31

Chapter Text

It'd been three days into internships, and so far, Tsunotori Pony had been soaring while Bakugo Katsuki crashed and burned.

Tsunotori let out a yell as she lashed out with a backhand, avoiding a palm blast as an Explosion erupted out. Bakugo was knocked off his feet, landing on the ground backfirst. Again.

"Again." Sakamoto Kuga said, arms crossed as he observed his two young charges spar. Tsunotori had been civil. Professional. Taking this seriously in a manner he saw at the Sports Festival that had compelled him to send the American born girl an invitation in the first place.. She was absorbing all the knowledge that the Killer Whale Hero had to offer without a single retort or complaint. Although, there were times he would see her looking off to the side, thinking to herself. The times he saw her in the cafeteria scowling at her phone made him curious as to why. Thankfully, such occasions were rare and she didn't show any lack of focus whenever she was invited out on patrol.

For Bakugo, he was doing his best to catch up, and the first positive sign was the fact that he was finally using his Quirk. From the last phone call he made with the Guardian of Tsunotori and to Bakugo's parents, the latter's family was relieved, even saying that after the Sports Festival he hadn't used his Quirk once since his defeat on the national stage.

But while his quirk usage was still there, the fiery resolve and confidence to follow through on his tactics and techniques, combined with the determination to fight through adversity… was lacking.

Whenever he had Bakugo and Tsunotori spar with his sidekicks and even between themselves, Bakugo would more often than not end up on the losing end.

As the ash blonde got back up, he threw his arms back to charge with Turbo, rushing in a straight line as Kuga narrowed his eyes. The speed he had demonstrated back at the Sports Festival… this 'Turbo' was nowhere near as fast and explosive.

Tsunotori reacted, firing two horns at him, the sharp ends flipping over and darting forward with the blunt ends pointed at her opponent. Bakugo ducked the projectiles, twirling in mid-air… only to get a shoulder tackle from a charging American on all fours. The Japanese boy gasped and his momentum had him crash back onto the ground… only to have the two projectiles slam into him and drive his body back towards Tsunotori who was in a handstand, who acted accordingly with a two pronged hoof-kick to his sides.

Orca winced. That blow looked like it hurt.

Bakugo was sent into the air as Tsunotori pushed herself into the air with a flip, landing on her horns as they floated under her. She took aim, narrowing her eyes as she… fired a third horn! Bakugo reacted, firing an explosive blast at the projectile.

"That's new." Kuga mused under his breath, arms once again crossed. Her control had expanded beyond two horns and onto three it seems. Her practice with her Quirk was paying off. While the horns on her feet wobbled, the burnt horns clattered to the ground and from the smoke, an additional horn came through, firing with conviction and control as it flipped to its flat end and slammed into Bakugo who didn't react in time.

He yelped and rolled across the ground before stopping, arms shaking as he tried to get up.

"That's enough," Kuga raised an arm, stepping in as Tsunotori obeyed, hopping off her arms and turning towards the towering Pro Hero. "Shower up and rest. We'll go on patrol in two hours' time. If you need to visit the infirmary, do so."

"Yes, Orca-san." Tsunotori bowed respectfully, stepping away and heading towards the main dorms as she paused, looking at the panting Bakugo who was on his knees. Stoically, she turned and made her way out of the gym.

Orca walked over, his lumbering form towering over the exhausted blonde as he looked up. Kuga reached into the pocket of his massive killer whale coat and handed him a washcloth to wipe up the sweat. The boy took it, wiping his face. "You've lost your drive boy," he observed.

"It's nothing. I need to focus."

"You're going to need more than focus," Kuga replied. "Your style is completely out of sync. Your body is reacting, yet you hold back and are unable to follow through." Bakugo growled, looking away.

"I know."

"Then if you know, follow through and defeat your opponent." Orca growled, and the blonde gripped his knee with his hand.

"I'm trying."

"You were able to defeat her before. What's the problem now?" Kuga crossed his arms again, looking down at him. This time, Bakugo gave no answer, looking away as if he didn't want to answer, yet he knew.

Kuga sighed. "I'll teach you a method that will help clear your head." Bakugo looked back up finally. The towering whale man pulled out his special custom phone and tapped the screen several times. "It will be valuable as well, as we plan on covering ways of stress relief and flexibility, both of which are important for heroes like us. We will do it together tonight after our patrol. Now get cleaned up and showered. We're going to be covering the Marina tonight. The town Festival will be taking place this weekend, so we will need to know the area like the back of your hand. Well, you and Tsunotori at least."

With his piece said and with a flourish of his black and white Orca cape, Gang Orca marched away. "Gang Orca." Kuga paused, looking back with a red eye as Bakugo got to his feet. "What're we gonna be doin?"

"Yoga." Kuga said. "Rest up. You have…" He looked up at the clock again. "An hour and fifty-five minutes before I expect you to be out in the lobby in your gear. That is all."

(X)

The skyrise of Tokyo passed in a blur as a blob of green lightning zipped across the rooftops. A single step effortlessly carried Izuku from one rooftop to the next. The wind roared in his ears, his feet skipping across the roofs like he weighed nothing.

And words failed to describe how it felt.

All his life, Izuku had dreamed what it would be like to have a quirk, to have power and do what he wanted to do. Now, with One for All, that dream was a reality.

A reality that was better than he could've ever hoped for.

He leapt from the corner of a roof, latching onto the fire escape and using it like a gymnast rod to swing himself forward even farther. The power in his limbs coiled and shot out, making the world blur once more.

When it refocused again, Izuku was soaring straight over two buildings.

Only to realize mid-flight that he wouldn't make it to the last one! He'd hit pavement!

A scream built up in his lungs as he began to flail his arms and legs, only to be cut short as a thin line wrapped itself around Izuku. Like a retracting claw it carried him over to the other side of the street, setting him down next to a waiting Edgeshot.

"Remember what I said about exercising restraint?"

"Y-yes sir," Izuku stammered, "I just got-"

His apology was cut short at the sound of a gentle chuckle from the pro.

"Caught up in the moment?" Edgeshot smiled before patting him on the head. "Ahh, first time rooftop hopping. Seems like It was just yesterday that I met that unsure little boy outside of my Agency."

...

"It was three days ago." Izuku pointed out.

Edgeshot ignored him, giving an exaggerated sniffle while wiping a 'tear' from his eye. "You've grown up so much!"

"Uhhh…"

Edgeshot smiled. "Keep your head this time." He said before leaping away, body folding in on itself to make the ninja hero vanish. This time, Izuku measured his steps, taking a deep breath before every jump, just to get the control down.

"You should have seen me when I realized how to manipulate my way through the sound barrier," Edgeshot said, stretching himself over a ventilation shaft, "I was shooting off like a rocket, made my old sensei livid trying to keep up."

"I can't imagine what kind of training you went through," Izuku said, leaning a little too hard on a rooftop. His sneakers left imprints, and he felt really bad, but he had to keep up! "I mean, I've heard a lot of theories."

"Oh?" The ninja said, his visible eye quirking in surprise and amusement. Izuku beamed.

"Yeah, they said that you left society and trained with master assassins in the Kiso Mountains where they taught you the art of stealth. People say that they were grooming you to become the next heir to their assassin cult so you could send their ninja all across Japan and conquer it from within!"

Edgeshot stopped at the edge of a roof, his single eye blinking. The green haired boy blushed, clamming up.

"C-Course I don't believe them, it's just a stupid idea that people made up to try and put some story to your background so of course it doesn't make any-"

"Ah, the Cult of Control," Edgeshot said, "I was wondering when someone would piece together their whereabouts."

Izuku blinked once, twice.

Edgeshot shook his head, wistfully looking into the distance, perhaps to that same mountain range.

"Kiso, those were the days. Training began at dawn and only ended when my masters told me it was over. Brutal training, dodging the strikes of a dozen fighters while I balanced on a single spike. Swordplay on a frozen lake, where one mistake dropped me into the frigid waters below."

Izuku didn't know what to say, this was so cool! This was the backstory of the ninja hero, and he was explaining it to him! Where the heck was his notebook? He had to write this down, this was the biggest piece of lore added to Edgeshot's profile-

"Course then I would stop watching old superhero movies after a night of drinks and snacks and train at a dojo in downtown Tokyo." Izuku deflated like a balloon as he limply fell to the roof.

… it was fake, of course it was fake.

"Sorry to destroy your dreams."

"I-It's fine."

"Though, I must admit," the hero said, crossing the gap between buildings with Izuku close by, "It is rather amusing to hear what people come up with for my origin story."

"It's!" Izuku screamed, steadying himself from a less than graceful landing, "Just that everyone doesn't know very much about you. You've only taken three interviews, and all of them were from your debut. Though ..."

