Chapter 5: Midnight Gala
'Despite his dedication to his role as Gotham's hero, I'm still surprised that Bruce-otousan had the time to manage Wayne Enterprises and his personal life... But I'm even more surprised about his relationship with women... Selina-san, Andrea-san,Talia-san, Zatanna-san and even Diana-san... I guess Alfred-jiisan was right about one thing... Waynes attract beautiful, dangerous women...'
'... I envy Bruce though, just a bit... But I'm pretty sure I don't have that Wayne-ness that make him so irresistible... I need to socialize more.'
-Izuku's Journal (Age 10.)
The gala at the Yaoyorozu Manor is nothing short of extravagant.
Men and women wore the most expensive clothes, jewelry, and accessories.
Most of them are Pro Heroes and businesspeople associated with the Yaoyorozu family.
Tonight is the annual gala sponsored by the Yaoyorozu Zaibatsu.
The Yaoyorozu Zaibatsu is known for its pro hero status and various business ventures, making it the number one zaibatsu in Japan.
"Damn, they sure know how to party." Melissa remarked.
'You should have seen how Bruce held his parties' Izuku thought and chuckled.
Some were businesspeople and other Pro Heroes; some of them Izuku and Melissa recognized.
One Pro-Hero the two recognized, wore a flowing red dress that left little to the imagination. The front of the dress was cut into a deep V-shape, nearly exposing her breasts and navel. Many of the men at the gala were stunned and blushing as they looked on, while the women seemed angry and put off by Midnight's revealing attire.
The Yaoyorozu Zaibatsu is known for its pro hero status and various business ventures, making it the number one zaibatsu in Japan.
"Damn, they sure know how to party." Melissa remarked.
"Yeah." Izuku snickered.
They saw the Pro Heroes they recognized: Mt. Lady, Cementoss, Kamui Woods, Mandalay, Thirteen, Ingenium, Sir Nighteye, and more.
The center of attention, however, was All Might.
"Is that All Might?"
"It is him!"
"Quick, somebody get a picture!"
"This is the first time we see him in an event like this!"
And so All Might was then surrounded by paparazzi, the Symbol of Peace groaning.
He thought, 'This is the reason I don't go to functions like this.'
While he was fine being surrounded by people, he was very uncomfortable around paparazzi.
He was fine when he interacted with them at first, but he started to get very upset when they started to stalk him wherever he went, especially with the injury he sustained from his fight with All For One. He couldn't let the paparazzi know about his injury.
All Might put up his iconic smile, but Izuku noticed that his smile was strained when he was surrounded by the reporters.
'Guess he knows how much of a pain in the ass reporters can be.' Izuku smiled.
"Melissa c'mon, this place is gettin a little crowded," Izuku said, as the crowd started to get thicker as more guests began to arrive.
"Sure," she said, and they both walked out onto the second-floor balcony overlooking the city of Mustafatu
After a while, Izuku and Melissa were hanging out on the balcony laughing and talking about trivial things.
However, as they were talking, a young woman approached them.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Izuku and Melissa turned and looked at the person in front of them, and they were stunned.
The young woman, who were about their age, was stunning. She wore a long red dress along with sparkling silver gloves, a red scarf around her neck and a gold necklace.
''And the princess appears' Izuku thought, looking at the Yaoyorozu heiress.
"Should you two be inside? the main event is about to start." the girl said curiously.
"Don't worry about that, Miss," Izuku said as he offered his hand. "We're just about to go anyway."
"And don't mind my saying so, but you look stunning in that dress, miss..."
"Momo, Momo Yaoyorozu," The girl smiled. "But you can call me Momo-san if you want, Mr...?"
"Midoriya, Izuku Midoriya," said Izuku as he kissed the hand of the heiress, making her blush in response.
Momo looked at Izuku with interest; his mannerisms indicated that he had been born and raised in an affluent, wealthy family.
Good manners, good looks (as his green emerald eyes had a tinge of seriousness and mystery behind them), and confidence to match.
