I was a kid I always pictured U.A. going so differently for me." It's would always be constant praise and acknowledgements of his power: cheers as he took the medal for the Sports Festival, the spotlight would be all on him, and his classmates would be worshiping him as the one that'll surpass All Might. A child's fantasy those were… "But nothing has gone my way. Not a goddamn thing."

Thinking about it he recalls their very first day of hero training and how Shoto Todoroki froze over an entire building with no effort at all.

"My classmates have better Quirks than I do."

He recalls Ochaco Uraraka nearly demolishing the whole building with a single punch.

"They're stronger than I am."

Tenya Iida speeds across the faux building with blinding speed.

"Faster."

Momo Yaoyorozu's breakdown of every match.

"Smarter."

Eijiro Kirishima's smile and praise for Bakugou's efforts despite the loss.

"And more open minded."

Hitoshi Shinso had to fight to get into the hero course.

"They don't let anything stand in their way."

And then, he recalls just how much he's had the honor of watching Deku surpass every challenge.

"They have proven time and time again why they're going to become true HEROES." He lets go of the cables and falls before landing atop one of the rotating generators. "And it pisses me off. It pisses me off that they're better. It pisses me off that they're more capable. And It pisses me off that I can't stand by them!" His head snaps up and he locks eyes with Henzu Uuichi's own. "But that'll change! I'll show everyone that I can stand by them!" He aims his hands down as his palms begin to spark. "That I can be a hero just like THEM!" He takes off like a rocket ship as he roars with all his might. "JUST LIKE ALL MIGHT!"

Nue's very soul quivers, it's a similar feeling that he felt when he met the Hero Killer. Not the bloodlust, not the deranged proclamations. No, it's that sheer willpower he fears. It's those convictions. And without even thinking about it, reacting straight from out of fear, Nue takes off running across the wall.

"No matter what gets in my way, I will become the Number One Hero!" Bakugou gives chase, calculating and predicting where Nue's going to be. "I'll blow past every obstacle in my way!"

*BOOM!* An Explosion rocks the air and nearly cooks Nue's tail.

"I won't let anything hold me back!"

*BOOM!* This one struck his tendrils, he's right on his back now!

"I'LL GO BEYOND!"

*BOOOOOM!*

"GAAAAAHHH!" Nue is blasted right off his feet and his body strikes the side of several generators. Bouncing off of them like a tennis ball before being thrown towards the center of their spiraling frames.

"Why did Deku choose me?!" Bakugou's voice rains down from high above Nue's falling form. "What makes me special?! Well, I'll tell you, Nue!" Taking his last Grenade Gauntlet, Bakugou aims it down at its intended target. "IT'S BECAUSE I'LL NEVER GIVE UP ON TRYING TO BECOME A HERO!"

Nue panics but in a split second, he relaxes. With his speed and flight, he can dodge the incoming beam easily. No, sweat. The moment the brat fires he'll just skirt himself out of the way with a little of XLR8's speed and Terraspin's flight. He'll be fine.

No. He won't.

It took a second but in that same moment, sparks of twinkling lights catch Nue's eye. His heart plummets faster than his body as he recalls Bakugou's earlier flying around; it seemed so random, so chaotic. But that couldn't be further from the truth, it was all calculated. Glued to each and every generator rod are a number of Plasma Grenades, all planted in place and blinking with lights just like stars in the night sky.

And then just like the stars they inevitably implode and release a big bang of energy! Blue explosions, one after the other, rock the entire Power Core. Each one bursts a hole into their respective generators causing the spinning rods to break and snap away as their integrity falls. And thus, their collected power is released with thundering bolts of lightning bring uncorked and striking down upon a single central point: Nue himself.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" It's too much to bear! His vision's going blurry…! But he has enough consciousness to spot Bakugou's smile, that cocky shit-eating grin, looking down on him.

And with a single pull of a pin…it's over. "Die."

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The searing beam rains down on Nue consuming him entirely, like heaven's judgment. And like Icarus who flew too close to the sun, Nue too is brought back down to earth with a single blow. The beam carries him straight down to the bottom of the Power Core and plows him right into the ground with an epic Explosion. One of which is so strong that the fog dissipates, blown away in an instant by a searing whirlwind.