"Something on your mind, young Midoryia?" Edgeshot asked, stopping at the edge overlooking the town square. Below them, the bustling streets were crowded with everyday civilians trying to get to work, or school, or simply find something to do with their time as the day went by.

Izuku awkwardly took a spot next to him, letting the aura of One for All drop. The fizzle of electrical energy left him feeling like he'd just finished a marathon, but unlike other times, it felt like he was just taking off a heavy coat.

"I was wondering, why don't you take interviews?"

The ninja glanced to the side, "Why do you ask?"

"I-It's just that you're in the Top Ten, and the others average at least one every two months."

"Except for me," Edgeshot finished.

Izuku nodded.

"A fair question, truth be told I didn't enter the game aiming for the top. All Might deserved the screen time and the praise, and I realized very early on that it wasn't for me." Edgeshot said.

"S-so you didn't want to be in the Top Ten?"

"It was a dream of mine," Edgeshot admitted, "There's no student of a hero academy that graduates without hoping to earn themselves one of the coveted top ten spots. I'm simply lucky that my-" he stopped, chuckling slightly, "-mysterious persona allowed for a fanbase. I was simply filling the best role that I could; wasn't trying to gain anything, it simply worked out in my favor."

Izuku nodded, taking in every word, only to frown.

"Role? Like as a hero?"

"Precisely," Edgeshot said, single eye smiling down at his intern, "As smart and as talented of heroes that we are, there's a simple lesson that seems to go over everyone's heads."

He pointed down at the people.

"Look at them, do you think they can see us?"

Izuku squinted, watching the dozens of people go by. Yet as he watched, none of them looked up. In fact, none of them bothered to so much as look at the person next to them.

"They can't see us, but we still help where we can," Edgeshot said, "We are unnoticed, yet we can do good. As shining a beacon that he is, not every hero needs to be someone like All Might. As much as we might want to, we cannot simply hope to copy what he is for generations to come. Every one of us needs to decide how we will give everyone hope. Some heroes, like myself, work best in the shadows, watching out for the things that try to take out the symbols that people do look up to. You…"

He stopped, and Izuku got the feeling that the hero was smiling behind his mask.

"You'll know what kind of hero you'll need to be soon, I can tell."

Izuku didn't know what to say. He just stared at the ninja, no, the hero as he rose from his position.

"For now, I think it's time we returned to base. Nothing to report and that gives us plenty of time to work on your fine control the rest of the day, Deku."

Izuku shot to his feet, One for All coursing over him.

"I'll do it!"

"You better, we're running out of chopsticks. Can't imagine you liking those protein bars constantly either."

Izuku's shoulders slumped, and Edgeshot couldn't help but laugh.

(X)

"Jeez!" Peter yelped as he avoided a kick from Mirko, both now decked out in practice boxing gear. Custom-made to repel even gunshots the Pro Heroine said, but those kicks and jabs he had avoided might as well be on par if not more dangerous than bullets.

Especially the kicks!

"Come on! Counterattack!" The bronze heroine egged him on with a dangerous grin, throwing more haymakers with her gloves as Peter deftly dodged each strike by a hair, of his protective mask that is. Peter ground his teeth and threw a punch, only for the Rabbit Hero to sidestep and Peter's Spider Sense blared in warning.

He jumped back, avoiding a sweeping kick that sent a gust of wind out as he stepped backward, arms raised. Mirko got back up, bouncing on her feet as she let out an audible groan.

"I said…" And she jumped up, glaring. Then she vanished and-Spider Sense!

Peter ducked as Mirko kicked at the spot where his head was only a moment before. "Counterattack!"

They had been doing this all morning. The last two days had consisted of patrol duty after the first day and small film study. He had kept up well with her, helping snatch up some robbers and purse snatchers on their way around the greater Tokyo area. It was the most fun Peter had found yet, going through the buildings and web-slinging around. It was clear that the Rabbit Hero noticed, and took it upon herself to shake things up.

And now he was here sparing with her in padded gear, jabbing at her as fast as he could.

Only for Mirko to make herself skinny with a pivot, avoiding the punch to the abdomen as he slowed down, and Peter ducked under the slinging punch…

He felt the sense flare as he raised a hand to his face, and caught the knee that sent him off his feet and to the rubber mat of the sparring gym. He skidded back, grunting with each landing as he skipped like a thrown stone on a pond. Sheeesh, she hit hard!

"I saw that, ya slowed down!" Mirko jawed, hands on her hips as Peter rolled back to his feet and got back up, sweat glistening off of him and her. "What, afraid to hurt a Pro Hero or somethin'?"

"N-No! I mean-"

"Then what!?" She barked. "You could have gotten a good kidney shot on me but ya didn't. Why?"

Peter bit his lip and looked to the side. "I mean…"

"What, I'm not a big enough girl for ya?" She egged him on, bending over as Peter noticed her… chest bounce lightly. "That'll go over well when a villain with a pussy decides to mug a bank and shit! Imagine that, you, the 'Frienduri Neighbarhoodo Spider-Man'," She was mocking as she spoke in quotes and in a mocking voice. He regretted giving out his title when he helped that lady catch her dog off the leash now… a little. "Lets a villain get off easy because of chivalry and ya wanted to stick it in'er!"

"That's not true!" Peter yelled, indignant. Mirko smirked.

"Prove it then. We've been at this for two hours and ya still haven't laid a good hit on me!" Mirko licked her lips and grinned dangerously. "Your endless stamina ain't worth fuckin' nothin' if you can't follow through on subduin' a villain of any gender, creed, or race. Now get your ass off the mat and come at me!" She beckoned, bouncing on her feet as Peter stood up, taking a deep breath.

"So… You want me to go faster?"

"Yeah! Show me those moves ya did in the Sports Festival! That speed and power!" She patted her rib guard, face guard and gloves. "These things are made of a special alloy and leather that can even stop a high-speed car in its tracks!"

"Well, this is new to me! Haven't sparred like this in… forever!"

"Ya ain't in Kansas anymore! You're here with me! Now empty the clip!"

Peter took a deep exhale, bouncing on his feet. The way Mirko moved that time… she was going so fast he couldn't even see her move! He inhaled and focused.

"Don't cry if I leave a bruise on ya!" Peter declared, and charged. Mirko's ears twitched as she ducked a high jump kick from the brown-haired boy as he landed meters away. Sense tingling, Peter raised both arms to block a spinning axe kick from the bronze-skinned woman. He caught it and was sent to the ground, but his legs absorbed the blow as it made the gym quake. He lifted his arms and followed through, aiming a haymaker at her face. Mirko dodged to the side, and Peter's head moved to avoid a jab.

He jumped, avoiding a sweeping kick as he lashed out with a strike of his own, only for the Rabbit Hero to dodge his attack and respond with an uppercut. Peter twirled in mid-air with a punch. Yet it was caught by a raised knee, absorbing the blow as Mirko's knee guards caught the fist, and she twirled as Peter's momentum made him lose his balance from the block as he fell. He saw her pivoting again to deliver a kick to the face…

Peter's hand lashed out to the ground and pushed up, rising above the kick as he was now head to head with the white haired woman, who was smiling widely.

Peter lashed with a jab. A jab with too much speed and strength that would have caught any other opponent square in the cheek.

She was no such thing. Mirko finished her pivot and ducked as she seemed to flip, and she was about to deliver a paylay kick, her kick coming down like a tomahawk! Peter swerved to make himself skinny, using his arm to bat it aside and divert her trajectory as she launched off her feet… only for the kick to never come and Peter's Sense tingled.

A jab came at his crown as he was unable to defend, and the blow sent him into the ground. Hard. Hard enough to make the gym equipment rattle as Peter hit the mat.

"Owwwww…" Peter groaned, before he felt his Sense tingle again and he rolled, avoiding an axe kick as he kicked up to his feet, and Mirko was on him.

"Now now now! I ain't satisfied with that!" Mirko yelled, battlelust flowing through her wild ruby-red eyes as she came with a jabbing kick from her strong toned legs. Peter sidestepped and came in with a punch, and he increased the speed… Faster!

Only for Mirko to dodge, but he grazed her protective mask which made the woman's eyes widen for a moment in their close tango, drops of sweat in the air as they dodged and exchanged blows. Her grin returned in full force. Sense flaring up, Peter reacted with a roundhouse kick of his own.

And the two kicks collided, shin-guard to shin-guard. Peter grit his teeth, staring with determination at the smirking Mirko.

"You're gettin' faster. Holdin' out on me still, Parker?" She mused.

"Maybe." Peter replied, feeling his heart pump and endorphins flow.

"Then go faster!" She vanished with a kick of her leg against the mat.