"I was hoping that I would meet the heiress of one of the most famous families in the country. It's an honor," Izuku said.
"You're too kind, Mr. Midoriya," Momo returned.
"And let me introduce my confidant" Izuku said, gently pulling Melissa closer to him.
"Miss Yaoyorozu, this is Melissa Shield. She is the daughter of Dr. David Shield, whom I am certain you are already familiar with."
"Well, yes, it's an honor to meet the daughter of one of All Might's benefactors," Momo offered her hand.
"Me too, Miss Yaoyorozu," she answered and shook her hand.
"While it's very polite of you to call me "Miss Yaoyorozu," please call me "Momo" or "Momo-san."
"Very well, Momo," Izuku said.
"Now that introductions are out of the way, I think we should go back inside; the main event is about to begin and you guys don't want to miss it," Momo gestured for the two people to follow her back inside.
"Well, I'm sure your party is as glamorous as the people say it is, Momo."
The events of the party were filled with celebration and dancing.
The events were filled with performances of various dancers from across the world, each dance group showcasing its unique Quirk for the Yaoyorozu family and their guests.
Light shows, carnivals, operas, and the whole shebang.
Everyone had a good time, though a few people preferred to stay in the sidelines.
One of those people is the Pro Hero Eraserhead, who is on the outer balcony away from the noise inside and is sleeping while standing.
After cleaning the dance hall shortly after the performances are over, the assistants then place the tables and chairs, which takes only a few seconds.
The second part of the gala is a formal dinner.
Izuku, Melissa, All Might, and David were seated together at a large round table that could accommodate four people. Izuku noticed that the Yaoyorozu family was seated at the central table in the hall.
Momo was looking at them, waiving her hand slightly at them, Izuku waved back.
Then as the festivities commenced, they were greeted by dozens and dozens of chefs, butlers, and maids all preparing the food before their eyes.
English, French, Italian, Russian, and even Asian cuisines were presented with glamour and splendour, and the guests applauded.
Then as the guests ate, they discussed many general topics, most of which were their own stories of heroism, all of which were impressive to say the least.
But there are a few snippets heard that talk about the recently popular vigilante duo.
Red X, and his sidekick Bulwark.
"I've heard about this vigilante who saved a bunch of people in a burning skyscraper despite being Quirkless."
"Quirkless? You must be kidding, right?"
"Look, I don't care if he's Quirkless or not, this vigilante is a bad influence. Many of the Quirkless were looking up to him, and they started to follow in his footsteps. He's a criminal who has violated Hero Law."
"Yeah, but you can't deny that Red X and his partner did an excellent job at being heroes. Personally, I'm rooting for them, and they are just as capable as we are."
The opinions of the many guests on Red X and Bulwark were divided.
Since his I-Island debut ten months ago, Izuku, also known as Red X, has gained international attention and popularity. However, among the pro-heroes, he is more infamous than famous for being an unlicensed hero.
The Red Cross and the Bulwark have appeared in many different places around the globe, in war-torn countries, disaster zones, and areas where crime is rampant.
Melissa, also known as Bulwark, has gone along with Izuku and gained experience in fighting and tactics.
The impact they had was small at first, but more and more people are following in their footsteps, most of them Quirkless.
As to how people had the assumption that they're Quirkless?
It was Melissa's accidental slip of the tongue to a reporter during an on-site interview in Africa a few months back, that the world learned about their being Quirkless.
Now, the two are in the spotlight. Many of the Pro-Heroes don't seem to like them.
Sadly, Izuku noticed that the Yaoyorozu family seemed to dislike or disapprove of the two vigilantes.
"While his actions and those of his sidekick are worthy of praise, their blatant disregard for the law is something that is unacceptable. We can't have masked vigilantes roaming around trying to bring matters into their own hands, regardless of how heroic they may be." Mr. Yaoyorozu, Momo's father, explained, as Momo nodded in agreement with her father's words.
