Justice Across Space and Time: Year 2
Chapter 29
Now then, on to the infiltration and battles with the rest of the Wild Villains. Plus peeking in on a few others who are watching all of this unfold. Don't know if you all reading this are really enjoying it, but I hope you'll stick around for the ride. So, on with the show.
(No POV)
"So, what do you think the odds are?" Sosaku asked Tomura as they were watching the news coverage of the incidents unfolding due to the Wild Villains, the heteromorphs, and the werebeast army. She handed him a mug of coffee before taking a sip of her own.
The teal haired young man took a steady drink before saying, "my guess: this'll probably be another victory for the heroes. Though not without a little bit of backlash. Especially from a number of mutant types. But we might just have a few others to add to our clans."
As he was saying this, a few images passed showing Ellie and Kemono Master trashing a few buildings. Both leaders smiled as they saw the images of the villains in question. With Sosaku already typing messages for her people to extract them.
Wu, Jin, Ryan, and Mandla were also watching the matters unfolding with interest. "So that's definitely not from a quirk. Right?" Jin asked with some fear. Wu had a disgruntled look before saying, "no. And it's not any kind of science. Which unfortunately leaves…"
"Magic. And a very interesting and risky branch of it. Werebeast and other half animal transformations are not easy to do. At least as far as spell craft goes. I wonder how many of these involve artifacts and the like." Mandla says with his eyes lighting up.
Ryan meanwhile was curious about if he could use the magical energies himself. "We've never actually tried anything like that after all. You mostly stick to "medicine" brewing and stuff like that since you've been here." Mandla agrees and notes that, "it works to keep the overhead from getting too suspicious. Besides, I never said any of what I'm producing isn't medicine. It's just not what most people know."
Dabi was mostly ignoring the matters happening, but he did smile upon hearing that Uwabami had been killed along with a handful of other heroes in the chaos. While Toga was fascinated by the transformations some people had undergone. "I wonder if I could unlock more to myself with something like that?" she thought aloud while spending time with Magne.
Who looked at the events with intrigue as well. While wishing she could get a spell to transform her into who she really was. "Maybe you can. We just might have to…. Oh? Well it seems we might be meeting with some of those folks. If we can time this right," she said with a big smile on her face.
Certain members of the MLA were also curious about the matters involved. Especially when it was reported that magic was involved with the changes. No quirks (other than a number of angry heteromorphics who joined the attacks), no gear used to enhance a quirk. Just magic.
"This is insane. We never knew of anything like this before and now these types of powers are popping out of the woodwork!" Re-Destro said as more of his hair started falling out in response to his growing stress and anger. "And yet again this isn't regulated while our quirks still are! Hell two thirds of these people are apparently just acting like this because they were forcibly transformed into animals!" Trumpet complained as his constant attempts to get true metas controlled or restrained had been failing. And at the same time, no one was willing to free quirks from the same restraints. Skeptic himself was annoyed by these matters while also grumbling at a new bug he'd been having trouble with within his information network.
"The fact is quirks or our meta-abilities can be tracked genetically and that's why most don't want to change it. These true metas or whatever they call themselves don't have that stigma or complication. Not to mention, magic is even rarer, and it can't be traced as far as we know. It's an unfortunate fact of our obsession with our powers." Curious commented while typing up and editing the next articles for Shoowaysha Publishing.
Genten looked down at that and agreed with her. "There's some who want to make absolutely sure that they can't have some changes mixed with their bloodlines after all," he commented while thinking back on his history and situation.
Re-Destro grumbled while rubbing his head. "So it all comes down to the predictability of our powers compared to the random madness of "true metas". Not to mention all this magic nonsense," he said while trying to think of a way for his group to rise and truly show that they deserved to have free reign to use their powers however they want. While also wondering if he should be encouraging the ones who were attacking the few quirkless hideouts or telling them to stop. 'We don't need more of them angry at us and joining any side. Not when we are so close.'
Just as Justice, Kibou, Tech Might, and the other heroes were getting the call that Resolute had captured Ochaco, the call was given to move in on the sites that Justice had picked up on and noted. With nods to each other, the heroes moved in first with several officers right behind them as they went into three of the construction sites that had been on hold for work.
