MHA : a Monster or a Hero?

by O.M.H the Stellar Knight

This is just an imaginary story from my mind, nothing you read here is real. I own nothing My hero academia belongs to Kōhei Horikoshi. the other belongs to Capcom. I hope everyone can enjoy this story despite my lack of creativity...I mean who will be interested in the story of a nameless amnesiac with no quirk or identity hidden many secrets waiting to shake the world.

18. Chapter 18 : Invitation

-5 months ago, Jaku City-

" Danger-Level can now be analyzed"

everyone was anxious from how much he was grinning like a lunatic…

" a-ano...mister…" one of the nurses that was checking the list of the waiting patients broke the tense silence, everyone else stood watching what will happen.

" ah! I-I-I'm so sorry! this auto-companion's sudden rants gave me a slightly funny idea...hehehe...for a second I wanted to throw it away…" Dehni did his best imitation of an apologetic smile...the effects were immediate as the other patients plus the nurse breath a sigh of relief…

of course the nurse went on to scold him about scaring others! upon which he was apologizing sheepishly.

Yosh! With Danger-level being recovered now I can be sure to deal with anything of medium-level resonance or lower without fearing a domino-effect.

" excuse me…umm...is Dehni-san here ?" it was the recipient from before, she brightened up when she saw him before coming closer.

" ano... wants to talk to you right now...he's waiting for you in his office"

" thanks ma'am!" he didn't prolong the conversation as he strolled off.

With this new development I can work with him more at ease, but I doubt he will do the same on his end…since I use the danger-level as a timer to determine my current state, I'm sure I can do that technique...but I need first a test subject...and I know one...

…

..

" I have analyzed the hair samples you provided...I have to say I'm quiet impressed by your abilities…" sounded off and selective about his words while viewing the one siting in front of him with a judging gaze…

yep! He's definitely on edge now...well I can't help it but play along.

" I'm glad to hear that! Sir! I almost got blasted off by that Desert weasel when I just tried to say hi! Hehehehe!" Dehni's sheepish laugh didn't last long as Ujiko interrogated him with a cold tone.

" Meerkats aren't native to Japan...may I ask where exactly did you get those samples ?" the air was tense as Dehni crossed his arms in a what appeared to be a thinking gesture.

He's suspicious about my intents, what to feed him now ?

"hmmm...do I have to answer that ?" trying to buy some time for thinking of a good excuse resulted only for the tension to rise more.

" you do!" Dehni could hear the unspoken 'otherwise I can't trust you'.

This is not getting me anywhere, if I told him the truth I might complicated things further on the other hand if I try to hide it, that will make things even worst...

" okay! Okay!...did I tell you about how wide the range of my Auto-companion is ?" Dehni pointed to the E.A. as he continued to drag the conversation.

" yes, you mentioned something about city-scale if I recall correctly ?...however that still doesn't answer my question, where did you get the samples ?" this time Ujiko wasn't going accept any detours, only a clear answer.

"sigh can I trust you to not tell anyone, please ?" Dehni's tone was pleading, his eyes a shade of fake sadness mixed with false hope.

They did the trick that's why after some more moments of tense silence...Ujiko promised softly.

" you can, after all you know mine, sharing secrets is essential in a...trust-bond relation" whatever he's playing at is something I have to take with a green of salt. Ujiko thought acridly as his suspicions rose to new degrees.

"Black market" Silence ringed in the room after those two words…

Ujiko was slightly surprised by the answer, yet he didn't take long to restore his fake facial state.

" care to explain further ?"

yosh! He ate the bait.

" yes sir...sigh...well…" Dehni looked at the ground, rubbing his neck like an ashamed person would do.

" I got wind of a transported mutated mammal from a North African country some days ago...the culprit behind the 'Gold Mask' Incident if you heard ?"

he looked at his Senpai for confirmation, yet the other didn't react much.

Is he trying to fabricate a story ? Ujiko wasn't fooled enough at this point.

" I have a tight schedule if you've forgotten lad, get to the main point directly" now he was getting a little impatient.

" yes sir...I found where the Transport mutated Meerkat from Egypt was located with my skills as informant plus using my auto-companion abilities...I took the samples illegally...but! What choice did I had!"

Dehni nearly burst at the last sentence, making Ujiko almost jump...before an idea occurred to him.

If he's saying the truth then I can verify that...yet why he wanted to distance himself instead of working with me ? Or was it a genuine idea to keep the weather controller at bay…

" so you're saying you were digging into illegal information that might throw you in jail if someone find out ?" Ujiko made a general conclusion and from the way Dehni made an act of nodding ashamedly he was almost convinced...almost.

" you may have good intentions but I can't be certain to assist someone going into the villainy way to achieve such goals" Ujiko looked at him with an analytical gaze...looking for any bio-signs of deception as the other protested.

Now, show me your true self, show me what are you really planning...if he was genuine about his goals then he will try to state excuses for that, on the other hand if he has hiding motives then my latest answer will break his facade...either way I won't let you go, hehehehehe-!

" so...that's how things are huh ?...when I provided you with rare samples and offered my services to gather more while ensuring another subject of your not-so-suspicious experiments won't resist...this is how you treat me ? Even after you gave me hope that we can really save humanity from the Singularity theory!?...you're no different from those so-called heroes! you're a fake doctor!" Dehni stood enraged as he...rubbed teary eyes violently !

wha-what ? The display wasn't on the Ujiko's schedule.

" SOB ! I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO WALK SUCH PATH! AS LONG AS I DON'T HURT OTHERS! I WILL SAVE THEM ALL IN THE END! WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR HELP!" Dehni burst crying with rage at the 'good' doctor as he looked genuinely hurt by his words.

so...he really just wants to prove the Doomsday theory ? Even if he'll be considered a villain for his actions ?

CLAK!

Dehni didn't give the doctor the time of the day as he run out of the office and trying to get out of the hospital.

WHA-WHAT!

" WAIT!"Ujiko really wanted to curse his Quirk for taking his athletic ability away, as he couldn't match up to the much more agile maniac...who was running with eyes closing and a diamond-dust-like trail of tears in his wake.

As the form of the most valuable tool he encountered in decades was rapidly fading away, Ujiko's thoughts accelerated.

So? I was wrong about him? He wasn't a predator in disguise...but a strong-willed human trying to do what he thought was right...even if that cost him everything...even if the world discarded him ? Even if a mountain of obstacles stood before him ?Breaking boundaries...walking a path of thorns...just to achieve a goal that benefit everyone...maybe I was paranoid more than I should...my 'facade' has finally broke my ability to think rationally.

" DEHNI-KUN ! WAIIIIIIIITTT!" he screamed more than he ever did in the past century.

…

.
the dramatic scene they caused came to an end as the now not-smiling maniac stood with a frowning gaze in front of him.

" what ? Are you going to scold me more than they did ? Tell me I'm just a delusional extremist with no background to backup his claims ? or are yo-"

" I WON'T! huff huff I-I won't do that...huff huff I was...huff trying to see your true motives...huff huff because you looked suspicious to me!" the scene they caused didn't go unnoticed as the guard approached them...he grabbed Dehni by the collar and started dragging him away.

" release him at once!" Ujiko for the first time in a while was straight up pissed…in his 'facade'.

That gave both the guard and everyone watching a pause as they glanced nervously at him.

" bu-?"

" you hear our good doctor didn't you ?" Dehni didn't stay silent as the smile returned in full force.

Ujiko thought he was smirking because he finally was acknowledged by someone like him…someone who understood his 'true' motives...or that's what he thinks…

good, now the fat fish is in my basket.

…

.
after that unnecessary dramatic display they went back to the 'good' doctor's office.

" you sure you want to risk yourself ? Collecting data for the sake of furthering our research on the theory ?" Ujiko didn't need a reply but a confirmation.

" yes...I already risked many things before, this is nothing new for me...dealing with...uh...dangerous individuals is something that has became a part of my miserable life now"

Dehni sounded more relaxed than he was before, which gave the doctor an uneasy feeling.

" to make progress...I-" he didn't complete his sentence as Dehni interrupted him.

" we need to gather DNA samples from rare mutated animals...the Quirk proteins they have are very divers in comparison to the humans genes...isn't it doc ?" Ujiko for once wasn't annoyed by being interrupted mid-speech, he instead cupped his chin considering that implication…

true with samples from such specimen I can not only advance my Nomu project but also maybe I can even achieve things that were considered very difficult before…

" it is...however are you really sure about being safeguarded by our...volunteer's friends ? I can find a better substitute for them while providing the weather controller with a satisfying solution too"

Ujiko's glasses glinted as he thought of the worst case scenarios that could happen to his precious assistant…

since now I'm assured he's just a dumb strong-willed 'researcher' I can trick him easily into doing what I want without exposing myself farther…

" I think it's the only way doctor...after all he's offering his body as a test subject, if we don't offer them something of equal value we can't be assured they would keep silent" Dehni reply was accompanied by a stoic expression devoid of any hints of doubt.

Indeed no matter what I thought of, Nine wasn't going to trust us that easily...for a dumb tool, you're quiet the swift witted assistant…

" then it's decided! Just...be careful okay ?" the last thing I want is to lose such a valuable idiot like you.

" Ai ! Ai! Sir!" Dehni saluted like a marine soldier.

Now I only need a plan to approach the number one hero while also working in close proximity with him...

…

..

he was excused then by Ujiko-san as he likes to call him now, he was told to come back tomorrow at 13 PM in order to make proper introduction with his new 'temporarily co-workers'.

Now he was back at one of his favorite rooftops, away from prying eyes.

That was a close call...but things turned alright in the end...I shouldn't be so careless next time…

"now then...it's time to see my own state" he declared to himself as the golden disc hovered in front of his face.

" Ethereal Astrolabe, full analysis in display mode" instead of a emotionless voice answering, a holographic screen surrounded by a strange circle with incomprehensible letters appeared.

He read some parts loudly to himself as they were in Arabic.

" let's see...State : Weakened...hmm, I excepted as much...Resonance level : High...whew that's reassuring, now I can play safely with anyone of that level or below...lastly my Danger level is...very High, huh ? Not bad at all...with this I can go toe-to-toe with most if not all the top pros...yet that All Might guy is still a threat...hmmm, what can I do~? I'm still so~ wee~ak? "

hmmm, I thinkI have a brilliant idea.

" but first I must change to a 'suitable' appearance for Japan's version of the Phantom thief!"

he strolled back to the now busy night streets, looking for a clothes store...apparently was kind enough to send his broken assistant with enough pocket money to afford more than a fair amount of such luxury…

after visiting a few stores...he eventually come across one that caught his attention.

Black comfortably wide pants plus armored gray T-shirt...hmm not bad at all...Oh~this one also might match well with these.

He also took a fairly long, crimson hooded jacket with long sleeves…

perfect...this will works well with some mask that conceal my identity…

he paid for the staff, he also bought two mask from other stores, a white one with dark eyes and another black one with red eyes.

Yosh! Now for my 'Phantom' costume…

another shopping trip, he stumbled upon what matched his needs...a completely abyssal-black jumpsuit with red lines as decoration…

nice! With this I'm all settled and ready…

-Tomorrow, 13:30 PM-

he entered Jaku hospital for a second time but now with a brand new look, consisting of the red jacket he purchased and the wide black pants. He also was carrying a shoulder bag. This time the residents of the hospital we're waiting for his arrival as he went smoothly towards the madman's lab.

…

.

" Ohayo~! Egg- Ujiko-san! Eh?" he didn't wait for anyone to give him permission as he entered the good doctor's office without a warning, making the ones occupying it tense up as they glared daggers at him.

" right on time, Dehni-kun" Ujiko's smile made everyone feel disgusted...except the maniac as he hid that well.

" I take it you all know why you're here ladies and gentlemen ?" Ujiko continued as the silence drew on, the four figures were glaring daggers at the smiling maniac.

" mutual benefits, Nine here told us what we should do doctor there's no need for further explanations" Chimera announced.

" excellent ! But just to make things clear here one last time allow me to review your end of the deal" Ujiko's started reciting their agreement terms.

