Hero Academia: Rise Above Max Omega! [My Hero Academia RP/Co-Hosted by Chaos Sonic and Yui/pg-13/IC/NA]

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

~ a few hours earlier ~

 Akira walked through the halls, trying to find his way to the arena floor. His fight with the snake kid from his class was to start in a few minutes, but he was having trouble focusing. His conversation with Asuka still lingered in his mind. For his entire life, or at least as long as he could remember, he had the capability to do anything he wanted. This whole tournament was a joke. His quirk was so powerful that the entire thing was basically a formality. All he had to do was go through the motions until they handed him the gold medal, and he could ride that victory through his time at this school.

 

How could the others keep pushing forward, even knowing just how weak they were?

"But seriously...it's like you want me to fight you." It really couldn't be more the opposite. Akira knew just how outmatched they were. But, for as bad a chance as they stood, that woman, presumably Gin's mother, was even more vulnerable. Akira had to remind himself that he wasn't weak. Even injured, he was supposed to be a hero. "It's like you're already playing hero!  Trying to give someone some time to escape!  Like we all haven't done that before?"  The villain's face grew colder, more cruel. "Or is it that you really want to test yourself against one of the pros?" Akira gritted his teeth, hoping against hope that they could distract him the tiny extra bit of time needed for them to-

 

"Oh there you are honey!  Gin's home!  Should I start din-"

 

"Oh.  So that's what you were up to."

 

The villain's eyes lit up, far brighter than before. Akira reasoned that, like himself, the eye glow was a direct indicator of power output. He was hoping to attack when the enemy left an opening, but it was far too late to wait.

 

 

Akira shouted to the villain as loudly as he could, his voice breaking a bit from the strain, "I don't need to test myself!" Raising his right hand to point toward Gin's father, he opened his clenched fingers, revealing a crystal of hard light, similar to Asuka's but only about the size of a quarter. "I ALREADY KNOW I'M THE STRONGEST!" The crystal rocketed forward, directly toward Sunspot's shoulder. A sound like thunder cracking rang through the air, all the way back to the stadium, and the projectile would reach its target in the blink of an eye. Though his constructs were usually fairly breakable when met with sufficient force, he had been weaving this tiny crystal since they had left the stadium, putting all of what little he had left into it. One part unstoppable force, one part immovable object.

 

It kicked up huge amounts of dust behind it, making it difficult to see exactly the outcome of his attack, but nonetheless he knew this was closest thing they had to a chance. "NOW!!!"

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

She had to get Casey out, she had to, no matter what came between her and the exit. She wouldn't let one of her class, someone she was supposed to lead, get taken by these villains.

 

That was why, when someone suddenly called out to her, he almost got a face full of flame in response. Thankfully the familiar nickname, if not voice, of "Val" caused her to hesitate for the moment she needed to realize who was speaking.

 

Which was.....who was this one again? The guy with the electricity. 1-A. Whatever, no times for names right now.

"We gotta get out of here! There are prisoners, villains, and maybe a nuclear bomb in the arena!"

 

"Don't you think I kno-bomb? Anyway, I know, that's why I'm bringing Casey to the nurse and the others. He got hurt. Just follow me I'll make sure you get outta here safely, too." She declared before continuing on her way. Keeping her jaw set as she struggled to continue to carry Casey. Though she'd adamantly reuse if Aaron attempted to help with that.

 

Once they got outside it was fairly clear where the medical staff was located so Valerie made a beeline for them and deposited Casey with them. "His head, don't know extent of injury just knew had to get outta there fast. There was a villain with a wrench...anyway, please make sure he's alright....Oh and he might have overheated a bit." She tacked on a bit awkwardly. Valerie began to back away from them after dropping Casey off; intending to leave the moment she knew he'd be safe.

[~Faytl~]

Hadley become noticeably calmer once Masque arrived. This was a situation she was okay with; Masque was smarter than she was; Masque could tell them what to do, she could direct them. With Masque at their head, Hadley was confident, they could do anything. Even against all the pros.

 

She silently pulled aside her jacket, allowing Masque to slip one of her porcelain creations inside. It rattled together with the shards of the one that had broken when Mako punched her. She then heard someone telling her to be quiet.

 

She looked up, a glint of irritation in her eye as she made eye contact with the strange, gray man. She was instantly standoffish, her body language screaming dislike. It had been like this with the others, too. Hadley had a habit of keeping the others at arms length. It was exactly as she had said to Akira: She may have been working with these guys, but she sure as hell didn't have to like them.

 

Her eyes narrowed as he threatened her. "funk you on about, mate?" she growled, not backing down an inch. "I took out Tomoaki and squared off with Mako. The funk were you then, eh?"

 

Wendigo seemed in a mood to back her up, not that she had asked him. Hadley flinched back briefly as the man, Zuzu, turned on Wendigo suddenly, screaming at him. Theeere it is, she thought to herself, feeling the sense of disgust rising. They all had it; That little bit of rage and anger that was unhinged and uncontrolled. She had seen it in all of them in the months before now; This one just got it out of the way quicker. Crazy son of a jabroni.

 

It was then that Wendigo wrenched her out of her thoughts. 

 

"Ain't you glad we didn't have to go with Plan B, and use you as a bomb again?" 

 

She froze, barely processing what was going on around her, not even capable of acknowledging Wendigo's laughter at the intricacies of Zuzu's Quirk. A bomb? A bomb? They couldn't mean... This was the guy? 

 

He had LIVED?

 

"K... Kashyyyk..." she felt herself involuntarily whisper, her voice too low to be heard over the encroaching crowds of prisoners. At least she hoped it was. Her heartbeat pounded inside her ears, drowning out the music filtering up from her earphones and Zuzu's welcome to Starkiller City. She remembered the newspaper, the cover showing the massive crater that was Kashyyyk, that Masque had slid across to her the day after.

 

"You see what they drive us toward, Hadley?" she had asked her then. "You see what you need to do to stop them?"

 

She hadn't wanted to then. But every time she thought about it, what she was not willing to do... Akira. What he had said. 

 

 “Did you see what happened there?”

 

It connected in her head with a sickening snap of clarity. Hadley put a gauntlet to her face, covering her mouth, trying not to let out an involuntary moan of realization. Akira, Akira, she thought dizzily. I... funk! This is all... Her body was shaking as she realized what she had to do. Dammit! Why... Why did he have to be...

 

"You're right!" she felt herself bark suddenly, calling to Zuzu. "I... I'm sorry... 'fer tha. Good thing we... didn't need tha' Plan B." Plan B... Christ, she thought wearily, trying not to cry as she turned away from the man, knowing what had to happen next. "You just... Stay ready. I'll make sure we don't hafta. MASQUE!" She shouted this, forcing out the word with great difficulty as she looked towards her. Towards the one who had extended a hand to her so long ago, that night she had run, had run from the failure, the joke that was her life. This one wasn't shaping up to be any better.

 

"I'll... I'll do it!" Her voice broke as she couldn't hold it back any more, tears coming down her face as she turned her face away from Masque, shaking horribly, barely able to talk. "I'll.. I'll do it. I'll fight whoever 'ya want me to. And when I do... I'll take these things off." She helplessly raised her arms, feeling weak even as she lifted the heavy gauntlets, one of them still having a massive dent in it from Mako's strike. "I... Yer right. I hafta."

 

I can't let Kashyyyk... I can't let it happen again.

[Yui]

---

"This kind of injury... They usually don't heal without scarring...It'll probably take multiple treatments, and delicate surgeries...but I'll see what I can do."

 

"...I see..." Would Lady Law be okay? Even as Nurse Neko urged the students to get out of dodge, that was her main concern. The sight of her being rushed off to the hospital in an ambulance was sickening. As its sirens got further away, there was only one thing Asuka could really think. That should have been me. If she could go back in time, and somehow swap out Lady Law's place for her own, Asuka would have probably done precisely that. Her Quirk didn't require the use of her voice; thinking about it from the viewpoint of "who would be the most or least affected by that type of injury?", it would have been far better if Asuka had been hurt instead of Lady Law.

 

"Come on guys...I think I'm done for the day."

 

"Me too."

"Hinata, I've shredded your voice box.  If I wasn't going to let my daughter ruin my plans, what makes you think I'd let you?"

 

She won't get away with it.

 

"And now, 'Lady Law'...you're just like the rest of those dogs."

 

She CAN'T. I won't let her. Ever since she'd left the stadium, that scene had been playing in her mind, over and over. Just like with Kashyyyk, she found herself thinking about all sorts of what-ifs. If her crystals - and more importantly, her mastery with them - were better. If Ino or Mike were stronger or not as worn out already. If it had been any villain other than Bloodstone. If they hadn't fought at all. What about if a hero other than Lady Law had shown up? With each replay, with those small tweaks, the grim truth settled in more and more.

 

There was really no way for Asuka, Ino, or Mike, to stop what had happened. Not that she could fathom, anyway. Asuka had been trying to keep herself a few paces ahead of her classmates as everyone was leaving. She didn't want to see how they were taking this, but hoped that they'd be able to cope with it better than she could. The entire walk, her legs had been shaking, and almost gave out multiple times so far.

 

"Is that all we could do?"

 

And there was that question Asuka had hoped nobody would ask. "I... don't know. I've been thinking about it non-stop since we left, trying to imagine how things would go if they were just a bit more in our favor. If Mike wasn't worn out from the tournament. If I knew how to use my Quirk a bit better. If we fought a different villain, or were saved by a different hero. Maybe I'm just too shaken up from seeing it myself to picture it all properly, but nothing helps us win in the end. But that couldn't be all we can do, right!? I just have no idea..."

 

Asuka could feel tears on her face again. As much as it hurt to see Lady Law injured like that firsthand, even worse was that Asuka didn't know who was to blame. The obvious answer was Bloodstone; she was the one who did the deed. But was it maybe Lady Law's fault? That couldn't have been right, but she could have disabled Bloodstone's Quirk and gotten herself and the students out of there, right? Or even worse, was it Asuka's fault, for refusing to back down in the first place? If I had just left when she said to, she wouldn't have been in one spot for so long. Maybe she and Lady Law wouldn't have found each other. Was it my fault after all? I even put Ino in danger by doing that. The chain of events that led to it started with that fight... or does it go further back, to Bloodstone being a villain in the first place? Whose fault is it that she went that way, then? Nobody ever told me about what happened to cause that.

 

"What kind of people are your mothers?" By the time Asuka had realized she was asking a question, it was already out there. "Er, sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it just sort of... slipped out. You don't have to answer that. I'm sure it sounds like a stupid question anyway."