And right as they were moving into the deeper sections of the sites, a few different somethings were found. First was a cauldron that had something brewing within. And just as the officers reached for it, the brew within quickly turned to gas and was unleashed upon the teams.
In the second site, a number of bombs went off and quickly collapsed the entire structure. Burying even more heroes and police within. Bringing a handful of smiles to the faces of the villains. Those watching from outside in plain sight, and those who were hidden away while watching.
Hidden within a construction site and underneath the city, the Wild Villains were waiting for when the heroes would make their moves. "That Justice character can sense energy. And while it's different, I'm not willing to bet he can't pick up on magical energy. So…" Curator said while looking at some video screens.
Using the last few things he'd purchased from Okurinushi, Curator had set up the first bomb with a bit of help from Muna and Bagwis. It wasn't anything fancy, just a basic magic poison gas that would kill only within the range of the building. "Hardly anything special. But it will remove several pieces from the board." Muna said with a disinterested look at the screens.
The second bomb was just a normal bomb that Napper and his son had put together. "We may not exactly be weapons experts. But really it isn't that hard to make a bomb or a set of bombs that can bury a group of heroes and police."
"Now we just have to worry about the last group. Though I gotta wonder where they got this many cops. I didn't think there were that many in the city." Kemono Master noted while looking at the screens. And that was when Ellie spoke up with, "they don't. And they can't have gotten that many from out of town so soon!"
Eyes turned back to the two other screens and in the gassed building, the heroes had stopped moving. But they weren't falling or dying. Instead, some of them seemed to transform before the eyes of the villains. With the form of Justice becoming a tree.
For the heroes, they were all prepared to engage the bases where the villains were stationed out of. And with a call, they charged in. Or so it seemed. "Man. I didn't realize your plant controlling powers had reached this stage." Justice said to Hanabi as she was meditating. Using it to concentrate on moving a disguised army of plantlike creatures she had made.
"Can you not talk to me right now? This is hard enough to control as is." Hanabi said while the veins in her head were twitching constantly. While an initial plan had been made to hit the three major positions that Justice had sensed magic coming from, Hanabi had a different suspicion and idea.
"There's no way it's that simple. Especially now that they know who is involved. Besides, even if you're sensing all of this magic, what proof do you have that it's not a bunch of traps?" she asked with a look towards John.
Who shrugged and agreed with her. "To be honest, I had a feeling that might be the case as well. The problem is, I don't have any full idea on which of these sites would be the traps and which are the targets. Unless you've got a way we can test this?
She illustrated it by forming several plants into people-like forms and then making them move at her commands. "Now the only catch is, I can't exactly fool them with these. Given they just look like…. Well shrubs and trees and such," she admitted while concentrating.
"Well maybe we can help with some of that!" Uwabami's designers said with their eyes focused and slightly teary. The man stepped forward and said, "she took a chance when I had little to offer, and many would mock my aesthetics. And brought we two together. We owe her at least that much."
His large partner put a gentle hand on his shoulder and said, "we will honor her by fooling the monsters who took her. And open the path for you to capture them all." Her gaze was directed John, Izuku, and the rest's way. Who nodded and they got to work.
Recreating the costumes and uniforms as quickly as they could to dress the plant beasts after Hanabi gave a rough estimate on how many she could make. And those costumes and her actions were enough to fool the magic sensors and other devices that the Wild Villains had been using to monitor their lair and trap zones.
"Well then. Let's go!" Justice announced before he, Kibou, Marcus, and Tech Might rocketed in first. Hanabi and Majestic had flat looks as the others blasted in, but followed along to search for targets. Be they villains or captives. "Hopefully we find the latter and can get them all out." Majestic said while using his quirk to levitate himself and Hanabi ahead.
Curator's eyes were twitching as he saw that his gambit failed and now the heroes knew exactly where they were. Muna rolled her eyes and said she'd handle some of the matter. Calling her clan as they started sniffing the air and making their way to engage the heroes.
