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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello there! Welcome to my second fic. In terms of writing and planning, this one has been arranged much more throughly and has a majority of chapters pre-written (up to arc 3 in terms of writing).

So, just some details:

- This is a crossover AU between My Hero Academia and my other fanfic, Of Gemstones and Watches (A Ben 10 x RWBY fanfic). Context for situations is pretty open, so if you're not 100% familiar with it, no need to worry. I'll fill in some gaps and in-jokes here and there.

- There's a lot of story changes to My Hero, with some arcs moved around and some earlier moments of 'skills being used'.

- I wrote this To give Uraraka some love- I've read multiple stories where she's more on the sideline, including "My Huntsman Academia", where she ISN'T a hunter for some reason?

Also, you're probably asking- What's with the name? Yes, it's a reference to "Welcome to the Black Parade". Gerald Way said the track was about "The triumph of the human spirit over darkness. [It] was something that was kind of built into the DNA of the band from the beginning,"

"The self-actualization, the triumph of the spirit and things like that, getting through really hard things. There's darkness in the world. And I think overcoming that darkness, that darkness externally and internally, is a beautiful thing," Way added. "It's a challenging thing, but it is beautiful if you can do that, if you can kind of triumph over that. So that's a theme that's definitely in 'Black Parade', the song, and it's in my work."

The most commonly repeated line of the song, "We'll Carry On", refers to multiple characters carrying the legacy of those before them- Uraraka, Midoryia, Tenya, Shoto, Bakugo…a lot of characters.

I hope this one recieves a lot of love- I'm really happy to write this.

Timeline wise, this takes place after the Sports Festival arc.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Her profile was pretty small, but she was still in training. The profile at least gave some details on her performance- laid back, bit of an airhead, can be exaggerated, but very warm and optimistic. Hidden fierce side that shows potential. More preference towards the rescue aspect of the heroics course.

The man looking over the profile hummed. "She sounds promising. What do you think of her?" He asked, as he pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing.

The other man coughed. "She's a bright individual. I was a bit shocked by her performance in the Sports Festival- had to be one of the most exciting first round battles I've seen. Sad to see her lose, though."

"The fact her opponent didn't hold back- and the way she echoed that. Impressive." The first hero said, tapping his pen- he was trying to think of some good words he could use.

"I'm shocked you chose her for a candidate." The coughing man said. "Especially after one battle."

"Well, it's also more based on the calvary battle- she was able to show some fantastic teamwork, showed she was open to stuff-" The man chuckled. "Hey, she was even with your successor. They seem like good friends."

The coughing man gave a smirk at that. "Indeed…but I feel you're jumping the gun on it a little."

"Please, I jump the gun 90% of the time. But, if she isn't the one? Fine. She gets some experience with a high ranking pro."

"And if she is?"

"Then we start the training process."

The man finished writing up his letter, and began to fold it. He pulled out an envelope and put it inside. He clicked his pen.

"Besides, I can't be too picky…I'm running out of time myself."

He finally wrote the name of his possible successor on the envelope- Uraraka Ochako. He pulled out a stamp, and pressed it down in the right hand corner.

"Here you go, Toshi." The man said, handing the letter off. "Get this to Eraser, okay?"

"I will." Toshinori Yagi smiled, taking the letter.

"Thanks for getting me out of there." The green haired young man said. He held his rain umbrella close to his friend, so she didn't get soaked. "I didn't realize how popular I'd be after the Sports Festival."

"Hey, no big deal. I've had a few people congratulate me, but those guys were acting like you saved the city or something." The shorter girl with bobbed brown joked.

The boy chuckled. "I guess…so, how was your day off, Uraraka?"

Ochako grinned. "Oh, fantastic! My mom and dad surprised me at my apartment, and we spent the rest of the day together. How about you, Deku?"

"Ah, I spent it resting my body. Rewatched a bit of the festival with my mom…" Izuku Midoryia recalled. "She started crying during my battles with Shinso and Todoroki, despite the fact I was right next to her…"

Ochako chuckled at that. "At least it shows she cares. So, how bad did your hand get messed up? You broke all your fingers in that battle against Todorki."

"Pretty bad." Izuku held up his right hand- the fingers on his right hand had become slightly deformed, and his hand showed some visible scarring.

Ochako shuddered. "Yikes."

"Yeah. Kind of lucky that my hand wasn't blown off." Izuku said, looking down at his now deformed hand. "It just shows that I need some time to really hone my own power."

Ochako nodded- Izuku was always someone willing to improve himself. Breaking his fingers over his arm was surprisingly an improvement for him, given that dangerous power of his.

"Oh, hey. Question." Izuku said. "Have you heard from Iida?"

"No, not at all. I texted him after hearing about his brother..." Ochako raised her head. "He might not even be in class today."

Ochako suddenly heard the sound of wet footsteps running through the rain- speak of the devil, there he was.

"Good morning, Midoryia! Uraraka!" The bespectacled young man yelled- he was wearing a poncho. He really went all out on the raingear.

"I'd recommend that you two pick up the pace!" He yelled as he rushed past them. "We'll be late!"

Ochako and Izuku gasped, as they raced after Iida. "W-wait! There's still five minutes until the first bell!" Izuku yelled, as they ran under the UA arches.

"UA students should always arrive 10 minutes early!" Iida responded, using his quirk to give himself a boost. Ochako and Izuku shared a look.

Soon enough, Ochako and Izuku were by the front lockers of UA. Izuku shook off his umbrella, as Ochako looked at Iida. Her worries were still very, very present.

Izuku looked over at Iida, who was taking off his poncho. "Hey, Iida-"

"If it's about my brother..." Iida began. "Don't be concerned. I'm sorry if I made you both worry." Iida turned to face the both of them- he looked alright. No visible signs of stress, no red eyes from crying, nothing. Same prim and proper Iida. "Everything will be fine."

Ochako and Izuku watched Iida walk to class, and shared a concerned look.

The required classes at UA was usually a mix of 'the fun stuff' and 'the school stuff'- Ochako leaned more towards the fun stuff, not because she wasn't interested in the academic aspect. She just liked doing the hero work more than she did problems on Linear Inequation. And after the Sports Festival? Something told her it was gonna be a while before she felt that rush again.

But let's first focus on her class.

Class 1-A was a very 'eccentric class', full of vibrant personalities and voices. All of them made it into the cavalry battle, and most of them had made it into the tournament round of the sports festival, which boosted their popularity amongst the people.

"It's soooo weird that people recognize us from TV!" Tooru said, as Ochako and Midoryia walked in. Iida had already taken his seat, and was organizing his desk for the day.

"Everybody tried to stop and talk with me. It was kinda neat!" Mina grinned.

"Same here!" Kirishima said. "Hell, some of my middle school buddies were all fired up from my battle with Tetsutetsu! Said it was the most hype thing they'd ever seen!"

Sero grimaced. "You won't believe what a bunch of elementary school brats yelled at me."

"Nice try?" Tsuyu guessed. Sero groaned in response- she was right.

"All it took was like, one festival and we're celebs!" Kaminari said.

"This school really is amazing!" Mineta added.

"Wonder how many people approached Bakugou." Kaminari joked.

"Are you kidding? They'd be too scared to! He'd bite their heads off!" Mineta joked- Bakugo spun around, pupils small and filled with rage. Mineta quickly shut up, and before Bakugo could yell 'I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!' or 'DIE YOU LITTLE PURPLE SHIT STAIN'.

The massive door to the classroom opened, and the shaggy sleepy scholar himself walked in- Mr. Aizawa. Everyone quickly quieted down.

"Good morning." Mr. Aizawa said, sounding a bit groggy- and not muffled by bandages, a good sign.

"Ribbit- Mr. Aizawa, you got your bandages off! That's good news." Tsu commented.

Aizawa scratched his face- Ochako took note of a new scar underneath his left eye. "The old lady went overboard." Aizawa cleared his throat. "Anyways, we have a big class ahead of us. Hero informatics."

That word combination sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the class.

"We need to get you code names."

The whole class exploded with joy. Aizawa quickly shot them a look, and they collected themselves in the blink of an eye.

"This is related to the Pro Hero draft picks I mentioned the last time we were in class together." Aizawa explained. "Normally, I'd tell you not to worry about the draft yet, but...your class is different. This is usually a second or third year thing, but because you're first years, pros are investing in your potential early."

Ochako took a bit of pride in that- some pro saw her and thought she had some potential? That was something to boost her self esteem.

"However, offers CAN be rescinded." Aizawa noted.

Andddd that lowered the boost a bit.

"Stupid, selfish adults." Mineta muttered from across the class.

"So, we'll still have to prove ourselves after we get recruited?" Tooru asked.

Aizawa nodded. "Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." Aizawa pulled out a remote, and pressed a button. The display overhead flickered on, revealing a bar graph of offers. Ochako wasn't shocked by the first four names to pop up- Todoroki, Bakugo, Tokoyami and Iida. They WERE finalists, after all. But, what did shock her was...the jump.

Todoroki and Bakugo had THOUSANDS of requests. Her jaw dropped after seeing that- she assumed it was gonna be in the hundreds, but...holy crap.

Ochako was at least satisfied to see her name amongst the top 10- twenty agencies, interested in her! Small victories. She liked that- a bit too much. She was shaking Iida with glee, and he allowed it.

Ochako noticed someone else was shaking Izuku- Mineta. But not in an exciting way.

"Midoryia- you got NONE." Mineta said. "Bet everyone was freaked out by your crazy fighting style. Bet people don't want a dude that crazy."

"Yeah, I noticed." Izuku frowned.

"In past years, it's been pretty spread out, but there's been a pretty big gap this year." Aizawa noted.

Kaminari groaned. "No fair."

"What about the real star?" Yuga huffed.

Jiro squinted as she read the names again. "Looks like Todoroki got the most." Jiro noted.

"Yeah, kind of the opposite of how they placed in the sports festival." Kirishima snickered.

"I'd assume they'd be less than thrilled to work with a kid that had to be chained up." Sero added.

"IF I SCARED A PRO, THEY'RE JUST COWARDS!" Bakugou yelled.

Momo turned to look at Todoroki. "You must be proud." Todoroki, the runner up of the competition, was a bit unsatisfied.

"These offers are just because of my father." Todoroki frowned.

"Despite these results." Aizawa said. "You'll all be interning with pros. Got it? Even those of you who didn't get offers."

Izuku perked up. "Wait, really?"

"I mean, let's think of this like the popular vote." Mineta said. "You still lost out on that, Mi-"

"Enough, Mineta." Aizawa frowned. "Anyways, you've already gotten some combat experience at the USJ, with the villain attack. But, it's still helpful to see pros at work."

The rest of the class was devoted to working on hero names- there were some fun ones, like "Froppy" or "Creati" or "Pinky", some cool ones like "Red Riot", "Tsukuyomi" or "Cellophane "...and then there was...

"King Explosion Murder."

"Yeah, no." Aizawa frowned.

"WHY NOT!?"

As if that was a question.

Ochako eventually settled on the name "Uravity"- a cute mash up of her name and quirk, right? Izuku adopted the nickname that had been used against him by Bakugou as his hero name...which was weird, but also kind of nice. Iida, however...just settled on his own name.

Ochako was very worried that he didn't choose Ingenium.

But, that was a fun class. Ochako felt that the work she did today was VERY fulfilling, and was worthy of a good, free lunch from the cafeteria-

"Uraraka." Aizawa said, as the class was leaving. "A word, please?"

Ochako shared a look with Iida and Izuku- she didn't know what this was all about, honestly. "Wait up for me, okay?" Ochako said.

Izuku and Iida left the class, as Ochako approached the desk. Aizawa was giving her a look- not one full of good or bad, just…a look.

"Is…something wrong?" Ochako asked, straightening herself a bit. Was this about her grades? She knew she fell behind a bit on one of the last tests, but a D+ was better than an F.

"No, actually. I wanted to talk to you about one of your offers." Aizawa said, pulling out a green envelope. "This one stood out to me. The top 4 got offers from some heroes in the hundreds area, with Bakugou and Todoroki getting some from the top hundreds. But you…"

Aizawa handed her the envelope. "Your performance caught the eye of someone big."

Ochako looked at the green envelope, and flipped it over. Ochako's eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she saw the name-

From the office of Ben Tennyson.

"Are you serious?" Izuku said, staring down at the envelope.

"I'm NOT!" Ochako replied, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I've pinched myself several times and haven't woken up yet! This is crazy!"

Iida gave a nod. "Of course this would feel strange. I'd have the same reaction if Endeavor or Hawks chose me."

"But…this is Ben 10,000!" Ochako said, shaking Iida again. "The hero of heroes! I-I-I…" Ochako nearly collapsed in the hallway, but caught herself with her own quirk. Ochako floated around for a few seconds, as Iida and Izuku shared a look.

Ben Tennyson- while not a Japanese hero, he was famous internationally, as he was one of the 'next big heroes' of the last 'generation' (born between 2000-2010) to pop up. He was an ordinary quirkless ten-year-old boy until he found a strange alien device called the Omnitrix, a powerful watch-like device that allowed him to turn into ten different aliens. Though initially immature and clumsy, Ben grew to be a true hero. By the time he was sixteen, he had become famous in not only his hometown of Bellwood but on Earth and beyond. And he just kept on growing from then on.

Iida pulled Ochako down. "Please do not make a scene in the hallways- I know you're excited, but…"

"I know, I know!" Ochako said. "Just…wow!"

"What did the letter even say?" Izuku asked.

Ochako's face fell.

"I haven't even opened it yet…" Ochako said, suddenly all blushy.

"Well, let's take a look inside, shall we?" Tenya said, as he took the envelope from Izuku's hand. He opened it up, and cleared his throat.

Dear Miss Uraraka Ochako-

Your performance at the Sports Festival was certainly fantastic. Please consider interning with me.

Thank you,

Ben Tennyson

Ochako blinked. "That's it!?"

"A man of few words, it seems." Tenya said, handing the letter back to Ochako.

"That doesn't fit with his character." Izuku mumbled.

"I mean, as excited as I am, I barely know much about him." Ochako said. "I just know maybe a few of his forms."

"I have some ledgers of notes about him." Izuku said.

Ochako looked over at him. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I had a phase where I was interested in learning about international heroes, and Ben was probably the BIGGEST rabbit hole I went down. There's…so much about him, and I took notes of a lot of his aliens-" Izuku said.

"Did you really make notes on all 10,000?" Iida asked.

"Well, I tried, but I got tired after around 100, so I simply made notes on the aliens he used more frequently after that." Izuku said. "I have them back at my house. If you're free after classes, maybe we can go back to my house and check it out."

"Oh, sure!" Ochako smiled. "What about you, Iida? Wanna come with?"

Iida looked conflicted for a moment. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

Ochako gave a mental sigh of relief. She was a bit more worried about Iida, and the fact that he took the offer was a good sign. But, her mind was wandering a bit, especially on Ben.

Why did Ben choose her?

Izuku's apartment was welcoming, thanks to Inko Midoryia. Ochako now understood where Izuku got a majority of his personality traits from and she had to wonder if the same applied to Bakugo.

(Yes. The answer is yes.)

Izuku's room was what she also expected- some All Might memorabilia that he shoved aside immediately, a desk with a laptop, a lot of books, and an entire bookshelf devoted to every ledger he'd made.

Ochako blinked. Holy crap. She thought, as she and Iida looked through some of the notebooks.

"These are fantastically well put together." Iida complimented, flipping through one that was oddly burnt. "It's like an almanac of heroes."

"I try to revise some here and there." Izuku explained. "To stay up to date."

Iida paused. "Is this All Might's autograph?"

"A-ah!" Izuku snatched it out of Iida's hands. "Sorry, can't let you look at this one! Kinda personal and like a family heirloom- now, where did I…ah! Here we go."

Izuku pulled out a few notebooks, and handed one to Ochako. written on them was 'Hero Analysis for The Future: Ben 10,000'. Underneath that was the title 'Book 1'. "I've never had to devote a notebook to just one hero, let alone multiple."

Ochako opened the book, to see a decently drawn picture of Ben 10,000- Ben 10,000 had a tall, thick and muscular build. He wore a customized skin tight outfit, and was clean shaven.

"Strange, I thought he had a beard." Tenya said, looking over Ochako's shoulder.

Izuku paused. "Note to self, edit that later."

Ochako giggled at that. She began to flip through some of the pages, and skimmed the aliens- Heatblast. Wildmutt. Diamondhead. XLR8. Those were the ones everyone knew. But Izuku also had some more 'obscure' aliens she'd never even heard of.

"Whampire?" Ochako squinted. "That's not a real name."

"Oh, it's real- I had to check with Vlad King about this one. Apparently, back in the day, he and Ben worked a case together, and Ben turned into Whampire. Vlad King said he went a bit crazy with that alien, since, well, alien vampire." Izuku explained.

"I have to ask- why do you keep such a meticulous collection of notes, Midoryia?" Iida asked.

Izuku rubbed his cheek. "I never thought I'd be a hero for a while."

"Because of your powers, I assume." Iida said.

"Somewhat, yeah." Izuku said. "But, back when my reality was just a dream, I wanted to study every hero there was, so that maybe I could take inspiration for some moves or attacks. I have to branch beyond All Might and everything, so," Izuku motioned to the ledgers. "It sort of just became a hobby."

"It certainly is a fascinating one." Iida smiled, as he flipped through another notebook. "I'd be curious to see if you have any notes on me."

"I think that notebook's on my desk, actually-" Izuku said, as he looked over to his work area.

Ochako reached the end of the first book, when she noticed the last page- there was a weird alien, a black silhouette with three horns. "Who's this guy?"

Izuku shrugged. "I heard about him from a rumor post online. I dunno how true it was, though. I'm pretty sure a few of those aliens are fake, too. It's why I started to use actual news sources to verify these aliens were real. I dunno if Ben would EVER name an alien Spitter."

Ochako gagged. "Gross. Still, you cataloged a lot of aliens."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. I can't even imagine having to juggle all those powers at once. "

Ochako closed the book, and pulled out the letter from her bag. She hadn't really told anyone else besides Deku and Iida.

"Would it be wrong if I turned down his offer?"

Izuku and Iida looked up from the Class 1-A notebook. "What?" Izuku said.

"Like, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be considered by him, but…I don't feel worthy of it, you know? I'm just a girl that lost in the first round." Ochako said.

"Don't say that." Iida said, a bit upset to hear his friend talk bad about herself. "When one door of happiness shuts, another one opens; yet, we frequently spend so much time looking at the closed door that we miss the one that has been opened for us. This could be a big opportunity for you, Uraraka."

"Yeah," Izuku said. "If Ben Tennyson notices you, then it could open a LOT more opportunities up, and you could get some more cash for you and your parents." Ochako hadn't actually realized that- she was so starstruck by the Ben Tennyson situation, she forgot about the money.

"I dunno. I'm worried I might mess something up." Ochako said. "I do have Gunhead as a secondary choice right now. Iida, what about you? Who did you choose?"

"I chose Manual." Iida said.

"Manual?" Ochako blinked. "I'm not familiar with him."

"He's a hero who does work in Toyama Prefecture." Iida explained. "Working in a big city like that has some opportunities."

"Yeah, but why'd you choose him specifically? Did anything speak to you about him?" Ochako said.

"Well, he is a kindhearted individual, has keen observation skills and is the type of hero I'd honestly like to be," Iida rattled off. "Honestly, he connects with my values."

"Ben's values are similar to yours, I think." Izuku said. "He's a guy who values rescue and safety. Maybe that'd work well for you."

Ochako hummed. "I suppose. I'll ask some more people tomorrow."

The next day came, and Ochako made sure to get to class early to have some time to talk with others.

"And that's how I'm kinda feeling right now." Ochako said, as Tsu looked over the letter. Tokoyami eyed it carefully. "Like Iida and Deku said, it's a once in a lifetime chance, but I dunno. Part of me is super nervous about it."

Tsu put her finger to her chin. "I agree with Iida on the 'work with someone that shares your ideology' thing, ribbit. That's a good way you'll know you'll get along. Plus, the opportunities from this are limitless- Ben does have bases all over the world. You could get offers from there as well."

"But I get homesick." Ochako pouted.

"I can understand your doubts." Tokoyami said coolly. "I feel the same way about one of my offers."

"Really?" Ochako said. "Who'd you get an offer from?"

"I got one from Hawks." Tokoyami said.

Ochako and Tsu's eyes widened. "Woah! You got the attention of a top 10 hero?" Ochako said.

Tokoyami nodded. "I'm not one to show excitement, but I am quite honored to have him extend an offer to me."

You don't really look excited. Ochako thought.

"I can see it, within the darkest pits of your soul…you find yourself unworthy to take this opportunity." Tokoyami said. "We are kindred spirits in that way."

"I guess." Ochako said.

"However. The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable." Tokoyami said, clenching his fist. "And miserable is something a hero cannot be. Grasp this opportunity, shove that unease elsewhere, and go forth!"

That sounds unhealthy. Ochako thought.

"You want my take on it?"

Ochako looked over at Bakugou's desk. He hadn't turned around to face her, but he was clearly eavesdropping in on the conversation. She hadn't even noticed him- weird, because his presence was almost always known.

"What do you have to say?" Ochako asked.

"You fought like Hell to get that chance." Bakugou growled. "If someone like you got a peek at the big leagues, you'd be an idiot not to take it."

…oddly enough, those words resonated with Ochako.

Even if Bakugou was an ass.

Ochako ended up taking the opportunity. Crass as Bakugou was, he did have a fair point. Taking this opportunity was something she fought for. Sure, Gunhead could get her in a more combat oriented mindset, or Violet Shield could teach her more about search and rescue.

Ben 10,000 was pretty much both of them combined. His versatility could teach her a thing or two.

"So, you decided on Ben?" Izuku asked, as they were leaving for the day.

"Yep!" Ochako smiled. "Talked it over with some people, and decided this is a once in a lifetime deal. Couldn't pass it up."

"That's great!" Izuku said, as he grabbed something from his locker. "I finally got an offer too- bit of a late entry, but, you know."

"Really? That's awesome! Who is it from?" Ochako said.

"He used to be a teacher here, back when All Might was at UA. He's pretty old, but All Might said he's still kicking. Beyond that description, I have no clue who he is." Izuku said, as he looked at Iida's locker.

"Iida already took off, I think. Saw him dart out of here." Ochako frowned.

Izuku looked a bit disappointed. "I kinda wanted to talk to him about his internship, but I guess I'll talk to him later."

"You noticed it too, didn't you?" Ochako said. Izuku nodded solemnly.

Maybe it was because it was all the news was talking about, but the Hero Killer Stain had been spotted a lot in Hosu- where Iida's brother was attacked. Ochako was worried that Iida might try to go all 'vigilante' and go after Stain, but it could've just been a dumb worry.

"Do you know who's interning with who?" Ochako asked, as the two walked home. "I heard there were some overseas offers."

"I heard Kirishima's going to go with Fourth Kind, Kaminari is going with the Thunderstruck Valkyrie, and Jirou with Night Cat." Izuku said. "Pretty interesting picks. Who'd you hear about?"

"Momo said she got a fancy invite to intern with Snowfall, and I think Tsu got an offer from the Sea Rescue Hero, Selkie." Ochako said. "Fitting for both of them. Tokoyami got an offer from Hawks, and he took it too. Though I heard he was disappointed that he didn't get one from Dark Crystal."

"Dark Crystal? That dude's kind of weird." Izuku said. "Then again, so is Tokoyami."

"I'm curious who Bakugou's gonna go with," Ochako asked. "He got a lot of offers, I'm curious on who he settled on."

"Dunno- he said he was going with the highest ranked hero, so, If we factor in Kacchan's preference for 'cooler' heroes that removes Wash, Crust and Fatgum." Izuku hummed. "I'm gonna guess he got an offer from Gang Orca or Shishido."

"Those two are both really intense heroes." Ochako said. "Fitting!"

"I guess." Izuku chuckled.

"Hey, Deku. Can I ask you sort of a personal question?" Ochako asked.

"Huh? Yeah, sure. What's up?" Izuku said.

"How have you put up with Bakugou for all these years?"

Izuku paused for a moment. He took a deep breath. "I'm not even sure why I still want to be nice to him. I'd find it easy to just blow him off and act like he isn't even here, but that's just too low of me."

"Always the loudmouth, I take it."

"Yeah- Kacchan was always really high energy when we were younger. We had this group of friends back in the day. We all just kind of followed him. Did what he wanted to do, whenever. It was kind of a lot…" Izuku said. "We grew apart over the years, especially after one of my friends moved away. And that high energy turned into some inflated sense of pride. He's been like that since middle school, and I kind of hoped UA would knock some sense into him. Deep down, I know he's a very powerful, very talented kid…but there are times I question why I still call him Kacchan."

Ochako tilted her head. "Why find respect in someone who doesn't respect you?"

"I dunno, honestly- maybe one day, he'll return the kindness." Izuku said. "That's what I keep telling myself."

"Honestly, I just can't see it happening." Ochako bounty said. "There's times where he just dog piles all over you, and it's not really okay. I think it's better if you just don't acknowledge him. Refuse to give him any more power over you."

Izuku chuckled. "You sound like a mom right now."

Ochako blushed, and looked away. "It's just still really weird that you have some respect for him. I think I'd be worn down after dealing with him for so long."

"I guess." Izuku sighed.

In the back of his mind, Izuku wondered one thing; Is it weird to be attached to someone who looks down on you?

The first day of Class 1-A's internships approached a lot faster than Ochako expected. The train station was busy today, especially with all the UA students leaving. Some people passed by them, whispering about how they were THOSE kids from the Sports Festival- looks like their fifteen minutes of fame hadn't worn off just yet. Ochako's leg was bouncing like crazy as she waited for Aizawa to dismiss them.

"Everyone has their costumes, right?" Aizawa said. "Remember, you don't have permission to wear them out in public yet. And don't lose them or anything."

"Gotcha~!" Mina said emphatically. She was bouncing up and down a bit- looks like she was super excited as well.

"Speak properly. It's 'Yes, sir.'" Aizawa corrected her. Mina deflated a bit.

"Yes, sir." Mina pouted.

"Make sure you mind your manners with the pros you'll be working with. Now get to it." Aizawa said.

"Yes, sir." The class said, all as one.

Ochako watched the group disperse, and wished each other some good luck. Her eyes soon caught a glance of Izuku, carrying a suitcase.

"I take it that's your new costume." Ochako grinned. Izuku's outfit had been partially ruined during a training exercise; it wasn't made of the best materials because it was handcrafted by his mother.

"Oh, yeah! I haven't tried it on yet, but it looks pretty cool. Besides, I'd look kinda weird if I wore my gym uniform as a hero costume." Izuku said, rubbing his head. Ochako giggled, before she noticed Iida, walking away.

"We should wish him luck." Ochako said.

"Yeah." Izuku nodded. "Iida, hold on! Wait!"

Iida paused, and turned around. Izuku and Ochako ran towards him.

"Heading off to Hosu?" Izuku asked. Iida nodded.

"Indeed. Not to sound impolite, but I'd like to be on schedule-" Iida said.

Izuku cut him off. "Hey, look. If you need to talk with us about anything, just let us know, okay?"

"Yeah, you've been really distant recently, and..." Ochako frowned. "We've just been worried and all."

Iida gave them a look.

"Alright." Iida said. "I'm sorry for worrying you both, but if anything comes up, I'll text or call you."

Ochako wasn't one hundred percent sure he was being honest, but the look he gave seemed honest enough. But there was a gnawing feeling that...maybe she should have tried harder.

She'd come to regret not being there for him.

Ben's hero office was posted in Chiyoda, and Endeavor's hero office was in Chuo. Ochako learned this because of the incredibly awkward train ride she shared with Todoroki.

Ochako didn't know how to feel about Todoroki. He was a bit weird to talk to, not because he was the son of the 2nd ranked Pro Hero, but more because it was like there was this barrier around him, because he was sort of dense at times.

Most of the time.

…all of the time.

Sure, Todoroki looked smart and he was (he had among the top 5 grades in the class) but there were things he didn't quite get. And Ochako was trapped with him in this train car until she got to Chiyoda.

Silence filled the air. It was suffocating.

Ochako coughed. "So, uh, you play Pokemon?"

"I don't know what that is."

"Right, right." Ochako said, looking away.

"You're nervous to meet him." Todoroki said.

"A tiny bit, yeah." Ochako admitted- she honestly wasn't, but having a conversation with Todoroki could be considered a little victory for her. "I am working with the Ben 10,000. What about you?"

"The only reason I chose to work with my father is to experience how a pro handles himself." Todoroki said flatly. "He expects me to surpass him one day, and I will."

Ochako sensed some contempt in his voice. Izuku did mention something about Todoroki not having a good relationship with his father- understandable, given how intense Endeavor was as a hero and person.

(Plus, his shouting at the Sports Festival was really, really weird.)

"Has your dad ever worked with Ben?" Ochako asked.

"Once or twice, I believe. He didn't talk much about it, but I believe they fought Vilgax once."

Ochako blinked. He said that so casually.

"All I know is that it was an overseas mission to stop some invasion in America, and that's about it." Todoroki said.

"Strange how aliens always attack America, right?" Ochako joked.

Todoroki paused to think. "Well, given how The United States is perceived to be the most powerful country, and has the world's largest economy and biggest military budget, taking it down would be the most strategic approach-"

Ochako's eyes widened again. This is what she meant by him being dense. She had to stifle a laugh- but, at least she had a small, brief conversation with Todoroki.

She valued the little things.

Sakura season made Chiyoda look incredibly beautiful- she found herself enamored by her environment. Ben chose a great place to put his hero office.

Ochako walked around the bustling streets of Chiyoda, occasionally stopping to ask for directions. She didn't have a fancy smartphone like everyone else, she was stuck to using a flip phone that could only call and text people.

3-7-2 Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku. That was her destination. Ben's office was a lot more casual than she thought it'd be. A white office with a few windows on it, in the middle of a pretty hefty business area. The only thing that distinguished it was the giant painted emblem of Ben's Omnitrix.

Ochako took one more deep breath, as she stood in front of the door. Here we go. She had nothing to worry about.

Ochako opened the door, through a small hallway and walked into the front desk area. There was an adolescent woman working at the rounded desk, with around shoulder-length blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was typing something on her computer, when she noticed Ochako walk in.

"Oh! You must be the girl from UA." The secretary smiled. "Hold on. I'll see if Mr. Tennyson can see you right now- he's in the middle of a call." The secretary picked up the phone and pressed a button.

"R-right!" Ochako nodded, looking around. The office had green hexagon carpet, with white walls. On some of the walls were pictures of Ben shaking hands with some heroes, some casual pictures of him at some hero get together, and one that stood out to Ochako.

It showed a rather young Ben, around 10 years of age, with an older gentleman wearing a Hawaiian shirt. It was the largest of the photos. Ochako had no idea who he was, but he looked important enough to note.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." The secretary said. "Mr. Tennyson is in his office on the 5th floor. You'll find him there."

Ochako nodded, as she headed over to the elevators. She pressed the button, and popped herself inside. She punched in the 5th floor, and ascended to the 5th floor. Each time the indicator above the door pinged, she felt her stomach getting more and more nervous. She swallowed that fear, and recalled what Tokoyami said in a rather overblown statement- The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable. And Ochako couldn't look miserable to Ben.

The doors opened, and Ochako was greeted to a busy office full of some sidekicks, working around the clock. They didn't even notice Ochako walking out of the elevator. Ochako looked around, and slowly realized something.

She had no idea where Ben's office was.

"Uh, excuse me!" She said, calling the attention of a Kineceleran. The girl perked up, and zoomed over to Ochako. "D-do you know where Ben's office is?"

"Uraraka Ochako, right?" The Kineceleran asked.

"Yeah, that's me." Ochako nodded.

"Ben's office is down the way- then take a left. Third door down." The velociraptor gal instructed her.

"Ah, thank you!" Ochako said, as she walked down the hall. The other offices seemed to be workshops or something, because there were a lot of people making support tools or something- that Mei girl from the festival would've loved it here.

Ochako eventually reached the office- it stood out to her. The other doors were glass, making it easy to see through. This door, however, was more 'futuristic'- looked like one of those doors that slid in and out, like on a sci-fi ship. Ochako knocked on the door and it slid to the left, opening for her.

"Come in!" Ben's voice said, sounding warm and inviting. Ochako took another deep breath, and stepped on through.

Ben's office was pretty standard- portrait of some alien world, pictures of him with friends and family, and a work desk that had some neatly organized papers on it, with a framed picture near his computer.

"We finally meet!" Ben said, standing up from his office chair. He held out his hand. "Ben 10,000. Honored to have you."

Ochako happily shook his hand. God she hoped she wasn't sweaty or something. "I feel like I should say I'm honored to have been offered this opportunity."

"Hey, trust me. Your class had a lot of promising figures, but you were the one who stood out to me the most." Ben said.

"A-ah, thank you!" Ochako nodded.

"Hey, no problem." Ben said. "So- how about I give you a quick tour of the place, and then we can get on the street or, we just save that for later and get right to the fun part?"

There was something Ochako immediately liked about Ben- his personality and attitude. Ochako had only met a handful of pros, thanks to UA. The demure and downcast Eraserhead, the brash and energy filled All Might, loud and jokey Present Mic- there was a barrier between them and the classes. They spoke to them like they were still kids, and they spoke to them like they were adults.

With Ben? He seemed like a guy who could strike up a conversation with anyone, without any barriers. Most Pros would probably treat her differently, but Ben treated Ochako like she was a younger sibling or something.

"Nice costume." Ben said, as the two walked through the streets, by Hitotsubashi Hall. "Who did the work?"

"Oh, Tiger SleekHero." Ochako said, adjusting her helmet.

"Ah, nice. Heard good things about them." Ben grinned, as he looked around. "They give great care to those with some special emitter quirks. What'd they do for yours?"

"Well, since my quirk causes nausea, my costume was designed to minimize the negative effects of my quirk. My helmet reduces stimulation of my ear canals, my wrist gauntlet thingies stimulate some pressure points that suppress nausea, and my legs help break the fall of some of my moves." Ochako explained.

"That's pretty handy." Ben nodded. "I never had that complex of a costume. Mainly because, well," Ben motioned to the Omnitrix. "This is my costume."

Ochako hadn't gotten a glance at the Omnitrix before- she knew it was a wrist watch from some older photos, but it looked more like a gauntlet now. It had grown in size to cover Ben 10,000's forearm and knuckles, looking more like a gauntlet fusing with his arm. The faceplate is larger, with the rim slanting outwards. The white tubes now have connectors. The button was placed slightly lower, and had a fingerless glove type vibe covering Ben 10,000's hand.

"Pretty sleek, huh?" Ben joked. "It was a pain to explain this to the airport security guards back in the day."

"What's it like to transform?" Ochako asked.

"It's like a good stretch." Ben stated. "Plus, it kinda just happens instantaneously nowadays. It's like blinking and then- boom. I have four arms, eight eyes, no feet- something weird like that."

Ochako burst out laughing- again, Ben was so friendly. Ben laughed along with her, and they got some weird looks. The laughter died down, as Ochako decided to change topics.

"So, why did you pick me?" She was curious. Why single her out, out of everyone in Class 1-A.

"There are several reasons, but we'll talk about it near the end of your internship. Let's just take a look at how you function in the field for a while." Ben elaborated. "Like right now."

"Huh?" Ochako asked.

"10 o'clock." Ben said, pointing over near a shop- Ochako glanced over to see some masked men huddled around an ATM. Nearby was a tow truck, and one of them was holding the hook part…and Ochako slowly put two and two together.

"Ohhh." Ochako said.

"Yep. This is why my office is in a weird area- they'll always forget I'm literally a jog away." Ben said, as the Omnitrix lit up. In the blink of an eye, Ben had transformed- Ochako covered her eyes from the flash. Ochako lowered her hands to see Ben, now Goop. The form reminded Ochako of Mina's acid quirk- the alien had a green slime body, bright green eyes, and a gunmetal UFO floating above his head.

"Follow my lead!" The form gargled, as it zoomed off. Ochako ran alongside the sentient ooze, as it snaked down and swiped the legs of the robbers. Ochako quickly leapt in, touching their backs with all five of her fingers- the men suddenly started floating up, thankfully catching themselves on the ceiling. Ochako felt a tiny bit sick after doing it, but her costume thankfully made sure she wouldn't throw up.

One of the men Ochako hadn't tapped quickly hopped back up, threw off his gloves, and held out his hand- Ochako wasn't too sure, but it looked like it was made of corn?

Ochako was right- burning hot kernels started to scatter from the man's hands. Ochako jumped back, leaping out of the way. This guy's quirk was weird. She quickly took note of the projectiles. They looked red to the touch, and oddly tasty- especially with how the bullets turned right into tasty popcorn after landing on the ground. She needed something to block the attacks.

Ochako spotted a dry erase sign, the ones coffee shops used to advertise the special of the day- she dove over to it, and held it out in front of her as the kernels traced her movements. She heard the kernels weakly bounce off the sign, and the man grunt- Ochako could totally bash into the guy with this as a battering ram- but then she heard another flash, the crackling sound of electricity, and then popcorn popping and then a body hitting the ground.

Ochako looked out from behind her makeshift shield to see another one of Ben's forms- a blue jellyfish-like alien with white swipes on his body resembling lightning streaks, a main body with three-segmented skirt-like parts for his head, chest and abdomen, and six long tentacles that function as two pairs of arms and a pair of legs.

"Good work, rookie!" Ben complimented. "Excellent use of the environment to your advantage."

"R-really?" Ochako blushed. "I mean, all I did was-"

Ben reverted back to normal. "Hey, you captured 4 out of 5 guys. 80% of the job. That's pretty good." Ben said, as he handcuffed the corn guy. He threw some handcuffs over to Ochako. "Here. Might wanna get them down, and put them in some cuffs."

Ochako nodded, feeling pretty proud of herself.

The rest of the time on the street was relatively peaceful- Ben did have to stop a speeding car that was malfunctioning, but that was as exciting as it got. Ochako was still walking tall after her assist, and it didn't fade.

Ochako got to see what kind of hero Ben really was- down to Earth and friendly. People would occasionally stop to get pictures, and he was kind enough to take them. If he saw an older lady crossing the street, he'd guide them across. Even if it was something small, like a kid losing his balloon, Ben would jump into action.

It was like Ben had never really forgotten where he started. She'd always heard some rumors surrounding his person- "Ben Tennyson broke up with a girlfriend on the phone, called her the worst", "He turned down an alien princess", and some other insane stuff. She had no idea if it was true or not, as she didn't want to pry into her personal life but, then again, every hero had some rumor.

Eventually, the two decided to grab some dinner- Ben knew a good place called Crane's. It was a small burger shop that sold some American style burgers, something Ochako had never had before.

Ochako was practically drooling when their food was served to them. Ben chuckled a bit, as he thanked the waiter.

"This looks soooo good." Ochako said, holding up the burger.

"Yeah, a lot better than the stuff back home, honestly. Reminds me of an old food place I used to hit up when I was younger." Ben said, as he munched on a fry. "That place is a bit too greasy for me nowadays. Yeesh. I shoved a lot of trash in my body."

Ochako happily bit into her burger. It tasted divine, almost better than whatever Lunch Rush served in the cafeteria. Ochako sighed. "I deserve this." She grinned, before she felt her phone buzz- she'd gotten a text message.

Ochako set down her burger, and picked up her phone. There were a few texts from her friends, asking how her internship was going. She'd respond to them later, but she was hoping to get a text back from Iida. She'd sent him a 'good luck! :)' text earlier, but he hadn't responded.

There was one text she responded to- one from Izuku. Izuku had sent her a similar 'good luck' text, and she decided to respond by snapping a quick selfie with her and Ben. Ben, despite having no context for what was going on, flashed a quick peace sign at the camera.

"Oooh, he's gonna freak out about that one." Ochako said, as she sent the picture.

"Who were you texting?" Ben asked.

"Ah, just one of my friends from school. He was at the sports festival." Ochako said.

"Was he the bird kid or the kid that broke his fingers?" Ben asked.

"Finger breaker."

"Ooooh yeah, Izuku. Yeah, All Might's mentioned him a few times." Ben said, dipping his fries in ketchup.

"You know All Might?" Ochako asked.

"Know him? We worked together when we were still rookies." Ben joked. "I could tell you stories about him. I love the guy, but there was this one time he-"

Ochako's phone buzzed again. Ochako pulled out her phone to see a response from Iida.

Thank you. The same to you.

Ochako sighed. "Why won't you open up?" She mumbled.

"Something wrong?" Ben asked.

"Oh…yeah. Sorry, different friend." Ochako said. "Did you know Tensei Iida?"

Ben's face fell a bit. "Yeah, I did. He and I worked together only a handful of times, but he was super friendly and he had a cool costume. People called us the Tensei-Tennyson combo. The guy was young. Sad to see his hero career end so soon."

"I'm friends with his younger brother, and he's just been distant after the incident." Ochako explained. "I feel like I should be doing more for him, especially since he might be doing something stupid."

Ben paused. "Hm?"

"He decided to go to Hosu City, where Stain had been lurking around a bit. Part of me worries he's gonna try and go after Stain by himself." Ochako said. "It's a dumb fear, but it's been bothering me."

"In my experience, the people who close off their emotions are the ones you need to support the most." Ben said. "I've had a few friends go through that phase, and it is a hard wall to break down. There's times where you just feel like you need to quit, but deep down, you'll feel worse if you stop. If you're worried about him. Maybe I can make some calls, and I can do some patrolling in Hosu with a small group. Maybe you'll run into him and be able to talk to him. How does that sound?"

"Y-you'd seriously do that?" Ochako asked.

"Yeah, of course!" Ben smiled. "You're young, and the friendships you make here could be incredibly important. I'd be cruel not to."

"T-thanks!" Ochako grinned.

"Hey, no problem." Ben replied.

Ochako was very happy she went with Ben now.

It took a day to get something organized in Hosu- so, on Day 3 of her internship, Ochako found herself in a truck on the way down to Hosu City. It was honestly later in the day than she would have liked- but still, Ben was only able to pull so many strings.

Since Ochako was a defacto sidekick, she also had to meet the other sidekicks- they weren't properly sidekicks, at least not by law. They were agents from the Plumbers, the organization that Ben represented.

There was Alan, a very mature, easy going, and brave young boy. When not in frigid conditions, he could shift into a Pyronite (a Heatblast). He was laid-back, much like Ochako. Ochako found it easy to interact with him, seeing as they were around the same age.

Then there was Cooper, a well-meaning and affable character who can nevertheless be somewhat naïve. He appeared to be a little hesitant about the whole heroism thing, yet he was still bold enough to fight or deal with risky circumstances. Ochako had more respect for him than Mineta- at least this guy kept his hands to himself.

The Kineceleran Ochako talked to when she first came in was named Helen. Smart, bold, caring, cunning, and level-headed, but she often attempted to appear sensible and smart. Then there was Manny, her partner. Manny was abrasive and defiant, and he was usually eager to fight even...when it is not required. He loved fighting and could be harsh to his comrades at times, reminding Ochako of Bakugou. Manny and Helen had a love-hate relationship. When confronted with Helen's wiser nature, his hot-headed approach caused them to frequently argue.

And finally, there was Pierce- he was calm, severe, and tactical, and a natural born leader who keeps the squad together. In between all the sidekicks, Pierce was always the one who kept them grounded, and always the one who made sure they were cautious.

The four of them were to accompany her and Ben to Hosu City, while the rest of the office would take care of patrolling in Chiyoda.

"Alright," Ben said, halfway during the ride over to Hosu City. "So, because the Hero Killer has been seen around the area, I'm requesting you all stay in groups. I don't want any of you having a run in with that guy."

Manny scoffed. "So? I'm sure I could take him out in a few swings. He doesn't look that tough."

"You say that, and then he slices your insides out with his katana." Helen frowned.

"So? He got a lucky shot." Manny frowned. "I can take a hit."

"Are you really sure about that? He's taken out quite a hefty list of Pro Heroes already- only a few of them got lucky." Cooper said.

Ochako felt a bit sad after hearing that.

"Yeah, man. I don't think you should fight a dude who's ending careers left and right." Alan said.

"Cowards, all of you." Manny frowned.

"Manny, that overconfidence is gonna get the better of you, dude." Ben said, looking at him in the rear view mirror. "Tone it back a bit, alright?"

Manny curled his lip, but that got him to quiet down. Ochako sighed, as she pulled out her phone. She did end up texting Iida that she would be in the Hosu City area, but she didn't get a response- which was strange, because Iida always prioritized responding as soon as possible.

"Friend not responding to his texts? Don't worry. If he's serious about his hero work, he's not gonna let anything distract him." Ben said.

"Or he's looking for him." Ochako frowned.

"Doubtful- the guy he's working with, Manual? That dude watches his sidekicks like a hawk. He won't let your friend out of his sigh-"

BOOM. An explosion suddenly rocked the car, as Ben skidded to a halt. "Jesus! What the hell was-"

"LOOK!"

Ochako pointed her finger at a rising smoke cloud from the city. Ben's eyes widened, as he gripped the wheel.

"Okay, everyone buckle up- this could be a BUMPY ride." Ben said, as he transformed. Ben's form suddenly melted into his seat, as a black liquid overtook the entire car. Green lines formed all over, as the car suddenly began to hover off the ground.

"W-woah!" Ochako said, as the car suddenly began flying towards the city at full speed- Ben had turned the entire car into a jet of sorts. Ben's dashboard suddenly had a head poke out.

"Game faces, everyone. We could be dropping in a serious situation." Ben instructed.

Ochako's eyes were more focused on the smoke, and her mind began to wonder- what the hell could have caused this?

And then she saw something flying out of the smoke.

"Oh, my God-"

Ochako didn't see how horrific it was back at the USJ, but she saw the damage it left behind- the fight with that thing left Aizawa in a full body cast for a good while, and pushed All Might to his limits. Plus, the screams it made. It had haunted her dreams for a good while.

Out of the smoke came a new nightmare, death on two wings.

A Nomu.

"W-what the fuck is that!?" Manny cursed.

"It's one of those monsters made by the League of Villains- I believe they were called 'Nomu'." Pierce frowned. "Looks weaker than the one that attacked UA."

Pierce was right- this Nomu wasn't a jet black color, but rather a boring beige coloration. Ochako had played a handful of video games, and she figured the 'different colored enemy' logic followed suit here. Lighter the tone, weaker the enemy. Darker the tone, the stronger.

"All right, let's put that theory to the test." Ben remarked this as the plane suddenly got dozens of pieces of weaponry. The plane jolted slightly as a flurry of green salvo fired from the cylinders. Ochako clung to her seat as the Nomu was fired down and blown to smithereens. Ochako anticipated it to regenerate like the one at the USJ, but instead nothing.

"Looks like your theory was right, Pierce." Ben noted. "These guys are weaker, but that was just me going all out. Don't expect ALL of them to go down that easily."

Ochako nodded- she felt a bit comforted by the fact that these weren't the same nightmares she saw at the USJ.

Ben landed atop a random building, and quickly unmerged from the car- explaining how a random truck got here would be a funny story, but that could be joked about later. The sidekicks quickly unloaded from the car, as Ben overlooked the city.

"Alright- we're at Threat Level 8. People need to be evacuated from the surrounding buildings. You handle that, and fight if you absolutely need to. Don't go looking for trouble. Do I make myself clear?" Ben instructed. His tone of speaking had become serious all of a sudden, and his gaze was fixed on the city. Ochako had to remind herself that this was the same affable hero with whom she had previously gotten along with so well.

"Right." The sidekicks said in unison.

"Now, go!" Ben said, as he quickly transformed- his form was now a new form, one Ochako hadn't seen in Deku's notebooks- a hulking humanoid skeleton alien that easily reached All Might's height. His whole body was covered in a slimy blue substance, and he had four green eyes, with the top pair being smaller than the bottom pair. He had four fingers and a short horn on his head.

Ben leapt up, before surprisingly flying away. Ochako's shock was short lived, because the second Ben left, someone else was leaving to make a break for it.

"Manny! What the hell are you doing?" Helen yelled.

Ochako spun around to see Manny, leaping away, parkouring off of buildings. He didn't look like he wanted to really do any 'rescuing', rather more focused on the chaos on the ground.

"That idiot's gonna get himself killed!" Pierce looked very frustrated. "Sorry- I need to go after him. You guys handle the evacs!" Pierce leapt after him, leaving the four of them alone.

"You heard him." Cooper said, walking over to the truck. He touched it, and blue lines began to surround the entire car. Ochako watched in amazement as the car was deconstructed, and reformed into a giant, durable suit of armor for Cooper to wield.

Cooper Daniels. Quirk: Mechanization. He can turn any bit of technology into a weapon for his own gain!

Cooper grinned and flexed a little. "In this outfit, nothing can injure me- so come on! Let's get these folks out!"

The evacuations began at once.

The chaos of what was happening around them would have caused a number of individuals of any status to get worried, maybe even flee the battle entirely. But the stakes were already set and Ochako knew that she couldn't let Ben down as she got to work starting to lift pieces of debris and rubble off of various citizens.

Debris continued to fall around the group as the chaos of the Nomu attacks had set the city ablaze with fear and panic; luckily measures had been put into place to ensure that no extra issues occurred on the outskirts of the cities.

Having a gravity quirk certainly made this easier as Urarka continued rescuing multiple civilians from the rubble, taking a moment to report if there had been any sightings of other Nomu in the smoke. Occasionally, she could see a green flash in the skyline as Ben shifted from form to form. She didn't see the all of the forms, but she saw a majority of them- Ben was punching down the flying Nomu as Four Arms, with fisticuffs that rivaled All Might's own, having Heatblast throw fireballs that were on par with Endeavor, and flying faster than the human eye with Jetray-

"Woah." Ochako said, as she lifted up some more debris.

"Yeah- Ben's pretty hardcore when he gets serious." Alan said, looking for any civilians.

"Does he always get this serious?" Urarka asked before starting to glance back to Alan whilst trying to keep her focus on lifting rubble.

"Surprisingly not, but when he does you gotta see it in action." Alan said before starting to motion to the skies as Ben continued clashing with the Nomu, nearly ripping through its carapace with a strike.

Ochako shook her head- no time to be amazed. Only time for hero work. The Nomus were a non-issue to her and the others right now. Let the Pros handle that, and worry about Iida and-

Iida! Crap, Ochako was so caught in the moment, she forgot Iida was in Hosu right now- she had to wonder if her friend was okay, when she got a buzz on her flip phone. "Huh?" Ochako reached to grab her phone, but before she could open it-

FWOOSH. Something landed on the ground, close to a rubble pile.

The sudden arrival was enough to make Ochako's heart stop. Her face nearly turned white when she saw the hulking mass of the figure in front of her, she couldn't believe what she was seeing up close. It still freaked her out to even be near one of these things but to be within its range of attack was another thing entirely!

The Nomu that had just landed slowly creaked its head around to glance at the young heroine, its teeth bared and its eyes wildly moving as it roared, the air nearly shaking from how loud it was as it lunged toward her ready for the kill.

Before the Nomu made contact though, the temperature suddenly rose around the rubble...

Ochako flinched, and then she heard the sound of something soaring towards her- and then she felt the heat off of his fist. From seemingly out of nowhere, Endeavor had punched the Nomu across the way.

"Holy shit, it's Endeavor!" Someone yelled, but he didn't say anything- All Might would usually say something warm and awe-inspiring, or Mirko would yell some cool insult, but Endeavor said nothing. His eyes were trained on the Nomu.

Endeavor's eyes burned like the flames of the sun, he wasn't about to let this abomination live, as he quickly clasped his hands together and started to produce a sudden torrent of flames from within. As the flames condensed they started to form a condensed blue flame that seared the Nomu in a near instant.

Ochako watched, expecting the Nomu to regenerate- this one was jet black in color, like the one at USJ, so it had to have super regeneration right? Ochako instead watched as the Nomu collapsed on the ground, body scorched to death by the attack. Ochako looked back at Endeavor- what did he do to stop the regeneration?

"Up there!" Ochako and Endeavor's eyes went to the sky- a winged Nomu had a sidekick in its grasp. Endeavor's eyes lit up again, as he chased after the bastard.

This Nomu however seemed to be more adept at what it was doing, as when Endeavor tried to strike down the beast, it quickly evaded by swooping behind one of the other buildings. The flaming pro hero could only scowl as he quickly took off to try and take out this creature himself

Endeavor adapted quick to his situation- he ran up the side of a building, burning himself some sections for his feet to walk upon. When he was close enough to the Nomu, he lit up another powerful flame but this one shaped into a spear. Endeavor tossed it into the Nomu...

And the spear went right through its exposed brain.

The beast let out a sudden screech as it started to lose control in its flight, eventually slamming down into the ground as Endeavor quickly launched toward it, crunching its head underneath his boots on impact.

The creature fell to the Earth, as Endeavor grabbed the sidekick from the monster's weakened grasp. He landed on the ground, as the Nomu writhed in pain for a few moments.

"Pathetic." Endeavor said, stomping its head in like it was a bug on the sidewalk.

The sidekick profusely thanked Endeavor but the response was cut short as more sounds of screeching and buildings being torn into could be heard in the distance. Endeavor soon spied a green flash and found his face scowling in discontent

"Tennyson."

Ben walked forward, looking a bit displeased. "Enji." Ben frowned. Ben's face looked more disappointed- Todoroki mentioned something about Endeavor and Ben working together in the past, and from this interaction, looks like they didn't get along.

"This isn't your district." Endeavor said.

"Was about to say the same to you." Ben countered. "I was taking my sidekicks out. What brings you here?"

"I was dealing with these creatures the same way any pro should be doing. By not bringing inexperienced children into a battlefield." Enji just glanced at Ochako and found his eyebrow raising a bit. He had noticed the girl during the tournament, and did find her battle entertaining. But the fact Tennyson took her in was odd.

"Really?" Ben said smugly. "Then where's your kid?"

"He ran off." Endeavor grumbled.

"Reeeeally? And here I thought you were supposed to be dad of the year." Ben smirked as Enji looked ready to pile drive Tennyson through the asphalt beneath them.

Endeavor looked around. "There's more in the South District. Let's not waste anymore time bantering and just do our work."

Ben morphed into Heatblast and walked forward. "That I can agree with." The alien hero flew off, a trail of flames following behind them.

Endeavour just huffed before taking off, the two of them leaving Ochako and the other sidekicks started to look at the two pros as they hurried into the South District.

"Yeesh." Helen said, zooming on close to Ochako. "That could've gone better."

"Yeah. Didn't know Ben had a problem with Endeavor." Ochako said.

"Eh, it's more based on his principles. He'll respect him as a hero, but he's kind of a jerk at times." Helen said. "Funny, because their offices are so close to one another."

Ochako was about to say something in response, but she didn't get a chance. Something dropped out of the sky, and the impact was enough to send everyone flying. Ochako thankfully caught herself halfway through with her gravity quirk, and tumbled until she was able to land against a wall of a nearby building. Ochako looked towards the source of the impact, and there she saw it.

No eyes. Frothing mouth. Exposed brains, and four powerful arms. The Nomu was unlike any of the others...and the roar it let out would scare even the toughest of nerves.

The Nomu that had managed to strike at the group was definitely a stronger variant. It even seemed to be replicating the type of form that Ben might have taken with the alien Four Arms. The creature roared once more, and began to mindlessly destroy the area. The creature pulled back one of his fists before sliding towards Ochako and did a powerful punch, with his fist heating up and glowing red from the friction. Ochako's eyes widened, as she quickly leapt from the wall and landed on the ground, by Helen and Alan. The other sidekicks managed to get out of the way of the rampage, as Ochako tried to look for an opening.

Everyone else, on the other hand, began launching random attacks at it. Helen began hurriedly tossing rubble at it, inflicting the creature with considerable damage. Alan shot several burning hot fireballs at the four-armed Nomu, and Cooper began to blast it with missiles from his gigantic robotic form—where he acquired the missiles was a mystery to Ochako. Ochako glanced about for something she might use, and her eyes locked onto something she could use.

Ochako raced over a downed streetlight. "HOLD ON!" She shouted as she snatched it up and started swinging it about like a giant scythe. Everyone moved to the side. It seemed easy to her, especially when she slammed it into the Nomu.

But the creature caught the makeshift scythe and punched it hard enough to shatter. Ochako gasped, as the creature suddenly made a beeline for her, rushing forward and aiming to cross chop her with all four arms. Ochako didn't know how to respond, but something immediately swooped her up and whisked her away from the rampaging Nomu.

"You okay?" Helen asked, with Ochako cradled in her arms- despite her body, Helen was stronger than she looked.

Ochako blushed as she looked away. "Y-yeah. Thanks for the assist." She said, as Helen put her down.

"That thing is crazy!" Alan huffed. "There's no way we can take it down, right? We're gonna have to stall it out until a pro comes back."

It was a weird thought to pop into her head, but Ochako asked herself- what would Deku do? Ever since the sports festival, Ochako had been enamored with Izuku…Izuku's thinking skills! Hahah, his brain meats were good. B-but, uh, anyways, she was enamored with his critical thinking skills, especially in the heat of the moment. Well, first, he'd look at the situation, see if there was anything they could take advantage of, and evaluate her partner's powers to see if they could do something she couldn't.

Ochako returned her gaze to the Nomu, then to the rubble surrounding her, a street sign and finally to Alan. Her pupils narrowed. "Or we handle it ourselves."

"What?"

"Alan. How hot are your flames?"

"U-uh, they're pretty hot. I 've gotten so hot that I've melted gold."

"Can they seal a wound?" Ochako said.

"I'd think so, yeah." Alan said.

"Okay- just, follow my lead and hit it with some attacks so I can set up my attack." Ochako said, her voice full of determination. She ran towards the Nomu. She began to randomly tap bits of rubble on the ground, causing them to float up high. The Nomu was bombarded with more flames and random bits of wreckage, but it started to slowly power through the attacks and walk towards Ochako.

Ochako snarled as she furiously tapped more and more things- she was attempting to replicate her meteor shower maneuver from the sports festival, but she was on a strict time limit right now. That Nomu was creeping closer and closer, and it WOULD smash her skull in if it got the chance-

Ochako finally felt she had enough projectiles floating above her, when she finally released it. "Helen!" Ochako yelled, as Helen snatched her out of there once more- good thing, too. The Nomu was pelted by a nasty 'hailstorm' of debris.

"Okay, swing me back around!" Ochako said to Helen. "And grab that stop sign afterwards!"

"W-what!? Why?" Helen said.

"Trust me!" Ochako yelled.

Helen frowned, but trusted Ochako's decision. She swung Ochako back around, letting the girl slap the dazed Nomu on its back, removing its gravity. Ochako immediately felt sick- the Nomu was heavy as her limit, meaning she didn't have much time to hold it down. Helen set Ochako down, and grabbed the stop sign.

"What do you want me to do with this?" Helen said.

"D-decapitate it." Ochako said, trying not to throw up. "It should be sharp enough to do the job."

"W-what!?" Helen gagged. "That's gruesome! What the hell are you-"

"Chop off the head, and then have Alan cauterize the wound. It's how Endeavor stopped one of those Nomu beforehand- it can't regenerate from the burnt area." Ochako explained. Helen gave her a weird look, but quickly slid down helmet.

"You're lucky Ben's wife taught me how to decapitate someone just in case." Helen huffed as she sped off. The Nomu was floating helplessly in the air, flailing and trying to punch at something when Helen sped by, and sliced into the side of its neck.

And went through it all the way. The body immediately went limp, as the Nomu head landed on the ground. Ochako released her grasp on it, as the Nomu crashed to the ground. "ALAN! SEAL THE WOUND!"

Alan rushed into action, and immediately seared the headwound- the Nomu's profusely bleeding wound soon turned a charcoal black color. Ochako held her breath, just in case that head started to regenerate, but thank God, it didn't. Ochako breathed a sigh of relief.

And threw up a rainbow. Quirk side effects. Always fun.

Within an hour, the attack on Hosu was over. Ochako could've sworn it had been longer because of how chaotic that hour had been. The Hero Killer Stain had been captured, and the Nomu had been quickly defeated.

Ochako needed to visit the hospital to confirm she hadn't cracked or broken anything. She just came out with a handful of minor bruises and scrapes that could be bandaged and later healed by someone with a healing quirk. Ochako felt herself to be one of the fortunate ones; she wasn't the only one who had been involved in a significant battle with a Nomu.

Manny, who had fled earlier in order to have a piece of the action, ended up fighting a Nomu, and he severely underestimated its true might. One of his hands had been severely damaged during the attack, and no amount of treatment could save it. Ochako shuddered at the thought of someone's hand being removed. Ochako looked at the resting Manny, in his hospital bed. He didn't even realize what had happened, and he was in for a very, very rude awakening.

Ochako sighed- there was no real reason she should be hanging out around the hospital, especially with her injuries healed. But, she needed to make a visit.

The three heroes who had captured Stain were Izuku, Iida and Todoroki.

Well, that was the truth. Endeavor was taking the credit for it, Ben told her later. To hide the truth and keep UA from getting lambasted by the public.

Ochako paced outside of the boy's hospital room for a bit, with a basket of fruit for them as a 'get well' gift. Hospital food was always awful.

"-and at the very least, I, as a fellow man who keeps the peace, give my thanks. Rest well now, boys." A gruff voice inside the room said, as he opened the door. Ochako was greeted with three men leaving- two of them were Pro Heroes, one plain looking and the other short and grumpy, and the outlier was a police official.

With a dog's face.

Ochako took a look around as they walked away. She paused for a moment before approaching the door. She knocked on the door- she didn't know how bad their injuries were, but if they were anything like Manny's, she might cry.

"Come in!" Izuku's voice said, before Ochako opened the door. She stepped forward, and thankfully, everyone was in one piece.

"Heya!" Ochako said, a nervous smile on her face.

"Uraraka!" Iida said, a bit shocked. Ochako immediately took note of Iida's injuries. He had his left arm in a sling, and a few other bandages on his body. "Oh, my God- I almost forgot that you'd come to Hosu to-"

"Try and talk you out of something that already happened." Ochako sighed. "I was an hour too late."

"It's a good thing you weren't in the battle, actually." Todoroki had the least severe of injuries- just a bandage on his arm. "Did you see the text?"

"You sent a text?" Ochako said. "I didn't see it, actually! My flip phone got wrecked during evacuations or when that Nomu hit me." Ochako held up the remains of her phone. "I don't know if I have the budget to replace this."

"W-what!?" Izuku asked. To her shock, Izuku's injuries weren't the worst- just a few bandages on his hand and leg. No broken fingers, either.

"Yeah. I know it was risky, but, the pros left and I kinda played a part in beheading a Nomu." Ochako explained.

Everyone in the room went wide eyed- even Todoroki.

"I mean, it was the only way to get it to stop regenerating. Had one of Ben's sidekicks cauterize the wound, and-" Ochako explained.

"Uraraka…that's incredible, actually."

Ochako looked over at Izuku. The boy had a smile on his face. "I dunno what else to say, but wow."

"Yeah! Your friend here held her own against a Nomu with one of my sidekicks. It was pretty badass."

Ochako spun around to see Ben, leaning in from the doorframe. "Sup?"

"A-AHHH!" Izuku yelled, as Ben walked in. Ochako noticed he was still covered in some dirt, and had some tears on his clothes.

"So, you're those kids from the sports festival, huh? Nice to meet you." Ben said, walking over to shake their hands. "Ben Tennyson, at your service."

Ben walked over to Midoryia, who was visibly shaking with excitement. Ben grinned, and picked up Midoriya's phone. He snapped a quick selfie with him, and handed the phone back to the green haired boy.

"I can also autograph a print if you want." Ben joked.

Izuku fell back onto his bed, shocked at what just happened.

Iida saluted the elder hero. "An honor to meet you, sir! As class representative of 1-A, I-"

"Hey, hey. Skip the formalities. You can be casual." Ben chuckled.

"That is him being casual." Ochako said.

"...ah. Well, carry on then." Ben nodded.

Iida lit up- usually, his actions as class representative were shot down, but he'd never been encouraged to carry on. Iida cleared his voice. "As class representative of 1-A, we are humbled to have you here- and thank you for your service in Hosu!"

"Ah, thanks. Me and Enji took care of some Nomu, scared away the League of Villains, but you guys got the big one, honestly." Ben said. "Pretty risky, but, hey, I salute it. Reminds me of something me and the Outcasts would've done back in the day."

"The who now?" Todoroki asked.

"Oh, that's what we called my friend group." Ben said. "We took on some big threats back then and they were kinda super dangerous." Ben took notice of the bandages on the kids. "And looks like Stain banged you up pretty good."

"Yeah," Ochako said, looking at Iida's arm. "I still can't believe you went after him!"

"I'm just thankful Midoryia rushed in, or…" Iida shook his head. "No, no. I shouldn't ponder that."

"To be honest, I've heard a lot about you kids, ever since that USJ incident. I'm happy to see this next gen of heroes rising up right now. It makes me and every active pro right now feel like we're inspiring people." Ben said. "I know the job we do isn't always 'save the day' or the Hollywood glamor we're used to. But, I just wanted to say. Keep up the good work. I know the laws here a bit more tight, but I honestly believe you did the right thing. The streets are honestly safer without that Stain guy on it."

Ben smiled again. "Well, I have to take my leave- need to visit one of my sidekicks. Take as much time as you need, Uraraka."

"R-right!" Ochako nodded.

"But, after this." Ben said. "When you get back to the office and rest up a bit, we need to talk about something." Ochako felt her stomach drop- and Ben noticed. "Oh, shit- no, you're not in trouble! Sorry! I know it came off that way, but-! We just need to talk."

Ochako nodded. "R-right! Okay!"

Ben wiped some sweat off his brow. "Yeah. See you back at the office."

Ben took his leave, as the room was left in confusion.

"I'm starting to see why you took his internship." Todoroki said. "You two are too much alike."

Ochako relaxed for a while after leaving the hospital and returning to the Chiyoda office, having a shower and a power nap. Her body didn't feel heavy or sleep deprived at all, which suggested that the adrenaline from the Nomu battle was still rushing through her veins.

However, the entire time from leaving the hospital to now, Ben's request had been on her mind. What on Earth did he want to talk with her about? Ochako decided it was best not to keep him waiting after her nap.

Ochako knocked on the door, and it opened.

"Please come in." Ben said, his voice solemn. The door closed behind her as she observed Ben was looking a little more serious than normal.

"So, what's up?" Ochako inquired.

"We're having this talk a little earlier than I expected." Ben stated as he took a long breath. He returned his gaze to Ochako after looking down at the Omnitrix. "So I'm in a bit of a pickle right now. I haven't really announced this to the public, and I really don't plan on it...but, here goes."

Ochako held her breath as Ben took the photo from his desk and examined it.

"...my wife is expecting." Ben revealed the photo- it was his and Ruby's wedding picture.

Silence.

"What?"

Ben averted his gaze. "My wife, Ruby. She's pregnant. Three months in."

Ochako blinked. "O-okay! Uh, congrats?" She didn't see what this had to do with her.

"It came completely out of nowhere; we didn't even know about it until a month ago. We're super excited, but here's the catch." Ben returned his gaze to Ochako. "I'm considering taking a few years off to raise my child."

Ochako gave a nod. "Of course, that's the most important thing to you right now."

"But, if people understand I'm not going to be active for a long time, crime will surely pick up. Uraraka, I've made a lot of enemies. Both on and off the planet." Ben stated. "And I need someone to pick up my slack. I'd ask the other guy, but he's more crazy busy than me-"

Ochako's pupils widened. "Wait, do you mean-?"

"Yeah." Ben cracked a grin. "I believe you should be my successor."

Silence. Ochako stumbled back into a chair, and put her hand to her head.

"Yeah, I know, kind of random, but I see a lot of myself and my wife in you." Ben explained. "I didn't want to jump the gun, so I decided to see how you'd work for a while, and you exceeded my expectations."

Ochako still looked shell shocked.

"Do you need a glass of water, or-"

"No, just..wow." Ochako said, slowly gaining back a track of thought. "That kinda just rocked everything for me."

"I know, I know." Ben said. "But seriously- you're the best person for the job, as far as I'm concerned."

"So, am I gonna take your Omnitrix, or-" Ochako asked. "I think it's too small for me."

"What?" Ben held his wrist defensively. "No! I'm not gonna take this thing off. I'm more gonna make my own with my smarter aliens and then pass it off to you."

Ochako blinked. "Y-you can do that!?"

"Yeah, I've done that a couple of times." Ben stated.

"Okay, that answers that question but why me?" Ochako has been asking for this for a long time.

Ben inhaled deeply. "It started from the Sports Festival." Ben began. "I saw the way you were fighting- highly adaptive. Sure to have been a one hit KO if that humanoid chiwawa didn't blow it all up. You kind of reminded me of my wife back in the day - someone who wasn't fighting to show off, but with a purpose."

Ochako was flattered to hear that.

"Plus, that teamwork with Alan against that Nomu?" Ben continued. "You played it smart, waited to exploit a weakness. Used your powers fantastically. That's what I need for a successor. Someone who's quick to the draw."

"I see." Ochako nodded. "I'm flattered to be picked for this, but I don't…"

"I realize this is a lot for you to take in, kid." Ben exhaled with another sigh. "If you want to take some time to think about it-"

"I'll do it."

"Wow, that was quick." Ben said. "Any reason why?"

"Yeah. My parents."

"Go on."

"I know this is gonna sound selfish, but above all else, one of the main reasons I became a hero is to earn money in order to give them a comfortable life." Ochako said. "I know that sounds bad, but they've done so much to raise me, and they always looked so tired…and I wanna return the favor back. Being a hero like you may be my only shot at giving them that life as soon as possible."

Ben nodded. "I get it, I get it- repaying them for their endless love and kindness. Nothing to be embarrassed about. But what's the other reason?"

"The other reason?" Ochako repeated. "Well, this one is also gonna sound weird."

"Believe me, I know weird." Ben chuckled.

"When I was pretty little, I went out for the day with my parents—it was one of those rare occasions when both of them could take me out. I'm not sure where we were headed, but on the way, we witnessed an extraordinary sight of a pro hero in action." Ochako explained. "There was a massive audience cheering them on and everything. However, my attention was directed to the spectators rather than the hero claiming triumph. More especially, to the crowd's grins and cheers. They were so honest and supportive. The Pro Hero loved it. From then on, I believed it was only natural for a hero to assist people in need, and that a modest act may provide a lot of joy to someone else... and that's the kind of hero I want to be."

"A symbol of joy." Ben nodded.

"Y-yeah, I guess." Ochako blushed. "I just want to help anyone, anybody- even if I have to fight tooth and nail for it."

Ben grinned. "Then I'm glad we're on the same page." Ben stood up. "Come with me."

Ochako followed Ben out of his office and down the corridor, where there was nothing but a wall. Ben approached the wall and pushed his hand on it. As the floor suddenly lighted up, green lines began to spread over it, and a green square formed around them. Ochako nearly leaped as the floor began to collapse.

"Yet another reason I adore this office: I can conceal secret passageways in plain sight." The Omnitrix user said with a grin.

Ochako and Ben soon arrived at a secret level- a cluttered lab of sorts. It reminded her of the support lab from UA. The girl took note of a few things- a sports car, a motorcycle, and a weird furnace looking thing in the back of the room.

"This way." Ben said, turning on a light. Ochako followed Ben again, to a table in the back of the room. Ben looked down at a sphere on the workbench.

"Alright." Ben said. "Here's the rules. You get 10 aliens, handpicked by me. They're some of my classics, mixed in with some supporting aliens. You don't get Master Control until you graduate UA. And most importantly. One thing I want you to do especially with the Omnitrix- never compare yourself to others."

"Huh?" Ochako said.

"Years ago, a villain asked me some hard hitting questions- why don't I do more with my powers? Why limit myself? Why not be someone more like Superman?" Ben said. "And here's the thing. I can't be. I can't devote all my time to saving lives and stopping crime- I can't end wars or anything of the sort. If I extend my power too much, I fail. And that's not the point of the watch- it's not a tool for conquest or power. It's a tool of understanding, and how unique we truly are in this universe." Ben held up his own watch."

"You're not trying to be Ben Tennyson, you hear me? You're Uraraka Ochako, forever and always- unless you discover stuff about yourself. Then you're that name from then on. I dunno. I had a point with this."

Ochako nodded. "I got the idea."

"Good."

Ben stepped away, leaving Ochako to approach the sphere.

Ochako walked forward.

The sphere opened.

A pink glow suddenly illuminated itself from the darkness- it was beckoning for Ochako to put her hand forward.

And she did.

Given how you're adaptable, I don't imagine it'll take long for you to get comfortable. Ben said, a few days prior.

Ochako stood atop a building, eyeing the city below. The sound of sirens began to blare in a nearby corner of the city.

Like I said, I put some classics in there- some aliens I had when I was your age. We'll start with a basic one.

Ochako looked at the device again- her Omnitrix resembled a digital wristwatch. Its faceplate was square instead of round and has a white, pink, and black color scheme- it worked well with her costume. The faceplate was black with two pink stripes forming an outline for the hourglass. Ochako put her finger to the Omnitrix- a holographic interface popped up. A holographic circle was shown, with the top half having alien faces. Ochako tilted her fingers to the left, as she reached the icon of the alien.

He was my first transformation…and it feels right that'll be yours as well.

Ochako moved her fingers up, as she selected the form- the faceplate rolled back, and revealed the core of the Omnitrix. Ochako slammed it down-

Heat. It was rushing through Ochako's body, and changing it- Ochako imagined it'd be painful to have her skeleton change so drastically, but she was dead wrong. Her feet became more 'camel like', with two toes. Rocks began to grow around her body, and the heat rose once more- soon, her body had become engulfed in flames, but it didn't even hurt, nor did she feel it. Ochako was the fire.

Ochako, now Heatblast, looked down at the sirens. "Okay." She said, taking a deep breath. Her voice was so deep and husky. "Let's hope this goes well."

You won't nail the flying thing right away, but let me show you a trick I taught Alan.

Ochako pounded her hands into the ground underneath her, skillfully carving off a chunk of concrete for herself. As Ochako hauled herself up, she set fire to the concrete. She swayed a little, but quickly regained her footing. Ochako smiled, knowing she had things covered. Ochako soared away, following the sirens.

It's hero time. Ochako thought, as she flew through the streets.

Ochako followed the police sirens to the scene of the crime, an ongoing hostage situation nearby some jewelry store. There were two robbers. One of them, a bored looking man with no hair, had multiple glowing tendrils coming out of his fingers that were wrapped around some people, while the other one, a man with a very skeletal appearance, looked absolutely windstruck and had a 'glasgow smile'. The police quickly formed a barricade in front of them, and pulled out their weapons.

The windstruck man laughed. "Come on, fire. I bet I can catch all those bullets-"

"No. You can't." The bald man said, as he lifted up some of the hostages and put them in front of them- he was using them as human shields.

"Here's the deal!" The bald man yelled. "You let us go, and we'll let them go. Sounds good?"

Ochako heavily disagreed- her response to the deal? She quickly descended upon the man, and smashed into the man with her chunk of flying concrete. The man immediately lost focus on his energy whips, and tumbled backwards. The attack was so sudden and so violent, but it was effective.

The hostages quickly rushed off, and the police lowered their weapons. They recognized the fire alien as Ben, but the mistaken identity was excusable. Ochako gave them a thumbs up without turning around, before the whipman stood up again. Ochako was honestly surprised- that attack could've incapcitated any normal man.

"So, hero of heroes came to take us on." The baldie frowned. "Right." The man unleashed his whips again, and began to lash out at Ochako violently. Ochako jumped back with a burst of flames, as the whips took some chunks out of concrete. Ochako landed back on the ground, and grinned.

So, you got a Pyronite? Alan asked her, while she was training her powers. Lemme show you a neat trick I can do. Ben taught me the basics a while back too, y'know.

Ochako placed both hands on the ground and ignited her feet. "Special Move- Blast Off!" Ochako yelled, before rocketing forward and doing a powerful blazing kick into the man's stomach- the attack was hard enough to leave two red burns on his stomach. Ochako landed on the ground, before looking at the windstruck man.

"F-forget this, man! I didn't count on 10,000 being here!" The windstruck man yelled.

Really? Ochako thought. Ben's office was literally a few blocks away- how would you NOT expect that?!

The windstruck man zipped away- Ochako wasn't about to let him escape unpunished. She slapped the Omnitrix down, and morphed into a better form to keep up with him. Ochako felt her body morph once more. Ochako lifted her arm, and her skin went blue, while her hands morphed into black claws. She began sprinting as a helmet appeared on her head. Her legs sprang up into the air, and wheels sprouted from the soles of her feet-

Ochako zipped through traffic, keeping an eye on the skeletal wannabe villain. He was fast, yes, but also very, very sloppy. The man would almost trip as he ran. The guy was clearly frightened, but Ochako couldn't care less. She sped up and grabbed her villain.

"Hey. Nice speed. But lemme show you some REAL speed." Ochako lowered her mask, and rushed around the city while holding them. The man was in tears, and he kind of deserved it. Especially after holding others hostage.

Ochako dropped him at the feet of the police, saluted them and rushed off.

"Did Ben 10,000 look more feminine to you?" One of the officers said.

Ochako grinned behind her mask- that felt incredible. Most of all, it felt fantastic. Maybe, just maybe, the next time her friends rushed off into the heat of battle.

She could join them, rather than being on the sidelines.

Ochako was doing pretty great with the watch- it helped to have some extra help from the others. Especially when training.

Today's 'warmup' was tag. Sounded basic, but when you have aliens involved, it gets pretty crazy. Helen declared that everyone BUT Ochako was it, so that was plenty stressful. Thank God Ben gave her XLR8.

Ochako looked behind her to notice the two sidekicks catching up to her. Helen was obviously in the lead, but Alan was close behind. Poor Pierce was probably left in the dust by those two before they could even think up a plan. But this was mostly a speed game so, no real plan needed unless Pierce was gonna try and cut her off. But she could worry about him later. Helen was the immediate problem as she was very quickly catching up to Ben's successor.

Ochako needed to make a hard switch right now, and she needed a diversion.

"Let's see you touch THIS!" Ochako yelled, as her body started to vibrate. Soon, it looked like there were three XLR8s running ahead of Helen.

"What the-?" Helen asked.

"Helen...can you not do that?" Alan asked.

"O-of course I can! I just...need some time to focus!" Helen stammered a bit.

"Uh-huh, right."

"Alan. Shut up..."

The three XLR8s raced on ahead, quickly multiplying into six.

Okay- I'm at a safe advantage now. Ochako thought. Now I just figure out how to lose them...

"Ok, ok...how about I make this a little easier then?" Alan smirked as he summoned up two fireballs in his hands. He reared his arms back as far as possibly before throwing them. Surprisingly, with the boost of flames, they were able to fly ahead of Ochako and impact the ground, making a wall of fire.

"Can you not burn down the whole place?!" Helen asked.

"Like this is any worse than the time you and Manny forgot to muzzle a Loboan and half of us ended up deaf for three weeks."

Ochako looked behind her and cursed. Dang- they're using a slipstream to try and catch up! Ochako frowned. "Let's throw caution to the wind and hope this works..."

Ochako slapped down her Omnitrix, and morphed into the only other alien for the job...Big Chill.

Helen smirked when she saw the flash. Big Chill was nowhere near fast enough to outrun her. This was an easy catch for her!

Ochako looked at Helen and Alan, speeding at her.

"You think this is to get away from you, isn't it? Well, bad news." Ochako said, as she turned intangible and phased into the ground. "I call this technique 'cheating'." She grinned, as the ground froze over.

"Aaaand there's that trademark 'Omnitrix-'" Helen was about to say before the ice caught up to her and she began slipping all over it.

"Omnitrix-user sass is what you wanted to say, right?" Alan finished for her.

"SUUUUUUURE!" Helen yelled, as she spun away.

Ochako poked her head out of the ground. Alan noticed her head poking out, and he smirked.

"You know I can melt ice, right?" Alan asked. "Smart move, but there's some holes..."

"Oh, I know." Ochako said, diving back underground. "But that means I can do this." Ice suddenly exploded from out of the ground.

"Oh, hell!" Alan called out before going full Pyronite. The flames around his hands grew in intensity before he held them out to form a flaming barrier. The ice shards from the explosion impacted and melted when they hit the shield.

Alan was doused in water, quickly extinguishing his flames. Ochako had gotten good with these forms...hard to believe she'd gotten used to these things so quickly. She just got the watch a few days ago!

Ochako poked her head out of the ground. "Now...where's Pierce?"

"Sup?" Pierce said, making Ochako spin around to see him behind her, armed with a massive quill-turned-staff.

Ochako dove back underground, and popped back up behind him. Ochako dodged a quick attack from his spear, and tapped his hand.

"You're it," She grinned, as his hands started to become coated in snow.

"I thought we were all it," Pierce said.

"Yeah- but that just takes the fun out of the game." Ochako said.

"She's right!" Helen called back, trying to steady herself on the ice.

"So, new game." Ochako said, happy to have turned the table. She hopped out of the ground, and transformed into Chromastone. "Dodge laser. It's like dodgeball, but you dodge lasers."

"...is that even safe?" Helen asked.

"Probably." Ochako said.

"I mean...safe for me, at least," Alan said, "Pyronite's pretty durable."

"Yeah, so its safe for one out of 3 sidekicks here," Pierce shot back.

"Good enough for me." Ochako said, charging up a ball of energy. "Now, dodge this!" She quickly tossed the ball, and it exploded before the sidekicks' eyes, blinding them.

"Ochako!" Helen called out, "Little more warning next time, please!"

"That's the idea." Ochako said, firing a few weak lasers. She hit all of her targets with ease.

"Ok, that is cheating," Pierce said, slowly regaining his sight.

"Hey, if these two can use their speed powers like that, then so can I!" Ochako insisted.

"Different circumstances!" Hellen defended.

Ochako rolled her singular eye. "Unless you have a different idea for a fair, all encompassing game?"

"I might," Alan smirked.

"What is it?" Hellen asked.

"Easy. Basketball. No powers though."

"...alright, I can manage." Ochako said, despite never even having an experience with basketball. How hard could it be?

There was one small thing that Ochako didn't know that did tip the scales a bit.

Alan was a pro at the sport, practicing for pretty much all his childhood.

This was going to be a slaughterfest.

Ben walked into his gym area, and looked to the basketball court. Ochako was clearly struggling to dribble the ball with only four of her fingers. Since her powers relied on the pads of her finger tips, she didn't have much 'control', mainly due to the fear of causing the ball to float.

"Ya know," Alan said, still on guard, "I forgot you had to use all five fingers to use your Qurik. So, uh...yeah, that's my bad."

"You had to have known. You just HAD to have known!" Ochako yelled. "I'm sorry for freezing you!"

"Knowing him, he forgot in the heat of the moment," Helen smirked.

"You've been talking with Yang again, haven't you?" Alan took his eyes off Ochako to address the pun.

"Maaaaybe. But hey, puns work. As you just demonstrated."

Ochako had to take advantage of the distraction. She quickly threw the ball at the net, but it bounced off the rim. Ben easily caught it.

"Nice shot." Ben commented.

"Oh thank god, salvation," Ochako groaned.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Alan asked.

Pierce, Helen, and especially Ochako gave him deadpan stares that spoke louder than any actual answer could.

"So, how about this?" Ben said, throwing the ball up and spinning it on his finger. "You kids know the game 'keep away', right? Let's do a variant of that. Knock the spinning ball out of my hand. Abilities allowed."

Ochako raised an eyebrow. I feel like this is easier said than done.

"Well...ok?" Helen said, a bit unsure. She decided to try first, speeding at Ben to simply swat the ball away from him.

Ben tossed the ball up, and transformed. Goop took his place, and he dropped to the ground. Helen immediately slipped on his body, and went spiraling out of control.

"Oh not again!" Helen yelled before tripping and falling flat on her face. Pierce and Ochako winced in pain a little when she impacted, before Alan stepped up next. He fired a blast of flame to propel himself forward, hoping to exploit the few short seconds where Ben was distracted.

Ben melded his body around Alan's body, and whacked him to the ground with a simple goopy wallop. He reverted back to human, and caught the ball on his finger.

"Come on. I wasn't even trying there." Ben joked.

Pierce took out two quills and had them grow to the size of lances before he looked to Ochako. He didn't say a word, but the Omnitrix's successor got ready.

"Oh, two for one this time? Ok," Ben said, totally unphased.

Ochako had to think. Ben's going to throw the ball up again, and he's going to transform. Using that big meteor gal is too much of an indicator of my plan.

Ochako moved the selection screen to her only other option. She slammed down on the watch and, in a flash of pink, she became a humanoid mollusk-like alien. She took aim with her hands and let water-pressure build up before Pierce threw his quill-spears at Ben, intentionally making sure to miss.

Ben threw the basketball up again, and transformed again. This time, he took the form of some quadrupedal lizard looking alien, and opened his maw.

"Oh, crap-" Ochako said, as it inhaled.

A massive cloud of mist was fired at the duo as the lizard alien exhaled, freezing both sidekick and successor in place. Ochako couldn't use her water at all now, knowing it would more than likely freeze as soon as it left her palms.

