And... Chapter 15 is out! Before that, the reviews:
Colossus Bridger: Don't worry, it'll come at one point, slowly but surely we're going there, so the fall can be even harder hehe.
Chapter 15: Rage Of A Symbol, End Of Nightmare
/
Five Years Earlier
"SMASH!"
The impact made All Might's whole body tremble as All For One raised another energy barrier, blocking his blow and laughing. The two titans had been facing each other for hours, amidst a ravaged battlefield where dust and debris created an apocalyptic atmosphere. All Might, the symbol of peace, was determined to accomplish his duty end his nemesis's reign of terror, for the world, for his mentor, while All For One, the infamous malevolent shadow, relished every moment of this duel of fates.
The wind howled through the ruins, carrying distant cries and the acrid scent of destruction. All Might's eyes shone with unwavering resolve, though his breathing was already labored. But he couldn't afford to falter, couldn't feel exhausted. Not now.
"Still holding on, symbol of justice?", All For One mocked, his voice resonating like a sinister echo, "Let's see how long you can last. I hope you give me a better challenge than your mentor."
All Might gritted his teeth in anger, as pure rage illuminating his eyes, his fist clenching until his knuckles turned white. He leaped forward, screaming in fury, a golden streak trails left behind him. His fist cut through the air, aiming directly at All For One's smiling face hidden behind his black mask.
But his opponent was ready. His grin widened even more, he knew he had touched a nerve, and he was going to use that. With disconcerting agility for someone his size, All For One dodged the blow, countering with a wave of dark energy. All Might felt the impact before he even saw it. The force of the hit propelled him backward, smashing through a concrete pillar, continuing through several walls of buildings before stopping. The pain was sharp, piercing, but he couldn't afford to slow down.
Standing up with difficulty, All Might summoned all his willpower to ignore his body's protests. He charged at All For One again with a leap that created a powerful gust of wind followed by an explosion as he broke the sound barrier, concentrating his energy in his right arm.
"CALIFORNIA SMASH!", he shouted, bringing his fist down with titanic force.
The ground cracked under the impact, devastating shockwaves rippling all around. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, suspended in anticipation of the outcome of this colossal strike... Then the ground detonated as if a hundred bombs had gone off at once, lifting and throwing debris into the air as a tornado was formed by the impact. All For One was blown away, All Might was blown away, but both adversaries quickly recovered in mid-air, in the middle of the eye of the tornado.
The symbol of peace charged forward again, not giving the symbol of evil a second of respite.
However, All For One sidestepped the attack with a simple shift, All Might passing by him like a missile and stopping twenty meters away.
The symbol of evil raised his hand as it transformed into an amalgamation of a dozen quirks, a gaping hole at the end. A concentrated energy ball, yellow, black, blue, red, and orange, formed and was fired. The symbol of peace dodged just in time thanks to his reflexes, and the energy beam obliterated everything in its path for two kilometers, leaving a trail of tortured, smoking, burnt earth, rock, and concrete in it's trail.
Finally, the tornado ended, and the debris fell as gravity reclaimed its right, also pulling the two adversaries towards the ground...
The crash of the debris hitting the ground raised a formidable cloud of dust and smoke.
When the cloud dissipated, it revealed both fighters still standing, but All Might knew he was at a disadvantage. Every movement cost him more and more energy. His muscles burned, and he could taste the metallic taste of blood in his mouth as his body screamed to him to stop, before his body couldn't hold more. However, he refused to give up. The image of his friends, his mentor, and every person he had sworn to protect floated before his eyes. He had to keep going, for them. He had to end this man's reign of terror and darkness.
All For One levitated into the air and floated forward, his oppressive malevolent aura surrounding him.
"Look at you, All Might. A flickering flame about to be extinguished."
He extended a hand toward the hero, a black energy sphere forming in his palm.
"Let me help you find eternal rest. Join your dear mentor."