"Which is why the Anti-Vigilante Laws are formed; during the early era of superheroes, there was a rampant rise of vigilantes. People who took the law into their own hands. Some vigilantes started killing criminals left and right, from simple pickpockets to murderers, some were even killed inside prisons. Others even caused acts of torture on criminals all because they said the criminals deserved it. All of this is unacceptable and is why we have laws."
Izuku begrudgingly agreed; the laws enacted in this world made sense. The Anti-Vigilante laws were there to protect the people from violent vigilantes.
However, Izuku argued that while these laws may have good intentions, they aren't always enforced or well thought out.
The rule of law is not perfect, and the Anti-Vigilante laws are no exception. Often, there are loopholes within the law itself that can be exploited, and the rampant rise of corruption within Pro-Hero agencies is a major cause for concern.
However, Melissa was offended by the remarks of the Yaoyorozu Patriarch and wanted to argue, but Izuku stopped her.
"I know what you want to say, but this isn't the right time and place to make an argument," Izuku warned.
"But-"
"No buts, Melissa," Izuku said flatly, which made Melissa huff in frustration.
Melissa, under Izuku's tutelage, had undergone significant changes in the last few months.
While not having a Quirk, her training under him had profound changes to her body that as she had reached what Izuku called: "Peak Human Condition."
Essentially, her body had been refinied to such a point that she's now capable of perfoming feats beyond human limitation, she can hit extremely hard to break walls, jump higher, move faster, and have better body coordination than the average human: a perfect midpoint between Quirkless and Superhuman.
Izuku taught other subjects such as Geopolitics, Economics, International Law, and most importantly: The dark side of their current hero society.
Melissa began to see the dark side of the Pro Hero business, along with its unintended birth of a whole new industry: The Pro Hero Industrial Complex.
The Pro-Hero Industrial Complex, having replaced the old Military Industrial Complex as the number one source of profit for governments around the world, is a massive and powerful entity that drives much of society's progress and development.
However, that is another story for another time.
Melissa began to see the rising corruption within the Pro-Hero Agencies and was upset by it. The most notable case of corruption came from Lady Nagant's downfall when she discovered that her agency had been releasing villains and setting them loose in order for the heroes to take them down, making a profit in the process.
"I still don't like it, Izuku. The fact that we are..."
"The only thing we can do at this point is stop villains and... hope for the best. We can't demand the numerous government and non-government entities for immediate action; these very institutions are also involved. All we can do is make the public aware of the corruption." Izuku finished the conversation.
After the dinner was over, the main event was the Ball Dance, where the male guests would pick their respective female partners and dance in the center of the ballroom.
The music was performed by a small group of orchestral players. Their first piece to perform was Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers."
Everyone participated in the Waltz, but many of the guests who didn't know how to dance awkwardly attempted to imitate those who did, such as Midnight, Eraserhead, and Nineteen.
However, Izuku and Melissa did not have that sort of problem. Izuku had learned to waltz thanks to Alfred's tutelage in manners and etiquette back in his old world, and in turn, he taught Melissa how to dance as well.
The two gracefully danced, each step in perfect rhythm, as they slowly moved around in circles while they danced.
Immediately, the audience is now focused on them as their skill and talent for the Waltz was a sight to see.
"Wow, those two kids know how to dance!"
"I wonder if that green haired kid will teach me how to dance..."
"I'm so envious of the blonde girl; she has more skills than me."
Some of the people were muttering, while Izuku and Melissa were having fun.
"You're doing great, Mel," Izuku complimented.
Melissa blushed, "W-why thank you, Izu-kun."
It's no secret that after these past few months of training together, Melissa had grown to admire and harbor feelings for her mentor/friend. He had given her a chance to become the hero she always wanted to be.
After the waltz ended, Izuku and Melissa curtsied and returned to their respective seats. The crowd applauded for their performance.
After the first dance, the second dance was about to begin. The band was now preparing for their second song
As the music started, Momo approached Izuku.
"Midoriya-san," she bowed.
"Hello again, Momo-san," Izuku smiled.
"Would you mind if I were your partner for this dance?" she smiled, though a bit nervously.