" as you already know, the individual in front of you is my dear assistant, he has quiet the useful abilities in the field of biological analysis and Data gathering-"

" Hi!" he casually greeted the bunch of very powerful and dangerous group like it wasn't a big deal. Earning him death glares in return.

"—for your Nine-san to sleep in hibernation tube without worry of me playing with his genetics plus rising the success rate of my experiment, you all are tasked with protecting my dear assistant while he collects samples from mutated animals out in the wilderness...is this clear enough ?" Ujiko didn't except the red haired girl to rise her hand in question.

" is there a additional benefit of the research your assistant is conducting besides that ?" she asked carefully.

" there's is Slice-san" she glanced at the maniac who spoke solemnly.

" DNA samples from those rare specimens will help us further understand the quirk phenomenon...which in return will rise the success rate of the body augmentation experiment...plus we might even find a way to nullify the negative drawbacks of Nine-san's Quirk...mumbling not to mention the breakthrough that will put other so-called scientists to shame"

she maintained her gaze for a few seconds before sighing, turning her gaze to Nine now.

" for the last time...are you sure about this ?" Slice may not have whispered it, however the 'I don't trust these guys' could be heard in her tone.

" I've already made my decision...besides I don't have much time left to search for a better alternative" Nine replied stoically.

Chimera and Mummy didn't say anything as they preferred to stay silent.

" if you're all done with the farewells then please follow me, Dehni-kun there's one last thing I'd like to show you…" the maniac's sole response to that was silence as he followed the others.

…

.
" Woah~! A secret laboratory ! sugoi~!"

indeed the gloomy looking dark place, with strange purple liquids filling up weird capsules, thick cables spread along the ground like spider webs and not to mention human corpses with exposed brains was a very beautiful sight...nothing disturbing at all.

Even the shady doctor didn't believe that reaction, so he asked him while also helping Nine to get comfortable inside one of the strange capsules.

" you're actually doesn't sounds astounded, dear assistant…" Ujiko now closed the hibernation's tube as the strange started filling it.

" jokes aside doctor...I saw my lion share of disturbing things that I'm no longer feel even normal...the society we live in, is in fact darker than your lab...if you search enough like I did" Dehni's words sunk deeply in their heads...even Nine looked a bit differently at him.

" you have my sympathy…" and my condolences if words got out about this place. Ujiko thought darkly as the liquid finally filled up the tube.

" thank you doctor…" Ujiko didn't reply to that as he addressed Nine one last time before sending him to a deep slumber.

" the sleeping gas's effect is rapid, are you ready ?" Nine's sole response was a solemn nod.

…

.

" as for the rest of you, I made some digging and found out that something was leaving strange trails of falling trees in the Hokkaido region during the past month...you know what to do…" Ujiko handed him what appears to be a communication device, Dehni saluted putting the machine away in his bag as the other three changed uncertain looks between them and their slumbering friend's body.

" time is of great importance, that's why I will transport you all there" Ujiko's words made them perplexed for a second before a nasty liquid filled their throats out of the blue.

What the hell is this ? It tastes like a rotten egg!

one moment they were in a dark gloomy mad scientist lab, the next they were in a very bright and lively place.

" now that was a nasty ride, wasn't eh ?" from the looks they sent his way, they shared the mutual feeling.

" now what ?" Mummy asked him stoically.

" it's time to do my part...Ethereal Astrolabe! Scan the area for mutated animals, max-scale range!" they were confused by the incomprehensible words he blurted before he clarified things out.

…

.

" sounds a little hard to believe such Quirk exists…" Chimera noted as he lit his cigar.

" same goes for your leader's weather control" Dehni's argued back.

"tch!...you have a point" Mummy admitted .

" Analysis complete" the E.A's disembodied voice added.

" Ethereal Astrolabe, show results in Japanese"

display :

Target : Mutated Animal.

Range : 237 Km radius.

Result : target found. 125 km away from your location to the north west.

" hmmm, to the north west...huh? That will be…in that direction" Dehni resumed his job as he started marching towards a mountain range, the others were watching curiously at one of the strangest Quirks they have encountered.

…

.

" man this is taking forever...Oi! Ujiko-san can't you transport us any closer to the north-west peaks ?" Dehni complained to the small radio-like device.

" I'm sorry Dehni-kun but that was the only place one of my...subordinates want to...so no, you have to walk all the way there and back to the same location I sent you…" Ujiko's words made Dehni complain even more.

" what a pain...Oh! I got it! Who wants to play 'I spy with my eye' ?" he brightened up for a second but their stoic expressions faltered that.

" or~ I'll just settle for singing alone…"

…

.

after a long walking tour...they finally arrived at their destination...or so they thought as no trace of something abnormal was spotted around.

" this is a completely wild area devoid of any urban buildings or civilization...guess we have to search more sigh how boring~" they didn't reply to his complain as they continued to march silently.

" that's better, Pro heroes and police are always a pain to avoid" well until Chimera broke the silence.

" tell me about it, they act like the cities are an inheritance from their grandparents" Dehni's joke made Chimera and Mummy snort.

" you're not wrong, more than a few times they pestered us whenever we went, I can't wait for a chance to stomp them!" Chimera's rage was barely restrained as he recalled all the times he was forced to flee from the weaker pros.

" you'll have your chance...once Nine is feeling better" Slice approached the wolf-man slowly as she pinned the maniac with a silent gaze.

" we'll try our best, now the animal should be nearby in a 500-meter radius...we just need to find a trail…" upon Dehni's words they scattered in a V-shaped line, Mummy preferred to keep an eye on their 'escort' while Slice and Chimera searched.

…

.
" hmmm, this is a good sign...we're getting near to out target" the sign in question was a long stretched area of what looks like recently fallen trees…

" I see no marks for cuts at all" Slice remarked carefully examining one of the trees trunk.

" nor is the ground beneath the roots showing any signs of disturbance...this is strange…the trees don't look like they were plucked out or fall off by some sort of a force ?" Mummy added to her observation.

" sniff sniff I smell something too...sniff sniff it's looks like a wild boar, no...it's something akin to that..." Chimera noted down as he started following the scent. The others not far behind him.

" a wild boar, huh ?...that explains why the leaves were eaten…" Dehni cupped his chin in thinking mode.

" you only need a sample,right ? I'll finish it off with one strike" Slice declared darkly not liking the idea of dealing with any dirty animals.

" I thought you're vegan…" everyone paused as she processed what he told her.

" what ?" she did a double take, just to make sure she heard right...

" I-I mean, please don't hurt it. these animals are precious...the least thing we want is for them to go extinct" Dehni swiftly covered for his slip of tongue that had nothing to do with insults.

" in that case, I will hold it off. Mummy you try capturing it and Slice keep our friend from harm's way" the grimace on her face meant she didn't like the plan...yet she didn't protest against it.

" understood" after a moment both replied sternly.

…

.

they followed the trail of fallen trails until Chimera gestured for them to stop.

" it's close...get down" he ordered as they all crouched down.

Ahead of them a clearing accompanied by a stream that was flowing gracefully…

suddenly a bulge in the dirt appeared out of nowhere in the center of it...then it began to move towards the river-shore…until something popped up...

" mumbling what is this thing ?" Mummy hushed to none as he observed what looks like a terrible mix from some horror movies, it had a wild boar head and body...but it's nose was more...star-like ? And clawed paws replaced the normal hooves…

" it's a Bole…" Dehni whispered back. As he made assumptions on what type of quirks this one has.

" what's a Bole ?" that train of thoughts was interrupted by Slice.

" a short for Boar-mole" Dehni replied as he made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

" Tsk you're really starting to piss me off, assistant-san" Slice retorted but Chimera jumped right at the mutant.

As if sensing the ambush beforehand, the Bole dug down leaving Chimera to hit air.

" dang it!"

earth started to shift suddenly like quicksand trapping him down, but help soon arrived as Mummy extended his bandages pulling him out.

" this won't be as easy as we thought...where did it go ?"

again the earth turned into a swamp-like foothold, however this time both of them managed to avoid the effective area.

" it must be relying on noise to keep track of your location underground, try using that against it!" Dehni called up from the bushes.

" GET DOWN!" until Slice introduced his face to the ground.

All they could do was avoid or jump away whenever they felt the slightest shift under their feet.

" I got an idea!" Chimera called to Mummy for a second before the former's mouth light up.

KA-BOOM!

the devastating attack left a good chunk of the clearing missing, Mummy understood his friend's plan as the area where the attack landed soon molted into a sinkhole.

" GOT YOU!" Mummy's extended tendrils searched the mud-like dirt before the Bole started pulling him into it!.

" Chimera-san ! Blast the near edge area! that should give you an opening !" Dehni called out again, this time Slice not bothering holding him down as she was hesitating to join them.

KRA-BOOOM!

this one was more powerful than the last and the results where immediate, the tug on Mummy's tendrils loosened up as the Bole was sent flying upwards.

TWOOSH!

Mummy...well Mummified the poor Boar-mole as he breathed huffily.

Thankfully it's seems without direct contact with solid ground the Bole can't do anything serious now.

It didn't take long for Dehni to pull out some syringes from his bag and collect blood samples.

" Yosh! This is enough for many tests…as for you Bole-san"

TWAP!

" it's a sedative injection, we don't want it to be angry while we try to take our leave" he explained to the party.

" I could always warn it with a blast breath" Chimera snorted darkly.

" nah that won't do, Moles are territorial and Boars are very aggressive if threatened…an attack like that would make it even more angry" after Dehni stocked the fragile containers in his bag, Slice approached him as she viewed the fair amount he collected.

" will these be enough ?" it was a stoic question, yet he could feel the urgency in them.

" unfortunately no, it will help us yes, Ujiko-san will starts analyzing them yes, however I think we need 4 different specimens samples in order to make a real progress…" before she could give him a piece of her mind Mummy decided to interrupt.

" is that so ? Or are you trying to make us run errands for you assistant-san?" Mummy was two seconds away from beating the assistant into a bloody pulp as the only reply he received was a snort.

" what's so funny ?!" he retorted angrily. even Chimera was now looking annoyed.

" you really think Ujiko-san couldn't hire someone else for your job ? Remember this whole agreement was in your favor not us…" he paused for a few moments as they faces morphed into a promise of agony once this was over.

"...after all we only need 2 more animals samples...I already handed Ujiko-san a Meerkat's hair" while the words didn't falter their newfound hate for him, they did however make their intent less malevolent than before.

" Tch very well, where we can find the last two then ?" Chimera tried to calm his nerves as he lit another cigar.

" currently I don't know, the range for my Auto-companion is currently 237 kilometer radius...we are lucky enough to find this boar-mole this soon…" Dehni wondered off letting those words sunk in.

what does he mean by currently ? Chimera wondered for a second before a shout interrupted that.

" be more clear! Where we can find them!" Mummy's patience was running short.

" what I'm trying to say is, if we waited for something else to leave an evidence behind here in Japan, we might take longer than two months...we have to extend our search scale to the whole world!" Dehni looked at them all, a serious expression in his face making them contemplate what he declared bluntly.

TWARP! he received the treatment of an ancient Egyptian King for his clarification.

" ARE YOU CRAZY! YOU WANT US TO SEARCH THE WHOLE WORLD !" Mummy only stopped when a hand clutched his wrist as he tried to punch the maniac.

" I know it's sounds like a blatant joke...but if it's for the sake of our dream…" Chimera calmed him down enough to let go of a carefree looking Dehni.

" indeed if you wish to pulverize the society that ostracized you all...then you must be ready to take extreme measures…" his words made them contemplate his idea.

" may we know why not search only in Japan ? After all you found two animals in it-"

" one" Slice tried to find an excuse but he interrupted her shortly.

" what ?"

" the Meerkat lives in Africa…" a simple sentence silenced them.

Before he continued swiftly pining them all with a stoic expression and taking down any further protests.

" your friend Henka-san's state doesn't allow time waste...if we search all of Japan we might not stumble upon another mutated animal for a long while...that's why we have to search in a wider range...it will give us and your friend enough time to both save his life and make him even stronger than he currently is...I think that's worth the trouble, isn't it?" by the glances they shared between themselves he knew he won the argument.

