So, some of you might note; last chapter was sorta WEIRD. This is when the burnout was starting for me
At the time of writing this, I was dealing with a very shitty Cellular Biology class. Like borderline almost failing. This is also when we were gearing up for the Atlas arc in Gems, I think.
The Overhaul arc is sort of a slog (I mean, it took up a full year in the manga, and most of Season 4 in the anime) too, with hyper specific beats, so I apologize if this seems…off.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Sometime ago, Ochako and Izuku were rearranging his notebooks for her own alien journal. Lots of boring transcribing and honest work, but it was nice to hang out. Ochako looked over Izuku's shoulder as he flipped through one of his hero notebooks for Ben. She saw the entries on Chromastone and Diamondhead.
"Diamondhead...that was one of Ben's first aliens." Ochako noted.
"Yep! His debut battle was in a campsite or something, taking down a giant mech." Izuku said. "He's...kinda my favorite alien, to be honest."
"You know, when you place him next to Chromastone, they look so similar," she commented.
"I think Ben said they were related on a Reddit AMA or something." Izuku explained. "I think it has something to do with various biological evolutionary mechanisms."
"What do you mean?" Ochako asked, intrigued.
"Well," Izuku began, "In nature, different species can evolve to have similar physical characteristics due to similar environmental pressures. It's called convergent evolution. So maybe something similar happened with these two aliens."
Ochako nodded, fascinated by Izuku's knowledge. "That makes sense," she said. "But what about their different powers?"
Izuku shrugged. "There could be a lot of different factors at play there," he said, tapping his pen against the page of his notebook. "Maybe they evolved in different environments with different needs. It's hard to say for sure."
Ochako nodded, looking thoughtful. "I wonder if there are other aliens like them out there," she said.
"I bet there are," Izuku replied. "The universe is a big place, after all. Who knows what kind of life might be out there?"
For a moment, Overhaul was stunned into silence, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. But then, a dark rage began to well up within him.
"You're...supposed to be DEAD!" Overhaul yelled.
"I think I was," Ochako admitted, stunning Overhaul back into silent confusion. "But I came back."
"You...you can't...you can't just come back. I never 'rebuilt' you!"
"You didn't need to."
He was trying to hide it, but that broke Overhaul. Ochako basically just told him, to his face, that his power was now deemed worthless by a watch. A. Watch. That sounded like a joke, but she was living proof!
Ochako's eyes lit up for a second, before she jumped into action. Overhaul staggered to his feet, only to be hit with a barrage of crystal shards as Ochako fired them at him with pinpoint accuracy. He tried to dodge and weave, but Ochako's new alien was unexpectedly too fast, too agile, too powerful for him to keep up.
As Overhaul tried to counterattack, Ochako responded by summoning a massive diamond shield that absorbed his blows with ease. And when he managed to land a solid punch, he managed to grab her arm. "DIE AGAIN! He yelled, activating her quirk to shatter her arm. Ochako simply grinned and let out a small chuckle as she watched it reform before his very eyes.
"Nice try." Ochako smirked.
Izuku blinked away tears of joy, relief flooding through him at the sight of Ochako's return. But he knew he couldn't let his emotions get in the way of the fight. He steeled himself, taking a deep breath, and joined Ochako in the fight against Overhaul. Tetsutetsu and Blake were quick to follow, charging in to assist. Together, the four of them launched a fierce attack on the Hassaikai leader.
Diamond uppercuts, steel jabs, blade slashes and powerful Smashes all collided with Overhaul no matter what attempt at defense he made. If he tried to outright block a jab with his more durable arms, then Blake would flank around and slash him in the side. When he moved to try and backhand the ninja hero, he would only swipe air, leaving himself open to another Diamondhead strike. He tapped the ground with his lower arms and tried to impale this new alien in an act of desperation, but instead, the stone spikes he created just shattered upon impact. Izuku took the chance to race in as well, landing a powerful St. Louis Smash on the villain.
