The men worked with a sense of purpose and urgency, their movements precise and coordinated as they installed an array of deadly weapons onto the truck's chassis. Modernized Gatling guns were mounted on swiveling turrets, their barrels gleaming in the dim light as they were meticulously calibrated and tested for maximum firepower. Missile launchers were affixed to the truck's roof, their sleek and streamlined design belying their devastating potential.
As the men worked, their faces obscured by welding masks and goggles, there was an air of anticipation and excitement in the air. It was clear that whatever they were building was not intended for mundane purposes. This was a weapon of war, a machine designed for destruction on a grand scale.
Watching from the window to his office, the leader of the biker gang watched with a grim smile, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he surveyed the progress of their work. He knew that soon, their efforts would bear fruit, and they would unleash their creation upon Japan, striking fear into the hearts of the Heroes they so despised.
The Biker Gang members exchanged uneasy glances as the reverberations of the distant impact echoed through Kuroi Tekkō. The sudden interruption caused them to pause in their work, their hands still clutching welding torches and power tools.
"Damn, did you feel that?" One of the burly bikers muttered, his voice tinged with concern.
"Yeah, felt like a damn earthquake," Another replied, wiping sweat from his brow with a grease-stained rag.
A tense silence settled over the warehouse as they listened intently, half expecting the sound of approaching sirens or the thunderous footsteps of a Hero crashing through the door at any moment. Their side of Musutafu remained relatively safe, not yet touched by the constant fighting happening outside, but they all knew that could change at any moment.
"Back to work, you idiots!" Barked a grizzled veteran, his voice cutting through the tension like a whip crack. "We ain't got time to waste gawking at every little tremor. Boss wants this rig ready to roll by sundown!"
His words snapped the gang back into action, their hesitancy replaced by a renewed sense of urgency. With grim determination, they returned to their tasks, sparks flying as welding resumed and the clang of metal on metal echoed through the cavernous warehouse.
All the work is again put on hold when they hear someone enter the warehouse, accompanied by the enticing aroma of food wafting through the air, drawing the attention of his fellow bikers, who pause in their work to glance up expectantly. Carrying a stack of takeout containers, another Biker made his way through the maze of machinery and workbenches toward the center of the warehouse.
"Hey, Juba! You got lunch?" One of the bikers called out eagerly, his stomach audibly growling in anticipation.
"Yeah, got some grub for everyone," Juba replied with a grin, setting down the containers on a nearby table. "Figured we could use a break from all this welding and wrenching."
The other bikers eagerly gathered around, their rough hands reaching for the food with eager anticipation.
"How is everything outside?" One asked Juba.
"The usual. Heroes "protecting" everyone," Juba said with an annoyed groan. "Oe and I almost got squashed by Mount Lady's booty after she got flown into the air by another Giant."
"Now that's what I call an enviable death," Another Biker commented perversely, earning a lot of chuckles from the lot of them.
But amidst the commotion, one of them noticed something amiss.
"Hey, where's Oe?" He asked, furrowing his brow in suspicion. "Thought he went out with you to get lunch."
"He's still outside," Juba replied casually. "Got a call from his wife. Said he needed a minute to sort it out, and from what I gathered, she sounded pissed."
His response is acceptable because they all know that Oe is having marital problems. Totally not his fault, and they've each seen him have more than one phone call that either ended with him screaming or looking like he just got back from getting shot.
But that still didn't make the unease go away; something was off with their usually stoic comrade, who never seemed to be happy about anything.
"Hey—"
"I've got to go talk with the Boss. I'll be with you guys in a bit," Juda dismissed the obvious attempt at an interrogation, walking past everyone, not in a hurry but also not wanting to converse with everyone before closing the door behind him to the Boss's office.
"I thought I made it clear that I don't want to be disturbed," The Boss warned. A gruff-looking man with a Mohawk and a scar around his right eye and lip who screams to Juda that he's been in the slammer more than once. He is working on some kind of device that resembles a car battery but is bigger and more complex, and judging by the several tools he has around his desk, he has to be careful not to set it off or damage it. "Juda?"
"Hey, Boss. There is something really important that we need to discuss," Juda said more calmly, his smile less bright than it was but still foreign to his face.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" The Boss demanded apprehensively.
"Whatever do you mean?" Juda asked.
The Boss narrowed his eyes dangerously, noticing the same problem that the rest of his gang noticed with "Juda". He never smiles because he's not known joy since his daughter was murdered and turned to a life of crime to spite the Heroes who did not save her.
"Aww," "Juda" sighed, getting the problem now. "Guess I should've picked the other guy after all. But he was so much less handsome than this one."
That's when all Hell broke loose, as a fight broke out in the office with the Biker Boss trying to kill Juda with his Energy Projection Quirk, destroying parts of it. Juda avoided the attack and ran at him, sending him flying off a window and landing on the ground.
"Dammit! Who the hell are you?!" The Boss demanded, quickly getting back up, only to slip on food on the ground and fall back down. That is when he noticed that most of his men were also lying on the ground and unresponsive. Not unconscious but more like sleeping. "What the fuck happened to them?"
"I don't know, they just passed out as soon as they started eating," Answered one of the Bikers who hadn't gotten the chance to eat the food due to witnessing the rest that had just collapsed.
"The food was laced with sleeping agents," The Boss cursed the misfortune.
"I was hoping to keep the charade going for a while longer, but a fool I am for picking the emotionless one," Juda mused, jumping out of the broken window and confronting the remaining bikers, now armed with knives. "So, who's next?"
"Kill the bastard!" The Boss demanded as everyone readied to use their Quirks.
Just then, the ceiling above them crumbled apart, as though something big came crashing down, but in truth, it was Webjack who rushed in, crashing into the Boss, knocking him to the ground for the last time.
What came next was a blur, as the Bikers never stood a chance and were rounded up and webbed together in cocoons.
"That could've gone smoother," Webjack lamented.
"What are you talking about? That was fun!" "Juda"declared as the gray viscous liquid of Transform enveloped him, evaporating the male form and resuming the image of Kat-astrophe. "The only downside is that I couldn't get rid of the Boss first. It really sucks when the baddies take the time to truly know their friends."