" I do agree here with Dehni-kun" Ujiko's muffled voice cemented the plan.

So it's more of a spying transmitter than a communication device, it wasn't obvious~.

" Ujiko-san ! you were eavesdropping ?" he didn't need to clarify that as he faked his bewilderment.

" it's the least I can do to make no harm befalls my precious to- assistant-kun!. anyway I will overlook what happened during your conversation thanks to the splendid work you did...but next time Dehni-kun is threatened I won't be so forgivable, is that clear ?" Ujiko warned them, they could only reply with angry mumbles.

" good! As for your plan Dehni-kun, it's good but has one flaw…"

" and that would be ?" Dehni already knew what it was yet he asked for the ones glaring at him.

"transportation, it won't be easy to reach faraway lands...so just keep looking in the 'local' areas instead" Ujiko's answer made Dehni slumber in defeat.

In summary just wander around Japan's neighbors where I can keep an eye on you ? Not bad doc.

" fine!...I will try gathering information on anything abnormal in the countrysides...is that okay for you doctor ?" Dehni demanded permission as he addressed his superior, thankfully the response was positive.

" do what you can, meanwhile you three stay on standby until you're needed" orders given, the only thing left for them was heading back to their original starting point.

…

.
" I wish I can shred him to tears…" Slice mumbled darkly and from the looks of her companions they shared the same feeling.

" Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase~! Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze~!" his singing was gritting at their nerves by each passing second.

some days later, Dehni found out about some rumors on a small remote village in one of the Honshu region where electricity was being cut off suddenly for unexplained reasons. Some folks thought it was due to the occasional nature hazards like storms, however he had a feeling this was something different.

Now they were nearby the village in a grassland area, looking for traces of anything suspicious.

" at least we didn't walk that much this time" Dehni told his companions who were as distressed as ever.

" when we catch this one we will only need another to finish our part of the agreement…" Chimera wondered as he tried to sniff the air, he was eager for a heated battle.

" it took you two weeks to find one...another two weeks and the first month is gone, we have to hurry up!" Slice wasn't pleased by the news.

" sniff sniff there's something ahead...in the tall grass" before Chimera's warning could take effect the hidden mutant choose to reveal itself.

FZZTT!

something sparkling with electricity charged at the group with a speed that can impress even Ingenium.

Chimera tried to intercept the attack as he moved directly towards the front.

SLAM!

for a second everyone thought the unknown attacker was out cold from the stomp's shock-wave it received...but the next second.

FZZZZZZZZZTT!

" GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Chimera howled with pain as his whole body was lighted up like Tokyo's streets.

The several thousands volts assault stopped shortly, leaving the poor werewolf immobile with muscles twitching on the ground.

" CHIMERA!" both of his friends rushed to his side, nudging him but to no avail as he was knocked out.

" the green pheasant is nowhere to be found...must have fled when it sensed he was outnumbered"

Dehni stoically commented as he examined the burn grass left by the electric bird.

The duo didn't reply as they contained their rage from the harm that has befall their friend.

" from the looks of it the runaway bird is heading towards the nearby power plant...it's must have drained it's battery for the day, we must take pursuit at once! " Well until Mummy grabbed Dehni by the collar and pinned him with an accusing glare.

" Chimera is out cold! you want us to leave him here !?" Mummy was two seconds away from punching the lunatic.

" go…" a meek voice stopped that shortly, Mummy glanced down at the werewolf, who surprisingly gathered his strength to stand up slowly.

" Chimera…" Slice tried to help him but he extended a palm to stop her.

" he's right...you must pursuit it...for Nine's sake!" his orders were clear leaving them no choice but to follow the trail of the bird.

…

..
.

" this explains the village's problem…this thing absorb and store electricity from the transformers."

they were now hidden from the pheasant's sight.

" how are we going to capture it ? It's too dangerous if we approach it now!" Mummy barely mumbled.

" I just need an opening to throw a syringe full of soporific liquid mix at it then the rest is history!" Dehni whispered back as he drew out a small vial.

" I will give you an opening…Mummy keep him out of harm's way" Slice stood up as she approached the electric bird carefully. Her friend was baffled at first by the blatant act yet he didn't protest.

" Oi! Chicken soup!" she called to the occupied pheasant and surprisingly it answered the call.

Now it's personal huh ? Dehni thought amusingly.

BAAAAAAKK!

in a flash the pheasant blurred from their sight as it zigzagged towards her but she leaped back continuously while showering it with sharp crystallized hair strands.

" it's slower than before!" Mummy observed.

True, despite that it was still nimble as a cat jumping from side to side avoiding the dangerous hair needles with ease.

" by using electrical charges it can boost it's speed! and since it needs to refill itself from the power plant…" Dehni assumed from the deceleration of the mad pheasant.

" it will run out of energy soon ! Slice keep it up! I will wrapped it down when it's exhausted enough!" Mummy called up to her but she seems more focused on attacking than dodging.

" this annoying feathered bastard hurt Chimera! I will turn it into Yakitori !-( Yakitori is japanese grilled chicken skewers)-"

this is not good ! If she keeps attacking then-!

time slowed down as she carelessly approached the pheasant with clawed gloves, determined to tear the bird into pieces.

It proved to be a grave mistake, as if the pheasant was waiting for such opportunity it's whole body shimmered...and the smell of ionized air filled their nostrils for a second.

Then before she can react, it charged at her.

FZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT!

she closed her eyes waiting for an inevitable pain to surge through her body...

CRAAAAAAASHHH!

...but it never came, instead she felt as if something tackled her to the ground.

" yeeesh! You sure can be a hot headed idiot sometimes" the voice was annoyingly familiar as she found it's source standing before her, extending a hand for help.

" I told you these animals are smart, you shouldn't underestimate them" Dehni scolded the bewildered villain. Before she angrily slapped his hand away.

" what happened ? And where's that bird !?" she shouted vividly.

" here" Mummy pointed out to an unconscious pheasant, a syringe drained of it's continents was plunged in it's right leg.

She stood up slowly, tightening the grip on her clawed gloves as she approached the downed bird.

" I know your angry because it hurt Chimera-san badly...however, I can't allow you to turn it into Yakitori." she glanced back furiously at the maniac. He didn't flinch at all.

" come on Slice I understand your feelings well, but we have an agreement to keep" Mummy on his part sounded off character for once.

She looked between the two and at the sleeping bird...before finally sighing irritatingly.

" fine! You saved me there, so I guess sparing this bird make us even" she declared at last.

After Dehni took the blood samples from the pheasant he asked the doctor to move it into mount Fuji where thunder strikes happen often plus implanting a detector on it for later occasions.

-4 months ago-

the first month ended and Dehni got info on something new...but this time however he ordered for a meeting in the doctor's secret lab…

" calling us here, means you found our last target ?" Slice began the conversation as she stood with her pals on one side and the mad doctor plus his companion on the other.

" yes, there were rumors on something unusual happening in the north..." Dehni confirmed her suspicion.

" then why not meet up and be sent directly there to catch it like usual ?" Mummy felt something was off by the vagueness he answered with.

" there are many problems with this one…I'm making a progress based on the samples you provided from the expeditions...however, I'm afraid this isn't enough to solve all the problems with Nine's body" Ujiko replied on his assistant's stead.

" however, that's not the worst issue" Dehni added as he looked them with dead seriousness.

" and that would be ?" Chimera demanded carefully as he pinned him with a distrusting glare.

" the rumors I got speak of something stealing hauls from fishing boats in the northern sea…it's too dangerous to fight and capture a mutated animal in it's natural habitat where it has the upper hand...much more in an environment that give us disadvantages...and the previous experience shows why we can't be careless around them" Chimera turned his head away in annoyance.

" so what are you suggesting then ?" Slice interrogated him.

" you have two options, one is waiting for something less dangerous to pop up or you can take the risk gaining extra time in the process." upon his declaration they didn't reply immediately as they glanced between themselves, it took them a few moments before…

" I think it depends on how risky it is, do you have any more specific info about this fish-thief ?" Mummy asked carefully making Dehni cup his chin in thought.

" hmm, if I remember correctly...one of the witnesses claimed the boat was suddenly tacked down, as if something pulled it with immense strength...also he mentioned the fishing nets were always snapped off with force instead of a sharp object cutting them...umm, lastly I think he mentioned something about a huge shadow vanishing under the waves in seconds without trace…" Dehni resumed for them.

" looks like the only powers this one has is size and brute force...nothing we can't outsmart" Chimera declared as he blow smoke confidentially.

" still it's a dangerous gamble...however each passing second matters so count me in!" Slice declared eagerly.

" I don't like the sound of it, yet I can always fight it from a distance since it's close ranged, I'm in too" Mummy added.

" then it's decided, when do we depart ?" Chimera asked.

" I've made a deal the same witness to tag along as a 'research scientists' party, he agreed since it might help solve the problem...you only have to disguise yourselves well and then we have a free ride." Dehni explained briefly.

" you sure are useful in many ways...care to join us after Nine is fine and ready to destroy the world ?" Chimera joked halfheartedly.

" well if you insist-"

" HELL NO!" Ujiko and his friends protested as one.

" yeesh so much hate for me…"

after that little fiasco the doctor transported them again into one of Honshu's port cities, it was a warehouse of some sorts they popped up in.

soon they met with one of the fishermen, an old looking man.

" ohh! If it's not Dehni-san, and I take it your his crew-mates ?" the old man declared with closed eyes smile.

" yes captain! They are with me crew, packed up and ready for the raging waves " Dehni answered.

The group in question didn't utter a word as they let their 'informant' manage the conversations.

They didn't take long to find themselves on a small sized ship heading to the northern waters.

About 2 hours long of constant surfing, the boat decelerated to a stop. The sea was devoid of any signs of life, according to the old fisherman this area was before flourishing with life, every now and then you could see a school of fishes passing by…until those accidents started happening near these waters.

" are you sure this is the place old man ?" Slice asked the fisherman in distrust as she peeked from the boat's edge.

" I have been around these waters for 20 years young lady...I'm sure this is the place" he replied solemnly.

PWAP

a sudden shake in the boat put everyone on high alert.

" it's circulating…" Dehni declaration made everyone looks around at the waters, and sure enough something big was moving around the boat in circles.

" must be curious of this new unusual object that entered his territory…prepare for battle!" Dehni ordered his group sternly and before they could even throw a rage tantrum another more powerful impact made them stumble.

" OKAY THAT'S IT! I HAD ENOUGH!" the old man panicked as he run for the helm.

THWAT

that was until Dehni sent him to dream lands with a sleek hit on the neck.

" sorry old man…" that was all he could say, when he turned around to face his companions, they were bearing a lot of mixed expressions, between distrust and carefulness.

" had to be done, I can fabricate an excuse after we're finished here...plus we found our target…"

they made to comment on his action, but another impact on the boat nearly sent them flying towards the waters.

" correction, it found us" a few several feet from the boat's tip the water surface bulged before...

SPLASH!

...bursting out, revealing a grotesque sea monster the size of the boat. Having two yellow shining eyes and a parrot-like beak made it's disguise of reefs and corals along it's head pointless.

Two pairs of tentacles were risen above the water surface, both had a similar feature in common. They were holding into a good chuck of sea rocks.

" don't attack yet! We need first info about what it truly can do before we engag-!" before he could finish the rude Squid threw his load at them.

KRAK!

" get down! We will turn this one into sea food! and I won't take no for an answer this time!" Slice and Chimera managed to intercept the attack at the last second.

However, the Squid wasn't done as he used his reef disguise as ammo. Firing in rapid successive attacks.

" alright do what you can! But try not to destroy it completely ! the doctor can make a good use of this one" Dehni ordered them, they were too busy with the assault yet the increase in their firepower meant they got the message, he then turned to the one waiting on standby for any stray projectiles.

" Mummy, I want you to protect the old man I will try to…huh ? Why did the Kraks stop ?" Dehni looked back but before he could see the problem the Squid dove under the waves.

