*It's here. The finally. The climax. The finisher. Is. Finally. HEEERRREEE! I know that my scheduling was…off. Like way off. And I know I had to split the chapter in half. But this chapter is one of if not the LOOOOOONGEST chapter that I've ever created. But here it is. Where everything finally comes together. You've all been riding nothing but rollercoasters till now, but now you're all gonna be strapped into a rocket ship and sent to the Moon! Let's get right to it! We're picking up EXACTLY where we left off yesterday.
Let's get a going in: 3. 2. 1. BLAST OFF!
*We have a lot of artwork in this chapter so I will try my best to provide URLs. Worst case please visit this story on AO3 the links always work there.
**NEW ARTWORK* Everyone please make sure to thank Voidv25. They really came through to make not one but 3 pieces of artwork for these last 2 chapters. We saw the S.A.G.E. Bazooka last time (link at the end) and this time we're gonna get two new pieces of artwork. And 1 in particular I am very excited about so keep an eye out for it. Everyone! You really need to check out their works: (Voidv25 - Hobbyist, Digital Artist DeviantArt
*TV TROPES LINK: delete the spaces (_ ) within the URL below in order to get the full link.
ht_tp_s:/_/t_v_t_r_op_es.o_r_g/p_m_wi_k_i/p_m_wi_k_i.p_h_p/F_anf_ic/HeroesNeverDieItsHeroTime
Ch.88 Recalibration Part II
Fasttrack tries to grab something, anything, but there's nothing to grab onto! He's falling way too fast, so much so he can only assume that there's nothing but pitch-black darkness all around him. He falls for what feels like forever but in reality was only a few agonizing seconds before his back slams into something cold, slick, and more importantly solid.
Fasttrack hits the landing so hard he bounces and when he lands again, Izuku takes his place in a glow of jade light. "Ugh…" That hurt, he's definitely gonna feel that in the morning. It knocked the wind right out of him too but at least it's quiet. Maybe he lost him…? Or maybe he thinks he's dead? Either would be a good outcome.
But maybe it'd be best not to lie around and let any of those come true. And so, picking himself up Izuku is surprised to find himself sitting atop a massive pipe-like structure. It's so big that Cannonbolt would probably be able to perform some gnarly tricks if he were inside. Maybe this is a fuel line between the Engines and the Power Core or something? Which explains everything else: this place is like a jungle gym turned labyrinth. The entire place is so vast and wide yet so narrow and cramped all at once. Massive pipes like the one he's on seem to stretch on forever until they vanish into the darkness. Cables leading to mysterious destinations swing and dangle within the void like vines. Some strange whirs and sounds of electricity buzzing can be heard somewhere in the darkness. And finally, there's a stray fire here and there that seems to only illuminate their nearest facilities, but he can't tell if they're that small or huge but small in perspective. It also doesn't help that the ship itself keeps rumbling and shifting in direction, most likely from Bakugou's earlier explosion.
"This place is truly hell…" Hopefully his friends are far enough away by now. Who knows, maybe he really did lose Vilgax?
CRAAASH!* The entire pipe rumbles and shakes violently as something large and menacing lands upon it.
Never mind.
"Still running?! You know it's useless, just give me the Omnitrix and I promise to tear your arms off as quickly as I can."
Scrambling to his feet, Izuku backs away with the imposing villain. "Um, no thanks! I like the watch and my arm where they are. Attached to me!"
Vilgax obviously has no remorse nor care as he summons his Infernal Sword to perform such a task! "RAGHHH!"
Scrambling away, Izuku slaps the Omnitrix without looking and transforms while jumping backwards and away from the incoming blade.
His glowing body spins backwards through the air, nimbler and faster than his normal human body would. And when he lands it's not 1 pair but 3 pairs of limbs that touch the ground. His tail whips behind him joyfully while his throat releases a series of excited monkey-like chittering.
"SPIDERMONKEY!" Spidermonkey is revealed to the world, looking exactly as he broadcasted himself; a blue monkey with six limbs, six eyes, and a mean but somewhat playful disposition. "Yeah there was really no need to debate a name for this one, ook-aak!."
Although it appears that his upper torso and face leans more towards the baboon-side of the family, but it still fits the theme.
"Why won't you perish?!" Lifting his Infernal Blade Vilgax swings the mighty blade in an arch in an attempt to decapitate this chimp!
Spidermonkey proves to be far too acrobatic as he swiftly backflips away and out of danger, "Oo, that's a swing and a miss, Ha-oo-oo!" He jeers while running across the expansive pipe.
"Raagh!" Vilgax takes another swing but once again he misses as Spidermonkey leaps up and manages to grab onto one of the hanging cables.
"Eeek-aak, don't feel bad. Practice makes perfect, oo-oo!"
"That it does." Even Vilgax must admit that even though these powers have come somewhat naturally to him he is straining himself to use them. His use of them is not efficient or flowing, it's like he's straining muscles he's never used before in order to even activate such power. "Even if my skills with these Quirks are lacking, can you say that you are not as ill-prepared? Do you really think you can escape my clutches with DNA you know nothing about?! Are you prepared to risk everything on-HMMM!"
A glob of webbing splatters across Vilgax's face, mainly around his respirator and where his nose would be.
"Oh finally! I was getting tired of your lectures, oo-aa."
Ripping off the webbing Vilgax lets his rage erupt! "ENOUGH!" His Bio-fists shift into that of twisted bone and spiked horns respectively, but his fists split apart with his tentacles creating a mess of gauging whips that all stampede across the darkness.
"I will have your head on a pike!"
Spidermonkey swings away, using every cable and protruding pipe to his advantage to escape an unstoppable onslaught that rip and tear away at his previous platforms like nothing.
"Your body will be torn asunder!"
Aiming his tail, he fires a string of webbing into the vast darkness, Spidermonkey is grateful when the line goes taught and he's able to swing himself away before his entire body can be skewered by five of the spiked weapons.
"And I will personally drag your spirit to the bottom trenches of Sheol if I must!"
"You'll have to catch me first! Oo-aa-EEEK!" Spidermonkey screams as a pair of Omega Beams come blazing his way.
Frantically he swings and darts up and away the nearest pipe, running upside down as the Omega Beams quickly approach. He lets go and falls but of course the beams follow. But upon landing back on the milelong pipe again Spidermonkey sprawls against the cold metal as the Omega Beams quickly approaches from above. Thinking fast, he aims a web shot to the side with a pull he slingshots himself away at the last second, allowing the Omega Beams to burst against the pipe instead of into his skull.
"Ugh, boy." Groping his neck, Spidermonkey tries to swallow his fear. He's grateful that the resulting explosions threw up enough of a smokescreen to cover him for now. "Note to self, don't antagonize the alien warlord."
But then again that is what he signed up for. Checking his com-link there still seems to be no confirmation from his friends that they made it out safely. So here he stays. But Vilgax has a point, he's relying too much on these new guys to help him hold his own. Is that really a smart idea? Probably not, but then again if Vilgax really knows his entire roster as well as he says he does then these Nine wild cards will have to be more than enough to throw him off. He just needs someone that's a little wilder, a little more random, a little more powerful to throw him off.
"Well, I guess it's time to let another rookie up to bat, eek-aa." Flicking the Omnitrix with one of his extra hands Spidermonkey exploits just as quickly as he arrived only to be substituted in by one of Izuku's other new aliens!
As he transforms Izuku takes note of how heavy and dense his body becomes and yet his center of mass feels so light and empty. That emptiness soon fills with what he can only describe as gas. "Woah, nelly. Ugh, oh, boy." He groans while grabbing at his stomach. "It feels like my gut is rotting from the inside! Ugh, I feel so gassy." An accurate description considering that instead of a stomach his lower torso is a glass-like vat revealing his insides to be nothing but a tank of unknown and probably smelly fumes. "So, um, hi there, um, Gutrot. Tell me new buddy, what exactly do you do? You a slugger or are ya a chump?" He waits for an answer, maybe from the Omnitrix, maybe from some omnipotent being, but it never comes. "Eh, go figure."
As Gutrot wallows in self-pity Vilgax makes himself known as he emerges from the residing smoke.
"You waited for me? You have my gratitude."
Staring up at the much taller alien, Gutrot's overcome with such an overwhelming sense of dread, and he unintentionally releases streams of gas through the portholes all across his body. Basically, it's his equivalent of wetting his pants.
"Uh, well, ya know, I am a gentleman." As he quivers and shakes, the fumes he's released begin to well-up across the vast darkness, filling it to the brim with clouds of purple gas.
"Another smokescreen? Have you forgotten? You cannot escape me as long as I possess Heartbeat Sense!" Standing his ground, Vilgax's gaze begins to glow red as he prepares for one final finishing move.
"I know that! That's why it's not a smokescreen, it's a cloud of chlorine trifluoride. Just don't ask me how or why I know that. But what I do know is that his gas is highly-"
Vilgax gives him no time to finish as he unleashes another set of burning Omega Beams! Which instantly ignites the highly FLAMMABLE gas, causing an explosion that would make Bakugou either jealous or proud!
The resulting fireball swallows the two aliens up before cascading across the ships' innerworkings like a chain reaction.
Speaking of reactions, Gutrot is screaming his head off as he's blasted right off his feet and through a wall he didn't even know was there! Landing hard against his back he's so happy to find himself back in a new hallway that he almost passes gas…again. "Ugh, that was an explosive one. Oof-ugh!"
Winded and worn out from it all, Gutrot's time runs short as he vanishes in a dazzle of green leaving Izuku to deal with the pain instead.
Sitting up Izuku checks up on the Omnitrix again and sees that it has not dialed to red yet again. "Why'd you time out now? Is it because of my own stamina or my health or what?"
There is of course no answer, but he'd like to pretend there was.
After being blasted off to who-knows-where he decides to quickly take in his surroundings. It then he realizes that the section of wall opposite from which he was forcibly entered is mostly glass allowing him to peer out into space. And although it is still a beautiful sight he's more hung up on the fact that he was so incredibly lucky, like stupid lucky, because if he smashed through just one more wall he would have been floating into space and that would be it! Sure, maybe some aliens can survive the vacuum of space, but he doesn't know which ones! He's never tried! And he's not willing to try right now.
Through the glass he can see the Plus Ultra smoking from one of its engines as a monstrosity of a red ship howls down on it with a barrage of laser and missile fire.
This gets his blood pumping with dread, now realizing he's back on the clock he quickly formulates his next move. 'It looks like I really lost Vilgax this time, especially considering that he hasn't melted me alive with one look. But it won't last long, he won't be far behind with that sensory Quirk of his. I better get moving, I just need to stay ahead of him until everybody is safely off this ship!'
The ship rumbles and shakes while metal around him settles and quivers under the weight.
"Guys, please, get off this ship. I really hate it here!"
"I really hate it here." Nue spits as he trudges through the abandoned hallways. Alarms are blaring in his ears and sparks fly from every light and exposed circuit.
On occasion a Megawatt zips by, laughing it head off before causing another little explosion of electricity that makes Nue flinch as sparks fly at his face. "Damn! Annoying little things."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAbzz!"
"Grrr!" After adjusting the unconscious Rojo over his shoulder, he keeps pushing forward until he finally spots what he's been looking for, the escape pods.
There's only a handful of them left because it looks like most of them have already been launched.
Smiling upon his luck he immediately claims the escape for himself and his plus one. Opening the hatch he tosses Rojo inside before preparing to climb in himself.
As he does the distant noise of crashing metal, and a fiery explosion catches his ears.
Hesitating he stops and stares back towards the corridors, into the ship.
There's a feeling, a sense of insight, like he knows exactly what or rather who is at the center of the chaos. He reflects for a moment before deciding better of it and taking to his escape.
As he does, a whisper, a low, soft, almost inaudible whisper escapes his lips. A whisper to which no one will ever hear, not even the one that it was intended for.
"Good luck…Deku."
Izuku stops and looks back. He frowns, he could have sworn he heard something. But there's nobody there, nothing, maybe all the tension and anxiety getting to him. Shaking it off, he continues on his way through the collapsing ship that continues to creak and moan.
This place is creepy, well it always was but now here alone surrounded by stray sparks and tiny fires amongst a maze of deserted hallways, Izuku can't help but feel…lonely.
Maybe…maybe he should have stuck with everybody? Or maybe…he just wishes he could have someone here to at least talk to. To at least tell him that it's going to be alright…
["You doing alright there, kiddo?"]
"Dad!" Izuku's mood immediately brightens as he presses down on the com-link he was lent. "I'm here! I'm alright! Just…feeling the mode."
Ochaco's voice rings through the communications next. ["Feeling the what?"]
"The Omnitrix, it finally timed out…I-I think that maybe it's linked to my own…energy? My stamina? I'm not sure but I think the timer is gone."
["Huh…"]
["Izuku."] Cinder starts again. ["Where are you? What's your situation?"]
"I'm somewhere along the outer levels of the ship." Izuku explains while looking out towards the Plus Ultra through the large windows. "I can see Japan from here. And is…is THAT PLUMBER BASE!?"
Eraserhead sternly chides the boy. ["Midoriya, focus."]
"Sorry."
Cinder continues. ["We are making our final approach to Hangar 7. We should be there in a few short minutes now."]
"Really? Does that mean?!"
["Yes, you did it, son. You did it.'] Cinder's so relieved that he almost spills out tears. ["You played your part and now we can all go home."]
Izuku, however, lives up to his name and lets the tear ducts flow.
As the Midoriyas have a good cry, Patelliday instructs Izuku on what to do next. ["Now listen, here whippersnapper. Your Necrofriggian form is perfectly suited for space travel. Actually it's evolved to do so. Just flick that Omnitrix of yours and phase yourself right out. We'll rendezvous at the Plumber ship."]
Elated, Izuku wipes away the tears before trying to dial up the Omnitrix for Big Chill. "Then this E.T.'s going home."
