CW: Light anti-human xenophobia, mentioned pregnancy.
=VI=
Tyl Regor - Research Log 22: Quirks, superhuman abilities that can alter one's very genetics… why? Too fast for evolution… has to be something else. Need to know more…
Tyl Regor - Research Log 26: Research for past attempts at organ cloning post-quirks has been… insightful. They are doing it wrong on a basic cloning level in the first place. Melissa Shield has provided her DNA for cloning. She's quirkless so her DNA should be perfect for a baseline.
Tyl Regor - Research Log 31: Tumors, all the cloned organs are filled with them. Even though she's quirkless, there is still something in her DNA that is different. An energy signature, like the energy quirks emit… but inactive. The Plus Alpha markers in her DNA are not expressing themselves in the same way mine are. I need to perform biopsies to discover what is going wrong.
Tyl Regor - Research Log 33: Tumors, cellular degeneration. I consulted Professor Shield about the energy the quirks generate. I was able to replicate it in a small sample, like the kind they use for quirk-based support gear.
Melissa Shield - Research Log 36: Hi, is this thing recording? Melissa Shield, assistant to Mr. Regor here. Tyl fell asleep after working all night on the newest cloning vat. He hasn't slept in almost three days and crashed this afternoon. I'm starting to get worried. He's trying so hard to figure all this out, and I don't feel like I'm helping very much…
Tyl Regor - Research Log 62: HAHAHAHAH! YES! Finally, a small sample of Melissa's DNA grew into a functional appendix. It's not the most useful organ, but it worked!
Melissa Shield - Research Log 70: It feels really weird, holding a tube with a copy of your heart in it. I can see it… beating. Tyl had me design an artificial life support system to keep it "alive". I can't help but feel happy for him. Tyl says I should be proud of my contributions, and I can tell he means it in the roundabout way he talks. Papa says that with this proof of concept, he can request more funding and invite some trusted investors from I-island's board.
Tyl Regor - Research Log - Research Log 75: Now that we've successfully created a baseline, I will begin testing with my DNA to create copies of my arm. I am not entirely sure how the DNA will produce the biological reaction to create the metal in the thrusters. They are not biological, but quirks can produce unnatural materials as part of the body? How? Why?
=VI=
[HPSC Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan, March 10th, 2243]
Ordan tapped the steering wheel impatiently. Driving in downtown Tokyo was such a hassle, even in the government district. The HPSC's headquarters was a large skyscraper surrounded by a small group of additional buildings. As one of Japan's three Commissions, they had lots of manpower, and with that, security. He could see several armed guards and heroes patrolling, with automatic turret emplacements along the fence. As invited guests, they had been allowed through the first security checkpoint after their belongings were checked.
"They take their security seriously," Natah noted. It would be difficult for most Tenno to get in undetected. Unlike the Corpus, they seemed to spare no expense, and there was no accounting for what quirks the staff and heroes they had guarding the building could do.
"Yeah, to be expected from what Nezu told us. The only place with higher security would be Tartarus." He added as the metal gate to the parking garage sealed behind them, the only path forward being down into the underground section. They went down a few levels before finding a spot reserved just for them.
"Are you nervous, Ordan?" Natah asked.
"I'm not nervous, more so I don't trust them." That was understandable considering Ordan's history. He was rightfully skeptical of most government organizations. "Nezu told us what they do to… things that aren't human. I can understand why they do it, because these things are a threat to humanity as a whole. Just the… killing even those that make simple mistakes is what I don't like." He narrowed his eyes.
"They aren't the Orokin." Natah reminded him.
"No, they aren't completely morally bankrupt, they just want Japan to be a human ethnostate." Ordan snorted. "Listen, I'll do what they ask, even if I have to kill again, but the moment they tell me to slaughter innocents or children? I'm burning this place to the fucking ground."
Thankfully, the car Nezu gave them was soundproofed.
"And I would be there alongside you. But for now, we have to play by their rules to fulfill our deal with the Principal." Natah stated.
"I know…" Ordan glared at the HPSC staff guarding the underground elevator. "We should be at the stadium they do this normally. They want us here for this test so they can split us up."
"We won't be able to help each other much." She acknowledged.
"Yep," Ordan clicked his tongue. "Listen Natah, we're heading into a den of vipers. We gotta watch each other's backs or else both our asses are going to get clapped. You feel me?"
Natah gave him a disappointed and slightly confused stare. "Ordan…"
"Yeah?"
"Do I need to restrict the time you spend online?" Natah sighed.
"No ma'am."
The former Sentient pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just… tone it down while we are in there okay?"
"Yeah yeah. I'll try to keep my brain damage to a minimum." Ordan said sarcastically. He clicked his keys as he exited the car and grabbed his suitcase with his hero suit from the trunk. "You know, It's bullshit you don't have to carry that around. This thing is a bitch to get into."
Natah gave him a sly smirk, having already shapeshifted into her hero costume while he wasn't looking. It was a slimmed-down version of her old Lotus outfit, with visible eyes obscured by a visor. Most people wouldn't realize that the fancy-looking suit was made entirely out of her body, and would probably assume it used DNA-infused material like Ordan's.
=VI=
"Madam President, Ms. Tau and Mr. Karris have arrived and finished the rescue training," Uzu announced, sauntering into the room with his sinister toothy grin. "Near perfect scores if I might add, as we expected."