"Survivability is guaranteed with real camaraderie. Unfortunately for them, their business transactions were too clean. Spotless records in this day and age make for bad disguises, so it was only a matter of time before they were figured out," Webjack noted.
"Like middle schools and high schools covering up the bad behavior of bullies so that they can profit from their successes in Hero Universities?" Kat-astrophe suggested.
"Way too much of an example, but… sure," He feels awkward and bummed out about that because of how close to home it hits.
"What's this big truck for, anyway?" Himiko asked, turning to see the incomplete vehicle the Bikers were working on. It got damaged during the fight with the weapons that were being installed, which were left lying on the ground.
"Someone hired these guys to make them a monster truck for the warzone variety, clearly to pull off a huge heist," Webjack explained. "The Cops have been investigating them for a while, but without getting the Pros involved, the case was slow, and I was sure they were going to continue with their escapades."
"Kind of dumb to want to use something big that will easily be spotted by anyone in a city," Himiko shrugged.
"Best guess, this pretty lady was to be a last resort. A source of comfort in the off chance that things go south and they need to make a desperate escape. Just because the Pros will see you get away doesn't mean there isn't a chance to escape while making a lot of noise."
"Whatever, let's go and have some more fun already," Himiko insisted.
"Don't go out without this," Webjack warned, offering her back the goggles that she had taken off.
"Still not used to wearing something like this," She said, putting the goggles back on. "Too bad you couldn't make this thing DNA-coated like the costume and wig."
"I'd consider it a blessing because I don't think it's a good idea to absorb anything with metal into your skin mid-transformation,"
"True, but I am a little curious about what it would feel like."
"I don't,"
The pair takes their leave and tips the Police off about what has transpired in Kuroi Tekkō.
As Webjack and Kat-astrophe observed the ongoing conflict between Heroes and Villains, they maintained a cautious distance, intervening only when the situation demanded their attention. Well, Izuku preferred to avoid unnecessary confrontation, and Himiko, ever eager for excitement, seized every opportunity to join the bloodshed.
Her chance to act once more came when a police helicopter was hijacked by a group of desperate criminals seeking to escape the city after evading capture by the Pros, and they wasted no time in commandeering the aircraft, intending to flee to safety.
Webjack sprang into action, shooting two precise weblines at the underside of the helicopter, anchoring it firmly and preventing it from ascending further. Before the criminals could react, Kat-astrophe gleefully seized her moment, using Webjack's weblines as makeshift tightropes to swiftly traverse the distance between herself and the airborne vehicle.
Perched on the landing skids with feline grace, Kat-astrophe remained hidden from view, biding her time until the perfect moment to strike. As one of the criminals slid open the door, brandishing a rocket launcher with malicious intent, Kat-astrophe struck, ferociously springing into action.
"Leaving so soon!" She exclaimed, her voice ringing out with confidence as she launched herself into the fray. With a swift and precise kick, she disarmed the would-be attacker, sending the rocket launcher spiraling out of reach. Before the bewildered Villains could comprehend what was happening, Kat-astrophe unleashed a barrage of blows, incapacitating them with speed and precision.
So focused were the Villains on Kat-astrophe that the hijacked helicopter began to wobble precariously in the air, its engines struggling to maintain altitude. Sensing the imminent danger, Webjack sprang into action, his agile form darting through the chaos with practiced ease.
As the helicopter dipped lower, Webjack swiftly deployed a large cobweb below, positioning it strategically to catch the descending aircraft and prevent any potential disaster. With the net in place, he leaped into the air, his acrobatic prowess on full display as he soared toward the stricken helicopter.
With remarkable precision, Webjack maneuvered through the turbulent winds, deftly avoiding the whirling blades of the helicopter as he closed in on his target. With a graceful flourish, he landed on the aircraft's exterior, his spider-like reflexes ensuring that he remained unscathed amidst the chaos.
Inside the helicopter, Kat-astrophe moved with lightning speed, her agile form weaving effortlessly through the cramped interior as she subdued the remaining criminals with calculated strikes. With the situation under control, Webjack reached out to her, his hand extended in a gesture of assistance.
"Hurry!" He called out, his voice muffled by the roar of the helicopter's engines. Kat-astrophe nodded in response, her eyes gleaming with determination beneath her goggles as she prepared to make her escape.
With a swift motion, Webjack lifted Kat-astrophe into his arms, her lithe form cradled securely against his chest. With a powerful leap, he propelled himself out of the helicopter, his enhanced strength allowing him to carry them both with ease.
As they soared through the air, Webjack and Kat-astrophe reached the nearest rooftop while the helicopter descended toward the waiting cobweb below, the energy construct holding strong and keeping intact and paralyzed, along with the Villains.
With the Villains trapped above, the streets below swarmed with policemen, their sirens wailing as they prepared to apprehend the criminals and bring an end to their reign of terror.
"I've got to say, Hero Work, if it can even be called work, is so easy," Himiko grinned mockingly as they slipped away from the Police, who forced themselves to focus on securing the scene, but her words did not go unheard by those below. "How did this ever become a profession that you needed to go to an academy for?"
"Try not to say anything like that out loud, otherwise you'll make the Pros madder than they usually are," Izuku warned, sounding more nervous about how bad a reaction those words would bring, but couldn't help but smile either way.
"That's the point," She grinned maliciously. "So what's next? Maybe beat up a few Pros this time."
"MOMMY!" The pair cease their rapid movement from roof to roof when they hear the cry of a little girl.
Turning to their right, they saw the source, a little girl in the middle of the park, no older than eight, repeatedly shouting for her mother, who was nowhere in sight. The park she is in is one of the places that remain untouched by the conflict, so people there are relatively safe. That said, the people walking past only spared a glance at her before pointing out her presence.
It was a common response, or rather a lack thereof, with Hero Society, the citizens have become so complacent with Heroes shouldering all the responsibilities that they instinctively walk past those in need, expecting the Heroes to tend to every lost child on the street, denying them the slightest amount of comfort, out of fear that they'll be branded as Vigilantes and other cowardly excuses.
In exchange for Heroes, Good Samaritans are a thing of the past now, and this, as a consequence, made the world feel so hollow. A hollowness Izuku swore to fill up every day he donned his mask.
"How about something less exciting and more of a show of real humanity?" Izuku insisted to his new partner, jumping off the roof, dropping down in front of her, and causing the people around to freeze in shock.
