Primordial Vortex
patreon
Second Order
🕑 Added 2023-06-01 05:03:01 +0000 UTC-]|[-
Second Order:
-]|[-
Izuku landed lightly, his face hidden by his hood. It had been patched up somewhat by Kaina, but he still looked more intimidating than he ever wanted for this costume. But its disrepair matched his current mood, as he glared hard at the Villain before him, “Dictator.” He said evenly, recalling the incident where he’d been captured by Crust five years ago in an instant. His Quirk Despot would take control of anyone he attached those wires to. Control could only be broken if he were knocked unconscious, or if his victims were given a strong enough shock, similar to Shinsō’s Quirk. “You’re one of the escapees from Tartarus. Where is All For One?”
“Oh, who knows.” The man had a strange voice. He looked like a hunched over man with a weird face, enveloped almost entirely by a large trench coat, with the face/mask sitting where a normal person’s sternum would normally be. From his body came wires, each connected to a hapless and terrified civilian. “All For One wouldn’t tell us anything like that. Every time we get orders, they come from either radio or the rest of the League.”
“Ah yes,” Izuku smirked, “The bitch has been rather terrified to come out while I’m out and about.”
“Laugh and insult all you want, but with the gifts All For One has provided, you won’t be able to catch me!” Dictator crowed, grinning madly beneath his mask. “You’ll never reach that man.” Dictator stepped back into his masses, “You won’t even catch me. You won’t hurt these poor, innocent people, after all!”
The terrified crowd surrounded him, with the front wave of them charging forward. Their faces were tear streaked and their eyes panicked, “We-We can’t control ourselves! We don’t want to hurt you!” A woman yelled.
A male followed up, straining, and grunting but moving forward all the same, “We… we can’t, control our bodies! We’re sorry! We don’t want to do this!”
“I know.” Izuku said, pulling off his hood and revealing his smiling face, shocking them, “Don’t worry everyone. I am here.” His pupil shrunk to a pinprick, before his presence blasted out. None of the civilians were affected by anything. And yet they slowed, with some almost falling as they suddenly regained control over themselves.
“W-wha?” The woman who had spoken first touched herself, “I…We’re free?” En masse, the weapons they had been outfitted with fell, clattering on the floor, “We’re free! But how?!” They all turned and the crowd protecting Dictator parted, revealing the man slumped over, insensate. Froth was even coming from beneath the mask.
There was a moment of silence, before everyone broke out into cheering, “Thank you! Thank you!” The lady cried out as she crashed into Izuku, trying to hug the life out of him, “That- that dirty bastardwas-was…”
Izuku carefully patted her on the back, “Don’t worry. He can’t hurt you anymore.” He said gently, keeping the fury off his face. Dictator’s Quirk and name were unusually apt. He forced others not only to do his bidding, but occasionally forced them to do… other things as well. He got off on controlling people. “He won’t hurt anyone ever again.” He said evenly, knowing what fate awaited the criminal even if he turned the man in rather than doing it himself. He let go of the woman, putting a hand on her shoulder, “All of you should head over to U.A. until this blows over. They’ll keep you safe.”
“Are you sure?” The man asked, searching his face.
“I’ve sent thousands of refugees back there already.” Izuku replied, smiling, “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Alright. Thanks man! You’re a real Hero!” They shouted, before they started to run away.
Izuku sighed, turning to the statue of All Might. The desecrated statue, with a sign stating, ‘I am NOT here,’ hanging over its shoulders onto its chest. He flicked his finger, and the rope snapped, allowing the sign to clatter to the floor. Then he turned to Dictator, and took a step forward. Then his ears quirked, and his eyes snapped to the sky, just in time to see Katsuki drop in.
“Deku!” Katsuki yelled as he landed.
“Kacchan!?” Izuku yelped, wide-eyed.
“Deku-kun!” More voices rang out, with Ochako landing next, “We finally found you!” The entirety of 1-A arrived, with Momo immediately sealing Dictator in a very tough prison. Some of the other members of the class grabbed him and immediately started hauling him to the nearest police drop off.
They had been expecting many things, only some of which they found. They expected Izuku to be exhausted. Probably barely on his feet. They expected to have to fight to get him to come home. They expected to have to break through the mentality Katsuki had described that both Izuku and All Might had, where they thought they carried the world on their shoulders. They expected to have to prove that they could stand just as tall as he did to make him realize he was being an idiot.
What they had not expected was for him to beam and immediately come towards them, “Guys!” He said happily, making Ochako blush brightly with bulging eyes as he grabbed her in a hug, “Man, I’ve missed you all!” Ochako teared up, and hugged him back tightly.
“Huh?” Several of them looked clueless. Katsuki stepped up, “…Deku, what the fuck?”
Izuku and Ochako let go of each other, “Huh, what do you mean?”
“The fuck is this?!” Katsuki waved in his general direction, “I know you, you fuck! It’s been two and a half months! We expected to find you practically falling over in exhaustion!”
“Ha!” Izuku let out a short laugh, “If it wasn’t for the Third’s Quirk, I just might have been.” Well, among other reasons.
“…Holy shit, you actually learned some self-control?” Katsuki looked dumbfounded.
“More like self-respect.” Izuku sighed, “You all know about One For All now. About how I was Quirkless growing up. It took a long time to stop feeling like a damn imposter.”
“You’re not!” Ochako said strongly, taking his hand in hers.
“I know.” Izuku said, “Well, I know now.” He clarified, before he turned and walked over to sit on the fountain, with his classmates following, “So, what brings you out here?”
