A distinct click told them the weapon was empty, the hunter adjusting her grip to wield it like a baseball bat, swinging hard into the monster's face and sending internal components flying everywhere. Ravager howled then choked when the woman took the opportunity to shove a live grenade down his open maw. Twin rows of razor-sharp teeth clamped shut and snapped on her smooth, hardened flesh, trapping her before she could withdraw her arm and sending enamel shards splintering into the air. The following explosion flung her wounded body back across the street, forcibly separating the two.
The perspective wobbled and tilted perilously as the fifth wielder steadied herself, disoriented. Most of her left arm had been consumed by the explosion, the ruined remains resembling twisted metal. She had to stop it here and now. She couldn't let it escape and hurt any more innocents. All Might and Kiri could do nothing but watch, helpless to intervene in an event that happened decades ago. They were just passengers along for the ride.
Ravager shuffled erratically towards her, smoke rising from its throat. All three eyes flickered over its own burnt and battered body before locking onto her injured form. A low, guttural growl resounded from within the beast's ruined jaw, its voice rough and ragged like the serrated edge of a dagger. An animalistic sound that reached deep into the human mind and wrenched at their fight or flight instincts, primal and unchained. Even without it actually speaking, she understood what it said.
One of us will die now.
"I see we speak the same language." she hissed, her one remaining eye focused on the beast, otherworldly orange light beginning to spill forth. A telltale sign of One For Allactivating with its maximum output.
Lightning trailed from her body as she charged, the beast roaring with its own bull rush. A crashing impact, pained howls and screams from both mixing together into a cacophony of brutality, the violence audible through time. She used the razor-sharp, twisted remains of her hardened left arm like a blade to cut into the monster, bringing down the makeshift weapon again and again…
All Might covered the little girl's eyes, not wanting her to see this.
It was over as soon as it started, both combatants laying crumpled on the ground. Chen had defeated the beast but at a heavy cost—she was dying, the edges of her vision starting to close in. It was like looking through a dark tunnel that seemed to stretch further and further the more she looked…
A panicked man came into her field of vision, a roll of bandages on one hand. He didn't speak very well, primarily using gestures and broken English in an effort to tell her something.
"I… Medic. Help. Stay… calm." he murmured, his thick accent easily recognizable. "It… alright."
Misha, before he was a Hero. With a start All Might realized they were about to witness the transfer of One For All from one host to another.
She coughed, a spray of blood droplets splashing across Misha's face. His sleeve wiped it away carelessly, more focused on bandaging her up to the best of his abilities. She was fading in and out of consciousness now, her time was nearly up. A trembling hand reached out, slick with her own lifeblood.
"Take… it." the woman rasped, nearing her last breath. Her bloodied fingers brushed against his lips. "Please."
The man's palm glowed and he pressed it against her forehead, his own Quirk coming into play. His Extrasensory allowed him to see people's memories just by touch…
Misha's eyes seemed to gleam with realization and more importantly, understanding. With a reluctant nod he licked his lips, ingesting the blood she'd left there. Even as Chen slipped away he stayed by her side, holding her hand until she breathed her last breath. The world faded to black...
All Might and Kiri were dragged out of the memories, the former gasping from the sudden warp. Kiri swayed a little, disoriented but quickly righting herself.
"So what was the point in showing us that?" the hero asked angrily, quickly inspecting the little girl to make sure she was alright. She seemed to be fine, despite having just watched somebody meet their demise. Said somebody was standing right before them, but still.
"Hate me if you wish. You're supposed to understand the message behind my story." the woman nodded flatly, unaffected by his anger. "Sometimes one must be sacrificed for the sake of many. That is the lesson I must impart."
"You could have scared her—" the hero argued, ignoring how Kiri had climbed up his torso to sit on his massive shoulders. He only noticed when she tugged at his golden locks gingerly to get his attention.
"I'm okay." Kiri murmured from atop his head. "Please don't be mad."
"Jeez… All of this still seems awfully cliché. Does every one of you guys have their own lesson and story to share?" All Might sighed, patting the little girl riding on his shoulders and glad she wasn't traumatized from what they'd just seen.
"Don't you?" Chen asked hauntingly, her head slightly tilted. "That's all for now, Toshinori Yagi. I'll see you around."
The woman began to glow with her signature color, wind whipping around her like a miniature tornado.
"Oh. One more thing, you guys should probably figure out a way to counter her weakness. Someone might find out and exploit it." she echoed, her now translucent finger pointing at Kiri. "Like it or not, the Construct can be considered a weapon. She is a mighty force, with the potential to become one of the most powerful and absolute beings on the planet… but she is flawed—with one noticeable weakness, one slight imperfection."
"What is it?"
"The imperfection that every weapon shares." the phantom whispered, ghostly and fading. "Its user."
With that last bit of advice a flash of orange engulfed the pair, leaving them alone at the base of the giant tree. Well that didn't go exactly as planned… not to mention he wasn't very fond of the woman's cold and relentlessly logical attitude. Frankly, he even thought she was a little edgy.
"We still have to meet four more? Gah."
"Nn..."
All Might peeked up at the child above him and sighed when he realized she was already starting to doze off, her cheek pressed against the crown off his skull. Perhaps it was time for him to rest, too.
A snap of his fingers manifested a cushy recliner out of nowhere, the Hero climbing into it with his sleepy little companion. Placing her onto his lap like a caring father, he made sure she was comfortable before leaning back himself. Within minutes he too was starting to drift off, the lure of sleep heavy on his eyelids. Maybe having her around wasn't as bad as he initially thought.
[x]
Izuku awoke with the feeling of something warm and alive on top of him. His sleepy eyes fluttered open to find Kiri laying on his chest, her smaller body rising and falling gently alongside each breath he took. They resembled an Otter parent and child pair lazing atop each other, her little fists clutching his pajama shirt tight while she dozed peacefully. A lock of her dark hair drifted near her mouth and she began to chew on it, even drooling a little.
"Hey," Izuku whispered, a hand coming up to sweep it out of her mouth. "Don't eat your own hair."
"Nmu…" she mumbled, still asleep.