" run out of ammo, we must make a distance before it resurface!" Chimera tried to run for the control room.

SPLASH!

yet the Squid left him no time to react to his too soon reappearance!

K-K-Kraks! the only thing that prevented their guaranteed sinking was the quick reflexes of Slice. Chimera swiftly backed her up.

" dang it! how did it emerge so fast!" Mummy's frustrated comment made Dehni think of a possibility instead of a counter attack strategy.

Reefs clinging to it's body and legs...even if it's faster than usual it should take a least more than 5 minutes to reemerges!...considering the size of this Squid, the depth of the sea floor here and also the average speed of the smaller version...it's top velocity can't be higher than 75 Km/h (46.6 mph)...what I'm missing here ?

Dehni's thoughts accelerated as he observed the battle.

Nothing seems out of place...how did the reef rocks not fall at all when it went up...wait ? that's it!

" IT'S SKIN IS VERY ADHESIVE ! THAT'S WHY IT REEMERGES IN LESS THAN 10 SECONDS!" at the same time Dehni screamed that info the squid decided to submerges for a refill.

" WHAT ?" it didn't take long for the squid to come back for a rematch.

Again they guarded the ship and again the squid cycle resumed.

Attacking from below the ship should be easy but the weight of the reef must be throwing it out of balance...getting closer means facing more risk than using this less inconvenient trick! It must be trying to wear them out!

indeed as Dehni concluded Chimera was huffing slightly, the breath attacks takes a bigger toll on his body, and Slice's hair was looking thinner than usual.

At this rate it won't be long before our main line of defense fall...I must try something else and fast!

" Mummy ! when I give you the order wrap me up and throw me towards the squid!" Mummy looked at him perplexedly before Chimera voiced his thoughts.

" that's a very stupid idea!" was all the werewolf could muster before engaging the giant cephalopod for the nth time.

" yes it is! But it will give you three the chance to land a direct hit! we just need to immobilize it's legs!" Dehni explained through the raging battle.

" you're the one who told us not to underestimate these mad animals!" Slice shouted back at the lunatic.

" yes I did told you to not underestimate them! The same can't apply for me!" Dehni retorted back making Slice wishes to cut his tongue out!

" If anything happens, I'm responsible for my own actions in this special occasion ! I already talked it out with the doctor!" Chimera and Slice exchanged glances for a moment before responding as one.

" it's your funeral!" upon understanding the gist Mummy wrapped his bandages around his torso and waist. Rising him high in the gloomy sky.

" Ohhh~ the view is fantastic from here above! It makes my heart wants to sing!" Dehni pulled out a large knife before pouring a strange yellow liquid on its blade's surface.

" I always wanted to do this!" Mummy sounded more enthusiastic than usual.

" helping your dear friends in their time of need by battling a sea beast like a fantasy hero ?" Dehni commented with an awful natural looking grin.

Mummy responded with closed eyes smile.

" I always wanted to throw you at something worst than my fists, I guess dreams do come true !" the splash indicating that dream is about to become a reality made Dehni look at the leftover ripples in the water waves with a forced grin.

" yup! It is my funeral!"

sarcasm was dropped the instant bubbles were evacuating the recent squid firing spot...and soon enough.

" NOW!" Mummy threw him with all the power he could muster, somehow Dehni landed on the reef's carapace with ease...he didn't question why the lunatic didn't break a leg or arm, even the squid didn't appears fazed by the unwanted guest on it's head.

F-F-F-FWOSH!

either way they couldn't care less as long as he do something and fast!

Dehni crawled towards a spot between the reef's rocks, where soft gray white flesh was exposed.

SKNSH!

he didn't hesitate to plunge the knife in the flesh, the effect was instantaneous because when he tried to pull the knife back something grabbed him.

" Hi! You're Kraken-san right ? I heard quiet the thrilling stories about you sir! " for a brief moment both the beast and the allies paused as he was dangling by his feet in front of a very irritated squid.

SKREEEEEEEKKK!

an ear-splitting banshee's scream rattled their bodies. The Squid opened it's mouth to swallow the maniac ! However instead he received crystallized needles for a diet!

" ATTACK IT'S TENTACLES!" Dehni ordered before diving with a splash in the waters.

The squid tried taking shelter under waves, yet instead it started twitching uncontrollably! Making it immobile.

A paralytic toxin ?! Chimera though for a brief moment before ordering Slice.

" THIS IS OUR CHANCE!" That brief moment was all it took Chimera and Slice to launch simultaneous attacks for those annoying legs that were giving them quiet the trouble more than any hero did before.

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!

the squid beast howled with pain as his primary weapons were blasted off, before falling into the abyss...and like any injured animal who knows it's outclassed, it didn't hesitate to bolt away with a smokescreen of ink in it's wake.

…

.

" Ngggh...Nghh!, huh ? Whe-where am I ?" the old man stood up but a hand shoved him back.

" easy there old sail! You had quiet the shock today" it was Dehni, looking at him with a closed eyes smile.

" wh-what ? Shock ? What happened ? All I can remember is trying to reach for the control room when ! THE SHADOW! hggh! " the old man tried recalling the events, but his breath didn't allow that.

" yes, it turned out it was a sea monster...bumped into the ship, made you fall and hit your head on the rail…" Dehni began slowly explaining the 'story'.

" that makes sense...no wonder my head is pounding from pain, but! You mentioned it was a sea monster ?!" the old man looked up for confirmation, the only answer was a pointing gesture...to the far away side of the port...where many other fishers gathered and were astonished by a pair of giant tentacles !

" that's the proof...quiet a tricky one too" the old man stood and Dehni helped him out.

The other three were well disguised with their white coats and hats. however Dehni could feel their uneasiness of staying here for long than it should.

" so I wasn't wrong...it was a sea monster after all...squid-like from the looks of it…" the old man mumbled to himself.

" fear not...with an injury like this I'm sure trying to steal hauls again will be the last thing that beast might try" Dehni left the old man to stand by himself, before addressing him.

" as part of our agreement we will take one of the pair as a study sample...the other is left in your care" Dehni made way for his group as the crowd of fishermen looked at them in amazement.

While they were heading for the warehouse and away from the spectators...

" Dehni-kun and his crew mates ! thank you very much! for driving away the squid monster! and for proving I'm not a liar!"...the old man called one last time, Dehni only rose his right hand in acknowledgment.

…

.

" playing hero is something I didn't expect to do in my life" Chimera grumbled as he tried lighting a cigar.

" one of my bad days! My hair needs now a few hours before growing back!" Slice's frustration filled the warehouse with heat.

" bad hair day yes, but at least you don't have to carry this sticky thing all over the place!" Dehni was looking annoyed ? Or trying to act like it ?

" for me it was one of the best days! All that pent up frustration evaporated when I throw you away! Maybe we should try that again?" Mummy for once ecstatically joked with the maniac.

" nope! Thanks I prefer to live!...with this final sample, our temporarily alliance is over, it was a short good time with you three I guess ? " Dehni's comment made the mood slumber down.

" it was not that bad...and I have to admit without your swift decisions at certain moments we probably couldn't have made it unscathed" Chimera commented honestly.

" you're an annoyance and will still be, that's all I'll say" Slice didn't even bother to look at him as she was busy with her hair.

" I agree with her, those terrible songs are still stuck in my head...yet I also agree with Chimera, your decisions made us came out of these situations scars free...that's a plus in my book" Mummy commented solemnly.

" indeed ! My assistant is quiet the handful strategist...now are you all ready for the teleportation ?" Ujiko questioned.

" can you let me grab a disinfectant first ? Or at least some salt ?" Dehni's protest didn't do anything as the vile slime engulfed them all...before they disappeared without a trace.

After they returned back to the mad scientist's lab, they were dismissed until another month pass or if Ujiko calls for them...however he asked for Dehni to stay as there was something he wanted him to do.

The doctor presented him a plate with...piece of dark-purple-skin meat or something ?

" I want you to analyze this one." Ujiko glasses glinted as he backed away slightly giving Dehni space to do his magic.

" you got it boss!...Ethereal Astrolabe! State analysis, target the piece of meat in the front" the words were foreign to the good doctor yet he didn't care.

After a few seconds the emotionless automaton replied that the analysis ended.

Instead of doing it again and letting the E.A. speak the results, Dehni used the display mode instead.

Ujiko didn't react at all to that new info. What he was after was the results.

Results :

Target : genetically modified mutated human flesh.

State : Unstable.

State description : two Quirks factors results in the RNA producing incompatible proteins with the cells processes, Mainly the muscle cells. Which ultimately leads to an unstable tissues structure.

Cure Suggestion : Modification of the stop nucleotide code in the U3 gene.

" mumbling hmmm, interesting...very interesting, modifying that one is tricky...must be the UGA instead of UAA, I knew it! But will the body's cells bear more quirk proteins than two? Hmm…" Ujiko whispered to himself like the insane scientist he was...making Dehni sweat-drop at the scene.

" eh ? Doctor can I help any further ?" Dehni's sudden speech made Ujiko pause in his creepy whispers as he looked at the now extremely valuable assistant.

During the last month I had kept an eye on him so he can't flee my sight...all he was doing was gathering info about the animals...now that I got the samples I need and the test subject is ready...but what about my tool ? Sure I can trick him into analyzing my Nomus tissues samples...however will that keep him around ? No it won't! I need a better excuse…

" u-uh ? U-Ujiko-san are you alright ? Did you get enough sleep lately ? It's not good for your health to be a workaholic despite your noble goals" the concerned look and the comment almost made him burst out laughing, it was only thanks to his one hundred plus age of experience he didn't react.

" worry not! Dehni-kun, I'm just theorizing here, you see ? By studying effects of multiple quirk on one person's cells I can deepen my understanding of the phenomenon and hopefully fully stop the worst case scenario from happening one day!" his reply came as natural as he could fake it having already came up with many other similar excuses for any possible questions he could throw his way.

" that's...one way of doing it I guess...but how can you put two Quirks on a single person's body ?" he was ready for this one the most...Ujiko didn't reply on the fly instead he made an act of shying away from answering.

" well..eh...you see ? Umm...it's a hard thing to put into simple words" Dehni didn't buy that.

" pssh! Come on ! Even if I don't have a diplomat I studied really hard ! you have no worries on that part!" Ujiko excepted this too.

" sigh fine...spinal cord surgery plus adding multiple baits in the internal flesh tissues, in most cases the surgery succeed but the result is the neural system can't co-exist with the sudden hyperactivity burden making it less conscious and self-aware" Ujiko tried his best to explain and drag the topic away.

" I see...I don't understand…" Dehni smiled dumbly at the doctor, making the later sigh naturally for once.

" but! I know you can do it doctor ! I have trust you will be the one who can prove the Singularity theory to the whole world!"

those words, that awfully natural looking smile...they made Ujiko pause for a second...before making a decision, a hesitating one.

" you are dismissed for the rest of the day...it's already near dusk...plus you did wonderfully well for today and I can't thank you enough for your help..." Ujiko words sounded affectionately genuine this time.

" thank you sir! Good day to you!" Dehni replied before being teleported away.

one of the only two who didn't laugh off my theory...he's desperately trying to prove it true...even taken actions that can make him labeled as a villain...maybe I can start treating him more than just a mere tool...

…

.
the place he was teleported to was an abandoned urban area where he rented a cheep but dull house...he put his baggage inside minor the E.A…

" mumbling yosh! With the problem of the animals off my shoulders I should be more at ease now...Ujiko-san will be busy with those squid samples and new theories for the next month…" Dehni whispered to himself.

He will probably call in when he wants analytical tests for some minor experiments...those takes about 4 to 7 days until they're ready for my trick...which means I have free time in between…

before he was wearing the first long sleeved jacket with crimson shades and black wide pants, plus a white mask to avoid being suspected in the mutated animals chase minus the squid event.

Now he existed the house, clad in abyssal clothes only red lines are visible on them, same goes for the mask that makes his face fade away into the darkness of the night...but he didn't stop there. to complete the costume he added a black mantle that covers his entire frame...especially a certain golden disc that might drew attention.