The sphere grew, crackling with raw power. All Might knew he had to act, and fast. Drawing from his last reserves and rage, he rushed toward All For One, narrowly dodging the blast of pure energy. He feinted left, then right, before launching himself forward with blinding speed.
"DETROIT..." he began...
But All For One reacted with prodigious speed, using a teleportation quirk to appear behind All Might. Before he could react, All Might felt a sharp pain pierce his abdomen. He looked down to see All For One's arm, black and glossy, covered in spikes, protruding bones, mouths, and blades, penetrating his body, as his stomach and intestines were leaving his body in a trail of blood behind...
"...SMASH!" All Might shouted, trying to finish his attack despite the pain.
He turned, tearing the villain's mutated arm from his side, and thrust his fist forward. The air pressure released, and a gust of wind struck All For One. However, the attack had lost its power, and the symbol of evil took it head-on, without too much damage, only being thrown back thirty meters.
Blood flowed from All Might's gaping wound, soaking his torn costume. The pain was unbearable, every breath an ordeal. He could feel the heat of his own blood, the weakness creeping into his limbs, his severely damaged lungs struggling to perform their function as they filled with blood. His blood. But he couldn't fall. Not yet. His duty wasn't done. He pushed back the growing darkness of unconsciousness, keeping it at bay…
All For One advanced, savoring his imminent victory.
"You see, All Might? All of this was inevitable. You couldn't win. I was always stronger, it was my fate to win in the end. I'll take back what's mine now…"
He raised his arm, ready to deliver the final blow.
"Goodbye, symbol of peace."
But just as All For One was about to strike, a brilliant light surrounded the fist of the symbol of peace. It was as if a new force, an indomitable will, emerged from the depths of his being. All Might's eyes lit up with a new light, and he clenched his fists with renewed determination.
"I can't... I MUST NOT FAIL!", he shouted, his voice resonating with incredible power. He straightened up, his body radiating with pure, almost divine energy.
"PLUS ULTRA!" he roared, charging towards All For One with unimaginable speed.
This time, All For One didn't have time to react. All Might's fist struck him head-on, an explosion of light and sound shaking the air. The mask of All For One shattered, and the fist crushed his face. The force of the blow sent the villain crashing through several buildings before he fell heavily to the ground, unconscious.
All Might stood tall, his fist still outstretched. His breath was ragged, each inhalation an agony. But he had done it. He had defeated All For One.
Silence fell over the battlefield, the debris and dust slowly settling. The first responders and heroes began to arrive, rushing towards their injured symbol of peace. But for All Might, each second became a blur. The pain, the exhaustion, everything became unbearable.
He collapsed onto his side, looking up at the sky... And soon felt arms grab him. Faces appeared in his field of vision, voices echoed in his ears, and he was lifted onto a large stretcher, carried by six strong pairs of arms towards an ambulance... Just before he was lifted into the vehicle, he turned his head... And his gaze fell on a makeshift relief camp, heroes, doctors, and police ensuring that nothing endangered anyone, as heroes arrived with more injured civilians...
One scene, however, stood out to him... A man and a woman crying near a white sheet that covered a body... And from under the sheet...
A hand emerged, holding a dirty and torn stuffed animal...
His heart tightened, and he felt a deep anger, both towards himself and towards his adversary...
Present Time
His heart tightened, and he felt a deep anger.
He bellowed in rage, his lungs burning as every bit of air in his damaged lungs was expelled.
How could this thing...
Dare...
Touch...
CHILDREN?!
He propelled himself forward, and a punch struck the creature's torso. However, to his surprise, it withstood the blow and responded with a punch of its own, which All Might blocked.
"Ah! All Might! There you are at last! I was wondering if you'd ever show up..."
A villain with pale blue hair and a face covered with hands sneered. He was the mastermind behind this attack...
All Might kicked the beast away and charged, fist ready, toward the villain, his eyes burning with fury.