Mera, of course, was at the location where they hosted the provisional exams, testing those applying for renewed licenses. There were a few otherworlders there that other organizations had sponsored for licenses, but none were as important as these two.
"And are we prepared for the combat portion?" President Hiiragi questioned.
Kushiguchi's smile faltered for a split second. "Hawks and Thunderbolt are on standby, as is Yoroi Musha, however… Subsurface has a bad migraine from overusing her Stand."
Eto exhaled slowly and calmly. "Who do we have in reserve?" Damn, a stand user would be a hard opponent to replace. They were hard to come by these days, especially those with ones used for combat.
"We have Acute, Manpower, Harken, Breacher, Old Flame, and Medusa on standby." He hesitated. "And… we also have the Stalker."
"Absolutely not." Eto insisted. "Norikage Sorren is not to be used against them unless you want Lotus to ask us why we have an assassin who targeted her children working for us. The most we are using him for is tactical advice for now. Bring him to the observing room." She tapped her foot, calculating who to send. Acute's power was too specialized for someone as nimble as Karris, Medusa could work, but Old Flame and Harken were too strong to send against someone as weak as Karris. "Send in Manpower… and make sure we have a good audience for the fight."
=VI=
Harken escorted Sorren to the observation deck of one of the underground training rooms, bagel in one hand, tracking device bracelet on the other. The HPSC didn't trust him, seeing as he had the ability to teleport and turn invisible on a whim. Given his history, he didn't exactly blame them.
He took a bite out of the bread and swallowed it. "Harken, why am I here exactly?" Apart from food and quirk tests, he was rarely allowed out of his quarters. At least they fed him well, but he was still a prisoner, even though it was willingly.
"We want you to observe this match for the license exams. Any information that would lead to the defeat of our opponent would be much appreciated." The fellow scythe user explained. The hooded hero led him over to a group of chairs overlooking the arena, where several other heroes were sitting. In the deck across the room, he could see a large group of men in suits in a larger observation deck.
"They are stacking the deck hard in Hibiki's favor." A man in black body armor noted. "Doesn't seem very sporting of them."
"Whatever, bargain bin Endeavor." A young woman with peach-colored hair barely hidden by her hoodie snarked, fiddling with a pyramid-shaped object in her hands. "They want him to lose, so who cares." She noticed Sorren and harken approaching and winked at the assassin. Sorren elected to ignore her flirtatious action.
"Harken, you brought him with you?" A lime-haired woman in a skintight snakeskin patterned bodysuit raised an eyebrow.
"President's orders." Harken shrugged, taking a seat and folding his hands. "They want his opinions on the match.
The other paragons in the room eyed Sorren with suspicion, the one in heavy blue riot armor shrugging. "Well, give him the details."
"Breacher, I was getting to that." Sorren snorted as Harken snapped back, finishing the rest of his bagel. "I'll let Director Uzu explain it, because he likes to run his damn mouth."
Speaking of the man, he decided to walk in not a moment later, smirking as he saw Sorren. "Mr. Norikage!" He strode over with a folder in hand. "How nice of you to join us. Please, take a seat right here." He gestured to the seat that Sorren was already planning on using.
"Sure." He rasped. "Just get on with why I'm here."
Director Uzu flashed him a smile. "Quick and to the point. Just like Harken, I see." The sleazy-looking man handed over the folders. "We were hoping you could give us some insights on one of the applicants today to ensure our victory. I'm sure you recognize the name."
Sorren skimmed the document. 'Hero Name: Bone Beast. Quirk: Calcification. Civilian Name…' Sorren's eyes widened. "Ordan Karris?"
"Indeed, I knew you would recognize him!" Kushiguchi complimented, his disingenuous smile making it hard to believe in it's authenticity.
"He's here? And you want to know how to beat him?" Sorren asked disbelivingly.
"Exactly. Take a look at who we have lined up against him. It's supposed to be evenly matched, but only on paper."
Sorren flipped the next pages over to view Karris's opponents.
HPSC Classified File: Masculine Hero, Manpower HPSC
Manpower Civilian Name: Hibiki Daichi
Quirk: Manpower -
Daichi gains a linear increase in strength increase based on the number of biological males in a proximity of 100 meters. This makes him an excellent fighter in large-scale battles or Urban environments with a large spectator count.
HPSC Classified FileHPSC
Well, that explained why the spectator booths were packed with men on the other side. Plausible deniability over the sudden strength increase. He flipped the page over to see the next hero.
HPSC Classified File: Equipped Hero: Yoroi Musha HPSC
Yoroi Musha Civilian Name: Tanabe Takashi
Quirk: Hammerspace Arsenal -
Takashi can store equipment, including swords, bows, armor, etc within a pocket dimension on his person. He can freely swap weapons at will with but a thought. His preferred weapon is an ōdachi. Takashi also has permission to use cursed weaponry and magic equipment in relevant emergency circumstances.
HPSC Classified FileHPSC
"Quite the team, wouldn't you say?" Kushiguchi smirked.
"You're a fucking idiot." Sorren tossed the folder into the stunned man's lap.
"What?" Kushiguchi sputtered. "Karris is a weakling, they should be more than enough for him!" He specifically chose them to be a quote 'fair' matchup for the otherworlder. He only had a bone-creation quirk after all.
"You should've asked me sooner. Those two are going to lose." Sorren declared, and Director Uzu started to shout at him, demanding further elaboration.
