My Hero Academia - Into the Marvelverse

by ShadowNinja77

Class 1A find themselves captured and sent to a new world, a new universe, filled with new kinds of heroes and villains. Now, they'll have to work together to make sense of this new world and find a way back home. I don't own any of these characters. Closed to art commissions!

10. Scattered

Uraraka wasn't sure how long she slept. It felt like seconds but something told her it had been longer. She blinked her eyes open and it took a second for her to take in her surroundings. For an instant there, she'd been expecting to see her room back at Heights Alliance. But it all came rushing back as she saw the inside of the plane and the agents around her.

"Hey, finally awake huh?"

Uraraka almost jumped, turning to see the woman Carter standing a few feet away.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she said apologetically.

"It's ok," Uraraka replied, rubbing her eyes to wake herself up. "How long was I out?"

"Just a few hours. Your friend is doing fine by the way." She gestured to Tsunotori on the stretcher. "We have her stabilized now and our medic removed the bullet."

Uraraka breathed out in relief. It had been looking really bad there. At least that was one crisis gone. "So where are we going?" she asked.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, it's a government organization. I work for them though the Captains over there are more freelance, preferring to do things on their own. Or with the Avengers."

"Damn straight." Uraraka turned to see the winged hero approaching. "Look, I like Fury and all but there are too many people with agendas there."

"Exactly," the other hero added. "I'm always willing to help out, but I'm done serving systems like that."

"I know, I know," Carter replied, holding her hands up in surrender.

"So," Uraraka began, drawing their attention, "you're, uh, both Captain America? Is that right?"

"That's right," the winged one said. "I used to be the Falcon but now…" he shrugged. "We could always use another Captain America, you know."

"Doesn't that get confusing?"

Uraraka nearly jumped again, not realizing Asui had woken up next to her. "Jeez, Su, warn me next time."

"Sorry."

"It can get confusing," the second one admitted. "But there are actually a lot more of us out there, a whole Network really. At the end of the day, it's just a name. It's the people using it that give it meaning."

Looking at him, Uraraka couldn't help but think of Deku and the way he had talked about his hero name when they'd been choosing them. She'd told him she'd thought Deku would be a great hero name on a whim, really to make him feel better and also cause she did kind of like how it sounded. But he'd gone a step further, making a statement with it.

"Yeah," she said. "That makes sense."

"But if it makes it easier, I'm Sam Wilson," the winged one. "And I don't think the big guy here needs an introduction."

Uraraka blinked before sharing a confused look with Asui. "Sorry," she said. "We're, uh, not too familiar with American heroes."

She was surprised when all three adults shared their own looks. "But he's the original Captain America," Wilson said. "You've really never heard of him?"

"Should we have?" Asui asked.

Instantly Uraraka knew her friend had said something important. It didn't seem bad but it definitely made the three adults give them new looks, ones she couldn't quite read. But they were gone almost an instant later and the other Captain America stepped forward.

"Don't worry about it, it's not that big a deal," he said with a small smile though Uraraka couldn't help but feel his words weren't altogether true. "The name's Steve Rogers. It's an honor to meet you, though I am sorry it's under such unfortunate circumstances."

"Approaching headquarters now," a voice said over the entire plane. "ETA, two minutes."

"Ah good, we're arriving," Carter nodded in satisfaction.

"Huh?" They all turned to see Rin waking up as well now. He took a look at his surroundings and let out a sigh. "Damn, was hoping it was a dream."

"Sorry son, but don't worry. Soon this will all be over," Rogers promised him.

"What about our friends?" Uraraka couldn't help but ask, thinking of the others. "There were more of us captured."

The adults shared another look. "How many more?" Rogers asked. "We have received some reports but nothing concrete. I know Fury will want to debrief you to gain as much information as possible but there's nothing wrong with a head start."

"Um…I think it might have been our whole class," Uraraka admitted. "I don't know, I just remember me and Ashido getting tranquilized by these villains and then-"

"Do you know who?" Carter interrupted. "The villains, could you ID them?"

"Um…yeah," Uraraka nodded, thinking back to the battle at Heights Alliance. "There were two women I remember. The first one had this nail-Quirk that let them stretch out into talons. They were metallic too. I remember Ashido couldn't melt them. I think the villain said they were adamam…something."

"Adamantium?"

"Yeah, that's it," Uraraka nodded.

"Hmmm, sounds like Deathstrike to me.

"Yeah," Uraraka jumped up. "That was her name. That other villain called her that. Deathstrike."

"Ok, that's a good lead. I'll get the surveillance team on it immediately," Carter said.

"I'll give Logan a call too," Rogers added. "He knows her pretty well, might know where she'd be now."

"Good. Alright, do you remember anyone else?"

"Uh, yeah. There was a really strong woman in this purple jumpsuit."

"Yeah, I know her," Asui chimed in. "She fought me and Yaoyorozu. I think she said her name was Titania."

"Ugh," the adults sighed. "Of course it would be her. Damn it Mary," Carter growled.

"And if she's involved, stands to reason her husband would be too," Wilson added. "Any clue where those two are holed up these days?"

"I think Walters might know," Carter said, tapping her chin. "I'd give her a call. Alright, anything else?"

"No, sorry," Uraraka shook her head. "Those were the only two I saw. We tried to escape but Deathstrike caught me and Ashido quickly. But I know there were others. I could hear explosions and battle sounds from the whole building." She felt herself trembling a little but did her best to stop it.

"Alright, thank you," Rogers said gently before turning to Rin. "What about you, son? Can you remember the people who attacked you?"

"I only remember seeing one but I think there was one other hiding around sniping us with tranquilizers," Rin said, thinking back. "But the one who really attacked us was really strong. He took out our teacher with one blow. His Quirk was crazy, made him look like an ogre or troll or something."

As he talked, Uraraka couldn't help but notice that all three adults' expressions shift to confusion when Rin said the word 'Quirk.' But…that made no sense. Obviously they would talk about Quirks. In these days, it was one of the best ways to identify people.

"Hmm, sadly that could describe a lot of different people these days," Carter said. "He didn't give you a name by any chance?"

Rin shook his head. "Sorry, not that I remember. But I'd know him anywhere. Trust me, it's hard to forget that face."

"Alright, after we land we'll go through the criminal database and see it we can find him."

"Hold up," Wilson said. "Why do you keep saying Qu-"

"Approaching the Helicarrier now," the pilot announced.

"Hold that thought," Carter said, stopping Wilson. "Hey kids, come on up here for a sec. I think you'll want to see this."

Uraraka frowned but followed her and the Captains up to the cockpit which was bigger than she had expected, most of them able to stand there. She frowned even more when she realized they were still high up in the air, no land in sight. And yet the pilot had said they were approaching the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

Carter must have noticed her confusion. "Just wait a sec," she said.

Uraraka looked out the window again and saw something emerging from the clouds. A second later, she gasped as it came into view. It was a ship. A massive, floating ship hovering thousands of feet in the air. It looked like one of those aircraft carriers she had seen on TV. As they got closer, she saw all the jets lined up and the two airstrips on it. There were four massive propellers, two on each side, that were keeping the whole thing aloft.

It was one of the most incredible sights she'd ever seen. She had seen a lot of crazy stuff at U.A. but this blew all of that out of the water. She guessed it made sense the government had stuff like this at their disposal, especially with villains around trying to take them down.

"Wow," Rin murmured.

"What is that?" Asui asked, her voice softer.

"That is the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, the Helicarrier. Allows us to travel the globe and keep watch on everyone. We have a few other bases, even a couple other mobile ones, but this stands, or flies, above them all. Be glad you get this treatment. Not many people get the opportunity."

They retook their seats as they came in for a landing. Uraraka felt her stomach flop a little as they touched down, though it was much softer than usual plane landings. A few minutes later the main door opened and everyone filed out. Several medical personnel rushed in, taking Tsunotori away.

"She'll be ok, right?" Rin asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, she should make a full recovery," the agent that had been looking after her promised.

Once they were out the door, Uraraka tried to take a deep breath, looking at the sky all around her, and almost choked.

"Yeah, you need to be careful," Carter warned her. "The air is very thin up here. Sorry about that. Don't worry, we'll be inside in just a sec. Here." She led them across the runway to a set of doors. Once they closed behind them, Uraraka found herself breathing normally again. That lasted a second before the floor suddenly moved, causing her to yelp as she realized she was actually in an elevator.

"Sorry," Carter said sheepishly, though she was obviously trying not to laugh.

"Thanks," Uraraka replied, pouting a little.

Once the elevator stopped, Carter then led them down a hallway. Uraraka hadn't known what she'd been expecting but the inside of the ship looked, well, a little dreary. But that all changed a second later as Carter pushed through a set of double doors into a huge room filled with agents on a hundred different computer screens all in front of a massive window looking out over the sky and the land way below them. Uraraka and the others all gaped at the sight.

"Fury," Carter said, shaking Uraraka from her amazement as she saw a large, dark-skinned man in a trench coat with an eyepatch approaching them.

"Carter," he replied. "Good work on that mission. And these are the kids, I assume," he said, looking at them.

"You assume correctly."

"Hmmm," he said, taking them in. The way he eyed them made Uraraka think of Mr. Aizawa and she had to stop herself from shrinking away from him. Instead she did her best to stand firm. "The name's Fury. Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. You're lucky," he told them. "Not many people get to see the inside of the Helicarrier. But given the situation, we deemed it appropriate. I am very sorry for the ordeal you've suffered through, but rest assured it is over now."

"Our friends are still in trouble," Asui reminded him.

"I know, and we will do everything in our power to find and rescue them too. But we need you to tell us everything about what happened."

"We've already identified two culprits thanks to them. Lady Deathstrike and Titania."

"Hmmm. Alright, let's get on those two immediately and see what else they know."

"Rin, come over here a sec," Carter said. "Let's go through these guys and see if you can recognize any of them."

"Right," he said, hurrying over to the monitor.

"Why don't you two take a seat?" Fury gestured to a large conference table in the back of the room. Uraraka sank down, Asui right next to her, while Fury remained standing. The two Captains sat down a few seats away from them. "Now, why don't you start at the beginning," Fury prompted. "What are your names?"

"I'm Ochaco Uraraka, sir."

"Tsuyu Asui."

"Great," Fury nodded at another agent who immediately stepped away. Uraraka guessed he was going to look them up to get in touch with their parents and teachers. That brought her a sense of relief.

"Now, please tell us everything you can about the attack."

Uraraka described in as much detail as she could what had happened, how she had woken up from a loud yell that she'd recognized as Deku's (which she'd quickly had to correct for Fury), and then how the villain Deathstrike appeared shortly followed by Titania. Asui jumped in as well with her own battle against Titania alongside Yaoyorozu and how they lost. Once they had finished, Rin came in as well, talking about the attack on his classmates by the villain he'd identified as the Abomination. Uraraka had taken one look at him and knew she never wanted to come across him. He looked scarier than the Nomu.

Uraraka wasn't sure what she expected when they finished. After the U.S.J. incident way back, Detective Tsukauchi had been professional in handling all their stories and once they'd finished, they'd been sent back to their homes. But he had never once held the expressions that all the adults in the room now shared as they listened to Uraraka and the others talk: confusion.

"Please give us a moment," Fury said, leading the others away. Uraraka frowned, not liking this one bit.

"What's going on?" Rin asked. "Why do they…look so confused?"

"It wasn't even about the attack," Asui said. "I noticed their expressions changed when we said certain things. Like whenever we talked about the villains' Quirks or when we brought up U.A., almost as if they'd never heard of those before."

"But…how is that possible?" Uraraka asked, a deep worry growing in her belly.

"I don't know. They seemed fine with everything else, just those parts."

Uraraka stared down the hallway the adults had disappeared into, wondering what they were talking about.

---

"So what do you think?" Fury asked.

"I'm a little lost here," Sam admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "First off, why do they keep saying Quirks like that? They do mean their powers, don't they?"

"Seems that way," Steve said, arms folded across his chest. "But for them it's like it's a common term, one they use all the time."

"I've never heard anyone call a power or ability a Quirk before," Carter said. "Every mutant and inhuman we've come across has just referred to it as their ability. So why are these kids using that term?"

"It's not just that," Fury interrupted, looking at the small screen in his hands. "They talked about how they were attacked at their school. I just looked up U.A. High School and there's no trace of it. Nothing."

"So…are they lying then?" Sam asked, glancing back at the main room.

"I don't think so. If they are, they did an exceptional job," Carter said, following his gaze. "It might be possible they're actually Hydra plants. But…that really doesn't make sense with this backstory because they must have known we'd look into it."

"Yeah, that doesn't add up," Steve agreed. "There's something else going on here."

"But 'what' is the question," Fury said. "According to them, we have a possible forty powered kids out there in God-knows-who's hands. If Hydra had a few of them, it's safe to assume that all the other major players got their hands on them as well. We need to figure this out fast."

"So what do we-"

"Sir?" They all turned to see agent Piper walking over, a data pad in hand. "We did the search as you requested but…"

"But what?" Fury snapped, rapidly losing patience.

"I'm not sure you're going to like it."

"Let me guess," Steve said, stepping forward. "Their names didn't match anyone?"

Piper blinked before nodding. "Yes, sir. We couldn't find anyone matching their description. A few similar names but all different people."

"Give me that," Fury ordered, taking the data pad. He scrolled through the information, his brow furrowing with each second that passed. "Damn."