As the arena clears, the melted husks of every Dominator can be seen, each one more mutilated than the last. But even so the armorized Shoto's gaze is drawn towards the beam of light that's raining down. It's both awe inspiring and terrifying all at once. But he can't look away. However, he has enough sense to rush over to Thirteen's downed form and shield the hero with his armored body. But with his focus solely on Bakugou's attack, he misses the fact that Thirteen is back from unconsciousness.

Thirteen watches as the burning beam begins to fade and embers begin to rain down, mixing with the little condensation there is left in the air. It's a beautiful mix of elements that should never be. And yet when they do it can create something truly incredible. But what's even more amazing was getting the honor to witness these young heroes take another leap towards their bright futures. "You two…are amazing. You all are."

---

Izuku cannot believe his eyes or ears. He heard it all: Shoto's hope, Nue's anguish, Bakugou's convictions, he heard every word. He saw what they did. They each turned it around, they looked the impossible in the face and said, "screw you, we'll do it our way" and won!. They're both so…so…amazing. They really are heroes. The kind of heroes Izuku always wanted to be, the kind that never gave up and smiled through it all…

That last thought gives him pause. Has he given up too quickly? He peers over to the skeletal All Might and Tsukauchi, the latter of which is still begging his dear friend to try, to try to fight back. To not give up. To give them hope!

'Hope…' Izuku hangs onto that word.

Meanwhile the others are still in combat with the Mad Titan. Cinder and Tetrax are holding his attention with a combination of hit and run attacks of fire and crystal. Giving enough of a window for Patelliday to get the injured Eraserhead to the best vantage point possible.

"You ready?"

"Always."

Patelliday leans Eraserhead against himself so the pro hero can have the best possible chance to keep his gaze on the monster. And in a flash of red from the man's gaze the kraken's inky great sword fades away from the S.A.G.E. Bazooka.

"You again!" Vilgax turns his attention towards the underground hero.

He takes aim with the S.A.G.E. Bazooka, and thankfully the two targets are perched atop a column of pillars, leaving them perfectly exposed to his wrath.

"VILGAX!" A mace of diamonds strikes the tentacles wrapped around the S.A.G.E. Bazooka. The sharp spikes dig in, and pry the tentacles loose around the branching, twisting handles and with a powerful swing Tetrax manages to rip the bazooka right out of Vilgax's hold.

The weapon soars through the air, flung aside before landing just a distance away from where Izuku sits.

The boy spots the weapon instantly as its shell begins to sit and shrink back into its more familiar standard formation.

Eying it, his mind replays Bakugou's striking words: "'I'LL NEVER GIVE UP ON TRYING TO BECOME A HERO!"'

"…"

"I have had enough of you!" Meanwhile, Vilgax grabs the bounty hunter and swings him around like he were a mace himself, and smashes him right through a set of shifting pillars. The toss was so strong that Tetrax is thrown right against the pillars that are holding up Patelliday and Eraserhead. And with such a hard strike the two fall over and the Eraser Quirk breaks.

With his powers returned, he then turns his attention onto Cinder. "And as for you, I will have your head mounted on that spear of yours!"

Cinder holds his ground and meets the villain with his burning Amenonuhoko readied. "I'd like to see you try!" He shouts.

"Please, All Might! We need you!" Tsukauchi is begging, pleading, crying for any signs of hope. For a glimmer. For anything.

But what can All Might do? 'What can I do?' Toshinori thinks. 'I couldn't save my students. I couldn't stop Vilgax. I can't even save my friends… What can I do? I'm Quirkless after all… Maybe if they can just save Midoriya. If he can help with that, then maybe something good will come from all of this. Maybe…that'll be enough?'

"AAAhhh!" Cinder is down, half of his spear lands beside his head while the other half sits between Vilgax's Inflamed claws.

"Surrender, Firebreather! There is nothing more you can do."

"I-GAH!" Gritting his teeth he struggles to stand up despite his spinning vision and bleeding lip. "I-...I can do this all…d-day."

"You certainly cannot. Consider this a mercy, you shall take your final breath while your planet still holds its freedom." Once again he turns his gaze towards the blue sphere, displayed above. "Take heart, Firebreather. Your home will become the shining jewel upon my crown! It will be a symbol to those across the universe that my reign is INEVITABLE! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

'No…' Toshinori loses breath. 'It can't be… No. everything we've fought for. Everyone we care about… He'll destroy them all. And there's nothing I can-'

*PEW!*

A single green plasma bolt strikes Vilgax's forehead, causing the villain to cry out in pain and shock. "GAH! Who dares to strike at me?! Who-?!" He stops mid-sentence from the surprising development alone.