Glancing at his bedside clock, he noticed it was almost time to get up and get ready for school. Reluctantly, the boy tried to gently slide her off without waking her up. Ironically his actions had the opposite effect when she held on tighter the moment she felt her 'bed' shifting, latching on to him firmly like a Koala.
"Oh." No choice, then. Izuku prodded at her cheek tenderly, careful not to startle her. "Kiri? Hey, wake up."
"Nn?" the little girl let out a small yawn, looking around blearily. "Nii-chan…"
"Yeah, it's me." He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, stroking her head. "Your face doesn't change that much, eh… you wanna try smiling a little?"
She tilted her head, staring at him sleepily.
"Like this," Izuku flashed her a great big grin. The girl tried to mimic his expression, ending up baring her pearly-white teeth at him instead. He reached up and pushed at her soft cheeks gently with his fingers, teasing her expression into a tiny smile. "Needs a little work, hm."
"Nn~" She nuzzled against his hand affectionately, even more so when he gave her a light peck on the forehead.
"Come on, let go. I need to get ready for school."
"Okaaaay." she slurred, finally releasing her grip and rolling back onto his bed. He'd let her sleep a little more until breakfast was ready.
A while later and they were chowing down on breakfast, both getting ready for their respective tasks. While Izuku had to go to school Kiri was getting ready to patrol the city again as part of her usual routine, even if the rate of criminal activity was already at an all-time low.
Once they made their way out of the front door, the siblings bid each other goodbye for now. Izuku watched Kiri leap off into the distance, her tiny form transforming midair into an adult. As the watched her go he couldn't help but feel a little proud; not at himself for creating her, but for her. A little miracle, one that made the world a better place.
The day carried on as usual, Izuku making his way into the classroom early. Iida was already there, a hand raised in greeting as he entered.
"Good morning, Midoriya-kun. Feeling better, I hope?
"Good morning, Iida-san. Thanks for your concern." Izuku smiled, a little happy that someone cared. "How was your meeting?"
"It was interesting, to say in the least. I hope you didn't get too much of a tongue-lashing yesterday."
"Hmm? Oh, you mean Aizawa-sensei." he hummed, remembering his interaction with the teacher. "I explained my uh, unique circumstances and we kinda talked it out."
"I see… well if you ever need help on anything, just give me a call." the taller boy said, nodding solemnly in understanding.
Uraraka Ochaco entered the classroom moments later, bright and cheerful as always. She wore a sunny grin on her features, upbeat and happy-go-lucky. Uraraka-san, if your smile gets any brighter I'm gonna have to wear shades.
"Good Morning, Iida-kun!" she said happily to Iida, her smile radiant. She then turned to Izuku, intent on greeting him with that same enthusiasm. "Good Morning, D-deku-kun-"
She seemed to suddenly stutter out of nowhere in the middle of greeting Izuku, her cheeks slowly turning a lovely shade of pink. What both boys didn't know was that she thought back to the scene she'd secretly witnessed yesterday with Mina outside the school gates upon seeing Izuku again. The young brunette's face began to heat up when she remembered how experienced Izuku had seemed yesterday, sweeping a girl off her feet and caressing her head lovingly. A tiny part if her wondered how it would feel to be held and caressed like that...
"Uraraka-san? Are you alright?" Izuku tried, concerned for his friend.
"Ah! I- uh, I'm fine. Everything is just peachy, yeah!" she laughed awkwardly, sidestepping away from them and into her seat. "Peachy peachy peachy! Hahaha—"
The two boys shared a worried glance, confused.
"D-did I do something wrong?" Izuku tried, bewildered. He began patting his cheeks. "Is there something on my face?"
Iida shrugged, his expression indicating he had absolutely no idea. Izuku flinched when he felt a hand pat him on the shoulder, the owner of said hand humming in approval. Ashido Mina appeared out of nowhere, grinning delightfully.
"E-eh? A-ashido-san?" he stammered, flustered from her sudden close contact. A girl was touching him!
"I have to admit; I underestimated you, Midoriya!" Mina beamed, her voice playful and teasing. She sent a thumbs up his way as she left for her seat, giggling a little. "Just make sure to not play around too much with maidens' hearts, you stud~."
"P-p-p-play around?" Izuku blushed, blood rushing to his cheeks. He still had no idea what she was talking about. Was that a compliment or some sort of hidden innuendo? He silently cursed the fact that he was so bad at talking to girls.
"Huh." Iida turned to him, a little confused. "Well, I'm not going to meddle in your private affairs, Midoriya-kun."
"Um, I don't know what she meant." the boy blinked. "Did you?"
"No, not really."
Both boys shrugged, dropping the issue. A few minutes later Aizawa-sensei shuffled in, looking disheveled as ever. Overall, it was the same, boring old combination of classes until the afternoon rolled along. The teacher announced that they were to head to a remote training site for Rescue Training, the class piling onto a bus shortly after they changed into their respective costumes. So this was the important event he mentioned...
The bus traveled along a long, winding road, deep into the forested land where the training area resided. To think that U.A had such a facility in place.
"I tend to say whatever comes to mind, Midoriya-chan." Asui Tsuyu began, having sat next to him.
"Um, yes, Asui-san?"
"Call me Tsuyu."
"R-right."
"Your Quirk is like All Might's." the frog girl said flatly.
"H-huh?! I-" Izuku started to protest then paused, recalling the memory of the small child drooling on his chest this morning. "I suppose it looks rather similar, doesn't it."
If only she knew what his real Quirk was capable of.
"Wait a sec, Tsuyu-chan." Kirishima piped up from beside her. "All Might doesn't get hurt when he uses his. They just kind of look the same."
Tsuyu nodded, humming in thought.
"But it's nice to have a simple augmenting-type Quirk. You can do lots of flashy stuff!" the redhead continued with a grin. "My Hardening is strong against others, but unfortunately it doesn't look like much."
"I think it's really cool!" Izuku said, always keen to learn about new Quirks. "It's a Quirk that can definitely pass as a Pro's."
"A pro's, huh. But you have to think about popularity as a Hero too, you know."
"My Navel Laser is pro-level in both flashiness and strength—" Aoyama began.
"—But it's not great that it gives you a stomachache." Mina interrupted with a teasing smile, a supportive hand on his shoulder.