Overhaul gritted his teeth as he forced his body to heal itself, reforming his shattered bones and torn muscles. As he stood up, his body began warping and twisting as he reformed it into a new, more physically defensive configuration. His arms and legs thickened, his skin hardened into a shell-like armor, and his eyes glowed with an unknown power.
"I won't let my revitalization plans die at the hands of some infected brats!" he growled, charging towards the heroes with renewed vigor.
Monoma quickly strategized as he watched Overhaul charging towards the heroes. He knew he couldn't take him head-on, but he still had some time left on his copied Double quirk. He quickly created duplicates of himself and sent them flying towards Overhaul.
"GO!" Monoma yelled.
Overhaul noticed the swarm of copies rushing towards him, but he just did not care. There were two real targets on his mind. These clones, the Faunus, the steel-clad kid, even that other hero he heard try to console the copycat, were all just obstacles to his real targets. The juggernaut that was Overhaul's new form steamrolled right through the clones, splattering them across the stone like the stains he saw them as.
"YOU!" Overhaul charged at Izuku and Ochako with his fists held high and a loud roar. He threw his fists forward with fierce determination, but the dynamic duo dodged his hits with lightning-fast reflexes and moves that were perfectly in sync. All Might's apprentice hit Overhaul's outstretched arm with a devastating Manchester Smash. He put all of his strength into a strong axe kick that would have broken the yakuza's arm if it weren't for his indestructible armor. The blow was so hard that his arm shook and looked like it might break into a million pieces.
Ochako made her hand into a diamond-covered club head and swung it. With fierce resolve, the strike hit its mark, and the sharp crystal pierced through Overhaul's armor. Even after getting hit, the yakuza wasn't fazed. He charged at the heroes, fists tightly clenched, with a fierce resolve to kill them. He moved in a wild, unexpected way, like a wild animal that has been backed into a corner.
Overhaul was a force of nature, a being of raw, unrestrained power, and everything he did showed how much he wanted power. He charged at his target with the speed of a shark, his eyes locked on his prey, and his muscles popping out from under his armor. He ran as fast as he could toward Eri, his eyes burning with a dark determination.
It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, the horror of the moment drawing out like a stretch of road that never seems to end. Izuku and Ochako tried to intercept him, to block his path, to do anything to keep him away from the young girl who was the key to his plans. But it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with a bucket.
Overhaul's fists slammed into Izuku and Ochako with a force that sent them flying, their bodies tumbling across the stone floor like rag dolls. He could see the terror in the young girl's eyes as he approached, his new form giving him an overwhelming sense of power.
"Eri," Overhaul growled, "we...are...leaving!" He ignored the terror in the girl's eyes and just scooped her up in his arms. The heroes wouldn't dare attack him so long as he had their "precious little target" in his hands. His lower arms slammed down on the ground and he formed a rising stone pillar. Once he got to the ceiling, he'd blow open a hole and get the hell out of here. If he could, he'd contact Chrono, get him to regroup with him later.
Ochako and Izuku immediately sprang into action, determined to stop Overhaul from taking Eri away. They chased after him as he ascended the stone pillar, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"I-I know this is a bad time, but-!" Izuku yelled. "I'm glad you're alive!"
"Thanks! No idea how it worked, but, whatever!" Ochako yelled back.
Overhaul could hear them chasing him, growling in sheer annoyance. Spikes began jutting out of the pillar as it climbed ever closer to the ceiling, ever closer to Overhaul's getaway!
Something red passed by his eye. He looked over and growled.
Is that...Lemillion's stupid cape?
"The reason heroes wear capes...is to wrap up and protect those in pain!" Mirio's words echoed inside her head. Eri reached out for that torn and tattered piece of red fabric, not even realizing what she was doing. But all the same...she reached out and grabbed that cape.
Chisaki's eyes widened as he was hit with a surge of power. The armor, the extra limbs, his entire monstrous form was ripped away like a cloak, Nemoto emerging from his back as if he was punched out of the fusion. Overhaul looked over his shoulder and saw Eri's horn, more pronounced than it had ever been, glowing with power.