"IT'S YOU! YOU'RE THE MASTER OF THIS ATTACK! WHY?! WHAT HAVE THESE CHILDREN DONE TO YOU? IF IT'S ME YOU WANT, COME AND FACE ME ONE-ON-ONE!", the symbol of peace roared.
His heart was wounded by his failure. He couldn't save those children. Not those clones. He had spent enough time with young Midoriya and his two clone friends to know they weren't mere clones.
They were much more than that.
Thus, seeing them, dead, broken, their empty eyes staring at the sky behind the visors of their helmets, their cold bodies resting eternally on the ground... It reminded him of that battle against All For One, his failure to save the people in need, his failure to spare parents and children from the grief and mourning they felt.
He knew what it was like to lose someone dear... And he wished that on no one.
The villain with the hands laughed.
"Oh, have you failed, All Might? Don't worry; this will be the last time..."
All Might threw his fist forward, but the monstrosity stepped in front of the villain at the last moment, taking the hit once again. All Might growled and threw another punch, which the creature absorbed. It counter-attacked, fist cutting through the air. All Might intercepted it with his own fist, and the two began trading blows, both not holding back at all.
A symbol of peace against a monstrosity of the darkness.
However, All Might was pushing his limits with the use of One For All, striving to hit harder, to defeat this abomination.
The villain with the hands laughed.
"Ah, All Might... Did you think our main asset was supposed to be a simple basic pawn? Oh no... This is Brainless. Don't worry; he's been specially enhanced to be an opponent of your level. Shock Absorption and Super Regeneration allow him to withstand any of your attacks..."
As if to prove his point, one of All Might's punches tore off a piece of flesh, but the muscles underneath contracted and tightened, and the attack did no further damage. Then the muscles around the wound stretched and instantly closed the injury, even the skin regenerating in seconds.
Brainless delivered a right hook, and All Might grunted and turned his head, before countering with a powerful punch of his own. The beast staggered but recovered and launched forward again.
All Might was waiting, having charged a powerful punch. As soon as the creature got close enough, All Might threw the punch... Brainless was catapulted back a dozen of meters, once again absorbing the blow, bending backward at a disturbing angle...
A portal opened under his torso, and the beast plunged into it as another opened beside All Might.
Brainless's massive arms emerged first, followed by his head. His arms wrapped around the waist of the symbol of peace, and his beak plunged... right into the scar. All Might groaned in pain as the skin was torn open and his wound reopened. Blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth.
Damn it!
However, there was a sound of crystallization, and ice encased the upper part of Brainless. All Might looked up. The young Todoroki stood there with a disgusted expression, ice shooting up from the ground where his foot had struck. He was accompanied by two clones, one of whom was dragging the other, who seemed strangely silent.
Then, looking around... he saw that all the students had emerged from the zones where they had been scattered, slightly injured, followed by clones in various stages of damage... The only exception being young Bakugo and a clone who appeared unconscious in the arms of other clones. Even young Midoriya was there, slowly emerging from the water, followed by his classmates.
But he had other things to do; he broke free from the grip of the monstrous creature and turned towards the villain with blue hair.
"You've lost, villain, surrender, we outnumber you."
The sound of cracking ice suddenly echoed, and All Might turned as the Nomu broke through the ice... Young Todoroki tried to trap it again, but the beast plunged its legs into the portal, emerging to stand right in front of All Might. Brainless shattered the ice with a punch, sending shards flying in all directions. One clone that had emerged from the fire zone took a piece right to the face, a large chunk shattering the helmet before breaking the skull with a sinister crack.
"MAG!" screamed a clone, his voice cracking in despair...
That was too much for All Might's ears; the rage returned, stronger, more blinding, more violent... The adrenaline completely nullified the pain in his blood, and he launched himself forward, a detonation cracking the ground and leaving his footprints imprinted in the ground. The duel with Brainless continued, the blows exchanged with even more fervor... Then... All Might roared in anger once again...