...in order for my next plan to work, I've got some reputation to build…

and so he flew into the night sky.

…

..
.

causing a big scene at first isn't wise...it will draw attention faster than it should, that's why I have to start from relatively weak targets...the Orca Mafia Boss is the first in my list.

KABOOM!

speaking of mafia, he was witnessing a robbery down the illuminated road…

" HAHAHAHA! WE GOT THE MONEY ! LET'S BOOK IT!"

" 200 BILLION YEN IN ONE GO ! WE'RE RICH!"

the robbers were speeding away with a car.

not bad striking at night where most pros are so tired from their day patrols...however…

" WE'VE GOT COMPANY AHEAD OF US!" one of the robbers pointed out to a bunch of dozens uniformed individuals, all aiming special arm-guns at the runaway car.

The only order they were waiting for was...their boss's command to open fire.

" IT'S GANG ORCA! DO A U-TURN !" before the driver could do as told, the car refused to budge, the front wheels were literally cemented to the road.

A slime-like substance that quickly harden upon air contact, huh ?

" Attention! villains! You have ten seconds to exist the car with risen hands! Otherwise I'll take measures to put you down!" he was a tall well-built humanoid that's obvious enough, the distinct features that makes him stand out weren't the long black hair or the business man's costume that earns him the title 'gang'...what stood was the orca-like head.

So this is number ten hmmm~? Quiet scary~! Dehni thought amusingly.

The robbers didn't do as told, or at least three minus the driver who complied. No he was more civilian-like than a robber…

"SQUAD ONE ! FOLLOW ME! SQUAD TWO! TEND TO THE DRIVER!" yeah the way he run after them with others following his lead and some staying with the now shaking civilian proved that.

Once he was sure there was no civilians in the way, Gang Orca didn't hesitate to blast hypersonic waves at the runaway villains...they were knocked out instantly.

" magnificent work, Boss" his sidekicks were making their way to restrain the unconscious robbers, until a voice made them pause.

Gang Orca glanced towards the voice's source, it was a dark mantled figure...locked in the sky…

" huh ? What's that ?" one of his sidekicks exclaimed as he too observed the person descending to a degree were city's light was making him fully visible.

To their eyes Dehni's frame was like a piece of abyssal darkness in the air.

" good afternoon~ gentlemen!" he called down to the bewildered group and civilians alike.

Many were now glancing his way.

" are you with those robbers ?" Gang Orca didn't let his guard down as he was sure none of this newcomer's features resembled any nearby heroes he knew. So he was ready to unleash another paralytic attack at a moment notice.

" what ? Who? Me ? Pff please~ I'm just your new friendly neighbor coming to say hi...it's rude to not greet your new neighbors after all that's bad manners" the figure did a gesture of 'what can you do?'.

yet the hero wasn't fooled by such cheap talk.

" using Quirks without permission isn't allowed for civilians unless in certain dire occasions of self-defense, may I see your pro license, neighbor ?" Gang Orca's suspicion heightened up with his next words.

" I didn't clarify what type of neighbors I'm, did I ? bu~~t that doesn't matter now! Because I have an extremely important question Boss! " Gang Orca glared in suspicion as he addressed the mantled figure.

" and what would that be ?" Orca readied to engage, since the target is in the air he can fire freely without worrying about civilians or buildings damage.

" what's a sea mammal doing on land ? Shouldn't you be trying to catch juicy seals instead of robbers ?" everyone frozen, civilians, sidekicks and especially the Orca…

" I will take my guess and shove that insult aside...what's a bottom feeder wants from me ?"

Orca's voice seethed with barely restrained rage as his eyes locked upon the flying target.

" already told you~! I'm here to say hi...in my own style" the mantled figure now descended to the ground. The robbers stood up shakily as they were listening to the newcomer's conversation.

they run and bypassed him trying to escape the mafia Boss as he barked an order to follow them, the Orca taking the lead.

" THANKS FOR THE SAVE! HAHAHAHA! WE'RE RICH!WE'RE RICH! GHH!"the once running robbers suddenly frozen in their tracks, as Dehni extended a hand behind him.

" oh~? Who told you that ?" he whispered audibly enough for everyone to hear, the robbers were thrown at Orca's feet...but not the money bags.

This time his sidekicks were ready for the restrain as they showered the unsuspecting robbers with instant-cement shots.

Orca on the other hand looked at the hovering money bags and the mysterious figure below them.

" so you were after the money…" the orca started getting closer for a sneak attack, using small talk as a camouflage for his intentions.

If this villain can move those robbers with ease then I have to blindside him!

" money ? Nah! For the last time I-"

CRASH!

a fist powered with high-frequency vibrations cracked the road. The Orca looked up where the figure...was examining the hole he made ?

" hmmm, a bit shallow in my opinion...holding back I assume ? Oh! How kind of you, Boss" Dehni called down even as he was parallel to the road.

" FIRST SQUAD FIRE!" he ordered swiftly as he blasted hypersonic waves at Dehni.

The shots trajectory was deviating due to gravity but the moment Dehni tried to avoid side ways the hypersonic shock waves diverged their direction towards him.

They hit home, Dehni was now falling as he was cemented to the road.

Gang Orca slowly made way for this new 'neighbor' as he though he was victorious.

" whispering Ethereal Astrolabe, Resonance analysis" he heard the strange figure mumbling some incomprehensible words, not too long after his confusion a voice ringed around.

" Analysis complete, low-level Resonance" the words were strange and foreign too but he let his guard down as the villain was already restrain some few feet away from him.

" just a low resonance ? What a shame~" again he didn't understand a thing but the mysterious figure broke the cement down with some kind of unseen force. The fragments were now orbiting the masked one.

" Telekinesis ?" restraining this villain won't be easy now that the cement-shots are useless...I need to knock him out…

during the question the Orca circled around the abyssal clad villain before sending a low-frequency message to his sidekicks...they understood what to do…

" Bingo!" the villain's answer made his thoughts to accelerate as he constructed a plan.

From earlier it seemed he needs to point his palm at a target in order to active his telekinesis, which means…

now the Orca stopped circulating as he was between his group and Dehni.

...he can't avoid two attacks at once, if he turned around and blocked the cement-shots then my hypersonic blast will rend him unconscious...but if he avoided my attack the cements shots will hit home this time! Giving me an opening in the process!

The Orca dashed forward as he reared back his fist for a full swing and at the same time ordering his group to fire.

Time slowed down as both the Orca and the shots were mere feet away from their target, however at the last second Dehni jumped up making the shots head towards their Boss…

or so it seemed.

FSSSSSSSSSSS!

the hyper eco-blast sent the shots ascending to the villain...however in a split second they stopped midair before returning to their owner…

!?

Gang Orca fell down as he greeted the hard road...his sidekicks rushed in to help but he stopped them, bursting the cement away and glaring up at the hovering villain.

TH-TH-THUD

the money bags were now at his feet...this made him glance perplexedly at the flying one.

" not bad reflexes you have, Boss...yet you still lack speed, try to be more creative with using that power of yours instead of thinking about the surface image" his words and action left him no choice but to ask one question.

" WHO ARE YOU ?!" the Orca called up and the flying one answered by...wrapping his mantle with one hand like a certain DC hero ?

" you can call me the 'Masked Phantom'...boo~~!" the way he wrangled his arms in a childish manner made the Orca wish his effective blasts could reach that far in the sky.

" Call reinforcements! we're taking this one down!" the Orca ordered but a sudden flash of light illuminated the sky...and then…

" sir! that villain vanished!" one of his sidekicks, the one with infrared quirk proclaimed making the Orca reformulate his decisions.

" let's resume our patrol after we finish here! He can't go that far!" all the sidekicks responded with a 'yes sir!'

…

.

in the next day morning nothing outstanding hit the news...all talk was about All Might's recent good deeds in Tokyo or other cities. When Dehni checked his newspaper he didn't find anything about a phantom or something around that line.

Hmmm...maybe interfering at night wasn't a good choice...huh?

It was in the second to last page a small headline that reads 'mysterious villain managed to escape Gang Orca without leaving a trace behind'

the resume of those few paragraphs were talking mostly about the robbery until the last line.

"...the famous Gang Orca collaborated with other pro heroes in order to pin down the mysterious robber but they left no trace behind…" hmm, not bad for a humble beginning...now I need a bigger fish…but who ?

when he flipped to the last page he got his answer.

Number 9 Ryuko and Ingenium cooperation saved civilians from a collapsing bridge in Osaka...yosh ! It's time to pay them a visit!

…

.

-after a week-

When he was roaming Osaka's streets he managed to gather info about Ingenium, apparently the pro hero moves with his Idaten team most of the time in a truck...they take shifts between nighttime and daytime everyday...while Ryukyu is more picky in the matter, she prefers working in day light...but she will respond to any distress call at nighttime.

Which means unless it's a very serious matter not like everyday minorities that any average pro can deal with, she won't waste her energy...a wise choice...what to do~? What to do~?

FSSHHT

a big screen that was showing an advertising of newest shampoo products turned temporarily into a TV news broadcast.

The screen showed three distinct things, a high-speed well clad hero running on a highway, a speeding truck with two individuals shooting some sort of high-pressure jets of water and explosive ammo...and a certain flying dragon brushing those hits off.

From the camera view it's seems like they're followed by a helicopter...the Hanshin expressway? That's not too far from here...but where is their location exactly ?

" mumbling no matter this is a gold opportunity I can't pass!" he run into a dark alleyway where he changed into the abyssal clothes quickly.

Before flying up and towards the current news.

" it's time to steal the spotlight!" his mantle danced in the wind as he announced those words.

…

.

KABOOM!
" HAHAHAHA! what's wrong can't catch-up ?" the one armed with explosive ammo laughed as he made it clear that taking them down won't be easy.

I can outrun this truck! But maneuvering their attacks is hard enough! Ingenium thought acridly as he was having a hard time evading the cracks in the road.

" Ingenium! I'll cover for you, you go and subdue those villains!" Ryuko tried to shield Ingenium by flying lower and spreading her wings yet the two runaways didn't give her the chance as they assaulted her wings with water jets.

"GHH!" she cried in pain while avoiding another hail of projectiles.

" Ryukyu-san!" Ingenium called to her as she was falling back.

Support items plus focused high-pressure water can pierce even my hard scales!

She thought as she could feel her injury drawing blood, thankfully it wasn't deep enough. However this meant getting closer put her on a greater risk.

This is not good! if we don't finish this soon the damage to the highway will increase ! or the worst could happen!

Ryukyu tried to do the same umbrella trick again, however this time the villains increased their distance by showering the road with explosive projectiles.

The dragon hero flew upwards while Ingenium jumped up, both avoiding serious damage.

Unbeknownst to both parties the smoke behind the chase scene was disturbed...by an abyssal clad one penetrating it at high-speeds…

" team Idaten! How much until Kyoto's intersection ?" Ingenium asked through the helmet, yet the answer come from nearby instead.

" about 10 kms ( 6.2 mile) to be precise, Iron-man" he looked towards his right side, Ryukyu already giving chase to notice their exchange.

The figure was black, wearing a dark mask, and only red dots for eyes were visible...he was flying in a relax position to say the least...like someone with his right side on the ground, arm bent with right hand's palm cradling his head.

" wha-? The highway is currently off-limits ! You should fall back at once it's too dangerous !" Ingenium ordered the masked one, but to no avail…

" do I look like a civilian to you ?! " the figure sounded offended, however Ingenium long experience made his alarms go nuts.

Their leader perhaps ? Not good not good at all, without more reinforcements I can't deal with two sides fast enough!

before he could formulate a new plan due to Dehni's interference, he heard a strange voice.

" low-level resonance" the words were incomprehensible, yet he recognized the language thanks to his intellect.

Before he could think further on the matter the mysterious figure flew besides Ryukyu.

" RYUKYU! LOOK OUT!" he called up, a split second too late as both the same voice repeated the same sentence and another barrage of projectiles hurled towards her.

A split second she didn't have enough reaction time, so she shielded her form with the wings as she braced for the impact…

KRA-KABOOOM!