"So, either they're lying or…" Sam started.

"They're not from here," Steve finished.

"Multiverse shit," Fury growled. "I really fucking hate multiverse shit."

"We also have to take into consideration the fact that they might be spies," Carter reminded them, but from the looks on their faces she could tell none of them really bought into that. Even she didn't. If they were spies, their backstories would have been airtight. Perhaps a few holes, but this was a black hole in comparison.

"Damn it, get me Reed Richards," Fury sighed. "And get everyone we can on finding out who else might have those kids. Get a sketch artist in front of those three too, I want pictures of those missing kids all over our database."

"Right away, sir." Piper ran off quickly.

"So what do we do with them?" Carter asked.

"We can't keep them on the Helicarrier," Fury said. "As unlikely as it is, the possibility of them being spies remains."

"Well we're not imprisoning them. They're still just kids," Steve said.

"As far as we know," Sam interjected. "For all we know they could be part of the big three."

"You have got to let the big three thing go," Carter said, shaking her head.

"What? They could very well be androids, aliens, or wizards."

"The correct term is sorcerers."

"Wizards can be real too."

"Oh really? Name one."

"Enough," Fury interrupted, sighing. "They're not androids or else our sensors would have detected that. And we can confirm that injured girl is human, despite her mutations. We'll run DNA tests on them and see what turns up. As for wizards, or sorcerers, well…I'll get Pandora up here from W.A.N.D. to verify."

"But after that?" Steve continued. "We can't just leave them on the streets. They have nowhere to go."

"Well where can we take them? They are powered kids, pretty strong ones too. I don't think the X-Men or the Inhumans are willing to take in people that aren't their own kind right now."

Fury sighed again, feeling a headache coming on. He wondered for perhaps the millionth time why he took this job. "Let's put a pin in that for now and just deal with what's in front of us. Contact whoever you can and get them on the major players. I want eyes on A.I.M., Doom, the other Hydra cells, Roxxon even, whoever might want these kids."

"Right," they all nodded, walking away.

Fury glanced down the hallway to the main room, wondering just how much trouble these kids would bring down on him and his world. "Fucking multiverse shit."

---

Baxter Building

Reed Richards stared at the data coming through on the monitors, trying to make sense of it all. He had detected an anomaly yesterday. Two actually, spaced only twenty minutes apart. And according to these readings, it seemed like these anomalies had torn through the very fabric of reality. But not in the same way as before. This wasn't just some random dimensional rift that he'd dealt with before. This…this was something else entirely.

And that scared him.

"Honey?"

"Ah!" Reed jumped as his wife seemed to materialize next to him.

"Oh, sorry. I was calling your name but you were lost in thought again," she said.

"Was I? Oh my bad. I was just…looking at this," he gestured to the monitors. "Trying to make sense of it all."

She nodded. "Well, you always do. Just give it some time."

"Thank you dear. So, what is it?"

"We just got a call from Fury. He's requesting us, you specifically, at the Helicarrier at once."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "What's the emergency?"

"Some powered kids that Hydra had apparently taken hostage."

"Well, while that is terrible for them, how exactly can I help? Is there some sort of problem with their powers?"

"No. According to Fury, there's a good chance they're not from this Earth and…"

Reed shot up at those words, startling Sue. "Wait, say that again. They're not…"

"From this Earth, no," Sue repeated, frowning at him. "That's what Fury told me. Why? What's- hey!" she called as Reed rushed past her to the doors. "Reed, what's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way. Get Ben and Johnny up and ready to go."

Not this Earth. Those words echoed in his mind. These kids must be the ones behind that anomaly. And if so, he needed answers fast.

---

New York City, Fisk's Penthouse

Kirishima sat in complete disbelief, unable to comprehend everything he'd just learned. He'd thought that they'd just been captured by some random villain. Knowing it was the mayor of New York City had been a real shock as it meant the people in power really were corrupt.

But it didn't stop there.

"You think just because you're the mayor, you'll get away with this?" Kendo asked, raising her fists again. "The heroes will be coming for us and will make you pay!"

If Fisk was threatened, he didn't show it. Instead, he just leaned in closer. "And which heroes would that be?" he asked.

Kirishima shared a look with Ojiro, both of them confused. "Any of the heroes! Probably the American ones, given where we are, but I'm sure our teachers will be coming as well to help. You're done for. You won't get away with this!"

Fisk still showed no concern. "It seems that before we can begin our talk, you are in dire need of some truth. The heroes will not be coming for you. They do not know where you are and, more to the point, no hero on this planet is currently aware that you're missing."

Kirishima gaped at him. "What do you mean no one knows? How can they-"

"You are training to be heroes, yes? At a special school I presume. What is its name?"

They were all taken aback by the question but Kendo was the first to reply. "U.A. of course," she shot at him. "The best school in the world."

"Is it now?" Fisk pulled out his phone and typed something into it. "Well, it seems the best school in the world doesn't exist here."

"What?"

"Here." Kirishima blinked as Fisk tossed his phone into Kendo's hands. "Look for yourself."

Kendo glared at him but did, looking at the phone. She blinked and then began typing rapidly. The more time that passed, the more she typed, and the more horrified her expression became, terrifying Kirishima. It didn't take long for him to figure out why.

U.A. High School didn't exist. There were no records, no traces, no mentions of it anywhere that they could find. And it wasn't just that. There was no All Might, no Endeavor, no Hawks, no Edgeshot, no Mirko. Even the top American hero, Star and Stripe, was nowhere to be found.

It was like they didn't exist.

And then Fisk had filled them in. Their heroes didn't exist because they weren't on their world anymore. It had warped Kirishima's brain to learn that there was a whole multiverse out there and he was now on another world, similar to his but with many major differences. But what really hit him was the fact that no one back home knew where they were. No one was coming for them. They were completely alone.

And at a villain's mercy.

Fisk had left them to do their searches and process it all for the last few hours but now, once again, he was standing in front of them, hands on his cane as he looked them over. At first glance, he might not have seemed so threatening. He honestly looked like an overweight middle-aged man with a walking stick. But it was when you got closer and felt his presence or even heard him talk that you knew, he was the real deal. And he was an excellent fighter.

"Now then, with all the background out of the way, let's get down to business," he said, gesturing for them to sit which they did so reluctantly.

"So what exactly do you want from us?" Ojiro asked him.

"It's simple really. You come from a world where being a hero is an actual profession with an entire committee overseeing it all. That is not the case here. Here, heroes run amok, doing what they please. A new one pops up every few months, causing even more chaos. And we all just have to bear with them. But you've presented a new opportunity."

"And what's that?" Kendo asked.

"I want to change the system to better represent what your world values. I want heroes to be a profession, to actually work for the system instead of parallel to it or, more often than not, against it. I want-"

"Control," Kendo finished. "That's what you really want, isn't it? You want control."

"Yes, exactly," Fisk nodded. "I want control reestablished in this city so that people will feel safe again."

"No," she continued. "You just want to control everything and everyone. You want these heroes under your thumb, don't you?"

Fisk eyed her and Kirishima felt a shiver run down his spine. "I am the mayor of this city. What I want is for the benefit of everyone."

That…wasn't a denial, Kirishima thought.

"How could we possibly help anyway?" Ojiro asked.

"Why, you'll be the most help. You'll be the frontrunners for this whole operation."

"We will?" Kirishima questioned.

"What on earth makes you think we'll go along with this?" Kendo demanded.

"You have no way home and no allies here," Fisk reminded her. "Your classmates are scattered across the globe. Even I have no clue where they might be. However, I am a fair man. You help me establish my hero profession system, and I will help track down all your friends."

"And provide us a way home?" Kendo checked.

Fisk smirked. "That is out my power, I'm afraid. But I can certainly point you to individuals with those capabilities."

They all hesitated. Kirishima didn't trust this guy for one single second. But…did they have a choice? They'd all fought him and been totally decimated by him. Kirishima briefly wondered what would happen if he hardened himself all the way, but shook it off. Maybe it would make a difference but honestly, his hardening hadn't done anything to Fisk before. Not because of his strength but because of his speed and skill. He was just out of their league.

For now, he thought, looking at the others and seeing they were thinking of the same thing. They would do it for now and see where it went. Plus, it didn't seem too bad to try and help make the city better with licensed heroes. Of course, with this guy, there would probably be a catch. But they'd have to come to that when it happened.

"Fine," Kendo said reluctantly. "I guess we have no choice."

Fisk smirked. "Wonderful."

"So what exactly will we be doing?" Kirishima asked.

"The same things you would do back home. Stop villains and protect the people. And perform interviews as well as brand yourselves. As I said, you are my frontrunners for this program. You do not know this but a little while back, a nation-wide version of this program was ordered but they went too far, arresting anyone who went against it for life sentences until they consented."

"Oh my god!" Kendo muttered, her hand over her mouth.

"But that's…" Kirishima couldn't even finish the sentence. Vigilantism was illegal back home but not worth a life sentence.

"It was due to an unfortunate incident where many people, mostly young children, were killed due to the actions of a young, inexperienced group of so-called heroes fighting against villains far more powerful than them. Still, this new law caused a major rift in the heroes and there was even more damage wrought before it eventually ended and things returned to how they were. Still, the idea is sound. It is the execution that is paramount. That is why you're here. And don't worry, you will not be undertaking this task alone. I will be having several trusted heroes working alongside you."

Given the man had basically bought them from a kidnapping, Kirishima wasn't willing to trust anyone that he did. But, again, there really wasn't much choice in the matter.

"I'll give you some time to rest up before you meet the rest of the team. And, despite your obvious reservations about me, just know that this will help make the city a better place."

He stood up then, his figure literally looming over them all, before he walked out, closing the door firmly behind him. As soon as he was gone, Kirishima let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"So what do we do?" Ojiro asked.

"We wait," Kendo replied, her voice flat. "There's not much else we can do."

"Damn it!" Kirishima growled, wanting to punch the wall. "I still can't wrap my head around it! Another world! We're on another freaking world! Not just another planet, which would be weird enough, but on an Earth in another freaking universe! I mean…AGH!"

"Yeah, I think my mind might be broken from that," Ojiro admitted.

"Look…as weird as all this is, we just have to deal," Kendo told them. "There's a still a slim chance the heroes back home will find us. And if not, well, there are heroes here too. So we're not done for yet. For now, we'll work with this guy. But when we have an opportunity, we go. Right?"

"Right!" the other two affirmed.

"What about the others?" Kirishima asked, looking out the window. "Where do you think they are? Are they even ok?" He was sure Bakugo and Midoriya might be ok. He still held out hope that might be ok but Fisk had told them that 32 people had been taken. And Kendo had told them 12 of her class had been as well. So that meant, unless Fisk was lying, all of Class 1-A was probably on this world as well. Unless, of course, they were on another world entirely but Kirishima didn't want to even think about that or else his mind might explode or he'd have a full-on panic attack.

They were all probably in the hands of other villains out there. And while he and Ojiro and Kendo were Fisk's prisoners, at the very least he was treating them well right now. But could the same be said for the others?

"Are any of us?" Ojiro muttered.

"As much as I hate it, we can't worry about them," Kendo sighed. "We have to worry about ourselves and try to survive this. And then…we'll figure it out."

"Right," Kirishima nodded. He hated it too but what else could they do? He stared out the window again. A whole new world out there, filled with different heroes and villains. And all his friends were lost out there. How were they going to make it out of this?

One day at a time, he thought to himself. He took a deep breath and made a small prayer. Survive guys. We'll get through this and get home. I promise.

---

Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin reclined in his chair as he looked over the dossier in his hands. Being the mayor of New York had never been one of his goals but he could honestly say it had become his greatest achievement to date. He both ruled the criminal underworld as well as the city's political systems absolutely. And there was little the heroes could do to stop him.

Still, there wasn't actually much he did in terms of criminal activity these days. If he got in too deep, there might be more links to him than he could remove and he knew all those heroes, especially Daredevil and Spider-Man, were eagerly waiting for any opportunity to take him down.

That was why this new endeavor of his was so important. He needed to take back the city from the heroes and have people under his control in charge. Then his authority would truly be absolute.

The call from the Power Broker had truly been a blessing. The research he'd done into that new world had truly been fruitful. A world of heroes except all of them were licensed and worked for the government. A what if scenario if that hero Civil War several years back had gone a different way. Fisk knew what went wrong there, the government had gone too far, pushed too hard, causing the rift. He knew the best way would be to ease their way into it. Starting with New York. And these young heroes were just the people he needed. They could show the way for all upcoming heroes what the right path was. From there…well, Fisk's plans were limitless.

But, naturally, he couldn't just rely on those kids. Hence, the dossier filled with anti-heroes and former villains. But wasn't that the purpose of the Thunderbolts, to give people like this a second chance, to let them show the world the good they could do?

And, best of all, they were all in Fisk's debt now, something he knew they would never back out on.

"Wesley, get me Walker. It's time to get this team together."

"Yes sir," his head assistant and right-hand man nodded before heading out, hand already pulling out his phone to make the call.

"And make sure you stay alert too," Fisk said aloud, knowing the figure in the shadows behind him was listening to every word. "We can't afford any missteps here. These kids, the team, approaching heroes, the other gang leaders, I don't care. Be ready take any of them out if they step out of line."

"Of course," the figure replied.

---

SPACE

Herbert Wyndham has been called many things in his life. A scientist. A madman. A revolutionary thinker. A monster. A god. A villain. A hero. But there was only one name he'd truly cared about.

