In a room full of powerful people, Kagero Okuta is the type of person to stand out; he doesn't stand apart from them in a good way, more like that a street mutt hopped the gate of some cushy mansion to mingle in with the posh puppies – but they let him stay if not, at least, for the sake of being useful – all pristine places hold figureheads that require dogs who are capable of getting dirty and not just the clean coated bitches. Okuta has a valuable reputation of his own among this 'community network', the ironic terminology being 'lap dog' but the more preferred titles granted being errand boy or information broker, and has thus earned his presence among the higher class of crime. It's nice to be acknowledged by wealth when wealth runs the way things are managed even in the middle ground; the way Okuta sees it, the middle ground is then ruled by whoever associates with those guys in charged – this makes him a middleman, maybe, but that's just another ironic terminology – and so he takes that position very willingly.
The underground dealer has opted for a toothpick to hold between his tooth gap rather than a cigarette – no matter that there are ash trays readily available; he's well aware of the substantial stance in class that he lacks sharing with the guys here, but he's also aware of how smoking the place up would only draw more attention to his incongruity – the tip of his tongue toys with the thin piece of wood, wishing it were something thicker like a cigar but that's another problem with class and level positioning as well. The man's tongue twists as it runs along a few of his teeth fillings, nerve tastings touching silver & gold implants, a mild metallic tang giving his saliva flavor. He could really go for some nicotine instead right about now with how much high esteemed company stresses him out but that comes with the part he needs to play more than frequently. It's all about how tobacco, drugs, and booze can help and not how it can become an addiction; that's what separates him from the type of riff raff that these higher ups believe him to be mingled in with.
They're all wearing pristine suits with unquestionably fashionable taste. His own outfit is a bit posh but in the way a pimp might appear more classy than their prostitute. In such a case, he may as well be considered the hoe here. Even with a well trimmed mustache & goatee to clean his face up, even with a purple blazer and chic fluffy scarf, he's still the sleazy street scum that got stuck to the bottom of these men's dress shoes to be capable of touching the same carpeted floor as them. Okuta runs a hand through his recently cut graying hair, parting his bangs to one side of his head; the primping & cleaning came too late that the golden tube necklace wrapped around his neck and the circular pair of designer glasses perched atop the bridge of his nose kill whatever extra appeal he's going for. But, one can digress, here he is. He's in good company … technically a bad company … but this is the type of company among bad companies that is considerably good.
Across the oval table that Okuta is seated at is a perfectly present example of that type of shared company. Shie Hassaikai leader and 'Boss Man' of the Yakuza, the one that they call Silvermane, has come to the meeting. True to his namesake, Silvermane has silver streaks in his hair that are combed straight back in real crimelord fashion. The older man has one foot in the grave and his other foot stuck in the past, the Yakuza a traditional organization, and so he's wearing a business oriented yukata per Japanese customs. Still, Silvermane is to be feared & respected as he is rivaled, the elder's square jaw and broad shoulders suggesting he is still very physically capable as he is intelligent. It makes the next of kin, younger generational upkeep Kai Chisaki, an interesting decision should the time come for a change; word on the streets are calling Chisaki a future 'Overhaul' of the Yakuza, hence Chisaki's new nickname. That's probably why Silvermane isn't so readily willing to pass on his position of power, hence his presence here today.
Ever still, Overhaul has joined Silvermane for the gathering. He's in charge of the Shie Hassaikai's Eight Precepts, and so he has a say too, if not to listen in and get an understanding of what these future holdings will look like for him when it's his turn to take on Silvermane's share in the Yakuza handlings. Kai Chisaki has a much narrower build than his predecessor, and shaggy auburn hair that lacks years of experience – which exposure is often required in this line of work, so there's a point reduction if a count is being kept by anyone – the three beaded lobe piercings in his ears also give away his youthful inexperience when standing alongside vetted district dons. But he's got taste in suits, Okuta will give the guy that much; the black & white ensemble Chisaki has going makes the embroidered gold & magenta beaked mouthpiece that he's got on a means of standing out. Okuta does notice the fresh blood also has on a pair of surgical gloves though, so odds are the kid is just some sort of germaphobe rather than trying to make a name for himself by wearing a gimmick-esk icon. That's this generation for you. They all got some kinda quirky gimmick these days to set them apart.
When it comes to replacements and generational movements, Rikiya Yotsubashi fits right in with those types of criminal status quos. Following in the footsteps of his inheritance, the name of Destro is rekindled as RE-Destro revolutionizes their cause. Yotsubashi appears refined in his pinstriped suit, as one might expect from the CEO of a large company. That's right, this is one of those villain archetypes that holds assets and keeps resources readily available, all while hiding in plain sight. There's talks that he'll be branching out into perfume sales soon; that has GOT to be a coverup for a drug or some illegal equivalent being blended in with those bottled shipments. Okuta has a lot of respect for that sorta underhanded thing when it comes to business dealings. Yotsubashi's pointed nose and obstruding chin makes his face memorable either way; his ginger hairline is drawn back into fine points, only adding to the defined appearance.
All these members and more residents of the ganglands that populate Japan's districts take their seat at the table. But none of them are at the head of it. While Yotsubashi has a signature face to identify his position in power, the head honcho remains nothing more than a silhouette in the shadows. That being said, it's a big silhouette. Hence the coined title that everyone gave their organizer, 'The Big Man', which caught on rather quickly. The Big Man rarely makes an in-person appearance. This time is no exception. At the end of the table is a large television flat screen display, switched on to broadcast nothing more than a large figure shape shaded in darkness. It reminds Okuta of a more recent client's secret string puller only communicating via an 'Audio Only' portable CCTV. There's a familiar eerie radiance of menace that scrambles within the screen's occasional static.
This is a call to action, obviously. Just what sort of action remains to be announced. "Everything that is on the agenda… It happens now", The Big Man says ALL the action. This makes Okuta's jaw go slack long enough for the toothpick that he was keeping wedged between his teeth to fall free. Everybody else around the table shares similarly surprised reactions. Silvermane and his successor exchange a look, silently speaking to one another. Yotsubashi goes from sitting up straight to leaning forward, craning his neck out like getting a better look at the television screen will help him to hear better. The Big Man goes on to say more, "Today presents us with an opportunity unlike any other to operate freely and without interference from the heroes", it's hard to tell if the intimidatingly deep voice that declares this is deep due to a voice modifier or if it's a natural pitch.