Iida chopped in his direction, “We came to take you home, of course.”
Momo stepped forward, “We know how you felt, Midoriya-kun.” She said, “All For One wants your Quirk. You thought that if you left, it would take his sight off U.A. That we’d be safe.”
“Which was stupid, by the way.” Kyōka twirled her earjack, staring deadpan at him, “With no one to help you, if things worked out like Bakugō said and he caught you, what could anyone do against both Shigaraki and One For All?”
“It was real manly of you to want to protect us,” Kirishima slammed his knuckles together, “But totally unmanly that you didn’t let us protect you.”
“Kero.” Tsu croaked, “And leaving in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye. That was really mean.”
“Guys…” He teared up, looking at his feet, “I-I know I screwed up. But it was something I felt I had to do at the time. I’ve been working closely with the Pros since I left.”
“At least it’s something.” Shōto sighed, “We don’t like being left out of it though.”
“I’m glad you were.” Izuku said back, “And I stilldon’t want you guys anywhere near this.” Katsuki opened his mouth to snap at him, but Izuku cut him off, “No.” He said, firmly, glaring Katsuki down, “It’s been bad, guys. Really bad.” He let out a sigh, “They’ve been keeping the info out of the public, but all of us in the field know about it. There’s been some…” he hesitated, “Really dark stuff that’s come out. The kind of stuff that can make you doubt if you even want to be a Hero.” All of them gaped at that admission.
“Deku!” Izuku’s eyes snapped up, as he saw Kaina descending with Air Walk, his friends not getting the chance to respond.
Several of them gasped, “Lady Nagant!” Momo started to create, Shōto prepared some ice, Katsuki started to crackle with explosions in preparation, and Izuku immediately put a stop to all that.
“Guys, stop!” He yelled, getting ready to intervene if needed.
“What do you mean, stop?!” Iida chopped the air, “She’s one of the Tartarus escapees! An S-Rank Villain!”
“I was reinstated.” Kaina smiled, “You’ve got some loyal friends, huh?” She turned her gaze to him, raising her eyebrow.
“They’re the best.” Izuku smiled, “And it’s true, guys. Did you not get the announcement at U.A? She’s my partner now.” That made Ochako stiffen, though she wasn’t the only one.
“Really?” Momo started to almost sparkle, “Y-you were one of my inspirations when I was growing up, Lady Nagant.” She admitted, “I was heartbroken when you were arrested. Were you falsely accused? Framed? Is that why you were reinstated?”
Kaina almost hated to ruin that innocence, “I’m afraid not.” She said, and watched as Momo’s face fell. “When I was a girl, I wanted nothing more than to be a Hero. To help people. See them smile. The whole nine yards.” She shook her head, “But I never got to go to a Hero school like U.A. The HPSC recruited me directly, saying they’d make me one of the greatest Heroes.”
“And instead, they made her into their pet assassin, sending her after anyone they decided didn’t deserve to live.” Izuku finished, somberly.
“WHAT?!” The explosion of sound almost knocked Kaina over.
“Is that a fucking joke?!” Katsuki snarled, his hands crackling.
“T-that’s a lie, right?” Momo looked stricken and had backed up a step, her face horrified, her mouth hidden by a hand clapped over it.
“I wish it were.” Kaina replied evenly, “But it’s not. Corrupt Heroes, potential terrorists, even scientists studying things they didn’t want studied. Anything that had the potential to shake society needed to disappear. They made me kill and kill and kill, until I had PTSD so strong I would hallucinate that I was covered in blood when I had kids trying to shake my hands. For the first time, I questioned the head of the HPSC over what I was doing.” Several of the Hero students were crying as they listened to her, with Momo trying to fight a breakdown. “He immediately threatened me that it was a job I couldn’t walk away from. I blew his head off then and there.”
Momo choked back a wail and turned around, her shoulders shaking. Kyōka and Kirishima were the closest and immediately gave her a shoulder to cry on. Izuku let out a slightly depressed sigh, “I told you guys.” He said somberly, “It’s been a tough eleven weeks.”
Momo turned around, wiping her face and sniffling, “T-thank you, Lady Nagant. For not treating us like children. I- It’s important for us to know of corruption like that.”
Kaina scoffed, “I would never baby you. I still hate this society of oversaturated Heroes, with the masses either unknowing or uncaring about how many of us have to kill ourselves to give them those lives. If you couldn’t handle the truth, then you’d get out.” She then smiled widely, “But you’re all good kids. I can tell. You’ll rise past it, just like Izuku did.” Momo nodded resolutely. Kaina turned and walked over to Izuku. They figured she was going to take a seat, and she did.
Side-saddle in Izuku’s lap. There was a beat as Ochako’s face went white, and several jaws dropped, especially when Izuku draped an arm over her legs and Kaina put her right around his shoulders.
“MIDORIYA!” Mineta and Kaminari exploded, rushing forward to try to shake him like a bobble head. They only didn’t succeed because they were held back by Iida and Katsuki, “YOU BASTARD! WE’VE BEEN BITING OUR NAILS WORRIED ABOUT YOU FOR OVER TWO MONTHS, AND YOU’VE BEEN GETTING WITH OLDER BABES?!”
Iida sounded strangled as he spoke, “While they are being themselves, an explanation would be appreciated.”
“Yeah, Deku-kun.” Ochako said tonelessly, her face blank. “What’s going on?”
“Ehehehe…” Izuku chuckled nervously.