He was the High Evolutionary and it was his mission to learn the secrets of genetic evolution, to unlock all its mysteries and master them. Which was why he'd taken part in the Power Broker's little game, taking five of the young 'heroes' as they were referred to so he could study them up close. He'd already done the preliminary scans and studied their bodily functions. And each was fascinating in their own right, very similar to the mutants and inhumans and all the other wonderful species out there and yet also different.

The girl known as Setsuna Tokage could split her entire body apart and put it back together or, if she preferred, discard pieces and just rebuild them. Truly incredible. The High Evolutionary was watching her now, all her pieces floating around the mock city block he'd created, each one operating under her control. It was amazing she had such power, to still be able to control every part of her separated body over such distance. She warranted further study.

Koji Koda was, as far as High Evolutionary could see, a disappointment. According to his file that the Power Broker had provided, his ability was communication with animals so the High Evolutionary had provided many critters for him. And he did talk to them, as far as the High Evolutionary could tell, but it wasn't much. He mainly cowered in one of the buildings, not doing anything. Perhaps something of interest would happen later but for now, he was least interesting of the group. The only thing of note was his appearance, looking nothing more like a walking rock pile than a human. The High Evolutionary had almost believed he was an alien but his DNA proved to be human through and through. That alone drew the High Evolutionary's interest.

Kinoko Komori was, it seemed, another disappointment. It seemed she had the ability to create mushrooms. The High Evolutionary had been slightly intrigued by this and no one else had made a bid for her. But, she wasn't using her power. Granted, as of right now there may not be any need to, but he had expected her to do something. But she mainly walked around, not doing anything of importance. He kept an eye on her, to see if she would do something. But she was also uninteresting.

Toru Hagakure was a peculiar case. She was completely invisible. The High Evolutionary of course had met Susan Storm of the Fantastic Four but it seemed this young girl did not have the ability to turn off her powers like Storm did. It was permanent feature which intrigued the High Evolutionary. It also made it difficult to keep track of her at first when she had stripped naked, presumably to stay hidden given that her power did not seem to transfer to her clothing or other objects, like Storm's did. But the thermal sensors were now working full time, monitoring her position. She also warranted further study. It was almost like she herself was part of another species whose form was invisible to the naked eye.

And finally, Shoto Todoroki. A young man who could manipulate ice from his right side and fire from his left. Even his hair matched this, half white and half red. He was the one who garnered the High Evolutionary's interest the most. Two different powers working parallel to each other in such a way was truly fascinating. The High Evolutionary had already conducted DNA tests and had seen interesting results. It was one power with two sides to it. Unique from the other four. He was someone to keep an eye on.

The High Evolutionary had always been fascinated with species such as them. But the interest always waned. Inhumans were fascinating but they were the products of genetic experimentation generations ago. Mutants all had fascinating powers and abilities that defied what was possible but they too had had their DNA modified by the Celestials in the distant past. It was only in the last few decades that they'd began to truly flourish and develop. Still, the fact that they were all already products of evolutionary experimentation made them…unappealing for the most part to him.

But these ones? They were different. True, they were from another world entirely. But all the information he had acquired showed no signs of early experimentation. It appeared to be all natural. Which made it all the more fascinating.

While they all seemed to have a meta-gene that these abilities stemmed from, the High Evolutionary had also noticed that all four of them shared another random trait: all of their pinky toes were missing one of its joints. It was a peculiar similarity, one he would never have expected. He wished he could check the other children out there to see if they share the trait as well as perhaps a non-powered individual from their world for the same reason.

The High Evolutionary hadn't been so invested in a project in a while and it was exhilarating. He wished he could have gotten his hands on all the others as well. Especially that young woman who could create matter from her lipids. Or the boy who had somehow grown engines in his legs. Or the boy with the bird-head who'd had a sentient dark shadow creature living in him. They were all so fascinating, but for now he'd just have to make do with these five.

"Hmmm," he hummed, thinking. "Perhaps it's time to begin the next stage and see what they really do under pressure, test those power of theirs."

With that said, he began pressing some buttons on the control panel in front of him.

---

After coming to terms with the fact that he was currently in space, Todoroki had done his best to familiarize himself with his makeshift cage. The view of space was still there and though Todoroki wasn't sure whether he fully believed it was actually true, he definitely wasn't willing to test it.

He explored the limits to his cells, seeing just how long and tall his cell was. When he was able to find a corner where the invisible barriers met, he created an ice pillar all the way until the barrier above him stopped it. Once he'd done that at all four corners, he could see how much space he had. Several blocks in each direction it seemed. Not too big or too small.

With that done, he tried testing the limits of the barriers with his fire but to no avail. He thought he might have gotten somewhere when he blasted it with his Flashfire Fish: Jet Kindling but once he'd pushed against it afterwards, it felt as strong as ever.

He then tried attacking the floor but that didn't do much good either. He eventually gave up on that and just sat on the ceiling of one of the buildings overlooking the space window, looking out into that void.

"How do I get out of here?" he wondered aloud. There had to be some way. He would admit, in fights he relied on his powers too much to win. He wasn't the best when it came to strategy or logic. Yaoyorozu was one of the best at that, proven in their exam against Mr. Aizawa. Midoriya as well had proven several times over his intelligence on the battlefield. Even Bakugo had proven to come up with new tricks in combat, using his head just as much as his powers. Though, to be honest, he probably would still be blasting away at that invisible wall.

Todoroki wondered if they were stuck like him, in their own makeshift fake cities. Were they all on this apparent spaceship? If so, he hoped they had figured a way to get out of them cause he didn't have a clue.

But even if they did, what could they all do? They were trapped in space. It wasn't like any of them knew how to fly a spaceship. And even so, was there a way to navigate them back home to Earth? Todoroki sighed, despair beginning to take him over. He didn't know what to do. All he could do was stare out the window, at the endless void of darkness with pinpricks of stars here and there. At least it was distracting.

SCREE!

Todoroki whirled at the noise, wincing as its pitch struck his ears. "What now?" he growled, readying himself. However, he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

A whole horde of…things were flying through the barrier right at him. At first glance they looked like they might be robots but once they got closer Todoroki saw that that couldn't be the truth because they all had animalistic features of some kind. Some looked like pigs, others like squid, some like different birds. There were cats, dogs, bears, fish, almost twenty different creatures with different animalistic qualities. But they also had cybernetic parts, flying on jetpacks that looked built into them somehow, metal legs and arms attached to their bodies and other things as well like guns and swords.

"What the hell are those things?" he muttered but he didn't have time to wonder long as they were soon on him, growling and roaring. "Heaven's Piercing Ice Wall!" he cried, stamping his foot down and causing a wall of ice to shoot up all the way to the top barrier, roaring over the side of the roof he was on and covering several of the buildings nearby. But that didn't seem to dissuade the creatures as they began to blast away at the ice blocking them.

Todoroki started moving, jumping off the roof onto the next one, trying to create some distance. A few of the creatures had managed to avoid his attack and were flying right for him. He set off a wave of flames to send them back but they weren't dissuaded for long, already after him again.

"Damn it," he growled, sending another burst of flames out. He would have better luck if they didn't fly. Then he could just freeze their feet to the ground and immobilize them like the villains at the U.S.J. months ago.

He sent another wave of ice up and managed to catch one of the creatures in it, holding it fast, but the others escaped. And even the captured one didn't look like it would stay that way for long, bashing at the ice with its giant hammer arm, completely unaffected by the cold.

Grimacing, Todoroki slapped his hand down and summoned even more of his power, unleashing the ice in pillars that shot up fast, slamming into the creatures before they had time to dodge. He then had the ice wrap around them, encasing them and completely stopping them from moving.

He stood up straight, breathing out slowly. The creatures still snorted and squawked in annoyance but for the moment there was nothing they could do. But that was just these ones. The other ones were still breaking out of the initial wall of ice he'd created and would soon be on him as well.

This had to be some sort of test or something. Why else send these things after him now? But what kind of test? Was it just to see how strong he was? He did remember the man over the intercom say he wanted to everyone's Quirks in action. This must be what he meant.

"Fine," he growled, readying himself. "You want a show? I'll give you a damn show!"

The creatures finally broke through the ice wall at that moment and flew right for him. He rose up on a pillar of ice to meet them, jumping off once he was close enough and unleashed a wave of white-hot flames at the creatures, scorching them. He roared in rage and frustration and a little despair, feeling the tears in his eyes fizzle away as soon as they appeared.

A few seconds later, his flames died out and he landed back on his ice pillar, breathing a little harder from all the exertion. When he looked up, he saw most of the creatures had fallen, their burned bodies lying on the ground, some cawing and moaning in pain while others were still. He would have felt bad except he saw all the machine parts and metal coming from their insides, proving his theory that they'd been robots all along. That just meant he didn't need to hold back.

Caw!

Grrrr!

Todoroki looked up, seeing several of the creatures hadn't gone down yet, hovering in the air above him. "You should have escaped when you had the chance," he told them, eyes lowered in rage. "You won't get another."

---

The results of the test were surprising in some ways and expected in others. As the High Evolutionary had expected, Todoroki had proven exceptional, his range of fire and ice providing some devastating attacks. The only disappointment was that he hadn't combined them. That would be a sight to see. Next time perhaps.

Tokage had only run away at first and the High Evolutionary had been disappointed. But then he'd been proven wrong when she learned the Hell Spawn were mainly machines. From there she was able to separate her body into so many different pieces that the monsters didn't know where to go. Once done, she took apart the inner workings of the Hell Spawn's mechanics, using her smaller pieces to fit in to the small spaces in between and mess everything up. Smart thinking.

Hagakure had also proven herself. The High Evolutionary wasn't sure how she would manage this test, especially since a few of the Hell Spawn could smell her own. But then she debuted a new ability by refracting light around her body, blinding the monsters with bright lights and using that distraction to also destroy their innards. It was like these kids had experience tearing robots apart.

Komori had been a pleasant surprise. He hadn't sent many Hell Spawn after her and had wondered if the girl would just run away or something. But she fought back and it was very one-sided. As soon as the Hell Spawn were in her vicinity, mushrooms began to sprout across their bodies, inhibiting their movements. Mushrooms even bloomed on their faces, blinding them and causing them to fly and crash into the fake buildings. And then, when a few got closer, they fell to their knees choking and it didn't take long for the High Evolutionary to figure out that the mushrooms had sprouted in their throats, choking them. It seemed that while she may be small and her ability may seem useless, she had turned it into quite the formidable weapon.

But the real surprise had been Koda. The High Evolutionary hadn't known what to expect with him so had only sent a handful of Hell Spawn after him. He had wondered if the boy would use the critters he'd sent to him as allies in the fight. But, to the High Evolutionary's great surprise, there was no fight. When he'd first created the Hell Spawn, they were originally meant to guard him and his projects and had kept most of their original bodies with only some cybernetic enhancements. Of course, their bodies had been evolved like most of the other species he'd created. But after a while, they'd began to develop a community amongst themselves and then a culture and a society that decided to be free of him. So he'd let them go to chase their freedom to wherever it would take them. But he still needed guards. So this time, he'd made them complete cyborgs and modified their brains to act more like machines with still some animal impulses. He'd also only evolved parts of them to fit his needs.

And yet, somehow, despite being more machine that animal, Koda had managed to reach the parts of the brain that were still living tissue and communicate with the creatures. And they'd stopped. They were still there and now appeared to be guarding Koda. The High Evolutionary should probably be upset but he was more impressed. The boy did have some talent after all.

"Quite interesting," he said. "What other secrets are there to unlock?"

He couldn't wait to find out.

---

Roxxon Headquarters

"Incredible," Simon Krieger said.

Yaoyorozu glared at him as she created yet another piece of equipment to add to the growing pile. She'd been at it for twenty minutes now and Krieger never seemed to get used to it. In fact, his smile seemed to have gotten wider and creepier.

"Truly an amazing ability. To create anything you want from your own lipids. Wish I had that power just to be able to cut back, you know?" He chuckled at his own joke before turning to Kodai. "Your power is sweet too," he told Kodai. "To change the size of any item? Man, the things we can accomplish with both your powers…it's just mind-blowing thinking about it all."

"We?" Yaoyorozu questioned. "Let me remind you again that I was forced to come here against my will. There is no we. I don't know what kind of game you're playing here but if you don't let me and my comrades go, you will be held accountable when all the heroes arrive to save us. Not to mention whoever my family might send as well."

"Yes, yes, you've told us several times now," Krieger said, completely unaffected. "The heroes will come, they will save you, blah blah blah. The thing is, no one's coming to save you. No one has any clue where you are. All those heroes won't even know where to start. And they'll never come close. So, I'm afraid you're stuck here, sweetheart. Now why not make the most of it and help out around here? Use your power to do some good, you know?"

"I do use my power to do good," she shot back. "I'm a hero in training."

"Right," Kodai said as well. She was mostly quiet so it took Yaoyorozu by surprise whenever she talked. But she had the same glare that Yaoyorozu had. "You will not get away with this."

"Girls, girls, you need to calm down, ok? Look I understand that after everything you've been through has left you a little wary, but Roxxon represents the good guys. We're all just trying to make the world a better place. So, if you help us, you'll really be helping the world."

"Enough, where are our friends?" Kodai demanded. "Where are Sato and Tetsutestu?"