Okuta forgets all about that potential curious question when a better question gets asked by Silvermane, "What makes today such an opportunistic time?" It's a fair point. Operating hours for weapon trades & other activities are always being moved around to compensate for the schedules heroes go by. Even night shifts are prone to disruptive incidents with underground heroes roaming about. It can be tough getting ahold of hero calendars on a whim and there always happens to be a blasted coverage if one is away on vacation or something. So, this all being the case, Silvermane being the eldest one here goes to show how age brings wisdom. Though Okuta likes to believe he himself would have thought to ask the same question if he weren't too busy picking his toothpick back up off the floor.
"U.A's Hero Course Final Exam testing period has officially entered its practical portion", The Big Man goes on to explain why Silvermane's general concern is one that can be disregarded for a rare instance, "This means heroes will be staffed at the school rather than patrolling per the usual. That means more blind spots. That means more time windows for tasks to be carried out", and it makes a lot of sense since something similar happened when the Sports Festival was going on. Day operations usually don't happen as smoothly since public surveillance is a thing but there's not a whole lot of it when the local heroes aren't around to enforce that doctrine. With their attention drawn elsewhere, it makes for a perfect chance to get shit done. That's why everyone here bothers to convene under one roofed mandate; The Big Man keeps tabs on these things so that they only need to keep tabs on their progress rates.
This type of supervision pays off in the end. Even for people who like being their own boss. Okuta LOVES being his own boss. But having someone to report to is sometimes a necessary means of management if one is to survive in this line of work. It's not about having a guy telling you how to stay in between the lines when drawing up plans, it's more-so like getting the picture. Making sure you get the picture is important. It's how you know where you stand, whether that be amongst these guys or behind them or in front of them. They're the colorful crayons being used to create this beautiful art piece. What that makes Okuta – the shitty cardboard box that keeps them collected or a bottle of superglue – is what he sometimes has to ask himself. He's reminded of the answer when he's called upon by The Big Man.
He's called upon by The Big Man of all people. Make note of that. "Giran", the deep voice addresses him by his codename like all the others have honorifics that they go by – Overhaul, Re-Destro, Silvermane – it's all about having a respectable title that qualifies as something more detrimental than just your name, "I trust you will inform recent joinees of this same valuable intellectual property" It's part of his place in the pyramid of evil schemes to bring recruits to the right group, and it's also part of his job description to keep them all in the loop of how that works considering it's basically just a buncha sub-branches. There are benefits to being apart of this community, as aforementioned. This is one of those benefits.
"You've got it, Big Man" Okuta gives a nod just in case that screen has a receiving camera – it probably does – his smile could use a little work considering denture coverage isn't apart of those aforementioned benefits, but he flashes a smile too. It's nice to know he's known around here for something worthwhile. Call it job security. Call it whatever the hell you want. It's nice to know. Now, as for need-to-know … the recently developed group calling themselves The League Of Villains are bound to have a field day with this news. They're all about planning too but not even they can pass up an opportunity such as this. It's about time to bring them into the fold, Okuta imagines, and that just might be what they both need; the LOV are looking to expand their roster and The Big Man has plenty of disposable subjects & Okuta could always use a little more extra yen in his pockets.
As the meeting comes to a close, so do the concerns that Silvermane or anybody else had in regards to how this day will proceed accordingly. It's foolproof. Not even the vigilantes will come crawling around since the heroes were stupid enough to bring them on board. A few criminals cackle because of how well things are about to go. Okuta isn't the evil laughing type but even he must admit that it's funny how easily the heroes played into their hands on this one. The Big Man chuckles too before ending things off with a joke of his own, "If the heroes have their heads on a swivel… then we'd best be sure to make those heads fall off from the way that they're about to start spinning."
Every which way, Spider-Man looks all around him, glancing in every direction. It's starting to become a little dizzying. Yet, no matter how much he searches, he can't find Nezu anywhere. Which is odd considering this a gathering of U.A's staff in the teacher's lounge; you'd think the principal would be present for this sort of thing. The little schemer's absence makes his hairs stand on end. He isn't sure if it's his Spider-Sense tipping him off to something afoot or if it's simply sheer paranoia. Nobody else appears to be bothered or questioning the lack of attendance from their boss, so he decides to set aside his own concerns for the time being. If even Eraserhead doesn't care, then surely he shouldn't! …Right?
With Nezu nowhere to be seen or found, Spider-Man instead places his focus on the matter at hand. With the written portion of U.A's Final Exams finished, the time has now come for a practical portion. This is something Spider-Man himself was not really aware of as existing until recently – chalk it off as being in Gen Ed that this rule of thumb doesn't apply to his classes or that he's only a part time teacher .. or that Nezu purposely kept this from him for some reason – but he is now a participant of this practical portion examination for the Hero Course. As such, figuring out where he stands in all of this is of utmost priority right now. He sees the other hero teachers grabbed schedules of some sort from a stack that had been left out and goes to take one for himself.
Each teacher has their designated set of students and something specific to teach them. It's interesting since the grading decision on whether the students will pass or fail isn't entirely on the surface level exam itself. It's more-so about what they'll be able to get out of the exam long term as a lesson. Spider-Man reads over all of the rules to get a clearer understanding. The surface level stuff is that the students have to either escape the teacher or capture them; pretty standard straight forward win or lose stuff. Everything else is about adjusting what they struggled with during previous Hero Course lessons. For Bakugo it's about overcoming his own personal ego – not much of a shock there – and so on and so forth for each individual student's specific dilemma. Spider-Man nods along as he reads it back over again to make sure it's as clear & cut as it seems.
It's a good thing that he was bitten by a spider and not a cat because curiosity gets the better of him in wanting to know what each matchup is going to look like. He pities the pair that got assigned to All Might, knowing that they hardly stand a chance in any type of confrontation with the hero. Present Mic seems to be more than chill about his set of students; the hero teacher currently prepares for the exam by listening to some tunes with a heavy headset on. Midnight makes a fresh batch of coffee to drink and Eraserhead joins her; they each look like they're more concerned about waking up than doing anything else just yet. It's honestly starting to seem a little unfair for the students the more that Spider-Man looks around at everyone that they'll be going up against. Then again, that makes it make more sense why the exam results are judged on something other than winning.