=VI=
The rescue operations were easy. The exam was more of a refresher, to make sure that returning heroes remembered their training. After all, this was under the assumption that you already had a hero license previously and were just here to renew it. Principal Nezu had been kind enough to supply them with information on what they would be graded on, as well as standard operational procedures for rescue work.
Natah was sure that she did fine, judging by the impressed remarks of the speed and calmness of her rescues. Now she was making her way to the combat portion. This is where Nezu said the commission would try and trap them to deny their licenses. 'Although, given what I've been told about the commission, Ordan would likely be the target.' She mused. Natah was not one to brag, she was just being practical. In terms of strength, she overshadowed most of Japan's heroes by a wide margin. That was why they assigned her the SSS designation after all.
As she neared the doors, a large and imposing figure wreathed in flames rounded the corner. He was easy to recognize due to his position. Japan's Number Two: Endeavor.
"Endeavor." Natah bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you. I assume that you are one of my opponents today?"
"No. I don't have time for the Commission's little games. I simply came to take stock of you, and warn you- though I assume Principal Nezu has already informed you of President Hiiragi's intentions." Endeavor replied tersely.
"If you are worried about your place in the rankings, I have no intention of trying to overshadow you," Natah responded.
Endeavor's beard flared. "I am aware that you registered as a support and investigation hero. Why does someone of your skill and power desire such a position? You do realize that will not exempt you from combat should your presence be requested in an emergency. As an SSS-ranked hero, we have expectations of what we are required to do." He crossed his bulky arms.
"My skill set is more suited to a logistical position. It is what I've done almost all my life." Natah explained. "But if it comes down to it, then I will do what needs to be done."
That answer seemed to satisfy Endeavor, at least slightly. "I see. So long as you are aware of what standards you will be held to, then I see no issue. I look forward to working with you in the future should the need arise." The flaming hero walked past her, stopping as they stood shoulder to shoulder. "My son is attending U.A. this year. I will not say that I hope you pass, because that would be an insult to your skill. I expect that you and Bone Beast will provide him a quality education and weed out his shortcomings." He said ominously.
"Of course," Natah replied.
"Good." Endeavor continued his walk down the hall, leaving her behind.
=VI=
"Bone Beast, please enter test room B. Your exam will begin shortly." The intercom buzzed. With a sigh, Ordan slipped his mask on.
Bone Beast. That was the name he chose. For the Orokin, the title of Beast of Bones was a double-edged sword. An honorary title meant to strike fear into his enemies, still remembered as a legend to this day, but also a mockery of his status as their war hound.
He would make the name his own. Not the name of a monstrous mass-murdering mercenary, but of a hero. The ledger of lives he'd taken was long, and he needed to do everything he could to balance it.
"Alright, let's get this over with." Ordan cracked his knuckles and the doors hissed open. Standing on the other side of the room was an older bearded man clad in samurai armor. Ordan recognized him as the ninth-ranked hero, Yoroi Musha. To his left was a man in a caramel-colored bodysuit with a symbol on his chest.
"Finally, we can get this show started!" The unknown man boasted, flexing his muscles.
"Calm down Manpower. We must treat this man with respect." Musha clapped his hands together and bowed. "From one warrior to another, I welcome you, Bone Beast. May our battle today be an honorable one."
"Likewise." Ordan bowed politely in return. Similar to the Tenno and Dax tradition, the man wanted this to be an honorable duel.
"Begin."
Manpower strode forward, an eager expression on his mustached face. "Finally, I've been waiting for a chance to get a good workout in. At least I'm fighting you and not the woman." He mocked.
Ordan's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I don't like you."
"Speak up, can't hear you over th-"
Manpower blinked, and the next second Bone Beast had blurred across the room and slammed his hardened fist into the Masculine Hero's face.
=VI=
"What do you mean they are going to lose!" Uzu shrieked. "Karris is a nobody, hyped up by the myths of your people."
There was a loud cracking noise in the arena, as the fight had already started. Manpower flew across the room and slammed into the wall, cracking it. Uzu's jaw dropped. "WHAT!"
"Hah! Serves that sexist prick right." The hooded woman snorted.
"I don't think we're supposed to be rooting for Bone Beast." Old Flame muttered.
"Pfft, I don't care. Hibiki's a douchebag. Last time I went on a mission with him he got all butthurt because I wasn't increasing his quirk's strength." Acute argued, hands popping out of her hoodie. "I swear, if he didn't leer at me and Medusa all the time, you'd think he was gay with how much of a sausagefest he wants everything to be." The green-haired heroine stifled a laugh a few seats down.
"It's true," Breacher chimed in. "The man has enough testosterone in him to transition a cheerleading squad into a team of linebackers. Probably has brain damage from all that masculinity in his body." Acute gave the blue-armored man a fist bump while giggling.
"What?" Old Flame asked.
"American sports. Football. I got dragged into watching it with Manpower." Breacher explained.
The Director, however, was ignoring the Paragon's childish antics. "How the hell is he that strong!" He screeched in disbelief.
Sorren calmly grabbed his drink and took a slow, drawn-out sip. "That man was known as a legend in the Origin System for a reason. Did you really think all the stories in your reports were made up? That man has enough wartime experience than everyone in this room combined. He could crush someone's skull one-handed before he even had a quirk, and you're surprised?" Sorren scoffed. "You underestimated him. Ordan Karris is someone that not even I would want to fight. It would be close even with my Warframe. I reckon he could take down everyone in this room with just a sword. He wouldn't even need to use his quirk."