---

"And I'm learning that you're an idiot! Stop wasting time and hurry up!"

 

I guess I kind of deserved that. This wasn't the time to share idle observations like that. It was the time for an escort mission. Get Gin's mother to a hero office of some sort, since she wouldn't be able to stay here anymore. Simple enough, right? Gin's father was still up in the air, monolouging about how great he is this, how amazing Gin is that, and every word of it was grinding Sayuri's gears. But that wasn't the worst of it.

 

"Oh there you are honey! Gin's home! Should I start din-"

 

"Oh.  So that's what you were up to."

 

The worst of it was his mother blowing any element of subtlety the two had going for them. This escort mission just got a lot more urgent. If Sayuri were bigger and stronger like her own mother, this would be the part where she knocked the lady out, scooped her up, then ran off... but while Gin's mother didn't look heavy by any means, Sayuri didn't trust her ability to carry an entire person. Fortunately, Akira's attack - it looked like some kind of light crystal - was launched at about that time.

 

"NOW!!!"

 

That would hopefully buy her and Gin some time. Sayuri, meanwhile, glanced at the speech device on her arm.

 

"His power comes from the sun's rays.  He can augment his body with it, and he can shoot blasts like me...although not as varied as mine...he only has one setting.  And it hurts."

 

In that case...

 

Battery: 73%

 

That was fast! Way faster than Sayuri had expected! She'd figured that being near somebody with sun-like powers would let the device recharge faster, but she couldn't have imagined it'd be to that extent! If all went well, that might have even been enough battery to get her through the rest of this escort. Sayuri started up the device, and began typing away on its surface after turning the volume down a couple notches.

 

"Your husband isn't worth loving anymore. He says he cares, but it sure doesn't look that way. More importantly, your son is injured and trying to quietly get you somewhere safe. If you could stop being in denial, even for a few minutes, we'd both be very thankful."

 

That probably came off a bit harsh. Hopefully Gin understood why it was necessary though.

---

[VCR_CAT]

Mike

 

Soon enough, the four of them had managed to find the exit for the arena. They managed to get Lady Law to proper help, and it seemed like they would be able to heal the damage, but not completely. Everything that went on around Mike was a blur-- he felt like a dead man walking through all of it. His limbs felt heavy and everything ached fiercely. However, it was all over, and soon enough they would be back in their dorms to leave this all behind them.

 

- After the Storm -

 

Ino's voice, however, was the first to cut through the fog. "Is that all we could do?" She asked, and while Mike had to take more time than usual to process the question, Asuka was the next to speak up.

 

"I... don't know. I've been thinking about it non-stop since we left, trying to imagine how things would go if they were just a bit more in our favor." A cold, evening wind blew through the streets as they followed the crowd. "If Mike wasn't worn out from the tournament. If I knew how to use my Quirk a bit better. If we fought a different villain, or were saved by a different hero. Maybe I'm just too shaken up from seeing it myself to picture it all properly, but nothing helps us win in the end. But that couldn't be all we can do, right!? I just have no idea..."

 

They continued to walk in silence for a few moments before Mike spoke up, his tone very noticeably tired and quiet. "I tried to do as much as I could, but it felt like all I was doing was running around and getting in everyone's way." Without wanting to, he remembered the look on Bloodstone's face as she pointed her gun right at Mike. "It'd be nice if we could know if helping out would make things better before we try, but I don't think any of us have that quirk." The crowd stopped moving for a moment and they were forced to stop, the momentum almost causing Mike to fall forward, flat on his face before he managed to just barely catch himself. "Makes me think of somethin' my dad would say whenever I messed up in practice or on a test of something, to be better for it or something. Only feels like I barely got better at all since last time, though."

 

"What kind of people are your mothers?" Asuka said, blurting it out as if it had just come to mind. "Er, sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it just sort of... slipped out. You don't have to answer that. I'm sure it sounds like a stupid question anyway."

 

Mike thought for a moment. "She's a lawyer and really busy all the time. I usually just spent most of my time with my dad. When I do spend time with her she's... pretty strict, but I can see she still cares, even when I'm getting lectured or something and don't wanna hear it."

[King K. Azo]

"All that strength, but dumb as a rock to boot? Man they let anyone into U.A. these days huh?" He laughed for a bit, Terro having no response to the jab. "You okay there buddy? Do I need to call an ambulance?" Terro looked at Akira, wondering the same.

 

“If you saw Gin defeat himself against this idiot here, I imagine you got a look at my quirk as well.” That made sense, but who knew? Maybe he didn't watch it.

 

"Oh? Now that you mention it." He scratched the top of his head. "Which one were you again? I kinda lost interest after watching my son." Akira then preceded to do some pre-fight taunting, which was expected. And for a guy calling himself a hero, he was pretty good at villainous monologues. And it all capped off with,

 

"It's like you're already playing hero! Trying to give someone some time to escape! Like we all haven't done that before? ...Or is it that you really want to test yourself against one of the pros?"

 

At those words, Terro began to nod rapidly. Oh, yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!! He could feel his excitement welling up deep from within. He felt more focused, even in his exhausted state. His clothes, they began to feel tighter, especially around the legs. He didn't know why, but that's how it was. He was ready to test himself against---

 

"Oh there you are honey! Gin's home! Should I start din-"

 

Oh no, oh no, oh no. That excitement was quickly squashed, and his clothes loosened up again. That's right, there was more important things to do than fighting for self improvement. They had to help Gin.

 

"Oh. So that's what you were up to." He could be heard, as his eyes lit up with rage.

 

"I don't need to test myself!" Akira shouted to the villain as loudly as he could, his voice breaking a bit from the strain. "I ALREADY KNOW I'M THE STRONGEST!" The crystal rocketed forward, directly toward Sunspot's shoulder. A sound like thunder cracking rang through the air, all the way back to the stadium. "NOW!!!"

 

The Tiger and Dragon Combine

Terro gritted his teeth, causing the rocks beneath Gin's Dad to wrap up and hold him in place, his quirk allowing him to sense the villain's location. He then rushed into the dust, his mind racing, remembering a move an opponent of his had done to him in the past... the man with the tiger head. It had knocked Terro out in one blow, and he hoped it would work the same against Gin's dad.

 

When he neared, he leapt into the air, landing on Gin's dad's chest and kicking off, lifting himself into the air and out of the dust. Gravity then took over, pulling Terro back down to the Earth he controlled. He spun, positioning himself so he could use his right leg to land a massive axe kick on the villain's shoulder.

 

"Kuro Tora Ryuuga!!" Terro yelled as he brought up his left knee into the villain's chin, mimicking the bite of a mighty dragon. He only hoped it would work as planned.

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

Their plan, as far as Isami could piece together was to hit him with all they got. That seemed like it was a bit difficult, at least for Isami, due to where Gin's father happened to be at the moment. His quirk was completely close range, and currently he had no way of getting close. As Gin's father monologues at his classmates for a bit, an idea struck him. He wasn't able to get close to Gin's father, but knowing what he knew about his classmates quirks...

 

Isami didn't hesitate, tossing himself onto Terro, transforming into a much smaller snake and clinging onto the boy's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind; in fact, he didn't even seem to noticed that Isami had just hitched a ride onto the earth shaker. "I hope you have a way to reach him..." Isami said quietly to himself.

 

It was then that Akira shot a rather powerful looking attack towards the villain. "NOW!!!" Whatever plan they had, they were going with it not. As it turned out, Isami's hunch was correct as he noticed Terro starting to move. The snake clung onto the shoulder for dear life as the boy accelerated, fighting the urge to hurl the ice cream he had moments ago.

 

"Kuro Tora Ryuuga!!" Terro shouted as his knee met the villain's chin. Or at least Isami assumed he did. The snake had gotten disoriented and dizzy from all the movements, nearly falling off Terro mutliple times. He was, however, able to see what Terro was doing and, more importantly, who he was attacking. It was now or never.

 

Without hesitation, Isami sprung forward off of Terro, enlarging into his terrifying large snake form, this time aiming to constrict the villain rather than bite him. "Hissssssssssssss!" Isami hissed loudly, not really having any cool name for what he was doing. Not that he could even think straight at that moment - his head was feeling dizzy.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

"Your husband isn't worth loving anymore. He says he cares, but it sure doesn't look that way. More importantly, your son is injured and trying to quietly get you somewhere safe. If you could stop being in denial, even for a few minutes, we'd both be very thankful."

 

"Oh!  Are you one of Gin's friends?  It must be so nice being a middle school student these days."  The woman looked intensely gleeful at the prospect of her young son having friends.  

 

"She's not in denial."  Gin growled.  "She's been drugged by that bastard." 

 

"Language, Gin." His mother hummed whimsically.  Gin's rugged frown started to quiver, as tears started to well up in his eyes.

 

"I-It's best we play along...for the moment."  

 

 "I don't need to test myself!  I ALREADY KNOW I'M THE STRONGEST!"

 

"Oh?"  The sound sent shivers down Mr. Otoma's spine.  However, as he tried to move out of the way, something clamped down on his ankles.  It was the street he had just been standing on, grabbing at him as if it had come alive.  Fretfully, his legs started to glow orange, as he tried to pull himself out, only to be used as a bounce pad for Terro.  As Terro fell back down to the ground, the boy's knee leg kicked his shoulder, and the other knee was brought up against his chin.  Both spots grew visibly Orange, but he still seemed to be physically troubled by the attack.  He went for a counter attack, but soon found himself all wrapped up by a giant snake.  "YOU?!"  That's when the attack that the boy in glasses threw struck him in the shoulder.  The orange spot that shown was intensely bright, as it picked up Mr. Otoma's entire body, and made it fly all the way down the street, yanking his feet from the earth, and leaving Isami twisting in the wind.

 

"Incredible!  Incredible!  Amazingly Incredible!"  Erika said, as she looked on at the three of them.  She then cleared her throat, and regained her composure.  "W-w-w-w-well it was a job well done, team!"  She said as she placed her hands on her hips.  But then another noise, just as loud as Akira's attack, shot from the other end of the street, where Gin's father had since been gone from sight.  In an instant, he appeared before Gin and Sayuri.  His shoulder was bloodied, and was bleeding down his front and back sides.  One of his eyes was bloodshot, and some of his teeth were cracked.  He wheezed profusely, as he smiled. 

 

"Your friends got the drop on me."  He laughed, placing a hand over his shoulder.  "But there's been enough of this nonsense...hand your mother over and I won't have to kill all of you."  Gin looked towards the beaten figure that stood before him, as his arms trembled.  He looked back towards his classmates, and then to the man yet again.