This thing was taking these hits at 100%... So he had to push further... Even... Harder.
His muscles burned under the power of One For All... And he screamed.
"BEYOND THE LIMITS! PLUS ULTRA!"
His last two words sounded like thunder in the USJ, and he delivered one final, ultimate punch as his body pushed its limits to maintain his form...
The blow hit the Nomu with the force of a thousand trains, its body distorting, swelling...
The ground shattered, broke, and rose under the force of the punch... Soon followed by a detonation.
The Nomu flew high and far. It hit the dome, and the metal screeched, buckled, bent... Before letting out a final groan and breaking, sending Brainless soaring into the sky...
Everyone remained frozen for a moment...
Then...
"NO! CHEATER! HACKER!" screamed the villain with the hands, violently scratching his neck, tearing at the skin and casting a wild, furious look around him... The clones had their weapons pointed at him, and he was hidden behind a curtain of smoke... He couldn't move anymore; he was paralyzed... He had pushed too far this time... Damn... He hoped the villain wouldn't try anything stu-
The man charged, the sound of rifles firing filled the air as yellow discharges zipped around the villain, barely missing him... He extended his right hand in front of him... Directly towards young Tsuyu...
Who froze in terror...
All Might felt another defeat weighing on his shoulders...
/
His quirk surged within him like a roar.
A renewed energy coursed through his body.
Time seemed to slow down...
And Izuku launched himself forward, his body crackling with green electricity... He seemed to arrive so quickly in this world where everything appeared so slow... He passed by training shots, so close that the greenette felt the electricity crackling on his costume...
The villain's hand was three millimeters from Tsuyu's face...
He was three meters away.
Two millimeters...
Two meters...
One millimeter
One meter...
-BAM!-
He collided with Tsuyu with all his weight, sending the frog girl tumbling to the side while Izuku crashed to the ground... Losing his helmet, which flew off his head...
His contact lenses and hearing aids also went flying...
He found himself in this strange world of color bubbles and muffled sounds... However, he noticed that his legs didn't seem to have broken like twigs... Had he succeeded in using One For All and not breaking his bones?
The faint sounds of gunshots reached his ears, and the colored bubble that represented the villain had a few tiny flashes of red before collapsing... A bubble of blackish-purple filled the air, accompanied by the smell of ozone, as a portal opened and then closed... Was it finally over?
He had no idea...
He got up and staggered, completely lost... He stumbled and caught himself against something hard and brown... A tree? Yeah, a tree, if his touch was right... He reached out a hand, searching for someone or something...
A shape approached and seemed to speak to him, muffled and distorted... He recognized the voice; it was a clone, but he didn't know who it was... Focus, Warden, or someone else?
"Kriff, are you okay?"
The greenette nodded
"Physically yes, but I lost my lenses and hearing aids..." indicated the greenette.
"You'll have to ask for new ones.", the voice replied.
The greenette lowered his head, well, he was completely handicapped for a little while then...
/
Momo's heart tightened as she closed Mag's eyes, her hand brushing over the shattered visor and helmet, tears streaming down her cheeks... And yet another one had died... If the radio was to be believed, there were also deaths upstairs... That made seven deaths among her vods...
And it broke her heart...
She watched as Slunt and Fix each grabbed their fallen brother's legs and arms, carrying him towards the steps where the other academy teachers stood, watching the enormous battle that had taken place...
Beside her, Crackpot was completely in tears, inconsolable...
And that hurt even more...
Her brothers were in all sorts of states; she stood up and walked. Some, like Screwball, Joker, or Voc, had lost limbs... Others were more lightly injured... Like Nylimm, who only had a bite mark on his arm, or Dozer, Prev, and Checkmate, who had head and torso injuries after apparently being thrown into the air by a ball of debris... But mentally… They were all in a bad state, grief, anger, sadness filled their minds.