For Peter the world was a blur as he responded in kind, kicking up the mats as he felt his Spider Sense tingle in his head as he saw how fast she was. They came close, exchanging jabs and dodging. His edge, his Spider Sense. Her's, experience and speed. He dodged and swerved while keeping a low balance, his Sense guiding him in avoiding blows left to right within the seconds of time flowing by. Yet it felt like an eternity for him. He rolled through her strikes, responding in kind, faster than before as he grazed her gear, but couldn't lay in a good hit.

The world continued to blur as he twirled and jumped through the air, landing on all fours and charging with a burst of speed from his legs at the woman who was still in mid-pivot. She turned, eyes widened…

Peter's sense tingled as he tried to make himself skinny with a sideways twirl, arms raised above his head…

And caught a kick to the head that sent him flying to the ceiling. He grunted as he landed backfirst against the mat-covered ceiling. Peter saw stars and the air was knocked out of him as he landed back to the ground in a heap. "Ooof!" He groaned on the ground before feeling a shadow. Rolling on his back, he took in breaths of oxygen at the panting Pro Heroine as she cast a large shadow over him.

"Even with that increased…" She said, hands on her hips. "Speed of yours… Still can't land a hit. But..." Mirko patted her gear, noticeable blemishes seen from his strikes as she smiled, nodding. "Not bad." She offered a hand, and Peter grunted, taking it as she helped him up.

"Thanks…" Peter groaned as he stretched out his muscles, shaking his head to regain his composure. "Wanna go again?"

"Later. Smell that?" Mirko said, finger pointed as Peter took in deep breaths of oxygen. He sniffed the air, catching a peculiar aroma.

"Oh! It's like a… teriyaki thingy? And… tea?"

"Lunchtime!" From the top of the stairs leading into the office, Nakiri was there and holding a tray with rice bowls and a kettle of tea! She walked down the steps as Mirko and Peter sauntered on over. "I could hear the office shake around! You two have so much energy!"

"Yeah, Parker's still holdin' back. I just gotta bring it outta him." Mirko went over and poured herself some green tea from the kettle into a cup, and brought it to her lips as the Tanuki lady set the food on a table. Peter took the rice bowls and broke up the chopsticks, eating a bit after the small secretary poured him a cup and set it beside him.

"You're super strong yourself. Fast too!" Mirko smirked under the praise.

"I ain't a Top Ten Hero for nothin'!" She jeered as she sipped her cup. "Haaaa… juuuust the stuff!" She got her rice bowl, broke up her set of chopsticks, and began to scarf it down, eating at a faster pace than the American boy. "So, why didja not hit me?" She asked with her mouth full as Peter ate from his bowl.

"Well…" He swallowed some meat as he grabbed a towel off to the side and wiped his face. "You're that good?"

"Heh, nice summation, but c'mon, try expandin' on it a little." The white-haired woman said as she sipped some tea and leaned back on her bench.

"Uhhh… you're too fast and experienced? I've only been fighting seriously like this for the past year or so. Before that it has, well, largely been a breeze and I've never fought anyone as fast as you."

"Better. You have good speed and power in your strikes, the problem is..." She pointed a pair of chopsticks at him as she clenched a piece of stir fry. "You've been fightin' crap made outta cardboard for so long that you don't know how to recognize when it's time to cut loose and by the time you realize it you're already half-tired." She swallowed it and chewed as Peter sipped some tea. He blanched a little, but he didn't want to offend her so he kept drinking. It did have a unique herbal taste. Maybe it was an acquired one?

"I can't just swing for the fences at every random guy on the street."

"No. But that doesn't mean you can't actually go showin' some initiative and find ways to train your speed and strength on your own. The bad guy that can take your punch isn't gonna announce himself in advance for you to get ready to switch gears and get yourself used to fightin' at that level again. Use it or lose it, kid."

"So… I just need to get used to fighting at that speed and strength, huh?"

"Yeah, but speed more than anythin'. Again, you don't do it so much that when you go at those speeds you're relyin' on that Spider Sense bullshit. And yeah it's useful but at your level, at those speeds you're usin' it like a crutch." She pointed her chopsticks at him again. "Be honest, that kick that sent you to the roof, you never even saw it did you?"

He rubbed his jaw, feeling the phantom pain. "Nah, I didn't."

"See what I mean?" She grinned, too pleased with herself before going back to her bowl. "You also lose your creativity when you're goin' all out. When you're breezin you do all these flips and get creative because you're comfortable, ya got time to think. When you're pressed you go back to basics, so your strikes were good, but predictable." Mirko smirked as she grabbed a towel and wiped her face and arms a bit, taking a break from eating as she unclipped her sparring gear. "Mix it up, I don't need no Spider Sense to dodge a telegraphed-to-hell-and-back right hook."

Peter took that advice in, furrowing his brow as he made sense of her words.

"Now hurry up and finish eatin'." She picked up her bowl as she got up, walking off and out of the gym. Nakiri was busy picking up the sweaty sparring gear. "We gotta do some film, then we shower!"

"Really?" Peter mused to himself as he ate.

"She likes to get things out of the way before she can reward herself with a shower." The tanuki lady said with a smile as she had a big bundle of the special Detenrat-model gear in her arms. "That's the kind of woman Usagiyama Rumi is!" She chuckled as she hummed, walking over to the side. "Oh and don't be afraid to leave your gear as well, Parker-san. I'll pick them up." Peter looked up as he had half-finished his bowl. He set it down, and followed the much shorter woman as he began to remove his gear.

"Don't worry, lemme help." Peter took off his boxing mask, arm guards and light gloves before going for his knee guards, setting them down on the table as Nakiri set them all down.

"Oh thank you! Well, better take your rice bowl up to Mirko-san!" She beamed. "I'll get to work on sanitizing these." Peter stretched out and rubbed his limbs before he looked down and nodded.

"Thank you Nakiri-san. You do so many things around here, I hope you get some semblance of a break!" He wasn't wrong. Nakiri basically waited hand and foot on Mirko, giving her food and cleaning up after herself in the gym, all while being her secretary and talking to government officials and sponsors! The woman seemed to take it in stride as well.

"Oh I do! Whenever Mirko-san is out on her country-wide patrols, I tend to use that time to have a break around here and hit the local onsen or bar hop!" Nakiri waved her hand. "So I'm not being run to the bone. I work hard, and when I get the chance, I play hard!"

"Well, you do you then." Peter rolled his neck as he leapt up the stairs and landed on the wall, sticking to it and jumping back down, all with his bowl in hand and chopsticks in his teeth. He waved, the tanuki woman waving back before she got to work and the American left the gym.

Mirko sat in the mini-theater, lounging back and the screen already on. Peter took his seat, feeling odd doing this while still sweaty. "Don't worry, we'll get through this and get our showers. For now..." She clicked on the remote, and the clip began to play of Peter's fight against Shiozaki. "We critique ya like a Picasso."

Peter watched as the fight played out, him dodging Shiozaki's mass array of vines as he fired web bullets in futility. Mirko made a sound. "Ehh, it's not a bad thing to poke a bit at a distance, although it was kind of a waste after you saw the first few shots not do anything. Save your ammo, but minor nitpick all'n'all."

"Gotta keep her honest." Peter shrugged.

"Our quirks aren't the biggest and flashiest, but what we lack in size, we make up for in power and precision when it counts. Now this is a tournament setting, so it's not like you could have gotten a head start. But, gimme your assessment on if Shiozaki was a villain doing that in say… a boulevard. Around here in Endo." Mirko asked as she paused the clip, looking over to her charge as Peter cupped his chin, thinking.

"Well… if it's on a street, I would use my webbing and the buildings to my advantage to get to her as fast as-" He was cut off from the sound of her blowing a raspberry with her tongue out. Peter puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.

"Slow again." Mirko sighed. "Cut out the first part and stick with the second part of your answer there. Gotta stop overthinkin' this shit. You can run on walls and jump really high. The web is a tool, not the 'be all and end all' as you keep relyin' on it. You swingin' takes time to accelerate from a dead stop at ground level. Either rush'em before they can sink their teeth into the environment or get somewhere or to something you can use, don't dance so much around a problem. Tackle it."

"Well, I can't just blitz jump towards someone like that to stop them if their quirk can dig under concrete and steel." Mirko rolled her head towards him, making Peter confused on why she gave the biggest "bitch you serious" look. She raised her hand and tapped on the remote as Peter turned to the screen.

There was himself, roaring like an enraged beast and charging at Bakugo, his very push off the tile causing the stone to erupt as if a grenade erupted there. And right there in the middle, was All Might, stopping him.

Peter went perfectly still.

"You can. Dumbass."

"Different opponent" He protested quietly, lips tight.