“What’s there to explain?” Kaina shrugged, “He saved me from myself AND from All For One two months ago, and we’ve been together ever since.” She carefully eyed the girls in particular, and noted a few expressions that looked suspiciously like heartbreak. Ochako in particular looked like she was fighting back tears. Several others, Mina in particular, were sparkling.
Izuku sighed, “She’s also helped keep me sane with all this shit.” He admitted in a mumble.
Mina gasped, “The cinnamon roll swore!”
“Cinnamon roll?” Kaina grinned widely as Izuku went red in the face, “I think I-”
“MIDORIYA!” A loud roar echoed, followed by a loud crash as something burst through one of the buildings nearby. A stream of dust soared towards them, before landing in a huge cloud of particulates. Behind it, the building started to collapse due to the huge hole in its middle, and a gigantic cloud of dust, dirt, and broken glass and concrete rose into the air.
Kaina had snapped to her feet, her rifle appearing from her arm. She took aim at the cloud, a hard look on her face. The Hero students also got prepared, before the cloud cleared, revealing Muscular. But the man looked far different from the one that had attacked the summer camp. His blonde hair was gone, and his mouth was stretched into a horrific slasher grin, the skin splitting at the sides of his lips. His eyelids were missing, leaving only his eyeballs and stretched scars. His flesh looked patched together, with his torso looking relatively normal, but his legs and arms were black like the Nōmu that Endeavor had defeated on TV half a year ago. And he was giant. He was at least three times the height he’d been the last time they faced. His massive bulk was incredibly intimidating, and several of the students took steps back in fear.
The man (though they hesitated to call him that, seeing as he was clearly at least part of the way through Nōmu-fication) laughed insanely, “AHAHAHAH! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IF I SNIFFED OUT THESE BRATS, I’D FIND YOU, MIDORIYA! DON’T YOU WORRY, THOUGH! I DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THEM! I’M JUST HERE FOR YOU!”
“Muscular.” Izuku’s voice carried, though he remained seated, looking away from Muscular. His voice was cold.
“Come on, we can take this guy.” Katsuki started to crackle, “I’ll go in from above, and yo-”
“No.” Everything came to a halt as Izuku spoke, and his tone carried a weight to it that shocked everyone. There was a feeling of utter danger in the air, “You all will do nothing.” He said softly, and they finally turned to look at him.
Ochako’s stomach dropped even farther than it had when Kaina had sat in his lap, “D-Deku-kun?”
Izuku wasn’t smiling. No. He looked cold. Maybe even indifferent. Or at least that’s what people who didn’t know him would get out of his face. His classmates saw something different. They could see the exhaustion, the despair, and the sheer fury in his eyes. He stood, “You will all stay here.” He said softly as he stood. “This is personal.”
“Fuck off, Deku.” Katsuki snarled, “You can’t-”
“Actually, he can.” Kaina cut him off, “Over the past two months, it’s become clear to the government that Izuku is one of the strongest Heroes around. His authority in the chain of command is only below Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, and All Might now.” She said softly, “If he orders you to stand down, you have to follow it or you’re risking those provisional licenses.” The students were stunned to learn this, and even Katsuki fizzled out. She turned pleading eyes to Izuku, “Izuku…” She said softly as she retracted her rifle, “I can do it. You don’t have to-”
“No.” Izuku said, “My fault. My mistake.” He replied, and Kaina closed her eyes, clenching her fists impotently. “Don’t let them follow. I don’t want them to see this.” He whispered to her, before turning to Muscular. “I want to thank you, Muscular.” He started walking forward, away from his friends and girlfriend. All of them couldn’t help but stare at his back helplessly, unable to move their feet.
“AHAHAHA! FOR WHAT?! TEACHING YOU THE LOVE OF THE FIGHT?!” Muscular started to bulk up even more, his arms growing huge red strands of muscle and covering his body, which started getting even bigger than it already was.
“You taught me something alright.” Izuku said, reaching behind him and grabbing his hood. He pulled it over his head, and the visage that glared out at Muscular was terrifying, “It was a lesson I didn’t want to learn. A lesson I was avoiding.”
“EHEHEHE! AND WHAT LESSON WAS TH-”
Izuku bent his knees, going to 100% immediately. He cratered the ground beneath his feet, throwing up another cloud of dust as he took off. He moved so fast that Muscular didn’t even have a moment to realize he had attacked before Izuku’s fist plowed into his chest. A black bolt of lightning ripped through the air as Izuku completely annihilated Muscular’s Shock Absorption and then shattered all of his ribs in one blow.
Muscular immediately vomited out blood as he was launched backwards, his body breaking the sound barrier as it flew. He crashed into the fallen remains of the building from before, plowing through all of the rubble and throwing it into the air. But he didn’t stop there. No, he plowed into the asphalt and skipped a few times like a stone in a pond, digging a trench through the ground with his colossal body. He crashed into a truck and ripped it in half. Metal and fluids flew through the air before more dirt and asphalt followed. He finally slowed to a halt, his body already healing all of the damage with his new Hyper Regeneration Quirk taken off of a Nōmu.
Back near the fountain, the students gasped as the dust cleared, revealing Izuku and Muscular were gone. Katsuki snarled, “FUCK THIS!” He yelled, “I’M NOT LETTING HIM FIGHT THAT BASTARD ALONE!”
“YOU WILL STAND DOWN, BAKUGŌ KATSUKI!” Kaina yelled, extending her rifle again and pointing it at the ash blonde. Everyone gasped at the turn the situation had taken, with even Katsuki looking stunned that the legendary Lady Nagant was aiming her rifle at him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge.