 

"I don't think you're in any position to be making threats right now...those rejects really did a number on you."  

 

"I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!"  

 

Gin looked at the man, with a half dead expression.

 

"That's not the word I'd call you."  Gin said, as he let go of his mother's arm.  

 

"Gin!  Don't speak to your father like that!"

 

"Mom...like my classmate said, He isn't the man we once knew.  No.  He was always like that, deep down.  Rotten.  He hurt us, Mom."  For the first time in this situation, his mother remained silent, but outreached a hand to him.  "He hurt you.  And for that, I'll never see him as my father." 

 

"But I can protect both of you!  We can live happily again overseas!"  

 

"SHE DOESN'T NEED YOU ANYMORE!  AND NEITHER DO I!  FROM NOW ON, I'M GOING TO BE A HERO!  FROM NOW ON, I'M GOING TO PROTECT HER!"  Gin's arm glowed with an intense blue.  Gin's mom recoiled from shock, as she seemed to be able to think clearly.  There, she saw Gin, with a beaten body, standing in front of the most evil man she could think of at the time.  She began to sob, as she reached out with both of her hands this time, trying to get away from Sayuri's grip.  "And I'm gonna make sure you never lay a hand on her again, Da-....no...you VILLAIN!"  He shot his arm fourth, as a giant blue stream of energy was released from his entire arm.  "BLUE-GER BURST!  UNLOADED!"  Gin's father threw up his hands, but the ray of blue light was enough to encapsulate his entire body.  The Orange light tried it's best to break through the intense blue, but it was drowned out quite easily.  He was pushed up off the ground, for the second time, and sent flying into the sky.  There, he collapsed to his knees, his right arm convulsing awkwardly.  

 

"Gin.."  His mother wept, as she broke from Sayuri's hold to place both of her arms around Gin.  However, he did not react.  He had lost consciousness the second he released the attack.  

 

 

 

"I... don't know. I've been thinking about it non-stop since we left, trying to imagine how things would go if they were just a bit more in our favor. If Mike wasn't worn out from the tournament. If I knew how to use my Quirk a bit better. If we fought a different villain, or were saved by a different hero. Maybe I'm just too shaken up from seeing it myself to picture it all properly, but nothing helps us win in the end. But that couldn't be all we can do, right!? I just have no idea..."

 

"I tried to do as much as I could, but it felt like all I was doing was running around and getting in everyone's way.  It'd be nice if we could know if helping out would make things better before we try, but I don't think any of us have that quirk. Makes me think of somethin' my dad would say whenever I messed up in practice or on a test of something, to be better for it or something. Only feels like I barely got better at all since last time, though."

 

Hearing their thoughts made her feel uneasy.  There was such a hopelessness that had been hanging in the air since Kashyyyk.  She clenched her fist and smiled.  

 

"I guess that just means we're gonna have to get better, huh?  I'm tired of losing to these evil guys already!"  She jumped ahead of them and then posed, pointing at the two of them.  "That's why I'm going to get way stronger!  Stronger than the both of you!"  She stuck her tongue out, and laughed.  After a bit of silence, another subject came up.  

 

"What kind of people are your mothers?" The question took Ino back to their encounter with Bloodstone.  She froze for a second...some kind of unsettling anger swelled in her stomach for some reason.  She think she knew why, but now wasn't the time. "Er, sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it just sort of... slipped out. You don't have to answer that. I'm sure it sounds like a stupid question anyway."

 

"She's a lawyer and really busy all the time. I usually just spent most of my time with my dad. When I do spend time with her she's... pretty strict, but I can see she still cares, even when I'm getting lectured or something and don't wanna hear it."

 

"My mom's, kind of a klutz."  Ino said, scratching her cheek.  "She's a stay at home mom, and does a lot of stuff for me and my dad!  Her quirk is a lesser variation of mine, and she can't turn it off, so she doesn't really like to go out in public and cause anyone trouble."  Ino sighed.  "She's too kind for her own good...It's probably where I get it from."  As they kept following the aimless crowd, Ino stood still for a second, as people moved out of their way to avoid running into her.  "Asuka..."  She said, shakily.  When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes.  "Why did you lie to us.  To me?"  

 

 

 

 "His head, don't know extent of injury just knew had to get outta there fast. There was a villain with a wrench...anyway, please make sure he's alright....Oh and he might have overheated a bit."

 

Nurse Neko nodded her head.  

 

"A quick fix...I'll make sure he's alright."  

 

"HOLD UP THERE LITTLE LADY, AND FRIEND!"  

 

 

Mako and Suna both walked up to Valerie and Aaron respectively.  Their eyes were rattling, but they kept a calm demeanor.  

 

"You're both gonna tell us what went down in that Stadium!  You didn't report in til just now, carrying an unconscious classmate with a wrench wound to the head!  AND YOU," He roared, pointing to Aaron, "Some police officers are spreading a rumor about catching a villain, but they said they didn't see your face in the Hero Registry Database!  You don't think that smells a bit fishy?"  Mako said, leaning into Valerie's personal space with crossed arms.  

 

"I mean...you did work up quite a sweat there Mako."  Suna smirked.  "It might just be you."  

 

"CAN IT!"  

 

 

 

"You're right"  Zuzu turned to look at her, and raised an eyebrow. "I... I'm sorry... 'fer tha. Good thing we... didn't need tha' Plan B.  You just... Stay ready. I'll make sure we don't hafta. MASQUE!"

 

"It would've been more fun, though."  He said cheerfully. 

 

With her name being called so fretfully, Masque turned over to the young villain and raised her arms out, as if to embrace her.

 

"Yes, dear child?"

 

"I'll... I'll do it! I'll.. I'll do it. I'll fight whoever 'ya want me to. And when I do... I'll take these things off.  I... Yer right. I hafta."

 

Masque then brought Hadley in close, and held her tightly.  She ran a hand over her hair, and hushed the girl rather soothingly.  

 

"It's alright Hadley...we will win this war.  And when we do, you won't have to worry about nasty quirks anymore."  Masque squeezed harder, giggling as she did so.  "Besides, how could we lose with you on our side!  You're one of our most valuable players in all of this!  Probably even more so than Wendigo over there."  Masque then pushed Hadley away, and gripped her by the shoulders.  "Those 'heroes' didn't see in you what we do."  She then let go of Hadley entirely, and crossed her arms.  "But if you had used your Quirk sooner, this would've been over twice as fast.  Next time, listen to orders."  

 

"Now that we have Starkiller City, the Quirkless Liberation Front will grow at an exponential rate!"  Zuzu laughed.  "It's a place for just us Villains!!!"  Wendigo then cleared his throat, and eyed the crowds.  "Oh...and Quirkless...yeah!" 

[Yui]

---

"I guess that just means we're gonna have to get better, huh? I'm tired of losing to these evil guys already!"

 

"Yeah... that's what we're at U.A. for, after all! Of course we won't be on the same level as the pros that quickly." That reassuring statement, plus Ino's claim that she'd surpass both Asuka and Mike, seemed to lighten up the mood a bit. It was those kinds of moments that made Asuka glad to have Ino around. She was never that good at lightening moods, so having a friend that was felt nice.

 

"Asuka... Why did you lie to us. To me?" 

 

"I, I..." I never lied, did I? All I did was dodge the question. It would be wrong to say that though. Ino's clearly at least a little hurt by it. To some degree, I can't really blame her. This is the time to come clean on why I would lie about Bloodstone. "I was afraid," she finally answered, looking at the floor beneath her. She didn't want to see her friend's face like that, least of all today. Especially not after everything else today had thrown at Asuka, what with losing the tournament so handily, the Quirkless Liberation Front invasion, and the horrific encounter with the woman herself. "People generally stopped liking me once they learned about... well, that. 'She's that horrible villain's kid, she must be bad news.' 'I bet that goody two-shoes personality is just an act.' I'd usually hear people whisper about that kind of stuff when I was little, and didn't know who my mother really was other than 'somebody impressive.' Someday, after she went into hiding and left me in Hitomi's care, I finally learned more about my mother's identity, and it all clicked. I've been trying to keep it under wraps since then, and stopped happily confirming that my mother is one of Japan's most dangerous villains like when I was a little girl."

 

As Asuka wrapped up her explanation on just why she'd been so driven to keep her identity as Bloodstone's offpspring so tightly kept, she kneeled down on the street, clapping her hands together in front of her face. "I deeply apologize if I hurt you in any way by keeping quiet about it all this time. I promise not to keep any more secrets from you, no matter how big or small."

---

"Oh!  Are you one of Gin's friends?  It must be so nice being a middle school student these days."

 

But we're in high school...

 

 

"She's not in denial. She's been drugged by that bastard." That was even worse than denial, by a mile. The audacity this man had to drug his own wife like that... if he had to do something like that, he was very obviously not suited to protect his family. "I-It's best we play along...for the moment." Sayuri nodded. If it was a drug, surely it would wear off after a while. How to best convince her to leave? Maybe something to the effect of "But ma'am, how are you going to make this delicious dinner when you're all out of rice? We need to go buy some!"? That would work.

 

Before Sayuri could start typing, however, in another overly-loud boom, Gin's father appeared right before her and the rest of this villain's family. "Your friends got the drop on me. But there's been enough of this nonsense..hand your mother over and I won't have to kill all of you."

 

 

"I don't think you're in any position to be making threats right now...those rejects really did a number on you."  

 

"I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!" 

 

"That's not the word I'd call you."

 

Should I say something?? ...no. This is Gin's family business. I'd want him to not say anything if it were one of my parents we were dealing with. Though I'm pretty sure mine would be a lot easier to deal with than this guy if we could get them to stay in one place for a bit.

 

"SHE DOESN'T NEED YOU ANYMORE! AND NEITHER DO I! FROM NOW ON, I'M GOING TO BE A HERO! FROM NOW ON, I'M GOING TO PROTECT HER! And I'm gonna make sure you never lay a hand on her again, Da-....no...you VILLAIN! BLUE-GER BURST! UNLOADED!"

 

"Gin.."

 

Gin was out from that attack. It was probably safe to assume his old man was too; he'd already taken quite the beating from the rest of the class. When the dust had settled behind her, Sayuri turned to face her classmates, and wrote something down on her whiteboard before tossing it in their general direction.

 

I've got the rest covered. You can all go home now. Get Terro or someone to leave this by my door.

 

Seemed this batch of trouble was just about settled down. Sayuri brought her hand up to her speech device, typing in something to tell Mrs. Otoma.

