Chapter 13: I resent that! Slander is spoken. In print it's called Libel.
Toshinori was in his apartment, quietly eating his simple dinner, hoping to unwind after the stressful few hours he'd had. Classes had been canceled for the next few days to allow the students time to recover from the ordeal at the USJ. This event would likely serve as a wakeup call for many of the students who thought being a hero was an easy way to fame and glory, though Toshinori had hoped to wait until the internships had started for the students to encounter villains. Still, many of them appeared alright, though Toshinori would be the first to admit that he sometimes had trouble reading the subtler emotions in the room. That had always been Hound Dog's specialty, and Toshinori knew when to leave things for the professionals, so he had left early for the night to recover his strength. Thankfully he could feel that he only lost about ten minutes of his total time, but that was still ten minutes less than the world needed of All Might. Perhaps he will take up Midoriya's offer of that hologram belt. Oh well, something to think about tomorrow, the pro hero thought as he put his now cleared away plate in the dishwasher.
He was about to turn in for the night, maybe with a nice book, when he heard his phone go off. Oddly, the phone that was ringing was his personal cell phone, not the one he used for Hero Work. Checking the ID, he blinked in surprise.
'Mirai?? Why's he calling me at this hour?' Toshinori couldn't help but hope that his former sidekick was hoping to mend some bridges. The last time they had talked was when he was telling Mirai about his choice in a successor for One for All, almost eleven months prior. That conversation had, like many others since his injury, dissolved into an argument between the two. Mirai had insisted that he had found the perfect person to take on One for All, a third year U.A. student named Mirio Togata. A day after meeting Midoriya, Toshinori had met with Togata in his emaciated form.
He could immediately see why his ex sidekick had picked him. Mirio looked and acted much like All Might was believed to act: kind, selfless, always joking, doing good for its own sake instead of any reward, and even better, his body was already in the perfect state to receive that power, meaning he would have had plenty of time to train him!
Toshinori, however, had turned the boy down. Not only because he had promised this power to young Midoriya, but because Midoriya not only had nearly everything Mirio had, but he also possessed something that Mirio and even Toshinori himself had lacked: perspective.
Midoriya was a Quirkless boy who had been taught by a supervillain. His mind was sharp, and his heart was fearless, if a bit reckless at times. Good traits any hero needed, but his mind gave him the ability to do more than just punch his way out of problems. He was a planner, he could think and read situations far better, and even perhaps talk down his enemies. Sure, the boy needed to go through hell just to be able to contain the power, but already he had been making progress in controlling it, explaining his Full Cowling the minute he had been able to speak freely.
Toshinori was not afraid to admit that he was ashamed for not thinking of such a method when he saw how Midoriya's limbs would break. He was sure that Gran Torino would have kicked him in the face if he had learned about it. But that ultimately proved why Toshinori wanted Midoriya to be the next bearer of his Quirk. Put simply, while Mirio would have been a good fit, Midoriya was a better fit. He was even more certain after he met up with the boy at the Studio. So, hoping for the best, Toshinori answered.
"Moshi moshi-"
.:Are you insane?!:. Mirai cut him off, barely restraining the anger in his voice. .:You gave the most powerful Quirk in history to a Quirkless Supervillain?!:.
Immediately Toshinori's hopes had been dashed, replaced with righteous anger on his successor's behalf. "Mirai, what are you talking about?! Midoriya is not a supervillain, where did you even get that idea?!"
.:The news report that just came in on Plastic Beach News:. Mirai respondent curtly.
...what?
Opening up his phone's web browser, Toshinori quickly checked PBN's website and nearby coughed up blood in shock when he saw the image of Midoriya in full Mysterio costume, but with his green hair visible, being lead out by Hound Dog and Present Mic.
"What's Midoriya doing on the late night news?!"
.:So you admit that is your chosen successor??:.
Toshinori didn't respond to his former sidekick immediately, only looking through the article posted with the picture. Thankfully, it seemed that the news article didn't actually drop young Midoriya's name, only Mysterio's. So at least he would be spared from harassment at home. That didn't stop the article's writer, one Jitsu Fuhai, from spreading gossip and baseless accusations that the boy had been the one to let the villains into the school, or suggesting that the thing had been set up by Midoriya to garner attention by acting as the one hero able to save the day while the teachers had been rendered helpless.
"So what if he is? And you just assumed that it was my successor despite the lack of a name?"
.:No, I made an educated guess based on their body type and hair color, along with your propensity for being shortsighted.:.
"Midoriya is a good fit for this power, Mirai!" Toshinori growled, the hand not holding his phone clenching tightly.
.:But he's taken up the identity of a villain who attacked Japan and plagued one of the most respected Pre-Quirk era heroes! Your successor needs to inspire peace, not hatred or fear!:.
"Midoriya's actions will prove that he is a hero!"
.:But he won't be good enough to be the next Number 1 hero!:.
"Not everything is about the charts and polls, Mirai!"
.:Well you can't hand your Quirk out to some random child with a sob story, it has to be to someone who can use it the right way and is worthy of your legacy, and Midoriya is not that person!:.
"That isn't your call to make, Sasaki!"
The phone fell silent, Mirai most likely seething quietly on the other end. Toshinori took a deep breath and continued.
"Midoriya is more than aware of the scorn that persona will bring. He's already had to face it from classmates, but he wants to prove to the world that anyone can be a hero. He has a drive unlike anyone else I've met, and the determination to get it done. He may not be the next symbol of peace, but he will be a symbol of hope and redemption."
.:....your idealism can be so infuriating sometimes.:. Mirai muttered. .:I just want you to look at this pragmatically! The world can't lose All Might-:.
"But it will." Toshinori said quietly. "Even if, tomorrow morning, I woke up with the body in the state it was in when I debuted in Japan, Quirk at full power, I'm not going to be around forever. The world has learned to live without Steve Rogers and Peter Parker, and soon it will need to learn to live without Yagi Toshinori."
.:Then why aren't you picking Mirio?! He's the perfect choice to be the next All Might!:.
Toshinori sighed, rubbing his temples with his free hand. How ironic, a sad part of him noted, that his friend who could see into the future couldn't see past what was right in front of him, what All Might had just told him.
"I'm sorry Mirai. But I've made my choice."
.:....Damn it, Toshinori.:. And without another world, Mirai hung up.
Toshinori rubbed his temples. He thought that the worst of the day's stresses would be over, but it looked like it was going to continue well into the week. What's more, it was clear to the Symbol of Peace that whoever had taken that photo obviously had an agenda. He doubted it was the entire reason the school had been invaded in the first place, that Shigaraki person had made their mission of killing him abundantly clear, but they obviously capitalized on the opportunity to hurt UA.
Only now, they were setting everyone else after his apprentice.
BREAKING NEWS: VILLAINS ATTENDING UA HIGHSCHOOL?
"Good evening Japan, this is Jitsu Fuhai of Shoowaysha News, here with a followup report to this afternoon's top story. Earlier today, we received shocking news that UA High School, the number one hero school in Japan, was infiltrated by a group calling themselves the League of Villains. Thankfully, no serious injuries were placed upon the students, although the rescue heroes and UA teachers Thirteen and Baymaxima Hero 6 had received injuries that required immediate care.
"But only half an hour ago, an anonymous source sent in photographs taken from the site of the students being led out by the teachers, which clearly depict one of the students in a costume. Why is this so disturbing? Because the student in question was dressed as the Quirkless villain Mysterio."
"For those of you unaware, Mysterio, real name Quentin Beck, was an American villain who most often opposed Spider-Man, real name Peter Benjamin Parker, back in a time when Quirks didn't exist and powers made up only twenty five percent of the planet's population. Despite lacking powers or mutations, however, Beck was notorious in his home of New York City for his use of advanced illusion technology and robots, his final scheme sending him to Japan, where he used a giant robot disguised as a kaiju to cover up the robbery of several buildings by Beck's men. Spider-man had stopped the villain in his tracks after only thirty minutes, but his rampage is still remembered by many to this day, so the idea of a student in a hero school was dressed as this man is disturbing to say the least."