“Why?!” Ochako asked, stepping forward, “Why won’t you let us help him?! Why won’t HE let us help him?!”
Kaina looked at her, her rifle unwavering. She huffed out some air through her nostrils, “After he fought me, he used the Third’s Quirk to remotely hurt All For One.” She said softly, making their eyes widen. “He was furious, because All For One had trapped me with a bomb and was going to blow me up right in front of him. Anything to throw Izuku into despair, and make it easier to tire him out to take One For All.” They clenched their fists at the depths All For One would sink to. “All of us were ecstatic that it worked, but it ended up having a downside.” She admitted, “All For One got scared. He either revealed that his Warp Quirk worked regardless of range, or maybe he had a couple boosting Quirks to empower it. Regardless, he summoned back every single minion the Heroes had spent weeks recapturing, including Gigantomachia, and Muscular, who Izuku had just defeated and captured for a second time a mere week prior.”
“NO!” Mina wailed, “Not him!” She still remembered freezing up when it had mattered at Jaku.
“Yes.” Kaina said sadly, “The only exception was Kurogiri, who was under U.A.’s care with anti-warp defenses. Experimental and very expensive tech. Not something that could be distributed easily. The Japanese Government superseded the HPSC and issued orders that all Tartarus escapees, League of Villains members, and Meta Liberation Army members were too dangerous to incarcerate, and that lethal force was both authorized and recommended.”
“…No…” Shōto’s eyes went wide as his gaze snapped to where Izuku had disappeared to. The buck was kicking in for several of them.
“Five weeks ago, Izuku fought Muscular for the third time, and couldn’t bring himself to finish it. He broke Muscular. Injured him to the point that he shouldn’t have ever been able to harm anyone again, even if he somehow managed to escape. He gave Muscular to the government, who were supposed to execute him.” She closed her eyes, “But All For One kept a close eye on Muscular, and Warped him out. Three weeks ago, Muscular appeared again in this new form with even more Quirks…” A tear leaked out from her eye, “And killed five hundred people in a single night, including some Hero students from another school who tried to hold him back so others could evacuate. And has killed five hundred more over the past three weeks.”
“Oh god!” Several students lost their lunches
A strangled cry rang through the air, “Wait, is Deku-kun going to-” Ochako’s hands shook.
“Kill him?” Kaina asked, before letting out a defeated sigh, “He feels responsible. If he had followed the government’s recommendation last time, one thousand innocent people would still be alive. He won’t let him go again.”
“No!” Mina wailed, “He can’t! It wasn’t his fault!”
“Whether it was or wasn’t doesn’t matter.” Katsuki spat through gritted teeth, “Only that he feels it was.” He glared at Kaina, “And you’re just going to let him?”
Kaina glared at him, “I don’t want to let him. I want him to keep that idealism!” She hissed at him, “But if any of us stopped him, he’d never forgive us.” She retracted her rifle, staring hard at them, “I’m going to support him. If he can’t do it, I’m not letting that monster get away again. Follow if you like, but if you try to interfere I will shoot you.” She turned and blasted off into the air, skipping with Air Walk. Most of the rest of the class didn’t hesitate for a moment, following her.
…
Muscular struggled to get on his hands and knees, wheezing as the damage was healed. “Holy shit, Midoriya. You’re not fucking around this time!” He grinned madly, “You broke through my Shock Absorption like it was nothing!” He looked up, ready to trade barbs with his nemesis, only for another crushing blow to land in his jaw. His bones shattered as he whiplashed to the side, practically kissing the pavement. His jaw was practically hanging off before it started to heal. This time Muscular said nothing, swinging his massive fist from his knees, his arm extending out.
Blackwhip started to escape from Izuku as he ducked under the massive limb, his Quirk starting to violently wrap itself around the arm. He sped past Muscular in a flash, pulling the black threads taut.
“Ha! You won’t get me like that again! These arms are new!” Muscular’s flesh started to contract, shrinking down enough to escape the hold Izuku had on him.
“What arms?” Izuku asked darkly, his eyes flashing green beneath his hood.
“What?” Muscular looked at the limb, before the pain caught up to him, “GRAH!” He roared, clutching his shoulder in agony. Unlike the Nōmu from the USJ more than a year ago, his cocktail of Quirks did not include one that eliminated any pain. He ground his teeth as he watched his arm flop on the ground for a few seconds, groaning as his shoulder bubbled and writhed as Hyper Regeneration took care of the wound. “Come on, Midoriya!” He yelled, glaring at Izuku’s back, “Where’s the banter, huh? Where’s the enjoyment?!” His arm turned into a spike, which he launched at Izuku’s back like a spear. Even if Izuku had a ten-meter-thick steel cube between him and the spike, it still would have gone right through to pierce him.
Izuku whirled around and his hand whipped to the side, backhanding the spike as it passed him. The spike continued onwards, piercing through a truck and a building before stopping, not because it lacked more penetrating power, but because it reached max length. Izuku caught Kaina and his classmates in the corners of his vision, and he had to bite back a growl. He hadn’t wanted them here! He jet forward, before he abruptly started feeling dizzy and almost fell over. “Ugh, what?!” The entire area was shimmering and waving, and he was feeling as if he was going to be sick.
“JACKPOT!” Muscular roared, his other arm transforming into a gigantic heavy club. He slammed his massive boulder of a fist down towards Izuku, who hurriedly had to dodge even with his motor skills out of whack.