Izuku looked at Melissa, who shrugged, "Why not?"
"Alright, Momo, let's dance," Izuku said as he stood up and held out his hand to her.
As the two go on the dance floor, the announcer said loudly.
"And now, for our next performance: Tango!"
Momo's eyes widened, she then backed up slightly.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm not quite familiar with the tango." Momo said embarassingly.
Izuku cocked one eye, "Then why did you ask for this dance?"
Momo looked at him and blushed.
"Because... You are one of the first people that didn't treat me like a celebrity... When people wanted to be friends with me, they only wanted to because of my last name... You were the first person that truly cared... and that I want to get to know you."
Izuku was silent, then he smiled.
"Then would you like to tango Darlin?" Izuku calmly said, offering her his hand.
"I'm offering you my services, free of charge... What do you say?"
Momo blushed even redder, Izuku calling her "Darlin" in English caught her off guard and was embarrased.
"I think... I might be a little afraid." Momo answered.
"Of what?" Izuku questioned.
"... Afraid of making a mistake."
Izuku then grinned slightly wider.
"There no mistakes in the tango Momo, not like life. It's simple, that's what makes the tango so great. You make a mistake, you get tangled up, just tango on."
Then Momo began to laugh, his explanation was funny but it makes much sense.
"Why don't you try?" Izuku then offered his hand to her.
Momo then looks at Melissa, Melissa smiled and nodded, she then looks at Izuku.
"Would you try it?"
Momo then with confidence, smiled and took his hand,
Then, the two started off with Izuku holding Momo's waist just above her right arm near her armpit with his left hand and holding Momo's left hand with his right hand, while Momo held Izuku's right shoulder with her right hand and held Izuku's right hand as well.
(Carlos Gardel "Por Una Cabeza" starts playing.)
Momo looked at the greenete with genuine curiosity, as he gave off an air of mystery behind his serious yet gentle eyes. She felt that this man was more than what he appeared to be on the surface, and Momo wanted to know more.
"Tell me more about yourself," Momo asked.
Izuku smiled. "If that's the case, tell me about you as well; we're all friends here."
Momo nodded, finally happy to find someone she can deem as her first friend.
"Let me be the first to start off: I'm Momo Yaoyorozu, Fourth Generation of the Yaoyorozu family, aspiring Pro-Hero, my Quirk is a Creation-type which..."
However as the guests are enjoying the night, a few miles away...
In a secret government office in Mustafatu...
Agent Yue Zhou has successfully infiltrated the building where her objective is located.
"Puppetmaster, this is Doll 9," Agent Zhou's voice was cold. "All Security measures are down, guards out of action." She reported to her boss via her comm device in her ear.
"Excellent Doll 9, proceed with the second phase of the mission: head for the office, locate the laptop, collect all of the secret files, and get out of there as soon as possible. Failure is not an option; the CCP will reward you if the mission is successful."
Yue frowned. "Yes, Puppetmaster."
Yue Zhou has no illusions about the meaning of her reward—immediate dismissal.
It's no secret that her occupation meant life and death for her and her family.
She was born in a rural town in Qinghai, near the hospital where the first Quirked human was born. Her family was poor and had little to eat.
Her mother was a vegetable farmer, and her father, a construction worker, who was a violent, drunk alcoholic who would beat them after a drinking session.
She had a younger sister whom she protected from their father's drunken rages until one day, their mother lay dead after their father struck her with a hammer.
Yue, in a moment of grief and fury, she had activated her Quirk unexpectedly and used it to kill him.
Her Quirk, which she calls "Medusa's Eyes," causes her victims to become paralyzed. Unlike the legendary Gorgon Medusa, however, instead of turning people to stone.
It works when activated; when the person looks into her eyes, they instantly paralyze the victim, which is what she believed was how her Quirk worked.
In reality, her Quirk does not paralyze her victims; instead, it causes the victims' subjective experience of time to be suspended within a certain period. For instance, when a victim gets struck by Medusa's eyes, they stop moving as if paralyzed for a brief moment. When the effects of the Quirk wear off the victim, the victim will believe that only a second has passed, while in actuality several minutes or even hours may have gone by.