"Well, if you're talking flashy and strong—" Kirishima nodded towards the back of the bus. "It's gotta be Todoroki and Bakugo, huh?"
"Bakugo's always mad, so he doesn't seem like he'll be popular, though." Tsuyu said bluntly.
"WHAT THE FUCK?! Wanna fight, you froggy bitch?!"
"See?"
"We haven't known each other that long, so it's amazing that everyone knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage." Kaminari shrugged smugly.
"What's with that vocabulary, bastard?!" Bakugo snarled, leaning over the railing in front of him. "I'll kill you!"
Kacchan's being teased... Huh. You don't see that everyday. That's U.A for you.
"What a vulgar conversation." Yaoyorozu muttered.
"But I like stuff like this, too!" Ochaco giggled from beside her.
"We're here. Stop messing around."
"Yes, sir!"
Upon arrival, Class 1-A was greeted with one of the most amazing sights they would behold as part of their life at U.A. A themepark-like location stood before them, where the attractions would usually be replaced with different variations of disaster zones ranging from perilous landslides to collapsed buildings. All six zones were housed within an enormous dome, Izuku suspecting that the structure was large enough to have its own weather patterns.
"Whooooaaaah! Is this Universal Studios Japan?!"
"There's the Flood Zone, Landslide Zone, Conflagration Zone, etc. Every disaster and accident you can imagine." an androgynous voice behind them stated proudly. "I built this facility myself. I call it… The Unforeseen Simulation Joint!"
"So it really is USJ!" the class thought as one.
"It's the Space Hero, Thirteen!" Izuku said in awe, taking in the hero's spacesuit-clad form. "He's a gentleman hero who specializes in rescue scenarios!"
"Ooh, I love Thirteen!" Ochaco cheered, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Thirteen." Aizawa greeted his colleague flatly. "Where's All Might? I thought he was meeting us here."
"About that, Senpai…" Thirteen held up three gloved fingers subtly. "It seems he just reached his limit during his morning commute. He's resting in the break room."
"The height of irrationality." the teacher muttered under his breath. "So be it. Let's get started."
"Righto! Alright, before we start I have a point or two to make." Thirteen cheered cutely, then began counting off his fingers. "Or Three. Four… Um, Five? Hmm…"
Aizawa simply sighed, watching his colleague hum and tap their helmet thoughtfully.
"Okay. As I'm sure many of you are already aware, my Quirk is called Black Hole. It can suck in and tear apart anything."
"And you've used it to save people in all sorts of disasters." Izuku added helpfully.
"Correct. However, my power could easily kill." The pro hero paused and let that statement sink in. "No doubt there are some among you with similar abilities. In our super-powered society, the use of Quirks is heavily restricted and monitored. Though it may seem that this system is a stable one, we must never forget it only takes one wrong move with an uncontrollable Quirk for people to die."
An image of Kiri flashed across Izuku's mind, her featureless form standing atop a mountain of rubble, hands plunging into a heavy exosuit and prying thick layers of armor apart like how one would peel an Orange, the pilot within screaming—
No. She would never hurt innocents. She had never even killed anyone in her entire life, not even Villains. Just as she was unquestioningly loyal to him, he would place his utmost trust in her.
"During Aizawa's physical fitness test, you came to learn of your own hidden potential. Through All Might's battle training, you experienced the danger that your respective Quirks can pose to others. This class will show you a new perspective! You will learn how to utilize your Quirks to save lives." Thirteen seemed to smile within that domed helmet, his voice positive and encouraging. "I hope you leave here today with the understanding that you're meant to helppeople. That is all! I thank you for listening."
The class cheered and clapped as Thirteen bowed, inspired.
"He's awesome!"
"So cool!"
"Bravo, bravo!"
"Great." Aizawa rolled his eyes. "First off—"
A swirling ball of dark smog puffed into existence near the fountain. Aizawa whirled around to face it, his eyes widening when it expanded, fingers of black fog creeping along the ground like writhing, shadowy tentacles. A gnarled hand reached through that inky nothingness, a gleaming red pupil full of malice peering through pale fingers.
Not a hand… a face.
Villain.
[x]
Kiri stood atop the roof of a moving train carriage, wind whipping in her hair as the transport clattered along its preset path. Another uneventful day, as usual. Sure, there was the occasional robber sometimes but he'd usually be arrested by the neighborhood heroes. She couldn't fault them for doing a good job. Come to think of it, she should—
A wave of ice-cold dread and crystalline fear slammed into her like a truck, causing her to flinch. Wha? Where was—where is it? The vigilante's eyes widened when she realized it was coming through her mental link. That meant—
ONII-CHAN.
Kiri braced herself, focusing as hard as she could. The energies that made up her body responded to her will, tugging and shifting to make the jaunt through space. A memory of U.A's entrance flashed in her thoughts, the mental photograph in her mind linking to its real world counterpart.
She disintegrated into a cloud of white particles. Only moments later her form reconstituted outside U.A behind a hidden wall of trees, the girl searching frantically for her brother. He wasn't in the School! Where—where is he?! He's somewhere… somewhere far away, kilometers away from her current position.
Focusing hard, Kiri reached into their shared mental link and pinpointed his exact location, her feet already thundering towards that direction. Somewhere remote, in a forest? The girl cursed her speed, even though she was running much faster than a car now.
Slow slow slow why was she so slow—
She simply ran through the trees in her path, leaving broken wood and splinters in her wake when she didn't bother to dodge around them; the fastest route from point A to point B was a straight line. A second wave of all-consuming terror surged into her like a wave, causing her to almost let out a cry of dismay. She was consuming as much of it as possible, but there was so much...
No, no, NO! I won't let them hurt you, Onii-chan. I won't, I won't!
A massive dome came into view, with her closing in rapidly. Kiri lowered her shoulder into a charge when she neared the structure's thick walls, crashing through multiple walls with deafening booms. Breaching the side of the dome she found herself in the Downpour Zone, gusts of wind and rain blasting into her. She continued charging, inadvertently rushing past and knocking out several villains who were in the midst of combat with two particular U.A students.
Tokoyami and Koda blinked in stunned confusion, nearly missing that the vigilante had just halved the number of their total opponents. The remaining villains were easily defeated in seconds, especially when Dark Shadow suddenly seemed much more excited for some reason.