CRASH!* A portion of the wall opposite of the windows bursts open.
Panicked, Izuku slams down on the Omnitrix and just in time as a heavy strike thrusts him away mid-glow!
His com-set falls out of his ear as a result, bouncing off the ground as large heavy claws crash through the hall.
["Deku?! Deku?!"]
["Izuku!"]
["YOUNG MIDORIYA!"]
In her sludgy form. Lucy Mann winces at the sound of Toshinori screaming into her earpiece.
Noticing that she faltered, Psyphon takes advantage that his slippery quarry has stopped in place. "Don't get distracted now, Sludgepuppy, or you'll be nothing but stains on these walls!" He fires a swarm of missiles that all whizz through the destroyed and rubble ridden command center like hornets.
"I'm not distracted!" Lucy sprints towards the incoming missiles, her less than solid body making it easy to slip and slide through the incoming missiles with extreme ease. "I'm multitasking!"
Reaching Psyphon she lands at his feet where she melts into a puddle of mud. That puddle then rushes up like a wave that throws Psyphon up and off his feet and flings him back and away into his busted and fried command post.
Shaken by that last move, Psyphon leans up against his busted command post and takes in the scene around him. The bridge is all but abandoned, each of his bionic minions have been left as corpses in their stations or on the floor, left forever outstretched for an exit they will never reach. And although the Megawatts are long gone to other stretches of the ship, many exposed circuits and monitors are still bursting with live wires and electricity. "Why you… You nuisance! You saboteur! You've ruined everything!"
"I'm a spy. It's what I do."
"And I…am the servant of the Grand Destroy. So, I will do what I must." Clearly struggling to even stand, Psyphon tries once again to aim his wrist blaster.
Lucy, however, doesn't seem worried. In fact she seems done with this, standing there with a hip to her hand. "Look, as much as I love giving a good asskicking, I also don't like being blown up. And I'm sure you feel the same. I mean, is this really worth it?"
She half expects Psyphon to write her words off and to throw a fit of rage but instead he looks away rather dolefully. "You don't understand… You have no idea what horrors he's capable of. I've failed my mission, I've failed my master, if I don't provide him with results…or a scapegoat then…my hide is gone."
Lucy feels for him, she really does. After all there is a reason Vilgax has to surround himself with drones and robots, it's because most individuals are too terrified to be near his presence. "I'm sorry. But I'd rather you save your hide while you still can." Knowing that forcing him to run will only slow her down from her own escape she opts to force his hand another way.
Her body melts to the ground where it begins to drip away into some exposed piping in the floor.
"No. Nooo!" Psyphon scrambles after her when he realizes that his only scapegoat is fleeing. "Come back here! You coward!" He screams into the pipe, shaking it in desperation that he can somehow siphon her out.
Lucy calls back through the pipe, her voice echoing through the tube like a megaphone. "While I was ruining your fun, I memorized your ship's schematics. We both know there's escape pods nearby. You should hop into one and go…"
Psyphon, unsure of what to make of that, sits there kneeling in defeat knowing full well that the saboteur, who was hiding under his nose the entire time, will not be returning. And so with no prisoner, no scapegoat, and with nothing of progress to report, Psyphon is left there alone and deflated.
He contemplates what to do, if he should even bother escaping the moaning ship or not, but as another far distant explosion shakes even the bridge his cowardice takes hold. Slowly he gets up and with much hesitation he makes way for an escape pod that is hopefully waiting for him.
Meanwhile, Lucy is making her own escape or at least she thought she would be but her mind traces back to everything she was able to eavesdrop on between Izuku and Cinder's group. It sounded like the kid was in trouble somewhere along the outer edges of the ship's haul. And considering they were escaping the arena and heading to Hangar 7 originally she can take a guess on the area where he is. And based on how well she memorized the ship's schematics the Power Core was even further away from their evacuation zone or the arena.
Slithering to a stop inside a pipe trap, Lucy reforms her mouth enough to make a call. "Hey, Thirteen. You on an escape pod yet?"
"Your luck is incredibly…infuriating." Vilgax rumbles, his initial attack via his Bio-Fist had made contact but the boy's reaction time was faster. And thus, his shell-armored fist collided with another shell.
"I have to concur. My luck certainly is mind boggling." Admits the transformed Izuku who couldn't be more grateful that not only did he roll with the punch but that this new form comes with a shell. A crab shell to be specific.
Taking a quick peek, it appears that this new alien is a large crab, but not like Kraab the alien bounty hunter crab but like a crab he'd find scuttling across Dagobah Beach while he was cleaning it. Just with a large and wide cranium with a pair of green skar-like blemishes running down his eyes. He even has long narrow claws that don't seem like they could grab anything and yet they seem so precise and sweeping.
"Appropriate you've turned into a Cerebrocrustacean. They remind me of the crustacean-like livestock on my own planet. Such delicacies they are. I'll be sure to enjoy ripping you out of your carapace."
"Oh my, I see you have quite the refined palette. But I must warn you, I may be too piquant even for your foul tastes." His cranium parts into two, revealing his enlarged cerebrum that surges with electrified electrons so powerful it all comes out as a discharge of electricity.
With a wave of voltage heading his way Vilgax thinks quickly and injects his tentacles into and through the metal walls. And with a flick his Inflamed tentacles pry out an array of cables and pipes within the walls to swiftly create a barricade of makeshift lightning rods that easily catch the incoming surge.
However, it also serves as a barrier between the two, allowing the highly-intelligent crab precious moments to think. And to say he overthinks could not even describe what he does. To Izuku it feels like that scene in the Lego Movie where Emmit can see the cereal codes, dimensions, and info of every seemingly random item, object, or movement that could possibly be analyzed. From the dimensions of the twisting hallways, the spacing between the bulkheads and pipes, to the few Megawatts attracted by the sudden collection of power, the integrity of the walls and floors, and to the ever-distant sounds of Explosions. This info all surges through and is absorbed into his supercomputer-like mind in mere milliseconds before coming to a multitude of conclusions. But only one guarantees his long-term survival.
"I thank you for your gracious hospitality. But I find your presence repulsive and atrocious therefore I'll be taking my leave. Good day." And with a quick 180 degree turn this crab makes his Earthly brethren proud by scuttling away like his life dependent on it.
Because it does!
"IZUKU MIDORIYA!" With the electricity dissipated Vilgax crashes through his barricade with renewed vigor and rage as he pursues after the crab. "I'm tired of these games boy!"
"A shame, I was just starting to enjoy this rousing game of tag!"
If this is tag then Vilgax must be IT as he Vilgax makes a reach to smash in the crab's enlarged skull from behind.
But the Cerebrocrustacean anticipated this, he knew that his own stride could not match the titan's, but his keen eyes could. He spots one a cable along the wall pulsating with electricity and so with a quick snip of his claw as he scuttles by the cable begins flailing across the hall as a living wire. And out from its snipped end an array of Megawatts are spewed out like confetti. "HAHAHAHAHAHAbzz!"
Vilgax is forced to slow down by the electrical gremlins as he tries to swat them away but he only succeeds in smashing up the nearby walls instead. And as the Megawatts get the message they flee to reveal that they bought enough time for their crabby friend to pull some distance ahead.
Seeing as he's pulled ahead, Vilgax inhales and then releases a mighty wind through the hall like he had before!
But this time the alien knew it was coming. Stopping, the crab eyes the panel of flooring and systematically pierces the weakest points with his claws and feet. Before prying the panel up with relative ease towards the incoming winds.
The whirlwind, intended to destroy instead carries the panel and subsequently the crab up like a wave. And like a wave the crab surfs these turbulent winds by hanging on to the airborne panel. With the panel as support, he's launched straight through the corridor at a blazing speed that is until he reaches a T-intersection of corridors. But he planned for this, so he quickly leans the panel back and towards the incoming wall. And using a bit of physics the whirlwind caught between the panel and the wall compact to create enough of an air cushion to soften the crab's landing. Although still taking a tumble the crustacean is completely unharmed and free to scuttle away down the hallway.
Vilgax is genuinely astonished by the maneuver, but with his quarry escaping he has no time to admire. With the greater stride at his advantage, he reaches the intersection quickly where he throws his body forward in order to put as much power behind the swing to his Infernal Sword as possible. Aiming low his swing bashes against the floor before slicing into the pipes, bulkheads, and wall with devastating results. However, it seems he swung far out of his target's hitbox.
Because as before the crab anticipated such a reckless move and thus after vanishing around the corner he wisely took to the ceiling, crawling up the pipes and cables in order to cling to the vents and lights above before scuttling further away and only dropping to the ground once it was safe.
"No more. No more." Furious that all his attempts have garnered nothing, Vilgax unleashes a pair of Omega Beams to boil this crab, alive.
Said shellfish only has seconds to react as his doom invades his vision. "Oh, my."
The Omega Beams blast into their target in a burst of heat and sparks that smolders the metallic floors, causing the air to become thick with steam.
"I am the Conqueror of Worlds!" He declares in a furious declaration so loudly that it shakes the entire hall. "That is my title! And you are nothing! Who do you think you are?! How could you possibly think that you could ever best me?!"
"I think therefore I am." The crab definitely announces, as the smoke and steam clears, it is revealed that he veiled himself in a barrier-dome of brain powered electricity that almost-perfectly shielded him from being turned into seafood. "I think, therefore I am BRAINSTORM!"
With courage Brainstorm shifts from defense to offense as he converts his barrier of electricity into a spear of lightning that strikes down on the ill-prepared titan.
"AAAHHH!" Screaming through his respirator, Vilgax's muscles contract and tighten as millions of volts rush through his cybernetics and veins.
This electricity is excruciating, but he can hold it off. With his blood pressure rising, his veins pulsate through his skin, his face and skull are especially strained as he rises against the increasing shocks. His head throbs uncontrollably with pain as he wills his body to its feet. He is going to fight through this. No matter the pain, no matter how much it feels like its brain is being fried. He will not let this insolent whelp best him! Not like this! HE WILL NOT ALLOW IT! "RAAAAAGH!"
Almost the strain. Amongst the analogy and sweltering of his mind, a kindling, an ignition from deep within the Mad Titan's mind ignites. And from it an inferno, no, a flare erupts. A flare that's nearly invisible to the naked eye rushes past and through the incoming electricity like it weren't even there. It doesn't repel the lightning nor redirect it, the two forces simply pass right through each other like the other isn't even there. But this flare this invisible flare only has a presence when it collides with Brainstorm's exposed cerebrum.
"AAAAAHHHHH!/Aaaaahhhhh!" The moment this invisible flare makes contact between the two their minds are flooded with eldritch images. Like a TV gone haywire images both familiar and alien flood their minds causing the two great agony and torment: alien worlds on fire, nightmarish monsters invade, women and children screaming, emotions of despair, jealousy and hate consume every image, as a haunting devilish smile laughs at their shared torment. All the while this agonizing experience pierces their minds with such deliverance that it can only be described as knives being carved directly through their brains.
And like that it's over. The flare dissipated having only lasted a measly millisecond, and yet it felt like hours to them.
Both aliens retch and collapse to whatever would be their knees. They're both shaken with agonizing migraines as their brains throb against their cases.
Despite knowing that his head will be aching for hours to come, Brainstorm at least has the benefit to allow his grey matter some much needed air, giving it space to swell and settle.
Vilgax, however, does not have that luxury. His mind, his head, it feels nothing short of on fire like his skull was dipped straight into the molten lava lakes of Mustafar. It's sheer agony that to a lesser being it would make them beg for death. "You-…FILTH-! What-?! What-have you done to ME-!?"
Brainstorm has honestly no idea. He was so busy with focusing his energy to producing such a powerful shock that he didn't even realize that his mind was also under attack. He had assumed that Vilgax had done something to retaliate but if it were not him then what? Perhaps it was one of his newly acquired Quirks? Perhaps some are more passive in nature? Even with his super genius intellect, he cannot be certain.
"Enough of this, please, I implore you. You…your ship is falling apart around us. Your fleet is lost. Your army is devastated. Your allies are gone. And I have reclaimed the Omnitrix from your clutches. You cannot possibly believe that you are still on a path to victory."
"You…want me to yield? To forgo all of my endeavors? Who do you think I am…? Who Do You Think You Are?"
That question makes the boy think…
As they stare at each other, waiting for the other's response, Vilgax begins to rise once again. It's clear he is far from recovered from the previous brain blast and yet his imposing figure soon dwarfs the crustacean. And then the nightmare grows, extending out like black ink into the form of a giant battle axe that the villain raises high above the poor creature like a guillotine.
They gaze at each other, like looking between reflections, Vilgax comes to the answer of his own question. "You…are nothing."
"You took the words right out of my mouth. Ya jackass."
Oh no. Heartbeat Sense. His concentrate broke, he didn't hear it coming.
"DIE!" An epic Explosion sucker punches Vilgax's moment and sends him flying in a ball of fire.
"Kacchan?!" Brainstorm exclaims.
"Deku!" Landing, Bakugou barks back at the crab. "Finally! Finally found ya! I've had to put up with a lot thanks to you. Now, pretend your ass is on a seafood buffet and move!"
"Insufferable welp!" Vilgax roars. "You'll pay for your interference!" Rushing forward he swings his Internal Guillotine with his aim square on the brat's neck.
But it never reaches its final destination, instead the guillotine coms to a stop with a clang before the sound of simmering liquid metal bubbles through the hall.
The Guillotine metals away against the hand of Pluto's Whitefire, melting into a puddle of black ooze against Shoto's armored hand. Releasing a breath of mist, Shoto's glowing red gaze narrows. "So, you're an alien overlord? I have to say, I'm not impressed."
"Todoroki!" Brainstorm stops and takes a second to admire the icicle armor up close.