A massive explosion rocked the area, even causing a minor quake to shake the buildings around them. The plume of erupting ground, pavement, and metal rushing upwards reached almost a hundred meters into the air, engulfing the two fighters.
Izuku erupted from it, his costume damaged and his hood actually blown off, revealing his face. Some blood dripped from his cheek from a cut due to a stray bit of pipe that smashed him in the face. He clenched his fist, “Midoriya Izuku will not be affected by external Quirks.” He growled out, recognizing the Quirk Sloshed. That was one from Chisaki’s group. He shouldn’t have been surprised that All For One apparently made a shopping list while incarcerated in Tartarus. He could only hope he hadn’t taken Overhaul as well, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he had.
“Ehehehe! Not so easy this time, huh Midoriya?!” Muscular crowed, “I have plenty more tricks too! Would have been fine keeping it to just fists, but you had to get all fancy!” He raised his fist out of the crater it was sitting in, “Let’s fucking kill-”
Izuku was in his face, and his fist crashed into Muscular’s stomach. Another black bolt of lightning ripped through the man as well as the air, and Muscular launched backwards. But this time, Izuku didn’t give him a moment to breathe. Activating Float, he rushed after him, pounding another fist into his sternum, and then another, and another. Each mighty blow heralded a black bolt of lightning as Muscular’s Shock Absorption was completely ignored.
One For All’s usual green lightning was crackling along his body as he reached a fist back. Muscular hunched over from the latest blow to his midsection, opening his mouth to vomit out more blood. Izuku’s uppercut snapped his jaw shut, along with most of the bones in his face. Muscular soared upwards, flipping and tumbling through the air. Izuku appeared above him, spinning, and then his foot crashed into Muscular’s face, re-breaking the healed bones, and sending him rocketing towards the ground like a meteor.
Muscular impacted the ground and shattered it even more, a bigger, deeper crater forming as the plume of destruction rose two-hundred meters. When it cleared, Muscular was a bloody, sticky mess with dust and grime caked onto him. “Hrnng.” He groaned as his regeneration went to work, but he was shaken, “Shit!” He cried out as his jaw snapped back into place, “How are-” He forced himself onto his hands and knees again before he was driven back down as Izuku landed on his spine. The vitally important structure shattered, splitting in two with his foot actually keeping the two vertebrae on either side from re-connecting with regeneration. He reached down to disable Muscular’s Quirks with First Order so he could finish this, but then Danger Sense screamed.
He vanished, flying far and away as Muscular’s flesh bubbled, and then a macabre mass of tentacle spikes erupted in every direction, forming what almost looked like the branches of the world’s most terrifying tree. Every spike that hit something impaled it, and had anyone been nearby, Muscular would even have been able to drag their agonized forms in and consume them for added regeneration. Why All For One hadn’t kept that one, Muscular had no idea.
“DAMN IT!” Muscular let out an agonized roar as he forced himself to his feet, retracting the spikes. That had HURT, “I THOUGHT THE FIRST TIME WAS A FLUKE! I HAD MY SHOCK ABSORPTION BOOSTED! HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?! I KNOW YOUR QUIRK ISN’T STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK IT ANYMORE!” Izuku stayed silent, landing lightly, and stalking forward. A vein bulged in Muscular’s head, as he got angrier and angrier, and Muscular activated another Quirk taken from Tartarus. It was actually one that Izuku and his friends had a hand in stopping, back on I-Island! Muscular’s arm turned into a sort of deformed air scoop, which he swiped at Izuku. Immediately, a blast of air erupted at Izuku, who sidestepped and watched as it immediately carved a trench through a car and the ground.
Muscular was almost snarling, “Come on, Midoriya!” He yelled, “SAY SOMETHING WITTY!” He swung his arm again, and this time Izuku met the air blast with a punch of his own. The two blasts of wind smashed into one another and actually formed a vacuum on impact, pulling dust and rocks towards it before dispersing. “YELL ABOUT HOW I WON’T ESCAPE!” Muscular swiped again, “SAY THAT I’LL PAY FOR EVERYONE I HURT! THAT I’LL NEVER HURT ANYONE AGAIN!” And again, “SAY SOMETHING!”
And Izuku did none of that. He calmly, perhaps even casually negated Muscular’s attacks, satisfying his momentary curiosity regarding the Quirk and its effects when matched against his punches.
“DAMN IT, WHY WON’T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!” Izuku was committing the most heinous sin imaginable in Muscular’s mind. He was making a fight to the death not fun. He raised his arm to swipe again, but Izuku vanished.
“Because that’s what you want.” Izuku said blandly, before his armored boot crashed into Muscular’s jaw and snapped it again, launching him back. Muscular crashed into the ground and dug another trench, “And I’m not going to give it to you.” He finished as he landed, watching Muscular closely. He watched as Muscular healed, but after all of the damage the man had taken, it was starting to get slower. Izuku finally let out a small, satisfied smile, ‘Good. So, it can be overwhelmed. Maybe it’s fueled by his energy, or maybe it can only heal up to a point, but there is a drop-off in effectiveness. That will be good to know against Shigaraki, the Nōmu, and All For One.’
His smile dropped as Muscular got up, this time wobbling a fair amount. Muscular was visibly shaken, and realizing that he was tired. ‘You’re stalling, Izuku.’ Izuku thought to himself, before twitching and looking up. It had been cloudy and miserable all damn week, and apparently now was when the rain finally started to fall. He couldn’t help the twitch his left eye experienced as a rumble of thunder echoed. ‘Cute… Real freaking cute.’ He stared at Muscular, ‘No more stalling. Time to finish this.’