"In addition, given that the late villain was well known for illusions and deceit, this reporter cannot help but wonder if the attack on UA and a boy dressed in his outfit is merely a coincidence… or perhaps the events are correlated somehow. As of yet, we've received no comment on the villain student from UA's principle Nezu."
The day after the story was dropped was intense for Tsuburaya. Thankfully, the news didn't appear to know who it was in the Mysterio costume, but the fact that the picture was taken at all disturbed Tsuburaya. Especially since he noticed that the news stations and websites that seemed the most determined to put the story out were the ones that were owned by Shoowaysha Publishing and Feel Good Inc, two groups which Tsuburaya had suspicions about the activities of, but could find no concrete evidence about.
Either way, that picture had spread like wildfire online. Various Hashtags such as #VillainofUAHigh, #NewMysterio, #SpiderManVillain, #FakeHero, #QuirklessVillainy, #USJPublicityStunt, and more had been trending on various media sites. Accompanying each one were various commenters describing fear, outrage, disgust, and in some extreme cases, death threats against the boy for his perceived involvement in the USJ attack. Tsuburaya made sure to report those particular cases and flag them as spam to be removed from the sites hosting them, but that didn't stop them from appearing.
The only silver lining was that Midoriya tended to avoid Social Media sites in general due to an aggressive cyberbullying campaign one of his Aldera classmates had started. (A student that later found herself getting her cyberbullying, Anti-Mutant hate comments, and online harassment publicly exposed and reported to the police by an AI hacker who shall remain anonymous.) The result of which was that Midoriya was thankfully not directly exposed to the worst of these detractors, though Midoriya was still made aware of them. Tsuburaya wasn't going to list any more of the comments, articles, and chatrooms being made to discuss this, but it seemed his classmates were still texting him questions regarding the exposure. One good thing about this ordeal was that it seemed that Midoriya had at least earned the trust of his classmates, since none of them were accusing him of evil acts, though Tenya Iida seemed to be more insistent upon Midoriya changing his identity now more than ever.
"How's the new project going?"
Brought out of his brooding, Tsuburaya focused on Midoriya, who was at a workbench, tinkering with a new model of combat drone, one designed to defend, rescue, and protect civilians during a villain attack or disaster.
"Project…. Urgh, SNUFFLEUPAGUS is still in the planning stages, but I calculate that it will not be ready for some time now. Most likely by summer break." Tsuburaya turned to Midoriya, unsure of how to talk about what he had shared last night. "....how are you taking… you know?"
Midoriya stopped working for a moment, fiddling with his utility tool as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "...I'm worried."
"Well, naturally, the fact that you've been outed prematurely before you could garner a heroic reputation must be-"
"About my classmates." Midoriya clarified.
"...I beg your pardon?"
"That picture only shows my green hair, but lots of people have green hair, like Tsu from my class." Midoriya turned to look at his AI mentor. "I'm scared that people will harass them, thinking that they're Mysterio, or just because they know me, a "villain." I've already seen it happen before."
"....you… don't care about how you will be treated?"Tsuburaya asked, not expecting this outcome from his apprentice.
"Of course I do, but I've spent most of my life as a second class citizen in all but name, bullied for trying to dream about being a hero, and no one knew of my choice in persona." Midoriya pointed out. "I was already expecting to be disliked. It came earlier than I had hoped, sure, but I'm ultimately ready to face the backlash. I'm just worried about how it'll affect anyone around me."
"...an interesting perspective. Perhaps you should talk to your classmates? Help them through the experience of the USJ, and they, in turn, could help you with this slander and libel?" Tsuburaya suggested.
"That's not a bad idea…" Midoriya nodded, setting aside the tool. "Maybe I could invite my friends here?"
"What?? Are you sure?" Tsuburaya asked. "This place is kept secret for a reason, and bringing more people in makes it more likely to be exposed."
"I'm not inviting everyone, just a few people." Midoriya explained. "And hey, this act might show them just how dedicated we are to the Hero business."
"...very well. Though I'm going on record by saying that I feel that this is a bad idea." The AI muttered. "Who do you want me to send the invites to?"
STYLO NEWS DISCUSSIONS BOARD
FangsfortheMemories: Can you believe this!? A Villain at UA!
EndeavorisNumber1: And he's Quirkless too!
Pelicanteloupe: @EndeavorisNumber1 What makes you say that?
EndeavorisNumber1: 'cause the og Mysterio was Quirkless
H0gf4th3rizRe4l: Doesn't mean he's quirkless, just insensitive
RaptorLocksmith: @H0gf4th3rizRe4l He shouldn't be using a villain persona at all!
DeadpoolsUndies: Maybe he's there to infiltrate d school?
AntMan&theWombats: @DeadpoolsUndies Hey yeah, that makes sense! He helps villains infiltrate the school, helps fend them off, and looks good in the process!!
Ochako was upset.
No, wait, that's not right.
Ochako was SUPER FUCKING PISSED OFF!
Much better.
She wanted to go "Hulk smash!" on those idiots who were calling her friend a villain because he chose to dress up as a villain that wasn't even native to Japan! All morning, Ochako had read article after article, discussion board after discussion board, and each one was talking about how her classmate, the one who went up to the villains on his own to keep them distracted while she and the others moved the unconscious Aizawa away, was somehow involved in the invasion. Each time she read one such article, she had to resist the urge to place all five fingers on her phone and send it after that softball from the Quirk Apprehension Test.
But that wasn't the main reason she was angry. Oh, it was a big part of it, but it was only a part of it.
The main reason she was angry was that she had felt so useless during the whole attack. Her only way of fighting was touching boulders and throwing them like baseballs at the villains chasing her. An effective tactic, maybe, but more than once she ran out of things to grab, or she encountered a villain who simply endured or knocked away her projectiles, leaving her to have to rely on Mineta to stop them. She had many times tried to flee by taking to the air, but several had been fast. Far too fast for her to dodge even without gravity holding her down.
Then there was that scumbag who had grabbed her, deciding that she was an easier target over her diminutive classmate. Ochako was more than well aware that if it hadn't been for Toru, she likely wouldn't have gotten away on her own, the man's electricity a near perfect counter to her touch-based quirk. She wasn't strong or fast enough to do anything to him.
Even when Midoriya said he needed her for his plan, it basically amounted to "hide until I say so, then just smack the bird guy in the face and run." Sure, she didn't know what else she could have done against Nomu, but she felt like, had she been more prepared, she could have at least helped Midoriya against Blood_Spider. She could have taken him down so that the villains in charge would have been arrested instead of escaping. But she couldn't, and that lit a new fire in her heart.
All her life, she had admired Rescue Heroes. People like Thirteen and Baymaxima, who went out to rescue people in situations that couldn't be simply punched through. It made her feel better about her own Quirk, which, while useful, was so limited and would cause her issues if used too long.
But fighting in the Mountain Zone, and seeing Thirteen and Baymaxima's injuries while she had been getting medical attention incurred an epiphany in the young girl. Much like the Water Hose duo, her teachers focused more on Rescue Operations or teaching rather than close combat, and suffered dearly as a result. In this particular case, it had caused near fatal injuries to both of them.
Ochako would still focus on being a hero who specialized in Rescue Missions… but she would also be one who would be strong enough to fight any villains who would dare to hurt anyone she saved, and fast enough to get people out of the way. So that's why when internships started up, she was going to seek out a hero who specialized in close quarters combat.
Still, that electric villain had moved fast, and she wasn't exactly Quicksilver while in the air… so how could she possibly get faster?
She was brought out of her musings when her phone chimed.
Ochako blinked in surprise as she read the message. It only took a few seconds of thought before she sent her reply.