Shoto looks the crabby alien up and down before responding. "It's good to see you again, Midoriya."
Brainstorm smiles back in appreciation.
"I see now." Vilgax rumbles. "I see now that the younglings of your planet don't understand the concept of discipline." His eyes begin to burn red. "Then it's my responsibility to teach you." His twin lasers fire out, following zig-zagging paths towards the children who brace themselves for a violent end.
But a figure cladded in white dashes forward like a brave knight and guards them with a shield of immeasurable power. "BLACKHOLE!"
The Omega Beams may be strong but against the power of a Blackhole they too become literally nothing. Dissipating into thin air and vanishing into the summoned void within the Plumber's hand.
"Thirteen!" Brainstorm cheers. He can't believe they're all here! They came for him! Bakugou, Shoto, and Thirteen have come to save him!
Bakugou smiles, somewhat sincerely at Brainstorm before turing it into a smirk back at alien warlord. "Calamari and crab legs? He. I didn't know we were ordering seafood."
Shoto's glowing red eyes blink in confusion. "Why would someone order seafood at a time like this?"
"Don't ruin the moment, Icy-Hot."
Thirteen smiles at the two. "It's really nice to see how close as friends you two have become."
"S-shut up!"
"Aw, so there is a shepherd." Vilgax comments while addressing Thirteen specifically. "And here I thought the lost lambs were here for slaughter."
"Shut your piehole!" Bakugou roars, offended. "From how I see it you're the reason our camp was cut short is that right? So, it's your damn fault the League of Losers caught us off guard. Oh, man! I'm gonna enjoy fileting you."
"Your insults are as tasteless as your behavior. I have nothing to fear from you."
"Hehehe." Smirking, the ash-blond reaches for the remaining pod on his bandolier. "I'm gonna make you eat those words." With a roar he pitches the Sticky Grenade as hard as he can straight at the titan.
However, Vilgax blocks the incoming explosive with a simple summon of his Ziegel Shield. "Did you really think you could take me by surprise a second time?"
That devilish smirk on the lad's face almost makes the villain shutter. "Yes."
Blue hues burn from below, near Vilgax's feet. Looking down he's stunned to find at least 3 more Sticky Grenades glued to the ground. The boy must have stuck them there during his initial surprise attack. It's too late to react as they each explode into a brilliant burst of blue plasma.
Watching the villain stumble, Bakugou rockets ahead with his hands bursting with volcanic rage. "DIE!"
BOOOM!*
With Vilgax engaged it gives Brainstorm time to collect his thoughts. "Thirteen, Todoroki! How in the world did you locate me?"
"Lucy." Thirteen explains while keeping an eye on the explosive fight just meters away. "She was monitoring the communications between you and your dad. Which reminds me." Reaching into their pocket they quickly produce a small earpiece. "Here's a new com-link, try not to lose this one."
Taking it Brainstorm inserts the earpiece to…whatever or wherever his ear is located.
Shoto almost wants to ask but instead he's far more concerned with how easily Vilgax is tearing away walls of the ship as he tries to get his tentacles onto the rocketing Bakugou. "Midoriya. This guy just took several explosions without flinching. Please tell me that your big brain…um, bigger brain has some idea to take him down."
Pausing, Brainstorm considers everything around them; from their location, the ship's weakening integrity, his allies' own strength and weaknesses, and the strange purple mud oozing its way out from a nearby pipeline.
Brainstorm pauses in thought as the mud seemingly refuses to drain away and a brilliant plan lights up in his head. "Now that you mention it…"
As Brainstorm indulges the others with his brainchild, Bakugou is busy staying just second ahead of death. And he's just barely pulling ahead as not even his Explosions seem to be capable of keeping Vilgax's claws and tentacles away for long.
"You've traveled a long way for what, boy. Even after your entire world has been shattered you're still willing to risk your meager life for someone you've deemed as wretched. Pray tell."
"You creep! What?! Have you been spying on us?! Huh, I guess aliens are just big ol' pervs!" With a spin the Mad Bomber releases a cacophony on Explosions in order to propel the Thorn-encrusted Bio-Fist away. "And watch your mouth! I didn't come all this way to save his ass but to kick yours!"
"Is that so?" Gripping a nearby bulkhead, Vilgax's muscles burn with Inflame as his cybernetic enhancements work double duty, giving him the strength to rip the heavy support beam right out from the wall.
Bakugou only has a second to react before that bulkhead comes swinging his way. He tries to propel himself back with a blast but he's just a milli-second too late as the bulkhead slams into his gut with the force of a train behind it.
His armor shatters having taken most of the impact but still blood and spit spew from his throat. All before he's flung away like an annoying gnat.
"Then you've traveled far for nothing." Raising the bulkhead Vilgax prepares to finish the lad off but then a pipe slams into his back before shattering into a burning puddle of heated metal. "RAAAH!" Roaring with anger and pain as his skin boils under the heat, Vilgax swings the bulkhead back and around at his attacker.
However, Pluto's Whitefire is proving its worth. As it allows Shoto access to strength he didn't know he had. Bracing himself with his burning frozen armor Shoto is able to take the strike with only the first few layers of ice shattering away.
Having caught the bulkhead Shoto presses his hands into the metal causing the entire weapon to heat up before melting away between his and Vilgax's fingers.
"Get away from my classmates." Shoto warns, his hands releasing a great volume of steam as his heated palms mix with the ship's cold air.
"Like, good job, Todoroki!" Brainstorm chuckles and snorts from behind his frozen savior. "Just keep it up and we'll like have him! Hahaha *snort!* Haha! BTW I love the new getup. Very snazzy."
"Um, thanks. I like your look…too." Deciding not to linger on that awkward interaction, Shoto decides to try out the added strength of this new technique.
Reaching over to some of the exposed pipes he melts two ends of a pipe before ripping it right off the wall. And then like a pole vault he throws that heated spear right at the titan.
Knowing that an attack is coming this time, Vilgax quickly deflects the burning projectile with his golden Ziegel Shield. "You believe this can harm me?! I've tested my metal on the lava rivers of Nevarro. Your fire wouldn't even be considered kindling to me."
"You bastard…" With a boom so strong that it shakes the glass wall, Bakugou leaps into the air. With blood staining the corner of his mouth, he lets out a blood curdling roar as he makes to strike the tyrant down from behind.
However, nothing but a simple backhand of his tentacles is able to swat him away. "Nor does yours."
Although Bakugou survives against the strike his armor does not. The durability of his armor finally breaks away: the armor shatters completely leaving the boy with nothing, but the dark zero-suit laced underneath.
"I must concede this however, I do admire those fiery spirits of yours." Turning his attention back at Shoto and Brainstorm the Grand Destroyer marches towards them both like he were walking down a grand hall before his subjects.
Shoto makes an attempt to stop him, but a pair of swift Omega Beams blast him back and away. Between the pair of heat vision and the following impact Shoto's armor cracks and almost completely shatters, leaving only icicles around his right arm and right side of his face.
With his last guard gone, Brainstorm is all but defenseless when Vilgax grabs him by the torso and hoists him up like a trophy
"Too bad they weren't enough." With his quarry in hand Vilgax boasts for the younglings to look. "Watch young ones. Watch as I snuff your friend's fire out first!" With the power of Inflame and his enhancements combined, Vilgax piledrives Brainstorm straight into the ground so hard that he splatters into a purple goo across the floor!
Wait…purple goo.
"What is this?" Vilgax is rightfully perplexed, the crustacean should be a pile of mashed grey matter and broken shells, not a pile of mud.
Staring at the mud, he's disturbed to see that it's staring right back at him. "This is the end. For you, dipshit!"
Lucy's body erupts like a geyser splashing mud across Vilgax's eyes and face with such force that it shoves him back. She doesn't allow him to regain any balance, as she weaves in and out like a fast-striking serpent: leaping and striking at him from every direction as fast as she can from off the floor, the ceiling, the wall, and the massive windows.
Growing with anger Vilgax attempts to swat and stomp her away but her liquid body just oozes past his claws.
"You septic of liquified bacteria! Where is Izuku Midoriya?! Where is my Omnitrix?!"
"Here am I!" Answers a guttural articulation, thick with a Russian Accent.
"AAAHHH!" A glowing crimson beam suddenly burns a hole into Vilgax's hide, causing him to roar out before lashing out at his attacker.
His Infernal Sword lashes out in the shape of a scythe. But its inky blade snaps away when it collides with armor so thick and heavy it could only be compared to that of a tank.
A tank is right, this armor is so heavy and thick that the being inside clearly has to put a lot of effort into their movement. Despite the fact that the armor looks like it was made of scrap metal that was just slapped together in a hasty attempt to weld something together, the metal itself is something that not even Vilgax can confidently identify. But what has him more intrigued and wary is what kind of being is wearing such attire. Four portholes allow the wearer to see through the dense helmet, organized into a diamond pattern the port holes glow red from whatever being is locked inside.
And whoever that being is, they are pissed as they declare out with a thick Russian Accent. "Do not have the fear for here is NRG!" The transformed Izuku declares with such vigor and courage that even through the thick armor the entire hall begins to radiate with heat. "Now prepare to burn in the hell, Vilgax!" Through the 4 portholes in the helmet NRG fires a crimson beam so hot that it's blinding.
Not wishing to experience that burning sensation yet again, Vilgax barricades himself behind his Ziegel Shield.
The crimson beam shoots off of the shield, but it keeps the pressure on, creating a lightshow of crimson and gold as Vilgax holds his ground. "New tricks. Yet no new outcomes. Like my impending victory!" While holding the shield the titan fires his Omega Beams in retaliation.
The pair of lasers zip up and over the shield before barreling forward and colliding into NRG's breastplate.
POW!* NRG's knocked right off his feet and sent barreling backwards, his heavy arming denting the floor when he lands.
With the threat knocked prone, Vilgax dissipates his shield only to quickly regret that decision as a recovered Shoto unleashes a torrent of flames upon him. Shoto roars his left side blazing so bright that the remaining pieces of Pluto's Whitefire begin to crack and melt away.
Vilgax quickly returns his shield, but the flames are so large, so intense, that they nearly wash over the shield.
With his guard drawn somewhere else, a battered but not beaten Bakugou launches an attack from the flank. Rushing up he slaps his palm to Vilgax's side and delivers a critical Explosion. That sends the titan reeling to his knee.
While still keeping his shield up against the flames Vilgax roars and lashes out to crush Bakugou's skull.
However, Lucy whips her stretchy mud arm around Bakugou first and pulls him away at the last second.
Which makes plenty of room for NRG to barrel past as fast as his heavy legs can take him. With his arm outstretched the entire metallic limb burns red as he clotheslines Vilgax's as hard as he can.
He's down, he's open, and he's defenseless. And so together they unleash all the fiery hell that they can with NRG taking the first shot with crimson beams that are soon joined together with Shoto's torrent of flames and rounded out by Bakugou's cacophony of Explosions! Together the three focus all their fire power on the titan who is struggling to keep the flames at bay with his waning Ziegel Shield.
"You said you snuff out our flames?" NRG roars. "You thought we could not have the hope! But you are wrong! Our spirits will burn bright to the heavens!"
Although their spirits have been ignited and their flames burn so hot that those outside the Chimeran hammer could see the flames illuminating through the windows, it's all nothing but lights from candles in compression to Vilgax's own burning wrath.
Slowly the titan rises, pushing against the intense heat and flames as his muscles strain against Inflame and his enhancements. The shield can only protect him so much as the heat and radiation pours around the edges of the golden forcefield. And so, he sacrifices a few of his tentacles; they slither around the edges of the shield, making it wider before inky darkness oozes forth and his Infernal Sword coats the edges of the shield and tentacles to create a barricade of gold and darkness that all but halts the flames in its tracks.
"You are mistaken if you think I will burn! My will, my empire, will never be turned to ash!"
"You are right, Vilgax. You will not burn." They can all almost hear NRG smirking from behind his helmet. "But you will still turn into the ash."
Perplexed by this statement Vilgax is left unawares and undefended as Thirteen rushes out from a nearby hallway. Having been lying in wait this entire time, as per Brainstorm's plan they've been waiting for the others to open Vilgax's blind spot to them. Between their constant attacks, the rush and whipping of fire and the fact that he's after Izuku and the Omnitrix specifically made it more difficult for Vilgax to focus on any number of them or to use his Heartbeat Sense.
And so, with his backside totally exposed, and being a safe enough distance away that they won't harm their own students, Thirteen demonstrates one of the true horrors of outer space. "BLACKHOLE!"
The sudden pull, the sudden vacuum, it's inescapable terrifyingly so. Loose bolts, pipes, and rubble are pulled into the void first. Soon bits of his Infernal barricade begin to break away allowing the hellfire on the other side to breach before they too are pulled towards the Blackhole.
Vilgax knows he only has seconds, before he's turned to dust. Only seconds to slither out of this. Yet despite that he has no fear. No regrets. No trepidations. There's no need for that. After all his decades of conquest he's learned all too well that any victory can be snatched away with one decision.
And so, looking through the Ziegel Shield, and through all the dancing flames, he locks eyes with NRG who by some chance meets his gaze. And from what the boy sees in that split second, he sees Vilgax cracking a smirk from under his respirator.
Everything goes into slow motion despite it all occurring in less than a second. As Vilgax's gaze turns red and his heat vision zips away not up around the shield nor back at Thirteen or them but instead it zips away and blasts apart the window stretching across the entire hallway.
And reality strikes with a thundering whoosh as the pull of outer space takes over them all!
Flames are sucked away to nothing, glass cracks away and begins to rain away into the void, as everyone scrambles for some kind of purchase.
Thirteen thankfully was close enough to a nearby bulkhead that happened to catch them before they were pulled away. The kids, however, were not as lucky. Having been some distance away all four of them are dragged through the corridor as all the oxygen and loose rubble pull away from them. The pull is too strong even for Bakugou to rocket them away and with Pluto's Whitefire now scrapped Shoto lost all the surplus strength that he otherwise would have had.