Ben reverted back to human, and held up his finger to catch the ball.

...except it didn't come down. Ben looked up, to see the ball, floating around in a bubble. Ochako smirked, as Pierce looked up as well.

"When did you...slip that out?" Pierce asked.

"In the middle of my hosing." Ochako said, as the bubble floated down to the ground, and popped. It dribbled on the floor a few times, before rolling to Ochako's feet.

I couldn't do that as Water Hazard. Ben thought, as he watched the ball.

"Nicely done," Ben smirked, hiding his surprise a bit.

"T-thanks." Ochako said, shivering. "Now please...unfreeze us..."

"Right...sorry," Ben said with a nervous chuckle, before turning to Swampfire and thawing them out with a quick heatwave.

"I hope you don't mind, but we made another version of your costume." Ben said, as he led the unfrozen Ochako into a support lab. "Used tech that was similar to your main costume, for your quirk- just made it a bit more obscure so people can't tell its you."

Ochako looked at the costume- a white armored jumpsuit, along with a pink scarf and a white helmet. There were some equipment on wrists and waist, and it had the vibes of her own hero costume. The only difference was that it resembled the hourglass symbol on her new Omnitrix.

"Woah." Ochako said, picking it up. "I really gotta thank whoever made this."

Ben chuckled. "Funny you say that…" Ben turned to see someone else coming into the lab- he could always tell who it was, thanks to that signature rose scent she had on her.

"So, you're Ochako." A woman's voice said. "Hope you enjoy my handiwork!" Ochako took in the woman's appearance- silver eyes, fair complexion, and long graduating black-into-red hair and her signature red cloak.

Ochako's eyes lit up. "A-ah! I didn't know that you made this."

"Hey, no need to be so nervous." The older Ruby grinned. "It's nice to meet you, finally!"

Ochako nodded- she'd heard a lot of great things about Red Rose, the Huntress Hero. A lot of totally sort of spoiler-y things the author writing this couldn't mention since this runs semi-parallel to the events of her other work.

It may be lazy, but hey, spoilers.

"I'm not shocked you were able to do this." Ben said, as Ruby pecked him on the cheek. "Even with the nausea, dizziness and appetite."

"Hey, it helps me distract myself from that." Ruby said, before turning to Ochako. "Anyways Sorry I didn't meet you earlier. I was kinda busy building an extra suit we had lying around. The suit's pretty hard to break as well, but that doesn't mean it's invincible. It should last you the 5 minute recharge time."

"Oh, right." Ochako nodded. Ben had told her that the Omnitrix had a limit of how long it could keep her as an alien, similar to how he did when he was younger. When the Omnitrix timed out, it went into Recharge Mode. It took around 5 minutes to recharge, though it may take more time if tampered with.

"With your quirk, you can have some time to stall, but sometimes, it won't be enough." Ben said.

"Now! Quick question. Have you ever fired a weapon before?"

"N-no, actually." Ochako said, before Ruby grabbed her hand.

"No time like the present! Come on!" Ruby said, dragging the girl away.

Ochako would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to see the new suit, wondering what kind of crazy gadgets she'd gotten from Ruby's mad genius.

"Now...before we hand over the new suit...gotta be a bit serious for a minute," Ben started, "Remember how I said that there were other candidates I was thinking about?"

"Yeah. I never really gave them a second thought...why bring them up now?" Ochako asked.

"Well, since I'm using tech from potential tools they'd have..." Ruby said. "You have a right to know who was gonna get it."

"Was...there anyone I know?"

"...a few, actually," Ben admitted.

"When we were weighing out people, we searched all across the world. America, Japan, Africa, Europe...a lot of promising characters there. But, Toshinori mentioned a lot of shining stars at UA." Ben said. "Well, that, and he mentioned one potential candidate from Shiketsu...I forget her name."

"Her last name was...Kurokami or something. Stars and Stripes said some good things too, I think." Ruby said, looking at her gauntlet. "But, yeah. All Might snuck us into the sports festival without anyone noticing."

"So...the Sports Festival was less seeing what I was made of...and more of a general recruitment thing," Ochako summarized.

"Yep. Among the others from U.A were Kirishima himself, Mei..."

"Kirishima and Mei..." Ochako repeated. She couldn't really see Kirishima as a successor. He was so devoted to following Crimson Riot's path, so he would pass down Ben's request out of respect.

Mei...Mei was a 'mixed' back. She had the brains, but her manic energy was a bit too much. Would a woman who barely got a full 8 hours of sleep be a good Omnitrix wielder? Heck, what sort of crazy mods would she make to the watch?

Ochako shivered when she thought that.

"You guys never considered Bakugou, did you?" Ochako asked, nervously.

"Never. That kid had enough." Ben frowned. "He's also just...intense."

"You're being very kind with that term." Ochako said.

"I know! My wording was a bit more accurate and a lot less kind," Ruby interjected.

"Maybe don't say that one." Ben said. "That Shinso and Momo were close. I respected Hitoshi's drive, but...we didn't get a good idea of how he would fight."

"The fact that we didn't go with Momo surprised someone we know," Ruby admitted.

"Momo with the Omnitrix..." Ochako thought. Honestly, she could see it...

"But...with that out of the way," Ben said, turning to Ruby and nodding, "I think it's time we brightened the mood a bit."

"Be glad I designed your costume." Ruby said. "Ben's designing skills are awful."

"My first costume wasn't that bad..." Ben showed a photo of it to Ochako. The image depicted a young Ben, about 10 years old. He was dressed in a somewhat greenish blue suit that went all the way down to his waist, white tights, and gloves of the same color as the suit, but lighter in tone. He also had a lighter blue triangular plate on his breast. His eyes were shielded by visors that match the color of his costume, as was his chin. He wore antennae that resembled headphones of the same hue. His hair was also exposed.

Ochako blinked.

"...this sucks, actually." She said.

"No offense," Ruby shrugged.

"I thought it looked good," Ben countered.

"Hopefully this one speaks more to your liking." Ruby said, holding up the costume. "I was able to quickly sew together a new one made of woven steel mesh consisting of unstable molecules, so it's sort of a 'one size fits all' deal."

Ruby held up her gauntlets. "These bad girls will both massage your points, and allow you to fire off rounded bullets that can easily pierce skin...if need be."

"Oh...they're not lasers?" Ochako asked, almost a little disappointed.

"Didn't want you to rely on them too much. Plus, you can use your Quirk in conjunction with them," Ruby explained.

"Zero gravity bullets that travel endlessly means you can ricochet off of stuff without losing any speed. And great power." Ruby grinned.

"Without losing any speed," Ochako repeated, and imagined herself firing off a shot that she had touched with her quirk at a horde of villains. That one shot took down every single imaginary villain, letting Ochako stand atop the defeated army like an action hero.

"Well, assuming it won't get stuck in something." Ben said. "All real-world things may be conceived of as billions of trillions of tiny linked springs. These springs do not deform or break easily in hard objects. Metal, glass, and crystal are examples of hard things. When they bounce, they do not lose power. It's a great advantage to have...and something you need to train."

"Just like all the other forms," Ochako nods, "Mind if I test it out?"

"Sure. Just wear these." Ben handed Ochako some goggles.

Ben's successor nodded and put the goggles on, taking the goggles and slipping them over her wrists.

"Do you have a shooting range here?"

"Yeah." Ben and Ruby began to walk towards a door, and opened it. Ochako stepped through into a room with a low ceiling but long width. Ochako could tell that, based off the bullet holes, this shooting range was mostly used by Ruby or anyone else in their agency that used firearms or projectile weapons. After all, Gang Orca's sidekicks used cement guns.

Ochako looked at her gauntlets, and tapped a button on the side. They began to slowly spin, picking up speed with each rotation.

"It can get up to 2000 RPM." Ben said. "We might amp it up when you get older."

"2000...as the base?" Ochako asked, a bit shocked. She took aim at one of the targets at the far end of the range and readied herself for the recoil. She took a deep breath and then tapped the "fire" button.

The rounded bullet flew from out of the gauntlet, and hit the outside the target. Ochako flinched when it fired.

"...yikes." Ochako said, as the gauntlets whirred to a stop.

"You'll get better with aiming," Ruby promised, "Letting you use the range whenever you need it. Though, anyone not in the know will have to see 'Spanner' coming in here."

"Right, right...secret identity, but to be honest...definitely thought there'd be more...kickback, I guess?" Ochako said.

"I'm a mad genius when it comes to weaponry so I know exactly how to counter the recoil issue."

Ochako looked down at the weapons again, before firing them up. "Okay...so, what's my method for aiming?"

Ruby walked over. "Use your dominant eye to aim. Unless you're someone like Snipe, it's hard to aim with both eyes." Ruby brought up Ochako's arm. "Now, you see those two 'bumps' on the gauntlet parts that aren't spinning? Those are your 'sights'. Align your eye with those two sights. We'll start you off by aiming with a center hold aim..."

Ochako followed Ruby's instructions carefully. The weapon's expert was so kind and clearly knew what she was doing.

The new Omnitrix user lined up the sights of her gauntlet with her field of view, closing one eye just to get a better visual.

"Ok...I think I got it?" Ochako said, a bit unsure.

"Well, let's find out if you did." Ruby said. "Fire it at the bullseye."

Ochako took aim with her gauntlet, and lowered her fingers down to fire it- the rounded bullet easily pierced the bullseye.

Ochako beamed when she saw the bullet go right through the target's middle.

"And look at that, you do," Ruby smirked.

"You still need some practice, though. Hitting bullseyes all the time isn't gonna always be a thing. Plus, you still have to learn trickshots and everything-" Ben said. "Oh what the hell. THAT WAS AWESOME."

Ochako beamed and decided to try again. She lined up a shot, following Ruby's advice and letting the mechanisms spin up, before taking another shot.

This one was a bit off, but it hit close to the bullseye. Ochako was pretty satisfied with this.

"Can we set up some cans or something?" Ochako asked.

"Wanna try out the Zero-G part?" Ruby asked.

"How do I do that?" Ochako asked.

"Well, you'll have to physically reload the bullet yourself." Ruby said.

"'How many can I carry with me?"

"Ten for each gauntlet. Small number of shots, but the zero-g compatibility covers for that," Ruby nodded.

"So, hypothetically...I could shoot one of these things and it will just travel forever?" Ochako said, holding the bullet.

"Assuming it doesn't hit anything." Ben said. "But it's incredibly useful."

"And if you touch them before hand, they became a bit easier to reload. Also made sure to give trackers for each shot so you can find 'em after the chaos," Ruby added.

"Or find whoever I lodged the bullet into." Ochako joked.

"That too. I wish I added trackers in my bullets a LONG time ago." Ruby said, setting up some cans. "There's also 'arcing' your shots. Hypothetically, you could fire them in arc and have them orbit around..."

"Ok...what's your advice for that?" Ochako asked as she loaded up the next shot.

"Well, my sister punches the air to arc her shots...but you have to release it like halfway through." Ruby said.

"Halfway through the shot...ok..." Ochako took a breath before trying it out. She punched forward with the gauntlet and fired...too soon, making the bullet go wide.

The bullet instead hit a nearby wall. Ben walked over to the bullet hole, and raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Weird...it's still spinning." Ben said, poking it with a pen. Ochako released her hold on it, and it dropped out of the wall and onto the ground.

"Ok. Let's try again, work on your timing," Ruby said. Ben made his way back behind the counter as Ochako loaded up another shot and took a breath. She threw a punch at the air and this time, fired too late, having the shot not arc far enough.

Ochako frowned. "You're right- this is hard."

"It took Yang ages to learn how to do it. Don't worry." Ruby said.

"I...still find that a bit hard to believe, but I'll take your word for it," Ochako looked over the gauntlets, still happy with how things turned out.

"We're just happy to revamp your costume a bit. I always found it a bit wonky." Ruby sighed.

"And if you ever need another upgrade, like how All Might went through two other suits over his career, you can always come back," Ben smirked.

"I mean it's kind of assumed. How any different suit designs did you go through before settling on this one again?" Ruby asked with a smirk of her own.

Ruby hummed. "Well, I changed my costume every like...few years or so? I dunno. Maybe like 3 years of wearing the same thing before I got bored of it."

"Yeah, same." Ben said. "I'd change every two or three years. So...this is, what, my 11th costume?"

"Give or take." Ruby shrugged.

"I-i'll try not to come back that often," Ochako rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Don't worry." Ben laughed. "You'll be fine! I don't see you changing your outfit THAT drastically. Like...Ruby? She went through a LOT of outfits. All were pretty pricey..."

"Hey, you're the one who insisted on that ONE corset. You know the one." Ruby smirked.

"W-well, uh...It was cute." Ben said, looking away. Ochako looked at Ruby, confused.

"Boob window." Ruby grinned.

"Ahhhhh." Ochako said.

"Wha-you weren't supposed to say!" Ben said, absolutely betrayed.

"And leave her with that burning question? I don't think so," Ruby chuckled.

Ochako rolled her eyes. "I wasn't even gonna question it."

"It was gonna stick with you though." Ruby laughed.

Soon enough, Ochako's internship ended- Ben was generous enough to lend one of his chauffeurs to bring Ochako back to Musutafu. Ben helped her pack the two suitcases back into the trunk- one held her usual hero outfit, the other with the 'vigilante' outfit.

"Are you sure about the whole vigilante thing?" Ochako asked. "I could get in serious trouble if I get caught." She wasn't wrong- due to the hero regulations and Quirk restriction laws in Japan, people were not allowed to perform heroic duties out on their own and vigilantism is therefore illegal. Laws intensified after someone interfered with a hero's work, and nearly got the hero killed.

"Hence why your aliens are kinda gender ambiguous and the suit as well." Ben said, closing the trunk. "Unless someone sees you transform, they'll either think you're some Kamen Rider-wannabe vigilante, or me in alien form. You'd have to look hard to see the difference."

"Right, right." Ochako nodded.

"You'll do fine, kid." Ruby said, joining Ben. "I believe in you as much as he does."

"I can't tell anybody, right?" Ochako asked.

"I didn't say that." Ben said. "I said 'you can't tell anybody at first'. Someone's gonna put two and two together, especially if you start popping up in Musutafu after YOU just got done with your internship. I'd tell a few select people you trust. Like that fingerbreaker kid."

Ochako blushed. "I'll…consider it."

"And one more thing, too." Ruby said, walking forward. She took Ochako's hand, and clamped it tight.

"I know you're going to be in some risky circumstances, and it's going to seem like it's all up to you at times." Ruby said. "Well, forget that noise. It's NEVER just you. When I was your age, Ben and I needed support, especially after we were viciously beaten by some criminals. I hope you NEVER have to face yourself. Keep this near and dear to your heart, Uraraka Ochako – It's not how many times you've been rejected, how many times you've fallen down, or how many times you've been beaten up; it's how many times you've stood up, been brave, and kept going."

Ruby let go, and smiled. Ochako smiled back.

"Thank you." Ochako nodded.

"If you need anything, we're just a call away." Ben said. "Especially if you need some tips with aliens, life or if you just wanna chat. I'm always up for that."

"Gotcha!" Ochako said, turning towards the car door. "Hey, Ben!"

"Yeah?"

Ochako flashed Ben a great big thumbs up.

"I'll make you proud."

Ben smiled back. "I know you will, kid." He nodded. Ochako waved one more time, and hopped into the car. Ben and Ruby waved her off, as the car started to head back home.

"You were right to choose her, hun." Ruby said, as they watched the car round a corner. "She's got my infectious optimism, your spirit…and her own destiny to grab ahold of."

"Makes you wonder if our kid will be like that." Ben said, looking down at Ruby. "...we did a good job, making sure people had a future like this, right?"

Ruby nodded. "Then let's hope she can do the same for the next generation."

Ben beamed. "I know she will."

Ochako looked through the tinted windows, and then back at her new Omnitrix. So many secrets, so much power…it was hers now, and she was ready to carry on the legacy of her mentor.

Ochako looked forward to everything that would come her way.

…

…

…

…

But it's scary how fast things can change in the course of a few years.

There we go! First chapter down. Next chapter will release some time next week. I'll try to be more 'week to week' with this one. There will be tiny breaks in between arcs to arrange edits and what not, but that's about it.

Please leave nice reviews :3

Chapter Text

Thank you all for the kind words! I think the first episode got more feedback / views than Gemstones did in its first month of existence. 

I'm also trying to 'limit' F bombs. Because Gems has way too many. They'll be restricted to characters that WOULD drop an F bomb. 

For those curious: the best way I can describe the timeline is that quirks would originate around what comics called 'the silver era'- right before the dark and dreary point of comics. That'd place the glowing baby showing up in between 1956 – 1970. Then, society 'stops' for a few hundred years. So after quirks popped up and culture was paused, iconic comics like Marvel and DC slowly fizzled away.

As for the sort of 'rushed' feel in the later half of the chapter, this was originally written as a one shot. I wanted to cut into some action quickly, so...admittedly, i rushed. Could've done more, but ehhhhhhh. 

Finally, the 'opening' for this arc of Carry On is "Catch the Moment" by LiSA, and the ending is "It's My Life" by No Doubt. Both of them are pretty fun songs. Please give them a listen! 

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord invite: /cgFmXz3qJ5

The first day back from the workplace experience was interesting. Ochako could tell that a lot of things had changed in such a short time- what was it, a week or two since they'd all been together?

Ochako was happy to see everyone, and they were chatting it up. But the first thing that everyone noticed was-

"AHAHAHAHAH!" Kirshima laughed.

"FOR REAL!? BAKUGOU, WHAT HAPPENED?!" Sero laughed even harder.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH!" Bakugou yelled- why was he telling them that? Well, Bakugou didn't go for a hardcore hero like Ochako assumed- instead, he went for a tame but still highly regarded hero, Best Jeanist. A refined gentleman with flamboyant inclinations, he was a firm believer that persons in positions of power must maintain a favorable physical and social image.

Bakugou did not like that. Best Jeanist had tried to tame the beast, but the only thing he could get down was Bakugou's insanely spiky hair.

"DUDE, HOW CAN I NOT LAUGH?" Kirishima said, dying with laughter. "HOW'D YOUR HAIR GET LIKE THAT!?"

"SHUT UP! IT'S STUCK AND WASHING IT ISN'T FIXING IT!" Bakugou yelled. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"TRY IT!"

Bakugou's hair suddenly exploded back into shape as he tackled the both of them.

Enough of the caps abuse, let's get to the others.

"So you did villain cleanup? Jealous!" Mina whimpered.

"It was basically evacuee guidance and logistics. No fighting." said Jiro. "Nightcat was kind and helpful, though. Tsu, you?"

"When I was with Selkie, I did nothing but train and patrol." Explained Tsuyu. "I did catch a nearby country stowaway. That's pretty much it."

"Woaaaah!" Mina grinned. "So, Uraraka? How was your week with THE Ben 10,000?"

Ochako looked at them all, as they eagerly awaited an answer. Ochako honestly didn't know where to start or what to say.

"It…was very fruitful!" Ochako said, with a grin. "Learned a lot. Plus, he was nice enough to replace my old phone with a new one after it got wrecked by a Nomu in Hosu-"

"You were in Hosu!?" Mina gasped.

"Y-yeah. Helped with evacuations." Ochako felt she should brag about her victory against a Nomu, but held her tongue. "And...yeah. That's it."

"Daaaamn, girl! You probably had one of the most exciting weeks. Besides the other three." Mina looked over at the trio- Iida, Todoroki and Midoryia. "You guys had one hell of a week, didn't you?"

"Yeah, you guys went up against the Hero Killer!" Sero said, while being thrashed by Bakugou.

"So happy you guys are alive! Was worried like crazy and wanted to text, but Fourth Kind-" Kirishima was bashed by Bakugou before he could finish his sentence.

"Heard you guys got rescued by Endeavor." Kaminari said. "That's gotta be cool, right? Being rescued by the number 2 hero?"

"Yeah." Todoroki said.

"Yes, it was a very dangerous task, and something not all of us came out unscathed from." Iida said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a black band around it. "My...left hand has some residual complications."

"What?" Ochako asked.

"Both of my arms got hit pretty bad, but the damage was much worse in my left arm. They told me my 'brachial plexus' is impaired." Iida said, holding up his hand. "It's hard to move my fingers, and I do feel a bit numb."

Ochako frowned- it was a bit of a minor injury, but she wished she could've been there, with her new powers. That would've blown Stain right away, and maybe Iida wouldn't have been injured.

"So, is there treatment or something?" Mineta asked.

"There's a possibility it could heal through nerve grafting, but...I feel I should live with this until I properly take on the Ingenium name." Iida said. "As a reminder."

Ochako shivered at that. She remembered how Manny had his hand cut off in battle- Iida got lucky.

"Saw some stuff on the news." Ojiro said, walking up. "Something about the Hero Killer and League of Villain being connected."

"Ben mentioned something about that in passing." Ochako added. "I don't even wanna know how the USJ would have played out if he was there."

"I mean, he was kinda cool." Kaminari said.

Izuku and Ochako tensed up.

"I dunno if it was his one track mind or whatever, but I kinda dug how focused he was. You saw the video, right?"

"Kaminari..." Izuku said.

"Oh-!" Kaminari said. "A-ah, sorry, Iida."

"It's okay." Iida stated. "He was obviously a man of conviction. I get some of the appeal. Despite this, he chose to further his cause through a purge. And whatever ideas you hold, that is wrong."

Iida began to move his arm like usual. "So that no others like myself emerge and suffer my fate- I will correct myself and walk the path of a true hero!"

Everyone was glad- Iida didn't seem any bit different. Ochako gave a sigh of relief. She looked down at her wrist, and back at her friends. Ben's words echoed in her head- "I said 'you can't tell anybody at first'. I'd tell a few select people you trust. Like that finger breaker kid."

Midoriya was...a good friend. Always knew what to say, even if it was awkward. Ochako loved his desire to always go above his limitations, and at times she envied it. Her quirk was more supportive, so it couldn't improve her physical prowess like Izuku's could.

If she said, "Ben gave me an Omnitrix," would he understand? A kid like that was an open book. He didn't have many secrets.

She'd consider telling him later. Class was about to begin.

"Woah, you changed your costume up, Momo!" Mina said, as they started to change for basic hero training.

A zipper made a tremendous difference, Momo agreed. It shielded her bust from prying eyes and the world. Unzipping it slightly didn't reveal much of her cleavage. "Snowfall's idea. She offered to overhaul my whole costume, but I agreed on a small change."

"She's not the only one to get a costume change!"

Tooru stepped out, still wearing nothing but gloves and shoes. Ochako blinked.

"Uh, what's different?"

"Oh, right!" Tooru clapped her hands, and in a flash of light, Tooru suddenly had a suit on her body. It looked like she'd gained some sort of costume, that was somewhat plain and boring looking, but it hid her body.

"Woah, where'd you get that?" Tsu said.

"Well, after Miasma Miss saw my regular costume, she was like 'oh. Oh my God. Oh, no!' And then got me this. It blends in with my powers- I honestly don't understand how it works, but yeah!" Tooru said, giving a thumbs up.

…thank you, Miasma Miss. Every girl present thought.

"You know, you're being oddly quiet about the Ben 10,000 internship, Uraraka. How'd it go?" Jiro asked.

"Oh, well. It went great, honestly. He was a really nice guy, knew how to work with sidekicks and everything." Ochako said, as she put on her gauntlets.

Jirou nodded. "And that's it?"

"K-kinda, yeah." Ochako said. "I mean, I did get a few chances to shine here and there, but yeah. It was basically me following in his footsteps…"

"Huh? What's that mean?" Mina said.

Ochako turned red. "A-ah! I mean…I just mean, like, following as he went places. Misspoke there!" Ochako apologized. The girls shared a look and shrugged.

Guess being around a celebrity would do that to someone.

"I am here!" All Might bellowed, and that was it.

"Not much of an entrance," Sato added.

"I'd anticipate more after a gap." Ojiro hummed, too.

"He run out of shticks?" Kaminari joked.

"Ran out?" All Might laughed. "Never! My jokes are endless. But! I'm here for hero training."

All Might was wearing a different costume today- the last time Ochako saw him, he was wearing one with a cape. This costume was a skin-tight blue bodysuit decorated with a red symbol that somewhat resembled a "Y," designed with a white diamond at its center, with white lines connected to it that trace from his chest to his back shoulders; the lines trimmed with the aforementioned red symbol. The symbol appeared to have wings on the side that ran from the atop his torso before ending around his back, over which was a similar red and white design absent of the white diamond.

Large white patches lined with red covered each side of his hips before ending at his lower thighs, and he wore a gold belt that had a silver buckle with red eyes. His forearm sleeves were colored in gold that each had white lines covered in blue accents over his wrists, and had spiked fins on the sides of his arms. His feet were covered in shin-length gold boots trimmed with white and red accents.

"It's his golden age costume." Izuku whispered in pure fanboy delight.

"As a direct continuation of your internships, today's activities is pretty 'playful.' A training mission for rescue!" All Might explained.

Iida instantly raised his hand. "Shouldn't rescue training take place at the USJ?"

"That's the location for disaster rescues. This is Field Gamma!" All Might stated while gesturing behind him. The land was densely populated with industries that intertwined to form a complex network of labyrinthine lanes, which was incredibly confusing for anyone on the ground.

"You'll split into four teams of five, with each team going one at a time, to rescue the damsel!" All Might explained.

Mineta perked up. "D-damsel? Who's the damsel? Is it some smoking hot babe?"

"NOPE, IT'S ME!" All Might said.

Mineta deflated.

"Naturally, keep the destruction of property to a minimum!" All Might cocked his head at Bakugou. He looked away angrily.

The first group to go was Izuku, Iida, Mashirao, Mina, and Sero.

"Iida's still not totally recovered." Kirishima noted. "Maybe he should've sat this one out."

"Plus, all of the class's biggest mobility experts are on this one team." Kaminari pointed out. "Midoryia's gonna get left in the dust."

"To be honest, I'm not really sold on his power yet." Jirou commented. "It's really untrained, you know?"

"Right- seeing as he has to hurt himself in order to accomplish anything." Momo nodded. "It's scary."

"He's gonna come in last." Bakugo frowned. Harsh as he was, he had a point that everyone agreed with. Nobody could really place where Midoryia was going to end up. Personally, Ochako found herself rooting for Iida, even with those injuries.

All Might sounded an air horn to herald the start of the race. Hanta used his tape to swing across the pipes of Field Gamma. Mina slid through pipes with her acid, Mashirao jumped around on his tail, and Tenya dashed through the field. Hanta takes an early lead because he could stay above everything.

"Sero's got a GREAT advantage- he's going overhead and out of the way of everything!" Kirishima grinned.

"With his quirk, he's at a great advantage with staying airborne. I can't see anyone else staying neck and neck with him." Shoji nodded.

Sero couldn't agree more. He turned back to see his classmates lagging behind. "Sorry guys, looks like this test was made for-"

Something shot past him.

"Me?"

Ochako and the rest were stunned, shocked even- Izuku had taken the lead! The boy was parkouring with ease across the maze- and none of his bones had even broken!

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Sero yelled.

"Woooooah, Midoryia's going all out!" Kirishima said. "It's been a little over a week, and look at him! He finally got his quirk under control!"

"Well, it's still too early to take back my words." Kaminari said. "I still think Sero's got this in the bag. Though Midoryia's doing better than I thought."

Even All Might was a bit shocked at how young Midoriya had suddenly gotten a handle on the Quirk. Todoroki and Ochako watched the screen in shock.

"Was he like this in the battle against Stain?" Ochako asked.

"Yes- but now that I'm getting a better look...those moves remind me of someone else." Todoroki said.

Ochako looked back. "Now that you mention it, those moves look like-"

Those are MY moves. Bakugou angrily thought, balling up his fists.

Bakugou growled. "How'd he change so much in just one week!?"

Ochako watched Midoryia leap around, exceeding the others- until he misstepped, slipped on a pipe and came crashing down.

Yeah, so Sero won the race anyway, and Izuku came in last. But still, the class was VERY happy to see that he hadn't broken anything.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Kirishima said, as Midoryia and the others joined up with the others. "I know you came in last, but still!"

"You've clearly had a good internship experience." Momo said. "And you were with someone I've never even heard of before!"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "A-ah, thanks guys."

"Seriously, teach me your ways!" Mineta yelled, bowing down before the boy. "I wanna be cool!"

"Sero MAY have taken first place, but you've all found new and better ways to use your quirks since starting school!" All Might commended them. "Keep up the good work as you prepare for your final exams!"

Kaminari groaned. "Right. Finals are soon."

"Aw, what? Is it almost June?" Mina pouted. "Thought I could not panic for a while."

Crap- it was almost finals time. Ochako thought to herself. Between school, training and this new power of hers, this was gonna be a difficult balancing act.

Ochako would worry about it later- hell, she'd need to go on a patrol first to see how it'd go, and if she could properly balance stuff.

Training came and went, and Ochako found herself changing out of her hero costume. Ochako listened to the others talk about the lesson.

"That was a REALLY cool move you did with the springs, Yaomomo!" Tooru said, unzipping her costume. "Where'd that come from?"

"It was something I was keeping in the back of my mind for a while." Momo explained, as she let down her hair. "I know I didn't finish first, but I wasn't last. That's progress."

"I'll say." Tooru frowned. "I gotta work on my mobility."

"Just make up for it with reconnaissance." Jirou said, before her eyes drifted over to something on the wall.

Ochako took notice. "Something wrong, Jirou?"

"Have you guys ever noticed that hole in the wall?" Jirou asked.

"What?"

"Hey, she's right! Look!" Mina pointed over to the wall- sure enough, there was a small hole in the wall, big enough for an eye to peek through.

"Strange. I've never noticed it before." Tsu said.

"It's vague enough to escape your notice." Jirou said. "We should have Cementoss handle it-" Jirou's voice came to a halt. Jirou pressed her ear jack against the wall and listened.

"Jirou, what are you doing?" Ochako inquired.

"Wait a minute."

Jirou's second ear jack shot through the hole, and Mineta screamed from the other side. Jirou hissed.

"Pervert was sneaking a look." Jirou sneered.

Momo scowled as she created some puddy and a spade for herself. "I guess we'll have to take matters into our own hands."

Ochako smirked. She'd never looked at her classmates' offensive moves until the sports festival, but now that she had the Omnitrix, she wondered if she could learn something from their powers.

With Izuku using Bakugou's own moves, she had to wonder if she could replicate some of her other classmates' own moves, but add her own 'Ochako' twist to them. For example-

One of the forms Ochako had access to was Big Chill, who could fly and freeze things. On top of that, Big Chill could go intangible. Todoroki's ice moves were on par with Big Chill's own powerset. The intangibility, though- she didn't know anyone with intangibility powers. She'd have to figure that out by herself. However, there was a disconnect between Todoroki and Big Chill.

Ochako noticed Todoroki would remain stationary while shooting massive and long-range strikes with both ice and fire. From a fighting game perspective, he's practically a "Zoner." As an alien with intangibility and more mobility capabilities, Ochako would be foolish not to take advantage of that.

Was this going against Ben's advice of 'don't compare yourself to others'? Yeah, but she wasn't being like 'wow, he's so much cooler than me'- Ochako was more 'picking and choosing' about what to use from her friend's arsenal of moves.

There were other disconnects with alien powers and her classmates- more specifically with Iida and XLR8 (running styles were too different), Echo Echo and Jirou (Jirou's powers weren't as versatile) and Water Hazard and Mina (water was a DIFFERENT story than Mina's own acid).

Ochako would just have to master these 10 aliens in her own way, occasionally using her own classmates as a basis. It couldn't be that hard- she already had a hang of Heatblast and XLR8, kind of. How hard could it be to master 8 more aliens?

It felt strange, just sitting at home, waiting for the sun to set. Ochako felt like a vampire, simply waiting for the night to come. Ben was very precise about when she should utilize her powers: only at night, and only during the day if anything major was going on, such as something like the USJ incident happening.

Ochako struggled to do her homework- no one could read "Giving Up the Gun" by Noel Perrin with an Omnitrix strapped to their wrist, could they? Ochako's empty apartment felt more like a cage- she wanted to try out some of these new powers now.

Ochako's eyes darted towards her suitcase in the corner of the room. Unlike her usual costume's suitcase, this costume had the Omnitrix symbol on it. Honestly, it was dangerous for her to keep it out. If a landlord or thief saw it, they'd put two and two together somehow. Ochako would have to hide it someplace better, but her apartment was kind of small and dinky. Best place she could honestly do it was in her closet. Even if she put it under her bed, she didn't have a nice, comfy comforter or sheets that could hid the underside of her bed.

Ochako looked out the window once more, and back to her book. It was almost sunset right now.

Ochako threw her book in the air, and dashed to her suitcase. She immediately threw on her costume, and slipped on her helmet. Ochako tapped the helmet once or twice, and the helmet's interface lit up. Ochako grinned, before looking around.

Ochako looked to her wrist, and activated the Omnitrix. There was one alien who could let her easily sneak in and out of this apartment, without being noticed. Ochako slammed down the Omnitrix, as she started to transform. Ochako felt like her body was floating for a few moments- suddenly, blue and black 'ribbons' ensnared her body, and morphed into a cocoon around herself. Ochako felt her body grow skinner, lankier, before two hands and legs ripped their way out of the cocoon. The cocoon quickly unwrapped her body, and joined her back.

Ochako looked to her ceiling, and focused. A cold shiver went through her body, as she suddenly became intangible. Ochako jumped up, spreading her wings and she was out of her apartment. Ochako stayed intangible for a few more moments, as she flew off towards the city.

Have you ever tried moving your open palm quickly through water? Wide, flat things, such as your hand or a paddle, are difficult to maneuver quickly against water. It seems as though the water is pressing back on you. Or have you ever put your hand out the window of a car while moving and felt the air surge against it? In the wind, you may see-saw your hand up and down. In both circumstances, you can feel the water or air pushing against your flat palm.

When a bird is flying, its wings are flat so that air can readily flow around it in the direction the animal is going. However, something unusual and perplexing occurs here. Because the wing is somewhat bent on top, air flows quicker over the top than it does over the bottom. Because the air is traveling more slowly, there will be more air on the bottom side. When there is more air on the bottom, it causes a push, and because the push occurs against that large flat section of the wing, it elevates the animal. As a result, a bird wing cuts through the air in front of it and is pushed up from below, culminating in flight.

Flying was something Ochako never thought she would do- floating was one thing, but flying was totally different. Ochako was still a beginner, but for a starter, she was flying fantastically. Ochako could never get tired of the shining lights of the city below her.

"Awesome." Ochako said, with a grin.

Ochako flew around the city, unnoticed by all- Big Chill was a stealthy alien, and she could sneak past anyone without a 'searching' quirk of sorts. Ochako would take brief breaks to recharge her Omnitrix and look around, maybe wait for some police sirens, but nothing.

Ochako was secretly hoping for something exciting. Sure, it sounded bad. But since she couldn't use her powers at UA, this was her only outlet for it. Ochako was debating turning in early around 10:00 PM, when her helmet suddenly got a notification.

Ochako looked down- there was an ongoing robbery at some nearby store. Ochako raised an eyebrow. "Well, it'll let me use my aliens, so…" Ochako took off towards the location.

As she got closer, she could hear the telltale flare of police cruiser lights, lighting up some of the street in red and blue. At least five squad cars had formed a barricade around the bank. The lack of a Pro Hero on sight meant that either they hadn't arrived, or it hadn't been called in by the police. Maybe it was some small time thugs, either with relatively harmless quirks or they were entirely quirkless. Either way, the officers got into position, the officer in command already calling out to the robber over a megaphone to surrender. They were surrounded and it was more than likely a pro was on the way.

The threat of a pro hero actually did work sometimes. This was not one of those times.

"YOU IN THE BANK! THE BUILDING IS SURROUNDED, AND A PRO IS ON THEIR WAY!" The cop blared from his megaphone.

The man stepped out of the bank- now THIS was a sight for sore eyes. The man had spiky black hair, a yellow eye mask and bodysuit that reminded her of Tooru's new costume. He had big black gloves and boots, and looked a bit deranged.

"Not a chance!" The man yelled. "Call me the Challenger! You ain't taking my challenge- not while I got people in here!"

Ochako looked at the villain- he looked pretty weak, but still something she could take down with ease.

"Bastard has hostages." the lead officer muttered to himself, moving the megaphone away so his words weren't picked up. That definitely made things more complicated, quirk or no. But, given the costume, he probably did have some kind of power. He could risk a warning shot, but it was more likely for that to end poorly. Without knowing what the guy was capable of or how many hostages were in the bank, there were just too many unknowns to act.

And that was Ochako's cue. She turned invisible and flew towards a building adjacent to the bank just to get an angle on the guy. The Challenger was what he called himself? The name didn't ring any bells, probably a relatively new villain or someone who was lower on the threat scale. But Ochako had to check on one of those unknowns herself, the hostages, before taking the guy on. She used the innate intangibility of a Necrofriggian to fly over and move through the bank walls. She'd find the hostages, free them while this guy was barking demands at the police, then swoop in from behind to deal with him.

Straightforward plan, all things considered.

Ochako quietly snuck in, and made herself tangible to the group of people around. She hushed them, so they wouldn't make a noise to reveal she'd arrived.

Ochako looked around. "Is there an exit out of a backway?" She whispered to a nearby teller.

"U-uh yes," the teller stuttered, "It should still be an option. He didn't barge in with any cronies."

So he's either extremely confident or he's got more of a plan than we know, Ochako thought to herself.

"Then come on. You all go out the back while he's rambling." Ochako said. "I can handle him."

The crowd, assuming she was just Ben 10k, quickly followed her orders. Ochako waited a few more moments, as the Challenger continued his back and forth with the cops.

"Come ooooon! Where's that damn Pro?!" The Challenger sounded eager for some reason. Was he really some super fan trying to get a hero's attention?

The officers were just as confused as Ochako was inside. He wanted a Pro to show up? One of the officers got a look from one of their comrades that just screamed "The hell is up with this guy?" The other officer could only shrug in response.

Challenger, meanwhile, had crossed his arms by this point, like he was disappointed. He thought heroes would be more punctual than this. The normal police showed up before they did! How rarely does that happen these days?

Ochako cleared her throat. "I am here." She said, jokingly. The Challenger nearly jumped as he turned around.

"YOU!"

"Yeah, me." Ochako said, pretending to be Ben 10k. "Now, what's this about wanting a Pro Hero to come here?"

"Oh. You heard that," Challenger said, now a little unnerved. He was expecting a Pro...not one of the heavy hitters like Ben 10k.

"Every word."

Challenger cleared his throat and quickly regained his composure. "I wanted to see which one I got! I want to cut the wheat from the chaff. Yeah, that sounds right."

Wheat from the chaff? It didn't take long for Ochako to figure it out. This was another part of Stain's lingering legacy; someone else guided down the path of villainy by thinking reform should be done at the knife's edge.

"Influenced by recent events, are we?" Ochako frowned. Like Iida said- Stain's one track mind was 'attractive' to some. But, with all these villains popping up because of him...

Ochako opened up her hands, and created some shards of ice. "We can do this the easy way, or hard way."

"Well...you're so smart, you know which way I'm gonna take!" Challenger yelled. He tried to lash out with only his hands, which just showed how out-of-the-loop this guy was when it came to the heroes. Wanting to judge them, he knew so little about Ben 10ks own forms. Ochako quickly turned intangible, letting Challenger grasp at the air. Because he passed through the intangible form of the Necrofriggian, his hand was suddenly encased in ice.

"Hmmm." The Challenger frowned. "Chilly."

Ochako paused- she expected him to be more shocked, or annoyed or something. Saying 'chilly' to having your hand frozen in a block of ice was...odd.

The Challenger clenched his fist, and the block of ice was starting to melt. "This will do nicely." Ochako took a step back. What the? The Challenger slammed his foot on the ground, releasing a powerful, sweltering heat wave.

Ochako managed to fly out of the way, dodging the wave of fire. That took her by surprise. So his quirk was fire related? Good to know, especially since it was easy enough to counter.

The Challenger threw a ball of heat at Ochako, but she once again dodged it. His attacks are slow, too. This will be a cinch.

Ochako slapped down her Omnitrix, and morphed into a more mollusk like form- Water Hazard. Ochako didn't even hesitate to blast The Challenger out the door with a torrent of water.

The torrent slammed into the Challenger and sent him flying into the wall. The jet of water kept going to ensure the villain was pinned to the wall, only, much to Ochako's shock, for the stream to suddenly freeze. He was like Todoroki?!

Ochako quickly dodged out of the way of a smaller version of Todoroki's wall of ice. Ochako frowned. I need to see more of his fighting style before I make another switch- it could drain the Omnitrix battery!

Ochako created two streams of water from her hands, subsequently swinging such streams at the Challenger. The Challenger froze both of them, before rushing at Ochako. She barricaded herself within a barrier of swirling water, but the Challenger quickly froze it.

He's reliant on his Quirk, and for good reason. I've seen how Todoroki can use it, but...something just feels off about it. Ochako thought.

The villain tried to flank around and, unlike Todoroki, he fired off a barrage of ice spikes at Ochako. She used a whip of water to reflect the projectiles, but none of the spikes fired hit the Challenger. But that stood out to Ochako. Todoroki would use his fire for more long range attacks instead of the ice. Could he not swap between them efficiently?

Ochako needed to try something. Ochako swapped back to Big Chill, inhaled and exhaled a flow of cold wind at the opponent. The Challenger was frozen solid. Sure enough, he started to thaw almost immediately.

"Weird." Ochako frowned. She was getting closer to something.

The ice cracked and started to melt, freeing up some of Challenger's movement. Eventually, the icy prison completely shattered, sending the pieces everywhere.

"So, what is it? Fame, climbing up the ranks, some sponsorship?" Challenger asked, "Or are you actually closer to the Symbol of Peace? I mean...we both know the latter's less than likely. After all, how many other heroes did Stain bring down that everyone idolized and it turned out they were less than actually heroic?"

Ochako frowned. She wasn't exactly sure yet, but this was a Hail Mary move. Ochako slapped the Omnitrix down one more time- her form shifted, becoming more muscular and toned, with extra arms sprouting out...

Ochako slammed her two sets of fists together. "I'm a hero who wants to see people smile!" She yelled.

"Huh...ok. Well, this is gonna be weird," Challenger admitted in a mutter. Ochako faintly picked that up and it was starting to come together. There was just one last thing she needed to confirm. Ochako reeled back, and then delivered a powerful punch to the opponent. The attack sent The Challenger flying back into a police car.

"H-he's down!" A police officer yelled.

"No." Ochako said, raising up one of her hands. "Hold on..."

Challenger did take a good amount of damage from the hit, but he was able to quickly bring himself back up. At first, there was nothing special there. But, two more emerged from Challenger's body that grabbed onto the police car. Ok, he was mimicking Four Arms, no big deal there. And then he grew four more for a total of eight.

"Quirks can be hella unfair sometimes," an officer said upon seeing that.

"I get it!" Ochako said. "Your quirk allows you to counter whatever, just as long as you make contact with them, or their powers."

"Clever- hero of heroes, as they call you." The Challenger grinned. "Maybe you're worth keeping around."

With that, two pairs of Challenger's arms grabbed hold of the police cruiser's doors and ripped them off the vehicle. He then quickly wound up momentum and threw the doors as improvised weapons in rapid succession, one aimed at Ochako, the other at a nearby officer. Ochako managed to actually grab both thrown doors before they hit their targets, but that gave Challenger an opening. He closed the gap between them and landed a few good hits on Ochako in a rapid flurry of punches.

Ochako took the two doors and smashed them between the Challenger's head. The Challenger paused his attack to clutch his head in pain, as Ochako felt her injuries- they'd bruise her in the morning.

Looks like his durability got buffed a bit, given how destructive he's being, I need to lead him away from this place. Too many civilians.

With that in mind, Ochako had to dodge a few wild punches from the villain, who'd recovered from the sudden stun of two doors being slammed into his head. Say what you will about the challenger, he knew how to take advantage of the powers he copied. A few more hits and Ochako took a risk. She used some of the martial arts Ben taught her and grabbed hold of one Challenger's arms after sidestepping the last hit. She pivoted on one foot and pushed him forward, making him stumble and landing two good hits on him, before jumping up to the nearest roof.

Too many civilians around here sure, but as long as he kept the Four Arms counter on, he'd have to chase her down. No range options after all.

Ochako thought to herself for a few seconds- an enemy with a quirk that could counter anything he touched or felt. But it seems that his adaptation was built around countering other quirks or powers at the moment. She needed to test something.

She picked up a brick for this test.

When the Challenger landed on the roof to follow, Ochako found her opening. She threw the brick as hard as he could right at the would-be robber's face. The brick landed and sent the Challenger reeling back, two hands shooting to cover his face on pure instinct.

"SON OF A-! WHAT THE HELL?!" the Challenger yelled, muffled by his own hands. Thanks to durability, he wasn't seriously hurt, but it was probably still going to bruise. However, something that Ochako immediately took note of...was that his extra arms didn't get swapped out for a defensive counter, something like Kirishima's quirk.

"Okay...it's only in reaction to other powers." Ochako thought. Even if she threw a car at him to knock him out, he could easily catch it. Ochako needed to really knock this guy out, with something he couldn't catch easily. Most of her alien projectile attacks could also easily be countered, which is why that wasn't her Plan B right now.

Ochako remembered seeing a rundown building that wasn't far from here. That'd be perfect for it. She'd have to lure him there first. Easy enough, considering Challenger was probably seeing red right now. Well...she hoped it was just in the figurative manner anyway. With that, Ochako fled, leaping from roof to roof, trying to lure the Stain-inspired villain to where she remembered that rundown building to be.

Of course, he wasn't going to make it easy for her, why would he? As he tailed her, he grabbed anything he could- pieces of signs, bricks, pipes-and threw them at Ochako, hard. She managed to either dodge or catch and throw aside most of the projectiles, one or two landing a good hit on her; one hit even almost making her miss a jump.

Ochako barely felt the objects hit her skin- Four Arms was a lot more durable than she thought. Ochako looked back a few times, making sure she was in the right location. This part of the city was run down...but less civilians were here.

After a few more minutes of the chase, she saw the building in question, surrounded by scaffolding and demolition tools, all ready to tear the building down. She hated to rob the crew of the job and the circumstances really weren't helping. She threw one last pipe back towards Challenger before ducking into the building and readying her plan.

The would-be robber landed in front of the building, looking around for Ochako. Couldn't be hard to find a red, four armed giant...but this was the person with the Omnitrix. There had to be hundreds of different forms in there that could be used to hide.

"Ok...maybe I was wrong," Challenger taunted, "Maybe you're not up there with All Might. I mean, you ran away from me! Even though I know I'm not exactly a top-tier villain! Yeah, the quirk's strong but still!"

A bright light flashed from inside, and the Challenger grinned. "Alright...you wanna go about it the hard way, then."

The Challenger stepped inside, but saw nothing. He tried to recall more of Ben's stealthy aliens- Ghostfreak, Chamalien, Big Chill. And he could counter them all with ease.

Hell, he already did counter Big Chill. This was gonna be easy. Maybe the Omnitrix wielder's accomplishments were all exaggerated.

"Come on, kid." The Challenger said, looking around. "What, you gonna flee from me? Don't you have an alien that can handle me or something?"

"Quite the opposite." A tiny voice squeaked. The Challenger looked up and saw Ochako, on the ceiling.

"You're kidding. You must be out of practice..." Challenger chuckled. Ochako was no longer the massive Four Arms, but instead, she was...small. Hell, this form could stand on Challenger's shoulder with no issue. This form had gray skin with two large eyes, wearing a black jumpsuit with pink highlights in the middle of the chest and around the sleeves and shoulders. Huh. That's weird. Challenger thought green was the go-to color for the Omnitrix...

"What, you're afraid you can't take me?" Ochako smirked. "Too tough for you?"

"What!? No, I could SMASH that pipsqueak form of yours with ease!" The Challenger insisted, as Ochako scurried away, onto the side of another wall.

"Then come on! Punch me already." Ochako said, motioning for him to draw closer.

Challenger narrowed his eyes and fell for it like a bull with a matador. He raced in, arms reared back for the punch. Ochako leapt out of the way just in time, letting Challenger smash in the wall instead.

"You call that a punch? I hit you harder when I was Big Chill!" Ochako taunted.

Ochako landed on the ground, and began to scurry away. The Challenger's eyes widened, as he dove at the girl. "I'LL SMASH YOU INTO THE EARTH!" He yelled, as Ochako jumped away, onto another wall. The Challenger smashed into the ground, making another hole.

Ochako grinned, as she looked around the room. It was weird, but...being in this form made her feel like Deku. The way she was able to analyze and predict his moves, and see where to go next- it was strange, but totally in line with Deku's smarts. The size was a problem though- one wrong move, and she could be squished.

Speaking of getting squished, her train of thought was interrupted when she had to dodge another one of Challenger's anger-fueled strikes. Again and again, he kept falling for it, punching where Ochako had been. He was so focused on her that he failed to pay attention to the building itself.

Ochako leapt around some more, dodging some more punches- until her brain told her to just start RUNNING. Ochako didn't even question that sudden tension headache. She just changed forms to Big Chill, and got out of the building.

"Oh, what? That's it?! All that bark and no-" Challenger started before he felt a pebble fall on his head.

"-bite?" He looked up and saw just how ready to give the ceiling was.

"...ah shit." the would-be robber sighed in defeat.

The building collapsed in a second. Ochako watched the scene from above. Her parents owned a construction company, but they had done some demolition jobs themselves from time to time- Ochako had seen a few of those, but her being responsible for this one? Weird.

Ochako was going to fly away, but…

Hero law was to always rescue someone, no matter what. She'd feel awful if she just left the Challenger there. He did survive all the debris, thankfully. Copying Four Arms might've saved his life. He was totally unconscious when Ochako pulled him from the rubble. Now she just needed to detain him for when the police arrived.

Ochako pulled out something her suit came with- a special sort of 'full body' handcuff. She'd leave the keys with an officer. She placed a small 'smoke detector' like device on his body, and pressed a button. Multiple tendrils shot out, and wrapped around his torso, restraining his arms. Legs were still an issue, but she doubted he'd be running.

After they had secured the hostages, some of the squad cars had followed Ochako and the Challenger, just in case the hero needed some back-up. Of course, when they saw the smoke plume rise up on the horizon, they knew where to go. When the cars arrived, Ochako had shifted back to Four Arms and was waiting for them. Two officers ran over to check on Challenger while Ochako handed the keys to a third. She gave a quick salute before turning back to Big Chill and flying off.

"It was weird of Ben 10k to show up- thought he was in the city over…" One cop said.

"Eh, who cares? He got the job done," Another said.

Uraraka made it back to her apartment at a decent time. As she transformed back to human, she felt both incredibly hyped but also incredibly tired, both for the same reason. She just took on her first Villain as the Omnitrix's successor solo. Sure, he wasn't exactly a major villain like the League or the infamous Curator, but he was still the first one she took down all on her own!

Part of her wanted to call up Ben right now and tell him the good news, feeling like she could go on for a good few hours recounting the fight. The mental image she had of that actually reminded her a bit of how Izuku would react when asked about one of All Might's many great feats. The other part was exhausted, only wanting to drop down onto her bed, rest her head on her pillow and let sweet sleep embrace her. She could always tell Ben about it tomorrow.

In the end, that part won out.

She quickly took off and hid her Tennyson-inspired hero outfit and, after changing into her pajamas, fell into her bed.

"Oh I needed this," Uraraka sighed in relief, burying her face in the pillow, "Finally I can just lay down and relax. Nothing else to stress out about, nothing else to keep me up tonight." The student was about to happily doze off…until she rolled to the side. Stacked up on the desk were the next day's assignments. It was then that Uraraka realized that none of them were anywhere close to done.

"Oh heck," Uraraka sighed.

I know this chapter isn't as long as the previous (like 1/3 the pages) but that was the pilot. By the time we get to the end of this arc, it'll be a more comfortable 30 pages or something.

Thank you, and please leave a review!

Chapter Text

Chapter 3! I dunno how people are feeling about the 'filler' but I find them to be great ways to establish characters, the universe and character arcs for the future. I also have a TV Tropes page now! So, that's cool.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Ochako tapped her pen against her desk a few dozen times. More nights had been spent on the street than at her desk, working on homework or studying. She'd completely forgotten about today's mathematics exam...and she was woefully unprepared.

Calculate the following integral ∫x2 sinx3dx...

That was the first question, and Ochako was struggling HARD with it. She felt like Kaminari after he fried his brain. The girl took another deep breath, and closed her eyes.

Bite the bullet, Ochako. She told herself. It's one bad test. It won't cost you much.

Ochako wistfully began to fill out the exam, answering to the best of her abilities. At the end of class, Ochako hesitantly handed it back to Ectoplasm, and groaned.

"Hard test, am I right?" Mina asked her as they walked out.

"Yeah, a bit harder than usual." Ochako pouted.

"Not usually that bad for you. I'm sure you did fine," Mina reassured. While she appreciated the thought, Ochako knew that this was going to plummet when compared to her usual grades. And when that big of a difference shows up, it's a bit curious. She couldn't explain why either, at least not to her friends, not yet.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I did better than I expected on the test-" Ochako said.

Aizawa slid the paper before Ochako. "Care to explain this grade?"

Ochako had been pulled aside by Mr. Aizawa sometime during her free period. Ochako looked down at the paper- it was from Ectoplasm. 22%.

"Uh, it was just a bad test." Ochako said, scratching the back of her neck. "That's all."

"One bad test...next to many." Aizawa pulled out some more papers. 30%. 58%. 41%. "Uraraka, I know you can do better than this- if you can't pull yourself together before exams, there's a chance you might not make it to see Semester 2."

"Okay, a few tests. Things have just piled up, that's all," Ochako lied, hoping that her teacher bought it. Given how his expression never really seemed to change, it was next to impossible to tell if he bought it. Honestly, that worked in his favor in a lot of situations, especially getting the truth out of people.

"And until you sort this out," Aizawa said. "I'm going to have to restrict some of your classes in the field. Until your grades see improvement, you'll need to work through this. I can recommend some tutors, or set aside time to work through some of the problems if you're having trouble."

"Oh! Thank you, Mr. Aizawa," Ochako said, still unsure if her lie worked. He didn't actually acknowledge the reasoning itself, just a solution.

"Who did you have in mind?" the Class 1-A student asked.

"Iida, Momo or Midoryia. They're some of the best students across all courses." Aizawa said. "I'd recommend Bakugou, who's also in that category, but..."

"He's intense?"

"That's putting it lightly." Aizawa said. "Either way. You need to step up your grades."

"Right. Could probably ask them right after this, honestly."

"Good. Now the-" Aizawa was about to leave, but his cell went off, forcing him to answer, "Eraserhead. What's goi-...what do you mean?"

Ochako perked up. The phone call sounded enticing. "That doesn't…" He made a face, and rubbed his chin. "I'll be right over. I'm handling this myself." He hung up and quickly left his office, grabbing his goggles on the way.

"You're dismissed. I've got something to deal with..." the 1-A professor said, before making for the principal's office. After all, he was going to be cutting his teaching hours short today.

Ochako watched him leave. That was weird. Ochako thought, as she looked back at her papers. But, Aizawa did have a point. Her grades were seriously slipping. With finals barely a month away, she needed to step up her game. She'd ask the three later, maybe after class.

Ochako had studying to do.

Aizawa opened the door to Principal Nedzu's office and, as usual, the small principal was enjoying a cup of tea.

"Ah, Eraser. Something on you-" Nedzu began.

"Did you hear?" Aizawa said, cutting the principal off, something that never happened.

"No, I did not. Though, given your tone, I expect I'm about to get a call..."

"No. But I'm afraid I'll need to leave campus for the day. I just got a call from the police. Edgeshot's been taken into custody."

Nedzu nearly dropped his tea at that, just processing the words.

"I got the details. Edgeshot's been accused of robbery, getting away with over $10,000. What's worse, it was a bank that he consulted for."

"How do they know for sure it was him?" Nedzu asked, calmly putting his teacup down.

"Security footage. Haven't seen it yet, but there is footage with Edgeshot involved."

"I take it they haven't dismissed the possibility of Quirk influence?"

"Nope. They're keeping an open mind, but I wanna be there before they start asking him questions."

"Oh, dear." Nedzu sighed, and shook his head. "I'll take over teaching your classes for the day. You should look into this...I can't imagine how the public would react to this news."

"The officers are keeping this need-to-know for now. That's why they only called me." Aizawa said, lowering the goggles over his eyes. "Oh, and...while you're teaching...keep on Uraraka. Her grades have been slipping lately."

And with that, Eraserhead left, making his way down to the police station where Edgeshot was detained.

Nedzu looked out his window for a few moments, lost in thought.

Mythology, science fiction, and comic books are rife with stories about heroes and their fights against society's ills—the constant conflict between good and evil. We are supposed to see these two primary characters—the Hero and the Villain—as polar opposites in terms of ethics and morals. But, when it comes to their particular characteristics and habits, are they really that dissimilar?

Nedzu shook his head. "Oh, enough pondering for now. I suppose it's time I make my way to Aizawa's hero studies class."

It didn't take long for Aizawa to arrive at the police station. The officers didn't get in his way when he showed up, one of them even taking him to the room where Edgeshot was waiting. It was an interrogation room, but there was at least another officer in there with him, one whose Quirk gave him cat-like characteristics. And by "characteristics," that meant a full fledged cat head.

"Eraserhead," Edgeshot said, taking immediate notice of the Erasure Hero when he entered.

"Edge," Aizawa nodded, taking a seat next to the officer.

"I can tell you right now. The robbery was not my doing. I was elsewhere at the time." Edgeshot didn't seem too worried about the accusations. Eraserhead had to give him credit for that.

"Police say they got footage of you. It might have been you, but on someone else's orders. Mind Control Quirks can have all kinds of limitations and different triggers. None of your own old enemies have something like that, do they?"

"No, no. I would recall an enemy having such a quirk. I'd ask that they be locked up and watched over a bit more than usual." Edgeshot said. "I would like to see the footage, though."

"Do you have it?" Aizawa asked the officer. The officer handed him a tablet. Aizawa pressed play.

It was sped up to around midnight. At first, everything seemed quiet, but, since Aizawa knew what he was looking for, it was easy to spot something forming by the door. Using his Quirk, Edgeshot managed to slip in through the front door of the bank. While he did try and avoid the major cameras, and did well in doing so, this camera, sufficiently hidden in case of a villain incursion, managed to pick him up.

"Edge, how long can you hold Foldabody's threads?" Aizawa asked, not even looking up from the screen.

"I have trained it to hold my body for as long as 10 minutes." Edgeshot said. "Longer if I push myself."

"Ten minutes. The footage here has 'you' using it for no more than three at a time."

"Then that person is an imposter." Edgeshot said. "How fast is he?"

"He's fast. But cameras are able to pick him up."

"He's a rookie as well." Edgeshot said. "I can thin myself out to the point that I don't even register on cameras. It's a handy stealth tool."

"The only thing of note is that this Edgeshot looks identical to you. Not some cheap disguise or homemade costume. It's a one-to-one copy. Outfit, height, everything..."

"His quirk could allow him to copy one's powers and appearance." Edgeshot suggested. "It's not beyond the realms of belief that a person can copy a quirk- one of the students from the sports festival comes to mind. But to copy both..."

Aizawa frowned. "That's a dangerous quirk, if your theory is right."

"If I may add something," the cat officer suddenly chimed in, "Do either of you find it...odd that it was specifically Edgeshot that was copied? The number five hero, robbing a bank he knew inside and out? He could've chosen a lot of different Quirks to copy."

"You're right. Humiliating a Pro like this." Edgeshot began, "It could be someone emboldened by Stain's philosophies."

"Those have been picking up as of late. There was an attempted bank robbery a few weeks back, with someone calling himself 'The Challenger', aka Nakamura Hatsuharu." Aizawa said. "Ben Tennyson happened to be in the area, and took care of him with ease."

"Tennyson? Little surprised there, but you're right. Stain's words have essentially formed a new generation of villains almost overnight. It's frightening."

"Agreed...all the more reason to figure out who's impersonating you, hopefully before they decide to impersonate someone else."

"One has to wonder about the extent of their powers. If they're able to replicate a man like All Might…" Edgeshot stopped himself. "No. Such a thought is impossible."

"I'm not sure that word has a meaning in our current society." Aizawa said, before he got a call. "Excuse me."

Aizawa stepped out of the office and answered his phone. "Eraserhead speaking."

"Eraser- we need your help. Mt. Lady, she's-" A very panicked police officer said on the other line. Then, what sounded like a car being thrown suddenly cut the line off, as Aizawa was left in confusion.

"Looks like our impersonator is back at it again." He thought aloud, before running off.

Given the form the impostor had chosen, it wasn't hard to miss the crime scene. "Mt. Lady" was currently in a standoff with some of the police. A hole had punched into the roof of another bank, right into its main vault. The vault itself had been cleared out in seconds. The officers on the scene were trying to subdue the, to them anyway, unknown impostor, but nothing was working.

A few more officers arrived for backup, along with Edgeshot and Aizawa.

"If this is an impostor, would your Quirk undo the transformation entirely?" Edge asked.

"Possibly. But it's just as possible that I'd only shrink them. Quirks layered like this...hard to predict how they'd be affected."

Aizawa looked at the building. "That building is about 7.8 meters high. Mt. Lady is usually around 20 meters tall. Plus, she has a terrible reputation for wrecking buildings." Aizawa said. "This building should've been destroyed by her sudden increase in height...but, given how the bank is still standing."

"It's possible that the imposter is now impersonating Mt. Lady." Edgeshot said.

"More than just 'possible.' Distract them. Once I'm in position, I'll try Erasure. If they lose just Gigantification, be ready to catch them," Aizawa said, adjusting his goggles and scarf.

"Of course." Edgeshot said, as he zipped off. Aizawa maneuvered himself around the city, unaware that he was being watched.

"Woah, Mt. Lady went rogue?" Ochako said, peering out of a nearby alley. "Time for Tennyson to do their part, then."

Ochako paused. "As soon as I change into my costume. Don't want Aizawa finding out I'm doing this." Ochako quickly shifted into XLR8, and rushed off to her apartment.

Another car was thrown at the officers, fortunately missing them and instead just slamming into a nearby building. The fake Mt. Lady was about to throw another but her wrist was suddenly bound by Edgeshot. She released the car in her hand, forcing Edgeshot to catch it as well, which is just what the impostor wanted. She stomped down, causing the ground to shake and Edge to lose his focus. With that, the Pro-Hero impostor simply pulled on Edge's strings and flung him over to another building.

"Great- the real deal is here." The fake Mt. Lady huffed. "There goes my getaway plan. And if he's here...there's gotta be backup."

The imposter looked around, before she slammed on the ground with her foot. The ground shook, causing debris to fall. The dust quickly obscured Aizawa's vision of her, giving her time to make a good getaway.

She made her break for it, only to be tripped up by a quick green blur. The speed trail slammed into her ankles a few times, hoping to trip her up. Ochako came to a halt, and began to pick up pieces of debris to toss at the imposter's body. Chunks of concrete pelted her body.

"H-hey! Watch the body!" The imposter yelled, trying to swat Ochako away.

Edgeshot got back to his feet, recovering from being flung into the building. If that was the real Mt. Lady, Edgeshot would be out of commission for a lot longer. When he saw the alien figure stopping the impostor from escaping, he was certainly surprised.

"Tennyson?" the Ninja Hero muttered. The surprise was quickly replaced with relief at the extra help. Maybe he could use that one form of his to match this impostor's size. What did he call it again?

"F-forget the money! If Tennyson's here, I need to get out of here. I can check out this body later!"

Ochako winced. Gross .

The fake Mt. Lady shrunk down, and threw something at XLR8. Ochako was struck by two bags of money, which hit a lot harder than she was expecting. The Mt. Lady expy quickly took off her face...and put another one on.

"TATA FOR NOW~!" Ochako knew that arrogant voice- it was that Playboy Hero: Captain Celebrity. Ochako watched the imposter fly away, but he wasn't that fast.

Edgeshot quickly raced over and saw the impostor fly off. He tried to hook the Captain Celebrity doppelganger with his strings. The fake Pro dodged out of the way and tried to fly as fast as he could, putting the most distance between him and Edge's strings as he could.

"Damn it. Not a total loss though. Learned they could swap personas in a matter of seconds. He's like me." Ochako muttered to herself. "But he can turn into...anyone!"

Ochako slapped down the Omnitrix again, and quickly shifted forms- this time into Big Chill. She flapped her wings and took to the skies. "It's like Monoma- can copy quirks and their appearances but he lacks their skill. Mt. Lady probably had that size when she was a student, and the way his Captain Celebrity moves is like a novice at best."

"Aizawa, where are you?" Edge asked into an earpiece.

"Dealing with some of the wounded, why?" Aizawa asked back.

"Whoever they are, the impostor changed again. From Mt. Lady to Captain Celebrity in seconds."

"Seconds? Missing something then. He has to be a drawback to that kind of ability. Where are they now?"

"Fleeing, but I'm going to try and follow Tennyson and catch them."

"Alright, I'll be on my-" Aizawa said, but stopped when he heard that name. Tennyson? He was here?

Ochako flew forward, hovering above Skyline. She unleashed a powerful exhale of frost, expecting to turn that superphony into a popsicle- instead, the ice hit a weird barrier around his body. The imposter smiled.

"This form is GREAT to make a getaway- especially given his quirk." He grinned.

"Quirk?! I thought he could just fly!" Ochako said.

"Aerodynamic barrier- doesn't take much practice to use." The imposter said.

While he was distracted, several items were thrown at him from the ground level. He managed to catch a few of them, the rest being deflected by the barrier. Edgeshot caught the reflected debris and threw it aside to where no one would get hurt. The Ninja Hero was jumping from roof to roof, trying to keep up with the two fliers.

"Oh, and Edge is still with us! Wonderful!" the fake Captain Celebrity complained with a roll of his eyes.

"You're not gonna get away with this easily, faker!" Ochako said, flying down closer to the faker. Ochako's hand turned intangible, as she tried to phase her way through the barrier...and it worked. Ochako jabbed her hand into his back, freezing it.

"G-GAH! COLD COLD COLD!" The faker said, starting to fly erratically.

"Perfect! Force him lower if you can!" Edgeshot shouted, strings at the ready to bind this impostor once they were in range.

"F-FINE! I didn't want to play my trump card so soon, but-!" The man flew to a nearby building, and removed his face once more. Ochako caught a glimpse of his true form- it looked like a man with pitch black skin and no other discernible features- no eyes or ears or anything. The man reached into his jacket and pulled out another face.

The man slapped on the face...and Ochako watched in shock as his body morphed into the number 2 hero.

Endeavor.

Ochako's first instinct wasn't even to fight back. The man started charging up a powerful burst of flames in his hands, and he chucked it at Edgeshot-

Ochako thankful snagged Edgeshot out of the way before he was incinerated to kingdom come.

"Myself, Mt. Lady, even Endeavor? How the hell is he doing this? What's the trigger?" Edgeshot asked, almost in disbelief.

"I think it's masks," Ochako said. "Before, when he changed from Mt. Lady to Captain Celebrity...it looked like he removed the face of the disguise. Put on another and swapped forms. Same thing happened here before he turned to Endeavor."

"Good eye, Tennyson." Edgeshot looked over, to see that the Endeavor imposter was gone. "Unfortunately, your act of kindness has created an opening for him." Ochako set down Edgeshot, and huffed.

"Connect back with Aizawa. I'm gonna search for him, and send one of my sidekicks to connect with you." Ochako said.

"Right. Look forward to working with you, Tennyson," Edgeshot nodded, before making his way back to Aizawa.

"R-right." Ochako said, as she flew off. She felt bad for lying, but...it was nice to be on level with a pro.

If it was Deku in this situation, he'd be freaking out.

Edgeshot quickly returned to the scene of the crime, the officers were still recovering from the fight, but none of them were too badly injured. Aizawa was inspecting the bank, just to make sure no one else was hurt from "Mt. Lady" punching the roof in. Just in case the hole weakened other parts of the building. Fortunately, everything and everyone seemed to be in one piece.

When he was told about Tennyson offering up some help, Aizawa agreed...despite him knowing something was up. Tennyson was supposed to be working on another case, not doing patrols. Sure, sending a sidekick would make sense, but to show himself? Something was off. When he could, he'd try to contact Ben about it.

Ochako was nervous about approaching the Pros in her 'vigilante' costume. What were the chances that Aizawa would recognize her, even with the helmet and voice filter?

Ochako flew down from a nearby building and approached the two heroes. Maybe if she put some 'twang' on her voice, it would make her harder to recognize with the voice filter. "Eraserhead, Edgeshot." She said- her voice filter made her sound a bit older. "I work with Ben 10,000. My name is..."

Crap. Ochako never thought of a name for herself. "Spanner."

The name just sort of popped into her head. She went with it.

Aizawa paused. "Spanner. Right." Aizawa said. "Ben still tracking the villain?"

"From what he said, yes. Though he didn't really leave much of a trail. There one minute, gone the next. After he used a burst of fire."

"And considering what he told me, they could be anyone now as long as he has a mask," Edgeshot explained.

"A mask? So that's the trigger." Aizawa hummed in thought.

Ochako paused to think for a few moments. "...are there any costume shops within the area?"

"Of course," Aizawa said. "He could be using the shops to restock and provide himself with whatever powers he can get his hands on. Heroes have some of the most popular costumes, after all."

"Should be easy enough to track. Ask the officers for some help on that front, we'd have the details in a few hours," Edgeshot agreed.

"Right, right. I'll contact Ben right away." Ochako said, turning to walk away. "Again, my apologies that Ben could not attend the meeting-"

"It's fine. Give him my regards." Aizawa said.

"Oh...uh, of course!" Spanner said, stepping aside to make a call to Ben. Ochako flew off with her rocket propelling boots, as Ben answered.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ben asked. "You okay? I saw something about Mt. Lady going crazy around your area."

"Yeah. Shapeshifter villain. Uses costume parts to become the real deal. Edgeshot and Eraserhead are on the case. And so are you. If anyone asks, I'm your sidekick named 'Spanner.'" Ochako summarized.

"That's a lame name." Ben snickered.

"It was in the heat of the moment, I got scared. Would he buy that you're extending my internship? My grades haven't exactly been doing well," Ochako admitted nervously, hoping that would alleviate any of Mr. Aizawa's suspicions.

"Oh, no. I'm just gonna straight-up lie." Ben said. "UA would honestly have my ass if they figured out you were my successor. Almost happened with Toshi-"

"Huh?" Ochako said.

"Ah, forget I said anything." Ben said. "Just track down the guy, and I'll be there soon."

"Great. Hopefully the police station's a good meet-up place. Gonna try and track the guy through what he's bought. His Quirk has made him rely on a large supply of masks, so we're hoping to get his real name that way."

"Good idea. I'll see you there soon, then."

Ochako landed on a building and sighed loudly. As if she wasn't already under duress, Aizawa could figure out who she was. Ben was concerned about how her identity would be discovered as well.

All she could do now was wait for the next signal.

Aizawa had taken it upon himself to investigate the site where the impostor had disappeared. While the plan was all set, he wanted to try and save them some time. He looked around the area, just keeping an eye out for anything that Tennyson or Edgeshot might've missed in the chaos. When he got to the building the identity thief was cornered at, it took him about an hour or two until he found a lead.

The Captain Celebrity mask. He must've dropped it when he escaped. He looked the mask over, hoping to find a tag or something to show where it was bought from.

Where have I seen this mask before? Aizawa asked, as he thought back to a few months prior.

"Awwwwwww, come on, Eraser!" The costumed Present Mic said, dressed in a poor muscle suit of All Might, with a really poor mask of his face covering his own. "Show some Halloween spirit! I AM HERE!"

Aizawa looked up at his friend, a tired look in his eyes. "I'd rather not. Where did you even get that?"

"Oh, some costume shop in downtown Musutafu," Present Mic grinned, pulling up his mask. "It was closing down, so I got this for cheap! Not too late to run down and get something- you and me could go as a rad All Might and Captain Celeb-"

"In your dreams, Hizashi." Aizawa huffed, as he returned to his paperwork.

"I'm thankful for that man and his shenanigans." Aizawa said, shaking his head.

Mask in hand, Aizawa made his way back to the police station. He threw the mask to Edgeshot when he got there, who was deep in conversation with the police commissioner about their next move.

"Think I know where we can find him," Eraser said.

"You work faster than I do." Edgeshot bemused. "Well done."

"My associate Present Mic tried to rope me into wearing a costume for Halloween a while back. He mentioned something about a costume shop that wasn't too far from here." Aizawa said. "And I bet that's this criminal's base of operations."

"Best we get over and see if we can catch him in the act," Edgeshot said. "Who knows what devious acts he's planning."

The faux Mt. Lady sat on a couch, eating some ice cream. The imposter sighed. "Stupid Ben 10k, showing up and ruining my fun. Wish I could copy that guy's powers, I'd be unstoppable." The imposter shook their head. "Shame these clothes don't come off either...would love to take a peek under here."

The imposter wiped some drool from her 'borrowed' lips. "Come on, Obake. Don't be desperate."

Obake the Imposter! Quirk: Dress Up. He can turn into ANYBODY as long as he wears something that belongs to someone or resembles someone else, he can easily turn into them. Of course, he lacks the training and finesse of the pros, and if the clothing gets torn or damaged, he'll easily revert back to normal.

Even though 10K had ruined this heist, Obake already had a few ideas of who's identity to steal next. Kamui Woods was a good option, the wood control letting him subdue multiple guards at once. Ectoplasm, too. That Quirk would make him a one-man heist crew. Or he could keep going with the "giant" theme and use Ryukyu. Dragons were always a good option.

"Hm...do I wanna bring out the big guns?" Obake looked over at a certain mask. "Nah. I'll save her for later. But, I'll carry her around just in case."

Obake stood up and snagged the mask. "Now, hopefully they're out looking for the Endeavor faker." The imposter pulled off their face, and sighed.

Obake's form shifted back to his usual self, a pitch black skinned humanoid figure that just looked entirely alien. It was almost like a motion-capture suit brought to life, just without all the beads at the joints.

"Now. Aside from the faces I can wear...where to hit next..." the identity theft mused.

The identity thief walked down a large collection of masks- Aizawa was right, heroes had the most popular costumes. He could become anyone, at any time. Even a random civilian. He stole clothes from a clothing drive. "Shame Aizawa isn't a popular costume. Could use his own quirk against those pesky heroes."

"Speaking of popularity...maybe we take advantage of the 'heroes who look like villains' ranking." Obake said, stopping in front of a particular mask, "Almost too good a fit, honestly."

"Of course, I don't want to wreck my place. Oh, decisions, decisions..." Obake huffed, before he heard a door open upstairs.

"...it appears I have company."

The identity thief grabbed the black and white mask and put it on. His form began to shift, gaining muscle mass and an outfit resembling a high-colored white business suit with a pink tie.

"Let's see 'em deal with this," Obake smirked, his voice getting deeper and more like a growl.

Aizawa, Edgeshot and 'Spanner' all stood outside of the costume shop, with a dozen or so cops as backup for...just about anything. Ochako took note of a few of the cars- heavy armored cars, tactical weapons, even some other random Pros were behind them.

Oh. This is a raid. Ochako realized. Looks pretty hamfisted, if you ask me.

"Where's Tennyson?" Aizawa asked.

"On his way- he, uh, had to stop another crime." Ochako lied.

"Another? Bad timing." Edgeshot muttered.

"Doesn't matter. We keep waiting, more time he's got to either make a getaway or hide," Aizawa said, nodding to the police and other Pros.

Aizawa walked over to the door. He slowly twisted the knob-

And the wall next to him exploded as the group of cops were blown away by a hypersonic blast of noise. Ochako covered her ears behind her helmet- oh, God. It felt like a cluster headache was exploding inside her brain!

From the dust and rubble scattering away from the wall, the massive figure of Gang Orca raced out of the hole. He grabbed one one of the other officers by the head and threw them into another. One of the other pros, Gunhead, took aim at the Gang Orca doppelganger and fired claw-like projectiles at them. With the hide he was sporting, Obake wasn't gonna be hurt by the barrage, but it was enough to distract him. Threads wrapped around the identity thief's wrists, courtesy of Edgeshot. He tried to bind the copy, but Gang Orca's strength was too great, letting him easily fling the Pro into one of the armored cars.

"Damn it," Aizawa muttered, "Can't erase his Quirk. It's a mutant type."

Ochako frowned, as she tried to get in the back of the chaos. She could transform in the back, just to stall. She sent a message to the real Ben, before activating the Omnitrix. "Let's just gauge how strong Gang Orca really is." Ochako said, smacking down the Omnitrix.

After a brief flash of pink light, Ochako had gained a substantial height and strength boost. Her skin had changed to a deep crimson hue and she had even gained a second set of arms. Slamming her four fists together, Ochako as Four Arms leapt to the front towards the fake Gang Orca, two fists reared back. As she descended, the two punches landed, one in the gut and one in the face. Gang Orca was tough, but two hits from a Tetramand was enough to stagger most people.

"10K! Just had to show up and ruin another thing for me, huh?" Obake growled.

"That's my job." Ochako grinned, as she punched Obake in the chest with her lower arms. Obake gagged, as Ochako began to pulverize him. Uppercuts with her upper and lower arms, double spinning backhands and nasty jabs- Ochako was being brutal with Obake.

The identity thief growled and, through the barrage of punches, slammed his head into Ochako. Before Ochako could even recover from staggering, the copy of Gang Orca followed up by blasting "10K" with one of his sonic waves. Obake may not have known the most about Ben's aliens, but he figured that, as long as they didn't have the same sound power, sonics would still mess them up.

Ochako screamed but pushed through the attack and headbutted Gang Orca back. The blubber cushioned the attack, but it still caused considerable harm. Aizawa made a painful-looking face, something a Pro would probably not do. Especially if you are in danger of a concussion.

Ochako shook her head as the Gang Orca clone approached her. "Ow." The imposter grumbled.

The copy then struck out, using the opening to try and land a few hits on Ochako as well. She reacted just as quickly, matching blows with the fake Pro. Hit after hit struck against each other and from there it looked like things would be a stalemate. Of course, that is if Aizawa didn't interfere. While he couldn't get rid of mutant Quirks, he still had his Capturing Weapon. The scarf wrapped around Obake's eyes and even bound his arm, leaving him open.

Ochako leaped at this opportunity. "Enjoyed that sonic wave attack you did earlier- wanna see MY version?!" She jumped back and clapped all of her hands together. A powerful shockwave sent the Gang Orca imposter flying through the building.

Ochako grinned. "I'm glad that worked."

"You thought it wouldn't?" Aizawa asked, having heard that little comment.

"Gang Orca's been known to take some heavy hits. Wouldn't shock me if he can take some attacks like that-" Ochako said, before she was spear kicked in the face by something fast.

Aizawa tried to bind Obake again with his scarf, only for the identity thief to leap out of the way and land a spin-kick to Eraserheads gut. He doubled over, but quickly recovered...only to see another Pro-Hero's form had replaced Gang Orca's. Now, the impostor had morphed into Mirko.

"Can't keep up, can you?" The faux Mirko laughed. "Knew this form was good for something beyond ogling."

"Ew." Ochako frowned, as she slapped down the Omnitrix and morphed into another form. XLR8 took her place, as her helmet went over her face. "Let's see how fast you REALLY are."

"Really lucky the real one isn't here. We'd have to hold her back after we throw cuffs on you," Aizawa said, readying his scarf. True, none of his strikes may not connect unless she was distracted, but doing so let Tennyson have more of an opening himself.

Ochako launched a forceful slash attack at the Mirko impostor, followed by a short attack in which she spear kicked the imposter in the chest with both legs (balancing temporarily on her tail) and then continued to kick fast at Mirko's chest, high into the sky. The Mirko imposter responded to the attacks by brute-forcing her way through the blows and hitting Ochako's neck with an equally powerful roundhouse kick and followed up by a rapid-fire flurry of kicks aimed straight forward.

During the barrage, Edgeshot recovered and realized Tennyson had all the impostor's attention. He sent several of his strings forward, wrapping around the impostor's waist and pulling them away from XLR8. He slammed them into the ground a few times before throwing the fake Mirko into a wall. He launched himself into the air and folded his body into a single pointed string that lunged at the incapacitated villain.

"Thousand Sheet Pierce!" Edgeshot yelled as he raced towards the identity thief.

The imposter Mirko felt Edgeshot tear through their body, and this faint, shaky feeling overtaking their body. Edgeshot's face appeared before them, as the Mirko began to breathe heavily.

"Let me remove your mask for you." Edgeshot said, grabbing their face.

Which is EXACTLY what the Imposter wanted. Fun fact: Obake could wear a mask on top of another mask.

When the ninja pulled back the mask, Obake's form changed again, making the Ninja Hero's Super Move in vain. Obake skyrocketed in height, easily reaching around 13 feet. Dark gray scales covered his body, before they, too, were covered by a high collared and ripped white coat, a pair of baggy white pants with red flame patterns around the collar and most of the lower portion of his pants, all lined with yellow. A tail sprouted from behind him and slammed into the ground, cracking the pavement beneath it.

"Oh, that's just cheating," Gunhead muttered upon seeing Obake turn into Godzillo.

Ochako grimaced. Godzillo...he's an incredible disaster response hero. He's gone toe to toe with threats like the Growrilla and Thunder Dragon. Taking him down isn't gonna be easy.

Ochako spun around to Eraserhead. "How much weight can that thing handle?" She yelled.

"Quite a bit...but not enough to deal with that." Eraser said. Obake smirked and let out a roar that sounded scarily familiar to a classic monster movie icon. He struck out with his newly acquired tail, forcing the Pros to scatter. The impact shook the earth and crushed the pavement beneath it again. Edgeshot had pulled himself out of the way, along with a few other officers and Pros. Same with Ochako.

"Alright, time to buff up my weight class." Ochako said. "STAND BACK!"

Ochako slapped down the Omnitrix and transformed- her body became bulkier, with rocks surrounding her entire body and molding it into a hulking form. A red core appeared on her abdomen...

The resulting form, rocky and bulky, was odd in the fact that it didn't exactly have a head. Instead, the alien's upper torso is where the face was located. This wasn't an alien Ochako had used before, so the powers weren't entirely familiar to her yet. She needed to cover that up somehow.

"The hell?" Obake growled, seeing the new alien.

"Hit the dirt!" Ochako yelled. She remembered this alien from Izuku's notebook- its name was Gravattack. It could manipulate most aspects of gravity...something she was familiar with. Ochako activated her gravity field around her hands and directed them at the Godzillo clone.

While the other Pros and officers got out of the way, Obake wasn't so lucky. The gravity around him increased to a tremendous level, pressing down on him hard. He was locked in place as the increased pressure was essentially embedding him into the ground.

The ground cracked and crumbled under the weight Obake was exerting- Ochako slammed her hands down on the ground, and Obake suddenly crumpled to the floor like glass smashing against the floor.

Obake was panicking now. How the hell could he have even predicted something like this?! He might have to bring out the big guns sooner than he liked. If he could just reach the mask.

Ochako had to release the gravity pushing down on Obake. That attack looked severe enough, and she at least wanted to make sure the guy wasn't hurt. "Eraser- you're with me," Ochako said, motioning for him to follow. "Gonna remove the mask. Let's make sure this guy doesn't pull anything on us."

"Right." Aizawa said, following behind her.

The two approached Obake, who honestly gave off the impression that he was defeated. But he did that before when Edgeshot subdued his Mirko form. For all they knew, he had another mask already on his face or on his person that he could swap to.

And he did.

"Screw it!" Obake yelled, tearing off the Godzillo mask and scrambling to pull out his last mask. Aizawa and Ochako raced to stop him, the latter swapping back to XLR8 to race over and try and snatch the mask away from him.

It was too late; the mask had already been put on.

"I will be shielded by an air barrier!" The shout could be heard across the entire field. Ochako slammed against a solid air barrier.

Ochako shook her head, as she gasped. Not only had Obake managed to evade capture, but it looks like his trump card was in action right now. Ochako knew all about this form- she was All Might's 'disciple' and the Number One Pro Hero...

Obake's final form was Stars and Stripes...and her very, very powerful quirk, "New Order."

"Aizawa's eyes will clamp shut." She spoke.

Losing control of his body thanks to New Order, Aizawa shut his eyes, rendering his Quirk absolutely worthless. Unless the Quirk's hold was broken or Obake gave the word, he wasn't going to open them; he couldn't.

The cops all aimed their guns at Stars and Stripes and began to fire at her. "The air will be my shield once more." The bullets collided against the invisible shields, as she smiled. "The air will blow back my enemies."

She snapped her fingers, as the shields suddenly burst, unleashing a powerful blast of air.

Most of the people who were caught in the blast were blown back, either off their feet entirely or forced to stagger. Among the latter was Ochako. Stars and Stripes, despite such a powerful Quirk, was one of the most physically strong Pros out there. It was fortunate that this guy could only imitate the Pro in a weakened state. With that, she shifted into Four Arms and began to rush the identity thief.