"Hey there!" Izuku crouched down in front of the girl, hoping to seem less intimidating. "Did you get lost? Are you looking for your mommy?"
The girl looked at Izuku, her eyes brimming with tears, and nodded, too upset to speak.
"Well, why don't we go find her? Come on," Izuku stood up and extended his hand out to her.
The little girl looked hesitant, but she eventually took his hand, and the two started walking along. It was better to trust the Vigilante since he didn't ignore her like everybody else, and she is fortunate that the masked man's intentions are pure.
Izuku noticed that the girl was still super scared, and so he started to think of ways to calm her down.
Quickly, he spotted an ice cream cart, with the person running it staring at the two of them, like pretty much everyone else.
"Hey, kid. Do you like Ice cream?" Izuku asked her.
And so that's what the pair of Vigilantes ended up doing, helping a little girl find her mom, whom she was separated from because of all the commotion. The girl named Riro knew where to walk back home, but opted to instead wait for her mother to come get her, since she had once instructed her that if they were ever separated, the park she was in would be their rendezvous point to reunite.
Rira was all calm now since Webjack and Kat-astrophe were keeping her company, but if her mother was not back within an hour, they would either take her home or to the Police and see where they go from there. For now, the three are sitting on a park bench, eating ice cream.
Rira picked a Choco Monaka Jumbo, Izuku a Parm Chocolate, and Himiko chose a Super Cup Cho-Vanilla.
"How's it taste?" Izuku asked the girl standing between the two Vigilantes, who had calmed down now since she was no longer surrounded by neglectful adults. The lower half of his face is exposed so he can eat his ice cream, and his Spider-Cord is also removed, so his voice is no longer properly disguised. Now he has to resort to deepening it naturally.
"I love Chocho Monaka Jumbo," She cheered, resisting the urge to devour her ice cream in one go and trying to savor the taste as much as possible before it melted. "What happened to your voice, Mr. Webjack?"
"Oh? Ah… you see, I can't handle cold stuff very well, so my voice gets like this when I eat ice cream," He lied, hoping that the girl wasn't smart enough to notice the deception. "Nothing too serious, and it goes back to normal after a while. And, call me Jackie. Mr. Webjack sounds like someone boring."
"You know, I think this is the first time I've had an ice cream since graduating from High School," Himiko blurted out, looking somber. Not bored by the turn of events, but certainly deeper in thought. "Don't know why I brought it up, but the thought just came to me all of a sudden."
"If it's because you don't have good memories of your school days, then that's a given. I have more than a few sob stories," Izuku said with sincerity, expecting Toga to let loose something about herself once they'd spent enough time together. He knows for sure that he will have to show her who she is without the mask sooner or later.
"I don't like my school either. Everyone says my Quirk is lame," Rira pouted.
"I'll be the judge of that. What is your Quirk?" Izuku asked.
"I can make anything I touch shine like a lightbulb," She explained.
"Wow! That's very helpful for moving in the dark without fear of losing a light source," Izuku praised. "You can be a Rescue Hero when you grow up and help find people trapped in dark places."
"You think so?" Rira asked with hope.
"Yeah! You can also scare off Villains with Shadow Quirks as well. Just be careful not to hinder Shadow Heroes. Few though they are," He advised.
While the two remain conversing, Toga can't help but feel lost. This isn't something she imagined she'd be doing ever since she and Izuku formed this partnership, but as boring as this may seem, wasting time just to comfort a lost child, she can't deny that this feels nice.
'Even before I ran from home. I always thought being a Hero was stupid. Sure, they got paid handsomely for doing their jobs, but dressing up in over-the-top costumes and trying to come off as special when they're just like everybody else,' She scoffed. 'The only real difference is they're allowed to use their Quirks and be their real selves. And yet, as Stainy said, they're still nothing but a farce.'
She turns her head back to Izuku and Rira in wonderment.
'Guess I'm no different now, but I'm only dressing up like this for his sake. And… doing this feels right when he's in charge,' She admitted.
Izuku's chat with Rira is cut short when he receives a phone call, and to his surprise, it's from Ochaco.
"Ah… sorry, I just got a phone call, and it's very important," Izuku said, getting up from the bench and walking away from the girls. "Try to play nice, girls."
He rushes out of the park and makes a huge leap onto another rooftop for some privacy before answering, happy to hear from her. "Uraraka! Hey, how are you doing?"
"Great! Today's been crazy," Ochaco replied, just as happy.
"You're telling me. The city's a warzone, and the craziest part is that there are still people waltzing around like it's another Monday," He said, letting out a twinge of irritation over everyone's irrational behavior.
"Are you back home with your Mom?"
"No, I was at my usual spot pretty far from where I live, and before I knew it, I found myself stuck here, but thankfully still safe; otherwise, I'd be in the crossfire." He gave a partial truth.
"How's your Mom?" She asked worriedly.
"We just talked, and she's at the safest place in Musutafu as always. Well, the second safest place. UA remains as our one true haven."
"It doesn't feel like that sometimes, given how overly exciting things can get around here," Ochaco sighed, still feeling overwhelmed by her talk with Dean Nezu. "Anyway, I've thought it over, and I decided you should be the first to know."
"Know about what?" He got intrigued.
"I got a chance to join the Hero Course!" She announced, a huge blush on her face, how nervous she felt, as though she was confessing her feelings to a crush instead.
"Wow! That's amazing, Uraraka. No. Spectacular," Izuku got excited, happy to learn of this. He wasn't able to see the Sports Festival, so he had to rely on what Inko had told him about it and how Ochaco made it to the Semi-Finals before getting the cold shoulder from Endeavor's chilling son. "I knew UA wouldn't ignore you after performing so well. Heck, I bet they would've recommended you for the Hero Course just for making it past the previous two events."
"I suppose, though I don't remember how the Calvary Battle went since it was all so crazy," Ochaco said, now feeling embarrassed by the praise. She spoke the truth about not remembering anything from the Calvary Battle since Hitoshi used his Quirk on her to join his team. It upset her at first, but he got her into third place, so it was an instant forgiveness. The other two Hitoshi brainwashed; Mashirao Ojiro and Nirengeki Shoda, not so much, who dropped out because they felt like they had cheated.