"Same principle." She shot back. "You wanna know why I rank higher than quirks that can have people turn into dragons or move at hypersonic speeds or can summon cyclones as a fuckin' washing machine? It's because I don't give people time. Before they even realize what's goin' down I'm already right on top of them, applying maximum force in the shortest amount of time. It wins a lot of fights and gives you a leg up against a lot of crap that won't go down on the first hit. There's a lot of crap out there and your tactics need to adapt but the biggest thing is like I've been tellin you, stop hesitating. It's like you're waitin' for someone to give you an order or somethin'?" She asked, eyeing Peter hard. "It's like you're used to being told what to do, when you have the power to take the initiative and not be some bottom bitch."

Peter took a breath, listening, his eyes turned to the still frozen image of Bakugo, All Might and himself

"What. Regrettin' you turnin' that explodey brat's arm into a twizzler?" Mirko drawled.

"No. It's..." Peter trailed off, his tone low.

"So, I guess Hand Grenade did get under your skin after all. He was yappin' his gums a lot when I watched the fight... Then lemme give you a piece of advice. Don't." Mirko stated. Peter stared at the floor.

"Parker." Peter felt his sense flare up and turned, catching the remote she lazily tossed at him, yet the stern glare was on her visage. "Villains will do whatever they can to get an edge, and they will do that by talkin' to mess with your head." She pointed as highlights played of Peter and Bakugo engaging in the tango of blows and dodges being exchanged. The dodging and tanking of Explosions, the exploding blonde dodging his blows and kicked tile projectiles from the skin of his teeth...

"I know." Peter looked down at the floor, voice soft, but like steel.

Mirko was silent, blinking before looking at the screen. She held out a hand, and Peter handed the remote back to the bronze-skinned woman. The sweat was making him irritated. He wanted a shower. The clip was paused on the barred teethed, wide-eyed, battle rage'd Peter being held, his shoulder against All Might's abdomen and clenched fist lashed out towards the prone and shocked Bakugo. Seeing the look now…

Peter saw how… damn similar he looked to whenever Bakugo fought. As he thought about it more…

Bakugo talked as much as he did.

"Are we almost done?" He asked, in English as he lapsed. He wanted a fucking shower now.

"Nah." Mirko answered back in English before she returned to Japanese. "Was thinking is all. Anyway, the way you acted throughout the fight, and how you managed to lay in some blows and that last charge? You could have ended it much sooner, but given how the kid got into your head, you dragged it out. Didn't you?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded, scowling as he looked away.

"If a villain you could beat in two blows talks and talks, and you drag out the fight to say, two minutes and change just to prove a point. What could happen? Just throw darts. I'm waiting." Mirko crossed her arms, glaring at her charge with red eyes boring into him. Peter closed his own as he thought.

"Maybe he has… comrades taking part in a heist, or a hostage or-"

"Exactly." Mirko cut him off, glaring at him. "We're heroes first and foremost, and while I understand that the Sports Festival means that ya gotta put on a show, if you have the power to end fights as soon as possible, do it. Pro Heroes will notice that, even if the public doesn't. You're young and a first year, so I can get you not understandin' that. But that level of pettiness to beat up a guy who badmouthed you and the recklessness to go in and take unnecessary damage when you could have ended it sooner is fuckin' retarded."

"He badmouthed them not me!" Peter lashed out in English, breathing hard as Mirko paused. Realizing his error, he turned and took a deep breath. "Sorry…" His tone wasn't as steely and cold as before. "I won't let it happen again. This," He waved a hand, unable to look at himself in the paused clip. "I mean."

Mirko was silent, taking an inhale through her nose. "Okay then. About time we have a shower." She got up, stretching as Peter did so. "Parker." He paused in his walking out of the room, looking back. "You have a power that's damn similar to mine, so I'm only tellin' ya what I would do. And it got me to Number Seven in the charts. If you wanna go far, put that power of yours to good use." She turned off the TV and walked with him, patting the taller and younger boy on the shoulder.

Peter looked at the Pro Heroine, seeing her ruby-red eyes soften lightly as she gave a smirk and a nod, walking past. He followed soon after, happily to bathe under a shower, then relaxing to some tunes with Karen.

(X)

Shigaraki Tomura stared down at the glass of alcohol in his hands. It was supposed to calm him, to make things feel better, it was what alcohol was supposed to do. He was of age after all.

It was also supposed to make you forget things, but that wasn't happening. Every time that Tomura closed his eyes, that stupid fucking smirk from the psycho Stain was there.

"If you're the real deal that is."

What the hell did he know? He'd only been in the news for a few weeks at most. The League of Villains literally walked into the greatest hero academy in Japan, broke it's students and got away!

Though not without… injuries.

He reached up, grasping his face. It should be covered. His father should be there, holding him, making it better. His grip on him tightening. To remind him.

Yet he wasn't, all because that bitch killed his Noumu, that spider wasn't useful enough to die, and the green fucker who took his father away. They would pay, they would decay from this world inch by fucking inch! Then the rest of the world after!

Tomura stopped, and looked down. His glass was gone, the drink spilling over the countertop. Kurogiri wordlessly took a rag and wiped away the drink. Then a second later, another drink slid its way into Tomura's waiting grasp. Looked like bourbon again this time.

"Next time, tequila." The teal-haired youth growled.

"Of course." Kurogiri obliged.

Ah, yes, this was why he hadn't killed them yet. Tomura had to wait. After the nerf that he suffered in the last raid battle, he had to play it safe. Or else the heroes would come. They would act like they would go out to put a stop to him in the name of justice or some shit.

But they'd just be going after him because he hurt them, and they thought that he deserved to be punished for it.

Self-righteous hypocrites. They'd already hurt him more than he could ever hurt them.

Especially All Might.

The Symbol of Peace, making kids capable of taking away his fun, breaking his horde and ruining their lives all with that fucking smile on his face. He wouldn't be smiling when Shigaraki put his hands around the blonde mistake's throat!

Tomura turned, and on the wall, the torn poster of All Might continued to stare back at him. With a flash of movement, he threw his stool to the side and clawed for the edge. He dug his fingers into the brick as he tore the poster from the wall. Pain flared from his now bleeding fingertips, but he didn't grimace from the pain.

It tickled.

He slumped back in a chair, grabbing his glass as he sauntered by the bar and forced all the burning liquid down his throat.

It had a decent aftertaste, but he forced it down, letting his pinky come down and turn the glass to dust for no other reason than he fucking felt like making it dust! In the corner of his eye, Shigaraki knew that Kurogiri was looking at him.

Bloodshot eyes snapped to the mass of purple and yellow mist. The warp user didn't respond, only turning away, and getting ready to make something else for whatever villain that came next. Probably the tequila he commanded.

Unlike some other villain that was running around right now.

"Teacher," he growled out.

At the end of the bar, the tv station that was normally just playing static suddenly connected. Only a message of 'audio only' was on screen, but that was all that it took to make Kurogiri shiver where he was.

"Tomura, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Teacher asked in a calm and simple tone.

Normally, it was nice to hear that tone. It reminded Shigaraki that he still needed to wait, that there needed to be a plan.

Now though… he didn't fucking care.

"I wanna-no… I need to do something," Tomura hissed.

"Oh?" Teacher asked, amused, "And what would that be?" Kurogiri had brought Stain in from that ward… which meant...

"Hosu, I want it to be on fire."

There was a beat of silence from the other end of the monitor. He could hear what he thought was shifting, as Teacher no doubt adjusted his position within his healing chair.

"Hosu? Might I ask why you want that city gone? Aren't there more immediate targets for you to, as you would say, send a raid party to?"

"Yeah," Tomura admitted, "But they don't matter. He's not in other cities, he's in Hosu."

"He?" Teacher asked.

And somehow, the question seemed to be directed more towards Kurogiri than Shigaraki. Which was fine, he didn't want to talk about that prick anyway.

"As you suggested, we retrieved the Hero Killer and offered a place here within the League of Villains."

"And judging from Tomura's reaction the meeting went in… unforeseen directions."

"I wasn't ever going to work with him," Tomura growled darkly. "The preachy prick."

"I never said that I thought you were wrong to turn him away," Teacher said, again, his tone calm and smooth, "In fact, I'm impressed that you were able to gleam your compatibility within so little time. Recognizing who is worth bringing into the fold and who is worth ignoring is a skill that will serve you well." The young man felt his heart tickle a bit with pride and praise, but the drunken rage still took over.

"Why the fuck would I ignore them?" Tomura asked as he got off the chair and leaned against the bar, "If I turn them to dust for pissing me off, then there's no problem."

"Ahhhh, I believe I see the connection here." Teacher was smiling no doubt, putting it together. "You want to destroy Stain for his slight against you?"