"Thought you were smarter, 10K. Ben 10K will not be able to hit me," Obake said, confidently.

So, imagine the look on Obake's face when Ochako was still able to rush over to her, and smash her in the face.

Because Obake was caught off guard, the punch landed square in the middle of his face. The faker didn't have time to deflect or even move his head slightly to soften the blow. He was sent flying backwards into a wall, as Ochako approached him again.

"W-what...what just..." Obake stuttered in fear, "U-uh, ok. Lucky fluke! Ben 10K can't hit me!"

Ochako simply walked right up to the impostor and decked him again. Obake was in complete shock. How the hell was this happening?! This was New Order! Sure, it wasn't as strong as the real deal but, the effects held strong enough!

Ochako threw a few more punches, before pulling the mask off. Ochako ripped it in half, and dropped it to the ground. Obake watched in horror, as Ochako huffed.

"You shoulda been more specific," Ochako said.

"T-the hell does that me-" Obake began, before Ochako landed one more blow to knock him out.

Ochako dragged his unconscious body to the police. Aizawa's eyes fluttered open, just as Ochako placed him on the hood of a police car.

"How come her quirk didn't work on you?" Aizawa asked. Ochako already had a lie ready.

"Because I'm not Ben 10k." Ochako admitted. "I'm Four Arms."

"A bit of a stretch, isn't it?" Edgeshot asked.

"Well, I think that's one of the limits of an earlier version of New Order," Ochako bluffed.

"Good point." Aizawa agreed. "Thank you for your help, Ben 10k. But...where's your sidekick?"

"Spanner? They...went to secure the perimeter, make sure the public was safe." Ochako said, shifting into XLR8. "I'll check in with them, and come back."

"...hm." Aizawa muttered. Once again, Ochako had no idea if Eraserhead bought it.

Ochako rushed away, and called up Ben 10k again.

"H-"

"TAG IN! TAG IN! ERASERHEAD IS GETTING SUSPICIOUS!"

"Shit! Almost there!" Ben squawked, flying as fast as he could. Astrodactyl was leaving a green streak of energy across the sky as he raced towards Ochako's position.

"Don't figure it out, don't figure it out, don't figure it out, don't figure it out," Ben muttered to himself.

"Don't figure it out, don't figure it out, don't figure it out, don't figure it out!" Ochako panicked as she found a secluded place to transform back.

Ben and Ochako met back up in the alley, as Ben transformed into XLR8.

"Okay! Took out the bad guy! YOU took him out with a loophole in Stars and Stripes Quirk by using Four Arms!" Ochako explained.

XLR8 quickly raced back to the others, "Spanner" tailing just behind him. There was a delay of about a few minutes between each of them grouping back up with the heroes.

"Sorry for vanishing like that," Ochako said, "Some civilians got too close to the area, and had to evacuate them."

Aizawa hummed in thought, but that was all. Ochako was a bit nervous, now. Why did Aizawa have to be so hard to get a read on?!

"Knew you were reckless, 10K," Eraserhead said, "Never thought you'd go that far."

"Hey, reckless pays off sometimes," Ben smirked.

"That fits with you, honestly."

"I'm just lucky that the loophole with Stars and Stripes' quirk worked," Ben admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "And that was just a guess!"

"Hmmm." Aizawa said.

"If it's all right," Ochako chimed in, "I'm gonna go help Gunhead and some of the others clear out his hideout. Just in case there's anything we missed." In truth, she wanted to get away from Eraser's suspicious gaze. It felt like he could see right through most of the cover-stories she thought up.

"Check for anything talking about Stain. We're thinking this guy's another follower of his," Aizawa added.

"We'll look for his diary," Ben said, giving a thumbs up. "Just leave it to us!"

When Ben and Ochako entered the store, the first thing Ochako saw was the abundance of masks. He seemed to have chosen the best 'closed costume store' in town. The faces of the Pro Heroes appeared to have been stolen in some of the masks. Ben shuddered a little.

"If I see Ruby's face in here, I am gonna freak out." Ben admitted, as he and Ochako made their way to the back.

"Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, Endeavor, Edgeshot..." Ochako muttered to herself, looking at all the different masks this guy had. Somehow, All Might wasn't in this guy's collection. Small miracles.

Ben walked over to a phone- there were still a dozen unanswered messages on it. Ben pressed play.

"YOU HAVE 20 NEW MESSAGES." The phone said. One of the many messages started playing.

"Hey, man- where the hell WERE you?" The message played. "My son was left in tears that Edgeshot didn't show up to his birthday- all his friends looked pretty upset too, and all the parents are thinking I'm sort of an asshole for lying to him. Where the hell-"

"Birthday?" Ochako asked.

"Probably someone using their quirk for their own monetary gain." Ben said. "This was a message from a few weeks back. The day after Stain was captured, actually..."

"Could just be coincidence." Ochako said. She kept moving through the villain's hideout, looking for any other evidence. In short order, she managed to find the identity thief's laptop. He'd forgotten to log out of it so everything was still good. She avoided looking at his search history for too long, given how he talked about Mirko, but sure enough, there were a few search results that tied back to the Hero Killer. He may not have been a devotee like Challenger, but he was inspired by the villain.

"Another fanboy...great." Ben huffed. "Stain's ideologies are slowly becoming more and more widespread and that scares me."

"Because in this age of technology, people are more exposed to widespread media?" Ochako asked.

"Yeah...and it's because of the impact he could have on kids."

"Huh? The kids?"

"Early exposure to violence puts both male and female kids at risk for aggressive and violent conduct later in life. Happened with a bunch of villains, too." Ben went on. "Stain could have become the face of a new movement, like Destro..."

"Destro...he's that liberation guy. I remember reading about him in our Heroes Study course," Ochako said. "Released a book that spread across the nation for a bit."

"Because it was published after he killed himself in prison, he was seen as a martyr. And, like it or not, there's truth in both his and Stain's words." Ben said. "His worldview may seem appealing, but it is neither realistic nor practical."

"But people don't care about the practicality of it when it appeals to them." Ochako said.

"Yeah...people sometimes want immediate results, damn the consequences."

Ochako shivered. "Stain really did a number."

"More than that. Buckle up, kiddo. I'm having a feeling the villains you'll face in the future are gonna be more than just followers of Stain...they might BE the next Stain." Ben said.

"The...next...?" Ochako stuttered. Well, if that wasn't a terrifying thought.

"Not saying they'll all be Stain. Anyways...don't you have homework to do or something?" Ben joked. "I can handle it from here. Just get home safely."

"Right," Ochako said. "...it was nice to see you again, Mr. Tennyson."

"Same to you, Spanner." Ben gave Ochako a thumbs up. "Keep up the good work."

A few days had passed since the Impostor incident and another test had quickly crept up on Uraraka. It wasn't a pop-quiz or anything like that, so at least she had time to study. Part of her thought she shouldn't impose, but at the same time, a group study seemed like a good idea. Iida, Momo, Midoryia and Uraraka ended up forming a group study session to get ready for it. They met on each of the four days before the test to get ready and each of those four days was well spent.

The test itself came and went, but Uraraka couldn't help but have a lingering sense of dread after she turned in her copy.

"I'm sure you did fine," Iida reassured her after class.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," the gravity student sighed, "I just wish I gave myself one."

" Trust me. You did fine ."

Three days later, they would know. Aizawa was passing out the results to a mix of reactions. Iida and Momo, of course, got the best grades out of the class, with everyone else reacting with everything from despair and disappointment to relief to even unexpected surprise.

Uraraka was in the second camp. This test was actually a marked improvement over the ones that Aizawa had previously brought up. A 76% was far better than a 22%. The gravity student couldn't tell if Aizawa was pleased with the improvement or not, but being able to read the face of their teacher was a skill none of the students in 1-A had truly mastered yet.

Just to clarify though, he was pleased. He was just hoping this was the start of an upward climb for Uraraka instead of an exception.

Please leave a review! :3

Chapter Text

A three parter (sorta) chapter??? Woah, no way! Anyways, this is a pretty fun chapter. I dunno if I really do much with the vigilante angle after this, and I’m really struggling to maintain that with the current growth. At the time I’m writing this, I’m currently around Chapter 88 in the manga. Fitting in Ochako’s vigilante career is kinda hard, especially with…the next few arcs. I can say that the first movie will be adapted.

So, apologies for that in the future. Maybe some revisions or ideas in reviews could help. What do you guys wanna see?

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord invite: /cgFmXz3qJ5

"A person walks 4 meters east then walks 3 meters north. What is the distance and displacement?"

Ochako tapped her pencil against the table, as she grit her teeth. "...how do you do displacement again?"

"In physics, displacement is calculated by measuring the distance between an object's starting and final positions," Momo said, writing something on a piece of notebook paper. "We know that the man is 7 meters away. Distance is a scalar quantity, which has only magnitude. But, displacement is a vector quantity, which has magnitude and direction both."

Ochako nodded. I have no idea what she means, but I'll ask more questions later.

"First, the person walks 4 Kms East, then 3 Kms North. So, magnitude of displacement = [√{(4^2) + (3^2)}] metres = 5 metres. And, the direction of displacement: In North-East direction, making an angle {arc tan (4 / 3)} ≈ 53.13° with the North-South line passing through the starting point." Momo said. "Does that make sense?"

"...yes!"

No. It didn't.

Well, it had been a few weeks since Ochako had dealt with Obake, and her grades were slowly but surely picking up again. Thank God Izuku, Momo and Iida were so generous to give some of their time to work with her.

Iida was the first one to accept, not because the others were unwilling, but because he said "yes" the moment Ochako finished asking. It was his duty as class rep to ensure that all his classmates maintained a peak academic performance; a speech that was delivered with all of his usual energy and flair, of course. Izuku and Momo were less dramatic with their acceptances, but still.

Izuku handled the history and math classes, Momo handled some of the rougher courses, and Iida was an all rounder- he had the most extensive notebook Ochako had seen. It was like a court transcript. Ochako was saved once or twice because of the notes.

Maybe he had something she could look at later to break down the math Momo recited easier. 

"Ok, then maybe we can try out some of the other problems. See if you get it," Momo suggested. 

"Oh...uh, sure," Ochako answered sheepishly. This was going to be a looooong study session, she just knew it.

A boat traveling along a river traveled 5 kilometers east, then 3 kilometers south to cross the river. When it got to the opposite side, it proceeded westward for 1 km until it reached the jetty. Calculate the boat's displacement and distance traveled.

"Okay, so...5 KM eastward...then 3 KM southward...and 1 KM westward. 9 KM in total. But..." Ochako scribbled down something else. It only went 5 KM east and then a KM backwards west...so, 4 KM...displacement would focus on..."

Ochako drew a decent triangle.

"The AD displacement...and we'd square the AE and ED distances...add them, then find the square root..." Ochako winced. "So...the displacement is 5 km?"

Momo clapped eagerly. "Yes! That's correct!"

"Wait, really?!" Ochako said, a smile forming on her face, "Huh! Ok, starting to get the hang of this then! ...I think."

"Now! Let's try adding circles into the mix."

...all that confidence vanished like that. Damn you, physics!

Ochako was just mentally exhausted after today. She'd improved in school (she finally got an A on something!) but she earned every success after a struggle that she wished was somehow a villain fight.

As she walked back home, Ochako felt her stomach growl. She groaned. "All that work made me hungry...wish I could get some food right now." The girl mumbled.

Ochako's financial situation was awful. She had to use some touchingly frugal lifestyle tips to stay alive- endure (ignore the heat), sleep (being awake doesn't cost money), and don't eat. UA could supply her.

Ochako's stomach growled again.

"Ugh."

Thankfully, a distraction came- a phone call. Ochako whipped out her phone to see Ben was calling her.

"Hello?" Ochako answered, her exhaustion more evident in her voice than she intended. 

"You sound beat. Long day?" Ben asked over the phone. 

"Mostly study sessions today. I'm improving and my grades should be getting back to normal, but…oh my god does it feel like I just fought a whole army of villains single-handedly." 

"I know you're exaggerating but...jeez." 

"The worst part is I'm starving." 

"Then, stop by a place for a quick bite? Could recommend a few places. Especially if you're into smoothies." 

"I can't."

"What?"

"So, I know my financial situation isn't the best, but...like, I just don't eat sometimes. To save money."

Silence.

"Ben? You still there?"

No answer still. Ok, Ochako was starting to get a bit concerned now. Did she say something? Did his phone die?

"Uh, hey? You ther-"

ZWOOOOOOOOOM. Ochako didn't even notice the bipedal cheetah alien running at her. Ochako nearly screeched. It was Ben, of course.

"What the hell do you MEAN you starve yourself!? That's so irresponsible and awful and-" Ben sounded really concerned. He slapped both sides of his head and huffed. "God, I can't get angry."

“W-what the hell are you?”

“Oh, this is Fasttrack…he’s basically like. XLR8 but more ‘feline’. Barely used him, but I got so flustered-” Ben shook his head. “Not the point right now.”

Ben quickly reverted to human, pulled out his wallet and palmed Ochako a card. "Use that! For food only!"

"W-wait what?! I can't just take your credit card!" Ochako protested. 

"I'm rich, I've got plenty! One card's not gonna really put a dent in the account," Ben explained. “Seriously. Treat yourself.”

"O-okay!" Ochako said.  "W-was there anything else you needed?"

"Huh? Oh, right! The reason I was calling..." Ben shook his head. "So, there's been a recent string of robberies around the area. Check that out, and...yeah. That's about it."

From being reasonably concerned to mentioning hero work in less than a second, all while carrying that same uniquely Ben tone. 

"Um...ok. I'll get right on that," Ochako said. 

"Ah. Food first, investigate second," Ben chimed in to correct.

"R-right!" Ochako nodded. "Thank you!"

“Good luck, kid!” Ben saluted to Ochako.

Ben took to the skies as Jetray, and flew off. Ochako watched him go, and then looked down at the credit card. "Maybe I'll go to that one grill place that's not too far from my place..." She hummed.

About an hour later, Ochako was on a rooftop, having flown up there as Big Chill, and enjoying the steak. Well...as best she could. The steak itself was delicious and just what she needed after today, but at the same time...

"He just gave away his credit card! To me! I was too tired to even stop myself from mentioning it! Now I've got him all worried," Ochako lamented to herself.

Ochako happily gobbled down her first dinner in forever and sighed. She overlooked the city, watching the flashing lights and listening to the sounds of the cars and people pass by.

It was still weird to her. That she accepted this power. It felt...odd.

If you had asked her, say, a few months what hero she'd like to mentor under, she could've listed off a few good names like Thirteen, Mirko, Ryukyu. But Ben 10K was one of the last people she'd ever thought she'd meet in person. It would be like having All Might as her mentor! One of the most famous people in the world and he hand-picked her to be his student. It felt like a dream sometimes.

Even her getting into UA was luck. She barely passed the written part, and the practical part was equally as complicated.

But, she was here. A few months later, given great powers and great responsibility.

And she knew for a fact that she wasn't going to waste it. Doing so would be a betrayal for everyone. Herself, Ben, Izuku and Iida.

Ochako grinned. "I'm gonna make sure that I do my best!" Ochako transformed into Big Chill, jumped off the side of the building and took off. Gone was that stress from a few hours ago...all she had was confidence.

Confidence...that was about to be pushed to a breaking point. 

Ochako scanned the city below as she flew, keeping herself intangible just in case. Everything seemed peaceful for the most part, but then she managed to catch something out of the ordinary. A pick-up truck was speeding its way down the streets, ignoring each and every sign in its way. From what she could make out, two people were seated in the back and there was at least one other in the car itself, the one with such disregard for traffic laws. 

"Not the kind of crime I was expecting but," Ochako rasped before diving down after the truck. She stopped in the air just above and now she had a better look at the two in the back. Both of them were geared up like professionals, each wearing bulletproof vests and armor pads on the exposed joints. One of them had a visor over his head that reminded Ochako of a Marvel hero while the other had what looked like two metal towers jutting out of his back that almost resembled larger electricity towers. He was also wearing a welder's mask over his face. 

Considering the gear, Ochako immediately realized what she'd found by complete accident. A villain team on its way to its next heist. That was assuming, of course, that Ochako just let them.

Ochako flew above the car, and followed them to their destination- the back of some old, abandoned factory. "Now, we play the waiting game."

Ochako watched the two villains hop out of the front half of the car. "I swear, you drive so horribly-" The electric tower guy said. "You know how sensitive these things are. How do you make a smooth road feel like a bumpy one!?"

"Hey, screw you, Mr. Sensitive! You know I barely passed my driver's test." The other huffed. "Besides, it ain't even my car. I treat it how I like." 

"I'm sorry, what did you say about my car?" A new voice said, walking up to his cronies. 

"Ohhh, you dissed the car in front of him. Bad move," the one in the visor smirked. 

"Oh screw you, Infra," the driver called back. He was dressed much like the others with a bulletproof vest, but he also sported a pair of ringed gauntlets around his hands that honestly looked like Tesla coils.

"These guys look like they can all manipulate energy," Ochako noted, as the last person got out of the car and he was pretty unremarkable. Scrawny, with an average build. The armor looked too big on him. 

"He's the only kid with them. That's weird." Ochako said. What on Earth is he doing with a gang like this? Is he a runaway?

"Well, if you're all done bickering, I've found our next target. Gonna be a bit trickier on the security system, but that just means we'll need a bigger generator," the leader said. 

"Boss, you know I have limits," the tower guy said, "You could fr-" 

"I know what could happen. Which is why we'll be going from below instead of above." 

"Ohhhh, one of those classics, drill into the vault from the sewer kinda jobs. Very heist movie," Infra quipped.

"Thank you, I've been watching a lot of those on Netflix." The leader beamed. 

"But, why's the kid here?" The tower guy asked. "He hasn't really pulled his weight recently-"

"Shut the hell up." The kid hissed.

"Yeesh, someone's cranky. What, is it past your bedtime?" Infra taunted.

"Leave him alone," the leader ordered, "He's still the new guy. And if memory serves, none of you started your careers as master thieves now did you? Not all of us can be the Peerless Thief."

"Yeah, yeah." Infra huffed. "Listen, Tachyon. This kid's useless unless he gets hit. What, you're gonna use him as a human shield?"

"He just needs a boost." Tachyon insisted. "That's all. You've seen him once he gets going."

"Yeah, but he can only get started if things go south," the tower villain countered. 

"Not unless one of you give him a little jolt first."

"Let's just get this done with. I'm just here to be a distraction." The boy frowned.

Ochako huffed. Alright, time to make my move then. She activated the Omnitrix, and scrolled to a certain icon. "Here we go." Ochako slapped down the Omnitrix, as purple crystals coated her body.

Her form became more rock-like with a head made entirely from that unique purple crystal. This form was a bit odder than usual because, unlike a form like Four Arms, the vision here actually became a bit more limited. Ochako was now only seeing with a single eye in this form, which was admittedly a little disorienting at first. After a few blinks to get used to it, she was ready to take the fight to them as Chromastone.

Ochako leapt from the roof of the building and landed on the ground. She shook the earth when she landed.

"S-shit! It's Ben 10k!" Infra yelled. "Where the hell did he-"

"Doesn't matter, FRY 'IM!" the tower villain yelled. Arcs of electricity sparked between the two towers on his back before the energy rushed down his arms and into his hands. He pulled his arms back before thrusting them forward again, releasing a storm of lightning at Ochako.

Ochako stood perfectly still, as she absorbed the lightning. Her body could absorb all forms of energy, no matter the intensity. Ochako yawned.

"That all you got?" Ochako joked.

"The hell?" The tower villain asked, looking at his hands.

"That did more for him than you! He's lit up like a neon sign!" Infra said. Oh, that explains it. Infra, infrared. The visor was probably a support item so he could see normally.

Ochako walked forward, whistling to herself. This seemed like something Ben would do in a situation like this, right? It seemed to be freaking out the group.

"You need to hit them HARDER! With some REAL energy!" Tachyon insisted.

The tesla-coil like gauntlets on his hands began to hum with energy. The rings themselves began to rotate around his arms, faster and faster as they built up a charge of blue energy. Said energy coalesced in his hands before he began firing out a barrage of tachyon-infused blasts. Chromastone was easily able to deal with that, redirecting each blast to pepper the truck, absolutely wrecking it.

"What?! Oh come on, not the truck!" Tachyon yelled.

"Whoops," Ochako shrugged. "Now, are YOU the criminals responsible for a recent string of robberies?" 

"M-maybe!" Infra huffed. 

"I'm going to recommend that you surrender peacefully and I won't have to use this." Ochako pointed her fist at the group.

"You wouldn't." Tachyon grinned.

Chromastone held up her fists. "I would, actually."

"Good to know." Tachyon said, as he rushed at Ochako.

Ochako fired off the beam and at just the right time, Tachyon dodged out of the way. Pylo and Infra dove out of the way as well, leaving the only target standing...to be the youngest of the group, the one they never actually addressed by name.

"POTENTIAL! YOU'RE UP!"

The teen didn't even move when the electricity reached his chest and his eyes began to shine. His hair had become white, and his demeanor had become manic.

Tachyon smirked at the sight. 

"Thanks for charging 'im up, 10K. Seeing how that form lets you make all kinds of light shows. How about you take a step back and watch one for a change?" the villain chuckled. Pylon and Infra knew the plan, they just needed to let Potential take all of 10K's attention.

Potential! Aka, Kono Akio! Quirk: Energy Build Up. When they come into contact with energy, they grow stronger, quicker, and more durable! The time limit on their power up is decided by how much 'juice' he took in.

"I've NEVER felt all this power before." Potential said, his hair getting more and more unruly. 

"Right. Good on you, buddy. Why don't you use all that power and shatter the walking chandelier over there? We'll meet up after you win!" Tachyon said, before he, Pylon and Infra made a break for it. Ochako was about to race after them, cutting off their escape, before Potential raced over and intercepted her. With energy surrounding his fist, he landed two quick strikes to Ochako's chest, followed up by a kick to her head that actually knocked her off her feet. 

She may have miscalculated a bit here.

Ochako fell to the ground, as Potential grabbed her chest. "Let's see how durable you are, Ben 10k!" 

Ochako grabbed onto his arm and tried to absorb the energy back, but Potential laughed. "Sorry, dude. Once this energy is in me, there's no way to get it out."

That made Ochako's single eye widen in shock. Potential smirked and began to pummel who he thought was Ben 10K. At first the punches were coming in at a normal speed, but each strike got faster and faster. All that energy inside Potential was boosting him beyond what even he thought possible with his Quirk. Yeah, Tachyon and Pylo had each charged him up before, but never together. And never with a third, even stronger energy thrown into the mix.

Ochako cursed herself- she kicked the boy off of her. Potential flipped through the air, and landed on his feet.

"Come on, hero- that the best a walking chandelier can do?" He mocked. This was not the same 'stick in the mud' that was cursing out his teammates earlier. This was a boy filled with confidence and the power to act with it. Ochako slapped down the Omnitrix, and morphed into a newer, smaller form.

"Echo Echo!" She yelled.

"Huh. That's supposed to be impressive?" Potential scoffed. 

"Not at first," Ochako said, before she began to copy herself. Before Potential's eyes, one small alien turned into seven. 

"Here goes," one of the copies muttered before they all took a deep breath. 

"Surround SOUND!" the copies all said in sync before unleashing a combined sonic screech at Potential. The villain covered his ears and recoiled from the soundwaves, trying to keep himself steady. It took him a few minutes, but he did manage to at least get stable footing. He risked more damage to his ear by uncovering one and taking aim at the clones. With a sweep of his arm, Potential sent out an arc of energy that slammed into all seven Echo Echo clones and sent them flying. 

"Shit, that's gonna be ringing in the morning," Potential cursed, shaking his head a bit from the attack.

The clones he'd hit had all dissipated. Ochako's eyes squinted. Okay, that did something- maybe I just need to overwhelm him with some more sound.

Ochako sent out a few more clones after him.

Potential just rolled his eyes and let energy charge up in his hands. Some of the copies managed to get off bursts of sound on him, but they never lasted for long. The villain managed to fire off powerful blasts of energy, sometimes even catching the clones before they could even open their mouths. 

"It's not hard to figure out your game with these things, y'know!" Potential called out, mockingly.

"I know!" A voice from behind him yelled.

Potential spun around him to see a single Echo Echo on the roof. Ochako immediately split into a dozen copies, and unleashed ANOTHER devastating sound attack.

The sonics slammed into Potential, knocking him back, wrecking the ground around him as well. Once again, he was forced to endure the assault on his hearing. With all the energy he'd taken in, he didn't need to worry about running out. With a yell, Potential held out both hands and just started firing blindly in Ochako's direction. Clone or building, he didn't care what he hit. He'd win either way, if he knocked out or killed 10K or just brought the building down under them.

The clones ducked for cover. Ochako watched the energy strike their surroundings, as she took a few deep breaths.

"It's weird- that energy feels more 'physical'. Maybe it's like a solidification of that stockpiled energy?" Ochako asked herself. "I don't think Chromastone could absorb it...and I can't really use it, either. Not without somehow powering himself up again!"

"Come on, 10K! That's not it, is it?!" Potential taunted, keeping up his barrage. 

Ochako hoped that maybe the energy was more suited to ranged combat than close quarters. He did manage to pummel Chromastone, but could he physically overcome Four Arms? Only way to find out. She dove for cover and adjusted the dial before slamming down on the Omnitrix.

Ochako leaped off of the building, and struck the ground. The impact was enough to shake the Earth. 

"That's NOT all," Ochako said, teeth grit.

“Shit. Alright then," Potential smirked, charging up his hands again, "Hand to hand then."

Ochako began her attacks with a powerful lunging punch to Potential's face. Potential was sent flying into the wall of a building, and he quickly recovered. He tackled Ochako at full speed, and began rushing her with some hard hitting punches.

Four Arms was able to tank the hits well enough, but even Tetramands had their limits. Ochako managed to catch one of Potential's strikes with one fist, and with two others she landed a powerful uppercut to the villain's chin. She followed it up with her own barrage of punches, but not as many actually landed. Aided with his energy, Potential dodged and wove between the strikes.

Tetramand's arm speed could only go so far- on average, they could punch up to 100 times a minute if well trained. Ochako was still a rookie, and could only put out a quarter of that. Potential exceeded her speed, and could probably surpass a strike from a well trained one too.

Potential lunged forward and slammed his fist into the enemy's face, yelling. "THUNDER WING!" He shouted, and behind his back, a pair of wings briefly emerged. 

The wings crackled and sparked with energy, but instead of using them to fly and get away, he had both constructs slam into Ochako from the side. The impact echoed out like thunder, shocking Ochako to the point where she had to let go, the pain was just too much to deal with.

Potential smashed both of his palms into the ground, enveloped by a frightening blue aura. Ochako was thrown against the side of a building as a result of the aura's tremendous shock wave.

Potential scoffed. "And they call you a pro."

Potential walked over, as he started to hear a beeping noise. Ochako was timing out, and she was too weak to stand back up, or hide. Potential was now staring down at Ochako's weakened body.

"What the hell is this?"

Ochako's eyes widened in shock. Her mind began racing; Potential just saw her time out. Was this how the secret got out? One bad case?! No, it couldn't end like this, she wouldn't let it. Uravity got back to her feet and got ready to fight. After all, Potential knew about Ben's moves, but not her own.

Ochako weakly put all five fingers on a piece of concrete and tossed it at Potential with what little strength she had left. The concrete smashed against Potential's face. He yelled, holding his bloodied nose. Ochako weakly pulled herself up, and tried to sneak away. 

"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!?" Potential yelled. Ochako flinched, as she tried to use her quirk on herself.

Not much left. Ochako thought to herself. She placed a hand on her arm and focused on her Quirk. She wasn't going to activate it outright, she had a new plan to use here. Energy blast impacts echoed behind her, telling her that Potential was still on her trail.

"Come on, move!" Ochako yelled at herself. Her body felt weird, almost numb inside. Maybe that was from all the blows she'd taken, or something else. Ochako could hear Potential rushing at her.

"Thunder..." Potential started, both energy wings once again appearing from his back. 

"Please work!" Ochako pleaded with her Quirk. 

"WING!" the energy villain yelled, bringing both wings forward with a resounding thunderclap. He expected to see Ochako stunned on the ground or thrown halfway across the warehouse yard, but he didn't see any trace of her. "The hell?"

Ochako's remaining energy had been devoted to her jumping over an attack- and she was now 'hovering' into the air.

"What the?" Ochako asked herself, a small 'second wind' coming in.

"How the…so, it's not just the watch?!" Potential yelled, actually taken by surprise by that. And surprise meant he wasn't paying attention! With that opening, Ochako was able to push herself off of a nearby wall and propel herself away from Potential.

Ochako drifted aimlessly in the air until landing on the earth. Ochako limped away. What the heck happened to my body?  What is causing my Gravity to be so off?

There was once a theory by a professor, his name long lost to time at this point. He’d been at the birth of quirks, and was curious on how he spurred it on. Humanity had already been given a skill that imbued them with powers, called a semblance. The professor wondered if there was a link between a quirk and a semblance.

A Quirk is a special, superhuman ability an individual can possess. A Semblance is the manifestation of one's soul as an ability unique to each individual, with the effects varying greatly from user to user.

He theorized that the quirk was the person’s semblance ‘naturalized’ into one’s body- an evolution of what defined a semblance.

It was very possible that Ochako’s quirk was responding to the desire of her soul…

Ochako huffed and shook her head. "I'm not in zero gravity, but I'm feeling really floaty right now. I only have to avoid his attacks." Ochako grit her teeth. With the exception of that shock wave attack and the energy barrage, I don't believe he has that many long-ranged attacks. I can take advantage of that and run! 

And run she did. Though Potential wasn't stunned for long, quickly giving chase. Energy was gathering up in his hands again, ready to blast Ochako the minute he laid eyes on her. 

"Floating, looking like 10K. Maybe an illusion Quirk?" Potential thought to himself as he rounded a corner, ready to open fire, only to find no one.

Ochako had jumped up in the air- even a small jump was enough to send her above the roofs of the buildings. She quietly descended atop one and covered her mouth to hide her deep breaths.

Oh, my God. Is this how Deku feels after a battle with someone? Ochako thought. Her chest felt like there had been a hole punched all the way through it, and her legs felt wobbly and weak. 

"Where are you?!" Potential muttered, moving aside debris that littered that warehouse yard. He knocked over barrels, toppled stacks of pipes, trying to clear out anything that could be used as a hiding place.

Ochako took a deep breath, as she hobbled away. She looked down at her Omnitrix. Still not enough charge to transform. Ochako was praying for a miracle, when-

"HEY! POTENTIAL!"

Ochako heard the voice of the boss ring out.

"What?!" Potential yelled back. 

"You coming or what?!" 

Potential looked around, energy still flaring up inside him. The glow from his hands died down before he turned and ran back to regroup with the others. 

Saved by a villain, even if it was an accident. Ironic.

Ochako limped over, to see Tachyon looking at the damage Potential caused. "Damn, kid- remind me to bump up YOUR cut of the dough." Tachyon grinned. 

"Yeah, about that." Potential frowned, looking at his hands. "Things changed. I want ALL of the money now."

Tachyon looked at him like he was crazy. "W-what?!"

"What did you just say, you little shit?" Infra hissed.

"You're kidding. This is some joke and we all missed the punchline," Pylon added. 

"Does it look like I'm joking?" Potential shot back. 

"No, which makes me wonder if you got hit too hard in the damn head." 

"Maybe I should show you how hard they hit," Potential said.

In a second, Potential had rushed over to Pylon, and unleashed a powerful punch into his gut. The impact was almost strong enough to pierce the skin.

Pylon doubled over from the hit, trying to talk or even cough, but all the air was just punched out of his lungs. 

"Pylon!" Infra called out, pulling out dual pistols and taking aim at Potential.

Potential just snapped his fingers. A shockwave immediately shattered Infra's goggles. "Whoops."

Infra yelled, as he dropped his pistols. "A-ah! My goggles! I-I can't see without my goggles!"

"You ungrateful little bastard," Tachyon growled. He was about to charge up his own energy blasts, but quickly remembered that would just make him stronger. The energy boss quickly scrambled for one of Infra's dropped pistols and picked up. He took aim and pulled the trigger a few times.

Potential dodged the bullets with ease and grabbed the gun. 

"Lemme borrow this for a second." Potential said, ripping it from his boss's hand. He pointed it at Tachyon and grinned. "Give me the money."

Tachyon didn't respond, too stunned at how easily Potential had stolen the gun. The kid had always gotten something of a boost when charged up, but nothing like this.

"I'd rather die." Tachyon hissed.

Potential cocked the gun. Tachyon growled. "But not like this." Tachyon slid the bags of money off to Potential.

"Thanks." Potential said. 

He then destroyed the money with one burst of energy.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Tachyon yelled, "You know how much that was worth!"

"Yeah. And I know how much you idiots were gonna stiff me. So, I'm stiffing you." Potential said, stomping out the fire.

"So that's it, huh? Sure, a bit rough every now and then, but enough to kill us over? Didn't think you had it in you.”

"Didn't think I had it in me?! I've only been with you guys a year and I started to regret joining your group halfway! I should've gone solo, I just didn't realize it back then. Now I get it. Plus, taking out other villains might boost my own rep.”

Potential broke the gun he was holding, and dropped it before Tachyon. "I'll let you guys survive, just to see how far I can climb." Potential's eyes then darted over to the building that Ochako was hiding in. "And as for you, faker."

Ochako tried to get away-

Potential charged at the building, and charged up a powerful attack. "THUNDER WING DEMOLITION!"

Tachyon dove out of the way, scrambling for cover. Potential brought back his two energy swings and flapped them, only instead of slamming them together, a massive energy arc fired out and sliced through the building below Ochako.

Ochako couldn't jump away in time- the building began to crumble and fall, as Potential laughed. 

"Sorry, hero- I have places to BE!" Potential yelled, as he rushed off.

Soon, the building fell beneath her. Somehow, Tachyon had gotten through that relatively unscathed. He'd lost track of Infra in the commotion and Pylon.

...and Ochako was left under a bit of rubble. Ochako mumbled for help. Her body was aching like crazy.

Her watch was beeping.

…

…

...

“I got you, kid.” 

That was the last thing Ochako heard before blacking out.

Ochako awoke with a small soreness in her body. Her eyes weakly opened. Two figures hovered above her, staring at her. “She’s coming to…” A female voice said.

“Oh, thank God.” A male voice said- Ochako recognized it. 

“Ben?” 

Her eyes focused- Ben was in her apartment, alongside another woman. Her skin was copper brown, her muscles toned from the gymnastics she added to her fighting style. Her mid-length red hair shone violet in the light and was in stylishly tousled waves. She had noticeable cheekbones in her heart-shaped face, and her violet lipstick matched her eye color perfectly. She wore a white lab coat over a red shirt and navy blue pants with converse.

“Easy, kid.” The woman said, calming Ochako. “You took some nasty blows. You’re lucky we have the tech to patch you up.” Ochako looked down to see the doctor was stitching up a pretty nasty wound on her leg.

“Who’s she?” Ochako asked.

“This is Ari North, a personal friend of mine. She’s a doctor, and a damn good one.” Ben said. 

“I’m like Recovery Girl on crack,” Ari joked. “She has NOTHING on me.”

Ochako looked around. “How did I get back to my apartment?”

“Simple. The Omnitrix distress signal went out. Detected you got injured pretty badly, so I came and scooped you up.” Ben said. “Guess you had a rougher battle than intended, didn’t you?”

“Kind of.” Ochako huffed. “I was able to find the crooks. I used Chromastone, took some of their energy attacks. Then they had this one kid with an energy empowerment quirk take a supercharged blow. He thrashed a bunch of my aliens- I tried to overwhelm him with Echo Echo, physically manhandle him with Four Arms…I was only able to get away because of my Quirk, but even then. I didn’t get far.”

“You did what you could.” Ben said, pulling up a cushion for him to sit on. “Don’t blame yourself.”

Ochako seemed sad. "I disappointed you, Mr. Tennyson. I wasn't even the one who took out the other crooks; Potential did it all by himself."

"I see," Ben replied as Ari completed stitching up a part of her body. "So you're going to let that worry you?"

“Huh?”

"Are you going to let one loss affect you, or are you going to do something about it?" Ben's voice was stern but sympathetic. He didn't sound disappointed, though.

"I've been at this game for a long time, kid," Ben said. “I’ve learned every lesson there is to know about being a hero, and I’ll be damned if I don’t pass on my wisdom. I'm not telling you this to tell you about what I've done.”

Ochako’s eyes lit up.

“I've been this close to quitting before, and I know exactly how you feel. This is a roadblock. You have two options. Are you going to pout when you’re brought down a level? Or are you going to stand back up, and try over and over again until you get that result?”

Ochako stood back up, a hardened look on her face. The expression spoke the words Ben was looking for.

Yes.

Ben gave a small smile.

“You’re over prepared for being a dad,” Ari said.

"Hey, better than not being prepared at all, like some Pros I could name but won't out of courtesy," Ben said.

Halfway across the city, Endeavor had just finished taking down a crew of robbers, before he sneezed. Why did he feel like someone was talking about him behind his back?

"I'm lucky I don't have school tomorrow." Ochako huffed. "I think I'm just gonna rest for a good portion of tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Ben 10k nodded. "You're lucky you don't have any broken bones. Hell, you're lucky you didn't break anything. You were just really beat up..."

Ochako looked down at her hands, and hummed. "It was something I did with my quirk...like, I was so focused on getting away that I only pressed a few fingers on myself..."

"What are you saying? You found a new way to use your quirk?" Ari asked.

"Potentially. Hand me something," Ochako said.

Ben pulled out his phone, and handed it to Ochako. Ochako focused her attention on the phone, and placed her thumb, index and middle finger on it. She lightly tossed it up...and the phone slowly floated up. Ben raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't remove all the gravity...looks like you just took some of it away," Ben said, as he watched the phone drift back into Ochako's hand.

"That could be useful if I ever get a second chance at Potential," Ochako said, "Uh, Potential's the villain name for the guy with the energy enhancing Quirk. There were three more."

"Two unaccounted for then," Ari said, "When Ben found you, he also found another energy Quirk user on the ground. Called in the medics and they were able to get him stable. If we're being honest, he got lucky."

"What happened to the other two members?" Ochako asked. "One of them got hit pretty hard in the chest, and the other was blind as a bat because Potential destroyed his goggles."

"Yeesh." Ben frowned. "That's harsh."

"No sign of them. Does explain the wrecked support item we found on the scene though," Ari explained, "Made as a general lifestyle support item for those with eye-related Quirks. From Detnerat, I think the company was called. Could track the owner through them."

"They could have a record of who bought them...they did seem especially made for someone like him." Ben hummed.

"Potential said something about taking down other villains...I don't think he was influenced by Stain, but still. This guy's crazy powerful." Ochako said. "And he soaks up energy like a sponge."

"Energy absorption, able to manipulate said energy into blasts and limited constructs, and he wants to make a name for himself. Sounds like he's about to make things very busy for Pros. Unless we stop him before he gets a chance to start," Ari sighed.

"Alright. Two goals then," Ben began, "We need to figure out who he could be going after and we need to find the guy who bought that visor. We find him, we find their boss, we find out more about this guy. Might be something we're missing, something we could use to convince him to come quietly. Bit of a long shot, but worth it."

"Just keep me posted for a bit." Ochako said, as she lied back down. "My body just ACHES all over."

"Don't worry. Just rest up," Ben said. "Gimme a text when you wake up, and I'll pick up some breakfast for you."

Ochako gave Ben a thumbs up as she lay there, waiting for sleep to claim her. If she could sleep for days right now, she would.

Ochako closed her eyes again, and was out like a light.

"You certainly chose the right person for the job. She's like you and Ruby were put in a blender and spat out this thing." Ari joked.

"Not wrong. Only thing missing is either a red or green color scheme for the costume," Ben chuckled.

"UA is elevating these kids to higher levels at quite the accelerated pace." Ari said. "Pushing themselves above their limits and everything- like that crazy kid at the sports festival. You know the one, right?"

Ari looked over at Ben, who was looking out the window.

“Remember how we took care of everything back then?" Ben huffed. "Like, how we were left to deal with everything the past generations couldn't?"

"Of course," Ari said.

"We did a good job of taking care of all of it, right? So the present could have this peace?" Ben asked.

"I'd say so, yeah," Ari answered, "There won't be a Vilgax coming around to crash one of her classes, if that's what you mean."

"And there won't be a Salem. Or a Malware. Or a Maltruant." Ben said, looking down at his hand. "I'm just scared for some reason."

"It's the League. Isn't it?" Ari said.

"A bit, yeah," Ben admitted, "Something's got me thinking that everything the League's done so far is just the start. Like they've just been doing test runs for the Nomu. One at USJ, then three in Hosu."

"You're scared about him."

"What if...Toshi didn't kill him?" Ben asked. "We never saw a body."

"Even if he's still out there, with the condition he must be in, there's no way he could make a mo-"

"Ari, we don't know what kind of Quirks he has. For all we know, he fixed himself up the day after."

"Even if he did, he'd be up and running the next day." Ari pointed out. "That's just the sort of man he was..."

"Maybe. But he's smart. Getting things back on track the day after would give himself away. He'd want to lay low...right?"

"We'll just have to take it day by day." Ben said, turning into Ghostfreak. "Keep watch over her for a while longer, okay?"

Ari nodded, as Ben left.

A few hours later, Ochako woke up. That rest was just what she needed. She still felt a little sore, but it was manageable, nothing too bad. Ari wasn't in the room with her, probably dealing with another patient or she got called away to deal with something. Either way, the hero-in-training stretched a bit before reaching for her phone, just to see if anyone had messaged her while she was out.

Ochako checked the time- 10 AM? Wow, that was a little earlier than she thought. Ochako sent Ben a text, as she scrolled through her messages. Emails, texts about homework from Mina, a cute cat video from Tooru and some message she dared not check from Mineta. Nothing out of the ordinary.

...until Izuku texted her.

She checked on it out of curiosity. Maybe it was a new video about All Might she hadn't seen yet. Surprisingly though, he was asking if they could hang out later. Usually the roles were reversed here. She'd be the one to send the text, but she didn't really think anything of it.

"Sure. When and where?" Ochako texted back, adding a thumbs up emoji at the end.

"Your place, around noon." Izuku sent back, almost immediately.

Ochako raised an eyebrow. Her place? Also a weird place to meet. There wasn't much here...

She hesitated a bit but sent back, "Sure." She didn't want to make it obvious she thought that was a bit weird.

There was a knock at her door. Ochako walked out of bed, and looked through the peephole. Ben had grabbed breakfast almost immediately- he carried a bag of Makku in his hands.

"Sleep well?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, actually. Still kinda sore, but nothing that won't fade later," Ochako answered, "Uh, hey. Need to ask real quick. We're not doing any patrols or anything around...noon-ish, are we?"

"No, not really." Ben said as he walked in. "You're not going out until night. Why?"

"Well...Midoryia texted me. He wanted to talk at my place about something." Ochako said. "I figure it's like tutoring or something. I dunno."

"Huh. From everything you said, sounds like someone would need to text him," Ben admitted.

"That's what I thought! Me or Iida are usually the ones to ask him to hang out."

Ben handed her a breakfast sandwich. "Well, whatever the case...if he asks why you're walking weird, just tell him you fell while you were practicing your quirk."

Ochako nodded, as she unwrapped the sandwich. "I can feel bad for lying, though."

"You trust him, yeah?" Ben asked, after unwrapping his own breakfast.

"Who, Midoryia? Of course I do!" Ochako affirmed.

"...give it a little more time and...I think you can tell him. I know it's been bugging you that you have this secret and no one knows about it. You understand the reason, but it's the real weight of it all that's starting to affect you. Right?"

"Yeah. It's getting hard to excuse missing out on stuff." Ochako said. "I'm lucky that guy didn't unmask me last night, or else he'd recognize me as someone from the sport's festival."

"That helmet doesn't come off easily. Only comes off when YOU want it to come off...or the suit is broken," Ben shrugged, as he munched on a hashbrown.

"Yeah. Full props to you and your team on that," Ochako said, starting on her breakfast sandwich.

"They work hard. They made Ruby's hero outfit, and it defines her PERFECTLY." Ben snickered.

"Hey. In the case that...my secret identity IS revealed...what's the plan there?" Ochako asked.

"Ah...worst case scenario. Well...if that does end up happening, the first obstacle is gonna be the Safety Commission. You know how strict they can be when it comes to vigilantes. You ever heard of the Villain Factory?" Ben asked.

"Nope. Never." Ochako said.

"Long story short, they were in charge of producing a drug called Trigger, refining the formula and selling it to whoever was willing to pay. The entire organization got brought down by the pros. Unofficially, they were helped by three vigilantes. Of course, none of them had Hero Licenses, so the Commission couldn't actually endorse them. It'd be hypocritical of them, so they gently edited the vigilantes out of the story instead."

"Wow..." Ochako said. "Did they ever get the credit they deserved?"

"In a way, yeah." Ben nodded. "I know one of them is a fantastic sidekick...heard he took over Ingenium's agency."

"Wait, he did?"

"Yeah. Got his license after all. The other two fell off the radar though, and the only who knows where they would be isn't saying. For the best though honestly. But, aside from that and if I manage to win over the commission, I guess I can see if I can submit my agency for your work study when that rolls around."

"That's alright...but, what about my family and friends?" Ochako asked. "What if someone goes after them?"

Ben looked visibly upset for a second after that question. He shook his head and returned to his normal self. "Believe me...I'd kill them before that happened."

Ochako wasn't blind, she definitely saw Ben's demeanor change when she first asked that.

"But, uh, yeah. Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll go up to bat for you." Ben said. "Just put it behind you."

Ochako accepted that answer. But the face Ben made unnerved her.

"I'm concerned about Potential and his powerup." Ben stated. "Didn't you say he was thinking about taking out random villains?"

"Yeah, to bolster his powers or whatever." Ochako nodded.  "He wanted to maintain his power. But he's catching other crooks, right? He's basically acting as an anti-vigilante."

"Well, there's a distinction to be made between your vigilante and his vigilante. Those who attempt to take the law into their own hands endanger themselves. You've been trained, you're familiar with the field, and you've been in a difficult position once or twice. I'd feel comfortable with your vigilante career because you WILL be a hero one day." Ben stated.

"Yeah...I'll take the stage as Uravity in a few years, hopefully." Ochako nodded.

"The issue is that civilians are not educated to deal with the kinds of situations that we do. We are routinely trained and prepared to deal with these events. The vigilantes who do learn the ropes and become the heroes we look up to? Also perfectly fine. They're on the side of justice, but a loose cannon like him is dangerous." Ben said. "It's for his own personal gain. He can mess up months and months of careful preparation with other plans, prevent justice from being properly sought- with how you handled that mask guy and the Challenger, it's totally fine because you went by the book. But, if he punches a bit too hard..." Ben snapped his fingers."

"I don't know how long he can last, though. His powers weren't all that clear to begin with." Ochako stated.

"I don't think he knows either- from the footage I saw, he doesn't have a full grasp on what he can really do." Ben said.

"Footage?" Ochako repeated.

"Yeah- some footage leaked of you. Don't worry, it was just bits and pieces of 'Ben 10k' fighting Potential, and then you trying to get away." Ben reassured her. "His movements were all weird- He didn't know to move away from that concrete block you threw at his face, or that he needed to keep constantly moving. He never looked ready for anything either. Didn't have the 'elbows in, chin down' stance, never had a guard up...and most of all, the move names seemed...improvised."

"Yeah, they were pretty lame." Ochako nodded.

Ben crumpled his trash. "I need to get back to my patrol- I'll trade off with you around 6-ish, okay?"

Ochako nodded. "Okay! Keep me posted."

Ben transformed into Big Chill, and flew off.

With all the time on her hands, Ochako just got ready for her meet up with Midoriya. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this, though. Maybe Iida had just convinced him to ask first? That was probably it.

Time ticked away faster than she thought it would and soon, noon rolled around. A knock on the door got Ochako's attention and she went to open it, showing her green haired classmate.

"Happy Saturday," Ochako joked, as she invited Izuku inside.

"U-uh, yeah." Izuku said, as he stepped inside.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Ochako asked with a smile.

"...it's...kinda serious." Izuku said. Izuku pulled out the phone, which was playing back the footage of 'Spanner' from the previous night's meeting with Potential.

"Oh, new hero footage?" Ochako asked. Sure, she was playing it off, but internally, she was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Last night, I...wanted to check out the footage of Ben 10k's new sidekick," Izuku stated. "I wanted to observe and understand their movements.  Try to incorporate their moves into my fighting technique."

Ochako felt sweat drip down her brow. “A-alright. But what does this have to do with me-"

"Many of their moves were similar to yours." Izuku said, looking at the footage again. “The punches. The self defense moves. Even some of the evasion tactics…they were perfect mirrors to your own.”

“J-just a coincidence-” Ochako lied.

"Please, Uraraka. Be honest with me: are you truly Ben 10's sidekick? If they discover this, they may expel you from UA!" Izuku pleaded.

The worry caused Ochako's gut to nearly implode. Her balance was off, her pupils shrank in panic, and she was shaking. Izuku put a hand on her shoulder, to try and support her. Ochako needed to take a deep breath…and she recalled Ben 10k’s words.

“I said ‘you can’t tell anybody at first’. Someone’s gonna put two and two together, especially if you start popping up in Musutafu after YOU just got done with your internship. I’d tell a few select people you trust…like that fingerbreaker kid.”

Ochako's anxiety dissipated as she took a long, calm deep breath.

“Deku…can you keep a secret?”

“...yeah. I can try,” Midoryia said.

Ochako rolled her sleeve up. "Mr. Tennyson did not just ask that I be his sidekick."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the device.

"He asked me...to be his successor."

"He...he asked you to..." Midoriya stuttered, having flashbacks to a time before he got into U.A. To the day he was offered to be the successor to a hero himself, one that many people, Quirkless and Pro alike, looked up to. But he couldn't say. Not yet. 

"That's...that's amazing!" Midoriya finally finished, immediately going into his usual over-analytical self, "How many of his forms do you have access to? Any of his big hitters like Way Big? Are there any forms that complement your own Quirk? For that matter, can you use your Quirk as an alien?"

Ochako was blushing. "Uh...well, I just have some of Ben 10k's classics and...um, I do have Gravattack...so I guess that compliments my powers?"

"Gravattack...oh! I think I've seen that one! He's the...oh what's the species called. I'm never good with remembering them..." Midoriya hummed in thought.

"He manipulates gravity- I'm sorry, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would..." Ochako said. "Especially with how worried you were a few seconds ago..."

"Well...I was more worried about why you were doing this. After all, if anyone found out you were doing hero work without a license and still in courses," Midoriya began. 

"I know, I know. And...you've also seen how some of the hero work's affected my grades," the gravity hero smiled sheepishly.

"They've gotten better, haven't they? From the recent test postings, you got around top 10 grades. That's worth something," Izuku pointed out.

"Thanks to you, Iida, and Momo."

"Does...does anyone else know?" Izuku asked. 

"Just you and Ben 10k...he was to get someone able to nurse me back to health after that battle last night." Ochako patted one of her legs. "That was painful..."

"Oh...oh my god that's right! I was so focused on figuring it out! Are you ok?!" 

"Better than last night, definitely," Ochako didn't mention how she didn't get the worst of it. Pylon was definitely the one who had that "honor."

"Can you...tell me everything that happened in full? How'd you get chosen?" Izuku asked. Ochako hesitated...but then, she sighed and realized maybe she should at least talk this out with someone.

"So, it started after the Stain incident..." Ochako said.

Thank you for reading, and please leave a review!

Chapter Text

Anyone else hate snow? I hate snow. I have a metric fuck ton out here.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

As Ochako told Deku about last night's events, a group of small-time henchmen had recently lost the trail of one of the Pro-Heroes. The four of them smirked, two of them even fist-bumped over the success of their heist and made their way back to their hideout. It was a private room above a pretty well known bar. The four thugs put their haul before their boss. Their boss was a blue-skinned, cyclopean brute of a man wearing a tattered, black sleeveless shirt, gray-brown pants, and a white belt strung across his chest like a bandolier. Surprisingly, this was one of the villains from the U.S.J incident who had managed to break out of prison. In fact, this whole gang was made up of U.S.J perpetrators. They hadn't been sent to Tartarus, however, as they were only low-level villains in comparison to people like Shigaraki.

"Good start boys," Minotaurus chuckled, looking over the haul, "We keep going like this, we'll be back to being an independent syndicate in no time!"

"Yeah, screw the League. Left us to rot behind bars," Tesla scoffed, "Least this way the goal's reasonable."

"And with Shigaraki rubbing shoulders with his new boyfriend Stain, we're chump change." Gorilla growled. "But we don't need no stinkin' league!"

"...well, I kinda WISH we had some contact." Steel Bulwark admitted. "I miss Kurogiri's warps. Made for easy escapes..."

"Shut it, Bulwark." Gorilla huffed.

"Well I have been looking into it. Heard about a crew who could help with that. Quirkless bunch of small-timers that run a chop-shop but, hey, we'd have a car at least," Minotaurus said.

"Guessing they don't come cheap though?" Gorilla asked.

"Not really...but I'm sure they could be persuaded."

"By the way, the getaway vehicle? Better be big...you know how these anchor arms are in. I get claustrophobic." Gorilla frowned.

"Oh, it'll be BIG." Minotaurus said.

"...you know it'd have to be big. Mino won't just fit in your everyday pick-up," Tesla said.

"Yeah, yeah..." Steel Bulwark said, as he noticed something up ahead. "Hey, what the hell?" Tesla looked forward to see a kid, standing before the four.

"Some sidekick, maybe." Gorilla said. "Blast him out of the way, Tesla."

Tesla nodded and grabbed hold of a radio he had on him. Activating his Quirk, he drained the radio of its charge and amplified it. With arcs sparking between his fingers, Tesla unleashed a barrage of electricity at the "side-kick." Imagine his surprise when the charge just entered the kid's body with no ill effects.

"...what the hell?" Tesla asked, in shock.

"You're former League villains...right? Attacked U.A?" the kid asked.

"Hey! Emphasis on former! We're freelance now!" Bulwark shouted.

"...good enough." The kid said as he rushed at the villains. With a large step forward, he delivered a right hook and then a quick left elbow strike on Tesla. "THUNDER BURST!"

Tesla was sent flying into the side of a building, dropping his loot as well.

"TESLA! Ohhh you messed up now!" Bulwark yelled. He charged at the kid, two hands raised above his head, ready for a downward hammer strike. The other two were reared back to deliver simultaneous punches. Bulwark was gonna deal four hits at once on this guy. Or he would've if any of the hits actually connected with the guy. Instead, Potential dodged all four of the hits with an energy-charged backstep.

"My turn," Potential smirked.

Potential flicked Bulwark on the nose...that simple flick of the finger was like being bunched in the face by some A-tier hero. Potential watched the man stumble backward, and fall down on the ground.

Potential's attention turned to Minotaurus and Gorilla. "Who's the next victim?" He said, tilting his head.

"Wait a minute...he's that kid that went toe to toe with Ben 10k last night...I saw the video before we did the heist!" Minotaurus grunted.

"And Ben 10k LOST?" Gorilla said.

"Yeah...crazy, right?"

"...so should I use the trump card then?" Gorilla asked, genuinely concerned.

"If you have a second dose...toss it to me," Minotaurus said.

"Just the one sadly..."

"Then use it well," Minotaurus lifted up a chunk of the ground and flipped it, sending out a wave of flying rocks at the opponent. Potential dodged between the rocks, and rushed at Minotaurus. The bigger opponent caught Potential's fist, and grinned.

"I'm faster than most people think, kid." Minotaurus said. He grabbed Potential's head tightly. "Come on, Gorilla! Take it already! I'm buying you as much time as I can!" He then spun Potential around before hurling them away. Potential was sent flying into the air.

The gorilla-armed villain quickly brought out a red covered syringe and jammed it into her right arm. She tensed up for a moment as the drug started to course through her system.

Potential managed to slow his fall by summoning up the energy construct wings he used during the fight with "Ben 10K' and glided to the ground.

"I won't be able to keep those creations for long...but at least I'll be able to manage them." Potential noted. He stared at Minotaurus, who was filled with confidence. Potential smiled.

"Let's see what more I can come up with." Potential spoke out as his hands began to glow. His hands were encased in bright yellow gauntlets. Potential sprang on all fours and charged at his opponent at full speed.

"THUNDER FRENZY!" Potential yelled, smashing Minotaurus' chest with a double fisted attack. Minotaurus felt his ribs SHATTER from the blow.

"MY TURN!" Gorilla shouted and slammed both of her fists into Potential's back, actually managing to connect a blow. The hit forced him to the ground and cracked some of the pavement.

"You wanna try that shit AGAIN?!" the anchor-armed villain shouted, her adrenaline pumping as a side effect of the Trigger dosage.

Potential looked at Gorilla- she had turned from a woman with massive Gorilla arms into...a straight up gorilla. Her form was massive, and that blow actually hurt.

"...sure." Potential said.

"Fine then! YOUR FUNERAL!" Gorilla roared, before bringing her fists down on Potential again.

"Gonna pound your bones to DUST SIDEKICK!" the amplified villain threatened.

"...Thunder Execution." Potential said.

Potential charged at the target, releasing a powerful blast of lightning from their fist, severely injuring and electrocuting Gorilla while also pushing them away with incredible force. Potential could hear something snap as they smashed into a wall.

Gorilla screamed out in agony from the impact. Something important must have broken, because she immediately collapses to the floor.

"...not even worth my time," Potential sighed.

...but Potential did have something important to ask Gorilla. He walked over, powering down to conserve energy.

"Hey," Potential said, getting down low. "You better answer this, or I'll break every bone in your body...where'd you get your supply of Trigger?"

"S-screw you! You...god...damn it I think you broke my leg!" Gorilla hissed.

"Huh. Sounded worse than that...now...tell me. Where did you get the drug?"

"And then...yeah, I had breakfast with Ben 10k...and then he left." Ochako stated. "That's pretty much it."

The story took a few seconds for Izuku to absorb. "That's a lot to take in. And here I thought Stain was intense..."

"It's my fault for not realizing his abilities sooner," Ochako grumbled. "I should have known something was wrong when everyone but Potential attacked Chromastone with energy attacks."

"There's gotta be some drawback to his powers..." Izuku said. "Did you notice anything off about him while fighting?"

"Well...there was a change in his personality. Before, he was...kind of a push-over. He'd snap back when the others poked fun at him, but when he got charged up, he acted like he was in charge. He even threatened Tachyon, his boss, for all the money they had. Then he just burned it."

"His personality changed, huh? More egotistical...there's a weakness. I know a lot of people will try and defend their ego before themselves." Izuku said.

"Oh, really?" Ochako joked.

"Potential was petty enough to ruin his boss's plan...so, it's safe to assume he's more focused on getting 'even'." Izuku guessed.

"So then why'd he let them go? I mean...he did put Pylon in the hospital. The other two were able to get out with minimal injuries."

"...well, you said they had a series of robberies going, right?" Izuku said.

"Yeah." Ochako nodded.

"...then they could have some key intel for Potential, maybe other places they could possibly hit up? He could destroy them before the boss could even get a chance to reassemble a team." Izuku said. "He wants to see him fail."

"You...seriously think so?"

Izuku nodded.

"Banks and raising his own reputation..." Ochako hummed in thought.

"He could very well become an A-tier villain if this destruction continues...but..." Izuku said. "I have a theory on his drawback. Obviously, they've used Potential in the past for distractions. And they gave him a small charge of energy...and it would wear off. I can assume that the more voltage or energy he absorbs, the longer the form lasts. Strength would be proportionate to the energy absorbed...Chromastone's energy can't last forever..."

Ochako watched Izuku mumble for a bit. ...he's cute when he does that. Ochako randomly thought.

"But he must know that. So maybe he's looking for a way to either extend the power boost, add more energy to his stockpile, or he's looking for a way to extend what energy he has left," Izuku continued.

"That's a good point...I just need to overwhelm him and maybe use up more of his energy. Then it'll be easier to take him down!" Ochako said.

"And, remember. He won't be able to absorb anything AS strong as Chromastone's blast. Any of his reserves won't be as strong as that." Izuku said.

"Right, right." Ochako nodded. "I can overwhelm him with a lot of my aliens, I just have to keep my distance. Big Chill can slow him down, but he can be electrocuted."

"Phase into the concrete for some more sneak attacks," Izuku recommended. "He can't electrocute the ground, since concrete can be an insulator."

"That means I can also use it for projectiles," Ochako noted. "I can toss chunks of it at him. His ranged attacks are pretty weak and-"

"A...am I interrupting something?"

Izuku and Ochako jumped. Ochako looked up to see Ghostfreak, poking his head through the ceiling. "B-ben!" Ochako yelled, looking annoyed.

"Did you not get my text?" Ben 10k asked, phasing into the room and returning to human form.

"N-no! I was...busy telling Midoriya...about how I got the Omnitrix..." Ochako pointed to Izuku, who waved at Ben nervously.

"Did you tell him?" Ben 10k inquired.

Ochako gave a nod. "He...figured it out from bits and pieces of film. He just assumed I was a secret sidekick to you."

"U-uh, congratulations on your pregnancy?" Izuku said sheepishly.

Ben grinned. "Thanks."

"So, what happened? You get some updates?" Ochako asked.

"Yeah, a big one." Ben nodded. "Potential attacked some criminals, and did a NUMBER on them. Nearly put one in a full body cast."

Ochako shivered. "Oh, crap..."

"Yeah. Third one he's hit today. He's interfering in a lot of crimes," Ben noted. "These guys were lucky...they weren't as badly beaten as the others."

"So he is losing power..." Izuku put his hand to his chin.

"Slowly but surely. It scares me how he's still so strong after absorbing energy nearly a full 12 hours ago." Ben said.

"So even if he didn't notice or care about the power drain before...he does now," Izuku said.

"Did anything stand out on the third attack?" Ochako asked.

"Two things. First, all the villains were involved in the U.S.J attack," Ben said, "Had their files on hand. Minotaurus, Tesla, Steel Bulwark, and Gorilla. Second, Gorilla actually had traces of Trigger in her system."

"Trigger..." Izuku said. "Even with that sort of boost, he still took her down with ease..."

"It's a powerful quirk," Ben nodded. "But, we're gonna set up a sting operation with some villains in return for lessened sentences."

"Wait, seriously? The commission's allowing that?" Ochako asked. With what Ben told her before, it sounded like they weren't really the type to negotiate unless the terms fit their system.

"Yeah. Some of the other former League villains are in on it too. Oxy-Man, Invisible Wall, Martial Hair..." Ben listed off. "The kid's a major threat, and it could cause some worry if we don't take him. The only reason the commission's even doing it is to make sure this kid gets taken down."

"Worry about the bigger threat and give smaller villains something that'd actually work for them..." Izuku muttered.

"The commission sounds really complicated..." Ochako said, rubbing her head.

"Trust me- politics are never a fun topic, kid."

"If...you don't mind me ask, how many heroes are being put on this?" Izuku asked.

"Sensitive info you're asking," Ben said.

"Oh, trust me, he'd never do anything malicious with it!" Ochako came to Izuku's defense, "If anything, it's because of his love of heroes. He knows a lot about the Pro Hero scene and some of their best cases."

"Just a few. Local ones, mainly power types that don't have any energy based quirks...and Ochako and I will be there as well." Ben said. "The operation is tonight."

"And I'll be ready for it. Promise you that," Ochako affirmed.

"That's the spirit," Ben said. "We need to do some prep work right now, but I'll give you the call when we're ready. I'll just leave the two of you to your...hang out."

Part of Ben wanted to say 'date' to tease the two, but he held his tongue. Ruby one-hundred percent would have said, though. Well, her or Yang. Either way though, with that out of the way, Ben turned back to Ghostfreak and floated through one of the walls, heading back to finish up the prep-work.

"Wow...it's incredible you get to work with him even more," Izuku said.

"Yeah...we're kinda like you and All Might!" Ochako joked. "Similar powers and everything..."

"O-oh yeah! Funny coincidence there!" Izuku said sheepishly.

"But...thank you for being cool about this," Ochako said. "I've felt awful about skipping out on stuff, and falling behind in school...I was worried that word would get out and everyone would freak out."

"It...it must be difficult to keep a secret like that under wraps for so long. It gets heavier the longer you keep it yourself, doesn't it?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah...it does. Funny, Ben said something similar to that before," Ochako said.

"N-not that I would know anything about keeping secrets myself," Izuku said.

"Well, yeah. You're an open book." Ochako said.

"Hahaha, yeah. Open book!" Izuku parroted nervously…

Ochako would soon learn his secret too, but that'll be for later.

Potential stood atop a building, looking over the city beneath him. They say as a person's power grows, their moral sensibility decreases. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." But, Potential was always going to end up like this.

You can thank his parents for it.

Parents that place too much emphasis on grades and extracurricular activities diminish the value of social skills and compassion. As a result, they may be contributing to their children's inability to be well-adjusted individuals and contributing members of society.

Potential's parents had stressed out other kids before him to become heroes or scholars...and Potential was their 'problem child'.

He wasn't interested in either, nor did he particularly excel at anything. He wasn't bad per say, in some areas he was quite good, but "quite good" wasn't enough. "Quite good" needed to be "perfect," "top of the class," "best of the best." And, despite how much of himself he poured into reaching those heights...he just never managed to climb that high.

School pressure has been demonstrated to raise stress and anxiety in children. The most prevalent grounds for self-inflicted fatalities among Japanese students were because of family related issues. Potential never liked this idea- sacrificing his own life and happiness just for the opportunity to MAYBE get a taste of a good life. He was fine with putting in the work...but...

Nearly three years of being tormented by alleged "friends." No longer being able to cope with studies. The "psychologist" in charge of counseling him on what to do just offered alternate studies.

It was suffocating. And he was angry.

So, he ran away.

One's worth should not be defined by a simple letter on a paper.

It was maybe...what? a month or two as a runaway, alone and starving, when he met Tachyon. The villain ringleader had told him a sob story that mirrored his own. Pressured upbringing, running away, and eventually finding success as a villain. He even formed a crew. Potential wondered how much of that tale was true and how much Tachyon made up to win the young runaway over.

But Tachyon still got what he wanted: a new, gullible grunt to do all the low-work.

It was tedious- he ran away to escape the pressure. Suddenly he was the muscle for a group that stiffed him, disrespected him...he'd escaped one toxic environment into another one.

And now he was here. Free from both and able to take on the world. Well...for what time he had left. He was running low on the energy he absorbed from "Ben 10K" and he needed a boost. After another broken arm, Gorilla was more than happy to tell him where she got the little ace up her sleeve. It seemed a bit...old fashioned to him, given how most of these guys died out when the "Age of Heroes" started up.

"...if things go south, I'll use you." Potential said, pulling out a small case. "And I'll show everyone...this is me at my best."

But it'd be a last resort. He'd taken out a few villains sure and no doubt his name's been spread around a few interested circles. There was only one way left to get his name really out there.

He needed to take out a Pro.

Ochako was eventually called in by Ben- she met up with him at a nearby police station. The scene was very strange, with a few powerful pros in attendance. They were all talking over the operation with the police, meticulously going over every detail.

"Wow..." Ochako said, staying close to Ben.

"Yeah, operations like this have some 'top billing' to them." Ben said, looking around. "We got heroes like Cementoss and Crust on the case."

"What about Eraserhead?" Ochako asked. "He'd be perfect for stopping him."

"Eraserhead got tied up in some unrelated UA business, hence why Cementoss is here. We've got a bunch of plans on how to contain this kid," Ben said. "Trap him under concrete is our best plan right now. Like your friend said, he can't conduct concrete."

"Ben Tennyson!"

Ochako and Ben turned around to see Crust, making his way over to Ben. "It is an HONOR to work with you on this case!" He said, wrapping the alien hero in a tight bear hug.

"URK!" Ben said, trying to break free of his grasp. "I-it's good to see you again, Mamoru!"

Crust was one of the Top 10 Heroes in Japan. Crust was a well-built man with black hair combed backward, with a streak of grayish-white hair running down from the center of his hairline. The back of his right hand had a layer of 'crust'. His hero costume consisted of a black mask over his eyes, and attire similar to the armor Spartans would wear, including a green hooded cape and a black shirt that appears to be stitched down the middle with a red pattern.

He believed that while force can defend in an emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration, and collaboration can bring humanity to eternal peace. He had a high adoration amongst the Japanese citizens, wore his heart on his sleeve, and had little to no casualties in battle. When one person got injured because of his heroics, he made sure to pay for their hospital bills, no matter the cost.

...and he was highly, highly emotional.

Crust set Ben back down and took note of his sidekick. "Oh! You brought someone with you..."

"Oh, this is Spanner," Ben said. "She had a run-in with Potential, and wanted to help out."

Crust grasped Ochako's hand and began to shake it. "Spanner! You are truly honored to work under Ben 10k! Please do not waste this opportunity."

"R-right," Ochako nodded nervously.

"I trust you will keep an eye on your sidekick, Tennyson! My heart still cries after I heard what happened to your sidekick in Hosu!" Crust said.

Ochako nearly forgot about Manny- she had to wonder how he was doing.

"Oh, don't worry- Manny's doing better. He's getting a prosthetic soon, and I think after some training to get used to it...he'll be back on the field." Ben said.

Crust cried out. "THE DETERMINATION OF THIS GENERATION'S YOUTH IS CERTAINLY ADMIRABLE!" Ochako was oddly reminded of Iida.

"...is he always like this?" Ochako whispered to Ben.

"No, no...he's usually more emotional," Ben said. "I dunno if he's hamming it up, but...yeah. Probably didn't get enough sleep."

"I'm not shocked you'd join in the mission, Crust," Ben bemused.

"Because you want to stop people from getting hurt?" Ochako asked.

"Not only that- I've dealt with many cases like this," Crust sighed. "Not all kids like this are terrible. They are individuals, just like everyone else on the earth. And we must take our time figuring out who is who and what is what for each and every one of them who looks to be having difficulties in life. To help someone, is to understand them."

Those words hit hard with Ochako. More than she thought.

Ben nodded. "Same old Crust. Embodying the shield like always."

"The shield must always be able to endure all," Crust smiled.

Ochako was looking forward to working with a pro so devoted to his work.

The police chief took a sip of his coffee cup, and set it down. "Thank you all for being here today," The chief said, addressing the room of heroes. Ochako looked around- she didn't know everyone, but this was quite a big group to take down one guy.

"Let's quickly review what we know about our culprit here," The chief said, looking at a large screen behind him. It displayed the Potential's face from an old school photo. "His name is Kono Akio- a runaway from home, and was caught up with the 'Energy Company', a small collective of energy based villains who were able to pull off a HEFTY amount of robberies. Yesterday, Potential was able to absorb a large quantity of energy, and went on a rampage. He took down multiple criminals and destroyed multiple banks."

"Akio's quirk is based on 'energy absorption'. Hence why we have no 'energy' based heroes right now. We were going to catch him earlier...at least until some idiot villain managed to charge him back up with his quirk." The police chief grumbled. "Anyways, here's our ace in the hole- we lure him out with some villains 'robbing' a bank. Potential will come, and that's when we'll try to contain him."

Ochako raised her hand. "I assume we'll be using Cementoss' abilities to contain him?"

"Correct," Cementoss nodded. (He swore the voice behind the mask sounded familiar.) "I'll be containing a whole city block to ensure Potential is unable to escape, and reinforcing it."

"The hardest part will be trying to take him down," Crust said.

"And that's why I'm here," Ben 10k said. "I can tag him with a LOT of my aliens. This'll be a cinch."

"Now...let's get to our meetup point," The chief said. "This could be our only chance to nab him before he quickly becomes an A-tier villain."

Martial Hair and Oxy-Man were looking over the "hostages" for their little job. Invisible Wall was outside on look-out, while another U.S.J villain, Muscle Man, was stuffing stacks of money into bags.

"Anything?" Martial Hair asked into an ear-piece.

"Nothing yet. Know the alarm sounded...but I got nothing," Invisible Wall responded over the comms.

"I swear, this better get me out on parole..." Oxy-Man said, looking around. "I'm scared this kid's gonna either kill me or put me in the hospital."

"Can't you like, I dunno...use oxygen to mess with the electricity?" Muscle Man asked.

"...wow, you sure are living up to your name, meathead."

"That...that's not even remotely close to how that works..." Martial Hair sighed, before her earpiece beeped.

"He's on his way. Get into position, now." The police chief said.

"Showtime, assholes!" Martial Hair clapped, looking around. "Better give an Oscar winning performance!"

"Oh, like you needed to ask," Invisible Wall boasted and crawled along the wall, getting into position.

"Damn...almost like there's more in it for you than just parole," Oxy-Man rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Aozora..." Martial Hair growled.

Ochako and Ben watched from a nearby rooftop. They were staying low.

"That kid is coming in hot," Ben said, looking down at a strange device.

"What's that?" Ochako asked.

"Energy tracker," Ben explained. "Someone was able to finally tune to this kid's energy frequency."

"How high is it?" Ochako asked.

"The kid could power a small power plant," Ben said. "Scary, huh?"

"They're...gonna be ok, right?" Ochako asked, referring to both the villains in the bank and the hostages.

"We've got medics on standby for them," Ben said, "The villains I mean. Two of them seemed genuinely repentant. As for the hostages, they're very used to this."

"...wait, what?" Ochako turned to Ben, completely taken aback.

"They're paid actors: the Help Us Company. Usually they're brought in for training exercises for up-and-coming heroes, but on rare occasions they're brought in for set-ups like this. That's why not all the heroes were assigned to an active part of the takedown. Some were assigned to evac the Help Us 'hostages.'"

"There's so many weird occupations nowadays," Ochako murmured.

"Tell me about it," Ben scoffed.

"10K," Cementoss called over the earpiece, "Walls are about to go up. Floor's yours."

"Thanks, Cement," Ben said, dialing up an alien. Considering Potential's power, energy aliens were out, but he had other options if he needed range. He slammed down on the watch and after a quick flash of green, blue moth wings unfurled from a cloak-like position, as Ben turned into Big Chill.

"Izuku mentioned you should launch attacks from below the ground, since concrete doesn't conduct electricity." Ochako said.

"I've got a bunch of moves like that- consider this your 'mentor in action' moment. I'll use the exact same forms you have right now," Ben grinned.

Ochako nodded, though internally she was excited to see what her forms could do in the hands of someone who had truly mastered them. Ben walked up to the edge of the roof, leaned forward, and fell. He turned invisible halfway down the fall and flew towards the bank.

Ben hid in the alley behind the bank, as Ochako suddenly noticed the street lights were flickering. Ochako immediately ducked for cover as Potential darted down the streets, and made a beeline for the bank.

Martial Hair gulped. Here goes, She thought. With a shower of sparks, Potential landed in the bank, his hands still fully charged with energy.

"More U.S.J. thugs," Potential sighed, "Getting tired of low-ranks...think you'll be the last ones. Then I move up in the world."

"Yeah...cute that you think that," Martial Hair said, aiming her hair at Potential.

"Target is in position," Ochako muttered into an earpiece. "The time to strike is now!"

With no small amount of effort, Cementoss threw his arms skyward, commanding the stone around the entire block to rise up and form into a dome. The thunderous sound of the dome sealing made Potential look over his shoulder in shock. These were low-ranked villains; they couldn't possibly have this much manpower or coordination...

Unless they had help.

"...this is a setup, isn't it?" Potential hissed.

"Oh, big time." Martial Hair grinned, as her hair turned into a spike and stabbed forward multiple times. Potential dodged the attacks, as he bumped into something behind him. Invisible Wall shoved him to the ground.

"We cut a BIG deal with some heroes," Oxy Man said, pointing his spear at the boy. "And let's just say that they're giving us one sweet gig."

"Can't even stay villains, could you? You had to go and make deals with the Pros," Potential growled. He rushed ahead, aiming at Oxy-Man. Martial Hair tried to stop him, jab at him with her spiked hair, but the charged-up villain simply dodged the jab with a spin. As he came back around, he then kicked the redemption-seeking villain in the arm, hard enough to send her flying into one of the teller booths. Without a second wasted, he moved right back to charging at Oxy-Man.

A spear would be much easier to deal with, after all.

Oxy Man stabbed forward, but Potential narrowly ducked under the spear. He unleashed a powerful uppercut that sent the poor villain through the roof and out of the bank. Muscle Man made a face.

"...oh no, bro." Muscle Man said, as Potential made a straight beeline for him.

Potential didn't even care about this one, simply grabbing the villain by the face and slamming him into the ground. He knew there was one more in here, but he couldn't pinpoint where exactly they were.

"Screw it," Potential shouted, sending a tremendous burst of energy into the air. All of the 'hostages' and the Invisible Wall were briefly shocked and knocked down.

"There we go."

The energy-charged villain turned his attention back to the money. He wasn't going to steal it, he was going to burn it. He was about to set fire to the first stack of cash, before ice suddenly encased the doorway. Then the entire building froze over, the temperature dropping. Potential gave a few breaths, seeing mist form in front of him, giving him a good idea about who was responsible.

"10K...back for another round, eh?" Potential asked aloud.

"Sure." Ben 10k snarked, before he dove into the ground. Icy spikes suddenly shot out of the ground. Potential was nearly skewered on a multitude of giant icicles.

He dodged out of the way, sending out a wave energy at the icicles that cut them in half. He was on guard now, scanning the frozen interior for any sign of the Necrofriggian. The smallest hint of movement would be seen by Potential as Ben, so he'd fire on whatever it was, just to be safe.

Ben smashed into Potential's back with another powerful ice spike that nearly pierced through his chest. "Surrender, kid. You're outclassed here."

Potential turned on his heel and fired out another blast of energy at where Ben had been. The only things he managed to hit were the ice spike, which shattered when the energy hit, and the wall behind it.

"Where the hell are you HIDING!?" Potential yelled.

"Please. Chillax." Ben said, his calm soothing voice unnerving the teen villain. "Too much stress isn't good for you..." Ben snuck up behind Potential and prepared to freeze him over.

"Actually... It keeps me alert!" The energy-charged villain spun around again and grabbed Ben by the wrists. Before the Necrofriggian could turn intangible, two powerful currents of energy surged from Potential and into Ben, shocking him to his core.

Ben yelled, as he collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. "Oh...my god..."

"Yeah," Potential said, charging up his fingers. "And there's more where that came from- TAZER!" Potential stabbed his finger forward...

And collided against Chromastone's rock hard skin. He couldn't stop himself from unleashing energy.

The energy surged into Chromastone's body, powering up his own attacks and giving his body an almost radiant glow.

"Thanks for the charge-up," Chromastone smirked.

"Too bad you can't use it on me. I'll just absorb it back." Potential smirked.

"Cute." Chromastone said, standing back up. "Kid- I'll tell you a secret. You and me?" Ben suddenly grabbed Potential, and smashed him into a wall.

"We're two sides of the same coin powerwise."

The hell? Figures he could absorb -my- powers...but even that night, he couldn't really do ANYTHING to me, Potential thought to himself as he pried himself free of the wall.

"Won't...matter in the end. I overwhelmed you once, 10K. Nothing's saying I can't do it again!" The energy villain yelled.

"Please. You caught me at a bad time," Ben said, switching forms to XLR8. "And I won't let that happen again."

XLR8 ran forward at high speeds to strike the opponent out of the bank. XLR8 quickly ran circles around Potential, forming a tornado. It lifted Potential up into the air and dizzied him...and left him open to attacks.

While still suspended by the tornado, two large stone hexagons came flying at Potential, cutting through the winds XLR8 had whipped up. The first one missed thanks to Potential firing off a bolt to move himself out of the way. The second one slammed right into the energy villain's side, bouncing off of him, before the first shield looped back around and hit him again.

Potential suddenly found himself wrapped in wooden vines. They squeezed him tightly, so as not to let him move. Potential turned to see Kamui Woods, using his Lacquered Chain Prison move with stupid Arbor quirk.

"Stand down, child!"

"...you know...all it takes is one spark..." Potential smirked, charging up some of his own energy before letting off some sparks. He was gonna try and burn his way free!

Potential suddenly let loose a powerful explosion that sent splinters of energy all over the place. Crust blocked the fragments, as Potential dashed over to the overwhelmed Kamui Woods.

"Okay, newcomer! Let's fry you FIRST!" Potential yelled, unleashing another burst of energy...

That Ben got in front of. He immediately shifted to Chromastone, and absorbed the energy. The power gave Chromastone that iconic glow of his again. The boost let Ben grab hold of Potential by the wrist and then threw him over his shoulder. Sand then began buffeting Potential, catching him off guard.

Because of all things, why sand?!

The Sand Hero, Snatch, reformed around Potential and captured him. "Come now, boy. The fight is long over. Your luck has run out- you're not dealing with a bunch of 'rookies'!"

"10K, Snatch, Crust, even Kamui Woods...all for one guy. I feel honored," Potential smirked.

"Don't try it, boy. The sand'll just reconstitute if you blast it," Snatch said, guessing what the villain would try next.

"...then I'll just have to up the ante now, don't I?" Potential said, with a grin. He pulled something out of his pocket...and jabbed it into his leg.

"Wait, was that-?" Crust called out, before everyone saw the sparks and energy surrounding Potential's hands roar to life, almost entirely renewed. Like he'd just gotten a fresh dose of energy. His eyes glowed with that similar surge of power and he smirked, looking back at Snatch. The energy villain charged up and fired off a massive shockwave that actually managed to free himself entirely from the Sand Hero's grip and send the other gathered pros flying.

"He has Trigger?" Kamui asked, shocked.

His body started to turn red and black, as he began to sneer and grin. "Hmmm...now this is a fantastic power up!" Potential laughed, holding out his hands. "And I wonder..."

Potential zipped over to Chromastone, and grabbed his head. He began to suck that energy out of his body, as Chromastone struggled to pull the boy off of him.

"Let him go, boy!" Kamui shouted, trying to entangle Potential or, failing that, at least have him let go of Ben. Potential smirked and let out another shockwave with just a thought,radiating energy off of him, burning the roots that Kamui sent his way while still leeching energy from Chromastone.

"Round 2 is over." Potential said, tossing Ben away. Ochako watched in horror as Ben was thrown right back at their 'vantage point'. Ochako barely grabbed Chromastone's foot, and kindly set him back down on the ground. Potential had nearly crushed Chromastone's head in their grip.

"Ugh..." Ben groaned. "That hurt..."

"Trigger must have powered him up to the point that he can just absorb energy based quirks with a touch." Ochako surmised.

"And people...actually try to defend using that stuff," Ben groaned as he tried getting up.

The other pros weren't having much luck either. Kamui couldn't restrain him or he'd get burned, and Crust was now on the back leg. After throwing Chromastone, Potential charged right at the Shield Hero and started laying into him. Two small hexagonal shields formed on the pro's wrists and brought them up to block the energy villain's barrage of punches. The shields started to crack quickly under the assault and if they did break, the pro was able to reform them in an instant.

"Rest up," Ochako said, activating her own Omnitrix. "I'll tag in."

"What will you do?" Ben asked.

"I'll do anything I can!" Ochako replied as she leapt from the building and slammed her Omnitrix. Heatblast took her place and soared towards Potential. A volley of small fireballs flew towards Potential's head.

The villain tore off one of Crust's shields and used it to defend himself after kicking the shield hero away. The fireballs impacted against the shield, before Heatblast flew in and tackled Potential.

Ochako propelled themselves into a wall with Potential- they smashed into a building, and Ochako began to incinerate Potential's face with a flamethrower from her mouth.

Potential pushed through the flames and slammed his forehead into Ochako's, making the hero stagger back.

"God...damn it...bad idea," Potential admitted.

Ochako landed on the ground, and rubbed her head. "Ow." She said, shaking it off. Ochako put her hands on the ground, and looked back up at Potential. This move is a bit of a long shot- I haven't mastered it yet, but...it's worth a shot!

Ochako unleashed a powerful burst of flames into the ground, causing it to explode. Bits of debris and concrete went flying everywhere, with some pelting the still stunned Potential.

Potential endured the barrage of debris, shaking off the stun of the headbutt before charging up the energy in his hands. He put his hands together and fired off a massive beam in Ochako's direction. The Pyronite dodged out of the way, watching the destruction the beam wrought as it cut through wall after wall.

"...I really need to not get hit by that," Ochako said, shaking her head. Ochako looked over to Kamui Woods and Crust- how could she combo with them?

She was curious- were those shields of Crust...flammable?

Even if they weren't on their own...she suddenly got an idea. She raced over to Kamui and Crust, making a wall of flames to cover her retreat. Potential panted, exerted from that attack; he was letting himself recharge.

"Crust, Kamui...I need you to combine your powers. Make me a shield with some wood around it." Ochako said.

"What?" Kamui said.

"Of COURSE! Such a passionate display of teamwork may overwhelm him!" Crust said.

"...or we can make a cool flaming shield." Ochako said.

"That too! How big do you need it?" Crust asked, already starting to form a hexagonal bulwark.

"Big enough to where he'd have to dodge it. No deflections, just dodge or get hit. We use the opening the distraction gives us."

"...and take him out that way," Kamui finished, "Could work."