Eventually, Spider-Man gets around to looking at his own designation. When he sees who it is that he's been put with for testing, the eyes on his mask expand as an expression of the surprised shock he feels go through him.
Even with the door to his office closed, Tsukauchi Naomasa can still hear the chaotic commotion from within the precinct. Phones are ringing off the hook and officers are tripping as they run to answer them. It's like Open Season on crime, the low tier cuffed crooks brought in for booking being let loose with a slap on the wrist set of warnings to make room for more consequential crimes. Law enforcement and anyone alike are being stretched thin on squad cars and patrols. That leaves Naomasa not much of any other choice but than to call in the calvary. Or, at least try to. He's been attempting to reach Nezu's phone line for what seems like hours now and there's still been no answer. It's like a bad omen of what could come without Nezu to serve as a barrier between this and that, and he's now again wondering if it's worth it since he'll be put through this cataclysm and not Spider-Man once it's set into motion.
That being said, it doesn't take being a detective to determine what caused this to happen now of all times either way. With U.A's Final Exams taking place, someone orchestrated this field day for villains to strike. Naomasa has a hunch that he knows who. The infamous 'Crimemaster' has master planned crimes of this magnitude in the past. This could be a resurfacing of Crimemaster's plots. Or, at least, someone with similar connections to criminal organizations and the mind to manipulate them how they want. Naomasa hangs up and redials Nezu, hoping to get a mastermind to match this mastermind in what's sure to become a battle of wits. The reliance he has on Nezu makes him grit his teeth when knowing that this is what the worst case scenario looks like without Nezu.
Naomasa vigorously shakes his head. He tells himself that they DON'T need Nezu. This is as good a time as any to trial run what it would be like handing a problem of this scale without the commanders of operations in hero society. He swipes everything clear from his workstation to make room for a large district map. Naomasa bites off the cap of a marker so that he can start drawing circles on certain sections and uses the free hand he didn't use to twist the cap off to simultaneously patch the phone line over to medical & fire emergency services. This is going to be a group effort without the heroes and he's going to have to keep it organized as an interim leader if this new agenda is bound to work; for his sake, Spider-Man's sake, and quite frankly all of Japan's sake – he's got to show that this method can work – he'll prove they can do this without Nezu.
"I need all hands on deck! Get squads A and B to Musutafu and squad C to Hosu!", Naomasa practically kicks his office door off its hinges so that he can shout orders to everybody still in the precinct. They scramble to correspond, not bothering to waste time on asking questions regarding authority or to stop and confirm their respective duties. Naomasa proceeds to do the same for fire teams and dispatching ambulances. Pretty soon, his office becomes the central hub for a paper operated command station. "Get me a tech team to throw this on computer screens!", his next order of business is lower on the list of priorities when considering the way that Japan is falling apart but it's one that he gives.
The hardest part of the job is determining what's an act of anarchy for the sake of simply causing havoc and what's something detrimentally damaging to society. SWAT teams are sent to handle riots and villain rampages. Some criminals are using this day as a chance to roam free and have their fun as they may put it. Everything else is given extra attention. Naomasa works diligently to figure out where weapon trades and drug dealings are taking place, hoping to bust them in broad daylight should the criminals be so bold. The police won't be able to handle EVERYTHING but it makes for a good start on getting progress. Where heroes are lacking today, every other means of law enforcement is picking up the slack.
Naomasa massages the temple of his forehead. He's starting to get a migraine. Tamakawa brings him a bottle of aspirin. It helps. That this whole day goes on like this and Nezu never once calls him back both gives him hope and simultaneously takes it away at the same time. It's the first time in a long time that he and the police have made such efforts. It's the first time they have made such progress. They went from being a cleanup & paperwork crew that chases vigilantes on their free time to actual crime catchers again.
All the while though, the detective can't help but shake his worst worry of them all. He worries that whoever this Crimemaster is … that this is just the beginning of what they have planned.
Red hazard bulbs line sets of halls that would otherwise be a bright white fluorescence, making way for a crimson colored corridor that periodically blinks into darkness when the warning indicator lights flash on or off. What has caused this change of scenery in an otherwise peaceful place is a slim silhouette in the now dimmed & darkened atmospheric setting; he is a security breach that steps foot onto hard tiled floor, every step echoing down the halls. Some of the guards in the facility have mistaken him for an escaped inmate but he is not breaking out of the complex – no, he has broken into the establishment – he has arrived to assist in someone else's escape. This person is a villain who came to recover what was taken from him.
"Hold it right there!", another security guard foolishly tries stopping the villain from reclaiming what is secured deep within the complex. This guard too is reduced to nothing – nothing capable of standing in the way of a warpath – the guard is nothing of consequence. Literally. An outstretched hand grabs ahold of the guard's face, and once all five fingers make contact with the guard's bare skin, there comes an instant decay. An entire human being is wiped clean from existence. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.
Tomura Shigaraki sucks in a breath through his scarred mouth. The naivety of people who think they can be their own self serving heroes in a time without heroes to do things for them makes him want to both laugh and rage at the same time. At the very least, he can be pleased that Kurogiri's information broker has finally come through with valuable information; Giran tipped The League Of Villains off that today is a free-for-all to take any actions that they may need or want to. That means he can get some of his Nomus back without having to worry about the heroes interfering or his Master's admonishment. Today means there are no limits like before in terms of laying low or biding their time. They can casually mix their own chaos into the rest of Japan's chaos and go unnoticed.
So, Shigaraki stalks towards his intended prize without worrying about any actual disruptions. There's nothing that can get in his way between him and his Nomus. Especially not a glass barrier. The clear shield shatters and crumbles upon his destructive touch. As soon as the wall is gone, he's reunited with his arachnid killer. Mashirao Ojiro, The Scorpion Nomu, obediently awaits his commands.
"Let's look forward to getting our revenge on a certain spider", Shigaraki shows a sinister smile when Kurogiri opens a warpgate for them to make their exit.
This is the third time her call has gone to voicemail. Nobody has been answering, and this is despite her checking the hours of business to confirm that they're open. While she should just chalk it off as perhaps they have a lot going on and are unable to answer the phone, she can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. A facility that houses and holds troubled beings like Ojiro surely must have the occasional mishap. After witnessing one herself when Ojiro tried breaking free at the mere mention of Spider-Man, it's not hard for Hagakure to imagine a similar scenario happening right now. It makes her try calling a fourth time. But again, there's no answer.