"It's not just a slight!" Tomura roared, his fist slamming into the bar counter, "He stood there, he looked down on me, and questioned if I was the real deal. ME!!! There's no one else in this fucking world more ready to bring chaos and devastation to every fucking part of this broken society yet he thinks that just because he's got some fancy title, some knives, and killed some low ranking randos that he can judge if I'm the real deal or not?" He ranted, red eyes boring into the TV. "He's insulting me, he's insulting you! He's insulting every one of us that know exactly what we're going to do to rip this world up from the roots!"

The teal-haired youth stopped, panting as he struggled to fill his lungs with air once more. Kurogiri didn't move, Teacher said nothing.

Which was fan-fucking-tastic!

"Burning down Hosu will be a start, a message that no matter who you are, what you do for a living or whatever the world fucking calls you, you're still just here because the League of Villains hasn't noticed you yet. There's no team that you can hide behind, no Symbol of Peace that can run to save you when we come after you. There's just what you did, and the fucking consequences to follow!" He held a hand out. "And I wanna destroy! I wanna smell char! Blood! Burnt meat! Hear those pathetic normies of society scream in terror and despair as they die on the curbside! And this society will never be able to sleep in their beds." He grinned widely, too wide as his red eyes bulged where his hand-mask should have been. "Calmly and safely, even with the Symbol of Peace still roving about…" He leered into the TV, salivating. "They will know… that we are here…"

Teacher remained quiet behind the monitor as Tomura panted, glaring at the screen.

"You wish for Noumu, yes?" He asked.

"Yeah… an army of 'em." The youth licked his lips. "What better way to show'em fear, than showing that we have more than one Noumu!"

"You'll get your Noumu Tomura, but not an army." Tomura froze, ready to object before Teacher continued. "I will give you fifteen, and only three on a more advanced level."

"As strong as the one made to kill All Might?" Tomura leaned forward in anticipation.

"Not as advanced, but better than most of the rabble. At this stage, you want to make a statement, not a manifesto." Teacher said from his end of the feed. "I trust you'll know what to target then?"

"Yeah…" Tomura narrowed his eyes. "I got an idea. I'll be lookin' on down from the balcony seats. As much as a Splash Zone would be fun to sit in…" He scratched his neck, remembering U.A. and the phantom pain in his teeth, upper lip and nose. "I remember the last time that happened."

"Good. I will get them ready." Teacher replied, his tone evident from a pleased smirk. "Kurogiri, ready Mid-Ends Seven, Ten, and Twenty-Two. Take twelve of the common Noumu with you as well to back them up."

"As you wish sir." Kurogiri had a hand over his chest, bowing lightly in compliance. "Shigaraki." The man turned to his accomplice, and saw the black mist villain expand and consume him.

Before long, the warm ambiance of the bar was gone, and in its place was the warm humid May evening air. Tomura looked around, observing the skyline of Tokyo, and before him the mass expanse of a certain Ward. They were on top of a building, specifically on a large water tower.

"This is Hosu, huh?" He asked, arms crossed. "Looks too damn clean." His red eyes turned towards a collection of taller buildings and bundled lights.

Yeees… that will do. "And too… lively."

He could hear the light sound of Kurogiri's warp expanding as Tomura stood atop the tower. He scratched his neck as the wheels in his head spun. "Stain… he was too high and mighty. Who the fuck does he think he is? I actually attacked an installation, an institution wrought with those hero maggots, and all he does is pick off small fry." He ranted to himself.

"He's done more damage in the short term, however, you can make an argument Shigaraki, that Stain is benefitting Heroes." Tomura growled from Kurogiri's comment.

"That so?"

"Yes. All across Honshu, specifically here in the Tokyo Wards, the areas he has appeared in have seen crime drop across the board. Some theorize that it's tied to an increase in hero awareness, as if he is a wake up call for them to be better." Tomura turned, his red eyes glaring into his black-mist handler. "I am only speaking as the devil's advocate, and besides, if Stain is gone..."

"Then the heroes can be lax. And what better way to flush out an annoying wasp from the hive," Tomura crossed his arms. "Than to set the entire tree ablaze? He's more like a Hero Breeder, the fucking hypocrite." He sighed, hearing the growls and groans behind him. "If Stain wants to kill those pathetic heroes, let him." He raised his hand, eyes fixed onto the distract a mile away.

"That area!" He said, unturning towards his biomechanical monsters. "Go there, and when you do… Destroy anything and everything! Kill everyone!!"

And he stood tall, feeling three massive shadows loom behind him as Tomura let out a smirk, seeing them take off with mighty leaps, and a pattering of footsteps as the man-sized Low Ends followed with their gangly arms and legs. "I'll let you fall with the very heroes you're aiming to purify! Die under my Noumu, or be arrested, locked away to await a firing squad. Pick how you choose to die, Hero Killer! That'll be the only benefit of me, the real deal, meeting you!"

(X)

As expected of his father's hero agency, the number of options available for dinner was far more than any reasonable person would need. Shoto just picked up a bento box and sat down in the enormous cafeteria. It wasn't as big as the one within his father's normal facility, but even the short notice of his father's agency arriving was little more than a slight panic attack to the Hosu Branch Office of the Endeavor Agency. Most of the work here was in accordance with training him and the other sidekicks, according to his father.

And surprisingly, only one of the sidekicks decided to sit with him. Burnins had more energy than his sister, which was a welcome development.

It distracted from the fact that he was actually doing this internship.

As uncomfortable as it was in some situations, Shoto couldn't say that the situation didn't have it's upsides. The amount of field experience that he was getting was frankly staggering. His father's reputation of having the most victories of any other hero was well-earned. The number of patrols that he took with his sidekicks put all others to shame.

Shoto had only been on half of them, the other half he was in the training room getting a hand on his left side. The choice had barely been his. After he showed off his fire in the festival, and after using it during some of the field assignments, Shoto's father had put him on mandatory training so that he didn't overuse it.

It would be heartwarming, if Shoto didn't know that his father did it mostly so Shoto wouldn't have any apprehensions of using it in the field.

It was Burnins that was assigned as his mentor for the training sessions. Her own fire quirk wasn't as destructive as his own, but her control was amazing. The golden fire-haired girl's advice had been quite the boon.

Also her loud personality made it so that she was the only one that really talked to him during his lunch and dinner breaks. Even now she sat across from him, munching on the meal of the day while talking about something or other. She did most of the talking really, Shoto answered with simple and quick answers.

He didn't know about the current subject as he had lost track of what she was talking about ten minutes ago. Something about advice, apparently she had a lot to say about it if she hadn't stopped talking.

"So if she's still talking to you, she's interested, get what I'm saying?"

Shoto looked up from his box. Should he nod here? Probably, so he did. A good choice as Burnins looked rather pleased with herself after the answer. Poking the last of his food, Shoto glanced around at the other heroes. Some of them glanced back, some waved, but most seemed to be focused on one thing or another.

"But enough of that, you on for the away?" Burnins asked.

Shoto nodded, "Father says that we're almost finished being in Hosu."

"Yeah, don't ask me why though, the big man has kept that little tidbit to himself."

The blonde heroine glanced around before leaning in slightly.

"Rumor is though, that he's trying to go after the Hero Killer."

Hero Killer. That name struck a chord with Shoto. In the back of his mind, he remembered hearing something about Iida's brother being attacked by the killer. He'd managed to escape with his life, a luxury that many other heroes targeted by the Hero Killer didn't seem to share.

Hence why the villain had gotten this title.

"How does my fa-" he stopped himself, and took a deep breath, "Endeavor, know the Hero Killer is in Hosu?"

"No clue," Burnis admitted, "Maybe a tip? Maybe he noticed a pattern. Lotta people see Boss-man as a big brute, but he's got a pretty good head on his shoulders."

Shoto declined to comment.

"However he did it, he's shooting for the big prey. Hero Killer's been getting some press lately, so it's only a matter of time before some hero takes him out."

"What makes you think it would be that simple?" Shoto asked.

Burnins shrugged, the golden fire-haired woman looking off to the side. "Just a feeling. He's been hitting some of the smaller heroes, but he's been avoiding some of the bigger fish. Chances are pretty good that he's got something up his sleeve if he's managed to get this far, but the second he bites off more than he can chew..." A wide dangerous grin appeared on her visage. "A Top Ten is going to come down on him like, well, your dad."

Shoto nodded, made sense he supposed. Throwing his chopsticks in the bento box, Shoto rose from his seat, only to freeze as an unholy alarm blared from all around.

He froze, and Burnins' smile dropped off her face.

From the exit of the station, his father blasted into the room.