And so acting fast and with him being pulled in first by the void, NRG digs his molting red gauntlet into the ground. Between the heat of his hand and the pull of the void NRG's hand is dragged back leaving the floor to melt away into a gaping hole that leaves the underworkings of cables exposed. Cutting off the fire the metal cools quickly enough providing NRG a handle for him to hold onto as he calls out to Shoto, Bakugou, and Lucy. "Grab on to me!"
Thankfully, with Lucy using her body as a rope she lashes around the two boy's waists and splatters herself like glue onto NRG's chest.
"Quickly!" NRG roars over the rushing high piercing wind. "Get in here!" He gestures towards the newly added hole in the floor.
Quickly, fighting against the rushing air, Shoto and Bakugou use NRG as a railing to pull themselves inside. Once in Lucy releases NRG so that she too can snake her way in.
"Alright! Make the room!" NRG begins to drag himself forward but he's struggling and so Bakugou and others grab onto his arm and pull with all their might. And he nearly has a leg inside.
However, it was never meant to be as a pair of Omega Beams, unhindered by the pull of gravity, streak back and through the ever-widening gap in the haul before zipping right into NRG's back.
"GAH!" With a calamitous boom NRG loses his grip.
Leaving Bakugou and Shoto utterly devastated as they watch their classmate slip right through their hands once again… "DEKU!/MIDORIYA!"
Those are the last words he hears before suddenly all sound is gone, his body floats further and further away with no hope of control, as NRG's totally embraced by the cold touch of outer space.
"DEKU!" Bakugou makes a move to lunge after him but Lucy, being the more experienced of the three, grabs him and holds him back. "Let go of me you muddy bitch! Deku is out there!"
"I know! But what can you do?! Your Explosions won't work out there and your suit is broken!"
Shoto is unsure of what to do or say. He's stunned, stuck between helping his friend or listening to reason. He soon chooses reason and slapping his hand to the floor he unleashes a wave of ice that smashes into the gaping hole, sealing it shut.
They can all feel the air rushing back to their lungs, but for Bakugou it just gives him more wind to voice his outrage! "Let me go! Let me go dammit!"
"Let's go!" Thirteen screams, springing past the already cracking glacier before barreling into them. They don't stop instead grabbing them each by the arms and hauling them away. "That ice isn't going to hold! So, MOVE IT!"
Together with Shoto and Lucy's help they all manage to pull the rabid Bakugou into the next hallway and just in time because the moment Thirteen slams the seal doors shut the glacier and the remaining glass on the other side gives away! The entire long stretching glass wall falls apart, ripped away in a blink of an eye leaving the entire corridor to now be part of the void, forever.
Finally, Thirteen can breathe knowing that at least they're all still alive to do so.
"You bastards!" Bakugou finally manages to rips his arms free from Shoto and Lucy. "What about Deku?! He's still out there!"
"I know!" Thirteen snaps. "And we're not gonna be able to help him while we're stuck in here! But right now, we have no shot in even reaching him! What we can do is get to the escape pods as quickly as we can and hope that we make it to him in time!"
"That's it?!" Bakugou completely refutes. "That's your plan! I thought you were the space agent here?!"
"I am. But not one of us has a spacesuit that's still intact or strong enough to handle the cold vacuum of space. And the only way out is through this door." Thirteen slams a fist into the door that eerily makes no sound against the void. "If we want to help Midoriya the best way is to find a safe way out. You hear me?"
Bakugou doesn't want to admit it but they're right. His suit is in tatters, Todoroki's too, and Lucy isn't even wearing one. Going out there would only get them killed along. "I hear ya…"
Understanding that he is not lashing out from a place of malice, Thirteen tries their best to comfort the lad. "Don't stress over it. If anyone can survive the horrors of outer space, it's Midoriya."
"I sure hope you're right…"
"Deku! Deku! Can you hear me?!" Uravity's been screaming into her com-link since they first lost contact with Izuku, but it's been nothing but static since then.
Cinder is pulling her along making sure she doesn't fall behind as they continue to flee through the sinking space cruiser. "No luck?"
"No. Nothing! He's not answering!"
Tetrax jobs beside them and offers a theory. "It's because his com-link was cut off. Maybe try a different frequency."
As Uravity starts fiddling with the com-set, Cinder looks back at Chopper who's just on their heels. "Chopper, you too."
Wo-bz. Chopper tries to search for other frequencies but his antenna was bent earlier making it spark and jerk in place.
Toshinori is hobbling along, even with Tsukauchi's help he's moving along as fast as he can near the rear of the group. "How much further?! Young Midoriya won't be able to hold off that villain alone forever!"
"We're almost there." Tsukauchi assures while making sure his friend has his one good, remaining, arm over his shoulders.
"The ship is just around the corner!" shouts Patelliday while he too is helping a limping Eraserhead along. "Don't you worry. Once we're in our state of the art spacecraft we'll go pick up the lad ourselves!"
Toshinori perks up at the sound of a spacecraft. He hasn't really let it sink in that he's inside a U.F.O. considering how huge it really is he's basically chalked it up to a nightmarish cruise ship in space. So, the thought of laying his eyes on a classic U.F.O. or flying saucer. Is kinda exciting amongst this chaos.
They approach the hangar doors quickly and upon making the turn Toshinori looks past the battle scarred and metal corpse laden hangar to instead lay eyes on this majestic craft. "Is…that an RV?"
"Yup!" Cinder responds a little too cheerfully. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Toshinori stares at him like he's crazy. 'Did he just rocket his home into space?!'
As Cinder's group arrives, those already in the hangar have started to gather and make their way into the RazorCrest for departure.
As Mina is about to hop aboard, her antennas pick up on an array of emotions coming from the hangar entrance making her peek over and spotting their friends immediately. "Ochaco!"
Immediately everyone stops in place with their heads snapping over to the new arrivals. Said arrivals hurry over as Ochaco's classmates excitedly greet them half-way.
"Uraraka, you made it!" Kirishima is all smiles despite looking like he was doused in oil and set on fire. Considering all the carnage that probably happened.
"Uraraka!" Iida cuts ahead of the group just to inspect her for injuries. "Are you hurt? Are you injured?! Have you been exposed to any microbial bacteria or alien viruses?!"
Not wanting Ochaco to become unnerved, Momo gently moves Iida aside so she can address her friend directly. "We were all so worried about you. I'm so relieved to see that you're alright."
"Ochaco!" Mina throws herself at her friend with tears streaming down her flushed pink face. "Where were you?! Why'd you take so long?! What happened?!"
Ochaco pats her friend's back in comfort while replying with a simple. "A…lot." It's probably best not to go into details about how almost ruinous it all was. "But hey, I made it back just like I said."
"You sure did, kid." Kraab scuttles up Mina's back before perching himself onto Ochaco's arm. "I mean I had my doubts but, hey, set a low bar and you receive less disappointment."
"Wow, such optimism…" Ochaco sarcastically chides before a warm soft body rubs itself against her leg. "Oh, I missed you too, girl!" Kneeling down Ochaco rubs Cosmo's head and ears.
"Bark! Bark!" Cosmo's tail wags so hard that it claps against Kirishima and Iida's legs.
Toshinori needs a second to process what he's seeing. "You brought your dog to space? Wait, do you even own a dog?"
A gloved hand rests onto Toshinori's shoulder, looking up the former Symbol of Peace sees that both Snipe and Ectoplasm are there to greet him.
Snipe tips his hat in greeting. "Welcome back, partner. We sorely missed you."
"You had us worried." admits Ectoplasm.
"YO! Hahaha! You made it! Way to go, Eraserhead!" Present Mic slides over to Eraserhead and Patelliday with finger guns slung towards the underground hero. "I knew you would pull it off!"
Eraserhead groans. "Quiet, Mic. I've got a big enough headache as it is."
Listening in, Tetrax smirks in amusement. "No need to stress. He'll be fine."
Realizing that there's a new hunk hidden away in the crowd, Midnight immediately makes her presence known. "Oh, he's not the only one who's fine~." She leers Tetrax up and down. "Uraraka, where did you pick up such a tall shining man~?"
Tetrax, becoming uncomfortable, starts backing away from the overbearing woman. "Um, what is this?"
"Sorry, just trying to make friends~. After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend~." Midnight winks before fluttering her eyelashes.
Having been in earshot, Ochaco looks over to her fellow girlfriends for clarification. "Is that true?"
Momo shrugs while examining her crystallized Zircon Blade. "Perhaps."
"Um excuse me!" Driba flails his arms wildly while jumping across the brim of Snipe's hat. "We'd hate to be the bearers of bad news but-..."
"We need to vamoose!" Interrupts Blukic just as the entire ship begins to rumble with a chorus of explosions and sparks accompanying it.
"This ship is on its last legs!" screams Driba.
"Yeah!" Blukic holds on to his friend for dear life. "It's going belly up and we will too-!"
"-IF WE DON'T LEAVE NOW!" They both simultaneously cry out.
As they do the entire ship lurches and roars of metal tearing apart along with the echo of thousands of Megawatts laughing all the while.
With the ground literally giving away from under them Cinder hurries everyone into the vehicles. "Everyone listen to those little einsteins and get on that rocket ship!" He hurries to the RazorCrest himself. "Chopper! With Thirteen gone I'll have to pilot the RazorCrest! You stick with the Rustbucket, you got it?!"
Wa wa!
Meanwhile, Patelliday hurries Eraserhead towards the RV with Tsukauchi and Toshinori in toe. "All injured and children in the Rustbucket! There are more beds for the injured and it's more durable than the RazorCrest!"
While halfway to the camper, Iida and Kirishima meet Patelliday and Tsukauchi halfway.
"We can take them from her, sirs." Iida offers a hand.
As does Kirishima. "Yeah! You can rely on us!"
Patelliday doesn't even question their conviction, he trusts them full-heartedly. "Thank you kindly." Carefully he hands the leaning Eraserhead off to Iida as Tsukauchi helps Kirishima to get a grip on Toshinori.
"Hang in there, Mr. Aizawa."
Eraserhead lets out a pained wheeze as Iida hurries him along. "Hey, Class rep."
"Yes, sir?"
"Good work, today."
From underneath his red helmet, Iida is smiling.
Together both Iida and Kirishima lead their injured teachers into the RV, they nearly fall over as the entire Chimeran Hammer tremors and shakes causing jars, spices, and food to shake in and out of their cabinets while the appliances and furniture are mercifully bolted down.
Trying as they may not to tumble over, the two students manage to get their teachers towards the back of the RV, towards the bunks, where one patient is already waiting for them.
"Well, it's about time you showed up." Gran Torino smiles, while barely able to lift his head up from the pillow.
"Gran Torino, sir!" Toshinori nearly falls over, trying to shove himself forward to reach his precious mentor. "What happened?"
Although it hurts like a mothertrucker, Gran Torino is nothing but smiles when he lays his eyes on his student once again. "I came to save your sorry ass." he laughs but breaks into a coughing fit that makes Toshinori's heart drop.
But it's Gran Torino's heart who risks a heart attack when he finally sees that Toshinori is in fact missing his left arm, fist and all. "Toshi…I'm just sorry we couldn't make it here sooner. I'm sorry I kept you out of this world. I thought…I thought it was the best way to keep you safe. I'm sorry…"
Tears leak from Toshinori's shining sapphire eyes as he takes Gran Torino's hand into his own, "You came. That's all that matters right now."
At the same time Cinder is busy making sure the kids are ushered into the RV while the adults take to the RazorCrest. As Ochaco is just about to hop aboard Cinder gets a call from his com-link. ["Cinder! Cinder! Senpai are you there?!"]
He immediately answers in a hurry. "Thirteen we're here! But where are you? We need to evacuate quickly so Izuku can escape himself!"
["We, including Lucy, are heading to the escape pods right now! And also we-"]
"Forget the escape pods! Find an access hatch and send your location to Nezu, he can have Xylene pick you up! You hear?!"
["I hear you. But that's not the issue! It's you son! We found him and-"]
"You found Izuku! Oh, Thirteen thank you! I was so worried!"
Ochaco relaxes as well, but she stiffens when Thirteen cuts the celebration short.
["Oh, um, well you see the thing is that after we found him we sort of…lost him."]
"You WHAT!?"
Ochaco's heart drops and she hurries over to Cinder, and he allows her to listen in closely.
["Midoriya, it all happened so fast but your son he's…gone."]
Cinder almost doesn't want to ask. "You mean he's-?"
["No not that! I mean he's not in the ship anymore!"]
"He's not on the ship?! Then where is he?!"
Frowning, Ochaco happens to glance through the hangar bay and through the transparent shield separating them from the endless ocean of space. She sees nothing but rubble, pieces of the Chimeran Hammer floating away, amongst laser fire of blue and red being traded between battleships. But there amongst the chaos, amongst the destruction, she spots a sign. "Um, Mr. Midoriya, I think I know where he is."
Following her gaze, Hisashi spots it; amongst the mayhem and carnage is a star, a tiny little twinkle of green floating away amongst it all.
Holding up the com-link he responds with an exasperated sigh, "We found him."
NRG is tripping. Or at least that's the best way for him to describe this. He thought space would be colder, hell he thought he would suffocate, and his eyes would pop out of his head. But it looks like whatever NRG's species is capable of withstanding and even surviving in space. Gosh that would be such a breath of relief if there was any air to breath.
Not that this is really a moment to relax, although his body continues to spin at a steady pace all around him is a cacophony of colors and lights. Red and blue laser bolts fly through the air between the Plus Ultra which moves through the stars like an injured whale while the Malware-infected battleship hunts it down with an array of firepower. Meanwhile, the Chimeran Hammer continues to "sink" away as fires and lightning discharge all across its frame. Waves of Megawatts flood their way out from the ship and zip away as a giant cloud away from the chaos. Silent explosions go off all around him as scraps of demolished Vulture Droids float away in every direction.
