In an Unknown Location Somewhere In Tokyo, Japan, Exactly at the Moment When and After All For One Died
"...I...I can't believe it," said a male voice as he and other people were watching a large flat-screen TV.
"...Th-...This man...this Quirkless man...he...he basically... killed...the most dangerous Quirk user in existence," said another male voice.
"...This...This man called the Joker ...he also made some...kind of...Quirkless Gas," another voice, this one female, observed.
"...We need to contact the Master. Someone email him, " said another male voice.
"I'm on it," said another female voice.
"Hold on, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
"This guy, a Quirkless guy, mind you, killed All For One with a gas that erases Quirks. Don't you think the Master would want to know that?"
"Well yeah, but...do you think this Joker would want to join our cause?"
"That's why we need to ask the Master. Either way, the Joker created something extraordinary. We need to have that Quirk Erasure Gas in our hands."
"...Alright. We'll hear what the Master has to say about all this. I just feel like this Joker is...well, while his crusade is admirable, he seems a little...I guess I could say that his actions are a little...brutal. Maybe even crazy."
"Don't worry. I would think Master and Joker working side by side would be a fantastic benefit to our cause. I even think Master will be very well-pleased with this finding."
"...Let's hope so. It is late over there in Otheon."
The Present
Class 1-A
Mina gasped.
All the kids in the classroom had different reactions while watching the scene on their phones. Some of them gasped in terror, while some of them gazed on in horror, speechless...
Shouto though...was shocked...
Yet...
Along with shock, he felt...dread...despair...
Of all the years he knew his father...he didn't expect him to ever do this...
A flood of emotions was swirling inside of Shouto...he didn't know what to make of it.
All his life, he thought his Old Man was a heartless individual...not caring about anything but his legacy...Shouto thought he was the worst, but all in all, he had to deal with him nonetheless, because he was his...father...
There was certainly a mixture of emotions inside of him...but at this moment, all he could feel the most, besides dread and despair...was...shock...maybe with a hint of confusion...
All his life...he perceived his father to be, ironically, cold-natured...
But...the scene that was playing out in front of him...
"...D-...Dad?" Shouto said softly.
Mina turned to her friend, her expression full of worry and concern.
...Shouto's eyes...they were tearing up...
Class 1-H
Izuku's eyes widened in shock.
Mei gasped, horrified.
Nedzu's Office
Aizawa, Hizashi, Kamaya, Nedzu, and everyone else all looked at the screen of the TV, stunned. Snipe already left to get to the scene.
Bar at Kamino Ward
All Might watched...speechless as his eyes widened at what Enji Todoroki had just done...
Back at the Studio
...Enji was shot...he was shot five times in the back...
...It looked fatal...
Turtle and Rubber let go of Touya, surprised that Enji ran up to the scene.
Whip looked around the camera to see if what he saw actually happened.
Mr. Compress and Mount Lady all looked on in shock.
The whole audience gasped, horrified yet shocked at what just transpired.
...Touya felt...arms around him...
He felt his father's arms around him.
Enji stood there...summoning all the strength to stand, even from all the gunshot wounds on his back.
As he had his arms wrapped around Touya, Enji let his chin rest on his son's shoulder, his eyes shut closed as he gritted his teeth, the pain inflicted on him great. Arms still wrapped around him, Enji tightened his hold...
He...was hugging his son...
Touya stood there...still in shock...
Then, Enji spoke.
"I...I'm so sorry..." he told his son, his voice strained from the pain.
He felt the blood pour out of his back wound...he had to say what he had to say...it was now or never.
"I...I really was a fool..." Enji croaked, his eyes beginning to water, "My...My legacy...my...my family ...I tried to juggle all of that...but I had to choose one...now...now is the time I choose correctly...Touya...I'm so sorry for what I've done. I...I tried to be a good father...I failed...I failed you, son...it doesn't matter what happened...I just want to say that...I'm, proud, of you, Touya."
...Touya stood there, frozen, unsure of what to say...
"I...I feel like you needed to hear that from me...one time at least..." Enji's eyes teared up, letting them fall on his face as he grimaced, struggling to keep standing,
...Touya still stood there, his arms limp as Enji hugged him, his face still expressing confusion and shock...
"...I...I'm so sorry I couldn't save our family...I...I'm sorry I couldn't save...your mother...Rei..." Enji grimaced more, the shame filling his face. "I...I'm so, so sorry, Rei..."
"...Enji..." Rei said softly, looking at the TV, at first shocked at what just happened...but she soon locked in, hearing every word her husband was saying.
The doctors also were looking on, shocked at this development...
Rei...had tears in her eyes...
Enji...you...you do care...you actually care...
"...I...I'm so sorry to my children...Fuyumi, Natsu...Shouto...I'm so, so sorry," Enji let all the tears fall.
Fuyumi watched the scene on her phone, her eyes filled with tears, her hand to her mouth, moved by her father's speech.
...I knew it...you do care...
Natsu...just looked at the scene on his phone, in shock...he couldn't believe the same man that he knew, his father, who was probably in his last moments, admitting that he was wrong and saying that he was sorry...and most of all, his last moments were with his first son...who he...saved.
...Shouto just stared at the screen...unable to say anything...letting the tears fall on his face.
Mina looked at Shouto, her eyes full of tears also, and back at the scene on his phone. She still had her hand on his...
Kirishima was already tearing up, and Jirou and Kaminari all looked at the scene stunned.
Everyone else watched the scene unfold.
"...Touya...I'm...I'm so...so sorry...I'm sorry I couldn't save you back then..." Enji kept holding on, his whole back feeling numb as it spread through his whole body. Blood was seeping out of his mouth, as he gritted his teeth, his expression filled with regret and shame. But at the same time...he gave out a small smile, "But now...I...I have saved you...right here and now...I'm...I'm so glad you're alive, son...I...I want you to live on...live your own life...please...Touya...live on..."