 

"Your son is very strong and pretty fearless, but also reckless. I don't really know how the two of you feel about each other, but I hope it's a good relationship. He could do with a solid parental figure that isn't... well, that other guy. If you don't mind, I'd like to wrap up what he was trying to do and get you to a hero office; I can help carry him. I also still need to yell at him for something stupid he did during the tournament, and would like the okay from you on that."

 

Not that I won't do it anyway.

---

"No no I know exactly what I'm doing," Sayaka insistently sighed. This entire phone call had seemingly been nothing but Kaito trying to talk Sayaka out of going back, her handwaving every possible reason, only for the two to end up back at square one. "It's not even like I'm trying to fight anyone; the pros have got that covered. Just making sure everyone in class is acc--"

 

"You're both gonna tell us what went down in that Stadium!"

 

"I'm sorry!" Sayaka exclaimed, straightening her posture right up and dropping her phone... only to realize that Mako was further down the hall, yelling at someone that wasn't her. The eight-legged girl picked her phone back up, muttered "I'll call you back, mkay?" and hung up, then skittered along, heading toward the commotion.

 

"You didn't report in til just now, carrying an unconscious classmate with a wrench wound to the head! AND YOU! Some police officers are spreading a rumor about catching a villain, but they said they didn't see your face in the Hero Registry Database! You don't think that smells a bit fishy?"

 

"I mean...you did work up quite a sweat there Mako. It might just be you."  

 

"CAN IT!" 

 

"Excuse me~" Raising a hand up to about her face level, Sayaka asked "Is this a bad time? I was just swinging by to make sure all of 1-B was accounted for. Casey's... not doing so hot, I see. More importantly! Sensei! Do you have any plans to get Goto back? Can I help at all? It doesn't sit well with me thinking about seeing him on the broadcasts like that..."

---

[VCR_CAT]

Mike

 

"Asuka..." Ino said, shakily. "Why did you lie to us. To me?"

 

Mike felt confused for a moment, wondering what it was where this conversation was going, or what it was about, but after a few seconds passed he realized that Ino was talking about Bloodstone, and in a moment it seemed like the noise of the crowd had grown muffled and distant.

 

Asuka was quiet for a moment, before she spoke up. She explained briefly her history with how people would react to the knowledge of her parentage, and Mike couldn't even imagine the sort of ridicule and treatment a lot of people would give someone like Asuka for knowing something like that, without even giving her a chance. Asuka kneeled down and clapped her hands together above her head. "I deeply apologize if I hurt you in any way by keeping quiet about it all this time. I promise not to keep any more secrets from you, no matter how big or small."

 

Mike felt embarrassed in the situation for a moment, not knowing how to respond, and this combined with his exhaustion had him wait a few moments before he decided to just speak up. "...To be honest, I learned back in Kashyyk who your mom was. One of the villains had recognized you and pointed it out, and I... happened to be the one around to hear." Mike swallowed as he realized what it was he had just said, and hastily added. "B-but nobody else! I made sure that it was just me. A-anyways, I figured it was something you wanted to keep secret, and I think I understand why, so I wanted to respect that."

 

Mike felt a big wave of dizziness pass over him, and for a brief moment lost his balance, falling backward lightly into someone who was just passing by before getting shoved back into a mostly balanced standing position. "S-sorry," he apologized to the person that had already passed by. "Anyways, I guess what I'm trying to say is that... I don't think any less of you for it. You're not your mom, and you're already trying to be someone better than that, someone who wants to make things right... and I think you're a great person for it."

 

He mustered a smile and put in an effort to at least look somewhat composed, but as he stood there all of his activity and exhaustion began to catch up to him, and his vision began to cloud over as the fight to stay awake was becoming too much for his current state.

[~Faytl~]

Hadley's entire body did a head to toe shudder as Masque wrapped her arms around her, but the brief resistance settled quickly, as it always did where Masque was concerned. She settled her head against her leader's chest, shivering every few seconds reflexively. She still wasn't used to it... Being touched.

 

"It's alright Hadley...we will win this war.  And when we do, you won't have to worry about nasty quirks anymore."  Masque squeezed harder, giggling as she did so.  "Besides, how could we lose with you on our side!  You're one of our most valuable players in all of this!  Probably even more so than Wendigo over there."

 

"Really?" The question was muted, quiet. Masque had always told this to Hadley and she had never believed it. But something about how she said it now... In the midst of all the chaos, outside the safety of whatever hideout they were using... It somehow felt more real to her.

 

"Those 'heroes' didn't see in you what we do." 

 

Hadley looked away, embarrassed, still sniffing every few seconds to hold away the slow tide of tears coming out of her eyes. She remembered Mako's impassioned takedown of her earlier, how he would never let her into U. A. She remembered back to that day, what felt like ages ago, where Madam Mic had taken her hand gently, shaking her head sadly, the eagle-eyed Lady Law standing behind her and keeping a close eye on the wreck of a crying girl before her. It wasn't until she thought of Akira, yelling at her about Kashyyyk, asking her how she could justify what she was doing, that Hadley for a brief moment felt exactly as she had been back then: A small, crying girl, not knowing what she was going to do.

 

No, she told herself fervently. It's not like tha' anymore... I know exactly wha' I hafta do.

 

"I... I'm sorry," she forced out, her voice weak, defeated. "I... I was afraid. I was afraid of it. I still... I still am." She twisted her head to look out towards the edge of the arena, at the wide cityscape beyond. "But I'm... I'm more afraid of what happens if I can't." The wind blew through the massive gap Rex had left in the arena, Hadley's long dark hair streaming out behind her in the breeze, her gaze determined as she looked out, past the arena, where she couldn't make out individual shapes anymore.

 

They were all out there. Gin, Asuka, Mako, Lady Law, Ichiro, Madam Mic, Akira. One thought went through her mind as she flexed her fists inside the gauntlets, the iron humming with suppressed power.

 

I'll be ready for 'em.

 

"I'll do it for a Quirkless future," she said quietly, the music from her headphones swelling as she shrugged them back over her ears.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsj7o14-SQk

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

"A quick fix...I'll make sure he's alright."  

 

"Alright, great, thanks." Valerie said, a bit too focused on the idea of continuing back into the stadium to say much more. That is until...

 

"HOLD UP THERE LITTLE LADY, AND FRIEND!" 

 

Oops. That wasn't a good sign. She looked over to see Mako, and Suna, approaching them. Mako was demanding Valerie tell him what had happened and, with the tone he used, had it been anyone else, like Suna, asking, Valerie might have told them to stow it.

But this was Mako.

And so she only kind of told him to stow it.

 

"What do you think?" Valerie said, her shoulders slumping, not liking being delayed just for this. She looked back at where she had left Casey. "Villains happened. Me and Casey met up with Nurse Neko and made our way here. But I noticed Casey wasn't with so I doubled back and found him with some bas-" She glanced back at Mako. "Some guy was standing over him talking about 'fixing' everyone. So I, er, scared him off and brought Casey back here. I don't know why you both are out here when people might still be in there but..."

 

"Is this a bad time? I was just swinging by to make sure all of 1-B was accounted for. Casey's... not doing so hot, I see. More importantly! Sensei! Do you have any plans to get Goto back? Can I help at all? It doesn't sit well with me thinking about seeing him on the broadcasts like that..."

 

 

"Back? What do you mean back?" Valerie said, fists clenched and trembling as her eyes darted between her classmate and Mako. "Did...They took him didn't they? That's why we couldn't find him anywhere. Those bastards."
Someone should have stopped them. No, SHE should have stopped them. Maybe had he not been injured from their fight he could've escaped capture. Or had she checked up on him. Or, or, gaaaaaah!

 

The flames surrounding Valerie flared up a bit as she shook. "They're gonna pay. You're gonna make him pay, right?" She snapped at Mako. "You'll bring him back, right? RIGHT!?" She hadn't realized that she had taken a couple steps closer to the much larger teacher. "I should have taken them out. I should've kept fighting them..." She had to beat them. She couldn't lose again. She couldn't be responsible for losing another person...

 

The flames around her leapt and crackled. Seemingly just as enraged as she was.

 

"All of them are going down." She growled.

[King K. Azo]

Terro grinned as he felt his attack connect. He never got tired of the feeling he got when he landed a big move. He landed from the move and noticed that Isami had hitched a ride with him, and was now hissing at Gin's dad. That was good, and it got even better as Akira's attack nailed the villain sending him flying. 

 

"Incredible! Incredible! Amazingly Incredible!" Erika said, as she looked on at the three of them. She then cleared her throat. "W-w-w-w-well it was a job well done, team!" She said as she placed her hands on her hips. A noise then caught the group's attention. Gin's Dad was still standing, and he was in fact standing in front of Sayuri and Gin. 

Terro wanted to take a step forward, and help, but something in his gut told him to stay. This was Gin's battle... one that he would have to face alone, a test of his will and character. And as his friend, Terro could say with full confidence...

 

"BLUE-GER BURST! UNLOADED!"

 

Gin had passed spectacularly. 

 

The attack had powered through the resistance from Gin's dad and sent him skywards. It took all Gin had, and the boy fell unconscious, falling into his mother's arm, who cradled him gently. Terro felt a pain in his chest... one he had felt in a long time, but he forced it back down inside. Now was not the time to be sadden what he lost, it was a time to celebrate what Gin had saved. 

 

Sayuri then tossed her board at them, which Terro caught. He looked down, and read it aloud for the others. 

 

I've got the rest covered. You can all go home now. Get Terro or someone to leave this by my door.

 

"I'll take it home to her... we both live in the dorms after all," Terro stated. "Hey, Isami... um...," He thought to himself, trying to remember the tournament so he could get the girl's name. "...Erika, right? Well, can you two get Akira to a hospital, or Nurse Neko? He shouldn't be walking and as for me... well... the adrenaline's gone...," He muttered before falling face first into the ground.   

 

---

 

Goutetsu was worried.

Thanks to some heroes, they had managed to haul away the injured, and since he was a quirkless himself, he wasn't in trouble for helping the people, but the man on the screen... it unnerved him. This Quirkless Liberation thing was dangerous to say the least. They acted as if they spoke for all quirkless everywhere... and maybe for the mass majority, they did. 

This was just more reason for Terro to become a hero.

But was he putting his grandson in unnecessary danger? And where was he anyways?

 

This stress was going to be the death of him, he knew it.

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

Isami's grapple was successful, although he quickly found himself suddenly in the air as Gin's father flew through the air. Luckily, Isami managed to land in a nearby bush, although it still hurt to be hurled through the air like that. Transforming back to his human form, he shakily got out of the bush. "Ugh..." He groaned, brushing off bits of leaves that got stuck on him, although he had a fair share of twigs in his hair. "W-Where did..." The boy asked, looking around before...