(Think of Code Geass' Rolo Lamperouge's ability: Seal of Absolute Suspension, but as a Quirk instead. But without the weakness of a Cardiac arrest.)
This Quirk she used when she paralyzed her father, and then slit his throat with a kitchen knife as he was still standing. When he came back to his senses, he collapsed dead, not knowing what had happened.
Yue and her sister ran away from home and survived on the city streets by begging for food and shelter.
It was not long before the CCP found the two girls and discovered Yue's ability. She was then put into the Chinese Pro-Hero Program and started her training as a government-sponsored hero, known as a "Revolutionary Hero."
Revolutionary Heroes are Pro-Heroes that serve as government enforcers for the CCP, tasked with maintaining "public harmony and national security from all domestic and foreign threats." In other words, they engage in brutal suppression of political dissidents, assassinations, and international espionage. Their status as Pro-Heroes and their "heroic acts" are often used as propaganda tools for indoctrination to maintain loyalty to the Chinese government.
Yue Zhou's current job is to steal secret information from the Japanese government. The CCP, however, wants one piece of information in particular.
The existence of a person who has a Quirk that can create Quirks, that person is only known by his moniker: One for All.
If they could confirm the existence of such a person, the high echelons of the CCP would attempt to "acquire" the services of One for All for his expertise in the distribution of Quirks for their plans of creating a Metahuman Army.
The existence of One For All was a closely guarded secret from the eyes of the world; even most of the Japanese government didn't know about its existence. Only a few members of the Japanese Diet and a few Japanese pro heroes were aware.
The fight between All Might and One For All years ago had been a closed-off secret, with records and images of the fight having either been deleted or destroyed, as very few people know about it. However, Chinese Intelligence had secret footage the fight and knew of One For All's existence.
If such a person who can create Quirks exists, then it would shift the balance of power. It will be the start of a new international arms race, where instead of nuclear weapons and military arms being built and stockpiled, it will be Quirks that will be created and stockpiled. The more Quirked metahumans a nation has, the stronger its military might.
So, Yue's job is to steal government secrets about the Japanese Government's Secret Anti-Quirk weapons program, as well as the file on the mysterious One for All.
Yue finally arrived at the office, where the laptop was unsupervised and unprotected on the desk.
"This makes it too easy," Yue smirked as she bypassed the firewalls using her handy electronic gadget.
After finishing the hack, she sifted through the files and started copying them onto her hard drive.
While the files were being copied, she looked around the office to search for any hidden cameras or sensors that might have put her in a compromising position.
Unbeknownst to Zhou, a hidden camera watched her from an adjacent building, then sent the footage to its creator...
Back to Izuku...
"Hmm?"
While the guests were having fun, Izuku, who had just finished dancing with Momo in a ballroom dance a while ago, felt his wristwatch vibrate. He looked at his watch, and his eyes widened.
His digital wristwatch, which is actually a mini holographic computer and also doubles as a communicator.
The watch's screen showed the word "ALERT".
Izuku pressed the screen, and sees...
'Shit!' Izuku cursed.
The dread on Izuku's face was noticed by Melissa.
Melissa was worried, she then approached Izuku.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Melissa asked.
Izuku looked and then whispered to her.
Her eyes widened, then her demeanor turned serious as she nodded.
The two then approached Momo. "I'm sorry Momo, but I'll have to get going."
"Where you two going?"
"Something just came up from work." Melissa lied.
"O-okay?"
"Don't worry Momo, we'll be back shortly." Izuku said as both he and Melissa hurriedly walked out of the gala.
Momo, while not a hero yet, has been training in how to detect lies and suspicious speech patterns, including the art of making deals and doublespeak. She is an heiress to a multi-million dollar conglomerate after all.
While she can't read Izuku, Melissa did not hide her worry very well, and the fact that Izuku's reaction, though minute, was enough to warrant her suspicions.
