Justice Across Space and Time: Year 2
Chapter 6
Now lets see how well Ochaco and Melissa can handle a faux AFO. As well as how Mina is doing after her little bout with Slice and Blackout. From there, we'll get a bit more about the villains and why certain ones are willing to side with Darwinists like Nine. So on with the show
(No POV)
Nine shook his head and glared at Melissa as she and Ochaco put themselves between the villain and the children. Ochaco tells the two to get further away while both Nine and Melissa power up their beam attacks.
Tech Might's wrist guns fire off and she tries to hit his limbs to stun. But Nine surprises her with a shielding quirk to stop her attacks. "Let's try this!" Ochaco calls out once she was sure the kids were clear. She removed the gravity of a few logs and used her grapples to launch them towards Nine.
"Zero Satellites!" she calls out before returning the gravity to increase the impact. Nine just shifts his Air Wall shield and nonchalantly aims his finger beams at the girl. "Keep on the move Ochaco!" Melissa says before taking off and firing some beam shots again.
The villain just seems annoyed as he keeps blocking or blasting at the pair. Especially because he can't use the other application of Air Wall to knock them around as directly. "Ochaco, here. This might help with other maneuverability issues." Melissa says before passing a belt to the gravity girl.
She noted it was an extra thruster, but it wasn't as strong as her back jets. "I get it. I use this to keep from getting knocked around. Now though, we need to keep him busy. Still. All his quirks are odd. Think he's a true meta?"
"No. Not from what my scans are picking up. Definitely a quirk or group of quirks. I don't know who he is, but he's got a power just like that monster who fought Uncle Might," the inventor reported while taking a few shots with her wrist guns.
Back at the center, Jiro was being used to sound blast attack her friends thanks to Mummy. "I can't take control of living things, but that doesn't mean I can't use the clothes and gear you're wearing!" he says before launching Jiro for an attack.
Kaminari and Kirishima put themselves between the evacuating heroes before the former notices something. Namely that the bandages were moving funny in Jiro's bindings. Suddenly they could all hear a low rumbling. And Jiro broke herself free from Mummy's quirk.
"You can't control living things? Well… Good thing my quirk is a mutant type! And I could still use my gear! Kaminari!" Jiro calls out before plugging into her wrist speakers and sound blasting Mummy.
It doesn't defeat him, but the noise leaves him open for Kaminari to hit the villain's leg with one of his tracer disks. "Have a taste of this!" he calls out before electrifying the villain. Causing Mummy to lose his grip on most of his golems. While Kirishima moved in with a strong punch to knock the villain out.
"That's done at least! We need to get to the others!" Kirishima says before noticing a green blur move by. And Mina was dropped with Momo and the others. "Ashido! Man she looks rough. Not as bad as it could be." The last piece was said by Mina as she was coughing and starting to stand.
She tells the rest she handled one villain but that there were still at least four more. "Let's get this guy out of here and help the others." Momo said while treating some of Mina's injuries. The others agree and make their way to the other hotspots.
Back on the beach, most of the other heroes were struggling. Mainly because Chimera was able to counter them with just raw strength. "It's nowhere near fighting Jota – I mean John. But still. He's able to counter my ice just like that." Shoto said while trying to hold his ground.
Saphentite looked to the group while creating some portals to get the civilians away. 'I'd be willing to bet he's got uninspired names for himself and that power. Though I can't deny I'd understand the one.'
Chimera tries to make a move, but Saphentite shifts her focus for a moment to blast him back with magic and then quick cast a few spells with her genie powers to make the sand attack him. "Little wench!" he snarls out before breaking out of the sand binding him.
He then unleashes his fire breath to counter Shoto's. Until it is inadvertently enhanced by Ojiro stepping up with his Flare Shots. It doesn't overpower the attack, but it closes some of the gap Shoto was stuck with. 'We can't keep this up!' Tenya thinks after his Recipro Burst attack was knocked away.
Back with Tech Might and Uravity, they were struggling now as Nine had figured out how their attacks and patterns worked. Sending Ochaco flying with a burst of air when she tried to get more debris to attack him with. Then hitting her body with his Finger Beams.
As he was moving to take the disabled girl's quirk, Melissa jetted in and slammed him with her full output from her armor. Before ejecting and making it explode while trying to get Ochaco away. But while he was burned slightly, it wasn't enough to stop Nine.
As he used the Air Wall to knock them both away and into an embankment. Katsuma and Maharo saw this and ran to the hurt heroes' sides. "You need to stay back!" Melissa said while turning one of her spare bracelets into a scaled down Gadget Gauntlet. Glaring at the villain through the cracked glasses. Trying to get a read on him.
"Weak and pathetic. You can't hope to stop me with those." Nine claims before taking aim at Melissa. Only to be frustrated and furious as she stopped his shots with her barrier tech. "I may not have the same various applications, but I can build plenty of gear for the situation!"