GreenFishb0wl: Hey Ochako, Toru, Mina, it's Midoriya! Want to hang out at a safe place, away from the reporters?
MillennialFalcon: Alright! Hey, is everything okay?
GreenFishb0wl: It's… tough. But I can't let them get to me. So I thought I could invite a few friends over to my workshop.
FreakaChu: O hey wher u hanging? Can I com 2?
GreenFishb0wl: Sure, but fair warning, it's in Korellia.
\v/e\v/ill|2ock`/ou: Korellia?? Isn't that place dangerous?
GreenFishb0wl: No, just has a lot of burakumin, but don't worry, they're friendly.
\v/e\v/ill|2ock`/ou: Oh. Alright, then. Mind if I come too?
GreenFishB0wl: @\v/e\v/ill|2ock`/ou Not at all!
Shinkansen: @GreenFishb0wl Midoriya! I cannot condone you attempting to abscond with your classmates in such a manner! What if something goes wrong?! You're already on thin ice with the media!
InvisiBelle: Did u seriously text "abscond"? LOL
GreenFishb0wl: @Shinkansen Why do you think I mentioned the district in a group chat that the teachers could read? I can't get more specific than that though.
LeapFrog: Why not kero?
GreenFishb0wl: It's a secret to everyone. ; )
GreenFishb0wl: But actually it's because it's at WMH, and I can't disclose the exact street without you guys signing an NDA first for legal reasons.
LeapFrog: Ah. Makes sense kero.
FreakaChu: @LeapFrog Y u put a kero in ur txts?
LeapFrog: It's part of my hero brand kero.
CrimsonFryIt: Committing to a theme! SO MANLY!
AlienQueenTakesBishop: @CrimsonFryIt XDXD
AlienQueenTakesBishop: @GreenFishb0wl Sadly I won't be able to go. My moms are acting a bit clingy after everything that happened at the USJ.
InvisiBelle: @GreenFishb0wl Ditto on my end.
GreenFishb0wl: Aw, okay. I understand though.
InvisiBelle: @GreenFishb0wl Also, love the mask u made 4 me Midoriya!
QuothTheDraven: Our illusionist friend has crafted a visage for our invisible comrade?
QuothTheDraven: Lemme see! Lemme see!
QuothTheDraven: Sorry, Dark Shadow got ahold of my pho
QuothTheDraven: DS here! Tokoyami won't let me make my own account! >:(
XxGodExplosionMurderKingxX: @InvisiBelle The fuck you need a mask for?!
InvisiBelle: I don't, but sometimes I wonder what my face actually looks like.
Ochako was distracted from the rest of the group chat by an email sent by Midoriya. Going to her school supplied tablet, she opened up the email.
Hey Ochako! This is the NDA you need to sign. Please make sure to read it over first before signing. Tedious, I know, but this will help when we become heroes. Once you're done, send it back to me, and I'll email you the address.
Beneath the short message was a document that she opened up. After a quick read through, Ochako wrote her digital signature and sent it back. Only a minute later, she got the address back.
Jiro sat in the train, her headphones plugged into her phone, partly to listen to some music, but mainly to hide her distinctive earjacks.
Being the daughter of a relatively successful musician meant that she was used to hiding her Heteromorphic trait so that she'd be left alone by fans, but with Midoriya's picture being online and her own contribution to getting rid of that Nomu, she wasn't going to risk being harassed, whether for knowledge on Midoriya, by any wannabe villains wanting to make a name for themselves, or simply for being a Heteromorph. At least none of her classmates gave her crap for it. Even the worst one, Bakugo, just tended to put everyone down in general instead of focusing on anyone or their traits in particular.
Thinking about her classmates got Jiro thinking about the one that was making the news. Unfairly so, in her opinion. Midoriya was a weird kid, but then, she didn't mind that. He seemed flippant on his attitudes, swapping between socially awkward dork to passionate enthusiast to devious hero, but she figured that it was due to his illusionist and acting skills influencing him. Her dad behaved totally differently onstage than offstage, after all, so she could get Midoriya acting differently depending on the situation.
Pulled from her thoughts by the train slowing down, Jiro glanced at the prompter and, seeing it was her stop, got off the train. The earjack heroine-in-training exited the train station, looking around the neighborhood of Korellia. She had never been to this neighborhood herself, but her middle school classmates would whisper about it, saying that it was a seedy place that was a wretched hive of scum and villainy matched only by the Kessel district in Hosu. A place that you were likely to be robbed unless you joined a gang.
But honestly, it just looked sad.
It was mostly several old buildings, cracked sidewalks, and a couple of dirty stores along her path. She did spot a few Burakumin wandering around, but none of them bothered her. She eventually made it to Jacen Street, where she saw Kaminari, Ochako, and a girl with pink dreadlocks she had seen around UA approaching her.
"Hatsume!" Ochako called to the girl, who looked up from a sketchbook she had her nose in, having been startled by the gravity girl's voice.
"Oh! 'Chako, right?" the girl, Mei said, snapping her notebook shut. "Is this everyone coming?"
"You know her?" Kaminari asked, tossing an empty hamburger wrapper in a nearby trash can.
"Yeah, Mei Hatsume is one of Midoriya's friends, and she helped make our costumes." the gravity girl explained.
"Oh! Awesome! That circuit breaker thing is awesome, by the way. I'd have been useless and probably dead several times over without it." Kaminari told the girl with a smile, who just smiled slightly and muttered "glad you like it" before looking away. Apparently this was unusual, because Ochako looked at her in surprise and a bit of concern. Before she could vocalize her thoughts, another voice spoke up.
"Ah, good, four of you showed up."
From behind a boarded up DvD store a Caucasian man with white hair and a goatee appeared, rubbing his glasses on his brown suit before replacing them on his face.
"Hey Tsubu." Mei said simply, returning to her notebook without so much as an upward glance.
"You're Tsuburaya, Midoriya's trainer?" Kaminari asked.
"Among other things." he said with a shrug. "Anyways, Midoriya is expecting you all. Please, follow me." Without another word, he led the four around the back of the building. "Miss Yashida." he nodded to an older woman in the alleyway, who looked up from her ramen cup and hummed in response.
After only a moment's hesitation, the four students followed him to the back door, which swung open on its own as he approached. Jiro blinked in surprise. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to see in the building, but a nice, if plain rec room wasn't it. She thought that she was visiting a support company, not a clubhouse.
"Is that a gym in the back??" Ochako asked, looking past the room to where the main area of the store would have been.
"A testing ground." Tsuburaya clarified, but turned to a shelf filled with DvDs and- wait, it's a hidden door?? It must have been, because as he approached the shelf swung wide open, revealing a hidden staircase, right out of a murder mystery novel.
"Whoa, it's like something out of Lupin III!" Kaminari gasped with a smile. Tsuburaya nodded, and gestured for them to follow him down the flight of steps. They made it down, the modern comfort from the ground floor transforming into something out of a fantasy styled dungeon. The next door, under the watchful gaze of a stone gargoyle, opened up as Tsuburaya approached it, and Jiro could feel her jaw drop at the sight.
"Whoa…!" Kaminari muttered.
"Is… all this..?" Ochako asked, looking around the chamber in awe at the costumes, animatronics, wax statues, and models that filled the chamber.
"The Japanese lair of the original Mysterio…"Tsuburaya said… before a swarm of pixels enshrouded him, and emerging from it was a man in Mysterio's original outfit. "And my originator."
"You're an AI??" Ochako asked, hands on her cheeks in shock. She started to hover, but Jiro caught her and pulled her back down. Fighting an embarrassed blush, Ochako restored gravity to herself.
"I am." Tsuburaya? Mysterio? The AI confirmed. "I was made by Dr. Otto Octavius from the brainscan of Quentin Beck, here to guide the next Mysterio to take up the mantle."
"And that would be me!"
Everyone looked over, Midoriya stepping out from behind an animatronic Doctor Octopus. The green haired boy was wearing a casual t-shirt with the kanji for "kimono" written across it, cargo shorts, and his favorite red sneakers.