 

"BLUE-GER BURST! UNLOADED!"

 

Isami watched as Gin fired off a beam that send his father flying, before taking out what Gin had left in him. The boy let out a sigh of relief; they had done it. He turned to the others, who all looked exhausted in their own rights. "Hey, Isami... um..." Isami turned to Terro as he tried to remember Erika's name. "Well, can you two get Akira to a hospital, or Nurse Neko? He shouldn't be walking and as for me... well... the adrenaline's gone..." Isami gasped as Terro collapsed in front of him. 

 

"Ah!" Isami shouted, stepping back. He turned to Akira, who wasn't much better off, before turning to Erika. "We shouldn't just... leave him here, right?" He said, concerned. He glanced at both Terro and Akira, deciding which one he was going to help, before deciding to go help Akira. After all, Terro had told him to do it. "I think... I think I'll go help Akira get to Nurse Nekko. I think you should probably stay here with Terro..." He made his way towards Akira, his lower half transforming into a snake. He turned back to Erika. "Unless you wanna help him and I stay with Terro?" 

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

Akira looked on across the ruined neighborhood, working his hardest to even catch his breath. Hard Light: Holdout had exceeded his expectations, and with the set-up Terro and the snake kid afforded him, it managed to almost completely disable the enemy, for Gin himself to finish off. By all means, it was a success, but Akira couldn't manage to revel in the victory. He found his heart still pulled back to the arena, to the people left behind.

Hadley… The girl so afraid of herself that she had teamed up with villains, people so horrible even she could acknowledge their derangement. No matter what was going on inside those metal gauntlets, Akira could feel just how powerless she thought herself. And yet, even when she was within his arms’ reach, he had failed to save her. He was too afraid of what his quirk could do, and let himself lose as a result. It seemed that the girl wasn't the only one terrified of just how much destruction she could wreak.

Asuka, Mike… vibrating girl… He felt personally responsible for the danger they were in. He had sent Asuka away from the action to protect her, but that only allowed her to be isolated and caught by her mother, a ruthless villain. He didn't think that Bloodstone would kill her own daughter, but he could never be sure about someone so twisted. And Asuka wasn't alone, either, the other girl had gone with her, and Akira doubted Bloodstone harbored much sentiment toward her daughter’s classmates. But the fear of the results of his actions caused him to put yet another person in danger, as he had literally fired Mike out of a cannon so that he could intervene. What was I thinking? He was already severely weakened, sending him there was a death sentence.

Suna, all those other pros, even the class cripple and the other students still fighting… The villains attacked with overwhelming force, and even if Omega Star managed to arrive on-scene, the odds seemed stacked pretty heavily against the alliance of heroes. Even though he had helped to take down a villain, he knew there were plenty more back at the school, and those fighting against them hardly stood a chance. But Akira knew he could do even less than the average UA student by this point, so… What would even be the point of trying to help? This sense of powerlessness was something Akira was completely unaccustomed to, and he couldn't stand it. Was he to stand by, far from the action, and allow all those horrible things to happen, or force himself into the fray even when he knew he had so little to contribute, possibly endangering even more lives than if he had stayed away?

Akira remained silent as the group discussed their future actions, unsure if his input would just throw a wrench in the works. He wanted to go back to the school, to find a way to fight back more, fight back harder, but knew he was well past the limit of his ability. "We don't… I don't what to do. We need to regroup with our class. Gin and I, even Terro, can't do much else but receive medical care,” he paused, wrestling with his thoughts, afraid of putting anyone further into danger with his carelessness, "so we stay together. Acting on our own hasn't helped us yet, so it's about time we change tactics.”

[scooterulez]

"AND YOU,  Some police officers are spreading a rumor about catching a villain, but they said they didn't see your face in the Hero Registry Database!  You don't think that smells a bit fishy?" Aaron nearly jumped out of his suit with that unexpected directional call and causing him to blurt out "I didn't do it!" out of panic. To recover composure Aaron was about to give up his reasonings for capturing lizard girl, but someone he didn't recognize interjected to talk about getting Goto back. This gave Aaron some leeway to do some transferring the recent pictures and video to a memory card, hopefully, to get Mako off his back about capturing a villain. As he opened his phone, he failed to see that his parents have called about 30 times each and with text messages of worry, panic, and misspelling. Now didn't feel like the time to call them, but when is on his way home maybe.

 

As the final files moved over, Aaron turned back to see fire emitting from Val as she was confronting Mako. Carefully, as he doesn't want himself or the card to get burned he moved over to Suna. "Mr. Suna, I would like you to have this." Aaron stretched out his arm and presented the memory card. "I feel like I have been in the stadium more than I needed to be today, but in the process, after all the chaos has died down, I got some pictures of the damage that has been caused and one video of the villains that were still there." As the card went from Aaron to Suna, Aaron wondered if Suna knows about his villain capture. He quickly shook it off hoping that it would blow off as a rumor.

 

"Well, I've been through enough of today and my folks have been calling non-stop after the tournament, better let them know I'm alive and well." And with that Aaron turned around, picked up his things and started to make his way back home to end this day of disaster and tournaments.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

"They're gonna pay. You're gonna make him pay, right?  You'll bring him back, right? RIGHT!?"

 

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO!?"  Mako said, using every ounce of his strength not to discipline his student right then and there.  His fists balled up, as veins spread out through the rest of his arm.  He took a deep breath, before speaking again.  "Yeah.  We'll get him back.  Negotiations are being talked about...but they won't let me know for now.  If it were up to me, I'd go charging through every nook and cranny of Japan just to find Hiroki."  

 

 "I should have taken them out. I should've kept fighting them..."

 

"You did more than enough...so much so that I should probably report it.  But I ain't.  You aren't a hero yet Val...so don't push yourself to do jobs that the grownups can handle." 

 

"All of them are going down."

 

"Yeah." 

 

Suna watched on, laughing at how Mako could be so gentle.  That's when Aaron approached him with a small chip.

 

 "Mr. Suna, I would like you to have this." Aaron stretched out his arm and presented the memory card. "I feel like I have been in the stadium more than I needed to be today, but in the process, after all the chaos has died down, I got some pictures of the damage that has been caused and one video of the villains that were still there."

 

"Noted."  Suna said, placing the memory card in his pocket.  "We'll talk about this more when class starts up again.  For now, go rest.  You've earned it."  Suna turned to all of the 1-B students as well, and nodded.  "You've all done well." 

 

 

 

School was let out for some time again after the Sports Festival incident to let those who received serious injuries some time to rest and recover.  Each student during this time would be subject to an interrogation of the events that they witnessed.  Gin was intensely interrogated of the events that happened in his neighborhood as well.  His father hadn't been apprehended after his defeat, and was still on the loose.  The investigators had asked him if anyone else participated in the fight, to which he wouldn't disclose. 

 

After the incident, approval ratings for the hero community as a whole dropped drastically.  The villains had proven too tough for regular heroes to handle, and heated debates were taking place as to why the government should pay so many weak heroes, instead of only the highest echelon.  Quirkless unrest was at an all time high as well, as the Quirkless individuals who had been overhauled from the 5 mile radius of Star Killer city were forced to abandon their homes and placed into shelters.  Some of the worst conspiracy theories were some that involved these shelters turning into Quirkless Internment Camps.  Most fled back to Star Killer City, where they were welcomed and treated like equals. 

 

Negotiations with the villains was what all the news outlets were waiting for.  The meeting took place five days after the incident, and wasn't allowed to be recorded.  Upon completion, it was revealed that Goto had been released in exchange for the Public Utilities and Asylum Status of Star Killer City.  It was declared that any Villain who ventured outside of Star Killer City was fair game, and would be arrested on the spot.  When he finally stumbled into the world again, Goto had a mask clung to his face.  It fell off and shattered on the floor, revealing a face not many suspected.  In seemed devoid of any emotion, but his mouth hung agate as if there was no will to shut it. 

 

After many physical examinations, it was revealed that Hiroki Goto had become Quirkless. 

 

In another reveal, the Villains had shown that they had many other Heroes hostage, including Double Dragon, and would not release them until further notice.  

 

The next day, a letter was sent to every U.A. student's household, besides the one's who already resided there, asking permission for them to be housed within the dorms.  It was getting too dangerous to commute back and forth, as Anti-Quirk gangs roamed the streets in an attempt to recruit more people to Star Killer City.  

 

 

 

"And with that, we'll end class today."  After an entire week, class was back in session.  It was hard to concentrate on the lesson, as most of the class still had a bandage of some sort attached to them in some way.  "Don't forget to head back to the dorms today.  Your things have been moved and set up according to your demands."  Suna's eyes had met Asuka's while scanning the classroom, as he began to get flustered.  "H-h-have a nice day sweet~...Everyone!"  Suna exclaimed nervously, before trying to slide the classroom door open, only to be met with a large shadow.  "Oh.  Looks like we have a special guest today.  Sit back down."  

 

 

Lord D. bowed before Suna, and entered the room, folding his wings in tightly, and ducking to avoid the top of the entrance.  He walked to the center desk, where he bowed to all of the students.  

 

"As you are probably well aware, I am Lord D.  The Number Two Hero in all of Japan."  He spread his arms out, and waited for applause, but received none.  Still, he continued.  "I am well aware that this is the second incident that this class has had with this particular group of villains.  We realize that your first encounter with them, you perhaps weren't familiar with the law.  Understandable.  But upon repeated instructions not to engage with the Villains, many of you chose to do the opposite."  His hands stretched out along the desk as he sighed.  "I understand what this feels like.  Not being able to do anything because of laws is a terrible feeling."  He then slammed his hands onto the desk.  "But we are a nation of Laws.  They must be followed, or you're no better than the villains who constantly break laws."  Lord D. then pointed to five individuals in particular.  Gin, Asuka, Ichiro, Aaron, and Akira.  "You all were close to being prosecuted.  Be glad that your teacher vouched for you."  He then started to chuckle.  "Although, your enthusiasm has made the board think long and hard, and they have decided to let you all take your License Exam a tad bit early.  Study hard, and be prepared, future heroes!"  With that, he bowed again before saying goodbye, and leaving the room   

 

"Don't forget about the dorms."  Suna said, as he followed Lord D. out of the room.  

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Some part of Valerie knew that she should be satisfied with Mako's response. That he was right in saying that they could handle it. Despite this it took all her will not to point out that the adults weren't handling it.