And it's not just him; Eraserhead, Patelliday, Tetrax, Cinder, Tsukauchi, and even Chopper are in shock.

Standing defiantly from across the arena, Izuku has his S.A.G.E Gun locked in on the Grand Destroyer.

Toshinori's head snaps to his right but sure enough Young Midoriya isn't kneeling beside him anymore. Instead, the young man is standing there with full defiance and nothing else but a tiny weapon and a dream. But he looks so determined yet scared all at once, the boy knows what's at stake, he knows what he's doing. What the risks are, And it terrifies him. And yet he's summoned enough courage to act. Or maybe…his body just moved on his own. Maybe his heroic spirit couldn't keep him on the sidelines anymore…

"You still defy me, Izuku Midoriya?" Vilgax asks with an almost terrifyingly calm expression. "Have you not learned just how hopeless your situation truly is?"

"I-it's…i-it's not hopeless… My-my friends are here… My friends…together we'll stop you." He seems to gather more courage; his stance becomes straighter and the grip on the gun becomes firm. "I'll stop you. Quirk or no Quirk. Omnitrix or no Omnitrix… Title or no Title!" With one finale exhale he proclaims to the world above. "I WILL BECOME A HERO WHO SAVES EVERYONE WITH A SMILE!"

Toshinori reels, as if the wind itself has given him breath.

Vilgax, however, is not amused. Instead, he seems annoyed and rather tired of these trivial matters. "You are truly…hopeless." His eyes begin to burn red as he prepares to fire his Omega Beam at the boy.

Who of which, despite his quaking legs and shivering spine, stands his ground and keeps his blaster trained.

"Good riddance to you, Izuku Midoriya." The Omega Beams race forward, zipping between the shifting pillars and rubble like a pair of glowing eels. They turn and they spiral but they never lose their target all the while gaining speed as they race closer and closer.

They are coming in too fast! Too fast for the boy to react! He hurries to fire but even that won't stop them. It's too late! They're already upon him! They blow a hole right through his chest and it'll be over! He's going to-

A Hand. A hand that's both fragile yet firm and so full of strength shoves him away from the small of his back. Down he goes, flung away just moments away from becoming a corpse.

And yet the Omega Beams strike something, that searing, burning sound of heat against flesh fills the void. Someone was struck, someone was slain, and Izuku can feel the unmoving body lying on the ground just behind him.

He dares not look. He dares not to breathe. And yet…he has to know. He has to know who would have thrown their life away for…him.

And so with his heart clenched and his breath trembling, Izuku turns around…and looks back with a horrible realization.

"ALLLLL MIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHT!"

---

THE PREVIEW: Ch.87

"I guess I'm on my own… Well, it can't get any worse."

"Do you see now, heroes? Do you see now that it is pointless to resist?"

"I'm here! I have it!"

"IT'S NOT OVER! NOT UNTIL I SAY SO!"

"Go! Reach him! You have to reach him! We will get you there! Now GO!"

"I will reclaim what is mine!"

"… well, I hope I'm there catching some of the light coming off of you that day."

"You've taught me more than you realize."

"I'm Deku! Deku-...!"

---

Just when you thought I couldn't make a more gripping cliffhanger I go ahead and give you this! Just as the tide was turning Vilgax says "Nope this is my house bitches" and rings them all in. Oh, where is the humanity?!

But how was this chapter? We got the long awaited Bakugou vs. Nue fight all good and proper. Shoto's got himself a new move. And Ochaco is still on her way to deliver the Omnitrix. Oh, what is to come next in this epic tale?!

**Speaking of epic tales. My Hero Academia has officially come to its end. Now I make a point to not go into spoilers in this story for the sake of new readers, new MHA goers, and those that don't read the manga. So, I will not go into too many specifics. But I will say that it's both heartwarming and sad to see this series go. MHA came in at a time of my life that I needed it the most. This series encouraged and spurred me on throughout the years in ways I didn't even realize at the time. And I'm just so grateful that we had the opportunity to go on this epic adventure with Deku and his friends in Class 1-A and to see their stories come to a close. And all I want to say is thank you to Horikoshi for braving through his own struggles and failures to bring about a story that's inspired so many of us to create, to explore, and to feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now was the ending 100% satisfying…no. But as a fanfic writer I kinda have a bias here. I personally like the open endedness because it allows us, the fans, the readers, the viewers, to continue the stories on our own. To make our head cannons of how these heroes keep going beyond. How their stories turn out. How they achieve their own happiness. And I for one cannot wait to see others share on this site or on AO3, DeviantArt, Instagram, or anywhere else how they believe the story continues.