She activates the other gauntlet to take a shot, but Nine's wall still keeps her from landing any real hit. Melissa holds her ground though, as does Ochaco as she gets back up from being knocked into the embankment.
Uravity grunts a bit before saying, "I'm not done! If Izuku can push through crazy pain when using his power, John can get past his insanity to fight for others, and Sahiraah can learn beyond anything believed…. Then so can we!"
Maharo tears up seeing these two willing to put everything out to help them and involuntarily activates her quirk. Creating two huge super deformed versions of the girls while Nine takes aim.
And just as he was about to shoot, Izuku rushed in and struck. "A quirk or group of quirks with…. No? I can't understand what I'm gack!" Nine says while blocking with Air Wall. Only for it to be broken by a strong Las Vegas Smash kick from the green teen. Melissa noticed this but knew it wasn't the time to worry about the matter. As she was just glad Kibou had made it.
"Sorry I'm late," he said while taking his stance to stare down his foe. Ochaco and Melissa both let out breaths before the former said, "you weren't late. You were just on time. But be careful. He's got a bunch of quirks. Like that AFO guy."
Izuku is a bit wide eyed at that but takes it in stride. 'So, he found a different way to stick around.' Izuku thought while feeling some twinges from the vestiges in his mind. Nine seems to be keeping his cool, but all of the heroes had been throwing him off. Especially with Melissa being able to keep him at bay when he believed himself almost all powerful.
As Izuku blasted forward for another attack, Nine used both applications for Air Wall to first block and knock back Izuku's attack. And then knock him into the air where he could be sniped with the Finger Beams.
But Kibou was less impressed with that set of attacks after dealing with Brightnova. "You may not have her weird source restriction! But your shots are nothing compared to what she can put out!" he says while floating and then flying through the air.
Nine grimaces at that while trying to attack Izuku. Who had figured out the villain's own pattern and tried to get in for a capture or takedown. Moving rapidly with his flight and some kinetic boosting. Before kicking one hand away to go in for a Detroit Smash.
Only for Danger Sense to flare up as Izuku shifted his arms in front of him to block a new attack. Using his tendrils and Black Whips to cushion the blow from a snake like creature that came out of Nine's back.
"Whoa! That was close." Izuku said while reassessing his situation. But he wasn't the only one considering their options. Nine was unsettled as he saw Izuku's power rising as the green teen circulated 30% of his power to go for an attack. 'Damn! I was hoping to wait till I had Cell Activation. But I have no choice.'
Izuku moves in to try a Kansas City Smash, but Danger Sense kicks in again and he feels the kinetic energy build up above him. 'So it's like that,' he thinks before dodging the lightning bolt Nine had tried to unleash on him.
The villain was shocked by this, and his panic grew as Izuku got close to use a Detroit Smash to impact his side. Before Izuku could follow up though, Nine changed the target of his attack. Namely by dropping bolts on top of his girlfriends and the children.
Melissa quickly raised her shield to help protect them all, but her injuries were catching up with her. So Ochaco braced her back after pushing the children slightly. But both still felt the shocks through their system. Izuku then jumps in to absorb and redirect the lightning away from them. Using his tendrils to act as a lightning rod while grounding himself.
Nine coughs a bit before turning towards the Shimano siblings again. Only to be stopped by something that surprised him. Even though he'd been knocked out by the lightning strike, Izuku still had enough consciousness to wrap a tendril around the villain's arm.
"You nuisance." Nine said before preparing to use the Air Wall shockwave again. "You're not touching him!" Melissa said while she and Ochaco used their gear to distract Nine. But they were both shocked when the villain collapsed. "What?! I know we couldn't have done much damage. Maybe Izuku?" Ochaco asked while supporting her grapple arm.
Slice then appeared and helped her beleaguered leader. Hardening her hair to capture them. "I would be wise to come along quietly," she said coldly. But a new voice called out to help them. "Not gonna happen bitch! And have a taste of this!"
Both villains were suddenly struck by lightning. But not from Nine's quirk. This was due to Sahiraah as a group of portals opened up beneath the heroes and the Shimano children. She then poofed into the clearing while glaring down her opponents.
"You think that's enough to stop us?!" Brightnova called out before firing some light blasts at the genie. Who just turned into smoke before firing her own magic shots. The true meta shakes off the hits before regrouping next to Nine and Slice.
Sahiraah just glares at the group before creating magic circles in her hands. And creating a near wall of pure magic that was ready to blast them all. Evidenced by the gathering magic and elemental energies within some circles. "Who said I'd give you a choice?" she said coldly.
Slice curses under her breath with Nine. Before Brightnova quietly advised that they get clear. "Blackout and Mummy were beaten. Nine's disabled. And the noise is weakening. And I don't know about you, but I don't like our odds against this chick," the shorter woman advised while preparing to blind the genie when needed.