"Momo-chan, where are you going?" Her mother called out as she saw Momo leaving the gala.
"Just getting some fresh air Mom, I'll be right back." Momo replied as leaves the mansion.
After a short distance, Momo spots both Izuku and Melissa at the Mansion gates running.
Her eyes narrowed.
'Where are you two going guys?'
Although what she's doing is wrong and unbecoming of her stature, she had a uneasy feeling the moment Izuku and Melissa left, while normally she would dismiss such thoughts but the two people she just met were the first real friends that are genuine. Not like her peers who act like they know each other all their life.
Momo sees Izuku and Melissa go around a street corner not far from her home, she follows and turned.
All to find that no one is there, Izuku and Melissa seemed to disappear out of thin air.
'What!?' She thought, then after looking around Momo decided to move the opposite direction to look for the two.
'Where are you guys!?' Momo's paranoia kicks in as she runs in the otherwise empty streets, trying to find them
However, Momo doesn't realize that Izuku and Melissa were actually very near.
In a small alley, two shimmering outlines come out, one would see a near invisible profile of two bodies.
"Is she gone?" Izuku said as he becomes visible, his body appearing from the alleyway.
"Yeah, she's no longer following us." Melissa replied as she came out of the invisibility.
"X... Do we have to keep this from her? Our oh-so-secret identities?" Melissa asked.
"It's better this way Bulwark, she's not ready for the real thing" Izuku explained, "She's got a good heart, but is still naive on how the world of Heroes work... Even All Might knew the risks... Until she can prove herself we can not reveal our identities under any circumstance, understand? Well... let's go."
As the two vigilantes make their way to the building, they were surprised to see the guards were on standby, however one could notice a dull look in their eyes, as if they were standing like statues.
"Damn it, we're too late!" Izuku muttered to himself.
"Melissa, get these people to safety, I'll go uptop and stop the thief from escaping with whatever he or she took!"
Melissa nodded, "You got it, and good luck!"
At the rooftops...
As Yue Zhou jumped from one building to the next, she started to think about her next move.
'Hua...'
Her little sister, who is waiting for her at home, unaware of her big sister's job, thinking that she's an ordinary saleslady.
She remembered the threat given to her by her superior, threatening Hua's life if she doesn't do what he says.
Knowing that this is to be her last job, before 'retirement' she's contemplating on how to escape Red China with her sister before the CCP would use her as a 'replacement.'
Yue then finaly reached her destination which is the docks, she then went to the pier.
Relieved, she said "Finally, now to signal the submarine..."
"Going somewhere?"
Yue gasped as she looked back as she sees a costumed superhero, It was Izuku in his Red X uniform.
"Damnit, I thought I covered my tracks!" Yue muttered in native language.
Izuku with his excellent sense of sound, heard her and then switched his Japanese to Mandarin.
"You made a mistake by thinking you've disabled all of the cameras inside and outside the building, when you missed the cameras from other buildings facing yours." Izuku smirked from inside the mask.
"Now," He demanded "Hand over the files."
"Screw you, bastard! You'll have to take me out before you do!" Yue growled as she readied in a fighting stance.
Izuku sighed "I knew you would say that."
The two then charged towards each other, Yue then leads with a punch to Izuku's face but Izuku dodges the punch then lands a leg sweep kick on Yue.
"Guh!"
Yue reacted quickly and performes a handstand and somersaults into the air then makes a graceful landing, then she charged towards Izuku again launching a flurry of punches.
Despite her best efforts, not one punch or kick lands on Izuku as if he's dodging them by mere inches just for fun.
"Damn it! Just! Stay! Still!" Yue shouted in frustration between punches.
Izuku smirked, then when one of her punches had been dodged he grabbed her arm and then with impressive peak human strength, was able to throw Yue like an olympian athlete.
"Ahh!!"
Yue then hit a stack of empty crates, exploding on impact. Not a moment later, Yue got out of the rubble with bruises and wooden splinters in her face, with a pissed expression on her face.