Not to mention I'm pretty sure this is NOT the last time we're gonna see Deku and his friends. You can take my word for it. They'll be back and we're all going to rejoice. Just like a reunion with friends we're all gonna be in tears. And I for one cannot wait for the day that we cross paths again with our dear friends.

Now for SPOILERS! stay away if you don't want the end of MHA spoiled. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED:

1. I called it! I knew Deku would become a teacher! Hahaha! Oh man, I should have bet money on that!

2. I was also right about the fate of OFA and that we'd see that Daki kid once again in the end. Again, I should have put money down on this

3. There should have been a clearer status between Deku and a certain someone. But honestly I blame the fans for being so toxic when it comes to ships for this one. I blame us as fans for making death threats to this great man for how to write HIS story. There is a reason why I, myself, don't want to touch ships with a ten-foot pole in my own story. Because as a fandom we participate in this "Shipping War" and we all forget that in a war all sides LOSE.

4. There are rumors that MHA is contracted to have a total of 10 movies. And we've only had 4…sooooooo here's hoping! Plus, Horikoshi was a fan on how Naruto did their later movies too

*Speaking of the next outing. The next chapter for this arc is in the works. I believe we are in for 2 more chapters for sure. And we are for sure gonna see Deku reunite with the Omnitrix next time. So get yourselves ready for some thrills and action!

*S.A.G.E. Gun. So, obviously there's more to the S.A.G.E. Gun then first meets the eye. My head canon is that the S.A.G.E. Gun is an older model of what the Proto-Tool is meant to be. The only way it can "transform" is by which alien species happens to be wielding it. So for a human it remains as its standard S.A.G.E. Gun form. But for Vilgax and his species it becomes a S.A.G.E. Bazooka. My rule of thumb is that the weapon the S.A.G.E. Gun becomes must incorporate into the alien's form, powers, and uniqueness. So, maybe we get a S.A.G.E. Knuckle/Gauntlet for Four Arms. A S.A.G.E. Mace for Humungousaur where it becomes a ball around his tail (an homage to the reboot's powers for Humungousaur) and so on.

So, on this note I will be dropping the Omni-Shield concept. But I think Iida's gonna pick up a version of it.

ARTWORK: check out the S.A.G.E. Bazooka by "Voidv25" on Deviant Art. They made this for me last minute and I really appreciate their hard work to getting it out on time. Please go check them out especially since they have done other works for me.

Link to Artwork: "SAGE-Bazooka by Voidv25" on Deviant Art

h_t_t_p_s:_/_/w_w_w_.d_e_v_ia_n_t_a_r_t.c_o_m_/voidv25/art/Sage-Bazooka-1084646652

*I want to talk about Shoto's new skill his Pluto's Whitefire. I wanted to give him an edge of his own especially as he faces stronger and stronger opponents of the inhuman kind. So I came up with this little beauty. For now, I will state that this version of the Pluto's Whitefire is undeveloped on purpose. Shoto will continue to train and build up this new skill over time.

**ARTWORK** We have new fanart! Thank you to SpeedDemon099 on fanfic and DeviantArt for the beautiful piece of fanart! Everyone! You need to check it out it's called "Hisashi Midoriya: Heroes Never Die: It's Hero Time" by SpeedDemon099 on DeviantArt!

Link to Artwork: h_t_t_ps_:/_/w_w_w_.d_e_vi_an_t_ar_t.c_o_m_/speeddemon099/art/Hisashi-Midoriya-Heroes-Never-Die-It-s-Hero-Time-1075484519

**NEW ARTWORK** OH BOY! SpeedDemon099 has done it again with another amazing piece of fanart! Everyone! You really need to check out their works, especially this new piece called "Way Big vs AFO | Heroes Never Die: It's Hero Time!" by SpeedDemon099 on DeviantArt!