Then again, this is hardly the time to be preoccupied with such matters. She had simply wanted to schedule a visit to see Ojiro after her exam to share her results, but has winded up getting herself in a bad headspace before even getting to take the test. Hagakure and her partner for the practical examination, Tenya Iida, are on stand-by for the test to begin. Eventually, she has to put away her cellphone and get into the zone. Iida said it best to her, "This must be treated like a real world scenario", and so she needs to do away with her mental distractions for the time being.
"We're gonna go for the escape, right?" The invisible girl looks to her armored teammate as they go over their plan. It'll help to get her mind off of Ojiro for a while. The layout of the mock cityscape that they're in makes for a traversal distance to cover; Iida, being fast by inherited nature & nurture, will help them to cross it more quickly. If all else fails, Hagakure has her own quirk to help her sneak her way to the exit.
Iida nods, his white knight appearance glistening in the glow of the sun shining down. "There's no use trying to defeat a pro hero", he has too much respect and honor to even try whereas Hagakure agrees from a perspective that they stand no chance in a physical competition; regardless, it's beneficial to both that they are on the same page about their course of action.
That being said, not too long after the practical exam starts, they don't have much of a choice in confrontation with their assigned opponent. Hound Dog, generally a pro hero, plays the part of a mock villain today. He catches up to them by running on all fours before pouncing on Iida. The runner's padded suit protects him as he skids across the ground but Hagakure isn't as fortunate without her own material to wear over her exposed skin. They crash as Hound Dog blocks their way out.
"Go!", Iida is on his feet faster due to sustaining less injuries. He intends on distracting Hound Dog, leading with a swift sweep of a leg. This is their discussed and agreed upon plan B; Hagakure can slip away while he holds the pro hero off. One of the few flaws in that strategy though, is the lack of Iida's intentionality to do combat. Even with Hound Dog wearing quirk suppressing wrist & ankle weights to make the fight 'fair', Iida is promptly defeated.
Hagakure's path is blocked by Hound Dog; the half canine & half human werewolf-esk hybrid sniffs the air. "I've got your scent", the examiner explains how he found her and why it is that they have basically failed, "You can't always run or hide from your problems!"
As Hagakure falls into unconsciousness, her last thoughts while still being able to think clearly are of how she wishes she could run and hide from the scary reality that has seized control of her friend; she worries that Ojiro may be running & hiding already, which in turn allows for the Scorpion side of him to be all that remains.
He may have failed a lot of fights as of late, but he refuses to quit. If there's one thing that Katsuki Bakugo will never do, it's run and hide from a challenge. Even if that challenge is freaking All Might. As a matter of fact, a battle of such degree is exactly what he's been needing to overcome this obstacle that's been blocking his progression. There's no helping the feral grin that finds his face when he thinks about getting to unleash & unlock his potential at long last.
Nobody will stop him. Not even the fine babe that he's been partnered with. "It's in our best interest to try and escape undetected", the ginger girl ties her hair into a ponytail which somehow simultaneously looks hot and nerdy at the same time but that's not the center of Bakugo's focus as he listens to her yap, "I think it'd be a good strategy to sneak under All Might by going into the mock city's sewer system" What he locks onto is the fact that she's choosing the coward's way out and for that reason he refuses to work with her.
"You go on ahead and crawl through the muck like a drowned rat", he waves her off like he would when Deku often spewed shit his way during their kindergarten days. He can hear her making offended noises behind him and rolls his eyes while scoffing even louder. "I don't need your help anyways! I wanna beat All Might with my own strength! So get lost, will ya?!" There's no expecting side characters like her to understand but he considers himself courteous to at least try sometimes.
"This exam is grading BOTH of us! We have to work together!", she annoyingly follows after him just like Deku did back then too. It makes one of Bakugo's eyebrows twitch out of anger. This is exactly why he usually doesn't bother explaining himself. These damned extras never listen nor get it through their thick skulls. He regrets bothering as she just keeps fucking yapping nonsense, "I know you have an inferiority complex or whatever – and look, hey, I get it – but there comes a time when that needs to be put aside. If you just think with a level head for once, then–"
Bakugo pivots abruptly, spinning himself around and stopping short at the same time so that he can face her. The girl was following so damn closely behind him that she's practically an inch apart from giving him a smooch. Having not expected his sudden stop, she nearly accidentally does and has to backpedal not to. He sneers and shrugs off the close encounter, "Listen closely cause I'm only gonna say this one more time. The only thing I've got to prove to anyone is my damn self! Which doesn't include you! So stay out of my fucking way!"
She suddenly gets some sort of glint in her eye. A burning passion. "You arrogant prick!", her shouting back catches him by surprise. He'd be lying if he didn't say he appreciates a broad with some backbone. Then she even has the audacity to shove a finger in his face, "You're so self absorbed that you think everything is about you! Well, it's not! I'm trying to play nice and make this work but you make it damn near impossible!"
Bakugo brushes her hand aside, getting the finger out of his face. His sneer shifts back to a grin, "Hah?! You're the one that was talking crap earlier about running and hiding! Now you wanna act all tough and join me in a fight?!", he pops a few miniature explosions in an open palm to see if she's all bark and no bite but she doesn't back down like Deku often did when he'd display intimidation techniques. He starts to consider that there may be hope for this one yet.
"It's not like you're giving me much of a choice but to kamikaze this shit, you asshole!" This chick shows that she's worth earning the title of a 'fiery redhead' by standing up to Bakugo. She gets back in his personal space, matching his intimidation with some equivalent of her own. Bakugo glowers down at her and she glares back up at him.
Before either of them can take things to the next level in their aggressively heated exchange, a massive gust of wind cools things off. It comes from an impact just shy of where they are. Both boy and girl shield their eyes when dust picks up from the crater that's just been formed. Within the smokescreen stands a muscular silhouette. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who it is. Especially when the shadow bursts out into laughter, "I could hear you two arguing a mile away! Foolish children! It was easy finding you!" All Might steps forward to commence their practical exam.