Krieger didn't respond, eyeing them carefully. "I have a feeling that if I tell you, you'll just make a run for it. Let me show you why that's a bad idea." He turned and whistled and suddenly, out of the shadows, several armored figures emerged, wearing the red colors that surrounded the walls of the building and holding large guns.

"This is Roxxon's security team. They're equipped to handle full-fledged heroes so I think they can managed heroes-in-training, as you said."

Yaoyorozu almost gulped as the guards looked at her behind their masks, seeming almost robotic.

"Now, originally, I was going to bring you to your friends, that is correct. But, I changed my mind," Krieger told them, shrugging. "I don't like your attitude. You have a great opportunity and you've decided to just spit in my face. Fine then. I think, you should all spend some time apart while you work until you can prove to me that you can behave appropriately. How does that sound?"

Both girls glared fiercely at him. "You keep talking as if this is an internship or work study program or something," Yaoyorozu said. "You kidnapped us!"

Krieger threw back his head as he laughed. "Such an accusation. I did not kidnap you. Those men there didn't kidnap you. The president of the company did not kidnap you. No member of Roxxon kidnapped you. Those villains? Sure, they did. So you really should thank us because if we hadn't taken you in, someone far worse would have. I mean, I'd really hate to be your friends right now. The people who took them…worst of the worst."

Yaoyorozu felt her heart clench at his words but she shut it down. "You still partook though. Most would consider that human trafficking."

"Wow, you just love throwing around accusations, don't you?" Krieger laughed again. "You're lucky you're here you know."

"How so?" Kodai asked.

"You wouldn't last out there. All four of you are illegal immigrants."

Yaoyorozu's eyes widened slightly at the clue. So they weren't in Japan then. That didn't help her anxiety. In fact she was sure her stress levels increased. Krieger was right about one thing, the heroes back home might not know where to start looking for them.

"You literally have nowhere to go. Not here anyway. You're quite stuck. So, why not make the most of a bad situation and try to do some good with us, huh?"

"We're still citizens of Japan," Yaoyorozu replied firmly.

Krieger gave her a pitying look that made her want to punch him. "I wouldn't be so sure," he said and this time his voice wasn't so upbeat. It was dark, and hard as rock. "Like I said, you're quite stuck. And, if you're not willing to play ball with the people who did so much to help you out, then maybe a few days of solitary work will change your minds." He snapped his fingers and the guards stepped forward. "Take young Yaoyorozu to Warehouse 34. We'll be needing her powers there. As for young Kodai here, take her to Storage Facility G. They can get her to work there and start packing all of it up."

"Wait!" Yaoyorozu said as the guards approached her. "What about our friends? You said you know who has them. At least tell us."

"But that would be cruel," Krieger replied. "The knowledge of who is currently hurting your friends would tear you up inside. I could never do that to you. But I can say your electric friend will be joining us soon."

Yaoyorozu blinked. "Kaminari?"

"Yeah, him. It's too bad we couldn't get him in the initial bid. Would have saved us the hassle. But there's no way we're just going to let A.I.M. keep him, not with what he can do for us. We can't even really use either Electro like we can use him."

Yaoyorozu didn't understand most of what he said, but she got the gist. They were only saving Kaminari because they could use his power. "So what about the others with him? Will you rescue them as well?"

"If we can, sure," Krieger shrugged. "But Kaminari is the priority. We can't risk our men's lives for some other kids, you know? We save who we can. Now enough talk. Isolation will do you some good, give you some better manners."

There were so many things Yaoyorozu wanted to do in that moment but she bit her tongue, holding it in. Her opportunity would come. She would just have to wait for it and be patient in the meanwhile.

I will find a way out of this, she promised as the guards led her away.

---

A.I.M. Facility

Jiro didn't know long it had been. She had been separated from the others early on, led to a large chamber with a bunch of masked individuals in lab coats who instantly began examining her ears and analyzing all their capabilities, forcing her to demonstrate everything she could do. And when she tried to refuse, she'd been electrocuted.

She tried to escape once. When the scientists had turned away and the guards seemed relaxed, she'd managed to put them right in her range and thrust her jacks into them, unleashing her heartbeat across their bodies and leaving them writhing. But the next second, she found herself writhing on the ground, pain shooting across her body.

"Oh, I guess we forgot to mention the implant."

"Yes. Well, it was a great learning opportunity. For both of us, actually," another scientist commented, eyeing the groaning guards.

"We placed a small device inside of you a little while ago while you all were still unconscious. If you try escaping again, it'll give your nerves even more pain, understand?"

After that, she'd given up on escaping. Now she just thought about how to get rid of that damn implant. But she didn't even know where it was. The pain wasn't coming from a specific spot but like what the scientists said from all her nerves. And she wasn't eager for a repeat performance just to try and narrow things down.

She lost track of time as they went over her abilities, testing how far her jacks could hear. Then they tested her heartbeat distortion, awed when she cracked the ground apart. They were even more awed when she did more damage after plugging into a stereo system. She tried to keep some things hidden away but they seemed to know when she was lying to them and got shocked again.

"Excellent," one of the scientists said hours later. "Imagine our latest adaptoids with the ability to hear all incoming threats from miles away and to weaponize soundwaves like that.

"And with built-in speaker systems, they'll be that much more formidable," another added.

"And they won't even have to rely on heartbeats," a third chimed in. "We can put in any sound in their chest for them to utilize.

"The possibilities…" the first one murmured. "It's incredible just thinking about it."

"We'll have to inform Lord M.O.D.O.K. before progressing any further."

"You," the first scientist called out, snapping his fingers to two of the beekeeper guards. "Escort the subject to her chambers."

"Yes sir!"

And that was how Jiro found herself in a single room with three stone walls and one glass one looking out into the hallway. She wished she could jack into the walls and unleash her magnified heartbeat to break free but still didn't want to hit pain-central again. She was sure A.I.M. was watching her from hidden cameras as well as the real one looming in the hallway.

"How are we going to get out of this?" she muttered, sitting on the rickety bed and hold head in her hands. She supposed all they could really do was wait for a rescue. But how long would that take? Were the heroes already on their way?

She was interrupted from her musings when she heard the far doors open and voices started coming from them. She was instantly up and on her feet, pressing her face up against the glass to get a better look. Seconds later, the beekeeper guards appeared with Ashido and the Class B kid who she now remembered was called Kaibara.

"You two ok?" she called.

"Ugh, yeah," Ashido muttered as she was shoved into the cell across from Jiro. "Hey!" she suddenly cried out. "What gives? These stupid cells are see-through! What are you, some kind of perverts?"

"Deal with it," one of the guards snapped.

"And hey if it makes you feel better, we won't be the ones on duty. The adaptoids will."

Jiro grimaced at that. Things just got more hopeless.

"They keep saying that," Ashido complained. "What does that mean?"

"Weren't you listening to them?" Kaibara's voice came from next to Jiro's cell. "Adaptoids are like robots except…organic I guess. They don't need sleep and follow orders to the letter. Essentially…"

"The perfect guards," Ashido finished. "Great, just great."

"So what happened to you two?" Jiro asked.

"They just wanted me to keep testing my powers," Ashido said. "Honestly, it wasn't too different from normal training. Except with the guards and threats to get zapped if I didn't listen."

"Same," Kaibara added. "They kept saying they wanted to use my powers in their adaptoids too."

Ashido and Jiro nodded along. "Apparently, this MODOK guy likes having a self-made army," Ashido commented.

"Kind of reminds me of the Nomu," Jiro said hesitantly.

Ashido blinked before gasping loudly. "Oh my god, you're right. Oh my god! Do you think these are the people responsible for them?"

"It makes sense." Jiro had been mulling it over for a while now. While she'd never actually encountered any Nomu, she'd heard enough about them from the others. Essentially bioengineered corpses to obey any orders from their creators. Certainly sounded like the adaptoids here. "While that big villain that fought All Might at Kamino Ward was probably the boss, I don't know if he would have personally made the Nomu. He probably needed someone else. So…"

"Damn," Kaibara muttered. "So we're really in it, huh?"

"Yeah, seems like it," Jiro said, trying not to tremble in fear. She wondered how Bakugo had handled it when he'd been captured. Probably by blowing more stuff up.

The small smile that appeared from that image vanished quickly as her eyes landed on the empty cell next to Ashido's and she realized who it must be for. "Hey, where's Kaminari?" she asked.

"Guess he never came back," Kaibara commented.

"They were more interested in his power than any of ours. Oh man," Ashido moaned. "That's really bad. What are they doing to him?"

Jiro felt like something cold was gripping her heart. She tried to tell herself it had only been a few minutes and that he was probably coming soon, but still that fear refused to leave.

She didn't know when it happened. Probably a little after the School Festival after he'd encouraged her to perform and then played alongside her. She'd always seem him as a troublesome goofball with perverted tendencies before that. But after that, she'd started seeing him in a new light and the more that she did, the more she realized she wanted to know. And pretty soon she realized she'd developed feelings for him. For goofy, perverted, cowardly Kaminari. She'd thought it had to be a mistake, that she couldn't possibly have feelings for someone like him. And yet, the more time she spent with him, the more it became apparent to her. She liked spending time with him and actually started to think his jokes were a little funny. And whenever she saw him across the hall or the room or anywhere, she felt like her heart was really beating faster. So yeah, it was pretty clear she liked him.

And now, here she was, captured by villains alongside him and he wasn't here. She had no idea what was going on with him and that fact made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

"He'll be fine, Jiro," Ashido tried but it was clear in her voice that she wasn't sure. But before Jiro could reply, the doors opened again. Jiro was instantly up and pressing her face to the glass as the guards returned and she breathed out in relief at the sight of the familiar mop of blonde hair. But that relief swiftly vanished as she saw the guards dragging him down the hallway, his body completely listless.

"Kaminari! What'd you do to him!" she cried out. When they didn't answer, she banged her fist against the glass. That turned out to be a mistake as a second later, she felt a shock go through her body and she cried out in pain, falling to her knees.

"Jiro!" Ashido screamed.

"What happened?" Kaibara called out.

Jiro grunted, trying to stand back up but her feet weren't really responding.

"Warning. Do not attempt to escape again or the consequences will be more severe," a voice said through her cell.

Jiro grimaced. Of course they'd electrified the floor. The chances of ever escaping here seemed to be getting more and more impossible. But that didn't matter right now. She slowly got back to her feet and looked at the cell diagonal from her where Kaminari had been dumped, half his body leaning over the side of the small cot.

"Kaminari!" she called out again.

"Geheh!" he moaned out and Jiro let out another breath of relief. She recognized that noise. It was the sound he made when he'd gone too far in his powers and short-circuited his brain. He would probably be giving them all the thumbs up if he was able. The people here must have pushed him to the max. He should be fine soon enough…hopefully.

"Is he alright?" Ashido asked, doing her best to look at the cell through her own by pressing her face into the glass as much as she could.

"He's fine, just short-circuited," Jiro replied.

"Oh, ok," Ashido nodded, stepping back.

No one said anything for a few minutes. None of them knew what to say. Because no matter what they said, none of them were fine. They were all prisoners, trapped by some mad, villainous, science-oriented organization that wanted to use their powers to create an army of organic robots or something. Of course, when Jiro decided to try and become a hero, she knew the risks. She knew she'd go up against villains and put her life on the line. But even after everything she'd been through at the U.S.J. and I-Island and then at the training camp and even at Nabu Island and later against the villains Humarise, it didn't hit her as hard as it was right now. Maybe because during all those times, things hadn't seemed hopeless. The closest comparison was the training camp where she never got the chance to fight, having been knocked out by the poisonous gas at the start. She hadn't even realized the danger until she woke up and then it was over, so it hadn't felt real. Every other time, she'd faced the danger head on with her friends.

Now? Now she'd woken up, taken out from the start again, and found herself captured by the enemy with no idea how to escape. With things seeming hopeless.

"So…what do we do now?" Kaibara asked aloud.

"We…wait, I guess," Ashido said, slumping to the floor of her cell.

"For what?"

"The heroes," Jiro muttered. "They must be looking for us, right?"

"Yeah," Ashido said hopefully. "I bet all of Japan's top heroes are on the case right now. And definitely all our teachers. We won't be here for long."

Jiro nodded. That made sense. It hadn't taken the heroes long to find Bakugo after he'd been captured. She was sure it wouldn't take long for them all to find this place either. Still, something had been itching away at her mind for a while now and she finally managed to put a finger on it.

"Why do they need us though?" she asked no one in particular.

"They said they wanted our powers for their androids or whatever," Kaibara replied through her cell wall.

"Yeah, but why us?" Jiro repeated. "What's so special about us? Why not use their own Quirks for that? Why did they capture U.A. students? Wouldn't that just put a bigger target on their backs? Like Ashido said, everyone's going to be looking for them now. So…why?"

It was like they were special for some reason, specifically chosen to help make these androids. But Jiro knew there had to be other people out there with similar powers to hers. And Ashido's and Kaibara's and Kaminari's and all her other friends' and classmates' as well. It was more than likely that at least one or two people who worked here had at least one power that was similar. So then why?

What exactly was going on here?

---

MODOK stared at the data on the screen, his eyes wide in anticipation. "Excellent," he murmured, eyes roving from line to line as he absorbed everything. This was better than he had thought. Now his adaptoids would be that much more powerful.

There were many wonderful things his adaptoids were able to do thanks to A.I.M.'s genius and resources. But all those things took time and a lot of resources to implement. Every upgrade, every addition, every advancement was that much more costly.