Link to Artwork: h_t_t_p_s_:/_/w_w_w_.d_e_v_ia_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m_/speeddemon099/art/Way-Big-vs-AFO-Heroes-Never-Die-It-s-Hero-Time-1077053429

*TV TROPES LINK*: delete the spaces (_ ) within the URL below in order to get the full link.

ht_tp_s:/_/t_v_t_r_op_es.o_r_g/p_m_wi_k_i/p_m_wi_k_i.p_h_p/F_anf_ic/HeroesNeverDieItsHeroTime

---

Responses for "Guest" reviewers from Ch.86:

Grimm: very good episode, I really liked the combat, I already saw it coming that the One For All could not be stolen by a simple machine,

If AFO could not in centuries with its will, I don't know what the machine that doesn't even have the will expected. Too bad bro, I wanted to continue making fun of Ragnarok. Now the omnitrix is back although different now *cough**cough*recalibration*cough**cough* sorry, a lot of cough

And by the way, don't be discouraged by not being able to notify everyone due to the problems that fanfiction has with not notifying, they will solve it if you keep going.

At least Animo got something good out of being the league's mascot, now I imagine we'll see Nomus animals, you could be inspired by the high evolutionist for some obvious Animo things without machinery put into the animals.

I would die of tension when Class 1-A meets Cosmo, or when Cosmo has a moment with Zed (even as a joke you can have Koda when he can hear her tell them that she is female, something that even Cosmo didn't see) and Ship.

Guardian-Sigil: If you liked the combat then you must have loved the combat in this chapter.

Also are you okay? You're coughing a lot. You might need a cough drop.

And hey, notifications are finally working! I think…hopefully

I have plans for Dr. Animo. A lot of wild, crazy plans. Oh the fun to be had

And the fun to be had when a dogo shows up in the dorms ;)

---

Deku123: A wish izuku get a solo win against vilgax

Guardian-Sigil: Well he tried…

---

DeadCool14: Look up All Star Superman ending on Youtube, and then One Villainous Scene: Lex Sees It All, which goes in depth with it. At first I couldn't fully understand it because of the big words Lex used but then got it after seeing it

And speaking of Superman, would Deku have a moment like Superman vs The Elite? You know at the end when he pretends to have just snapped and gone full murder crazy? Maybe a Deku 9,000 omake? Just imagine him being Alien X and forming this huge, Joker-esque grin on his face while saying Superman's lines, it's pretty scary

Yeah I know, I'm just shared the Shocksquatch video in case you forgot he could do that for later, cuz I forgot he could do that lol

Ok, you can also watch it here for free ht_tp_s:/_/ki_m_c_a_r_to_o_n.l_i_/Cartoon/Hero-Inside

No I meant it like a disembodied voice shouting Swampfire, like, Kuro just somehow entered the fic just to shout that XD

Would Vilgax say Thanos' "This brings a smile to my face if he didn't" line? Cuz he never actually said it in the movies. Or did he already say it? I can't remember

Now that everyone is probably gonna meet up, please remember to add the scene of Midnight flirting with Tetrax and him not getting it

Could Deku cure the Nomus the same way as the DNAliens? And maybe when he does the Omnitrix somehow erases the Quirks they were given, making him maybe an even better counter to AFO? And that function could lead to that Aggregor like character you mentioned

Especially with what happened to the Charlotte Project

Y'know, it's been so long that since OFA has done that type of thing that I totally forgot that could happen XD

Is Ragnarok's hand gonna be moving around too?

Oh ok, very mysterious, I'll wait. Would you still have Kendo be a huge nerd of the franchise, and her and Deku bonding over that? Cuz it's fun

Oh and would it connect to the Ghostfreak arc? Because the whole reason they got trapped in the game was because Upgrade got zapped by the purple Anur lightning

Oh and speaking of which, would you make a chapter based of the Mob Pyscho episode about the urban legends, during that arc? Seems fitting

Deku could be a side-character in it; he's Ripjaws walking around in the rain and gets confused by a monster, and comes to save everyone from the guy in the raincoat. He bites his stun-stick and says the "I'm a fish. With legs!" line

Guardian-Sigil: I'll get right on that. Next chance I get I'll try to give the movie a watch

I love Superman vs. the Elite movie. It's so potent and thought provoking. Not sure if I ever will have a moment like that fight

I think I used the "smile" line already. Maybe. Not sure. Either way I'm sure to use it again at some point

No, Ragnarok's hand ain't going anywhere…maybe. I'm still working on the next chapter

Again I have different ideas for the Game Over episode and Sumo Slammers. Just be patient

I have to rewatch Mob-Psycho

---

Grimm again: Will we see Eunice? the prototype of the omnitrix, it would be interesting how it interacts with others as well as revealing more about Azmuth, I can even imagine a conversation with Malware something like that.