The air crackled with energy as Izuku and Ochako reached the top of the pillar. Overhaul's grip on Eri tightened, his eyes blazing with fury.
"You insolent brat! What have you done?!" he snarled, his voice laced with venom.
But just as he was about to strike, the two heroes charged at him with lightning speed, ready to face him head-on. With a fierce determination, they unleashed a barrage of punches that struck him like a speeding locomotive. The sheer power of their blows reverberated through the atmosphere, creating a seismic impact that shook the very ground beneath them.
"DOUBLE..." Izuku screamed.
"DETROIT-!" Ochako screamed.
"SMAAAAAAAAASH!" Both of them shouted as they threw punches.
The blows connected with a thunderous impact, crushing the yakuza boss's visage. With a mighty push, he was sent flying off the pillar, his grip on Eri slipping away. With a fierce determination in her eyes, the young girl soared through the sky, clutching onto Lemillion's cape with all her might. She closed her eyes as gravity took hold and she started to fall.
Eri's heart was pounding in her chest as she fell through the air. She had never felt so scared in her life. She clung tightly to the torn red cape, hoping it would somehow save her. The wind rushed past her ears, drowning out all other sounds except the pounding of her own heart. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down, and Eri felt as if she were suspended in midair.
Then she felt someone catch her. Arms wrapped around her, but they weren't Overhaul's arms.
They weren't holding onto her obsessively, but protectively.
She looked and saw that the green-clad hero Deku had caught her.
"I won't let you go...ever again!" Izuku said, "I promise!"
Overhaul, while still practically embedded in the stone wall, focused his gaze on Izuku. Behind his eyes was an unending source of hatred and pure desperation. One of those disgusting heroes had the lynchpin to his plan in his hands.
"No...NO! GIVE HER BACK!" Overhaul yelled. He tapped the wall and launched a barrage of homing spikes. He was going to impale the both of them, here and now! He could always fix up Eri later!
Ochako knew what she had to do. She didn't have time to think, only to act. She made a ramp of diamonds, and positioned herself between Overhaul and the hero holding Eri. She spread her arms wide, using her body as a shield to protect Eri and Izuku from the incoming barrage of spikes.
The spikes slammed into her, but she didn't falter. She held her ground, gritting her teeth as the spikes bounced harmlessly off her diamond-hard skin. Ochako felt nothing. She smirked at Overhaul, daring him to try and get past her.
But Overhaul was not one to back down from a challenge. He stepped forward, his arms morphing into long, jagged spikes. He lunged at Ochako, determined to break through her defenses and get to Eri and Izuku.
"I'LL KILL YOU FOR GOOD THIS TIME!"
Izuku heard that and something inside him snapped again. It wasn't something that led to outright rage and fury, but it was something of resolve. Eri's horn glowed a bit again and, before anyone knew what was happening. It was like a bomb went off.
Ochako's ramp of diamond shattered, Overhaul was thrown back into the wall with all his spikes destroyed and one of his arms torn asunder, and the ceiling that the yakuza so desperately wanted to reach was blasted open. It was as if Ryukyu herself fell through from the streets above.
"What!?" Overhaul yelled. He was doing a lot of yelling right now.
And down through the hole in the wall came Tsu, Nejire, Ryukyu and an oversized Rikiya. Rikiya smashed on the floor, shaking the ground.
"Ribbit?!" Tsu gasped as she started falling, only to be caught by the floating Nejire.
"Wooooah. What did you guys do in here?!" Nejire asked.
"Tsu! Are you ok?" Ochako called out, waving to her from below.
"O-ochako? Is that you?!" Tsu asked.
Ochako reverted back to normal, feeling the weight of exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. "Yeah, long story," she muttered, rubbing her temples.
Tsu's eyes flicked over Ochako's form, and her brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you change your costume up?" she asked.
Ochako blinked, surprised by Tsu's question. She glanced down at herself and noticed the changes in her costume. The black color was now the dominant color, with pink serving as a secondary contrast. Her shoulders were exposed, revealing a hint of her arms, and her helmet had a sleeker design, almost resembling a futuristic motorcycle helmet.