Izuku blasted forward, his right fist reared back. Muscular also raised his massive morningstar of a fist, and with twin roars, they punched. Izuku’s punch won out. One For All at a hundred percent, plus the reinforcement with the same Haōshoku Imbuement he had been using all fight (and damn, did that Quirk evolve while marinating in One For All.) meant Muscular didn’t stand a chance. Muscular’s arm damn near evaporated as Izuku’s punch annihilated everything in its path, disintegrating a bunch of the rubble that they had kicked up during their fight.
Muscular roared in agony as his regeneration started to fail to keep up, his arm not immediately regrowing. It was coming, but it had slowed down tremendously. In a panic, he swung his other arm in a wild haymaker, which Izuku ducked under before punting Muscular away. “YOU’RE NO FUN ANYMORE! DIE ALREADY!” Muscular howled madly as he opened his maw, using the final Quirk All For One had gifted him: Dragon Breath. Another stolen from Tartarus. His jaw practically unhinged as a light-blue glow erupted from his throat and a massive azure flamethrower blazed towards Izuku. With all of the Boosts given to him, the fire was so hot and powerful that it was no longer orange, and was melting every bit of ground, pavement, metal, or really anything it touched almost instantly.
Izuku dodged, and the almost-beam of fire followed him wildly, melting tracts of lava onto the land. Izuku sped up, flying at max speed while dodging the fire. He somersaulted as he arrived above Muscular, and let out a yell as his heel crashed right into the near-Nōmu’s skull. Muscular’s jaw snapped shut, trapping the fire within, and his body lit up before bursts of fire erupted from several orifices and even blew new vent holes through his chest and arms. He howled as he was savagely burned by his own Quirk, and he didn’t even have a chance to retaliate. His missing arm was only half regrown, and his other was now useless from his backfiring fire Quirk.
Izuku didn’t give him a moment’s reprieve, landing before the giant man and launching himself forward with a yell. His right fist landed with a crackle of black lightning, launching Muscular back again. With another roar, Izuku went all out. Another punch landed, and then another, each of them forcing disgusting sounds of the human body shattering from his enemy. And Izuku was vicious, pouring every single bit of rage he had felt over the past three weeks into his enemy’s body. Each punch broke several bones, sheared blood vessels, and shredded muscle. The sounds of the impacts could be heard hundreds of meters away. His green lightning intensified furiously around him, with Blackwhip forming as well. “RAHHHH!” His next punch released the black strands, directly into Muscular’s body, tearing him up from the inside.
Muscular howled in agony, as for the first time in his life, he felt terror and not rapture from a bloody fight. As the strands receded, his regeneration fought to keep up, “W-Wait!” He had paled drastically, “Y-You’re not actually going to-” And finally, something Muscular had never known existed erupted inside of him: cowardice. This wasn’t what he wanted! This wasn’t how he wanted to go out! He wanted to keep fighting! He wanted to keep rampaging! Keep destroying! He wanted to die fighting a worthy opponent in a glorious mutual kill surrounded by bodies and blood!
This wasn’t a fight! It was a massacre.
Izuku’s fist crashed into his jaw, before another bent the man forward, pumping his stomach of vomit once more, “You don’t get to speak.” He growled, before rearing his right leg back. He swung it forward, kicking Muscular square in the jaw and launching him in the air. He dropped his leg, bent his knees, leapt into the sky, and then spoke, “The air will mimic my body at one thousand times the scale!”
Nothing could be seen by anyone but him, but it could certainly be felt. Twin impacts, as if giant feet had landed, shook the ground, kicking up dust and leaving massive footprints in the earth. Izuku’s air clone stood tall, as Izuku stared dispassionately at his enemy. Izuku raised his hands, and the titan mimicked him.
Muscular roared in defiance, “FUCK YOU MIDORIYA! I’M NOT GOING DOWN LIKE THIS!” his body started to bubble once more before it erupted in a mass of tentacle spikes once more. The spikes raced out in every direction, trying desperately to find something to pierce and absorb into his body so he could heal and grow stronger.
“Titan’s Lament.” Izuku clapped his hands as though killing a fly, and to his titan… that was exactly what Muscular was. Muscular was almost squashed completely flat, his tentacle spikes no longer able to reach outward at all and simply stopping where they were. They twitched, before Izuku opened his palms. Muscular was barely alive, more of a mass of pain and agony as his tentacles retracted, somewhat healing him as he fell.
His body crashed into the earth and kicked up another plume of dirt, with a small shockwave from the impact rippling outward. Izuku reared his fist back, and let out a roar as he swung down. His titan’s arm pounded the ground before him, and this time the shockwave was insane. It blew the rain away, and if it had been any stronger the clouds would have followed. The entire prefecture rumbled as if hit by an earthquake. The wind blast blew cars, trees, and anything that wasn’t solidly anchored to the bedrock away.
Izuku straightened out, and let out a groan when he saw that Muscular was still alive. He sighed, and looked at the dark clouds above. They matched his mood. “The lightning in these clouds will be safely attracted to and held in my Air Titan’s fist.” He raised his arm up, and the storm clouds rumbled the air as multiple lightning bolts rushed towards his Titan’s hand. Multiple discharges joined together, forming a massive lightning bolt above his head, unable to go to ground due to his Order.
Muscular trying to crawl away beneath him and the words, “No… not like this. Not like this!” both almost broke his resolve and also hardened it.