"Yeah. Make a BIG one. Then you'll wrap your vines around it, and I'll ignite it...and I'll have Four Arms toss it." Ochako said.

"As you wish!" Crust said, making a huge shield- his shields were usually about 2.5 feet in diameter, and weighed 12 pounds. This one...was six times that size, now the size of one of those inflatable swimming pools. Kamui's vines wrapped around it, and Ochako quickly set it ablaze. She morphed into Fourarms, and picked up the flaming shield with ease.

"No pressure..." She said to herself, as she grabbed it.

She wound up for the toss, gaining momentum steadily. Her focus was drawn to Potential when she heard another shockwave blast out, extinguishing her fire. The energy villain let out two blasts to propel himself forwards, anger and power welling up in his eyes. And at the right moment, Ochako threw the massive flaming shield at the villain, forcing him to dodge. With so little room to maneuver after the throw, he was easy to hit. Crust used his Quirk to form a larger shield that Potential slammed into, while Kamui used his roots to bind the supercharged villain to it.

Finally, Ochako quickly swapped to Gravattack, her body becoming red and more golem-like, before boosting the gravity and slamming both Potential and his new restraints to the ground and keeping them pinned. The boosted villain could have burned through Kamui's wooden binds, but the increased pressure kept him from focusing long enough to expel the energy. If Ochako could keep this up, she'd be able to hold him long enough for the Trigger to wear out.

"Come on, kid..." Ochako said, increasing gravity. Potential hissed, as his red electricity began to spark more and more. His eyes lit up as he channeled his electricity into the ground.

"DEMONIC THUNDER WING DEMOLITION!" The ground shook and cracked, as the sparks of electricity burst out of it.

Ochako upped the pressure, pressing Potential further into the stone floor, trying to break his concentration.

Potential yelled, nearly frothing at the mouth. THIS was something he was so focused on! He couldn't let go of his dream here. The world LOVED success, and he was unfortunate enough to get none of it. "LET THIS BE THE ONE THING...I'M GOOD AT!" Potential roared.

Kamui slammed his hands into the ground and had more roots crossover Potential's body, while Crust made ready to seal the energy burst away by forming up five more massive hexagonal walls.

"It's over, Potential! If you keep going like this, you might end up hurting yourself more than bystanders! Trigger's been outlawed for a reason!" Crust tried to reason with the kid.

Potential wasn't even registering Crust's passionate words. He gave his all- one more last PUSH!

And the ground EXPLODED beneath the heroes feet. The entire block exploded, actually. The attack shook the dome, forming some cracks in it...

Outside the dome, Cementoss gave it his all to reinforce the cement blockade. The cracks began to quickly spread, but the rocky hero quickly used his Quirk to repair the damage. Inside the dome, the pros were thrown off guard by the sudden surge of energy Potential released.

Though, it was not without its drawbacks.

Potential had really put his all into that attack- and because he released all that energy...

Ochako stumbled over to see Potential, face down in a crater. He was without power or energy now. "He's...he's down." Ochako said, breathing carefully.

"Is...is he still breathing?" Crust asked, noting the severe damage Potential had wrought with that last push. So much power, released in such a short time...he'd be surprised if the kid didn't suffer some kind of injury from it.

Ochako slid down, and put her hand to his neck to feel for a pulse. "His breathing...it's slowed."

"Drawback from Trigger..." Kamui said, joining Ochako in the crater. "Some variants of Trigger can reduce the activity of the neurons in the brain and spinal cord...he must have one of those versions."

"Cementoss," Crust radioed into his earpiece, "Potential's down, but it sounds like he needs medical care as soon as possible."

"Understood," Cementoss radioed back, dropping the dome and allowing light to reach the block again.

Of course, there was still one matter of note...being the U.S.J villains. Despite being thrown around like ragdolls, Oxy-Man decided...you know what? He didn't need a reduced sentence. He could just walk out of here while the others were all busy resting and dealing with Potential. A clean escape!

"And where the hell are you going, Aozora?" Martial Hair growled.

Ochako turned her attention to Martial Hair and Oxy-Man. She squinted her eyes.

That's the guy who led the attack on Midoriya, Sui and Mineta at USJ... The heroine realized. She held out her hand, and weighed down Oxy-Man to the ground so he wouldn't be able to even lift his foot up.

"I-I...I was...going to...get help?" The villain lied.

"May I?" Martial Hair asked.

Ochako looked at Martial Hair and gave her a once over, just trying to make out if she was genuine in this. Maybe against her better judgment, she eased up on the pressure for a moment.

"Thank you."

Oxy-Man suddenly felt Martial Hair's fist connecting with his face a lot harder than he thought she could manage.

Oxy-Man crumpled to the ground (also sort of due to Ochako's gravity) and he groaned. Martial Hair flipped her hair and sighed.

"Idiot..."

Ochako looked up at the building where Ben was resting. "Hold on. Be right back." She said, as she morphed into her planetoid form and hovered over to the building. Ochako floated back over to Ben, who was getting back up. Ben looked pretty proud of the girl.

"That...was pretty hardcore, Ochako. You stood your ground..." Ben said, as the girl reverted back to normal.

"Thanks." Ochako replied, returning her gaze to Potential. She was a little worried since he wasn't moving. Ben walked over to her side, and shook his head.

"It's a pity... I was hoping he'd simply give up or something." Ben remarked. "However, his desire to win was...overpowering him."

"He sounded serious with that last attack- he yelled 'let this be the one thing I'm good at'." Ochako stated. "...I wonder if Kono ran away because his parents stressed him out."

"Absolutely the case. Probably to do with school, too." Ben said. "Pushing some children through the same educational curriculum fosters conformity rather than resilience. Not every kid is gonna have a good time with it...especially the rebellious ones. Rage, tension, and anxiety...trying to force your kid into all of that can have some serious emotional damage behind it."

"I hope he gets some help." Ochako said, clutching her arm. "I...think he just needs some guidance." Ochako looked up, to see the concrete barrier going down. She and Ben were looking up at a sky full of stars.

He and Ochako stood in silence for a few seconds.

"You should probably go, kid," Ben said. "I can handle it from here."

"I'll...call you after my patrol tomorrow, then. Give me updates." Ochako said, as she turned to leave.

"...again. Good work," Ben said, eyes still focused on Potential.

"No problem." Ochako nodded, as she morphed into Big Chill and flew off. Ben watched her fly off, and took a deep breath.

Ben pulled out his phone, and scrolled to a contact. He tapped on it, and pressed 'call'. He put the phone to his ear, and let it ring for a few seconds.

"Hello?" A deep voice asked, as the line finally picked up. Ben could hear him moving around a bit, and the distant sounds of a baby in the back.

"Hey, Kev." Ben said. "We took care of that kid I was telling you about."

"Damn, that was fast." Kevin joked.

"...when do you think you could fly in and...maybe give him that talk?" Ben asked. "The...what did you call it again?"

"The 'Walk away from Satan' talk. It's like 'Come to Jesus' but I try to be a bit more...y'know. Me." Kevin stated. "But...I dunno, man. Might be a few weeks. Min and I are still settling in with Xander, y'know? I'm trying to be as involved in this kid's life as I can, and I dunno if I wanna even leave for a few hours."

"Fair, fair." Ben nodded.

"...something bothering you, dude?"

Ben didn't answer.

"You saw a bit of me in him, didn't you?"

"...yeah. I did."

Kevin took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll...check my schedule, and get back to you. I can tell this kid is gonna be a stubborn one."

"You were too, y'know." Ben snickered.

"...you're lucky I'm in Xander's room or else I'd be saying some choice words right now," Kevin scolded him. Ben could hear Xander's gibberish and babble in the back.

"Tell Min I said hi, okay?" Ben asked. "I gotta take care of this guy, and then do some paperwork."

"I'll give you deets when I can," Kevin said, as he picked up his kid from his crib. "Xander, you wanna say hi to your uncle Ben?"

Ben could hear Xander babble some more. Ben laughed a bit. "...it was nice talking to you, Kev."

"Nice hearing from you too, Ben." Kevin said. "Talk to you later."

"Catch you on the flipside," Ben said, as he hung up.

The next day, Ochako was going over some of the material for the next test in UA For the most part she had an actual good understanding of this. With Potential arrested, and being psychologically evaluated, the successor to the Omnitrix had plenty of time to catch up. Of course, what seemed like a normal day immediately turned weird again. Izuku texted Ochako and asked if they could talk at her place again.

Two days in a row is weird but Ochako accepted. Maybe he was just opening up socially a bit more?

Ochako did more of her work, biding her time until Izuku came by again.

"Glad to see you're okay- I heard about the raid on the news." Izuku said.

"Yeah...Potential spent all his energy on one attack, trying to prove his strength. Ended a lot faster than I thought it would." Ochako admitted.

"He must have overestimated his Quirk. But given everything it sounded like he already knew his limits."

"I...don't know how, but the other Pros said he had a booster on hand."

"I heard about that...an illegal drug that enhances your Quirk's power. All Might busted a few rings that dealt the stuff back in his younger days."

"You and your All Might knowledge," Ochako smirked. She noticed just how...serious Izuku looked though. Like he was trying to gather up the courage for something.

"Are you ok, Deku?"

"Uraraka. You let me in on...maybe the biggest secret of your life, that you were chosen to carry on the legacy of Ben 10K. Well...now it's my turn. You trusted me enough to know your secret, so I trust you enough to know mine."

The Omnitrix wielder tilted her head. What secrets could Izuku Midoryia have? He was pretty much an open book. Maybe his darkest secret was that he stole a candy bar when he was 7 or something.

But the next few words that came out of his mouth...shook Ochako.

"I'm All Might's successor." Izuku admitted.

Ochako froze. Whatever she thought she was going to hear, well, those guesses shattered like glass.

"Huh?" Ochako said, just trying to process it all.

"Yeah, so…this quirk I have. It's his. He gifted it to me some time before the semester started. Before that...I...I didn't have a Quirk."

Ochako stared at Izuku for a few seconds, stunned in silence. "...what do you mean the same quirk!?"

"About a year ago...I met All Might, and after saving Kacchan from some slime villain, he saw potential in me and trained me so I could receive his quirk." Izuku went on. "It's basically this quirk that grows when transferred and I'm like…the ninth person to have it-"

"And...and all this time..."

"Every time one of my fingers broke-during the entrance exam, for instance-that was me learning how to properly use the Quirk."

Ochako's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "T-that's one hell of a secret, actually."

"I know." Izuku said.

"And...now...we're in the same boat. The successor to All Might...and the successor to Ben 10K."

"Huge reasonability but...now I know how you felt after telling me. Someone else...actually knows and...now I'm not afraid someone's gonna find out by accident and out me."

Ochako shook her head. "I...I have so many questions! How does this power work? How'd you get it? Is this why we never see All Might around UA that much?"

"Well...last one, no, he's just busy. Second one is...uh...it's weird..." Izuku admitted, hoping he wouldn't need to explain.

"It can't be that weird." Ochako said.

"He had me eat a strand of his hair."

Ochako blinked. She stood corrected.

"Yeah...I don't get how that works either."

"Just...wow." Ochako said, dumbstruck. "I always knew your powers were similar, but...I never knew you shared the same quirk."

"The quirk's called All for One- but I just cover for it by calling it 'Superpower' on my transcripts. It's a bit nerve wracking to have to lie about all of this sometimes..." Izuku admitted.

"Believe me, know how that feels..." Ochako sighed.

"I figured...well, since you know what I'm going through...I should extend an olive branch to you. We have to share this bond together, don't we?" Izuku asked.

"We do. Should be a little easier to deal with it all. I can cover for you, you can cover for me. It all works out," the gravity hero nodded.

"Yeah...and if we have some sort of...issue, we can talk to each other about it." Izuku said. "Let's just hope this secret doesn't get out."

"Between the two of us, it shouldn't. Plus, I can still rely on you to help me with any material I missed if Ben calls on me again," Ochako chuckled a bit.

"That's good, that's good." Izuku nodded.

"And while I think the secret of One for All can stay between us...Ben said I should tell some people I trust about the Omnitrix," Ochako said. "So, you obviously know...but I think other people should know in case something happens."

"Like...Iida and Momo?"

"Probably, yeah. Given how much they're gone out of their way to help me, it only seems right to tell them."

"I...I guess that makes sense." Izuku said. "But, seriously. The thing about One for All stays between us."

"I can keep your secret!" Ochako said, faux saluting the boy. Izuku gave a nice sigh of relief. "But, one question? Who else knows about One for All?"

"Aside from you, a police detective, and...obviously All Might? No one."

"What about the guy you interned with?" Ochako asked.

"Oh...yeah, I guess Gran Torino knows. All Might did say there was a buddy on the police force who knew...and then there's Ben and a few of his friends." Izuku went on. "But that's about it. I did try explaining it to someone else, but I don't think he got it."

Ochako instantly knew who he told.

Bakugou watched the news with a dull expression. Ben 10k captures a rising threat known as Potential, The news headlined. Bakugo only saw snippets of some fights- some news crew managed to sneak in and grab footage of the raid. He scoffed.

"The newscasters are a bunch of idiots if they think THAT'S Ben 10k," He scoffed, before shutting off his TV.

Please leave a review~!

Chapter Text

「God its cold rn, it's like 5℉ by me, please help」

We're gonna get out of filler soonish, I like to establish stuff before i get into the big story. Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

As promised, Ochako and Izuku told Iida the next day, after school. He didn't take it all that well. He took the news in such an...Iida way.

"What do you MEAN he asked you to be his successor!?" Iida said, nearly shaking Ochako. "Was that YOU who fought against that Potential villain!?"

Ochako was glad Iida was having this freakout in her apartment and not in public.

"Uh, y-yeah," Ochako admitted sheepishly.

"What were you THINKING?! Taking on a villain with such a powerful Quirk alone?! Despite having a copy of one of the most powerful pieces of technology known to man, that fight could have ended in disaster! But...you did still pull through and manage to actually apprehend the fiend."

"So...it balances out?" Ochako asked.

"I suppose it does. But the concern is still there!"

"A-are you mad at her, or-?" Izuku asked.

"No! Yes! Maybe! I'm just glad she's okay!" Iida said. "I'm just VERY conflicted right now!"

"Um...if it helps, I'm sorry for making you worry?" Ochako tried, hoping that'd make things...less conflicting.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but considering what you did was for a good cause, no apology is necessary!"

"R-right. Just promise us you'll...keep quiet about this, okay? I don't want to freak everybody out." Izuku said.

Are you kidding? Everyone's reaction is gonna be tame compared to Iida's! Ochako thought.

"I promise," Iida said, now calmer, "Not a soul will hear about your status as successor from me."

"Good, good." Ochako said. "You'll just need to cover for me sometimes, and I think that'll be it."

"I'll admit, knowing it was YOU that fought Potential worries me. He's no Stain...but he could have done a lot worse." Iida felt his wrist. Ochako shivered- she really didn't wanna tell Iida about what Potential really did on their first encounter.

"Again, I'm sorry for that, but...if we let worry or fear keep us from acting-" Ochako began.

"Then we have no right to call ourselves heroes! Of course!" Iida finished for the gravity hero. Well, nice to know Ochako managed to make things a bit lighter in tone again.

"I can't imagine even keeping a secret like that! I understand why you decided to shoulder this burden for a short while." Iida said, moving his hands about. "I only ask one thing of you!"

"And what's that?" Ochako asked.

"Stay out of trouble, please." Iida asked. His eyes looked more serious than usual when he said that. "Can you manage that?"

"...More or less," Ochako said.

"More or less?! Ochako, there should be far more emphasis on 'more' there!" Iida began, before rubbing his chin in thought, "It is always possible that myself and Midoriya could assist you in developing better control over them. Which of his aliens do you even have?"

"Oh my playlist? It's Four Arms, XLR8, Grey Matter, Gravattack, Big Chill, Heatblast, Upgrade, Echo Echo, Chromastone, and Water Hazard," The gravity hero-to-be listed off.

"And have you used all of them at least once before?"

"I...think the only one I haven't used is Upgrade."

"Then it's settled! Midoriya, it seems we will have to bother a veritable scrapyard's worth of material to help our friend understand this last form."

"I mean we probably won't need that much," Deku defended.

"There's a high chance we will. An unfamiliar powerset is prone to bad accuracy and may sometimes even backfire."

"Hey, my aim isn't that bad!" Ochako defended before jabbing her speedster friend in the arm lightly.

And the trio got to planning some sort of training exercise for the Omnitrix wielder. Of course, they wouldn't be able to get to that training until the next weekend.

Ben paced around the room, waiting for Kevin to appear. He looked down at the Omnitrix, and paused. "Oh, right. Doesn't tell time." Ben muttered.

Suddenly, a black rift appeared next to him. Ben could hear a few things from the other side.

"I'll be back before dinner," Kevin's voice said. "Or earlier, depending on how long this takes."

"Alrighty! Just send me a text and I'll open the rift again." Min's voice replied, as she smooched Kevin on the cheek. "Tell Ben I said hi."

Ben just smirked. They probably knew he could hear them from the otherside, but either way. Shortly after a quick confirmation that he would, none other than Kevin Levin himself stepped through the rift.

Kevin had grown- he looked skinnier than his past self, his hair was longer, and he had Lichtenberg scars all around his body- one of note was shaped like an X on his chin. He also wore Proto-Tech Armor.

"Sorry for the hold up," Kevin said.

"All good," Ben smirked, "How're they doing?"

"Min's alright, though, Xander's making sure we're both busy with him," Kevin chuckled a bit.

"That's good, that's good," Ben said, as he and Kevin walked down the hallway. "Thanks again for coming halfway across the world for this. You're the best man for the job."

"From what you said, he fell pretty far..." Kevin admitted.

"But not too far so that he's unreachable, right?"

"Hopefully. How many villains did you say he thrashed before trying to take on heroes?"

"Plenty...many of them hospitalized...including one of the actually repentant ones, Invisible Wall."

"Hm. This is gonna be a fun talk." Kevin said, as he and Ben approached the conference room.

"They're using some technology in the room to suppress his quirk," Ben said, handing Kevin a bracelet. "This should grant you some immunity to it. Keep your distance. He might try and take it."

"Got it. Though, you did say it was almost like being charged up changed his personality, right?"

"In a way...yeah. But...well, you'll see..."

"News reports back home said the kid was a total maniac. Believe me- I know the feeling." Kevin said, as he entered the room. Akio looked up.

"Yo." Kevin said, as he sat down in the seat across from Potential.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Potential asked.

"Name's 11. I'm the Absorbing Hero from America," Kevin frowned.

"...11? Really? What, friend of 13?" Akio scoffed.

"Not really. But, not here to talk about what connections I have in the hero world."

"What, you're gonna scare me straight or something? Gonna tell me I'm wasting my powers? I've heard everything." Potential scoffed.

"No. I'm just gonna say that you did good out there." Kevin said.

"Wait...what?" Akio asked, not really processing what he heard properly. He had to be hearing things...right?

"Taking in that much power, going toe to toe with people like Tennyson and Crust- that was pretty impressive." Kevin said.

"I...what?" was all the subdued villain was able to say. This guy was...congratulating him for beating up some of his friends?

"You look confused." Kevin noted.

"Why are you praising me?" Potential asked.

"Because. It shows how starved you are of any positive reinforcement, kid." Kevin frowned.

"How do you...?" was all Potential managed to say. He was just...confused, now. Sure, one of the heroes must have told this guy about his life's story, but...he was expecting to get more of the usual lecture, not...not praise.

"Because...I know the type. Something went wrong with your life. If I wasn't told directly, could've been anyone's guess about what happened. Parents got divorced, poor or...outright rough upbringing, something along those lines. And you had enough. You had enough and you decided to get out and you wanted to make something of yourself."

"That's what it says in my file?"

"Yeah. But I didn't need to read it all the way through to know what I'm dealing with."

"...you're like me." Potential said.

"Yeah. We're kindred spirits. And I know what you've been through, so, I'm gonna cut you a deal." Kevin said. "Tell me what's up, we'll get you into therapy, and you serve the minimum sentence."

"...what even is the minimum sentence for all the shit I've done?"

"Let's see...aggravated assault, sending people to the hospital and threatening a Pro...that's a minimum of...10 years." Kevin said. "Of course, you have opportunities to turn yourself around DURING those 10 years to reduce the sentence."

"...fine. You wanna know? Expectations. And not meeting them."

"Ah...one of the top five," Kevin mused.

"Seriously? Gonna make a joke on that?"

"Not a joke. I've given this talk a few times before and, while it's not a given, that's one of the five reasons I've heard the most. Some others were peer pressure, blackmail, not being exactly what you thought it'd be..."

"Yeah? You ever have parents who refused to give you a lick of respect because you don't have a perfect grade point average?" Akio frowned.

"I know people like that." Kevin said.

"What about a dad that doesn't look at you because you aren't 'excelling' at something?" Akio said.

"I had that too."

"...damn...so you weren't just saying 'we're not so different' just to try and...I dunno calm me down."

"Nope. Totally genuine. Not the kind of guy to use that as an empty platitude."

"...then how did you do it? How did you get out of it? Turn around to be a hero?"

"I had help." Kevin said, scratching his face. "And I'd like to extend that help to you, kid. I just became a parent- and I swore I would never fuck over my kids as much as my parents fucked me over. The cognitive and executive skills, stress response systems, and brain architectures of early infants are all disrupted by severe neglect, according to research. These disturbances, if not addressed, can result in academic difficulties, social adjustment issues, mental health issues, physical sickness, and other issues."

Akio blinked. "...so...it's not my fault for my setbacks?"

"Blame your parent's neglectful nature. Sure, you can blame a bad grade on yourself...but it's important to me that you understand that your did some serious damage to you."

"...I mean...that...that's why I ran..."

"But you still somewhat blamed yourself...right? That's why you joined the...what...what was the crew called?"

"The...Power Company," Akio said.

"...guy who named that outfit must not have been very good with names. But anyway, that's why you joined the Power Company. Wanted someone to finally tell you 'good job.' And they didn't fill that need."

"...no...not at all."

"All this time, you've been craving acceptance." Kevin frowned.

"...yeah." Akio said, looking down.

"I get it. I get how much you've gone through, even if the reasons weren't the exact same. I'll have a talk with the warden. Get ya some therapy while you're serving. Trust me, might not happen off the bat but...works wonders."

"Also speaking from experience?"

"Better believe it. I'd still be a mess without it. Hell, might even be a villain right now if I didn't work out all the issues."

"...right." Akio said, as Kevin stood up.

"Good talk, kid." Kevin said.

The absorbing hero turned and left Akio there for now, with a lot to think about. Ben was still waiting outside the holding room, not listening in, of course. Not like he could anyway given how thick the walls were for the room.

"Gave him the talk. I think he's gonna come around fast." Kevin said.

"Alright, good." Ben said. "...so, wanna get coffee or something before I take you to see the kid?"

"Wow, no smoothies? Adulthood changed you." Kevin joked.

"I still get smoothies. Just not as often..." Ben admitted.

"Point still stands."

Ben's drink- vanilla bean frappuccino, cinnamon dolce syrup, white mocha syrup, and a topping of cinnamon dolce powder. Tasty.

Kevin's drink- black coffee. That was black. Like his soul.

A good reflection of who they were as characters, wouldn't you say?

"So, aside from our super-charged friend in there, things on the villain front cooled down after U.S.J and Stain, yeah?" Kevin asked before taking a drink.

"Mostly yeah. Sure you've got some of the smaller crooks still going around, but nothing as big as the League...well, nothing that we know about yet," Ben admitted.

"America's had their fair share of villains- Stain's words didn't really resonate with the public as much as it did in Japan, but we had some new faces pop up. They were pretty easy to take down, though." Kevin said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How easy?" Ben asked with a raised brow.

"I fought a dude named 'Tall Girl', Ben. She just wore giant stilts and shot lasers. All I needed to do was give her a good push and she was down." Kevin said.

"Starting to really run out of gimmicks aren't they?" Ben deadpanned.

"Definitely. I mean really? Your gimmick is being tall? Sure, not like there are people way taller."

"The kid's faced some tough opponents- one could counter powers, another could disguise themselves as other heroes with a mask, and now...Potential." Ben huffed. "I fought a giant robot, Animo and a bunch of weird old people when I first started. I miss that."

"Times are a changin." Kevin nodded.

"And not for the better if the League's anything to go by. The captured Nomu aren't much of a help given...well..."

"Given what?"

"Well, we were able to find out one of the Nomus was made from the body of an ex-con." Ben said. "And the rest..."

"The rest were?"

"The rest were missing children."

"You might wanna repeat that...because I know for a fact you didn't just say that."

"Wish I didn't..."

"Goddamn it. That's low, even for them! Body of an ex-con? It's sick, yeah, but the guy was already dead! If they used those kids for those experiments while they were alive."

"We don't know what happened there. I'll let you decide if that's a good thing or not..."

"It's getting scary out there- I swore I'd take care of all the problems that we had to deal with as kids." Ben said. "This new generation shouldn't bear our failures. Not because they can't take it...it's because they shouldn't. Ironwood, Ozpin, even Azmuth...they let us all down at some point, and forced us to deal with their issues. It sucked...and I don't want those kids to do so either."

"For the most part, we've succeeded at that," Kevin said, "Kid's not gonna have to deal with a Vilgax or a Malware or even a Servantis. Put them away years ago."

"I know...just...part of me's still on edge. Whenever the topic of the League comes up...sure we know who's publicly leading them...but I doubt he's the mastermind."

"Toshi killed him years ago. We saw it happen. We were there." Kevin reassured him.

"I know, I know...but some demons don't die that easily." Ben said.

"Last I checked, regeneration wasn't one of his Quirks. That Darth Vader-looking bastard is dead and buried."

Ben rubbed his arm- he still had some nasty scars from that battle. "Given what Heatblast and Toshi did to his face and body...maybe he really is gone and I'm paranoid."

"You are. Some people can be that well damn organized. I mean, case in point: Ceres. Remember the all-nighters she's pulled?"

"Fair, fair." Ben chuckled. "And without coffee, too. She was a beast."

"Heh, yeah. Heard she still pulls them...just less frequently," Kevin chuckled.

"Well, yeah. She's got a kid now." Ben said. "Now she pulls all nighters with them."

"Heard from her recently? Or do you think she's been too busy juggling everything?" Kevin asked.

"Probably too busy...should probably call myself."

"Great. And while you do that...how about I finally get to meet the next 10K?"

"You want to meet Uraraka?"

"Yeah. I know it's supposed to be a secret so, not gonna head over to U.A. or anything. That'd be like putting up a neon sign for the media."

"Lemme just give her a call to see where she is," Ben said, pulling out his phone. He dialed Ochako's number.

In some sequestered forest, Tenya and Izuku had set up a minor obstacle course for Ochako to run- it was made up from some of Tenya's old equipment from his at home quirk training, and some other stuff they were able to improvise.

"Now then, with everything set up, we're going to see how fast you can run this. I can't tell you how many times I've taken a similar course before I attended U.A. It only improved my mastery over my Quirk and, while I'm sure XLR8 can outrun me any day, I'm sure the course will serve to improve your speed as well," Iida went on, stopwatch in hand to time Ochako.

"If you're sure about this...XLR8 isn't exactly the same as your engine quirk." Ochako said. "I might blaze through these targets by accident."

"That's why I recommend you slow your pace!" Tenya said. "You're fast on your feet, but your reaction time needs to be fast as well!"

"Slower speed, faster reaction time...ok. I think I can manage that," Ochako said, dialing up the Kinnecelaran form and slamming down on the Omnitrix. In a flash of green, her form had been replaced by a more slender and reptilian form.

Iida had to admit it, seeing one of Ben 10K's aliens and knowing one of his friends was the one in control was weird, but in a good way.

"Ben 10k said he was fast enough to run on water as XLR8-" Izuku said, looking at one of his journals. "Because the water moves back as you push it, you must go twice as quickly or you will come to a halt. So that's...80 km/hr. Not even that, Ben said he could 'stop time' as XLR8, just for a brief few minutes. Your reflexes need to be REALLY good to contend with that."

"R-right, no big deal."

"Now then, let's begin!" Iida called out, thumb ready to start timing Ochako. Ben's successor took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she got ready to dash.

"Annnnnd...go!" the speedster hero-to-be called out, pressing the button to track his classmate's time.

Ochako decided to take it easy- usually, XLR8 ran at around 100 MPH. But, Tenya was right. Take it slow. She moved at a decent speed of 45 MPH. Same speed a car goes on an average road. She jumped over some hurdles and ducked under some of the higher ones.

"So far, so good," Deku said, watching Ochako take the opening hurdles with ease.

"Good time so far as well. Hopefully she can keep that," Iida said, taking glances back down to the stopwatch.

Ochako dodged the swinging projectiles with ease- even if they hit her, it wouldn't hurt that much. They were filled with only a few rocks.

After she wove through the rocks being launched at her, Ochako found herself almost colliding with a large collection of branches, arranged almost like a climbing wall.

"Okay, weird, but I guess it fits a timed course..." the gravity Quirk user muttered to herself before trying to climb it. XLR8 wasn't the best suited for this, but swapping to another form might outright break the obstacle.

Ochako quickly tried to scale the thing, but found her wheels weren't...exactly all terrain. She slipped and fell as she tried to climb the wall of branches.

If she was moving faster, Ochako could've avoided this entire obstacle by just jumping over it. Ochako jumped back down, and huffed. "How on Earth am I gonna..." Ochako then remembered something, way back to when she was starting out with her aliens.

Ochako wobbled in her new Kineceleran feet, which felt like in-line skates but far worse. Helen assisted her in finding her balance.

The young heroine examined her two-toed feet. "Ohh...this is soooooo weird.

"Easy, easy. It takes a while to get accustomed to the rolling. Took me a few days." Helen said.

"Huh? Are these things not...like, attached to you or something?" Ochako tilted her head.

"Nope!" Helen suddenly released her grip on the balls, and stepped off of them. Ochako was stunned. "These are forged from a special pearl on my species' homeworld. Reduces friction and makes running a bit more of a breeze."

"So, I can like...run around without these things." Ochako inquired, looking at her feet.

"Yeah- but, unless you're on really rough terrain, I don't see you taking them off at any time." Helen laughed.

Ochako blinked. What did Present Mic call a moment like that in his class? Someone's...gun. Ochako shook her head- not the time to think about that. She stepped off the balls, and threw them over the obstacle. She quickly climbed up the obstacle and grinned. She'd have to text Helen about this later and have a good laugh about it. She picked up her balls, and reattached them to her feet. What was next on the obstacle course?

Ochako could see the next ones- a cargo net, a wire field, and a few walls to climb over. How the heck did they set this all up? Ochako once again detached her wheels, and threw them through the cargo net. She climbed over the net quickly, and back down the other side. She just grabbed the balls, and crawled through the wire field. It was pretty hard to keep herself low, especially with her sharp head occasionally getting snagged on a wire. The girl found it a bit annoying, but she cleared it. Now came the walls...

Ochako reattached her wheels, and jumped up- her claws latched onto the ledge, as she pulled herself over. Ochako repeated this a few more times, and now there was one more obstacle left in her way- the skyscraper. She had to leap or climb to the first story, then either climb the corner posts or help one another to the higher floors, and then press a button on top of the item to indicate that she had completed her course. It was a 30 ft structure...seriously, how DID the boys put this altogether!?

Ochako began her climb, using her tail to wrap around the beams and climb her way from floor to floor. The skyscraper was usually supposed to be a team effort, so it was a bit hard to do it alone. Ochako eventually made her way to the top, and pressed the button- a horn went off, as she groaned. "That was a bit rough." Ochako said, as she transformed into Big Chill. She jumped off the skyscraper and flew back on down to the two at the start of the field.

Ochako landed on the ground, and Tenya and Izuku applauded.

"A time of 6 minutes, 43 seconds and 33.224 milliseconds! Great time for a first run." Tenya said, as he handed Ochako water. She reverted back to normal and immediately chugged the water.

Ochako gave a sigh of relief, and wiped her mouth. "Iida, seriously...how did you and Izuku set this up?"

"Truth be told, it was more an effort from my brother's agency- I just told them I'd like a place to train in peace, and they went ahead and set this up in the early morning." Tenya explained. "I've run this course a few times with my brother and his sidekicks, when I was younger...it was good quirk training."

"Wait, so this is an official Ingenium obstacle course!?" Izuku said, a bit amazed.

Tenya beamed. "Indeed! This is the 'Red Group' training, a pretty basic training system, but...I think it works."

"Woah, Iida...you didn't have to do that." Ochako said, embarrassed- her friend had to lie to get this all set up. She felt a tiny bit guilty.

"Nonsense!" Tenya said, chopping her feelings. "You have been chosen for an important task, and as the class representative, I have to ensure that all students get the chance to hone their abilities. Both quirk...and non-quirk."

Ochako held her wrist. "Thank you." She said, with a small smile.

"Man...you weren't kidding." A voice said. "He IS like his brother." The UA trio looked over to see Ben and Kevin approaching- Ochako looked surprised to see them.

"M-mr. Tennyson!" Izuku stammered. "How'd you find us?"

"Omnitrix tracker." Ben said, holding up his bulkier Omnitrix. "Just thought I'd check in and-"

"He panicked because you weren't responding to his texts." Kevin joked. Ben shot Kevin a glance- Kevin gave him a smug look.

"It's good to see you again, Ben 10k." Iida said with a salute.

Ben looked happy to see Iida. "I see Ochako let you in on the secret. Welcome to the club."

"I'll take Ochako's secret to my grave if I have to." Iida said, before noticing Kevin. "Apologies for my ignorance, but who is your guest?"

Izuku's eyes lit up again. "No way- it's 11! You're that American hero that worked with All Might when he fought Lord Zombiemaker!"

"Jeez, people still remember that?" Kevin joked. "That dude was edgy as hell."

"And pretty gross, too." Ben cringed. "Hate zombies."

Can't you turn into one? Ochako thought.

"What brings you to Japan, Mr. 11?" Iida asked.

"Please, just call me Kev." Kevin insisted. "I just came to see my good pal Ben, talk to a kid...and meet Uraraka." Kevin looked over at Ochako.

"It's nice to meet you," Ochako said, bowing her head in respect. "Ben's told me a lot about you."

"Really now? They been good?" Kevin joked.

"Mix of both. Told me about the time you, him and Ruby took on Schism...and then about the time you ate BBQ sauce and 12 lava cakes." Ochako said.

"Ahhh, good times." Kevin bemused.

"What's all this you got up here?" Ben asked, looking in the forest.

"Oh, just an obstacle course." Izuku said. "We wanted to help Uraraka out with her aliens."

"Nice, nice." Ben said, looking at the course. "My grandpa set up something like this for me when I still had the 'training wheels' on. I take it this is just a general race type of deal?"

Iida nodded. "More built for assisting Ochako in her agility and handiness with her aliens."

"Lacking in the combat department, though." Kevin noted. "Couldn't you kids steal a UA training drone or something?"

Izuku made a face. "I don't think Iida would ever do that."

"He's right, I would not." Iida added.

"Could've called me," Ben said. "I got some loose battle drones from my headquarters. I could run back and get some-"

"No need," Kevin said, holding up his hand. He looked back at Ochako and grinned. "...hey. Wanna try and kick my ass?"

Ochako's eyes blinked. "Wha?"

"You heard me right. Let's battle." Kevin sneered. "Ben's been telling me how good a fighter you are...and I'm not sure I believe him."

"Is this like, to the death?" Ochako asked.

Kevin wasn't expecting that answer. "No. Three minutes. I don't care how dirty you fight, just try and convince me." Kevin said.

Ochako took a deep breath. "Alright. I can do that," Ochako said, as she gave a thumbs up to a worried looking Iida and Midoryia. "I got this, guys. Just watch me."

That put a tiny hint of relief in Izuku's heart, as Ben grinned. "Hit 'em with everything you got, kid!" He yelled.

Kevin reached into his pocket, and pulled out something after some digging. Ochako spied it- it was a key. Maybe to his house, or a car. Ochako had no idea why it was relevant to the battle.

But then she remembered his Quirk.

Ochako immediately slapped down her Omnitrix, and morphed into Heatblast. She unleashed a quick blast of fire, but Kevin clenched his car key in his hand. In a matter of seconds, Kevin was coated in metal. Unbothered by the heat, he rushed through the fires and flames at Ochako. He threw a quick few punches, which Ochako dodged with ease. Kevin grinned, as his hands morphed into hammers. Ochako's eyes widened in shock, as he began swinging them wildly.

Ochako launched another flamethrower at him, to try and get him to flinch...but Kevin didn't even move. In fact, he held his position. Ochako let up her attack, and Kevin grinned at her.

"Thanks for the charge up, kid." Kevin held up his arm- it started to heat up to a bright orange color, like it was in a furnace or something. Kevin let loose a powerful explosion of flames, which sent Ochako flying backwards. While in midair, she morphed into Water Hazard. She landed back on the ground, and began to hose Kevin's body down.

Iida and Izuku watched in awe. "Impressive- I've never seen a quirk like this." Iida said.

Ben chuckled. "Kevin's quirk allows him to absorb various solid matter and energy. That includes stuff like tungsten, rubber, fire, electricity...and water."

Izuku's eyes widened when he heard that last one. Ochako was at a disadvantage here- she hadn't been holding back Kevin, she'd just been loading him up with more stuff he could manipulate. Kevin's arms suddenly transformed into some sort of liquid-y metal mix. Kevin lashed out at Ochako, causing her to go on the defensive. Ochako blocked the whips as best she could, but they hurt like a bitch.

As the whips continued to sting her, she tried to slam down on the Omnitrix for a more defensively built alien. She managed it and, in a flash, Water Hazard had been replaced with Chromastone. So far, everything she'd thrown at Kevin had come right back at her, and while he wasn't going to be throwing any energy her way for now, she could still throw out some attacks of her own. Ochako's body began to shimmer with rainbow tinted light, before it all coalesced in the trio of crystals that jutted from her head. Lines of energy connected the outer two to the middle "horn" before the gravity hero fired out a massive beam that slammed right into Kevin's chest.

Ben smiled as he watched Kevin go flying. "Found a weakness in his quirk already- good job." He said.

Kevin Levin. Quirk: Osmose. Kevin can absorb most matter and energy, can be anything from metals to water to fire to even energy. However, he can't absorb ALL energy.

Kevin rolled to the ground, and laughed. "Not bad, kid. Looks like I'm gonna have to kick it up a notch." Kevin charged at her again.

That rainbow hued energy shifted from the crystalline horns to her hands, letting Ochako fire off a barrage of energy blasts. Kevin managed to dodge and weave through most of them. For those he couldn't avoid, he coated his arms and metal and let them act as his shield.

Ochako drew in more sunlight, and absorbed the energy from it. Her horn lit up again, before she unleashed a powerful beam of energy from her chest- a uni-beam. The uni-beam blasted into Kevin's shield, and caused him to skid back.

Eventually, Kevin managed to push back against the uni-beam. He wasn't able to push back against the attack, but he was able to exert enough force to stop himself from moving further back.

"Good hits, kid," Kevin muttered.

"That's not the half of it." Ochako slapped down her Omnitrix, and melted down. The melted Ochako turned black and gained glowing lines all over her body. It quickly morphed into a humanoid shape, and threw a long, stretchy punch at Kevin's shield.

"No tech out here. About to get creative?" Kevin asked, raising a brow.

"Something like that." Ochako grinned. She'd learned pretty early on that she could replicate most tech she touched. It wasn't big stuff like cars or weapons made by Mei yet...but it was just the simple stuff around her apartment.

And right now, she felt like smacking Kevin upside the head with a toaster.

In her right hand, she focused on the internal works and just constructing a toaster. Once it was ready, she held out her hand and launched the appliance right at Kevin. Caught by surprise, and honestly everyone was, the toaster found its mark and smacked Kevin square in the face.

"Was...that a toaster?" Iida asked, looking at Izuku, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Uh, it looked like one, yeah," Izuku answered.

Ochako retracted her hand, and began to assault Kevin with wide blasts of energy from the toaster. They hit Kevin like waves of water.

"She turned it into a gun?!" Izuku and Iida both shouted simultaneously.

"And now you get why Ruby wanted her to have it," Ben smirked.

"How does that even work!? That seems like something Mei would do in her free time!" Iida said, waving his hands.

"Mechamorphs have the ability to fuse their bodies with and manipulate different types of earthly and extraterrestrial technology. They can turn a simple skateboard into a hoverboard." Ben said. "And given how we mostly have tech at our fingertips...it can be a VERY deadly alien."

"Well...the reasoning's sound there. She could probably replicate a cell-phone and turn it into a signal jammer," Izuku imagined.

"Not as crazy as a toaster gun!" Iida pointed out. Seriously, that was staying with him for the rest of the day. Never thought he'd see a toaster used as a deadly weapon, but here we are.

Ochako's bizarre weapon showcase wasn't over yet. Her hand morphed again, this time into an iron. Ochako's arms stretched backwards, before they flung forward. Ochako propelled herself towards Kevin, and 'branded' his shield with the iron. Kevin yelled, as he stumbled back.

"Ow!" He yelled, looking at a darkened spot on his shield.

Singed into the shield was the Omnitrix symbol.

"Oh...oh ha ha," Kevin rolled his eyes.

Ochako grinned. "I get it- you can't absorb stuff like heat, light and Chromastone's lasers. Probably because it's not 'pure' energy or something."

"You pick up on stuff fast," Kevin said, forming his hand into a spiked club.

"Oh...youuuu can do that, too," Ochako said, her thunder taken from her a bit. She shook her head and refocused, changing one of her hands back into the toaster. Iron-toaster combo should be good enough to deal with this part of the fight.

Kevin swung his club, but Ochako ducked under it. She blasted Kevin at close range, and sent him flying.

The Absorbing Hero landed on his feet miraculously and charged back in, shifting his other hand into a proper shield. Ochako fired off a barrage of energy waves from her toaster-gun. While the blasts stung, the shield held strong, letting Kevin get right back up in Ochako's face. With the opening, he moved and struck the Mechamorph in the gut with his club, followed by a shield-bash uppercut to the technological alien's "chin." Ochako stumbled back from the hits, before countering with her own swing. Her iron and Kevin's club clashed, almost like a proper duel between the two with occasional blasts from the toaster of mass destruction.

"Lemme step it up a notch." Kevin said, grabbing another fragment of something. It looked alien, like a form of bismuth or something. Kevin absorbed it, and his entire body was coated in it. He struck back at Ochako, and she was sent flying into a tree.

"That's...Tesmadian." Izuku said.

"Someone knows their heroes." Ben 10k said.

"Excuse my ignorance, but what is Tesmadian?" Iida said.

"Special alloy found on the planet Kinet. Unbreakable and razor-sharp, it punches through steel like a paper, and negates any sort of kinetic energy. A bullet doesn't bounce off, it just stops when it hits his skin. Pretty powerful stuff." Ben explained.

"That...that shouldn't even be possible," Iida said.

"I did say it was an alien metal," Ben admitted.

Kevin leapt up to attack Ochako with an enlarged fist, but she quickly dodged it. Good thing, too. That punch left a tiny crater.

"Time to step it up, then." Ochako said, slapping down her Omnitrix. Gravattack was Kevin's new opponent.

"Gravattack. Given what I've heard about your Quirk, I'd be surprised if you didn't have him," Kevin smirked.

Ochako flashed a grin. "Ben knows me well." Her fist became surrounded in an aura of gravity, as she punched towards Kevin.

She held out her hand and tilted it to the right. Kevin felt the gravity around him increase and forced him lower to the ground. He managed to resist somewhat, managing to still stand, but he couldn't move as quickly as he used to; it felt like he was dealing with the gravity on Jupiter.

"Saving the most familiar for last," Ben nodded.

Ochako increased the gravity more and more. Kevin's steps became slower and slower, like he was walking through quicksand or really packed snow. His back was slowly becoming hunched as he moved closer and closer.

Now matter how heavy the gravity got though, the absorbing hero kept moving forward. With one more tilt of the hand, Ochako added enough gravity on top of Kevin to stop him in his tracks.

Kevin grinned. "Alright...you got spirit, kid. I'll give you that." He held up his hand to suggest a surrender of sorts.

When she saw that, Ochako relented, tilting her hand back to its normal position. The gravity around Kevin returned to normal and let him finally stand back up again.

Ochako reverted back to normal, and wiped some sweat from her brow. "That was...intense."

"Ben gave you a loaded arsenal...a lot more loaded than I thought it'd be. And putting an A-tier alien like Gravattack in there?" Kevin snickered. "Kinda unfair."

"Thought it was fitting," Ben defended.

"Should've given her that weird mustache alien with gravity powers..." Kevin said, walking back over to Ben and the others.

Weird mustache? Ochako wondered.

"He's not exactly one of the best options," Ben explained, "Plus, when it comes to pure control, Gravattack's better."

"What about that Skele-TON guy?" Kevin asked. "That's a better alien to give to the kid."

"I'll consider it for the second set." Ben shrugged.

"I think I might've seen him during my internship. I kinda remember you turning into a giant skeleton and flying off..." Ochako hummed.

"...yeah, that's him."

"You fared well in combat, kid. Ben couldn't quick change when he was a rookie." Kevin noted.

"It was the first thing I wanted to correct, honestly. I didn't always choose the right alien for the job off the bat." Ben admitted. "Sometimes I thought it'd be a Heatblast job, but nope- it was actually a job for one of my bulkier aliens."

"I'm guessing this 'quick change' feature targets the mind of the user." Iida surmised. "They visualize an alien, slap the symbol, and then transform into said alien."

"Something like that, yeah." Ben nodded. "Ochako has an added benefit of also being able to work in her normal form into the 'combo' string, but it might disrupt the attack."

"Oh, so...she'd be able to use her quirk for a brief moment." Izuku hummed. "Plenty of applications there. She could smash up the ground, induce a state of zero gravity on some of the fragments, and batter them at the opponent."

Ben snapped his fingers and pointed at Izuku. "I like the way you think, kid."

"I still got some energy left in me, honestly..." Kevin said, stretching a bit. Ochako gave him a strange look. He was just crushed under a blanket of gravity just a moment ago, and yet he still had the energy to do ANYTHING?

Kevin's eyes drifted over to the obstacle course, and hummed. "Hey, class prez." Kevin said, looking at Iida.

"What?"

"Bet I can beat you in a race." Kevin grinned.

Iida paused.

"I have my doubts on that, Mr. Kevin." Iida said, a slight grin.

"Prove me wrong then." Kevin grinned, as he made a beeline for the obstacle course. Iida took off after him, using longer strides with his quirk to get ahead of him.

Ben shook his head. "That man is a father now. He has a kid at home."

"Good for him." Ochako nodded.

"You did good, kid." Ben said, rustling Ochako's head. "You'd've blown 10 year old me out of the water by now. Granted, you have a better playlist and everything, but...yeah."

"How are you able to work so fluidly in those forms, Uraraka?" Izuku said. "It took me a while to master my power."

"The original creator of the Omnitrix had this function installed on the watch that would allow the user to know some of the 'basics' of the aliens." Ben explained. "Ochako doesn't need to learn how to fly or operate with multiple arms or eyes. It just sort of happens. She'll know how to work her body...just not how to really FIGHT with it yet."

"Ben told me to not try and copy him too, so, I try to get a bit more 'creative' with my powers." Ochako admitted.

"Yeah, some successors shouldn't try to be like their heroes." Ben nodded. "And that applies to your power as well, Deku."

Deku's eyes widened. "Oh, right…you know about One For All." He said.

"Of course I do! So does Kevin, Ruby...hell, a lot of Toshi's American friends know." Ben grinned. "He...he was kind of a bad secretkeeper."

"What do you mean by 'successors shouldn't try to be like their heroes'?" Ochako asked. "That sounds kind of rude."

"My grandpa had this old friend- weird guy, dressed like a kangaroo. His name was Kangaroo Commando. Silver age hero. He had this 'Spring Leg' quirk, allowed him to jump great distances." Ben said.

"Your grandpa knew one of the founding members of the Syndicate for Good?" Izuku asked.

"He had a lot of friends." Ben smiled.

"I remember hearing about some battles from my own grandpa. He was a big fan of his." Ochako said.

"The guy was pretty cool...at least, until he battled Time Stop." Ben sighed. "Time Stop had a dangerous quirk. He could physically stop a person from moving. He used it on Kangaroo Commando when he was doing his famous Kangaroo Unleashed move in mid air, and...well, the fall wasn't pretty."

"His brother took over the role, if I remember properly." Ochako said.

"Yeah...and his brother was the total opposite of him." Ben went on. "Abel was a Silver Era superhero who embodied the Silver Era's ideals. He was unfazed by any challenge, no matter how great or little. He didn't seem to have an ego about it, even though you got the impression he did. Cain, his brother, attempted to be that. He was filled with rage deep within him. He'd been the brains behind all of Abel's best tools. For a while, he tried it his own way. But, he was always compared to Abel, and it hurt his pride. He turned his Commando identity into far more ferociously brutal, and he thought himself to be the personification of vengeance."

"If I recall, he tarnished the name of the Commando." Izuku said.

"He tried his hardest to be like Abel, but that never really panned out. It sucked, honestly." Ben sighed. "Abel passed away a few years ago, and his good reputation had been ruined by his brother. My grandpa never forgave Cain for that."

"Is that why you said 'you're your own person' to me when I left your internship?" Ochako said.

"The most crucial aspects of life are inside rather than exterior. When we compare ourselves to others, we enable others to control our actions," Ben explained. "When we compare ourselves to others, we frequently contrast their finest qualities with our own. At worst, when we compare ourselves to others we end up focusing our energy on bringing them down instead of raising ourselves up. It's why I dislike the hero charts- All Might set a huge standard of what a Hero should do. Stain set up all heroes to Toshinori's philosophy. He killed heroes that were just as strong in heart as All Might, but because they worked in a different way..." Ben made a cutting motion across his neck. "...it sucks."

Ben looked down at Izuku. "I know you wanna be like All Might- hell, I wanted to be like him at some point too. But...you need to grow out of trying to emulate him, and become your own hero. If not...you'll always see yourself as second best for never being able to amount to him."

"Become your own hero..." Izuku repeated.

"I don't think Iida will have any trouble finding his footing as Ingenium. Despite their similarities, Tensei and Tenya are two different coins. I'd be worried if they were two sides of the same coin, but...considering how laid back Tensei could be..." Ben sighed. "I think Iida will carry the name well."

"He'd be glad to hear that, honestly," Ochako confirmed.

"Yeah. That kid's gonna go far...and I know you both will, as well." Ben smiled.

Please leave a review!

Chapter Text

Hey, so! Gonna try this out. Releasing parts of a chapter. This is like 40 pages in total, so some larger ones may be split and released bi-weekly. I think it'll help the views.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

The shooting star landed on the ground- despite the narrator's apt description, this was not a star. It was actually an alien cargo ship, and it had stopped to fix a 'flat'.

"Damn Cerebromorph engines. Always so finicky..." The alien driver said, hopping out of the ship. He had a spare engine in the back of his cargo, and it was a quick fix.

He went around to the cargo bay and opened up the loading ramp. He was so fixated on getting that spare engine out and installed that he didn't notice a green and black metallic blob slithering out from the hold. The pilot sifted around the cargo bay until he managed to find the spare, tapping it on the side before hauling it out and starting repairs.

The blob, meanwhile, slithered away from the crash site and made its way towards civilization. It wasn't following anything specific at first, just looking for the highest concentration of technology. Then, a notification filled its vision. A familiar signal got its attention and it was so happy to see it! That signal meant "friend!" And "friend" meant "safety!"

With a goal set, the little creature made a beeline for the source of the signal.

It was three weeks until the finals at UA. The end of June was approaching fast, and that looming threat of dread hung over Class 1-A's head like the Sword of Damocles. Always start studying for final exams at least a month before the week of finals. You won't have to hustle to fit everything in when your examinations get closer.

...I know I'm a narrator, and it's weird that I'm saying that. But that advice would've been very useful to two of Class 1-A's dumbest students.

"I haven't...studied...at all..." Kaminari said, hands trembling as he admitted the horrid truth. His grades hadn't improved, and he had a very low GPA across all of his classes. Out of the 20 students in class...his grades were at rock bottom.

"Pfft, me neither." Mina scoffed. She seemed unbothered. She too had a very poor report card, and she was a place BEFORE rock bottom.

"And you're calm about it?!" Kaminari asked, "How?! Aren't you like, just slightly better than me in grades? Which isn't much?!"

"Well, I was stressed. But that's looped around so much, I've gone back to feeling not stressed about it." Mina said. "I'm sure it'll hit me by the end of the week. THEN I can panic."

"That's no way to live." Tokoyami said. He was comparing his notes with Iida's own. While Tokoyami seemed smart, his grades were shockingly below average. He was just one place (14th) above the bottom five students in Class 1-A.

"Yeah, but I'm still standing." Mina shrugged.

"How does being stressed loop around to not being stressed in the first place?" Tohru asked. The invisible girl had to stifle a yawn after asking, though. She knew her grades weren't doing the best right now and she had a singular drive in her to improve her. She'd pulled her third all nighter yesterday, studying and doing all she could to improve her grades.

"Did...did you pull an all-nighter?" Kaminari asked.

"Uh...maybe?"

"How are YOU awake right now?" Mina asked. "That can't be good for your health."

"I have a WEIRD sleep schedule." Tooru retorted. "Plus, being invisible means no one can see how awful I look. That includes me."

"You...could just ask for some help. I'd be more than happy to," Momo offered. If there was anyone who shouldn't be worried about the looming finals, it was Momo. She had the highest grades of the class, surpassing even Iida.

"I wouldn't mind that, honestly," Sato said. "Midterms were...well, since we didn't cover much at the start of the semester, they weren't tough. But after everything else...I'm having trouble recalling everything from all of our classes." His ranking in the class was decent, somewhere in the "average B/C+ student" range.

"Sucks that there's gonna be a practical exam, too." Mineta frowned. While he showed promise at the start of the semester, his ranking had steadily dropped. A month ago, he would've been 9 or 10th in grades. But that had been co-opted by...Mineta activities. Now he was 13th.

"I would HIGHLY recommend Momo," Ochako said. "She saved me from my academic probation!" It was true. Ochako was getting higher grades now- her Ds and Cs slowly turned into higher Cs and high Bs, and even a bonus A grade. She was 10th place in grades.

...Ochako had a feeling the number '10' would be haunting her for a LONG while. Like Todoroki and the number 2.

"Maybe I should take you up on that offer," Toru admitted.

"Momo's not the only help you can get," Izuku said, stepping forward. "I really wanna make sure everyone can go on that trip to the training camp, so I'm willing to help anyone study." Izuku was one of the top 5 in grades- high As and high Bs across all of his classes.

"As do I! As class rep, I am also willing to help anyone who needs it!" Iida said, again with his empathic arm waves. He was second to Momo in grades, a fun inversion of their president-vice president dynamic.

"Thanks guys," Toru invisibly smiled, before she had to stifle another yawn, "...really regretting the all-nighter now..."

"I...am also willing to help." Todoroki said. The 5th in terms of grades, he was a good student. Just a bit quiet. Those missing points were mainly due to a 'lack of participation'.

"Wow, four of the smartest students are offering their help?" Sero (ranked near the bottom) said. He looked very relieved. "Sign me up."

"Yeah, sign me up, too," Toru chimed in.

"How many are you good with tutoring for this?" Kaminari chuckled nervously a bit.

"We can split up, if it helps." Todoroki said. "I say we all have rotating groups."

"That works- since 4 of us are offering tutoring, we can divide into groups of 4." Iida hummed. "That should work-"

"Nah."

Everyone looked over to Bakugou. Ranking 3rd in grades, Bakugou was hyper aggressive with grades. While his test papers were often messy with work, he always got high marks.

"Count me out of it," Bakugou said, grabbing his bag.

"Not...really that surprised. I mean...if anything you should be the one tutoring," Toru said.

"Do I look the type?" Bakugou threw back.

"Which is why I said 'not really surprised.'"

"Aw, come on, Bakugou." Kirishima (also a low ranking grader) frowned. "You gotta at least help out in SOME way. You're smarter than we give you credit for."

"What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?" Bakugou frowned. "You think I'm dumb!?"

"No, not really- hell, I'm the dumb one because of my grades." Kirishima admitted.

"...how well would Bakugou even do a-" Toru began, before Kaminari covered her mouth.

"Ahaha, ignore her, she's sleep-deprived!" the electric Quirk user said, covering for the invisible girl.

"He is gonna blow something up if you finish that, I just know it," Kamiari whispered to Toru.

"You know what!? Fine. I'll fucking help." Bakugou grabbed Kirishima's collar, and began to drag him out. "I'll show you how good at this shit I am. I'll make Kirishima get the highest fucking marks just to spite all of you!"

Kirishima didn't even flinch. "Welp. See you guys tomorrow!"

"...or he could...do that," Tokoyami said, watching Bakugou drag his classmate away.

"...Iiiiiii dodged a bullet there, didn't I?" Toru asked, the realization hitting her.

"Big time," Mina said.

"Please...stop me from ever pulling an all-nighter ever again."

"Let's stay on campus for today," Todoroki said. "So we can communicate properly with one another, just in case. Then, we can line up further plans and rotations."

"Wow, you're serious about this." Ojiro noted.

"Is there a reason not to be?" Todoroki asked. He might have meant that genuinely or not, it was never easy to tell with him.

"I mean, it is our grades on the line." Ojiro was 8th in terms of grading. Not good, not bad, pretty average.

"And I'm dying to go to this training camp. Rumor has it we'll be working with some serious pros." Jirou said. She was a place above Ojiro, at 7th.

"Oh, have they said who yet?" Ochako chimed in.

"Don't think so. Just that they're some of the most popular."

"As to determine the study groups, we'll draw straws." Iida said. "...which, it occurs to me, that we don't have any."

Momo stifled a laugh. "Here." She created a group of 14 straws from her arm. "These straws have a random number on it, from 1 to 4. Since there's 14 of us, the groups will mostly be in 3s, with one group of 4."

"Let chance decide? Alright," Toru yawned, "Why not?" The invisible girl drew a straw, followed by Kaminari and Mina.

The class soon grabbed their straws, and everyone was pretty satisfied with their results. Ochako was in group 1, with Jirou, Tsu and Tokoyami.

"Alright, I'm good with this group." Ochako grinned.

Shoji, Satou, and Mina were in the second group and the third was composed of Ojiro, Toru and Yuga. Rounding up the different groups was the fourth, made up of Kaminari, Denki. Mineta and Koda.

Mineta seemed pretty bummed about his grouping. "Here I thought I'd luck out and get in an all girls group."

Oh, thank God, Momo thought. She was endlessly thankful for whatever God of Luck smiled on her.

"I can handle group one," Todoroki volunteered, walking over to Ochako's group.

"Then I will handle group four!" Iida said, volunteering himself to deal with Mineta.

"Aw, come on!" Mineta whined. "I wanna work with Momo..."

"You'll have your chance!" Iida said.

"I guess I'll take Ojiro's group." Izuku said. "Hope you guys have notes to compare, because I'm not just going to let you guys copy off mine."

"Pfft, of course we have notes!" Toru said, before sheepishly adding on, "But uh...quality might...differ." She was mostly referring to herself there.

"Mmmm~. I hope my work is...stunning..." Yuga said, holding up a notebook with fancy cursive notes. Izuku squinted as he took a glance at it.

"...do you use glitter pens?" Izuku asked. "Doesn't that get points taken off your exam?"

"A high price to pay, but a fun one~" Yuga grinned.

"More recent stuff uh...might not be the neatest given...y'know," Toru admitted, pinning most of the blame on her lack of sleep.

"Can't be that bad," Izuku said, trying to give her some hope.

Toru handed the freckled boy her notebook- it was a pretty dog eared and wrecked by her backpack. Izuku opened it...and found a LOT of gibberish and other strange writings inside. It felt as if he had opened one of Lucky Girl's tomes.

"How sleep deprived are you, Tooru?" Izuku asked, concerned.

"Don't...ask me a question I don't even have the answer to," Toru said.

Ojiro and Izuku shared a look.

"My notes are decent, don't worry." Ojiro clarified. "But...I think we're gonna need to crack down on helping Tooru this session."

"I'm scared to ask what your other notebooks are like." Izuku said.

"Trust me, I think mine's the worst," Toru said, stifling another yawn, "...I am gonna sleep for, like, two weeks straight after finals I swear."

"Make sure you stay hydrated, at least." Momo said, as she approached her group. "Now then! I promise to help you as best I can."

"And somehow that weird looped-around 'not worrying' is actually turning real," Mina admitted. After all, with the smartest person in their class helping, she was bound to at least...not fail.

"Don't worry. I'll help you as best as I can. I helped Ochako out immensely, so I believe I can do it with you." Momo smiled.

"I feel a lot better knowing Momo's helping us, honestly." Satou said. "She'll probably ace the written part with ease. Maybe that'll rub off on us!"

"That's what I'm hoping for," Mina admitted.

In the city proper, the little black and green alien slithered unseen by the average citizen. It tried to make its way to a vantage point, so it could get a better idea of where the signal it had locked onto was coming from. It managed to find one, merging with and traveling up the strange device and looking out above the people. It managed to find the signal, gauging a good time until arrival before it left its newfound perch.

This sounded innocent and it was, but there were two complications. The first was that it accidentally shorted out the device it merged with. The second was that the device used was a stop-light at a busy intersection.

The creature ignored the sounds of cars crashing and people yelling as he slithered off the stop light. The creature made its way over to another strange device- it had never seen anything like it. It was big and wide and full of all sorts of stuff. The sight of it made the green glob wag its tail and merge with it.

Sparks surged through the machine as it gained a black coat with green circuit lines running over it. The machine itself...really wasn't that interesting and the creature quickly lost interest, and scampered off, focusing on its mission.

Finally, it reached something worthwhile- a moped, just parked by a shop. Perfect! The little goober could use this to navigate the streets with ease.

It might look a bit weird to any onlookers, but who cared? Not that little guy! He just leapt at the machine and merged with the vehicle, taking it over and revving up the engine.

The creature zoomed down the street, as it hyper focused on that target. Next stop: UA High!

"...was that a driverless moped?" a random passerby asked, seeing the possessed vehicle zoom off.

"Must be one of those new models," another answered, his eyes resembling those of a mantis.

"So, passive voice can occur if you have a sentence with an object." Todoroki explained to Tokoyami. "Passive creates unclear, less direct, wordy sentences, whereas active voice creates clearer, more concise sentences."

"I see. Suddenly, it becomes so clear." Tokoyami hummed, nodding his head. "The darkness has been lifted..."

Overdramatic as always, Ochako thought, as she looked at her practice worksheet.

Her practice sheet was actually one of the best in her group. Sure, there were some mistakes, she wasn't perfect, but the mistakes themselves were small and few and far between. Thank god for Momo. Of course, she could still use the help, and she also offered to help too.

As Ochako worked her way through the problems, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Ochako looked over to her left to notice Tsu. She was giving Ochako a puzzling look.

"Everything okay, Tsu?" Ochako asked.

"…is everything good with you, Uraraka?" Tsu asked.

"Uh, yeah? What gave you that impression?"

"Well…you've been kinda less available than usual, Uraraka." Tsu noted. "Between your weird drop in grades and not being able to hang out with a lot of us…"

"Oh..." Ochako was trying to come up with a good excuse. "Well, part of it is trying to get my grades back up."

"Buuuut?" Tsu questioned. She thought there had to be more to it.

"If you worked with a hero like Ben, I think your grades would go up." Todoroki said. "Why wouldn't you want to do better in your studies?"

"Well, Tokoyami worked with Hawks, but his grades didn't improve," Ochako pointed. That seemed to bother Tokoyami a little. "A-ah, sorry."

"Okay, but that still didn't really answer the question. I mean, kind of, but not completely." Tsu said.

"I...well, I've just been too busy, that's all!" Ochako wanted to tell Tsu right away, but they were both at UA. Anyone could hear and tell other people about it.

"Hm..." Tsu pondered.

"Considering what's coming ahead, it's not that difficult to imagine," Jirou added, unknowingly aiding Ochako.

"I've just been quite busy with my apartment life, studies, and other more...personal stuff." Ochako scratched the back of her neck.

"Well...ok," Tsu conceded, "It seemed so out of character for you that I became concerned."

"Don't be concerned about me, Tsu. Just average teen stuff from m-" Her phone abruptly rang, cutting her short. She snatched it off the table.

"Uh, scuse me. I have to take this." Ochako said, walking away.

"Oh...alright," Tsu said, a little defeated. She still couldn't shake the feeling something was going on with Ochako, but had no clue what. Iida and Izuku saw their friend walk out the room, phone in hand and both already had a pretty good idea what that was about.

Ochako answered the phone, and tried to act casual. "Hello?" She said, hoping she wasn't drawing too much attention to herself.

"Uraraka, this is Ruby." The person on the other end of the telephone responded.

"Oh! I thought Ben was calling." Ochako said.

"He's a little busy at the moment. One of his old 'arch-enemies' popped up again. Well, I say arch-enemy but, he kinda gave himself that title. He's no Vilgax," Ruby explained.

"Ah, fun." Ochako said.

"Anyways... I wanted to call and tell you about some strange things that have been happening in your area." Ruby said as she moved some papers.

"Alien weird or criminal weird?"

"Alien weird." Ruby said, laughing. "You know your Upgrade form, right?"

"Yes, she's useful. What's up with them?" Ochako asked.

"An alien dog version of that is roaming the streets." Ruby responded.

"... Excuse me, what?" Ochako replied, wanting to double-check. "A...dog version...of...Upgrade? How small can they be?"

"The history of Mechamorphs is...interesting. The Galvanic Mechamorphs were accidentally brought to life at first. Galvan B was an uninhabitable moon that orbited Galvan Prime at the time." Ruby explained.

"Galvans...those are Grey Matters, right?" Ochako asked.

"Yeah- so, Galvans tried terraforming it, and the Mechamorphs were the unexpected result of their experiment on Galvan B. With their help they built a great civilization within days." Ruby went on. "They come in all shapes and sizes. Kinda like humans."

"And in animal form." Ochako added.

"Well...calling it a dog might be the most precise but it's accurate. Now, it's not really dangerous, but it is causing a bit of chaos out there. Broken stop lights causing car crashes, vending machine malfunctions where the contents are shot out at people-"

Ochako couldn't help but laugh a little, acting too late to try and stifle it, "Sorry, sorry."

"Oh no, it's hilarious...but here's the problem. Ben already took care of it a while ago. Found a stray, and gave it off to a friend of ours so it could get tested on Galvan Prime and then get sent to an adoption agency." Ruby clarified.

"So...it broke free? Wait, Galvan Prime? Another planet?"

"Yeah, the smartest race in the galaxy and they can't get a decent security system. Probably hijacked a way back here by a ship." Ruby theorized.

"And now it's...here. And you want me to play dogcatcher, essentially?"

"Just contain it until my friend gets here to retrieve it, okay?" Ruby asked. "Just a small favor."

"Um, sure. I can handle that. Where was it last seen?"

"Downtown Musutafu, near the UA campus." Ruby said. "That's what the reports said."

"That close?!" Ochako almost yelled, catching herself at the last minute and lowering her voice to a whisper.

"The last time he tracked Ben, he used the Omnitrix symbol. I guess he might be tracking yours." Ruby shrugged. "...hope you're not around people right now."

"Ruby. I'm at UA. I'm preparing for finals."

"Oh...ohhhhhh," Ruby said, the realization hitting her.

"...I'm gonna quickly leave right now so no one else realizes. Y'know."

"Fair and valid. Good luck." Ruby said, hanging up. Ochako rushed back to her table, looking a bit embarrassed.

"That was a long call. Everything good?" Jirou asked.

"Uh, yeah! Just...need to run to my apartment! Water leak, hahah..." Ochako lied.

"Alright," Jirou said, seemingly buying the lie, "I'll let the others know."

"Yeah, sorry about all of this." Ochako said, shoving her papers frantically into her bag. Tsu looked at Ochako again, but the girl didn't look back.

Tsu knew something was up now.

Ochako quickly gathered up her things before leaving the classroom, making a beeline for the campus courtyard. If a teacher showed up, she'd slow to a quick-walking speed, before bolting away again.

"Please don't be right outside," Ochako muttered to herself, hoping not to jinx it.

Ochako was thankful to see there wasn't any alien activity outside. She gave a sigh of relief, and quickly got outside the school. She needed to cut into an alleyway or something to transform...

She moved a good distance away from UA, ducking into the nearest empty alleyway she could find and dialed up an alien form. In her haste, she didn't really see which one she stopped on and just hit down on the Omnitrix. She didn't have wings, nor could she fly by whatever means Chromastone did. She found herself looking through an almost technological point of view.

"...I'm Upgrade?!" she yelled, looking down at her form.

She was right- Upgrade had taken her place. Ochako melted a bit in disappointment. "How am I supposed to get around like this? If I take over a piece of tech, I'll be spotted..."

Ochako thought for a few moments. Wait...I am stretchy. What's the name of that one big American superhero? He's...got that elastic quirk. Maybe I can replicate his way of maneuvering around.

"How does he do it...just...swing from building to building? Wait no, that's a spider Quirk...well...it could still work," Ochako muttered to herself, looking around for a good handhold before she stretched her arm out to grab it, and quickly pulled herself towards said handhold.

Ochako pulled herself up, and slingshotted her way into the air. "W-woah!" She yelled, struggling in mid air. Her body suddenly flattened itself out, and she began to soar in the air, like a kite.

"...I wasn't expecting this." Ochako hummed.

Unexpected but not useless. Ochako was flying above the city, looking down at the city. Her vision zoomed in on the people below as she looked for any other signs of Mechamorph activity.

"This is unexpectedly handy." Ochako noted, as she flew around. Occasionally, she'd have to land and slingshot herself back into the air so she could glide around again.

She saw a few things during her fly-bys, none of it too terribly interesting, most of it just people going about their daily routines and walking about. Ochako landed on top of another roof and sighed. "There's gotta be an easier way to do this." She wondered. "Maybe I can like sense tech or something?"

Ochako paused.

"Sounded dumb when I said it out loud, sounds too dumb to be a thing."

She could turn a toaster into a gun, though. So...maybe worth a shot.

Ochako pulled out her phone, and melded it into her body. "Maybe...just maybe..." Ochako's phone had been transformed into a scanner that rested in her arm. "Oh, now this I can work with." Ochako looked down at her wrist, and the lines on her wrist formed a map inside of the scanner.

She fine-tuned the scanner, hoping to maybe sense whatever energy signatures the Mechamorphs themselves gave off. That was almost an immediate bullseye. Two blips showed up on the map like a radar, with one being herself. The second was further away and quickly moving in her direction.

"Wow, it's...really moving in my direction." Ochako said, noticing the dot move faster and faster. It was now 5 miles away. 3 miles. 2 miles...1 mile...

"Uh oh," Ochako immediately went on alert, scanning around for the source of the signal as that mile turned to feet, quickly reaching triple then double digits.

Ochako needed to stop this thing from tackling her off the building. She quickly transformed into Gravattack, and deployed a powerful gravity field around her. Whatever would come flying at her would IMMEDIATELY slow down.

A loud high-pitch whine caught her attention as the small Mechamorph launched itself at Ochako, getting caught in the gravity field. Instead of struggling or freaking out...the little guy thought it was a game and just enjoyed the ride.

"H-huh...you...you really are like a dog, huh?"

Ochako reverted back to normal, and the blorpy dropped down into her hands. Ochako looked at it- the body was like a weird slug, all wriggly and cold. The dog's behavior was charming. It was making those panting noises and shaking in her hands.

"Aw." Ochako grinned. "You're not that bad, are you? Just a bit...energetic." The Mechamorph yipped in response. Ochako laughed, and cuddled it. "Guess alien dogs are like earth dogs too."

"Hmmm...maybe..." Ochako mused before getting her phone out. This was gonna be a gamble, but one she decided to take.

Ochako dialed up Ben's number, and listened to the dial tone. Ochako set the dog down, as Ochako waited for a response.

"Ship."

Ochako nearly jumped when the dog spoke.

"You...you can talk?!" Ochako asked.

"Ship!" The dog said again, happier.

"U-um, okay! Weird." Ochako said. "...I have no idea what to do with this."

"Ship!"

"Is...that your name?"

"Ship!"

Ochako paused to think. "Okay...let's try something else. Flatten yourself if your name is Ship. And...I dunno. Stay the same if your name isn't Ship."

The little Mechamorph flattened itself against the roof, its central power-symbol like eye morphing to a shape that made it seem more happy.

"Ok, so, you're Ship," Ochako said.

"Ship!" The creature said, suddenly pointing somewhere.

"Huh?" Ochako remembered watching a movie as a kid, with a dog that alerted to a kid being stuck in a well. It did a similar pointing fashion. "Is...someone in trouble?"

"Ship! Ship!" the small Mechamorph said before scurrying off in that direction.

"Ok, guess I'm following you now!"

The small Mechamorph morphed into a small drone, and flew off. Ochako gasped, as she turned into Big Chill and followed after the small tyke. "Hey, hold up!"

"Ship! Shiiiiiip!" the Mechamorph called out as it flew.

Ochako followed the Mechamorph out of the city, and into the dense woods. Ochako felt a strange twinge unease. This wasn't a trap, right?

It couldn't be right? The way the little guy was acting had to be genuine.

Ship landed down behind some trees. Ochako paused for a moment, and looked around. She pulled out her phone and called Ben once more. She wanted to trust this little glob of preciousness, but...her gut gave her a bad feeling.

"Ship! Ship! Shiiiiip!" the little Mechamorph called out.

"Hold on, I need to make a ca-" Ochako began, before a loud droning sound got her attention, best way to describe the sound was as an industrial-level start-up sound.

"...what was THAT?" Ruby asked, from Ochako's phone. "Where are you?"

"Well, I found the Mechamorph- it's name is Ship, apparently." Ochako said, looking down at the Mechamorph. It was straining itself to stretch just to poke its face through the trees. "It led me outside the city to...show me something. I dunno if I trust it though. Especially after that noise."

"Fair enough," Ruby said. "I'll send it to your location as soon as I can."

"Thanks," Ochako said, as she hung up. She floated down to the ground, and cloaked her body. Ochako scanned her surroundings. No traps, no minions, no big bad around...just Ship, eagerly wagging his tail.

"Ship." It said, as it began to slither away. Ochako hovered as she followed it- she wanted to make sure there weren't any traps on the ground. Ochako was soon led to a ship. There were two other, larger ships by it as well. There were three aliens in front of the smallest ship, and all of the same species. They were Lewodans, aliens that had skin like marshmallows. White with light blue eyes and no pupils, and wore blue or purple clothes.

"Woah, is that what you brought me out here to do?" Ochako asked the Mechamorph. "Fix a flat tire?"

"Shiiiiiiip." The creature shook its head. Ochako raised an eyebrow. Ship slowly slithered over, being undetected by the aliens. Ochako went intangible, and drifted past them.

"I'll tell you what, getting past those Galvan scanners was insane. I'm shocked they didn't detect my cargo." One of the Lewodans said. "Just got unlucky enough to land on a planet that's still Level 3 in terms of tech."

"I'll say...once you bring that back to the council, I'm sure they'll listen to us." Another Lewodan said. "I've got a few more on MY ship, and they're some of the bigger models."

"I managed to get my hands on...the big one." The third grinned. The other two ooh'd.

"How did you EVER get your hands on that?" The first alien asked.

"I'll never tell." The third one smiled. "Just have my black market contacts."

Black market contacts? That's worrying, Ochako thought, as Ship entered the back of the ship. Ochako phased through the ship's back, and found herself in the back bay. Ochako found Ship on top of a strange alien robot- they had a wide brown and red colored torus shape, and little disks in the top and bottom. Ochako felt the strange alien robot.

"This doesn't look good." Ochako frowned.

Ship then hopped off this robot and began to scurry further back into the cargo hold. He was trying to be as discreet as possible as he searched for something. He eventually found it and brought back a shipping manifest, balancing the datapad on his back rather expertly.

"Ship!" the small mechamorph softly chirped, hoping Ochako would understand that he was trying to get her to read the manifest.

"I think I get it- you're warning me about what these guys are gonna do with these drones. Looks like they're gonna commit some sort of terror act." Ochako shook her head. "Well, too bad. I'm taking this down now."

She was kind of right, but Ship still tried to get her to read the manifest. When he picked it up, he managed to find how many of these things there were, something that Ochako should definitely be aware of. After all, the smaller robots weren't the only type these guys had managed to smuggle out.

"I'll just have to wreck this one. Gotta be subtle about it-" Ochako turned her hand intangible, and forced it into the robot.

It was easy to find a vital component in the drone's chassis. She gripped onto what was the equivalent of the drone's heart. She turned it intangible as well and ripped it out, severing several of the wires and making the inner workings spark and glitch. A head-like attachment poked out of the top of the disc suddenly and its optics began to blink with light a few times, before they dimmed out entirely.

"There. That was easy. Now I just have to take care of the rest of them and-" Ochako was cut off by the loud beeping of the heart. "That doesn't sound good."

"Ship! Ship!" the little Mechamorph said, morphing into a hand and making a crushing gesture. Ochako followed suit and quickly crushed the heart in her hands. She looked around a bit, on edge.

Silence filled the cargo bay for a few tense seconds.

When nothing happened, Ochako let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, letting out a burst of cold, misty breath.

And then a single red dot appeared on her chest. Ochako immediately turned intangible, as a blast of energy phased through her body, and through the back of the truck. Ochako grabbed Ship and flew out of the cargo ship.

"W-what the!?" The driver Lewodan frowned.

"I thought you said we'd be fine here! Out of the way, inconspicuous!" another Lewodan yelled, grabbing a pistol from his personal holster and charging it up.

"It should've been! It's a forest! Unless some lost hikers found us, no one should be out here!"

"Hiker or no," the third Lewodan said, taking out the energy equivalent of a shotgun, "They've probably seen too much. You know who lives on this planet, right?"

"This IS Tennyson's backwater planet? I didn't know I landed on this rock!" The driver said.

"Hey- that's MY rock that I live on, jerk!" Ochako said, revealing herself to them. Before they could react, Ochako froze them solid, to the side of the ship. "That oughta hold you."

"DAMN IT!" the second Lewodan cursed. "Of all the mistakes you coulda made!"

"Oh, yeah, like it's my fault," the driver countered.

"Please...freeze their mouths shut or they'll go on like this for hours," the one that seemed to be the leader begged.

"Alrighty." Ochako put her hands over their mouths, and froze them shut.

"Thank you." The leader sighed.

"Now." Ochako clenched her fist, and formed an icy mace with her hand. "Tell me what you were transporting."

"What species do you think we are?" The Lewodan asked, doing a bit of gauging here.

"A race of fluffy white idiots for landing on a planet that has the galaxy's strongest hero?" Ochako asked.

"Fluffy and white, yes. Idiots? Not quite. Our kind is at war with a race of savages known as the Phantophage. And...I believe the Earthlings have a lovely little saying for situations like this. 'All's fair in war' I believe?"

"It's 'All's fair in love and war' but that didn't answer the quest-" and then the pieces fit together, "...the robots. You're smuggling death machines back so you can win!"

"As we should! If we don't, who KNOWS what the Phantophage will do us! Enslave? Devour? Worse?"

"Now you're trying too hard."

"No, I'm serious. LEWODANS are part of their diet! Not a mainstay, granted, but still!"

Ochako raised an eyebrow. "Now, these robots- where'd you get them from?"

"...are you that dumb? I thought you'd recognize these robots." The leader frowned.

"Just answer. Or would you prefer dealing with someone stronger with four arms?"

"...fine. We got them from the black market. They aren't a pretty penny." The leader said.

"And how many do you have?"

"You destroyed one, didn't you?" The Lewodan smirked.

Ochako could hear the sound of whirring from inside the other ships. "I'll take that as 'many'." Ochako frowned.

"Oh, yes." The leader grinned.

Ochako sighed and made sure the Lewodan was frozen in place before flying off to deal with the machines. She flew back to the cargo bay, only to be greeted by a small swarm of laser sights.

Ochako was greeted by a flurry of drones flying at her. She began to phase through them and freeze them solid. They dropped to the ground and shattered.

Some of the drones managed to get shots off, firing red blasts of energy that phased through Ochako. But for the most part, these drones were all disc-shaped.

"These things don't seem that tough," Ochako said, as she punched her way through another one. "That could just be because I'm Big Chill, but..."

And that's when the actual challenge showed up. The second ship began to shake...before a clawed hand burst through the side of the ship, followed by another. The two mechanical hands pushed open a hole in the hull of the alien ship. Metal crunched and strained as the claws tore an exit, before the full beast pulled itself free. Instead of a rust-red paint job, this machine sported a Lewodan royal blue color scheme, though the eyes still remained orange and insect-like.

This looked a lot more dangerous than the others.

"Oh, fudgesticks." Ochako said.

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Chapter Text

Here's Part 2 of Good Boy. Yes, Ship is adorable and I did that on purpose. Cover coming soon!

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

"Oh, fudgesticks." Ochako said, as the robot began to fire at her. The energy beams were fast, powerful and destructive- the blast hit the ground and left a small crater. Ochako flew around the blasts, and grit her teeth. She attempted to freeze it solid, but the bot had some reinforced plating on it. The ice seemed to be melting off of it.

The machine scanned around for Ochako, locking onto her with reticles from its point of view. It raised one of its arms and a small weapon rose up from the armor plating and fired out what seemed to be a grapple cord. At first, the successor to the Omnitrix wasn't too worried...only for the cable to successfully wrap around and restrain her.

"Wait what?! Y-you can't touch me when I'm intangible!"

The robot didn't answer with words, instead sending a powerful electric charge into Ochako's body.

Ochako quickly transformed, and shifted into Chromastone. The jolt of energy that was meant to harm Ochako now empowered her.

"Nice try." Ochako said, as her horn lit up.

She smirked and fired off a beam of rainbow-hued energy, only for the drone to lift up its other form and block the attack with a golden, octagonal shield.

"What...are you..." Ochako asked in total shock. The drone looked down at her as two racks of missiles popped up from the drone's shoulders and fired, but they missed. The rockets jabbed into the ground without exploding, making Ochako raise a brow. The drone jumped back, the cord still coiled around its target. The rockets then opened up, showing purple cores, followed by vibrations shaking the earth and Ochako.

Ochako screamed as the Sonic Charges went off.

Ochako's body shook like it was in the middle of an earthquake. Her body felt like it was made of glass, and could shatter at any second. She weakly slapped down her Omnitrix, and shrunk down into Echo Echo.

"Need...help!" Ochako said, as she began to split up.

The drone noticed the new targets and then turned, picking up electronic signals from the city. It turned back to Ochako and fired off a barrage of laser blasts from weapons in its palms. It wasn't even really aiming for the Echo Echos, more so just to cover its escape.

"Oh, no..." One of the clones said.

"It's trying to make a break for it!" Another one yelled.

"We can't let that happen!" A third yelled. "Let's try and bring it down right now!"

Four of the clones stayed behind to deal with the sonic charges, while the rest chased down the drone. The drone itself paid little mind to its newly gained pursuers, sparsely firing back at them with laser blasts and knocking down trees to block the Echo Echos' path.

The clones took a deep breath, and unleashed a powerful sonic blast that hit the back of the robot. The attack was enough to stagger the robot.

It did stagger, but its balance wasn't toppled yet.

"Keep hitting it!" one of the clones yelled, firing off its own sonic screech at the drone. The back armor was again slammed into, forcing the machine forwards. It turned around and fired off more of a cutting beam at the chasing clones. The beam sliced through the ground and any trees in its path, throwing off the Echo Echo clones as trees fell all around them.

The forest began to catch fire, adding a bit more to the chaos. This alien war machine was tough. Ochako wanted to maybe wait for Ben, but...no. She could handle this by herself.

Somehow.

The clones broke Ochako free of the sonic field, as she collapsed on the ground. Her clones helped her up.

"That felt weird." Ochako shivered.

"You good?" one of her clones asked.

"Should be. Better than I would be if I stayed Chromastone...that might've actually shattered me."

"Well, now we have to shatter the big guy. It's heading to the city and I'm not sure if the others managed to stop it yet," another clone chimed in.

"Fine by me. I'd like to give him a taste of his OWN medicine." Ochako said, as Ship suddenly approached them. He was jumping up and down, and wagging his tail.

"Ship! Ship!"

"Um, I don't know if you want to play right now, but...kind of in the middle of something!" Ochako said.

"Ship," the Mechamorph said, almost deadpanning the delivery and its eye went to a single line.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying my best here!" Ochako defended.

"Ship! Ship ship ship!" Ship pointed at the mech.

"What?" Ochako asked, looking at her clones. They were ALSO very lost. Ship suddenly morphed into a small version of the drone, and suddenly caused it to 'explode'. Ship jumped up one more time, to empathize something.

"I think I get it," Ochako's clone said, "He's saying he can take it down. We just need to get him close enough!"

"I hope that's true." Ochako said, as Ship happily yipped. "Let's just overwhelm him with sound, try to keep him in place, and slip Ship in!"

"If that's the case, then we first need to catch up to him."

"XLR8 then back to Echo Echo, fair!"