"I thought… I thought you said we were gonna be at Wondrous Might & Heroism!" Kaminari said, not offended so much as in shock.
Heh, shock.
"You are." Midoriya explained. "Wondrous Might & Heroism is how I funded my Mysterio persona, and it all started here."
While Midoriya explained to his friends the history behind his legacy and company, Tsuburaya vanished, reappearing next to the only true employee of Wondrous Might & Heroism. "What's wrong?"
Mei jolted from her spot, hunched over her notebook. "Wha- nothing's wrong!" she insisted, a smile plastered on her face. Tsuburaya only gave her a hard glare for a few seconds before she relented. "I'm… I'm scared for Midoriya. Barely twenty four hours ago he was fighting off villains- REAL villains, and only survived because he got lucky and figured out that new technique of his and All Might showed up to scare away the remaining villains!"
"I am aware." Tsuburaya said calmly. "But he got through it with only minor fractions in his arms, which Recovery Girl healed up instantly."
"I know, but… it's just…" Mei looked down. "...Midoriya's my friend… The only friend I've ever really had… and I wasn't there to help him." Tsuburaya raised an eyebrow. He knew that Mei was considered an outcast, but he had never expected her to have been that lonely.
"I mean… before I met him, I was fine with being alone. Gave me more time to make my babies, ya know?" Mei said with a small laugh. "I thought I didn't have time for friendship, that it was a distraction at best and an annoyance at worst… and even if by some chance, I did make friends, they'd all be in the Support Course, away from danger. Why be concerned with the Heroes when I'm not gonna be involved beyond making gear for them?"
"But then, you made a friend in the Hero Course, and you realized how close you came to loosing him."Tsuburaya finished for her.
"Yeah! I don't wanna lose my friend!" Mei said, tears in the corner of her eyes. "I wanna be beside him… making sure that no more Nomu or jerks put him in danger again!"
"How do you intend to do that? You're in the Support course." Tsuburaya pointed out. Mei stopped to think, her fingers twitching compulsively as she tried to think of something.
"...if a student in a non-combat course wins the UA Sports Festival, we can be considered for entrance into the Hero Course!" Mei said, her eyes widening, before she saw the obvious problem. "But I'm not that strong or tough… how could I possibly do something like that?! Maybe I could make a baby to train my body as I slept."
"If I may make a somewhat saner suggestion…"Tsuburaya brought up a hologram of a prototype device, one that was an improvement on a bit of older villain tech. Scooping it up in his hand, he presented it to the pink haired tinkerer.
"....didn't that drive the original crazy?" Mei asked, looking at the device warily.
"The original device was made on a limited budget using only the technology that was available at the time, and was untested prior to its use. I've since improved upon it, and this device is far safer, with countermeasures against any… damages." Tsuburaya assured her.
".....you just want Midoriya to make a new Sinister Six huh?" Mei said with a small smirk.
"What?! How DARE you!" Tsuburaya gasped in faux-offense, putting a hand to his mouth dramatically. "I would NEVER suggest a Sinister Six to the heroic Mysterio!" the AI then smirked at the girl. "But a SAVIOR Six, on the other hand…"
"Um…. 'scuse me?"
Tsuburaya and Mei looked over, Ochako standing behind the two patiently. "You're making support gear out of villain tech, right?"
"....and if we are?" Tsuburaya calmly asked, dismissing the hologram in his hand.
".....can I get something too?" Ochako asked.
For the first time that day, Mei had a genuine smile on her face.
Those bastards!
Bakugo was angry, pissed off, and severely annoyed.
Unlike his classmates, who had been terrified or scared of the villains, Bakugo had a blast at the USJ. He got to fight against real villains! He thought that wasn't going to happen until he got his provisional license, but hey, this just proved how badass he was!
And hey, he made a friend! Kirishima was a dumbass, but he was able to take anything Bakugo could dish out and return it! Both figuratively and, as a few attacks done "in the moment" by the two proved, literally. The only thing that bothered him about the incident was how the heat eventually started to get to him.
But when he got out, escorted by one of that gashapon-faced Deku's drones of all things, he learned that Deku had already taken out the toughest villain there! He did something that let him overpower the villain and send it flying!
Bakugo was supposed to be the one who proved his strength, not Deku! Deku was a shitty pebble who had to rely on illusions to compliment his shitty fake quirk's backlash! Instead, he pulled off some illusionary gambit shit and unlocked a technique to power himself up at the last minute like some fucking Dragon Ball Z protagonist!
He got to be the hero of the day!!
The only other person who seemed even close to being annoyed was IcyHot! And even then he just huffed and moved away!
'But then… why is no one acknowledging Midoriya's actions?' that voice of his younger self would ask.
That, honestly, pissed him off the most. The school was attacked and instead everyone was wasting their energy spreading bullshit rumors about deku. He didn't like the loser, yeah, but he could admit that Deku was ultimately doing something good. Hell, his advice to aim for that smoke-faced fucker's neck actually helped, though Bakugo would never admit it out loud.
But no, everyone just cared about that fucking costume he wore. It'd been a long time since Beck died, and anyone who had lost someone to the Quirkless bastard would have been dead at this point! Besides, heroes used the names of Dracula and the Black Knight, two villains from the past, and they didn't get shit over it! Why do they have to be so focused on something so stupid?!
'But we did something similar in the past.' the young voice, Kachaan he couldn't help but think, said in the back of his mind. But wait, who the hell did he talk about? At Aldera and earlier, Midoriya wasn't being put down for being a villain, so who the hell was he thinking-
Oh.
Maro.
Bakugo remembered that older kid he used to hang out with, the one many thought would be a great hero one day. It wasn't because Bakugo wanted to ride his coattails or anything, Bakugo was more than capable of getting popularity on his own. Bakugo had gone to Maro for help with training his own Quirk. Maro's quirk, letting him blast hot wind from his hands, seemed weak but he had trained it to the point that it would have been devastating to fight against. So naturally, Bakugo thought he'd be a good teacher to improve his own power since, at the time, his explosions barely had the strength of a cap gun with only light sparks. Maro had helped him train his power, taught him how to store up the sweat he needed in his palms, instead of just blasting what he had immediately.
And Bakugo betrayed him.
He had heard from his lackey, a winged boy named Tsubasa, about Maro's uncle being arrested, supposedly for illegal Quirk usage. When Bakugo had heard about it, he ran into the crowded hallways to confront the boy, screaming about it at the top of his lungs.
Needless to say, everyone had heard about the supposed Villain nephew and avoided Maro like he was radioactive. Some of the older kids even started to bully Maro, leaving insults and threats on his stuff.
Not long after, his parents pulled him from school, only the three had died in a surprise villain attack a few weeks later. Bakugo had attended the funeral. He hadn't said anything, but… he silently regretted ever opening his stupid mouth in that hallway.
If he could change one thing in his life… it'd be fixing the moment where he unintentionally killed his first real mentor.
The worst part, in all honesty, was that Bakugo couldn't even remember if that rumor had been true or not.
'You haven't done right by Maro…' Kachaan whispered to him. 'But you can still do right by Midoriya.'
A ridiculous idea. Deku belonged in the business or GenEd courses, at best! He didn't have what it takes to be a hero!
'But isn't that what people thought about Spider-man? That he wasn't a hero?' Kachaan asked Bakugo. Which... Okay, yeah, everyone underestimated Spider-Man… and… did it really matter if Midoriya's power was a Quirk or not?
Wait, of course it does! Quirks are everything!
'But then why is he at the top of the class and we aren't?'
"OY, BRAT! I'M GOING TO THE STORE, YOU WANT ANYTHING???"
Bakugo, stirred out of his thoughts, snarled and turned to the doorway, knocking a few nicknacks off his desk in the process. "JUST MORE CHOCOLATE!!"