"She's right. You're in no place to lead or fight anymore." Slice says while pulling out a flare gun and signaling Chimera. Nine brought up that Sahiraah could get them away with her powers. "Don't worry about that now. We'll deal with it in a moment." Brightnova says before using her powers to blind Sahiraah.
As Chimera leapt off, Ojiro and Shoto both wanted to go after the villain. "Hold it both of you. The four of us couldn't take him down. And this could likely be a trap." Ida advised with a hand on each of their shoulders.
Ojiro grit his teeth and tightened his fists in frustration. 'I put all this training in. But it still isn't enough. John would have no trouble with him. Depowered or not!' Ojiro thought while feeling angry at his inability to defeat his foe with his ki.
"Focus here for now. We have to take care of the islanders." Tokoyami advised while looking back to the few who were still around after Sahiraah left. They all made their way to a factory on the island to recover. Momo and Kaminari doing all they could to supply them.
Mina grunted before stepping up and casting a spell of her own to help. "This should let you put out a bit more Kaminari. And it's not much, but this bit of food should help too Yaomomo. Right Luno?"
"Yeah. Magic is a bit weird when it comes to food. It usually just makes average tasting food. But right now, calories are more important," the Hellhound said while looking over the teens in confusion. Mostly in how they could be so worried about others when their own lives were in serious danger.
Ida meanwhile worked to reassure the civilians about their safety while the various other members were helping with humanitarian relief and the like. Sahiraah herself conjuring up some supplies once she checked the whole island and recovered what she could.
"Was this more of what you got involved with in your world?" Mineta asked quietly while passing out some blankets. She let out a sigh before acknowledging that it was accurate. "Though not until I joined the Watchers. Before…. I was just a student or researcher you might say."
The short teen nodded before asking if the villains had said anything. "The bandaged one is keeping quiet. But that Blackout guy was willing to talk a bit. Guess you've met him before?" Koda noted while helping cook.
Mineta hummed before remembering that Todoroki had taken him down. "But this time Ashido did it. Maybe the magic thing helped close the gap." Sahiraah rolled her eyes before asking what he said. "Just that…. This wasn't over. And Nine, the leader I guess, would be back for something." Tsuyu said before questioning how Izuku, Melissa, and Ochaco were doing.
Mina was the one to check on them and the other injured that Shoto and Shoji were looking after. "I've got some food here. You guys can take a break. How are they doing?" she asked with worry.
Shoto sighed before saying, "Midoriya is healing passively thanks to his power. But other two are in pretty rough shape." Shoji noted that the doctors from the clinic were doing what they could. 'Damnit. Why didn't I learn any healing magic!?' Mina asked herself as the doctors shook their heads.
"Can I try something?" Katsuma asks while looking scared with his sister. The older teens look at him with some worry, but Maharo explains some of how his quirk worked. The boy couldn't let the two girls who saved him stay like that and pleaded to help. The doctor gave the go ahead and the boy rushed over to use his quirk.
At the lighthouse, Chimera, Slice and Brightnova were watching over Nine. While the two villains reminisce about how he recruited them to not be seen as monsters because of their quirks, Brightnova listened in calmly. Even as Nine had become a willing lab rat to increase his power. At the worsening cost of his health.
"So that's where it started with you huh? And you think that really would make things right? What about someone like me? Who starts out with nothing?" Brightnova questioned with some minor fire. Remembering how others treated her like a lesser because she was born without a quirk.
Only for, not long after John and Sahiraah arrived in their world, she awakened her power. And used it to kill all those who had treated her like she didn't matter. Starting with her parents.
Chimera looked down before admitting they hadn't considered that when they started. "We….. we were just sick of being labeled dangerous, monsters, and villains. But after learning about that Jotaro kid and all the other crazy things…. Maybe we need to consider more that we originally thought."
"I agree. Especially since, even though he was captured, Blackout is powerful enough to have us basically dead to rights. And we couldn't even fight back." Slice noted while thinking about her own past. And how their system could be used to make dangerous people like Brightnova or even someone like Melissa.
The true meta nods before saying they should think on the matter more while she was gone. "Where are you going?" Chimera asked with some confusion. Brightnova turns back before saying, "I'm going to make sure they can't get away thanks to that genie girl. Wish me luck."
Back at the factory, Melissa and Ochaco were still being healed by Katsuma. With the boy pushing himself to save them from all the injuries they endured. Izuku meanwhile had recovered enough to wake up and check on both of his girlfriends.
And as Katsuma's quirk really started working, Izuku found himself breaking down in some tears. As he could see the injuries being repaired. "Katsuma? Are you sure you've got this?" he asked between gasps of exertion as his own power was restoring him.