All conversation in the room halted.
"Bullshit." Breacher objected.
"Shut up." Sorren shot a withering glare at the Paragon. "I'm not one to embellish the powers of others. Let me guess, the Lotus is in the other arena?"
Director Uzu nodded in response, still catatonic from the thought of explaining his fuckup to President Hiiragi.
"Ordan Karris is a seasoned warrior with almost two hundred years of combat experience, and that was before he got his quirk. He was feared for a good reason. Not only that, he's probably been training with the Lotus for almost a year now."
"Why- why didn't you tell us!" Uzu accused.
"Because you did not ask, and I did not have all this information beforehand. Your failure to convey critical information is your fault. If you had told me sooner, then you might have had a chance." Sorren shrugged, continuing to watch the fight below.
=VI=
Musha moved to block Bone Beast while Manpower struggled to pull himself out of the cracked wall. A large ōdachi appeared in his hands and he swung it at the masked man.
Ordan launched himself up into the air with a spike of bones. He flipped gracefully over Musha's oversized blade, which vanished midswing. The ōdachi appeared in the elderly hero's other hand as he spun around on a direct course for where Ordan planned to land. 'He's good. As expected of someone of his age in heroics.' Unfortunately for Musha, Ordan was older and much more experienced by at least two or three lifetimes worth of combat. 'Bone Arsenal: Kronen!'
As he landed, two-bladed bone tonfas emerged from his arms to block the powerful strike. Musha staggered back, not expecting Bone Beast to react with such overwhelming strength.
※ Ordan Karris's quirk, Calcification, allows him to produce bone structures from any point in his body. Due to this, his bones are several magnitudes more dense and heavy than those of a normal human. To compensate for this, his muscles are equally as developed to support the extra weight. As a result of months of training and honing his new body, Ordan has strength on par with someone with a minor muscle enhancement quirk. This is also in addition to his evolved Origin System genetics. Uzu Kushiguch did not account for this, assuming that Manpower and Yoroi Musha could handle someone with a bone creation quirk despite Ordan's combat expertise. If he chose people vastly stronger than Ordan, the HPSC could be accused of not being impartial to candidates. ※
Manpower pulled himself out of the wall, nursing his broken nose. "Motherfucker!" He grabbed a large chunk of the wall and hurled it at Bone Beast with the literal strength of a hundred men.
Ordan reacted quickly, slicing the incoming boulder into small chunks with a flurry of slices from his Tonfas. Two more smaller, near bullet-sized rocks followed, hidden by the first.
'Gotcha bitch, hope this hurts.' Manpower sneered.
The otherworlder blocked them both.
"The hell?!"
※ Ordan's brain works much faster than that of a normal man. Whatever changes brought upon his quirk enhanced his mind with extreme processing speed and photographic memory, as well as retaining any blueprints that Haylee had loaded into the Orbiter. Most of these require mechanical parts,use technology that is far beyond this Universe's current level, or contain materials and parts that do not exist. This renders most of his knowledge aside from melee weapon blueprints useless. However, due to his mind's increased speed Ordan is able to track objects traveling over 1200 meters per second, like bullets. ※
=VI=
"Did he just block those stones?" Medusa gaped. "Those had to be faster than a bullet!"
"Deflecting bullets is a skill that is incredibly hard to master," Harken commented. "I believe that Hawks, Thunderbolt, and myself can, the former two due to the nature of their quirks. It is a mark of peak martial prowess."
Sorren nodded solemnly. "I told you. Ordan Karris should not be underestimated." He watched as Manpower tried to rush the former mercenary again.
=VI=
Manpower approached from one side, Yoroi Musha on the other. A fine white powder burst forth from Ordan's suit. Powdered bone dust.
=VI=
"He is a man of patience and determination. Traps and dirty fighting are natural to him. To survive in the age of the Orokin demanded grit." Sorren continued.
=VI=
'A smokescreen?' Musha thought. 'No matter, I'll just blow it away.'
"Come out you coward!" Manpower coughed loudly.
'But he's quick enough to attack within this cloud.' Musha realized. 'He should've attacked by now, which means-' The older man heard the click of a lighter, immediately covering his ears and diving to the ground with his mouth open.
=VI=
"But most importantly," Sorren closed his eyes. "The man is certifiably insane."
The cloud of powdered bone erupted into a massive dust explosion, sending Manpower flying upward into the window.
=VI=
Musha struggled to his feet, ears ringing even with the protection of his helmet. Manpower slid off the window with a groan, uniform charred and smoking. He was out for the count and probably had burst his eardrums. Nothing the commission doctors couldn't fix if treated immediately.
Did Bone Beast really just detonate a dust explosion on himself? The Equipped Hero's suspicions were dashed a moment later, as his opponent emerged from the cloud of smoke unharmed.
"Now it's an even match." Ordan retracted three claws back into his knuckles. "Time for a good old honorable - one vs one me brrrr- duel."
Musha blinked, wondering if the explosion had messed with his hearing. "How did you escape the blast?"
"Oh, that? I just jumped." Ordan pointed to the wall, which had several holes in it from his bone Venka.
The first hole was a solid ten meters in the air. Ah, what Takashi wouldn't give to be in his prime again. "Impressive. However, I will not fall so easily to dirty tricks like this." A katana appeared in each of his hands, bulky armor swapped out for one that increased his mobility in exchange for defense.