...a heat wave washed up through her frame, yet no real pain seared her. When she opened her eyes Ingenium was already giving chase to the now three individuals.

What happened ?

" Ryukyu! it's their leader!" he called up shaking her from the perplexed state, she didn't take time to give chase.

" leader ?"/ "what they are talking about ?" both the sides looked at each other, the one staring down from the truck's edge and the dumbfounded duo staring up at the masked one.

He bend down in a siting position before uttering a single word.

" Boo~!"

P-P-P-P-P-PEW!

" what the heck is going on back their !?" the driver shouted as he could feel the truck's rooftop was now rivaling Swiss cheese.

" nothing much, they just think I'm a pro hero, and the pros are thinking I'm their leader, folks these days…can you believe it ?" Dehni answered right besides him, the driver cascaded bullets of sweat as he stomped the gas pedal with all his might.

The sudden acceleration made the two lookouts stumble down, a chance the pros didn't oversee.

" ULTIMATE MOVE! ROCKET CHARGE!" Ingenium accelerated by his costume made him reach the truck in no time, as the villains tried to recover he was already sending them into dreamland with one swift full roundhouse kick to the head.

Not too long after that Ryukyu opened the truck's already abused roof with her claws.

" the leader isn't here ?!" she exclaimed her surprise.

" I'M NOT THEIR LEADER!" and Dehni exposed his location. He was locked in the sky, behind him the helicopter with news reporter commenting on the scene.

" It's seems that a mysterious pro hero has managed to arrive on the scene ! The abyssal-black hero—EEEK?!"

Dehni was done with being labeled wrongly for today, as he took the microphone from the now terrified reporter.

" OH! NO! THE NEWS GROUP!" Ryukyu cried as she flew up with all of her might.

despite her high airborne abilities he still managed to outmaneuver her nimbly. While also facing the cameraman.

" Konnichiwa mina-san! today we of the...what's your channel called ?" Dehni asked the dumbfounded News reporter as she meekly uttered one word.

" N-N-NHK…"

" oh~! Thank you!, Ahem now we of the NHK channel members have a special guest in today's episode ! The famous draconian lady! Please give a warm welcome to number 9! Ryukyu!" Dehni pointed an open palm at the flying dragon, the dragon replied with claws instead. She tried to swipe at him, seeing that both of the news members were relatively away from him on the now retreating helicopter. yet he still managed to stick on their side.

"and question number one in this interview! What's your take on the current situation of the society's heroic activities?" Dehni pointed the microphone towards her.

" GET AWAY FROM THEM!" the dragon lady ferociously replied, No longer composed.

" indeed ! Heroic activities aren't something I'm cut for, besides don't you think there's too much regulations surrounding this Quirky society ?" Dehni continued his show even as the pro was seething with rage.

Dang it! those poor reporters! if onlyI can help her! Ingenium was vivid at his own helplessness. Even as he tied the driver besides the other two unconscious villains.

" do you have a relation with those villains ?!" Ryukyu wanted to buy time as seeing his nimbleness was extraordinary.

" that's a good point again! Support items are meant only for certain individuals with certain licenses ! But what about normal people ? Shouldn't they too have their own share ?" Dehni glanced at Ryukyu before looking back at the cameraman.

" so many hot topics to be discussed, we'll not be back after the advertisements...this was the Masked Phantom from NHK news, Sayonara~!" Ryukyu was huffing uncontrollably as she observed all of Dehni's movements but two things were happening at once, one is him being flying away from the helicopter and two the microphone flying back to the reporter's hands.

Before a sudden light show throw them off...when it dimmed nothing was left behind except confused pros and news group.

Who was that ? Ingenium thought. Many of both the present and the absent shared the same thing.

…

.

during the night Dehni was into his rented apartment where TV news where about the 'Masked Phantom' suddenly appears and vanish during pros chase of illegal support items dealers.

He was quiet pleased by the reputation he was building, nothing outstanding just a sneaking entrance and a flashy exit.

Now to give allies hints, I must find that number 8 Wash hero...Giran won't recruit me for the league unless I make something more than fleeing the scene or toying around pros…

it was the last week before Nine's awakening...which means he was running out of time, he must do something more remarkable but also must include the number 8 hero in the equation.

Which is why he was now flying through the Hanshin express way towards Kyoto...where Wash is currently residing…

Wash most notable feats are in the rescue parts...which means if any dumb villain was generous enough to provide some rubble cages, he will head there immediately...giving me the conditions satisfaction I need...

but it seemed he wasn't the only occupant of the express highway...just dozens of meters in the cement road below he could see a familiar costume chasing after a…

" a cheetah ? Well that's one I overlooked...no it's more like a bipedal hybrid...probably a mutant-type then"

like the friendly neighbor he was, he didn't hesitate to join their joggling party…

…

.

" team Idaten! Target is heading your way at 114 km/h (around 60 mph) !" Ingenium declared though the communication device, the cheetah already a fair distance in advance.

" HAHAHAHA! I'm the top runner in these roads! not you nor any nearby pros can catch me ! BWAHAHAHAHA!" the cheetah speedster laughed maniacally as he wasn't showing any signs of exhaustion.

" Pspspspspspspsps! here kitty kitty kitty~!" the cheetah glanced up...at the hovering black mantle…he was utterly confused at first. before he and Ingenium remarked as one.

" IT'S THE MASKED PHANTOM!"/"THE PHANTOM!?"

" finally ! Someone who got my nickname right!...so how is it going mina-san ? Heading for Kyoto like me ?" Dehni asked both the runners as he had no difficulty keeping himself in first place.

" Team Idaten! A change in plans ! the Masked Phantom has shown itself again!" Ingenium informed them.

The cheetah on the other hand increased his speed. Trying to reach the flying one.

" you may be able to maneuver well in the sky! But no matter what I'm still the top runner in these roads! Given airborne or not I'll outrun you all!" the cheetah declared desperately as he kicked his legs into high gears.

" come on Furball-san! You can do it!" Dehni gave his best encouragements. while still outrunning them both.

" WHO'RE YOU CALLING A FURBALL ?!" somehow that little sentence had a visible effect, because even Ingenium was having a hard time staying nearby of the cheetah.

" WHAT ARE YOU AFTER ?! PHANTOM !" he called up to the confused villain.

" I'm just a spectator to this race of you two, isn't that obvious ?" Dehni answered like it's the most clear thing.

" you're a competitor ! a competitor I'll will defeat!" the cheetah was on a different world.

" naaaaah~ I told already I'm ju~st a mere spectator!" Dehni retorted back, veins were bulging through the cheetah's forehead.

Meanwhile in the visible highway ahead, a truck was blocking the path, different people with unique features where standing on standby waiting for the runners, a giant sheet of airbags was also there.

They could see a dark something coming their way...behind it a cheetah hybrid that was visibly twitching for an unknown reason, lastly their comrade and leader trying to catch-up.

With the help of my friends! We can subdue both the Phantom and the runner easily I just need to-

his train of thoughts was cut short by a sudden shriek-like shout.

" THEN WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU WATCHING BY THE SIDELINES INSTEAD OF BLOCKING MY WAY ?!" the cheetah roared with all of his might.

" it's simple, Furball-san...the reason for that is…" in an instant Dehni flew out of his eyesight, instead of a clear highway free of competitors he was welcomed by a dead end composed of an eager team Idaten.

"OH NO!"

because of his momentum he didn't have enough stability nor his tail could help him avoid something like this in time...the idea of jumping up was all he had.

But a giant black thing blocked his sky road...pinning him down completely. Struggling was pointless as he was already surrounded by them.

And to make matters even worst than Ingenium arriving on the scene, cutting off any hopes of escaping.

" AND THE WINNER IS...FURBALL-SAN!"

he glared up at the Phantom followed by many others. The black thing tried to catch him but to no avail…

" SEE YOU IN KYOTO!" was all they could hear before the phantom continued his way towards his next target.

" what do we do now Ingenium ?" one of his comrades asked.

Ingenium didn't reply immediately instead he set for just clutching his fist in anger before ordering his comrades.

"...we will hand over this one to the police before informing them with these recent news...we must track the Phantom down after that!"

…

.

Kyoto wasn't that busy of a city normally...however, this night it's in more high alert than usual...if the amount of pro heroes patrolling the streets is any indication.

" maybe I shouldn't have told them I'm coming here…" he berated himself in a playful manner as his eyes were searching the roads below…

groups of two to three pros are patrolling the streets in a rhythm-like way...instead of sidekicks plus a pro...this makes things easier to spot my target…

he didn't take long to find a certain washing machine-like person...wearing blue-green pants and with eyes coming from the lid plus gloved hands protruding from his sides.

" ho~? Helping pedestrians crossing a busy road ? How kind of you! Number 8" the once busy road went silent for a moment.

" Washa ?" Wash looked up at the floating Phantom.

" Boo~!" and all chaos broke loose.

" IT'S THE PHANTOM!" one of the crowds screamed others followed suit while running in all directions.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your nighttime routine but I need help! You see these clothes are starting to smell and I'm broke...so can you wash them for me Wash-san ?" between the panicked screams of the streets occupants, wash replied in an angry tone.

" that would've been a pleasure to help someone in need! But you're not a civilian !" that comment made the floating abyss pause. So he asked astonishingly while dodging all kinds of stream bubbles.

" wait a minute ? YOU MEAN THIS COSTUME OF YOURS ISN'T JUST FOR SHOW ?! Grumbling I should have brought my whole laundry then!"

thanks to the now evacuated streets Wash and other nameless pros weren't holding much on their attacks while trying to restrain the flying abyss with all kinds of projectiles from giant Bubbles to solid smoke etc.

but nothing hit home, the Phantom's nimbleness was sure of that.

In fact he was getting closer and closer to the pros with each evasion, and finally he was mere meters away from the number 8 hero.

" low-level resonance" a disembodied voice made the Phantom sigh before ascending to the sky as if he wasn't showered with all kinds of gifts that wanted him to stay in the ground.

" HOW CAN HE AVOID ALL THAT ?!" one of the nameless shouted angrily.

" HOW CAN YOU ALL BE THAT BAD AT AIMING ?!" and the Phantom retort made him vivid.

Wash on the other hand used his trump card seeing as nothing else was working on this special villain, sure this move will leave him unable to make use of his Clean Bubbler Quirk but there's no other choice.

He opened his costume's lid, a strong stream of soapy water drained out like a filled dam, the water spiraled up and up spreading around the abyssal-black villain like a spiderweb.

" WASHA WASHA!" he screamed his ultimate move's name at the top of his lungs.

The villain was looking...disappointed ?

" YOSH! HE GOT NOWHERE TO ESCAPE NOW!"

" GO! WASH !GO!"

" TAKE HIM DOWN!"

cheers and applause from both pros and civilians alike made Wash unlock the power of friendship.

" seriously ? Instead of something like 'Purification Cage' or 'Ariel's whirlpool prison' you just name it 'Washa Washa' ?" Dehni wasn't impressed by such feat.

" WASHA!" was all the retort he could came with.

" SAY WHAT YOU LIKE VILLAIN ! IN LESS THAT FIVE SECONDS YOU'LL BE-" one of the civilians tried to backup his hero but the villain was already...

" gone" a blinding light filled their eyesight and when all was cleared nothing left behind except an empty bad named prison.

…

.

after several days of the 'Phantom's impossible escape' incident Dehni was now back in the lab with the mad doctor.

Today they were ready to awaken Nine from his long slumber…

when Nine opened his eyes the first thing he heard was.

" Ohayo~! Tenki-kun, slept well I assume ?" Dehni's irritating voice.

" I did and I'll give you a permanent one if you called me Tenki again" Nine woke on the wrong side of the bed apparently.

" Ahem! If that's so then I'll give you a brief summary of what happened during your hibernation" Ujiko narrated everything from Dehni's adventures to their discoveries.

" so about my condition ?" Nine asked the doctor with a suspecting gaze.

" we have three main things to say to you…" the assistant replied instead.

Taking Nine's silence as go ahead he continued.