A part of her envied their sense of dignity, but she was compelled to seize any opportunity she could get to achieve her goals. After all, sometimes Heroes need to achieve victory by any means necessary. Even fighting dirty, and with how weak she is in comparison to her soon-to-be new classmates, she has no choice.
"Though I won't be joining the Course just yet. First, I got to undertake an Internship with a Hero Agency," Ochaco continued.
"That's just as spectacular. Usually, a Hero Academy doesn't allow its students to go out into the wild until they reach their Sophomore Year, but I guess you newbies were more impressive than the upperclassmen," Izuku praised. "So, who will you be doing the internship under?"
"Not sure yet, but it'll be a Hero that specializes in combat because that's something I am lacking in, and so the Dean wants me to get some experience while improving Zero Gravity."
"Makes sense, anyone who relies on their Quirks too much is just setting themselves up for a really bad beatdown when, not if, they find themselves in a situation where that is not enough," Izuku agreed with Nezu's wisdom.
"Almost sounds like this was your idea," She teased.
"Believe me, if I had the high honor of conversing with Dean Nezu, I'd be bragging about it every day. It doesn't matter if no one believes me or beats me up over it, I want everyone to know," He grinned. "And yes, I would've told you to get some combatant skills to go nicely with your Quirk for any scenario."
"He is something else. Kind of scary, though," Ochaco muttered, unable to hide how nervous she felt around Nezu. He looks and sounds sweet, but there's something predatory about him that makes even the teachers nervous.
"I'll bet. Being an animal with a Quirk must mean he's been through a lot," Izuku said a bit more somberly, but doesn't want to let this nice talk get ruined, so he tossed the subject altogether. "Still. As nice as this is, I have to ask, why did you want to tell me this first? This is more something your parents should know about before anyone else."
"Yeah… but I don't want to get their hopes up. Granted, they didn't look all that bothered when I told them I failed the Entrance Exam. Their sadness was more for me being sad, but after the surprise visit they made when returning to my apartment from the festival, I decided on no more surprises until I have everything settled," Ochaco admitted sheepishly.
"If your internship takes you to another city, they'll have a right to know about it," He pointed out.
"I know, but I'm nervous about not pulling this off and failing again," She said, now her turn to be somber.
"Fingers crossed the Dean signs you up with Gunhead, then," Izuku replied.
"The scary masked guy?" Ochaco questioned, not sure how that would be a good idea.
"Trust me, that guy is full of surprises," He chuckled, recalling his first encounter with the Battle Hero and how Gunhead is actually a sweetheart underneath his tough exterior. Ochaco's chances will skyrocket with him.
"You are the Hero expert," Ochaco said, taking his word for it. "And honestly, I don't have anyone else to talk to about this. I have plenty of friends here, but ever since the USJ Incident, the General Course has it out for the Hero Course, almost like they think it's their fault UA is falling on hard times."
"So that's how it is, eh?" Izuku said in contemplation, getting a clear idea and somewhat understanding this poor mindset. "Don't worry about it. I may not be much help, but I promise to make time for you if I can."
"I appreciate that," Ochaco smiled gratefully at him. "Wish I could talk some more, but classes are about to start, and I don't want to be late."
"Don't sweat it. I have a lot to do myself to afford any distraction, but I'm glad we got to talk," Izuku smiled.
"Let's hope we can see each other before I have to head out, then."
"We'll see," He mused before hanging up. "Today is alright. It would be even better if we could find those two. If All Might shows up to clean up this mess once and for all, we may lose them."
Izuku returns to Himiko and Rira and is relieved to see that his secret fear of Toga scaring the little girl off with her bad habits is senseless since they seem to be getting along.
"So, you're not really a cat person?" Rira asked.
"Nah, I just developed a huge fondness for kitties recently. I have three little critters back home. Their names are Sasu, Shimekorosu, and Ketsueki." Toga smiled, getting all giddy at the mention of her precious cats, not noticing the deadpan and creepy stares she was receiving from Rira and Izuku.
'OF course, she would think those names are cute,' He muttered. Who names their pets Stabbing, Strangle, and Blood?
"Rira!" A Woman shouted as she ran near a pond in the park, frantically looking around for her daughter, whom she had gotten separated from because of all the fighting happening everywhere. "Rira! Where are you!?"
She prayed to God that her baby girl was alright and that she did as she instructed her and came to this exact Park to wait for her to come get her. The only reason why she wouldn't be here is that the park also became a combat zone, which thankfully isn't the case, or… She doesn't even want to think of the alternatives. It's too awful to bear.
"Mommy!"
The Woman turned around so quickly that it was a wonder she didn't trip and saw her daughter running towards her.
"Rira!" The woman ran towards her daughter, and when the two met, she kneeled and embraced her.
"Oh, Rira! Don't worry me like that!" The Woman shed a few tears as relief flooded her.
"Mommy, I was scared! I didn't know where you were, and I was all alone!" The girl said before she said something that made her mother pause. "And then Webjack and Kat-astrophe came and helped me!"
"The Vigilantes?" The Mother uttered as the two separated, and she suddenly noticed the half-eaten Chocho Monaka Jumbo ice cream that her daughter was holding.
Meanwhile, the two aforementioned Vigilantes were already on a rooftop watching the tendered reunion unfold.
"Good to see that we didn't have to wait for too long," Izuku smiled.
"Think she'll get ridiculed over this?" Toga asked.
"Possibly," He now grew somber at the probable consequence of them looking after a little girl while her mother was elsewhere, the reason for it not mattering in the grand scheme of things. It was unfair to the Mother, who was clearly under a lot of distress trying to reunite with Rira, but others, like the HPSC, would use her as an example of what would continue to happen if they continued to be at large.
That is, if the rampant attacks of Villains don't stop today, the public will have better things to ponder over.
"But Rira is safe now and back with her mother. That'll have to be enough," Izuku said, holding on strong to his belief. He has no excuse not to help others anymore.
"If you say so," Toga shrugged. "So what's next?"
"Well—" His thoughts came to a stop as the police scanner in his HUD rang out.
"This is Musutafu police. We have a reported disturbance at Bronze-Mart on Sorgan Street. Any hero present, please respond."