"Musha! You have permission to use your expanded armory!" The hero heard Director Uzu screaming into his earpiece. He muted it. To use a cheap out like magical weaponry would be an insult to the sanctity of the duel. It would be different if Karris was a villain or monster, but Musha had no interest in the Commission's power plays. Besides, he wanted to test himself against a man of such renown. He'd seen the briefing. Karris looked like a man in his early thirties, but he had the eyes of a hardened veteran the likes of which Takashi had never seen.
"Right then, let's dance!" Ordan shifted into a fighting position. 'Bone Arsenal: Dual Skana.'
=VI=
Natah's heels clicked as she entered the testing room. As a firm believer in gathering as much information on potential enemies as possible, she had compiled a list of information on any heroes publicly affiliated with the HPSC. As such she recognized the two men standing before her instantly. The Winged Hero: Hawks, and the Fastest Hero: Thunderbolt.
"So, you're the space lady everyone's been freaking out about." Hawks greeted. "Fancy-looking costume. I heard you made it yourself." The redheaded hero's wings flew out and arranged themselves into a sword. "Pretty dope though."
Thunderbolt stared her down, spinning two batons in his hands. "We aren't here to make friends, Hawks. This is an examination."
The Winged Hero smirked and peeked at the speedster out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, come on Thunderbolt. We're all on the same side here. She's going to be Japan's third SSS-ranker!"
"Hrph," Thunderbolt growled. "Let's just get this over with."
"You may begin." Madam President's voice echoed over the speaker. Both men glanced up, seeing Hiiragi watching them both with her hawk-like gaze.
Thunderbolt reacted first, racing toward Lotus. 'I don't care if you are human now, otherworlder. The fact of the matter is that 'people' like you can't be trusted. Your kind tried to annihilate humanity in your universe. You were just a machine before, and you should be held on a tight leash by humans. The fact that they want you in a position of power sickens me.'
HPSC Classified File: Fastest Hero: Thunderbolt HPSC
Thunderbolt Civilian Name: Toyoda Haru
Quirk: Superspeed -
Haru's quirk allows him to change the speed of his body without suffering the effects of recoil. This extends to objects or people he is holding and also protects against the effects of wind shear. Haru can go from a standing position to a speed of 300 km/h instantly. His title "Fastest Hero", is not entirely accurate, but in Japan the only hero who has surpassed his top speed is All Might.
HPSC Classified FileHPSC
'I know that we aren't expected to beat her. That's what Musha and Manpower are for. But still…' Thunderbolt's batons spun in his hands, building up kinetic energy siphoned from his speed. 'I cannot let this stand!'
Damage adaptation. An incredibly rare power that was integrated into Lotus's Mimic Queen quirk. Haru knew that the longer this fight went on the harder it would be to damage her. This woman was powerful. He'd read the report from U.A. on her father (why that man was allowed to live by the Council was beyond him). A sufficiently powerful blow could knock her out before she could adapt. 'And if that fails, I will overwhelm her with my speed. The damage may be reduced, but any damage is still damage.'
Thunderbolt noticed something as he zeroed in on her. The woman's eye was tracking his movements. He stopped on a dime at the perfect moment, Lotus's leg had already left the floor and was aimed at his head. Using Superspeed, he instantly reversed his movement to dodge. Lotus's heel sharpened into a point and swiped at the air where he was, leaving a small cut on his cheek.
※ Natah's hero outfit is made of her cells connected by a thin layer of tissue. As nearly all her clothes are extensions of her body she can manipulate their shape with ease.※
"Hawks!" Thunderbolt shouted. The Winged hero was already moving in from the air, taking advantage of Lotus's blind spot.
HPSC Classified File: Winged Hero: Hawks HPSC
Hawks Civilian Name: Takami Keigo
Quirk: Fierce Wings -
Keigo possess two wings made up of hundreds of smaller feathers. He can control the feather's properties such as speed or sharpness and is able to control dozens of feathers at a time telepathically. The feathers can also act as listening devices by detecting vibrations in the air, and Hawks can also sense their location.
HPSC Classified FileHPSC
'Man, this lady is strong. I'm glad she's supposed to be on our side.' Keigo thought. Thunderbolt was at a disadvantage due to the room's small size, meaning he couldn't accelerate to his top speed and had limited maneuverability. 'Regardless of what I feel on the matter, orders are orders, so I'll try my hardest to make you fail this exam.'
※ The The International Villain Threat Index, of which hero ranking equivalents are drawn classifies people by their potential threat and destructive power. Other factors like situational effectiveness and physical skills unrelated to the powers of an individual are considered secondary and thus contribute less to the ranking. However, the IVTI measures potential danger, not skill. Just because someone or something is SSS doesn't guarantee that they are durable, just that they possess the potential for massive destruction. Therefore, it is theoretically possible for a D-ranked individual to defeat someone higher on the Index. ※
'Thunderbolt specializes in impact-based damage. Mine is cutting and piercing. Hopefully her adaptation doesn't consider the initial kinetic impact of my swords as the same type of damage.' Hawks sliced his feather blades across Lotus's back, leaving a visible wound that sealed- no, shapeshifted itself shut.
Natah grew two additional arms out of her back, one with an eyeball on its hand and the other glowing with violet energy.
"Oh shit!" Hawks exclaimed, diving out of the way as her new appendage began to fire low-power beams at him. At the same time, one of his feathers buried itself in Lotus's hand-eye. "Freaky." The Winged Hero muttered, already gearing up to counterattack.