"EMERGENCY LEVEL ONE! ALL HANDS ON DECK! WE'RE AT WAR HERE PEOPLE!"

War?

"You heard the man, kid!" Burnins shouted, dragging Shoto with her as she and the other heroes rushed to the exit, his father leading the charge.

It took a few steps, but Shoto fell into place with the rest of them.

His body moved on it's own, conditioned to follow and react. Even still his mind asked the burning question...

What the hell was attacking?

(X)

One minute she was doing meditation, the next sirens blared out and she was in her hero costume, getting into a helicopter. The actions were automatic, a testament to her training. Right across from her was Yoroi Musha. She clipped the seatbelts across her chest and put on the helmet with the mic attached.

"Good reaction time." Musha said as the chopper began to take off. She turned, seeing the other sidekicks, big and small pile into the helicopters and some vehicles within the hanger.

"What's going on?" She asked as the chopper began to fly, and the Castle that served as Musha's agency was before them, the hangar positioned right behind the massive structure in the concrete jungle of Korosanto.

"We have reports of villains attacking the district next door, Endeavor's agency is holdin' on with the Local ones, but these aren't ordinary villains." Said one of the sidekicks in her ear. Judging by the voice, it had to be Genjiro. She turned, seeing the monk-robe clad hero get onto a helicopter.

"Yes, even when burnt and scarred they refuse to yield. These villains, going by the look of them, may not even be human." Said the armored Samurai Hero as he inspected a tablet before handing it to Momo, the girl taking it as she saw the buildings passing by. As she looked at the still camera feeds, her eyes widened.

"How so?" Genjiro asked on the other end. Momo felt her blood turn to ice as Musha and his sidekick's conversation faded in the background.

A hulking black titan with no eyes and a pronounced lower jaw was lifting a bus over its head. A thin gangly green-skinned creature with an open shrieking mouth as it held a Pro Hero by the neck, leaning in to bite as it kept the Hero down with it's long arms. In the background of the sky, a creature with wings and a gas mask burnt into its face.

Another camera shot had another hulking man, with a mask covering most of its head, biting on some harness or bit attached to the helmet, had multiple arms with the hands replaced by chainsaws or drills.

All of their brains were exposed, and if their eyes were seen, they were bulging, bloodshot.

Just like the Noumu from the U.S.J. The one made by the League of Villains to kill All Might. The one that would've torn them apart if they were any slower.

The one she killed to save Parker...

"That look on your face." Momo gasped, looking up, seeing Musha stare directly at her. Through her. "Familiar in some way?"

Momo bit her lip, recalling those memories, how she couldn't sleep a wink after that. She took a deep breath.

"Yes. Musha-san, remember the U.S.J., and how there was a villain who was sent to kill All Might?"

"I do. Are you saying there's a connection?"

"There is, I think." Momo elaborated. "The League of Villains called the villain there a Noumu, and said that it was… 'made' to kill All Might. "

"Made?"

"Yes, as if the… monster was created in a lab, like a Frankenstein's Monster, if… I would put it lightly." Momo held her arm, looking out to the skyline of Korosanto, as she looked up, she could see a trail of smoke. "So… the group of villains attacking Hosu's downtown, are very similar to the monsters created by the League of Villains. They only obey commands from one man…" She remembered him, the youth in black covered in hands. "The leader of the League."

"Shigaraki Tomura." Musha finished, eyes narrowed. "Then defending the civilians against these creatures or finding Shigaraki are the priority. Creati." The teen perked up. "You will run support and aid in any way with evacuations." The chopper was beginning to descend as Momo's blood ran cold at the sound of screams, but she steeled her resolve. "We will do our best to apprehend and defeat them."

She was working with heroes, time to act like one! "Understood."

The trail of smoke caused by the evening winds was visible as Momo looked out through the mirrors to the side, seeing a section of Hosu Ward on fire… with several giant glaciers inbetween.

"Todoroki?" She mused to herself before movement caught her eye, seeing Musha place a hand on his helmet.

"I see." He unbuckled his straps. "Creati. Come. Change of plans." He asked as the hulking Samurai stood up. Wait, why were they leaving the helicopter now?!

"Sir?" She asked as she unbuckled her harness, walking over to the taller man as he patted his armor. His chest flowed, then transformed into a parachute backpack, designed for two people as Momo got the clue. Again, she had skydived before as a child as she went up to him, sliding her arms through the straps and tightening up.

"A distress call came in from a concerned citizen near our vicinity. We're the closest ones. We will intercept before aiding Endeavor and the local Hosu Hero firms." Musha elaborated. His eyes looked to the side as he kept his hand to his ear. "Genjiro, I have something to attend to. Possible villain attack with a Pro Hero in danger. You coordinate with Endeavor when you arrive at the fire zone, understood? I will join you when the matter is settled." The helicopter seemed to rise up into the sky, to give them room to plummet and activate his chute.

"Roger!" Came a loud confirmation from the other end of the comm. A mile or so down the road was a cacophony of destruction, screams, and Quirks being fired about. Downtown Hosu.

"Let's go." Musha leapt out of the chopper, Momo with him, strapped to his transmuted-custom parachute. His chute activated and they sailed towards the ground.

(X)

"Arrrgh!" Tenya yelled as he charged. He'd found him. He'd actually found him!

Tenya saw nothing but red as the armored intern charged the bandaged killer with a downwards axe kick. The Hero Killer dodged back, moving at an accelerated speed that Tenya couldn't fathom. Tenya hissed, eyes narrowed to slits.

Only to get a bladed kick to the shoulder, puncturing his armor and making him wince as he was sent flying right into a dumpster. The bin caved in, Tenya dazed and falling onto all fours as he tried to shake the stars out of his vision.

Then the shadow of a sword came down.

Tenya had the wherewithal to roll and avoid the slash that would have lopped his head off. He crawled back, glaring hard at the killer. "What are you doing here, kid?" The Hero Killer oiled. "A city's burning, and you come for me?"

"Shut up!" Tenya roared, tunneling in on this… monster in human skin as his thruster charged. He'd end this! In one fell swoop! Shoulder tackle him into the wall, or kick him and make him a stain on the brickwork. He might dislocate his shoulder or strain his legs… but that was a price worth paying!

"Recipro!" Just like against Parker, only this time, no web shooters! End it! NOW! "BURST!"

The world was a blur as Tenya's quirk, Engine, picked up into high gear as blue afterburner flames roared out as he charged, murder on his mind.

Yet the bandaged man pivoted, avoiding Tenya's strike as if he knew it was coming. The next thing Tenya knew was agony across his legs as the Hero Killer's sword came down, slashing through his back-leg armor and into his hamstrings.

"Graaaaaah!!" He yelled as he fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut, skidding across the alleyway and landing against the wall, hard against his shoulder. Through the white-hot agony, Tenya felt something pop in his shoulder as his vision blurred. He did his best to move, barely.

"You and your brother are the same, nothing but weak frauds." The Hero Killer hissed as he sneered down at the seething and squirming youth.

"Shut up! You monster!" Tenya yelled, mustering up the power to look up at the approaching man, his blue eyes alight with a fury he never knew he'd possessed. "He's crippled for life because of you! He'll never be a hero again! He's saved… countless people!" He breathed hard, trying to crawl towards the bladed murderer. "He was an amazing leader! And an even better hero!" He thought back to all those times he and Tensei would talk whenever Tensei got off work, eating with the family. He would look so strong and capable, as if he was invincible. Always having a smile on his face. Yet always so humble and willing to give credit to others, yet always needing to work harder!

And to see him maimed like that… Crippled.

"He was the ideal hero! MY hero! My inspiration! And you ruined him, you son of a bitch! I'll kill you!"

"Then if he is your ideal, follow through on it." The Hero Killer hissed as he paused, his red eyes almost looking like they're glowing in the darkness of the alleyway. Then he pointed to the bleeding Native who was slumped against the wall, yet was looking at Tenya and his assailant with widened eyes. "Save him first! Did that thought ever cross your mind? Or were you too obsessed with your own lust for vengeance?"

Tenya breathed hard, the storm raging in his head.

"Real heroes save those in need. They forsake themselves, using their god-given powers for the sake of others. And yet here you are." He looked down on Tenya as if looking at a cockroach before he lifted up his blade to his mouth. "Ranting and raving like some mad dog chasing cars, while people are in need of saving. You truly are..." He said as he licked the blade. "A pathetic fake hero."

And Tenya felt his entire body clench up, freezing on the spot as he found it hard to breathe. He couldn't move! Was… was this it? His Quirk!?

"Although, before I forget. I should purge of that fraud too." The Hero Killer muttered as he turned around, walking away from the surprised youth. The Pro Hero Native further down the alley froze up, eyes wide. The blue-haired boy's heart froze.