Ochako shifted into XLR8, and picked up Ship. "Hold on! I can go PRETTY fast with this guy."

"Ship!" the Mechamorph said, before the duo raced off after the giant drone.

Speaking of the drone, it saw that all of its pursuers had disappeared, thinking they had given up. If a robot could have a sense of pride, that's what the machine would be feeling before marching on towards the city.

Ochako zoomed past all the fallen trees, expertly leaping over them or racing around them, following the path of destruction. She quickly caught up the machine, just in time to see it turn around and see her racing towards it. One of its sensors must've been tipped off by her speed.

The mech started to launch a bunch of missiles at XLR8- Ochako dodged all of them, letting them hit the ground. "Those were oddly easy...why doesn't that fill me with hope?"

Each and every one of the missiles that missed her opened up; they were all sonic charges.

"Oh no..."

Ship immediately jumped onto one of the missiles, and took it over. Ochako covered her ears, expecting the worst...but the missiles instead started to beep and turn off. Ochako looked over at Ship- somehow, he'd shut them all off.

"...okay, good boy!" Ochako grinned. "Dunno what you did, but I'm not complaining."

"Ship! Ship!" the Mechamorph called out happily. The drone was anything but, locking onto the small Mechamorph and preparing to fire a barrage of blasts.

Ochako exclaimed as she rushed over to Ship. She switched back into Echo Echo and duplicated herself.

"Don't even THINK of hurting him!" Ochako frowned- it wasn't her pet, but it WAS a cute animal. Anyone who targeted a small animal? Evil incarnate.

All the Echo Echoes reared their heads back before letting out a wall of sonic cries, slamming into the machine. The massive mech almost toppled over from the sheer force being thrown at it, denting the chest and arm plates that protected its interior components.

"Okay, so far so good..." Ochako said. "I think we got you a window to exploit, Ship."

"Ship!" Ship motioned to the machine- it was spawning something else now, not missiles.

Four smaller pods dropped from the larger mech and slammed into the ground. The pods unfolded, transforming into smaller and bipedal versions of the larger mech. Two were the same royal blue as the original, while the others were primarily white with blue highlights. The white ones had massive shields unfold from their forearms while the royal blue drones ignited laser blades from their palms.

"Well, that's inconvenient." Ochako remarked, as she cloned herself. The robots charged at the clones, the sword-wielding ones slashing and thrusting at them, while the shield-wielding ones bashed them.

You'd think Ochako's combat capabilities would be reduced, especially in a smaller form like Echo Echo. Contrary to belief, Ochako had some tricks up her sleeves. What she lacked in strength, she made up for in...numbers.

One of the sword-wielders tried to impale one of the clones, but it managed to leap over the assailant's strike and landed on the mechanical arm. The clone raced up to the machine's head and slugged it. The hit rang out and did sting the clone's hand a bit, but the machine still recoiled from the strike.

Ochako shook her hand, and frowned. "Okay- let's hope this next move works." She wasn't too confident on this one, but it'd be a good finisher. Ochako spun around, and tossed a clone at the robot. The clone duplicated itself several times, and wrapped around the robot's limbs.

"Here we go." Ochako said, taking a deep breath. She unleashed a powerful sonic blast from her mouth, which easily destroyed the robot.

"Oh! It worked! Nice!" Ochako cheered.

Another smaller drone was doing much better, slamming shields into the faces of any clone that approached.

Ochako grinned. "Well, I've got a confidence boost. I trust this one will work as well." Ochako lifted up her arms, and stacked three clones on top of her. The top clone created a few more- while it was hard to balance the load, Ochako had created...a hammer.

The Echo Echo Hammer SMASHED down on the shield drone, and shattered the shield.

The drone looked at the broke shield, almost shocked at what had happened if the curious head tilt was anything to go by.

The clones collapsed on the robot, and quickly tore off the robot's limbs.

"Easy." Ochako said, before she heard the bigger robot get back up. "...and now it just got HARDER."

Of course, with the distraction, the second shield-bearer slammed its defenses into Ochako's back before landing a roundhouse kick to make her stagger.

"Ship!" Ship yelled, leaping off the sonic charge towards the shield bearing machine, climbing up its leg and merging with the robot. The drone seemed to panic, jumping back and trying to peel Ship off of it.

Ship was brutal- despite that sweet exterior, there was a hidden sour taste. Ship was ripping apart his wires and breaking parts of the body.

"Good boy!" Ochako said, as she blasted the thing's head off.

The insectoid head flew off the drone's body, giving Ship an opening. He slithered up into the chassis of the machine through the vacant spot and that signature green and black color scheme covered the entire thing. Ship's eye appeared on the chest of the machine as he took over all the systems of the disabled robot.

"Ship!"

"Well, at least I won't have to do this alone anymore." Ochako said, as more and more robots began to pop out of the giant mech. She now understood WHY those Lewodans were so focused on getting this mech.

Four more drones, two of each type, emerged from the larger drone, readying their weapons. Ship formed up shields on his new robot body's arms, activating green energy rims around them to give them a bit of an extra kick.

Ship charged into battle with his shield up, ready to smash them. The shields bashed into one of the bladed drones. Ship then leaped and used his shield to uppercut his opponent, launching him into the air.

The drone then split in half mid-air, thanks to the energy rims on the shields.

"What else can you copy?" Ochako asked, dodging another blade strike from one of the other drones.

Ship morphed his hands into a blaster- the arm cannon quickly shot a massive hole through the drone that attacked Ochako. Ochako watched the drone fall over.

"Remind me never to let you near Mei's stuff." Ochako hummed.

"Ship? Ship!"

"Nooooo, no, no, no, Ship! No copying Mei's inventions!"

(Spoiler alert: he would.)

Ship and Ochako (and her clones) easily fought off the rest of the robots, and quickly turned their attention to the big robot.

"Alright. Just put EVERYTHING into this next attack- I'll scream myself hoarse if I have to!" Ochako said, as she and her clones got in a line. They all took a deep breath-

"SONIC-"

And exhaled.

"SQUALL!"

A massive blast of energy shot out of their mouths, and made a huge, deep dent in the front of the drone.

The armor buckled and groaned as the soundwaves slammed into it, making the machine jitter and spark. It tried to fight against the pressure, slowly moving closer and closer. Ochako and her chorus of clones screamed louder, putting more and more pressure on the robot's chest.

Come on...you have to have a limit! Ochako thought to herself.

Ochako felt her voice starting to go hoarse- all this screaming made her feel faint and woozy. Ship's eye narrowed, as he morphed his hand into a crossbow. He loaded a sharpened piece of metal (from one of the robots), aimed it at the robot's chest...

And fired.

The projectile was launched through Ochako's Sonic Squal, boosting the projectile's speed tenfold. With a cacophony of metal crunching and wires tearing, the chest of the massive drone was breached. The "bolt" Ship fired landed behind the machine, several wires and other smaller components impaled on it. The insectile eyes flashed a few times, as the drone struggled to stay active.

"Ship! NOW!" Ochako yelled, as she collapsed to the ground. Her throat felt SUPER dry right now. Ship jumped into action, and bolted towards the robot.

The dog-like Mechamorph leapt onto the machine's leg and slithered up towards the hole in the armor. The clawed hands tried to grab Ship as he climbed up, but missed each time. The little guy finally reached the hole and slithered in, merging with what systems remained intact.

Ship immediately began to 'implode' the system in on itself. Ship was pulling in everything it could, and shredding it into pieces. All tech was malleable in his hands—even stuff with Tadenite in it.

There was no Tadenite in the machine, but either way, Ochako watched as the massive drone began to crumple like a tin can pulled to the bottom of the ocean. The insectoid eyes shattered and sparked as the machine's head collapses in on itself.

Ship oozed out of the head, and happily slithered back towards Ochako. She reverted back to normal and began to rub the little blorpy up and down. "Gooood alien dog boy!"

"Ship! Ship!" the little Mechamorph called out, thankful for the pets and wagging his tail. What was left of the machine clattered to the ground after Ship had crushed it from the inside.

"You sure did a number on that guy..." Ochako said, picking Ship up. "Good thing, too. I don't even know what I would've done if you weren't here."

"Ship!" the little alien was gonna be riding that compliment for days.

Though, there was still one small problem.

Ochako suddenly heard something zip through the skies. She looked up to see a giant red mantaray, flying above her...its eyes were locked onto the drone.

"...Ben?" Ochako asked.

The manta ray-like alien swooped down and landed before turning back to Ben.

"How did that get here?" Ben asked, not a second wasted.

"Some...weird white aliens smuggled it and a few other robots on their ships. They wanted to use them in a war against...Phantophage, I think they said?" Ochako answered quickly.  It was weird though. Ben was...more tense than usual here and his eyes never left the wrecked drone.

"And...you took that thing down. By yourself." Ben said, not breaking eye contact with the robot.

"Well...not all by myself," Ochako admitted, still holding Ship in her arms.

Ben looked very, very bothered. Ochako felt concerned all of a sudden. Ben was confident and easy going- why did it look like he'd seen a ghost?

Ben shook his head. "Y-you both did good."

"Ship?" the Mechamorph chipped, tilting his head to the side. Even the little guy could tell something was up with Ben.

"Ben...did I accidentally stumble onto something big?" Ochako asked.

"Somewhat," Ben said, walking towards the drone. "This drone you took down...they were used by my greatest enemy."

"They...they were?"

"The guy's reputation was so terrifying that no sentient being would work under him long term. Bounty hunters are in it for the money...but he wanted a dedicated army. So he made these." Ben put his hand to the head of the machine. "Swore I destroyed every last one of these as Atomix a few years back. Guess a few slipped through the cracks."

"If...if it helps, I think the lead guy could tell you where he got them," Ochako provided, trying to help a bit more.

Ben looked over his shoulder. "I think THAT would help me greatly."

The lead Lewodan smuggler was...well, terrified to say the least. Before, he still had some confidence in him. Now...not so much. He was handcuffed to a table in an interrogation room and right across from him were two people. One needed no introduction to him, Ben 10K. The other was a bit different. At first, he had no idea who this was, seemingly just another human. But then he noticed the two horns jutting out from the sides of their head. The shape and size of them were the telltale sign of an Archimedian.

Two dragons, one literal, one metaphorical, in the same room. This was like walking on a tightrope over fire without a net. One wrong move and he'd be done.

"Luhrud Ghaik, member of the Jahtpuft society on Lewoda- previous charges of aggravated assault, Sellers of ammunition, and... criminal impersonation." The Archimedian whistled. "That's quite the rap sheet. Don't know how they let you be a driver."

"And funny enough, you aren't." Ben said, producing some more evidence. It looked like a bunch of falsified info. "You don't really look like an 'Uddu'."

"...not the...best option," The Lewodan admitted. He could let that slip. After all, he had a good idea what these two wanted and he wasn't going to just give that up.

"So, let's set all of THAT aside and cut to the chase. You're on the end of a very, very serious 'bad cop, bad cop' situation. We can either grill you for hours and hours on end until you crack-" Ceres said. "Or, you confess to where you got your drones, your contact, and anything else useful. We can get you a reduced sentence that way."

"By what? A few years? Out of...I wanna guess thirty?" The Lewodan said, partly out of snark, partly because he genuinely didn't know the full sentence.

"Oh, cute. You think it's just gonna be thirty." Ben smirked.

"...well, I suppose it's better than nothing." Luhrud sighed. "My contact was through another buyer- an old Techadon weapon's master that had been banished. He said that he was selling 'prototypes' of an old model he'd made."

"Prototypes..." Ben frowned. That didn't sound good.

"...this guy wouldn't happen to be 'Inspector 13,' would he?" Ceres asked.

"Different inspector, actually. He refused to give me his number. People on the market just call him 'Weapon Master N'."

"N," Ceres repeated, "You're serious? What, is he trying to be clever? N for null?"

"I don't know. Aren't you supposed to be a race of geniuses? Figure that out." The Lewodan huffed.

Ceres took a deep breath. "And doesn't YOUR race sacrifice their young to a tyrannical overlord for the sake of peace?"

"That was one time and that was actually unsanctioned from what I heard!" Luhrud countered, "Those acted on their own, no input from the rest of the senate! Why do you think the war's still going?!"

"Yeah. When I think of a 'peace offering', I don't think 'exchanging pleasantries', I think about how those IDIOTS sacrificed a precious baby boy to the ugliest bastard in the galaxy, just so he could eat it." Ceres frowned.

"I mean, I broke his teeth." Ben countered.

"I know it was over 20 years ago, but I'm STILL not over it." Ceres said.

"At least we can agree on that," the Lewodan chimed in, "The drones were supposed to turn the tide so we could negotiate from a position of strength."

"You mean hold a gun to the head of the Phantophage delegates," Ben corrected, "They disagreed with what you put on the table, you let the drones off their leashes, right?"

"Don't pretend they don't deserve it!"

"They deserve it. They absolutely do, but a situation like this will no doubt worsen any and all relations with your planets. I don't like the Phantophage anymore than you do, but to sic an army of drones from the worst warlord in the galaxy on them?" Ben said. "I wouldn't wish that upon anyone."

"Say that with a straight face when an invading race has the motive of devouring your entire race," the Lewodan huffed.

"What sounds better, Luhrud? An end to the conflict with a special social worker intermediate/delegate approved by the Plumbers, or the the death of millions and making your planet open season for other warmongering planets?" Ben asked.

"Oh like anyone else would try. The reputation of the drones' master would be enough for them to second guess any war they'd wage on us. Take out the Phantophage and ensure that, even if someone does try something, they won't be able to make much progress."

"Wow, this guy's stupid. Did you not think that...maybe, I dunno, someone could hack them? Turn them against you?" Ceres asked, "Afterall, N's not loyal to you. He's loyal to whoever's got the deepest wallet."

Luhrud looked uncomfortable. "N-no. He wouldn't do that."

"Listen- you bought something from an arm's dealer. You have a 50-50 chance of winning or losing. He wins all the time because he gets a profit." Ben explained. "And someone could ALWAYS interfere with your plans. He could be holding out on you- these ARE prototypes."

"But...t-the money I paid should-"

"Trust me, with arms dealers, what you think should be enough will never be enough for him. If it was, then he'd retire from the arms trade and buy a private moon or something. Something tells me he's not exactly gonna do that."

"Besides. Techadon Weapons masters are always bastards." Ceres said. "We've had run ins with them plenty of times, and they're all the same script. Sell to the highest bidder, get your profit and screw them over. You are in the 'getting screwed' part. Chances are HE fucked with your engine so you'd be forced to make a delayed pit stop on Tennyson turf."

"But...why would he do that?!" Luhrud asked. Maybe he didn't think this through all that well.

"You said it yourself. Prototypes. This was a field test for him."

"You got played, son." Ben walked over and patted him on the back. "Sorry about that."

"But hey, you did still give us the info we needed so, you can at least shave some time off your stay behind bars," Ceres offered in consolation.

"...how long now?" the smuggler asked.

"Now we're closer to 30 years." Ceres said.

Luhrud was content with that.

Ben and Ceres walked out of the interrogation room. Ben stretched a little and sighed. "Great. Another thing to worry about. Seriously hoped Atomix wiped ‘em all out all those years ago."

"You can't always be perfect on something. Not everything can be erased just like that." Ceres consoled him.

Ben rubbed his temple. "Was hoping Uraraka didn't have to take on one of those right now. I know I fought one of them when I was 10, but that was before their upgrades."

"I miss when we could just toss them around. When they started throwng up shields and sonic charges, it started getting annoying." Ceres joked.

"I'll give him that, at least. He never let his soldiers just be cannon fodder, always improving them somehow," Ben said.

"Yeah. But, hey, not invincible. I'll try and pull some favors with the Plumbers and some Archimedian patrols, see if we can't find anything else on N."

"Thanks, Ceres." Ben huffed.

"So...that kid's here, right?" Ceres asked. "Whatsername...Uraraka."

"Yeah, she's here. She's with the Mechamorph pup right now." Ben said.

"First question, what are you gonna do with said pup?" Ceres asked.

"Well, I'm hoping Penny can still make sure he's in good health. When she found out that he'd escaped, she was apologizing nonstop. Not her fault, of course, but she still insisted on a second chance."

"Typical Penny. Dunno how she can handle Azmuth, though. He's still a buzzkill." Ceres frowned.

"Yeah, I thought I'd see more of his point of view when I got older..." Ben paused. "...but nope. He's still a grumpy old fart."

"To be fair, you are still young compared to him. He's got...what? Couple thousand years or something on you?" Ceres asked.

"Something like that."

Ben and Ceres walked into an office, where Ochako and Ship were just sitting in. Ochako was stroking his back, and he was purring like a cat.

"Aw." Ceres said. "You're right- he IS cute." Ochako looked up- she didn't know who this person was, but she was reminded of one of her teachers from UA.

"Only when he isn't trying to take over a jumbotron." Ben said.

"Ship?" the small Mechamorph said, recognizing the word.

"So this little guy ended up causing chaos all over the city, looking for an Omnitrix, all so he could avoid a vet appointment. I'm getting Zwei flashbacks," Ceres admitted.

Ochako chuckled. "Haha...yeah." She shook her head. "I take it you're a friend of Ben and Ruby."

"Hit the nail on the dead. Ceres North, agent of the Plumbers." Ceres extended her hand, and Ochako shook it. Ochako didn't know much about the Plumbers, but she knew they were more 'secret' than the hero society. Ceres immediately saw the Omnitrix on the hero-in-training's wrist and smirked.

"How's it fit?" Ceres asked, gesturing to the watch.

"Huh? Oh! Pretty good. Getting a good hang of all the powers. Gravattack's easy to deal with since...y'know, my Quirk's the same," Ochako admitted sheepishly.

"Ben spoiled you with that form." Ceres laughed, sitting down next to Ochako. "He handpicked those forms- me? I would've given you a bunch of random forms and told you to make do."

"I mean the others are ones like XLR8, Echo Echo, Four Arms..."

"With Big Chill and Water Hazard," Ben defended.

"I'm shocked you didn't give her some of the forms you wished you had when you were younger," Ceres said, looking at Ben.

"That's for her second set, honestly." Ben said.

"Do I get a hint at any of them?" Ochako asked with a smile.

"Not gonna spoil that." Ben said. "I'll take it to my grave."

"So, you guys worked with All Might, right?" Ochako asked.

"All Might was a friend of Ben's grandpa, and he stepped in after...well, some complications. Great guy...but MAN, the public doesn't know how he really is." Ceres said. "He once thought his own reflection in a door was someone else."

"I...thought you were gonna say he's just nice in public," Ochako admitted.

"Oh, no, he's genuinely good, but..." Ceres stopped herself, trying to think of a good way to put it.

"He's good in the way a golden retriever is. Lovable, but they can be dumb." Ben said.

"Exactly! Thank you."

"Heh," Ochako chuckled, still petting Ship.

"Seriously though- Toshi's a good guy. Love and respect him to hell." Ceres said.

"I hope Izuku can be a good successor to him." Ochako sighed. "I would've thought All Might had a few more good years in him before he retired."

Ben and Ceres shared a look. "Did...Izuku not tell you?" Ben asked.

Ochako tilted her head. "Tell me about what?"

"Should we say? Kinda feels like Toshi's secret to tell..." Ceres admitted.

"Question is, would he though?" Ben countered.

"I mean...fair..." the Archimedian sighed, “I'll have to send Toshi a message- I’d feel weird info dumping all this personal stuff on you. Better to hear it from him than us."

"That might be for the best," Ochako admitted. Ship tried to cheer the hero-in-training up by nuzzling against her cheek, like a dog would when they see their human's upset.

"Shiiiiip."

"You know, he does like you..." Ben hummed. "You ever wanted a pet, Uraraka?"

"Kinda. Always wanted a cat as a kid, but my parents couldn't afford it." Ochako said.

"Ship? Ship!" the little guy called out, almost like he was saying that he'd take the spot.

"What about a Mechamorph cat?" Ben smirked.

"I think he's more of a...dog-cat thing, but yeah. I could take him in. It'd be fun to have someone else in my apartment!" Ochako said.

"Ship! Ship!" the Mechamorph called out happily, wagging his tail.

Ochako grinned, as she lifted him up. "Okay, Ship! Guess you'll be coming home with me."

"After his shots." Ceres added. Ship immediately compressed himself into a little ball upon hearing the word 'shots'.

"You know Penny's not that bad. You were there before," Ben said, trying to comfort the little guy.

"Who's Penny?" Ochako asked.

"Another old friend of ours." Ceres said. "She's...a bit of a handful."

"Energetic, used to be a robot, works as an assistant to the creator of the Omnitrix..." Ben listed off.

"...I'm sorry, what were those last two?" Ochako asked, needing to double-take.

"Oh, she works as an assistant to the creator of the Omnitrix." Ben said, holding up his bulky Omnitrix. "You'll...probably meet him soon, he wants to look at my handiwork."

"And she used to be a robot. Now she's not." Ceres said.

"...how...how long of a story is that one?" Ochako asked.

"Uh...depends."

"I'd rather not have it told right now." Ochako said.

"That's fair. Though...is he going back there or is she coming here?" Ceres asked.

"Considering how easily he stowed away, the latter," Ben answered, "I'll let her know, too."

"So, what are we gonna do with Ship? I don't want him to run away." Ochako frowned.

"Well, he shouldn't this time. After all, you'll be there to keep him calm. Penny's gonna fly over here for this," Ceres said.

"He is pretty slippery..." Ochako noted.

"Maybe, yeah, but considering how much he seems to like you, it should go over better this time."

"If you say so." Ochako said.

It actually took a few days for the ship to arrive, but a few days later, Penny came. Ben had called her Ochako over to his office, though she was a bit late. Ship was...defiant, to put it mildly.

"Oh, come on, Ship." Penny said. "It's just a few antibody nanites! It won't hurt."

"Shiiiiiip!" the little Mechamorph cried, trying to move away from Penny.

Ochako sighed. "Come on...it won't be that bad, Ship."

"Ship! Ship! Ship!" It was like he was trying to form a complex argument about why it would be that bad.

Penny shook her head. "Oh, you're so stubborn."

Even after all these years, Penny hadn't changed. Penny still had long, rather curly orange hair that came down to her chin with a small cowlick on top, and she wore a pink bow on the back of her head. Her outfit  was a white jumpsuit with black stripes.

"Ship, please? It'll be fine! You won't even know it happened!" Ochako tried to convince him, but found little success in the tactic.

"Um...ok...what do Mechamorphs consider treats?" the gravity Quirk user asked.

"Hm. Do you have any bits of small technology on you?" Penny asked.

"Aside from my phone?"

"Batteries might also work."

"Batteries..." Ochako hummed. "Hm. Is there a TV remote around here?"

"Yeah. Got some spare batteries for it too if you're doing what I think you are," Ben said.

"Alrighty- hand them over. Ship needs food." Ochako said.

Ben nodded and got the TV remote, removing the batteries and tossing the two double-As to his successor. She caught them with ease before showing them to Ship.

"If you let Penny do this, you'll get both of these," Ochako offered her new pet.

Ship immediately straightened up, and stopped whining. Ochako sighed. "Okay, I think you can do it..."

"Thank you," Penny smiled before she got a small syringe filled with antibody nanites. She quickly injected them into Ship from the side and the little guy didn't even feel a thing.

"See. Was that so bad?" Ochako smiled, as she handed Ship the batteries.

The little Mechamorph happily absorbed the batteries and wagged his tail.

"Shiiiiip!"

"Just make sure to treat him well! Small Mechamorphs like this usually stay like this for a long time." Penny said.

"I will!" Ochako said, picking up Ship and hugging him again.

"Shiiiip," the little Mechamorph purred.

Chapter Text

I think splitting up chapters is KINDA working, I dunno. What do you guys think?

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

"So, this is your new pet." Iida said, holding Ship at his eye level.

"Yep. His name is Ship, he eats batteries and he loves turning into a toaster." Ochako nodded.

Iida stared at him for a few moments in silence.

"Ship?" Ship cocked his head.

"This is the most adorable thing I've ever held in my hands." Iida said, with a small smile.

"Ship!" the little guy called out, worried for a second that Iida wasn't a Mechamorph fan.

"And he's just like Upgrade?" Izuku asked.

"Yep. Just smaller!" Ochako beamed.

"While I'm not shocked Mr. Tennyson has trusted you with all this responsibility, owning a pet is another situation." Iida said, handing Ship off to Izuku. "There's food, physical care, vaccinations, budgets and what not-"

Ship wriggled in Izuku's grasp. "Plus...the biology of this guy isn't like a dog or a cat."

"Well, I've been told this isn't common but it does happen. Penny, another of Ben's friends, even managed to get me some articles on it." Ochako explained.

"Are they like I'm thinking?" Iida asked.

"I mean...a little tabloid sounding, but I read through them! Even tried out one of the methods to get Ship to listen and it worked!"

"Let me see them," Iida said. "I feel like there may be some 'falsehoods' in something that sounds like a tabloid...especially if it's from space."

Ochako brought out her phone and texted some of them over to Iida. The speedster's own phone buzzed and he checked the articles sent over and...surprisingly there were a lot more truths in here than he thought. At least, it looked like they were true. Many of the articles said the same thing on certain subjects, but others had drastically different methods. For instance, food was something all the articles agreed on, but training a Mechamorph pet to not merge with a piece of technology had at least six different suggestions.

Iida took a deep breath. "...I grossly misjudged how 'alien' this would be so I can't say I'm an expert on this."

"The merging with tech part is kinda hard. It took him forever to get him out of my TV last night." Ochako sighed.

"Shiiiip," the little Mechamorph chimed in, like he was apologizing.

"Aw, don't worry. She's not mad or anything." Izuku said, setting the Mechamorph down. "Maybe you should get him some 'toys' or whatever."

"Well, that's why I used Ben's card to buy...this!" Ochako reached into a bag and pulled out an electric toy car.

"Ship?" The little Mechamorph saw the toy car and began jumping around happily.

"Ship, sit," Ochako commanded and almost immediately, the little alien sat down, his tail still wagging like crazy.

"Are you sure this is safe, Ochako? Mechamorphs have a tendency to...overdo it with tech. I think Ben once turned a lamp post into a cannon." Izuku said. "Who's to say he won't turn this car into a monster truck?"

"...how would that even work?" Iida asked, turning to Izuku, "That just sounds nonsensical!"

"The lamp to the cannon? Believe me, I would explain it if I knew," Izuku said.

"I don't think Ship's really reached that 'upgrade' part yet. He just sort of melds with tech and takes it over." Ochako said. Ochako put batteries in the toy, and set it down. "Okay, Ship. You know what to do!"

Ship's neck elongated as he looked at the toy. He sniffed it a few times, and looked around it. Ship's tail wagged as he suddenly jumped into the toy, and began driving around with it.

"And I have enough batteries to last a while," Ochako smirked, holding up another pack of batteries for the car.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!" the Mechamorph car called out as he drove around, just excited with the speed.

"He's eager." Izuku noted, lifting his foot up as Ship zoomed around.

"Reminds me of a cat I used to own. It would zoom around at random times at night." Iida recalled.

"Well, he hasn't done that thankfully," Ochako said. Considering how close finals were now, that would be a nightmare to go through.

"Besides just being reluctant to get out of the TV, he's been pretty good. I take him out for a fly before I go on patrol, and he doesn't really need to..." Ochako made a few vague gestures. "So, I never need to worry about cleaning up."

"Considering his treats are batteries, I will call that a stroke of luck," Iida said.

"It kinda helps to have him at home. After a LONG day of studying, I feel exhausted. It helps to know he's in here, just...ready to love me." Ochako said.

Ship then bonked into a wall.

"...but he is kinda dumb sometimes."

Ship shook his "head" from the impact, growling at the wall like it was to blame before driving off. He quickly forgot about its transgression and continued to race around. It was adorable to watch him enjoy himself honestly.

"He is adorable." Iida nodded. Suddenly, Ochako's phone began to ring. She picked it up off the counter, and saw who was calling her.

"Unknown caller..." Ochako frowned. "That's weird. I never get these."

"Could just be a scam call," Izuku suggested.

"Maybe. Or it could be a confused caller. It's worth a shot in answering." Ochako said, as she pressed the talk button.

"Hello? Is this..." the voice on the other end paused, like he was looking over at a note, "Ochako Uraraka?"

"Um...y-yes? Why?" Ochako asked.

"I was told to call this number and I wanted to check in first. But, now that I know it's you...I suggest steeling yourself for this. I've been told our method of traversal is always rough on the first trip!"

"Traversal?" Ochako repeated. "What do you mean?!"

"Is this some sort of prank caller?" Iida asked, noting Ochako's confusion. The voice on the phone took note of the other voices.

"You have others with you? Good- we'll need all hands on deck for this."

"How is that good?!" Ochako yelled, but the voice on the other end didn't hear her. It sounded like he turned away and was talking to someone else.

"Three to board, Synaptak!"

A light suddenly surrounded the three of them, and they were instantly swallowed up in it. One second, they were in Ochako's apartment.

The next, they were...not there.

"Shiiiiiip!" the Mechamorph called out as he raced back to where the three had been...only to see them gone.

"Ship? Shiiiiiip?"

Ochako and the others landed on the ground with a hard thud. Ochako groaned, as she looked around. "Where...are we?"

The place the trio found themselves was a shining silver futuristic room, like an auditorium in how open it was. There was a massive table in the middle of the room, a projection of the planet hovering slightly above it.

"Perfect! And none of you are doubling over from the trip, I see! As expected of the successor to the Omnitrix!" the voice from over the phone called out. Ochako turned to see its owner and she thought she met the alien version of All Might. Said alien was muscular and tall, standing as tall as Four Arms' shoulders from Izuku's best guess, with dark blue skin, a bald head with an oval-shaped mark on the forehead, and pure light blue eyes with a domino mask worn around them. He was clad in a simple yellow one-piece jumpsuit with a stylized 'U' on the chest and a white cape with golden buckles.

"Synaptak, no need for the nausea pills! They seem to be perfectly fine!"

"...are you sure? Delayed reactions can be quite common with the teleporter!" another voice called out, this one with a slight reverberation to it.

Izuku looked over, and scanned the alien up and down. "You're...Ultimo!"

"You know of this man?" Iida said, grabbing his glasses off the ground.

"Yeah- he's only been on Earth once or twice, but he's an ally of Ben Tennyson." Izuku said. "I dunno much about him outside of that."

"Well that's...definitely a change of pace," Ultimo admitted. Usually he got to announce himself and his team.

"Hm, I suppose it is better to have three here than one. Wrong impressions and all," the second voice said as the owner hovered into view. Unlike Ultimo, who wasn't that alien aside from certain details, this guy would stand out in a crowd, even among Quirk users. His body was like that of an octopus, covered in a similar yellow suit like Ultimo's. His head was...well...less of a head and more a brain in a jar with a holographic face projected in front of it.

"It's...nice to meet you, then." Ochako said, shaking Ultimo's hand. "Any friend of Ben Tennyson is a friend of mine."

"Quite the remarkable man. Always knows how to pick his allies." Ultimo smiled.

"And may I ask why you decided to just...teleport us without prior warning?" Iida asked.

"Well, that would take away the fun of the surprise."

"I've never been teleported. And probably never want to do it again." Izuku said.

"You'll get used to it." A gruff, female voice said as she walked in. She was a Tetramand, and a big one too. Bigger than Ochako's own sample. She wore golden armor on her upper body comprised of a chestplate and shoulder pads, along with golden bracelets and anklets. She had a golden circlet that has spikes off the sides, as well as a white skirt held up by a golden belt with a blue emblem on it. Her eyes were red-orange.

"And...this is?" Ochako asked.

"Ah, of course! Forgot to introduce them! These are my teammates, Synaptak and Tini," Ultimo chimed in.

"...Tini..." Iida repeated. He wasn't going to say anything else because one wrong word might get him crushed.

"Together, we are known as the galaxy's greatest crime fighting team- the Galactic Enforcers!" Ultimo said, as the other two posed. The trio shared a strange look.

"That's nice and all, but I'd more like to know what you've roped me and my friends into." Ochako said kindly. "And...where are we?"

"You're in our headquarters, currently positioned above the Earth." Synaptak explained. "Have you not noticed that?"

"...to be fair, we thought the hologram was...something you used to alert you to a crisis," Iida said.

"It is. It changes depending on the planet we're orbiting."

"We're actually in space?" Izuku asked. Ultimo nodded, and motioned to a window.

"I'd recommend the view. It's quite nice." Ultimo said.

The trio moved over to check and, sure enough, far below them was Earth, just floating in space with the only other things they could see from up here being the stars and the moon.

Iida cleaned his glasses with a cloth from his pocket. "Woah."

"This is really trippy..." Izuku said. The feeling of being off planet really messed with his head.

"Woah..." was all Ochako managed to say, too stunned to really say much else.

Izuku blinked. "Hey, Uraraka…isn't that the ball you threw from the practical exam on our first day?" He asked, squinting at something. Ochako looked in the distance to see something fly by the ship.

"Oh my God, it's still going?" Ochako said.

"Always breathtaking the first time you see it, isn't it?" Ultimo chimed in.

"Spectacular view." Iida nodded. "But, I take it you didn't bring us in for this."

"This one has a sharp mind- good." Synaptak nodded. "Come. We have much to discuss."

The Galactic Enforcers led the trio of heroes-in-training to a meeting room, this one with a more formal-looking table that you'd find in a business office. Lining the walls, there were a few mementos taken from various crises that the Enforcers had ended, ranging from destroyed weapons to photos on alien worlds with species that only the Enforcers really recognized.

"Welcome to our Chamber of Virtue." Tini said, as she sat down. "This is where we talk about who's skull we need to bash and take in."

"A very gross but not incorrect statement." Synaptak said, as he began to press a few things on the table.

"Ben said you could fill in for him- said this mission would be a 'fun' experience for a hero in training." Ultimo said.

"Why couldn't Ben make it?" Izuku asked.

"Something about a visit to a medical center with his wife." Ultimo said. Ochako immediately knew what that meant.

"Now then, enough conversation." Synaptak slid his tentacle up, and projected an image for everyone to see. The picture shown was...grotesques. It was some sort of small purple creature, with a singular eye containing a red pupil, a small black slit iris and green sclera. It had six tentacles, a visible brain and a black line that runs down the center, around their eye and mouth. "Are any of you familiar with this?"

"Um...no," Ochako admitted, looking to Izuku. Maybe it was something Ben dealt with in the past that he knew about and, hopefully, Izuku knew about it. Not that far a stretch, honestly.

"This is a Xenocyte. Alien parasites artificially manufactured by the Atasians, also known as the Highbreed." Ultimo said. "About a decade and a half ago, the Atasians wanted to maintain their blood purity at all costs, and created these things to take over people and help with their nefarious schemes."

"Albedo of the Galvan then resolved the dispute. He was able to assist the Atasians in obtaining the resources they required to rescue their species from extinction. It put an end to the possible war." Synaptak contnued.

"The boring way." Tini scoffed.

"The sensible way." Synaptak said.

"However, while the conflict was over, the Xenocytes still existed. While many of them were destroyed, the black market found use for them." Ultimo said.

"Weapons?" Iida guessed.

"Of a sort. The Highbreed strategy was one focused on proxies with individual Atasians only serving as commanding officers. The proxies were perhaps the most disturbing part of said strategy," Synaptak said, changing the hologram to what seemed to be a humanoid version of squid-like Xenocyte, "DNAliens, as they've been dubbed."

"So, these things bond with a host with their Xenocyte genes and forcibly turning their host into DNAliens." Izuku put his hand to his chin. "Like a parasite working in overdrive."

"There's been multiple cases of these Xenocytes getting loose on other planets." Tini said. "The Aracnichimps, the Pyronites and Vulpimancers were taken over by them as some point."

"DNAliens have multiple powers- enhanced strength, durability and speed. They also have tendrils and...most disgusting, slime spit." Synaptak explained.

"Revolting." Iida shivered.

"Their powers override the usual powers one might have...but, more recently, they've evolved." Synaptak said.

"A horrifying thought." Iida grimaced.

"As if things couldn't get worse." Izuku frowned.

"Without a doubt." Ultimo said, as an image of a Pyronite-DNAlien hybrid appeared. "A few years ago, a DNAlien would have suppressed those flames. They were designed for conformity."

"I'm going to guess one of these Xenocytes is on Earth." Ochako said nervously.

"Sadly, you are correct." Ultimo said, closing his eyes. "A species like a Pyronite or a Vulpimancer can be brought down easily, because of their exploitable weakness. However...humans are a different case."

"Because of our quirks." Izuku said.

"Correct- because of the human race and their unique quirks, it makes them an interesting target to take over." Ultimo said. "This uniqueness means we can't truly place down a weakness all humans might share. Another one could have a quirk to counteract it."

"It makes us the perfect hosts for these things...similar enough to be familiar to a hive-mind, but unique enough to where we don't have a single weakness to exploit," Ochako chimed in.

"It could carry out the will it was bred should the human race be subjugated by these menaces." Ultimo frowned. "And I fear the invasion may start...here."

A globe showed up, and the a red dot appeared on the state of Alaska, near Dillingham.

"Where is that?" Iida asked.

"That's Clark's Point. A small town of Terrans." Synaptak explained.

Terrans? Yeesh. Just say humans. Makes you sound...what's that word Momo used? Ochako thought. I should know this, it's vocab for the exam.

"The word you're looking for is 'Pompous', Omnitrix Successor." Synaptak said. Ochako jumped when he said that.

"Apologies- Synaptak here has the power of telepathy. He can pry into minds when he shouldn't." Ultimo said. "Please excuse him."

"Don't do that again." Ochako frowned. "That's scary."

Synaptak rolled his eyes. "Anyways...Clark's Point is quite small. A more recent census showed the population was around 50."

"The worrying part is that it's close to Dillingham. One of the larger cities in Alaska." Tini said. "You've seen how a cold can spread, correct? Imagine that, but with an active parasite."

"That far north...are they adapted for that kind of cold?" Izuku asked.

"They thrive on it," Ultimo answered, "During the war, the Atasians created several weather alteration towers to lower the temperature, making snow on desert worlds for instance."

"Using any cyrokinetic aliens is out of the picture, then. It'll be useless against them." Izuku remarked.

"Aw, and I just learned how to create snow as Big Chill." Ochako sighed.

"We must go to Clark's Point and eliminate the queen." Tini remarked. "After that, figure out how this Xenocyte ended out on Earth in the first place."

"And is it right to assume the queen is..." Iida began.

"Larger than a normal specimen? A definite possibility. They may also use a human host as a puppet, not like the others, but speaking with the voice of its host, retaining something of a normal form," Synaptak explained.

"We better get going then," Izuku said. "I can't imagine how dangerous one of those DNAliens would be if they got their hands on a pro like Endeavor or Stars and Stripes."

"Before we go off, we must ask you to comply with one thing." Ultimo said. "You see, we operate under a certain code of standards."

"The galactic code of conduct." Tini said. "It's our bible."

Iida nodded. "Of course! What do you need us to adhere to?"

"We extend onto you a temporary commission, acting as 'two super-powered Beings' and one 'hero'." Ultimo said.

"Why does one have a different ranking than the other?" Izuku asked.

"The Omnitrix wielder is in a higher spot BECAUSE of holding the Omnitrix." Synaptak explained. "We also ask that you follow OUR commands."

"That we can do." Iida said.

"Now, let's get the three of you suited up." Tini said, before punching her palm. "I can't WAIT to get into the fray."

The Enforcers used some sort of alien machine to recreate their normal hero costumes, but gave them a 'cosmic' Enforcers spin. The results were varying.

Ochako looked in the mirror- her Galactic Enforcer's uniform looked a lot like her Spanner costume, just with its pink-white-black color scheme replaced with a yellow-gold-white color scheme. Their Galactic crest laid was on a golden belt around her waist.

"I'll admit. This outfit does look kind of nice." Ochako said, looking at her gold bracelets.

"Mine's a little weird. I don't think yellow goes with my hair..." Izuku walked in, wearing a yellow and white version of his Deku costume. The greens were replaced with yellow, and the blacks were replaced with white. Ochako agreed- it looked awkward. Ochako also noticed something different about his outfit- there were white leg braces around his ankles, and the gloves were longer.

"What's with those?" Ochako asked, tilting her head.

"Oh, this was a part of something I was testing out." Izuku said. "These supporters reduce the stress on my arms and legs."

"That's neat."

Izuku made a face. "Weird thing is I made these modifications yesterday. I'm guessing that Synaptak read my mind and had the costume making machine create this."

"I feel obscene wearing this." Iida walked in, wearing a pure golden version of his hero outfit. Ochako and Izuku could see their gawked expressions reflected at them.

"That just feels like something Captain Nemesis would wear." Izuku said.

"I actually know who that is and that just makes this even worse," Iida deadpanned, as Ultimo and the others came in.

"Looks like the machine did a good job of replicating your costumes." Tini grinned.

To a better degree than others, Iida thought.

"Heard that," Synaptak said.

"I keep forgetting! Apologies!"

"Let us not dilly dally any further!" Ultimo said. "There's a galaxy to be saved."

"Agreed." Ochako said, clenching her fist. "Let's go!"

"Coordinates are already locked in. When we arrive, we'll be on the outskirts of town, so as not to draw attention. Beaming down in three..." Synaptak said. He didn't finish the countdown before the group instantly teleported, moving from the futuristic interior of the Enforcers' ship to the freezing cold wilderness of Alaska.

Ochako immediately felt her suit warm up- it was like she wasn't even cold at all. Ochako hummed. "Alien tech is handy."

"The suits are made up of unstable molecules and various tech to help us adapt, and to not rip our costumes." Ultimo explained.

"Very helpful for those of us who have an even more extreme aversion to inhospitable climates. Speaking of, will never understand how you humans willingly choose to settle out here," Synaptak said.

"Annnnd deserts are perfectly fine for you?" Tini asked.

"You should know that. We have visited Khoros more than once."

Izuku looked at the town in the distance. "Looks pretty quiet right now. Don't like that."

"Hopefully they haven't spread out already." Iida said.

"Good to hope...but Xenocites are surprisingly fast," Ultimo said, beginning to move towards the town.

"I wish I had a good tracking alien." Ochako said, looking at the Omnitrix. "Ben didn't give me one of those."

"He did give you some remarkable scouting options, however." Synaptak said. "Does your Crystalsapien form know how to refract light around itself?"

Ochako blinked.

"He's asking if you know how to turn Chromastone invisible. Like Tooru." Iida said.

"Oh! Uh...sorry, I don't."

"Something to work on perhaps. Or you could attempt some on-the-job training as it were," Synaptak said.

"Worry not." Ultimo said, putting up his hand. "My vision is quite sharp. Allow me."

Ultimo squinted as he looked at the village. He hummed. "Odd- there seems to be a large gathering in what looks to be the town hall."

"They're gathering to discuss plans of world domination." Tini guessed.

"Unless the citizens are free of xenocite influence for now. Are they?" Synaptak asked. This would decide how they proceed next: an extermination mission aimed at the Xenocites or a rescue mission to free the innocents.

"Is there any way to determine if they're normal or not?" Izuku asked.

"I could use my incredible sense of smell-" Ultimo said, before something hit his face. Ultimo stumbled back, and wiped some gross green gunk off his face.

"Great. The enforcers are here..." A voice hissed. Slowly, they faded into view. It was like a forcefield was being lifted. The DNAliens were right in front of our heroes. Some of them were big, some of them were tall. The leader of the assault stood out- he had a black and white suit.

"Cloaking? From a piece of tech or a Quirk?" Izuku wondered aloud.

"Not just the Enforcers either. Three whelps. New recruits, perhaps?" the leader asked, his single eye narrowing at the three.

"I'd love to chat, but...Galactic Enforcers, engage!" Ultimo said, pointing at the group of DNAliens. Tini and Synaptak jumped into action.

"Formation: Pallas Meteor Toss!" Synaptak levitated Tini, who curled her body into a ball. She was hurled at the DNAliens- the group scattered, but some unlucky souls were smashed into by Tini.

"Even the alien heroes have special moves. Something to take note of!" Iida said, before speeding off. Some of the DNAliens began to fire globs of green slime at Iida, trying to slow him down, catch him, but none landed. Instead, the speedster veered towards them and slammed into two of the normal sized creatures, knocking them on their backs.

Iida activated his engines and rushed forward at high speeds to tackle a few more DNAliens. He lunged forward and does a powerful kick to another DNAlien's face, knocking them back into the snow.

One for All...Full Cowling! Izuku thought. His body lit up, and his eyes narrowed. Izuku punched the ground, sending snow across the field and blinding his opponents. Izuku rushed through the icy cover, and unleashed a powerful haymaker at one of the bigger DNAliens. The haymaker sent the DNAlien flying through the air, and he landed a few yards away. Izuku avoided tendrils and spits of gunk, before Ultimo assisted him.

Ultimo flew up and exhaled heavily, unleashing a short-ranged blast of air that pushed his foe back and repelled the gross projectiles. Ultimo flew at the few DNAliens, fists outstretched, and punched them away.

Ochako blasted a few aliens with her wrist gauntlets (which she hadn't used in a hot minute). She taped herself with three of her fingers, and jumped up. She wanted to try out this new combo she'd been theory crafting. Ochako activated her Omnitrix, and transformed into Heatblast. Ochako rocketed herself back to the ground, and blasted away the DNAliens that had gathered around her.

The fire slammed into the aliens, making them screech out in pain. It didn't hurt as much as it probably should've but it was still on fire.

Ochako's flames became hotter, and some of the DNAliens began to show off their other skills. One of the DNAliens, dressed in blue and white, stretched out his arms and enveloped Ochako in his arms. The DNAlien was trying to smother Ochako's flames out. He snarled at Ochako, as his head thrust forward.

Ochako's head lit up once more, and the heat was almost hot enough to melt the Xenocyte off of the victim's face. Iida jumped in to help Ochako- he kicked the back of the DNAlien's head, knocking him out.

Another DNAlien created a portal in front of Iida. Iida fell through the portal, and fell out of another one, face first on the ground. The DNAliens surrounded him, and binded his arms and legs with their gunk spit. Iida grit his teeth behind his helmet.

"RECIPRIO...BURST!" The hero yelled- Iida overclocked the engines in his legs, and blasted himself off the ground.

Izuku dodged a barrage of wooden pillars erupting from the ground, courtesy of another DNAlien. He smashed through the last pillar and slammed into the DNAlien, holding as much power back as he could to avoid hurting the host. Of course, being launched into a tree from the force of the strike still left a mark.

Ochako incinerated globs of plastic that were being thrown at her- the smell was awful, but it kept her from getting hit. Synaptak began to telekinetically throw DNAliens around, while Tini began picking up DNAliens and knock them unconcious.

"Should we be fighting this rough?" Izuku asked.

"Don't worry! DNAliens are notably durable. Their hosts don't feel a thing." Ultimo said, as his laser eyes blasted the ground.

"That's...lucky," Izuku admitted, looking back to the DNAlien that slammed into a tree...along with the four others that had joined him.

The black and white suited DNAlien finally started to engage. He held up his hands, and suddenly, Tini was hit backwards. Whatever hit her, it was like getting smashed into by a sheet of glass. Tini stumbled as she stood up.

"His quirk. He can make barriers that can't be seen." Synaptak said, after reading his mind.

"A bit cheap, isn't it?" Tini growled, slamming her fists together.

"Some would say the same of mind reading, but both have their uses."

Ochako and Ultimo sent flames and laser vision at the DNAlien, but he blocked it with his quirk.

"Energy attacks don't seem to real do anything against him." Izuku noted. "Maybe..." Izuku picked up a rock. Izuku tossed the rock as hard as he could at the barrier. The barrier suddenly shattered, and the energy attacks hit his body.

"Observant, aren't you? Tini, I believe the lead is yours now," Synaptak said, signaling for Tini to charge in and shatter every barrier the DNAlien threw up to stop them.

Izuku rushed in as well, helping Tini smash through every barrier in their way.

"Hm." The suited DNAlien surrounded himself in a shield, and disappeared from their sights. Izuku and Tini looked around. Izuku knew that the suspect was either preparing a sneak attack, and trying to get away.

"Trying to hide, are we?" Synaptak smirked, reaching out to try and find the DNAlien by this thoughts.

"Tini, on your left!" the octopus-like alien called out. Without a second thought, the Tetramand lashed out and grabbed the DNAlien by the face before slamming him into the ground.

Ochako, Ultimo and Iida finished off the other DNAliens, as Tini wrapped a special tape around the DNAlien's mouth.

"I'm guessing that's some sort of special tape that prevents them from launching out that gunk." Izuku surmised.

"And prevents them from using their tentacles. This stuff is stronger than it looks." Tini said. "Check your pockets. You should have some in your pockets."

"Going off how easy that was...am I correct in assuming that wasn't the queen?" Iida asked.

"Nope. Just a high ranking commander." Synaptak said, floating on down. "You can tell by their pupils. This one's eye is much more humanoid, as opposed to the others."

"He's right." Ochako said, picking up a random DNAlien for Izuku to tape up. His eye was a simple black and green, and the commander's eye looked like it could be a normal human eye.

"So what does the queen's eye look like?" Izuku asked as he taped up the alien Ochako held.

"It looks like multiple eyes merged into one. A culmination of everything the queen has taken over." Ultimo shuddered. "It feels like multiple people are staring at you."

"That's not disturbing at all," Iida said as he taped up another DNAlien.

"Indeed." Ultimo said, as Ochako reverted back to human. "Now, here's what we needed you for."

"Huh?" Ochako asked.

"Tennyson may have not told you- but, the Omnitrix has a DNA repair mode." Synaptak said.

"Huh...it makes sense. Given how it's meant to hold DNA..." Ochako looked over the Omnitrix, "But...I'm hoping one of you knows how to activate it."

"It requires no activation whatsoever." Ultimo laughed. "Just put your hand on the DNAlien's face, and it will expunge any foreign DNA traces that's been spliced into the base DNA."

"A DNA purification, done within seconds. Incredible." Iida said, amazed.

Ochako decided to test it out. She hesitantly put her hand to the face of the DNAlien she had just finished taping up. A bright flash of pink light shone from her hand, the Omnitrix glowing as well. In a flash, the DNAlien suddenly took on the appearance of being charred. Ochako jumped back in fear, before the charred appearance literally flaked away and let the human, now free of the Xenocyte, fall face first into the snow.

"There we go." Ultimo said. His eyes lit up, and he suddenly disintegrated the Xenocyte. Ochako jumped back in shock.

"The original process to get those things off was a LOT more painful." Tini said. "Glad we have a safer way."

"Y-yeah, me too." Ochako said.

"Do...I even wish to know what the old way was?" Iida asked.

"No. You don't. Trust me," Synaptak said.

With that, Ochako went around and cured each of the captive DNAliens. Soon enough, the civilians were all accounted for. Izuku and Iida did their rounds to make sure none of them had been hurt.

"You were right- none of them even look hurt." Izuku was very curious on how that worked.

"They like to keep their victims in good health, just in case." Tini frowned.

"Doesn't make sense for them to hurt their hosts..." Izuku said.

"They are completely reliant on them for survival. A parasite cannot survive, develop, or replicate without a host. As a result, parasites rarely kill their hosts, but they can spread diseases, some of which are deadly." Iida said. "We should do medical scans on them after we take care of the queen."

"Good plan." Synaptak nodded.

"...actually," Ultimo looked back to the town hall, trying to see if the congregation was still there, just in case.

"The congregation has broken up and scattered throughout the town." Ultimo observed. "They may be preparing an attack."

"Not a good sign. We don't know what quirks they might have," Ochako said. "And one of them could detect us."

"You could try XLR8. Speed through town and thin the numbers. And Iida could help, knock out any you can't reach," Izuku suggested.

"Speed blitzing isn't something I'm really that good at yet, but...I'm willing to try." Ochako said. "You guys can flank behind us."

"As sound a strategy as that is, there may be one flaw with it..." Synaptak pointed out, "With any plan we take actually."

"And that would be?" Iida asked.

"Doing a cursory telepathic scan...there's one person that didn't take well to the Xenocyte..."

"Meaning they didn't bond well or something?" Ochako asked.

"Something like that." Synaptak frowned.

"That's...ominous," Ochako admitted.

"We'll worry about that one person later. We should focus on everyone else first." Iida said.

"Agreed...but it's more...don't let anyone open a certain door," Synaptak specified.

"You're not helping."

Ochako turned on her Omnitrix and slid towards the icon of XLR8. She slapped down the faceplate, and closed her eyes. Her skin turned blue as energy rushed through her veins. Her physique changed to resemble that of a raptor, and her feet were provided with two small orbs.

Ochako grabbed the tape. "Alright, Iida- you knock them down, and I'll tie them up."

"Understood," Iida said, getting ready. Mentally counting down, the two then dashed off into town. Ochako led the charge, striking at any DNAlien she managed to find, striking them once or twice with enough momentum behind each hit enough to knock them on their backs. Iida then followed up and bound the townsfolk with the specialized tape.

She'd cure them all later. For now, it was easy for them to just catch them off guard and strike!

Hit after hit, the DNAliens fell and were bound, though Ochako couldn't help but feel this was too easy. Not to mention, no matter how many DNAliens were taken down, none of them were the queen.

Some were also struggling, trying to pry the tape off their mouths. They were more resilient than they looked.

Thank god for the other enforcers flanking them. Izuku lunged at a larger DNAlien that was close to tearing the tape off. He delivered a powerful haymaker, knocking the DNAlien into the side of a house. Tini jumped up into the air, and shook the Earth as she landed. DNAliens scattered, as Tini was on a warpath to take them down.

"COWARDS!" She yelled.

Synaptak used his telekinesis and ripped a street sign out of the ground and launched it at some of the fleeing DNAliens. The sign wrapped around two of the fleeing aliens and the psychic alien slammed the two into the ground.

Ultimo flew through the town at such a tremendous speed that he broke the sound barrier. He slammed into the DNAliens and knocked them out.

More and more DNAliens were detained, either through the speed blitz efforts of Ochako and Iida or the flanking attacks from the rest of the team. All in all, it was working. However, one of the DNAliens was special. They received a direct order from the hidden queen, so simple that there was no way for it to be misinterpreted.

Open it.

Chapter Text

It's weird that Ant Man, a new Jojo Part and RWBY V9 are all dropping this weekend. And next week is probably a Pokemon direct. And my birthday.

I did see Ant Man 3 last night- better than I expected. Admittedly went in with low expectations, walked out thinking 'why does this have a 50% on RT'

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Open it.

Now, Xenocytes are not creatures that usually feel fear when bonded to a host. But this order...this terrified the DNAlien in question. But what choice did he have in the matter?

The DNAlien's hand was shaking before it built up the courage to twist the doorknob. He pushed the door open and jumped away. He was expecting something to burst out of there, ready to kill...

At first, nothing happened, which confused the parasitized person. They peeked in from outside before the wall on the far right exploded, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

"WHY WAS I GUARDING THE DOOR IF IT WAS JUST GONNA DO THAT!?" The DNAlien yelled.

The person this Xenocyte bonded to was an interesting fellow. He was a burly man with a special quirk that powered up his body when in contact with sunlight.

Such a Quirk was definitely a boon for the usually physically weak DNAliens. The other Quirk powers were good, but now they had something to put them on par with their former Highbreed masters in terms of strength. The one problem with this was that the Xenocyte reacted...poorly to the chemical reactions that this Quirk produced. So instead of a simple strength boost, it was now a boost to strength, aggression and muscle mass. If anything, this DNAlien resembled less of a person and more of a mutated gorilla.

This Xenocyte was inferior. A normal Xenocyte would've reacted normally. You'd think the queen would throw out a defect...but they were such a fun wild card to throw in.

Ochako zipped out of the way of the DNAbomination's headlong rush- she watched it smash into a car, and through a store's wall. "Woah."

The DNAbomination turned to Ochako and, unlike the other parasites that had either red eyes with green sclera or the more human-like eyes the more advanced parasites, this one had a pure green eye with no obvious pupil. The tendrils that this parasite sported were much longer, almost like hair that reached down past the behemoth's shoulders. It roared out, beating its chest like the gorilla it resembled, before tearing chunks out of the store building and throwing the debris at Ochako. The stone slabs shattered against the ground as the raptor-like successor to the Omnitrix sped out of their trajectory.

Ochako changed forms, and transformed into Water Hazard. "Okay, let's get you contained." Ochako's hands generated bubbles from her hands.

"That's different." Izuku said, as Ochako launched a flurry of bubbles at the DNAbomination. They quickly swarmed around his body.

The DNAbomination looked at the bubbles that surrounded it and tried to swat some away. Some popped, but others clung to the juggernaut's body.

"Here's hoping this works...!" Ochako said before holding her hands out and then turning them to the sides.

Eventually, Ochako forced out a MASSIVE bubble that quickly captured the beast. Ochako then began to blast the bubble with water. The bubble acted as a permeable membrane, and quickly filled with water.

The DNAbomination tried to punch its way through the bubble in an effort to escape the rising water.

"How much water can that bubble hold?" Iida asked, running up next to her.

"A lot- but, the bubble...it's not exactly the most-"

The beast yelled, as it slashed at the bubble with its sharp claws. The bubble around the DNAbomination suddenly burst.

"...durable."

"At his size, I doubt he's very agile," Iida said, testing his theory by dashing at the creature and trying to get some hits in. The strikes connected, annoying the creature to lashing out in a fury, but each retaliation missed.

Izuku rushed forward with an elbow that smashed into the DNAbomination's eye. The blow was strong enough to blind the beast. Izuku grinned- he unleashed a rapid combo of punches that ended with a powerful uppercut that sent the opponent flying.

"Allow me." Synaptak grabbed ahold of the creature with his telekinesis. Synaptak's psychic powers tightened around the creature's body.

The DNAbomination stopped mid-air, its arms brought to its sides like it was grabbed by an invisible hand.

Ochako propelled herself into the air and blasted the Abomination with a point-blank range high-pressure blast of water. The blast was akin to a gunshot.

The shot slammed into the DNAbomination and sent it flying back down into the street; the shot itself severed one of the long tendrils at the tip, letting the severed part thud against the pavement.

"...oh dear," Synaptak said, "That...worked. But only in making him angrier."

The DNAbomination opened his maw and unleashed a blast of light. The attack blinded everyone around. The Abomination jumped at this opening. He lifted a chunk of the road and flipped it, sending out a wave of flying rocks at his opponents. Synaptak was hit by the attack and fell on top of a building. Despite all his incredible powers, he was very fragile.

The beast dashed at Iida and rammed them with their shoulder. Iida was sent flying into a wall, and the beast chased him down. He brought his foot down on the dazed Iida and forcefully stomps on their chest multiple times before kicking them away.

"IIDA!" Izuku yelled, rushing to help his friend.

"Kid!" Tini yelled, "Let's add more momentum to ya!"

Izuku nodded and made a running start for Tini. The Tetramand then grabbed Izuku by the collar and lifted him up, spinning around to gain more and more momentum. At the right time, just before the abomination brought its foot down again, Tini let Izuku fly, his fist reared back and glowing already. The DNAbomination turned just in time to see Izuku slam his fist into its face. With the force of the hit, and the creature already off balance, it wasn't hard to knock the behemoth on its back and give Iida some breathing room.

Ultimo flew at the Abomination and punched them in the gut, causing them to double over in pain. Ultimo took a big breath in before exhaling and blowing a huge blast of frigid air out of his lips. The gust of wind froze the beast solid.

"I...thought you said they liked the cold." Iida said, as Izuku helped him up.

"I did. Never said they could take it." Ultimo said. "You okay?"

"Actually, yes. Many of the blows were absorbed by my armor. I'm just a little woozy." Iida explained.

"Guess the positive outweighed the negative of looking like Nemesis, huh?" Tini called out.

"I had almost forgotten about that, thank you for reminding me..."

"That's all of them for now." Ochako said, looking around. "Should we take a quick rest or something? I wanna make sure Iida's okay."

"Agreed," Ultimo said, "Tini, can you check on Synaptak?"

"Already on it!" Tini said, jumping up to the roof that her octopus-like teammate landed on.

Ochako and the others dragged their two injured teammates to a nearby coffee shop. It was small, but it had waters and other things in it to keep Iida and Synaptak in check.

While bruised and battered, Iida's armor had taken the brunt of the DNAbomination's attacks. Would he be sore come morning? Yes, without question. Would he be suffer from any broken bones? Thankfully not.

"Shame there's no hospital around here." Ochako stated as she sat down next to the two. "I'd feel a bit better if we could do some quick scans on you and Synaptak."

"I am certain that we will be fine." Iida said. "Though I do appreciate the concern."

"Let's just get you something to drink." Izuku said, looking for a sink.

"There's no water." Ochako informed him. "I tried getting some out of the sink earlier, but it was a little brown."

"Gross. I'm sure there's something to drink in the fridge." Izuku said as he looked for it. "Oh, hey, here it is."

"Times like these...I am very glad at how well these suits are constructed," Synaptak said, groaning from the pain.

Izuku found a couple bottles of water and handed them to the two. "Thank you," Iida said, taking his.

Synaptak looked at the water bottle incredulously. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Drink it." Izuku explained.

"Oh." Synaptak said, taking the bottle. "I cannot drink this. I absorb waves of energy to rehydrate myself."

"I'll take it." Tini said, snatching it from Synaptak's hand. She chugged it in one go, and threw the bottle aside.

"You should really drink slower." Izuku said. "Savor it and everything."

"That WAS me savoring it. Water is a rarity on my home planet." Tini said.

"Right," Ochako said, spying a hot cocoa dispenser. "Ooooh...well, since we are in the cold." Ochako walked over and poured herself a cup.

Ultimo was making sure that none of the remaining DNAliens were trying to make a move, just keeping watch for a bit. That DNAbomination though...usually such a defect would be discarded. Maybe this queen was more intelligent than others.

Ultimo noticed something on the floor. What was that? Ultimo picked it up. It was a white glove. Ultimo looked at it. It seemed to be human. Ultimo looked to see who it belonged to.

Ochako looked over to Ultimo. "Whatcha got there?"

Ultimo turned to Ochako with the glove in hand. "Did you happen to see who this glove belongs to?"

Ochako shook her head. "No, I haven't seen it before." Ochako sighed. "Doesn't look like Izuku's glove."

"Could be a citizen's glove or something."

"No, no...this wasn't here when we got in." Ultimo said.

"Strange." Ochako said, looking around outside as well. The streets were eerily quiet, a silence that was made all the worse by knowing the queen was still out there somewhere.

She didn't like the feeling she was getting. It was like something was watching them. Suddenly, a door opened. The group all directed their attention towards the door, expecting a DNAlien to burst through or something.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" A man said as he revealed himself. The group all relaxed a little bit as they realized that this man was not a DNAlien. "I thought I was the only one left!"

"Worry not, citizen." Ultimo said, as the man stepped forward. "We're here to help."

"Why didn't they take you over?" Tini asked.

"W-well...I...kinda don't have any powers." The man admitted. "They left me out of their invasion. Just started rounding everyone up and took them all away."

"Is there anything else you know?" Ochako asked.

"No, I don't," the man said. "But I heard her say something about a 'nest' and I think she was going to take them there."

"A nest." Midoriya repeated.

"As we thought. Take over the local population, turn the town into a breeding ground. For all we know, they intend to spread to the next town and repeat the process," Synaptak said.

"Then let's go find this nest." Ochako said.

"O-oh, wait. There was...one more thing I heard." The man said.

"What is that?"

The man's fearful expression warped into a dead, uncomfortable calm. "That you're all total idiots." And that's when something smashed into Ultimo's back, and sent him to the ground.

"GAH!" Unlike usual, whatever hit him actually seemed to bring him down entirely. And as the hero was on his knees, it was like he began to shrink before Ochako's eyes.

"What?!" Ochako called out, about to use her Quirk on the citizen, thinking this was an elaborate ploy by the queen. Maybe this was just a DNAlien in disguise, a camoflauge of illusion Quirk maybe.

"Argh, my stomach..." Ultimo said, clutching at his abdomen. "It hurts so much... I can't. I can't breathe..."

"What's happening to him?!" Iida cried out, as the hero then fell over onto his side, still clutching at his stomach as he whimpered in pain.

Synaptak panicked. "Sucrotaxonite! There's sucrotaxonite in that liquid!"

"Sucrotaxonite?" Ochako said. "What is that?"

"A highly specific chemical only found in few substances around the galaxy." Synaptak said- Ultimo seemed to be shriveling up and getting weaker and weaker.

"It's in the cocoa!" Izuku gasped.

"I must be a better actor than I thought if you fell for that act," the man said, dodging Ochako trying to capture him with her Quirk. When that failed, she tried to land a few good punches to the guy.

"No!" Izuku shouted, leaping after them. But they were both moving too fast. The group watched, horrified, as he leapt out the window.

"Stop him!" Tini yelled, running to the door.

Ochako fired a few blasts from her gauntlets at the guy, trying to subdue him, only to watch him vanish. She looked around, unsure of the limitations of this Quirk. When Tini and Iidea joined their teammate, they went back to back, figuring the guy was still here.

"Invisibility, maybe? Like Tooru's, but selective." Iida suggested.

"Maybe...but if it's selective, it might have a time or size limit," Ochako answered.

"Well, whatever it is, we need to find him before he finds us," Izuku said.

Suddenly, the guy reappeared and punched Izuku in the stomach, sending him flying.

"Midoriya!"

The others turned to see their friend struggling to get up. The guy then turned his attention to them.

"You're next." The man pointed at Tini. He vanished once more, and reappeared behind her. Tini yelped as she felt his hand grip her throat. This man had a grip of iron on him, dear lord-

"L-let go!" She gasped out. She struggled to pull him off. The others rushed to help, but the guy was too quick. He vanished again, this time reappearing in front of Iida.

"Iida!" Ochako cried out. Iida tried to back away, but the guy was faster. He grabbed Iida by the throat and held him up.

"They call us 'Choke'." The man grinned. "And this body is a fun surprise." With that, he tightened his grip on Iida's throat. Iida struggled to breath, and soon lost consciousness.

The man laughed. He took off a mask and threw it on the ground. It was an ID mask- Ben mentioned something about aliens using those to blend in. The DNAlien wrapped around him was HUGE. It engulfed his face and a large portion of his torso. He was dressed in a silver suit. It was snug, like if it were a suit of armor. The pants featured a yellow belt and a yellow stripe down the sides. His boots were dark in color.

But the most important thing Ochako saw was the Xenocyte's eye. It was like multiple pupils merging together in a grotesque manner.

"The queen..." Ochako muttered to herself.

"What was that, little human?" The DNAlien asked. Its voice was distorted and menacing. "You address me in such an informal way. I am the queen of the new Xenocytes. And you will show me the proper respect."

Ochako's eyes narrowed. "You hurt my friends."

"Oh, and is that supposed to be an excuse to disrespect me? Pish posh, child."

"You call me child when you're the one hijacking a bunch of innocent humans?" Ochako demanded. "If you're going to be the queen of the new Xenocytes, then you're going to have to learn that respect and kindness are the only ways to get anything done. Otherwise, you'll just have to kill everyone and let the Xenocytes rule everything."

The DNAlien's eyes narrowed. "And you continue to dare speak to me in that tone of voice."

"Dare?" Ochako asked. "No, I don't dare. I choose to speak to you in this way because it's the right thing to do."

Izuku's eyes went up when he heard that. Woah- Uraraka had gotten a huge confidence boost since she'd put that watch on.

"And what makes you think that you're in any position to lecture me, little human?" The DNAlien demanded.

"I know that it's wrong to hurt innocent people," Ochako said. "I know that it's wrong to force people to do things against their will. And I know that it's wrong to hurt people without a good reason."

"And what makes you think that I don't have a good reason?" The DNAlien asked. "My race needs to survive, even if we have to...use unsightly methods. You humans are nothing but animals, unworthy of the powers evolution gave you. You're weak, you're stupid, and you're completely useless...but we can help you."

"No, we don't need your help," Ochako said. "We can help ourselves. We don't need your...Xenocytes."

"Oh, but you do," The DNAlien said. "You need us like we need you. You need us to help you evolve. You need us to help you become something better."

"And what gave you that idea?" Ochako said, readying her gauntlet-blasters.

"Look at your society. The 'Hero' and 'Villain' division. Under the benevolent rule of my Xenocytes, such a division would be nonexistent. Peace could last with no interior threat," the queen smirked.

"What? You're trying to present that as utopia? The way you do things, that's twisted into slavery!"

"Slavery...such a negative term. Of course, you'd throw that out there. People always seem to throw that out when a guiding hand-"

Ochako didn't even wait for the queen to finish, she just opened fire with a barrage of shots from her gauntlet.

"...rude to the end," the queen growled.

They turned invisible again. A moment later, Ochako felt herself being lifted off her feet.

"You can't win." The queen taunted as she held her in the air.

"O-oh, yeah!?" Ochako grabbed the queen's gross head with her hands- the queen suddenly felt all of her gravity vanish. She started to float upwards, losing her grip on the girl. "I'll show you what I can do!" Ochako released her gravity, smashing the queen onto the ground.

"Is that all you can do?" The queen frowned. "You're not even close to your fullest potential. But we can help you. We can help you become something better." The queen held out her hand.

Ochako looked at her hand, then back up at the queen's face. She then punched her right in the face as hard as she could, causing the queen to stumble backwards, clutching her face in pain.

"I don't want to be one of you! I don't want to be like you! I'm happy with who I am, and I'm not going to let you change that!" Ochako yelled.

The queen hissed in anger as she recovered. If Ochako wanted this thing's undivided attention, she succeeded. In the blink of an eye, the queen vanished, putting Ochako on guard(as if she ever dropped her guard to begin with). Before long, a punch slammed into her back. She turned to fire a barrage of wrist-blasts at the attacker, only to see no one there. A kick connected to her back and made her stagger and, just like before, when she turned to retaliate, there was no one there to hit.

So it's not just invisibility, Ochako thought to herself. There's a boost in her speed, too. Guess she doesn't know I can match her!

The Omnitrix's successor quickly reached for said device, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed and her arm moved away from the Omnitrix. A series of punches slammed into Ochako's helmet, the force behind them actually threatening to crack her visor.

Reeling from the attack, Ochako tried to grab her attacker, but found herself caught in a headlock.

"Time to die, child..." The queen snarled.

"Not on my watch," Ochako grunted, reaching for her Omnitrix.

The queen tightened her grip, cutting off Ochako's air supply. The girl's vision started to swim and she knew she had to act fast. Her fingers fumbled with the dial on the Omnitrix, finally managing to hit the right symbol. She gasped as she transformed, the queen's grip loosening in surprise.

Ochako's form was replaced by Big Chill. She breathed a sigh of relief, as the Queen scoffed.

"Fool- we love the cold."

"Then you'll love this." Big Chill replied.

She inhaled and blasted the queen with a stream of ice, freezing her in place.

The queen rolled her eye, more annoyed by this than anything. She unfurled two of her tentacles and struck at the ice, shattering it. But now it was Ochako's turn to mess with the parasite. The Necrofriggian faded from view and left the queen alone in the street. Instead of waiting for the ghost-like alien to strike, the parasite matriarch unfurled more of her tentacles and just unleashed them in every direction she could. She knew she wouldn't hit Ochako, but if one of her tentacles froze because it passed through her, that gave the queen time enough to dodge.

That's when Ochako hit her with a huge blast of ice from behind. The queen was momentarily frozen in place, and that was all the time the ice alien needed. She flew in close and unleashed a flurry of punches, each one sending shards of ice flying in every direction. The queen was momentarily stunned by the ferocity of the attack, and that was all the time Ochako needed to fly up and out of reach.

The queen recovered quickly, however, and came flying after the ice alien. Ochako was ready for her this time, and she sent a blast of ice right into the queen's face. The queen was momentarily blinded, and that was all the time Ochako needed to fly in and deliver a powerful punch to the parasite's stomach. The queen doubled over in pain, and that was when Ochako flew in and grabbed her by the head.

The queen hissed and had some of her tentacles try to wrap around Ochako's wrist. If she could get the leverage, the queen could flip Ochako over her and slam her into the ground. Only, the tentacles froze over when they tried to wrap around the ice alien's wrist, the gravity Quirk user having turned just the part of her arm intangible.

Ochako immediately retaliated by freezing the tentacles and striking the queen in the face with them. She may not have had the same level of brute force as Bakugo or Todoroki, but she could still pack a punch. The queen screeched and tried to back away, but Ochako was having none of that. She was going to take this alien down if it killed her!

The queen lashed out with a few punches and tentacle strikes, each one passing through Ochako and freezing over. The icy alien then let out a stream of cold mist to freeze the queen in place again. The parasite looked at all the ice covering its form, tentacles and a hand frozen over.

Izuku got back up, and tried to figure out a way to contribute to the fight. The queen's quirk proved troublesome- the ability to disappear and reappear anywhere? It would be hard to track...but he had to try.

"Uraraka, I'm coming in!" Izuku called out. His arms were crossed in front of him as he took a running start.

"What are you doing, Deku?" Ochako called out, confused.

"THIS!" Izuku shot forth an air blast that propelled him toward the queen, who was trying to back away. He crashed into her and sent her flying, and could've sworn he heard a crack as the queen's back hit a wall. Iida rushed in to add onto the attack, and his Recipro Burst sent the queen flying again. Izuku looked at the queen's abdomen and saw a large, bleeding gash. Alien blood leaked out of it- it was blue in color.

"Uraraka!"

The moth woman turned and looked at Iida. "What?"

"I don't know how much longer she can keep this up, we need to finish her off now!" He called.

"On it!" Ochako slammed down on the Omnitrix symbol and, in a flash of pink, the moth-like form of Big Chill was replaced with the crystalline form of Chromastone.

"if we're gonna finish her off, might as well make it flashy!" Ochako smirked.

"Right!" Izuku agreed. He turned back to the queen and saw that she was trying to get away. Well, she wasn't going anywhere. Iida sent a final Recipro Burst in her direction, and Chromastone immediately followed up with a powerful ray of energy from her hands. Izuku followed up with a flick of his fingers. It wasn't 100%, but it was still powerful enough to do some damage. The queen was blasted back.

"Now!" Chromastone charged at the queen, and was about to deliver the finishing blow when the queen suddenly turned invisible and vanished. "What the-?"

Chromastone skidded to a halt, power still charged up in her fist, glowing in a rainbow hue. Her eye looked around, trying to find the queen, any sign that would tip off where the queen had gone. Iida and Izuku kept an eye out for anything as well. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they didn't need to look for too long.

"You gave me a good run...I'll admit it," The queen said, "but I think enough's enough." Two of her tentacles were lifted in the air, one wrapped around the neck of a weakened Ultimo, the other around the neck of Tini.

"Forgot all about these two, didn't you?" the parasite taunted.

"Don't you DARE!" Chromastone yelled. She charged forward, flying at the queen with her fist cocked back.

"You really think you can stop me?" The queen asked, vanishing again. Suddenly, the queen reappeared right in front of Chromastone, her tentacles lashing out. One of them wrapped around Chromastone's neck, while the other went for her hands. Chromastone gasped as the queen tightened her grip.

"You're not going to stop me, little girl," the queen said. "No one can." With that, she slammed Chromastone into the ground, hard. Chromastone winced in pain, struggling to get free. However, the queen only tightened her grip.

"Off with your head." The queen said.

"Let her go!" Izuku yelled, charging in, with his fist reared back. The queen would've smirked if she could and lowered Ultimo in Izuku's path, using him as a shield. One For All's successor tried to stop himself from hitting the weakened hero. The parasite took advantage of that and grabbed Izuku by the neck with another free tentacle, slamming him into the ground too.

Iida yelled, rushing through the flurry of tentacles.

"I won't let you hurt them!" Iida yelled. He tried to grab the queen's tentacles, to yank them off of his friends, but the queen was too strong.

"Foolish boy," the queen said. "You're not strong enough to stop me." The queen then used her tentacles to slam Iida into a nearby building, hard. Iida groaned in pain, struggling to get up.

"Izuku...Iida..." Ochako muttered, struggling to get free.

But then she remembered her first fight with the Xenocytes and how they reacted to one alien in particular. She struggled to reach the Omnitrix symbol as the tentacles tightened on the group. The queen was about ready to snap the necks of everyone there...but she forgot one person. An empty and already damaged hot chocolate machine was thrown into the back of the parasite's head with a loud clang.

"Almost forgot about me...didn't you?" Synaptak taunted, getting the queen's attention.

The queen rolled her eyes. "You."

"That's right." Synaptak said. "And I'm here to stop you."

"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that," The queen said.

"Oh, I will," Synaptak said. "...but I'll let the kid shine for a minute or so."

Ochako slapped down the Omnitrix symbol, and transformed into Heatblast.

"Thank you." Ochako said. She exhaled, causing the flames on her head to grow larger. The sudden burst of flames caused the queen to drop Ochako. She was free!

The queen screeched as her tentacles were burned by the flames. Ochako got back to her feet and let the flames roar a bit.

"You're a fan of cold...but then I remembered you don't do so well with fire," Ochako said, forming a fireball in both hands.

She charged forward, and unleashed a powerful, flaming orb that smashed the queen in the face. The queen staggered back, and Heatblast hit her with a burst of fire.

"Had enough?" Heatblast asked.

"NEVER!" The queen yelled, vanishing once more.

"Where'd she go?" Heatblast looked around, before she was tackled from behind. The queen had teleported behind her, and hit her with a powerful lariat. Heatblast was sent flying, and crashed into a wall.

"You're going to pay for that," Heatblast said, getting to her feet. She charged forward, and unleashed a barrage of fireballs. The queen was hit over and over, but she just kept coming. The queen unleashed a fast, invisible flurry of tendrils that caught Ochako off guard. The attack knocked Ochako to the ground.

The queen laughed. "I'm sure you're tired of being reminded of your weakness, but I just want to rub it in at this point."

"No," Heatblast said, her voice weak. "I'm not weak...I'm just getting started." She pushed herself to her feet, and unleashed a powerful stream of fire.

The heat made the queen recoil, putting all her attention on fighting Ochako. To free up her tendrils, she threw Tini into Synaptak and tossed Ultimo into Iida.

"You're going to have to do better than that," She said.

"I will," Heatblast grit her teeth. "I promise you that." Her feet exploded with a burst of flames, shooting Ochako forward.

"BURST...FIST!" Ochako yelled, clenched her fist. She hit the queen with a powerful uppercut, sending her flying. The queen hit the ground hard- and this might have been the finishing blow.

The queen was about to get up again and keep the fight going, but that's when the "Burst" part of Ochako's move came into play. Several sparks floated down next to the struggling parasite matriarch before they detonated and covered her in flames. The Xenocyte queen hissed in agony, thrashing around like a wild animal.

Ochako smirked as she saw the result of her handiwork. "What was that about me being weak?"

Synaptak quickly binded the queen in a telekinetic hold. "Quickly! Cure her. I don't know how long I can contain her..."

Ochako nodded and reached her hand through the blaze surrounding the queen. There was a quick flash of pink and an even louder screech from the queen. The flames died down and the queen's form scattered, flaking away from her host like ash.

"There we go." Ochako said, falling back into the snow beneath her. Her body was aching. The fight had been brutal.

"Uraraka!"

Ochako reverted back to human, and looked up to the skies. Ultimo had recovered from his 'poisoning'.

"You did it." Ultimo said, flying over to her. "You stopped the queen."

"We did it," Ochako corrected him. "I was only doing most of the work towards the end."

"Ah yes. Most of the work, she says, when most everyone else was incapacitated. As humble as Tennyson as well, isn't she?" Synaptak asked.

"Yeah...how many times did he share the credit? Vilgax, Highbreed, Maltruant..." Tini listed off.

"He's just done a lot." Ochako laughed.

"A lot?" Synaptak scoffed. "He's done more than that. He's saved the world."

"Multiple times." Tini added.

"Most of those feats was when he was only sixteen." Synaptak said.

Ochako's eyes widened. Wait, what? She always thought those big invasions happened when Ben was older.

"Your mentor's had a long career," Ultimo chuckled.

"I should really look into his feats." Ochako hummed.

"I could tell you some interesting stories..." Ultimo said.

"I bet you could." Ochako said with a grin.

Ochako and the others overlooked the town report- all Xenocytes had been captured, and the queen had been destroyed. The civilians were a bit sore, but they were in high spirits.

"Everything is in order." Ochako smiled. "The crisis has been averted."

"Not quite." Ultimo said. "We still have to find out who was behind putting the Xenocytes on Earth, but...we'll take care of that. For now, you three did a great job."

"You're all shaping up to be great heroes." Tini commented.

"I'm shocked that we were able to work together so well." Synaptak said. "Beginners have a hard time with teamwork..."

"And we couldn't have done it without you guys." Izuku added. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it. After all, you got to work alongside 'galactic pro-heroes.' I believe that's the correct phrasing they'd use, right?" Ultimo turned to double-check with Synaptak. The octopus-like alien nodded to confirm it.

"In a way...I suppose this helps us prepare for the internships," Iida commented.

"Well, let's focus on finals first. We have to get through that warzone before we even think about who we're gonna intern with," Ochako said.

"Finals shouldn't be a challenge after today." Iida said. "I feel more than ready for the written portion."

"And I can't wait to take the practical." Izuku said.

"I'm just glad it's all over." Tini said. "I hate dealing with all that gunk. Part of me wants to lie down..."

"Not yet." Ultimo said. "We still have to find out who was behind this. But for now... let's just enjoy the victory." Ultimo snapped his fingers, and drink glasses shot up from out of the table, and some unknown liquid poured into them. "A toast! To another world saved."

The group clinked their glasses together and downed the drink. The enforcers enjoyed their drinks (well, Synaptak just sort of kept it by his side instead of drinking it), but the humans...

"What the heck is this?!" Ochako shouted.

"It tastes like paint thinner!" Iida said, gagging.

"It's not bad." Izuku said, trying to be polite.

"It's an acquired taste." Tini grinned.

"Not a fan?" Ultimo asked, "Hmm...strange. Maybe there's a malfunction with the synthesizer..."

There's not, Synaptak mentally said to the three students. Ultimo's species has a VERY different sense of taste compared to a human's. And...most other humanoid species.

"Well, regardless, we should send you back to Earth." Ultimo said. "We have a lot to discuss."

"I agree." Tini said. "We'll be in touch, students."

"Best of luck on your schooling." Synaptak said.

Ship was laying on the bed, just waiting for his human to come home. She didn't even say goodbye before she left, but Ship figured it must have been important if she did.

"Shiiiiip," the little Mechamorph sighed. He pursed his head up when he detected an energy signature right in front of him, the same type he saw where Ochako and her friends had been earlier. He got up and was ready to jump at Ochako.

Sure enough, Ochako, Iida and Izuku were teleported back to the apartment. Not even a full second passed before Ship pounced and tackled Ochako, catching her by surprise.

"Ship, hey, hey!" She giggled. as the little guy started licking her face. "I was only gone for a few hours."

Izuku laughed. "He sure missed you."

Ochako nodded. "I missed him too." She picked Ship up and began petting him.

"So, in a way, we saved the world," Iida commented.

Ochako said, "Yep. However, we're still not sure who put the Xenocytes on Earth."

"I'm sure we'll learn eventually," Izuku shrugged.

"Probably." Ochako remarked. "I definitely don't want something similar to happen again."

"Ship?" the little Mechamorph tilted his head at that. Xenocytes?

"Oh, uh, nothing to worry about, Ship. Just a training mission Ben set up for me. That's all."

"Speaking of which, we should probably get some sleep." Iida said. "We do still have class tomorrow. We need to get some serious rest...and also, I feel REALLY sore."

"Yeah, you took a beating out there." Izuku said. "Sleep sounds good right now..."

"Same." Ochako said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Izuku and Iida made their way back and Ochako went to her room, Ship still in her arms. She put the little Mechamorph on the nightstand and then just jumped into bed. She needed this after today. Ship jumped into bed and curled up next to her like a cat would.

"Goodnight, Ship." Ochako said.

"Shiiiiiiiip." Ship purred.

A lone Xenocyte slithered through the snow. It had escaped the Galactic Enforcers, and was the only survivor of the massacre. The Xenocyte was weak, and it knew it wouldn't survive for long in the cold. It needed to find a warm place to hide, and fast. It...needed...to survive!

And then the changes happened.

The Xenocyte's body began to mutate- their tentacles began to shape into legs, and their mouth began to grow teeth. They could feel their intelligence growing, and their body becoming stronger.

The Xenocyte had become something new.

"A hollow victory." The Xenocyte hissed. "But onto the next step..."

Chapter Text

So, after next week's chapter, I'll be taking a break for the first full week of March.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

It had been a month and a half since Ochako had gotten the Omnitrix. While she had told Izuku and Iida, everyone else was kept in the dark. The reason for this was that Ochako was worried about how everyone would react. Would they be mad that she didn't tell them? Would they be disappointed in her? Would they think she was weird?

Ochako was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear Iida and Izuku calling her name.

"Uraraka!"

Ochako finally snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her friends. "What is it?" she asked, looking up from her notes.

"Are you okay?" Iida asked. "You've been really quiet lately."

"I'm fine," Ochako lied. "Just have a lot on my mind."