...Enji was feeling weak...his hold, his hug, was loosening...
"...I...I love you, my son...Touya..." Enji's eyes were wet with tears, his smile still intact, "...I...I love you all...my...my family..."
...The great Endeavor...went limp...his arms went to his sides...
Touya, feeling his father's weight on him, instinctively held onto his sides...however, his face still expressed shock and confusion...
...
...It was all silent...
"...D-...Dad?" Touya stuttered, his eyes wide as he looked at Enji's head next to his as he rested on his shoulder.
Then, with uncharacteristic tenderness, Touya kneeled down and carried the limp form of his father into his arms...he looked down at him...
...Enji still had the smile on his face...the smile radiated something...it radiated…
Peace.
It was then Touya realized...
...That his father was...dead.
...He died...saving him.
"...D-Dad?" Touya softly said as he looked down at his father...his deceased father, his expression still one of confusion…
Live on...
"...Dad?" Touya repeated, hoping in some way, his father would reply.
I...love you, my son...
"...D-...Daddy?" Touya gasped out, unsure of how to process this as he looked down at his dead father...
His eyes...were actually wet...they were wet...
Maybe? Touya didn't know...maybe he was imagining it...but either way...something inside of Touya...grew in him...and along with that, something broke inside of him while it grew...
But the thing is...he didn't even know what it could be...
So he knelt there, his deceased father in his arms...frozen...confused...in shock...
I'm so, so sorry...
"...Daddy?" Touya croaked the feeling of despair and other unknown feelings flooding into him.
Daddy! Look! Watch me, Daddy! Hee-ha-ha! I did it! I made fire!
The Hero Public Safety Commission Building
The President of the HPSC looked on at the TV at the end of the long board meeting table with other board members of the commission. They watched as Joker unleashed five bullets onto Endeavor's back...and saw the Flame Hero collapsing into the arms of Touya...it looked like the Hero was likely dead.
"...Good gracious..." the President of the HPSC softly said, in shock and horror.
"Ma'am, we need to do something now!" exclaimed a board member.
"...I know," the President's eye narrowed into a glare at the screen. "Hawks is heading to the studio now, correct?"
"Yes, he is. We also hear that a couple of Heroes are with him as well," said another board member, "Also, reports from the Tokyo Police said that Nedzu from UA has dispatched Snipe to take down Joker."
"Hm. I guess now is the time to resort to simpler tactics then," the President murmurs, "Someone contact the Tokyo Police and let them brief the situation to Hawks and the other Heroes with him."
"You don't want us to tell him the situation ourselves?" asked a board member.
"No...and I can only hope Hawks will contain himself when he hears the news," the President said in a grim tone.
Near the Studio - Outside
The remainder of the Tokyo Police were outside of the studio, waiting for Hawks, Skycrawler, Ryukyu, and Snipe to arrive.
"Chief! I see some of the Heroes!" said a male officer, pointing upward to where they are.
The Chief looked up and saw that the three Heroes were coming down to their location, Skycrawler landed as he glided down onto the ground, while Hawks and Ryukyu descended, landing on the pavement softly.
"We're here, officers!" Hawks announced to them.
"Yeah! So, what's the plan?" Skycrawler asked the Chief.
"Some of our men are inside the studio! They said they can't open the doors to the Hero Talk Now stage and they don't want to risk any hostages being killed! Right now, we have to wait for Snipe!" the Chief said, "He's coming here on his motorcycle right now! He'll arrive in five minutes!"
"Do you think we can wait that long?" Ryukyu asked.
"From what we see in the live broadcasting, one of the Villains that worked for All For One is fighting Joker and his men. That Villain is apparently named Dabi, and he's also Endeavor's oldest son!" the Chief said, "We can try and wait until that blows over until Snipe is here."
"Endeavor's son is fighting Joker and his men without a Quirk?" Hawks asked in surprise.
I heard Endeavor's son lost his Quirk thanks to Joker...he sounds like he's still not going down without a fight. Hawks thought.
"It sounded like he was winning so far," said the Chief, "However, we don't know how long that will last. We haven't checked the update recently, but now I think we should-"
"Sir!" said a female officer, who came up to the Chief. She saluted and said, "There has been a casualty in the studio!"
"What!?" the Chief said.
The three Heroes' eyes widened in shock at the news.
"Damn it! What happened!? Who died!? One of the hostages!? Dabi even!?" asked the frustrated Chief.
"No sir! It's..." the female cop looked solemn, "...It's Endeavor."
...Hawks eyes widened even more, his mouth agape as he froze in his spot.
"E-Endeavor!?" Skycrawler said in shock.
"Oh my gosh..." Ryukyu said softly, the shock expressed in her facial features as well.
"...My goodness..." the Chief muttered in despair as he lowered his head to pay his respects.
"He...He died jumping in to save his son...the one named Dabi," the female cop relayed the news.
"...This has gotten worse," the chief mumbled.
"Sir!" said a male officer, "Four minutes until Snipe comes to our location!"
"There's no time," said...Hawks in a rather grim tone.
"Huh?" Skycrawler turned to Hawks.
Ryukyu also turned to Hawks, surprised.
It was then they saw...his eyes. His eyes narrowed into a glare as he scowled harshly.
"Everyone, stay here. Either one of you can go with me, but at this rate, I can't wait any longer," Hawks said. And with that, he extended his wings and jumped up, flying and shooting his way up to one of the windows of the studio building.
"Whoa! Hey, Hawks!" Skycrawler called out to him.
But Hawks didn't listen...he was going to the studio...
He plucked some feathers and shot them through a window, letting them stick onto the glass, cracking it. Hawks then charged through the window in flight and crashed through it.