It's pure chaos out here and it's somehow even more disturbing without any sound to accompany any of it. It's almost ethereal in a way, all this mayhem, all this destruction, all this malice so close and yet, without sound to accompany it, it all feels so far away. So distance. And with the moon so close and glowing so softly the entire scene seems paradoxically peaceful.
WHAM!*
Peace is over as he's struck from behind like a gong and sent spinning through the endless void with no way of slowing down.
'Woah-woah!' NRG internally screams as his thick armor collides through the debris field left by the imploding Chimeran Hammer.
Trying to get his bearings even as he's pun around he spots his attacker propelling their way through the void. The cybernetics in Vilgax's calves and legs hiss, releasing streams of air that propel him forward and allowing him to direct his scaled-encrusted Bio-fist into NRG's haul.
WHAM!*
NRG is struck again and his body lurches back but then he's whiplashed back into place as Vilgax catches him with his tentacles. Reeling the armored being in close, Vilgax appears to be roaring and shouting at him but with no air present not a sound can be made.
NRG makes a phone call hand gesture and shrugs while pointing at where he thinks his ears are located before shaking his head in denial.
Having received the non-verbal message Vilgax fiddles with his respirator and with the control pad on his attire. As he does, NRG's com-link starts up with static before an ethereal menace reverberates into his ear. "You impudent, uncivilized animal! Return to me, MY OMNITRIX!"
Realizing that Vilgax has opened his own communications to an open channel, NRG is more than happy to share his thoughts. "Or what? You shall grant me the mercy?"
"MERCY!?" Whipping the helpless alien around Vilgax smashes NRG into a floating chunk of the Chimeran Hammer's armor. "The only mercy you shall receive is that you will die before you witness your planet's destruction!" His claws turn razor sharp as Bio-Fist mixes with his Infernal Sword to create sets of claws so sharp and thick they could rip meat from bone. With Inflame burning his muscles Vilgax rips his claws between the armors joints and begins to attempt to pull the armor apart like a walnut.
"What are you doing?! Let go of me!"
"I am Vilgax the Conqueror! I am not merciful! I am not gracious! I am all POWERFUL!"
["You're all talk is what you are!"]
"Huh?!"
A pair of headlights and then Vilgax's is face to face with a grill, and he's struck by what feels like a truck! And it might as well be a truck because the Rustbucket sure hits like one. Ramming into Vilgax so hard that he releases the poor NRG while Cinder yells out through the open channel. ["MIDORIYA SPECIAL: SPACE ADDITION!"]
The RazorCrest rockets past with the Rustbucket magnetically locked underneath. And stuck to said RV's grill is a very pissed off warlord.
"FIREBREATHER!" Vilgax roars while clinging to the Rustbucket's bumper and frame.
He tries to pull himself up against the speed and pressure and as he does he comes eye level to the RV's windshield. Peering inside he's met with the angry and determined faces of Uravity, Pinky, Ingenium, Creati, Red Riot, Eraserhead, All Might, Gran Torino Cosmo, and Chopper.
Red Riot chokes on laugh at the sight of the villain pressed against the window. "Ha! Truck-kun strikes again!"
Wop! Chopper gives his hacking rod a spin inside the RV's console and immediately activates the Rustbucket's defenses.
An electric jolt courses through the RV's outer frame, stunning the titan and allowing the joint vehicles to speed ahead as he finally lets go.
With their quarry exposed and away from their friend, the RazorCrest spins around for another go at the villain.
Cinder locks in and shouts for Snipe, who's manning the gunner, to fire.
Snipe fires and makes his mark, too bad Vilgax's Ziegel Shield is nigh-impenetrable.
"Go and get him guys! Ha ha! Yes!" NRG cheers while floating away and watching as the RazorCrest lights that villain up. "Woo-oo! Yes! Teach him the lesson! Huh?"
A large imposing red shadow emerges blocking the nearby moon as it rises behind the RazorCrest and Rustbucket.
In a panic NRG hurries to warn his friends. "Dad! Everyone! Look out! Behind you!"
The red amalgamation that is Malware's frankensteined spacefaring monstrosity emerges through the darkness with every one of its turrets and armaments locked in. [Vengeance comes swiftly and painfully for you all, fleshbags!]
He fires a rain of red laser bolts that scorch the RazorCrest and Rustbucket's hauls, forcing Cinder to fly them away and forget all about Vilgax. Around the debris field they go, zipping this way and that and gaining some distance between them and the much slower ship. But it's no use, Malware's range is too far reaching, and his aim is impeccable. The only thing saving them all is the RazorCrest's and the RV's combined ray fields but at this rate they're not gonna hold out for very long.
[Hahaha! Yes! Yes! You will all succumb to my power!]
["No."] Another call interrupts the open channel. ["You will succumb to ours."]
The rear of Malware's haul lights up with incoming laser fire that become a glorious fireworks show of blue bursts and blasts that knock the monstrous ship aside. And making room for the Plus Ultra to soar high and mighty amongst them all.
Magister Nezu calls out through the open channel, not giving a hoot if the enemy overhears him. ["Be not afraid my previous students and friends. We will not let this virtual pathogen overwhelm us! Now push on! PUSH ON!"]
The Plus Ultra continues to open fire, laying on all it has while allowing the RazorCrest to pull away to safety and simultaneously pissing Malware off.
[Fleshbags! You know not of what you speak!] In his fit of rage Malware unleashes coils of red and black veins that rip right through his own haul and armor. These coils lash out like tendrils back at the Plus Ultra where they latch on and pierce its haul. Acting like parasites the coils begin to drain the Plus Ultra of its own power causing its engines and laser fire to falter before these tendrils start injecting their venom in the form of Malware's own dominance over technology. [Hear my declaration, meatsuits! Your power is nothing when compared to MINE!]
With the coils deeply embedded, Malware pills the Plus Ultra in like a kraken pulling in its prey towards its waiting jaws.
Meanwhile, those in the Rustbucket and RazorCrest are in a panic. With Cinder flying them back around with the intention of assisting their friends aboard the Plumber Ship. However, a pair of crimson beams zig and zag across the debris field before barreling into the RazorCrest's side and nearly taking its wing.
Everyone aboard the vehicles scream and hold on for dear life as the ship is tossed through the stars before once again another beam smashes into the right flank. Then from the left. And the right again. This way and that way, they are knocked around like a tennis ball.
"Congratulations, Firebreather!" Vilgax calls through his radio, his eyes aglow with another Omega Beam. "You thought that you brought them all to save your spawn but instead you brought them all with you to die a most grizzly death!"
Despite radiating such heat and energy NRG couldn't feel colder or more drained. It's his worst nightmare come true; his friends are going to perish at the hands of his worst enemy. And he's doing nothing about it but watching on like a helpless brat. They're all going to be blasted into oblivion! 'I won't let that happen. Not now. Not ever.' Caressing the faceplate atop his chest, NRG hesitates. "Alright, newly fitted Omnitrix. You've been full of surprises so far. So how's about another?" Placing a heavy hand over the dial, NRG's entire form falls away under dazzling green energy.
Vilgax is savoring the moment, hovering close to the temporarily disabled RazorCrest as Cinder, Chopper, and Kraab hurry to restart the engines and weapons. But with Vilgax at their doorstep, there's utterly no point. ""I've envisioned this day for a long time, Firebreather." Drawing his claw out to his side he summons forth his jagged yet razor thin Infernal Sword that draws itself long enough to slice through even the RazorCrest. Holding it out he prepares to bisect them all with one fell swing. "The day I finally get rid of you is now!" With his muscles Inflames, Vilgax swings his blade through the infernal night. "Oh, how I've dreamt of this moment!"
"Then keep on dreamin'!"
PEW!*
In mid swing, a single magenta colored laser strikes the perfect bullseye on the Infernal Sword which rips apart under the sniper shot.
Vilgax's moment is ruined ; he will make whoever it was that interrupted him pay for their transgressions. "Who dares?!"
"I dare!" A blur of red and yellow streaks into and past Vilgax, spinning him like a top before coming back again and again to bat him around like he had similarly done to the RazorCrest and Rustbucket.
"Enough! I will not allow anyone to interfere with my glorious triumph!" His Omega Beams race after this swift blur but the red and yellow streak is far too quick as it shoots the beams right out of the air with its heat vision of its own.
Everyone is stunned, including Vilgax, as they lay their eyes on this streak which finally slows down enough for them all to see that's an alien stingray with red skin, yellow wings, and magenta glowing eyes. But it's that smile, that big ol' grin on his face that just reassures them all that it's going to be okay.
"Sorry about that." quips the stingray. "But snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat is what I do!"
Seething with rage, Vilgax fails to notice the green faceplate embedded into the alien's skin. "And just who are you?"
"In this form…call me, JETRAY!" Jetray's smile is infectious, wide and beaming; it shines almost as brightly as his own lasers.
"MIDORIYA!?" All those inside the Rustbucket are in awe, Jetray's out there! Flying around in space like he's swimming in the ocean. Like he was born for this. It's amazing! A real wonder!
"Is that really him?!" Red Riot awes. "Man, he looks so cool right now!"
Clinging to the back of the passenger seat, Ingenium can't look away. "Uraraka, how many new aliens did he receive again?"
Uravity leans forward in the driver seat as she recounts the Omnitrix's announcement in her head. "Oh yeah, the Omnitrix gave him nine new aliens."
"NINE!?" Her friends shout.
Uravity nods, unable to take her eyes off the show they're about to witness. "Come on Deku. You can do it! Use your Nine new aliens to beat him!"
Having seen them out from his periphery, Jetray flashes them a smile and a thumbs up in encouragement. To which they all return the gesture.
Feeling like he has approval, he zips away in one moment and in the next an array of magenta blasts are detonating off of Malware's haul.
Jetray beams a burning line across the top of Malware' ship causing it to burn and detonate with power.
[RAAAHHH!] Crying out in pain and anger, Malware lash out with a bombardment of laser fire and missiles.
But despite his high-quality instruments and targeting systems Malware has no hope of striking down such a small and swift target. Jetray makes it look like a breeze, gliding through the incoming laser fire and missiles that don't as much graze his aura. And those that do make it close are blasted out of the air by the alien stingray's own heat vision. "Hahaha! This! Is! AWESOME!"
%%%%%%%%%[MEANWHILE]%%% %%%%%
"Well, done young warrior. Send those Flarkin bastards to Sheol!" Xylene eyes the fireworks show out of her own periphery, and it should be her second focus as she's too busy maneuvering her ship against the fallen Chimeran Hammer which is being pulled in by the moon's gravitational pull.
Placing her ship vertically she seals her ship against one of the Chimeran Hammer's air locks, making sure she's sealed in as to not be pulled into space. Once she knows that her ship isn't going anywhere she quickly climbs down her seat to the latch against the floor and with a press of her hand it opens.
And immediately Bakugou comes barreling in. "About time! We were waiting her forever!"
"Apologies, I had to move stealthily as to not draw fire to our location."
Bakugou scrambles up to the passenger seat as Shoto slides in after him along with Lucy and Thirteen.
"Who cares about that?!" Bakugou barks while looking over the controls of the ship as if somehow he'll just know which is the launch button. "Now come on, Deku needs us!"
Hovering up to him, Xylene assures that everything's been covered. "No need to stoke your fire, young warrior. Mido-...Deku has the situation well in hand."
%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%
That he does.
Jetray's like a living bullet, flying this way and that while blazing a trail of destruction behind him. Malware's haul is barraged by his volley of magenta beams causing the entire ship to shake and groan with twisting metal.
Which only serves to anger the scarlet Galvanic Mechamorph into unleashes its coils after his flying attacker.
But Jetray's far too agile for even Malware's coils to grab. He zooms past while blasting them apart with pinpoint accuracy.
Jetray zips towards the coils connecting Malware to the Plus Ultra and fires a beam that blasts them apart. "Woo! Yeah, baby! Hahaha!" He cheers as he spins away through the explosions and debris.
[RAAAAH! Curse you Izuku Midoriya! Curse you!] Malware fires after him but it only incentives the flier to come around for another go.
"Hahahaha!"
%%%%%%%%%[MEANWHILE]%%% %%%%%
This escape pod is small but roomy enough for Nue to fit his sorry ass inside alongside the still unconscious Rojo. But for an escape pod it's incredibly slow, it's practically drifting and doing nothing but being pulled in by the Earth's Gravitational pull. Thankfully it does come with an autopilot meaning Nue's not just gonna crash into some nightmarish landscape, like New Jersey. Nope! it's Japan or bust.
But right now, that's not Nue's focus. No, instead he has his head pressed against the little portal window so that he may stare out back at the glorious scene before his eyes.
From here, Jetray looks like a laser pointer being whipped around this way and that at incredible speeds. Making it difficult for Malware who's forced to fire randomly into the stars with bolts of red. With the Plus Ultra slowly recovering as it pulls away and begins to fire back at its attacker. All the while in the background, the Chimeran Hammer splits apart into three while falling apart at the seams with pillars of explosions, lightning and rubble as it drifts closer and closer towards the moon.
"Damn, Deku. When did you become such a showoff?" He's got to give him props here; he's lighting up Malware's ass real good. Literally as Jetray just blasted one of Malware's engines clean off. "I guess you do know how to party. Hm?"
Wait there's something floating towards them, it looks humanoid and armored in purple attire that has definitely seen better days.
"Well all be?" Nue grins as the damaged and probably unconscious SevenSeven comes floating into view. "What do you think, Red? Think we should pick up another hitchhiker?"
