Class 1-A's trip to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint (USJ) began with typical teenage enthusiasm. They marveled at the vast rescue training facility, while Pro Hero Thirteen explained the various disaster zones. Tom Jacker, as usual, just sat at the back of the bus, observing his excited classmates with an amused gaze, as if watching a documentary about a strange species.
Just as Thirteen was about to finish her explanation inside the USJ, the lights suddenly went out. The fountain in the center of the facility died, and in front of the main plaza, a dark purple portal swirled into existence. From within, dozens of Villains began to pour out, led by a sinister figure with numerous dismembered hands attached to his body, Tomura Shigaraki, and a purple mist creature, Kurogiri.
"Thirteen, protect the students!" Aizawa commanded, his goggles already on, ready for battle. "This is not a drill!"
Panic struck the students. Kurogiri quickly used his Warp Gate Quirk to scatter most of the students to various disaster zones within the USJ, separating them to be picked off by low-level villains.
However, when a purple portal tried to engulf Tom, he simply yawned, then teleported a few meters to the side, easily avoiding it. Kurogiri, sensing something was amiss with his target, paused for a moment.
"Oh, you guys are throwing a party and didn't invite me?" Tom said to Kurogiri and Shigaraki, who were now standing in the plaza. "How rude."
Before Shigaraki could respond to this oddity, Aizawa had already lunged towards the main mob of villains, taking them down one by one with brutal efficiency.
Tom looked around. The students were scattered, fighting for their lives. The villains were rampaging. And in the midst of it all, there was one large, open-brained creature just standing still, Nomu. "Now this is what I call a party," Tom thought. He decided to "sample the appetizers" first.
He teleported to the Rockslide Zone, where Todoroki and Hagakure were facing several villains. Tom ignored them, focusing on a villain with an interesting-looking Quirk: his body could stretch like rubber. Tom approached, casually dodging the villain's attacks, then with a single telekinetic touch, he twisted the villain into an intricate knot.
[System Panel]
- System Notification: 'Body Elasticity' ability has been copied. Slots filled: 3/6.
- Description: Allows the user to stretch and manipulate their body shape at will.
"Not bad," Tom muttered. He then teleported to the Conflagration Zone, then the Flood Zone, "collecting" a few other minor Quirks he found amusing or potentially useful: the ability to shoot small acid projectiles from his fingers, the ability to temporarily grow sharp claws, and even a minor regeneration Quirk from a villain who tried to ambush him (Tom let him slash him, just to watch his horror as the wound closed in seconds before Tom knocked him out). His slots were starting to fill up.
His attention then turned to Kurogiri, who was busy trying to stop Iida from escaping to get help. Kurogiri was the key to the villains' mobility. And his Warp Gate Quirk... that was very interesting.
Tom appeared behind Kurogiri. The mist Villain sensed his presence and tried to turn, but Tom was faster. He didn't attack Kurogiri's misty parts. He used Telekinesis with incredible precision to grip and crush the metal neck brace that was the only visible physical part of Kurogiri.
CRACK!
With a distorted shriek of pain, Kurogiri's misty form wavered and collapsed, unable to maintain its coherence.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met.
- System Notification: 'Warp Gate' ability has been copied. Slots filled: 4/6 (replacing one of the less useful minor Quirks).
- Description: Allows the user to create and control spatial portals for teleporting oneself and others.
"Now this is useful!" Tom said with satisfaction. He could feel an instant understanding of how the portals worked, far more flexible than his personal Teleportation for moving others.
Finally, he decided it was time for the main course: Nomu. The creature was busy pummeling Aizawa, who was already badly beaten. Tom appeared between them just as Nomu was about to deliver a final blow to Aizawa.
Nomu's punch, which should have shattered bones, landed squarely on Tom's chest. There was no effect. Tom didn't even shift. He just looked at Nomu with an appraising stare. "Great strength. No brain."
Nomu roared and attacked again. Tom let Nomu hit him a few times, feeling out the creature's Shock Absorption and Super Regeneration abilities. He nodded. "Two good Quirks in one package. Economical."
Then, with a single wave of his hand, Tom used Telekinesis to grip every limb of the Nomu, suspending it in mid-air. Nomu thrashed, but couldn't move. Tom then focused his mind. He didn't rip Nomu apart. He did something more... elegant.
He teleported Nomu's head about ten meters away from its body.
The head fell to the ground with a wet thud, its eyes still blinking in confusion. The headless body collapsed instantly, twitching for a moment before finally going still.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met.
- System Notification: 'Shock Absorption' ability has been copied. Slots filled: 5/6.