CRAAASH!
He entered the studio building, rolling onto the ground as he landed. He got up quickly, letting his feathers come back to his wings as he retracted them behind his back, and ran to where the chaos was being held.
Meanwhile, Skycrawler and Ryukyu looked on at Hawks's impulsive display of assertive action, the Chief also looking at the flying Hero in shock.
"What is Hawks doing!?" Ryukyu asked, knowing the answer, but still in shock.
Skycrawler, in a fit of inspiration, then decided to come up with a plan. "Chief, I'm gonna go with Hawks, but I need you and your men to stay here and wait for Snipe! Ryukyu?" He said as he turned to her, "You wait here for Snipe to arrive as well and help him find a trajectory point around here, and when you do, you can come and join the fight by crashing a hole through the wall in your dragon form where Snipe can aim for the Joker!"
"Um, okay then," Ryukyu said with a blink, a little stunned.
"You said you're gonna help Hawks!?" the Chief asked Skycrawler.
"Yeah! He might need all the help he can get!" Skycrawler exclaimed as he dashed through the crowd of officers, sliding, jumping, and gliding as he sped forward.
As soon as he reached his destination, there were more of the police officers that were in front of the doors to the stage of Hero Talk Now.
"Hawks!?" said an officer in surprise.
"Officers!" Hawks called out, and stopped in front of them, "What's the status on the doors?"
"Uh, we can't open them!" the officer decided to brief him, still a little surprised to see the No. 3 Hero here. "The doors seem to be either barricaded or they're sealed shut! We didn't want to risk making too much of a racket for Joker and his men to take any hostages!"
"Hm..." Hawks looked around the area...and saw a human-sized vent that he could crawl into, "...Stay here. I'll get the doors open somehow." He then summoned four feathers to go to the vent, and unscrew the bolts with their own individual strength. When they were all unscrewed, Hawks went and caught the cover, laid it on the ground, and jumped into the vent.
As he crawled into the vent to get to his destination, he could only think one thing.
Joker...you're gonna pay for this.
Back to the Joker and his Men
"Hm?" Thermal looked around the stage. "...I think there are some people near the door. Probably the cops. And...someone is crawling in the vents."
"Huh?" Rubber said, his attention away from Touya and Enji, "You sense people nearby?"
"Uh, yeah, Rubber. I can sense people's heat signatures," Thermal said like it was obvious, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, don't get smart with me, I was just asking!" Rubber said, a little insulted.
"Hm," Turtle, upon hearing that, asked Joker, "Boss, it looks like we're surrounded. And whoever is coming through the vents will surely want to fight us. What should we do?"
Joker just looked at the son and father, Touya looking down and cradling his dead father Enji, whimpering and repeating the same name over and over.
"Daddy? ...Daddy? ...D-...D-Daddy?" Touya called out to his deceased father, unable to process anything around him right now.
The audience watched this odd display of vulnerability from Dabi, his form shaking from so much grief...it honestly moved them.
...However, smiling deviously, Joker just watched Dabi, also known as Touya, break into such a sad little frail version of himself...almost like he was reverting back to a child, calling out to find his daddy that he lost.
...It was oh, so, marvelous.
"...I think we got our show for the day," Joker said, his wicked smile still intact. He turned to the camera with the same smile and told everyone at home and in the audience, "Well folks, it seems this little reunion was quite the success...in a morbid and tragic kind of way! But, either way, it looks like ol' Dabi and Daddy Endeavor reached an understanding! So with that, I think now is the time for our exit! But not before I activate these two other bombs that we all probably forgot about!"
Opening his coat, he got one detonator out and pushed the button.
Ueno Park
There was a statue, one that represents and depicts Nana Shimura, also known as Sylph in Ueno Park. However, there was a bomb planted on the statue, which was hidden, placed under Nana where the statue was standing in a victory pose.
The rest of the police were searching for the bomb, and one of the officers found it upon remembering Joker talking about Nana. The bomb squad came over to try to deactivate it away from the statue, while some of the officers were watching the program on their phones to see if Joker would do anything to activate it.
…But upon seeing the Joker about to push the button-
"Joker's going to activate the bomb! Get out of the way!"
The people, officers, and the bomb squad all panicked and ran away from the supposed explosion.
Once Joker pressed the button...
...The bomb...
POP!
...popped out a small explosion...
...The people around the statue, them being the bystanders, officers, and the bomb squad, all looked at the so-called explosion in surprise, eyes blinking at what came out of it.
It was all just...confetti and glitter...
...They all looked at this in...disbelief...
It was then one of the officers said, "I...think we've been duped."
Joker
Tossing the detonator over his shoulder, Joker got out the other detonator and pushed the button.
"Aaaand this one!"
Imperial Palace
The police found the bomb. It was under the Seimon Ishibashi bridge...
They were about to carefully get the bomb away from under the bridge by boat and as soon as they almost got it away from the underside...
"He's going to detonate the bomb!" shouted an officer.
And then-
POP-PSSSSHHHH!
...the bomb 'exploded' into a large purple powder cloud, making it spread as the bomb squad stood there, in shock, but coughing up a storm from the cloud of purple smoke.
Once their coughing eased down, one of the police officers said what everyone was thinking at that time.
"That son of a bitch!"
Back to Joker
As Joker tossed the other detonator over his shoulder, he just smirked at the camera.
"I'll let the audience use their imaginations on what happened next there," he said with a wink, "Until then, I would like for my new homie to come pick us up! And that would be your cue, Mr. H!"
Back at the Kamino Ward Bar
"Alrighty. And just so you'll do as I say, I'll be coming with ya, Pal," Hacker told Kurogiri.
Kurogiri grumbled and made himself into a warping portal.