"Finals will do that." Izuku laughed.

Ochako smiled and went back to her notes, but her mind was still focused on how others would react.

Out of everyone, who would be the most receptive to the news? Momo seemed like a good bet. She probably wouldn't react too badly to the news...but what if she did? Would it be better to tell Mina? Or would she accidentally let the secret slip?

There was only one way to find out.

Ochako took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge. "Actually," she began, "there is something on my mind."

"What is it?" Iida asked.

"Well..." Ochako hesitated. "I wanna kinda tell other people about...y'know." Ochako held up her wrist.

"The Omnitrix?" Izuku guessed, in hushed tones.

"Yeah."

"I see." Iida hummed.

"Problem is...I don't know who to tell. I always think maybe someone's good, but then mind decides to ask 'but what if they react the other way?'" Ochako explained.

"Well," Izuku began, "I think you should tell Momo. She always seems level-headed and she's really nice."

"Good candidate." Iida nodded. "But maybe you should tell Tsu as well. You two are pretty close, aren't you?"

"All right." Ochako agreed. She was definitely going to have to tell her friends about the Omnitrix soon. But for now, she had to focus on finals.

But she didn't realize a few other people were aware of her secret.

Communication.

It wasn't Todoroki's strong suit.

He was never the one to start conversations and he always found it difficult to find the right words to say. More often then not, he would just stay quiet and let other people do the talking. But he was trying to change that. He had made a promise to himself that he would try to be more open and communicative with the people around him, especially after the sports festival. It was a difficult task, but he was determined to see it through.

And now, we are going to see him attempt a conversation with Ochako.

"Uraraka." Todoroki said. She turned around, looking a bit confused.

"Yeah? What's up?"

The next words that left his mouth shocked Ochako.

"How's the Omnitrix been treating you?"

Ochako's eyes widened. "H-How did you know about that?!"

"I put things together after your internship, and your recent absences."

Ochako was silent for a moment before she finally spoke up. "It's been...treating me well, I guess."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them before Todoroki finally spoke up again.

"So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime."

Ochako's eyes widened in surprise. "Hang out? With me?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're classmates and we get along pretty well, we share some friends…I thought it might be fun."

Ochako hesitated for a moment before she finally spoke up.

"Sure. I'd love to." Ochako said.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

And with that, Todoroki walked away, leaving a stunned Ochako behind.

That was so awkward and casual.

All Might had known from the start.

The Omnitrix was a potent tool that could endow its user with great power. It was also a potentially harmful weapon that was simple to misuse. Ben's choice was welcomed by All Might. But there was another reason All Might had wanted to speak with Ochako.

He had been watching Ochako closely, ever since she had first joined UA. He had seen her potential, her determination, her compassion. He had seen how she had grown, how she had become a strong young hero, determined to see things through. She had a reason for working so hard. All Might was confident that Ochako was more than capable of understanding the risks and responsibilities that came with using the Omnitrix. She was a hero, through and through.

And since Midoryia had told her about One for All...

It was time she heard his side of the story.

After Todoroki gently questioned her about the Omnitrix, Ochako was still pacing the hallways, quite shell-shocked. Unaware of what had already occurred, All Might thought that now was a suitable moment to chat with her.

"Hello there, Young Uraraka!" His bombastic personality broke through her daze.

"O-oh, All Might. Hey," Ochako said. "Sorry, just...finals."

"Oh, I've been there. My grades weren't that great, you know." He laughed at his own joke. "Have a moment to chat, actually?"

"I...I think so. Why, what's it about?"

All Might looked around, making sure no one else was around. He leaned in close, and said in a hushed tone-

"It's about One for All."

Ochako's expression changed, as she nodded. "I have time to talk, then."

"Follow me." All Might said, motioning for her to come along. All Might and Ochako walked into one of the many UA conference rooms. All Might shut the door behind them, before sitting down in some chairs.

"Before we start this conversation, there's something you should know." All Might said. All Might took a deep breath...and exhaled. Ochako watched in confusion as All Might's form started to deflate, like a balloon. His muscles became thinner, his bones became less defined, and his hair started to become unkempt. In seconds, the muscular and imposing figure of All Might was replaced by a frailer and gaunt man.

"All Might...?" Ochako said, in disbelief. She'd seen this form before, but she just didn't realize it. When Izuku was injured at the Sports Festival, she and a few others visited him in the infirmary. She never knew who the man in there before them was- figured it was a professional doctor or something. Never in a million years did she think he was really All Might...

"Have you ever visited a public swimming pool?"

Ochako blinked. "...yeah." Even though she had no idea where this was headed, All Might had one hell of a hook.

"My muscular form is like a guy holding in his gut at the pool." All Might explained.

"Makes sense, I guess." Ochako shrugged.

"So...you know about One for All." All Might said.

"Yeah. Izuku told me around the same time I told him about the Omnitrix," Ochako explained.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad he had someone to confide in," All Might said.

"You chose a good successor," Ochako said. "Just like Ben did."

"I'm sure he will too. He has the potential to be even greater than I am." All Might said.

"If he can control his quirk. That stockpiling thing sounds really complicated." Ochako frowned.

"He'll figure it out. He's a smart kid." All Might chuckled. "Now...did Midoryia ever tell you how I ended up like this?" His hands motioned towards his thinner frame. All Might didn't look sickly, but he certainly did seem 'below average' for a normal human.

"No...he just said that you had to retire soon because of an injury." Ochako said.

"That's partly true." All Might nodded. "The injuries came from my greatest enemy, but we'll get to him in a bit. One of Ben's closest friends patched me up after the battle. She used a bunch of alien meds on me- if my operation was done by a normal human doctor, I don't think I'd look this way."

"How long can you maintain your power now?" Ochako asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm slowly losing my power, even with the help of the meds. Can only operate for only a few hours- used to be five, but after that battle with the Nomu, it's gone down to three. I have a feeling it's going to keep going down..." All Might said. "But I'm not ready to give up yet. I'm going to train Midoryia to be the best he can be, so he can take on my mantle when I'm gone."

"You're not going to die anytime soon, are you?" Ochako sounded worried. "You're the symbol of peace, the world needs you! I can't even picture 'peace' without you in it."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not going to be around forever." All Might said. "Kind of harsh, but it's necessary to know."

"Did Ben ever tell you about..." Ochako revealed the Omnitrix by raising her wrist.

"I was one of the first people he told." All Might said.

"He must have a lot of trust in you," Ochako replied.

"He ought to." All Might said. "We've been through a lot, after all. I found his choice interesting. I thought Ben would be searching for a long time, but imagine my shock when he chose you. Glad he did- I can't imagine the 'champ' of the Sports Festival with the Omnitrix."

Ochako imagined a very, very angry Grey Matter wearing Bakugou's costume. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" The tiny bastard yelled.

"...I can."

"The Omnitrix is no toy, I've seen Ben use it to his fullest potential. The man's fought gods and monsters, and came out unscathed." All Might paused. "Mostly."

Ochako shuddered. "I don't think I could take on a God. Some of the foes I've fought already are stronger than I thought they'd be."

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Uraraka." All Might said with a smile, "I have faith in you."

"Thank you, All Might." Ochako smiled. She then looked more at his body- it was strange to see All Might 'deflated'. "So, your greatest enemy did this..."

"This is gonna require a bit of a history lesson." All Might said, taking a deep breath. "The introduction of Quirks to the world led to a period of societal collapse and an age of upheaval. The age of heroes began when people with Quirks started using them to help others, and society began to recover. However, there was always a small group of people who used their Quirks for evil. There was one man who was always a step ahead of all the heroes. His name...was All For One, and he was the most powerful villain the world had ever seen."

Ochako felt a shiver go down her spine.

"All For One had a Quirk that allowed him to take other people's Quirks." All Might went on. "He used this as leverage- take from those who hated their powers, and give to those who needed power. He indulged himself on Quirks that seemed useful to him. All for One used this Quirk to amass an army of followers, people he could puppet and manipulate from afar. He never liked the spotlight."

"I've always heard stories about a 'Shadow King' who once ruled Japan. I first thought it was a lame urban joke." Ochako commented.

"I was the only one who could stop him." All Might said. "I was the only one who could stand up to him and his army. I fought him again and again, but I could never beat him. Then, one day, I finally caught him off guard. I was able to land a powerful punch that...should have killed him. That was years ago, before you were born. After that, the age of heroes really began. With All For One out of the picture, society started changing for the better..."

All Might inflated himself for emphasis.

"With me, headlining as the symbol of peace!" All Might grinned.

Ochako smiled back at him. "I can't believe you were able to take down someone as powerful as All For One. But...that doesn't tell me about where your quirk came from."

"Right, right- knew I was forgetting something." All Might's face turned serious again, as he deflated. "All for One had a sibling, whom he regarded as quirkless. He could only stand there and watch his brother commit atrocities. When his brother decided to forcibly implant a Quirk into him, it was revealed that he did, in fact, have a Quirk, although one with no additional abilities except the ability to transfer it to others. "One For All" was born by the union of the two Quirks. It was passed down from generation to generation, growing stronger with each passing of the torch."

Ochako's eyes widened. "So...you're saying that your power...is the result of All For One's evil?"

"His arrogance cost him dearly." All Might said.

And now Izuku had that same power, the same power for truly bringing about the world she and every other student knew today. That fact alone made it all the more impressive that Izuku was able to keep it secret for this long. A responsibility like that must have made keeping the Omnitrix a secret feel light in comparison.

"If...you don't mind me asking...how many people have used One for All?" Ochako asked, thinking that might be a stretch.

"Izuku is the ninth person to have it."

"Nine people...you're the 8th holder, then."

"Indeed I am. And by far, the longest holder of it." All Might said.

"The longest?" Ochako asked. For some reason, that...didn't exactly sit well with her.

"From what the person who gave me One for All said, holders of One for All usually passed it on after a few years or so. The weight of holding such a power...wears on the mind." All Might frowned.

"Wears on the mind..." Ochako muttered to herself. That didn't exactly inspire the greatest confidence.

"Don't worry," All Might said. "I'm sure Midoryia will be able to handle it."

"But...what if he can't?" Ochako asked quietly. "What if he's not strong enough?"

"When I handed him the power, I had no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't be strong enough to carry on the torch." All Might said. "Like a large boulder tossed into a lake, every smart decision causes waves. Unpredictable combinations of waves come together and bounce off the banks. I can't see where Izuku's future is heading, but...I know it'll be fantastic."

"I see..." Ochako said. She still sounded worried, but All Might's confidence was reassuring.

"And you, Uraraka? Where do you think your future will head? Somewhere similar?" All Might asked.

"I just see myself as a hero in the future, one that can repay everything my parents did to raise me, to send me to this school. Same as I did two months ago. There's...now just an Omnitrix in that fantasy," Ochako said.

"Nothing so grand as...say the top pro-hero in Japan? Or any of the top spots?" All Might asked. Considering how many people were gunning for that position in Class 1A alone it was honestly kind of refreshing to hear someone go for something a little less grandiose.

"If I was going to end up as a top hero, fine. I never really cared much about the rankings- I just want to be a good hero, someone that can save the day." Ochako said.

"I see," All Might said with an obvious smirk. Yep, definitely refreshing to hear a goal that down to earth. No offense to Izuku or Todoroki, of course.

"If I can use the Omnitrix to save more lives, to go beyond my limits- I'll be absolutely fine with it." Ochako said. "After all this is a gadget, not a weapon. I should be more than it."

"I wish more people out there would see it that way," All Might said, "A few times, me and Ben have had to team up to stop someone from trying to steal it."

"Was one of them named Vilgax, by any chance?" Ochako asked. She remembered some of the achievements that Tini listed off after the Galactic Enforcers helped stop the Xenocyte infestation in Alaska, and Vilgax stuck out for some reason.

"Vilgax...oh, that's a name I haven't thought about in years." All Might sighed. "It used to scare the daylights out of me, but..."

"But what?"

"Let's just say Ben took care of him after he crossed a line." All Might said.

"Would...it be fair to say that Vilgax was Ben's 'All for One' then?" Ochako asked.

"Without a doubt," All Might replied. "Ben's had many enemies through the years, but his foes have never been as powerful as Vilgax. The last time Vilgax was here was one of the most harrowing moments of my life..."

"I can only imagine," Ochako said. "But you stopped him, right?"

"Ben had to pull out the big guns for this one." All Might said. "Vilgax...found a way to make his own Omnitrix."

"What?!" Ochako exclaimed.

"It was a close call, but Ben was able to defeat him. Chances are, he disassembled the device...might be some pieces from that bootleg in your own Omnitrix." All Might said. "Vilgax was a powerful foe, but he was no match for Ben."

Someone managed to replicate the Omnitrix. Ochako thought this device was one of a kind, only able to made by one or two of the best minds in the galaxy, at least if the stories of Azmuth was anything to go by. For Ben's nemesis to have his own Omnitrix...

"I still remember a lot of that battle- many pro heroes were there." All Might hummed. "Me, Endeavor, Team RWBY, the Zeta Squad, the New Atlas army...all that firepower, against one man. I still ache just thinking about the blows I traded from his Vaxasaurian form."

Ochako shivered. "I'm curious to ask how Ben stopped Vilgax."

"It's better if you hear that from him, not me." All Might said.

"But you must have some idea!" Ochako insisted. All Might had to lie here- what really happened that day was too intense to tell the heroine in training for now.

"I think...I think it had something to do with his friends. The people who believed in him, even when he didn't believe in himself." All Might mused. "That's what it takes to be a true hero- not just power, but heart."

Ochako decided to take that one. She had a feeling there was more to it than that, but it was like Al Might said. Ben would have to be the one to tell her all the details. But the lesson the Number One used as a cover was still a good one.

"It was hard for someone like me to contend with Potential and the DNAlien Queen. I dunno how I'd fare against Vilgax." Ochako sighed.

"Worry not, you shouldn't have to." All Might said. "Ben made quick work of Vilgax. Locked away somewhere...awful."

"Tartarus? Or something similar?"

"Tartarus...Tartarus is relatively tame when compared to this place's security," All Might said, but that was all he would say on the matter.

"Well, that was a lot to take in. I kind of wish you told me towards the end of the day." Ochako said.

"That's on me. I just saw you and thought, 'hey, why not do it now'?" All Might said. "But I should probably be getting back to the office- I have to prep for my next class. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Ochako said. "I think I need some time to process all this information."

"If you need to talk, don't hesitate to find me." All Might said, as he walked away. "I'm always happy to help out one of my students."

"Thank you," Ochako smiled. With that, and some more questions she could ask Ben next time they met, Ochako went about the rest of her day.

Though, All Might also had some worries of his own when it came to that story of his, and all of them were aimed at the League. Ever since the Hosu Incident, not a word had reached the pros about the League. Even when a villain syndicate had to build up their strength again, rumors circulated in the underworld. Not here.

"What are you planning...Shigaraki? Waiting for your master's next command?" the Number One pro muttered to himself.

Bakugo was grumpy, like usual. He didn't seem the type to get stressed from finals, but he was more agitated than usual. He chewed out Midoriya for simply existing, as always, and Iida was trying to keep the peace. It was a typical day.

But he did have something on his mind.

And he had an opportunity to talk about it.

"Alright!" All Might said, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. Today's hero work activity was sure to be exciting. "Let's talk about hostage situations!"

The class oohed. Such a serious task- this was typically a topic for year 2 students.

"Now, in a hostage situation, what is the FIRST thing you should do to evaluate the situation?" All Might asked. A few hands went up immediately. All Might pointed at Tsu.

"You should try to get as much information as possible." Tsu said. "Find out what you can about the kidnapper, what they want, and if you can bargain with them."

"Correct!" All Might boomed. "Now, who can tell me what the second thing you should do is?"

This time, Iida's hand shot up. "You should always prioritize the safety of the hostages above your own!"

"Yes!" All Might said. "And that is why I've chosen you, Midoriya, to be our 'hostage' in this activity!"

All eyes went on Midoriya. He gulped.

"Now, the rest of you will be the heroes in this activity. I want you to try to rescue Midoriya from me, using whatever means necessary." All Might said. "That includes talking me down, pincer attacks, whatever you want!"

"But All Might... what if we can't rescue him?" Kirishima asked.

"Then the activity is a failure." All Might said. "But I have faith in you all!"

"Great..." Bakugou grumbled to himself, "Gotta save this idiot..." This was definitely one of the times he was only doing this because a grade was on the line.

The class quickly formulated a plan. Iida would be the one to talk to All Might, while Momo, Kirishima and Kaminari provided support. They would try to rescue Midoriya while keeping as many people safe as possible.

Bakugou, on the other hand, had other plans. He was going to go in, rescue Midoriya and get out as quickly as possible. He didn't care about the rest of the 'hostages', or about talking All Might down. All he cared about was getting this over with so he could go back to...Bakugou things.

"Alright," Iida said, "Make your way to your positions. I'll try and keep him focused on negotiations as long as possible."

"Understood," Momo nodded.

"Count on us!" Kaminari gave a double thumbs-up as the trio made their way to the flank All Might from the right. Iida emerged from their planning spot and addressed All Might directly.

"Attention villain! You are surrounded and will be taken into custody soon! However, we are aware that you have several hostages in your custody! Name your terms to ensure their safe release!" the speedster yelled.

All Might put on his best villainous grin. "My terms? Heh, I'm glad you asked! My demands are VERY specific! FIRST! I want...a pizza with everything on it, and a gallon of chocolate milk!"

"What?" the class gasped. They all looked to Iida for guidance. He was their leader after all, and he would know what to do in this situation.

"O-of course!" Iida said.

All Might laughed, as Izuku gave him a weird look. "Why would you ask for that?" Izuku asked.

"Personal inside joke with the Zeta Squad. You wouldn't get it." All Might said.

"O-oh...okay then." Izuku said. This was a very weird day for him.

Momo and the others, while still taken by surprise at such an odd demand, let Iida keep distracting All Might as they got into position. Momo peeked in through a window and looked around for Izuku. Sure enough, she was able to spot the "hostage".

"I have eyes on. All Might's got his back to Izuku. If we're smart, we should be able to-" Momo tried to explain, only to be interrupted.

"Keep him talking." Bakugou said, grabbing Ochako. "You extras will be the decoys, and we'll be doing the extraction."

"W-what!?" Tooru gasped. "Bakugou, we have a plan already!"

"And he has a tactical advantage of knowing all your quirks beforehand. He knows the invisible girl is gonna show up, and she has no means of defending herself. You're all sitting ducks. But with me, he won't see it coming."

"W-why am I even being included?" Ochako asked.

"Because you can float. You can get in there, and get him out." Bakugou explained. "Now let's move." The others tried to argue, but Bakugou had already taken off. They had no choice but to follow his...plan.

"This isn't gonna go well...is it?" Mina asked.

"With Bakugou, it's always a...mixed bag." Iida said, shaking his head.

"Things have gotten rather quiet out there!" All Might called from inside, "Don't tell me such a simple demand is too big a task for heroes such as yourselves!"

Bakugou and Ochako crept behind the other way of the hideout, remaining as quiet as they could. Ochako looked up at Bakugou, who looked over at her a few times.

"Noticed you gained a spine after working with Tennyson." Bakugou noted.

"I...guess I just realized that I need to be able to protect myself." Ochako said. Bakugou was never the chatterbox.

"Hmmph. You still need a lot of work." Bakugou said. "Especially if you're wearing...that." He motioned to his wrist.

Ochako's face turned red underneath her helmet. "H-how!?"

"Common sense, dumbass! Aliens start popping up AFTER some extra starts working with him? You'd have to be an idiot not to realize he gave you an Omnitrix." Bakugou scoffed.

"W-well...yeah! And I'm not some lame extra!" Ochako said, getting angry. "And you RECOMMENDED me to him!"

"Most of you are just extras to me," Bakgou scoffed, "But you're not useless extras. I go in there by myself, I'm getting my ass handed to me. Something loud's gotta get his attention, while something quiet gets that idiot outta there. Can't get much louder than explosion."

"You want me to grab Izuku." Ochako said.

"Yeah, he should be easy for you to carry after you make him light." Bakugou said.

The plan...wasn't as shaky as Ochako was expecting. Admittedly, Bakugou's plan were neve overly complex, usually reaching"rush in, blow stuff up," and no further. But this had some merit to it.

"I trust you on this." Ochako said, tapping Bakugou's arm. He started to float upwards.

Bakugou floated upwards, getting Izuku's attention. With All Might focused on the negotiators outside, he didn't notice the look of surprise on his protege's face. Said surprise then turned to a hint of fear when Izuku saw Bakugou level his hands behind him, ready to propel him forward.

Ochako released her quirk's hold on him, just as Bakugou exploded into the room. "DIE!" Bakugou yelled, slamming into All Might at full force.

All Might was actually caught by surprise from the attack, and Bakugou actually managed to stagger him. And by stagger, I mean All Might lost balance for a moment. He quickly recovered and looked to Bakugou.

"So this was your plan! Bold!" All Might smirked.

Bakugou roared, as his hands began to spark. Outside, Iida and the others could hear the loud sounds of Bakugou's rage.

"...we're screwed." Mineta bemoaned, already giving up.

"Have some faith! Momo's team and Ochako are still primed to succeed! After all, considering I only hear explosions, it sounds like Bakugou's taking him on alone," Iida said, trying to inspire the rest of his classmates.

Everyone stared at Iida like he was crazy.

"Repeat that. Slowly." Sato said. "Bakugou is taking him on...by himself."

Iida blinked.

"NOW I see the problem."

"Guess we have to go in now, huh?" Toru asked.

"It...seems we have no other choice!" Iida said, "You had your chance, villain!"

Bakugou began bombarding the pro hero with explosions- All Might was overwhelmed, but well aware of his plan. Bakugou was going to distract him, grab Midoryia and run. A basic plan...

But too basic for him.

"I appreciate the simple approach, young Bakugou! But you're much smarter than this! I fully expect Mr. Tenya to race through that door in a few moments!" All Might beamed, turning to the door after grabbing the explosion hero-in-training by the arm. He was planning to throw the loudmouth student at the speedster and while All Might did throw Bakugou...he just met air.

"No? No Iida? Curious..." the Number One pro rubbed his chin in thought, "then who were you covering for?"

At this point, Ochako had snuck in and nabbed Izuku, using her new 'weight removal' technique. Figured now would be a good time to show it off. She carried Izuku out of the room, and jumped out of the window.

"Nice strategy." Izuku commented, as he and Ochako floated to the ground.

"I'm shocked Bakugou was the distraction. I thought I'd be the fodder." Ochako admitted.

All Might turned around, feeling something was off and saw that Izuku was gone. He blinked a few times in surprise before he just started to laugh.

"I knew it! You were covering for someone, but you knew that Mr. Tenya would be the first person I suspected!" the Number One grinned, "So you chose someone else!"

"Maybe I was. But it doesn't matter now. Extraction's complete." Bakugou grit his teeth, as he prepared to blast himself out of the room.

"Ha ha! Indeed it is!" the pro beamed, "Very well done!"

Bakugou exploded out of the room, as All Might beamed. He actually worked with someone today. Progress!

Chapter Text

Next week is probably one of my favorite early chapters. We're gonna go on down to Kamino and meet some good friends :3

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Letting the students regroup and act like heroes at the end of a hostage crisis as well, asking the "hostage" in question gave All Might some time to assess the plan. There were two different plans All Might had to look at here, Iida's and Bakugou's. Iida's was more of a by-the-book distraction, while Bakugou's was more...flashy, for lack of a better word.

"You both had the right way of going about things, in my opinion. I've done more flashy moves in my day, but I find talking things out stops a situation faster. Plus, it means I don't have to repair my costume from bullets or slash marks or something." All Might said.

"I can deal with the battle damage," Bakugou grumbled.

"I...will admit your first demand threw all of us off, sir," Iida said.

"Yeah, what was that even about?" Mina asked.

"I'll explain it when you graduate." All Might grinned. "But! Iida, you handled the situation masterfully! I fully expected you to get the demands-"

"H-hey guys! I'm back from the lunchroom." Ojiro was running over with a tray from the rush- both with a pizza and a bottle of chocolate milk. "Sorry, I had to explain the situation to Lunch Rush..."

"Ah...Ojiro. Um...as you can see, we...that is to say...Bakugou solved the problem," Iida said.

"Byyyyyyyy being Bakugou, of course," Toru quipped.

"...rushed in and blew stuff up?" Ojiro asked.

"Rushed in and blew stuff up, tactically!"

"Your quirk was ill suited for the job, young Bakugou." All Might said. "Those explosions could be harmful to the bystanders. Don't want to be caught up in a lawsuit for saving someone."

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Hence why I cornered you, and focused my attacks on you directly. The attack wasn't just to distract and overwhelm, it was also to contain you from the others."

"Interesting approach to it. Ensure that no one could be harmed. A bit risky, though. You're lucky I considered Mr. Tenya to be your backup, otherwise something may have gone wrong," All Might explained. Internally, he was overjoyed. Bakugou actually cared enough about the civilians to figure out a way to minimize the damage. He knew the limitations to his quirk and he adapted.

Ochako made a face. She always forgot about Bakugou's incredible battle IQ. The boy's quirk had been honed and nearly perfected by the time they were starting classes. Even during the sports festival, all of his moves counteracted anything she tried throwing at him.

Ochako took a deep breath. She found herself getting oddly worked up thinking about that match.

All Might continued for a while after that, explaining about other methods to take on a hostage situation. According to him, there was a lot to learn from the hostage-taker by just hearing them talk and a list off demands. A pro would be able to tell how desperate or how confident the villain was based off their demands and tone of voice. Sometimes, the demands were far more ideological than physical, such as when the Meta Liberation Army was still an active threat. In hostage situations with them, they always demanded some form of Quirk, or meta ability as they were known back then, regulations being revoked.

"...And of course, as of recently- the Red Fang." All Might said. "I dunno...they said something about 'humans trying to overtake the inhumans'. Truth be told, I don't pay much attention many politics nowadays. I find that it just gives me a headache."

A few mutant type students looked a bit uncomfortable with the mention of the Red Fang. All Might took note of this.

"A-anyways! How about we try this exercise again? Let's take a VERY unwilling hostage!" All Might picked up Bakugou by his head (All Might thought he was grabbing onto a cactus with that hairdo).

"Ohhhh this is gonna be...interesting," Mina said.

"Definitely one way to describe it. Same roles as last time?" Kaminari asked.

"Actually, I will hand off the 'vocal negotiator' role to one of you. Despite how short lived my first run was, it would reflect poorly on me if I took all the chances to improve. Perhaps you'd like to take charge here, Momo?" Iida offered.

Momo blushed. "M-me!?"

"Yes! You've been taking charge in helping your classmates study." All Might said. "I want to see if that translates over to the field as well!"

"Well, I-I-" Momo stammered before Toru put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, knowing you? You'll make the big guy surrender without us even needing to try and sneak past him!" the invisible girl comforted.

Momo sighed audibly. She appeared to be considering the opportunity carefully. Ochako frowned- she'd known about Momo's recent struggles with herself, not thinking she was good enough for the pros. She'd been dealing with hero work so much she hadn't really been there to support Momo. The least she could do now was hype her up.

"Yeah! You're our best conflict settler. Remember that argument Mina and Jirou had about music genres a few days ago?" Ochako asked.

"Well...yes, but that wasn't exactly very special," Momo said, downplaying the achievement. It was a pretty heated argument honestly, the type that could have evolved into a full on rivalry.

"It worked out though, didn't it? It could've gotten worse if you weren't there." Tokoyami added.

"Yeah! Plus, like, with your tutoring and everything, I feel kinda confident about exams now!" Mina ginned.

"Well, thank you, but..." Momo began, but stopped herself. She shook away her doubt and looked to Iida with a new resolve.

"Alright. I'll take negotiator," the creation Quirk user finally said.

Ochako smiled. This could be a big help to Momo...

"Right then!" All Might said, taking Bakugou under his arm. "Now! Hostage situation, part 2: electric boogaloo starts NOW!"

All Might dashed off into the building, carrying Bakugou with him. The others waited for him to get ready.

"So, Momo- what's the game plan?" Kirishima asked.

"I think I have something in mind," Momo said, thinking it over for a moment.

"I'll need to keep him talking while two teams get into position. Team 1 will consist of...Kaminari, Jirou, and Ojiro. Team 2 will consist of Toru, Iida, and..." Momo looked around the group, trying to figure out who the last lucky student would be.

Momo's eyes darted over to an unexpected pick. "Kouda. How about you help?"

Kouda's eyes widened. He pointed at himself, equally shocked by the choice.

"Yes," Momo said before activating her Quirk. She quickly made six small canisters and then handed one to each member of the two teams. Smoke grenades.

"Get into position then, on my mark, throw them in. Iida, you're on hostage rescue while Izuku's on All Might Distraction duty," Momo further explained.

Izuku nodded. "I know exactly how to overwhelm him."

"You gonna use those insane acrobatics you showed off during that course run a few weeks back?" Kirishima asked.

"A smaller scale version of it, yeah. Gonna be basing it after Gran Torino's movements." Izuku grinned.

"Alright, perfect! Now, Teams 1 and 2, only move when I give the signal," Momo said, before making a megaphone with her Quirk.

"And the signal is gonna be, what, the smoke grenades?" Kaminari asked. He was having trouble following along.

"No. You throw the smoke grenades after you're in position. The signal will just be a handle signal," Momo clarified, "After that, we let Iida save the hostage and Izuku distract the villain."

"He's going to expect that- Iida was the suspected savior the last time, wasn't he?" Tokoyami asked.

"He was. But he expected Iida alone. Not to mention, Bakugo didn't have any true cover like we're giving."

"Could work. All Might would have a hard time seeing through the smoke, but it wouldn't be impossible for him," Tokoyami said.

"HEROES!" All Might yelled, pretending once again to be the kidnapper. "I know you're out there! I have QUITE the list of demands!"

Momo frowned, as she held up her megaphone. "We will cooperate with your needs as best we can! Be reasonable!"

All Might laughed. "First- I want a tattoo kit! I want to tattoo my name on this kid's giant forehead!"

"WHAT!?" Bakugou yelled- once again, All Might's strange demands had once again thrown everyone through a loop.

"Just assume it's another inside joke and move on." Izuku said.

"Uh, r-right," Momo said quietly, before giving the signal to the two teams to start moving.

"As...odd as that request is, we...can get it. What else?" the creation hero asked, trying to keep all of All Might's attention on her.

"I'm going also need a car!" All Might yelled. "Not to get away, but to SMASH so I can show you who you're dealing with."

Kirishima shrugged. "I respect the power move."

"Also...doable, I suppose," Momo said, "It might take some time."

"You're not gonna make the car, are you?" Sero asked. "Seems like a waste of resources."

"Could just give him a toy car." Mina suggested.

Momo lowered the megaphone so All Might didn't hear, "That one was just a lie. I need something with more of a hook to get him into an argument."

"Smart." Iida nodded. "Distract him with that."

"I plan to." Momo said. "Now, what sort of car brand do you want?"

"What sort? Hmmm...what brand, what brand?" All Might mused to himself, thinking it over.

"Kouda- send some birds over. For intel." Momo advised. Kouda looked nervous, but followed her orders. Kouda began to whisper to some birds to assist in the extraction.

The bird nodded before flying off(Kouda could've SWORN that little guy saluted before flying off) and circled the building. It took note of several things including the positions of All Might and Bakugou, the latter backed against a pillar with All Might to his right, and the positions of the two teams. They were almost ready it seemed.

The bird flew back and landed on Kouda's arm. Kouda listened to their chirps, and nodded. He gave a thumbs up. Plan was almost ready to go.

"Can we settle on a Ford? I always hated Ford cars!" All Might yelled.

"A Ford? We can try that, sure. Any specific model or just a general type. Car, truck, jeep?" Momo asked.

"Getting very specific now, hm..."

Momo motioned for them to go now- there was a big window of opportunity. All Might was distracted. Ochako watched the teams rush off, ready for the extraction.

"On three," Jirou whispered.

"One..." Iida started.

"Two..." Kaminari counted down.

"THREE!" Toru yelled.

Smoke grenades suddenly flooded the building, as All Might and Momo continued their bantering. Iida and Izuku rushed in, ready to nab Bakugou and get out of there.

"Oho! So that was your plan!" All Might said, going on high alert now, watching for any small disturbance in the smoke.

"Maybe." Momo didn't smile yet. She wanted to make sure her plan went off perfectly.

"If so, I do applaud you, but it won't be enough!" All Might called out.

All Might spun around, looking for the rescuers. They had to be around here somewhere- Iida was still on his mind for who could be the main 'extractor'. His speed was unparalleled to the rest of 1-A.

Instead, he was met with a very familiar move rushing right at him. He was taken off guard for just a second, but he still managed to catch the punch in his hand.

"Young Midoriya?!" All Might yelled, rather surprised, "Well this is unexpected. Not unwelcome though!"

"Good." Izuku replied, his eyes glistening with resolve. He only had to play his part.

Izuku focused energy into his finger. He was going to try and do one of his 'smash attacks', but this one wouldn't be strong enough to shatter his hands; it was just strong enough to loosen All Might's grip. Izuku struck All Might's hand with a flick of his finger and broke free from his grasp.

As Izuku touched down, All Might exclaimed in shock. There was no time to spend; it was time to start overwhelming the renowned hero. Izuku began jumping from wall to wall- he wasn't as fast as Gran Torino, but he could act like he was.

"Well, doesn't this seem familiar!" All Might said, watching Izuku launch off the walls. He tracked his successor's movements, blocking any attack that came his way while doing his best to retaliate.

Izuku had to mix it up, of course All Might would know one of his mentor's styles. Ben had suggested that he find a way to distinguish himself from All Might- it took some thinking, but eventually...

Izuku realized something. All of All Might's attacks were primarily with his arms. For example, Texas Smash was a straightforward punch. Carolina Smash had him cross his arms in an X shape and strike at full force. Detroit Smash was an overhead blow. So on, and so forth.

The young hero was warned not to break his arms any more, for extra power. If he did, his arms could end up destroyed. So...

If I'm worried about my arms... Izuku thought. I'll use my legs. Izuku flipped over one of All Might's (held back) attacks, and delivered a powerful spear kick to his back.

That actually made All Might stagger, forcing the hero to regain his balance at the last moment. All Might was surprised, happily so. Izuku wasn't just copying him or Gran Torino; he was truly making One for All his own and that just made All Might smile ear to ear. This was perfect!

Izuku landed on the ground. He hadn't had a chance to show off his new moves during his brief stint with the Galactic Enforcers, but now felt like the perfect occasion. This time, he wasn't in any real danger.

Izuku sprung back up and started to spin. "Colorado...Smash!" The impact of Izuku's heel striking All Might's shoulder was amplified by the power of One for All.

You've been practicing! All Might thought to himself. He countered by trying to strike at Izuku's center, hoping to put enough force behind it to send the student flying back. Not into the wall, but just far enough away to give the Number One some breathing room.

Izuku took a fighting stance. Despite knowing that All Might was holding back, this was still an excellent opportunity to show his mentor what he'd learned.

Izuku still had some arm techniques—he channeled some of his quirk into his arms, crossing them in an X formation. "Chicago...Smash!" yelled Izuku, shooting his arms out. All Might was blown back by a gust of wind.

"Impressive, hero!'" All Might smirked, before rushing back in. He got back into the fight, throwing a flurry of punches at One for All's new wielder. With surprising skill, mixing in Gran Torino's training, Izuku was able to jump and weave through the barrage, landing a kick to All Might's face in the process.

"Sorry!" Izuku whispered, almost freezing up when the hit landed.

"Think nothing of it!" All Might reassured his student before grabbing hold of the boy's ankle and throwing him aside.

Izuku crashed against a wall- All Might walked over. His attention was diverted from Bakugou right now...

And that's what Izuku wanted.

Right as All Might was about to start his impromptu villain monologue, he heard the sound of someone race past him and disturb the smoke.

There's Mister Tenya! All Might smirked.

All Might prepared to rush at Tenya, trying to cut him off, but Izuku was quick to sweep his legs and send him tumbling to the ground. All Might face planted hard- Izuku would have to apologize later.

"Iida, go!" Izuku called out, but in truth, Iida already had Bakugou over his shoulder. Iida rushed off with Bakugou. Bakugou was yelling something when Iida high tailed it out of there- probably nothing good.

"Haha! Very good!" All Might smirked as Iida raced out of the building with Bakugou in tow. "Alright! Call it there!"

Izuku sighed, as he rubbed his face. "That was the first time I used those moves...hope I didn't hurt you too bad, All Might."

All Might just laughed.

"Nonsense! In fact, that was fantastic, Young Midoriya!" the top pro beamed.

"R-really?" Izuku's eyes lit up. All Might looked around, and leaned in close.

"You've been practicing, using new moves and branching out from me! Great job!" All Might whispered.

Izuku could feel a sense of pride swell up in his chest. Hearing that just felt good.

"Thank you!" Izuku finally managed to say back. Keeping his voice in a whisper was a challenge, he wanted to yell in celebration at that.

"Now...let's go grade your classmate." All Might said. "I have nothing but good things to say.:

Izuku nodded and headed back to regroup with the rest of the class.

"And you see, Momo! It worked!" Iida praised Momo, "You had nothing to worry about!"

Momo looked flushed. "Thank goodness it did! I was second guessing myself at every step of the way…"

"You had no reason to!" Mina cheered on, "Your plan went perfectly!"

Bakugo looked away. "...your plan was okay."

Coming from Bakugo, that was high praise.

"O-oh! Uh...w-well," Momo blushed a little bit from all the praise from her classmates. Of course, officially, All Might had to give the final say, but considering what Izuku heard in the building, it was going to be one hell of a passing grade.

Ochako sighed, as she stroked Ship's back. Today was a lot...busier than she would've liked. She was so sure her 'Spanner' identity was a secret.

"I dunno what to do with myself, Ship. Should I be more careful? Stick to the shadows and leave less 'evidence' of a fight?" Ochako asked.

"Ship? Shiiiiiip?" the little Mechamorph asked, as he made his head resemble a certain bat themed hero.

"No, not that much in the shadows," Ochako said.

"Shiiiip." Ship's head deflated.

"I'm kinda worried about Bakugo knowing. He's a loud mouth- I'm worried he'll just yell about it one day out of the blue." Ochako admitted.

"Ship?" His head shifted to resemble the explosive student's signature spikey hair style.

"Yeah, that's the one. Todoroki...I'm not as worried about it. I'm more worried about what happens if his father manages to overhear."

"Ship." Ship frowned.

"He said he wanted to hang out…maybe I can talk to him about the whole 'secret' thing." Ochako said.

"Ship? Ship ship!" The mechamorph turned into a black envelope.

"What?! No, we won't blackmail him! Bad boy, Ship!"

Ship liquified and slid off of Ochako's lap. Ochako sighed. "Stop being so dramatic…"

"Shiiiiiip," the techno-alien whined.

"If you want, you can come with and listen to the conversation. Don't give away you're there, though. How's that?" Ochako offered.

"…Shiiiiip." Ship nodded.

"Okay, good. Just merge with something that can fit in my bag…" Ochako said, looking around for something.

Ship instead went right for Ochako's phone. He didn't absorb and fully merge with it, he just coated it.

"Yeah, that should work." Ochako nodded. "Remind me to make sure you don't stowaway to school with me. You seem too comfy in that phone."

"Ship? Shiiiiiip!"

"...you...you haven't done that before have you?"

"...Ship!"

"That explains why Mei was complaining about missing 'babies'." Ochako shook her head.

"Shiiiiip?"

"No. But, no more, ok? Mei's gonna go crazy if more of her 'babies' keep vanishing on her."

"Shiiiiiiiip." Ship frowned.

Ochako was able to figure out breakfast plans with Todoroki- they agreed to go to a western style diner in the city to talk things out.

The diner was small and quaint, barely had anyone in it. Workers were busy making various foods for the customers. Ochako could smell eggs and toast and all sorts of yummy foods sitting in the air. Ochako sighed heartily- hopefully she wouldn't get distracted by the food. The scent was overwhelming.

Ochako and Todoroki sat in a small booth at the corner of the restaurant. It was far enough to be away from all the other customers. The waitress handed them their menus and walked off. Ochako's eyes scanned the menus for the cheapest thing- but then she remembered. Ben's credit card. She could buy anything-

The diner was small and quaint, barely had anyone in it. Workers were busy making various foods for the customers. Ochako could smell eggs and toast and all sorts of yummy foods sitting in the air. Ochako sighed heartily- hopefully she wouldn't get distracted by the food. The scent was overwhelming.

Ochako and Todoroki sat in a small booth at the corner of the restaurant. It was far enough to be away from all the other customers. The waitress handed them their menus and walked off. Ochako's eyes scanned the menus for the cheapest thing- but then she remembered. Ben's credit card. She could buy anything-

"You don't think this is a date, right?"

Ochako's eyes bulged out of her head when Todoroki said that. "U-uh, no? Why?" Ochako felt her cheeks heat up.

"Well, I did ask you out on this. And we are meeting in a restaurant."

"Oh! Haha, no, it's not a date. I would never ask you out on a date. I mean, maybe- We're just friends. Right?" Ochako felt her body cringing into oblivion.

"Of course." Todoroki said, looking back down at his menu.

Ochako gave a sigh of relief, before looking down at her menu. "Besides, we're here to talk about...this." Ochako rolled up her sleeve, discreetly revealing the Omnitrix. "I didn't want to talk about it at school, in case anyone overheard. And I didn't want to talk about it at my house, because...my dog freaks out over guests."

Todoroki tilted his head. "You have a dog?"

"Kinda." Ochako said. "So...when did you figure it out?"

"Like I said. After the internships were over," Todoroki said. "I overheard some girls talking about how you were busy all of a sudden, and couldn't hang out as much. Then, once the alien sightings in the city picked up, I started to wonder if there was this weird connection."

"You connected the dots from those two points?" Ochako asked.

"Yep." Todoroki nodded. "Plus, the aliens looked more different than Ben 10k. For starters, the symbol isn't green, its white."

Ochako made a face. "Ben said his Omnitrix didn't turn green for a few years- something about a recalibration."

"Does anyone else know? Besides me." Todoroki requested.

"Iida, Izuku...and Bakugou." Ochako forenamed. "He dropped that bomb on me a few days ago."

Todoroki chuckled. "Bakugou is smarter than he looks."

"Yeah, who knew under that messy hair of his was a brain?" Ochako joked.

"That's another thing that tipped me off- the confidence." Todoroki said. "Your confidence seemed to skyrocket, even with the academic probation."

"Having the Omnitrix does that to you, I guess." Ochako said. "I've teamed up with some Pros here and there, I fought a giant robot and a weird space parasite a while back...and it just feels so weird. I didn't even expect to do those things a year ago."

"You have a pretty good set, from the looks of it." Todoroki said, as the waitress handed them their waters. They waited for her to leave to continue talking. "Ben must be building you up."

"I've heard talks about me getting a 'second playlist' soon, which makes me pretty excited." Ochako admitted. "He's got 9,990 more aliens to choose from. Hope he gives me some good ones, this batch is kinda overpowered."

"I've read stories about Ben's accomplishments with some of his aliens- I feel giving you Heatblast might've come a bit too early." Todoroki said. Ochako raised an eyebrow.

"Heatblast was one of his first aliens. I thought he just put him there because...well, he started with him."

"Yes, and he's one of his most powerful." Todoroki said. "My father hates that form- especially with how hot Ben's flames can get. They far exceed his own...he's kind of my favorite for that."

"How...hot are your dad's flames?" Ochako asked.

"At his strongest, 1400ºC. Ben's strongest is...7760ºC. Around the temperature at the core of the Earth." Todoroki said.

Ochako nearly spit out her water. "Woah," She said, gulping down her water.

"Like I said, my father hates him for that." Todoroki smiled.

Ochako briefly wondered if Izuku knew that little fact about the heat difference. If not, she could always tell him the next time she saw him.

"Can...I be honest?" Ochako asked.

"Of course," Todoroki replied.

"The more people who knew...the lighter the secret feels...but I'd be lying if a part of me wasn't a little worried."

"Of someone finding out through one of us. Directly or indirectly."

"More indirectly."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Having a secret identity isn't that big a deal. It's not as common as it used to be, but it's still a thing." Todoroki said.

"You don't...happen to know any examples, do you?" Ochako asked, just for some reassurance.

Todoroki hummed. "That one American superhero, the Mars Rover. He was pretty quiet about his identity for a bit, until he retired."

"The...Mars Rover?" Ochako repeated. She'd never heard of that one, but she knew someone she could ask about the subject.

"Old time hero. Was the top hero in America before Stars and Stripes came around." Todoroki said. "He was a great hero."

"Retired cuz of age, I'm guessing." Ochako said.

"I read his autobiography in my free time- he retired at the age of 55 due to some heart related issues." Todoroki explained. "But- the reason he was content with retiring was because of the legacy he left behind."

The legacy he left behind. That resonated with Ochako. Her eyes wandered down to her wrist, to the hidden Omnitrix. Hopefully, in some far-off future year, whenever Ben decides to hang up the Omnitrix himself, he'd be proud of the legacy he leaves behind, too. Ochako wasn't doubting herself, it was more of a general wish, a hope.

And what are heroes if not symbols of hope?

"If the class finds out, we'd stand behind you. If the world found out, it'd support you. All I know is that...for now, let's focus on the present." Todoroki said.

Ochako nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Please leave a review!

Chapter Text

Heya, I'm older now. Yesterday was my birthday. And today I work on things for my boring Bio classes. hahaha,,,

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Where there is light, there must be shadow, where there is shadow there must be light. The world of heroes is a fantastic place, but the world of villains is one filled with horror and mayhem.

Before the birth of quirks, the last population rate of Japanese penal institutions amounted to 36.9 inmates per 100,000 general population. In the modern age, that number has skyrocketed to 655 inmates per 100,000 general population. An increase of 1675.07%. Japan went from one of the lowest prison populations on the planet to one of the 'top ones.' When society broke down, all sense of laws and morality seemed to also vanish. This led to the birth of 'supervillains', a once fictional villain with superhuman powers.

Get enough of those villains together, and you have a team. You know the kinds- bounty hunters, gangs, black ops groups, groups trying to enforce their own laws...the works. Then you had the big shots that slowly turned into...a bunch of nobodies who were still trying to ride the high of what they once were.

The League of Villains was a great example of that. Once a great villain organization made up of powerful villains that threaten to destroy the hero society, led by the kingpin known as All for One. Now...they stayed in the shadows.

But the past few weeks had put an awfully bright limelight on them. The attack on USJ and the alliance with Stain turned some heads and stirred up conversation- but neither of those events were successful in ending hero society. Just shaking it up.

Tomura Shigaraki knew that for a fact. That annoyed him- people were talking more about Stain than the Nomu attacks. That sword wielding nimwit had amassed a following, a new generation of villains starting to come into the light.

And he hated Stain for that.

That was supposed to be his job.

So, like a whiny child, Tomura holed himself up in his headquarters. A shady little bar run by his only companion for the moment, Kurogiri. He could only take comfort in angrily glaring at a photo of Midoriya.

"Kurogiri..." Shigaraki said. "Tell me. Why do you think All Might picked some random scrub?"

Kurogiri paused. "If I recall, the boy rushed in to save his friend from a hostage situation. All Might must've enjoyed that stupid act of heroism."

"Typical heroes. They'll take advantage of any stupid situation." Shigaraki said, crushing the photo in his hand and disintegrating it. "That stupid symbol of peace and his charisma. I hate heroes that smile like that- makes me feel sick for some reason."

"I feel like you're biased against all heroes." Kurogiri said.

Shigaraki grunted. "Probably. I don't care enough to rationalize it."

There was a knock at the door. Shigaraki looked over, and motioned for Kurogiri to open it. Kurogiri reached out his hand, and created a portal. A small portal appeared near the door- his hand stuck through it, and opened the door.

"Knock knock," A voice said. Giran poked his head in. "I brought the newcomers."

Shigaraki had spread a message in the underground villain ring- an invitation to those who followed Stain. While he hated Stain, there were a lot of 'impressionable' newbies to take advantage of. "Well, who are they?"

"We had...quite the turn out." Giran said, taking a small drag from his cigarette. He exhaled a puff of smoke. "Gonna be honest, I kinda think these guys will be a great B-team, opposed to those groups of randos you got for the USJ attack."

"Those guys weren't even high enough to be C-tier. Get off my back." Shigaraki said. "And bring them in already, damn it!"

Giran looked behind him, and nodded. "Alright- here they are."

Giran opened the door wide, and a bunch of unfamiliar faces came in. Each had a distinct expression- joyful, indifferent, mad, crazy mad, weird, determined, indeterminable, gruff, bored...and familiar.

Shigaraki looked them up and down. "...interesting line up."

The indifferent one looked disgusted. Not like he was one to talk- most of his flesh looked like it was melted. And he smelt like ash. "Huh." He spoke, voice rasping. "In person...you're super gross, dude."

The excited one was jumpy. She looked to be in her late teens, and a little 'lovestruck'. There were stains on her school uniform, dried blood and her platinum blonde hair was tied into two messy hair buns. "Woah...you worked with Mr. Stainy?"

A lizard man, dressed in a faux Stain outfit that looked like it was bought online, looked around. "Incredible. He was really here..." He hummed.

"Course he was." An older voice said, sniffing around. "I can smell Stain's blood scented breath still lingering in the air." This man was an interesting one. He stood out...especially with that mechanical scorpion tail.

"Hey, first impressions." A gray haired man in his early 30s said. "Don't creep the hand guy out now." He was buff and burly, and sounded like Ben 10k.

"Please. Give Tyrian some room. He's been comatose for a good two decades or whatever." A red head woman said. Her demeanor was off putting, and it felt hard to get near her.

"I'm only here because I was recommended!" A masked villain spoke. "No, I came here because I wanted to!" He seemed to have a lot wrong with him, but that's for another time.

"Pleeeeease tell me this place is cat friendly." Said one woman, pushing her way to the front. Everyone else was so dark and edgy, that her pink outfit made her stand out...in a weird way.

"You ask that EVERYWHERE we go," A girl said, popping her gum. She looked to be around the same age as the bloodstained girl. Her punk aesthetic worked more than her fellow cat girl.

"Come now. No fighting. Impressions are everything." The masked man said. He had the most interesting of getups- he looked more like a showman than a villain.

Shigaraki frowned. "Kurogiri." He spoke. "Warp them all away. I hate groups like this."

Kurogiri narrowed his eyes. "Give them a chance."

"Look at them." Shigaraki said. "A brat, a guy with no manners, a cosplayer, a psychopath, some bastard with a punchable face, a bitch, ANOTHER crazy basket case, a furry, some emo chick...and a magician."

That last one was said with more disdain than the others.

"You're seriously gonna treat us like this?" The silver haired man spat. "We traveled a LONG way to talk to you."

"Humor us with a chat, at the very least." The red haired lady said.

"We're backed by the best of the best, too." The masked man said, putting an arm around Giran. "This piece of worthless dogshit knows we're the best!"

"I'll take my finders fee now, Kurogiri." Giran said, throwing his cigarette on the ground. "But first...intros, intros."

Giran walked over to the messy buns. "This bundle of joy is actually in the news right now. Shame they've been keeping her name and face under strict lockdown. She's killed a LOT of people by bloodletting."

"I'm Toga! Himiko Toga!" Toga grinned, flashing her fangs. Her eyes lit up as she spoke. "I wanna make a world that's easy to live in, cuz it's too hard! I wanna be like Mr. Stainy! And then kill him."

"Freak." Shigaraki scoffed.

"High praise, coming from you." The red haired woman said.

"And here's our unexpected package deal." Giran said, moving over to the red head. "Believe it or not, these three were adversaries of Tennyson back in the day."

"I knew All Might before he was a big shot," The red head said. "He's kind of a pushover, dunno why everyone acts like a dude who can throw a mean punch is number one."

"We were fighting All Might when you were a toddler. We know what makes him tick." The silver haired man said.

"...I just wanna kill." The scorpion man said. "It's been so long...since I felt malice like that..."

"Yeah...whatever." Shigaraki said. He was so sick of the hype around Stain.

"Mr. Kill Happy over here woke up from his vegatative state after seeing footage of Stain on the news. Killed all the staff in a hospital, and fled here. We're just here to...curb him." Cass frowned. "Can't say I'm happy to see him."

Shigaraki's eyes squinted. "Whatever."

"Now, this young man..." Giran moved over to the man with burnt flesh. "No outstanding criminal records...but the way I saw him cremate some punks? Fantastic. Plus, he's enamored with Stain's ideals."

"Is this bunch dedicated to the cause?" The man asked. "I mean, they're about to let two nut jobs join in."

"Hey, hey. At least a freak girl can say her name." Tomura accosted him. "What's yours?"

"I just go by Dabi."

"No good. Real name."

"You'll know it when I need you to. Anyways...I plan to make his will a reality." Dabi said.

"Whatever. Who's Mr. Personality?" Shigaraki pointed to the man in the black and white body suit, ordering a drink at the counter.

"Vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred- and put a BUNCH of ice cubes in it. Really makes the drink." The man said.

"This right here is my good friend, Jin. He goes by the name Twice. He could take over the whole country, if he wanted." Giran said. "But he's...complicated."

"Complicated scmoplicated! I just had a bad time! I'm seriously fucked up!" Twice said.

"...speed run the other names or else I snap." Tomura said, glaring at Giran. "This is enough dialogue already."

"You don't even wanna know the fun little backstory behind her?" Giran put his hands on the goth girl's shoulders. Her eyes lit up a dangerous purple glow.

"Hands off. Or I break every bone in your body." She said.

"Don't do it!" Twice yelled. "DO IT!"

Giran took his hands off. "I'll spare you the backstory then...but at least tell Shigaraki your name."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Fine. My name is Sunny."

"...last name?"

"...Sunny Tennyson."

Shigaraki took that in.

"Fascinating." He said. "Now just tell me the others' names. Seriously."

Giran smirked. "The pink cat lady is Nyancy Chan...the masked villain is Mr. Compress...and the Gecko fella is a young man named 'Spinner'.

"Nice to meet you all." Shigaraki lied. "Now get the hell out. I'm in a bad mood."

"No way, asshat. Don't kick us to the curb because we came." Mercury said, stepping forward.

"Bad, bad, bad...I'm in a VERY bad mood." Shigaraki said, shambling towards them.

Kurogiri's eyes widened. "Don't."

"You guys...are no GOOD!" Shigaraki lunged forward, and everyone leapt into action. In a quick flash, the room was scattered with portals. Arms and bodies passed through the portals, and were scattered across the room. Spinner even crashed into the jukebox that was playing some random jazz.

"...calm yourself, Tomura." Kurogiri said. "If we are to act upon your desires, you need to expand. And this is our ONLY chance while we're in the spotlight. Acceptance. Not rejection. Acceptance of anything we can use...of whatever remains of his will."

Tomura pulled his hand out of the portal. "Shut up." He said, storming off.

"Where are you off to?" Giran asked.

"I said, SHUT UP!" Tomura said, heading to a door.

Sunny walked over to Spinner's body, and kicked it. "Hey. You dead?"

"Ow..." Spinner said.

"Okay, he's good." Sunny said, walking away.

"That hand fetish freak is really immature. How the hell can he be in charge of this organization?" Mercury muttered.

"I thought he was really gonna kill us..." Toga gasped. "Awesome."

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time like that." Kurogiri sighed. "I don't want your trip to be in vain. Please...let me offer you all a drink."

Dabi paused.

"Fine. One drink, and then we all leave. That sound good?"

"Very," Kurogiri said, starting to fix everyone's drink.

"Gimme something that's red~" Toga grinned. "I dunno what I like so I wanna find out."

"You're underage- I'm not comfortable with giving you any alcohol." Kurogiri frowned.

"But this is the League of Villains!" Toga whined, as she was served a glass of milk.

"And I still have some morals." Kurogiri stated succinctly. He went on to fix the others' drinks. Toga pouted as she looked at her cup of milk.

"...hey." Sunny said. "Wanna see a cool party trick?"

"Eh?" Toga asked, as Sunny picked up the drink. A small glyph formed around her fingers. Like a chemical reaction, the milk suddenly turned into some sort of red wine.

"Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon." Sunny said, handing it back to Toga. "Wine expert Robert Parker gave it a near-perfect score of 99. A classy lady like you deserves it."

Toga grinned. "I think you and I are gonna be besties."

"Sure." Sunny said, looking away.

Morning came. And that one drink promise turned into a ten drink party. When Shigaraki came out of his room the next morning, he was annoyed to find the guests still there. Items and bodies were strewn about everywhere- Nyancy Chan was clutching her empty wallet, and was showing off a LONG roll of photos involving her cats (all 50 of them!), Sunny was clutching the money she had stolen, Toga was hugging Sunny like she was her best friend, Twice was asleep on the counter, and Dabi was sitting in a booth with an asleep Mercury and awake Cass. Kurogiri was also awake, and was cleaning some of the glasses.

"See...this is why I hide the strong stuff on the top shelf…" Kurogiri sighed. "And behind a few portals."

Tomura looked around. "The hell did they have then?"

"Oh, they had strong drinks. Just not the strongest I have." Kurogiri said.

"Do I want to know?"

"No."

"You missed out on the fun." Cass said sarcastically, shaking someone's hand off her leg.

"You're still here?" Tomura frowned.

"Yeah. Sorry to burst your bubble." Dabi rasped, pushing the sleeping Mercury off of him. "I had to babysit these assholes with Cass."

"Can't hold you alcohol, I presume." Tomura scoffed.

"No- alcohol just makes my quirk get all out of order." Dabi said. "No drinking away the pain for me."

"And he's got some juicy pain, from what he told me." Cass grinned. "I'm reminded of someone dear to me."

Tomura looked around the room- clearly, this camaraderie was the best he was gonna get for now. Annoying as they were, they could serve a wonderful purpose.

Tomura rolled his eyes. "...fine. I'll consider adding you all into the league, if you do a big favor for me."

"Shoot." Cass said, interested.

"There's this annoying group of heroes that are operating a bit too close to our headquarters." Shigaraki said. "They're one of those annoying 'family' teams- you might've seen that smug bastard's face on the news."

"The Quadians…" Dabi frowned. "Yeah. I've seen them. I hate seeing Primo's face all around town."

The Quadians was a family led group of superheroes that had rebranded after both their children graduated from Shiketsu High. There were four members of the Quadians- their father Hiroshi, a doctor who specialized in cryokinetics and went by the aforementioned Doctor Primo. Their mother Miyo, an equally skilled nocturnist known as Umbra Nurse. Their son Syou, a physician known as The Atlas. And their outcast daughter Homura, who was not a doctor but more devoted to being a hero known simply as Fireclaw.

Their headquarters wasn't too far from the bar, only a few streets down. Shigaraki always wondered when the family would wise up and realize how close they were to his base. Three people with multiple doctorates, and yet they were still so dumb.

"If Primo found out we were here, he'd have us all thrown in Tartarus. And that doesn't exactly sound comfy to me right now." Shigaraki scowled.

"And you want all 10 of us to prove our worth by taking down some annoying pros. Because you can't be bothered." Dabi said, a deadpan expression on his face.

"Yes, because you are henchmen. You do the stuff I can't care about." Shigaraki said. "So wake everyone up and figure out a plan."

"Alright." Cass said, reaching over to grab Mercury's head. She slammed it into the table, causing him to wake up cursing. The impact and the cursing caused everyone to shoot awake.

"FUCK! THE HELL WHAT THAT FOR!?" Mercury yelled, rubbing his nose.

"Waking you up. That seemed like the best way to get everyone else up." Cass shrugged.

"What a totally reasonable thing to do." Twice said. "SHE'S FREAKIN' INSANE!"

Shigaraki groaned. He was totally expecting all of them to fail.

Spinner was oddly knowledgeable in the field of heroes. "I was a bit of a shut-in before Stain, so I spent my formative years just watching random things about heroes and villains."

"Whatever. What does this have to do with the Quadians?" Dabi asked.

"I've seen the video detailing their base's security." Spinner grinned. "Top Tech Now did an exposė on it."

"Great. You watched one video and think you're a pro." Sunny scoffed.

"At the very least, listen to me." Spinner sighed. "I didn't come here to be disrespected."

"Yeah, listen to the guy." Twice said. "He could provide a very basic schematic of what we need to do."

"He gets it. Anyways…" Spinner said. "Their base is a hospital they bought after transfering all the current patients to a better one. Run by their charity or whatever."

"One hundred percent chance they get all the profits from it." Cass said.

"There's multiple floors, and each room has been repurposed, and they've got multiple sidekicks everywhere. The best chance we have at sneaking in is from their personal quarters, located on the first floor." Spinner said. "We just need someone to take care of the alarm system."

"Or…we could slip in undetected in another way."

Spinner looked at Mr. Compress, who was doing some sort of card trick. "What did you say?"

"Do you know the magic of 'misdirection', Shuichi Iguchi?"

Spinner turned pale. "H-how did you know my name?"

"I'll never tell." Mr. Compress said, smiling under his mask. "Eyes up here, folks."

Mr. Compress held up his deck of cards in his palm. He put his other palm on top of it, and in an instant, they vanished.

"Woah!" Twice said. "That was pretty lame."

"Ah. It is a pretty basic trick." Mr. Compress said.

"Check his arms and sleeves!" Toga insisted. "Magicians always hide tricks there."

Mr. Compress rolled up his sleeves, and removed his hat. "Just to show you folks its not there."

"Get on with it." Dabi said. "I saw better tricks at a six year old's birthday party."

"Why don't you check your jacket pocket?" Mr. Compress said. "You'll find you answer."

Dabi raised an annoyed eyebrow, but decided to amuse the magician. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out…

"Is that a marble?" Tyrian scoffed. "Did you just slip that into his back pocket last night?"

"No…I was awake all night. He wasn't even close to me." Dabi said, holding the marble in his fingers.

"Now clutch the marble." Mr. Compress said. Dabi did so…and Mr. Compress snapped his fingers. Dabi opened his hand- a bunch of crumpled up cards fell to the ground.

"Nice quirk." Mercury frowned.

Mr. Compress. Quirk: Compress. Mr. Compress can shrink down anything inside a spherical area into a small marble without actually damaging it. To activate his Quirk, he first needs to touch the target with his hand.

"My quirk can easily store all of you in marbles. I can sneak you all in my pocket." Mr. Compress explained.

"Hm. Misdirection isn't a bad idea." Spinner said.

"That's stupid, though. I get you're trying to commit to the bit, but that's just lame." Sunny said.

"I mean…I have a way we can add onto our misdirection." Twice said.

"Yeah? And what can you do?" Dabi said.

"I can clone people."

Eyebrows went up.

"...wait, seriously!? You can clone people?" Nyancy said. "Why can't we just make an army and overwhelm the Quadians?"

"My quirk has limits, y'know!" Twice said, shaking his fist. "Anyways, my invincible and totally unbeatable quirk, Double, lets me make a clone of two people."

"Just two people? From what Giran said last night, it sounded like you could take over the country if you wanted." Cass said. "Dunno how you'd do that with two people."

"I had a thing happen, but trust me! Mr. Compress can shrink two clones down, sneak in, let those clones distract the guards, and then we can bust in and take the family out!"

"That's...actually not a bad plan," Cass admitted, "Though, there is one drawback I can think of. These clones you make, same powers and skills as the originals?"

"Yeah, but they're much weaker. Less durable too. Let's say Jack the Ripper over there," Twice jabbed his thumb over at Tyrian.

"Tyrian, you disrespect-" the madman began.

"Right, right, Tyrian Lannister," Twice interrupted, "Let's say he can take...ehhhh six hits before going down. If I cloned him, which I feel would be verydangerous for me so please have anti-venom on standby for me, that second stingy-slasher would only be able to take two hits before collapsing into a puddle."

"I don't think I'd be useful for cloning," Cass said. "My power is great...but it requires getting hit."

"I'll be good for cloning, though." Mercury smirked. "More me's means this job gets done faster."

"Aside from...uh...I'll get better with names later-" Twice began.

"Cass."

"Right, right, Cassie Lang. Aside from her, anyone else got an excuse not to be cloned for a combat thing?"

"I'd just like to not be cloned out of principal." Sunny said.

"Understandable. That's such a lame excuse," Twice said.

"...he keeps doing that...I thought Tyrian was the most unhinged guy we'd meet," Mercury whispered to Cass.

"Is your head screwed on okay, dude?" Dabi asked.

"Yeah! No! My head's on great! TAKE ME TO A THERAPIST!" Twice yelled.

"…we're gonna get caught immediately." Toga groaned.

"So! Question! How can we fit my babies into this?" Nyancy said.

"...what?" Spinner asked, "I don't even think you ever said your power anyway. Did she?"

"Uhhh...don't think so!" Toga said.

"I control cats!" The woman grinned. "I can like talk to them, make them do stuff…it's fun!"

"And you're evil because?" Dabi asked.

"They tell me they want to do crime." Nyancy said.

"...I've hit rock bottom with this...haven't I?" Tyrian growled.

"Yeah, yeah, things were better under her, monsters were the way to go, more of your zealot rhetoric," Mercury countered.

"Can we just do the job now? I think I hate talking with you guys." Dabi huffed, standing up. "This isn't what Stain would be doing...he'd be hunting, weeding out the fakers in hero society..."

"But then again...Stain's plan never really changed. He always attacked the Pros on their patrol routes," Toga said, "No offense to Stainy, but he never really did go and hit their homes."

"Yeah? Well, sometimes just simple 'thumb twiddling' and discussion ain't gonna cut it. No offense, but I'm someone who prefers to see and do stuff for myself. I feel like I'm literally rotting away in here." Dabi scoffed.

"You kinda are, man." Spinner said, looking him up and down.

"Look- Stain's philosophy or not, we need to take down that hero. He's got an incredibly versatile quirk. If he raids US first, he can take us all down with prep time." Dabi frowned.

"Actually...I agree with the stitched pyromaniac," Tyrian said, hopping up from his seat, "Schematics and blueprints can only get you so far. After all, the last time we relied on something like that alone, we lost-"

"Finish that sentence and I will cook you from the inside OUT!" Cass yelled, drawing the attention of practically everyone. Even Kurogiri turned and froze in surprise at the sudden outburst.

"Damn. You hit a nerve." Dabi smirked. "Yeesh."

"Let's just wing it at this point," Cass said, standing up. "Wait until tonight, and go crazy against that damn family of supers. Okay? Okay."

Cass stormed off, clearly upset by Tyrian's words. He just smirked like he had done nothing wrong.

"You just had to mention it, didn't you?" Mercury groaned.

"...she's not here anymore, soooo how about you give us the spark notes version?" Toga asked, ready to hear the juicy traumatic backstory Cass was so obviously carrying.

"Cass lost something important to her to Ruby Rose." Mercury said. "And she's hated her ever since. Do you think she LIKED having to scrap by to survive? She's still wanted in multiple countries for the crimes she did with Salem."

"A bit of a trope when it comes to backstories," Mr. Compress chimed in, "but tropes aren't, by definition, bad. In fact, they can be quite useful." Kurogiri couldn't help but overhear that. It was almost like Compress was giving him advice. No...this advice wasn't for him.

It was for Shigaraki.

"The hell does that mean? I was never the greatest in my lit classes." Toga said.

"You're probably illiterate," Sunny said, rolling her eyes.

"Are not!" Toga pouted.

"It wasn't intended for you, anyway, so...let's just move on," Compress said like nothing happened. Kurogiri, on the other hand, finished cleaning the glass he was working on, before setting it down with a little clink.

Chapter Text

I think I really enjoy writing Twice. He's probably my favorite character to write next to a character you will see in...literally one month.

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

The others were still planning, at least, they were before Kurogiri warped away. An inky-black portal opened up and the misty villain stepped through.

"Tomura," Kurogiri announced himself, in case the villainous bartender's ward was preoccupied with his own thoughts, as he sometimes was.

Shigaraki was hunched over his desk, carefully typing something on his computer. His pose was very, very reminiscent of the author right now- trust me, it isn't glamor work, writing this stuff.

"What?" Shigaraki hissed. "Did those idiots call it quits or something, or do you want me to be a good little boy and spend time with our guests?"

"Miss Cassidy Fallman lost a family member to Ben and Ruby." Kurogiri said.

"Boo hoo. Give her some tissues and let her cry about it." Shigaraki frowned.

"You really don't see what I'm trying to get at...do you?" the misty villain sighed, "Tomura, answer me a question. Why are you doing this? What motivates you to strike out these so-called heroes? Revenge of a sort, correct?"

"I don't even remember why I lash out at this point. Hating heroes is embedded into my core. Just because she lost someone doesn't mean I have to care." Shigaraki huffed.

"You should, if it means you can cement her unwavering loyalty."

Shigaraki stopped typing. "Lying...to gain her trust so she can follow me."

"She's looking for a leader. You surely remember the treachery of Salem, don't you?" Kurogiri said. "She's been wandering for so long, looking for a leader."

"Salem...Salem...name sounds familiar..." Shigaraki muttered before typing the name in on a search bar, "Oh right...her. The weird witch lady who was taken down by Ben 10-" the villain froze, "Wait."

There were a few more keystrokes as he delved deeper and deeper into information on Salem, on Cass. It was easy enough to find, considering how much of a headliner this woman was for Salem's team.

"Cassidy Fallman, adopted sister to one Cinder Fall, the latter of whom was killed...by one Ruby Rose..." Shigaraki said, "The now wife of Ben 10K."

"Mercury and Tyrian are also former members of that cabal. I'm sure payback is something they would enjoy. This, right here, is why I wished for you to be present. Not only does it give them the illusion that you have faith in them, of which I know you have none, but so you can listen to what they say...and capitalize on it. Were it not for me telling you this, how would you know?" Kurogiri rationalized.

"...Hm." Shigaraki said. "10k is a problem, since he rubs shoulders with All Might and the other pros."

Shigaraki paused.

"Fine. I'll speak to her." Shigaraki frowned. "But only because I see use in her."

"Speak to her...and at least listen in on the others," Kurogiri added.

"I really don't get why you're so...supportive with these guys," Shigaraki groaned.

"I'm not. I support you, Tomura. You have an array of assets presented before you...I'm simply helping you make the best use of them."

"And I'm not in the mood for interacting with others." Shigaraki said, getting out of his seat. "Where did she go?"

"Stormed down into the wine cellar. Probably drinking my finest." Kurogiri frowned.

"...oh good. Angry and possibly hammered. What a lovely combination. Hopefully she's not too deep in the bottle..." Shigaraki said as he, reluctantly, got up from his desk.

Shigaraki sauntered on over to the wine cellar, where he could hear Cass' angry mumbles and ramblings. The smell of wine was in the air, and Shigaraki groaned.

"How the hell do you comfort people again..." He mumbled, as he approached Cass.

"The hell do you want, handjob face?" Cass spat. She wasn't in the mood for anyone to talk to her.

"...well, that's a new one," Shigraki muttered to himself, "Look, uh, I heard what happened? About the backstory...thing?"

Cass looked at him like he was giving the worst stage performance ever, which was technically accurate.

"Yeah. Ruby killed my sister. Behind those stupid silver eyes is an actual psychopath." Cass said. "She's hailed as a hero, and gets to live with that alien morphing bastard. Rumor has it he's got a successor too..." Cass gripped the bottle and broke it. Shigaraki noticed her hand was not injured- instead, her hand shimmered.

"Aura..." Shigaraki said, looking at Cass. "I've never seen it in person before."

"Yeah, yeah...it always flares up when we take damage," Cass sighed, looking at her hand.

"Interesting," Shigraki said, before an idea struck him. He wasn't good at the supportive thing, so why not go for the manipulative angle?

"You know, considering everything we're going to do," Shigaraki began, "We're more than likely to run into All Might."

"'Kay, and?"

"If All Might shows up, Ben 10K won't be far behind. And if Ben 10K shows up-" the league's leader began, letting Cass fill in the blank.

"...And she shows up." Cass said, an angry look in her eyes.

"And if she shows up-" Shigaraki smirked.

"Then I can snap her neck," Cass said.

"All you need to do is stick with us. It won't happen immediately, but I'm sure you can be patient. Like they say, Rome wasn't burned in a day."

"...fine. Just keep Tyrian in check, feed him dog biscuits, and keep him from saying shit like that again." Cass said.

"Deal." Shigaraki grinned.

"Good," Cass sighed and got up, "So uh...they finished planning or?"

"How should I know? I haven't been down there since you started."

"Hopefully they're getting along." Cass sighed.

They were not.

"I don't get you, man!" Twice said. "What's wrong with the way I speak?"

"It's too damn annoying! What's with that damn double talk!? Contradicting yourself is so goddamn corny!" Mercury frowned.

"Hey, lay off the guy! He's not all there." Spinner said.

"I'm totally all here! No I'm not!" Twice countered.

"I leave for a few minutes and it all falls apart," Cass sighed before walking in and smashing another bottle against the wall to get everyone's attention.

"That had better be a cheap vintage," Kurogiri threatened.

"This bastard's annoying me, Cass! Shut him up or something." Mercury said.

"Everything annoys you, Merc." Cass said. "So shut up and sit down."

"Weren't you a mess just like...a few minutes ago?" Sunny asked.

"Yeah. Shut up about it before I choke slam you into the ground." Cass said.

"She recovered fast," Toga said softly, "Kinda impressive."

"Now, shut up and listen. Shiggy here may be our only chance at even standing a chance against Ben 10k and Ruby nowadays." Cass said. "So, we're gonna sit down, shut up, and plan this thing properly or I will make one of your skulls EXPLODE. Got it?"

Shigaraki looked at her and then went back to Kurogiri. The misty bartender nodded as he grabbed a fresh couple of glasses and began to pour some water for all the League's new recruits.

"I think I just found my new lieutenant." Shigaraki grinned, as he began to watch them work.

The hospital that the Nuclear Family had converted into a base outwardly looked the same as any other hospital, if upgraded with a few more security measures. Some of the old patient rooms had been converted into offices for the sidekicks,

"What a place." Dabi frowned, looking at it through some binoculars in a nearby abandoned building.

"Don't like hospitals, I take it?" Sunny asked.

"Long story." Dabi said.

"Does it match with Spinner's recollection?" Mr. Compress asked.

"Looks like it. But..." Dabi trailed off, "Spinner, did you ever say how many sidekicks they're supposed to have? Like, an exact number?"

"The hospital can hold about 30 or so. But most don't live on site." Spinner said. "A majority leave at 6, and 8 if they work late."

"Hm. Alright." Dabi hummed.

"Why do you ask?" Spinner wondered.

"I'm actually not seeing that many right now. Two at the entrance, a few in a few of the window rooms, but nowhere near thirty."

"Maybe they have something planned?" Sunny wondered, "Something that they wouldn't want a lot of people around for?"

"Maybe Fireclaw's showing. She doesn't have the best relationship with the rest of her family," Spinner said.

"Why do you know that?" Toga asked.

"I told you, the media flocked to these guys. Drama like that brought them in like moths looking at a lightbulb."

"If I recall, the daughter made some sort of statement that she didn't wanna be a doctor or something. All of the other members of the family are in the medical field. Guess she wants to be smart and not waste thousands on med school." Sunny said.

"Ok, so, one respectable quality!" Toga quipped.

"We need to keep our eye on Primo, though." Mr. Comrpess said. "The man is a genius. We'd need multiple geniuses to out smart him..."

"Smarts don't mean much when you're ash," Dabi countered.

"He has multiple contingencies for fire related quirks. He's prepared for anything." Cass said. "…so, we have to catch him off guard. Hard."

"Which is where me and my Quirk come in!" Twice said triumphantly.

"And mine, lest you forget," Mr. Compress added.

"Let's just set up our spies." Dabi said, before sighing. "Nyancy…you're up."

"YAAAAAY!" Nyancy said. "Okay, boys and girls and they/thems~! Time for crime~"

The host of cats that Nyancy had rounded up all meowed as if they all collectively said, "Yaaaaaay!"

"This is still the dumbest part of the plan." Dabi said, shaking his head.

"Yeah? Well, shut up." Toga huffed.

Toga was partial to the cat plan, mainly because there was a cat with an eyepatch that she just adored in Nyancy's army. Maybe the cat villain would let her have it? And no, she'd actually take care of it, before anyone asks.

The cats all started to scope out the area, being inconspicuous. This area had an unusual cluster of cats, so a bunch of cats in the area wasn't too unusual.

"The cats will hear EVERYTHING." Nyancy grinned.

"…you're just weird, you know that?" Tyrian said.

"Rich coming from you, scorpion boy." Nyancy huffed.

"I'm starting to like her," Toga said.

"Honestly, her power seems a bit situational, but I love her enthusiasm," Twice admitted.

"It's hard to do crimes in areas without cats! Because cats should be everywhere! They're friends and menaces needed to live in this world!" Nyancy said.

"Okay." Dabi said, looking away. "I'm gonna go take a nap."

"We'll wake you up when it's time," Spinner scoffed.

"Thanks. It just saves me from interacting with you idiots." Dabi said, walking away.

"Well he's just fun, isn't he?" Tyrian chuckled.

"Hey, I know that tone. Don't, we still need him," Mercury warned.

"Cassss...be a dear and tell me what he told you." Tyrian said. "I'm curious about our friend's backstory."

"Nuh uh. I was lucky to loosen his lips, and I'm not gonna be a total gossip girl about it." Cass countered. "Be patient, or else you'll need a prosthetic tongue or something."

Tyrian sighed. "I see more of Cinder every day in you..."

"Taking that as a compliment," Cass growled, not taking her eyes off the hospital through her binoculars. She could see the cats already scoping the place out from here, but something much more interesting caught her attention. A car was driving up to the front of the hospital and it seems they were expected.

"Yo, Spinner," Cass called out, "Fireclaw. She is one of those egotistical types to put her logo on everything she owns? If she even has a logo?"

"Yeah, there was some outrage a few years ago when she was caught spray painting her logo around the area, as a way to ward off others." Spinner said, watching the car. "Ugh. That's an ugly looking car."

"I could tell you stories about the muscle car this one kid had..." Cass sighed.

"If they involve you totaling it, I'll happily listen," Spinner said as he looked to see the car's passenger door open. Fireclaw, herself, stepped out, and adjusted her sunglasses. Not only did she think shades worked with her costume, she thought it'd be cool, it was a way for villains to know if she was getting serious if she took them off.

Cass followed her with the binoculars. She was heading towards a specific set of doors, that led to her family's 'main house'. She watched her punch in a code, and scan her hand.

"The code is 4502." Cass noted aloud.

"Woah, you can tell all the way from here?" Toga asked.

"You pick it up as you go along." Cass grinned.

"Sharp eyes, Miss Fallman," Mr. Compress complimented.

"Ok, don't have to worry about that," Nyancy said.

"Nyancy- you said something about seeing through the eyes of the cat. Try and get one of them to try and get over the gate and do some eavesdropping." Cass said.

"On it! Patches might not be the best for spying, but he's got the sharpest ears out of all of them!" Nyancy beamed.

"Is that the one with the eyepatch?" Toga asked.

"Yup!"

"I love him already."

The cat quietly got over the fence, and looked around. No one had noticed the security breach, or maybe nobody cared. Nyancy sent the cat over by a window in the kitchen, where she could hear some sort of argument inside.

"-dad, for the last time! I don't want to be a doctor. My hero career is taking off." Fireclaw frowned, stomping away from someone. "If I wanna do it down the line, I will! But not right now."

"Oooh, family drama," Nyancy muttered.

"Now, young lady-" Doctor Primo said. "You know that you always need a 'fallback' career. This family's wealth came from saving people's lives without powers, and you are clearly wasting your smarts by just being a hero!"

"You and I both know how lucrative Pro careers can be." Fireclaw countered. "Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, Miruko. Do you have any idea how much they make in a month? Why would I give up on something like that?"

"Because those heroes are mostly sellouts. Look at your friend, Mt. Lady-" Doctor Primo said.

"OOOOOH, here we go. Compare me to Mt. Lady. You damn well know why she is the way she is, dad." Fireclaw said.

"Hm. SPICY drama." Nyancy hummed.

"Be that as it may, I feel like I need to reiterate the point," Primo began.

"You really don't need to 'reiterate the point' because I heard the first twenty reiterations!" Fireclaw shot back.

"Homura...your father has a point." Umbra said. How long had she been there? "What if something happens during your hero career, and you have to retire young?"

"You have that little faith in me? Really?" Homura asked, offended.

"It's a mere hypothetical. Don't read too much into it- I'm just saying." Umbra said.

"Wow. If this was happening with Syou, you'd be in FULL support." Homura huffed.

"We would be just as concerned for him as we are for you," Primo countered.

"Uh-huh, riiiiight."

"Don't bring me into this. I was just SITTING on the couch after a long day at work." Syou huffed.

"Oh, please. Like selling stuff is a hard task." Homura spat.

"I should've attached a camera to his collar...this is gold for tabloids," Nyancy quipped.

"At least I'm not the one saying that being a doctor's not good enough for her," Syou shot back.

"I'm not saying being a doctor's a waste of time, Syou, I'm just saying it's not for me!" Homura growled.

"Okay, no more of that. Homura, if you simply want to do hero work, fine. If your passions are purely related to reveling in the glory of hero work and not slowing down to see what TRULY matters? Fine." Doctor Primo was trying to manipulate her or something with that guilt trip.

"FINE!" Homura huffed, storming off.

"...wooooow. These guys are the definition of 'strained relationship,'" Nyancy said.

"Good. Things are tense. We'll need to handle Homura first…she's most likely to be alone right now." Sunny said. "And she's probably likely to sneak out too."

"What makes you say that?" Mercury said.

"I speak from experience." Sunny said.

"So in other words, it's time to wake up Dabi," Cass said.

"And send him after Homura? Bad choice. He'll get sliced and diced." Spinner said.

"Not alone, obviously," Cass shot back.

"…Is this where I come in?" Toga grinned, flashing her pearly white fangs.

"Yes, it is. Time for you to show off good of an actor you can be," Cass grinned.

"Finally!~"

"Go wake up Dabi and wait for Homura to leave." Sunny said. "Then WE'LL have our fun."

"On it!" Toga cheered before racing off to get the team pyromaniac.

"Now- let's set up our part." Tyrian said, walking over to Twice. "I'm ready for my close up~"

"Please don't word it that way. The only one who can pull off the 'lovable-crazy' act is Toga," Twice said before touching Tyrian on the shoulder.

From his other hand, Twice created another Tyrian from out of gray goop. "Better put him in the orb now. I'd hate to see what two Tyrians can do- I bet it'd be fun as hell."

Mr. Compress walked over and tapped Tyrian on the shoulder as well. The scorpion Faunus' form suddenly glowed a bright cyan before it flashed and, in an instant, a marble was in Mr. Compress' hand.

"Neat." Cass said, picking up the marble. "I take it they're in stasis?"

"Until I say so. The ball typically lasts for a day or two." Mr. Compress said.

"Alright, who else am I cloning?" Twice asked.

"You'll be cloning me." Mercury said. "I'm great at taking down people discreetly."

"Alright! If you insist!" Twice said as he tapped Mercury on the shoulder and created a second Mercury in a similar fashion to the Tyrian clone.

"Compress, please marble the original. I don't think we can take two giant egos like his in the same room," Cass grinned.

"With pleasure," Compress agreed, poking Mercury and turning him into another marble.

"Good. They're locked in. They'll take care of the sidekicks when they get inside." Nyancy Chan said, as a cat jumped up on a ledge.

"And away I go." Mr. Compress handed his marbles to Nyancy, before putting himself in one. Nyancy attached it to the cat's collar.

"Alright, you got this little guy!" Nyancy encouraged the cat, giving it a few pets for luck before it jumped back down and made its way into position.

Toga happily donned her trademark mask and pulled out one of her blades. Time for the fun to start.

The cat walked across the way, and hopped over the fence. It scouted the area, looking for any sort of opening it could scale or squeeze its way through.

Meanwhile, Toga and the now awakened Dabi, who almost incinerated Toga when she went to wake him, were on their way to Fireclaw with Sunny in tow.

"So we got fire to fight fire, me and my lovely blades aaaand...you do magic...I think?" Toga pointed her scalpel at Sunny non-threateningly.

"I do hexes." Sunny said.

"Kid, I don't know the difference between a hex and a spell. Info dump on me." Dabi said, walking ahead.

"A hex is a destructive spell that affects the individual, but it's not permanent. The person who receives the hex may experience bodily pain, mental anguish, or deformity." Sunny explained.

"No cauldron needed." Toga grinned.

"Shut it," Sunny huffed. "I can do normal magic, like transmutation and shifting glyphs. Then there's my quirk..."

"Magic and a quirk- you're pretty stacked." Dabi said.

"Caaaan we know what your Quirk is?" Toga pried a bit.

"Not yet. I wanna keep it close to my chest...for now. An ace for me," Sunny answered.

Dabi nodded. "I can respect that. Stick to your hexes and whatever." Dabi looked at the Stain fangirl. "And you. Tell me what you're so eager about."

"I'm just...really, really thirsty." Toga grinned.

"Oh right. The blood thing," Dabi groaned, "I'd make a vampire joke, but that's beneath me."