"Stay back and enjoy the light show!", Bakugo launches himself forward with a set of dual explosions to serve as thrusters. He leaves his partner behind in the dust quite literally so that he can take the lead on this fight. With All Might slowed down by quirk suppressing weights, he expects himself to beat the pro hero to the punch as well. Except, there never really gets to be a light show. Before he can let off an attack, All Might snatches him out of thin air and slams him back down to the ground.
"Bakugo!", the boy's partner chokes out a gasp at the same time as the boy himself loses all the air from his lungs in an equally choked gasp. He's pinned beneath All Might's heavyset boot so that he can't get up or recover from the slam. "I told you not to rush in without me!", the girl grits her teeth and inflates her hands in order to prime herself for combat since there's no going back now.
"Dammit…", Bakugo wheezes as he tries to inhale oxygen back into his lungs; it's difficult with the amount of weighted pressure on them but he manages to suck in enough in order to stay conscious. He bares his teeth like his comrade and forces himself to stay in the fight. He doesn't care what it costs him because he refuses to lose this time. He plants his palms facedown and releases a round of explosions, "QUIT LOOKING DOWN ON ME!", his rage releases him from his trapped position by destroying the ground below him.
All Might staggers back, losing his balance without a surface to stand on. Seeing this as a chance to save her ally, the ponytailed partner to Bakugo swoops in to carry him away. She moves with extreme speed, practically radiating with streaks of lightning trailing behind her. The mad dash does the trick and gains them a gap between All Might and themselves.
Even so, Bakugo is ungrateful for the rescue. "Let go of me!", he shoves his partner away so that she stops supporting him. It hurts and it's a struggle but he wants to prove that he can stand on his own two legs. "Didn't ask for your fucking help… Did I?", he grumbles and growls while glaring at her for daring to intervene.
She glares back, just as agitated by all of this. "You didn't have to", her hair comes loose when she whips her head back in the direction of All Might, "That's the whole point of having a teammate" It's kinda hot so Bakugo lets her off easy this time around. He doesn't argue or say anything back. He just also faces All Might, prepared to fight some more.
"O-ho! You two look serious now!", All Might by contrast is leisurely dusting himself off. He's not considering them a challenge. Which infuriates Bakugo. The explosive teenager propels himself forward again. All Might reaches out to catch the incoming attacker. But Bakugo learned from his previous mistake and thrusts himself backwards out of reach. "Oh?!", All Might clearly wasn't anticipating the fakeout maneuver.
"TAKE THIS!", Bakugo makes the hero pay for expecting less of him by unleashing a maelstrom of firepower. It's a close range explosion that'd be enough to burn that Nomu thing that attacked the USJ, he's sure of it. When he hops back to survey his handiwork though, he doesn't see a seared superhero in soot. All Might looks just about the same as he did a second before the explosion struck.
"Is that all you've got?", All Might asks while sounding unimpressed. It's damaging to Bakugo's ego and he's once again filled with anger over his shortcomings. All Might's signature smile suddenly looks like a taunt to him. The powerful pose that once inspired victory in his eyes now looks like an unbeatable aspiration that he'll never reach.
But before Bakugo can rush in to try anyways, a huge & heavy hand grabs his shoulder to stop him. He looks back to see his partner. She says, "Wait!", which pisses him off as much as her touching him does. But then she makes a fair point, "You can't beat him without a strategy!" He's not always about blindly running into things despite appearances. He does actually tend to think things through a bit. He's only allowed his anger to get the better of him as his desperation increased.
"Fine.. Gimme some time to think of something", he's willing to compromise with the chick for a bit. It's not like he expects her to beat All Might alone if he couldn't. But he's willing to trust that she can stall All Might for awhile, at least. This way she'll be content thinking they worked together and he'll still have his shot at proving himself with his own power.
The ginger girl nods her head, agreeing to that temporary arrangement. He's surprised by her speed when she takes her turn with fighting All Might. But he doesn't allow himself to be too distracted with the battle. He has a plan to think up. Bakugo looks down at the gauntlets on his arms; they were designed to store his nitroglycerin sweat for a larger explosion. At the rate that this is going, he just might be able to use this ace in the hole. He only needs to sweat some more.
"Oi! Ponytail! Remember how you wanted to go into the sewers?!", he calls out to the girl as she dukes it out with All Might. Her hands are large enough to serve as a shield and block one of his punches. As she's knocked back, she looks in Bakugo's direction to hear his callout more clearly. "Well?! What are ya waiting for?!", he points downwards at the ground so that she can see what he's insinuating.
Fortunately for him, she isn't a complete dunce and gets it. She slams an inflated fist into the ground to break it open. Since this is a mock cityscape, it doesn't have an actual sewer system. Instead, it has steam pipes lining beneath it. These pipes burst and excrete that steam once broken into. The thing about that hot mist is that it can feel like a sauna and really make you sweat. Which is exactly what Bakugo needs currently.
The steam makes for a strong smokescreen. Temporarily blinded, All Might can only make out the semblance of silhouetted shapes. He reaches for the nearest one. But grabs empty air. It was an after image in the form of a cloud. Bakugo primes his fully filled gauntlets from behind the hero and lets loose. Like popping the pins on oversized grenades, because that's basically exactly what they are, an explosion unlike any other envelopes the area.
Windows blow out and shattered glass rains down on the street in shards. An already fractured floor caves in even further from the amount of intense pressure. Flames flare all around and catch fire to everything still flammable. All the while, Bakugo is blasted back by the force of his own concussive blast. As is his partner, thrown by sheer power in the form of a strong updraft.
Bakugo pants heavily but keeps a toothy grin plastered on his face. He pulled it off. There's blood and sweat pouring down his forehead but it's worth the effort. He struggles to stand up, his body quivering from having exerted too much energy. But it's important to him that he gets on his feet. After every battle, the victor is the one who is still standing by the end of it all.
When the smoke clears and the flames die down, he sees that there is more truth in that sentiment than he thought. All Might steps clear of a charred hole; the only sign that Bakugo's attack did anything at all is the mild cough All Might lets out. With intense blue eyes, the hero looks into Bakugo's red ones. The head-on stare makes the boy flinch. All Might asks again, "Is that all you've got?"