"And you better take me to the right place, Buddy, cause if you send me somewhere that's not where my Boss and my gang are, then I will shock you," Hacker rubbed his middle finger and thumbs together to indicate he'll snap his fingers.
"...Right," Kurogiri mumbled.
When Hacker was about to approach Kurogiri, All Might said to him, "Your Boss and your gang are all monsters, you know that?"
Hacker paused and turned his head to All Might.
The once No.1 Hero stood there, glaring at Hacker with such anger.
"...Be as it may, we monsters got to make a statement every once in a while," Hacker said.
"Oooh, nice comeback there, Hacker!" Crystal said with a smirk.
"Yeah, that should be a quote!" Loco said.
"Heh, thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me," Hacker went into Kurogiri as he along with the Warp Villain disappeared out of the bar.
All Might glared at the spot where Hacker and Kurogiri once were. He turned around to face Shigaraki and the others, with Crystal and Loco keeping watch, getting their guns out, ready to use them if they so much as try anything.
He couldn't help but look at Shigaraki, who in turn looked at the TV screen, his eyes showing such...emotional despair...he didn't know what he was thinking at that point, but All Might could safely say that he must be in shock with everything.
Frowning at the young Villain, All Might's heart goes out for him...
We may be enemies at one time...but I'm not a monster...whatever happened to you, I'm so sorry you had to go through another loss.
Back at the Studio
As Joker and his men waited for Kurogiri to arrive, Hawks was near a vent cover that led to the studio stage.
Hawks can see through the vent and see that Joker and his men are waiting for that Warp Villain to come pick them up. He doesn't have any time to waste.
Using multiple feathers, he used them to push the vent with all their might, letting the bolts loosen as the vent bent under the pressure of the feathers.
Meanwhile, Thermal looked in the direction where Hawks was. "Think we better hurry. The Hero is gonna come out of that vent."
Hawks gritted his teeth as he heard Thermal.
Shit!
"Hmm...why don't I make this a little easy?" Turtle asked, turning to where the vent was, and began to huff up his breath...creating and shooting a ball of concentrated nuclear energy out of his mouth!
The ball was coming toward the vent...but the vent cover popped open! Hawks quickly slipped and got out of the vent, rolling on the ground as the ball of nuclear energy soared above him, striking the vent and parts of the wall, melting the portion of it as it hit.
Standing up, Hawks gave them a glare. From where he stood, he saw that Dabi was still cradling Endeavor's dead body, his look of confusion and shock still on his face. The feeling of righteous anger filled Hawks's soul.
"Aw...well, that was unlucky," Turtle said, a little disappointed.
"Ah, who cares!" Hārē said as she produced baseball bats out of her arms and hands. "Let's just beat this guy's feathery ass as a grand finale!"
"Whoa, wait a second, it's that Hawks Hero!" Cham exclaimed as he pointed, looking a little nervous, "He's at No. 3 in the Hero Charts! We shouldn't take him too lightly!"
"You got that right, scum!" Hawks shouted as he got his katana out of his sheath. His wings then shot out dozens of red feathers, soaring over to the henchmen and Joker.
"WHOA!" Rubber shouted in shock.
"Ah, shit!" Thermal shouted out as well.
"Ah, damn it!" Cham panicked.
"Eeek!" Hārē yelped in shock as well.
Joker just looked at the feathers coming at him and his men, just smiling the whole way.
Razor and Turtle then jumped in front of Joker and the rest of them, Razor getting his razor fingers ready, while Turtle got ready for the feathers to strike his hard skin. Whip was still behind the camera, wondering if he should join or not.
As soon as the red feathers came to Razor and Turtle, the former slashed them with his hands and fingers, striking them down with precision, while the latter just stood there, letting the feathers strike him, which they either bounced off or some have actually punctured through his hard shell skin.
Hawks, however, sent more feathers while he went over to the sealed doors that led out of the studio. Thanks to his wings attached on his back to amp up his speed, he ran over to the door, katana in hand, and quickly raised it above his head, taking a downward slash on the bindings to cut them in half. He succeeded, cutting and cleaving them in the middle, pieces of the bindings dropped on the floor as the door was now accessible for the hostages to escape.
"EVERYONE! GET OUT NOW! I GOT THE DOORS OPEN!" Hawks shouted out to the hostages.
The hostages then all began to file out in haste, not wasting time to hesitate. The doors then opened, as the rest of the cops were guiding the hostages out of the studio.
"Hey!" Whip said as he looked at the escaping hostages from where he was at the camera.
"Oh, leave them," Joker told Whip.
"Huh?" Whip turned back to his Boss with a blink.
Then, a misty portal came into existence. It was Kurogiri now arriving, along with Hacker.
"Hey guys!" Hacker greeted them...but then blinked as he saw the hostages escaping and Hawks being here. "Uh...are...things turning to shit right now?"
"Oh hey, Hacker!" Cham greeted him a little nervously, "I don't know, man, but I think we need to skedaddle!"
Hawks turned his attention to Joker and his men, ready to fight. One of the cops asked Hawks, "Hawks! Do you want us to join in!?"
"Negative!"
"Huh?" The cop and the other officers looked confused.
"Sorry, but this is a little personal to me!" Hawks explained, "Just help the hostages out of here! Leave these guys and Joker to me!"
"Uh...okay! Be careful!" said the cop and he and the other officers led the hostages out of the studio.
Hawks got his katana ready in his hands, glaring at the henchmen and their maniac leader.
As that was going on, Razor and Turtle were fighting off the feathers, the former slashing them while the latter was crushing them with his hand or stomping them with his foot, even chomping on some of them because of his nuclear breath.
"Uh, Boss? Should we go?" Thermal asked Joker. But then, he saw something...something far off...