"Mommy and daddy hated my powers. Shamed me for it..." Toga sighed. "I was just so tired of being an outcast. Society has a double standard, and it's annoying!"

"Please don't start to vent." Dabi muttered, putting his hand to his face.

"That pretty white haired model on the news, the one that can shapeshift into anyone...she'll be more accepted into society than me. Wanna know why? I need blood to even have my powers work. Because of that one difference, we're not the same." Toga said. "The was my first crush...my hope that maybe there was a place in the world for someone like me. But no. She'd probably hate me if she saw the way I was...and I don't care."

Dabi and Sunny suddenly felt an extreme wave of malice surrounding the area. It was like a powerful enemy appeared. Dabi turned to see Toga, with an absolutely unhinged smile.

"I'm really fucking happy the way I am now." Toga grinned- Her eyes were wide and her teeth were barred. There was no light behind those eyes. Just pure, evil malice.

"Oooookay," Dabi said, more than slightly unnerved, "Let's just focus on Fireclaw for now."

Sunny looked away. Being this girl's bestie may actually be bad for her mental health.

"Seriously- I don't care that I have to sleep on the streets, or scrounge for food~ I just love what I do." Toga said, a skip in her step.

"Good, uh, good for you?" Dabi asked as the trio walked on to their target. Working with this girl was gonna take some getting used to.

Toga grinned. "What about you, Dabi? Why are you a follower of Stain?"

Dabi looked away. "I said it before. Personal reasons. Deflect the question onto Sunny. I'm curious why a Tennyson is even with us. Thought you guys were like all heroes."

"Every family has a black sheep, don't they?" Sunny asked.

"Amen." Dabi nodded.

Dabi got a buzz on his burner phone- 'Homura has left the building'.

Dabi grinned. "Go time."

Toga began giggling and brought out a second scalpel.

"Real quick. Dabi? Don't burn her too much. The more blood I get, the longer the ruse works. Ok?" Toga smirked after putting her mask back on.

"How long can it go on average?" Dabi asked.

"Like 30 minutes. It's how I fool everyone." Toga said.

"If everything goes to plan, we'll only need you as her for ten," Sunny said.

"Goodie." Toga said, handing her bag to Sunny. Sunny gave her a look. "Oh! There's an extra change of clothes in there."

"Why?" Sunny asked.

"My clothes melt off! Pretty annoying." Toga pouted.

"Feel like you should've said that sooner," Dabi facepalmed.

"Well, sorrrrrry! Details weren't exactly important!" Toga huffed.

Dabi shook his head. "How did I end up with this lot..."

"Hey, you came to us remember?" Sunny smirked.

"I sure as hell did not."

"You came to the League, so yeah, you did."

"I went to Giran for a tip, and he dragged me along. I'm NOT a team player, damn it." Dabi huffed.

"Well, like it or not, you're gonna have to be for this to work," Sunny rolled her eyes, "Besides...fireworks are about to start."

Dabi rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm just using this gig for my own gain. Don't you forget that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sunny said.

Fireclaw was leaning against a wall, just trying to cool off after the argument.

"Every damn time, it's the same old thing," Homura sneered, "Every time! You'd think they'd change but...no."

It was a common occurrence for Homura to sneak out every time she had a big argument with her dad. She'd leave her window open just a crack, so she could get back in.

"I'm 20 years old now, and I don't wanna get burdened by annoying paperwork and labs and-" Homura growled. "God! Why can't he see it from MY angle?"

"God, you're just preaching to the choir at this point," an unfamiliar voice said, catching Homura's attention. She didn't recognize it as one of the sidekicks so her guard was immediately up.

"Who's there?" Homura asked, ready to strike. Dabi stepped into the moonlit area, and grinned.

"So, you had a fight with your old man. Trust me...I've been there." Dabi said.

"Alright, stalker." Homura huffed, as she unsheathed her claws.

Fireclaw! Quirk: Red Talons. Fireclaw is able to create claws from her wrists, which can get to around 1000 degrees celsius! Absorbing more fire allows her claws to grow longer.

"So that's it. Gotta admit, I thought the name would be a bit more literal," Dabi scoffed.

"What, actual fire-claws? I'm a bit more creative than that," Homura countered.

"Cute." Dabi said, as he held up his hand. A blue flame appeared in it. Homura scoffed at the sight.

"You don't do your research now, do you?" Homura said, holding up her claws.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong. I know I can't beat you," Dabi began.

"Not by himself, anyway," Sunny called out from behind Homura.

Homura spun around, as Sunny's hands started to emanate a terrifying violet color. She flicked her hand at Homura, and a blast of violet energy shot out. It was crackling and sparking like crazy- this was the power of a hex!

"Voice of Unreason." Sunny said, as it hit Homura. Homura's head was filled with murmurs and whispers, talking her down and tearing her apart.

As the voices filled the Pro's head, Toga took the chance and lunged at the hero from the shadows. Disoriented as she was, Homura couldn't dodge in time. One of the slasher-villain's blades found its mark in Homura's shoulder.

"Gotcha!~" Toga grinned.

Homura battered her away, swinging at her with her claws. Homua didn't take the knife out of her arm- Pulling out the knife may cause cut blood vessels that have been damaged by the knife to bleed excessively.

"The hell...are you guys!?" Homura yelled.

"The League of Villains, dumbass." Sunny said, as she threw more bolts of hexes at Homura.

Knowing what the hexes could do, Homura immediately dodged out of the way, letting the blasts hit the ground and leave a smoky aura at the impact site.

"The League? You mean those assholes you went after students at U.A?" Homura asked, "The guys who were all like D or E ranked baddies? That League?"

"Oh I wouldn't say we're D rank. I'm at least a B! Maybe an A if I wanna brag!~" Toga chuckled.

"And I pride myself on at LEAST an A." Sunny said, as her hands lit up once more. Her hands slammed on the ground, and it began to crack open. Purple light seeped out of the crack as it spread, and it tracked down Homura's location. With a loud, purple burst of energy, Homura was sent flying backwards.

"CHAOS CURTAIN!" Sunny yelled.

"Oooh, you even have cool move names," Toga grinned.

Homura thudded to the ground, landing on the knife that was still stuck in her shoulder and pushing it in further.

"GAAAH!" Homura cried out.

"Calamity is a wave that constantly follows. I amplified the worst situation for you." Homura said, as she drew a glyph in the air. "And I'll make things worse."

"Oh, that's just bullshit and you know it," Homura growled as she stood back up. The pain in her shoulder was glaring at this point.

"If you waaaaant, I can make it quick and easy!~" Toga smirked, "Just stand still so I can get a drink."

"Drink?" Homura asked as Sunny bombarded her with more energy. As additional disaster befell Homura, she staggered backward. She collided with a wall which yanked the knife from her arm. While this may appear to be a 'miracle,' this was a blunder. Her blood was now oozing from the wound.

"G-GAHHHHHHH!" Homura yelled.

"There it is~" Toga giggled unnervingly, "What's your type? A? O? Positive, negative?"

"What the HELL is wrong with you?!" Homura yelled, one hand shooting up to try and cover the wound, staunching the bleeding. That's when Dabi took to the field. One of his hands ignited with blue flame and, with a snap, he launched what might as well have been a miniature blue sun at the Pro. If it weren't for her Quirk absorbing most of the damage, she would've been charred. Instead, most of the damage came from the explosive force behind it.

Homura was sent flying towards Sunny, who's eyes lit up once more. She stared at Homura as she conjured up her final hex of the fight- this one seemed to take a toll on her, given her glowing purple veins.

The pro's mind was suddenly filled with visions of creatures she couldn't even begin to describe. If asked, the best she would come up with would be if you crossed a jellyfish with a wolf and made it psychic, taking orders from an eldritch abomination. The sight of all these creatures, the choir of all their howls made the Pro scream n agony before she collapsed.

"...what did you do?" Dabi asked.

"I showed her something beautiful," Sunny said, looking up. "Something no one else in my family understood."

"Why did I get stuck with you two..." Dabi sighed, "Alright, vampire-girl."

"See, I know that's supposed to be a jab, but I kinda like it," Toga smirked as she happily skipped over to Homura's unconscious form and drew a massive needle from her belt.

"Good thing you're out of it!" the young villain beamed and reared back her arm, "You might feel a little sting!~"

And she plunged the needle down.

Please leave a review!

Chapter Text

No new chapters next week, will be in Florida with family. Please enjoy!

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

"Damn it, Homura...why'd you have to put that on me?" Syou huffed, as he walked through the halls. As much as he spat with his sister, he did care for her. That fight with dad was more intense than usual. Syou thought to check up on her after she didn't show up for dinner.

That's when he saw the cat in the hallway, licking itself.

"Huh?" Syou said, confused. "Hey, buddy- how'd you get in here..."

The cat stopped and turned to look at him before hissing and running off. Syou sighed, and followed the cat to Homura's room, where he saw the open window. He huffed. "So that's how you got in." Syou hummed, as he looked at the cat on her bed. "At least it was just you that got in here."

The cat then pawed at its collar, like it was trying to scratch at something. Maybe the collar itself was too tight? Whatever it was, Syou went over to check, but the cat hissed at him as he approached.

"Easy, easy. Just gonna see if it's the collar you're-" Syou began, before the collar glowed and flashed. When the light died down, a masked figure was sitting next to the cat and gently petting its head.

"The perfect assistant for a trick like this, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Compress smirked behind his mask.

Syou jumped back, and frowned. "What the-!? Where'd you come from?"

"Now now, Syou. You don't want to get him upset." Mr. Compress said, as he scratched behind the cat's ears. "He gets jumpy."

"Who the hell are you?" Syou asked, ready to either fight or run.

"No one special. A humble performer, really. Though, today I'm more of a chauffeur," Compress held up the two other marbles between his fingers, "These two are the real stars."

Syou quickly realized who the man before him was. "Wait- you're that thief from-"

"Please. Call me Mr. Compress. But don't mind me." Mr. Compress threw the two marbles on the ground.

"I'd be more concerned with them. Watch out for the scorpion," the thief added. The two marbles glowed and flashed, now replaced by Mercury and Tyrian.

"Surpriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiise!" Tyrian grinned manically.

Tyrian leapt up to slash the boy, but Syou's frightened look turned cold. He clenched his hand, and manifested a bunch of gauze around his arm to block the blow.

The Atlas! Quirk: Gauze Bod. When the Atlas is under attack, his body can produce a thick gauze that can't usually be cut. He can use this gauze to maneuver himself around and patch up his allies.

"Good luck getting through that, scorpion guy." Syou smirked. "Not even Stain could pierce this."

"Oh, I'm surprised you don't recognize me, doctor," Tyrian cackled, "Maybe my friend's face is more familiar?" With that, Mercury leapt over Tyrian and landed a kick right to Syou's face. Gauze quickly wrapped around his head and cushioned the blow, but the force still made him stagger back.

Syou's gauze wrapped around his whole body, making his body look like a giant mummy with a monstrous face. Syou frowned. "Obviously, I misjudged you. Lemme correct that."

"Misjudgement isn't the same as recognizing. Dear old dad never told you, did he?" Tyrian chuckled.

"Uh, what?" Mercury asked, surprised by this as well.

"Dad knows you? Really? Are you gonna pull the whole 'I'm an old family friend-'" Syou began.

"SHUT UP! It's my story to tell!" Tyrian hissed, "Now then, to answer you, no. I'm not that trope. I was one of your father's patients...who he consigned to death row."

Syou looked him up and down. "Looking pretty alive for a dude on death row."

"Of course. I became comatose when I heard my mistress of the dusk, my queen, my omnipotence was gone…" Tyrian said. "For years, I was a prisoner to my own madness. I sat in my head, laughing and crying all the days away."

Tyrian's eyes became wide and empty. "But then I felt a wave of malice so wonderful…"

"And you broke out…" Syou trailed off, "Wait...you're the guy who killed fifteen people during his breakout?!"

"Ugh, Primo, did you not teach your son manners? It's impolite not to tell them your most challenging patient's name. Tyrian Callows, at your service...and I'll be the one to drown you and your father in venom tonight."

Syou frowned. "We'll see about that." His arms unraveled, and he sent bandages flying towards the psychopath to restrain him.

Tyrian, despite all his time comatose, was as nimble as ever, leaping around the room as if he was part frog instead of scorpion. He dodged one bandage-strike before leaping at Syou, arms crossed in front of him. The bandages quickly retracted, protecting Syou from an incoming cross slash from Tyrian. The scorpion Faunus growled when he saw that he only cut bandages again. He was gonna rip his way through them and actually slice this Pro apart and nothing was gonna stop him.

The Atlas flared up his bandages, and his eyes started to glow. "Endless Figure of Eight!" His bandages tendrils rushed towards Tyrian, wrapping him up with successive laps and crossing over to restrain him fully.

"Consider this a makeshift straitjacket." Syou said, as Tyrian fell to the ground.

"Hey, you forgot someone!" Mercury yelled landing a series of kicks that sent Syou flying out of the room and into the hall.

Syou caught himself with his bandages, entangling them around some secure points. "Nice kick. Ever try you for soccer?"

"Don't flatter me." Mercury said, raising his leg. "I've kicked tougher."

Tyrian thrashed around in the straitjacket, trying to cut his way free.

"Good luck, you looney toon- no one's been able to cut through it." Syou said.

"Really?" Mercury grinned, as his raised leg suddenly started to heat up. "Let's try something."

Mr. Compress hopped off the bed, picking up the cat and walking ever so casually past Tyrian.

"Do stay still. I don't know how good his aim is," Compress advised.

"And let me just FUMBLE AROUND LIKE AN IDIOT?" Tyrian yelled.

"Suit yourself. Don't blame me if you get shot," Compress shrugged.

"Huh?" Tyrian said, as Mercury put his right heel up. He fired a bullet at Tyrian's bandaged body, and hit the target perfectly.

"He didn't even look." Mr. Compress said, impressed.

With that single shot, Mercury was able to blast a hole in the bandages around his mad comrade. With that opening, Tyrian moved one of his blades to the opening and ripped his way through it, freeing himself.

"As insufferable as he can be, his aim has never been in question," Tyrian grinned.

Mr. Compress put out the small fire on the bandages. "Odd- the bullet ignited."

"Never seen it before, Compress?" Tyrian tilted his head, "Then get ready for a show!" The scorpion Faunus pulled two magazines from his belt and slid one into each pincered gauntlet. With a whir of energy, the weapons began to glow with a purple light.

Tyrian fired the bullets behind him, allowing him to fly forward at top speed. The Atlas could barely react to the attack.

The madman unleashed a barrage of slashes that seemed to be faster than anything the son of Primo had ever seen before, almost like they were weightless. Each swing had a purple light-trail follow it. As he dodged the slashes of Tyrian, a shotgun-sounding blast fired out and slammed into his side, courtesy of Mercury.

Syou fell to the ground, clutching his side in pain. The bullet had pierced an unprotected area, was was now lodged in his abdomen. He grunted, quickly patching it up with some gauze.

"Good." Tyrian said, eyes lighting up. "You have a weak point."

"And? Everyone does? For instance, I've seen a few different prosthetics in my time...you're still sporting outdated models," Syou said, sending out more gauze bandages to try and snag the prosthetics of the two villains. Tyrian jumped out of the way, practically flying around the hall with his use of gravity Dust. Mercury tried to jump out of the way as well, but he was a second too slow. Syou's bandages wrapped around one of the prosthetic legs and began to squeeze. Before the former follower of Salem could even try something, the middle of the bandages was suddenly swallowed up and severed, a blue marble clattering to the hospital floor.

"W-what the!?" Syou said, as Mr. Compress smirked. "Nothing can cut my gauze!"

"Nothing conventional, mind you. All things have a work around." Mr. Compress said, as he threw out more marbles. They quickly tore away sections of Syou's bandages.

"How is that even-?!" Syou panicked. His words were cut off when a quick slash from Tyrian caught him at one of the exposed spots. But it wasn't with the pincered-gauntlets Tyrian was so fond of, it was with his tail. A bit of purple liquid smeared Syou's skin around the wound and Tyrian just started cackling.

"Oh, this brings back memories!" Tyrian grinned.

Syou dropped to the ground, coughing and sputtering for words. His vision was blurring. "W-what the?"

"I've poisoned you, idiot." Tyrian grinned manically.

His motor functions were still working, as far as Syou could tell, and that was all he needed. With that, he bolted, trying to find his parents.

"Aw, look. Now he's gonna go cry to mommy and daddy," Mercury taunted.

"You two deal with that. I'll be opening the way for the others," Compress said.

Tyrian darted after Syou, eyes filled with bloodlust. The thrill of the hunt! The need for bloodshed! It was coursing through his veins and he missed the adrenaline.

"COME ON, KID! I JUST WANNA HAVE SOME FUN!" Tyrian yelled.

"And I gotta go make sure he doesn't cause too much of a mess," Mercury sighed before racing off after the madman.

"Have fun with that, Mr. Black!" Compress waved, "Now then! Time to let in the main event."

Tyrian rounded the corner, when he was greeted by a wall of black. Smashing his face into into it did nothing to deter his chase. He began to claw and stab the wall, like it was a living thing.

"COME ON! LEMME IN!" Tyrian yelled. While he was functional...he was not the same person he was long ago.

Mercury quickly caught the madman and saw the wall of shadow blocking them off.

"What the hell...?" Mercury asked as he walked closer.

"This wall...it was not here before." Tyrian said. "It has to be a quirk."

"We know the daughter's, we know the son's...so this must be the mother's," Mercury reasoned.

On the other side of the wall, mother and father tended to Syou's wounds. "He...he rushed me...in Homura's room. There's three of them, and there may be more."

"Hang in there, please..." Miyo said, holding his hand tightly.

"Mom, I'll be fine." Syou said. "I have the best of the best treating me..."

Miyo looked back at the wall of shadows she cast. "And the best protecting you as well."

Umbra Nurse! Quirk: Shadow Sneak. Umbra can create, shape and manipulate darkness and shadows. She can also easily blend in with them, making her invisible.

The attacks from Tyrian could be seen on the other side of the wall, each impact visibly shaking the wall, but it still held strong. Mercury, meanwhile, checked the shells in his boots as a plan began to form. She could mold shadows and it was night right now. So what happens if a flash of lightning were to suddenly light up the hallway?

"What the?" Miyo said, as Primo frowned. He could hear something charging on the other side.

"Sweetie. Take Syou and run." Primo said, as his hands started to generate a strange blue gel. "I'll handle our guests with ease."

"Tyrian, get back," Mercury said, jerking his head to the side. The scorpion Faunus looked back and saw the lightning Dust in Talaria charge up with a slight yellow glow.

"Ok. Tag out!" Tyrian yelled and jumped back.

Mercury held up his leg, and hopped up and down. Talaria had gotten a few updates, mostly to keep up with a new generation of quirk users. The first of which- the ability to 'build up' energy, similar to Cass.

"Kinetic Build Up-" Mercury said, before he leapt forward at top speed. "Thunder Kick!"

With the sound of a shotgun blast, a bolt of lightning was fired from Talaria. The burst lit up the hallway and, as Mercury thought, the shadow wall faded. Tyrian took the chance and raced through, only to be socked in the face by punch from Primo.

"Mr. Callows," Primo said, "I take it you're here for a second opinion."

"Doctor Primo!" Tyrian grinned, stumbling back and rubbing his chilled cheek. "How nice to see you after all these years- living the dream life, are we? Shame about your daughter, but at least your son HAD a future."

Primo frowned, as he clenched his fist again. More gel was produced from it. "You're sick, Mr. Callows. While I swore an oath to never take a life...I fear you may be the one to have me break it."

"Please. Please try." Tyrian said, as he rushed forward. Primo's arm generated more blue gel, and sent it forward- the giant blob of gel morphed into a giant blue hand that took ahold of Tyrian with ease.

Doctor Primo! Quirk: Ice Gel. Doctor Primo can produce a malleable, rubbery substance made from sodium polyacrylate and diethylene glycol around his body. This gel is incredibly cold, and will freeze whatever it touches.

Primo didn't seem impressed with how Tyrian responded to being grabbed, thrashing around in the gel-hand and trying to cut his way free. The doctor quickly formed a gel wall right before Mercury unleashed a barrage of bullets from his grieves.

"Predictable," Primo said.

Mercury aimed for vital areas of the body, but Primo generated some more gel. He pressed it between his hands, and cupped them- with a deep breath, Primo blew a giant bubble from his hands, surrounding Mercury and trapping him inside of it.

"W-what the!?" Mercury asked.

"Time's ticking for you. The gel bubble has a freezing time of three minutes, but I doubt you'll get out before then," Primo said.

"Please. I'll be outta here in no time." Mercury's foot gained a red hue, and he kicked the bubble he was trapped in. But the bubble held, only rippling from the impact.

"If it were that easy to break, your unstable...associate here would've broken out by now," Primo said. As the doctor-hero finished those words, however, the building seemed to shake from a sudden impact.

"What on Earth...?" The doctor said.

"Ok...guess she said 'fuck it, going loud,'" Mercury muttered.

"So there are more of you...how many precisely?"

"That'd spoil the fun." Mercury grinned, kicking the bubble a few more times. There had to be a good way to get out of this.

"Mr. Black, our associates are in. You haven't moved floors since I left have you?" Compress asked over Mercury's earpiece.

"What? No, of course," the assassin stated, "Why?"

"You may wish to brace yourself."

"Uh?" Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

Mercury lowered his leg, and braced for impact. Doctor Primo gave him a strange look. "What are you-"

He was cut off when Cass of all people, propelled by fire from her hands, shoulder-checked the doctor in the back and sent him flying.

"SURPRISE BITCH!" Cass yelled.

The doctor created a cushion of gel to soften the impact. It was incredibly effective, allowing him to keep from getting more bruised up.

The doctor brushed his body off. "Well...that was a way to make an entrance." He looked up, to see Cass walking over to him. He raised a bored eyebrow. "Cassidy Fallman, last seen 15 years ago...what brings you back into the limelight?"

"Cute. You think I took a 15 year sabbatical." Cass smirked.

"Considering who you lost, I assumed at least some of that time was spent grieving," Primo said. Cass' smirk faded.

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Cass hissed.

"Yes." Primo said, before a multitude of gooey hands shot out of his back. They all showered Cass with powerful blows, but she weathered the attack. Absorbing the blows was easy.

Getting slowly frozen was harder.

The ice was quickly layering over her body, but honestly, letting Primo hit her was part of the plan. After what must have been the...50th or so hit, Cass grinned again and slammed her fist into the ground. A wave of eruptions tore through the tiled floor and reached Primo, blasting him in rapid succession and sending him flying into the ceiling.

Cass quickly shook off the chunks of snow that were stuck on her body. "There we go."

"Cool. Now get us outta here." Mercury said, shivering. "It's like a industrial freezer in here."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your boots rusted," Cass shrugged and walked up to the bubble. She pulled back her fist and punched the bubble, popping it with a small explosion.

"What!? It's that easy?" Mercury huffed.

"One side is more durable than the other, dumbass." Cass rolled her eyes.

"Oh," Mercury sighed, "And Tyrian?"

"Eh, I kinda wanna keep him in there." Cass joked. "Less collateral damage, less of a mess to clean up...the list goes on."

"I mean...fair. But you know he's gonna be pissed when he actually does get out."

"You say that like I care," Cass grinned mischievously.

"Come on!" Tyrian hissed, struggling to get out. "I need to stab something or else I'm gonna explode!"

"Kinda sound like Shigiraki now," Mercury joked.

"Funny, Black. NOW LEMME OUT!"

"Fine, fine. Yikes. I wish you were back in your coma." Cass huffed. "Life was better when we didn't have to clean up after you. You leave evidence EVERYWHERE."

"Oh, like we're so worried about evidence now," Tyrian scoffed.

"We still are but, you wanna cause problems, take it up with the boss," Cass said before firing up her powers and destroying the gel-hand that griped the madman.

Tyrian leapt up, and laughed. "FREEDOM!" He screeched, before scampering off. Mercury and Cass frowned.

"I liked him better when Salem could just say 'sit' and he'd do so." Mercury huffed.

"I miss a LOT of things from the old days." Cass sighed.

"Guess we better go after him, make sure he doesn't go too crazy," the assassin sighed before racing off after the scorpion Faunus.

Cass was about to chase after Mercury, but she was quickly grabbed by a giant mass of cold gel hands. Primo quickly pulled her back.

"You're not going anywhere, Miss Fallman." Primo huffed. "I can't hit you. But I can freeze you. Just so long as I don't exert any force..."

"Guess it was too much to hope you'd be knocked out that fast," Cass hissed, igniting her hands and slicing through the gel-hands with ease. She leapt back and slammed her fist into the ground again, trying to hit Primo with the same series of eruptions as before.

Primo blocked the attacks with ease. He studied Cass' moves very carefully, humming the more and more he theorized.

"I see- you've retained your maiden abilities." Primo said, before creating a massive wall of gel to easily crush Cass.

"So you know about that? Then you know how they work!" Cass yelled as she cut her way through the gel with blades of flame.

Primo hummed once again as he made his observation. "I saw the way you fought at Evernight, through archive footage- you would've burnt me to a crisp by now. You would've carved through my gel wall like a warm knife through butter. But it looked like you really had to power through that."

Primo adjusted his glasses. "I'd say it's safe to assume you don't have ALL of your Maiden powers. Just a small fragment that you have to use in short bursts."

"Oh, cut the psycho-analysis shit," Cass hissed, bringing out her weapons, "If I relied on them too much, well, that'd get boring, wouldn't it?"

"Deflecting." Primo adjusted his glasses again. "You're getting worked up about a few observations. I'm not picking you apart, Cass. I'm just trying to understand all of this."

"There is NO understanding me." Cass frowned.

"I disagree." Primo said. "People have frequently viewed evil as essential because it permits the existence of kindness, forgiveness, and redemptive love to exist within our lives. Your life has been nothing but chaos, and I understand your pain. I just can't wrap my head around...the fact you're still doing this. Ben and Ruby have moved on, but you stand here, fueled by rage."

Primo took a deep breath. "Deep down...you knew it was necessary, what Ruby did."

"Say that again," Cass growled, balling her hands into fists, "Go on. say it." Suffice to say, given the threatening aura that the Maiden was now giving off, Primo had touched a nerve.

Primo remained cool. "I said, deep down. You know it to be true. Cinder was suffering. You saw the way she was...falling apart, didn't you? There was no saving that."

"...you're either brave or a fucking idiot," Cass said, before launching herself at Primo, propelled by her Semblance and pure rage. Primo tried to bring up another barrier to shield himself, but the Maiden simply sliced through it with one hand, while the other landed a mean right hook to Primo's face.

Primo was sent flying through multiple walls- somewhere in between passing through the 5th or 6th wall, he broke some bones. He wouldn't be walking anytime soon. On the bright side, ribs hadn't punctured his lungs.

Primo landed in his lab, and coughed. "Ergh." Primo grunted, pain filling his body.

"So, you sure you wanna keep saying shit like that, doc?" Cass growled, following him through the holes he left behind. Primo tried to stand, using one of the tables as support. Before he could even try to think up a new approach, something slammed into Cass from the side.

More accurately, someone. It was Dabi.

"Get...the hell...away from my DAD," Homura yelled, walking in and looking absolutely bloodied.

"H-homura!" Primo said, a bit shocked. Cass huffed, as she raised up her hand to fire.

Homura held up her hands. "You seriously wanna try that against the girl who can literally ABSORB fire?!" She hissed.

"Ugh...all smoke, no fire, weren't you, Dabi?" Cass groaned, shoving the blue-flamed pyro to the side, "Fine. I got other elements on my side. Haven't tried stone out in a while, but it should work!"

"No. You don't." A voice said, as Cass was suddenly enveloped in shadows. Cass struggled to break free, as Miyo appeared out of her back.

"Don't struggle. My shadows are unbreakable by any means. Just ask your friends there." Miyo grinned.

"REALLY GUYS?!" Cass yelled, seeing Mercury, Tyrian and Mr. Compress all bound as well.

"Well apologies, but it's a little hard to turn shadows into marbles!" Compress countered, "I'm a good trickster, but even I have limits!"

"Looks like your luck's run out." Homura said. "Your little kitty cat friend was quick to surrender too! She mewled, too. There's something wrong with her."

"You led...quite the assault." Primo huffed, propping himself up with his gel. Homura walked up behind him. "But...I'm sorry to say. Your efforts were in vai-"

SCHLRP.

That was the sound the knife made when it went through Primo's back.

Primo went still as the knife pierced his flesh, a knife held by his own daughter.

"I told her to get away...because I wanted to do this~" Homura grinned evilly. Right on cue, Dabi bolted up and roundhouse kicked Miyo in the face, knocking her into the nearest wall and knocking her out. The shadow bindings around the other four dissipated, Tyrian quickly getting ready to jump back into the fray.

"All smoke, no fire, huh?" Dabi cocked a brow at Cass.

"You were faking?" Cass asked.

"Maybe you could've not thrown me that hard..."

"Had to make it look convincing, didn't I?~" Homura giggled.

"W-what the hell?" Primo asked, as he fell to the ground. All forms of gel went right for the wound. He couldn't feel his legs, Jesus-

"Here's your real daughter, dipshit." Sunny said, walking in. She was levitating the real deal and dropped her on the ground. "Toga- take off the disguise. I think it's safe to say we're the winners here."

"What about the son?" Toga asked. Sunny rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. Syou seemed to drop from out of thin air, right beside Dabi, catching the firestarter by surprise.

"Oh...alright fine," the villainous schoolgirl said as Homura's form began to melt off of her.

"The hell did you even do to bandage-guy?" Mercury asked.

"Oh, nothing much. Just...exposed him to a different kind of truth," Sunny grinned, "He'll be out for a few hours."

"Good enough." Cass said, as she pulled out her phone. "I'll phone in the big guy."

"He'd kill you if he heard you call him that." Toga said, as she started to melt her disguise off. Sunny looked over, and saw there was no clothes on Toga's body.

"Hey. Weirdo." Sunny said, walking over. "Lemme see your back."

"Eh? Okay." Toga said, as Sunny began drawing a weird glyph on the back.

"Just a few more lines...aaaaand there," the black sheep of the Tennyson family said, finishing her work.

"That felt weird," Toga said.

"That looked weird!" Twice interjected, "I can't disagree."

"And now," Sunny began, before the glyph began to glow and Toga's usual school outfit simply magic'd itself back on her, "You don't have to worry about that."

"What did you do?" Twice asked.

"Anytime her quirk wears off, her clothes will snap back onto her body." Sunny said. "I can excuse murder, but I can't excuse public nudity."

"...ya know what, that's fair!" Toga grinned.

Cass took a few steps away, and called Shigaraki on the burner phone she was given.

"Holy shit, you guys were done faster than I expected." Shigaraki said when he answered.

"Yeah. Get the hell over here." Cass shook her head.

"Ok, ok, gimme a sec..." The leader of the League said before hanging up. It was exactly a second before the black mist of Kurogiri's Quirk appeared in Primo's lab. Tomura stepped through in his usual manner, Kurogiri close behind. As the leader made his way over to Primo, the League members' attention was suddenly drawn by the sound of a door being thrown open.

"Huh...four out of four. And...no one's dead?" Shigaraki asked.

"A bit bruised, but no casualties," Spinner said.

Shigaraki sauntered towards the downed heroes, all of them knocked out save for Primo and Fireclaw. Their chained up bodies and their bloodied faces were…so nice to see.

"Dad…" Fireclaw rasped, as Primo gave a sad look towards her. "I'm sorry…for fighting…"

"Doctor Primo…for one of the smartest pros in the business, you sure got outsmarted by a bunch of idiots." Shigaraki laughed. "That must drive you insane."

"You…" Doctor Primo huffed, trying to break free. His daughter…she needed him.

"You waste your breath, Doctor." Shigaraki said, walking over to Fireclaw. "You're still fresh out of Shiketsu High, right?"

Fireclaw looked away, and Shigaraki frowned.

"When an adult is talking to you, you listen. And you make EYE CONTACT." Tomura put four of his hands on Fireclaw's head, to force her to look up. She looked into his bloodshot eyes, and felt the cold wave of death hit her body. Was…was this it?

"Now, Doctor…since you two are still awake, I'll give you a choice." Tomura said. "I'll only kill one of you. Will you be selfish, like your daughter claims you are? Or will you drop your ego and save the life of this disrespectful brat?"

Fireclaw looked over at her father, eyes wide with fear. Primo looked horrified at the decision, but knew what he had to do.

"...Homura." Primo said. "Daddy loves you…very much."

Homura's face softened. Shigaraki's eyes narrowed.

"Take care…of your mother and brother." Primo said, looking down. "And follow your own path. I should have never been so hard on you."

Homura began to tear up. "Dad…I-"

Tomura put his last finger on her head.

And she was gone .

Primo's pupils shrank in disbelief. So did everyone else.

"Woah." Mercury said, looking absolutely horrified.

"...I like this guy even more now." Tyrian said, as Primo began to wail and scream at the top of his lungs.

"Heroes like you disgust me." Tomura said, standing back up. "Giving these positive 'lying through your smile' messages, but behind closed doors, you're just some average asshole. You'll put your family at risk for a stupid rescue."

Primo fell to the ground, still crying. His daughter was dead-

Tomura felt the need to rub more salt in the wound- this scenario felt familiar. "I was just gonna kill the girl, but…you gave me an idea."

Tomura knelt down close to Atlas and Umbra's bodies. Everyone held their breath.

"Dabi- hold him up. He needs to see this." Shigaraki said. Dabi smirked, as he walked forward.

"I think I'm starting to warm up to you, boss." Dabi said, picking up Primo's neck. "If you even try to close your eyes I'll burn their bodies myself."

Primo flinched in fear, as Shigaraki smirked.

"It's a shame we won't hear their last words…but, I'm not in the mood to wait for them to wake up." Shigaraki said, picking up their necks.

And they were gone.

Primo's primal screams of anguish filled the room. Shigaraki sighed.

"So, that just leaves your arrogant ass. I bet you want to die, don't you?" Shigaraki said. "...shame about that. I'm feeling pretty tired right now…" He faked a yawn. "So, we'll all come back later. Maybe in an hour, maybe in a few days…but I won't forget to do it."

Shigaraki snapped his fingers, and a portal was formed. Everyone followed Shigaraki through the portal, and Toga gave one last glance to Primo. She looked down at her knife…

She still had Fireclaw's blood on it.

A wicked grin spread across her face. She licked it like a lollipop. Her quirk activated, as Primo watched in horror. His daughter's face was being worn by this villain…

"Daddy…" Toga said, mimicking Homura's voice perfectly. "I hate you. You could've saved me…you could have saved mom and bro…but you didn't. And I'll never forgive you." Homura's face melted off of Toga's body, and onto the ground.

"That's what I think she'd say to you." Toga grinned. "Have fun planning the funerals~ And have even more fun explaining where the bodies are."

Toga skipped through the portal, and it closed.

Primo was left bloodied and bruised on the floor, utterly powerless.

Truth of the matter was that he could've saved them all. The chains weren't restraining him well enough, but he wanted to get Shigaraki talking long enough for a distraction.

…but. He didn't.

There's no happy ending for Primo. When the sidekicks found the trashed lab on Monday, Primo was a husk of the man he used to be. He was in a vegetative state of shock- no one knew what happened. Security cameras didn't catch anything, nor was there any evidence left behind.

That was the end of the Quadrians family.

"Congrats." Shigaraki said. "Somehow, you idiots did it. I'm shocked."

"That's the kinda talk I wanna hear." Dabi huffed, rolling his eyes.

"So then I take it that they're-?" Kurogiri began.

"Yep. I had my doubts, but...you're in," Shigaraki said.

"Sweet." Sunny said. "So, we're gonna celebrate?"

"I'm game!" Toga grinned.

"I am not giving you alcohol," Kurogiri said.

"Soooo, we can like. Live here now, right?" Nyancy said.

"What? Sure, whatever." Shigaraki said.

"...welp, that's all the confirmation I need." Nyancy whistled.

"Why did you need-?" Kurogiri began. Before the misty bartender could finish, Nyancy opened the bar door and let in, at least, fifty cats.

"HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE?!" Spinner, Kurogiri, Toga, and Twice all asked in unison. The former two were asking out of shock while the latter's words carried a hint of joy to them.

"Oh, it's not that many," Nyancy handwaved.

"I'm not really a pet person," Shigaraki said, "Just keep them away from me and they'll be fine."

"I'm fine with this place being a cat cafe!" Toga grinned, picking up the one with the eye patch. "Ooooooooooooooh~ Aren't you so cute~!"

"Hey, you still gotta be careful with 'em, especially Patches there. Poor guy got into a fight so he's gotta wear that," Nyancy said.

"Promise I will! Hear that, you're safe with me!" Toga said, petting Patches on the head.

"I'm more of a dog person myself," Dabi said.

Cass couldn't help but pet one on the head, and even Mercury couldn't resist it. "Sucks we have to live here with all of them, but whatever..." Mercury said, looking away.

"...I'll stock up on milk and...cat food, I guess," Kurogiri sighed.

"Yes, you should!" Twice said, picking up a bunch of cats. "Wait, shit! I'M ALLERGIC! No I'm not!"

"Oh, wait, Twice, are you actually?" Nyancy asked, genuinely concerned.

"Aaaaand I need to get a stock of epi-pens as well apparently," Kurogiri added.

"No! Yes!" Twice said, shaking his head up and down, yes and no-

"He's not dying. He's fine." Dabi said.

"I'll still get some just in case," Kurogiri said.

"Please do! YOU DON'T NEED TO!" Twice yelled.

"This is gonna be interesting." Sunny said, rolling her eyes.

Please leave a review!

Chapter Text

Back from my vacation! And my god am I ready to release new chapters.

Unease was a universal feeling for the students of Class 1-A. Prepared or not, U.A. High's exams were always something to worry about, but they needed to push down those concerns. The worst part was that, technically speaking, the first term's Hero Course final was more like two tests combined. There was the usual written test, just another ordinary exam, and then the practical test. The practical test, while the more in-depth details would only be revealed at the time of the exam, would be the students using all that they'd learned in some kind of mock situation, a battle, a rescue, or anything else a hero might encounter on the job.

Ochako's mind was filled with all sort of knowledge right now, and it hurt to think about how many hours of sleep she lost between studying and her work as 'Spanner'. Thankfully, she had coffee to keep her awake...

But God, she wished hot chocolate could give her the same feeling.

Ship's support was welcome this morning, as he could tell just how worried she was about the exams. He'd managed to merge with her phone for a minute and sent her an encouraging cat video. When the student heard the notification from her phone and saw who sent it, she smirked and petted the little Merchamorph's head.

"Thanks, buddy," Ochako beamed, "Here's hoping it all works out."

Ochako was in need of a good breakfast and a shower, and maybe another nap...but she'd at best get one of those things. The good breakfast was debatable.

"Hopefully the others are ready for this, too," Ochako said to herself before getting ready.

The chatter in Class 1-A's homeroom was all about review, review, review. Kids flashing flashcards at one another, comparing notes and asking Momo about memorization skills. It was a bit maddening, all this prep, but tests were always nightmares for the first years.

"Now, how many forces are required for an interaction?" Momo asked Kaminari.

Kaminari knocked on his head, trying to recall details. "Uh...forces, an action and a reaction?"

Momo nodded. "You're doing better! You've almost mastered chapter 5!"

"Yeah, of 15..." Kaminari looked away.

"Doing better than me at least. Why can't I just remember any of this?" Mina asked, mentally panicking.

"Memory lapses are a totally natural aspect of life for all of us." Tsu said, comforting her. "Don't feel too bad, Mina. I'm still struggling to remember some stuff."

"Yeah but you're at least up to Chapter 10. Doing soooooo much better than me."

"...well, sometimes stuff also comes easier to people." Tsu defended herself.

"Pfft. I can't believe you people are wasting your time studying. I have my system alllllllll figured out." Mineta said, putting his feet on his desk.

"And, if I may ask, what is that?" Sero inquired.

"Obviously, it's a secret! I can't share my brilliance with anyone!" Mineta stuttered.

"Even if she was a supermodel?" Sero snarked. "In particular, Toka Anri?"

Mineta averted his gaze. "N-not even her...no matter how much she begged..."

Sero frowned once more. "Okay, I was only making a joke, but you made it weird."

"It can't be that effective anyway," Toru sighed, "Besides, I think I'm getting the hang of all this."

"Then, you should have no problem telling me who Matthew Perry is." Iida said, folding his arms. "We went over him for quite a while..."

Tooru hummed. "Uh...the guy from Friends?" Iida looked so defeated, but Tooru snickered. "I'm kidding! He pushed Japan to engage in trade with the US and requested a treaty allowing trade and the opening of Japanese ports to US merchant ships."

Iida beamed. "Thank goodness. You had me for a second."

"Helped lighten the mood a little, right?" Tooru beamed, even if no one could see her.

Jirou shook her hand a bit. "A little too 'sitcom-y' but yeah, it was fine."

"I thought it was funny." Mashirao admitted. "But just a little funny."

"Hey, a little's better than none!" Tooru cheered.

"Hey, quiz me." Kirishima insisted. "I know this stuff down cold!"

Iida was happy to see his classmate's enthusiasm. "Alright then, we'll see how much Bakugou's tutoring has paid off. What is the derivative of arcsec(x)?"

"Easy. 1/(|x|√(x²-1))." Kirishima said. Iida's eyebrows went up.

"...hm, alright." Iida hummed. "Can you take the dot product of a scalar?"

"To get the scalar quantity, the dot product of two vectors is evaluated. As a result, the dot product of a vector and a scalar is impossible."

Everyone was taken aback by Kirishima's sudden show of intelligence.

"Man, now I feel like I should've tagged along with Kirishima." Kaminari said. "Whatever Bakugou did, it worked."

Momo felt a bit sad when she heard that. "Yeah..."

Tooru noticed that and just decided to be blunt with it.

"What did Bakugo even do to help you with this?" the invisible girl asked.

"Can't tell you that- it'd ruin the secret." Kirishima said. "All I can say is, I feel like I'm seriously gonna ace the exam."

"That's good to hear, Kirishima." Izuku said. "It'd be nice to go to this summer training with everyone."

"Yeah, it feels weird- it's only been a few months, but I feel like I've known you guys since forever ago." Ochako said.

"Glad to know it's more than me," Tsu nodded.

"Of course it is!" Mina chimed in, "Almost feels like we were destined to meet."

"Bringing in destiny now? Really?" Tooru joked.

"It's called being dramatic."

"Let's just promise to stick through these exams together, okay?" Iida said. "We're getting closer and closer to becoming proper heroes- and we can conquer this roadblock together!"

The others couldn't help but cheer in agreement. Save Bakugou, of course, like he'd be caught dead cheering on with them. Ochako noticed that out of the corner of her eye, but ignored it. Whatever would happen next...they'd be ready.

"Yeah, and after we're done with the written part, we just have the practical exam!" Tooru cheered.

Ochako froze. Oh, dang! The practical exam!

"...practi...cal..." Mina began to pale.

"...am I the only who remembered?" Tooru asked.

"We've been focused on the written exam so much," Iida realized, "We never even considered the physical part."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad, right?" Kaminari said, suddenly pale. "It won't be that bad!?"

"A-ah! I dunno if my totally foolproof cheating strat will work there!" Mineta panicked. All eyes went to him. Mineta awkwardly cleared his throat. "I-I mean, foolproof studying strat!"

"...smooth recovery," Tsu quipped, "But...still, do we know anything about it?"

"Since we're still first years, it'll be like feeling around in the dark. But I can't imagine anything unusual about it," Todoroki mused, "Possibly even a more intensive version of a scenario we've already experienced."

"Oh my God, I completely forgot you could talk-" Tooru cracked a joke.

"I talk all the time." Todoroki explained.

"But not frequently." Tooru smirked.

"Back on track, we need to consider what it could be," Iida said, "Basic, battle, and rescue training are what we've dealt with so far. So it's possible they may do a more intensive version of any of those."

"Rescue would be easy to deal with...maybe," Tsu thought it over.

"I dunno if they'd have us do rescue right now, we don't know all the safety techniques like CPR and stuff." Kaminari countered.

"Maybe it will be like the entrance exam?" Aoyama suggested, "I doubt they used all the robots they had there."

"Perhaps. Though they would have to scale back the number used," Tokoyami added.

"Or toughen them up." Todoroki suggested. "We fought them again at the Sports Festival. They could change them up."

Mina couldn't help but imagine a scenario where the teachers only brought out five upgraded robots, but they could combine like any number of popular mecha, from Transformers to Super Sentai. As cool as that'd be, the hell that could be unleashed from a mecha like that would be unmatched.

"Maybe we shouldn't hope for the robots," Mina chuckled nervously.

"We should ask Mr. Aizawa. He's our teacher, he'd surely know what the exam would be." Momo said.

"Oh, true." Tooru hummed. "We'll get a straight answer from him!"

"Because you forgot the exam came in two parts?" another voice said.

"Yeah? That's what we've been talking about for the past-" Tooru turned to see who said that. If she could visibly turn pale, she'd be snow white right now, because Aizawa had just walked in.

"Before you ask, no. I'm not going to reveal the practical exam." Aizawa said. "We're trying hard to keep that underwraps."

"Oh..." the invisible girl said, deflating a bit.

"Just worry about your written portion first before getting all worked up about your practical one. You have two days before the written and four days before the practical." Aizawa said. "I'd recommend you not skimp on training yourself physically."

Still a two day break between the exam portions, much to Ochako's relief.

Let's just hope it was enough.

The written exam came and went- it was a usual 'write, write, daydream' sort of test. It was a borefest. But it was an important borefest that held impending doom in its hands.

Ochako had essentially blocked everything else out when she was going through the test, not even registering who had finished before her until after the test was finished. She wasn't among the first people to finish, but she wasn't the last. She was more in the middle, finishing around the same time as Izuku and even Tokoyami and Tsu.

Everyone was pretty shocked about Kirishima's grades- beforehand, he was scoring low grades. They weren't as bad as Mina or Kaminari, but they were notable. On all of his exams, Kirishima had gotten...As. All As.

Kirishima patted himself on the back. "I had a good tutor."

Ochako was happy to learn that she had passed, with a lot of high Bs and one A. The Omnitrix wielder felt so accomplished and happy- she threw herself a little celebration at her apartment.

At lunch the next day, grades were being discussed. Kaminari sighed in relief.

"Didn't fail, but didn't do terribly. 65," the shock-Quirk user said, "You, Mina?"

"69." Mina said simply.

"Nice."

"Nice." Mina agreed.

"...I failed...so much..." Mineta groaned, looking at his multiple D and E grades.

"Called it," Tooru smirked.

"What did you get?" Tsu asked.

"76, somehow!"

"Wooow, that's pretty good." Tsu smiled.

"Right? So much better than my usual grades!" Tooru beamed.

"What'd you get?" the invisible student asked.

"80s, pretty average for me. Not gonna beat myself up about it like Tokoyami is." Tsu pointed over to Tokoyami, who was sulking.

"Truly, that exam was a mad banquet of darkness…" Tokoyami said.

"Someone's being dramatic," Tooru joked, "What about the two smartest people in class? You guys didn't miss a single question right?"

"Nope." Todoroki said, not realizing Tooru was joking.

"Perfect marks, all across!" Momo smiled.

"Knew it!" the invisible smirked.

"It's nice that, uh, most of us passed," Izuku said, his eyes shifting to Mineta when he said "most," "but we shouldn't get too overconfident. We still have the practical exam to worry about."

"Agreed. Though, with so little known about it, that does seem like more of a challenge," Iida chimed in.

"Even if they only tell us at the last minute, we'll need to be-" Izuku was interrupted when something smacked into the back of the eager student's head. "Ow!"

"Ah, sorry. My tray couldn't get around that big head of yours." A very snarky voice said. Making his appearance for the first time today was Class 1-B's Monoma. Get ready for some snark, people.

"Monoma of Class B, right?" Iida asked. "That was very rude of you-"

"Oh, so the attention seekers know my name." Monoma blurted. "Good."

Everyone at the table rolled their eyes.

Iida sighed. "I don't exactly appreciate you bumping into my friend's head like that, and I can tell you did it on purpose-"

"Rich coming from the Hero Killer chaser." Monoma grinned. Iida looked offended. "Guess the sport's festival wasn't enough. You just keep getting attention with one stunt after another, don't you? What, do you think the 'clout' you chase after will make you a more popular hero? Pathetic! Hero work is a dangerous job, not meant for imbeciles like you!"

The table just looked at Momoma with a bunch of blank expressions.

"...okay? Kind of a weird thing to say." Ochako frowned.

"ESPECIALLY when you went out of your way to hurt Izuku." Tooru pointed out.

"I'm just worried that one of these days, we're all gonna get swept up in your antics and we'll be the injured party this t-" Monoma was suddenly chopped in the shoulder by someone. He fell to the ground, twitching in pain. Everyone (except Todoroki, who was focused on his meal) looked down to the ground.

Itsuki Kendo grabbed the boy from off the ground. "Sorry about that. He's been like this for the past few weeks."

"Thank you, Miss Kendo." Iida said, bowing his head. "I didn't want to 'cross' into your line of jurisdiction with your class."

Kendo sighed. "It's fine. Monoma is...passionate about our class."

If you want to call it that, Ochako thought.

"I heard you guys talking about the practical exam. I'm pretty worried about it too." Kendo looked around the room, and leaned in. "Buuut...Uraraka's in the ball park, from what I heard."

Izuku piped up. "Wait, really?"

"Who's your source on this?" Tsu demanded.

"I know one of the older students- she's a bubbly one, but she knows her way around UA. It's a little unfair the teachers haven't told any of us yet…" Kendo explained.

Izuku slapped his forehead. "Not unfair at all! Preliminary intel gathering is just one aspect of the exam...why didn't I think to ask the second or third years...?"

Kendo looked pretty confused.

"That's our version of Monoma's ramblings." Ochako pointed out.

"They're very inoffensive." Iida added.

"Kendo, we had an intel advantage over them…" Monoma whined. "That was our chance to do better than them...those detestable ba-"

Kendo smacked him again. "They're not detestable." She then dragged him away.

Todoroki looked up from his meal. "She seems nice." He added. Everyone agreed.

"It's just...the robots?" Kaminari repeated.

"Again?" Mina asked, getting close.

"From what Kendo said." Izuku nodded.

"So there's less worry about that." Ochako said.

Shoji hummed. "You two always need to dial back your quirks to face off against human opponents, but with robots…"

"Against robots, it's an easy win! We can go all out!" Mina beamed.

"No need to worry about hurting someone, too. Summer training camp, here we come!" Kaminari cheered.

A desk chair moved back. Bakugo stood up. "Please. Humans or robots, I'd just blast them all. What's the big deal, moron?"

Kaminari huffed. "Who are you calling a moron, moron?"

"Says the moron who can't figure out how to dial back their power AND loses brain cells from it." Bakugou scoffed.

Kaminari deflated. Bakugou's attention turned to Izuku.

"Hey, Deku!" Izuku turned to face him. "You're getting better at controlling your quirk. Stop pissing me off like that. I'm not looking for some hollow victory like at the sports festival. When it comes to our term grades, I'll make sure I score so damn high that it'll make your grades look like shit!" Bakugou pointed a finger at Todoroki. "And same to you, you half and half bastard."

"Heyyyyyyyyyyy buddy, how about we just get back to helping ME study?" Kirisihima came up from behind and awkwardly tugged on Bakugou's shoulder.

"Whatever…" Bakugou threw the door open and slammed it hard enough that the door almost came off its track.

"Geez. Is he on his period or something?" Mineta scoffed. A bunch of girls shot the pervert an angry look. "Oh, what? I know 5 girls who would've laughed at that."

Yeah right. Ochako said, rolling her eyes.

"Bakugou sure is fired up for exams." Iida noted.

Satou scratched his head. "I haven't seen him fired up like this in a while. Just when I thought we'd have quieter lives…"

"Is it uneasiness? Or sheer hatred?" Tokoyami wondered aloud.

Bakugou and Kirishima walked down the hall, with Bakugou still seething. Kirishima was trying to get him out of this horrid mood- both of them were unaware of Aizawa, watching the two.

Aizawa sighed. Bakugou...you're going south faster than I thought.

It was a sunny morning when Class 1-A of gathered to take the exam. They were dressed in their hero costumes, ready to take on the practical exam that would determine whether or not they passed this semester.

Aizawa was waiting for them at the entrance, looking as stoic as ever. "Alright, let's go down to the test site," he said, gesturing towards the bus that was parked nearby.

The students got onto the bus, chatting excitedly about what the practical exam might entail. Some were nervous, while others were confident in their abilities. Ochako sat quietly on the bus and looked out the window at the passing scenery. Her heart was beating fast in her chest, and her hands were shaky. She couldn't help being nervous about the practical exam.

She had worked hard all semester to get better, but the idea of failing made her feel terrible. She couldn't help but feel jealous of the other students' confidence as she watched them talk and laugh. They all seemed so sure of themselves, but she felt like she was barely holding it together.

Ochako inhaled deeply and tried to calm down. She thought about how hard she had worked and how far she had come. After all, Ben chose her for a reason.

When they arrived at the test site, Ochako stepped off the bus. The first thing Ochako took note of was how many teachers there were at the examination grounds. Aizawa, Present Mic, Number 13, Cementoss, Snipe, Ectoplasm, Midnight- what was going on? Ochako's heart started pounding even harder as she saw all the teachers gathered at the examination grounds. She couldn't understand why there were so many of them there.

Aizawa cleared his throat. "Please note- it's possible to pass the written exam and fail the practical. Don't mess this up." Ochako clenched her fist. She knew she couldn't fail here- especially with all the hard work she put in.

"Knowing you guys, you probably asked around about the exam for a vague idea." Aizawa guessed correctly.

"We know it's a robot rumble. Like the entrance exam." Kaminari said.

"Bring on the metalheads!" Mina cheered.

Principal Nedzu suddenly popped up- out of Aizawa's scarf. "Not quite! We decided to 'revise' this year." Was he in there the entire bus ride over?

Mina and Kaminari's faces fell- OH, God.

"Revise?" Momo repeated.

Nedzu hopped down from Aizawa's scarf and onto the ground. "We've decided that starting this year, we'll focus on placing you in groups of four and pitting you against flesh and blood opponents. It is vital that our instruction reflects practical experience."

Ochako suddenly got a weird feeling in her stomach. "Wait...does that mean…"

"Indeed! You'll be fighting...us teachers." Nedzu grinned. The class flinched at that.

"And here are your groups!" Nedzu handed out a sheet of paper with names on it. Ochako's name was at the top…

Group 1:

Uraraka Ochako

Izuku Midoriya

Kirishima Eijiro

Bakugou Katsuki

Group 2:

Momo Yaoyorozu

Shoto Todoroki

Kyoka Jiro

Mina Ashido

Group 3:

Hanta Sero

Mashirao Ojiro

Koji Kouda

Tooru Hagakure

Group 4:

Mineta Minoru

Rikido Sato

Tsuyu Asui

Mezo Shoji

Group 5:

Iida Tenya

Kaminari Denki

Yuga Aoyoma

Fumikage Tokoyami

Her? In a group with Izuku and Bakugou? Uh oh.

"Deku…" Bakugou glared daggers at Izuku, before Kirishima got in between the gaze.

"Ahahaha, nice! We're…we're working together." Kirishima said.

Izuku nervously looked away, and shuddered. "A-and who's our opponent?"

"That would be me." All Might stepped forward, grinning. "I am here!"

Ochako gulped. She'd faced aliens, robots and misguided kids- but she NEVER thought she would ever take on the Symbol of Peace…

This was going to be a ROUGH exam.

"Group 2...you'll be facing off against me." Aizawa smirked. "I can't promise that I'll be any easy opponent."

Momo clenched her fist- she was ready for the exam.

"Group 3, you'll be facing off against me." Ectoplasm said. "You've seen some of your exam grades...I expect all of you to fight like your life depends on it."

The group (sans Ojiro) all gasped. That wasn't a good sign.

"That was a joke. Most of your grades were fine." Ectoplasm said.

Tooru clutched her chest. "That's a relief…"

Midnight stepped forward. "Group 4, you're up against me."

"R-really?" Mineta's eyes widened.

Midnight frowned. "Yes, and I will be a VERY harsh grader, MINETA."

Mineta looked starstruck. "S-she knows my name…" Mineta drooled.

"...uh, duh? She's a teacher. She knows all our names." Satou said, slapping him upside the head with REALITY.

"And that leaves our group...who are we to face?" Iida asked.

Nedzu stepped forward. "And Group 5 will be going up against me."

"You're getting involved in this as well, principal?" Iida asked. He was taken aback by this news.

"Of course! Why would I not be?" Nedzu laughed.

"I dunno- we've never really seen you fight." Tsu said.

"Oh, I don't fight." Nedzu took a long swig of his coffee. "I destroy."

The group watched the principal walk away. There were red flags alllll around that response.

"Now, 5 stages have been prepared. All teams will begin simultaneously. The test guidelines will be explained by your respective opponents." Aizawa said. "All the stages are on school grounds- please report to your respective buses."

Aizawa motioned over to some buses that had the digits 1-5 on their backs. Ochako took a deep breath, as she and the others walked towards their buses. The students shouted words of encouragement to one another, but all of their stress levels had honestly sky rocketed. Bakugou was walking ahead of Ochako and the others, trying to avoid conversation.

"Something tells me he's not gonna be in the mood to strategize." Ochako shook her head.

"I'm just glad it's not gonna just be me and him taking on All Might alone. I dunno if we could've done that." Izuku sighed.

"Man...I was so ready to smash up some robots again." Kirishima pouted. "I did pretty good with that."

"That's right!" Izuku remembered. "I forgot that you ranked second in the entrance exam."

Kirishima snickered. "Yeah- I had a healthy mix of villain and rescue points. It was pretty great. Should've seen the looks on my folks face when I told them I got second…"

Ochako tried to imagine what Kirishima's parents looked like- all she could see was just a shark-like woman and a hyper masculine man all throwing confetti for their son. Ochako shook her head.

"And I ranked third...do you think they grouped us together because of that?" Ochako guessed.

"Maybe- but Iida scored higher than me. It'd make sense for him to make my place over him." Izuku said.

"Maybe it's because we've got synergy." Ochako guessed.

"Yeah- you and Midoryia have some serious chemistry," Kirshima began, making the two blush. "...In terms of powers. He wrecks the environment, you use it to your advantage with your zero gravity quirk...then with me and Bakugou, I can withstand any blast he could throw my way."

"That could be it- Kirishima and I are well rounded attackers, Ochako is our 'support' and Bakugou is our hyper offensive attacker." Izuku theorized.

"So, there's that...but why have US go up against All Might?" Ochako asked.

Neither Izuku or Kirishima could come up with an answer with that. But All Might knew exactly why…

When the teachers of the first years all gathered together, they had to decide who to pair up with who, and that required rigorous debate.

"...the kids need to work on communicating skills, so let's have him face off against an overwhelming opponent with a bunch of support class heroes- Ectoplasm, how would you feel taking up the task?" Aizawa asked.

"I feel like I'm more than ready." Ectoplasm nodded. "Shouldn't take much to back them into a corner and put them out of their comfort zone."

"Momo's group has a similar idea to it. Momo may be a genius, but she falters when deciding and acting in the moment." Aizawa said. "We have two fighters who are heavily reliant on their mutant quirks, and one who's clearly out of element without any elements. I'll erase their quirks and exploit their weaknesses. Any objections?"

"Sounds right to me." Midnight said. "...so, I'm facing Mineta?"

"Yes."

"I'm gonna straighten that kid out for some comments he's been making…" Midnight said, a slight malicious grin on her face. Aizawa understood why.

"Now, All Might…" Aizawa said, turning to him.

"Yes, I wanted to ask- why put Bakugou and Midoryia on the same team?" All Might asked, flipping through the document.

Aizawa glared at All Might. "They're on bad terms, and I'm hoping put them in a situation with people they're familiar with could help 'buffer' out some of their issues."

"I see...interesting." All Might was skeptical, but still willing to try.

"We also know how you've been a very vocal supporter of Midoriya- we figured having YOU face him could be a good way to guide him." Nedzu said.

All Might hummed. "My mentor did the same for me...so, I suppose I'll do the same back."

The bus ride over was very awkward. Ochako, Izuku and Kirishima sat close to one another, All Might was up near the front and Bakugou was in the back.

All Might was attempting to keep some camaraderie up by making odd bits of conversation. "So...any plans for the summer?"

Kirishima hummed. "Dunno- the summer training isn't until August, so we have a few weeks to do whatever. I haven't really thought about that."

"Uh...I guess training?" Izuku shrugged.

"Trying not to sweat to death in my apartment." Ochako said, looking away. You had to sacrifice the necessities to survive.

Bakugou said nothing.

"Ah, yes- I remember my first time at the summer training regiment." All Might sighed, thinking to his glory days. His 'better days'.

"What was it like?" Kirishima asked, invested.

"The camps usually emphasize honing your quirks- so, I was fighting all day! No breaks, just fighting!" All Might laughed.

Izuku, Kirishima and Ochako shared a look.

"Oh, trust me. I got off easy. My classmates like the Skipper had to spend all day underwater, swimming around...The Basalt Bowman had to hit targets from miles away, constantly producing arrows from his body...oh, and Triumph-!" All Might went on, before the bus suddenly stopped. "Ah, we're here already? Shame- I wanted to reminisce more about my past-"

Bakugou stood up, and stormed out the door. "Write a damn autobiography if you wanna ramble. Let's get this over with."

All Might watched Bakugou leave. He nervously coughed. "R-right, then."

The four of them left the bus, and stood before the gates of the testing ground. "Woah, Cementoss went all out on this testing ground." Kirishima laughed. "Where's his Pritzker Prize?"

"It looks like downtown Kyoto." Izuku said.

"So, All Might. How does this test work?" Ochako asked.

"Allow me to fully explain." All Might held up a pair of handcuffs. "The time limit for your exam is 30 minutes! Your objective is to either get these handcuffs on me, or have two or more people escape from the stage. The test is meant to simulate a true battle as closely as possible. Think of me...as the Symbol of Fear!" All Might's costume suddenly changed color- it lost its usual red, blue and yellow color and became black and white.

Izuku gasped. "Oh my god, the Bronze Age costume-!" He geeked.

"Shut up…" Bakugou muttered.

"Now, if we do meet in battle and win, that's just fine. However, if you find yourself overwhelmed, fleeing and calling for help may be your best option." All Might explained.

"Like our battle training." Kirishima nodded. "Good way to tie up the semester."

"Fight or flight...okay, simple enough. It's based on decision making." Ochako hummed.

"Are you sure we can just run off? You're on another level than any of the drones we fought." Izuku asked.

"I'm glad you asked, young Midoryia!" All Might pulled out something from behind his back. It looked like an ankle weight of some sort. "Behold, the Support Course's Ultra Compressed Weights! It's a handicap, made to weigh me down with a whole extra fifty percent of my own body weight. Supposed to stimulate slower movements and stamina drains." All Might put the multiple weights on his wrists and legs. "Shoot, it's heavier than I thought it'd be."

Bakugou scoffed again. "Trying to bring this fight down to our level or something? That's an insult.

All Might laughed. "We'll see about that...now, report to the center of the city! When everyone else is in place...the exam will begin."

The gang began to plot as they made their way to the center.

"I recommend that we avoid battle." Izuku started.

"Agreed—weak or not, it's still All Might. Everyone watched him punch Nomu into the sky." Ochako said.

"I have no idea how weak those bracers are making All Might, but if push comes to shove, I could take some attacks from him- my hardening quirk's been improving." Kirishima boasted.

"I've been meaning to ask, is there any 'limit' to your power?" Izuku asked. If he had his notebook right now, he'd be writing this all down. "Momo has to rely on lipids, Hanta's tape, as I've theorized, is made from Vitamin D, which explains his dry skin and-"

"I guess my stamina? I lose stamina from trying to keep my Quirk active, overextending myself. I was so focused on buffing up my own defense, I neglected that…" Kirishima said.

"I have a few attack ideas, if we ever get into battle." Ochako said. "A lot of them involve throwing you at All Might, since you're probably the only one of us who can take multiple hits. Or having you and Izuku wreck the pavement so I can use the surroundings to my advantage."

"Look at you, getting in the mindset." Kirishima smirked. "Bakugou could help too, he could wreck some of the buildings-"

"I'm not getting involved with your plans." Bakugou said flatly, not bothering to turn around.

The group froze.

"Yes, you are. This is a group effort-" Ochako argued.

"And you'll just slow me down. You guys can run, but I'm gonna beat him down." Bakugou scoffed.

"No, we're better off avoiding battle." Ochako said, crossing her arms.

Bakugou laughed. "Bullshit. Beating him down is the best option! We'll let him toy with us until the very end- then, when he's exhausted, I'll let him have it!"

Izuku and Ochako shared a look.

"This is All Might we're talking about. Even with his handicap, there's no way you can beat him, Kaccha-"

Bakugou turned around and backhanded Izuku in the face. Deku collapsed to the ground, gripping his face in pain.

"Deku!" Ochako rushed over to help Izuku.

Kirishima was pissed. "Dude, what the hell is the matter with you!? You don't hit your teammate!"

"Stop. Talking. You think you're all that!? It's pissing me off." Bakugou growled. Ochako clenched her fist. Bakugou took notice.

"What, you gonna take another swing at me now?" Bakugou grinned. "Your new job got fired up, just because you took out some stupid thugs?"

Kirishima tilted his head. Job?

"Yeah, I'm angry!" Ochako said. "We're up against the best of the best, and one of my teammates is acting like a real…real…DICK!"

"You need to work with us, Kacchan!" Izuku said. "It's our only way of passing the exam!"

"FORGET IT!" Bakugou yelled. "You think I need your stinking powers to pass!?"

Izuku looked angry- Ochako had never seen Izuku that enraged. Even when the Nomu was attacking them back at the USJ.

"Stop yelling for ONCE! This is why we can never actually talk!" Izuku yelled back.

The building beside them suddenly exploded, thanks to a single punch from All Might. The force of the blow sent the four students flying back, and wrecked the downtown area of the city.

All Might walked out from the dust, wearing a notably grim visage. The signature smile on his face was nowhere to be seen, and that black and white costume made him feel menacing.

"Think of this as just a test, and you're gonna have a baaaaaaaad time, heroes." All Might said, with one of his eyes glowing...

i love undertale

Anyways, please leave a review!

Chapter Text

Hey y'all, life is moving too fast! hate it

here's the discord join code: mY2QfzMjGt

All Might had just destroyed Bakugou's entire career with a few punches.

"Even with those handicaps…" Ochako noted.

"He's still so strong!" Kirishima finished.

"Of course- I'm a villain, heroes." All Might held up his hand and motioned for them to come at him. The group didn't move. "Very well...then I'll just come at YOU!

All Might launched himself at the quartet, arms outstretched. The power he used to launch himself caused the ground to shake. Izuku saw DEATH when All Might came at them.

"RUN!" Izuku yelled. Izuku, Kirishima and Ochako bolted away, but Bakugou stood his ground.

"Bakugou! Get out of here!" Ochako yelled.

"YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! Bakugou aimed his two gauntlets at All Might and fired. A bright explosion blinded the 'villain'.

"STUN GRENADE!"

All Might stopped his attack to cover his eyes. Bakugou jumped up, ready to attack. "All Might! From the very damn start-" All Might grabbed Bakugou's face, and held him in the air. Bakugou struggled to aim his gauntlets at All Might's body. One aimed at his face, another aimed at his chest.

"I was expecting this." Bakugou smirked.

All Might was bombarded with Bakugou's explosions- they hurt more than he thought they would. Most people, when having their faces grabbed, would try and tear away. But Bakugou was dead set on beating All Might...

And nothing else.

All Might threw Bakugou over his shoulder, and onto the ground. Bakugou yelled- that attack knocked the wind out of his lungs.

"A weak barrage like that isn't enough to stop me…" All Might darkly chuckled. All Might jerked his head to face the other three students- their eyes were filled with fear, and they were ready to run. It reminded Izuku of Stain.

Kirishima got in front of the duo. "You two, go! We only need two people to pass through the gate to make the grade!"

"Red Riot-!" Ochako yelled.

Kirishima hardened his body as best he could- All Might's fists slammed into him, but the young hero stood his ground.

"GO!" Kirishima yelled.

Ochako and Izuku took off running- Ochako tapped her arms with three of her fingers, and jumped up. She was still somewhat floaty, but that was good. Maybe she needed to invest in something that could control her gravityless body. Ochako floated through the air, occasionally looking back to see All Might still focused on breaking through Kirishima's defenses. Izuku channeled his Full Cowling, and began to jump around from building to building. His parkouring skills had clearly improved. The movements were still 'Bakugou-esqe' but they had their own personal flair.

"Find the exit! Then we can-" Izuku yelled.

"NORTH DAKOTA-"

Izuku and Ochako swiveled their necks to see All Might, flying right at them. He grabbed Izuku's body, and tackled him to the ground.

"SMASH!"

Ochako shrieked as she lunged for the Omnitrix—it felt all too real. But simulating a fight was the purpose of the exam. Ochako had landed on top of a structure and went over to observe the massive cloud of debris.

"Deku!"

All Might jumped out of the dust cloud.

"SOUTH DAKOTA-"

Ochako attempted to flee, but All Might was too fast. He also hit hard- a flying boulder, as it were. He grabbed Ochako and tackled her through the building's roof.

"SMASH!"

Ochako groaned, as All Might let her go. Ochako rubbed her head.

I know this is a test, but OW! Ochako thought.

All Might looked around, as if checking for something. Ochako was confused. "Alright, good. No one else is around. And there's no security cameras monitoring this place...we're in the clear."

"Huh?" Ochako asked.

"We're testing ALL your abilities, kid. That includes...other powers." All Might tapped his wrist. Ochako caught on immediately.

"Come at me. I don't think Bakugou will stay down long." All Might taunted.

Ochako's face hardened. She wiped off some of the dirt from her face, and ripped off one of her damaged gauntlets. She activated the Omnitrix. "If you'll treat this as the real deal, then I will too!"

Ochako slapped down the Omnitrix. Her muscles started to swell, and her skin became red. Her hands became bulkier, and armor adorned her body. Four Arms's fists hit her knuckles, and she cracked her neck. "Don't take this personally."

The two immediately started to trade blows, punching each other like crazy. Their fists were like pistons constantly firing. Ochako could work through the pain- maybe those bracelets All Might was wearing were holding him back, or maybe Ochako was grossly misunderestimating Four Arm's durability.

Ochako swung her right two arms at All Might, knocking him back. All Might countered with his own powerful punch, driving it at Ochako's chest. Ochako caught his fist with her two big arms, while her lower arms unloaded bullet-like punches onto the pro.

All Might decided to take a page from Izuku- with his free hand, All Might flicked his fingers. The force of the wind was enough to propel Ochako into a wall, freeing All Might from her grasp. All Might tackled Ochako through a few more walls, but stopped at one.

"...does that wall lead to the outside?"

Ochako paused. "I think it's safe to crash through it."

"Good!"

All Might ran through another wall, and smashed Ochako onto the ground. Ochako kicked him off of her. All Might stumbled backwards- Ochako kicked herself back up, and smashed into All Might's face with her crash helmet. All Might cursed, and stumbled backwards.

Ochako wasn't finished yet. She drew her left fists back and delivered a devastating straight forward haymaker. All Might barely avoided the attack, but the fist crashed through another wall they hadn't yet burst through. All Might reacted quickly. He flipped around and pounded on the back of Ochako's head. She collapsed on the ground. All Might laughed as he put his foot on her back.

"You're pretty good, kid! You're still in desperate need of practice, tho-" All Might suddenly realized something- something was squeezing his back. All Might looked down to see Ochako was flexing her back muscles to hold All Might's foot in plac

"W-what the?!"

"Sure, I'm in need of that- but I'm great at improvising." Ochako slapped down her Omnitrix symbol, and turned into Big Chill. She immediately turned intangible, and froze All Might's body, save for his head.

"C-clever…" All Might grunted/

"Now, here's the thing...I could take some free shots at you right now, and easily pass the exam...or I could help my teammates." Ochako said.

All Might: Well, what are you gonna do?

Ochako froze All Might's body again. "Restrain you a little longer. I need to find my friends."

All Might grinned. "I can respect that."

Ochako reverted back to human, and ran off to find the others.

Ochako ran towards Izuku- the dust had cleared, and Ochako could clearly see he was stuck in between a gate that All Might had pinned on top of him.

"Deku!" Ochako yelled, running faster.

"U-ura raka?!" Izuku called out, his voice a mix of surprise and relief. Part of him wondered how she managed to escape from All Might, though when the adrenaline died down a bit, he knew.

"Did...did you...?" Izuku whispered when she was closer. Ochako touched the gate and used her Quirk to have the debris lift off of him.

"Yes. He made sure no one else was around before he let me. Knowing his power though, I don't know how long we've got!" Ochako said.

Izuku climbed out of the debris, and stood back up. "We need to regroup with Bakugou and Kirishima. Where are they?"

"No idea. Lucky I managed to find anyone honestly," the anti-gravity hero admitted.

"When All Might gets back in the fight and finds them on their own..."

"I know. We need to find them, fast."

"Hopefully Bakugou isn't being...Bakugou." Ochako frowned.

"And if he is...hopefully Kirishima can help him out..." Izuku added.

Kirishima helped Bakugou up (not of his own volition). "Man, I took those punches better than I thought I would've." Kirishima said. "You alright, man?"

"...where's All Might?" Bakugou frowned.

"Uh, he went after Midoryia and Ochako." Kirishima said. "Why-?"

Bakugou's hands lit up. "Keep up." Bakugou blasted himself off the ground, and began propelling himself through the air.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Kirishima yelled, chasing after him.

Explosions rocked the air, echoing out through the air, alerting everyone to Bakugou's presence, All-Might included. The icy prison that Ochako had put him in began to weaken, cracks forming all along its surface.

"Kacchan's back at it..." Izuku said, watching Bakugou fly through the air.

"COME ON! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Bakugou yelled. "COME OUT AND FIGHT!"

"Well...who am I to ignore such a blatant challenge?" All Might smirked, breaking free and shattering the icy prison. He dusted off the last remnants of ice from his shoulder before leaping over to the source of the explosions. Jumping from building to building, the number one pro quickly made his way to where Bakugou was, zeroing in on the source of the explosions.

"I AM HERE!" All Might yelled, winding up a punch. All Might was about to hammer Bakugou to the ground-

But Bakugou propelled himself upwards, and positioned himself over All Might. He placed both of their arms in front of him, and yelled. Bakugou focused all of his energy into creating a giant beam-like explosion that hit All Might at point blank range.

Izuku and Ochako were quick to run- the explosion was big enough to require some good distance. The group passed Kirishima as they ran.

"Hey, where are you-!" Kirishima suddenly saw the explosion, and turned around. "WAIT UP!"

Bakugou could only madly grin as the explosion slammed into All Might, the sheer force of the explosion pushing him back. The other three were just running away from the blast zone, hoping not to get caught up in it. Kirishima...might have been safe, though that was a very shaky "might," given just how much power the impulsive student was putting into the attack.

Ochako, Izuku and Kirishima ducked behind a building, and felt the ground shake and listened to the sound of debris crumble. Ochako took a few deep breaths.

"...he's crazy." Ochako said. "He's crazy about taking down All Might!"

"Why the hell is acting so irrational!?" Kirishma frowned.

"He said we'd never win facing him head on...why be a hypocrite here?" Izuku asked.

Suddenly, something dawned on Izuku.

"He's trying to one up me."

"He's what?!" Ochako and Kirishima asked in unison. Sure, Bakugou could be stubborn, rude, and abrasive, but he couldn't be that petty. Could he? Even if he could be, why aim it all at Izuku? Ochako knew, but there's no way it was because he got ahold of One for Al and not Bakugou. So...what the hell?!

"He's jealous about my Quirk." Izuku frowned, looking down at his hand. "I've been growing at an incredible rate, and Bakugou's just stuck at the same level. I faced an actual villain, and Bakugou wasted his time with Best Jeanist...he's angry."

Ochako slowly realized what he meant.

Did Bakugou resent Izuku because he was All Might's successor?

"That...that's...oh my god," Kirishima groaned, "So what are we supposed to do?"

"This is a test. We're being judged on our ability to work together. Whether Bakugou is on board or not, we need to cooperate and outsmart All Might." Izuku said. "And that means trying to get Bakugou out of there now."

"Do you have a plan?" Ochako asked.

"A small plan could knock All Might down for a short while," Izuku said. "Kirishima, how heavy are you in your 'bulkiest' mode?"

Kirishima paused to think. "I dunno, like a good 300 pounds?"

"Uraraka?" Izuku turned to the anti-gravity hero and immediately it all clicked.

"On it! Follow me!" Ochako motioned to Kirishima to follow her, before racing off for the roof of a nearby building.

All Might had survived the explosion, though not unscathed. His suit was torn, and his body was singed from the explosion. "Almost had me there, young Bakugou...I commend you for your bravery in that attack."

Bakugou fought to get to his feet.

"You're envious, aren't you? Of Midoryia's growth. You're level 50 when he starts at level one." All Might said. "And, somehow, Izuku has nearly reached your level. Bakugou, you still have room to develop! But you can't do it alone right now."

Bakugou stood up violently and coughed.

"...if you mean I have to rely on his help..." Bakugou groaned. "Then I'd rather lose."

"It doesn't have to be young Midoriya, you know," All Might countered, "You could simply ask someone else for assistance. Not all the time, mind you, but not every scenario will be one you can just blast through."

"You stand alone." Bakugou countered. "No matter what you come against, you always try to win. By yourself. No matter how bad it looks. I worshiped that as a kid. The lone hero, the solution to the battle's end. I want to be that hero."

Bakugou stood back up, eyes full of rage. "The best hero who doesn't need ANYONE else!"

"Young Bakugou...you are aware I've had sidekicks in the past, aren't you?" All Might began.

"And did they ever assist you in battles against the foes you struggled with?" Bakugou said. "They looked to YOU to stop them."

"Because their Quirks were not suited for combat. In a way, their Quirks complimented my own. Think of it as the pieces of a-"

Before the top pro could continue his speech, Izuku rocketed past All Might and grabbed Bakugou by the wrist.

"Hold on!" Izuku yelled.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Bakugou shouted.

"Young Midoriya!" All Might called out.

"You'd rather LOSE!?" Izuku yelled- he was fuming at that. "That doesn't sound like you at all!"

Bakugou struggled to get out of his grasp. "Let go of me!"

"Whether or not we try to beat All Might or run from him, I'm drawing blanks on how to beat him." Izuku admitted. "But why not try using me before we give up?"

Bakugou growled.

"I don't want to hear you say that it's okay if we lose!" Izuku said. "You're the one who doesn't surrender!"

Up above the number one pro, Ochako let Kirishima use his Quirk to shift into his bulkiest form. With a quick tap on his shoulder, Ochako was quickly able to lift the bulwark of a hero-in-training into the air.

Kirishima quietly floated above All Might- when Ochako felt he was at a good drop height, she quickly released her Quirk's hold on the boy.

"HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kirishima shouted as he dropped. With most of All-Might's attention focused on Bakugou and Izuku's argument, he did the one thing villains have a comic tendency not to do. Look up.

"What the-" All Might looked up, to see Kirishima crossing his arms in front of his body.

"RED...CROSS!" Kirishima yelled, as he plummeted towards All Might.

"Cleverly do-!" All Might began before his student slammed down from above. Much like Bakugou's attack, Red Cross caused a massive impact, sending dust flying into the air.

"Right as he was complementing us, too," Ochako chuckled a little.

All Might had been knocked down by the attack. Kirishima laid on top of him, and returned to his normal form.

"I'M ALIVEEEEE!" Kirishima yelled, as Ochako ran over.

"Red Cross?" Ochako joked, as Kirishima got off All Might. "Is that a super move?"

"Yeah, kinda on the spot." Kirishima admitted.

"Think we can workshop the name?" Ochako asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, probably. Was a bit literal with it so," Kirishima rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"And taken." Ochako said, running off.

All Might groaned. "These kids are getting more and more creative with their powers..." He mumbled. He was proud...

But also VERY hurt.

He did get back from the attack, it wasn't enough to take him out of the fight, but he was definitely going to commend the teamwork on display from Ochako and Kirishima. Part of him thought that was going to be, say, Gravattack or Four Arms, but he was glad to be wrong!

"Now...let's see what they're planning next."

Kirishima and Ochako regrouped with Izuku and Bakugou inside of a random building. Bakugou looked messed up, with his mask and parts of his costume torn up.

"Woah." Kirishima said. "I'm surprised you came out looking like that...consider yourself lucky."

"Whatever." Bakugou said.

"I know you hate losing, and I know you despise working with people, but we have to work together to win." Ochako said. "We need to put our hands together and think..."

"If either of you have ideas, I'm all ears," Kirishima said.

Bakugou looked around, and frowned. "...three of us can take him in a fight right now. Kirishima landed some blows on him, Deku can probably break through his defenses with one of his punches...and I can overwhelm him."

Ochako frowned. "What about me?"

Bakugou grinned mischievously. "You get the fun part."

Fun didn't sound great with that grin. Bakugou took off one of his gauntlets and tossed it towards Ochako.

"In case you forgot, my sweat is stored in order to maximize the strength and effects of my quirk. When the grenade pin is full, I just pull the pin and..." Bakugou snapped his fingers.

"Boom." Izuku shivered- he was on the receiving end of one of those once.

"You want me to pull what I did with Kirishima, just with a more explosive result?" Ochako asked.

"The close-range guys wear him down, Ochako gets the glory of taking the win. Sounds like a plan to me," Kirishima said, slamming his fists together.

"He'll never expect her to get the drop. He's just gonna think she ran towards the entrance." Bakugou said.

Ochako didn't appreciate that comment.

"Ok. I think...I know we can do this," Izuku said, steeling his determination.

Ochako equipped the gauntlet on her hand- the gauntlet was heavier than she thought it'd be. She had to tap on it to remove some of the weight on her arm. "RIght."

"Then let's show the number one pro what we can do," Kirishima smirked.

All Might was back up and running around, looking for those kids. Letting them catch him off guard like that? Careless. Also? These gauntlets were starting to feel really heavy.

The number one pro hummed to himself, looking at the time left for the team's final.

"Still plenty of time for them to try something...but they had better act soon," All Might said, continuing his search.

If he had to guess, Midoryia had convinced the others to run away. They were probably heading towards the exit. If that was the case, that was where-

"HEY! WHERE'RE YOU LOOKING, CHUMP?"

Bakugou blasted All Might from behind.

"Trying the same strategy as before? Unfortunate!" All Might called out, leaping after Bakugou. The stubborn student held his arms out behind him and began firing off smaller explosions in succession.

"That's it," Bakugou muttered, "Follow me."

All Might rushed after him, blinded by Bakugou's explosions. He could just easily follow the sound, but there was something off. Bakugou would've fought him head on…what was he playing at-

"KYAH!" Kirishima rammed into All Might from one side.

All Might was tackled into the side of another building, cracking the wall as he was embedded in it.

"I see...an ambush! Slowly but steadily improving, young Bakugou!" All Might grinned as he pried himself free of the wall.

"And he's not the only one!" Izuku yelled, rushing in for his own attack.

All Might was suddenly swarmed by the teens, and they were punching and kicking him. All Might absorbed the blows, and grunted.

"I see! Finally working with your team, are we?" All Might laughed. "NO MATTER!"

The top pro managed to free himself from the barrage of hits from the trio, jumping away to ensure as much distance between him and them as possible. He began winding up a punch, air swirling around his arm.

"NEBRASKA...SMASH!" All Might yelled, throwing the punch and launching a tornado at the trio.

The boys were swept up in the tornado- they were spun around and thrown through the air. "W-what the hell is with these obscure moves!?" Kirishima yelled.

All Might huffed, as he rolled his shoulder. "Haven't done that one in a while..."

"Nebraska Smash! He hasn't used this since his fight with the Vill-" Izuku began.

"Shut it, fanboy! How do we counter a damn tornado?!" Bakugou asked. He thought that maybe one of his explosions could free him from the tornado, but with how strong the winds were going, that might not work.

Izuku landed ontop of a building and stopped himself from falling. Izuku squinted and thought about his next action.

"...we need a counter." Izuku said, holding up his hand. "And I think I'm the only one who can do it."

"Whatever you're about to do, Izuku-OW!" Kirishima called out as he was tossed into a wall, "Better do it now!"

Izuku couldn't risk breaking his hand again, especially after Recovery Girl indicated she wouldn't treat him if he did. Izuku paused to think for a moment...and remembered something.

"Kacchan! How hot can your explosions get!?" Izuku yelled.

Bakugou frowned. "I dunno! 240° C? Why!?"

All Might watched in, curious as to how this would go.

What are you planning, young Midoriya? More importantly...I only see three of your four-member team. Hiding her as a trump card, perhaps? The top pro mentally mused.

"...go crazy with your explosions. To stop a tornado from developing, just keep heating it!" Izuku yelled.

"First plan I can one hundred percent agree with!" Bakugou grinned, holding out his hand. Explosion after explosion rang out, heating up the spinning air.