"I'm going in to. I can handle any of these fools with little problem," she said dismissively. The Erchitu meanwhile smiled as he knew Justice would be coming. "Let us see if you really can stop me," he said while making his own way out.
Bearhead sighed before tapping his monocle and saying, "we need to do the same. Let's hope this thing does the trick." Curator lets out a groan before telling Zookeeper to go as well and clean up the mess. Before adjusting the sections of his mask. "I may need to go all out before long."
Kemono Master and Ellie meanwhile split up to find targets to take out themselves. "Be careful Gar. You too," they said before Ellie took to the air with her wings and KM turned into a pigeon to fly above unnoticed. The former finding someone he wanted to fight right away in Hanabi.
Shifting into a falcon for a high speed dive and then turning into a pterodactyl to pick her up off of Majestic's quirk. "Whoa. Okay didn't see that coming!" he said while turning back to observe the dinosaur absconding with his ally. "And you won't see this coming!" he hears from behind as a handful of werehyenas pounced upon him.
But he was quick and maneuvered his rings to get him around the attack. And then tossed out a handful of restraint items that Melissa had shared. "Maybe I should commission one of those gadget gloves too. Just in Case!" he says before dodging another attack and countering. Until he looks up and sees Muna holding her staff aloft while preparing a spell. "Okay I really need to rebrand myself," he thinks aloud before trying to evade the magic coming his way.
Marcus meanwhile suddenly found himself and the officers with him being barraged by explosions all around. He adjusted their gravity and tossed them away before looking up and seeing Ellie above him with her crown on. Her explosive scales coming off and floating next to her. "Well…. This could be a challenge." Marcus says before tossing the police away.
"Get the civilians out! I'll hold her off!" he calls out and the officers acknowledge. The gravity boy adjusting his mass to get almost even with her. The pair staring each other down before clashing. Justice meanwhile could hear the Erchitu coming and pushed the officers out of the way before being rushed by the beast through a wall.
After crashing through a few more, he got under the monster and push kicked it up and over to an abandoned lot. Leaping in he said, "less collateral damage this way" as the beast shook his head before letting out a low bellow. Then charging at Justice with his burning horns first.
Melissa meanwhile had found where some of the captured people were being held and started helping to free them with the officers. Until a few were dropped by stun and taser shots fired by the Napper pair. "Well now. Looks like we've got a real challenge with the mecha All Might girl," the father said while aiming his gear at the group. "Got that right pops. Let's see if we can't pop her out of that gear to see what she looks like inside." Kid said with a smirk. Melissa narrows her eyes at that and shifts her helmet to full armored form. The eyes of it flashing blue as she powers up her weapon systems.
Bagwis meanwhile was considering what his best options for the situation were while trying to turn a few more people. Shaking his head and choosing to focus on the task before him. 'I don't need to get in more of a fight. I just need to make enough fodder to keep them busy.'
With Izuku, he had quickly restrained or knocked out several of the various werebeasts but he was shocked at how many there were. "A werehorse, a werebear (that's kinda redundant), a were….. platypus? Please don't let him be named Perry. Is that a wereturtle? And a weredear. What's next? A werepig or warthog? A werebaaa!"
Right as Izuku was thinking these things aloud, he was struck from the side by a broom. And he instantly felt weaker. Looking up to see Zookeeper who caught her broom while putting more of her soapy quirk into the object. Izuku narrowed his eyes at it and remembered why Danger Sense wouldn't kick in against her.
'No bloodlust or intent to injure or kill. Meaning…. I either have to keep my eye on her or take her out quick,' he thinks before charging up and rushing the woman. And suddenly Danger Sense does activate and he has to dodge a barrel that had been thrown at him. Barely floating up in time before being hit by the brush of the broom and feeling weaker again.
"Not making it that easy punk!" Bearhead roars out before charging Izuku. Who easily dodges the claw strikes but is startled again as Zookeeper attacks in tandem with him. The officers seem ready to help, but Izuku tells them not to. "Get to the civilians! I'll keep them busy!" he says before creating a smokescreen to blind his enemies.
As the officers shout their acknowledgements, Izuku was focusing in on the kinetic energy of the villains. 'They seem to work oddly well together. It shouldn't take more than one or two hits at my current max. I'll focus on the woman first.' Izuku pieces together in his head.