 

The days that followed only made this worse. After an interrogation, where she almost made the officer pass out from the heat, more and more dark tidings came. People were saying that only the strongest heroes should be given funding. A sentiment that Valerie couldn't help but understand somewhat. Maybe had the government focused on training stronger heroes...

 

Quirkless camps were set up which left a bad taste in Valerie's mouth. Had her parents been around would they have been rounded up like that? She would never agree with the villains but...maybe she couldn't agree with the heroes, either.

 

And then there was Goto...

 

"What...happened out there?" Valerie had asked him when she was allowed to visit. She had put it off for a day, wanting to be as calm as she could, before visiting. Though seeing his blank face, and mentally comparing it to his determined look during their fight, was almost too much.

His lack of response wasn't helping. "I'm gonna make them pay, Goto. They won't get away with doing this without punishment. All of them." Still nothing.

 

Hanging her head, Valerie had tried to think of something to say. How could she, someone who had lost not only a tournament fight but was unable to protect one of her classmates, who had run instead of fight, inspire anyone who had suffered like this?

She had an urge to tell him more about herself, open up, but she couldn't bring herself to speak about it when Goto was giving that...look.

 

"I...don't know what to say." Valerie admitted reluctantly. "I just keep failing...it's frustrating." She sighed. "You don't need to hear this right now...S'pose I should get going." Before leaving she muttered, right before heading out the door, "I'm sorry."

-------

The dorms had gotten more crowded than they used to be. It seemed that now many of the students had taken up residence there. Which was, Valerie had to admit, a huge pain. She had decided to train even harder than before which meant avoiding distractions. But with her classmates in the rooms nearby that proved...difficult.

 

Add to that the fact that the school had to set up her room to handle her newfound abilities and she wasn't exactly comfortable. They had to fireproof her room. Which meant special paint, furniture, to replace or enhance what little she had, training equipment, even bedding.

 

Valerie didn't sleep at all in the couple days it took to set everything up. And the reason why would become clear the first day she did get some shut-eye.

 

The classmate who had went into her room that night told her that they had heard muffled shouts coming from inside, coming from Valerie in the throes of a nightmare, and that they hadn't expected the entire room to be an inferno. The classmate had just barely avoided being struck by a pillar of flames before getting back on the other side of the extra heavy duty door.

 

After that Valerie requested her room be soundproofed.

---

And still more bad news continued to pile on. The villains had a multitude of hostages. And a "city" of their own. Just knowing that they were there, right there, and Valerie wasn't doing anything to stop them put her on edge. So she did what she could. She trained. And trained. And built up an anger in her that she only barely managed to keep from leaking out into the public eye.

 

She had to be a hero still. She had to keep it together.

 

But she wanted nothing more than to burn this "Star Killer City" to the ground.

[Super Chaos Sonic]

 

 

Ichiro watched the world pass him by, sitting in the passenger side of Rei's car. They had gotten away from the stadium, they had told Kaito thank you as Sayaka was already gone back. But while it felt like a small victory in him still being alive, same with his brother, the radio stations stated otherwise.
 
The stadium...no...it was now being called Star Killer City, was being overrun by villains. And those reports went further in the days that followed.
 
The young boy was also interrogated in order to gain some sort of insight on what the students saw out there. Answered every question to the best of his ability, but still felt most of his answers weren't exactly good enough for them. Nevertheless, with the interrogations done, Ichiro continued to try and heal his broken arm and bruises. All the while, finding out how many people were viewing the heroes in a different light now. Bottom line was: the heroes lost to a bunch of villains. No matter how many lives were saved...this was obviously too much for the heroes to handle. But at the same time...the Quirkless were also getting restless.
 
From what Ichiro saw on news-castings, Star Killer City was becoming almost a haven for the Quirkless. And from Ichiro heard, Rei even mentioned their parents were in talks of wanting to go there. Though to him, this wasn't even a huge surprise whatsoever. Once heartless individuals always, he guessed.

 

 

"And with that, we'll end class today."

 

Ichiro was only doodling in a notebook at this point, not being able to pay too much attention at this point. Then again, he couldn't half blame himself. Today he had to move into the new dorms, due to the fact that now there were Anti-Quirk gangs roaming the streets in order to recruit more people for Star Killer. Plus...he was still also thinking about the 1-B student, Goto. The rumors were getting around that he suddenly became Quirkless...and that was something that made him worry.

 

"Don't forget to head back to the dorms today. Your things have been moved and set up according to your demands."

 

Guess that's cool. Once everything is settled, I'll let Rei know everything's alright... Ichiro thought, standing up and preparing to head out of the classroom.

 

"Oh. Looks like we have a special guest today. Sit back down."

 

He glanced up and saw who was now entering the classroom. It was Lord D...the hero that swooped down and stopped the T-Rex from falling on top of those civilians. Ichiro's heart dropped as he slowly slunked back into his seat. ...I'm screwed...

 

"As you are probably well aware, I am Lord D. The Number Two Hero in all of Japan. I am well aware that this is the second incident that this class has had with this particular group of villains. We realize that your first encounter with them, you perhaps weren't familiar with the law. Understandable. But upon repeated instructions not to engage with the Villains, many of you chose to do the opposite. I understand what this feels like. Not being able to do anything because of laws is a terrible feeling. But we are a nation of Laws. They must be followed, or you're no better than the villains who constantly break laws."

 

That's when Lord D. started to point at five specific students. Gin...then Asuka...then Ichiro watched his finger point his direction. He felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed hard. His hand continued as it pointed at Aaron and then Akira.

 

"You all were close to being prosecuted. Be glad that your teacher vouched for you. Although, your enthusiasm has made the board think long and hard, and they have decided to let you all take your License Exam a tad bit early. Study hard, and be prepared, future heroes!"

"Don't forget about the dorms."

 

Ichiro watched Lord D. and Suna exit the classroom and he let out a small sigh. Right there, he wanted to talk to the hero and tell him two-fold, firstly apologizing for his actions that day and secondly to thank him for saving those civilians in spite of his strike on the T-Rex. But, he couldn't really muster up any strength to actually say it. If I see him around...I-I'll tell him then. he thought, glancing around. He was going to talk to Terro firstly, but then decided against it. They'd be in the dorms and he'd see him on more regular basis besides just class. Plus, I still need to ask if he'll train me like his grandfather was suggesting to me... he thought, before his eyes lingered over towards Asuka.

 

Asuka, the Gemstone Hero: Hematite. Ichiro knew he hadn't really interacted with the young girl much, then again he also saw that the one guy was always just messing with her from his view. Guess this is as good of a time to talk...I guess? he thought, as he stood up and made his way towards Asuka's desk. "Uh hey." he said with a quick clearing of his throat. "How's it going?"

[King K. Azo]

Terro really got off easy, in his opinion. Gin didn't want to tell people that he was helped against his dad... maybe it was a pride thing. Well, Terro didn't need the thanks. The fact that Gin's mom was safe was all he needed. He was then interrogated... he was asked what happened ("I was attacked by a weird guy for no reason!"), where he went afterwards ("To help Gin!"), and what else he saw ("I didn't see much, that man had me pinned down... and then I found Gin saving his mom,"). It wasn't bad per say, but he felt like he said something wrong, although for the life of him he didn't know what.

 

It wasn't all sunshine though. Someone had lost their quirk. Such a thing just didn't compute to him. How did someone just... lose a quirk? The villains had done something... maybe Wendigo somehow drained Goto so much he lost his quirk? He just wasn't sure. To make things worse... they had hostages... and they weren't releasing them. He hated that he couldn't help... he just wasn't strong enough yet...

 

Something he was constantly reminded at when he was home. He swore, almost anybody he made as a friend during his travels to tournaments came by... mostly to punch him for being an idiot. It didn't really help him heal, but it was the way they showed they cared. Maybe.

They could have just wanted the free hits as well.

 

After a week, they all returned to school, where things tried to go back to normal. They had a regular lesson, in a regular classroom, at the regular time... but it wasn't normal. They had the number two hero come in. 

 

"As you are probably well aware, I am Lord D. The Number Two Hero in all of Japan." Terro wasn't aware of that. That was pretty neat. Thinking about it... who was number one? Actually, how were they ranked and how? "I am well aware that this is the second incident that this class has had with this particular group of villains," At this point, it was almost a rivalry. One more time, and it was signs of romantic feelings, right?  "We realize that your first encounter with them, you perhaps weren't familiar with the law.  Understandable," Wait, what? What law? "But upon repeated instructions not to engage with the Villains, many of you chose to do the opposite."  His hands stretched out along the desk as he sighed.  "I understand what this feels like.  Not being able to do anything because of laws is a terrible feeling."  He then slammed his hands onto the desk.  "But we are a nation of Laws.  They must be followed, or you're no better than the villains who constantly break laws."  Lord D. then pointed to five individuals in particular.  Gin, Asuka, Ichiro, Aaron, and Akira.  "You all were close to being prosecuted.  Be glad that your teacher vouched for you."  He then started to chuckle.  "Although, your enthusiasm has made the board think long and hard, and they have decided to let you all take your License Exam a tad bit early.  Study hard, and be prepared, future heroes!"  

 

Wait, what did Gin, Asuka, Ichiro, Aaron and Akira do that was so bad? Fight a villain? He did the same thing. He was so confused. And what law where they talking about? It wasn't covered in class, almost like it was supposed to be common knowledge... and that was something Terro had a severe lack of. Rubbing his head, he turned around to the rest of the class.

"So... um... anyone know what law they're talking about?" He asked, grinning sheepishly. "I never even knew there was a law...," 

[Yui]

---

It had been one week since the QLF invasion, and only a couple days since the "creation" of what villains were calling Star Killer City. While she did get to scold Gin like she'd wanted, the thought of villains having any sense of organization - much less an entire city - was still sitting in the back of her mind, laughable to her. Yet there it was, as a reality. In exchange, however, 1-B's stretchy kid was given back... but from what Sayuri had heard, his Quirk was gone. Just, no more, ceased to exist, he was now Quirkless. The thought of what could have happened to cause that - be it another Quirk or some twisted machine - sent a chill up her spine. She didn't want to know what happened, that much was for certain.

During that time, U.A. had been rounding up its students, and requesting all of them be moved into the school dorms. Not many of Sayuri's classmates were living there in the first place, including some of the noisier ones like Gin and Ino. Everyone moving into the dorms meant things were probably going to get more hectic around there. Shame. The quiet lifestyle was nice while it lasted. Her eyes shifted over toward Terro.

...the mostly-quiet lifestyle.