Bakugo trembles as he tries and fails to stand up. He goes from uncontrollably shaking due to the strain on his body to move to now shaking because of his pent up emotions becoming unleashed. Mixed in with his blood and sweat are now tears. His heart aches so badly that he has to clutch at it through his chest. "I- I'm really too weak.. Aren't I?", he chokes out a bitter humorless laugh through stifled sobs, "I never realized the gap was this big! Who knew?! Who fucking knew … that being this weak is so frustrating?!"
This sudden emotional outburst makes All Might pause his stride. He certainly wasn't expecting this type of reaction from the kid. Across the way, the hero's successor stares at the same scene with equal shock. Like the teacher, she's so used to seeing the boy's brash behavior and not this softer side of him. It strikes a chord in her heart as she looks on at him breaking down over his presumed defeat.
"All I ever wanted was to be strong like you and I'm nothing!", Bakugo slams his fists against the ground in a futile effort to exhaust the last of his energy against it; like as though he were to be hitting All Might, the blows do absolutely nothing. "I can't.. I can't make it by on my own strength, can I?!" He wails with woe into the sky since he couldn't dig up a solution from the ground but nothing comes down to grace him either.
It's a pitiful display that makes Itsuka Kendo recall what led her to this same moment. She too faced times of despair such as this. She too thought herself not enough. All those days where she was slammed onto a mat while trying to learn karate but being not as skilled as the other kids in training, all the days that she was hardly able to lift trash and clean up Takoba Beach, and all the times that her father told her she would never be able to amount to enough all come back to her at once. She told Midoriya that she was going to change all of that. That this would be her starting point.
But new beginnings often require remembering starting origins. What got her here to have a chance to prove herself now as enough is thanks to All Might. She met him when he was in his debuffed form, thinking he was just a poor sickly man. Because she didn't overlook him for how seemingly small or insignificant he appeared as, he gave her an opportunity to hold his power. This is why she wants to become a hero. So that she can rescue all those people like herself, like All Might, like Midoriya & Bakugo. She wants to wrap them all in a hug and lift them up.
Willing this to be the case, the girl that calls herself Mighty Jab releases two newfound abilities; tendrils that lash around to ensnare All Might like a set of black whips grab ahold of him while she begins to float and carry them off from the ground. The inheritor of One For All unlocks her hidden potential by setting her goal and focusing solely on it. All Might looks on with awe, not bothering to struggle against her bindings as he is hoisted into the air; he's truly touched when seeing his successor using his own master's quirk to ascend to new heights.
While MJ soars to the sky with clarity, Bakugo is below her with a tear filled gaze at what it is he's lacking in power. He doesn't know that her power is borrowed from All Might and not her own to behold, but nevertheless, he knows now that his own power is not enough to reach those same heights.
From the confines of his office, information still goes in and out. Even so, Taneo Tokuda much prefers the investigative field approach. He can hear the commotion going on outside his office window; all those sirens responding to emergency calls tells dozens of stories – or perhaps just one – and as a photojournalist, he makes it a point to tell it straight. So phone calls in and tips or delivered letters or notes isn't going to cut it. He needs to get out there. Just where exactly is it he needs to go to get to the bottom of it all is what he needs to figure out first.
Tokuda pulls down on a drawstring behind his desk. It unveils a spread of information greater than can be put to a corkboard. It requires a second drawstring for a second wall space to be covered. Its media conspiracies narrowed into a fine map of what's coming in and out of the news station. At the hem of it all, he puts a pin in place to hold a king of hearts card. He's dubbed this supposed master manipulator as the 'Kingpin' of this criminal commotion. And he intends on exposing who it is that they are while simultaneously proving that they even exist to be exposed.
It's a task that requires loads of research and digging through dozens of backlogs. There's a history of master planners and villainous plotters who steered crime before and it takes sifting through those times to determine what pertains to now. The thing is … Tokuda would like to theorize that it ALL pertains to now. He believes that all of the previous planners & plotters who pulled this off before are one and the same of who it is pulling strings now. This is not just a story he's come up with for sake of selling papers that ought to win him a pulitzer, but a firm rationalization based on M.O.
There's a dark rabbit hole of criminal history even within the major media outlets. Those age old ties provide insight into who it is that editors and chief execs reported to. Better yet, it's interesting that where they'd report to tended to remain at the same site, hence the theory that it was always orchestrated by one head honcho. Tokuda wonders if there are still ties into the criminal underworld even now that he's unaware of from within his work place. If so, it's the best lead he's got at figuring out the truth and busting this whole conspiracy wide open.
Tokuda grabs a coat and a hat to conceal himself as best as possible. He's about to venture into a place where not many people return. He's about to go underground.
Blending into the underground is Eraserhead's speciality. He'd adopted the guise of a hobo with his long length of hair and unshaven face. Even now, the absence of an arm only aids him in those undercover efforts as far as appearance goes. So why it is that he's been matched against two of his students in an open daylight setting is beyond him. Then again … he wouldn't put it past Nezu that he's being tested as much as they are by this arrangement. It makes sense in that regard considering the lesson he needs to teach Todoroki & Tokoyami is adapting to situations they are unfamiliar to, and the same could be said for him when getting used to his own new style of combat.
The underground hero loops his capture cloth around his good arm so that he can catch it in his mouth by clamping down with a bite. It functions as a wrap for his fist when he lands a blow to Tokoyami. This is only one of the new innovative moves he recently developed to benefit his new set of circumstances. Of course, testing these methods on children isn't a reliable method of learning, but it does help him to get used to it.
It seems silly though. That kids can make him struggle. But they do. Even with erasure in effect, Todoroki proves that he is a worthwhile opponent. As does Tokoyami. They have gotten used to combat without reliance on their quirks, as was the objective of this exam. It's just now their teacher himself who is in the act of being taught. He often tries to perform actions he would when he wasn't handicapped and now his disability prohibits his capabilities. It's a matter of trial and error that has room for lots of error.
As Eraserhead fends off the set of attackers he has on him, he wonders if Nezu had similar ideas in mind for the other teachers when it came to these exams.
Present Mic shouts at where he knows his examinees are hiding. Even with something to serve as a barrier between them and his quirk enhanced vocals, he knows they'll eventually succumb to the extreme sound volume that he's giving off. Aizawa had made fun of him for it, dubbing him a 'one trick pony' or something along those lines, but the saying goes if it ain't broke then don't fix it for a reason. He can go all day screaming too so it's not like he has to worry about quirk backlash or straining his voice; he once did a 24 hour concert. He's fully confident in his capabilities.