Screams of pain echoed everywhere, adding to the weight on her shoulders as she walked...
She spotted another one of her wounded vods, and went to him…
Mirdip... The clone was eerily silent... Which was unusual... She approached him and crouched down... A bandage wrapped around his waist, and Uco was speaking to him softly...
"Vod..."
The corporal looked up at her but didn't respond... Momo took his helmet in her hands and removed it... The corporal's eyes were red and swollen... Like, unfortunately, too many faces around her... Herself included...
She gently stroked his head, then removed her own helmet and tucked it under her right arm...
"Vod...", repeated the raven-haired girl...
Tears returned to her brother's eyes... And Momo hugged him as he began to sob again...
He had been created to fight... And now deprived of the use of his legs... What was he then... To her, he would always be her vod... But to him... He felt like nothing more than a rusty, damaged cog, a piece to be replaced... A useless piece in a machine...
"Shh... Your handicap will never change anything... You will always be my vod, and everyone's vod... Don't worry...", the ravenette reassured him, her voice barely a whisper in his ear...
She stood up, casting one last glance at her brother before heading towards the steps...
However, Todoroki passed in front of her and roughly pushed her aside.
"Get out of my way.", the boy growled without a look...
She grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to turn around.
"Let go of me.", the boy growled more aggressively.
Momo's grip tightened instead.
"You're going to listen to me first.", the ravenette spat, "Do you have a problem with everyone?"
The two-tone haired boy was about to respond, but Momo cut him off.
"Shut up, asshole. I'm talking. You're nothing but a fucking bastard. You kill my brothers, and you don't even bother to at least apologize to them for everything you've put them through? In addition you're pushing me like you're the fucking king of Earth? You're the worst kind of scum, just like your father. You sacrifice people like him..."
Something seemed to click in the boy as his eye twitched.
"Don't compare me-"
"Shut up, I'm still talking.", Momo spat, "And one of my brothers, who doesn't even like you, saves your life, ends up paralyzed, and you spit on him. You've just taken his life away. You have two deaths on your shoulders now."
The boy seemed to think.
"Oh, now you're thinking? Too late, little shit, you fucked up, and it's irreversible. Oh, by the way."
She delivered a powerful punch to his cheek, resonating with a sharp crack around, drawing everyone's attention.
"Gift from the Yaoyorozu Family, you bastard."
And with that, she stormed off, not looking back for a moment. The bicolored haired boy got up, rubbing his sore cheek, and Momo felt his gaze on her. She climbed the steps, putting her helmet back on...
When she reached the top, the first thing she noticed was the six bodies lying on the ground, in a row... Mag... Arrow... Hellinnk... Derac... Xanks... Firdiss...
Footsteps sounded behind her, and Honks and Dion brought Tarrenn's body and laid it on the ground next to his fallen brothers... She saw Xyomm approaching next, followed by Dengloy and Torda, and the three stood there silently, before saluting the dead... A temporary tribute... Momo decided to join them, and in two strides, joined them, standing alongside her vods to salute her brothers...
"I promise... You will have funerals worthy of your value..." the raven-haired girl murmured softly, before the tears she had been trying to hold back cascaded down her face once more...
/
Lock removed his helmet and ran a hand over his face...
What a mess...
Kriff...
What a mess... What was he going to do now... Seven dead, and nearly forty injured if the reports coming into his helmet were anything to ignore... The heroes had arrived, all of them, all the instructors, and the sound of ambulance and police sirens echoed outside the building... They had brought vehicles in; honestly, it made sense...
He sat down, leaning against a wall, staring into the void... Kriff... How was he going to deal with all this mess... He hit his head with his fist, letting out a groan... He didn't have time to mourn; he had other things to do at the moment. First, check if his comrades were okay...