Bakugo turned back to his computer, annoyed that his train of thought had vanished. The school had given notification that classes were canceled so that the students could properly process and heal after everything they had gone through. Bakugo didn't need that! He was just fine! He saw villains, he kicked their asses, and got out without any wounds that were worse than what he'd get from sparring!
…then again, hearing voices that sound like your childhood self pointing out your innermost flaws and mistakes probably warranted a trip to a therapist.
Maybe he should bring this up, if he ever decided to visit Hound Dog, the school guidance counselor.
Tcch.
Not likely, though.
So instead Bakugo got off from his desk and went to his bed, almost tripping on a strange meteorite he had found years ago in the woods.
Chapter 14: First Step into a Larger World
'Midoriya has a sweet thing going on.' Kaminari thought to himself. The (wait, what is this place exactly? His Dungeon? Chamber? Basement? Company? Lair? Eh, that works) lair was massive and full of cool stuff. Kaminari was admittedly bad with his knowledge of history, but he was at least somewhat familiar with Spider-man and Mysterio (though that was mainly due to having done a report on the villain Electro when he was in fifth grade). He was initially unsure of what to make of Midoriya's persona, but now he knew the guy was pretty cool. He would be an awesome friend. Huh, just like the original Mysterio and Electro.
Speaking of, he admittedly didn't know what to make of Midoriya being taught by Mysterio's ghost, but hey, the guy was alright for a former villain. He seemed pretty chill about having a bunch of hero students in his lair, and would happily answer any questions they asked of him. The AI even gave them all a tour of the workshop, pointing out the robots, makeup, costumes, and animatronics used in his various schemes, many of which were reenacted in models. The guy didn't even sound bitter over Spider-Man (Sure, there was some anger, but it didn't linger for long).
"Oh guys, check this out!"
Midoriya came over, carrying… some kind of miniature purple gargoyle/imp thing with green eyes, wearing gold armor similar to Midoriya's Mysterio outfit. It was looking around curiously, muttering to itself. (Was it a weapon? Looked kinda small to be one. Looked like something out of that American show, the Muppets?)
"Lotsa heroes… so scary…"
"This is Henson the Homunculus! I made him out of one of Mysterio's old robots that he used in a scheme of his. See, he was faking being a sorcerer crusading against technology, so he used these lil guys to act as his summons." Midoriya said happily. "I finished making him just a few days ago, and I've been itching to show him off."
"Henson?" Jiro asked, looking the lil' guy over, who tilted its head at her.
"After Jim Henson, whose work with puppetry in cinema and television was revolutionary…" Midoriya said with a blush.
"It's so cute!" Ochako came over, petting its head. Henson rumbled happily and leaned into it.
"You built an AI?" Jirio asked, impressed at the lil' guy, who was muttering to itself.
"Well, it's not a true AI, since it's not capable of independent thought. It's more like an assistive operating system with personality and pre-programmed responses." Midoriya admitted with an embarrassed shrug. "I lack the capability to make a smart AI."
"Henson not dumb! Henson smarts!" the robot in question protested.
"Yes you are!!" Ochako cooed, lightly scratching Henson with two fingers, who cooed and nuzzled her hand.
"...did you seriously build a cute animal mascot, Midoriya?" Jiro asked, smirking a little.
"Well, when I eventually get the merchandising deals, I'm gonna need something to corner the kawaii fandom." Midoriya responded cheekily. "To say nothing of the anime adaptation of my life, and the toy lines I'm planning. Maybe a breakfast cereal while I'm at it."
Kaminari snorted in laughter. Yeah, he was definitely enjoying hanging out with Mysteri-bro.
"Oh, Ochako!" The pink haired girl, Mei, came over, varying some blueprints under her arms. "I found some stuff that should be suitable for what you requested!"
"Requested?" Kaminari asked.
"I wanted to see if Midoriya could help with support items to improve on a few flaws I noticed in my fighting style… namely that I'm not all that fast when I lack gravity." Ochako admitted.
"We still have to discuss payment." Tsuburaya grumbled, while Ochako went VERY still in fear.
"Tsuburaya…" Midoriya muttered.
"Midoriya, I know you want to help your friends, but we're a business. We can't just give away tech because you're friends with the person!" Tsuburaya protested.
"I know… but there's other ways we can get a profit besides cash." Midoriya said, before turning to the gravity girl. "Ochako, would you be willing to act as an advertiser for Wondrous Might & Heroism during the Sports Festival and your Internship to work off the payment?"
Ochako's eyes widened. "But Midoriya… there's no way that'd cover the cost of even basic support gear!"
"Hm, good point." Midoriya said, tapping his chin with a thoughtful look, before shrugging. "Well then, I guess you'll have to just advertise for us for the next decade, oh, but in that time we'll need to provide you with our best upgrades. For free, naturally. Gotta show everyone what we're capable of, after all."
Jiro, Mei, and Kaminari stared in shock at the green haired boy, the same thought on each of their minds:
'....did he seriously just give Ochako free stuff and make it sound like a sales pitch?!
"You have GOT to be joking." Tsuburaya responded flatly.
"Henson like!"
Ochako simply fainted into the arms of a Spider-man animatronic.
Red.
That was all that was around him, leaking out from the body of this… pretender that laid before him. He, like many others before him and currently, wore a mask and cape, not to do the duty of heroes and save people, but to reap glory, money, toy lines, and movie deals. It was sickening.
The blood almost fixed the scene. It was dark and beautiful, fixing the false hero and his ornate facade. Red upon gold. Honest Filth marring Deceptive Beauty.
The victim had been a false hero by the name of Gilder Midas. His quirk allowed him to temporarily turn anything he touched into gold, even living things. People were unharmed, but in stasis. A man bleeding out would have been safely brought to the hospital to be stitched up. Granted, there was complete sensory deprivation and lack of movement from those converted, but it would have been able to save lives. Yet despite how useful it was, Gilder Midas spent more time advertising for businesses and marketing his own merchandise, including his distinctive gold smile mask. Despite the emphasis on his wallet, however, he had proven to be surprisingly dangerous. It would not have been much of a stretch to imagine that the False Hero would have won this bout, had his killer not managed to lick the blood off one of the knives he kept on his person.
It had been a long time since he'd used his Quirk. When he first began, he was weak, unskilled beyond basic sword stances and knife throwing. Encountering Knuckleduster was a life altering experience. When he first began crusading, he had targeted only those who had power but no conviction, but then he was enlightened by the vigilante's words. Now he knew to target only the source of the corruption. False idols that fell short of true heroism.
His phone went off. No one was calling, but a new threat had appeared in the HeroForums he frequented. Pulling out his phone, the man's eyes narrowed at the sight of the boy in the costume, being treated for wounds after surviving an attack. The rest of the article was biased filth about how the boy didn't fit their focus group approved definition of heroics. Still, he would have to look further into this boy.
Chizome Akaguro adjusted his scarf, in the process covering up the tattoo on the back of his neck, one depicting a stylized yellow lion's head and brown mane overlaid upon two crossed spears in black ink. It was the symbol of the men and women who taught him how to rely on more than his Quirk. The symbol of a man who fought a hero that many had hated when they were alive, but history looked upon the latter favorably in spite of his glaring flaws. But the clan was not involved in this. They respected Chizome's territory, and the prey within it.
Yes, prey such as that fake hero Ingenium, and this… Mysterio. He would have to keep an eye on this… possible false villain. Such brazen displays of a villainous persona could be a sign of either arrogance… or a statement. Chizome would wait and see. His masters had taught him to be patient, to watch for the signs before leaping into action, lest his prey escape early, or worse yet not be his target.
But should the new Mysterio be another false hero?
The Hero Killer Stain will have to start a new Hunt.
Jiro looked around the room, done up to resemble a town from an American Western film, complete with animatronic horses and a saloon. She walked through, her jacks ready to plug in at a moment's notice.