But here lay the answer to all of that. This new sub-species of human had the key to it all. Sure mutants and inhumans had powers as well but the problem was, their DNA was different, altered long ago by other beings and thus locked away. MODOK might be able to figure it out but even unraveling the genetic code of one of their kind would be difficult as each one was unique.

And yet here, these new humans had something far different. Enhanced abilities that was coded into the DNA, into every cell of their bodies, without any sign of alteration. From MODOK's research, it appeared to be entirely a natural phenomenon. Which meant it was all for the taking. He could easily made duplicates of this DNA and apply them to his adatoids, making them that much more powerful without the extra miles. Adaptoids that could hear all enemies approaching and unleash devastating sonic attacks, that could spray acid or even drill through the earth, that could generate electricity without any problem unlike what he'd tried with those damn Electros.

And that was just the start. He needed more. He needed the others. He'd gone through the files of all of the subjects abducted and he wanted them. Adaptoids was just the start. All the things he could do with these new subjects…it was beyond belief.

Some were out of his reach. As much as he hated it, he didn't have the power to go up against Doctor Doom, despite his desire for the one called Midoriya. And the same went for the subjects the High Evolutionary had. That madman was already beyond their galaxy most likely. But the others were all still here. And he knew where.

Adatoids that could harden their bodies at will. That could grow extra appendages, that had in-born rocket boosters, that could affect gravity, that could grow and shoot scales, that could alter the size of matter, that could cause explosions.

An army like that would be unstoppable. And the world would be his for the taking.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the resources to tackle every group at once, so he just had to pick and choose for now. And he knew which one he wanted most of all.

"Adaptoids that could create any object at will," he murmured, looking at the file for Momo Yaoyorozu. "Adaptoids that could create any weapon, any resource, anything I want, at a second's notice. Yes. Yes, that will do." He grinned fiercely. "Alright Roxxon, game on."

---

Secret Lair

"Fascinating," the villain called Doctor Octopus said, looking at an x-ray projection of Iida's legs, seeing his engines. "Inborn engines. Metal naturally fused with flesh. Truly a wonder."

Iida glared at the villain. "That's why you captured us? To study my Quirk up close?"

"To study all your Quirks, my dear boy," Doctor Octopus replied. "But especially yours. You may not know this but these lovely limbs of mine are not naturally attached to my body."

"Wait, what?" Kamakiri interjected. "Those tentacles aren't your Quirk?"

"Quirk," Doctor Octopus chuckled. "Such a strange word to describe your power. I wonder how that came about. But no matter. No, these came from an experiment that some would say went wrong but for me went very right. These can be removed. But to do that…well…"

One arm suddenly shot out, slamming into the wall next to Kamakiri's head and ripping into it with ease, causing Kamakiri to cry out in alarm. Iida moved to help instinctively, his arms and legs fighting against the clamps that held them there.

The tentacle retracted, part of the wall in its grasp. "To remove these, you would have to go through me first," the villain finished, grinning evilly at them all. "And that is something you will never do."

"Yeah, when you hold us down like a damn coward!" Kamakiri yelled. "Why not release these and fight me like a man! I'll take you down no problem!"

"Shhh!" Mineta said. "Don't antagonize him!"

Doctor Octopus just laughed. "You're trying to attack my pride then? What a predictable move. I am a scientist first and foremost, not a warrior. Boast and brag all you want about beating me, I simply do not care."

"So you are a coward then? You certainly look it!"

The tentacle shot out again, this time even faster and before Kamakiri could react, it had wrapped around his throat. Iida's mouth opened to cry out but even that was too slow as the clamps around the Class-B student's limbs suddenly released and the boy was dragged right up to the villain's side.

"Careful boy," he said in a soft but dangerous whisper. "I have nothing to prove to you, but that doesn't mean my patience is limitless. You wish to fight me so bad and yet I see no value in it. You lost against some hired thugs. What makes you think you can stand against me?"

"They…just…took us…" Kamakiri stuttered, struggling to speak with the metal tentacle around his throat.

"By surprise?" Doctor Octopus finished, giving the boy a pitying look. "Spoken like a sore loser. You have your warrior's pride and wish to avenge your loss but I simply don't care. Remember this clearly, boy. I have taken you as I wish to learn how I can adapt and advance my metal arms even more. And I don't need you alive to do that and when it comes to my own warrior's pride, well, I don't really, as they say, give a shit. So, if you value your life, stay quiet over there like a good prisoner and pray I don't change my mind down the line."

With that, the tentacle shot out for a third time, slamming Kamakiri back into the raised platform where the clamps once again locked onto his hands and feet, holding him down once more. He stared wide-eyed as Doctor Octopus returned to his work and didn't say a word.

Iida glanced at the others. Mineta seemed to be doing his best to shrink out of sight and Shoji…well it was hard to tell with his expression hidden behind the mask but his wide eyes betrayed the fear he clearly felt. And he was even more restrained than the others, his arms completely encased in metal boxes from the shoulders up to prevent him from growing any more limbs.

"What will you do with us afterwards?" Iida dared to ask, despite the fear in him. "When you have what you need?"

"I haven't decided yet," Doctor Octopus replied. "I suppose it might depend on your behavior. Now do shut up and let me work."

Iida did as he said, not wanting to anger the man anymore. As much as he wanted to fire up his boosters and break loose to attack the villain, he couldn't. He wasn't sure if he could break loose with the help of his engines and even then the others would still be prisoners. And those tentacles were very fast.

That brought up something else that had been bothering him. Doctor Octopus had said his limbs weren't built in which meant they were a heavily advanced and top of the line support item. So if they weren't part of his Quirk, what was his power? The way the tentacles acted without any command from the villain certainly made it seem like they were part of his Quirk so perhaps he had an ability that allowed him to manipulate them. But if so, what was it?

Or was it perhaps that he didn't have a power? Iida had never met anyone Quirkless before but he knew there were people out there like that. Was this villain one of them? But if so, how did he control the arms so easily? If Iida could find that out and then, somehow, disrupt it, the villain would be helpless and they could escape. As much as he wanted to wait for the heroes to come and save them, based on the villain's temperament, that was not something Iida could rely on.

No matter what, he thought fiercely, looking at his classmates, I will save you all. That is my sworn duty as a hero and as class representative.

---

Hydra Base

"Hmmm, well, it is a shame we weren't able to get our hands on those children. But at the very least, they are out of Viper's hands."

Baron Zemo rose up from his seat and waved away the agent who presented the report. He'd been lucky, he knew, to have been the one to receive the report on the new race of powered beings and the mission to acquire them from the other world. It seemed that the Power Broker was unaware of the splintering occurring within Hydra, four other factors having split off to each do what they wished.

Viper. Zemo hissed in anger. He'd made a mistake with her. They all had as they kept forgetting that while she was one of the best assassins in the world, she was also an incredible tactician and had proved herself to all of Hydra her skills in combat and in leadership. None of them had truly thought she would attempt a takeover as well but they should have.

Baron von Strucker was not currently a true thorn in Zemo's side. The man was dangerous and had many allies but Zemo had more and was richer. He could put Strucker on the backburner for now and focus on the real threat.

The Red Skull.

Contrary to what many of the up-and-coming heroes and villains in this age believed, Johann Schmidt had not been a founder of Hydra. He had come in much later and attempted to make it his, creating a whole new faction. He was a man who simply saw something that would benefit him without caring for what it really was. Still, he was powerful and almost certainly the smartest out of all of them. He was not someone to be underestimated.

Then, of course, there was the mysterious leader of the fifth splintered faction. Whoever it was, they had remained secret and yet somehow managed to gather the majority of people and resources. They were perhaps the greatest threat to them all.

Hydra had been through many ups and downs in its history and while this one might be considered a down, Zemo was determined to come out on top and lead the entire organization into a brighter future where they had dominion over the world and could begin a conquest of the stars.

And to do that, he needed to take these other faction leaders out. And it seemed these new, powered children were the instigators. They were currently out of Viper's hands and in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s. While that in itself was annoying, at least no other Hydra leader had them. But that just meant Viper would go after an easier target.

Zemo knew some of the other buyers and knew they were practically untouchable. But there were a few that weren't, specifically one.

"Roxxon Oil," he muttered. "Prepare yourself. We're all coming for you."

---

Castle Doom

BAM!

The massive robot stumbled back from the blow, its head denting on impact, but it didn't fall, managing to regain its balance in time.

"Mudman!" Deku cried out.

"On it!" Honenuki said, hands already on the floor to turn it into liquid. The robot instantly began to sink, losing its balance again. This time, Deku refused to let it try and regain it, firing off a barrage of air force smashes, the compressed blasts of air striking the robot dead-on.

They'd barely gotten any sleep when they'd been suddenly dropped into their next trial, facing off against another Doombot, as they were apparently called, except this one ten times bigger and much more powerful, looking like one of the zero-pointers from U.A.

Deku had made the mistake of thinking they were too similar and had fired off a Detroit Smash like last time, except not at 100%, hoping this robot would go down just as easily. But it had only stumbled back before recovering and punching him at such a fast speed he never had time to react, flying into the wall and cratering it. Whatever this bot was made of, it was so much stronger than anything he'd faced before.

"This bot was designed to go off against threats like the Hulk or Thor," Doom had told them over the intercom. "Let's see how long you can last against it."

Deku had glared fiercely at the robot, hating that they were basically guinea pigs for this madman. But they had no choice if they wanted to get out of here. So they fought.

They weren't doing well.

Sero was already on the ground, unconscious. He'd attempted to wrap up the bot's legs to trip it up, but it just tore right through the bindings like they were nothing. Then, he'd tried to blind it and it smacked him aside once he got close, knocking him out instantly.

Shiozaki had more success in tripping it up, her vines able to snake their way through its metal body, messing it up from the inside. But even that wasn't enough, its gears and joints very strong and her vines kept snapping off from its power. She was forced to keep adding more and kept getting weaker as a result. But it was moving slower now, which was a bonus.

Honenuki had tried to get in close to liquidize it but apparently it was aware of him and his powers and kept sending high-powered bolts of energy his way whenever he got close. Dark Shadow took the brunt of those, leaving him weak and small.

At the end, it was really Deku doing his best to keep going and he knew he wouldn't be able to last long. He could feel the strain in his bones and muscles, having to push OFA to its limits in order to keep the bot at bay. He'd tried smashing the ground apart and using the debris like projectiles with Blackwhip but the blocks of stone just broke apart against the metal skin. He was running out of ideas and energy.

"Is this all you have?" Doom's voice suddenly cut in. "How disappointing."

Deku glared even harder. He couldn't lose. They had to complete all of Doom's tests and trials if they wanted to leave. Of course, he couldn't trust the villain to keep his word but it was their only option right now.

The bot's mouth suddenly opened and Deku felt a jolt of fear. "Look out!" he cried. "It's going to fire!"

He was a second too late, the bot unleashing another large blast of energy. Dark Shadow moved too late as well, unable to take the blow for them. Shiozaki screamed, being blasted back by the force. She hit the ground hard and didn't get back up, her vines going limp. Honenuki was luckier, able to dive into his own muck to avoid the blast. Still, the explosive force of the attack sent the liquid stone flying everywhere and him soaring out of it. But Deku saw him liquefy the wall as soon as he hit it, softening the impact considerably.

"Damn," Deku muttered, seeing their condition. They were now down two people and possibly a third, Dark Shadow looking like, well, a shadow of his former self as he drifted back to Tokoyami's side. Deku didn't think they'd be able to count on him again for the rest of the fight.

They had to finish this quickly or else they'd fail this test. And if they wanted to get out of here, that wasn't an option. But what could they do? At this point, it was only Deku and Honenuki left and he didn't think with their power would be enough. Of course, if Honenuki could just touch the robot, then that would be that. But the thing wouldn't let him get close. If Deku could just restrict it maybe, but how could he do that?

His eyes glanced down to Shiozaki and her vines, the girl being carried away from the battlefield by Tokoyami towards Sero's prone form in the corner. She'd done her best to hinder the Doombot's movements but her vines just weren't strong enough.

But Deku had something similar.

"Mudman, I've got an idea!" he called out. "Wait for my signal!"

"Got it!"

Taking a breath, Deku launched himself forward, activating his Blackwhip. As he did, he saw the Doombot set its sights on him, another glow of energy building up from its mouth. He powered up his legs and dodged just in time, the floor behind him exploding into rubble. In that instant, he shot Blackwhip forward, letting the dark glowing tendrils latch onto the Doombot by the legs and then slink through any cracks they could find, sliding up through the whole body.

With his other hand, he sent another tendril to Honenuki, letting it wrap around him. "Get ready!" he called out. He could feel the Doombot moving towards them and fought back, tightening his grip on Blackwhip to try and hinder its movements but the damn thing was just too strong. He powered himself up with OFA even more, going up to 70%. The strain on his body increased as well, his joints and bones aching, but he pushed past it.

Got to act now, he thought, jumping upwards. "Now!" he cried, pulling Honenuki forward as fast as he could. As soon as he started moving though, the Doombot set its sights on Honenuki and another energy blast began powering up.

"St. Louis Smash!" he cried, kicking out with all the power he could still muster. "Air Force!"