"You have excellent teamwork," Natah complimented. "I'd expect nothing less from the Third and Fourth-ranked hero-"
Thunderbolt chose that moment to speed-blitz her, slamming his hypercharged baton into the side of her face with a violent burst of electricity and sending her flying into the wall. His enhanced eyesight could see her jaw crumple from the impact. Thunderbolt's foot dug into her stomach a second later, before he unleashed a flurry of blows with his batons.
※ Thunderbolt's personal magic tools: Kinetic Batons. They convert the extra kinetic energy that his quirk makes him immune to into stored power, which can be unleashed as either impact or electrical damage. ※
When Haru was younger, he'd investigated an orphanage where the children inside had been sacrificed in a blood ritual to summon a demon from Hell. The creature had easily killed the novice summoners by the time Haru had arrived. As his first run-in with the supernatural, he'd been unprepared as a fighter who normally used his fists. The sight of those children's mangled, half-eaten bodies had sent him into a rage, thinking of his own daughter in that position.
The Fastest Hero had grabbed the closest available weapon, a claw hammer from the supply closet, and beat the demon to death with it. Even a fiendish creature from the depths of the underworld stood no chance against a hammer moving at Mach fuck.
No matter how many times he seemed to hit Lotus, however, she didn't bleed. The woman's face was a mess, visor shattered, and her helmet cracked. But… there were no open wounds or cuts. It was as if he were hitting a thick bag of wet clay instead of a 'person'.
But Thunderbolt knew better. The Lotus, above all else, was a mimic. An actress. As if on cue, her hand shot up toward him, and he snatched her wrist out of the air. "Nice try." She was playing possum, just as he suspected. Did she really think-
The fingers on her hand reverse themselves, and instead of Thunderbolt grabbing her wrists it was now the other way around. "Those are interesting weapons," Lotus noted dryly, her face- , including her helmet and mask, morphed back into their undamaged state.
'Regeneration? No… she's simply shape-shifting away any damage I did.' Thunderbolt realized. It technically wasn't healing but by all intents and purposes, it functioned the same. As long as she didn't lose pieces of herself, Lotus could simply change the shape of her body upon impact.
A flurry of razor-sharp feathers buried themselves in her arms, causing her to release him whilst two more pulled Thunderbolt out of her grip.
"Careful number three, she almost got you." Hawks teased.
"Take this seriously Hawks!" Thunderbolt shouted.
"I'm not as fast as you." The Winged Hero pointed out. "So forgive me for not wanting to turn you into a pincushion accidentally." The younger hero snarked, snapping his fingers. While rescuing Thunderbolt, Hawks had positioned a swarm of feathers around Lotus. They immediately homed in on her prone form but before the pointed plumage could reach her the Mimic Hero released a blast of violet energy around her body. Hawks could feel that those feathers were destroyed now.
Natah slowly rose to a standing position, her body jerking upright like a woman possessed.
Both heroes could briefly see parts of her body disconnect and reconnect themselves, revealing her true form for but a split second.
"I believe I have a full understanding of your capabilities now. I'll give you a chance to yield before I take you down." Lotus instructed.
"Not a chance," Thunderbolt growled.
"That's enough Thunderbolt. I've seen enough." President Hiiragi's voice boomed, causing all the heroes to stop in place. "You and Hawks are done."
"Madam, we can still fight!" Thunderbolt protested.
"Lotus could've ended the fight instantly if you were real villains. She was simply getting a feel for your quirks. There is no point in continuing the match when the outcome is clear. Hawks has already lost some of his feathers, and those take time to regrow. I will not allow any more unnecessary damage to be done." She put a hand up to her earpiece as someone messaged her and scowled. "Congratulations, Lotus. You've passed."
=VI=
Bone and steel continued to clash, both equally hard and sharp. The two seasoned warriors danced around each other in an intricate show of swordplay. They prodded each other's weaknesses, looking for openings.
'He's skilled.' Ordan thought, blocking Musha's right blade with the quick formation of a calcified wristguard. 'But, he clearly only has one style. He's gotten used to the Dax Crossing Snakes style, so I think I'll switch it up.'
Musha's pitch-black eyes widened- suddenly Bone Beast's attack pattern changed. The elderly hero tried to adapt to the sudden change. 'This man knows multiple schools of sword techniques! Amazing! Excellent! Such prowess!' With a quick swipe, Musha was disarmed with the pure white blade of Bone Beast's quirk at his throat.
"Do you yield?" Ordan asked.
"Yes, you've won this bout," Musha replied with a smile.
Ordan extended a hand to help the younger man up (which was jarring to think, seeing as how Musha could be mistaken for a grandfather). "Good fight." Ordan complimented.
"The same to you. If only our circumstances could've been different, and not under the yoke of the Commission's games. I know that you plan to go elsewhere, but should you ever wish to spar again, feel free to contact my agency." The Equipped Hero offered.
"I might take you up on that if you also provide the drinks." Ordan joked.
"Hah!" The bearded hero let out a hearty laugh.
=VI=
"Uzu." Eto calmly began. "Care to explain to me how exactly you lost a match you described as 'an easy win'?"
Kushiguchi gulped, sweating slightly at his boss's piercing gaze. "Madam, I apologize." He dropped to a deep, humiliating bow, the older man's forehead pressed tight against the floorboards of the President's office. "I take full responsibility for underestimating Mr. Karris's abilities."