Joker smirked at Thermal, "And miss all this fun ? Come on now, boys and woman, let's have one last act for this show! In fact," he turned to the camera, "Whip! You're retiring from your post! But! Keep the camera rolling from where I'll be! We're going to PARTY like it's nineteen-ninety-nine! HAHAHAHAAAA!" he cackled.
"Uh...okay," Rubber shrugged, "I mean, I'm not complaining. Let's kick some ass."
"Uh, okay," said Whip, "I'm getting kind of tired of being behind the scenes anyway."
"See? Great minds think alike!" Hārē said with a grin as she gazed at her Boss dreamily.
Thermal stood there for a second...until he told Cham, "Yo, Cham..."
"Huh?" Cham turned his head to Thermal.
Joker then walked ahead with Hārē coming up behind him, past Razor and Turtle, as they got the last of the feathers. The two henchmen turned their attention to Joker, surprised that their Boss was being bold enough to walk over to Hawks.
"Whoa, Boss!" Razor shouted.
"B-Boss?" Turtle stuttered, unsure of what his Boss's plan was.
"Don't you worry your ugly little heads! I'll be looking after my Puddin'!" Hārē told them as she kept walking behind Joker.
Joker, however, stopped about five feet in front of Hawks, while the Hero glared at him with contempt.
They had a standoff, each of them just looking at each other...
"...So, you're the Hero Commission's next dog, am I correct?" Joker asked him with a wicked smile.
Hawks gritted his teeth, "You will pay for what you've done, you psychopath ."
"Hmm?" Joker raised an eyebrow as he still smiled, "And what, pray tell, did I do?"
Scowling at the Joker, Hawks answered, "You think you can get away from murdering innocents, police, the Villains you used to work with, and even the Heroes!?"
"...Maybe? I mean, hell, those 'Villains', as you presumptuously call them, probably have more of a sob story than the Heroes! And let's be honest here, is anyone really going to miss Endeavor ?" Joker jested.
Gripping his katana hard in his hands, Hawks seethed, "You killed a great Hero."
Joker just stared at the Hero with a smirk. He started to chuckle...and then he began to outright laugh.
"Hm-hm-hm-hm-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA!" Joker cackled, "Was he really !? Was he so great that he neglected and abused his four kids and practically made his wife go insane after purposely forcing her to make love with him without her consent!? By the way, I think that's called rape ."
Hawks just glared at Joker...although he loosened his grip on his katana, but still had it in his hands.
"...Don't have anything to say?" Joker provoked, "Oh, well, believe me, I think he did a lot worse than tha-"
"Shut up!"
"...Hmm?" Joker raised an eyebrow, but kept his smile, his mouth closed.
Hārē didn't like how he spoke to her Boss and yelled out to him, "Hey! Learn your manners, kid!"
Hawks ignored Hārē and scowled at the clown maniac. "Whatever happened with Endeavor...they all may sound horrible, but...he did something Heroic at the last minute of his life...saving a member of his family. And that resonates universally...so with that said, I will take you down and bring you to justice myself."
"..." Joker's smile broadened, showing his teeth, "Okay then...how about I ask you on how the HPSC are doing with covering up all the shit that they do to quote-unquote, 'preserve the peace'?"
Eyes widened in surprise, Hawks froze.
"...What?"
"Oh please," Joker drawled, "You call yourself a Hero, yet your moral compass is all out of whack! Tell me, did you kill any Heroes that were going rogue? Or maybe the correct term is if they've gone ' Villainous' ?"
...Hawks just glared intensely at him.
"...Nothing? Nada? Hmm...ah, well, either way, it would seem you'll be getting yourself a good spot in the Hero Charts at a later date! You're bound to be the No. 1 Hero now!" Joker goaded.
"...Just give up," Hawks uttered harshly, not giving Joker the pleasure of riling him up, "Surrender yourself as well as your men, and I might not go through any drastic measures."
"Oh really?" Joker prodded him, his devious smile still on his face, "Well, I think maybe you might need to put those drastic measures to the test! Cause what if I say...that a certain someone...was judged wrongly in your agency?"
Now eyes widened even further, the shocked look on Hawks's face was more evident…
"Yes...do you happen to know someone by the name of... Kaina Tsutsumi?"
...Hawks gripped the hilt of his katana tightly.
"How she was so groomed to be the most dangerous agent for the Commission, only for when she actually asked a question about these decisions that the Commission was making, that the former President threatened her life just so she wouldn't question him again!? Thus, out of pure panic, shock, and fear, she killed the bastard!?"
...He was trying so hard not to do it...to kill Joker right there on the spot.
Don't...just don't say anything. If you do, you'll expose the Commission, and that would not be a good thing...but do I need to say something at this point?
Joker sees that Hawks was struggling to decide what his next course of action would be...so the crazed clown went even further.
"You know, ol' Tsutsumi had the right idea...tell me, when your father and mother abused you, have you ever wanted to kill them?"
...What?
"How..." Hawks didn't know how Joker would even know this, but...he felt the urge coming to him...he gripped his katana ever so tightly, his knuckles might have gone white.
"...'How' what?" Joker's smile turned into an evil grin, "How did I know about your sad little childhood? ...Ooor...are you referring that you did want to kill them one time?"
"... Shut up," Hawks gritted his teeth as he glowered at the man.
"Why? Were you really alright with all the physical and emotional abuse your so-called parents gave you?" Joker provoked Hawks, grin still in place.
His teeth gritted, clenching them as he wanted to unleash the pent-up energy he was experiencing...
"...Well, I guess it does make sense, since Endeavor did the same thing to his kids. I mean, he is your idol, is he not? And you want to be like your idol, am I right? ...Or maybe you want to be more like Daddy instead?" Joker asked the sadistic glee in his grin, feeling like that twisted the knife on him.
And it did.