*BANG!*
A shot whizzed past her, and Jiro turned to the rooftop, an animatronic gunslinger taking aim with a paintball gun. Jiro took aim and blasted it with her gauntlets, the focused shockwaves sending it flying back. Another gunslinger appeared, and Jiro took him out too. A third animatronic appeared, but she stopped herself from attacking. It was a kindly looking old lady with a cane hobbling down the road… who promptly spun around, her other arm raised with a revolver, and fired a paintball into Jiro's chest, knocking her down. A buzzer sounded.
"And you're dead." Tsuburaya appeared, resetting the projectile training course.
"How was I supposed to know that the old lady was a threat?!" Jiro spat back.
"You mean aside from being completely calm and collected while a gunfight was happening around her?" Tsuburaya asked. "You need to take context into account."
Jirio opened her mouth, but shut it after a second. "I wasn't expecting that from an innocent… especially in training."
"Take it from an illusionist: The more innocuous something looks, the more dangerous it can be."Tsuburaya told her. "You need to be aware of the little things. The sweat from a man lying to your face… a man with a gun glancing at his next target… a quiet child wearing long sleeves and turtlenecks to hide bruises caused by daddy…"
"That's… really dark." Jiro muttered as she got back up.
"Reality is a messed up place." Tsuburaya said with a shrug. "If it wasn't, there wouldn't be so many horrible people."
"Well, before I get back to your reality, I think I'm going to get a drink of water first." Jirio said, exiting the shooting gallery. On the way back, she passed by Midoriya, wearing a smock, protective goggles, a respirator around his neck, rubber gloves, and carrying… was that a bucket of blood?
"Hey Jiro." Midoriya said casually as he passed by.
"...um…?" Jiro looked at the bucket tepidly.
"Oh, I'm just about to test a new material for my costume." Midoriya explained. "See, Blood_Spider found me by splattering some blood against my suit, and I realized that I forgot to make my suit repellent to liquids, so I've mixed up some realistic stage blood to see if the new coating will work at keeping the liquid from sticking to me. If not, I'll have to try the Teflon-based adhesive, which will cause its own litany of issues-"
"Midoriya."
Midoriya blinked and looked up, seeing Jiro was staring. "Oh, sorry."
"Nah, it's fine." she said with a shrug. "Though I gotta ask… why don't you just use that adhesive dissolving stuff you used to free Kaminari from the glue?"
"The Adhesion Dissolvant Spray is designed to chemically break down adhesives found in glue, tape, webbing, and other stuff so that it's brittle and easy to tear off, but dried blood clings to the suit and would require a lot of scrubbing with chemicals to remove, which takes time that I might not have... although I could try to mix up something to add to the spray to hopefully solve that issue…" Midoriya muttered to himself before he was interrupted.
"...hey, uh, Midoriya… do you know anyway to... Break the ice with your AI?" Jiro asked, wrapping her earjack around a finger nervously. "The guy's been acting… Intense."
"Yeah… he's protective of me, and not many people know about this place." Midoriya admitted. Thinking about what he knew of Jiro and Tsuburaya, Midoriya thought of something that could help. "Tsuburaya makes music in his spare time."
"He does?" Jiro asked, surprised.
"Yeah, apparently Beck released an album when he was alive, and Tsuburaya makes new pieces when he gets bored." Midoriya explained with a shrug. "I think he's trying to write up the soundtrack for a Mysterio movie or video game."
Jiro smirked. "Well, I'll see if I can help him with that."
"Awesome! Best of luck!" Midoriya said, continuing on to the workshop upstairs.
Jiro smiled, then went back to the training room, where Tsuburaya was... sitting at a desk, typing ALL PLAY AND NO WORK MAKES TSUBURAYA A DULL BOY over and over again on an old fashioned type writer. "Hey, I feel like switching to hand to hand. Got any Japanese Rock onhand to get into the spirit?"
"I can't believe this, Gentle-sama!"
Danjuro Tobita, alias Gentle Criminal, looked over from his chair, setting aside a tea cup. "My dear La Brava, what has gotten you so worked up??"
Manami Aiba, alias La Brava, looked up from her phone with a large pout on her face. "This "Mysterio Student" has gotten more views and comments in the past half day than you have since you started your escapades, and you just uploaded a video exposing Koca~Soda's falsified ingredients!"
"Yes, it seems that the controversy around the child has eclipsed our us and our exploits…" Gentle Criminal stroked his goatee in thought. "but worry not, my dear La Brava, for I have a plan to put us back in the spotlight!"
"Really???" La Brava looked up, her anger forgotten at her partner's assurances.
"Oh yes! However, I fear that the Gentle Criminal may not be able to do this on his own. He'll be needing a helping of bad luck. For his enemies, that is." Danjuro explained. For a moment, La Brava was confused, when it clicked suddenly. All that training he had her do, that strange equipment he had her purchase from Wondrous Might & Heroism, it all made sense now!
"I get to debut alongside you?? EEEE!" the diminutive woman squealed in joy, but a sudden thought cut across her mind. "I just hope that Detective Knight guy leaves us alone… he nearly caught us in those bandages of his. And worse, he had the audacity to mock you!"
"Don't worry. We won't be anywhere near Korellia this time." he assured her. "Are you ready for your first costume fitting, my dear Black Cat?"
.:Okay, try lifting your right leg!: . Mei called from the testing room.
Ochako nodded. She was wearing a protective full body suit, upon which was a basic exoskeleton. The idea was to see which addons would work best for Ochako before building her a custom support item. Right now she was testing Iron Man-based power armor for movement and flight capability. She tried walking forward, but despite the suit being matched to her size, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the way the suit moved.
"I dunno… this feels too unwieldy…" Ochako muttered. "Maybe I can try something a bit lighter??"
.:Can't you just cancel out the gravity of a heavy object?:. Mei asked.
"Doesn't make it any less clunky or hard to maneuver with!"
.:...fair enough!:. Mei exited the room, pushing a cart covered in various gadgets. Jet packs, hover boots, grappling hook launchers, mechanical wings, and some kind of extending boots were strewn across the top, each one unpainted and bare looking.
"Alrighty, so you want something that'll get ya moving quickly??" Mei lifted up a pair of boots. "Try these Electric-Powered Coil Boots based off the tech used by the villain Leap-Frog!"
"I dunno… I think Tsu might be annoyed if I copy her." Ochako mused.
"Tsu? Oh, the frog girl, right??" Mei asked after a moment of thought.
"Yeah! Wait, you know her?" Ochako asked, surprised that the girl actually remembered someone's name
"Well, no, but I helped design her wetsuit's heating system, and 'Doriya says I should try to remember the name of my clients." Mei explained. "Don't wanna offend them by accident, ya know?"
"Ah… Midoriya gives great advice, huh?" Ochako said with a small smile.
"...you like him, don't you?" Mei said with a knowing smile, which only grew larger when the gravity girl's expression turned to one of shock.
'Wha-wha-what?! No!! I-I mean he's a good friend, but-but we're trying to be heroes and he's busy with all this other stuff and-!!"
"That's a load of bunk."
Ochako blinked. "Ex…cuse me?" she asked.
"It's a load of bunk." Mei repeated with just as much bluntness. "You like him, he likes you, so just date. Plenty of heroes date. The Water Hose Heroes were a husband/wife duo. The Fox Witch is happily married to her wives, Sunspot and Spider-Sakura. Heck, Midnight's got a romantic partner."
"Really? I thought that was just a rumor." Ochako admitted.
"No, I overheard Hijima-sensei talking to Cementoss about them. I'm pretty sure it's the Hazard Hero, Toximax. You know, the one that came out as non-binary last year? I think they're keeping it subtle to avoid a 'Gwen Stacy' scenario."