With a roar of, “HAMMER OF DAWN!” Izuku slammed the massive lightning bolt directly into Muscular’s body, instantly disintegrating him entirely. The lightning pierced the ground like a physical attack, before instantly discharging every bit of electricity within. Lightning raced through the ground, forming Lichtenberg figures in the earth. The rippling and blackened designs looked like permanent scars in the ground itself, and they weren’t small either. The giant, blackened marks were bigger than a grown man near the epicenter.
After a few moments, Izuku’s air Titan vanished, and he slowly fell to the earth, staring at the deep, cavernous crater he had caused. Where a man had once been. He started to shake from the adrenaline and the crash, “It’s over.” He said as he landed, not taking his eyes off Muscular’s place of death. It couldn’t even be called a resting place because there was nothing left of the madman. “He won’t harm anyone ever again.” He took a step forward, and his voice wobbled.
He felt a ghostly hand on his shoulder, and then another as Nana and Ryōji of all of the vestiges tried to give him some comfort, but he didn’t react.
“He- I…” His vision swam. He had just killed someone.
“Izuku.” Kaina landed before him.
“All of his victims.” Izuku’s voice was watery, and his chin was trembling. “They can all-” his face scrunched up as his voice broke. “They can all rest.” He fell to his knees, and Kaina didn’t hesitate for a moment to join him. She embraced him, cradling head just above her breast as he started to bawl. “I- I-!”
“Shhhh, shhh.” Kaina tried to soothe him as he desperately clutched onto her and sobbed. “I’m here, Izuku. I’m here for you.”
The rest of his friends started to join them, most of them sobbing. “Deku-kun!” Uraraka joined them in their embrace, and she was quickly followed by the missile of Tsu, then Iida, then even Shōto, and the floodgates had broken as most of the class joined the impromptu group hug.
Katsuki couldn’t bring himself to. He didn’t feel like he deserved to. Instead, he just paced back and forth, before punting a loose stone across the cavern and then slumping into a seat on the dirt, staring helplessly out at them.
…
“Come home!” Ochako said firmly. “Deku-kun, you need time to recover. PLEASE, COME HOME!”
Izuku’s face was blotchy, puffy, and still completely red from the several minutes of crying. “D-Do I even still deser-”
“KERO!” Tsu croaked furiously, “DO NOT finish that sentence, Midoriya-chan!”
“Bro.” Kirishima clapped him on the shoulder, “You’re not the first Hero to kill a Villain, and you won’t be the last. You know that.”
“You belong at U.A. with us, no matter what! You’re a Hero!” Momo told him.
“Yeah, even if whatever the hell those last attacks were was kinda terrifying.” Kaminari added, before yelping as Kyōka furiously jabbed him with her jacks. “WHAT?! IT WAS!” Kaminari protested, ripping them out.
“Time and place, dumbass!” Kyōka hissed, before turning to Izuku, “That said, what the heck was that Green? That was incredible!”
Izuku let out a little chuckle, happy to find at least some mirth after today. “Watch.” He started disgorging a small amount of smoke from his right palm with Smokescreen.
“Eh? What does that-”
“The smoke will form a sword in my hand.” Izuku declared, and the smoke coalesced into a katana. He casually jabbed it into the ground, where it stuck like a real blade.
Everyone stared with dropped jaws, “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Katsuki barked, “What the fuck is that Quirk?!”
“First Order. It was Mitsunami Isamu’s Quirk. He was the third. It allows me to order reality around.” He grinned at Katsuki’s look of shock as he released the order, “Third’s Quirk is just as busted as One For All is on its own.”
“…That’s some bullshit.” Katsuki’s eye twitched like a damn drum being beat.
Shōto palmed his face, “I’m so glad my father stopped being a damned idiot.”
“We’re getting off track.” Ochako would not be deterred. “It’s time to go home, Deku-kun.”
“The job’s not done.” Izuku said somberly, “All For One is still out there.”
“No, she’s right.” Kaina spoke again for the first time.
“What?!” Izuku spun to her, wide-eyed.
“Face it, Izuku. We’re exhausted, and after today, you’re going to need time to recover.” She said, crossing her arms. “We should go back to U.A. Rest. Train with your friends. Don’t turn into who I used to be.”
Izuku flinched, “That’s a low blow.”
“If it’s what I need to say, it’s what I’ll say.” Kaina said, unrepentantly, “Besides, we both know the coward won’t leave his hole as long as you’re on the field. We’re wasting our time. All of the other pros can handle cleaning up the rest of the escapees, and don’t say Gigantomachia. He hasn’t been seen at all either.”
Izuku took a breath, “…Okay.” He said finally, and the rest of his classmates cheered.
“Thank you.” Ochako bit down her heartbreak and bowed to Kaina.
“Don’t thank me.” Kaina replied softly, patting Ochako on the shoulder. “I want what’s best for him, same as you.”
Ochako nodded resolutely, before turning away, “Let’s go guys!” She said, trying to inject her usual cheer into the exclamation.
“Let’s.” Izuku smiled, allowing some happiness to show on his face. “Honestly…I’ve been wanting to go home for weeks.” He mumbled, and Kirishima clapped him on the shoulder.
They all started to walk away from the cavern behind them, with Izuku and Kaina taking up the rear. The two lovers shared a look, and a hidden smile, though Izuku’s was far sadder. ‘Stage One: Complete.’ They both mused.