"Dark Shadow, what's wrong?"
"That one, master, the white one who helped us. She was—she felt..." the shadow hissed, a thrilled delight evident in its voice. "Familiar."
Kiri finally burst out of the Downpour Zone with a crash, spotting her brother—he was staring at a hulking beast of muscle, a smaller form pinned and broken underneath it. Fear radiated off Izuku like heat from a campfire, the construct immediately draining most of it away and clearing his thoughts. An order thundered through their mental link and into her mind, desperate and frantic.
Get that thing off Aizawa-sensei!
"Oh, what's this? We have a special miniboss stage." A thin slip of a man was saying, his face obscured by a severed hand for a mask. "Kurogiri—"
Whatever he was about to say next was cut short when Kiri slammed into the behemoth, her fist crashing into its face with an impact so significant that it flung both the masked man and his smoky ally back. The monster weathered the blow easily, its eyes locking onto her form before responding with a brutal overhead swing. One slender hand tanked the blow, the other slicing through the air to slam into his chin in an uppercut, the air around the impact zone distorting from the shockwave. Leaping back away from Aizawa and Izuku, she baited the monster into coming after her.
Her new opponent gripped the ground on all fours like a gorilla, bulging muscle in both arms and legs propelling its massive body forward with blinding speed. She met its charge, her smaller hands pushing against its humongous ones; exactly what she planned. Kiri focused and reached in deep, intent on ripping out every single emotion from the beast's mind to stun it.
Diving in, she reached inwards and- stopped. There was… nothing? She had looked into the monster's psyche and found absolutely no emotions at all, almost like the thing before her didn't have a Soul. It was just a meat puppet, a golem made of flesh… It wasn't even a person anymore.
"Your puny punches won't work against Nomu's Shock Absorption." the thin man hissed, sneering under his grotesque mask. "He was specifically made to take on All Might… do you seriously think you can actually match him?"
Nomu made no sound when he attacked, no animalistic roaring, not even an enraged growl. He was… empty, devoid of emotion and soul. His fists were meaty hammers that crashed into her body lighting fast, each blow causing the ground beneath her to spiderweb with numerous cracks, then shattering into countless chunks. Kiri counterattacked, the power behind her blows disproportionate to her size; though she was much smaller and slightly slower her fists were hitting like freight trains, every punch she landed creating a thunderous boom and rippling the air behind Nomu. The sound of them exchanging blows was like machine-gun fire, deafening and bone-rattling.
Shock Absorption. Every hit she lands absorbed. Absorption of kinetic energy, other energies not absorbed; sonic, thermal energy? Izuku observed. He was watching them clash, his mind frantically analyzing Nomu's characteristics and capabilities. They're equally matched… no. Nomu is much stronger. Made to combat All Might, possibly kill him. Made? Artificial human? Superhuman strength, speed, stamina. Brute package confirmed.
Kiri landed an open palm onto Nomu's exposed brain and wrenched, digging her fingers in deep and trying for a weak spot—it didn't work. Nomu bit down on her arm, shaking her like a dog with a chew toy before she broke free, going for his eyes... that didn't work either when he simply grabbed and pulled her away. Her next attempt had her darting onto his back, grabbing hold of his thick neck and twisting it further than what any normal human's could tolerate. Nomu simply reached up and swung her into the ground with a thunderous crash, unaffected. This thing, this monster... why did it look and feel so familiar? That beast-like instinct and aggression, inhuman and primal. She had seen something similar to it before, but where?
The realization hit her like a sack of bricks. That freakish musclemass. That exposed brain. Ravager. The monster that Chen had fought. Had that been the prototype to this abomination, its remains used to help create this?
"No sense in sticking around if All Might isn't going to come. But before we leave, let's leave a few dead kids…" the thin villain from before whispered, crossing the distance between him and Izuku and his friends in the blink of an eye. His hand reached out towards them. "—to wound the Symbol of Peace's pride!"
Kiri moved, prioritizing the safety of her brother above all else. Kicking off Nomu's chest like a springboard her fist rocketed into the thin man's torso with a sharp crack, sending him flying across the plaza. She was sure she at least broke a rib or two, having felt the sensation of bone snapping against her knuckles. Pulsing, unrestrained rage flowed off her, Izuku literally feeling her wrath as she stood with her back towards him and his classmates, using her own body as a shield.
STAY AWAY FROM HIM.
"Tch! Nomu, dispose of Valkyrie NOW! KILL HER!" the man spat, clutching at his side painfully.
Nomu was a shadowy blur, racing towards them; Kiri, Valkyrie, met his charge with one of her own. Twin juggernauts collided, one black and one white, one fueled by pure instinct and the other by pure emotion. She adjusted her strategy, her leg not kicking but rather pushing against his knee joint with tremendous force. There was a sickening snap and Nomu's knee bent backwards—
Only to immediately right itself with another snap. Regeneration. Looks like breaking all his limbs wouldn't work. Fighting an opponent bigger and stronger than oneself—she had tried nearly everything so far. Explosiveness, aiming for sensitive targets, all nullified against Nomu's Quirk. It was possible to beat him in an endurance match but she couldn't keep track of multiple opponents at once; the thin Villain and his fog companion were still a threat to Izuku and his friends. The longer she was in combat against Nomu the more Izuku was prone to danger.
Kiri thought back to the endless hours she spent fighting, the tactics of each opponent she faced and each ally she fought alongside incorporated into her own fighting style. There were always moves to take down a larger, stronger opponent. And there were always countermoves to those moves. And countermoves to those counters. Physical combat was like a game of chess, except the pieces were your arms and legs, torque and your center of mass… and most importantly your mind.
Ducking under Nomu's haymaker she swung herself up onto his back again using his neck as a grip, taking advantage of his split second of disorientation to wrap her legs across his right arm, her body parallel along its length. She grabbed onto the limb at a specific angle and pulled, her efforts manifesting with a wet pop; dislocating Nomu's shoulder. Now that his right side was mostly out of commission she scrambled atop and behind him, her lithe arms wrapping around his neck and executing a rear naked choke.