" one, thanks to our samples from the mutated animals we managed to deepen our understanding of the Quirk phenomenon...what we discovered is, the more powerful a quirk is the higher the probability for a severe drawback on the body's functions…"

" tell me something I don't know" despite Nine's burning could glare.

" by analyzing what can cause such catastrophic inconvenience we managed to make a temporarily medicine for those" Dehni presented a glass bottle filled with...green tiny pills ?"

" this medicine can't suppress the life-span cells shortening caused by your Quirk entirely...but at least it can prolong your life span for some extra years…"

Nine stayed silent. That's slightly good news...yet not the satisfying answer he was waiting for.

" two, there's a possibility that we might have stumbled upon a very interesting discovery...but since you're not much into long talks I'll get to the point, there's a possibility that we can alter your DNA to the point where the Quirk's drawback is completely nullified HOWEVER!"

seeing an eagerness in Nine's eyes made Dehni stop that short.

" it's still a work in the process...it might take us years to achieve something like that…" Ujiko explained the situation.

" taking the risk now means there's a 90% chance of worsening your state…" Dehni continued.

" and third ?" Nine body language was telling them he wasn't happy about these news.

" I'll take it from here Dehni-kun, thanks for your work...you're dismiss for today" Ujiko for some reason appeared quiet distress for a second...

" eh ? O-okay Ujiko-san..." yet Dehni obeyed without further questions.

…

..
.

after Dehni took his leave, the lab was silent, the only noises you could hear were the beeping machines.

" I have methods of implementing extra Quirks on a body...but most of the time the recipient's mind lose their self awareness…" Ujiko started slowly using the carrot and stick method.

" cut to the chase…" Nine was done with their detours for one day.

Ujiko's eyes glinted malevolently.

" I want those recipients to be more sentient...to do that I need a test rat…" Ujiko's facade faded away as he revealed his wicked ecstatic smile.

" and what do I get in exchange ? The pills? And what about the body enhancement ?" Nine didn't react at all, yet he was feeling a bit disgusted inside.

" if the experiment fails...you will lose your self-awareness, if it succeeds you get an enhanced body plus extra quirks...one of them is capable of giving you what you need...the rest is your job" Ujiko whispered audibly enough for him to hear.

" explain" Nine's glare meant he was two seconds from starting a lighting show outside.

…

.

" I see...that can help me...by getting my hands on a cells-duplication speeding quirk or something like it….that should solve my problem...still it's a gamble" Nine was now more contemplating the doctor proposition than anything else.

" you're free to refuse" for once Nine heard some hints of sincerity in the doctor's voice.

" no...it's a risk I'm ready to take" before stealing his resolve a new one.

Ujiko's smile was wicked.

" inform your comrades, because after that we'll begin immediately "

…

.

" Yo! Mister Phantom" a sleekly sick voice ringed in a starless night. The one address glanced back at a purple suit wearing smoker with a smugly self-confident look.

" who ? Another pro hero I assume ?" Dehni called to the carefree smoker.

" no, I have a proposition for you Mister Phantom" the smoker proposed as he rose his hands up in surrender, a gesture to show he has no ill intents.

" and what would that be ?" Dehni was now facing him fully. Dressed in abyssal-black the smoker couldn't read anything about his facial expressions, yet based on long business experience and the tone of his voice the masked one wasn't hostile.

" joining a group that will soon rise to the top...I'm here to ask you to…" while the smoker selected his words carefully.

Dehni smirked behind the mask.

"...to join the League of Villains" Giran's declaration made him think of one thing.

Yosh! Next target is All Might.

-the present-

" Meowch!" the Felyne cried in pain before returning back into his normal form. They were now walking back to the main building following Aizawa.

Not bad, now they have seen nine forms so far…

yeah where's the problem ?

Sigh teachers at U.A. are doing a tremendous job, you know why ? Because they guide those with talent until theybecome formidable heroes...but can the same be said for the general public that disregard the motives solely for what they see ?

Ehhh? I don't think so...many judge people by their first impressions and looks...you mean all that 'usage limit outta the window' was just a catch-up in the moment thing ?

No, it wasn't. I brought this up for two reasons...one if I didn't say that your judgment would have being clouded by fear making you appear as 'potential lacking'

but...Aizawa-sensei told us the last one will be expelled...no ?

Not exactly, have you asked yourself...or me in this case for why he brought the expulsion up in the very first day of school?

Ummm...because it's U.A. ? a hardcore heroic high school?

FACEPALM! besides that!

Umm...I...actually don't know…

well allow me to enlighten you, there is one possibility I can think of…

which is ?

To bring out the students maximum capabilities...using the threat of expulsion as a drive.

Ohhhh! so he lied in order to get accurate observation info ?

Probably...secondly after seeing their reactions I'm not certain that they are ready for such 'Quirk' we have…you need first to gain the society's trust...like All Might did...despite having such a very powerful Quirk he's still viewed as a symbol of peace.

In other words...I can't go nuts with Polymorph in public eyes until I gain their full trust ?

Yes, plus we can always joke it off for any explanations that we might need to fabricate for why the eh...as example the Erasing doesn't work on it.

Yosh! I'm motivated now more than ever! I will prove to everyone that I'm not an anomaly !

" time to present the results" Aizawa's monotone voice stopped any fantasy he was about to venture into.

" the total is simply the aggregate sum of each of your scores, if I recited all yours it'd take a million years, so I'll disclose them all at once" while Aizawa explained the scoring system, Midoriya was shaking nervously and not from only the pain.

If my total is the lowest I will get expelled...I did miserably at every other trial...I did especially horribly on the endurance run since I could barely stand the pain…

Aizawa displayed a holographic list…

of course he was last…

a grimace adorned his face but a grip on his shoulder made him glance up...to a more grimacing Maruchi…

" little brother...I'm so-" before Midoriya could tell him it's not your fault or scold him for even thinking of giving up so he can stay...their teacher decided to reduce Midoriya's state from 'in pain and misery' to 'shaking from pain and frozen from shock' by his next blunt words.

" Oh yeah that whole 'expulsion thing was a lie" Aizawa's face took onto a very sly smirk.

" it was a logical ruse to pull out your best performances."

I love it when I'm right.

..

Silence…

then…

" WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT!?" Iida, the brunette, Midoriya and Maruchi screamed as one.

" come on guys, use your brains! Of course it was just a ruse!" a black-haired pony-tailed girl told them as if it was the most obvious thing in the world…

believe me young lady, he's a lost case...anyway, congratulations!

congratulations for wooooah!

the first one was…

" I'M WHAT ?!"/"HOW THE HELL DID TOKAGE GET FIRST PLACE!?" Bakugo and Maruchi spook at once...both in mild shock.

Even Midoriya and his squad did the same.

List :

1st Kayama Maruchi

2nd Yaoyorozu Momo

3rd Todoroki Shoto

4th Bakugo Katsuki

5th Ida Tenya

6th Tokoyami Fumikage

7th Shoji Mezo

8th Ojiro Mashirao

9th Kirishima Eijiro

10th Ashido Mina

11th Uraraka Ochaco

12th Koda Koji

13th Sato Rikido

14th Asui Tsuyu

15th Aoyama Yuga

16th Sero Hanta

17th Kaminari Denki

18th Jiro Kyoka

19th Hagakure Toru

20th Mineta Minoru

21th Midoriya Izuku

" u-uhhh!" Maruchi on his part couldn't even speak…

this is not what I wanted at all...the last thing I need is extra attention.

" his scores are the highest in total between the trials, that's all" Aizawa's sole response to their rants.

Excellent mastery in those six forms is also a factor here...the only exceptions were three, the black beast, the white saber-tooth and finally the fluffy cat…they're some things I need to discuss with Midnight…

" and...right, with that, it's over. Your curriculum sheets are back in the classroom so give them a once-over...and Midoriya!" Aizawa continued to speak even after his thoughts being in shambles.

He handed the injured broccoli a sheet of paper.

" go to recovery girl and get yourself patched up, since your eyeballs will doubtless pop out of their sockets at tomorrow's absurd ordeal" Aizawa's mysterious last words didn't go unnoticed.

Tomorrow's absurd ordeal ?

Oh! boy! There's no rest for the wicked then…

Maruchi put his hand on the back of a startled Izuku as he voiced out his concerns.

" fear not little bro, it may be hard...but you can pull yourself together in the end...like you did today!"

" yeah...yeah…sigh "

" uh ? You don't look that cheerful...are you alright ?"

no he's totally and absolutely fine, I mean he doesn't have a broken finger nor he scored last place, did he ? Not to mention being saved from expulsion by sheer luck too.

It doesn't hurt to ask!

" don't get me wrong...I'm glad I'm safe, but there's still too much I can't do...last place isn't exactly a promising start…" from here on I've to study and train harder than before!

" do your best!" the brunette cheer as well as Ida, Maruchi on the other hand tried to tease him as his face reddened.

That was until his inner voice reminded him of something he totally forgot during these events.

-meanwhile-

" Aizawa you liar!" All Might shouted as he addressed him.

" oh, it's All Might, so you were watching, I take it ? You must be free, then." The later lazily confronted.

" a 'logical ruse' ? April fool's was a week ago! You expelled an entire new class of first-graders last-year!" All Might retorted his claims since he was certain that info from the register of instructions wasn't a joke.

" you kick kids out without a moment's hesitation if you judge them as having 'zero chances', this is a total 180 from what you used to always say! Could it be because…" All Might continued to explain as he pointed out a finger at the lazy teacher.

" you felt it too, right? Midoriya's raw potential!" All Might's tongue moved on his own before he had time to carefully process what he blurts.

"...'you too'….?...so you have his back, right…? Normally that'd be against your teaching style…" All Might couldn't say anything more as his whole body twitched.

" his chances are above the 'zero' mark, that's all, I can kick out anyone whose chances drop below that mark at any time, it's not a cruel thing to end the dream of those who aren't fitted" Aizawa continued on his mere way. Leaving number one to contemplate what he remarked.

So that's your brand of kindness. Is that it Aizawa ? However…

" just as I thought...we'll never get along" All Might mumbled to himself.

…

All Might stood there for a few moments looking at the frame of Aizawa's retreating form...before a new voice drew his attention.

" WAIIIIIIITT! a familiar one too.

" Maruchi-shounen ?!"/" All Mighto ?!" before number one could explain himself for why he was here, Maruchi spared him the trouble.

" have you seen a sleepy looking black-haired guy, with dry eyes and some bandages wrapped around his neck passing by ?"

" uh..that sounds like Aizawa-kun, he went to the-"

FWOOTT!

All Might sweat-dropped at the trail of dust he left behind…

why on a hurry ?

…

.

" morning Yamada" Aizawa greeted his old friend casually.

" Ohayo! Shota...you didn't expel anyone today did you ?"

" why you ask ?"

" well it will be a shame if we lost so many talented students at once…I was just saying…" Mic shrugged helplessly.

" you know me well, even if they are special, if they lack the potential then I won't hesitate to expel them"

" Oi!oi isn't that a little co-"

" AI-AIZAWA-SENSEI!" the DJ hero was once again startled by someone with nearly the sheer voice volume as him.

" hmm…?" Aizawa glanced back at him lazily as the purple-head huffed out of breath.

" huff huff thank you for...huff huff...not expelling us!huuff" Maruchi gasped as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.

" 'us' ? So you have noticed" Aizawa now fully rotated to face him.

" yes, you could have expelled us both...my little uh, I mean Midoriya for his lack of control over his Quirk, and me because I held back...isn't that right ?" Maruchi demanded a clarification but instead he received a vague answer.

" and here I thought you're a forgetful one" Aizawa mysteriously murmured.

Eh ? What does he mean ?

Let him finish then I can explain.

" I don't like repeating myself, you two showed promised and that's all…" Aizawa went away leaving him with the DJ hero but not without some parting words.

" keep up the good work and don't fear your power...or else" the last part reminded him of his mother when she's using dominance aura.

" SIR! YES SIR!" that made Maruchi salute uncontrollably. Until a comforting hand released the tension in his body.