Hawks then swiped his katana at Joker horizontally, which Joker jumped back just a bit...
But...
SLASH!
...The tip of the blade slashed the mid-section of his stomach...
"Hurrgh!" Joker exclaimed. He staggered, almost losing his footing but keeping his balance.
...Blood shot from Joker's right side where the blade was swung...and his stomach was bleeding from its wound...
Turtle and Razor's eyes widened in shock. The rest of the henchmen's eyes also went wide, now completely on alert.
Hārē, though, didn't take the attack too kindly.
"MR. J.!" Hārē screamed out in horror.
"BOSS!" Razor and Turtle shouted!
"SHIT! BOSS!" Rubber shouted also!
"OH FUCK!" Thermal shouted out in a panic!
"DAMN!" Hacker exclaimed in a panic also!
"HOLD ON, PUDDIN'!" yelled Hārē as she rushed over to her Boss's aid, doing a flip and using her bats to strike down on Hawks.
Hawks raised his katana to block one of Hārē's bats, but when he did-
CRA-CRAAACK!
...the hard blunt object Hārē held cracked and snapped off the katana blade he was holding!
Eyes widened in shock, Hawks quickly threw his sword aside and couldn't help but think of one thing:
Shit!
He dodged every swing Hārē swung at him, and that was when he decided to take to the air. Flying up in the air, he distanced himself away from Hārē, and tried to think of a new plan quickly.
Damn it! I should've kept my anger in check! Well, what's done is done, so right now, I need to-
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" said the voice of Rubber, who...jumped high up in the air and was about to come straight down at Hawks!
Hawks looked up in the direction where Rubber was about to land on him. Unable to move in time, he tried to use his feathers on Rubber...but he didn't have the chance when Rubber grabbed Hawks by the neck.
"GACK!" Hawks hacked as he was grabbed by the throat. When they were about to descend down, Hawks then got a combat knife out of his pant leg quickly and slashed Rubber's hand.
"GRAAH!" Rubber let go of Hawks, his hand bleeding but used his other fist to punch Hawks in the face, sending him to the other side of the stage. He crashed onto the ground, rolling around as he landed.
Rubber slammed down on the floor, creating a small crater underneath him.
BA-BAAAAM!
Hawks then got up quickly with his wings pushing him back as he glided down near the stage.
The big brute raised his injured hand to inspect it and then glared back at the Hero. "Oooh-hoo-hooo, you...you are gonna pay, you little shit!"
But then-
"Hawks!" cried out...Skycrawler!
Then, shooting through inside the studio, Skycrawler zoomed over to where Hawks was, passing by the other Villains.
Hacker saw Skycrawler come in, and instantly, his eyes went wide in shock and dread.
"OH SHIT!"
"Huh? What's wrong?" Razor asked Hacker.
"Hm?" Turtle turned his head to Hacker.
"GUYS! We need to go! NOW!" Hacker said in a panic.
"Huh? Wh-Why?" Whip asked, a little bit in shock at this situation.
"That's Skycrawler! He's a Hero in America! A pretty damn strong one!" Hacker told them. "Get the Boss and let's get out of here!"
"Huh?" Thermal said, in confusion. "How strong can he be?"
"Do you really want to fuckin' know, Thermal!? Get the Boss before-" Hacker exclaimed to him, until-
CRAAAASSSH!
...Ryukyu came crashing through the wall of the studio in her dragon form!
The henchmen and even Hārē all looked at the dragon in horror.
"...Fuck," Hacker gasped.
"You okay, Hawks?" Skycrawler asked the winged Hero.
"Yeah...had worse," Hawks said as he looked around the area around them. "But I think we have a good advantage here at this point with you and Ryukyu here."
Skycrawler smirked, "Hey, we might be doing some property damage, but these Villains won't get away with what they've done."
"Yeah. Definitely," nodded Hawks as he got his combat knife ready in his hand.
BANG!
...The sound of a single gunshot.
The Heroes and Villains, all of them surprised, all looked to the source.
...Leading a bloody trail, it was Joker who shot the gun...he was aiming the weapon upward with his right hand and was holding his bleeding stomach wound...he was also near where Mr. Compress and Whip were, the former watching everything in silence, wondering how this whole thing would end.
"...Now that I've got your attention," Joker said...still, amazingly enough, having a smile on his face, despite his wound. "It would seem we have a bit of a... problem here. And I think...we should rectify it." he turned his head to Thermal, "Thermal? Come here, please?"
Blinking at being called, Thermal looked back at the Heroes that were here and said, "Uh...okay," he walked cautiously over to his Boss and went up to him. "Um, yes?"
"Hold on a sec, Thermal! Whip!" Joker asked his other henchman.
"Huh?" Whip uttered, who was next to Joker.
"Pick up ol' Mr. Compress here." the clown asked of him.
"Uh...okay, Boss," Whip squatted down and lifted up Mr. Compress and let him stand up with the whip rope still wrapped around him.
"And Thermal, pick up little Miss Mount Lady here as well, will you?" Joker asked him.
Thermal looked at the woman who was wrapped up by the whip rope from Whip's Quirk, her entire expression that of terror.
"...Uh, alright," Thermal said as she picked up Mount Lady, letting her stand.
"Good, good..." Joker turned his attention to the Heroes, his smile still intact, "Now...say that I want to take these two as hostages ."
Hawks, Skycrawler, and Ryukyu's eyes all widened in shock at their unforetold mishap.
"Yes...in fact, lookie here!" Joker said as his left hand, off of his stomach, reached something out of the hem of his pants...a small handgun. He got it out and aimed it at Mount Lady, with the other gun in his right hand aiming at Mr. Compress. Their eyes widened in horror at the guns being aimed at their heads. Joker had both guns in his hands and had his arms spread out like a cross. "Now we got some hostages!"