- System Notification: 'Super Regeneration' ability has been copied. Slots filled: 6/6.
All his slots were now full of high-quality Quirks.
Tomura Shigaraki, who had been watching all of this from a distance with growing horror, began to scratch his neck frantically. "Who... who are you?! You cheated! This isn't in the script! You destroyed my Nomu!"
Just then, the entrance to the USJ exploded. All Might had arrived, his signature smile faltering slightly as he took in the destruction, a critically injured Aizawa, and an unknown teenager standing casually beside Nomu's horrific corpse.
"Fear not, students!" All Might boomed. "For I am here!"
Tom turned towards All Might, a wide grin on his face. "Oh, the main star finally arrives. I was getting bored."
All Might stood frozen for a moment at the ruined entrance of the USJ. The scene before him was utterly bewildering. Dozens of villains lay incapacitated, some with strange injuries not typical of a normal fight. His colleague, Aizawa, was severely injured but alive, being tended to by some students. And Nomu, the creature designed to kill him, lay in a gruesome state, its head separated from its body.
In the midst of it all stood a teenager he didn't recognize at all, Tom Jacker, with a casual expression as if he'd just finished a picnic.
"Are you... are you alright, young man?" All Might asked, his usually confident voice tinged with doubt. He sensed an incredible power from this teenager, something raw and immeasurable.
"Of course! The party was a bit wild, but fun," Tom replied, gesturing towards Nomu's remains with his thumb. "That thing needed to learn some manners."
Before All Might could ask further, his attention was drawn to Tomura Shigaraki, who was growling angrily from a distance. "This isn't over, All Might! And you, meddling kid! I'll remember you!" With the help of a partially recovered Kurogiri, Shigaraki and the remnants of his villains disappeared in a purple mist portal.
All Might sighed, then quickly coordinated with Thirteen to secure the area and ensure all students were safe. After the situation was under control and other heroes and police began to arrive, All Might could finally focus on Tom.
"Young man," All Might said, his signature smile now looking a bit forced. "We need to talk. Who are you, really? And that Quirk of yours... I've never seen anything like it."
Tom just shrugged. "I'm Tom Jacker. Transfer student. As for my Quirk? Let's just say I'm versatile." He enjoyed the confusion on the Number One Hero's face.
Their conversation yielded little information for All Might. Tom answered every question with evasions, jokes, or absurd statements that only deepened the mystery. What was clear was that Tom was incredibly powerful, didn't care for rules, and seemed to have not an ounce of respect for authority.
News of the "mysterious U.A. student who defeated Nomu" spread like wildfire. At U.A., the teachers held an emergency meeting. Aizawa, having received medical treatment, gave a chilling report on Tom's power and the failure of his Erasure Quirk. Principal Nezu, though remaining calm, realized that his "observation project" was far more complex and potentially more dangerous than he had imagined. The Hero Public Safety Commission demanded an explanation. Tom Jacker had become the center of attention.
Meanwhile, in a dingy bar serving as the League of Villains' temporary hideout, Tomura Shigaraki was venting his rage at a monitor displaying his master's static-filled face.
"...and then this kid shows up, Sensei! He ruined everything! He killed Nomu like it was just an insect!" Shigaraki raved.
From behind the screen, the calm voice of All For One was heard, filled with a cold curiosity. "A boy, you say? With unexplainable power? Who could even defeat a Nomu specifically designed for All Might?"
All For One sensed something different about this report. This wasn't just a strong Quirk. This was an anomaly. Someone who could copy Quirks (Kurogiri), possessed raw physical power (Nomu), and was apparently immune to Quirk erasure effects.
"Shigaraki," All For One said. "Find out everything about this boy named Tom Jacker. He could be a very valuable asset... or a threat that must be eliminated immediately. Bring him to me, if possible."
Tom, now back in the temporary apartment he had "provided" for himself (by teleporting luxury furniture into an empty unit in a high-end apartment building), was busy testing his new Quirks. Warp Gate was very useful for grabbing a drink from the fridge without getting up. Shock Absorption let him punch a wall without feeling a thing (though the wall was a mess). And Super Regeneration... well, that was a bit redundant given he was already immortal, but it was fun to watch minor scratches heal instantly.
He knew he had shaken up this world. Heroes and Villains alike were now targeting him.
"Finally," Tom muttered to himself, a satisfied smile on his face. "The real game has just begun."
He had six Quirk slots filled with interesting new toys. And the entire city, perhaps even the entire country, was now his new playground. He couldn't wait to see what would happen next.