Getting up, he put on his helmet... Momo was saluting the dead, and the remaining students were being escorted out of the USJ by clones, with a few teachers assisting... Notably with Hagakure, who seemed to be having an existential crisis, a sort of blanket around her body to shield her from the mediclone's thermal readings, helped by Cementoss, who was trying to console her by any means possible...
Bloodstains were smeared on her face, and probably on the rest of her body given the reddish spots that were beginning to form on the blanket. The captain took two steps, and the mediclone, Hex, stopped to salute.
"What happened?"
The mediclone glanced at the poor girl who was sobbing and breathing loudly in gasps.
"She's in shock. Panic attack. Derac's body fell next to her and splattered her with blood. In the panic against the creature, we didn't notice her curling up in a corner to sob in her shock and horror."
The captain grimaced... Sithspit...
"I see. Any other problems with the others?"
The mediclone was silent for a moment...
"Negative, nothing serious at least, though many are in shock. Denki overloaded, but will soon return to normal. Jiro apparently had her eardrums damaged by sounds too piercing for her, Asui got a scare after almost being atomized, and a headache after hitting her head when Midoriya pushed her out of the way. Speaking of the boy, he had to be assisted out of the building; during his jump, his helmet came off... So he lost his contact lenses and hearing aids... Lastly, Bakugo had to be stunned by Focus to avoid fighting with Jak, who endured the same fate."
Lock sighed... That was a lot of information... Kriff... At least the kids hadn't taken the worst of the damage... It was a small consolation...
"Understood... Go ahead, I won't keep you any longer.", Lock said to the mediclone, but also to Cementoss, who seemed to be growing impatient.
Then suddenly, as the captain watched them leave, a small voice spoke up...
"Lock Yaoyorozu... There you are..."
The captain turned and looked down... Standing before him was Nezu, hands clasped behind his back... Unlike his usually calm and cheerful demeanor, he was very serious, and his eyes were even filled with deep concern...
"Mr. Principal. Did you need me?" the captain asked in a calm and composed voice, which seemed to surprise the rodent who quickly composed himself.
"Yes, I did need to see you... I know this isn't the right time... But... Here are your results for your firearm license... Congratulations, though I wish I could have given it to you under better circumstances..."
He handed him the envelope, which the captain gently took... When the police suddenly entered, led by a man in a long beige coat and a hat of the same color. The police were followed by paramedics who rushed to the injured, while the police dealt with the villains and dispersed throughout the USJ to detain them all.
"You'll need it..." Nezu murmured after a moment, "Your accommodations on campus were finished this morning... You are free to move in whenever you like. Once again, I would have preferred to announce it under better circumstances..."
The rodent started to walk away but stopped and said.
"A funeral ceremony at our expense will be held on campus... We will notify you... It's the only thing we can do to thank you... Without you and the sacrifice of your clones... The outcome of this attack would probably have been completely different... We can never thank you enough, you and your clones..."
With that, the chimera finally walked away... The principal's steps seemed heavy with shame but also sadness...
The captain watched him leave for a moment... before sighing. He looked down at the letter... when the radio beeped.
"Captain, someone is missing. Aoyama Yuga.", reported Hope.
Oh kriff, what now?
"Clarify, Sergeant. What do you mean someone is missing?", asked the captain, "You mean he's not with the rest of the group, is that it?"
"Affirmative. But that's not the most disturbing part; no one saw him during the entire battle.", said the sergeant.
Sithspit.
"Send a search party; I'll join you right away."
However, just as he was about to leave the USJ, the man in the beige coat and hat approached.
"Lock Yaoyorozu?"
The captain almost stood at attention.
"Yes, sir, do you need help?"
The man pulled out a police badge, and Lock felt his muscles tense slightly.
"I'm Detective Tsukauchi. I have a few questions for you to get a clearer picture of what happened here. Do you mind?"
"Not at all, Detective.", replied the captain.
Beside them, the search party rushed by, attracting a curious look from the detective.
"Don't worry, Detective, just a search team.", the captain indicated.