Hacker looked at his Boss with panicked wide eyes, using a surprisingly meek voice, "Uh, Boss? I think it would be wise if we just go. Y-You're also bleeding and you look a little-"
"Hacker?" Joker interrupted him, his smile still in check, but having a hint of sternness in his voice. "...Don't ruin my fun ."
Blinking at his Boss, Hacker stood there...unsure of what to do.
"Just get the last hostage, will you?" Joker asked Hacker.
Hacker glanced at the one person that was only left...
Touya, who was still cradling his father, was unaware of what was happening...
"...O-Okay," Hacker conceded.
Just...follow the Boss's plan. Hacker thought.
He rushed a little over to Touya and aimed his own gun at his head. Touya was still in shock, not registering the situation he was in.
" Now ..." Joker stood there, his wound bleeding, and his smile intact, "I want to ask ol' Hawks something if that's alright?"
Hawks, Skycrawler, and Ryukyu both stood there, the latter of the group leaning down in her dragon form to look like she would be able to charge at them...but in reality, she was trying to get someone to take a clear shot...
Meanwhile, on Top of a Building Somewhere, in View of the Hole Ryukyu Made
Snipe had to make one clean shot.
When assigned for this task, Snipe wondered why Nedzu wanted him to do this in the first place when Heroes can take him down easily...but upon seeing the damage made by Joker, he could probably see why they must take another approach. And it was Nedzu's words that struck him.
"Joker is but a man. So we'll treat him as one...not with over-the-top powers, but as what every other man would take down another man back then before Quirks...either with fists or with weapons. Some of those weapons nowadays could be guns. And that's...where you come in, Snipe."
Damn. Things really have gone to shit, haven't they? Snipe thought as he knelt down to set his sniper rifle on the gun's stand.
Back at the Studio
Hawks glared at the clown.
Joker's smile went into a grin as he continued, "Alrighty then...now, what was the purpose of slicing my stomach open? You could've been the bigger man there, not letting your anger reach its boiling point! It was basically what led ol' Endeavor to his downfall."
...Standing there, Hawks could do nothing but grit his teeth at Joker.
"And think about all the people watching at home! Maybe even at the Hero Schools, where the kids have all their phones out these days! Is that really how a model Hero should act? Attempting to kill a Villain just because he got so riled up over something that made him a tad bit upset?"
"..." Hawks then let it sink in...
...Shit. I did let my anger get the best of me...
Joker was grinning the whole way, "I'm just glad I jumped back before you cut me half off! It makes me wonder if Heroes can control their emotions before they take the next step of ending a life. "
Skycrawler also glared at Joker, muttering to Hawks, "Don't listen to him. Just wait."
Hawks glanced at Skycrawler and remembered something.
Wait...yeah...that's right. We got to wait for Snipe.
Joker kept going, "I mean, really! Mention one thing about their personal life, and they attack you! ...Hmm..." his grin broadened, "Maybe you are like Endeavor, after all."
Hawks looked at Joker, his eyes narrowed in hatred as he scowled.
"...Well, honestly, I wouldn't say you're even worse than Endeavor, but...you have the makings of becoming all the mistakes he has ever made," Joker goaded.
Skycrawler spoke out, "That's enough! Surrender yourself now! We got the whole studio surrounded by police and you don't want to anger Hawks, Ryukyu, and me!"
...It was silent for a moment...
...A second passed...
...Skycrawler, Hawks, and Ryukyu blinked.
...
...Something was wrong.
...
...
...
...
...Joker was still standing.
...The mad clown grinned in such an evil fashion as he asked them all, "Oh, by the way, has anyone seen Cham and Kurogiri?"
...The three Heroes' eyes all went wide in shock as they realized...
Snipe!
Back at Snipe's Vantage Point, Around Two Minutes Ago
Okay...Ryukyu lowered her whole dragon form down...I got a clear shot...
Snipe positioned his sniper rifle to aim at Joker's head.
Just...one...clean...shot...
...He heard something shift...and that was when Snipe felt the barrel of a gun on the back of his head.
...Someone was behind him.
"You know, I got to hand it to Thermal; he can see anyone's heat signature a mile away." the voice said confidently with a pinch of a smirk.
...It was Cham.
"..." Snipe didn't say anything, knowing that one wrong move could certainly end him.
Cham's smirk broadened, "Man, the Boss is really bringing out all the big guns for us to fight! Heh, what do ya know, I made a little pun there, since, you know, you deal with guns and all that."
"...Why do you follow that maniac?" Snipe asked Cham.
"Ah nah, nah, nah, nah, we're not letting that secret be spilled. But I do gotta ask...you feeling lucky right now, punk?"
"Hm. That was from Dirty Harry."
"Yeah! It's a pretty badass American movie. But anyway, I think this is the part where I-"
Then, Snipe twisted around, getting his small handgun out and aiming it at Cham.
Cham didn't waste any time.
BANG!
"URGH!" Snipe exclaimed in pain. Cham's bullet soared across the eyes of his mask and the bridge of his nose, the bullet grazing and scraping his eyes, leaving him blind.
But that didn't deter Snipe's attack. While he was originally aiming for Cham's head, he lowered his aim because of the hit to his eyes and fired some shots as well.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
"URK!" Cham grunted in pain, his eyes wide.
...Cham was shot...four times in the chest...
His arms spread out, the bullets hitting their target, the blood shooting out of his wounds.
He plopped on the ground on his back.
PLOP!
"Ugh!" Snipe grasped his bleeding eyes, his vision now impaired.
...Cham laid there...fatally wounded and bleeding...
As he laid there, he began to think his final thoughts...