Meanwhile, Mina Ashido and Eijiro Kirishima are also confident in their own abilities. Kirishima hardens all of himself, which includes his fingers for him to plug his ears with. Ashido secretes acid but her pink pigmentation of skin is immune to it so that she can stuff her ears with her own acid to nullify Mic's soundwaves. They're able to counteract the hero's strategy and wait this out for just as long as he's willing to go. The two kids grin and give eachother thumbs ups.
Neither side knowing that they are locked in a stalemate means that this can go on for a long time and that they both have a lot to learn about overestimating themselves while underestimating their enemies.
Similar situations transpire at the same time with other student versus teacher matchups. These are pre-calculated scenarios designed with intentionality. As such, cameras record all of these battles for further review & analysis. The feeds capture everything everywhere all at once.
Midnight is placed against the pairing of Momo Yaoyorozu and Setsuna Tokage to teach them how to use more than brute force whereas they are meant to teach her the opposite. Midnight's quirk secretes a sleeping spell that proves ineffective when Yaoyorozu creates gas masks for herself and her teammate. This puts them in a temporary stalemate until one of either side engages in combat.
Manga Fukidashi and Tsuyu Asui are more-so close range combatants and so it only makes sense that they would be put against Snipe. They must learn how to fight an opponent from far away while Snipe will have to concern himself with what to do should they close that gap. It makes for a fun exchange of rubber bullets, a tongue, and onomatopoeic action.
Itsuka Kendo and All Might are in the midst of duking it out. Protege VS the master is always exciting. Kendo's inflated fists collide with All Might's. Her addition in abilities helps her navigate the battlefield with whips while maintaining the high ground. Bakugo, on the other hand, proves to be a disappointment. He could have excelled but has fallen into despair over witnessing their display of power by comparison to his own.
Hagakure and Iida failed a long time ago. As was expected. There was no real hope for them or Hound Dog to gain much from this experience. But not everybody has a prominent role to play in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes, these pawn pieces have already played their part and have nothing left to offer. That doesn't mean they don't remain on the backburner for potential later usage though.
Among all of these moving parts on the board, Nezu pays close attention to the most unanticipated few first and foremost. Not being able to discern what these parts will do is dangerous and unacceptable should things go according to plan. And so, these parts are grouped together to resolve that problem.
There's Denki Kaminari, who is undoubtedly the mole for the villains that infiltrated U.A. Nezu keeps him around for the sake of how this leak can be used against those villains. But this also means keeping Kaminari in line. Which brings Nezu to Spider-Man next, who seems to have a quarrel with the traitor. It makes for a fine experimental matchup. Last, but not least, Kyoka Jirou has an infatuation with Spider-Man that can either be exploited or destroyed by how this matchup will play out.
One thing is for certain, the end result of these exams will provide Nezu with all the knowledge that is required for these parts to play how they should on the board.
The mock environment for Kaminari and Jirou's exam is an indoor setting. Made to resemble that of a steel mill or some sort of rundown factory, the place lacks any light. As such, Kaminari provides the light for them; an illumination of yellow emittance sparks from his hand. The dim glow allows for them to find a conveyor belt to get under for cover. There, Jirou plugs her ear jacks into the floor to listen for Spider-Man.
Kaminari crouches beside Jirou, getting close enough to her to bump her shoulder with his own. When she looks at him, he flashes her his best grin in an effort to appear handsome. "We make quite the team, huh?"
Jirou rolls her eyes but can't hide the small smile of amusement that makes its way onto her face, "We didn't even do anything yet."
Kaminari winks as he says, "Yet being the key word", and he's suddenly much more closer to her than he was before in physical proximity.
"I- Um..", Jirou blushes & stammers while trying to figure out how to respond. Her ear jacks come loose from the floor as they tangle themselves. Desperate to do away with her embarrassment, she crawls out from under their hiding spot and clears her throat to hurriedly say, "We shouldn't stay in one spot for too long!"
Kaminari follows behind her, still grinning. His eyes look her up and down before he catches up to match her pace. "So long as you're there, baby!"
Jirou picks up her speed and takes a sharp turn in an effort to throw him off. "Are you just gonna keep hitting on me this whole exam?", but she's surprised to see that he manages to keep up with her.
He actually manages to get in front of her. She nearly bumps into him but he catches her. Once in his arms, he doesn't let go. He leans in close while whispering, "Why? Is it working?"
Jirou opens her mouth to answer. She surprises herself when nothing comes out. In all honesty, she's torn between wanting to push him away and wanting to accept his advances. He can be oddly charming as he is dorkish. When he sees her mouth open, his own begins to part. He leans in and she realizes just as it's about to be too late that he's about to kiss her.
"Do you even have to ask?", but a voice suddenly stops him short by interjecting into the moment. The voice drops down from above and lands on the ground in the form of Spider-Man, "Who'd wanna go out with someone more creepier and crawlier than me?"
Seeing Spider-Man make an appearance, Jirou comes to her senses enough to shove Kaminari off. She's reminded of how Midoriya and Spider-Man are also charming & dorkish and how they stole her heart first. Wait. Did she just think of Midoriya too? The poor girl's mind buffers as it tries to process her confused and conflicted mix of feelings for boys.
Meanwhile, Kaminari has no confusion over how he feels. Especially how he feels about Spider-Man. "YOU", the electric blonde boy hisses with what sounds like some level of extreme hatred.
"V, W, X, Y, and Z! Wait – Why are we doing the ABC's?", Spider-Man only adds to Kaminari's annoyance over his disruption by making a joke out of it.
"You're done for, bug!" Kaminari directs streaks of lightning towards the red & blue clad vigilante. And the technical teacher jumps away to teach the teen that those would hurt if they landed. "I'm gonna kill you and then jumpstart your heart and kill you again!"
Since those are words that wouldn't commonly be heard from a student to a teacher, Spider-Man has to pause and react. One eye goes large while the other shrinks to give his masked face a proper expression. "Okay, dude.. What the flip", and then he flips away to avoid being struck by electricity.