Eventually finding her kinetic silhouette amid the smoke and going at her with a kick. But just as he was getting close, Danger Sense went off again and he was barely able to block the attack from Bearhead. He groans before going to punch the villain and take him out of the fight instead. But to his shock, his punches never landed. Nor did his kicks or even his air pressure attacks.
And when he didn't expect it, Zookeeper would sneak up on him and weaken his power with her quirk. "Alright! Time to take more of a page from All Might's book! Tornado Alley!" he shouts out before spinning and sucking in a few things nearby. But not the villains.
Though it did remove Zookeeper's broom from the fight as Izuku smashed that apart as he was spinning. And then he started to feel sick after so much spinning around and around. Which even with Danger Sense it left him open to getting hit from behind. Taking claw strikes and then kicks from the villains.
"Not a bad attack. Too bad I saw it coming!" Bearhead brags as the smoke starts to clear. And that's when Izuku noticed the monocle he was wearing. Narrowing his eyes at it, the boy assumed it must be giving the villain an advantage in the fight. 'It's not like that fancy eyewear fits for him. So that means it's magic… precognition? Yeah probably. And it likely has no time limit. The fact that it would even warn him when my air attacks were coming is concerning though.'
Izuku chooses to focus on dodging and evading for a minute while trying to put together what he needed to do. Trying to think of ways All Might or Justice would get out of the situation. And that's when his accelerated thinking starts to process more and he realizes that he's just thinking what they would do.
'I'm not copying someone else to learn from them. I'm trying to think "what they would do". So maybe it's time to think back a different way. Time for….. wait! It just might be time for that.' Izuku thinks before taking a hit that sends him into a wall.
"Guess that's all you can do when I know what you're going to do next! Time to see what your healing factor can take!" Bearhead says before bringing his claws down on Izuku. Who barely blocks in time to avoid greater damage. With his healing fixing the worst of the injury.
Izuku smirks behind his crossed arms while letting some of his power flow again. But this time more subtly for a special technique he was still working on. "That the best you can do? I've felt harder hits from a frog," he taunted while tightening his fists and steadying his breathing.
Bearhead snarls before charging again and swiping away. His claws cutting into Izuku's limbs again and again. 'Focus it more. More! More! MORE!' Izuku thinks while trying to ignore the pain in his arms as he keeps blocking and taking advantage of the movements to power up with Fa Jin and his kinetic absorption.
The villain loses himself in some of his bloodlust as he keeps attacking Izuku. Ordering Zookeeper to stay back and be ready for clean up. For five minutes Izuku holds out and endures the pain from all the blows while waiting for his moment and for "when it would feel right".
After powerful blow sent him through a wall, Izuku needed a moment to steady himself for what he knew was coming next. "FATAL WOUND!" he shouts out as he brings both his claws down with all his weight and prepares to bite off Izuku's hands to see if they would grow back as well.
But just as he was about to impact, Izuku felt the change with the kinetic energy he was forcing and focusing into his arms. Tightening his grip as he hardened his stance and resolve. Right as Bearhead's claws were impacting, the villains could feel them breaking. As well as his fingers as he struck Izuku's arms with his full weight. And his teeth would be soon to follow as he started to bite down and those started cracking.
The villain cried out in pain as he reeled back to look at his mangled hand/paws. Izuku was still breathing steady and kept them held in front for defense. But the villains finally noticed something about his arms. His suit was torn away so they thought they would see his normal skin tone. Instead what they looked like were blackened limbs.
"Wasn't easy. Had to build up a lot of power from your attacks let alone my own energy and movements. But now I've got a way to stop even the strongest of blows. Juggernaut Mode." Izuku says while slowly moving his arms to the side. The blackened state of his arms staying constant as he glared at the villains.
Merry Christmas to those reading this. Sorry if it's a bit late, but family time comes first. But I'm glad I could get this out. And next chapter will have Izuku making the most of this new mode I'm created for him. Not to mention, detailing a bit more of where it came from and how it works. Please review and happy holidays.