%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%
"Woo-oo! Go get 'em, Deku!" Uravity playfully points finger guns at Malware and his attacking coils to which Jetray coincidentally blasts apart at the same time she "pulls" the trigger. "Pew! Pew! Hahaha!"
"Bark! Bark! Cosmo happily wags along with her antics.
Creati is in awe of the magenta and red fireworks display. "Amazing!"
Red Riot pumps his fist into the air with gusto. "Kick their butts, Midorya!"
Iida squints at the opposing ship and specifically focuses on its red and black markings. "Hang on a second. Is that the same villain that invaded I-Island?! Was it an alien this whole time?!"
Groaning, Toshinori winces as he pulls himself along the stationary seats and counter from the back of the RV to the front.
"All Might!" Uravity gasps. "You should be resting!"
He stops her with a hand and a shake of his head. "No. I need to see this."
He insists and he keeps to his word, watching as Jetray shoots down Malware's incoming missiles as the recovered Plus Ultra begins to open fire onto Malware again while Xylene's own ship races past to join the fray.
"This is next level." Toshinori breathes, watching as Jetray spins and jets between a web of incoming coils. "He's amazing."
"He unstoppable!" Uravity cheers. "Nothing can stop him now!"
Red Riot shrugs although he can't stop smiling. "Well, except for his time limit."
Uravity waves it off though. "Oh, that's not a problem anymore."
"It's not?"
"No, it's not." Eraserhead replies after pulling his way up too before collapsing onto the mounted table. "The Omnitrix recalibrated; he doesn't have a ten minute time limit anymore. But it still has a limiter, based on his own staying power or something."
Pinky nods in understanding. "Oh, then it's a good thing he can breathe out there."
Uravity blinks. "Say what now?"
"Well, he's got gills!" She gestures to her own bare neck with her hands opening and closing to mimic gills. "But his normal-human form doesn't so it's a good thing you gave him a helmet so he can breathe."
For a split second Uravity forgets how to breathe as all the air in her lungs suddenly vanishes…
Creati suddenly gets a very bad and ominous feeling. "Ochaco… You did give him the proper gear…correct?"
As if to check, Uravity hurriedly digs through her pockets and sure enough, much to her own horror, she pulls out the very specific item she was supposed to give to him! At first glance it's nothing more than the very same mouthpiece Deku always wears on his costume. But considering that it was tailor made by Melissa Shield must mean it's high-grade tech.
"I forgot to give this to him!"
Everyone from her teachers to her friends scream. "WHAT!? HOW!?"
"I didn't mean to! Between all the peril and excitement, it must have slipped my mind!"
A shiver runs down Red Riot's spine. "So, then…what'll happen when he runs out of energy?"
Not waiting to find out, Uravity scrambles for the RV's radio. "DEKU! CAN YOU READ ME!?"
["Deku! You have to listen to me! IT'S IMPORTANT!"]
"Hey! Uraraka!" Jetray replies over the com-link as he weaves his way through the debris field. "You made it out! Phew. I was really worried." Especially considering that the Chimeran Hammer has been blown into several massive chunks that are all begin to breach what would be the moon's imaginary atmosphere. "So, what's up?"
["Come to the Rustbucket you need your hel-"]
"Ahhh!" Sharp, iron claws dig into Jetray's shoulder before pulling him into a tight, backbreaking hold.
Vilgax grips him tight against his chest as he attempts to wrangle this swift foe. "I will not be forgotten! You are my quarry!"
"And you're an eyesore!" Jetray blasts him point blank with his laser vision.
Tow which blasts Vilgax off and away from him. The villain is sent spinning back but with some quick adjustments of his cybernetics he manages to right himself.
But it's not long after that he's the one that's grappled from behind as Jetray swoops in and claws into his spine.
"Let's get up close and personal!" Jetray pulls them both into a dive, right towards the broken haul of the imploding Chimeran Hammer that is just mere kilometers from striking the moon's crust. "Coming in hot!"
As they approach Jetray drops Vilgax hard against the top of the falling ship before zipping away and leaving him there.
However, he was not so quick to escape one of the titan's tentacles which wrap around his tail and slams him down onto the ship.
"You are…nothing!" The enraged Vilgax pulls him in as he draws his Infernal Sword. "You were-are my prisoner! The Omnitrix is my prize!"
In a panic, Jetray accidently fires a laser from the tip of his tail, which strikes Vilgax square in the chest, making him falter. Which gives the stingray the chance he needs to scramble free.
Shaking off the shot to his shoulder, Vilgax forgets all about decapitating the nuisance. Instead, he swings his Infernal Sword down he slices apart the haul of the ship which sends shrapnel and chunks of metal into the void. "I earned it! I always get what is rightfully mine! Always!" using the same Infernal Sword he strikes the back of the floating debris with all his strength! And with no drag or friction in the way, the projectiles might as well be shotgun shells.
Realizing that Jetray can't possibly be that durable, Izuku quickly mid-transforms into a previously discovered alien. "GRAVATTACK!"
Gravattack emerges and he quickly produces a hand forward. A pink ring quickly summons around his wrist allowing him to manipulate the gravitational pull of the incoming projectiles. He tries to cast them aside but instead he pulls them up and around himself, quickly with his free hand he summons them back, trapping them in a ring of gravity around himself. Around and around, they go as his pull on them grows stronger. So strong in fact that he pulls his own feet and arms towards his core, and thus folding himself into a living planet. The rings around his wrists merge together forming a planetary ring around himself as the racing debris orbits around him.
Vilgax is taken back, he's not sure what to make of this phenomenon.
But Gravattack knows what to do.
"Like you said, you always get what's yours!" With beginner's luck he launches the spinning projectiles right back at their launcher.
Vilgax is pelted by the high velocity projectiles with such speed and force that they actually manage to dent and crack his armor. Drawing his Ziegel Shield he blocks the incoming projectiles and charges forth intending to finish the gravity wielder up close.
However, with a flick of the wrist gravity wells up around the titan, holding him in place. "You just never learn." Gravattack snarls as he prepares to flatten the Mad Titan against the haul of his own ship.
"Foolish child, I never make the same mistake twice." Vilgax's eyes burn and unleash Omega Beams that slam squarely into Gravattack's exposed core.
"AAAHHH!" Out of reflex Gravattack swats Vilgax back and away with a swell of gravity but the villain digs his claws in, preventing him from leaving.
"You cannot destroy me! I am Vilgax the Conqueror! I forged my empire with my own two hands! And like me it will never fall!"
Fighting through the burning sensation in his chest cavity, Gravattack stands his ground as he stretches his hand out far behind him as if grasping for something invisible. A ring of a rosy hue emanates from around his outstretched wrist and a pulse is sent out, a pulse that stretches out kilometers into the sky to catch onto the other half of the floating Chimeran Hammer. "WANNA BET!?"
With a mighty swing Gravattack brings the monstrosity of burning metal down upon them both! And Vilgax can only watch in shock-and-awe as a fiery beast of metal swallows them both in its gigantic jaws.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" With a roar Vilgax charges.
Gravattack releases his hold, and they clash, locking grips as they struggle to overwhelm the other. Just as trillion tons of metal crashes down all around them causing explosions ring, metal to spit apart, and oil to bleed out as the two-halves of the same ship plummet towards the moon.
"DEKU!" Uravity cries out into the com-link as the entire two-halves of the same ship plummet towards the moon. "Why are we just sitting here! We have to help him!"
["We cannot."] Magister Nezu regretfully admits. ["Any closer, any mistake, and we risk becoming part of the wreckage. We cannot get close."]
Uravity and the others are left appalled by the idea of sitting back and watching but with the sheer pandemonium outside they have no choice but to hope and pray for the best.
As the two-halves of the same ship crash and plummet, Vilgax finds himself falling yet pulled forward and back all at once! Against his own will his body is thrown through layers of metal, flames, and piping before being pulled back in through another collapsing wall.
He blasts the wall away with an Omega Beam just to reveal the earth-crusted fist awaiting his arrival.
"You're finished!" Gravattack roars as he socks the bastard right in the face.
Vilgax is launched back through the ship. He's batted against hallways, pipes, and exposed cables as the entire ship collapses all around them like a movie reel playing on face forward. And yet with every strike, every ounce of pain, only serves to fuel his own rage. "I will not fall to the likes of you!" Kicking in an entire healing pod, Vilgax demolishes his way through the ever-falling ship with nothing but a constant stream of Omega Beams lighting his way. The beams are more intense than before, like flamethrowers they pour endlessly out into the hellscape, not even bothering to avoid the many falling obstacles in their way they blast right through everything with no mercy! All just to burn right through Gravattack's head.
Releasing that he won't be able to handle such an onslaught, Gravattack prays for another miracle as he slams a hand down onto the Omnitrix!
"CHROMASTONE!" The crystal-guardian emerges and immediately shields himself with his arms crossed into an X in order to take the incoming beam like a champ.
"You villain!" With his new surge of energy Chromastone blasts forward and flies his way through the collapsing vessel. Screaming he plows into Vilgax, tackling him and pulling him along into and through sections of hallways. "Is this what you wanted?! Total destruction?! TOTAL ANARCHY!?"
Raising his fists Vilgax hammers them into the guardian's back, bringing them both down. Smashing through a set of massive doors they crash their way into a room filled with scorched and trashed lab equipment and machinery.
Vilgax recognizes the location as his science wing, but that holds little significance anymore. "I am no animal. I am no monster. And certainly not some random blade. I am necessary." Summoning his Infernal Sword, the inky-ooze reforms itself into that of a giant axe. " I am a tool of precision! One that will cut out all those that afflict my domain!" His massive blade slams into Chromastone who tries his best to tank the hit but is ultimately overpowered and tossed against a sparking wall.
Chromastone tries to counter with beams of light, but the axe is too thick. Sure, he peels away its layers but by the time Vilgax reaches him again it's too late to act as the villain plows into him and they crash their way back into the plummeting hallways.
Realizing he can get away, Chromastone tries to fly up and away, but Vilgax is not done toying with him yet. Locking a tentacle around his leg Vilgax pulls him in and shoves him down as they rapidly approach a horizontal intersection!
SMASH! Crashing their way through the floor they end up in a massive area with large almost egg-shaped power cells that are all laid out in a sort-of grid amongst a series of catwalks. Or at least they were before some sort of fireball worked its way through here.
Chromastone uses his free hand and jabs it into one of the dead power cells, the force of which yanks him free of Vilgax's grip. With the villain now plummeting he lets go so he may use both fists to fire a beam straight down at his spine!
Crying out in agony Vilgax is blasted straight down into and through several of the power cells that burst like fireworks with the little power they had stored. The explosions of electricity rock Vilgax, scorching him and his cybernetics before blasting straight out of the Ideon Cannon's power grid and through the gaping hole in the side of the ship.
Not willing to allow his quarry to escape, Chromastone rockets after him. It appears that the gaping hole led them back outside the plummeting ship. However, more and more sections of the ship are breaking apart making it difficult to tell which way is up as entire sections of the Chimeran hammer fall all around him. It's then spots Vilgax clinging to a web of twisted and burning cables that are linked with yet another one of these plummeting sections.
Racing after him, Chromastone lets out a curdling war cry as he slams into Vilgax's side. They tussle in the air as they both fly straight into the ship's outer hangar doors. They land against the wall of the hangar that is down sitting sideways, horizontally, all around them corpses of defeated droids and Sentinels are flung about. Fires rage in the little pockets of air there is left. But Chromastone doesn't care, the only thing that matters is crushing the creature in his hands. "You're a monster! You're nothing but a weapon of mass destruction!"
Shoving the crystal-guardian off Vilgax is then nearly crushed by a massive metal ball from behind. Spinning around Vilgax is pleased to find that it is in fact his personal Spiked-Pod has survived, it's the same battle tested vehicle he used in Kamino Ward, but it seems to have taken some damage. But that matters not as it gives Vilgax a new weapon. Summoning his tentacles they stretch out and around the pod before oozing with an inky darkness that spreads across the entire husk of the pod. He tries to raise the makeshift weapon, but he's forced to summon the power of Inflame and his cybernetics in order to do so, And so with his tentacles acting as a burning hilt, Vilgax reveals to the hero his black and crimson mace of destruction.
"I am an instrument of destruction! And one that CANNOT BE STOPPED!" Vilgax unleashes his new toy onto the poor hero; it's like a wrecking ball straight from hell. One strike may just spell his doom if he's not careful.
And so rocketing himself up with a blast to the ground, Chromastone spins away as the hellish wrecking ball comes crashing down in front of him.
Realizing that this weapon is too heavy, Chromastone goes for the attack assuming Vilgax won't be able to react in time. "I'll stop you! I will!" He goes in for the punch as his fist illuminated with every color of the rainbow. "Because I am a hero!"
"No. You're not." The wrecking ball is suddenly pulled in, using the combined tension of his tentacles and Inflame, Vilgax reels in that heavy weapon like a yoyo and with a swing he slams it right into Chromastone's back.
Despite controlling the swing, he cannot control the direction as thew wrecking ball barrels past and smashes Chromastone right into and through the thick walls of the hangar bay.
Using the weight to carry him, Vilgax follows his prey back out into space, where broken off prison cells are falling all around them like rain.
And flying amongst them is the crystal-guardian himself. "Who do you think I am?" Firing Omega Beams Vilgax doesn't aim for the crystal-being instead he blasts apart the falling cells, making them explode with shrapnel that pelt away at Chromastone's hide. "I am the Conqueror of Worlds! The Mad Titan! The Grand Destroyer!" With every declaration he blasts apart any and all empty prison cells that Chromastone is near, herding the youngling in closer as a result.
"Those are my titles. My Crowns!"
Chromastone is caught totally off guard when Vilgax's mace crashes into his side and knocks him away like a baseball. It's a homeroom as he's thrown right back into the place it all started, the domed arena. Gone is the darkness from before, now merely a husk as almost every panel has been torn away by gravity and the powers of destruction.