"...oh. Huh." Ochako said, looking down at her body. "Guess that changed when I got restored."
"What?"
"Like I said! Long story." Ochako frowned.
"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna hear all about it at the end!" Nejire beamed, "Uh, hey, where's Izuku?"
Ochako scanned the area. "He should have Eri...where is he?" She asked.
Izuku blinked as the energy from...whatever he just did began to fade. He looked down and saw that he was maybe twenty or thirty feet in the air.
"I...I launched myself? But...I also...hit Chisaki and broke Ochako's diamonds," Izuku muttered to himself.
Izuku's heart raced as he looked down at his legs, fully expecting to see them shattered. But to his surprise, they were intact. He felt a strange energy coursing through him, like nothing he had ever felt before. He looked down at his legs and saw the faint glow of red energy fading away.
That voice from earlier...he said something about his quirk. Izuku thought. The...third's quirk?
"I...I didn't go 100%, but...what was that?" Izuku wondered, confused and amazed at the same time.
Down below, avoiding the gaze of the heroes, Overhaul wandered through the debris. His one arm was busy fixing his destroyed limb. He managed to pry himself free earlier and stumbled towards the downed form of the hybridized Psyphon.
"You know..." Overhaul huffed, "I think this is where the real fruits of our partnership come into play." The plague masked mobster put both hands on Psyphon's chest and the alien crime lord exploded into a crimson shower. Blood rained down on Overhaul, some of the fluid dripping off his ruined and beaked mask, giving him the visage of a carrion scavenger.
"For my dreams...Eri..." Overhaul looked to the sky, "I need you. I need you..."
Ryukyu's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, shit!"
"N-no. Don't...don't worry."
The group turned around to see Monoma, helping escort Nighteye over. Ochako's eyes widened as she laid eyes upon him.
"S-sir?" She asked.
Nighteye's face was gaunt and pale, his body trembling. "You guys...are fine." He muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "At the very least, we're in...an okay timeline. He's not coming after you, for now. He's going above ground, to chase...Midoriya and Eri..."
Ochako frowned, her heart sinking into her stomach. "Not on my watch-"
"And...then..." Nighteye coughed, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. "He kills...Midoriya." His words hung in the air, heavy and ominous.
"He...he what?" Ochako asked, her voice small, almost unheard.
"Midoriya...he cannot beat...Chisaki. He...he will get away...with Eri, while stained in-"
"Respectfully, Sir...I'm not gonna let that fucking happen."
"Ochako!" Ryukyu and Nejire gasped.
"...this is the second time you're going to go off, isn't it?" Tsu asked.
"It's going to be worse than last time," Ochako nodded.
"B-but, Ochako! What if he kills you too!?" Tsu asked.
"He already did." Ochako said, activating the Omnitrix. "I'd love to see him do it again." Ochako's hand glowed with a bright pink light as she slammed it down on the Omnitrix. Heat spread throughout her body as she felt her form twist and change, flames erupting from her skin.
There was...a new found spark in this transformation, despite the familiarity of it.
"Now..." Overhaul said, "reform." The blood of Psyphon was drawn into him, morphing into the alien's flesh. Psyphon's body began to merge with Overhaul's and, given the gangster's size, the yakuza began to grow taller and taller. Overhaul's mask snapped open, like a gaping maw. A massive jaw formed around Overhaul as the rest of the titanic body formed up.
Ochako and the others saw the towering new hybrid form rise up off the ground, lightning sparking around the massive fin that jutted out from the beast's head.
"Give her back," Overhaul growled.
Ochako rocketed through the air, the wind howling in her ears as she narrowly dodged the deadly grip of Overhaul. She burst through the surface and ran towards Izuku, who was still dazed from whatever had just happened.
"Hey, are you alright?" Ochako asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Izuku looked up at her with bleary eyes. "U-uraraka," he stammered.
"What the heck happened back there?" Ochako said.