He felt bad about the song and dance regarding his return to U.A, but Nezu still suspected there was a traitor around. Izuku and Kaina had alwaysplanned on returning to U.A. after Muscular was taken care of. Both of them had realized weeks ago that neither All For One nor Shigaraki would show their faces so long as Izuku was actively hunting. After Muscular killed those first five hundred, Izuku, Kaina, Endeavor, All Might, and Nezu had sat down and come up with a plan.
Izuku doubted any of his friends were the culprit behind the information leaks, but it made too much sense if they considered the possibility of an unwitting mole. The League always seemed to be able to sniff out things that they shouldn’t before All For One’s first capture, which completely stopped after his defeat by All Might. After that, the League became amateurish and only ever ran into his class by coincidence up until Jaku.
Time would tell if they were right. And as awful as it would be to discover one of his classmates really was the mole, they could make use of that as well. He could only hope that they were wrong, and All For One had some other way to get information. Regardless…
Their trap was set. Now they just had to bait it.
-]|[-
And that’s a wrap!
Bit shorter than I expected. Initially I was planning to run this a bit farther, but I kinda already did all I felt like doing on this one for now.
I haven’t read a single chapter of MHA since Toga initially nabbed Izuku and pulled him through the wrong portal. And LET ME TELL YOU, I’m so glad I just stopped giving a fuck about Horikoshi’s nonsense. I looked on the wiki to double-check some things while writing this and all I can say is what the fuck. Dabi. All For One. Shigaraki and his not-a-Quirk. Hori pulling an Oda with Bakugō. By Odin’s sagging left testicle, what happened to this manga?
I honestly don’t give a single fuck about anything that happens with the canon story past the point I stopped reading. I wouldn’t give a fuck even if Horikoshi gave us the official harem ending. If it happened AFTER 345, it doesn’t exist, and I don’t care about it. PLEASE do not fill me in.
Anyway, this one probably only has a chapter or two left, at best. Haven’t decided on something yet.
Cheers!
Comments
Primordial Vortex
Killing a character and then going, "nah it was just a joke bro" to the point not a single fan in the world will believe a one piece character is ACTUALLY dead unless they see a corpse. And even then, we're no longer sure
3rddynasty
Ok so I stopped following one piece when ace made himself a donut. What does pulling an oda mean?
Lord Terra
Bro THE NAMES for izuku’s attacks that you chose are so damn good! I can’t wait force the rest of this story because you have me HOOKED. Great work as always dude.
Primordial Vortex
Yup. That's why I just removed myself from the equation. One of my friends kept reading and they abandoned all their MHA stuff and actively hates it now.
Codeninja676 (Brian)
I cannot stress this enough I'm so glad you shot canon in the face with extreme prejudice, like the current chapters are legit shit with good art that's it the only thing left is to enjoy the art everything else about the story can be put through a wood chipper and burned.
Kaminoryu
Nice to hear it. And yeah, the girl she was hugging in the movie when All Might saved her. I just figured they were sisters.
Primordial Vortex
Also this LOL
Primordial Vortex
It's one of the more fun concepts I had and it's at parts of canon other fics won't touch, AND it lets me air out my grievances so I'm totally happy to work on this. Not really huge on Zelda. Haven't actually played since Majora's Mask.
Primordial Vortex
Yeah, Dictator would totally be a cunt if it was a darker manga. As it is, just a monster. And in this, full cunt. So I said things were maybes for other girls. I might actually keep this one mono. Idk First order would NOT do anything for size differences, unless you're talking about an air clone. Cathy has a sister? News to me. lol And I definitely don't need any help there for her to survive. That bit is well planned.
Kaminoryu
I wouldn't hold my breath man. Even if PV played those games, he doesn't take commisions or requests that I know of. You'd have to get lucky and inspire his muse to have much of any hope.
Kaminoryu
Alright, reread on my computer and am ready to comment. First off I loved the chapter, even if it was a little darker than usual, it makes sense for the premise, not to mention a villain like Dictator with his quirk. What you intimated he did makes sense, even if I hate it. On a shipping note, damn do I feel bad for Ochako. I know you said he was going to wind up with Momo at least as well, though I don't remember who else specifically, but Ochako wasn't one of them. I am curious who else was showing signs of heartbreak. Tsuyu maybe. Wouldn't mind seeing Hagakure as well, girl needs more love. Maybe Ippan Josei? First Order could maybe help with any issues from the size difference. I am curious to see how things turn out regarding the villains as well, given I know you won't go anywhere near the shit that is canon. I can't wait to see how the meeting with Star and Stripe goes, not to mention how Potato gets his shit kicked in. Also, given Cathleen canonically has a sister, you could maybe bring her in as another hero to help give a reason for her to survive the encounter with Dusty.
Loghead101
Admittedly this wasn’t one of the snippets I expected to get another chapter. Not to say it isn’t good because this is a fun little chapter. Though I am now looking forward to you airing your grievances about the manga. I haven’t read anything about it since UA took to the sky and only heard little tidbits here and there. I’m in the same ballpark as you so looking forward to how you might change it. Also now that it finally came out. Think you might give a BOTW & TOTK crossover snippet a shot. I’m just imagining Izuku getting dropped off into Hyrule after the sludge villian incident, meets Link once he wakes up and becomes his squire for both games. Best boy learns everything from other best boy. Izuku comes back and for some reason has the sheikah slate, arm and infinite backpack. Imagine the USJ with all the crazy nonsense that can be done in those games. Surfing on rocks going the speed of sound, freezing the Nomu midcharge and building a giant death robot made out of super glue. Sounds fun. That’s it from me, always love getting something outta ya. Have a good one.