"Wait… hang on! Stop!" Tenya urged as he tried to move, but couldn't. The angle he was lying at had him look at the Hero Killer's back as he approached the pro. "L-Leave him alone! I sought you out!" The Hero Killer paused, looking back with judging eyes. "Don't kill him!"

The murderer scoffed. "You should have saved him, when you had the chance." The Pro Hero had his eyes on Tenya as the Hero Killer progressed onward.

"H-Hey! Kid!" The Pro Hero called out, Tenya feeling his blood turn to ice as Native looked terrified at first… before he smiled lightly. "I-It's gonna be okay. Alright?"

"NO! KILL ME! LEAVE HIM BE!" Tenya roared at the top of his lungs as the Hero Killer approached. He grabbed the adult by his hair, his feather that was around his headband coming off and fluttering to the ground. "PLEASE! STOP IT!" The black haired man brought his katana to his neck.

"I, Stain, shall excise you. May your death bring about a pure and more righteous world."

What came next was the sound of serrated steel piercing flesh, and blood bursting out of the Pro Hero's throat as it was cut.

Tenya screamed, tears flowing as he felt guilt crushing him like a car press. The Pro fell to the ground, a crimson pool growing as Stain tossed his body aside.

Stain glared hard as he walked towards the wailing and weeping Tenya. "Save your breath." He sneered as Tenya looked up at him, the blood-red moon overhead as he saw the red-eyed killer gazing down. "You'll be joining him soon enough."

"Go to hell… You fucking demon!" Tenya hissed, eyes burning with hate and sorrow, wishing he was able to move again. Stain scoffed as he approached, blade raised high to bring down.

"You first. I, Stain, shall excise you. May your death bring about a pure and more righteous wor-Gah!" His ritualistic one-liner was cut off as the Hero Killer staggered, turning about as Tenya saw a form tackle into him.

It was some… man, too pale or green-skinned to be normal, with long arms and too tight jeans, barefoot too. He was groaning as he charged Stain once more.

Stain hissed, avoiding a charge from the long-armed man and slicing its arm. There was no cry, only more groaning as they turned about and Tenya's mouth went agog.

Four eyes embedded within an exposed brain. The man… creature thing was tight with muscle.

"He looks like the villain… from the U.S.J.!" Tenya said to himself as the creature let out a surprised squawk, landing on its face. Stain came upon it, and brought his katana to the creature's brain, and rammed it through with a grunt. The groaning Noumu-lookalike's bloodshot eyes widened, then rolled as it ceased to shake and jerk. Dead.

"Now then…" Stain breathed, turning around. "Where was I?" He shouldered his Katana, glaring at Tenya as he approached him, and the blue-haired youth felt his heart plummet.

Move dammit… move!

There was the sound of armor, and Tenya saw a shadow move fast from the other end of the alleyway. Stain twirled in an about-face, red eyes wide with anger and surprise as he brought his sword to bear down.

And his blade clashed, sparks flying as it met the katana of a broad and armored Samurai, his dark and white eyes shining in the darkness.

"Yoroi Musha!?" Tenya gasped, in utter shock.

(X)

The boy was injured, bleeding from his legs, but breathing, which was a miracle in and of itself.

Yoroi Musha kept himself between the man that could be no one else other than the Hero Killer and his target. Minimal armor, lithe but toned frame, built for speed and close-quarters combat. His stance was low, hands gliding over the hilt of his serrated blade, his eyes flickering over Musha's stance, his hands on his own sword.

The Hero Killer gripped his blade, and Musha charged. He rushed forward, thrusting his own katana forward, gauging his opponent's stance. The villain dipped down, dodging the blade's clean edge by a hairsbreadth. One hand left his katana, and brought out a hunting knife to cut clean through the Pro Hero's hands. Musha retreated, and the blade met the knife. Years of training and reflexes made the Top Ten Pro's stance return, and just in time for the fast and wild slash from the Hero Killer.

His sword met Musha's own, and his knife was caught within Musha's arm guards.

"Creati, get the fallen to safety!" Musha ordered, pushing the killer back.

"Right!" Came her voice.

The second he felt Musha start to press him, he broke the bladelock, and his blade sang as it arced through the air towards Musha's neck. Musha batted it aside with his armored gauntlet and came in, sparks flying as two blades clashed. Dark-white eyes bored into rageful blood-red orbs. Musha went for the shoulder, hands, even the ankles as he pushed the Hero Killer back, blade in front as he went for thrusts, slashes, and overhead strikes. In retaliation, his opponent aimed for his eyes, his neck, the folds in his armor close to major arteries, even his fingers. Anything to land a blow.

After another clash, the Hero Killer rushed forward with an animalistic growl, bringing his katana down in an overhead slash as he sounded more like a demon than a man. Musha dipped to the side, letting the villain's strength and gravity take his blade straight into the ground. Yet he watched as the hero killer steadied himself on the ground and from his handstand kicked Musha's swordhand. Only for the bladed sole of his foot to meet the hero's arm guard.

Though, that seemed to be the point.

Twisting in a way that no man should not be able to move, the Hero Killer pivoted from his handstand, his katana's blade going straight for his now exposed footing, grinning demonically.

Only for his eyes to go wide as another kanabo appeared in Musha's offhand where there wasn't one a heartbeat before. His momentum halted, Musha gave the villain a much-needed kick to the shoulder as hard as he could.

Musha heard something crack from the force of it, and the villain landed across the ground, skidding like a stone on a pond and dropping his serrated sword. Yet, even as Musha willed his armor to give birth to another blade, he was already on his feet. His shoulder was dislocated, yet the beast of a man didn't seem to mind.

In fact, he grinned like a madman, his eyes white with battlelust as he pressed his hand against it. He grunted, and Musha heard the limb snap back into place.

His pain tolerance was certainly high if nothing else.

Stain closed the distance with a roar, and he swung his sword hard with a spinning slash as he jumped. On instinct Musha brought one blade up to block, the sparks flying out as they clashed. The light of the sparks shone on something below him.

His bladed boots.

Musha leaned back as far as he could, an action that saved his eye as the killer kicked with his hidden weapon, nicking his helmet.

(X)

Momo prayed as she got to Iida, managing to find a side-alley and sprint around as fast as she could to the whimpering teen. "Iida-san. Hang on!" She said as she bent down to him, hefting him up by his shoulders as she grunted. He was heavy with the armor and by his own muscular frame, but she could deal with that as she heard and saw the clangs of steel and sparks fly in the alleyway. Tenya was shivering, shaking as he had his hands clenched.

"I let him die… I let him die!!" He uttered, tears in his eyes as he breathed hard. Momo pulled a bit of her skin-tight skimpy uniform aside, her stomach alight as she made a gurney on the go.

"Calm down. It's gonna be okay." Momo saw the look of guilt in his face as the tears flowed. She walked away from the alley, hearing the clash of swords behind her.

With a plop, the gurney was conjured and she set him down on it, guiding him out of the alley. The boy grunted as he winced. She knew that she had to treat his injuries, but for now, the farther she got him away from the Hero Killer, the better. She began to push, hearing the boy seethe and breathe before her, going into a controlled run. Her back was glowing, and she felt her uniform beginning to tear.

She'd just form another bra later. Modesty was not a virtue to uphold right now as a blanket was formed.

They got to a street and she stopped, setting the newly formed blanket on the ground as glowing lights flowed from her thigh while she helped Iida to the ground.

"I'm going to set you onto your stomach, Iida-san." She said, getting him into position as he winced and cried.

"I failed… I failed...brother… Native-san... I'm sorry!" He whimpered as Momo treated the cuts to his thighs. She conjured rags from her legs and began to clean around the area, first removing some of his leg armor. She didn't know how to stitch a wound… how could she close the cuts?

She reached down, grabbing the flare gun being formed on her stomach and lifted it up, firing into the air. That should get someone's attention. In the meantime, she held a hand to her stomach as her free hand kept putting pressure on the wound and cleaning it. Momo's brain was in overdrive as she looked at her crying friend.

She made some bandages and got to work on wrapping them around his leg, and to help, she conjured two belts and got to work as Iida repeated the same apologies.

(X)

Musha charged, feinting an overhead strike with one sword while attacking the villain's rear guard with the other. One blade was deflected, the other, now glowing, met home and smashed against his side, the katana transforming into a kanabo club.

The villain didn't stagger, he simply moved with the blow, jumping to the side and leaping off the wall to gain the overhead advantage. Blades screamed as the kanabo and katana halted the villain's own in a flurry of sparks. He pushed against Musha with all the force that his body weight and gravity could allow, but Musha's guard would not break.