A blood choke, Izuku realized. She was trying to cut off the blood flow to Nomu's brain, putting all her strength into the endeavor. The behemoth stumbled, flailing madly and trying to throw her off him—it looked like it was working until Nomu's neck bulged repulsively when he flexed, thick veins popping and writhing along his neck like worms beneath skin. With the blood flowing back to his brain, the mutant regained his senses and leapt high into the air to land on his back with a horrific impact, rupturing the ground beneath and crushing her into a deep crater. The earth shook, sending massive tremors that reverberated through the entire structure. The resulting shockwave hit like a sledgehammer, causing Izuku and the others to stumble back.
Nomu jumped out of the crater, Kiri lunging after him—she was pissed, and Izuku felt it. Just as he was trying to forcefully shove his right arm's ball joint back into its socket the girl made her move, leaping onto his head again. Her left arm gripped Nomu's working one tightly and held it immobile when he tried to fling her off; his dislocated right arm couldn't rise high enough. With her right arm and leg she reached down and—
Beside him Tsuyu and Mineta gasped, not believing what they were seeing. Izuku could barely believe it himself. Kiri slammed her right arm and leg into Nomu's birdlike face… and reached into his toothy maw. Wordlessly, she pulled the top of his head back and kicked down on his lower jaw to force his mouth open further than it was meant to go, causing a grisly snap followed by wet gurgling.
Then she rammed her entire arm down his throat.
For a single moment everyone, even the Villains, watched the scene in silent disbelief. The silence didn't last when Nomu began to thrash around with Kiri still atop him, the length of her entire arm from below the shoulder onwards lodged in his esophagus. Izuku understood her intent—since her blood choke earlier had failed she was trying for an air choke this time, physically blocking his airway and trying to choke him into unconsciousness. The girl held on tight like she was riding a rodeo bull, unsure of how long it would take for him to run out of air. Nomu had a large body with equally large muscles, meaning that he would have a powerful set of lungs to supply all that much-needed oxygen. If only she had a grenade like Chen had.
There was a deafening bang from across the plaza, everyone's attention switching to the source. There, the magnificent visage of All Might appeared past the massive doors, the Symbol of Peace in all his glory. All Might… wasn't smiling.
"I had a bad feeling… so I tore myself away from my chat with the Principal and came. I passed young Iida on the way, so I got a rough idea of what happened." Each step he took sounded like a gunshot in the near-silence. "Good grief, it really makes me angry. Thinking about how frightening in must have been for you all… how hard my juniors fought... and now- how Miss Valkyrie was already here fighting when I was supposed to be. But that is why I must proudly say—"
Sapphire pupils glinted against the hollow shadows of All Might's face.
"It's fine now!" The hero reached up and ripped off his tie into shreds. "I AM HERE!"
"Kurogiri! Separate them!" the hand-mask Villain cried, actually sounding panicked. "Get her off Nomu!"
"But where do I send her, Shigaraki—"
"Anywhere but here! Do it now, while she's stuck!"
Dark fog swirled and churned around Kiri, enveloping her body much to Izuku's horror. The warp Quirk! Normally she wouldn't be affected by a Quirk, but this one opened a physical gateway using the user's body as a catalyst, effectively linking one point of space to another. The warpgate closed around her arm, seemingly severing it at the shoulder… except there was no blood, the limb dissolving into particles. She'd been sent away somewhere, but where?
[x]
Nomu was finally freed from his choking hazard, inhaling in deep lungfuls of air and managing to get his right arm into proper working condition by snapping the joint back into place. In his disorientation All Might managed to land a blow on both him and the other Villain, scooping up Izuku and his friends. Valkyrie was nowhere to be seen, whisked away by the fog… All Might clenched his teeth. If anything happened to her, he would hold himself responsible… yet another person hurt because he wasn't here.
"Everyone, go to the entrance!" He ordered. "I'm leaving Aizawa to you, he's unconscious. Hurry!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Kero."
Izuku watched his mentor with fearful eyes, remembering what Thirteen had said earlier. It seems he just reached his limit during his morning commute… All Might was running on fumes, and Izuku was the only one who knew it.
"It's no good… It's no good…" the thin man, Shigaraki, was saying, searching for his lost mask. "I-I'm sorry, father…"
His whimpering ended when he retrieved his hand-mask, voice now tinged with hate.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this… that interfering little vigilante wasn't supposed to be here. Why… how did she know..." He turned to All Might, head tilted. "It doesn't matter. With Nomu's regeneration, he's back in perfect condition—and you're becoming weaker, aren't you… All Might."
"All Might, you can't." Izuku said, panicked. "That brain Villain, Nomu; he took on Ki—Valkyrie at her full strength, and he was stronger than her. He has a Shock Absorption Quirk… He's gotta be—"
"Young Midoriya!" All Might held out a hand, silencing him. He then turned back to face him with a smile, fingers forming a 'peace' symbol. "It's fine!"
Izuku watched his mentor for a few seconds before nodding, deciding to trust him. Together with Tsuyu and Mineta's help they hefted Aizawa's limp body away from the battlefield, careful not to move him around too much.
All Might's turned his attention to the hand-masked creep, dashing forward. His arms forming an X, the hero prepared to launch one of his signature smashes. "Carolina—"
"Nomu!"
"—Smash!"
The muscled behemoth intercepted the blow for its master, the water behind him parting from the sheer force of All Might's attack. So Valkyrie fought against this thing… Shock Absorption and Regeneration? Multiple Quirks. He had to be careful; Valkyrie may not be as strong as he was, but she could still pack one hell of a punch. If this thing could withstand her attacks it meant that it was no small fry.
Nomu lunged for him, missing by mere inches. The hero countered, his fists blurring with speed and slamming into the villain… only to have absolutely no effect. He then tried slugging the beast across its face, only to have that fail as well—Nomu was barely even fazed.
"It doesn't work on his face either?!"
"It doesn't work because of his shock absorption. You can't beat him." Shigaraki whispered, his thin form still trembling with pain from Valkyrie's attack. "That foolish girl couldn't do it, and neither will you. It's game over for you, All Might!"
All Might circled around Nomu with superhuman speed, gripping him around the waist. His back arched, heels rising off the floor to prepare for what was unmistakably a suplex.
"We'll see about that!"