"I do." Katsuma said without taking his eyes off of either young heroine. Maharo then speaks up with, "I'll take care of him. You need to meet with the others. I think they're trying to decide on a plan."
Izuku nods before patting and thanking them both. He has to limp a bit, but he gets to the room his vices were discussing matters. Noting the downed communications and power was out. While Momo had sent out a drone to call for help, it would still take hours to get the message out.
"That won't do us much good given they still need to get heroes together and send them over." Izuku said while leaning on the door. Shoji hurries over and advised the class president to rest more. "I can rest a bit later. We've gotta come up with a plan now. Otherwise, we're in more trouble than we thought. Has anyone seen Sahiraah?"
Most shook their heads before Mina noted she was going to try a locator spell. "She's better at them than me so she figured she could at least nail down our opponents. I think she went to the highest point on the island to really check."
Izuku sighed before noting that they still had to consider who would be best for the fights ahead. "Four of us couldn't beat that beast." Shoto noted while Ojiro seemed to be contemplating something. "Maybe…. I have a way to close the gap."
When he said that, all eyes turned to him (while the Shimano siblings quietly arrived and Katsuma started healing Izuku). Ojiro sighed and admitted he had been practicing the technique that John had told him not to. "If I can build up a storm of ki, even a small one, I could at least get closer in power."
"But what about the risk?" Toru asked worriedly. But the tailed teen shook his head and noted it didn't matter. "If I don't take this chance then we could all lose. I can't run away." Jiro also noted that they were losing members fast. Given Kaminari and Momo were both out due to overusing their quirks.
"And even with the physical boosting you get from ki, you still aren't fully healthy Ojiro." Tokoyami noted with a nod. Izuku smiled before patting Katsuma on the back. "I think he can help a little bit with that. And we know what or rather who they're after."
Izuku's classmates look to him with some confusion before seeing Katsuma healing the injuries Ojiro had sustained. "He finished what my power had made strides on. And….. I think it might be what the villains are after."
"Yeah it is. That one guy said he wanted to steal my quirk." Katsuma says with some fear. A fear matched by Izuku's classmates as they were reminded of AFO and the number of quirks he had taken. Mina initially wanted to bring up that they could take Katsuma and run, but Luno stops that. "Those guys will come after you. If they went to all this trouble there's no way they'll give up easily."
Shoto then brings up that they could threaten the islanders. "Even if Sahiraah was back I don't think we can take that risk to teleport him away." Shoto says bluntly. Katsuma then brings up that they could hand him over to the villains. But Izuku shoots down that idea.
"Your quirk helped me, Ojiro, Ochaco, and Melissa. You saved us. And I won't let them take that from you." Izuku said with a smile while kneeling to look Katsuma in the eye. Causing said eyes to tear up though. "He's right. And we definitely can't let the villains have that power."
Melissa says this while coming into the office with Ochaco. Who kneels down and hugs the little boy before thanking him. "Listen. If they get their hands on Katsuma's power, then that man will be near unstoppable." Melissa says before taking off her cracked scanner glasses.
She pulls a cord out of a pouch before attaching them to a screen. That showed Nine collapsing after using his quirks. "Using his quirks hurts him. They're destroying his body. Which is why he needs Katsuma's."
"Then it's all the more reason we need to stop the villains. And save everyone." Ochaco says with a determined gaze of her own. Izuku smiles and agrees with his first friend (his own age) at UA and said they'd stop them all together.
The trio's courage and determination, not to mention Ojiro saying he could get himself a way to catch up to Chimera, inspires the rest of the teens and they each stand to say they'll fight together.
While Ida goes to talk with the civilians, Melissa stops Izuku and Ochaco. Guiding them to a room where they could talk confidentially. "Kibou….. I need to know something. Do you really have true meta powers? Or is there something else?" Melissa asked.
To prove her point, she used her scanning glasses to show what it had recorded when Izuku first engaged Nine. Ochaco looked at him with some confusion and asked, "Izuku? What aren't you telling us?"
The green teen gulped while running through ideas in his head and in OFA. 'It might be best to tell them. Though this is uh….. kind of your elder when it comes to relationships talking,' the voice of Shimura Nana says in his head. Izuku bit his lip before suggesting they get the jaundiced version. "We don't have a ton of time after all."
Meanwhile in the center of the island, Sahiraah was finishing her spell. "Got you. Three at the lighthouse. And the fourth….. what?!" she says before she's blasted in the back by Brightnova. Collapsing to the ground as the rain falls around them.
I know it's a cliché, but it felt like a decent end to the chapter. While also setting up the next fight and removing Sahiraah from the initial final fight. After all, a genie would be a pretty easy win regardless. I want this to be about the others and how they've changed. Including…. Addressing the OFA situation and how that could help in the final fight. Please review!