"Oh yeah." Ochako admitted. The death of the original Gwen Stacy was used as an example of the dangerous of being open with one's identity. Many Japanese heroes like Endeavor and Uwabami didn't usually follow this philosophy of heroing, but the incident was still taught to heroes in training both as a form of opsec, and to warn about the unforeseen effects that being a hero could have on one's life. The fact that Gwen was brought back to life via a clone who became the Ghost Spider did nothing to diminish the impact her death had on Peter Parker, and most people didn't come back to life. "But… they're all professional heroes, and we're still learning."
"And I'll say again: It's a load of bunk." Mei insisted. "Look, I'm not saying you need to throw him onto your bed and make babies on the first night-"
Ochako choked at the words, mainly due to the fantasy that followed.
"-just do something small." Mei continued without stopping. "Invite him to get a boba tea or something. Or coffee. 'Doriya runs off the stuff."
"...can we just get back to the support items???" Ochako practically begged, her face still red from the fantasy.
"....fine." Mei said with an eye roll. "Honestly, why's this such a big deal…?"
"David, I don't know if this is a good idea."
"Sam, All Might's school was attacked under his watch. If we could recreate the Captain America serum, we'd be able to jump-start a new generation of even greater heroes! Imagine All Might with the Super Soldier Serum within him!" David looked up from his computer, bags under his eyes that did nothing to hide his determined gaze.
"I know that, but trying to create it with the Globulin Green Serum as its base?! If we're not careful, we could end up with a monster!" Sam sighed, rubbing his temples. "Don't you think that we should focus on developing the Quirk Enhancer instead?? It's far more stabilized and we know that it works."
"No, this is the smarter option. The Quirk Enhancer could be stolen from All Might and then any villain could instantly rise to the top of the S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted lists. Besides, it's not JUST the Globulin Green. I'm using data from the Captain America blood sample that Stark Industries provided us to fix any potential flaws." David insisted. Sam barely bit back a growl. This was definitely going to put a damper on his scheme. The super soldier serum would certainly be valuable to the right people, but if it wasn't made properly… testing on rodents was all well and good, but his clients needed to know for certain, lest they come after him with an assassin! Oh, but how could he get that bleeding heart David to agree to human test subjects?! He'd never risk creating something so dangerous as another Green Goblin!
'Unless… Yes…!' Speaking up, Sam sighed in apparent resignation. "Well, if we're going to do this, we should at least find a volunteer for human trials. After all, we don't want All Might to become the next Green Goblin."
David stopped as the mental image appeared in his head, a cackling, muscular All Might with horns and skin the color of bile tossing bombs from a glider. Shaking his head in disgust, he turned to his lifelong friend. "You're right, we can't risk something that dangerous… but who'll volunteer?"
"I have a friend, a former field medic and a good man. He works with Parker Industries." Sam suggested. "He was recently in an accident that made his healing Quirk unusable beyond minor injuries, but the serum could help him recover."
"How soon can he arrive?" David asked.
"The Expo, I think."
"Well, at least we'll be able to show off something new and amazing to the investors." David muttered.
Kaminari looked around in awe. A few minutes ago, he had been talking with Quentin Beck about various films he enjoyed watching, and the AI offered to show him something awesome. (He had been hoping it was something cool like a gaming room. This was even better)
Beneath the workshop, the training area, and a garage, was a massive museum, dedicated to the props, costumes, and set-pieces of cinema, all secured behind airtight bulletproof glass. "No way, is that the original Gojira suit?!"
"Yes. Well, most of it. It was falling apart when I obtained it, but I managed to restore it to the point that it's nearly identical to the original article." Tsuburaya admitted. The suit in question was posed, in the middle of smashing up a model of 1950's Tokyo while puppets of Mothra and King Ghidorah fought above it. "I have an entire collection of suits from various monster films, as well as Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman ."
"Really?? I figured you'd be more about the American stuff." Kaminari admitted.
"Cinema is an artform that goes beyond nationality… though admittedly most of this stuff is from American movies." Tsuburaya explained, leading him through a section meant for action/adventure films. Kaminari marveled at the original Terminator endoskeleton prop, Rambo's M60 Machine gun, Indiana Jones' costume with the treasures of each film in the matching sets, Francisco Scaramanga's Golden Gun, 1989's Batman batsuit (and it was posed against the Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman outfits, all of them in mannequins depicting a fight scene in Gotham streets), a rainbow of lightsabers from every Star Wars movie with Luke's original lightsaber prop at the forefront, chunks of fake Kryptonite from the Christopher Reeves Superman films, and so much more.
"And now for what's admittedly my personal favorite section… the horror films." Tsuburaya led the electric hero in training into the room, gesturing with a robotic claw to each prop. "The original Freddy Kreuger Glove, the chainsaw from the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre , the Necronomicon ex Mortis props from the original Evil Dead trilogy, and lastly, the crown jewels of my collection:" Tsuburaya floated over to a wall, where sealed behind a three inch thick pane of bulletproof glass was a film reel, a VHS tape, and a DvD. " London After Midnight , the original 1927 silent film reel beside two copies I made when it was transferred over to other mediums by yours truly for watching. A film starring Lon Chaney Sr, the film was originally lost to history due to a fire at MGM's studio vault in 1965. It is the holy grail of horror film collections… though admittedly the film doesn't hold up to the likes of Nosferatu or Dracula ."
"...wait, if it was lost to history, how'd you get ahold it? Kaminari asked the AI.
"Oh, well, Dr. Doom was doing this plot where he traveled back in time to 1871 to investigate this time anomaly so he could exploit it, so he hired Scorpion, Sandman, the Black Knight, and I to act as muscle and keep away any local heroes like the Phantom Rider. Instead of cash like the other guys, I asked Dr. Doom to pay for my services by taking me to when these artifacts were about to go missing or destroyed and I saved them." Tsuburaya said this with the air one said when describing how he fixed a toaster.
"…wait, you stole these ?!" Kaminari looked at Tsuburaya, who just rolled his eyes.
"No, I saved these priceless treasures from being lost to history by people who couldn't see their true value!" Tsuburaya insisted. "I mean, did you know what Universal Studios was going to do to the pipe organ from The Phantom of the Opera silent film starring Lon Chaney Sr?! They were going to demolish it, the oldest surviving set piece in the WORLD, for a fucking Harry Potter ride of all things!"
"Well, then, why not set up your own museum?? One you owned and ran, so that other people could see it?" the electric boy suggested.
"And risk the bloodsucking lawyers of the film industry coming to "reclaim" these items in spite of the statute of limitations having long since been passed?" Tsuburaya sneered. "No thank you! I'd rather keep it down here, where it can be appreciated by those who truly love cinema, like us."
"....then why isn't it on the first floor with the rest of your gear and props?"
Tsuburaya took a long moment to think before answering. "...to keep thieves from seeing it. I have plenty of Mysterio suits, I don't care if they're taken, but these are too valuable to be seen by anyone I cannot trust!"
"....you just wanted Mysterio to be the first thing people saw, huh?"
"That's Slander! You insult me, Kaminari!"
*Crash!*
Shuichi Iguchi fell against the trash cans, but he didn't get up, despite what the men in the alleyway were telling him.
"Come on, freak! At least make this interesting for us!"
Shuichi knew it had been a bad idea to step out. He should have just stayed home… but he was running low on food, and he was sick of ordering meal deliveries. He thought that he could just go outside, grab some cheap sushi and head back home, maybe play the new League of Legends 3 Expansion pack. But no. Instead, he tried to cut through an alleyway, and ran into a small group of thugs, all in plague masks, that he was sure belonged to the Creature Rejection Clan, given how they referred to him in such derogatory terms.
The men had quickly cornered him, attacking with lead pipes, Quirks, and a katana sword he was certain one guy had summoned from thin air. His scales blocked the worst of the assault, but if he didn't stitch up his side soon, he'd be in serious trouble. One advantage of being a lizard, he supposed: quicker healing.
"I bet this crocodile's with that Mysterio kid… lettin' in villains to hurt some kids." one man sneered, the apparent leader of the gang.