The wave of compressed air roared out, striking the energy blast shot out at the same time, the two forces converging in the air between the two opponents. They pushed against each other for a few seconds before breaking apart and blasting everything around them backwards. Deku felt himself fly away, hitting the wall again. But he still let out a soft smile. In those few seconds when the two forces collided, he'd still been moving, swinging Honenuki down beneath them right to the Doombot's feet. And now he watched in relief as the Doombot collapsed, its entire structure turning to muck thanks to Honenuki's Quirk.

His Blackwhip vanished and he fell to the floor, just barely managing to catch himself in his exhaustion.

"Well done Midoriya," Tokoyami said, walking up. "I am sorry I was not able to help as much."

"Don't worry," Deku replied, giving his friend a smile as he panted. "We all did our best and we were able to win. That's what matters here."

"That was impressive," Doom spoke, grabbing their intention. "I gave you a 15% chance of success and you managed to beat the odds. Well done. You may return to your quarters and begin preparing for your next trial which will commence tomorrow morning at 6:00. And you'd best be ready as here I will test your abilities in handling the unknown factors."

"The unknown factors?" Honenuki questioned as he walked towards them.

"Perhaps he means to throw things we would least expect," Tokoyami mused.

"This whole this has been what we least expect," Honenuki replied.

Deku frowned, thinking it over. Unknown factors? What could that mean? Was it like preparing for something they knew nothing about? That did sound similar to stuff Mr. Aizawa wanted to teach them. He wondered how they would even go about preparing for that.

"I wonder how the others are doing," Honenuki muttered as he picked up Shiozaki, the girl moaning softly. "You think they're doing better or-"

"Such thoughts won't help us now," Tokoyami interrupted, his fists clenched. "We can only focus on our predicament. There is nothing we can do for them and thinking about them now will only distract us."

"He's right," Deku murmured. "We can only help ourselves right now. I'm sure they're fine though. They're all strong."

"Yeah," Honenuki nodded but Deku could tell he was still thinking about them all. And honestly so was Deku. He couldn't get them out of his head. He had promised to save them all when he'd seen them captured and he'd failed immediately, winding up getting captured with them. Now he was trapped here by this maniacal villain and his twisted games. He just hoped everyone else were in better positions than this. He couldn't stand to think of them being worse off than he was.

I will still save you all, no matter what.

Those words looped over his head, helping him stay focused. As long as he kept those in his mind, he would make it through all of this.

"Come on," he told the others, lifting up Sero. "Let's get some rest and start preparing for the next test."

---

Rural America

The diner dinged as it opened and a few people glanced over to see who the newcomer was. A few looked away just as quickly, some stared at the newcomer with sympathy or even a little pity, and a couple people smirked at the disheveled man in dirty clothes who looked like a stray leaf could knock him down.

The man ignored them all, walking up to the counter. "Could I have two ham and cheese sandwiches to go please?" he asked.

The waitress looked him up and down, giving him a critical eye. "I don't mean to be rude but you got any…"

She didn't get to finish as the man pulled out a twenty dollar bill from his pocket. "This enough?" he asked.

"Uh…yes, that…yes, sorry. Anything else?" she asked, putting a smile on her face. She'd judged too quickly and that was not her job, she remembered.

"A water bottle would be good, actually," he said.

"Right away."

As she went to put the order through, the man noticed a few men in the back chuckled to themselves as they eyed him. He rolled his eyes in response. Over the years, he'd gotten used to the looks he'd received. None of that mattered.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The man glanced down to see a girl who couldn't be older than 5 staring up at him. "Yes?" he asked gently.

"Are you a hobo?"

There were a few gasps and chuckles throughout the diner. One of the chuckles belonged to the man as he knelt down to meet the girl's eye level. "Yes, I suppose I am," he said. "Does that bother you?"

The girl seemed to think about it. "I guess not," she said after a minute.

"Jessica!" A woman, presumably the girl's mother, suddenly appeared, evidently having been in the bathroom. "Don't bother the man. Sorry sir," she said to him.

"It's no problem at all," he replied, rising back up.

"It was nice meeting you Mr. Hobo."

The man chuckled again. "It was nice meeting you too."

A few minutes later, the waitress returned with two packaged sandwiches and water bottle. "There you are sir. Have a nice day."

"You too," he replied. As he did, he noticed the looks those same men were giving him and sighed inwardly. Seemed it was going to happen again.

It took ten minutes this time. He was hiking down the road, still a solid twenty miles from the nearest big town, when he heard a honking from behind. He turned and sighed when the pickup truck drove past him and then came to a stop in front of him, the three men from the diner clambering out.

"Where you off to, Mr. Hobo?" one asked, smirking widely.

"Wherever and nowhere, I suppose," the man replied, already removing his shoes. He knew how this was going to go down anyway.

"What a poetic answer," another said, spitting a wad of saliva out. "But see here Mr. Hobo, you seem to have quite a bit of cash on you for a homeless man. Why don't you…what are you doing?" he asked, eyes widening as the man removed his jacket and then his shirt.

"Dude, what do you think is happening here?" the third guy asked, face wrinkling in disgust. "We ain't into that shit! We just want your money, damn!"

"Oh I know," the man replied, placing his shoes, socks, shirt, and jacket carefully into the bag. He then tied the bag to a hook on the back of his comfortable, purple, stretchy pants, letting it dangle there. "I just don't want to ruin another shirt. They're a bit more pricey than food, you see."

"Whatever man," the first guy grumbled. "Just hand over your money before things get weirder."

"No," the man replied firmly. "I won't."

The second guy snorted. "What are you going to do?" he asked, pulling a switchblade from his pocket. "There's three of us and only one of you. What, you a Kung Fu master? Or maybe one of those damn muties like on the TV? Huh?"

"Yeah, no," the man replied, feeling the familiar sensation begin to take over. "I'm something…much stronger than that. This is your only warning. Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry."

The three men laughed loudly before the second ran out of patience, charging forward. He was just planning a light cut on the man's shoulder to show him they meant business. But when the blade connected, it bounced off, like it was striking rock rather than flesh. And the skin was no longer the pale pink hue it had been but a solid green. The guy glanced up, seeing the skinny, disheveled man that was Bruce Banner was gone, replaced by a looming mass of green muscle that was the Hulk.

"RRRAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!"

---

Nefaria Mansion

Bakugo couldn't really remember the last time he'd felt truly helpless. Even when he'd been captured by those villains, he'd just been biding his time, waiting for when he could make a move. Even when he'd had the exam battle against All Might and finally tested his power against the greatest hero's, he'd known it wasn't real, that he wasn't in any danger.

Now though? Now he was up against someone who seemed just as powerful as All Might who looked like he might kill Bakugo at a moment's notice. He didn't look like much at first glance. As Bakugo trailed behind the so-called Count Nefaria, all he saw was a flamboyantly dressed middle-aged man, his long cloak trailing behind him. As he walked, his people stood at attention being the guards or the maids or whatever.

"So, your power allows you to create explosions, is that correct?"

"Yeah," Bakugo replied. He wanted to say more but he was still rubbing his stomach from where the villain had slugged him. Despite his attitude, even knew when it was time to shut up. And until he knew more, he also understood that pissing off this guy was not a good idea. Besides, right now he was more focused on the companions Nefaria claimed were here. He needed to know who else from his class was here. From there he could create more plans to escape.

Nefaria pushed through a wide set of double doors into a courtyard and Bakugo blinked as the sunlight suddenly hit him. He blinked, adjusting, and saw all the buildings around them, making him somewhere deep in a city. The walls were patrolled by more guards and it was then that Bakugo noticed that the building strongly resembled a castle. He wondered if this Count Nefaria actually was a count or he was just doing his best to emulate a count.

As he stared past the walls, for a split second, he was tempted to just blast away from there at top speed. But he couldn't.

"Don't even think about escaping, boy," Nefaria told him, as if he knew what he'd been thinking. "I may not look it but I'm faster than you can believe. Besides, your attempt won't only prove disastrous for you but for your companions over there as well."

Bakugo followed his finger and frowned, seeing a small group of people standing there. Three of them, in their outfits, were clearly villains. One in an orange outfit had a strange, pointed apparatus on his head that Bakugo guessed fired something, probably a laser or something similar. The second guy towered over the others in his red and blue outfit, gold bands forming the letter 'A' over his chest. And the third was wearing green aromor that had a slit at the helmet and small points at the top.

In front of them were two people, though one was unconscious and the other was trembling wildly. Bakugo recognized the second and grunted in disappointment. Yuga Aoyama. Sparkle Belly. Not someone he really wanted by his side in a life-or-death battle. But the other one was more helpful. Bakugo didn't bother to learn the Class-B students' names, not worth the effort, but he knew the guy from the fights with Class-B. This guy had been in the first round and could turn into some large, furry monster. He had proven tough, powerful, and savage in that fight even if he lost. Three things Bakugo could work with. Unfortunately, he was currently unconscious.

"Well, what happened here?" Nefaria asked, staring at the fallen student.

"Wouldn't stop making trouble," the big villain said, "so I hit him with a haymaker. Took a few but he eventually went down."

"Hmmm, well we'd best wake him up then. I don't really feel like repeating myself. You there," he said, snapping his fingers at the nearest guard, making the man flinch. "Go get some smelling salts or something."

"Right away, sir." In an instant, the man hurried off at top speed.

As he did that, Bakugo noticed that Sparkle Belly was now edging closer to him and he couldn't help but roll his eyes, wondering how someone like him ever became a hero. He couldn't really recall a time when the extra ever did something worth noting. Maybe that one initial attack on that Nine villain on Nabu island but that was it and hadn't had much of an effect anyway.

"So, you're the one who was causing all that trouble before, huh?"

Bakugo looked up to see the Hornhead approaching him. "Yeah, what of it?"

The man smirked in response. "Got some spunk on you, that's good. But careful where you aim it, boy."

"Why don't you back off before I blast that stupid horn off your head," Bakugo growled. He may be wary of Nefaria given his power but there was no way in hell he would be intimated by these extras. They were just the big boss's entourage villains and so not worth his time.

"Ha!" Big Guy laughed. "Definitely got some spunk there."

"Wonder how long it'll last around here," Green Shell commented.

"Um…Bakugo," Sparkle Belly said nervously from behind him. "Maybe…don't antagonize the bad-"

"Can it Sparkles!" Bakugo snapped back, making the guy yelp in fear. "And stop hiding behind me, it's pathetic! Grow a damn spine!"

Count Nefaria watched the exchange, stroking his chin in amusement. "Yes," he said, drawing Bakugo's attention back to him. "Yes, I think you'll do quite nicely."

"I'll do what now?" Bakugo growled, feeling his palms heat up. "What the hell do you-"

"Here you are boss!" the guard from before huffed, running up to them with smelling salts in hand. Big Guy took them and leaned down, holding them up in front of Hairy Beast's nose. Within seconds, the guy's nose began twitching and he groaned as started waking up.

"Wha…what happened?" he grunted.

"You got beat up," Bakugo replied. "Now stand up, you're embarrassing yourself just lying on the ground like that."

"I'm really starting to like you," Nefaria commented.

"Do I look like I care?"

"Oh, it's you," Hairy Beast said, getting on his feet. "Bakugo from Class 1-A. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? We've been captured by the enemy, idiot! How could you let yourself get beat up by such lame-ass villains, huh?"

"Lame-ass?" Big Guy growled. "Now hold on-"

"How could I let myself get beat up?" Hairy Beast growled. "What about you? You don't look so hot yourself, Boom Boy!"

"Yeah, but at least I got taken down by the final boss, not one of his damn lackeys! Like I'd ever let them take me down! That's just pathetic!"

"Oh you're really asking to get pounded now kid!"

Bakugo turned to Big Guy and Hornhead, letting a small explosion go off in his palm as he grinned fiercely at them. "Any time you want. I'll just blast you straight to hell!"

"Alright then, let's go!" Big Guy said and started growing, his whole body enlarging as he raised his fist over Bakugo's head who instantly readied his palms to unleash as many explosions as it would take to bring the guy down.

"As entertaining as this all is," Nefaria interrupted, drawing everyone's attention to him, "I do have a few things I'd like to go over first. Now, settle down before I decide to intervene. And trust me, you won't like what I have in mind."

His blood boiling in frustration, Bakugo clenched his fist and stood down. He knew at the moment there was no way he could take down Nefaria. He needed to wait for the right moment, as much as that idea pissed him off. He saw Big Guy also reduce his size back to how it was though he still towered over them all.

"Now, I'm sure the three of you are wondering what I have planned for you," Nefaria said, turning to the captured students. "It's quite simple. The whole criminal underworld is buzzing over your kind with everyone wanting to get their hands on at least one of you."

"Why?" Hairy Beast asked. "What's so special about us?"

"That's what I'd like to find out. I want to see what you're really made of. I've gone over the files on the three of you and you two," he pointed at Bakugo and Hairy Beast, "are quite the fighters aren't you? And that'll suit my needs just fine."

"And what needs are those?" Bakugo asked.

"It's simple really. How familiar are you with underground fight clubs?"

Bakugo blinked for a split second before charging forward, hands at the ready to unleash as many explosions as possible. "You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to be your damn champion!" he cried, blasting his way up into the air and bringing his arm around for a large explosion. "Dream on, bastard! I'm going to-"

He didn't get to finish as the wind suddenly twisted up around him, throwing him off course. He tried to regain his balance, setting off more explosions to reorient himself, but the wind kept changing direction, whirling him around no matter what he did until he was completely at its mercy. A second later, he was dropped down, hitting the ground hard.