"Yes, you will. Now, how did this happen, and what can we do to salvage this?" The two newly minted heroes were scheduled for one last meeting with Uzu and herself after they were both changed.
The Director slowly rose to his feet. "I was unaware that Karris's quirk also granted him increased strength. This was likely a result of his intense training during the past few months as it was not part of his quirk registry."
"And because he didn't think to ask me." Sorren decided to add from the nearby couch. The assassin almost laughed as Uzu looked like he was simultaneously trying to stifle an aneurysm and grind his pointed teeth together.
"Do you have something to add, Mr. Norikage?" President Hiiragi asked.
"I do, if you will permit me to speak." Sorren hoarsely replied. "Trying to defeat Karris was a mistake. The only way you would've beaten him is in a curb-stomp battle, which you couldn't do without it looking like you wantedhim to fail, am I correct?"
"Yes," Eto confirmed. "Because he could file an easily provable targeted discrimination claim. Most of the license renewals don't require one on two combat tests either, we just made an exception due to their circumstances."
"And now that they both passed you are out of options besides offering them more than the Principal of U.A. is offering. I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty they will not take any deals you give them. Your ideologies are too dissimilar for either of them to willingly work under you." Sorren explained.
"And what, pray tell, would you suggest we do instead?" Eto raised an eyebrow at the man. Allowing Nezu access to another SSS rank hero was a mistake. The next generation of paragons wasn't ready yet, but they would easily surpass most of the current Top Ten if she had her way.
"You bargain with them. There is no point in needlessly antagonizing them. Simply make your offers with the expectation that they will refuse, but the offer will remain open should they reconsider in the future." Sorren crossed his arms, glaring at Uzu who was about to object. "If you do make Lotus and the Beast of Bones your enemies, it is not a fight you will win. I do not mean this as a threat. It is simply advice and a warning."
"So you want us to simply let them go into the open arms of our political adversary?" Uzu hissed.
Sorren turned to the man. "Yes. Because as it stands, they are not hostile to the HPSC. They will obey orders coming from you within their moral reasoning. If you try to force the issue you will only burn bridges that you may need later. Regardless of your opinions on policy, both you and Nezu are 'batting for the same team' as you say."
Eto twirled a pen in her hand, considering the red-eyed man's advice. "You do raise some good points. Uzu, I want you to put together an offer for them and the girl. If they refuse, accept it graciously and let them know that the offer will be open if they decide to change their minds."
"You want the Tenno?" Sorren raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Eto hummed. The Stalker was currently a prisoner, but also an asset. Today he had proved that their tight leash on him was wasting his usefulness. Very well then, she'd give him a little slack. "Because she is a potential asset for our next-gen Paragons. Ideally, we would take her in before she was accepted into a hero school and train her ourselves, but she has already been accepted into U.A. High."
"Hmmm… I see." Sorren remembered Hunhow saying that the girl was happy here. "That girl, she has defeated me multiple times in the past. I do not know how much she has been weakened by our arrival here."
"She possesses a quick that allows her to transform into a Warframe she calls "Excalibur", as well as her Void abilities," Eto enlightened him. The girl's quirk registry entry was almost completely redacted, and half the people who did have access didn't know what most of the words on it meant.
"So she is similar to me." Sorren mused. 'An interesting development.'
"Indeed," Eto replied. "I will take the rest of your advice under consideration. Mr. Norikage, this incident has brought to my attention that we are underutilizing your talents." The setback today was also forcing her hand, be Eto had been considering Norikage Sorren's position at the HPSC as well. He was still a powerful potential asset and a suitable replacement if they could not have Tenno Haylee on their side. The man had a reputation among the otherworlders and could match the Tenno in power back in his universe. Aside from killing criminals since he got here, he'd also brought them one of Chaos Theory's Compass Rose Arrows on a silver platter.
Granted, Psycho Mantis had been the weakest member of their leadership, but that was underselling the now-deceased villain's threat.
"Finally willing to make use of me then?" Sorren asked, fiddling with his wrist tracker.
"Potentially," Eto shared a look with Uzu. "But there is the matter of what you want." The Stalker had broken into the HPSC easily, offering not only Psycho Mantis but also himself as a prisoner. "You claimed that the HPSC matches your ideals for public order. While I don't doubt your sincerity on the matter, I also don't believe that to be the sole reason you sought us out. So tell me, what do you want, and how can we help you fulfill it in exchange for your loyalty?"
Sorren's gaze darted between the two HPSC executives. "I'm… looking for the possibility that my family survived." He debated whether telling them was worth the risk, but while these people may be schemers, they were also not completely morally bankrupt like the Orokin. "My lover was turned into a Warframe when she became pregnant with our child. I was taking care of her, even though I couldn't remember her, before I arrived here."
Eto looked genuinely shocked for a moment, sick even. The reaction was genuine horror, not some show of sympathy for the man, aside from her distaste for nonhumans she still had standards of what was and wasn't acceptable. She knew from the reports Karris made just how a Warframe was made, and to do that to a pregnant woman… Eto shuddered. "I… I see. If you agree to work with us and undergo a loyalty quirk, there should be no issue in us assisting in your search."
If they did find them, the Stalker would be indebted to the HPSC. Plus, given his lover was a Warframe as well she could be a potential ally as well. Eto was unsure if a Warframe carrying a child was possible, as Karris had stated it wasn't but there was still the faint possibility.