"Please… I just wanna go home." Shuichi mumbled. He knew it was hopeless. People like this had always plagued him. Harassed him. Spat on him. It was the curse of being a heteromorph. But some small part of him still wanted things to be different. To make a change.
"Listen here, freak. You're a monster, you'll always be a monster. And us? We kill monsters." The speaker approached, his arm swelling up, when something silvery embedded itself in the arm. He screamed in pain, staring at the projectiles, each one silver and resembling… crescent moons?
"How disgusting…'' A British accented voice growled out above. The five thugs and one Heteromorph looked up to the rooftops, where standing on the ledge like a gargoyle was a figure, wearing bandages over a black skin tight suit, a white hooded cloak, and a half black half white mask. Emblazoned upon the chest was a crescent moon made of a silvery metal. "Nearly 200 years and people still find stupid reasons to hate each other."
Then suddenly, the vigilante… started speaking in different voices.
"Dese guys make me sick!/I say we should kill 'em!/Spector, no! We're the good guys!/Yeah, we're real boy scouts." the man argued with himself, swapping between a hoarse Brooklyn accent, a gruff Chicago accented voice, and two different Japanese accented voices, one sounding like an upbeat city local, the other more snide and rural. The vigilante, having apparently settled the argument within himself, leaped down, landing on a man in a way that felt a lot like a certain caped crusader from some American comics.
"Oh shit, it's that insane vigilante!" Katana yelled, swinging at the man, who blocked with a pair of moon blades that appeared from nowhere.
"The name's Moon Knight." the vigilante shot back in the Chicago accent, before he spoke in the voice with the British accent. "Wait, Spector, I thought we were Mr. Knight?"
"No, Grant-sama, we're Moon Ninja!" The vigilante repeated in the Rural voice.
"But Twice, I wanna be Doctor Moon…" The City voice muttered.
The man, Moon Knight, continued to hold an argument with himself, arguing in the voices of at least five people, all the while dodging and flipping around the plague-masked villains. "Look, Jin, can we talk about this later!? We're in the middle of something!" the Chicago voice, Spector, shot back while grabbing a pipe and breaking the attacker's kneecap
If anyone else thought the clearly unwell man's conversation was weird, they said nothing, instead focusing their efforts on beating him down, not that it was going well. Quite the opposite in fact. After only two minutes, Moon Knight was standing over each man as they struggled to get back up.
"Guys, we can take him if we go all at once!" The leader shouted to the others as they got back up.
"Oh, you think so??" Moon Knight shouted in the voice of Grant. He threw out his arm, and from it a thick, mud like substance appeared flowing out of his hand, then reformed into another man, wearing an identical mask to the Moon Knight, but this one was in a white suit with a necktie, secured with a crescent moon tie clip.
"Mr. Knight, here to fight!" the newcomer spoke in Grant's tone of voice as he drew out a pair of curved daggers with moon symbols on the hilts.
With another slurry of the mud-like substance, the man's Quirk in action, Shiuchi realized, a third man appeared, wearing the same mask as the other two, but this one was dressed like a ninja with moon-shaped sickles connected to the bandages wrapped around his arms.
"How long have you been workshopping that?" the third person, who Shiguichi assumed was Twice, or Moon Ninja, muttered.
"What the shit is going on?!" Katana yelled, swinging at the ninja.
"I think his quirk lets him summon his other personalities as people or some-" one guy, with metal spikes emerging from his knuckles, was knocked out with a fist to the nose before he could finish speaking.
The three men moved fluidly, Moon Ninja was the swiftest, though Moon Knight, or Spector, seemed to be the most tactical, taking down each person with a level of precision Shuichi has only seen in videos of soldiers and master martial artists. With only three moves he disarmed Katana of his weapon, sending it clattering near Shuichi, who could only watch the scene before him, still laying in the garbage where he was pushed into.
It had never happened before. Someone was stepping in to save him! And they weren't even a Heteromorph or a mutant like he was!
"You… diseased freaks!"
Glancing over, the Heteromorph saw the lead thug stumbling to get up, supporting himself on a nearby trash can. He swept his right hand down, a gun barrel emerging from a thin slit over the end of his wrist. "I won't go down easy!" The man growled, taking aim with the gun barrel arm, a light appearing within the barrel.
Shuichi didn't know why he did it. He didn't know the vigilante. He had never attacked anyone in his life. He had never even told anyone off before, even though there were days where he just really wanted to lash out at the people who hurt him. But he was raised differently. His dads never approved of violence to answer their problems. They thought that words and ideology were more important, that you should rely on them and stick to enforcing them. Violence was the absolute last resort, and it should be left to the Pro Heroes.
But then, his adopted dads never saw their savior about to be shot in the back.
So Shuichi grabbed the fallen sword and, remembering the stances from his favorite video games, swung the blade upwards. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the best of shape, nor were video games a good substitute for actual training, so his attack did little more than lightly cut into the thug leader's arm. Thankfully, it was enough. The upward swing knocked the blast away from Moon Knight, instead hitting Mr. Knight in the chest, who bled that mud which composed him, and promptly dissolved into a pile of that same substance.
Quick as a flash, Moon Knight spun around and leaped onto the man, pushing him against the wall while grabbing his forehead with both hands. Glaring deep into his eyes, he then spoke, but it was in the voice of someone… new.
"IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE, I, KONSHU, GOD OF THE MOON, CONFISCATE YOUR GIFT."
A white glow surrounded the thug's head, flowing up the vigilante's arms and into his eyes, which glowed like stars. Shuichi's jaw dropped, for the man's gun barrel turned to dust, the hole it emerged from sealing up. Moon Knight got up, and much to the shock of Shuichi and the thug, his bandages unraveled on their own, and a near identical gun barrel emerged from a slit on the back of his wrist.
"You… you stole my Quirk?" the thug's bravado was gone, replaced with a thousand yard stare and a voice that barely broke above a whisper.
"It's what you get for trying to hurt someone for being different. Well now you are different." Moon Knight, Spector, dismissed, before knocking him out with a blast from the man's former Quirk.
"Phew, that was close!" Moon Knight spoke as Jin, turning to Shuichi. "I mean, we're fine if we're in one of our Doubles and it breaks apart, but if our main body gets hurt… I don't even wanna know!"
"Jin, shut up!" Moon Ninja hissed in anger, but promptly dissolved into mud.
"Just ignore them, these guys are killjoys." Moon Knight as Jin muttered. "But either way, thank you for the help."
"Um… no problem." Shuichi said quietly. Unsure of what else to say at the man staring at him, he tried to think of an ice breaker. "So… you're… Moon Knight?
"Actually I'm Doctor Moon." Jin explained, his outfit morphing into a Doctor's coat with a badge reading "Dr. Moon" and a hospital logo of a green moon within a red cross secured to the lapel. "But there's also Moon Knight, Mr. Knight, Moon Ninja, and, uh… what name did Jake choose, again?"
"Detective Knight." the Brooklyn voice, Jake, muttered. "And stop tellin' 'im our secrets! We don't if if dis guy can be trusted!"
"Whoa, whoa, I'm not going to say anything!" Shuichi yelped, backing away in fear. "I just wanna get home and play video games! I won't tell anyone!! Just don't hurt me or steal my Quirk!"
"Great, now he's scared of us." Steven/Mr. Knight muttered in annoyance. He looked ready to begin another argument with himself.
"Um…"
But a voice, a young girl's, cut through the air. Glancing down the alleyway, the Heteromorph and vigilante saw the speaker was a little girl with a single horn, clutching the crushed remains of Shuichi's dinner, her eyes wide with cautious hope.
"You can… remove my curse?"
.....damn it, Shuichi had just wanted some sushi!
The five UA High students left Wondrous Might and Magic, unaware of the events that had happened only a few streets away. The day had been filled with fun, growing closer together, training, and hopefully, tools that will help with the challenges that were ahead of them all.