"Are you sure your clones are competent enough for searches? Wouldn't you rather let my men handle it?", the man asked.
Lock shook his head.
"Don't worry sir; they are far more competent than you might think..."
/
Yuga Aoyama felt miserable... So pathetic...
What had he done? The sounds of the battles had died down in the distance, leaving behind a complete silence...
Tears flowed down his cheeks without restraint...
He was so ashamed; he cursed himself. Why did he have to do this? Why did he have to play the role of a mole, a traitor, within UA? How could he become a hero after this, with everything eating away at his mind...
He jumped when he heard the crunching of branches, the rustling of leaves, and voices.
Soon, they got closer, and Aoyama caught sight of several armored figures among the foliage... A team coming to look for him?
He stood up, trembling all over, the pieces of his armor clinking and catching the clones' attention.
Some pointed their weapons at him but lowered them as soon as they recognized him...
The boy took a shaky step forward... Then another... He stumbled, and if not for one of them reflexively catching him, he would have ended up on the ground... He began to sob into the clone's shoulder...
"Shh... It's okay... It's over."
One of the clones raised a hand to his helmet.
"This is Ex from the search team under Sergeant Aether's orders; we've found the missing student. Unharmed but shaken."
Aoyama continued to cry into the sergeant's shoulder, tears streaming down... He was so ashamed...
So very ashamed...
"It's okay, son; come on, let's get you out of this hell..." the sergeant said calmly...
Ah... If only he knew why he was really crying...
/
Izuku resisted the urge to rub his eyes as a doctor placed two contact lenses in his eyes...
The light blinded the green-haired boy slightly, and he blinked a few times to adjust... His eyes watered a bit, but otherwise, everything was fine. However, they didn't have any hearing aids, so he would remain hard of hearing for a while...
He regretted putting them in as soon as he left the medical tent where he had been set up...
Everyone wore a shocked, and for some, traumatized expression... You could see it in their eyes... The clones didn't seem much better...
Despite their movements back and forth, they were missing nearly half of their personnel; he saw one being hoisted into an ambulance, a leg missing... And their steps were heavier, more mechanical... Imbued with a deep sense of mourning...
There had been casualties...
Izuku's first instinct was to look at his classmates... No, they all seemed to be there... Iida had apparently returned with the reinforcements, which included the police, teachers, and paramedics; however, his exhaust pipes were hot and had taken on a reddish hue... The boy was sitting next to Uraraka, who had her knees tucked under her chin... He could read the expression on the brunette's face just from her hazel eyes...
The poor girl was traumatized...
He felt a twinge of pain in his chest seeing her like that...
Aoyama?
No, it was a group of clones approaching, with the group's sergeant supporting him as he continued to cry...
So it was the clones who had suffered the losses. He looked around, his heart tightening... Where were Focus and Warden?
He spotted them a few seconds later, talking with others... The green-haired boy felt relieved... but decided not to interrupt them.
Thus, he went over to Uraraka and Iida... Maybe he could help her?
/
A growl escaped Shigaraki as he collapsed onto the floor of the bar, blood flowing from the four bullet wounds he had received in each limb. Kurogiri emerged from the portal just after him.
"Fucking glitch... 'Almost at its limit'... 'That weak old man who's the No. 1'... Well, damn, the No. 1 seems pretty weak! Great rumors! 10/10!", Shigaraki cursed ironically.
The bar's TV flickered to life, and a sinister voice filled the empty room... When the young villain thought about how it was packed with hyper-excited villains not long ago...
It made him sick.
"Come on, Tomura... Don't worry... These are just your first steps standing without assistance..."
"Very funny, Sensei... Now I can't even walk or move..." Shigaraki replied cynically.
"It's normal to fail the first time. After all, no plan succeeds on the first try... There's always a hitch somewhere... A stone in your path...", the voice continued...