Eunice: Brother stop, you don't have to do this, I understand your pain, I wasn't what Azmuth wanted either. We are equal

Malware: No, you don't understand, you were wanted but you didn't meet their expectations. I was just the unwanted son, and don't call me brother.

Guardian-Sigil: Maybe. Haven't decided yet

---

DeadCool14 again: Will you touch one more about Ochako sending Ragnarok to the Null Void, yeah she did what she had to do but will she still be shaken up over the fact she basically condemned someone to death?

Will Deku use things he learned from his sessions with Hound Dog in the field? Or to help, say, Ragdoll when they meet after the arc?

Well if you are gonna take away the shield then will you give Deku some grapple guns? He could really benefit from some, like, during the licensing exam he's timed out and has to save people about the crushed. Or to help subdue some of the enemies, he can shoot them out as bolas, or again help during a fight without powers, as a distraction, trip someone or grabbing their arm or leg

Will people give Izuku the nickname "Izu-kyu"? (kyu means Nine in Japanese) Mostly as a joke and a reference to Ben 10; maybe after Azmuth says the Omnitrix is in playlists of nine aliens? The class or the students that know start calling him that as another nickname? People can have more than one nickname

Oh and when Deku asks Azmuth why sets of nine instead of rounding up and doing ten he'll go: I don't know, it just felt right, it was like some unknown force made me do it this way

Also, mostly because he could do that gag in Duped where he goes "One, two, ten" but it's "One, two, nine"; I love that :)

And you can imagine him saying it in japanese: "Ichi, nii, kyu"

Will you add the Rooters? Because, just the concept of them and Servantis as the villain are so good. The retcon still sucks btw

Will Deku research the Water Hose heroes to learn moves for Water Hazard, maybe names a move after them? I can even see him asking Kota about them and his Quirk; I assume that it works like in that example where All Might explained to Deku about changing his Quirk Registry. Deku could get the idea to absorb moisture from him

Will Deku be immune to Hypno-Tick since he doesn't have selfish desires?

Would the team separate for a while, so then we get Deku and Rook adventures for a bit?

Would you have parallels from No Way Home in your time travel story? I can see the two Deku 9,000s playing the roles of the other two Spidermans. Ultimate Deku would be Tobey's Spiderman and Classic Deku 9,000 would be Andrew's Spiderman; maybe he lost Uraraka in that world, like how Andrew's Spidey lost Gwen, and that is partly why he threw himself into work, it would specially hurt if they were together at the time

When the Plumber's Helpers appear, will you give them Japanese names and use their canon names as their hero names? Like Wheels, Pierce, Armstrong and All Bright? The last one could be inspired by All Might, cuz I can see Alan being a big fan of him

Guardian-Sigil: Eh, not at the moment I will. Plus keep in mind that Ochaco has never been to the Null Void so she may not fully understand the stakes of what she's done

Sessions with Hound Dog? What are you talking about?

Dude, we've talked about the grapple guns already. No. He has a F*ing Hoverboard. Why does he need a grapple? (This is a rhetorical question). Besides after this chapter I think you can see why I am dropping the shield idea

No, he will not be referred to as Izu-kyu (pretty sure you've asked this before too)

Add the Rooters? IDK. Like I said anything after this arc is all up in the air

Okay, I like answering reader questions but it gets real tiring when it's the same questions over and over. You already asked about the Water Hose one. And it's the same answer as before, if I was gonna do that for Water Hazard then I should have done it back when Izuku first met Kota

No, Izuku is not immune to Hypno-Tick. Because it could dream up a vision of Izuku being a hero to entrance him

Don't worry about Rook. We'll get some teamup action with him

IDK. I haven't even started working on the time-travel spin off yet. But I'd probably lean more towards the Spiderverse route. Don't quote me. Still too soon

---

DeadCool14 again x 2: If Vilgax fights Thirteen, would he reference how he once created a black hole?