'Bronze-Mart?! That's far from an ideal place to risk attacking in the middle of the day,' He pondered before a thought came to mind. 'Unless… It's them.'
A few minutes ago...
"Behold, viewers!" Gentle exclaimed as he stood atop a counter, "As you can see, Bronze-Mart is dealing in unlawful practices. This new product is not half off, but at its normal price. It is false marketing at its core!"
"No way!" La Brava gasped as she kept the camera on him. "What will you do, Gentle?"
"Why, we will punish Bronze-Mart! We shall—"
"Hold it right there!" Roared a new voice, making the duo turn to see two masked heroes at the main entrance to the store. "You're under arrest!"
"Oh dear," Gentle sighed as he hopped off the counter.
"We're in trouble now, Gentle," La Brave commented, feigning concern.
"Never you worry, my dear. These two won't take long," Gentle said confidently, but then two more Pro-Heroes showed up, making this a four-on-one fight. "But… better safe than sorry. Prepare to cut…"
"Never fear, citizens! For I AM HERE!" All Might declared and abruptly showed up for the twelfth time in an hour, rounding up as many Villains as he could find since playing hooky, not that it applies to teachers, but Aizawa and the others will treat it as such.
The situation was worse than he feared. While the rest of the Pros have managed to keep things under control and prevent the citizens from getting hurt, the number of the Villains has hardly dwindled, which made it all the more apparent why the Symbol of Peace is needed on this day.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," Naomasa said, walking to the #1 Hero while the rest of the Police and Heroes arrest the fallen sixty Villains.
"Naomasa, my friend. I would say it's good to see you, but your visits have been so frequent lately, it feels like I'm conversing with a roommate from college," All Might joked.
"Oh, already bored with me, eh? Does that mean you're gonna go crawl back to Shield?" The Detective chuckled, and Toshinori laughed back.
"Perish the thought. As if good old Dave has any time worth spending on me these days,"
"Jokes aside, it's good that you showed. The Villains have gotten completely out of control," Naomasa said, getting more serious.
"I know. The League and Stain have them all riled up. And the majority of them are all rookies. Lost souls that felt like villainy was the better path than an honest living," All Might said, his smile never fading, even though he felt anger and sadness.
"You know it ain't easy for everyone to be good and do good every time. Sometimes people snap when they get the short end of the stick too many times," Naomasa said with a twinge of sympathy.
"I'm not condemning them. Entirely. I've seen firsthand what becomes of someone who can't make a living just by working hard and being a decent person. There have always been more Villains than Heroes for a reason."
"Yeah, and we're still no closer to solving this crisis. No country is," Naomasa sighed. "Though what is happening now feels different from societal failure."
"If only we were so lucky," All Might shrugged. "Anything you can tell me about the kid?"
"He's all people are talking about. The ones not on patrol or caught in the crossfire. We knew that his presence would invite more new Vigilantes, but frankly, I'm surprised, and honestly disappointed that he only has one follower now," Naomasa informed, going through his phone and relying on the Media to tell him everything new about Webjack. "After he and Kat-astrophe took down three or four Villain groups, one of them being the owners of a popular auto repair shop, they stopped to look after a girl who got separated from her mother and bought her ice cream."
"He's done simpler and nobler things like that before,"All Might said, unable to avoid feeling proud to know that there is someone out there who understands that the best kind of Heroism is simply to show compassion, extend a hand to those in need, and just be there for them.
"Yeah, but after the girl was reunited with her mother, the pair bolted, heading east of Musutafu. The last place in the city where crime is still high, unlike everywhere else that you've cleaned up," Naomasa revealed.
"Well, then it's a good thing I was on my way there anyway," All Might replied, ready to make his signature flight-like leap.
"To capture or finally have that talk?"
"I'll let you know once the day is saved!" He said last before taking off at supersonic speed.
Izuku and Toga landed on a rooftop, a street across from the building where their true targets were, and the first thing they noticed was a scream that rang out before they saw a masked hero go flying out of Bronze-Mart's main front doors. They then saw a second hero skid across the ground.
Soon enough, two individuals walked out of Bronze-Mart.
"That was amazing, Gentle!" La Brava swooned, "But what about punishing Bronze-Mart?"
"It is fine, La Brava!" Gentle cackled, "We have recorded their horrible behavior! That will be enough!"
"Oh, so gentlemanly!"
"That's right!" Gentle laughed, "Now, let us return home and show the world—" His words came to a stop as the duo now saw the costumed vigilantes land right before them. The sight made Gentle slightly flinch as he commented, "Or… perhaps we are not done here."
"Hey there, Gentle. La Brava. Long time no see," Webjack greeted the two Villains.
"Ah… Webjack. Wish I could say it is a pleasure, but it would be ungentlemanly of me to lie," Gentle said, not pleased at all to see the Web-Slinger again.
Izuku has encountered all manner of Villains since becoming Webjack. Crazy, silly, awkward, revolting, truly evil, not evil, desperate. The two standing before him qualify as silly, awkward, and desperate.
Gentle Criminal and La Brava are low-level Villains whom Izuku would never consider evil. They just want notoriety, and their solution to gaining it is committing petty crimes, recording them, and posting them online. They have fans but nothing that would earn them true popularity, except the Police Force of several cities, who are getting increasingly frustrated with their scandals, so Izuku supposed they're getting what they wanted.
But they did gain an increased public reception during Izuku's fifth month as Webjack when he encountered them, and to this day, the two were the only Villains that managed to get away from the Wallcrawler as Izuku was forced to let them go when he noticed a woman getting mugged during the chase and chose to prioritize her safety.
Izuku had a clean record of catching Villains without fail until these two, and the public paid close attention to this fact. He doesn't resent them for it. On the contrary, while following their videos and activities, Izuku came to kind of respect them, no longer seeing them as Villains but as two people who don't want to be forgotten and are wasting their brilliant talents for fleeting notoriety.
If he's lucky today, things might change for both of them.
"And I see you've gotten yourself a maiden of your own," Gentle said, sparing a glance at Kat-astrophe. "Charming. But I can almost smell the bloodlust in her. Surely this isn't your cup of tea."
"Coffee is more my speed, and as for her, you don't want to get on her bad side," Izuku warned as Toga seemed ready for another fight, which would be troublesome since he had assured her that these were the ones they've been searching for all day.