The stone... In this case, it was those damned NPCs with long-range weapons, those damn archers in a battle that should mostly have been fought by warriors...
He gritted his teeth...
And that green-haired kid... who had saved his comrade from his hands... Ah... It made him furious... He wanted to destroy the first thing he saw...
"Learn from your mistakes, Tomura... Use them to your advantage... Use the assets you've acquired, the knowledge you've gained about your enemies..."
However, Shigaraki completely ignored his master's words and continued to complain.
"Ah... I just want to kill those damn clones with their energy guns... That miserable bunch of NPCs equipped with aimbots..."
But suddenly, he stopped growling.
Why did those weapons suddenly seem familiar to him... The young villain racked his brain... Damn... He was sure he had seen them somewhere before... But where? Come on... Just a little more... He was sure he would find the answer...
A light bulb went off in his head... and his expression changed from pure rage to one of malice... His eyes gleamed... It seemed that despite his defeat, he might have gained a common enemy and potentially an ally with a faction of NPCs...
Now, he just needed to recruit them as a mercenary faction in the next turn with a bit of smooth-talking, and then he'd have a new troop to deploy in the next battle...
"Sensei... You're too good to me..." Shigaraki said, "Kurogiri, as soon as you're done calling a doctor, call Giran. I need him..."
/
In his seat, All For One chuckled... It seemed he had just brought a new pawn into the game...
And when Tomura mentioned energy guns among the ranks of UA's young ones...
He knew exactly who had just entered the game...
The symbol of evil was... Curious, to say the least, about this particular group of criminals...
Twenty villains focused on one goal, refusing to deviate from it... A target that All For One could now guess.
He had closely 'followed' their misdeeds with the same attention he followed everything that was happening in the underworld, the way they operated, their targets, the reasons for their attacks... The destruction of several other criminal gangs was just a façade, either to build a reputation or simply to defend themselves. Option two was the most viable.
Thus, this meant that with allies of this caliber, who let nothing disturb them... and whose goal could be used against them to control them...
Yes... His apprentice had just acquired some interesting allies...
/
142's commlink beeped.
The captain grabbed the small device while checking the frequency. Only one person had this identification...
Giran.
What did he want from them?
"I need to take this.", the captain informed.
The man was calling in the middle of a tactical debrief about the last few days, including their ammunition, the damage sustained (which was minimal), their resources, and so on, with the rest of the group.
Sergeant 842 nodded.
"Go ahead, we'll wait for you."
142 left their little makeshift meeting room, closed the door behind him, and turned on the device.
"142 listening, what do you want from us, Giran?"
There was a laugh on the other end of the line.
"Always straight to the point, huh? I like that about you."
The captain felt his central processor heat up slightly... The fact that the man always beat around the bush was something that irritated him, or something close to it.
"You remind me of my grandfather. What a brave man, he was an extraordinary businessman and—"
142 cut him off with an aggressive tone.
"Why are you calling?"
That seemed to bring the man back to order, as he cleared his throat before replying.
"It's Shigaraki who wants to see you... The head of the League of Villains."
Them again... This was the second time now, one time too many... They wouldn't join their plan. He had already made that clear.
"I don't want to see him.", the captain replied coldly.
"He says he has information... that might interest you."
That... was strange. 142 couldn't help but feel curious and slightly interested.
"What kind of information?"
"He didn't say, just asked to meet you and said he had infos."
"Where?"
"At the bar where I arranged a meeting with you last time. Tomorrow around 7:30 PM."
The captain remained silent for a few moments, his processors calculating whether it was worth it. If it was worthwhile, he'd spare them; if it was just talk, he'd kill them without hesitation.
"It's a deal then. Tomorrow, 7:30 PM.", said the captain, and he cut off the communication without giving Giran time to respond...
And our favorite commandos are out again! How do you think the meeting will happen? Well, it will be shown in the serie of 'side-chapters' that'll follow this chapter, because damn there's a lot to cover..