[x]
Kiri burst out from the remains of a burning building, raging flames licking ineffectually at her body. They'd warped her into the Conflagration Zone and right into an inferno, trying to roast her alive. Looking down the girl realized her right arm had been severed from the warp gate closing on it; a little focus and it was back again, white particles rushing together to reform the limb.
She wasted no time in getting back into the fight, headed in the direction that Izuku was currently in. Busting out of the zone's domed ceiling the vigilante found a scene most discouraging: Izuku and a few of his classmates were facing Shigaraki, while All Might was about to engage Nomu. But the most troubling thing was that the Number One Hero was bleeding from the left side of his torso, a splotch of dark crimson forming under his ribs. His weak spot.
This wouldn't do. If she worked with All Might they'd be able to defeat Nomu, but alone she was unable to... Her output simply wasn't enough, fighting Nomu solo would result in a stalemate again just like when she'd fought the mental version of All Might. She needed more power.
MORE
POWER.
Kiri began to feel a tugging sensation in her head.
Within the recesses of Izuku's mind Nana and All Might could do nothing but watch helplessly through the host's eyes, fists clenched and teeth grit. For All Might it was looking like he had finally met his match, for Nana it was even worse as she was faced with the very real possibility that he might lose… she didn't want to watch her student die.
Especially when she watched herself die through his eyes. She wouldn't… she couldn't let the same thing happen to him. But they were stuck here, unable to interact with the real world. Perhaps they could influence Izuku to do something? No, he could barely even control the power of One For All, she couldn't expect him to do anything in this situation. There must be something they can do, anything! Snippets of everything she'd experienced in the past few days began to echo within her mind.
She's a mental projection! That's how she can be in the real world...
But don't touch my tree! I'll know.
In Norse Mythology, the Valkyries were mythical women who chose who was to live and who was to die in battle.
Chooser of the Slain. Nana's eyes widened with realization. Without a word she turned and marched towards the giant tree that represented Izuku, placing her glowing palm onto the bark.
"KIRI!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, shocking All Might and making him turn away from the sky he was watching. "PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME!"
"Sensei, what are you—"
"IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, LET ME HELP YOU!" The woman paused to take a deep breath, perhaps the most important breath in her un-life. "CHOOSE ME!"
The point where her palm met the trunk began to glow, blinding light radiating from the weathered wood. A deep whooshing emanated from the tree, the light spiraling outwards and expanding to form—
A doorway.
"Nana?!" All Might gasped.
Nana said nothing as she stepped through, the doorway closing behind her before her student could react. Imperceptible radiance and colors of every shade imaginable greeted her. Somebody screamed, and she wasn't sure if it was her. Inside was a tunnel of burning rainbow light, the mental link between Izuku and Kiri. The Bifrost between minds… the bridge that reached between the mental world and the real world, a link between two realms.
Shimura Nana closed her eyes.
Valkyrie opened her eyes.
When she gasped her voice was strange and slightly distorted, like two people speaking at once. She looked down to find herself no longer featureless nor unclothed, now clad in a familiar costume. Black bodysuit with yellow gloves. Gleaming white boots, and a magnificent white cape billowing in the wind. The figure turned towards the standoff below, the corners of her mouth curving upward.
"Hell yeah."
[x]
All Might took a deep breath, readying himself. Before him was Nomu, an absolute monster, all muscle and instinct. Though Young Todoroki and the others had aided him earlier when he was trapped the beast had still managed to hit him right where it hurt, his old injury opening up and leaking blood.
I barely have a minute left… My power has been declining faster than I expected.
"Even with this wound I can take all you brats on." Shigaraki hissed in pain, one hand clutching his side. "Nomu, let's clear this and go home."
But I must do this.
Shigaraki dashed towards Izuku and his classmates, feet light and eyes angry.
Why? Because I am… All Might felt the power of One For All surging through his body, eight different souls working together; a gestalt of different generations. A power he was deemed worthy of. ...The Symbol of Peace!
Shigaraki flinched from the sudden increase in pressure, turning towards the Hero. All Might leapt forward, his golden locks whipping in the wind. Nomu blurred with speed, a wall of muscle and aggression. Their fists collided in an immense shockwave that sent everyone nearby flying. Unnoticed by all, a flash of black and white was headed right at them like a missile. All Might readied his fist for another punch, Nomu doing the same—
"Who The Hell Do You Think I Am KIIIIIIIIIICK!"
An alabaster boot impacted Nomu's face with the force of a bullet train, actually causing him to stumble back. The ground beneath him broke apart, shattering like glass and sending an explosion of rubble climbing into the air. All Might blinked in surprise, whirling around to face his unexpected ally. The new combatant spun mid-air, adding rotational momentum to her next attack which came in the form of another ridiculously long name.
"Get Your Damn Hands Off Him PUUUNNNCCCHHH!" the girl yelled, her voice slightly distorted.
It was... Valkyrie, but she looked drastically different. Though her face, skin and hair still looked the same and retained their milky-white color, her eyes no longer glowed green. An ethereal Violet light shone from within her eyes, twin amethysts sparkling with hope. But that costume… it was impossible. That costume belonged to—
Nomu was flung back due to Valkyrie's putting her full force into her punch, the blow acting more like a continuous push. She spun to face All Might, a painfully familiar grin on her face. One that he'd seen before, just not on her.
"All Might, with me!" she cried, taking up a combat stance. "Formation Delta!"
The blonde's eyes widened in disbelief, though he subconsciously got into position as well. It was an old battle formation, a favorite of his mentor's, in fact. "Valkyrie, how—"
"Just do it!" Valkyrie yelled, not looking like her usual expressionless self at all. In fact, it reminded him of… her. "On my mark. Mark!"
The two heroes dashed forward in unison; one aiming high, the other aiming low. Nomu responded too late and received twin blows that sent him spinning, then another combined attack that pummeled him into the ground. Nearby buildings and walls shook from the impact, massive cracks climbing up their sides.
Izuku and his classmates could only watch in amazement, the two heroes executing every maneuver perfectly; each punch and swing choreographed and precise. It was like watching a dance, passionate and heart-pounding. Two partners working in tandem, both reliant on the other. Each harmonious blow resulted in a wave of pressure, gale winds sweeping across the entire plaza and preventing anyone from getting close. Nomu couldn't even fight back, the combined barrage too much to defend against. Valkyrie seemed much stronger now, perhaps almost as strong as All Might.