"Studious as ever, young Midoriya!" All Might beamed.

Bakugou began barraging the air with explosion after explosion. The sounds of the explosions were overwhelming, All Might couldn't hear anything else.

Especially not Ochako floating behind him. Ochako's finger was locked around the pin of the gauntlet.

Line up the shot...and... Ochako thought to herself, taking aim at the distracted All Might.

"Now!" Izuku called out. All Might, thinking he was talking to Kirishima or Bakugou, readied another Nebraska Smash.

Ochako pulled the pin out- she aimed the gauntlet at All Might, and closed her eyes. Ochako was sent flying backwards from the force of the explosion. She yelled and she helplessly spun through the air.

"THIS WAS SO MUCH MORE INTENSE THAN I THOUGHT IT'D BEEEEEEEE!" Ochako yelled, still spinning.

"All three of you were a distrac-!" All Might began, looking over his shoulder to see Ochako, before he was struck by the explosion.

"Yes!" Izuku cheered.

"Perfect shot!" Kirishima added.

"...it worked, I guess," Bakugou scoffed.

"Whatever! GO!" Kirishima yelled, as the trio took off. The trio spirited away, leaving All Might in the dust.

All Might coughed, and brushed off some dust from his body.

"They duped me..." All Might said, amazed. "They actually got a drop on me. They worked together."

Beat.

All Might laughed, amused. "Well, I'll take it. They compromised between running and fighting me...I had already dealt some damage to the area, so firing that attack in the same direction would minimize further destruction."

All Might stood back up. "They're clever...I was sure the team would fall apart with Bakugou being thrown in the mix. Bakugou and Midoryia are dealing with a multitude of feelings. Ochako is struggling with her new powers...and Kirishima is caught in the crossfire. A mediator."

All Might wiped some blood from his mouth. "They put aside their issues to take down a villain. This is a great first step...towards the future."

All Might looked back in the direction Ochako had flown off in.

"Well, she proved herself once. Let's see if she can do it again." All Might grinned.

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Chapter Text

HEY REAL QUICK GONNA POST THIS IT’S NOT LONG BUT HEY

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Ochako groaned as she got back up, still holding onto Bakugou's gauntlet.

"I...really should have seen that coming...honestly," the anti-gravity student huffed.

Ochako stood up again. She was completely lost in the city. However, the exit was a LONG distance away. That's all she knew. That, and her arm seriously hurt. The strong recoil took a toll on her shoulder.

"Great." Ochako said, throwing the gauntlet on the ground. "Now what?"

She thought it over and searched around for any security cameras. She could easily catch up with the others with XLR8 if need be.

Ochako hesitated to reach for her Omnitrix. It was so tempting to just do it, but she'd have a feeling Kirishima would question how she got here.

"I should install something on my boots to control my direction in midair..." Ochako sighed, looking at her boots. "Maybe like...rockets or something. That'd be cool." Maybe Mei could help out with that? Questions for later. For now, she just made her way through the city, heading to where she hoped the exit would be.

Ochako crossed her fingers. Hopefully, this would be a safe journey across the city-

BOOM. All Might smashed into the ground before her. Ochako shielded her face from the debris.

"There you are!" All Might called out, trying to get back into his villainous character.

Ochako looked around, trying to find maybe a way around him, still looking around for cameras as well. In a one-on-one, Ochako was woefully outmatched physically, but with a little Tetramand strength, it'd be more even. She just needed to make sure her secret was safe.

All Might launched himself at her. Ochako touched her sides and leaped up, escaping All Might's lunge. His failed attack had sent him flying into the side of a building. Ochako returned to the ground, frowning.

Looks like he won't be as kind this time, Ochako thought. I can't take him in a fight...

With what little time she had, what with the impact All Might made, she had one choice. Run.

Ochako ran as fast as she could. She could hear All Might getting back up, and readying another attack.

"PHOENIX..." All Might yelled, winding up a punch. He leapt up into the air, his silhouette blotting out the sun. Ochako ran even faster.

"SMASH!” All Might dropped back to the ground and smashed the street below him. The ground shook, like a Magnitude 3 earthquake had just gone off.

Ochako struggled to keep her balance through the shockwaves. She barely managed to support herself on one of the nearby walls.

"Not good, not good, not good...!" The student muttered to herself.

All Might bolted at her again. Ochako tapped the wall, and forced it in front of her. The makeshift shield blocked All Might's fist from smashing into her face.

That gave her a bit of an idea. With the ground no longer shaking, she raced off, tapping the walls and forming up makeshift barriers to stall him. She even managed to have them just skyward so as to block his leaps.

But this was All Might she was running from. The barriers probably bought her a few seconds, at most. But as little time as they bought, each second was precious to help in her escape.

"Please let this be the right waaaaay…" Ochako prayed.

All Might began to smash through the obstacles- they were effective in slowing him down, but not stopping him completely. Ochako cut through a building- this might be her chance to transform!

"Ooooh, no you don't!" All Might yelled, pointing his finger like a spear. "Vancouver..." All Might propelled himself forward, and his single finger slammed Ochako's hand into a wall. “SMASH!”

"E-eh?!" Ochako gasped. That was a new move. Maybe Izuku had heard of it, but if he hadn't then that would be a major surprise.

"Transforming isn't gonna be easy THIS TIME, hero!" All Might said. "You don't have Ben's master control yet, you have to use your Omnitrix manually! Restrain an arm and suddenly you're at a disadvantage."

Ochako tried to wriggle her hand out of his grasp, as All Might laughed.

"A-all right...you got me," Ochako said, "But there's one last thing..."

"And what's that, hero?" All Might sneered. Ochako didn't like how good All Might was at playing this role.

"Ben didn't JUST give me the Omnitrix- his sidekicks taught me some GREAT self defense." Ochako said, with her free hand grabbing his arm.

"Oho?" All Might beamed. Ochako quickly activated her Quirk and, with All Might's gravity turned off, pushed the top pro off of her. When she was free, she quickly dialed up a form on the Omnitrix and slammed down, transforming in a flash of pink light.

All Might's gravity returned to him, and he landed back on the ground. All Might looked around.

"Where'd she go?" All Might asked, looking around. All Might tried to recall the list of aliens Ben had given her. Heatblast, Four Arms, Big Chill...all very likely choices for combat.

However, even All Might hadn't anticipated Ochako's next alien.

Grey Matter looked down on All Might from the ceiling.

All Might was on guard now, thinking maybe Big Chill was the most likely candidate. After all, that form was more suited to ambush tactics.

Grey Matter hummed, watching All Might's moves. He fell for the bait. He thought I'd go for one of my more physical aliens, but lo and behold- I decided to out think him. That's the only thing this alien has over him.

Ochako looked around the building, for something she could manipulate. She couldn't exactly use the same "wreck the building on top of the villain" move she used on the Challenger. All Might was too smart for that...Ochako racked her brain for a few moments.

All Might walked around, searching for any sign of the student. Above him, Grey Matter scurried along the ceiling to keep him in sight.

Ochako cracked her knuckles and fingers, wiggled them, and grinned. “Pinch this never cluster and…”

Ochako pinched the specific area of skin.

All Might went stiff, freezing in place. Perfect!

"Ok...maybe not Ghostfreak!" The top pro muttered.

“Sorry, I just needed to pinch one of your nerve clusters.” Ochako said, climbing on top of All Might’s head.

"Nerve clust-GREY MATTER?!"

“Yeah, Grey Matter. The most unexpected alien to take you down.” Ochako grinned.

All Might tried to reach around and grab the diminutive alien, but Ochako simply pinched another nerve cluster, freezing the top pro again. Of all the aliens he thought that would be a challenge, this wasn't even on the list. He had to give her full marks for such a creative plan.

“Having trouble catching me?” Ochako teased, purposely crawling on his face to annoy him.

"A-admittedly..." the top pro grunted, trying his best to grab ahold of Ochako.

“Good.” Ochako said, crawling around his face and pinching some nerves on his neck.

All Might froze, unable to move his arms now.

"W-what...what did...?" All Might tried to ask.

“Pinched your axillary nerves. Don’t worry. Your arms are fine.” Ochako said. “Besides, it’s less painful than getting punched by Four Arms or getting crushed by Gravattack or-“

“Point taken!” All Might said.

"Should wear off in a few. But not before me and the others pass," the student smirked in victory.

“This was your plan- you knew you couldn’t take me down with force, so you had to outsmart me.” All Might said. “Clever.”

“I had to improvise when I got blasted backwards. But, yeah.” Ochako grinned.

"Now...one question for you. Do you actually know where the exit is?"

“…I’ll figure that out soon.” Ochako said. “But I know it’s the other way!”

All Might laughed. “Wrong, actually. The exit…is this way.”

"Which way?" Ochako asked. All Might forgot that his arms were paralyzed at the moment.

"Ah...well that's unfortunate...the way I came," The top pro said.

“…so, wait- they’re coming over HERE?!” Ochako said.

“Indeed.” All Might grinned. “Better hope your acupressure doesn’t wear off any time soon…”

"It...should be good," Ochako said, before she transformed back to her human form. Either way, she needed to find the others, fast. She bolted out of the building, leaving All Might behind, scanning the area for her trio of friends.

She spotted them, running down the street. Izuku beamed when he saw her.

“Urara-“

“RUN FASTER! ALL MIGHT’S HERE!” Ochako yelled.

"He's WHAT?!" Kirishima yelled.

"JUST GO!" Ochako shouted back.

Bakugou grunted, and jumped up- he blasted himself into the air. Propelled himself through the air to speed up his arrival. Izuku tapped into more of his power to run faster. And Kirishima…just ran faster than he already was.

He was sort of jealous he didn’t have that sort of mobility option.

Ochako tried that as well, trying her best to keep up with the walking tank of a student. Her mind raced as it repeated the same line over and over again.

Please let the nerve pinch last long enough.

All Might felt some sense of feeling return to his arms. He wiggled his fingers. “Now, come on legs…give me something…” All Might muttered.

With a few more explosions boosting him through the air, Bakugou could finally see it, the exit.

“COME ON-!” Bakugou yelled, boosting himself through the air.

All Might wriggled his toes- he could feel the sensation coming back. “Come on…I can throw one more challenge at them!”

"Hurry, hurry..." Izuku muttered to himself, occasionally looking over his shoulder to make sure All Might wasn't chasing them yet.

“I am here-!” All Might yelled, as the feeling returned to his body- he jumped up, out of the rubble. “AND I WILL NOT LET YOUR EXAM END SO ANTI CLIMATICALLY!”

Ohhh, come ON! Ochako mentally groaned. It couldn't have lasted a LITTLE longer?!

“Now! GET READY FOR-!”

Bakugou yelled, as he blasted himself towards All Might. The kid was like a speeding bullet, because he was practically a blur.

"Bakugou?!" Kirishima asked, watching the stubborn student race towards All Might.

"Well, that's certainly one approach!" All Might smirked a bit.

"GO!" Bakugou yelled, razing All Might with explosions and blasts.

"We're not just gonna leave him, are we?" Kirishim asked, looking at the others. He had a feeling he already knew the answer though.

"Part of me wants to go after him..." Izuku admitted. "But he's been impossible."

"Well...I mean yeah, but..." Kirishima was trying to find some kind of counter argument here.

"I know he wants to beat All Might down, but...going out of his way to do so is just gonna dock him some points." Ochako said. "I don't get his angle!"

"So...maybe we need to pull him away?" Kirishima asked.

As if to answer the question, All Might reached through the explosion barrage and grabbed Bakugou by the wrist before throwing him at the remaining trio.

Ochako, Izuku and Kirishima dodged Bakugou’s flying body- the body smashed into a building, and dropped to the ground. The other gauntlet had been broken open, and All Might was covered in Bakugou’s…sweat.

“Ew.” All Might said, trying to shake his body dry.

"Aaaaand on that note! Grab him and run!" Kirishima said, before resuming his dash for the exit.

Izuku and Kirishima grabbed Bakugou, and ran off. There was still some dust in the air, heavy enough of a cover for Ochako to take advantage of it…

And she sure as hell did.

Ochako smashed down on the Omnitrix and transformed while the dust was still in the air and All Might was saturated by Bakugou's sweat. She heated up her hands and took aim.

"Sorry in advance!" She said, before launching a fireball at All Might.

“…uh oh.” All Might said, focused on the fireball. All Might exploded in a burst of flames. Ochako booked it, making sure to return to her human form.

Ochako sped off, seeing Kirishima, Izuku and Bakugou finally reach the exit of the exam arena. Ochako reached the gateway herself, passing through before she just collapsed on the ground.

"Oh...oh my god," Ochako panted.

"That was scary!" Kirishima yelled. "I'm shocked we made it out of there in one piece..."

Izuku collapsed on the ground. "I'd...like to rest for a while."

"We...we did it though...we reached the exit," Ochako weakly smiled.

All Might weakly walked out of the exit, also exhausted. "Y-you kids...did what no villain could do in 10 years!" All Might laughed. "You tired me out!"

Ochako saw the damage she'd done with her last minute fireball. All Might's costume was totally wrecked- thank god his pants were somehow unharmed.

"Greaaaaaat. Wake...wake me up when someone else from our class finishes their exam," Ochako said, "Need rest."

"Let's get the four of you over to the medical tents." All Might said, stumbling while he walked.

"That sounds nice..." Izuku said, before falling to the ground.

Short and sweet. Mainly because I have an exam tomorrow.

…probs gonna do shit, but that’s Cell Biology for you

Chapter Text

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Izuku was feeling much better after Recovery Girl's treatments- at least this time, his injuries weren't self-inflicted.

"This feels better..." Ochako said, resting on the bed in the tent. This was soooo much nicer than her mattress back home.

"Thank you, Recovery Girl..." Kirishima groaned, rubbing his healing arm.

Recovery Girl stopped puckering her lips. "Are you capable of holding back, Toshinori?" She scolded All Might- he was standing over Bakugou, making sure he was okay.

"I was!" the top pro countered, "I had the bands the whole time!"

"Oh, so this is you holding back? Really?" Recovery Girl raised a brow at that, unconvinced.

"Honestly!" All Might insisted.

"Oh, please. You were rampaging harder than Vilgax ever did." Recovery Girl scoffed. "if you hit them any harder, there'd be no way for them to recover! Especially for Ochako- you slammed her through a building!"

"I-I survived." Ochako said, weakly.

Recovery Girl rolled her eyes. "Bakugou will be unconcious for a while though...but the rest of you? Rest up."

"We're the first group to finish." Kirishima grinned. "I'll take it."

"How...how are the others faring?" Izuku asked.

"They're doing well." Recovery Girl said. "There's still 50 minutes left of the exam, but they're still in progress-"

"We fought All Might for just 10 minutes?!" Ochako gasped. "Why'd it feel so much longer?"

"Because it was All Might," Kirishima answered.

The Omnitrix wielder paused. "That's fair." She sighed.

"Do you mind if we watch the others?" Izuku asked. "There aren't that many chances to sit back and watch everyone fight against pros."

Recovery Girl hummed. "...hm, I suppose. Though you'll have more chances for it than you think."

"It's his hobby." Ochako said, smiling a bit.

"I mean...yeah, yeah, it is," Izuku said, almost like he was about to defend his hobby.

"It's been a while since I've seen everyone go all out...especially Nedzu. I can't recall the last fight I saw him in." All Might noted.

"Um...if I can ask...what even is the principal's Quirk?"

"Is it like Tsu and the animal features are his Quirk?" Kirishima suggested.

"The principal's quirk…is called High Specs. It boosts his intelligence to genius levels." Recovery Girl smiled.

"So, he's more of a support and tactical fighter?" Izuku asked.

"Fighter? More like mad engineer," All Might said, "Where he a villain, he'd be the one every other criminal goes to for base designs. Traps, security systems, he would make them impenetrable."

"Sounds pretty intense." Kirishima hummed. "I can't imagine what I'd do with all that intelligence if I had that quirk…"

Ochako coughed. "Me neither. But, I'm curious- is Principal Nedzu's quirk tied to how he's…y'know, an animal with a quirk? That's not a common thing."

"Wait, what?" Kirishima asked.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Izuku asked, "Principal Nedzu is a rare example of an animal with a Quirk."

"I thought…well, you know, he was just like that because of his quirk." Kirishima said.

"Nope! 100% animal! Though we don't know what sort of animal he is." All Might said. "H-he's sensitive about that."

"Wait...you...you don't? I thought he was a mouse or something," Kirishima said.

"Oh, he hates that guess."

Meanwhile, in his respective exam arena, Nedzu sneezed, breaking his concentration for a moment.

"Someone guessed I was a mouse again, I feel," U.A's principal hummed.

Nedzu's arena was interesting- the entire arena was a city-like labyrinth of construction, best resembling a power plant. Nedzu had comandeered a giant crane with a wrecking ball. In other words, poor Iida and his group were being easily out thought and 'cornered'.

"It's incredible...every plan we've thought up, he's managed to counter it to even the smallest detail," Tokoyami said. He and the rest of his team had, for the moment, found safety away from the principal. Safety didn't much though when their goal was to escape.

"So how do we plan around someone...who can outhink any plan?" Kaminari asked.

"I can't imagine we can." Iida said. "Our principal has tapped into a nefarious mindset, and probably has multiple contingency plans set up, each that focus our own weaknesses. Like right now."

Kaminari blinked. "Wait, how?"

Iida pointed at Kaminari. "You can't exactly control your lightning powers just yet. They're unrefined, and you can only shock your surroundings, including your own allies." He swiveled his head towards Aoyoma. "You could easily clear this with your navel laser, but that's what he wants- he wants you to overuse your powers so you'll be out of the fight later on."

"The only weakness that would provide him with some sort of issue would be Dark Shadow," Tokoyami said, "At least, when it comes to light-levels. That's not to say he doesn't have any plan in place..."

"And he could have more than one for my speed..." Iida thought it over, trying to make a plan that could at least give them some kind of edge. As it stood right now, they were boxed in by the principal's tactics.

"What's our plan then~?" Aoyoma asked, a bit worried. "If we don't do something, we'll surely fail~."

"A good question." Iida said, humming to think. The gears in his brain were turning at full speed right now.

Nedzu, meanwhile, simply took a sip of tea as he sat in the driver seat of the crane. He wasn't perusing the team, knowing that they would come to him.

"Ah, to be the villain. Not the best role for me, but I shall play the part to my best," U.A's principal said to himself, before clearing his throat, "Now, come to me 'heroes.' See if you can get past my ingenious strategies."

Iida looked around the wreckage. He hummed, looking around the place. "There's a reason the teachers chose us to work together, and a bigger reason why they chose to place us here."

"It's an interesting team up, I won't lie." Kaminari said. "We don't really have any 'synergy'."

"Well, unless you count the light my laser gives off," Aoyama interjected.

"Quick flashes of light to keep Dark Shadow under control. Interesting take, I'll grant you, but it doesn't really apply here," Tokoyami admitted.

"Hm." Iida looked around. "Is there a mirror around here, then? Or anything reflective?"

"What do you need a mirror for, dude?" Kaminari asked.

"We could possibly set up a way for us to aim Aoyoma's laser at the crane." Iida said. "That's my best idea for right now…"

"it's a good idea, but Principal Nedzu no doubt took that into account," Tokoyami said.

"Of course he did, but..." Iida trailed off, unsure of how to tackle this obstacle.

"He's practically invincible in that crane." Tokoyami said. "With any sort of path blocked, we can't even cut the lines to the generator."

Iida huffed. "The clock is ticking, and I fear that's what he wants to do. Stall us out."

"Shame Todoroki isn't here- he'd be able to make a path over this stuff." Kaminari sighed.

"A path that would no doubt be shattered by the wrecking ball," Tokoyami said.

"Think, Iida, think," the speedster muttered to himself, "what can we do?"

"…maybe we just need to be wildly erratic?" Kaminari guessed. "He's going off of logic. Maybe we just need to act…illogical?"

"Wildly erratic..." Iida mused, "...maybe we can apply that to my original idea."

A plan was starting to form.

Nedzu looked down at his empty teacup. "Ah, good earl gray. Always helps my mind focus…"

Nedzu took a deep breath. "Well, back to messing with these kids."

The principal started up the crane again and began scanning the urban maze for the team of students.

"Now, where are they..."

Suddenly, something bright caught Nedzu's eyes. Aoyoma was firing a navel laser, directly into the sky.

"Hm? Interesting." Nedzu said. "What is he doing?"

"Ok...now!" Iida said, signaling to Tokoyami and Kaminari.

Tokoyami and Kaminari began throwing rocks at the laser, destroying them with ease. Nedzu raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting move…"

With that, Iida sped off. Thankfully, the principal's crane wasn't mobile, so finding him wasn't a problem. The problem was getting close enough to deal any sort of real damage.

Nedzu was so focused on the laser, that he never noticed Iida run off.

Perfect! Iida raced off, navigating through the various streets and alleys, getting closer and closer to the crane.

"There's...that's no plan," Nedzu said, "It's...just nonsense?"

Nedzu shook his head. "Take care of the sense and the sound…and they will take care of themselves."

Nedzu began to think. This was a distraction of some sort, right? Where was Iida in all this?

Iida smirked, reaching right where he wanted to be. He stopped at the back of the building that Nedzu's crane was situated atop of. If he could race up the side of the building and close the distance, he could throw the principal clear of the crane's controls.

"…I see. This was a waste of my time, then. He'll surely try and deactivate the crane." Nedzu stood up.

"…hmmm. Clever. But not clever enough." Nedzu laughed.

With that, Iida activated his engines and raced up the side of the building. The sudden burst of speed caught the principal's attention as the engines echoed out and Iida raced up the side of the building.

Nedzu simply locked the cockpit to the room, and sighed. "Does he not realize how reinforced these doors are? He should have brought back up…"

Iida smirked. Right on cue.

"TOKOYAMI, KAMINARI!" the speedster yelled.

"Get ready, man. This could be the dumbest thing we'll ever do." Kaminari said.

"Don't worry." Tokoyami said, as Dark Shadow deployed.

The shadowy construct grabbed onto the electric student and reared back its arm. It lined up the shot, looking back to Kaminari in the giant open palm. The student gave a thumbs up, he was ready for this. With a nod and confirmation from Tokoyami, Dark Shadow threw Kaminari with every single ounce of strength he could muster.

Kaminari flew through the air, yelling all the way over. Nedzu looked over, confused.

"What the hell?!" Nedzu gasped, befuddled.

"A series of distractions took your attention away," Iida smirked.

Sparks began to coalesce around Kaminari's hands.

"HERE! WE! GOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kaminari yelled as he closed to the distance towards the crane and Iida.

Kaminari crashed through the windows of the cockpit and tackled the principal. Nedzu was caught in Kaminari's tight grasp. He squeezed his principal tightly.

"Two choices, sir!" Kaminari said, struggling to keep his principal in his arms. "Either get electrocuted, or go quietly. Your choice!"

"...this is very much a first," Nedzu blinked, "Full marks for that one. So...I surrender."

Kaminari grinned. "Good choice. I feel like you'd expel me if I shocked you too hard."

Kaminari opened the door to the cockpit, allowing Iida to come in. "I'm shocked that worked," Kaminari admitted. "Dark Shadow should look into joining the baseball team, he's got a cannon of an arm…"

"I'm not sure Tokoyami would let him," Iida smirked.

"...why do I feel like they're talking about me?" Tokoyami asked no one in particular, still with Aoyama far back where the group started.

Aoyoma was curled up in the fetal position, shivering like a wet dog. "D-did we win?" He sputtered, weak.

"From the looks of things, yes. The mastermind's veil of darkness has been vanquished…" Tokoyami said, ignoring Aoyoma's anguish. Mainly because he didn't know what to do.

"G-great," Ayoma raised a hand and gave a weak thumbs up.

"…do you need assistance?" Tokoyami asked.

"C-carry me to the nurse's office…" Aoyoma said.

The raven-headed student sighed and looked to Dark Shadow. The shadow construct looked to Ayoma and sighed itself, moving over to pick up his teammate.

Izuku, Kirishima and Ochako were all lost for words when Iida's group came back. Kaminari was limping a bit.

"…you guys see that?" Kaminari joked.

"Yeeeeeep." Kirishima asked.

"Was it cool?" Kaminari grinned.

"If you can call it that." Ochako said. "Pretty dangerous to do that."

"Yeah, I'd expect you to be more cut up." Izuku said. "What happened?"

Kaminari winked. "Special technique taught to me by the Thunderstruck Valkyrie."

"That...lines up with her, actually," Izuku admitted. The Thunderstruck Valkyrie was one of the more dramatic heroes out there. She leaned into the hero role with the same commitment as everything else she did, which is to say, she poured a lot of energy into it.

"Interesting," Recovery Girl said, looking at Kaminari's injuries. "You just look a bit cut up- no serious injuries whatsoever."

"I mean, my legs kinda hurt." Kaminari said.

"You'll live." Recovery Girl said, as Dark Shadow set Aoyoma down on a bed. "Ah, my second most common patient! Over exert yourself?"

Aoyoma weakly nodded.

"I'll get your remedies." Recovery Girl said, looking through her drawers.

Iida took off his helmet, and walked over to Izuku and Ochako. "I take it your fight with All Might went well."

"Better than expected." Izuku said.

"Bakugou actually cooperated! Mostly." Ochako said.

Iida looked around as if he was looking for some sign.

"No, the building still seems to be intact. No apocalypse event as far as I can tell," the speedster joked.

"You are so lucky he's out cold right now," Kirishima chuckled.

"They put up quite the fight!" All Might said, giving an enthusiastic thumbs up. "I'll be sure to mark them fairly."

"As you should! I'm impressed with the display the students are putting up today." Nedzu said, as he unlocked his cuffs. He tossed them aside. "Gives me hope."

"Wait, you could've broken out of the cuffs at any moment?" Kaminari frowned.

"Mr. Kaminari, who do you think helped design them?" U.A's principal asked.

"Oh. Oh," the student realized. Well, that would've been unfair huh?

Recovery Girl returned with Aoyoma's remedy- tea. "Chamomile can be used to soothe an upset stomach and may aid in the management of spasms. Since Aoyoma's quirk comes from his navel..."

"I'm assuming that Aoyoma's navel works like the energy pump of a laser- the belt he wears projects the energy and allows him to weaponize it. Too much emission and..." Izuku said.

Ochako watched him ramble for a bit. She didn't understand a thing he said, even though it was on her exams.

As Ochako watched Izuku go on, one of the other teams was having a bit more difficulty with their opponent. Unlike All Might and Nedzu, this team had to worry about, technically speaking, more than one pro. Ectoplasm was...somewhere in the massive colosseum-like arena. The only reason somewhere was used here was because of the fact that, currently, the colosseum was practically filled with Ectoplasm clones.

Ectoplasm's quirk was called "Clones"- it allows the user to spit forth a viscous liquid and mould it into clones of oneself Ectoplasm may generate up to thirty clones at a time by vomiting what looks to be a luminous fluid (thirty-six if he's in a good mood).

...and they were particularly adept at overpowering small groups.

Ojiro's tail slammed into another clone. It quickly faded away, but it wouldn't be long before another one spawned in. "Sero! We need to reinforce your tape barrier! We've got a breach!"

"On it!" Sero said, swinging on over to block off the opening.

Kouda found himself at something of a disadvantage. His power was totally useless here due to the enclosed nature of this arena. Tooru was trying to figure out which clone was the real deal without throwing herself into the horde.

"C'mon, c'mon...what's something that gives him away?" the invisible girl asked herself.

"Well, obviously-" Sero taped up the barrier again. "The real one wouldn't blow up in one second!"

"Well, obviously-!" Tooru pouted, before noticing something on the ground. Normally, she would've stepped on it, but it could be useful…

"Hey, Kouda! You can talk to animals, right?" Tooru asked.

Kouda shyly nodded.

"Does that extend to bugs?"

Tooru held up a small insect- she didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, it made Kouda scream. Kouda was quiet as a mouse, so hearing him scream like that was...jarring.

"A-ah, not a fan of bugs?" Tooru said, tossing the insect aside. "It's okay! We'll...figure something out."

The real Ectoplasm, lost amongst the sea of duplicates, raised a brow when he heard that scream. That was...not something he was expecting for this. Couldn't have been his clones that caused that.

"We're gonna run out of time if we just sit here!" Sero said, looking up at the clock. 30 minutes were left in the exam.

"And I'm starting to run on fumes." Ojiro said, wiping sweat from his brow. "What's our plan!?"

"Uh, ok, ok...uh, plan, plan, plan...what can we do, what can we do?" Tooru panicked, wracking her brain for the possibilities. How did Ectoplasm's Quirk work again? If she could remember, she might have something...

"There has to be some sort of limit…" Tooru hummed. "What's his drawback?"

Tooru's mind started to go into overdrive. She looked for the real Ectoplasm in the crowd- and she found him rather quickly. He was in the middle of the room, spitting out clones.

"…his mouth." Tooru said. "His mouth!"

"Tooru, please tell me you have-" Ojiro began.

"Oh I got one! Kouda, handcuffs!" the invisible girl tossed the handcuffs to the resident animal-whisper of Class 1-A, "Sero, you got enough for at least one last big job? And Ojiro, think you can cover Kouda?"

"...what are you planning?" Sero said, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Trust me! I think I can hit two birds with one stone! No offense to birds, Kouda!"

Kouda still looked confused about everything.

"A-alright. Even if I have no idea what you're planning, I can cover Kouda." Ojiro nodded.

"Two words!" Tooru said, reaching for a pack on her belt and pulling out a flashbang, "See where I'm going with this now?"

"W-where the hell did you get that!?" Sero asked.

"Let's just say Miasma Miss hooked me up with some good tech." Tooru grinned.

"Your internship gave you-" Ojiro was about to say.

"Don't say it! You'll ruin the plan! Now, on three!"

"Alright...If you're sure about this." Ojiro said, prepping himself for battle- this was gonna be rough.

"One...two..." Toru smirked.

The rest of her team turned away just in time. Ectoplasm raised a brow, trying to piece together their plan, his eyes widening when he saw the device get thrown into the air. But he was just a second too late.

"THREE!" the invisible girl called out, adverting her own gaze as the flashbang detonated, bathing the room in a bright light.

The clones were all blinded by the light. Ojiro opened his eyes and quickly began to tear his way through the clones. Sero shot out some tape and wrapped it around Ectoplasm's mouth, to prevent him from making more clones.

"GO!" Tooru yelled.

Ectoplasm staggered back when the tape warped around his mouth, his hands shooting up to try and tear it off him. Ojiro and Kouda were rushing through the horde of clones, the former swatting aside clone after clone to make way for the latter. Without any animals to really talk to, Kouda held onto the shackles with dear life. He knew his part of the plan now and he was determined to fulfill that role.

Ectoplasm struggled to rip the tape off of his mouth- it was wrapped tightly around his mouth. Looks like he'd have to whip out...the big guns.

Ectoplasm opened his maw as wide as he could, and exhaled.

"Wait what?!" Tooru yelled after seeing that and avoiding another clone trying to restrain her. The invisible girl landed a roundhouse kick to that unlucky clone, letting the duplicate dissipate.

Ectoplasm kept on exhaling- the fluid he was spewing was growing larger and larger, before it started to gain his features. Tooru, Ojiro and Sero looked up at the massive Ectoplasm clone that towered above them.

"Ohhhh come ON!" Tooru comaplained, "Since when could he do THAT?!"

"I don't use it often, but it's a VERY useful ability." Ectoplasm said. "And this is a test to see how you'll react in any situation…"

"Well...I mean fair but,,,seriously, a kaiju?!"

The enormous Ectoplasm clone slapped its palm on the ground, scattering the gathering. Sero fired his tapes at the behemoth, who seemed unmoved. Aside than that, the tape was useless- no way it could hold him back.

Sero was snatched up and tightly clutched by the clone. "No more bothersome traps from you,"

"Crap! He's got Sero!" Ojiro yelled.

"A little help!?" Sero yelled, struggling in the teacher's massive palms.

Tooru looked to her pouch, seeing how many flashbangs she still had in there. The light did work on the smaller clones, so there wasn't anything to suggest the colossus duplicate was any different.

Tooru was about to pull out some more, when the Ectoplasm giant opened his mouth- he spat out two clones, at the cost of losing some size. The clones immediately grabbed Tooru's arms and held her against a wall.

Tooru squirmed to get free. "H-hey!"

Ojiro grit his teeth, and rushed towards the two clones. He could easily take them down-

Unless the big one also snagged him up.

The massive clone tried to do just that, but Ojiro managed to jump over the swipe, miraculously. He raced over, still being tracked by the colossus. If it couldn't grab him, it would at least keep him from freeing Tooru.

Again, the giant spat out another clone- this one tackled Ojiro to the ground, being sure to pin down his tail so he couldn't move.

"E-ergh!" Ojiro grunted, squirming and struggling to get free.

The giant Ectoplasm looked over at Kouda.

"You're the last one standing, kid." The giant Ectoplasm said, stomping on over to him. "I doubt you can do anything right now..."

Kouda looked to his teammates, all of them having been restrained by either the smaller clones or the massive one. It was easier to see the real Ectoplasm now, sure, but what could he do? No animals to give him support and he knew he lacked physical strength like the others. What could he hope to do here? He couldn't just give up...

Kouda looked down to the ground- he saw some insect slip into an open crack in the ground. He shuddered.

"Kouda!" Tooru yelled. "I know they scare you but-! We're kinda out numbered right now!"

"We've got no other choice! No time to hesitate!" Ojiro said, trying to shake Ectoplasm off his tail.

Kouda shuddered some more...his hands were trembling like crazy. He didn't want to fail here-

What would his mom think?

It was a strange thing to have on the mind, especially in a scenario like this, but you have to understand. Kouda and his mother were very close. He remembered the love and support she gave him with everything- it was never overwhelming to him. Those words of encouragement helped him get through the most stressful of days.

All he'd been doing at UA and the exam was running- running and hiding. And that wasn't what a hero would do...

The giant Ectoplasm reared back its arm, aiming to grab a hold of Kouda and finish this all off here and now.

"Time to finish this," the real Ectoplasm and his giant copy said in unison.

Kouda dropped down to the ground- and began to chant to the ground.

"LITTLE ONES, PLEASE GO FORWARD. PLEASE OVERWHELM THAT BIG VILLAIN AND HIS CLONES! WON'T YOU PLEASE HELP US?!" Kouda yelled.

Tooru looked a bit shocked (even though it wasn't obvious). "Woah! That's the first time I've actually heard Kouda speak."

"I...think that's a first for all of us," Ojiro said.

Ectoplasm raised a brow, a bit confused but he was ready for anything.

Well, almost anything.

Burrowing from out of the ground, thousands upon thousands of insects began to crawl out of the cracks from the ground. The entire scene was like something from a horror movie, something to make anyone with Entomophobia scream until they were pale.

...Ectoplasm wasn't an entomophobe. But this was going to make him.

"G-gah!" The clones yelled, as they were swarmed by creepy, crawly insects.

"Never thought I'd be so happy to see that many bugs," Tooru muttered upon seeing the swarm.

The bugs were horrifying enough to distract Ectoplasm- the large clone was swarmed by the largest cluster of bugs. Kouda watched in abject horror as the bugs blinded his teachers eyes.

"A-AH! GET THEM OFF!" He yelled.

And that horrifying image was his cue. He raced off, still holding the handcuffs and made a mad dash towards the real Ectoplasm with the insects acting his cover now.

Ectoplasm was flailing his arms about, yelling and cursing for someone to get the bugs off of him. Kouda watched him cower to the ground- and that's when he ended his torture.

Kouda immediately snapped the handcuffs on Ectoplasm, as his clones faded away. The bugs retreated back into the cracks.

"...that was terrifying." Sero said.

"Terrifying but cool!" Tooru cheered.

"A-are they gone?" Ectoplasm said, shaking.

"Yeah. They're gone." Kouda's voice was soft and comforting. "...do you need some water, sir?"

"Y-yes. I do."

Poor Ectoplasm.

Yeah exams are weird

Please leave a review

Chapter Text

Last batch of the exam chapters, gonna be kinda screwy this week ngl

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Back in Recovery Girl's infirmary, All Might blinked a few times after seeing Kouda bring down Ectoplasm so effectively.

"...you don't happen to cover mental injuries as well, right?" The top pro asked, already knowing the answer, but it was the right thing to ask given the circumstances.

"He'll recover." Recovery Girl said, checking Ectoplasm's body for any injuries. "The temporary bout of formication should fade."

"Well that's a pleasant surprise," Iida said with a smirk, "I had always wondered about her internship."

"Aside from who she went with, she didn't really say much did she?" Kirishima asked.

"She wanted it to, quote, 'be a surprise for everyone.'"

"I feel like we should take a course to use weapons like...flashbangs and stuff. Just my opinion, though." Kaminari said. "I dunno if EVERYONE would be safe using a flashbang-"

"I took a course and I did great with it, thank you!" Tooru frowned.

"H-hey, I never said you didn't do well! I'm just saying maybe some other people would have some issues with that sorta thing."

"We're all slowly but surely passing. I should have known we wouldn't give up here-" Izuku said.

"Sorry to interupt your praises, Izuku, but I'm sorry- I need to address Kaminari's comment. Name one person in this class who could possibly have some sort of issue with weapons-" Tooru ranted.

Then came the sounds of screams from one of Recovery Girl's monitors. Recovery Girl looked over, and frowned. "Oh, dear..."

Kaminari made a face. "There's your answer."

"...that's who I think it is, isn't it?" the invisible girl deadpanned.

All eyes turned to see Mineta, running away from the battle.

"Looks like he might be giving up..." Recovery Girl hummed.

That seems about right for him. Ochako thought.

"What about the others?" Kirishima asked.

Tsuyu's group had been placed in a mountainous area, with sparse buildings but plenty of places to hide and recuperate. That was good- plenty they could use to their advantage.

Tsu looked around, trying to find a good vantage point. Shoji's many arms listened around for their opponent.

"Midnight is still a ways away," Shoji noted, listening to her distant heels click as she walked.

"Good." Sato said, punching his palm into his hand. "I think I have a good chance at resisting her quirk."

"What makes you say that?" Mineta asked.

"Well...can't too much sugar cause more energy?" Sato said.

"Wrong- Sugar is more of a sedative since the aftereffects are considerably greater than the first. Tsu said. "Sugar consumption suppresses the creation of Orexin, a chemical in your brain that enhances the sensation of being awake. The more sugar you consume, the sleepier you will get."

Sato looked through her.

"No wonder you did so well on the chem exam." Sato said.

Tsuyu chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of her head, a little sheepishly.

"A-anyway, Shoji, how much time do you think we have before she reaches us?" the frog girl asked.

"Given the distance, we have some time to prep." Shoji said. "I saw we try and find a good place to hide, try and avoid her quirk's range and get to the exit as soon as we can-"

"Agreed. Since my plan A backfired." Satou said.

"That could work if we're quiet enough...but one wrong move, one small sound and she'd find us," Tsuyu said, thinking it over.

"Are you kidding!? We're hopeless against Midnight..." Mineta whined.

Sato rolled his eyes. "Dude, don't be a pessimist."

"No, like, seriously!" Mineta insisted. "Have you guys never heard of the Troy Shield Operation?"

Tsu raised an eyebrow. "No, but I'm kinda curious to hear about it."

"So, like, a few years back, Midnight teamed up with a global sting operation for Japan- tons of drugs like cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines and trigger was involved. Midnight stepped into a room of, like, 80 goons and knocked them all out, and kicked the asses of the ones who didn't go down easily!" Mineta was clearly exaggerating.

"Why on Earth would you care about a drug bust case?" Shoji asked.

"I didn't! I only cared for the costume she was wearing..." Mineta admitted. "It had a niiiiice boob window."

"...I shouldn't be surprised, that's just in line with how you are," Sato facepalmed.

"I came for the boobs, and stayed for the interesting look into our justice system." Mineta said. "Seriously, that boob window was great-"

"Focus on that later," Shoji said, arms moving around. "Midnight's on the move."

"If anyone has any suggestions to add on to the plan or just change it up entirely, I'm all ears," Tsuyu said.

"I think Shoji's plan of running and hiding has some GREAT merit right now!" Mineta said, scurrying off.

"Hey! No running before we all decide," Shoji scolded, grabbing Mineta by the collar to try and stop him.

"Dude! When Midnight gets serious-" Mineta insisted, but his pleas were cut off by the sharp crack of a whip. Mineta turned pale white.

"Was that a whip?" Sato asked.

"SHE HAS THE WHIP!" Mineta yelled, struggling in Shoji's grasp.

"...I'm not even gonna ask why you know about that," Shoji said.

"Do you NOT know how the villain Spinebreaker is missing an eye!?" Mineta yelled. "SHE WHIPPED IT OUT!"

"I'm gonna call cap on that." Sato said, pulling out a cube of sugar.

"Could've been an accident," Tsuyu suggested, "Anyway, back to the plan. Shoji, your role's set for the most part, eyes and ears in case we lose her. Sato...if we get the chance maybe you could be the one to subdue her?"

"I dunno how long I'll be able to hold her off without falling asleep, but I'll try." Sato said. "Maybe if I hold my breath-"

"And Mineta, I was thinking you could set up some traps-" Tsu began, but Mineta wriggled in Shoji's grasp again.

"My grape balls will be so obvious! She'll just avoid them!" Mineta whined.

Tsu sighed. "Mineta...no promises, but...if you set some traps, I might let you-"

Mineta's confidence suddenly returned.

"T-tsuyu...are you sure on-?" Shoji asked.

"Just tell me where you need me!" Mineta interrupted, giving a salute to the amphibian student.

As they watched the exam, even All Might had to admit, Mineta's track record continued to prove...controversial, to put it lightly. Yes, some Heroes did enjoy the perks of the more celebrity side of things, but still...

"Just scatter some grapes around the area, try and obscure them..." Tsu said, gesturing to the area before her. She hated that Mineta was driven by such a perverse fantasy, but...it was better than nothing.

Mineta began detaching the grape balls from his head, and tossing them across the landscape. To step on one of these 'landmines' meant you'd be stuck for a good while.

"Shoji?" Tsu turned back to their recon expert.

"Almost here..."

Tsu took a deep breath. "Alright, now's the part where we hide...and when we can, we get the jump on her."

"Do not go there," Shoji said, looking to Mineta. He was just about to, as well, so he timed that perfectly.

"I wasn't gonna!" Mineta insisted, before everyone started to run and hide. Tsu obscured herself behind some rocks, Sato hid behind the corner of a building, Shoji hid inside of another building, and Mineta jumped into a random minecart.

Shoji listened to her footsteps get closer and closer, holding up a hand to signal the others.

The anticipation held in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time, for both those in the fight and those watching. Eventually Midnight stopped right in the middle of the open area. She looked around, already taking note of the possibility of a crossfire.

Good, she thought to herself. She just needed to sell the act, overlooking the hiding places she knew for a fact would be perfect for them as she searched around for any trace of them.

If you're gonna try something, kids, you better do it soon, Midnight thought.

Shoji's arm formed an eye to get a look at Midnight. She was looking around for the kids. His arm branched off, and flashed an open hand to the others.

"Here goes..." Satou said, popping the piece of sugar into his mouth.

Midnight tightened the grip on her whip. She didn't look over her shoulder, but her attention was focused on the back first. Considering who they had, it was probably Satou going for the handcuffing approach.

Peeking out from his position, Satou launched himself at Midnight- his muscles were slightly larger than usual, so he only had a small strength boost. His goal was to grab Midnight and pin her down so someone could handcuff her or Mineta could glue her down with his grape balls.

But that wasn't gonna happen. With a crack of her whip, Midnight unleashed flurry of lashes that hit Satou's body at all angles. Satou could feel the bruises already forming when he hit the ground. Midnight smirked.

"You're out of your league here, children." Midnight smiled. "I'll have you know I was one of my graduating classes BEST fighters!"

While that may have intimidated Mineta, the others kept their resolve. First things first, Tsuyu leapt from her hiding spot and shot her tongue out at Midnight's wrist. She managed to land the move, yanking the pro hero's arm back, giving Satou some room to move and not worry about being lashed.

Satou weakly stood back up, and tackled Midnight to the ground. With her arms restrained, it would be easy to slap those cuffs on...right?

Wrong.

Midnight grinned evily. "Shouldn't have done that. My outfit just got torn..."

"Satou, quick!" Tsuyu shouted.

Too late. A thin, pink mist began to rise up off the ground under Satou and Midnight, the former trying to hold his breath, only to be a second too slow. His vision started to get blurry and his eyelids started to get heavy.

"N-no...gotta...stay...awake...!" the muscle of the team growled, trying his damnedest not to submit.

"You managed to get a small hint of it, didn't you?" Midnight asked, "That's alllll it'll take."

Sato and Tsu's grips loosened, and Midnight stood back up. She grinned.

"Where's the other two?" Midnight asked, laughing playfully. "I can help you get a good night's rest."

Shoji was at a loss. Half their team was down already...and the only other person awake was Mineta.

Today's just not my day, is it? Shoji mentally cursed his luck.

Shoji looked at his arms- he began to elongate them to keep some distance. These did not have many bones. For the lack of a better term, they were 'floppy'. Shoji jumped out of the building, and whipped one of his arms around at Midnight, snatching her whip away.

"There- I took away her only way to really hurt me from afar." Shoji said.

"Oh no, not my whip! Whatever shall I do now?" Midnight smirked, the sarcasm in her voice oh so obvious.

Shoji frowned. "The range of your quirk is only within a certain radius. As long as I stay back, I'll be safe."

"Yes...but you'll also be letting the clock run out." Midnight said, walking towards Shoji. "Tick tock, boys. Your friends may not pass this exam if they stay asleep..."

What could he do here? The range on Midnight's Quirk was easy to counter, but she was right about the clock. Time was ticking down every second.

"Mineta...now might be a good time to come out and-" Shoji turned to the minecart...and saw it knocked over. Mineta was running away, screaming.

"SCREWED!" Mineta yelled. "I'M SCREWED LIKE NO ONE'S BEEN SCREWED BEFORE! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PASS A TEST AS NUTS AS THIS?"

Shoji and Midnight watched him run off. Shoji's eyes looked...tired.

"...I'm so sorry you had to all pair up with him." Midnight said.

"It's...it's fine." Shoji sighed.

"Honestly, I feel like I should give everyone else some kind of bonus for their grades next semester because of this," Midnight mused.

"That'd be nice..."

The onlookers from Recovery Girl's tent watched Mineta run off. No one was shocked by this, but it was still worrying to see Mineta just give up so easily.

"Mineta was so excited about the summer training camp." Izuku sighed. "Guess the stress must be getting to him."

"Things aren't looking good for that little guy." Kirishima said.

"It'll be hard for him to fight alone." All Might noted. "UA is constantly preparing new barriers for you kids- all in the hopes of 'going beyond'. In order to overcome those limits, it's essential to have some other goals in mind."

"I get it- you're trying to have us go beyond the mindset 'I wanna be a hero' and have us figure out what kind of hero we wanna be." Ochako said.

All Might nodded. "I have to wonder what Mineta's goals are."

"...knowing him?" Kirishima deadpanned, "I have an idea..."

"Think Shoji's gonna solo Midnight?" Kaminari asked. "I dunno if he could do it."

"He's got an incredibly versatile quirk, and some range with those arms." Izuku said. "Looks like he's been practicing- those 'whips' are new."

There was one advantage that Shoji had over Midnight, knowing where Mineta's improvised mines were. If he could lure her over to one, maybe even use his new whip-move to throw her into one...

Shoji cracked his whip back, and lashed out at Midnight- the heroine easily jumped through the barrage. However, the multiarmed hero realized something- his attack had actually cleared the air around her. Her sleep gas had dissipated.

"Of course...we're in the open." Shoji noted.

And with that, a plan formed. He kept lashing out at Midnight with his own whips, hoping to drive her towards one of Mineta's mines. At the same time, each missed strike cleared away more and more of the sleep mist. He could pull a win out of this!

Midnight hissed. "I'll give you this, kid. You're better at improv than I thought." Midnight grabbed one of tentacles that was about to hit her, and dug her nails into it. Shoji winced.

"But so am I."

"Come on, Shoji..." Ochako muttered back in the infirmary.

The multi-limbed student narrowed his eyes at Midnight, who was about to go for another zipper on her outfit.

"One last dose, I think, and then we're done here," Midnight said.

"...please." Shoji said, squinting. "I've got you right where I need to." Shoji pulled back his arm, and whipped Midnight around. His long arm slammed down onto the ground, right onto one of Mineta's balls.

Midnight quickly righted herself, raising a brow at...whatever unorthodox plan Shoji was putting to work.

"Mineta...you can drop the coward act now." Shoji said, retracting his arm. He cooly walked over Tsu and Satou's sleeping bodies.

"Huh?" Midnight said, trying to get back up.

"Wait what?" everyone in the tent, save Bakugou, said in unison as soon as the words filled the air.

"He was acting?!" Kaminari yelled.

Mineta jumped out from behind a rock, laughing. "I FOOLED YA!" Mineta began tossing grape ball after grape ball, burying Midnight underneath a pile of balls that immobilized her. Midnight struggled and gasped underneath the weight of them.

"T-these are heavier than they look..." Midnight grunted.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Mineta said, jumping up, and bouncing on the grape pile.

"...see, you had it for a split second. And then you ruined it," Shoji said.

"Hey, I deserve at least one for that stunt!" Mineta defended, "Seriously!"

Midnight struggled underneath the mountain. "B-but how? I thought you'd run away and hide until the time ran out."

"Yeah...but Shoji and I had a little conversation while you weren't looking." Mineta scoffed.

Kaminari and Kirishima, hell, pretty much everyone back in the infirmary tent were just flat-out surprised by this little turnaround.

"Ok, yeah, call me impressed," Kirishima admitted.

"The things he'll do to touch boobs." Ochako sighed.

(AN: This sentence could also be applied to Denji from Chainsaw Man.)

"It's sad that's what it took to get him to do something." Tokoyami shook his head- until he started to hear Midnight laugh. A bit too...maliciously.

"First off...please stop, that is rather terrifying," Shoji admitted, "Second off, why are you laughing?"

"I'm still in your range." Midnight said, as she started to create some more sleeping gas. "Did you know...my quirk is twice as effective on men than women?"

Shoji narrowed his eyes and used his whip-like limbs to try and clear away the sleeping mist, but with the amount Midnight was producing, that clearing only lasted a few seconds. Shoji cursed to himself as he tried to jump back, somehow managing to avoid inhaling any of the sleep mist.

"G-go!"

Shoji's eyes widened when he heard those words. Mineta had his hand over his mouth, trying to not inhale any of the smoke. "Go! I can take the L on this one! You only need two people to pass- so go and take the other two and get them outta here!"

"Mineta..." Shoji muttered, looking at the two unconscious teammates he was holding. With a nod, the multi-limbed student raced off, seemingly leaving Mineta behind. Only for one of his whips to lash out, wrap around Mineta's waist and pull him after him.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but it's not really a pass unless we all go through that gate!" Shoji called back, "If Midnight somehow gets free, make sure she can't follow us easily!"

Mineta yelled. "COME ON MAN! I WAS GONNA BE COOL AGAINNNNNNNN!" Mineta whined as he pulled out more chunks of grapes from his scalp and began to toss it at the path behind them.

"Again, appreciate the sentiment! The offer itself was...being cool enough, honestly," the multi-limbed student smirked, genuinely impressed with that sudden act of selflessness. Even if the motivation was selfish, in truth.

Obviously, Midnight couldn't move...but still. She chuckled to herself. "He was willing to sacrifice himself..." She hummed. "To think he was the same kid who was cowering before a bunch of E-ranked villains a few months ago."

Suddenly, something dawned on Midnight.

"...how do I get out of this?" She asked.

The group watched the four of them cross through the finish line- they'd passed the exam, as the second to last group to do so. The class felt relieved- 16 out of the 20 students, most likely going to the summer camp! If they could get those last 4...

"Alright!" Kirishima said. "We're almost there, with 20 minutes left in the exam! And the last group is..."

"Wait, Momo's still out?" Izuku said.

Ochako couldn't believe it. Momo? Didn't she have a dream team of Todoroki, Mina and Jirou?

"Wait...that begs the question. Who is Momo pitted against?" Iida asked.

"About that..." All Might began, pointing to the last monitor.

The setting of their battle was a suburban neighborhood...and whoever they were fighting clearly had the upper hand. Todoroki and Jirou were wrapped up in bandages, dangling from power lines.

"Oh, no." Ochako said.

"They're fighting Mr. Aizawa?!" Kaminari yelled.

"Momo's not in a good position- she relies on her quirk for utility, and something tells me Mr. Aizawa is focusing on her especially." Izuku frowned. "How did this happen...?"

20 minutes before...

Momo was nervous as hell because, unlike the other exams, Aizawa did things a little different. As soon as they walked in, he had made his presence known to them. The words he said next never stopped echoing in the girl's head this entire time.

"I personally chose to challenge you. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki, you two are considered rising stars by quite a few people...I want you to prove that's praise you deserve," the group's homeroom professor said, "Now...get going. I'm giving you a marginally bigger head start than the others. You have an extra minute."

The 'emitters' of the group had a plan to tell if Aizawa was near- using their quirks as a sort of 'sensor'. Mina dripped acid from her hands, Todoroki produced some icy mist from his hands, and Momo...

Todoroki watched the wooden dolls drop to the ground behind Momo.

"What...are those?" Jirou asked, confused.

"Russian nesting dolls. Fastest and easiest thing I can make right now." Momo explained.

"Oh, those things! ...how are they supposed to help?" Mina asked.

"Well, if they stop popping out of my skin, we know Aizawa's near." Momo said.

"Fair enough. Just yell if your quirk starts acting weird." Todoroki said.

"Gotta hand it to you, Todoroki. Only you could quickly hammer out a strategy against Aizawa like that." Jirou said.

"Yeah!" Mina said. "I dunno how we'll even fair against him without our quirks."

"It's nothing special," Todoroki insisted.

"That...is something of a problem though," Momo said, "We'll know when he's near...but we still don't have an idea on what to do when he finds us."

"Easy- we split up." Todoroki said. "Jirou's the only one of us who retains her quirk, since she's a 'mutant class'. She could help one of us hold off Mr. Aizawa."

Momo sighed. "Right."

Jirou looked over at Momo. "Something wrong?"

"Sorry...I've just been in a weird mindset recently." Momo said. "Todoroki and I both got into UA with special recommendations. But when it comes to practical hero skills, I still haven't shown anything worth mentioning."

"That's not true- what about your internship with Snowfall?" Mina said. "Didn't you do something there?"

"I...did, yes," Momo admitted, "But that's a little different."

Todoroki turned to reassure her, but then he realized something was off.

"...Momo. Your dolls."

"What about them?"

"They're not popping out anymore."

"...oh no," Momo muttered as everyone got on guard. Jirou jabbed one of her jacks into the ground to listen for footsteps while the rest kept their eyes on the rooftops in case the pro went for the high ground.

"He's here!" Mina yelled, looking around. She couldn't produce acid right now.

"I'm sorry, I-" Momo sputtered.

"Yes. You should've acted sooner."

Aizawa was dangling above them, his capturing device wrapped around a bundle of power lines. Todoroki spun around, as his teacher dropped down to the ground before he and Jirou.

"Both of you!" Todoroki yelled. "GO!"

"But-!" Momo began to argue.

"Argue later, run first!" Mina said, grabbing hold of Momo's hand and bolting.

Aizawa didn't turn to watch Momo and Mina run away.

"So. That's your plan, then?" Aizawa said, standing up. In the blink of an eye, he had suddenly ensnared Todoroki.

"Such speed-!" Todoroki said, as he was pulled up- he hadn't realized that Aizawa left some of his 'rope' around the power line still.

"Fine by me."

Jirou was about to try and retaliate somehow, only for another part of the capture scarf to wrap around her as well.

"Crap!"Jirou yelled as she was pulled up as well.

Jirou attempted to wriggle her earjacks free, but they were wrapped tightly in that binding material.

"You two were the 'offense' and 'tracking' of the team, so I knew I had to capture you two." Aizawa said. "If I captured Mina, then she'd be able to melt her way out of the trap."

"You really think this will hold us?" Todoroki spat. "My quirk can break through this..."

"Sure." Aizawa reached into his pockets, and dropped some caltrops on the ground. "Watch your landing."

"You're crazy prepared there, teach..." Jirou shivered.

"This isn't like when you fought the hero killer, Shoto." Aizawa said, pulling out some eye drops. "I know all four of you, and your quirks. I'm ready to counter everything you can do."

He's right, Shoto thought to himself. He's seen us train and knows the weaknesses in our plans and Quirks like no other teacher. It makes sense why he wanted to handle us personally.

"You took on more than your fair share with this plan, though." Aizawa said, putting his goggles back on. "...though, if I were you, I would've listened to Momo more."

Aizawa disappeared, leaving the two dangling there.

"Crap..." Jirou said, struggling. "I dunno if we're gonna pass at this point, Todoroki."

"...Jirou. Did something happen with Snowfall and Momo?" Todoroki asked.

Jirou didn't respond.

"She's been acting weird ever since the Festival, and even more after Snowfall..." Todoroki said. "You two are close. Surely, she must have mentioned something."

"She...she didn't really go into too much detail," Jirou admitted, "Just that...she didn't live up to expectations?"

"Snowfall's?" Todoroki asked.

"Ever since she got that ring out from Tokoyami during the Sports Festival, Momo's been focusing too much on her own mistakes. She'd kind of hoped that Snowfall could...help her iron out some issues." Jirou said.

"And...she did not, then?"

"She was seriously weighed down by her indecision, and worried she wouldn't live up to Snowfall's expectations." Jirou said.

"I see..." Todoroki looked down at the caltrops and tried to figure out a plan to get out and help.

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Chapter Text

Last exam chapter! Now to study for an exam or i'm gonna be screwed

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Meanwhile, Momo and Mina were still running from Aizawa, weaving through the suburban streets to lose him.

"How much farther is this exit gate?" Mina asked.

"I…I don't know! Maybe there's a shorter route?" Momo asked. Her mind was clouded with doubt right now.

"Shorter route, shorter route, shorter route, uhhhh," Mina repeated to herself, searching around to maybe find something that could work as an escape.

Where...am I even running?! Momo asked herself. No...what am I doing!? Is this really ok?

Mina noticed Momo's anguish- she was about to say something, when Aizawa's capture cloth wrapped around her foot and pulled her to the ground. Momo hadn't even realized Mina wasn't behind her until it was too late.

"Mina? MINA?!" Momo called out, turning to try and find her pink teammate.

"No...no, no, no, how did...when did he-?!"

"Your loss of self confidence since the Festival is very evident, Yaoyorozu." Aizawa said, sending out his capture cloth. It wrapped around her right arm. Momo yelped, as Aizawa landed on a roof.

"Let me hit you where it hurts." Aizawa said, tugging the cloth. "I'll make this nice and slow..."

Momo grunted, as her arm was pulled back. I-I have no chance against Mr. Aizawa...why did I think this was the best plan!?

There it is, Aizawa thought to himself, seeing the panic set on his student's face, That doubt...

Momo attempted to act- and thankfully, she could. For some odd reason, her quirk hadn't been erased.

Mr. Aizawa must have been trying to psyche me out... Momo thought, as she created a wide cylinder around her arm. It allowed her to slip out of Aizawa's capture device with ease. Is that how bad my self-confidence has gotten? I'll just assume the worst and go with it?

There we go, Aizawa thought to himself as he tried to rebind Momo. Two more pieces of the Capture Scarf lashed out, aimed at Momo's legs, but she was able to jump over them with ease and assume a fighting stance.

"Really going to try and fight me?" Eraserhead raised a brow behind his goggles.

Momo scowled. "No." Her wrist produced something else, which drew Aizawa's attention. Momo flicked her wrist at Aizawa- and suddenly, a net tangled Aizawa's body. Aizawa was caught, which gave Momo time to flee.

"Interesting..." Aizawa said. "Where did this come from?" She'd never made something like this- it was a typical Pro Hero support tool, for beginners.

Of course, considering he knew his kind of tool, he was able to free himself relatively easily. He did examine the net, though.

Snowfall, maybe? Aizawa wondered, A parting gift perhaps?

Momo ran past Mina. "Your quirk still works! He was faking us out!"

Mina grinned. "Now you tell me." Mina said, melting her bindings off.

The fabric of the capture scarf dissolved in a few seconds, letting the pink student rejoin her still free classmate.

"Ok, mind games are done! Now what?" Mina asked.

"We free the other two, and try to figure something out! Aizawa's being hyper-aggressive with containing us...and he's not gonna go down easy." Momo said.

"Fabric Isn't too hard to deal with, I can melt it in no time," Mina said, "One question though. How do we cuff 'im? Or are we just running?"

"I...don't know. Let's just regroup with Todoroki and Jirou and figure something out." Momo said.

"Got it!" Mina cheered.

C'mon Momo, you're one of the stars of the class! You can do this! the acid-user thought to herself.

Momo and Mina quickly arrived back where Todoroki and Jirou were tied up.

"M-momo! You came back!" Jirou yelled.

"I-I did! I'm sorry, I should have-" Momo yelled.

"Momo!" Shoto cut her off. "You...you have a plan, right?!"

"I'm...I'm still working on it. For now, Mina?"

"One quick escape for Jirou and Todoroki, comin' up!" Mina smirked, unleashing a torrent of acid to wash away the caltrops. She quickly took aim with her fingers and precisely melted through the capture scarf surrounding both students, letting them drop to the ground.

"Sorry." Todoroki said, as he walked towards Momo. "I should've asked if you were okay with my plan. Tell me your idea."

"B-but, if your strategy didn't work, I fear mine won't work either..." Momo said, looking away.

"Momo. That's no precedent to go by," Todoroki interrupted.

"I don't know, Todoroki! Okay!?" Momo yelled. "I...I don't know what I'm supposed to-"

"Just do it!" Todoroki said. "I believe in you, Momo."

"You're just saying that to get me to-"

"No, really." Todoroki said. "I believe in you, ever since I saw how hardworking you were. Remember how you got two votes for class president?"

Momo did, actually. She was shocked two random people trusted her enough to be handed such a responsibility. They'd just met last week!

"I...I voted for you too," Jirou admitted. "I don't know, the way you were so cool and collected and ready to answer anything...that gave me the image of someone who could lead the class."

"You...did?" Momo was definitely a little surprised by that, clearing away some of her doubt, but not all.

"Momo, I don't know what Snowfall said to you, but ignore her! Heard she's kind of an ice queen anyway," Mina said, trying to help.

(Somewhere off in the city, Snowfall felt she needed to have some strong words with someone for disrespecting her. But who that was exactly was anyone's guess.)

"I...it's not that Snowfall said something to me." Momo said. "I just felt I held her back that entire week. She was so caught up in my indecision and inner turmoil, I don't know..."

"I-it's not like-...actually, no, not saying that because that'd make things worse, uh..." Mina stopped herself, trying to think of something better.

"What Mina's trying to say is we've all been there. We've all hit that spot of 'I don't know what to do.' Yeah, they say you should always know, but...be honest, how likely is that to happen? We're just human, after all," Jirou took over.

"I'm...I'm just worried. I feel like I'm more of a walking encyclopedia or factory, reciting knowledge or mass producing stuff for others." Momo looked down at her hands. "I...want to feel like something more than that."

"...Momo...if we have ever made you feel like that, I'm sorry. You're way more than that," Mina said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"It's...it's just a dumb fear." Momo huffed. "I-"

"Are you finished?"

Aizawa was above them- with one single glance, he erased all their quirks. Everyone looked up in horror...but Momo suddenly looked determined. She reached for the Matryoshka dolls in her belt, and tossed into the air.

I know I'm not the best hero right now- and that's okay.

"CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Momo yelled. "NOW!"

"Hm?" Aizawa raised a brow while everyone adverted their gaze from the doll as it cracked open.

Clever, Eraserhead thought to himself.

A flashbang popped out of one of the dolls- and detonated. Momo and the others took advantage of the explosion to run.

And with that bright flash, Aizawa was forced to close his eyes or risk having them burned.

"I do have a plan, Todoroki!" Momo yelled as they ran. "And I'm sure it'll lead us to victory!"

"That's the spirit!" Mina cheered.

"So...what's the plan?" Todoroki said.

"I've been thinking about it since the start." Momo said. "Sensei's eyes haven't been as dependable lately."

"Cuz of his injury at the USJ against that Nomu freak." Mina said. "We're taking advantage of that."

"Not necessarily!" Momo said. "We just need to escape his line of sight. And with a little bit of time...this will be our win!"

"Hide from his line of sight without our quirks..." Todoroki said. "How do we do that?"

"Just do what I say! Keep trying to use your ice." Momo yelled.

"I can manage that," Todoroki said, secretly a little thankful she didn't need him to use his fire.

Aizawa chased after them, bandages wrapping around lightposts to fling him forward. Todoroki looked back, still trying to use his quirk.

"Don't think that we can't use our quirks, because there'll be an opening." Momo said. "If only for an instant."

Aizawa felt his eyes get dry.

"When he blinks...before he can open his eyes, make that giant ice wall you made at the Sports Festival." Momo said.

When Aizawa blinked, he suddenly heard the sound of Todoroki's quirk. When he opened his eyes...

There was a giant ice wall before him. And his scarf was caught in it.

Eraserhead scoffed a bit at the attempt to slow him down. While part of the scarf was caught, he could still rip free of the icy barrier. Still though, a few precious seconds may be all the difference Momo's team needed.

Todoroki looked up at the giant ice wall before him. Half of his body was covered in frost.

"Damn." Mina whistled, admiring the giant ice wall. "That move always looks hard for you."

"Yeah. Just need to heat myself up." Todoroki said, activating his flame side to regulate body temp. He turned to Momo. "Now, Momo...can you-"

Momo turned away and opened her costume up. Jirou gasped, covering Todoroki's eyes.

"W-what are you-!?" Jirou asked.

Momo's chest started to produce something familiar- Aizawa's weapon. Todoroki looked over Jirou's hand to see the scarf.

"Hey, Momo- suggestion. Move the boob window to the back!" Mina yelled. "It'll make it look LESS weird when you do stuff like this."

"You know how to make Mr. Aizawa's weapon capture scarf?" Todoroki said.

"Not really. I can't replicate it perfectly, because I don't know materials or manufacturing methods..." Momo said, picking it up. "But this is my special version. I weaved something else into it."

"Interesting." Jirou said, picking it up.

"Jirou- you have a serious weakness here. You can't really use your quirk offensively in this scenario. Especially in a residental area. So..." Momo held up her hand, and produced a small speaker. "Use this to transmit your powers."

"A speaker?" Jirou said, taking it. "Well, if my quirk works on a phone..."

"Then it should work on a speaker even better! We can blast Mr. Aizawa when he's distracted!" Mina suggested.

"That could work as a backup," Todoroki admitted.

"Given the residental setting, we want to keep property damage to a minimum." Momo looked at Mina.

"W-what's that look for?" Mina pouted.

"I want you to take this." Momo said, producing another weapon from her hand. Mina raised an eyebrow- this one was a bit more complex. It was a pair of gloves with some nozzles on the knuckles.

"This will help you store your acid if he erases your quirk." Momo explained. "It only stores 5 oz of acid, though."

"I think I can manage." Mina said, putting it on. "Why'd you learn to make this?"

"I learned to make support tools...just in case for situations like this." Momo said. "I want to support everyone in anyway I can."

"Did you make this glove by yourself?" Todoroki asked.

"No- borrowed the design from-" Momo shook her head. "I'll explain later."

"I'll hold you to that!" Mina grinned.

"The goal is to tangle him in this binding cloth." Momo said, holding up the faux copy. "Are any of you familiar with nitinol alloys?"

Blank stares.

"When its heated, it temporarily returns to its original form. It's used in things like wires or paperclips. So, if I was to take a paperclip with this alloy, unfold it and heat it back up...it'd snap back into the paperclip shape."

Mina nodded. "Oooooohhh...I like this plan."

"Ah...the plan...relies on heat," Todoroki said.

"Sorry about that, but you only need to use it for a few seconds," Momo added.

"It's fine. I'm getting used to using my fire side more and more." Todoroki said.

"Good," Momo nodded and looked over her shoulder to see if Aizawa was still following them. Knowing him, it shouldn't have taken him too long to figure a way around the barrier and resume the chase.

"It's gonna take a while for that ice to melt. And the exit's on the other side." Todoroki said. "Lemme burn us a path so we can get out of here..."

"Acid could do the job too, right?" Mina asked, "Besides, gonna need all your firepower for the big finish."

"True, we can test out how these gloves work." Mina said, loading them up with acid.

The pink student took aim with the stored acid in her gloves and fired off the stored up acid at the wall. It was a bit slower than using Todoroki's flames, but just as effective.

"Wow, this thing works like a charm!" Mina said. "I should get this for my usual costume."

"We can ask the support class for some help on that later," Jirou said, "Pass the exam first!"

Aizawa admired the ice wall in front of him. Todoroki was always an impressive student.

The exit gate was behind the teacher. While someone else would go stumbling after them blindly, Aizawa elected to wait patiently for their next moves.

Momo had a plan.

And he wanted to see it.

"Change's there...let's see where she goes with it," Aizawa said to himself, crossing his arms and waiting.

Aizawa noticed something moving around the ice wall. Two people in cloaks.

Aizawa smirked- a cloth. He couldn't erase what he couldn't see, but...this also put them at a real disadvantage.

I'll be nice, Aizawa thought to himself, I'll let them make the first move, see what they go for.

Aizawa watched them walk around blindly. It seems their strategy had a flaw. They couldn't see out of those cloaks…

"Seems they also have some disadvantages." Aizawa said. "They can't see!"

With that, Aizawa let out a single slash with his scarf, as a means to test out who these two were. If ice met him, it was Todoroki, if acid, he'd know it was Mina. If both just dodged, then maybe it was Jirou and Yaoyorozu.

But what if they did nothing? Aizawa's scarf wrapped around the blankets, and pulled them together. The two hoods smashed into each other with a loud wooden clunk.

"What the-?" Aizawa said, maneuvering his way over. The cloths were thrown off...and underneath them was Mina and Momo.

"Heya, teach!" Mina winked.

"Letting yourselves be captured? Either a risky move or a rookie mistake. Knowing you...could be either," Aizawa said.

"You sure about that?" Mina grinned, aiming her gauntlet at Aizawa. A burst of acid spat out- Aizawa's tendrils pulled his body back.

I erased her quirk- how did she do that? Aizawa said, before noting the gauntlets. Momo's handiwork. She must've sent the calvary out first!

Jiro plugged her earjacks into the speaker and let loose a large blast of noise. Aizawa pulled himself away, as she started to blast more and more bits of sound.

Each successive sound-blast slammed into where Aizawa had been just minutes before, missing the professor and slamming into a building or tearing a groove into the pavement. With the frequency of the sound blasts, the pro was mostly on the defensive, using his scarf to pull himself up to a telephone pole to avoid one more sonic wave.

"Come on..." Jiro muttered. "Get into position already!"

Jiro blasted her sound waves once again, but Aizawa dodged...right where Momo wanted him.

"Now!" Momo yelled. A spark flared up nearby, catching Aizawa's attention. For a few brief seconds, Todoroki tapped into those flames he absolutely hated.

"Here we go," Todoroki muttered as he quickly took aim at the scarf and let out a quick, but powerful, jet of flame from his hand.

Aizawa was blinded by the flames. His bandages pulled him backwards, but Mina was ready to 'clip his wings'.

"Here we go!" Mina yelled, pointing her gauntlet at the bandages. She sniped it with ease, cutting off Aizawa's escape. Aizawa fell to the ground, and stumbled backwards- that hurt.

"Momo, honor's yours!" Jirou called, motioning to the cuffs the team's leader was carrying.

Momo rushed towards the teacher, rolling over a small trebuchet. Aizawa readied himself to escape, but Momo was ready. She stepped on the lever and released the faux capture device.

"Hmph...well done," Aizawa smirked. He conceded and let the device find its target.

The trebuchet launched a similar binding device at Aizawa. He raised an eyebrow. "Another distraction?"

"No." Momo said. "An end to this." Momo moved out of the way as Todoroki shot a blast of fire at Aizawa...

"One last shot," Todoroki said, firing off the flames.

Aizawa dodged the flames, but was quickly wrapped in the faux device. "That fake capture device- it has an alloy with shape memory inside of it!"

"Exactly!" Momo said as she closed in on Aizawa, handcuffs at the ready.

Aizawa landed on the ground, as Momo quickly slapped on the handcuffs. Aizawa had been captured, all thanks to Momo's plan.

While Aizawa was definitely surprised by the sudden upset, he couldn't help but give a little smirk. None of the students saw it of course, thanks to the capture scarf around his neck.

"Heck yeah!" Mina cheered.

Back in the infirmary tent, All Might nodded in approval. Both of the star students had started to improve their own personal obstacles. Snowfall might like to hear that maybe her words of wisdom worked out for her intern. If she had time for a friendly call, that is.

As everyone watched Momo and her team pass through the exit, a realization set in.

"Everyone...everyone passed." Ochako said, a bit awestruck.

"Hopefully. You have to remember. They still have to evaluate their exams. Not everything will be 100% for now, but..." All Might smiled. "It seems everyone will be going to the camp this summer."

Ochako couldn't help but smile at that realization. Momo let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding as she passed through the gate, a new little bit of pride in her heart.

Mina cheered. "That worked out great! You did awesome, Momo."

"It went pretty well." Todoroki agreed, but Momo still had a worried look on her face.

"Yes, but..." Momo took a deep breath. "I messed up trying to trigger the catapult. I missed the launcher by an inch."

"So? No a big deal." Jirou said.

Momo looked back at Mr. Aizawa. "Sir...you realized this and backed off. You could've defended against it. I feel like...you took the hit so my strategy would work."

"You had everything accounted for," Aizawa said, showing that her plan to neutralize his scarf worked, "I dodged, I'd just be dragging it out."

Momo stared. "I have a feeling there's more."

Aizawa inhaled deeply. "I also had to be on the lookout for your offense. Todoroki attempting to freeze me, Mina attempting to melt my cloth, and Jirou's soundwaves...something I couldn't delete."

"I believe his only approach was to back off." Jirou rubbed the back of her neck.

"It was," the pro corrected as he followed the group past the exit gate.

Momo's face softened. Her hand went over her mouth.

"Backing off was my optimal strat. And isn't that how your plan was supposed to go?" Aizawa asked.

"Yeah." Todoroki said. "All you needed was a little time..."

Momo was on the verge of tearing up. She was...just happy that this all worked out. All of her doubt, her worries...they were vanishing.

When they passed through the gate, the cuffs unlocked and fell to the ground, letting Eraserhead rub his wrists a little.

"Alright. You need any rest or anything like that, Recovery Girl's tent's nearby. I gotta meet up with the others to asse-" Aizawa began, before he saw Midnight walk out of her arena, pulling purple orbs off of herself, and then Ectoplasm walked out with a shaken and vacant look in his eyes.

"...I have several questions now," The professor deadpanned.

"Shut up and help me get these balls off me." Midnight said.

"I-I can...still feel them crawling on my body..." Ectoplasm shivered, hugging himself.

"Are you good, Mr. Ectoplasm?" Mina asked, genuinely concerned.

"K-Kouda summoned bugs all over me..." Ectoplasm said.

Mina blinked. "Wait...like, sweet Kouda?"

"Y-yes. Him," the class' usually rather composed math teacher confirmed.

"I'd say that's a lie but...you look like you need therapy," Jirou said bluntly.

"I think I do," Ectoplasm shivered.

Aizawa shook his head. "Let's get YOU to Recovery Girl as well..."

"That...would be appreciated," Ectoplasm said as he accompanied the students over to the infirmary tent.

Everyone had clearly grown from the first semester at UA. They'd pushed past their limits. The ending to the practical exam, however, was not without a bit of a bittersweet ending.

It all started when Bakugou woke up.

Ochako was half expecting Bakugou to immediately fly into one of his usual explosive rages, especially after he realized that he was in the infirmary...and he didn't remember crossing the gate himself. He put two and two together, given the look that crossed his face, and he looked ready to murder someone.

But he didn't.

Bakugou stood up, and grunted. "What happened?" He asked, looking around.

"Well, we passed." Ochako said. "Dunno if it was exactly flying colors, but we tired All Might out."

"He was still standing by the end?"

"Uh, yeah?" Ochako wasn't really sure where this was going, "You know we wouldn't be able to beat him in a straight fight."

Bakugou scowled again. He looked pissed like usual...but Ochako could tell what this was about.

"If you want Deku, he's in the bathroom." Ochako said. Bakugou gave her a weird look. "Sorry- sensed your Baku Rage Aura."

"My WHAT?" Bakugou snapped.

"The aura you give off when you look like you could snap at any moment. I sensed it." Ochako said. "And thought you would probably want to start yelling at him again."

"Oh, yeah. You're a real Sherlock." Bakugou huffed. "Fuck off."

Ochako looked angry. "Can't you just make nice with him already?"

"...why should I?" Bakugou snapped back.

"Because of things like what happened during the exam! Whatever reason you're mad at him, it's...it's just a detriment to you and everyone around you!" Ochako finally snapped. The explosive student was a bit surprised at the sudden courage there, but he chalked that up to her knowing he couldn't exactly blast her into the next prefecture with his current injuries.

"So what, just because you got a fancy watch now, you think you can just lecture me?" Bakugou huffed. "You think I wanna get along with him?"

"I really just want you two to find some common ground." Ochako insisted. "You were so cool when we faced off in the Sports Festival...you actually treated me like a proper opponent. I tried to match that intensity...but, there's times where it's just overwhelming."

"You're just now getting that? The whole point of my powers is to overwhelm people. One explosion's enough to stun, but you keep throwing them? People go down in no time."

"Unless they're like Kirishima or All Might, both of whom have insane durability!" Ochako countered. "We needed to work together on that exam, Bakugou. You could have failed if you didn't just swallow your pride for more than a few minutes."

Part of her mind was screaming at her to shut up. Why was she unleashing this?!

"No, I didn't need help. You all needed to work together. After all, you're nothing but goddamn supporting characters. Who the hell actually gives a shit about the supporting cast in anything?" Bakugou growled.

"I do!" Ochako yelled. "Heroes are supposed to look out for those 'supporting characters'! I-" Ochako's voice trailed off, as she noticed Izuku. He was standing near the tent's entrance. He'd clearly heard...most of their spat.

"You what?" Bakugou frowned.

"Deku..." Ochako said instead.

Bakugou spun around to see the person a good chunk of his anger was usually aimed at.

"...what?" Bakugou frowned. His teeth were barred and angry.

Izuku looked clearly hurt by his words. "...I was just checking in on how you were doing. But...looks like you're fine, Bakugou."

Ochako noticed Bakugou's face softened after he heard that. No matter what their relationship was, Izuku would always call him 'Kacchan'.

Izuku turned away. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, I guess." He walked off. Ochako took one more look at Bakugou, before she ran off to catch up with Izuku.

For once, Bakugou didn't give one last shout to the two as they walked off.

He was just...oddly quiet.

That...just hurt for some reason. But why? He didn't care about Midoryia. He didn't give two shits that he was his only friend who passed the entrance exam, the only friend who followed him through multiple schools, or he was even HERE at UA. He was an annoyance with his stupid overpowered quirk.

But he couldn't accept that hurt. He just had to bury it down, and lash out.

Like he always did.

Haha bakugou is a dick

Chapter Text

loser (ˈlü-zər)

Noun

a person or thing that loses especially consistently

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

a person who is incompetent or unable to succeed

Don't waste your time on that loser.

good loser

Noun

a person who does not become upset or angry when he or she loses

Misogi Kumagawa is a good loser.

It was a complete surprise when he turned up at Suisou Academy one day. The school, which was considered to be the most renowned 'cram' school in all of Japan, served as a "training ground" for kids who were in middle school and wanted to learn how to control their abilities a little bit sooner than they would at a big shot hero school like Ketsubetsu or Isamu. This is a one-of-a-kind university attended only by the brightest and smartest students.

It was a shock when it closed down after he had left the school. That suspicious, screw-wielding sociopathic scoundrel went out to become a hero, and destroyed the thing that created some.

Would it come as a surprise to people to learn that he went on to attend Shiketsu? Yes. But a great many more individuals have a right to be informed...

What he 'did' at Suisou Academy would stick with everyone involved forever.

Especially himself.

Class 3-4 had an issue with the president. The school didn't really 'watch' over their students- so, teachers (who were slurring their speeches as of late) were pretty oblivious to the overwhelming power of the president. She was a powerfully imposing person, and she had no qualms just…asserting her power over those who dared oppose her.

Numerous pupils at the school, all of whom desired for her tyrannical rule to end, felt that the institution had let them down. It seems like every time they tried to challenge the president, they fumbled their remarks. Choked hard on their words. And not long after that, they would depart, taking their failed aspirations and shattered ambitions for whatever they had planned with them.

All they could do was sit back and suffer as the council ruled over their school lives. They wanted a hero to save them-

And that's when he showed up one day. They were in class, talking about sports or that TV show or that news story about the kid who rushed into a fire to save his friend from a sludge villain. A moment of peace for their busy lives.

He walked through the door, wearing a uniform that belonged to the school. He was a young man of ordinary height and build, with blue eyes and black hair, and he stood at an average height. He appeared to have a gracious expression on his face. However, he was not in any way approachable. The kids didn't know how to explain it- looking at him was like being under pressure. And his eyes were…absent. Devoid of any joy, despite that smile on his face.

The boy cleared his throat. 「hello」He spoke. His voice was polite, but had an air of 'condescending' to it. 「i am kumagawa misogi and i have transfered from █████ academy. i hope we can become great friends」

That was a normal intro. Nothing was off about it, and his wish to become friends seemed genuine. But, that's where things got…weird. How come no one could remember the academy he came from? He just said it, yet it was in one year, and out the other.

That was weird.

「instead of introductions, how about a quiz? riddle me this」 Kumagawa joked. 「in the mornings, a short story. in evenings a deadline. in the night, it ends. what is it」

The class stared at Kumagawa, confused by his eccentric question. There was a full thirty seconds of silence before Kumagawa spoke.

「the answer! a new serial novel」

Not one person dared to smile, mainly because it was so...weird. Kumagawa was an odd person, but he didn't seem bothered by it. He took his seat at the end of the class, near the windows.

"Man, that Kumagawa kid's weird." Someone muttered. "Let's just ignore him..."

"Agreed. The hell kind of a riddle was that anyways?" Another kid asked.

The class tried talking to one and other again, but all eyes would dart back to Kumagawa- he was in his own little space, his own bubble, reading the newest chapters of Shounen Jump at his desk. He looked innocent and weird.

And then the next person entered the room. Finally, the class loser was here. Kumagawa looked up from his Jump magazine to see a young woman with light brown eyes and short, reddish-brown hair with an ahoge on top. She wore a facemask with a cat mouth on it, and she looked terrified.

"Well, if it isn't Saki! Late again?" One of the cattier girls smirked.

"I-I slept in because my alarm didn't go off..." She stammered, shaking like a leaf.

"Maybe she didn't wanna get out of bed because of lame quirk." Another boy with multiple pupils jeered.

"Or she just realized how much we out class her!" A giraffe necked boy taunted.

"C-come on! My quirk's just as cool as anyone else's." Saki insisted. "M-my cards are-"

"Lame!" Another boy laughed. "Just cause you can produce a bunch of playing cards from your hand is boring as hell. Unless you can make a house of cards with it! Who's that gonna shelter?"

The boy erupted in laughter with the rest of the class, and Kumagawa stared blankly at that boy.

「hm」 He said, holding up his hand. A giant screw suddenly appeared in his palm. 「i didn't think i would start this early, but」

Kumagawa flung the screw like a javelin, impaling the kid through the chest. The class screamed in horror, as the kid tried to remove the screw.

"W-what the hell!? Where'd this screw come from?!" He yelled, pulling with all his might. He looked up to see Kumagawa, tossing a screw up and down in his hand, smiling innocently.

"T-the new kid! He did this!" The boy pointed.

"You trying to start a fight now!?" Giraffe kid yelled.

"Well, might as well break him in now..." Another girl said as she began to manifest honey around her hand.

A boy with 'pepperoni' on his cheeks ripped off the 'slices' and expanded them into giant shields. "Let's give this kid a warm welcome t-"

...

...

...

...

The kids didn't know what happened, but the next second, they were all screwed down into something- desks, walls, floors, ceilings...and Kumagawa hadn't even moved from his seat.

「laughing at someone's misfortune...you guys are the worst」 Kumagawa had a disappointed look on his face, but somehow he knew it would come to this.

All of the kids tried their best to free themselves from his screws, but they were unable to muster the necessary amount of power. It was of no use, regardless of how hard they tried. They just...were stuck.

Saki shook and shivered because she was the only person who hadn't been hurt by the screw attack. She turned her head to look at Kumagawa, who had resumed reading his Shonen manga.

This kid... She thought. Could he be...

Kumagawa perked up as the bell rang. 「oh. school time」 He said, and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the screws disappeared. Kids dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. They looked back to Kumagawa, still unbothered by anything.