Said power then comes barreling towards him with a vengeance! "They perfectly exemplify who I am!" The Mad Titan crash lands beside Chromastone who immediately begins to fire a beam.
Using his free hand, Vilgax blocks the beam with a Ziegel Shield. "They're a declaration of what I am!" He continues as he attempts to grab the guardian with a fang-encrusted Bio-fist. "And what I always will be!"
He manages to grab the alien, however, Chromastone quickly breaks his hold by releases a pulse of light rays all around himself. Breaking the villain's hold, literally, as the pulse breaks the fangs apart.
"I do not yield; I do not submit!" Ignoring the damage to his hand, Vilgax swift by firing Omega Beams. The beams zip up and behind him and around the wrecking ball where they blast it back in the opposite direction!
Unable to dodge in fast moving projectile, the crystal-guardian braces himself as it slams into him from the front and knocks him out of the plummeting arena.
Again, using the weight and momentum of the weapon to his advantage, Vilgax is carried out after him. "Every planet. Every army. Every pathetic attempt for supposed peace I have crushed! Like I will crush you here and NOW!"
The moon's surface is only kilometers away now. Sections of what was the Chimeran Hammer have already made impact. And soon Chromastone will be angst the wreckage if Vilgax has any say in the matter, and he does.
"WHAT TITLES HAVE YOU BEEN CROWNED WITH!?" He spins the wrecking ball away from Chromastone who attempts to shoot down his attacker.
The beams of light burn at Vilgax's muscles and shoulder, clearly doing damage, but it's not enough to stop what's coming.
"WHAT TRIUMPHENTS ARE TO YOUR NAME!?" With a spin and with Inflame burning at all cylinders Vilgax launches the Spiked-Pod straight down at his enemy. "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Unleashing yet another rage fueled Omega Beam the burning beam slams into the plummeting wrecking ball, launching down so fast that it becomes a meteor!
Chromastone desperately fires all that he has at the meteor but his power, his waning strength, is not enough and with a horrible SLAM he's caught in the meteor's wrath. And sent strength down into the moon's crust as the severed Chimeran Hammer comes crashing down all around him.
"DEKUUU!" Uravity wails but to no answer as everyone has been shaken to their very cores; with jaws clenched and hearts full of dread. No one peeps a word as silent explosions and shockwaves scar the moon's surface.
Watching from on-high, Bakugou has shoved his way into the cockpit alongside a stunned into silent Xylene. He scans the wreckage, looking for any signs of a struggle. "Come on… Get your ass up, Deku…"
Even from this far away, Nue was able to spot that falling green star strike the moon. Witnessing it was like hearing the gong ring, he knows that no matter what happens next will spell the end…
This is the end. Or at least that's how Chromastone's body feels. The impact. The falls. The destruction. It's all been too much. Everything is hazy and gray and he's unsure if it's his own vision or the clouds of grey moon dust billowing above him. There's a ringing in his ears and his entire body feels like it's bleeding but thankful there is no blood to bleed in this form. Lights dance in his vision, white lights that he tries to blink away only to realize that the white lights are bleeding from his body, through newly formed fractures along his chest and body.
Groaning he tries to get up, but his body won't let him as his head soon collapses back onto the bottom of the newly formed crater.
And although he doesn't hear through the void of space, with his head so close to the ground, he can feel the ground rumbling increasingly so as a giant shadow approaches before taking form in his hazy vision as a green tentacled menace.
He shoots his fist up in an attempt to fire a shot but with a quick flick Vilgax swats that hand away.
Utterly exhausted Chromastone is left helpless at the foot of this titan who seems to be reveling in the boy's defeated state.
"You have no power. No worth. No name. No titles to call your own." Vilgax looms over him while talking to him like he was a poor wounded animal that must be put down. "You've earned nothing, not your own name, not your accolades. Even with "Nine" new sources of power at your fingertips you are useless against me. In the grand scheme of this universe… You. Are. NOTHING."
His words ring out thunderously in his ears, down to his heart and through to his very soul. And a part of him, that weaker lonely child part of him would like to agree. It would be so easy to. To give up. And say that it was all worthless.
"You're…right." Chromastone admits with a tearful breath. "I don't have a Quirk. And I grew up thinking…that I had no worth. I had nothing to my name; not my father, not friends, and no power to call my own. I was…nothing special."
If only he could hear the hearts breaking at his own admittance. His friends, his teachers, his heroes are stunned into silence. Their hearts ache for the boy, defeated and crushed they can only assume that his will has been shattered; pounded into dust and left to drift in the wind. Tears begin to well up in their eyes as they find their will to fight on lost as well.
"But…I don't think that anymore."
Hope rushes back. They all snap back to reality, and silently cheer on as Chromastone slowly yet steadily gets back onto his feet.
"It took me a while to figure out but…the real reason I was so down on myself. Why I lacked to recognize the real me…was because I was alone. My world was so small. So tiny. And lonely. But not anymore." Finally on his feet he looks up towards the sky towards the three starcrafts drifting miles above his head. "The Omnitrix didn't just give me powers but it gave something even better. A chance. A chance to widen the world around me. It gave me friends. Family. A sense of purpose. And a chance to make my dreams come true! A chance to be better. A chance to be a hero!" With confidence surging and courage spurring him forth, this brave crystal-guardian stands his ground before the seething Mad Titan, "You talk about titles. You question who I even am. Well, Vilgax the Conqueror of Worlds, I finally have an answer for you." With a fist over the Omnitrix, he takes a deep breath before making a declaration to the entire universe. "I'm Izuku Midoriya! And I am the hero known as Deku! DEKU 9!"
Like a salute he pounds his fist against the Omnitrix, and his entire body is consumed with radiating green lights!
Realizing that this child will not go down quietly, that this flame will spread like wildfire if not contained. Vilgax launches into an attack in an attempt to snuff this flame out once and for all! But he's stopped, he's struck back with such a force that not even he can match. It sends tremors throughout his entire body, making his muscles tighten and his limbs to squeeze in place.
No, he wasn't knocked back, he was grabbed! Grabbed in a mighty fist so large it can hold him like a child's plaything. The air is knocked out of him as this fist raises him into the air so fast that it makes his inner ears bleed. Entire pillars of moon dust rise with him as what feels like an entire skyscraper has just sprouted out of the moon's crust, leaving Vilgax in sheer awe and horror.
[PLAY SONG: "My Hero Academia - You Say Run Epic Plus Ultra Cover!"]
y_o_ut_u._b_e/8iWVfNvAsAU?si=WugICsD05Jyb293l
Whereas all of Deku 9's friends are left in awe and wonder. They watch as a giant of being rises from within the dust to a stature so large and tall that it simply takes their breaths away.
Watching on from Xylene's ship, Shoto's eyes could be compared to an owls as he watches this magnificent being rise to heights of 300 feet or more. "That's one big alien."
Bakugou can't seem to look away either as he slowly nods back. "Yeah, he's Way Big."
Way Big glowers at the bug between his fingers like he's contemplating if he should squeeze down and end it. But the idea of getting goop all over himself is so foul he'll not have it. And so, he does what everyone does with a piece of trash, HE THROWS IT AWAY!
And throws him he does! With a full swing and the flick of the wrist he launches Vilgax across the moon surface like a stone skipping water before BLAM he's crushed into the side of a literal mountain!
Despite how devastating the impact was Vilgax managed to survive that final landing with a Ziegel Shield although parts of his armor and cybernetics have broken away and he's sure he's bleeding blue blood somewhere underneath his cracked breastplate.
He wheezes for breath; it seems that his respirator has taken some damage as well. But he has no time to catch his breath with Way Big running across the landscape after him.
As the colossus races closer, it becomes clear that he's winding up for a kick.
For once panic and fear surges through Vilgax's veins and using Inflame he manages to leap far enough away to not be kicked to oblivion! Which certainly would have been his fate as Way Big's kick totally demolishes the mountain into a canyon!
"How. Dare. YOU!" Vilgax's eyes burn red as he locks his gaze onto the giant's Achilles tendon. "Prepare to fall you-"
He's cut off completely when Way Big backhands him with little to no remorse.
And away he goes flying off back in the direction he came from! And this time Vilgax isn't able to pull off a Ziegel Shield before he's thrown through several layers of his own ship.
Explosions ring in his wake as he's unwillingly thrown through layers of metal, cables, and rubble before coming to an explosive halt back through the other side and near an array of broken ordinances.
If he wasn't sure that he was bleeding before then he for sure is now. And that fact alone sends the titan into an uproar! He's prepared to rampage, but his calculating mind keeps him reigned in and observant of his surroundings. Taking in the number of ordinances around him he notices a massive cannon, a turret meant to shoot down enemy ships lying prone nearby. This turret, which is the size of several semi-trucks, was supposed to be on the haul of his ship but it seems it has broken away after the crash.
It appears to be intact for the most part and still loaded to the brim with plasma shells. Which gives Vilgax an idea.
But he better act fast since Way Big is already making his way over, sprinting so fas that he leaves pillars of moon dust in his wake!
Vilgax latches onto the massive torrent, his tentacles spread out to help leverage the machine. His entire body burns from within as he uses Inflame to help lift and aim the heavy cannon. And when he's locked in he fires, unleashes a bombardment of hell onto the giant. "Mwahahahahaha!"
With a storm of fire coming his way, Way Big screeches to a halt just as he reaches the edges of the Chimeran Hammer. He's too big to dodge and too big to move out of sight or range. So, instead he grabs onto a piece of the Chimeran Hammer's outer shell and pulls it free to make himself a shield.
It works perfectly; the haul albeit damaged is just thick enough to be pelted by the concussive blasts without any issue. But the onslaught is coming in too fast and too hot for him to even think about moving closer or away. He's at a loss as to what to do.
Shifting in place his foot bumps into something round yet sharp. Peering down that where he spots Vilgax's personal Spike-Pod rolling beside him. It must have survived the crash although it is heavily damaged with missing spikes and an indent that's shaped too much like Chromastone. Looking at it from this height kinda reminds Way Big of the softball he used on his first day at U.A. Which gives him the perfect idea.
Vilgax is having a blast, this is so exhilarating. Sure it's slow but at this rate he'll have this giant as part of the moon's landscape too. And it appears he'll have his chance as Way Big pokes his head out from behind his own shield.
Vilgax is ready, with all his strength he aims the turret accordingly even as it continues to fire away.
But he was not fast enough as Way Big pitches a red projectile back at him! The projectile is a blur, moving so fast that if he blinks he'll miss it. And that's exactly what happens because in one mili-second he's holding the cannon and in the next the cannon is gone. Vanished from thin air, with only pieces of floating shrapnel left in midair acting as any proof that it even existed at all. Just like any confidence Vilgax had left.
"I HOPE YOU HAD FUN. CAUSE IT'S MY TURN!" With emphasis he makes a T-shaped formation with his hands which seems to release particles of golden light between them. "SPACIUM BEAM!" With a roar, a devastating golden beam is unleashed upon the moon! This concentration of cosmic rays sources the moon's mantle as it carves a path right towards the titan.
Summoning his golden shield, Vilgax hopes to stave off this attack but it's for not as the Spacium Beam totally consumes him! Roaring out in pain and agony he wraps his burning tentacles around the shield's frame and like before summons forth his Infernal Sword and Bio-Fists to help strengthen his shield.
But this only serves to postpone his defeat which is proven as the sheer force behind this power begins to push him back across the landscape.
Realizing that standing his ground won't be enough the titan fights to reach the edges of the beam to which he dives away and with an Inflamed jumped that's boosted from a whip of his tentacles against the ground, launches him right at Way Big. With his combination of the Ziegel Shield, Infernal Sword, and Bio-fist in front Vilgax bashes the amalgamation of powers against Way Big's skull.
Way Big's head snaps back with the strike to the forehead and he nearly stumbles and falls back until he plants his foot in place.
With the momentum carrying him, Vilgax was bounced up and over the giant, and now in the alien's blindspot instead of firing he prepares his ultimate finisher!
"Never! I will never fall! Not to the likes of you, Deku 9!" He begins with his Infernal Sword. "It is impossible!" He roars as his fist turns into an array of claws and fangs that soon spread across the hilt of the blade as his tentacles intwine themselves around the blade. "I am Vilgax the Conqueror!"A golden hue surrounds the entire jagged dark blade, making it three times the size. "The Mad Titan!" A pair of Omega Beams race around the edges of the blade at impossibly fast speeds of light. "The Grand Destroyer!" Inflame consumes his entire body making it burn red from within, and that same burning hatred courses up his tentacles and into the blade, turning its array of hues into a single crimson red. "I AM THE ONE THAT BRINGS FEAR TO ALL BEINGS!" .
Standing his ground, Way Big prepares to finish this nightmare once and for all. "HAVE YOU NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION?" Reeling his fist back he cocks it like a gun as he awaits for the right moment. "I WILL PUSH PAST MY FEARS! BEYOND MY RESERVATIONS! TO PUSH FORWARD!
Watching from places on high his friends, teachers, and family are all caught up in the moment as they all cheer out as one.
"KICK HIS ASS!" roars Bakugou, Shoto, and Thirteen.
"DO YOUR BEST, DEKU 9!" Uravity and the others scream as Cosmo howls along.
"STOP THIS VILLAIN!" shout his teachers!
And together they all sing out alongside Way Big. "TO GO BEYOND; PLUS ULTRAAAAA!"
His fist burns ablaze with a golden surge of cosmic power and with a roar his fist rockets across the sky like a golden meteor to meet Vilgax's blade! "TERRA-NOVA SMAAAAASH!"
These two titans clash in the air; a cosmic fist to a hellish blade. The impact sends shockwaves throughout the stars causing the moon to experience earthquakes like never before.