They're both giving it their all... neither of them are swinging randomly. Each blow, every single hit... is more than a 100% of their full strength!
"If your Quirk isn't Shock Nullification but Shock Absorptionthen there must be a limit to it, right?" All Might growled, his arms a hurricane of blows. "Made to fight me? If you can withstand me at 100%, then we've just got to go beyond that!
"With our powers combined," Valkyrie snarled, her smaller form beguiling her monstrous strength and vicious attacks. A rooster-tail of dust and rubble manifested from their movement alone, trees uprooted and concrete chunks spiraling into the air. "It'll be more than enough to force you down, Villain! A Hero..."
She landed an over-the-shoulder judo throw, sending Nomu flying right into All Might's uppercut that launched him into the sky.
"...Can always break out of a tough spot!" The blonde finished, One For All thundering through his muscles, surging through his Soul. Together they leapt into the air and swung as one, two pairs of hands sending a barrage of rapid-fire blows into the muscled mutant.
"ORRRRYYAAAAA!" Two voices mixed into a triumphant crescendo, their combined heavy over-swing sent Nomu cratering against the ground so hard the entire USJ shook from the impact, the ground rupturing and fragmenting like the surface of a frozen pond. He bounced off the shattered floor from the impact, mid-air for a moment.
Everyone watched in speechless shock and awe, witnessing the full extent of All Might's power and Valkyrie's hidden one. Izuku stared at his sister's strange new form, eyes shining with wonder.
"Hey villain, have you ever heard these words?" All Might's huge fist cocked back, gathering power. The full force of his might was spiralling within his fist and gathering steam, all eight Souls within him resonating as one. One For All. Valkyrie did the same beside him, grinning. She too gathered power, her own variation of One For All combining with her current esoteric energies.
"GO BEYOND! PLUS—" Two overcharged fists slammed into Nomu, backed with the power of generations that came before. Past and Present, Old and New, United as One. Their fists drove deep into the Villain, their combined power overwhelming and absolute, going way past a 100% and breaking the limits of his shock absorption. "—ULTRAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
An earth-shattering explosion of force emanated from the impact, hammer-like and rattling the teeth of anyone nearby like the strike of a rubber mallet. Nomu was sent flying into the domed ceiling of USJ, turning the giant fixed lights into fireballs when he crashed into and through them. The villain's body shot into the sky, parting clouds as he passed through them and over the horizon.
They did it—the monster had been defeated with their combined efforts, bright sunlight shining through the hole they had made in the ceiling. Izuku watched, his eyes full of stars. So this was the power of All Might… and the power of his own Quirk. He felt his knees trembling, about to give out at the amazing display of heroism before he steeled himself and remembered danger was still nearby.
"NO! It's not fair! This wasn't supposed to— Arrggh!" Shigaraki screeched, seething with rage at Nomu's defeat. "If that girl hadn't shown up, we could have—they cheated!"
"Villains like you will never win; there will always be someone willing to fight for what's right!" Valkyrie yelled, index finger raised skywards proudly. "A Hero will never give up, never hide, never be defeated, never accept Evil!
"You- You ruined everything!" The villain scratched at his neck madly. "I'll kill you—"
Before he could rant on any longer, a bullet hole the size of a quarter appeared on both his knees, causing the man-child to scream in pain and collapse. Iida had returned, and he brought the cavalry with him. The U.A teachers got to work, immediately mopping up the remaining villains with relative ease.
"Let us retreat for now, Shigaraki Tomura! We cannot afford to lose you here!" Kurogiri hissed, finding difficulty in creating a warp gate when Thirteen's black hole began to inhale his fog.
"All Might… and you, Valkyrie… You'll pay for this!" Shigaraki howled, crawling into the shuddering warp gate. "You'll all pay, you damn cheaters! This isn't over! I swear it!"
Both heroes leapt forward in an effort to catch them but to no avail, the gate closing just inches away from them. Izuku and his classmates were further back, still a little too stunned from the sheer power displayed in the fight to move.
All Might huffed, a little spent but ultimately alright. Without the help Valkyrie provided, he would have been forced to put much more stress on his body, possibly even shortening his transformation time or worse, his remaining lifespan. Speaking of the vigilante, she was eying the hole Nomu made in the ceiling with a low whistle, giggling a little. How… unprecedented. This was the second time that he'd seen her with actual facial expressions and outward emotions. But more importantly, that costume… those moves… that smile. They all belonged to—
"Just like old times. You haven't changed a bit, y'know? Still reckless as ever." Valkyrie turned to him, smiling warmly. There it was again, painfully familiar and nostalgic. "I'm so proud of you."
"Miss Valkyrie…" All Might whispered, uncertain on what to say. "Who are you?"
"Ask stupid questions, get stupid answers." she chuckled, glowing with alluring light.
For a moment her face and body changed, though her costume remained the same. He knew that face. A mole below her right cheek. Dark hair tied in a partial bun, two long strands framing her face. Pearly-white teeth gleaming alongside a radiant, cheerful grin. A halo of seven glittering stars encircled her head like a miniature galaxy, giving her the appearance of an Angel descended from Heaven.
"Nana?" he breathed.
Steel-gray eyes glimmered with nostalgia, time seeming to trickle to an eternity between those precious few seconds.
"See you around, Toshinori."
With that final statement and smile she faded away in the wind, her form dissolving into smoke. All Might reached out to grab her hand, to just hold her one last time—
Her ectoplasmic, ethereal fingers slipped through his, leaving no trace that she'd ever been there. A phantom from the past, come to aid him in his time of need. Izuku and his friends gathered around him even as the teachers streamed in to clean up the remaining villains, effectively ending the invasion of USJ.
"All Might… are you okay?" Izuku tried reluctantly. The hero didn't respond, opting to keep silent. It wasn't that he wouldn't respond, but rather that he couldn't. He'd just seen a ghost, after all. Someone very dear to him, gone once again.
All Might stared at his hand for a long, long time.
[x]
A swirling doorway of light opened up in Izuku's mind, dumping both Kiri and Nana onto the grass unceremoniously. Both of them collapsed in exhaustion, panting in great deep breaths. All Might quickly rushed over to help them up, concern evident on his face.