He groaned, rising up to his hands and feet, and heard a second groan next to him coming from Hairy Beast who'd apparently attacked just as he did. And judging from the smoking wound across his chest, it hadn't gone any better.

"Well now, that's some spirit you have there," Nefaria commented. "But it seems my companions are just a bit stronger."

"Fat chance," Bakugo growled, rising to his feet. "I'll take them all on and blast them to bits if that's what it ta-"

"This is getting tedious," Nefaria interrupted. In the next second, he was gone, vanishing faster than Bakugo could blink. And then, just as quickly, he returned to his original spot except for one difference. Bakugo felt like a hand was gripping his throat as he saw Sparkle Belly firmly in the villain's grasp, whimpering like crazy. "I trust there will not be any more interruptions from now on," he said.

"Damn it," Bakugo growled softly, lowering his hands in surrender. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hairy Beast shrink down from his bestial form into his normal one.

"Good. Now let me make this clear. I paid for you all on a whim, to see what all the fuss was about. And I would like to see that my money was well-spent. And, well, there's nothing quite so exciting about fight clubs, is there. Especially with new contenders thrown in. So you two," Nefaria gestured to Bakugo and Hairy Beast, "will serve as my new prize fighters."

"Let me guess," Bakugo said, looking at Sparkle Belly still whimpering in Nefaria's grasp. "If we don't do it, you kill our classmate."

"Precisely," Nefaria nodded. "From the files, it's clear to me that my young companion here is not well-suited for combat. So, his purpose will instead be two-fold, one being my hostage and your incentive."

Bakugo grimaced, realizing the situation was now practically hopeless. He couldn't do anything with Sparkle Belly in danger. He didn't care if it was just him captured, he'd rather go down fighting than be used by the villains. But he couldn't have others die on his watch.

But that didn't mean he was finished. Not by a long shot. Somehow he would find a way out of this mess.

As he thought this, he centered on the word Nefaria had used twice now. Files. Someone had been collecting files on all of them and used them as a damn auction for him and his classmates. That really pissed him off and when he found out who it was, well…he had some colorful ideas on what he'd do to them.

"Alright fine. But what about the second thing," he asked. "You said Sparkle's purpose was twofold."

"Is that the kid's superhero name or just a nickname?" Hornhead muttered.

"No idea," Big Guy replied.

"Yes well, according to the files, 'Sparkles,' as you so aptly put it, has an ability that will prove quite useful to me outside of combat."

"And what would that be?"

"It's simple. I've always wanted a disco ball and now I find a disco-boy for my entertainment. It was just too good an opportunity to pass up."

Bakugo blinked, sure he must have misheard. This villain was planning on using Sparkle Belly as a…

He couldn't help the snort that escaped his mouth, taken completely aback by the information. "Seriously?" he asked.

"Yes," Nefaria nodded. "I was planning on opening up a new dance club anyway and he will serve perfectly as the main attraction. Won't you?" he said, lifting Sparkle Belly up.

"Oui, oui, of course I will," the blonde boy nodded, his head moving so fast it was almost a blur. "I will be the star of the show, dazzling you with my magnificence."

"Good," Nefaria said, lowering him again and loosening his grip. "That's what I like to hear."

Bakugo was glad that at least Sparkle Belly wouldn't join the fights. He'd seen him in combat and knew he stood among the lowest level of the class's students in terms of fighting ability. But, it seemed any plan Bakugo could make on an escape at a fight club was gone as Sparkle Belly obviously wouldn't be joining them.

"So when's the first fight?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," Nefaria smiled. "Should give you plenty of time to recover from our little scuffle."

Bakugo glared. "I don't need time to recover. I can take down whoever you send my way anytime. So bring it on. You want me to fight? I'll show you why I'm going to be the best one day."

"I don't doubt it. But, the fight will still happen tomorrow. And I've picked a nice, easy opponent to ease your way into things and show off what you can do."

"What?" Bakugo cried. He may hate the idea of being forced to fight for someone else, but the idea of fighting a weak opponent pissed him off even more. What was the point of that? That didn't show in any way that he was the best. If he was going to do this, he wanted a real challenge. "I want a real opponent, not some half-ass weakling? Give me a real fight!"

"You think Wolverine had another kid?" Big Guy muttered.

"Maybe a nephew of some kind?"

"Prove yourself to me first," Nefaria replied. "If you defeat your opponent tomorrow as easily as you suggest, then I'll give you more, uh, worthy fights."

Bakugo growled, hating his situation more and more. He just hoped those damn heroes would find them quickly. Though with this guy's power, it was clear that they would need to bring some real heavy-hitters to get the job done.

But until then, or until Bakugo found a way out on his own, he'd play along. But would make sure to make everyone here pay for this.

"Fine. So who am I fighting anyway?"

---

"In this corner, the Shocker!" the announcer cried out, throwing his arms to the side as the yellow suited villain stepped into the arena, thumping his gauntlets together.

"You got this Shocker!"

"Do your best!"

"Try not to fail too quickly!"

"What a loser!"

"I've got twenty-to-one odds on his opponent."

"I've got fifty!"

Herman Schultz seethed under his mask. Always treated like a joke amongst the supervillain community. He'd won plenty of fights here but no one ever paid attention to them, only remembering his many, many losses. He couldn't wait to pound his opponent into the ground.

"And in this corner," the announcer cried out, reading from his card, "uh…Lord Explosion Murder!"

There was a pause in the crowd, everyone watching the spiky-haired kid wearing the oversized, grenade shaped gauntlets, before a laugh went out followed by another and another until almost the entire crowd was busting a gut.

"The hell kind of name is that?"

"So stupid!"

"Must be some newbie!"

"So lame!"

"Are those grenades on his hands?"

"Those do look dope, gotta admit!"

"Wonder what he can do?"

"Ten-to-one odds on him."

"Nah, I think Shocker will win now."

"He better. Look at that kid."

"What a loser?"

"Battle of the losers."

"They better make this entertaining or I'm out of here."

Bakugo seethed as he heard the crowd talking. He would show them all just what he was capable of. He stared hard at his opponent, remembering everything Nefaria had said. Apparently, powerless which was a thing in this world, instead just relied on those gauntlets of his to produce shockwaves.

This world.

That was a bombshell dropped. Bakugo couldn't even rely on any of the damn heroes back home because he wasn't eve home. Not in another city or country even but a whole other freaking world. And not an alien world, oh no, but another dimension because that was real somehow. It had taken him several hours before he came to terms with it. According to Nefaria, such a thing wasn't unheard of here which meant that while the heroes back home might not find a way here (though if people here knew about other worlds, maybe people back home did too), he certainly could find a way there from this end. He was brought here by someone so he could be sent back by someone. His plans hadn't changed really. Just escape from Nefaria, find the bastard responsible for this mess, blast his ass into dust, and get home. Oh, and find everyone else too. As troublesome as they all were, he couldn't just leave those extras behind. Especially Deku. Bakugo might not like the damn nerd much but he was the next wielder for One-For-All, All Might's power, which meant that he was the one Bakugo had to measure up against, as much as he hated it, to prove himself the strongest.

That was the only reason, no other.

But, before he could do all that, he had to blast this extra away. Nefaria wanted to see what he could do, fine then. He'd show everyone here why he would be the next number 1 hero.

Plus, he got to keep his gear. He grinned savagely at the thought of what he could do with his gauntlets.

"Give up now kid, cause I won't show mercy," the man called Shocker said to him. They were currently in a raised platform surrounded by a cage that stretched all the way up. According to Nefaria, the cage was more powerful than one thought to prevent collateral damage.

"As if! You're nothing but practice, loser. I'm going to blast you so hard your damn ears will be ringing years from now. So give me everything you got cause I'm not holding back!"

"You asked for it, kid!" Shocker cried.

"Fighters ready?" the announcer called out.

"Ready!" Shocker yelled.

"Hell yeah I'm ready!" Bakugo roared. "Let's go!"

DING!

Bakugo launched himself forward with explosive force, screaming out. But the Shocker did the same, having made the same move Bakugo did to propel himself upward but his hands shot out some sort of wave of force instead.

So that's his power in action, Bakugo thought. The Shocker's arm came up and shot out another wave of force right for him. Bakugo acted fast, blasting himself to the side and then forward again, avoiding the wave.

"Nice try!" he cried. "But your cheap tricks won't work on me! Now DIE!" He brought both hands up for an extra special blast. "Stun Grenade!"

The explosion went off right in front of the Shocker. Or, at least Bakugo thought it had. But a second later, when the dust cleared, he saw no sign of his opponent.

"What?"

"Up here, brat!"

Bakugo looked up just as the Shocker brought his fists together and sent a shockwave hurtling right down at him. There wasn't any time to move, the blow hitting him dead on. He couldn't even cry out, the force driving everything out of him. It was like getting hit by one of the shockwaves All Might made when he punched through the air, except more focused. His entire body throbbed from the impact, aching.

He fell and hit the ground, smacking hard into the concrete.

"Ooph, and Lord Explosion Murder goes down after that devastating attack from the Shocker. Is this it folks?"

"Not by a long shot," Bakugo growled, already rising up. As he did, he prepped his arm, watching his opponent carefully. He had to act fast or else this might not work.

"Should have stayed down kid! Cause this is gonna hurt!" the Shocker roared, shooting down to him. "Now-"

Bakugo swung his arm up and pulled the pin on the grenade in one fluid motion, keeping Shocker in his line of sight the whole time. The villain didn't have a second to spare as Bakugo's explosive power roared out of the grenade from all the stored up sweat, the fiery force blasting right into him and smashing him into the cage wall.

"Oh, and now the Shocker goes down. A nice turnaround from Lord Explosion Murder. This fight's barely begun and its already crackling with power."

Judging from the cheers of the crowd, they were in agreement.

"ARGH!" the Shocker roared and started firing off wildly, small bullets of shock power coming right for Bakugo, forcing him to move. He shot up into the air, blasting himself around to avoid any hits, but he wasn't always fast enough, one catching him in the leg and knocking him off balance and then another hitting his arm, almost making him fall.

"You're fast, kid!" the Shocker called out. "But you ain't no Spider-Man. And I've tangled with the Web-Head long enough to predict his moves. Someone like you…you're nothing!"

Bakugo glowered in rage. "You take that back, Honeycomb!"

"Honeycomb?"

"HAHAHA!" someone in the crowd laughed. "His costume does look like a honeycomb. I never realized! HAHAHA!"

Soon everyone was laughing, jeering at the Shocker and his honeycomb outfit. Every time they spoke, it only riled him up more. He seethed as he glared at the explosive brat. He didn't just want to take this kid down now. He wanted to pulverize him. Roaring out, he charged up his gauntlets and sent a continuous stream of force for the kid.

Bakugo instinctively dodged to the side but as the wave of force began to follow him, he started moving faster, doing his best to stay out of its reach. A second later it turned off and he allowed himself a second of relief. But that was a mistake as an instant later, Shocker switched gauntlets and another stream of force came at him, striking him dead-on.

"Damn it," he muttered as he fell. He twisted midair and blasted himself back up before he could hit the ground, getting airborne again. He couldn't keep taking hits like that. He was taking too much damage. It was time to stop dodging and go on the offensive. "Let's see how you like this. AP Shot – Auto Cannon!"

He held up his hand over his other one, focusing his power so that as he unleashed it, only a concentrated amount of explosive sweat was fired out in a barrage. The Shocker cried out in pain as the attack hit him, the explosive bullets striking him hard. Thinking fast, he activated his trump card, a dome of shock power forming around him, creating a barrier from the attack.

"Damn it!" Bakugo seethed, glaring at his opponent as he came down to the ground. He thought he had the guy but evidently the villain had a few tricks up his sleeve. And the problem was, it wasn't a Quirk. It was all thanks to his equipment. So it wasn't like Bakugo could tire the guy out. He didn't know what the limit was on those devices. There was a chance they'd run out of power the more they were used, just like with Quirks, but the uncertainty of it kept him from testing the theory out. He couldn't bank on that right now, he had to come up with a new plan.

He needed to get to the Shocker himself. Clearly the guy wasn't good at close combat. But, in order to do that, Bakugo had to break through this new barrier.

"Think I'm a joke, do you?" the Shocker suddenly growled, lifting his gauntlets up. "I'll show you and everyone else who I am!"

He slammed the gauntlets down, sending out a wave of force Bakugo's way. The boy blasted his way back into the sky, avoiding the attack which decimated the ground and caused the cage to shake violently, startling the audience before they started cheering again.

Bakugo kept himself in the air, dodging the Shocker's attacks as the villain sent more concentrated bursts of compressed force up at him. But he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. As helpful as it was to store this much sweat and gain more power, even he had his limits here. Besides, he wasn't a stay-back-and-wait guy. He preferred taking the fight right to the enemy. Which was exactly what he was going to do.

Still haven't replenished this gauntlet, he thought, looking at his right hand. And if he used his left one, he'd be out of both for a while. But as long as he finished the fight now, that didn't matter.

"Alright Honeycomb!" he roared. "Here comes the big one!"

He concentrated his power and launched himself forward with an especially strong blast, coming at the Shocker faster than the man could respond. Bakugo landed right in front of him and yanked on the pin for his remaining gauntlet.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the whole arena, smoke and fire filling up the cage. The audience screamed out in fear and excitement as the power and heat of the attack washed over them as well.