"Are you sure you could still take me on?" Izuku taunts.
"Fuck you!" Yue was about to attack before...
"Doll 9! This is Puppetmaster! You are to retreat to the sub immediately! The files are priority 1, not the Pro-Hero! This is an order Doll 9, retreat immediately!" Puppetmaster said loudly in Yue's ear comms.
Yue growled but reluctantly agrees.
"I would love to continue this bout, but I gotta run..." Yue then makes for the water.
Izuku's eyes widened as he goes after Yue.
"Stop!"
As Yue dived into the water and before Izuku was about to dive after her...
*ZZZAAAPPPP!*
"Ahh!!!" Izuku shouted in pain as a bolt of light hits him in the face, flunging him into the air.
Ironically, Izuku landed upon another stack of crates just beside where Yue landed.
As Izuku gets up, he sees a few bolts of light being fired upon the docks, each had hit a structure or building which exploded on impact.
"Shit!" Izuku cursed as he gets out of the rubble as the entire dock was getting leveled.
Izuku then looked around as he tries to see the source of the bolts of light, which is in the direction to the ocean.
Using his Mask's built in Binoculars, Izuku scans the ocean for any source, it didn't take him long before he found the source, as his sights get closer, he could see a laser turret, portruding out from what looks like a Submarine.
"Gotcha!"
But as Izuku was going to after Yue and the Sub...
"Help! Somebody help!"
Izuku looks back and sees a group of dockworkers trapped inside a warehouse that's caught on fire, then another group was trapped on steel and concrete rubble of what's left of a warehouse.
But Izuku's then sees...
"Momo!?"
He sees Yaoyorozu, in the rubble trying to help the dock workers escape from a now burning building.
Not a second too soon, he approached Momo, putting a voice modulator on to mask his identity.
With Momo...
Her day had just turned into a 180...
Just a few minutes ago, she was having fun with her two new friends at the gala.
Now, she's in a warehouse using her quirk to claw out pieces of rubble and metal to rescue trapped dockworkers.
Mini-flashback...
"Where are you guys!?"
Momo was now frustrated as she couldn't find her friends, who all of a sudden just left.
"They could've at least left me a number..."
As she was about to give up and turn back, a loud explosion was heard in the nearby docks.
"Trouble?!"
As someone who is not yet a Pro-Hero, it would make sense that she would contact the Pro-Heroes and call for help.
But, perhaps, it may be her sense of noblesse oblique, pride as a Yaoyorozu, her naivete, or her confidence...
"Better see what's going on."
Flashback End...
Momo had found a section of the docks was burning, and many of the dock workers were running away from the commotion.
She could see that the place was now burning, and the fires are now threatening to spread to the entire docks.
"Need some help?"
Momo gasped as she turned around and sees a person, clad in black and grey, studded with armor plating, arms and legs heavily armed, and wearing a cloak, but the noticeable part of him is his mask with a Red 'X' on it.
Momo instantly recognized him. "Red X!"
"Yeah, that's me" Red X/Izuku introduced, "No time for introduction, we need to get these people out of here!"
Momo snapped out and nodded, and started clawing her way to the workers.
'Okay, now, time to test drive my new Onmi-Gauntlet' Izuku thought to himself.
Exposition
Said Gauntlet, which is worn on Izuku's left arm, is a piece of tech he developed in his old world.
Developed by Izuku during his time in STAR LABS, and later refined in WayneTech, Izuku had created a substitute and alternate take on Batman's Utility Belt, unlike the latter, the Omni-Gauntlet or The Utility Gauntlet as Izuku calls it, as it's name implies it is worn on the arms, and that unlike the Utility Belt which only holds Batarangs, Smoke Bombs, C4, Lassos, etc. The UG is a swiss army knife, where it can reassemble into different kinds of tools such as a drill, prying tool, soldering tool, and even...
"Tractor Beam Mode Active!"
"Stand Back!" Izuku said to Momo and the trapped workers.