"I don't know," Izuku replied. "I think I unlocked some kind of new power, but it shouldn't be this strong. I felt like my bones were going to break."
Suddenly, Ochako noticed something strange about Eri's horn. It was sparking with an strange energy that seemed to pulse and crackle. Her eyes widened.
"Maybe...it was Eri's power." Ochako wondered aloud, her eyes wide with fear.
Izuku paused. "Yeah...you might be right. When she touched Overhaul, she managed to undo his fusion, right?" Izuku said. "Eri...how does your power work?"
Eri looked up at Izuku and Ochako, her eyes wide with fear. "I-I don't know," she said, her voice shaking. "It just...happens."
Izuku furrowed his brow as he thought about Eri's power. From what he's seen, it seemed to have some sort of time-related ability. But what could it be? Could it be some sort of reversal of time? A 'rewind' of sorts? It would certainly explain how she was able to undo Overhaul's fusion-
Izuku stumbled backwards, clutching his stomach as a sudden pain wracked his body. It felt as though his very insides were being torn apart. He gritted his teeth and tried to steady himself, but the pain only grew more intense.
"What's wrong, Deku?" Ochako asked, concern etched on her face.
"It's...it's her power," Izuku gasped. "My body feels like it's being pulled apart-!"
"She never knew how to control it," Overhaul's voice said, in perfect sync with Psyphon's, "Whenever her power is triggered, it's like turning off a pressure valve. It stores up energy and the effect only stops when she runs out. She doesn't have any discipline with it, because what kind of training could HELP HER when she rewound her own FATHER OUT OF EXISTENCE?!"
The pavement around the trio erupted into grasping tendrils of stone. Ochako formed her hands into hammers and swatted the moving pavement away, crushing it into pieces. But then the trio saw the full extent of Overhaul's second transformation. A giant monochrome-hued hand reached out from the hole that Izuku had blasted open and pulled forth what could only be described as an abomination.
Take the basic form of Psyphon, hybridized with a To'kustar, and then remove all of the skin. The body of this gargantuan nightmare was all exposed muscle with some bits of unnatural color. Smaller, more spindly limbs jutted out from the back, holding some of Psyphon's other powers. Two were flaming Pyronite arms and two had dark blue fur with lightning sparking around them. Patches of stone were marked across the muscular form, giving it a bit more of rudimentary armor. The face of the monster was molded to be a combination of Overhaul's beak aesthetic and the To'kustar's giant appearance.
"Did...you just say 'rewound?'" Izuku asked through the pain.
"It's her power...her curse. She can rewind human beings like any of us would turn back the hands on a clock. She could rewind the both of you back to monkeys if she knew how to apply it," Overhaul warned. "Now...hand her over. Annihilating her is the only way to end this!"
"Not a chance," Izuku spat out, his eyes narrowing. "I won't let you lay a finger on her!" He motioned for her to get on his back. "The way she can heal me, despite my injuries- this power is more kind hearted than you can ever imagine. Having experienced it...I know how fast my body gets rewound."
Izuku began to power up. This was unlike his previous displays of full power. His hair lit up, his pupils began sparking, and Blackwhip began to spread across his arms. The air around him crackled with electricity. As the energy coursed through his body, Izuku felt a sense of both immense power and intense pain. It was like his veins were on fire, burning him from the inside out. He gritted his teeth, refusing to let the pain slow him down.
"It's a stupid plan when I say it out loud," Izuku said, balling his hand into a fist, his glove straining, "I just need to smash myself up faster than that! First time being the 'finger breaker' is actually a positive for me."
"W-wait, what?!" Ochako gasped.
"Ochako…I'll be fine. I just need to…go BEYOND! " Izuku got into a fighting stance. One for All: Full Cowling! 100%!
Ochako's jaw dropped. "Y-you're serious about this, huh?"
"More than anything." Izuku said. "Eri...can you lend me your strength?"
Izuku took Eri's grip for a yes.
Izuku growled as he moved forward. "Let's end this."