Bakugo didn't wait though. Once the explosion went off, he moved, charging right through the smoke to the figure slumped against the cage wall, coughing and gasping from the attack. Bakugo grabbed hold of his collar and hefted him up until they were face to…well, mask.

"DIE!" he roared, bringing his other hand up to deal the final blow. But before he could, he saw the gauntlet from the corner of his eye and was forced to back off, the shockwave generated from the gauntlet flying past him.

"You think…that little blast of yours…could stop me?" Shocker panted, standing upright again. "You may have knocked my bubble out for now, but that's all you did."

"Well I'm going to do a hell of a lot more to you," Bakugo promised, licking his lips in anticipation. "You're a tough one, but I'm still going to beat your ass into the ground."

In response, the Shocker slammed his gauntlets into the arena floor, sending another large wave of force Bakugo's way. Bakugo blasted himself forward, keeping himself just above the attack. As soon as he got close, he tried to blast at the Shocker but his enemy reacted fast, bringing his gauntlet up as well, the two attacks colliding and knocking the opponents apart for a second.

Bakugo shook his head and moved again, blasting away as fast as he could, hoping the repeated attacks would knock the Shocker off balance. And it was working, the barrage of explosions forcing Shocker back and keeping him distracted.

This is it! Bakugo thought, going in for the kill. He set off one last explosion to Shocker's face before getting in close and grabbing hold of him, preparing his free hand for the final shot.

He had exactly one second to feel the gauntlet pressed up against his chest before his whole body was rocketed back as the shockwave hit him at point blank range. He flew across the arena and struck the opposite cage wall, his body falling listlessly to the ground where it struck hard with an ominous smack!

"Ooh, and after that stunning attack, it's actually Lord Explosion Murder who's been brought down. Will he be able to get back up or is this the end of the line for him?"

"That was a good try, but my armor's heavily insulated to reduce recoil from the shockwaves," the Shocker said, walking up. "So your explosions there were just noisy. They didn't do any real damage. Seems like this is the end of the line for you."

Bakugo grunted, struggling to rise up again. His whole body ached and he was pretty sure he'd broken some ribs there. He suddenly had a coughing fit and spat out some blood which probably wasn't good. He wasn't sure how bad it was but there was definitely some internal damage after that attack.

But he didn't care. He'd made a promise to himself that he'd never lose. He would become just like All Might, winning every battle. He may have lost to that skull-faced bastard and tranquilized but this was a real full-on fight to the finish. He refused to lose now. He didn't care how much pain he was in, he'd push through it and take this guy out no matter what.

With a heavy breath, he made it up to his hands and knees only to be knocked back again by another shockwave.

"Stay down brat! Or I really will kill you!" Shocker yelled.

Damn it, Bakugo thought, coughing up some more blood. This definitely wasn't looking good for him. But he'd been through worse. The final battle against that asshole Nine for example. He may not remember much about how it ended but he knew he'd been in much more pain than this. And he definitely wasn't going to let this stop him.

He took another breath before placing his hands flat against the ground.

"I warned you kid, don-"

BOOM!

Bakugo shot upwards from his explosions, lifting himself upright from the force of it. "You just pissed me off, dumbass," he growled. "So you get the maximum blast!"

"You want to drag this out, fine!" Shocker replied, readying his gauntlets.

Bakugo turned his hands and started blasting away as hard as he could, rotating himself through the air. Almost instantly, a tornado of smoke and fire formed around him as he whirled around, moving faster and faster with each second. The audience grabbed hold of whatever they could to stay down, staring in awe and fear at the display of power. The Shocker felt his mouth drop but he didn't have time to just watch, quickly preparing himself.

Bakugo whirled around a few more times before shooting himself right down to where the Shocker was, the tornado giving him a boost. "Howitzer Impact!" he roared, bring his hands down on the Shocker and letting loose right as the villain brought his force bubble up.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the arena, bigger than any of the other attacks. The audience, after recovering from the residual blast wave, looked down at the arena for any signs of movement. A second later, they got their answer as a figure was shot into the cage wall, dispersing the thick smoke. It took another few seconds to recognize him.

"Lord Explosion Murder is down again!" the announcer cried. "Is this it for him? Has Shocker won?"

"Not bad kid."

Once the smoke cleared, the audience could see the Shocker wasn't in much better shape, his costume having tears and scorch marks all over it, his protective bubble not being too effective against the massive attack. Still, it kept him going and allowed him to land a hit on Bakugo once he got in close.

"You almost had me there," Shocker said, stumbling a little. "But…huh?" he suddenly asked, seeing Bakugo laughing to himself. "What's so damn funny?"

"Always have contingencies, asshole," Bakugo muttered. "I got in close but never did anything…that you could see anyway. Too late now."

The Shocker felt panic rise in him as he quickly looked around for whatever Bakugo planted, his eyes widening in horror at the two grenades dangling from his gauntlets.

"AP Shot."

He didn't have time to react before the explosive shot struck one of the grenades, setting it off.

BOOM!

The explosion was much smaller, but more controlled. Shocker screamed in pain as his arms were engulfed by it. He fell to his knees and looked down in horror as one of his gauntlets fell apart, crashing to the floor. The other stayed on but looked like it had been hit by three cars in a row.

He was so focused on the gauntlets, he never saw Bakugo coming.

"Now DIE!"

The blast hit him right in the face, knocking him backwards and out instantly. Bakugo stared down at his fallen foe, feeling his wrists throb from overuse. But it was over now.

"And the winner is…Lord Explosion Murder!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. There was a time Bakugo would have loved that but he couldn't care less about any of these people. He was only here to keep his classmates safe and get back home.

Still, it did feel good to take down a villain like this.

"Well done my boy," Count Nefaria said a few minutes later as he was walked out of the arena. "You kept the audience on the edge of their seat there but you pulled through in the end."

"You must be happy," Bakugo muttered, doing his best to breathe through the pain. It was worse when he realized there was no Recovery Girl here. "You didn't lose any money on me."

"Hmmm. Oh, my dear boy, no. I didn't bet on you or Shocker here. I just watched the event. There's no way I'd make a bet without knowing who you are first. That's just silly. Whirlwind here, though," Nefaria patted Green Shell's shoulder. "He did bet on you so he won a good deal."

"Thanks a lot kid," the villain said and Bakugo could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Atlas, unfortunately, bet against you," Nefaria said, gesturing to Big Guy who glowered down at Bakugo.

"Shows what you know, you damn ape," Bakugo growled. "Never bet against me."

"What'd you just call me?" Big Guy said, stepping closer. "I could snap you in two you damn-"

"Enough," Nefaria said. "Let's get Bakugo tended to before his injuries become worse. Then, we'll decide on your next fight. Until then, Shishida's fight will be starting in ten minutes."

"Who's he up against?"

"Kangaroo I think."

"Hmmm. No idea who that is. Anyway, bet wisely this time. Or not at all, like Unicorn."

Hornhead nodded sagely. That didn't last long as Bakugo couldn't contain his laughter, drawing all their attention. "Wait, your name…it's Unicorn? That's what you went with?" he checked, doing his best not to fall to the groun d and clutching his belly. "That's seriously-"

He stopped as the laser beam shot out right next to him, slicing into the wall and burning a hole through it. A second later, it stopped, and Bakugo hissed, feeling the burn mark on his cheek. He stared at the horn atop the man's head who was glowering at him.

"My name may be silly, but it means others underestimate me. I've gone toe-to-toe with Iron Man on many occasions, though I assume that means nothing to you. Just know, my laser can fire much faster than your little sparks can go off."

Bakugo glowered back at him, ready to blast him into the wall. But he couldn't. That fight with Shocker had taken a lot from him and he needed time to recover. Still, now he knew what Hornhead could do. That information was vital to what would come.

"Now that that's all done, Bakugo, rest up and let the doctor take a look at you," Nefaria said, gesturing to the door to their right. "And do your best not to antagonize anyone else. I don't want to pay for too many damages."

"No promises," he growled back, walking through the door. As he did, he thought about how dangerous Shocker had been, despite everyone calling him a loser. If he was a loser on this world, then how powerful were the top dogs? If he was going to survive here, he would need to be strong enough to take them all on.

"I will be," he promised himself. "I'll crush them all, no matter who they are."

---

New York City, Parker Apartment

Peter walked into the apartment, sighing deeply as he did. A disappointing day to say the least.

"Hey!"

He looked up and saw MJ walking towards him. "Hey," he said back, pulling her close to give her a soft kiss that instantly made him feel a hundred times better.

"No luck on those trucks, huh?" she asked after she pulled away.

"Nope," he replied. "The trucks were abandoned in a driveway, completely empty, and the drivers are nowhere to be found. Left a tip for the police to see if they could swab it for prints. We'll just have to wait and see."

"No luck on my end either," MJ sighed. "Urich went digging around again but came up empty. His contacts have no idea what was in those crates and no one's talking. Either they have no idea or, you know, they're just not talking."

"I could get them to talk…if I knew which ones were which," Peter sighed. "I think I'll get Matt in on this. If it's a way to link Fisk to a crime, he'll definitely want to be involved. Besides, he can always tell which of the criminals is lying with his super-hearing."

"Wish I had that power," MJ muttered. "Might make what I do a little easier."

Peter lifted an eyebrow, smirking. "What, do you interrogate criminals for their mysterious cargoes and drop-offs?"

"So what if I did?" she asked, smirking back.

"Well, I'd say I'd feel bad for the criminals because they don't know what they're in for."

"Good answer," she said, leaning in closer. But before their lips could lock again, a new sound broke them apart.

"WAAAHHHH!"

"Well, looks like someone's up," Peter muttered. As MJ moved, he held up his hand to stop her. "I got her, I haven't seen her all day."

"You might regret that if it's another stinker."

"Do you want to go instead?"

"No, no, you go right ahead," MJ laughed. Peter laughed as well before heading into the small bedroom, spotting the tiny little redhead on her hands and knees, crying her eyes out.

"Alright Mayday, what's the problem this time?" he asked, picking her up carefully. He took a sniff and didn't scrunch his nose in disgust which was a good sign. "Doesn't seem to be a stinker then. Let's see if it's a spiller…nope," he said a few seconds later after removing the diaper, seeing just clean white there. "Well, that narrows things down. Now, is it a…"

He had lifted her back up on his shoulder and patted her back once when she left out a large burp. She instantly stopped crying and started giggling instead.

"Ah, a gasser. And not a chucker either, which is always a plus. Thank you sweetheart. Now, let's get you back into bed."

He lowered her into the crib and stared down at his daughter, still in disbelief that had gotten so lucky as to have her in his life.

"Guess the ol' Parker luck ain't so bad, huh?"

---

And we're back. I'm so sorry for the wait guys but I hope this was worth it. I had to deal with moving countries and everything that comes with that. But I'm settled for now and glad to bring this to you.

So, just to clarify, the events of Devil's Reign, have not happened here and I thought this would present Kingpin with a new way to move forward with that.

Also, this version of the High Evolutionary is more based on the comics than the film. That just means he's not a complete monster but has more layers to him. Will Rocket be tied to him? Just wait and see.

I know I brought up a lot about Inhumans and Mutants being different and how that messed with experiments and I honestly don't know if that's true. I just thought that was the main difference between them and Quirk people here. Plus, adaptoids are huge in Marvel comics in the ones I'm reading now, so…I thought it would be a cool thing to do.

The Shocker is based on the Spider-Man game version and thought he was the perfect first villain for Bakugo to beat. I always did like Shocker, even if he does get beat up a lot, and that boss battle in the game was fun so I hope you enjoyed this.

As for that final scene, well I hope you liked that too. I'm going to be honest, ever since Zeb Wells's run started, I've been wracking my brain trying to decipher why on earth he decided to break up the couple and, more importantly, how to bring them back together. And it seems he wrote it into a corner so that couldn't happen. However, with the announcement of issue 50 and the solicitation, I now have a theory that the Goblin is responsible for it all since he was involved with it all, albeit just as Norman, when he helped Peter bring MJ back. My best guess is that's it all just a fabrication on his part to mess with Peter. And if it isn't, well, Zeb Wells will be seriously running out of chances to redeem himself because it really is stupid. Anyway, those are just my thoughts.

In terms of my current Marvel reading:

Still going through Byrne's Fantastic Four and I am really loving it.

Started both the Hobgoblin Saga in Amazing Spider-Man and the Owl/Octopus War in Spectacular Spider-Man. Both Stern and Mantlo's runs are epic right now.

Finally finished Doug Moench's Thor run and now I'm in Alan Zelenetz's. I'm so close to Simonson's I can practically taste it.

JM DeMatteis's Cap run is getting good now, seems he found his footing, so that's good.

I just started Stern's run on Avengers and I've heard good things, so I'm excited.

Mantlo's work on Incredible Hulk has improved now with the introduction to Professor Hulk and that's created some pretty good stories.

Still only at the start of O'Neil's Iron Man run.

Finally finished Miller's first run of Daredevil. That makes me sad, but I've heard O'Neil did pretty good on it too.

It still amazes me as to how long Claremont's X-Men run is. Can't wait for comes next. Also, started his New Mutants run which is pretty good too.

And Doug Moench's Moon Knight has been nothing but impressive these last few issues, though it will be ending pretty soon too.

So, let me know what some of your favorite runs are and what other comic runs from the 1980s I can look forward to. Oh, I'll also be starting X-Men: The Animated Series pretty soon.