Why did the girls make Deku wear the cheerleader outfit if it was Kaminari and Mineta's idea?

I just realized something, during the Sports Festival Present Mic mentioned TMNT, and Bebop and Rocksteady are people that exist in-universe, and they mention fighting turtles in New York. Same with Star Wars, people reference it and yet species from it exist in the universe

When Deku controls Alien X will he openly break the fourth wall in front of everyone, even bringing up they've broken the fourth wall before but don't remember because it was just for a gag

Omake ideas after the arc (cuz there's always time between those): the TMNT Summer Shorts 'We Strike Hard & Fade Into the Night', 'Teenage Mecha Ninja Turtles' and 'Don vs Raph', the Brooklyn 99 Action Trailer, One Punch Man moments but with Alien X, one during the Roadtrip where Izuku and Hisashi sing the song from the Goofy movie, and the one about Deku thinking of other names for Bullfrag, Tezuka telling the story of how Tokoyami was born, which is the Brooklyn 99 episode 'Light's Out', maybe one about Deku being really good at soccer? After that time with the ball he got really into it and is surprisingly good at it. And it's a Ben 10, since Ben plays soccer too

Since Boris is on the ship, would he and Hisashi have the same backstory as in the movie?

You ever hear of the Red Shoe Theory? It says that red shoes are custom made for Quirkless people because of the extra toe-joint, like Deku, All Might and Shigaraki. I found out about it a while ago and I think it's pretty interesting. Maybe the Forever Knights all have those shoes?

Would the S.A.G.E gun be able to be upgraded to the Ben 10 Tech Blaster? It was a toy gun that could be transformed; it appeared around the end of UA too. You can look up the commercial on Youtube

Would Jury Rigg make Slushcious from Home?

Fun Fact: There are these Plumber Medics that wear some cool blue outfits, look them up on the wiki, you could maybe have Recovery Girl wear one

Shame you didn't do the egg in microwave joke, like Ochako asks Deku for help on how to control it or he brings that up after she shows him Full Cowling. Oh damn, I just realized that she doesn't even have a name for it. Would Deku name it does she call it Full Cowling as well?

If you do decide to give Kaminari Jake's love of Die Hard, it's a shame that he didn't fangirl at the fact that Three Heroes was basically IRL Die Hard. Kirishima could have said "Yippie kayak other buckets"!

And maybe a Power Rangers 2016 movie reference: When he forms the Deku Ex-Machina Deku could go ""Yippee Ki Yay, Motherf-!... Mother's good, m-mother's good"

Look up "That's right Peter, I am you, and you're me and this is a gun." On Youtube, it's very funny and I can see that with Deku and his many evil selves

Guardian-Sigil: When did he do that?

For fun

Don't think too hard about the cameos and easter eggs. I throw them in without a care for continuity or logic

No. Because SixSix and SevenSeven already break the fourth wall

Again if you want Omakes to be seen you need to post the suggestions over on the side-story with said Omakes

Oh, you mean Boris the Animal… No.

I have never heard of the "red-shoe theory'

Never heard of the Tech Blaster until you brought it up but I already had plans to do what I did with the SAGE Gun as seen in this chapter and Author's Note above

Yes, Jury-Rig has the ability to make it BUUUUT he can make so much more than that

I never considered making Kaminari a Die-Hard fan

---

Anon: I'm starting to think you have something planned with sending Ragnarok and AFO to the null void. That makes me wonder what a good idea it was to send AFO to see Tartarus.

By the way, this was never answered in the franchise or I don't remember but Sunder's axe sends to the null void, what would happen if the axe was in the null void? Does it send people out of the dimension or does it lose effectiveness?

Guardian-Sigil: Ohhhh believe me the ripples of these events will become tidal wave of repercussions

Good question. I imagine it would send you back or maybe it warps you to a different of the Null Void

---

Guest: Who is worse with girls, Mineta or Billy? I mean Mineta is a perverted dwarf but then he changes after the final war, while Billy wouldn't change much with the ego he has and on top of that he creates Masuma, which if you know the context behind it, is quite disturbing.

Guardian-Sigil: I think Billy because of…context. And because Mineta has others to keep him in check

---

Metal Lizard: So I know that Doctor Animo will have a plan to take revange on the Heros and if theres a chance maybe Jeff the Landshark from Marvel can also appear and he can be made by Doctor Animo because he can make a Army of Landsharks with his Quirk and Jeff can maybe be part of the Plumbers later and maybe be around to to mess with Bakugo.