As Spider-Man dodges the electric emitter's attacks, he has to admit that it's slightly harder than the last few times that he did so. This is likely due to the weights that he's wearing on his wrists & ankles. While it's nice that the quirk suppression system doesn't apply to him, the added weight does slow him down a little. It's giving Kaminari that fair fight that it's supposed to but it's also bound to get him zapped at such a rate.
He takes to cover behind the belt machine that Kaminari and Jirou were hiding under earlier. He hates to think it but he's rather jealous of what he saw transpire there. Even if he knows things aren't necessarily in his favor romantically, it still hurts to see the girl he likes get close with another guy. Especially a guy who's probably a traitorous villain. And he's not just thinking or saying that because he's jealous! There's something off about Kaminari and he intends to prove it. If that coincidentally puts a stop to whatever was going on between him and Jirou then that's just a bonus.
Spider-Man jumps out of range when another electric shock strikes the station that he was sticking to. Kaminari's beams of lightning chase him up into the rafters of the building's ceiling. It's there that the shadows give him a chance to stay clear like he was doing while stalking the two of them earlier. He nearly gave up his element of surprise sooner when seeing them get all buddy-buddy and completely gave it up when it looked like they were about to kiss. But this time, he intends on keeping his advantage while he can.
That is, until Spider-Man is no longer the only one in Kaminari's line of fire. The power hungry moron doesn't care to control his energy output and a stray streak of electricity hits his own teammate. Jirou cries out in pain as she's struck in the side and knocked to the ground. Seeing this soon after makes Spider-Man see red.
"NO!", all caution goes to the wind and he dives down from the rafters. His Spider-Sense goes into overdrive, dodging for him on his way down. As soon as he gets within range of Kaminari, he grabs ahold of the electric emitter. There's no kinetic field up to bounce him back because Kaminari isn't expecting it, which gives him a once in a lifetime chance to get his licks in.
Spider-Man drives his fist directly into Kaminari's face. His knuckles grind against the blonde's nose, grating against flesh and delivering a mighty blow. While that feels satisfying to a certain degree, it just isn't enough. He throws a second punch to continue with what the first started. The hits are intended to hurt. He wants to leave a mark. A long lasting mark. And so he punches again. And again. He feels the crack of his knuckles against Kaminari's jaw but doesn't let up until he feels it more than just that once.
He'd have probably kept going. If not for Jirou's voice calling out to him to, "STOP!" It's hearing her that snaps him out of his aggressive state of mind. It's knowing that she's okay enough to be conscious again and speak that he's able to listen to her and stop.
He looks at her expecting to see that usual so assuring smile of hers that it's okay now, "Huh.. ?", but instead he sees that she's horrified of him. When he tears his eyes away from her to look at himself, he sees why. His red colored gloves are torn from the damage he inflicted on them with his punches, but there is still a red splash of color on his hands nevertheless.
Then there's Kaminari. The boy breathes, barely. A raspy wheeze of air and a light rising & falling of his chest lets Spider-Man know that Kaminari is still alive. But what's been done to Kaminari's face… The damages are detrimental. Like Stain, the electric blonde has a caved in nose. There's marred scars where his face has torn open. And the red that is on Spider-Man's hands is there as well.
He went overboard. It doesn't matter if it was in defense of someone or even if it were for himself, on any grounds or terms, he lost control. And that being the case so easily, he has to ask himself, "What have I done… ?"
Tokuda doesn't have to ask himself how he got into this situation. He knows full well what a meddlesome reporter or photojournalist tends to get involved in. It's all sorts of trouble. Following leads tends to take his kind down rabbit holes but it's often too late that they realize the narrower it gets means it was a snake hole all along. And so here he is not asking how it is that he got himself in a dangerous situation as such.
Following that lead to uncover the corruption and criminal plottage brought him to where he could do so. He just wasn't counting on being caught when taking photo evidence. The flash on the camera was disabled and he took care to stay hidden but it just wasn't enough to go undetected. Tokuda was grabbed and his camera was smashed to dispose of all that he got. Now, he's brought before the one he was hoping to expose. He's laid at the feet of the one in charge of this criminal underground that he's fallen into.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" A deep growl and a rather large shadow looms over his crumpled form. Tokuda has also been stripped bare of his clothes to make sure he wasn't hiding anything else on himself. All that remains are his glasses that he adjusts on his face to get a good look at who it is that towers over him. Who he sees surprises him more than anyone he could have guessed it could have been. "Look who we have here…"
The Master Planner of all that's transpired today and before now, the Kingpin of crime that he was hoping to unravel the truth behind, is much too big a revelation to fit on the frames of his glasses. The lenses stay intact but fall out when knocked off his face. Heavy fists slam down on Tokuda, beating him into oblivion.
What was last seen with those glasses was the identity of The Big Man, who is one and the same as the being that took Tokuda's life.
AUTHOR NOTES
I never realized the old Yakuza boss before Overhaul never had a name in the manga or anime, he was always just referred to as 'Boss', which is kinda funny - but anyways, that's who Silvermane is here, which makes that character meshing a little easier to work with when bordering between cannon and OC. If you're familiar with Silvermane's story, then you can probably already imagine the correlation that plotline will have to Eri, which ought to be a fun & challenging one to tackle when getting to it.
There were a few other teases that I tossed in there that some of you will hopefully be able to pick up on. Laying those seeds early, as they say! Some are more obvious and some are more subtle like Re-Destro's movement into the perfume business. But I digress, there were lots of villain introductions and villain activity this chapter.
That being said, as you can see, I'm utilizing some more fan suggestions as well. Thanks theMAX360 for the Electro idea! Minus the symbiote as an influencing factor, I think that will help progress the plot in a lot of areas.
Ah, CapoPerk, all in due time will identity reveals and unmaskings transpire! It's too bad Tokuda won't be apart of those that get a moment like that though, haha!
SonicMax, I can only imagine how you feel after this chapter, and I gotta say it's only bound to get worse for Spidey for awhile ... if it's of any clarity, I gotta say that giving Spider-Man a hard time is weirdly the best part about writing his character. That he never gives up no matter how much he wants quit nor how much hardship he goes through is why it works. And the character himself aside, it just makes for generally good narrative & writing for characters to struggle instead of being coddled all the time. Though there will come sweet & tender moments occasionally to compensate too! ..Eventually.. Maybe some day.
Until then, enjoy Spider-Man suffering!
-Courtesy of your cruel neighborhood author!