You know...being a chameleon isn't easy when everyone around you is human. Humanity is the greatest enemy of any animal—because humans are intelligent, because they find solutions to every problem. But I never found a real solution to the problem of my appearance. The least insulting thing I had to endure was people saying I "hatched from an egg," mocking me for being "parentless," despite having a mother who gave birth to me. She was always busy, though. Raising a mutant kid like me without a husband in a suburban area wasn't easy, especially when you're a mutant yourself. In the end, you could say my greatest joy was video games. My best friends? My computer and gaming console. I genuinely loved it, especially stealth games, the older ones. School held no appeal for me since I had no friends there. Living in a society that didn't care about me—and that I didn't care about—meant nothing to me. But every night, one question haunted my thoughts: "Do I want to live like this for the rest of my life?" Years went by, and I was still a gamer. With slow internet and outdated hardware in our suburban area, it wasn't easy. My mom, despite her age, still did most of the housework and took care of me. My life was as meaningless as I remembered it, though perhaps slightly enjoyable. New games and the challenges they offered had their own charm. I could have gone on living like that for a long time without any regrets. Until I met him. The clown performing on the street. His silly dance, the way he played with the gun in his hand—none of that was particularly interesting to me. But when he showed me a rare, old video game he had for sale, he caught my attention. Fallout.
A game about a post-nuclear world. A classic I'd only ever heard about but never played. That open-world game fascinated me beyond anything. The clown and I played it together, and I was hooked. An open world where I could act however I wanted, using a Stealth-Boy to turn invisible, completing missions with cunning and stealth—a post-apocalyptic world where every possibility existed. But more fascinating than the game itself were the clown's words as we played: "A world where everything has fallen apart, a world without rules, is a world where anyone can be their true self. No one can judge you in such a world, because there's no one to stop you. In a world where survival is the only goal, everything is allowed, because everything is necessary. No one has the right to judge anyone else, because in this world, everyone is just… themselves." Maybe that was the moment I realized why the world I lived in bored me so much. Because I wasn't myself. Could such a world exist? A world like Fallout, where everyone could be who they truly are? The clown told me he knew how to create that world. It didn't need a nuclear war to exist. All it needed was a fall. Just a fall. At the time, I didn't understand what he meant. I had no reason to believe the words of a clown, no reason to trust him. But when he asked me, "Do you want to keep living your life the way it is, or do you want to take a chance with me?" I realized I had no reason to say no. For the first time in my life, I was truly, genuinely myself. And I chose. I chose to take a chance on the clown's vision, to see if that fallen world could exist. And I saw it. I saw a fallen world like the one in that clown's mind—a world where I was only me, where I did whatever I wanted. And in that world, I never got bored.
Looking back now...I never said goodbye to my mom. I can't even remember the last thing we talked about. It's strange—I can't even recall the name of the place I lived in. All this time, while I was with Joker, I wasn't in the real world. I was inside a video game, where none of those things mattered. All this time, I was just...playing a game. But strangely enough, I don't regret it. For this short time I spent playing, I truly...had fun.
And with that...Cham died...he died with a smile on his face...
Back Inside the Studio
After hearing the four shots ring out outside, Hawks, Skycrawler, and Ryukyu expected the worst.
"SNIPE!" Skycrawler shouted.
But while they were distracted...
Joker tossed the gun in his left hand behind him, and grabbed the nearest hostage...he wrapped his left arm around Mount Lady's neck and pointed the gun at the side of her head.
Thermal eyes widened at what he saw a little way over to where Snipe and Cham are...
"...Oh shit...I think Cham is shot," Thermal said in dread.
"WHAT!?" Rubber asked in shock.
Razor, Whip, and Hārē blinked, while Turtle looked stunned...
Hacker's eyes widened in horror, his gun aimed at Touya's head.
Joker...held Mount Lady hostage...but his smile now turned into a scowl this time.
"...Hacker! Call Kurogiri!" Joker exclaimed to him.
"Wha-huh?" Hacker blinked in stupefaction, "Uh...s-sure!" he placed a finger on his ear, "Yo, Kuro! Get your misty ass over here! Don't make me shock you!"
Then, just like that, Kurogiri came materializing into existence, not saying anything, as he begrudgingly opened a warp portal for them.
"Everyone! Get to ol' Kurogiri!" Joker exclaimed to them.
The three Heroes turned their attention back to Joker, while the henchmen (Whip abandoning Mr. Compress) and Hārē, even though in shock, did as Joker told them. The Villains rushed over to the portal, while the three Heroes tried to approach them, but-
Joker pointed the gun at Mount Lady's head, using her as a meat shield.
The Heroes all paused.
As some of the Villains went into Kurogiri, only Joker, Hārē, and Hacker were left. Joker glared at the Heroes...until he smirked, "Be seein' ya."
And with that, Joker, along with his hostage Mount Lady, and along with Hārē and Hacker, all went inside the warp portal, letting Kurogiri fade away from existence. The last thing they could see was Mount Lady's look at the Heroes, her fearful wide eyes pleading for them, hoping that they would save her...
...Hawks, Skycrawler, and Ryukyu just stood there...aware that they'd failed...
The whole studio debacle...was over...but at what cost?
Okay! I hope everything looks good in this chapter! Tell me what you all think! :) I got to thank Reza for Cham's final thoughts, he did all of that, you know? ;) But yeah, tell me what you think of this chapter! :D
Now that that whole situation with the studio is over, things get real! The rise of Joker is over and done, and now the reign of Joker begins! :O What will happen from here!? Well, I would say more chaos, I presume! ;D
Also, I'm thinking maybe this story would be 55 or 56 chapters in total...it's not final, but I feel like that could be the estimate for this story. :O
But yeah, tell me what you think! Leave a review, fave, and a follow! I love them all! :D
Thank you all for reading my story so far, and I hope you all stick around for more! :) Until then, keep on rocking everybody! :D
-TSP