Guardian-Sigil: I'm gonna be honest. I hated the idea of Jeff the Shark….BUUUUUUUT then Marvel Rivals added the character and it became love and first site. Did research on the character, read his comics (love them, absolutely wholesome and fun!) Soooo. YES. ABSOLUTELY! We will get Jeff the Landshark. And I already know which character will be his care taker (it won't be Deku but a different member of Class 1-A)

Plusss I miiiight (I am) gonna give a lot of other charters their own… "super pets" (I've been brainstorming ideas all month and have several of them solidified)

That said I can't promise that Dr. Animo will do the landsharks straight away but at some point, he will ;)

---

Guest: Almost at 2 million words. You must be excited.

Guardian-Sigil: So close yet so far

---

Anon again: You say the previous fights weren't that good? I apologize but I disagree, from several past arcs they were good, obviously you stuck to the canon but the changes you add make them very enjoyable like Shoji breaking Moonfish's teeth seems much more incredible to me than the original, or the battle of kaiju malware vs. Upgrade is a thousand times more epic or you even made an irrelevant villain who didn't even return like Mustard was more interesting. From the arc of three heroes together with the previous one and this is your maximum peak in terms of combats, not to mention other combats, they show that you know how to write combats.

Guardian-Sigil: Thank you. I legit forget my own writing sometimes and you are right. I at least try to make every fight worthwhile or at least fun and unique. So thank you but it's still good to set a standard for myself. Either way, thank you for your continued support and kind words

---

Thunder Dragon: Ragnarok took away One For All. Yes! Finally the power imbalance has been addressed!

Guardian-Sigil: Please see comment below.

---

Guest: That? Did you read correctly? Ragnarok did not take One For All, the machine could not take it away.

Guardian-Sigil: Thank you!

---

Guest: Just an idea but you could introduce Vala Mal Doran(Stargate SG1) as a sort of on again off again alley of the Plumbers. I mean I think it would be interesting to see the heroes try to work with a thief and con artist like her.

Guardian-Sigil: I have some homework to do then. Never seen Stargate but I am certainly curious

---

BlueRanger-Lyric: Well, glad to see Ochaco managed to get the Omnitrix back, but something tells me Deku getting his aliens back will not be as simple as him just getting the watch back, so I'm hoping whatever's in that tablet in the hands of the LEP Servant Droid is the key to Deku getting his power back, and hopefully a brand new transformation too, but I guess only time will tell if that turns out to be true, and I'm curious to see how Bakugo's team goes with their task, and I wonder how Vilgax will take all the losses he's been having so far, especially "NOW" that he's down a member of his Negative Nine, with Ragnarok now in the Null Void one hand short, anyway, I hope things continue to go well for you bud, good luck~

Guardian-Sigil: I guess we'll find out next chapter. Which I'm still working on but it's looking promising

---

Guest: Well, looks like the MHA Manga has finally wrapped up, and ohhh boy, is that one hell of a way to end the series, so now that the Manga has finally wrapped up and showed us a time skip, what will this mean for your fanfic now?

Guardian-Sigil: IDK. That's sooo far off who knows what'll happen

---

BlueRanger-Lyric again: I found a TikToker that makes short videos of Anime tropes that I think you'll find interesting, and I hope a few of them teaches you things you didn't know before, because I learned a few new things after seeing a few of them, so I hope you like them~

htt_ps:/w_ wishexplainsit?_t8oeArhIz4it&_r1

Guardian-Sigil: Thanks for sharing!

---

BlueRanger-Lyric again x2: This this incase the Link I sent didn't work since it was accidentally sent to you too soon

htt_ps:/w_w_w.t_i_k_t_o_k.c_o_m/ w_i_s_h_e_x_p_l_a_i_n_s_i_t?_t8oeArhIz4it&_r1

Guardian-Sigil: Thanks! This is interesting to go through

---

Grimm again: Seeing as My Hero Academia has already ended this week, I want to know your opinion about the ending and your reflection on the work in general and if an ending really ruins an entire work. I consider it an ending that could have been improved but it is solid to me, obviously it is not the best but it is not the worst I have seen.

Guardian-Sigil: No, an ending does not ruin an entire work. If you want more details I suggest reading my thoughts in the End Author's Note.