He remembered the old days of heroism, the days when All Might couldn't be counted on to arrive and solve the crisis at hand. Villains back then thought that just because of their considerable strength they could simply smash through anything that could come between them and whatever victory they were trying to achieve. Some could be brought to bear to stop them head on, yet Musha hadn't tried that in years. Were he a younger hero, he might have tried such a tactic, if only to respect his opponent by playing by their rules.

Now however, there were people to defend, to save. Villains to punish before him. Someone like this, a villain that kills heroes wasn't worth respecting.

Only defeating.

So Musha angled his swords downwards, letting the Hero Killer slide by him.

And as gravity brought him to the ground, Musha swung his fist, and brass knuckles formed from his remaining gauntlet met the jaw of a filthy villain, blood spurting from his lip. For the second time tonight, he rolled across the floor of the alleyway as he yelled and coughed. In the instant that he hit, Musha allowed himself a single moment of reprieve to exhale.

He was getting old. Even with his suit and training, the Hero Killer was an animal.

Then the moment was over, and Musha had to bring his weapons together to avoid another strike from a bloodcurdling war cry.

Only to barely avoid the strike of a knife that was aimed for his eye. It scraped against the side of his helm, cutting into his visor, but holding strong.

Musha's head snapped forward, his metal helm crashing into the soft cartilage of the villain's nose. He saw the Hero Killer's eyes roll back, blood spurting from where his nose would be and his mouth as the villain staggered back, the knife left in the hero's visor. One foot slammed into the ground to steady himself, but it gave Musha just enough space to slam his Kanabo against his opponent's stomach. The sword clattered to the ground as the serial murderer grunted and coughed, now sent flying and crashing into the wall, his blade close by. The Hero Killer reached out, only to see a particular ball of white substance fly over the hero's shoulder.

It hit the blade, instantly rolling over the metal to cover every inch of it with its mass like… spider webs? The villain was just as surprised as Musha himself. He gave the barest of glances behind him, and saw Creati with what looked to be a specially-made launcher, looking like a smaller baseball launcher combined with one of those hotdog launchers they had at sporting events. Whatever it was, the substance was useful.

As far as the hero could see, the villain was completely disarmed. His trademark katana was trapped. His breathing was ragged, indicating bruised ribs, and fighting with a previously dislocated shoulder would only add to a greater toll in stamina. Musha watched as the killer's eyes narrowed, a new thought passing through that maddened mind. What once was filled only with the desire for the hunt and kill was replaced with an understanding. He looked between the hero, his intern, and the fact that there were no hostages present. Gears turned, and the Hero Killer made his choice in an instant.

He turned and ran, and Musha was right behind him.

The killer ducked into another alleyway, and Musha turned the corner, crossguard ready for a counterattack. It didn't come as Musha watched the killer climb up a fire escape. Musha brought his weapons to his hands, forming them back to his gauntlets. He then touched his hip plate armor, and from it a grapple gun was formed. He aimed upwards and fired, reeling himself up after the fleeing man. He arrived at the edge slower than he would've liked but it gave him just enough time to see the Hero Killer jump the gap of this building to the next, only to deliver a smoke bomb as Musha changed his grappling hook into a crossbow to aim. He could be going anywhere, the smoke bomb covering the entire rooftop before the Top Ten Pro could fire a bolt.

He was gone, yet Musha's team had injured him, and the Noumu's still hadn't been dealt with if he recalled. It took maybe a second for Musha to come to a decision.

"This is Yoroi Musha," he called into his communicator as he surveyed the area, eyeing the glowing red warzone of downtown Hosu with its raised glaciers and billowing dark smoke. "All Heroes, be advised, the Hero Killer is within Hosu fleeing via rooftop, about a thousand meters away from downtown."

"Where!? Where is he Musha?!" The gruff voice of Endeavor demanded. He was here hunting for him, it seemed.

"He's advancing towards the residential area of Hosu to the west, near the Taikodaina Ward. Be advised, suspect is injured, bruised ribs most likely. Relocated arm, broken nose. Is the Noumu situation handled?"

"We're wrapping them up now, troublesome bastards those monsters are! Acknowledged!" Endeavor said, then the connection cut off. Musha could see a red-hot meteor take off from downtown, jumping over buildings.

As he put his hand down, Musha almost pitied the Hero Killer. The second that Endeavor found him, he would have an even worse time than when he fought Musha. Todoroki Enji was as good of a close-range fighter as he was anything else. He wasn't the Number Two Hero in Japan for nothing. Reaching up, Musha ripped the combat knife out of his visor. He conjured a grapple gun from his hip armor, lowering himself down to the alleyway as he inspected the knife. Military-issue, but outdated by at least a decade. JDSF model?

Interesting.

"Yoroi Musha-san!"

He turned, and glanced down to see Creati tending to the armored youth. Paramedics were close by, and as Musha touched the ground, he saw a hero in blue with a fish-like theme run past, calling Iida's name. That was young Manual, wasn' it?

Iida… Wait, the armor. He recognized it. Was that Ingenium's brother?

Ahhh. Now the situation was becoming clear.

"How are the wounded?" he asked.

"A paramedic team is treating Iida-san. I did my best to help stop the bleeding and they are tending to him now." Creati replied, face hard. "I'm afraid Native-san…"

Musha sighed in relief, thanking the gods once again for small miracles. The two of them turned the corner, and the hero got a good look at the fallen hero and the student having their wounds being tended to by the paramedics, just as Creati had said. Beside him, said intern was watching them tend to the student, worry as clear as day in her eyes. He saw Manual talking to Iida, the student still weeping and wincing as the paramedics tended his back, removing this armor.

"Creati," he said, breaking the girl from her thoughts. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You did well." He meant it. Tending to someone who had been injured and holding out as long as possible, managing to prevent a skilled and incredible killer from getting his katana, and following through with a clear head. "You called him Iida. If I recall, you two are in the same class. Class 1-A yes?"

"Yes, we are."

"He'll need a familiar face." His dark eyes softened. "Give him support until the paramedics take him to the hospital. Then, we tend to the people."

The girl nodded, and by her expression, thankful for the chance to help her fellow young hero. She left, and Musha looked to the still burning city.

Though the fires still raged, the sounds of battle had diminished. Perhaps, mercifully, it was over for the people.

(X)

"Are you fucking kidding me!? Those two?! Graaaah shit." Tomura cursed as he stowed his binoculars away as he settled down on the water tower, watching the carnage from miles away at downtown, and then down a certain boulevard where that speed guy and that skimpy clad slut were at with paramedics. "I wanna kill'em."

"I would advise it against it, what with Yoroi Musha being present, along with the approaching Pro Heroes." Kurogiri advised as he stood behind his charge. The teal-haired youth looked behind him, giving the black mist man a glare as he scratched his neck.

"And going by those fucking glaciers, Endeavor's brat has survived too. Goddamnit." His scratching became more erratic. "The one who warned All Might didn't die fast enough, then that fucking whore arrived with a Top Ten Pro. And Stain got away! Grrrrgh… nothing goes my way!" He hissed, irritated before he sighed. "On the bright side…" Tomura drawled, pausing as he turned, eye crinkled in amusement at the fires and smoke from downtown. "All those Noumu I sent surely resulted in casualties… and Stain is gonna get flushed out for sure. I know it."

"The death count should be on tonight's news or tomorrow, and with Stain taking to the rooftops and that fireball hopping around and away from us, I can assume that Endeavor is in hot pursuit. We should leave, Shigaraki Tomura."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Tomura shrugged before looking at the billowing tower of smoke going into the sky. As much as he'd love to kill those three, that wasn't possible with all those people around. Outgunned and manned in every sense of the word. Besides… he did what he came to Hosu to do. "Now… everyone will know that the League of Villains is alive and well." He looked down at his hand. "We ain't no flash in the pan. We're…" He could see Kurogiri expand himself in his peripheral vision. "The real deal." He clenched his fist, and Tomura turned around, towards the black abyss that was his handler's portal, hands now in his pockets.

Potential Party members would come for sure. They now knew that Tomura had the numbers with the Noumu which Teacher could create. That the League, destined to change and upend this Hero Society, would not go quietly into the night. Not be taken down by some rando kids.

Yes… those brats would die for sure. He hadn't forgotten. They'd be the first to fall. Then, he will destroy this world.

Tomura had a face-splitting grin, one befitting of a demon on his chapped and scarred features, his blood-red eyes almost glowing in the darkness.

He'd made his statement. Next time… he would send a message.

"It'll never be alright, normies." He said, turning to the burning city, victory in his eyes as Tomura had the devil's smile. "Because I am here… hehehe..."

And with a flash, the League of Villains left Hosu, blood and bodies left in their wake, and Shigaraki Tomura's fading laughter.