Class for today was over. Most of the class still had some sort of bandage or something on their person. Sayuri counted herself among the lucky few that were more or less uninjured. Her hearing had been blown out by that oversized lizard, but even then, it was back before the day was out thanks to Nurse Neko, and by now, she was hearing perfectly fine, normally, and painlessly. And not only was class out today, but someone was in. Lord D. As impressive as his reputation was, Sayuri never found herself that amazed by the guy.

"Although, your enthusiasm has made the board think long and hard, and they have decided to let you all take your License Exam a tad bit early."

What?

Another step on the long road to heroism. This was getting out of hand quickly. As Lord D. and Suna left the room, Sayuri found herself thinking about the exam. What would it entail? Was she going to actually take it, let alone pass? The notion of it - especially after everything else that had happened so far in the school year - was raising a bunch of red flags in Sayuri's mind. But that was then. This was now.

In regards to the now, Sayuri scanned the rest of the class over, looking for one student in particular... there she was. Leaving the very clearly new whiteboard on her desk, Sayuri weaved her way between a few rows of seats, before stopping at Ino's desk. If she was remembering correctly, this girl would be in the room next to her own. She was bubbly and positive, but also stupid, not unlike Terro.

"Welcome to the dorm life. Looks like we'll be neighbors starting today. Just don't get any dumb ideas like Terro over there, and we should get along well enough."

---

A full week. Asuka was still having trouble coming to terms with everything that had happened. It wasn't hard to tell she hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, what with the baggy eyes and half-hearted expression. She'd nearly dozed off more than once in class today, but thankfully, it was over. Suna then mentioned that today would be the day everyone properly settled into the dorms.

Asuka recalled looking over the floor plan for the dorm building. It was all one building, but different classes were in different wings of the building. She'd even visited 1-A's wing the day she got the letter, to see her room in advance. It wasn't quite as big as her bedroom back home, but the size difference wasn't all that noticable. Asuka imagined she'd forget entirely about the difference by the time she was done living in the dorms.

Asuka nearly found herself falling asleep on her desk during the guest speech by Lord D. The mention of the License Exam, however, kept her going. That was one step closer to stopping Bloodstone. She'd have to train hard, work hard, and pass that exam! But first, a quick nap wouldn't hurt, right? Asuka lied her head down on the desk, but before she could shut her eyes and hopefully drift off to a peaceful sleep...

"Uh hey. How's it going?"

From the surface of the desk, Asuka's eyes turned up to see Ichiro. I watched my childhood idol get effectively forced into retirement by the villain I hate the most, I've barely slept since then, and I've been assaulted by anti-Quirk gangs at least twice in the last week. I'm doing pretty awful, to be frank.

"I've been better," she yawned, her voice notably hoarse. "I wanted to train my Quirk, but haven't had much time to do that. And yourself? Not too bad, I hope?"

---

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

“Why did you attack the villains?”

 

Akira sighed. This interview, or more accurately interrogation, had been going for nearly an hour, and yet they made no progress. “I made no attempt to assault the attackers. I stepped in to shield civilians, and was subsequently attacked. Even after that, I did not fight back. I have done nothing wrong. What's your next question?”

 

The officer looked unsatisfied with the answer he received. “And what of the incident with young Mr. Rosenfeld? You assisted in sending him to fight the villain Bloodstone, is this correct?”

 

“No. The goal was never to fight her. We all know that a head on fight would get him killed.” Akira leaned back his head, staring at the ceiling, “He is the fastest, probably faster than most of the pros there, even. Definitely faster than I was in that state. He was sent to evacuate the students who were trapped inside. Bloodstone's presence simply made that mission more urgent.”

 

“Fine.” The police officer shuffled through his papers, pulling up another. “Did you fight Otoma Shurui, also known as the Traitor Hero Sunspot?”

 

“Have you seen my leg? How much fighting do you really think I am capable of now, let alone then?” He tilted his head back down, looking the interviewer in the eye, underneath the edge of his sunglasses, “and wasn't that the guy Gin fought? I'd be amazed if he would say he got help.”

 

“You are correct in that young Mr. Otoma claimed he fought alone, but we are not confident in his story.” This entire case was rough on the police interviewer. He had spent all day talking to children about what was ultimately a horrific event for everyone. He couldn't imagine what they had been through, but had to make an attempt. “You were unaccounted for immediately following the action you took with Rosenfeld, and did not reappear until the evacuation was complete. Before you disappeared, you were sighted speaking to multiple other students who also went missing. Where were you?”

 

“I was passed out. Blood loss, head injury, doc had a long list of ways I got funked up. Decided to take a breather.” It was a flimsy lie, but it didn't seem the police had anything else to hold against him.

 

“Well, whatever happened, we will get to the bottom of it. We have one final question.”

 

“And that is?”

 

“The girl, Hadley. You fought her one on one, and witnesses reported you spoke to her both then and earlier. UA is aware of her quirk, and its destructive potential, so what we must ask you now, is…” He shifted uncomfortably, savoring the last moments before he asked the only question that really mattered in the current state of affairs.

 

“Is Hadley a threat? Is she capable of committing the same atrocities as those other villains?”

The first day of classes breezed by. The workload was a joke, presumably because faculty thought the students deserved a break after everything they had been through. As Takeda sensei wrapped things up, Akira looked upon all the students from his seat in the back corner. Though there were only 3 empty seats between them, Gin seemed to be miles away in his own corner. He didn't want to sympathize with him, but after their battle with Gin's father, Akira found it difficult not to. But he knew he had bigger things to worry about.

 

Akira began reaching to his sides, before Suna's exit was interrupted by Lord D, the Number 2 Hero. He was there to scold the class, not the least of which Akira, for their actions during the invasion. Akira didn't care. Though he could acknowledge his numerous lapses of judgment across the incident, the one thing he was certain of was that it was right for him to act. Nobody could convince him otherwise, not even Lord D. The only thing he said that was of substance to Akira was that the class would be taking the exam for receiving their provisional licenses early, an important step for Akira to become the hero he wanted to be.

 

As the two pro heroes left the room, Suna gave a quick reminder to the class about their dorm rooms. Due to increasing hostilities, those who weren't already living on campus were being moved in. Akira sighed quietly to himself. He had been living in one of the dorm rooms since a few days before he started school at UA. He was lucky enough to have a room as far as possible from Terro's, so the noise wasn't too bad, but this many people moving into the block wouldn't take long to get on his nerves. It was probably best for him to head to his room as fast as he could, so as to try to avoid the annoyance that he knew his classmates would quickly become. But first...

 

Akira turned his head to the left once again, "Gin, we need to talk." With that, he reached to his sides once again, and tightly grabbed the handles on either side of his seat. Pushing them back carefully, he rolled back away from his desk. Apparently, the injury to his leg was great enough that he wasn't allowed to walk. The nurse put him in a wheelchair in the time being. Akira wasn't used to feeling so constrained, but he only had to deal with it for another day or so. As long as he took it easy, the damage would be 'Nyan-permanent'. Without saying anything else, he rolled out of the classroom, opting to open the door with his quirk so that he could pass through without trouble.

 

He waited a few feet away from the door, tapping his finger on the wheelchair's armrest impatiently.

"Tomoaki, you spoke to her at length during the assault, we need to know what she is capable of." The words stirred Akira out of his almost trance-like state. He hadn't been able to get a good read on Hadley, or what her intentions were. All he was able to see in her was fear.

 

"No, sir. She is just as much a victim in all this as..." Akira paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing, "she is just as much a victim of these villains' actions as anyone."

[~Faytl~]

The wind blew gently through Hadley's hair as she sat perched upon the wooden railing, looking idly out at the small park she sat in, here at the western edge of Starkiller City. Not a lot of people seemed to come here very often; They were still adjusting. To a lifestyle where the heroes weren't there.

 

Hadley had spent the previous few days under strict rest and relaxation, Masque's orders. She had wanted to press out, expand the borders of Starkiller City the next day, but Masque had put a damper on that plan. She was waiting for something. For what, Hadley wasn't sure. Maybe the boss-man Zuzu had mentioned that day in the stadium.

 

She had healed well. Mako's attack against her hadn't injured her seriously, though it had come very close to. Her injuries she had gained against Akira were superficial, though it had been noted that the same couldn't be said for his own. Masque had been particularly pleased when she learned that she had faced Akira one on one and succeeded, even without using her Quirk. Hadley didn't have the heart to tell her he had been holding back.

 

"Even when I was fighting him he didn't want me to get hurt... Idiot," she grunted with frustration as the sun began to descend, just now starting to dip behind the skyscraper that stuck above the rest of the buildings here at the boundary. She slipped off of the jungle gym she had been seated upon, landing in a crouch on the ground, arms out to accommodate the gauntlets she still wore on her hands, the massive rend Mako had made freshly repaired. 

 

She stood stock still for a moment before she realized: Her stance, the crouch, the subtle turn to the side to make herself a smaller target to an unforeseen enemy... She had landed in a combat stance.

 

"Cripes," she grumbled, standing straight abruptly. Her arms were shaking ever so slightly. "Bloody banjanxed, I am, aren't ya, Hadley?" She tried to inject even a little bit of humor into her voice, but it fell flat even to her audience of one. She took a deep breath as she turned, looking back into the heart of her new home, and shrugged her shoulders to push her headphones back into place.

 

 

Hadley spent as little time in the more populated areas of Starkiller City as she could. The looming, ruined edifice of the tournament stadium loomed in her vision as she trudged down the street, reminding her of that fateful day. The streets seemed forever crowded with people moving through quickly, loudly, hustle and bustle in the largely vehicle-free city an ever-present feature. She had always hated crowds, and these ones were more unpleasant than most.

 

Convicts made up the majority of the population here, and Hadley had learned quickly that convicts respond to one factor and one factor alone: Who would take the least sheet. Rough looms and shoulder checks were a way of life here, as were drunken brawls. The Quirkless citizens who had moved into the city afterward were all right as far as she was concerned, but there were few of them so far. Beyond that, there were a few others, new arrivals to the city who definitely weren't Quirkless. Hadley had seen Masque speaking with a few of them, before having chats with her. She hadn't met any of them yet, not officially. But she suspected she would soon enough.

 

The city was in a constant state of dissaray, a lack of organization in every aspect of the fledgling, lawless society. Little prevented the convicts from flexing against each other all the time, and there had been a few other incidents... Such as the one Hadley was seeing now as she rounded the corner.

 

"Please, I need this place, for my family!"