" don't worry young listener, he may look scary but deep down he's a very kind guy...oh and one last thing! Midnight wants you to wait for her by the school's inner gates " the DJ hero told before following his old friend.

…

.
" whew that was nerve wrecking"

are you done ? If yes then let me reminds you.

-flashback-

" huff huff !" there's still some time left! I just need to convince one of the teachers or even the principal!

Maruchi thought as he run in a random alley of the giant building that is U.A.

THUD!

when he turned swiftly to a sharp corner, he fell down face-first…

" oww…"

" are you alright, young listener ?"

luckily for him he stumbled upon his favorite Radio's show presenter.

" y-yeah, thank you" for once he composed himself enough to not mimic a fan-mode Midoriya.

" why were you in a hurry something happened ?" the DJ hero asked him with some slight concern.

" a-ah! Yes! something happened! My little brother didn't score any points during the physical exam! isn't there anyway I can help him with my points ?" Maruchi pleaded.

" e-eh ?" the DJ hero didn't what to say at first but before he can think of something the purple-head continued his begging.

" sniffle he trained really hard to enter U.A.! please! it will be an injustice if he doesn't enter!"

before Mic could reply a new voice joined the one-sided chat.

" if he got zero points this proves he doesn't have potential" Aizawa pinned him with a stern lazy gaze.

" what ?!" Maruchi was about to snap but his inner voice calmed him down.

" you heard me!, he doesn't have potential! No matter how much hard work he did, the entrance exams are the real tests that separate those with merits and those who don't deserve to be here"

Aizawa declared coldly.

Before the purple-head could protest any further he continued with no less seriousness.

" in any case the school rules prohibit such an act"

" sigh I hate to break it to young listener but like he says, it's against the rules"

-end of flashback-

oh! so you mean we were going to get expelled...even if we helped Midoriya ? Because we weren't doing our best by showing our maximum effort…

yeah.

So that's why he confronted us when we used the Rathalos form…he didn't want to expel us because he knew we have potential...what a sneaky teacher! Hehehehehe! Right Sensei ?

…

uh..? Sensei?

Oh! yes he's a tricky one...I was just wondering about something not very important that's all…

Okay!...wait...where's the exit ?

Sigh down the alley to the left, take a detour on the first corner and walk straight until you find a sign that has '3-B' then the exist will be visible to you.

Thanks! Sensei!

…

..
.

and then to the left corne—Izuku?!

"Maruchi!"

" Yo! Little bro!" Midoriya's face lightened up as he saw his big brother.

Obviously Maruchi volunteered to accompany him to the nurse's office…

…

.

SMOOCH!

" wow! It's healed! sugoi ! Ma'am you're a life saver" Maruchi blurted out as green light engulfed the swollen finger.

" indeed this is amazing...but I...suddenly feel so...tired…" energy was drained out of Midoriya's frame.

" all my Quirk does is amplify your own body's regenerative processes. in order to heal, you need to use up some of your strength. If you keep getting injured and use up too much of your body's energy to regenerate, you'll just end up dying anyway, so be careful" Recovery Granny's explanation earned her a ring in the ears.

"I'LL DIE !?"/"HE'LL DIE!" as the duo shout in unison.

…

.

"I'm so exhausted..."

after exiting the office and out to the inner gates, Maruchi paused making a slumbering Midoriya glance back at him.

" I was told to wait for my mother here...go ahead little bro" Maruchi's tone indicated he wasn't pleased by that.

" no need to rush...I can wait too…" Midoriya made a 180 turn as he joined his big brother.

But he was soon stopped by a hand grasping his shoulder.

" is your finger healed?" Ida asked in concern.

" OH!, hey Ida-kun, yeah, recovery girl saw to that…" Midoriya was a little startled by Ida.

" yeah, he's all patched up now" Maruchi decided to pop out too.

" Kayama-kun!"

" just call me Maruchi, it's fine"

" as you wish...Maruchi-kun...congratulations on getting first by the way, I have to say Aizawa-sensei really got me! I'd actually thought 'so this is what the highest academia is like'! Now I see how a teacher can encourage through deception...it even drove you into holding back!" Ida directed the last part to Maruchi, making the later sheepishly glance away.

Before, I saw Ida as scary. But he's just a really honest diligent guy! Midoriya thought relieved the tension that was squeezing his chest. Feeling at ease he steeled his resolve again. Upon remembering Aizawa's words.

I can't go on like this, getting rescued all the time...I've gotta learn to adjust it, and quickly…!

" Hey There!" his thoughts were suspended as a familiar voice called to them.

It's Uraraka!

" hey, you three! you're headed towards the station ?" Uraraka asked the trio promoting one of them to respond before the others.

" you're that 'infinity' girl"

infinity girl ?

Infinity girl?

He's referring to her score in the softball test dummy.

Oh!

" Hi, I'm Uraraka Ochako! You're, uhh, 'Ida Tenya' and, if I'm not mistaken…'Mariachi Kayama' and...'Midoriya Deku' !"

" 'Deku'!?"/"Mariachi!?" both of the duo spoke as one at that.

PFFFFFFFHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!MA-MARIACHIIIIIII! PPFFFHAHAHAHAHA!

DO I LOOK MEXICAN TO YOU ?!

Since Maria-...Maruchi didn't want to burst at the poor girl, he instead directed that ire at the one laughing at him...making his inner voice laugh even more.

" eh ? Wasn't that what that Bakugo kid called you ?"

" DEKU! YOU BASTARD!"

" ehh, actually, my name is 'Izuku'...'Deku' is just what Kacchan calls me to demean me…" Midoriya frantically tried to correct the misunderstanding.

" Oh, so it's an insult!" Ida concluded.

" yeah, Bakugo seems to do that to everyone, he calls me 'Tokage' even if my name is MaRUchi " at least Tokage doesn't sound so insulting as Mariachi does…

PFFF-

I SWEAR IF YOU LAUGH ONE MORE TIM-

" ehhh, for real!? sorry!" Uraraka's apologized before she smiled at them.

" but you know, I kinda like the name 'Deku' for you! It gives me a sorta 'never give up' vibe!"

" DEKU IT IS!"

hmmm, come on it's not that bad even your tomato-red brother isn't even insulted by his nickname.

I'm sure not everyone thinks so.

" MIDORIYA! don't be so weak-willed it's an insult, remember !? "

see ? Even Ida agree with me !

" it's just like when Copernicus flipped the paradigm…" Midoriya's mumbled earned him quizzical gazes from the others.

" Coper-huh ?"/" what are you bubbling about ?" both Uraraka and Maruchi commented at the same time.

…

.

they started marching away...leaving a lone Maruchi staring at them…

" are you coming Maruchi-kun ?" Ida's question gave the group a pause as he replied.

" uh ? Actually I'm waiting for my mother…"

" your mother ? she have a special authorization to enter U.A. ?"

again with the laws and regulations before anything else...truly a Lawyer to the core.

" uh ? I guess so since she works here..."

Sensei, that joke has become old!

" works here ? You mean...Your mother is a U.A.'s teacher!?" Uraraka couldn't hide her surprise.

" uh ? Yes she's the modern arts teacher for our class" Maruchi announced that casually making the others giving him dumbfounded looks.

" EHHHH?!" with extra high-pitched scream as bonus.

-meanwhile-

" I see...this only solidifies Tsukauchi's theory...no wonder his Quirk is so strange…" Midnight was done with her first day of presentations, unlike Aizawa she prefers to go a little easy on the students.

She was about to head for the school's gates, but the urgency in her old friend's voice stopped that shortly.

nightmares for merely discovering 'dragons' and unlocking forms by watching cartoons is something she got used to it during her time with the amnesiac, both she could come with reasonable explanations for...despite their absurdity she saw her share of weirdness during her heroic career.

But this is the first time she hears something about a previously thought to be Advanced Transformer-type Quirk not being 'entirely' Erased by her trusted friend's vision power.

" he can change his form like a Transformer-type, he can launch different kinds of projectiles in many of those beast forms like an Emitter-type...and lastly my Erasing Quirk's effect is similar to a Mutant-type…" Aizawa wondered loudly enough for her to hear him.

" it's like...a combination between all those types...Tsk!" Midnight's fists whitened...the only thing stopping her internal promise of vengeance is her friend's next words.

" as his guardian your duty is more than just simple supervision…" Aizawa started slowly, once he was sure her attention wasn't elsewhere he continued.

" I confronted him during the apprehension test, while he most likely was trying to lose on purpose in order to save Midoriya from a certain expulsion, I could see signs of fear in his body language…" Midnight didn't utter any word as response, Aizawa took the hint as indication to finish his point.

" he was afraid...afraid to look abnormal among his peers, afraid to be viewed as someone different...in his eyes I could see fear...fear of being observed as…" Aizawa knew he wasn't going to like wording out the last part...but his guardian needs to hear this bitter truth.

" a Monster"

PAM!

" Shouta...I assure you he's not something as outrageous like that!" this is one of the few times he saw her this angry.

" I know, however you must teach him that fact, besides Tsukauchi-san you're the most influential person on him. His insecurities and our society's perspective is your enemy...are you up to the task, Nemuri ?" Aizawa's question was more of a verification of her resolve.

She pinned her old friend with a look that was mix of rage and determination...he didn't need any more evidence.

" I'm!...plus how can someone who sleeps with stuffed toys be labeled as a monster ? My cute little Maru-kun is anything but that!" her demeanor changed instantly from dead serious into playful, and Aizawa did the right choice to spare his mind from any headaches as he existed the staff room.

Maruchi didn't say much on the topic as he told them she's his guardian by adoption, of course they bombarded him with questions...at first it was about his past and parents but seeing as he was gloomy Midoriya swiftly changed the atmosphere to brighter topics...mainly about her heroic career and other related things…

those moments were short-lived as Ida reminded the group of train's departure.

They bid him farewell and now he sat their on the concrete bored out...that was until he heard a sweat honeyed voice.

" Maru-ku~~n ! sorry to keep you waiting" Midnight called out to him, thankfully the school was devoid of students as he was the latest there.

" took you long enough!" he sent her a comically angry look.

" oh come on! It's not like you waited five hundred years" Midnight joked.

" Hi!hi! Master Oogway !" the way he replied made her frown a little...and when she deciphered the hidden message.

" OWAWAWAWAWAWA!"

she's quiet the wise woman...trying to call her 'old' in that way won't earn you anything except her wrath.

CAN'T I HAVE SOME INNER PEACE FOR ONCE!

" I-I-I'M SORRY!SOBS"

…

.
Aizawa could only deadpan at the display below.

Is she sure about being a suitable guardian ?

She eventually did release his now very red pounding ears.

" that's better...now let's head back home I'm sure you're hungry from anything your homeroom teacher put you through" the way his face lightened up like nothing happened made Aizawa deadpan even more.

Sigh there's no need to worry then.

…

.

" then Midoriya sent it FWOOSH! scoring a spectacular 700+ meters ! It was quiet an amazing sight!" now that they returned home he couldn't shut up about how his first day went.

She was listening wholeheartedly while hiding her thoughts.

" and what about you ? Did yo used any of your cartoon-sponsored forms ?" she intended that as a playful joke, however she wasn't expecting his next reply.

" uh ? Well just one...didn't I tell you ? New forms require training before I can use them freely...otherwise it feels like I'm suddenly drained from energy" Maruchi told her.

" so what you used then ?"

" well...to be honest Aizawa-sensei forced me to use many ones...nine forms in general, Rathalos, Rajang, Hypnocatrice, Gammoth, Tigrex, Barioth, Najarala and finally Felyne." he recited making Midnight look at him perplexedly.

" wow! That is a lot!"

" huh ? What do you mean ? You already know about those ?"

" actually Tsukauchi-san told us you have many...but he didn't clarify how much or how they look" it's not like I'm lying here, Tsukauchi-san is a busy man that likes to get the point directly without detours.

" Ohhhh!...that explains a lot...in that case let me go snatch my encyclopedia!" he didn't wait for permission as he hurried up to his room. Eagerness evident in his footsteps.

Midnight could only smile sincerely at his antics.