"Now what, Gentle?" La Brava asked nervously. She doesn't want to face off against Webjack again. Last time was a fluke, even though they told a different story in their videos, and he's gotten more powerful since last time, so they both know things won't be in their favor in a second round.
"The only option afforded to us, I'm afraid, my dear," Gentle said, extending a hand for her to hold on to tightly.
"Hold on a moment. Let's not do anything hasty," Webjack said, raising his hand as a peace gesture. "This may sound difficult to believe, but we didn't come here to fight, let alone turn you two in. We just want to talk."
"Come now, my boy. I know you fancy yourself as one of the Pros, and they view me and my dear as ignorant rats who can't even pass off as decent doormats, but surely you know better than to expect us to let our guard down like that," Gentle replied, not sounding offended but unamused by what's difficult to perceive as anything other than a lie.
"I know this may seem out of nowhere, but you have to trust me. We mean—"
"All Might! He's nearby!" La Brava shouted, pointing at Hers and Gentle's right after sparing a glance.
Toga scoffed, seeing her proclamation as nothing but a weak ruse. To an extent, Izuku agreed, but he knew better since he expected to run into All Might today, so he gave Toga a simple soft nudge, signaling her to look where La Brava was pointing to verify, while he kept his eyes on the Villain Pair. Kat-astrophe complied, and to her disappointment, La Brava spoke the truth.
"Oh, shit! It is the smiling brute," She cursed, watching All Might soaring through the sky, relentlessly chasing three Villains with jetpacks, and given the distance, he is bound to notice the four of them once he finishes his current fight.
"And that's our cue," Gentle said, lifting La Brava in his right arm to carry as he readies to make their escape.
"Wait, hold on a moment, please!" Izuku began.
"You're free to chase us if you like but do yourself a favor by not forgetting that the resulting fight will get us all caught," Gentle warned as he activated his Quirk; Elasticity, which lets him morph anything he makes contact with stretchable, bendable, and bouncy, including the air itself as he makes a circular invisible membrane that floats in midair, which he can use as a trampoline to get around quickly and flees the scene.
"Crap," Izuku cursed his misfortune before rapidly reaching for his utility belt, picking up a white spider-like handheld device, and tossing it to Toga.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" She questioned.
"Try to keep up, but do not engage. Once you see a red dot shine on that receiver's screen, you follow it. Doesn't matter if you have to leave me behind," Izuku said as he took off after Gentle and La Brava by web-swinging.
As Webjack pursued Gentle and La Brava through the bustling streets of Musutafu, the city seemed to blur past him in a whirlwind of motion and color. Dodging obstacles and darting around corners with practiced ease, Izuku strained to keep the elusive duo in his sights.
"Wait, please! I just want to talk!" Webjack called out, his voice echoing through the narrow alleys they raced through. But his words were lost amidst the clamor of the city, drowned out by the sounds of traffic, the frantic footsteps of pedestrians, or the lingering Heroes and Villains.
Gentle and La Brava showed no signs of slowing down, their determination evident in every bound and leap they made. With each bounce, Gentle's Quirk transformed the ground and air beneath them into a trampoline-like surface, propelling them higher and farther with every step.
As they weaved through the crowded streets, Webjack leaped from rooftop to rooftop, closing the distance between them with each agile movement. His heart raced with adrenaline as he pushed himself to his limits, determined to catch up to the fleeing duo.
"Come on, just listen to me!" Webjack pleaded, his voice tinged with frustration as he struggled to make himself heard over the chaos of the chase. But Gentle and La Brava paid him no heed, their eyes fixed firmly on their goal of escape.
With each passing moment, the chase grew more frantic, the tension in the air palpable as Webjack pushed himself to keep pace. But just when it seemed like they might slip through his fingers, an opportunity presented itself.
Spotting a narrow alleyway up ahead, Webjack made a split-second decision and lunged forward, shooting a web line to swing around a lamppost and cut off Gentle and La Brava's escape route.
"Gotcha!" Webjack exclaimed triumphantly as he landed in front of the startled duo, his eyes blazing with determination. "Now, will you please listen to what I have to say?"
But before he could finish his sentence, Gentle and La Brava sprang into action, their expressions a mixture of fear and defiance as they prepared to make their final stand. With a swift motion, Gentle activated his Quirk once more, transforming the ground beneath them into a bouncy surface that sent them soaring into the air.
"This is what I get for choosing to punch all my problems away instead of taking the time to talk," Izuku groaned, but still undeterred, launching himself after them.
As the chase intensified, Gentle's desperation grew, leading him to resort to a tactic that he knew was risky and morally questionable. With a flick of his wrist, he activated his Quirk once more, causing the ground beneath a crowd of bystanders to ripple and warp into a bouncy trampoline-like surface.
The sudden transformation caught Webjack off guard, sending the people bouncing into the air with startled cries. Izuku's heart sank as he watched the chaos unfold, knowing that he couldn't stand idly by while people were in danger.
"Coming through!" Webjack called out as he swung down to ground level, firing Psi-Webs in rapid succession as he reached out to grab hold of the bouncing individuals. With expert precision, he snatched them out of the air.
"Stay calm, I've got you!" Webjack reassured them, his voice a soothing presence amidst the confusion. He gently lowered them back down to solid ground, ensuring their safety amidst the chaos.
Meanwhile, Gentle and La Brava continued to bounce through the air, their movements erratic and unpredictable. With each passing moment, the situation grew more dire, the risk of injury or worse looming over them like a dark cloud.
But Webjack refused to give up. As soon as he made sure that the bystanders were okay, he resumed the chase and quickly caught up.
"That was a dirty trick, Gentle!" Webjack reprimanded with more harshness, managing to keep up and reach the pair mainly by relying on his Super Hearing to listen to the bouncing sounds of the aerial barriers Gentle creates, and even uses them to swing by since the sticky nature of his webs makes it easy to use them to his advantage.
"A man can't help but be desperate when the end of his life draws closer, wouldn't you agree?" Gentle countered.
"Don't make this sound worse than it really is!"