Izuku then fired his tractor beam unto the rubble and immediately, the pile of debris began to levitate up in the air freeing the workers, some were injured but not killed.
Izuku then placed the debris aside, and then did the same thing to another pile of rubble freeing more workers.
"Laser Cutter Mode Active!"
Then, Izuku turned his gauntlet into a laser cutter and started cutting steel beams that have blocked access to doors, clearing exits for more trapped workers.
"Exploding Gel Ready."
'Batman's exploding gel is always handy.' Izuku opined.
Using said gel on walls in hard to access buildings where doors are rendered inaccessable, Izuku created an entrance and exit for those trapped inside burning buildings, often Izuku would dive into the inferno rescuing a few who are unconcious, and bringing them back out.
"Quick! Someone call 119 and get medevac! Anyone with serious injuries come to me!"
"Administering Medi-gel."
Izuku then started administering a strange blue gel-like substance, applying on wounds on a few dockworkers with major cuts and impalements to stop the bleeding.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright! Just stay with me!"
Momo looked on in astonishment, at Red X's selfless acts of freeing the workers, but also at Red X's utility gauntlet.
'I've seen and heard of I-Island's prowess in developing Hero support technology, but that Gauntlet of his... only a peerless genius could've developed such technology, that Gauntlet would've required immense amounts of power to generate, and the power source would've been an equivalent to that of a small nuclear power plant, he somehow have managed to developed a way to compress it small enough to fit in the gauntlet, amazing!'
But Momo then looked at Red X again, this time she sees something else.
Staring at Red X's back, Momo could feel the aura emitting from him, a familiar yet noble aura.
'There's something different about him... I can't quite put it... like there's this honest... yet mysterious feeling about him... like an weary watchman... constantly vigilant, always weary... but also very noble... but also deeply scarred... fearing closure... yet always there.'
Momo then snaps out of it, she slapped her face.
'NO! Keep it together Momo, now's not the time for admiration, I must focus on the task at hand, I will not be outdone by a Vigilante!'
Then Momo started using her quirk to get more people out of burning buildings, disregarding her red dress she tore her long skirt to make her run more comfortably.
It took some time, but both Momo and Red X had managed to rescue everyone from the docks, while many were injured no one was killed, to both Momo and Red X's relief.
"You did a good job out there, thanks to you no one was died, these people are in your debt." Red X/Izuku praised Momo, using his voice modulator and his 'Red X' persona.
Momo blushed at the praise.
"N-no don't be silly! You were t-the one that did m-most of the work, I was simply a-assisting you the way I know how!" Momo stammered.
Before Izuku/Red X would respond he noticed a sudden flash in the coastline behind Momo.
Behind his mask, Izuku's eyes widened.
"MOMO!"
Izuku grabbed Momo's arm and pulls her out of the way.
Moments before, At the Submarine...
"Puppetmaster this is Red Dragon-1, we've secured the "package""
The Submarine Captain contacted the Puppetmaster as they've managed to nab Agent Zhou and preventing her capture.
"Excellent, now report back to the mainland, and Red Dragon-1... Make sure that there are no witnesses."
"Yes Sir." The captain said.
"Captain, the 'weapon' is ready, waiting on your orders!" One of the crew said.
The captain then peers through his periscope.
He sees the the now burning harbor, and spotted two people standing.
(It is Red X/Izuku and Momo)
"Lt. Xi, fire on my command!" The Captain ordered, "100% full power!"
"Wha-!? Y-Yes sir." One of the crewmen looked at each other and knew that 100 full power is dangerous, but questioning orders is also tanamount to court-martial.
"Ready... FIRE!"
Back to Red X and Momo...
As Momo was pushed out of the way, in slow motion Momo could see a yellow beam of energy going past her by nearly inches to her face.
Then she looked and to her shock and horror, sees Red X take the full brunt of the laser and was pushed back.
"RED X!"
However, as Red X was being knocked over by the blast, a massive explosion then flattens everything on it's path, Momo was not spared as she was knocked over by the sheer power of the blast.
Then everything went black.
Chapter 5 END.