"What...what... What was that?!" the blonde hero exclaimed, currently experiencing a volatile mix of confusion, horror, and amazement. "Sensei, you were in the real world and you two were—you two were combined or something!"
"Yeah no shit, Sherlock." Nana groaned, clutching her head like she was having a hangover. "Oh man, I don't feel so good."
"Nn..." Kiri shivered a little, prompting him to pick her up into a hug in an effort to keep her warm. "I feel sick."
"Must be some kind of feedback or something, an emotional overflow?" the woman leaned against a nearby rock. "Totally worth it though."
"Why," All Might began, shaking his head. "Why did you do that?"
"What do you think?" Nana slurred angrily, eyes unfocused and… tearful? "I couldn't just… I couldn't just watch you die! Not like how I watched myself die—I won't let history repeat itself, not when I can actually make a difference!"
That last part sent a pang of regret through his heart, but he pressed on. "I wouldn't have—"
"How do you know?!" she suddenly yelled at him, her eyes watery. "How do you know, huh?! I can't bear to see something like that happen. I saw an opportunity, and I took it! I know I acted on my emotions, but is that so bad?"
"Nana…"
"I can't watch you die, I just can't! You're like a son to me, Toshinori…" she choked, gazing down at the ground in shame. "I don't want to lose another son."
He rushed in and hugged her tight, feeling her body shuddering with small sobs. Looks like she had some issues that she had been keeping hidden all this time after all, magnified by the emotional feedback from the fusion. Chen's pessimistic words echoed softly in his head.
This place is no paradise… more like a graveyard.
Each to his own, he supposed. He held Nana a little tighter, letting her bury her face into his shoulder. Kiri shivered again in his arms, the three of them huddling in a sort of pseudo-family hug. He patted his mentor on the back, calming her down. He kept holding her until she stopped shaking, finally becoming stable after a few minutes had passed.
"I-I'm sorry." his mentor stammered, pulling away from him. Her gaze was downcast, a hand coming up to dry her eyes. "I didn't mean to yell, I just..."
"You don't have to say anything, Sensei. I understand." All Might said calmly. Gazing down on her head he found himself looking at her halo of three souls.
Three Souls.
"Nana…" All Might began, a gut feeling of dread starting to overtake him. "Something's wrong."
"Huh? What is it?" She looked up at him, confused.
"Your halo; its only got three souls instead of the usual seven. Are four of them sleeping or something?"
The woman's eyes bulged, a look of alarm overcoming her. She quickly waved her hands and gathered the three remaining souls into her open palms, smacking them around a little in the process.
"You two! Oi, wake up!" she yelled, her voice frantic. "Where... where's the four of them?!"
Among the three All Might only recognized Nana's Violet soul and Misha's Magenta soul, the remaining unknown soul shining a brilliant pure-white. The latter two had clearly woken up and were starting to talk, flashing with panicked speed.
"They're not—I-I don't understand… Where—" Nana muttered, the two souls flickering in response. "It couldn't be. Could it?"
"Sensei?"
"It's those four." The woman paled visibly, looking even more like an actual ghost now with the added effect of her translucency. "Oh shit."
"Huh?"
Back then, when I crossed the bridge to the real world I thought I heard someone screaming. I thought it was just a figment of my imagination, but now—now I'm sure."
"S-screaming?"
"I'm certain it was one of them." Nana gasped. "It has to be."
She thought back to the burning rainbow bridge, intense and overwhelming. Someone screamed—
LET ME OUT
All Might frowned, uncertain. "So where did they—"
"No no no, you still don't understand!"
Nana's form suddenly increased in transparency, fading in and out. Something was happening to Kiri as well—she was… shrinking?
"I've screwed up—I've let them out!" His mentor turned to him, grabbing his massive shoulders and shaking them hysterically. "Don't you know what this means?!"
"Wha—?"
"One For All didn't always belong to heroes, you oaf!" Her wide eyes turned skyward. "Those four; They've escaped into the real world!"
The blonde's eyes flashed with realization and alarm, finally grasping the seriousness of the situation at hand.
"Two of them used to be classified as villains! Chen will be fine, I'm more worried about the other three, especially thatidiot! We need Midoriya to find them and get them back in here, contain the situation, we need to stop them before—"
Whatever the woman was about to say next was cut off when she fully faded away, reverting back into a floating soul fragment. Four souls now floated above All Might's head in an orbit, three of them pulsing rapidly as they tried to communicate with him. Only thing was, he still didn't know how to hear or speak to them when they were in that form.
"W-what? I can't—I can't understand any of you! Kiri-chan, can you—" Looking down, he realized that the girl had shrunk even more, still shrinking before his very eyes until she finally stopped. She still wore the same outfit but she was absolutely tiny now, about the size of a doll that could easily fit onto his palm. As he picked her up delicately the little chibi girl shook herself awake, peering up at him.
"Wha—! What happened to you, are you alright?"
"I'm okay!" she squeaked, her voice as tiny as her body. "I'm just in super-duper-power-saving mode."
"Eh? What does that mean?"
"It means my energy is being shared." Kiri peeped from atop his palm, clearly upset. "They're using my energy!"
"They? Who's-" The hero paused, visibly paling. "Oh no."
[x]
The sun had set, the sky darkening across Musutafu City. Buskers and street performers crowded popular pathways, each wanting to make a living or showcase their talents. Among them was a singer, her melodious voice ringing straight and true into the night sky. Slender fingers strummed across tight guitar strings.
"But you held my hand~"
She sang an old song, a moderate crowd gathering around and listening with approval. Some were even filming her performance with their smartphones, enjoying the music. If those same people would have just looked up they would have found something much more interesting to film.
"You took me right back down to Hell…"
Four shining Souls, each boasting a different color, streaked past the wispy clouds, pale moonlight guiding their journey across the starry heavens. They left trails of ghostly light in their wake, Four Horsemen riding through the inky darkness. Within one of those Souls something otherworldly stirred, gazing down at the city below.
"I've got an Angel on my shoulder~"
"At long last." the being whispered. "Midoriya... Izuku."
"~But a Devil in my head."