"There you are, Young Spider," All Might grinned while he stood on top of a bakery, watching the poorly kept chase unfold. "And you're trying to capture Gentle Criminal and La Brava. I admit their videos are rather entertaining. They're troublemakers at best, rather than threatening Villains, so they'll get a minor sentence once they are caught and hopefully live a modest life after they serve their time. Maybe they'll start their own show. I promise to be their first viewer."
As All Might prepared to apprehend Webjack and the fleeing villains, a hysterical woman suddenly burst onto the scene, her cries piercing the air as she frantically relayed her harrowing tale.
"Help! Please, someone, help!" The Woman cried, her voice trembling with fear as she approached All Might, her hands shaking as she gestured wildly toward the nearby open manhole cover.
"My lover! He's been taken! Dragged into the sewers by some giant lizard thing!" She exclaimed, her words coming out in frantic bursts as she struggled to catch her breath.
All Might's expression softened with concern as he listened to the woman's desperate pleas, immediately jumping off the bakery, his towering figure casting a reassuring shadow over her trembling form.
"Fear not, citizen. I will do everything in my power to rescue your loved one," All Might assured her, his voice resonating with unwavering determination as he turned toward the manhole cover leading to the sewers.
"You'll save him, won't you? You have to!" She pleaded, her eyes pleading with All Might for reassurance as she clung to his arm with desperation.
"OF COURSE! If I can't, then I have no right to call myself a HERO!" All Might replied, his voice filled with unwavering resolve as he pried her trembling hands from his arm and turned toward the manhole cover, disappearing down below.
Once he was gone, things took a sudden turn; the hysterical woman suddenly seemed to calm down, her frantic cries giving way to a composed demeanor. The crowd became bewildered by her sudden change in behavior and could only watch in confusion as she quickly gave them the slip, vanishing from sight into an alleyway.
Once she was certain that the coast was clear, the woman unveiled herself, revealing that she had been Kat-astrophe all along, who tricked All Might into staying away from Webjack.
"Okay, I bought you a little more time. So at least try not to get arrested, Jackie. Our fun is far from over."
"He's gaining on us, Gentle!" La Brava cried as all their attempts to dissuade Webjack had proven ineffective, and he would capture them this time.
"Not yet, La Brava, lest you somehow forget that I still have you by my side!" He gestured with a grin. "So focused on me that none have bothered to realize that you, too, have tricks up your sleeves."
"Gentle," La Brava couldn't help but blush at the praise, nodding that she does have the means to help Gentle through the use of her Quirk which Webjack should know nothing about since she never got the chance to use it in their first battle and she was never directly involved in their videos so she should be able to give them an advantage if they can catch Webjack off guard.
Izuku was closing in on them. He did not want to use force, but he's gonna have to do things the hard way and knock them out before they have a gentlemanly talk. Unfortunately, his Spider-Sense sang a different tune, jolting in his head an impending danger in the form of a powerful uppercut that surged toward him from beneath the ground.
With a swift and agile maneuver, he shot two weblines from behind, anchoring himself firmly in place. Just as coincidentally, a hero burst forth from the sewers, his fist aimed squarely at Webjack's chin.
The sudden appearance of the hero caught Webjack off guard, but his quick reflexes and spider-like agility saved him from the blow. With a deft twist of his body, he swung out of harm's way, narrowly evading the incoming attack.
As he regained his footing, Webjack found himself surrounded by not one, but six Pro-Heroes, their expressions grim and determined as they closed in on him from all sides. Their intentions were clear—they would not let Webjack slip through their grasp this time.
"As always, fellows, your timing is atrocious. None of you is earning a spot in the theater," Webjack bemoaned.
"So much for my role," La Brava pouted, now feeling disappointed.
"Your time in the spotlight will come eventually, my dear. Be patient," Gentle assured as they seized the chance and escaped, certain that the Pro would focus solely on Webjack.
"Hey, since when did it say in the "Pro-Hero Manual" that it's okay to let villains stroll away just because they dress funny?" Webjack quipped, voice cutting through the wail of sirens as Gentle and La Brava vanished into the distance.
"You're the only villain we see here!" Barked one of the heroes—a tall man with a visor glowing like molten glass. He thrust a hand forward, and a shimmering sphere of orange energy erupted around Izuku, sealing him in midair.
"Ah, fantastic," Webjack muttered, crossing his arms even as gravity spun him helplessly inside. "Because this is exactly how I wanted to end my day."
He tensed, muscles coiling beneath the suit, then drove a fist forward. The sphere vibrated violently with a deep, thrumming crack. Fractures spiderwebbed across its translucent surface, but the construct barely held.
The Pro-Hero gritted his teeth, pouring more power into his Quirk. The orange hue darkened, the sphere shrinking, squeezing Izuku into a crouch. "Let's see you laugh now, vigilante."
"Okay…" Izuku's voice strained through clenched teeth. "I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot here…"
The sphere tightened further. His bones might creak at any moment.
"Not so tight, you idiot! We need him alive!" Another Hero snapped—a woman with short, dark hair and a scar beneath her left eye.
"Whatever," The First One grunted.
"What about those two villains getting away?" Another asked nervously. "I swear those were the clowns who upload those cringe crime videos."
"Forget them," The Leader said. "The only real villain here is right in front of us."
Izuku's fingers twitched. "That's not…" His voice deepened, reverberating through the sphere. "What I wanted… to hear."
A pulse of emerald light flickered beneath his suit—faint at first, then growing brighter. The heroes stepped back as arcs of energy crawled across the surface of the sphere like cracks of lightning.
"What the hell is that?"
Izuku's breathing grew heavier, his frustration boiling over. The sphere trembled. His eyes flared behind the lenses of his mask, and the faint hum of energy became a roar.
The air itself began to shudder, then came the detonation.
A blinding burst of psionic force exploded outward—an expanding dome of crackling pressure that shredded the sphere like glass. The shockwave tore down the street, flipping cars, shattering windows, and hurling the heroes backward like ragdolls. Concrete cracked underfoot as the sound thundered through the city block.
When it was over, silence.
Smoke and dust drifted through the ruin. Izuku stood at the epicenter, body wreathed in faint light, his breath ragged. Around him, the six heroes lay unconscious amid the wreckage, their costumes scorched, their gear shattered.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
"Whoa…" He whispered. "Did I… pressurize the air?"