 

"And I need it, for my boys here," was the snide reply from the tall convict as he leaned against the wall, pinning the wide-eyed man against the wall as the two behind him chuckled at the sight of the much smaller man being pushed around. "Prime real estate here in the middle of the city... Whatchu need it for?"

 

The man shuddered as the face of the convict was shoved into his own, wincing back. "I... I'm afraid what happens if the heroes come here!" he yelled desperately. Hadley felt her heart sink at his words. "If they come to take this city back, I... I can't have my family near the edges, where the fighting will happen! It's safest here, in the center of the city!"

 

The convict chuckled, popping his large, blocklike knuckles, which Hadley could see were covered in some strange, gleaming carapace-like material. A Quirk, no doubt. "Cute, buddy... But what about OUR safety, eh? Not concerned about us? Ya gotta look out for everybody here in Starkiller City."

 

Hadley sighed, looking around wearily. No sign of him. Guess these ones are mine, then, she thought resignedly, stepping fully around the corner and into the flickering light of the street lamp.

 

"Right then, what are 'ya fosterin' on about, right?" she barked loudly, some of the convicts jumping as she made her presence known. "Move along lively, then, would ye? Let the man have his feckin' peace, Christ."

 

The leader, the one with the strange hands, smirked as he strode to the front of his gang. "Heh... You talk awful funny. Listen, little girl, maybe it's time you ran back home to your mother," he suggested, snickering.

 

Hadley felt a sudden overpowering urge to run forward and jab her gauntlet directly into the man's teeth. She took a step forward abruptly, raising her fist to let the streetlight glint off it. "This city's for the liberation of the Quirkless, ye fuckin' asshat!" she yelled at him. "Now funk off... 'fore I call the big guy."

 

There was a dawning glint of realization in the convict's eyes, and those of his fellows, as they saw her raise her hands. He took an immediate step back, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Oh, sheet, you're... You're one a' the founders," he forced out with difficulty. He no longer looked confident. He looked afraid.

 

Hadley blinked, not sure what he meant. Founders? Of what? She shook her head. It didn't matter now. He was scared of her, for whatever reason. "Get tha' funk out," she growled, and the convicts ran away immediately, turning to sprint down the street away from her as quickly as they could. Hadley watched them with a growing feeling of tension in her chest. The funk are they afraid of me for?

 

"Um... I... Thank you very much... Miss Fitzpatrick, right? I... I appreciate it!"

 

She turned her head, seeing the man they had been harassing bowing his head to her. She could just see his face. Despite his words, it was an expression of fear. His body was shaking, position rigid as he kept his head low, not daring to meet her eyes.

 

Hadley felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Shite, she thought to herself as she sighed deeply, resuming her walk down the street once more. The man flinched away as she did, then froze again, staying stock still as she drew level with him.

 

"Don't mention it," she stated flatly, before continuing on. She didn't look back to see how long the man stood there, petrified of her presence. She knew it would only depress her.

 

- - - - - - -

 

"Masque?"

 

The violet-haired woman turned , mismatched eyes gazing questioningly out of the eyeholes in the mask that always covered her face. "Yes, Hadley? What is it?"

 

Hadley walked hesitantly into the room Masque had commandeered for herself. It was the one right next to Hadley's own in the hotel where most of the individuals who would soon come to be known as the founders of Starkiller City, the members of that initial force, had come to reside. The towels bore the name of the hotel, but Hadley had always been exceptionally poor at reading the kanji that was used to write it. She didn't know what exactly it said. Something about Springs, she thought.

 

She took a seat on one of the red-cushioned chairs that adorned the room, not meeting Masque's inquisitive eyes, looking down at the scarlet-and-cinnamon-patterned rug. She had always had trouble looking her in the eye. Ever since the day Masque had first found her. Even now.

 

"I... I heard about the kid... The one we took 'ta get this place."

 

Masque nodded slowly. She already knew where this was going. "Goto, yes. I imagined it wouldn't be long before you asked me about him. Go on, then... Ask what you came for."

 

Hadley took a deep, rattling breath. "I... I heard he... Lost his Quirk. Somehow. I... I always thought that was impossible, but... Everyone's talking about it, says the people outside are too, and I-"

 

"It's true, Hadley, my dear." Masque interrupted her bluntly, pacing gracefully before the picture window. "That dear boy has been liberated of his Quirk, liberated of his heroic ambitions... All part of the plan."

 

Hadley felt like the world was shrinking around her. Her breathing had increased, hands clenched inside her gauntlets even as they started to vibrate. "I... It's true?" her voice cracked audibly. "We... We can remove Quirks?" She barely believed it even as the words left her mouth. She shuddered as she thought of it, tears spawning within her eyes.

 

Masque slowly circled around her, ending behind Hadley's chair as she circled her arms around to cradle Hadley's head, pulling it to rest against her body. The girl shuddered at the contact, tensing up with a sharp intake of breath. "Hadley," she said quietly. "You know we need you as you are. I don't like it either but you must admit... Your Quirk is one of our greatest weapons against the heroes."

 

Hadley choked back a sob as it tried to force it's way out of her throat, leaning her head against Masque's stomach as she tried not to collapse in her chair. "I... I know," she forced out, with great difficulty. It was all she could do not to weep at what she knew would eventually come. "But... After. After this is all done, can I..." She took one last, wracking breath. "Will... Will my Quirk be erased?"

 

Masque replied gently. "If you wish it so. I know that Wendigo and Zuzu want to be rid of theirs."

 

Hadley stopped trying to hold back the tears. She felt like the weight of a planet had just shifted off her shoulders. She cried openly, as Masque brushed her hair out of the weeping girl's face. Cried with relief. Relief that it was all worth it.

 

- - - - - - -

 

The night grew darker around Hadley as she thought back on that conversation. She was almost to the hotel, maybe two blocks away, when she stopped at the mouth of an alley, perking up as she paused. She waited a few seconds, then sighed.

 

"Well alright then, bloody come out then, now I'm not doin' ya job FOR 'ye... How's the craic, Wendigo?" She turned and gazed directly into the alley at the hulking shape that lay within the shadows. "By the by... When did these dumb fucks learn who tha' 'ell I was, anyhow?" she asked casually.

[👀 REP 👀]

 

---

 

A week had passed since the incident at the stadium. It was still hard to believe that him and his classmates had a tournament where Star Killer City was now. He spent most of the time at home for various reasons. While he didn't really have much intention to get out in the first place, his sister insisted that he stayed home due to the dangers that came up from the recent events. She even offered to take him to school from now on, although that idea quickly flew out the window once they got the message about the dorms. They were hesitant at first; Isami had never lived on his own, and the idea of being away from his family made him rather sad. However, they both agreed that it would be for the best, as Kawako nor his parents wouldn't be able to take him all the time. 

 

The other notable thing that happened over the week was getting interviewed over the events. He wasn't questioned nearly as much as he thought he would be, mainly whether he was at the scene and what he saw. He answered as truthfully as he could, which still came out a bit vaguely. Isami was still trying to process what exactly had gone down. Fortunately, no one had asked him about what happened outside the stadium - they seemed more focused on what happened in the arena. Specifically with Shiki, as some had thought the two had at least had a romantic relationship in the past. Isami was quick to clarify that he had only met the girl right before the incident, which lead to more questioning. It was all rather stressful, despite not getting it as hard as he thought he would. 

 

---

 

And just like that, it was time to go back to class. The class day was rather lenient, as to be expected after such a horrible day. Isami spent most of it distracting himself, although not even the clouds could clear his mind this time. Eventually the school day ended, although this time...

 

"As you are probably well aware, I am Lord D.  The Number Two Hero in all of Japan." Isami was a bit startled, vaguely recognizing the character in front of them. Lord D. went on to explain to them that them fighting the villains was illegal due to the fact that they weren't technically heroes yet. This was news to Isami; he thought they were already heroes, at least on the legal side. Although it did make a lot of sense once he thought about it. He went off, noting that they were going to have their exam earlier than usual, and sent to their dorms. Isami got a bit nervous at the mention of those. He had forgotten that he was going to have to live away from home now. 

 

"So... um... anyone know what law they're talking about?" Terro asked from his side, a sheepish smile on his face. "I never even knew there was a law...,"

 

"Yeah... I didn't know that either..." Isami responded, scratching the back of his head. "I just... kinda assumed we were already heroes, ya know?" He said, laughing softly. 

[scooterulez]

When things couldn't get worse, police interviews was probably a 20 out of 10 in horribleness. Aaron was reprimanded but also thanked, kind of, for the capture of Shiki when a pro-hero should've done it, and then lying to an officer for claiming a licensed hero. The threat of deportation back to America was up there on possible punishments, but they needed to do some further investigating on the subject. He was then questioned about what happened, who was there, yadda yadda, then he was set off to go back home.

 

The week went slower than normal as he saw Anti-Quirk groups putting up propaganda in his apartment's bulletin board, the news of Goto's current condition, constant calls from a family wanting him to come back, and the letter of moving into the dorms on campus. With all things going now, moving into the dorms would be better the better thing to do than being confronted by gangs. Aaron's room request asked for the top floor of the building he would move into, asked to install solar panels on the roof and have them go to Aaron's room for personal power supply instead of using the school's. Everything else was pretty much the same to his room's current design.

---

The first day back since the tournament and life seemed to go back to normal, but the scent of last week's shenanigans and disasters still lingered in the halls of U.A. Everyone pretty much kept to their cliques and some to themselves throughout the day, nevertheless, U.A. was different than it was 2 weeks ago with the excitement of tournaments, weekend plans, and sleeping in.

 

As the day neared the end, the class was greeted with a visit from Lord D. He came in to give comfort and reassurance but immediately pointed out 5, Aaron being one, and gave the news he hoped to hear since last week, he was just given a warning!

 

As Suna and Lord D. exited the room, the class began to chatter among themselves and others, Sayuri and Ino, Ichiro to Asuka, Akira and Gin, and even Terro popped a question that intrigued Aaron's attention.

 

"So... um... anyone knows what law they're talking about? I never even knew there was a law...,"

 

Aaron turned around as Isami piped in confused by the laws of Quirks too. "Terro, there are 'Quirk' laws that were established a generation or so ago to help keep the peace and common ground, however, they have been seen to be a double-edged sword to a majority of people, especially those who turned to the life of crime. For example, we legally can defend ourselves and others with quirks, but as soon you 'hurt' someone in the process they'll be on you like vultures because you are 'displaying your quirk to the public.' But that's only if they catch you, so say goodbye to Valentine and Samaritan Laws if you have a Quirk. . . It's hard to live in this super society when there are laws telling you can't use something that is a part of you early in life, it's frustrating, you know?"