"I have conditions then," Sorren demanded. "I will follow your orders, even kill, but not children. Not again. In addition, if I am going after a target I want hard evidence that they are a threat that warrants execution." He'd taken Hunhow's words to heart. If he was going to be used, it would be under his terms.
"That is acceptable. We can iron out the details of this arrangement at a later time." Eto nodded. "I believe that we have a meeting to get to. I will have Harken escort you out."
=VI=
"Mr. Karris, Ms. Tau. Congratulations on passing our examination." Eto greeted. "Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Madam President." Natah bowed.
"Congratulations my ass," Ordan muttered under his breath. "Thanks, ma'am."
Director Uzu sat down next to President Hiiragi, sliding two plastic cards across the table with one hand while pulling a stack of papers out of the other. "Your licenses. Let me know if there are any changes you would like made."
Natah picked the card up. It only had their hero names at the moment leaving the rest of their title blank. "I would like my title as Lotus, rather than 'The Mimic Hero: Lotus'. I would rather my title not give away my abilities." She handed the license back.
"Yes, yes. Of course." Uzu flashed her a smile. It made her want to shiver, or maybe punch him. She didn't trust him one bit. He had the same aura as a used starfighter salesman.
"Now that you are both here, I'd like to get down to business." Eto continued. "We are aware that you intend to teach at U.A. high this year, and are prepared to make a counteroffer. Ms. Tau, we are prepared to give you command of the HPSC special operations and surveillance team, reporting directly to me of course. As for you Mr. Karris, full operational control on our covert ops team. I believe you will find the benefits packages quite generous compared to Nezus." She motioned to Uzu, who slid two packets across the table. "We would also like your assistance in training our newest generation of young talent here at the HPSC if you are interested. There is a place for the young Tenno as well."
Ordan looked over the papers quickly. The offer was a bit more than Nezu's, and working for the government would give Natah access to more resources than Nezu had at the moment, but would also put them directly under the HPSC's jurisdiction, more than they would be as Japanese heroes. "I'm afraid I will have to refuse."
"Me as well." Natah seconded. "I appreciate the offer, but I believe a teaching career would be better suited to me."
They both expected the President and Director to make more of a push, but to their surprise they relented. "That is a shame. The offer will remain open if you change your mind in the future."
Eto saw the otherworlders' expressions lighten. It seemed that Norikage was right on the money about not pushing the issue.
Uzu finished engraving the license cards on a little machine attached to his briefcase and slid them back. "There you go. Both of you are now fully licensed heroes in Japan. As such, in times of national emergency you may be called on to assist in special operations should the need arise."
"Naturally." Ordan nodded.
"In addition, Ms. Tau, the WHA may also request your aid on international assignments." The silver-haired man added.
"Does that happen frequently?" Natah asked.
"Not particularly. It also depends on the situation, but both All Might and Endeavor have been called upon in the past. I believe the last time was in Russia a few years ago for relief efforts." Uzu recalled. "But aside from that, you both are free to go now. My office will always be open if you have any requests or ever reconsider our offer." The man did a short bow.
"Thank you." Natah and Ordan responded. All four rose from their seats and did a polite bow of farewell.
=VI=
"Huh… I was expecting more of a fight from them about our role." Ordan shrugged as they left the main office.
"They did make an offer though. They wanted us, and Haylee." Natah frowned.
"They know what we can do now," Ordan grumbled. "But, this was a necessity."
"True." Natah nodded solemnly. "I did message Nezu on our success. He offered his congratulations, as did Yagi."
"Never thought I'd see myself as a teacher." Ordan pulled his license out and stared at it.
"We'll be fine." Natah patted him on the back. "Now, let's go home."
"I'm going to take a nice hot bath. That Yoroi Musha guy was pretty tough." Ordan rubbed his bruises. "How was your fight?"
"Hawks and Thunderbolt were interesting opponents. It was a good opportunity to study their movements. I don't believe Thunderbolt likes me though." Natah shrugged.
"You would treat it as a learning opportunity." Ordan chuckled as they reached the outdoor parking garage entry.
"Hey, Ordan." Natah tapped him on the shoulder.
"What?"
"We have our hero licenses now." Natah pointed out.
Ordan titled his head. "And?"
"That means I can do this now." She gave him the slightest hint of a wry grin, before transforming into her hero outfit and blasting off into the air.
Ordan's jaw hung open for a few seconds, before devolving into a loud laugh. "You catty bitch." The white-haired man snorted. Flight was still bullshit.
=VI=
Lets goooo! 1 More chapter before canon starts!
HPSC -
Thunderbolt (Mirrond OC)
Medusa (Mirrond OC)
Old Flame (Mirrond OC)
Acute (My OC)
Subsurface (My OC)
Harken (My OC)
Breacher (My OC)
Manpower (My OC)
Hawks (Canon)
Musha's name, as well as Curator's from two chapters ago are also from Mirrond.
Thunderbolt has superspeed, which lets him be racist faster. He has also now canonically beaten a devil up with a hammer.
Sorren's Japanese family name is written like this in Katakana: ノリカゲ and this in Kanji: 憲影
Meaning: 憲 Basic rules or law. 影 Shadow.
Now that canon is starting, things are going to get gayer and more cosmic horror-ey (that is not a word).
See y'all next time for Interlude 2, then canon starts after that. Bout to throw y'all for a loop.