He swallowed hard, heart pounding in his chest. It was not his intention to use so much force on Heroes again.
"This wasn't… what I…" He said, voice breaking slightly behind the mask. "If I'm not careful, I might cause another Ground Beta."
Every instinct screamed to stay—to help the heroes, to undo what he had done—but then the memory of Gentle and La Brava fleeing resurfaced.
Duty over doubt. Mission over guilt.
"Dammit," He growled.
He fired a line of psi-webbing skyward and shot into the air, disappearing between the ruined buildings, leaving only the echo of his swing and the crater of his conscience behind.
"I can't believe we managed to lose him again," La Brava cheered, relieved after the pair returned to their apartment, avoiding detection from anyone who could've noticed them returning to their home and base of operations.
"That boy brings too much excitement everywhere he goes; it's a wonder the city hasn't fallen into this state of chaos earlier," Gentle said, visibly exhausted by the escapade.
"Should we leave Musutafu until all the heat wears down?" La Brava asked.
"That would be ideal, but we have to consider how it's not just in this fair city that has descended into anarchy, but nearly everywhere else has been swarming with Villains and lowlier thugs trying to make a stand against the tyranny of Heroes," Gentle explained.
"So nowhere is safe for us," La Brava concluded.
"Not quite. Things will be calmer tomorrow. The Heroes and Police will be on high alert, but we must remember that All Might is in Musutafu, and as such, his presence will leave an air of complacency amongst the people. Even with his conviction to focus on UA, people will still put in less effort to keep the peace when there is no one causing immediate trouble," Gentle surmised, giving a glance at his window to make sure no one suspicious may be nearby. "Our usual means for laying low should suffice still."
"What a relief," La Brava sighed in exasperation as she lay down on her bed. "This town is getting way too exciting. I think it's time we consider going on a vacation."
"Right, you are, my dear. The question is, where to go to grant ourselves a much-deserved rest?" Gentle wondered out loud before coming up with a quick idea. "Eureka! That's where we'll—"
Their moment of respite, however, was short-lived when, without warning, a small object came hurtling through the window, landing on the floor with a soft thud. Before they could react, a blinding flash of light engulfed the room, leaving them momentarily disoriented and vulnerable.
"What in the world…?" Gentle muttered, shielding his eyes from the intense glare.
La Brava squinted through the brightness, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to regain her senses. As the light gradually faded, she realized that the room was now filled with a thick, pinkish gas, swirling and billowing around them like a malevolent mist.
"Gentle, what's happening?" She gasped, her voice tinged with panic.
Before Gentle could respond, the effects of the gas began to take hold, enveloping them in a haze of drowsiness and lethargy. With each breath, their eyelids grew heavier, their thoughts sluggish and muddled.
"I… I don't know, my dear," Gentle murmured, his words slurring together as he fought against the overwhelming fatigue.
As the darkness closed in around them, Gentle and La Brava succumbed to the insidious effects of the gas, their bodies going limp as they slipped into unconsciousness. Their last fleeting thought was one of confusion and fear, as they wondered who could have orchestrated such a sinister attack against them.
They were out cold for a full hour before the pair finally awoke to the sound of two people talking.
"That little spider of yours is reliable," The voice of Kat-astrophe was the first thing they heard.
"Yeah, I got a lucky shot shooting it at the front side of his cape where they were less likely to notice on time for you to follow with my receiver," The more familiar voice of Webjack was heard next. "You sure no one noticed you entering, let alone hear anything?"
"The flashbang you gave me didn't make any bang sounds when in use, and this city block has been left mostly emptied since it was one of the first places to be caught in all the fighting."
Their visions finally became clear enough for them to see the Vigilantes standing right in front of the two villains.
"Hey, hope you had a nice nap," The Vigilante greeted the two.
"Huh… what the—WHAT?!" La Brava panicked, seeing how she and her partner are both trapped inside cocoons made from Psi-Webs, dangling in the air, held by more webs with only their heads visible.
"So, you finally managed to catch us, eh?" Gentle said somberly, seeing no way out of this. "Forgive me, my dear, La Brava. I have failed you."
"MY GENTLE!" La Brava cried with streaming tears coming out, not because they've been caught but because her beloved was willing to take all the blame for their downfall.
"Calm down, please. We're not going to arrest either of you," Webjack revealed.
"What…?" The Villainous pair questioned at once. All the anguish they felt instantly fled because of the confusion.
"What a day…" The Vigilante sighed while rubbing his forehead. Everything has been leading up to this moment, and it could've gone better. "Okay, let's take this from the top."
"All set and ready to go," The Smile Hero: Ms. Joke, declared, who had finished her preparations for the upcoming big event. "I just know that things are going to be so much fun."
"You seem enthusiastic about the Internship, Ms. Fukukado," A young woman named Tatami Nakagame said as she, along with their classmates, was being escorted to the train station by their Homeroom Teacher so they could be taken off to their chosen Hero Agencies.
"Oh yes. You see, I was approached to take a student under my wing by someone I could never refuse, and so once I drop you kids off, I'll be on my way to pick the lad up," Ms. Joke smirked. "I'll even bring Ketsubutsu's Angel along for the ride."
"Is that a good idea, Sensei? The kid hasn't exactly been very chipper with anyone all that much, and I'm still surprised she was so eager to join us for the Christmas Party," Yo Shindo asked with concern.
"Relax, she needs to get out more, and if things go sideways, she'll be kept at arm's length from every baddy around," Ms. Joke said confidently, turning her head to her left. "Isn't that right, Eri? Ready to go out and have some fun?"
The girl in question is small, with bluish, off-white hair, straight and neat, parted in the middle of her forehead, almost reaching down to her waist. She has very wide, innocent-looking eyes, which are bright red. Poking out from the right side of her forehead is a small, brown horn. Her outfit is a white dress shirt with a frilled collar and a plain red pinafore with two large, golden buttons on either side of her chest. Under this, she wears gray tights and a large set of tan boots, a small dark red messenger bag with the strap sitting over her right shoulder, and a little floral pattern decorating one of its sides.
Her most noticeable feature, aside from her horn, is a necklace bearing a green spider emblem that she holds tightly.
She looks nervous about going out and about, but she forces herself to be braver, and with a look of determination, she gives her response.
"Yes!"