"You cannot defeat me! My conquest is inevitable! I am everlasting! MY RULE WILL BE FOR ALL TIME!"
"YOUR TIME IS OVER, VILGAX!" His SMASH makes headway as the titan's blade begins to crack.
"IT'S OUR TIME!"
The villain's straining so hard against his own power that his veins begin to bleed across his body.
"IT'S HERO TIIIMMMEEE!" Sheer willpower overtakes Way Big as his blazing fist SMASHES through the Quirks, shattering the blade to oblivion, before his fist envelopes Vilgax's entire frame! And with an eruption of pure unchained power Vilgax's body is torn apart as he's sent flying through the sky like a shooting star! Off and away, he goes, rocketing away in agony and defeat until he vanishes completely from sight into the infinite darkness of space. And out into the universe he was so ambitious to conquer.
Astonishment. Sheer astonishment has everyone silent. They dare not look away as their minds slowly begin to process what's happened. It feels almost unreal, like a dream, a mirage perhaps. But could it be…?
They watch with silent intent as Way Big falters in place. His fist, no longer a glow with cosmic rays, seems cold and stiff in comparison to as it was before. His arms drop to his sides as he stands back with his head fallen back as if he's trying to inhale a breath that isn't there. And for a moment they all fear the worst, that perhaps it was too much for him, too much for his body, and maybe too much for his soul.
But Way Big…doesn't fall. His head, yes, but not his body. Even so he hasn't faltered. Instead with his back towards the giant blue orb in the sky, he slowly raises his left fist as high as he can into the air. And with a steadfast spirit Way Big remains firmly in place as he strikes All Might's signature pose.
Immediately the impact is felt as every human, alien, and droid present lets out cries of celebration! Their cries and cheers are so loud that they could be heard back on Earth and Way Big swears he can see the Rustbucket and RazorCrest shaking from all the excitement.
"We did it! We did it! WE DID IT!" Mina, Momo, and Ochaco hug it out while jumping in place.
"That was totally EPIC!" Kirishima pumps his Harden fist in excitement. "Dude! Did you see what he did?!"
"Yes!" Pushing up his glasses, Iida is all smiles as his hands karate chops the air. "It was most spectacular!"
Wo-wop! Wo-wop! Wo-wop! Chopper spins around them all in celebration, not caring at all if he stumps any toes.
A soft smile adorns Aizawa's tired face as he leans over the dashboard and out towards that shining star standing upon the moon. "And just when I thought you couldn't become a bigger headache, Problem Child." He means that in the sincerest way possible. Too bad his moment of peace is interrupted by Cosmo who's running around and giving everyone a quick doggy kiss.
The cat lover manages to shove her away, but Cosmo's not bothered. She just bounds away, bumping into Toshinori as she goes.
"Young Midoriya…you are truly one of a kind." A tear of celebration rolls down Toshinori's sunken cheek. "Well done young hero."
As she celebrates, Ochaco and Toshinori lock eyes and they have a moment to silently recognize this significant and glorious moment. "He did it."
Sharing this moment, they look out towards the stars, towards their home, and to the glorious icon just outside their window.
However, not everything seems to be as right as rain because Way Big's once firm pose is fading. He wanes, wobbling slightly in place as his arm drops to his side while his chest labors for air that doesn't exist.
A wave of dread sweeps away all the wind from Ochaco's sails. 'He's exhausted! The Omnitrix's gonna dial him back to human while he's still out there!'
In a panic she screams into her com-link. ["Mr. Midoriya!"]
She hears static before Cinder answers. ["What's up, Uraraka?"]
She can hear a lot cheering in the background but thankfully she can hear him loud and clear. "I have to get this item to Deku immediately! "How do I do that?!"
Hearing the rush in her voice, and trusting that it must be dire, he goes ahead and tells her exactly what she needs. ["The restroom. It acts as an airlock. Pull the handle up instead down and it'll shoot you right out."]
"Right! I'm off!"
'IT'S OVER… IT'S FINALLY OVER…' It's such a weight off his shoulders, the chains have been broken and he's free once again. And yet with the danger gone, his body, his spirit, begins to collapse from it all. He's out of breath, his vision is turning hazy, and his entire body is aching with pain he wasn't aware of up until now.
'THE…OMNITRIX…' It won't be long until the Omnitrix loses its charge and he's back to being human while on the moon. Especially with how completely and utterly drained of strength he is. He's so utterly exhausted that he cannot bring himself to even raise his voice to call for help or even lift his foot in an attempt to reach a ship. What a way it woud be to go: defeated an alien overlord in one moment and the next his entire body implodes in on itself. Oh, how cruel fate can be.
But the thing about fate is that she is a fickle mistress.
"DEKUUU!"
That voice, it's Uraraka's. But where's it coming from? Oh, yeah the com-links…
"Deku! Deku!" Ochaco cries as she glides through the air. Her Gyro-Disc is working overtime propelling her forward especially considering her earlier injuries. But thankfully her suit and new bubble-domed helmet are still intact enough for her to fly through space.
"I'm coming, Deku! I'm here!" In her hand she holds out his hero costume's mouthpiece.
"URArakaaa…?" Way Big begins to fade, the last of strength is gone and he begins to slowly collapse backwards as the Omnitrix's charge begins to fade and his entire body is enveloped in green energy.
That's when Ochaco reaches him, she latches on fast as Way Big's body begins to shrink and she slaps the mouthpiece to where Izuku's head should be. And it appears she reached him just in time as Izuku takes a deep inhale of contained air.
A dark green visor has unsheathed itself from out of the mouthguard which has perfectly sealed itself around Izuku's face as a pair of earpieces cover his sides. His head and hair are left exposed but a transparent forcefield glitches over it, protecting it and him from the cold vacuum of space.
[ARTWORK: "DEKU Helmet V.1" by "Voidv25" on DeviantArt.]
w_w_w_.d_e_vi_a_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m/voidv25/art/DEKU-Helmet-V-1-1103593526
Izuku gasps for breath. As he does, a pair of holographic rings display on his visor, they shift and squeeze into themselves as they mimic his own expression from underneath.
"*Gasp!*" After a minute or so he starts to finally catch his breath again and relax despite floating aimlessly above the moon. To which the holographic rings widen in shock-and-awe of the sight.
But Ochaco's got him, she holds on tight ensuring him that he's not gonna drift away.
"T-thanks…Uraraka. Really…thank you…"
Ochaco smiles, relieved to have him back. "Thank Melissa. It's a gift from her."
He smiles playfully and the ring displays reflect as much. "Well, remind me to thank her."
She returns the p;ayful banter. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that."
Smiling, they just take a moment to catch their breaths. Floating there together, in an embrace as nothing but silence and the stars surrounding them. It's peaceful. A long and hard earned peace that they've so dearly missed. And it's a beautiful peace at that with them floating above moon without a fear of falling as the Earth shines down upon them, and stars twinkle in the distance as if in celebration of a great evil's defeat.
"Thanks for coming after me, Uravity."
"Any time, Deku 9."
[ARTWORK: "DEKU 9 UNLEASHED" by "Voidv25" on DeviantArt.]
w_w_w_. d_e_vi_a_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m /voidv25/art/DEKU-9-UNLEASHED-1103605595
It's happened. It's over. Wow. So much has happened. So much was built up to this. Essentially the entire story has been accumulating to this and it's finished. It's over. I would say that's all she wrote. But it's NOT!
There's still so much more ahead of us! So, many more adventures! Like what's gonna happen to Nue and his new friends? How are things going to change now? What's going on with OFA? Is Vilgax really gone for good? What exactly does the future hold in store?!
But for now, the question is: What happens next? We just got the epilogue to this arc to get through and we'll officially have ended this arc once and for all. Any ideas on how I should end it? Anything you'd like to see? Let me know and let's see what we cook up.
Please keep in mind that the rest of the world, heroes, and class 1-A should not be made aware of aliens…yet.
*NEXT UPDATE. I would like the epilogue to be relatively and comparably shorter than this chapter. So, hopefully I can have it out within the next month or two. But I also have to write up our yearly Halloween Special chapter in my side story: "Heroes Never Die; It's Hero Time, Anytime," which may delay the next chapter's update. So, maybe I will post the epilogue after on the day of this story's fifth anniversary. We shall see how things play out.
*DEKU 9 After this point onward Izuku's hero name will be Deku 9. I know it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but this is actually how I've been referring to my version of Deku since this story's conception and I always wanted to establish it here.
His name references not just his 9 new aliens but the fact he started with 9 aliens at the beginning, as well as the fact that in canon he is the 9th holder of One For All. While still being a call back to the name that started it all, Ben 10.
*RECALIBRATED OMNITRIX It finally happened. The Omnitrix has finally recalibrated. So, you can all stop asking me if it's gonna happen! I always planned for it to happen here and I think it worked perfectly.
So, to be clear the Omnitrix no longer has a time limit but an energy limit much like Alien Force had. Injuries will remain to carry over between aliens to Izuku. And he can transform from one alien to the next but it's not a pure Master Control. So he can still revert back to human at the wrong times if he doesn't manage his own stamina and transformations.
He also has all of the aliens he has collected up till now, which is why we had Rath appear just to help solidify that part, and yes I saw Deadpool and Wolverine right before being inspired to write that part. Actually, that movie might have also been an inspiration as to why Fasttrack now has an Aussie accent. In any case, Deku 9 now he has an added set of 9 NEW ALIENS as seen in Voidv25's "Deku 9 Unleashed" artwork.
1. Chromastone
2. Fasttrack
3. NRG
4. Brainstorm
5. Spidermonkey
6. Gutrot
7. Jetray
8. Way Big
9. Gravattack
*Now I know each of these aliens are capable of doing more than what I was able to convey in this chapter. Like yes, am aware that NRG's armor can open but Izuku doesn't know that yet. Had to cut some things out for time after all. I promise that I will dive into their individual powers, abilities, and techniques on a late date. But for now this is just their intros along with the rest of Deku 9's alien friends.
*OMNITRIX ALIENS And with the end of this chapter our dear Deku 9 now officially has 33 aliens! If you want more details on said aliens including their names, species, powers, and abilities then check out this story's TV TROPES page where you will find all of them listed and more.
TV TROPES LINK: delete the spaces (_ ) within the URL below in order to get the full link. /Characters/HeroesNeverDieItsHeroTime
ht_tp_s:/_/t_v_t_r_op_es.o_r_g/p_m_wi_k_i/p_m_wi_k_i.p_h_p/F_anf_ic/HeroesNeverDieItsHeroTime
1. Feedback
2. XLR8
3. Grey Matter
4. Four Arms
5. Ditto
6. Ripjaws
7. Terraspin
8. Water Hazard
9. Lodestar
10. Buzzshock
11. Diamondhead
12. Big Chill
13. Heatblast
14. Stinkfly
15. Wildmutt
16. Rath
17. Wildvine
18. Bullfrag
19. Cannonbolt
20. Upchuck
21. Ghostfreak
22. Upgrade
23. Shocksquatch
24. Humungousaur
25. Chromastone
26. Fasttrack
27. NRG
28. Brainstorm
29. Spidermonkey
30. Gutrot
31. Jetray
32. Way Big
33. Gravattack
*S.A.G.E. GUN So, I briefly mentioned that I cut some things out for time. And one of those items was the S.A.G.E. Gun. I know I introduced a new function in the last chapter but with 9 new aliens to introduce, all the characters, the fights, etc. I decided to not incorporate the S.A.G.E. Gun for now. Plus I've been so busy I haven't had proper time to design new S.A.G.E. Gun forms for each alien.
In the meantime, check out the S.A.G.E. Bazooka by "Voidv25" on Deviant Art.
Link to Artwork: "SAGE-GUN by Voidv25" on Deviant Art
w_w_w_. d_e_vi_a_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m/voidv25/art/Sage-Bazooka-1084646652
*ONE FOR ALL. I am well aware that people have issues with Ochaco having One For All. It was a combination of me trying to skip through other character's development and taking shortcuts in an attempt to focus more on what I actually wanted to write: action, fights, aliens, etc.
But my hope is that after this chapter we can really begin to address those issues. As we kinda saw OFA act a bit strangely during this chapter. There are reasons for this, reasons I will delve into later on. But for now just know that she's gonna have to really work or rather reign in OFA. And also in case it wasn't hinted to or suggested enough, Ochaco will no longer die from having OFA after this chapter as well. And yes the two events are related to each other. (Again more details about them later).
**NEW ARTWORKS* OH MAN! Voidv25 has really come in clutch for me. They created not 1 but 2 different pieces of artwork for us! Of course, you have the Star-Lord inspired helmet, "DEKU Helmet V.1" which will be incorporated into Izuku's hero costume. I will show this later but the helmet, since it was created by Melissa Shield, has the ability to shrink in and out of the mouthpiece like her pogo stick and gauntlet.
Link to Artwork: delete the spaces (_ ) within the URL below in order to get the full link.
w_w_w_.d_e_vi_a_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m/voidv25/art/DEKU-Helmet-V-1-1103593526
But we also have the biggest artwork yet. The "DEKU 9 UNLEASHED" that reveals Deku 9 has his brand-new alien designs! I know some (most) are really basic with extremely minor changes but this was a lot of work to pull off and took a lot of time to do so. Voidv25 put a lot of effort into this, and I am just so appreciative of it. Please, everyone, send them your love and take some time to check out their works, especially this new piece called
Link to Artwork: delete the spaces (_ ) within the URL below in order to get the full link.
w_w_w_. d_e_vi_a_n_ta_r_t._c_o_m /voidv25/art/DEKU-9-UNLEASHED-1103605595
*Finally, I will not be responding to Guest Reviewers from Ch.87 during this chapter. Instead, I will answer Ch.87's reviews along with Ch.88's reviews next time since these chapters are technically one big chapter anyway.
