Chapter 7: Divergence
Toshinori Yagi, known to the world as All Might, had been a pro hero for forty years, but who he was at his core had not changed in all that time. In those forty years, he had saved a truly astronomical number of people, never wavering in the face of darkness, his smile a weapon in and of itself, declaring that even in the blackest night, he would not back down.
After forty years as the Symbol of Peace, he had developed a few habits. One was his smile, another was his habit of shouting when he arrived somewhere. One that many didn't know was that when he was stressed, he had his own personal way of venting. He went out and saved people non-stop.
All Might stood on top of a skyscraper, staring out at the city, declaring his presence to not only the villains who would do harm, but also to the citizens he had sworn to protect. The reason he was standing at the top of the building in the first place was that he was still sweating bullets after taking a call first thing in the morning. Gran Torino had seen the news that he was now following in his old teacher's footsteps and had immediately called him to demand answers.
"What is all this about you teaching at UA? Are you still trying to scout a successor or have you finally gotten off your high horse and picked one? You did? Can he fight better than you did?" All Might had nervously answered every single question.
Satisfied, Gran Torino had finally hung up after one simple reminder. "He better live up to expectations Toshi. That kid has more than just your name to live up to. If he doesn't, I will find both of you and fix that issue myself."
That reminder had sent All Might down memory lane, to forty three years ago, when he had joined UA, just barely passing the entrance exam. Which reminded him of how he met Gran Torino in the first place. The pro had been All Might's homeroom teacher, and back then, heroes were first and foremost, fighters. Gran Torino had beaten him within what felt like an inch of his life, and then decided if he could take that many hits and still stand he might have some potential.
The next three years involved All Might learning how to fight via random ambushes, savage attacks, horrible practical jokes and vicious taunts that dug under his skin. Those memories had stressed him out enough that he had resorted to saving people on his morning commute.
'It should be fine. I'll have more than enough time left to teach 1-A this afternoon. No reason to be worried All Might. Everyone on staff will und-That's a scream! Time to go!' All Might leapt off the building, intent on venting his stress by putting a little more light in the world, even as his flame burned out.
"Divergent Strength? Seems like a bit of a mouthful, doesn't it?" Kirishima asked as he chewed his rice. Lunch time once again found Yuji sitting with his classmates, and their most recent topic of conversation was his newly unveiled quirk name.
"Kirishima! It's unbecoming of a student to chew and speak at the same time! Have you no manners?" As always Ida was quick to catch on to any minor wrongdoings.
"Relax Ida, we're all kind of wondering the same thing. Most people go with a quirk name that is pretty self-explanatory. Zero Gravity, Hardening, Engine, Frog, Poison Touch and Creation." Uraraka pointed to several of the lunch table's occupants in turn, naming off their quirks. "Divergent Strength doesn't really give us a lot to go on. Unless that's the point?" Uraraka turned to Yuji, her eyebrow raised with the question.
"No, nothing like that. Junpei and I were trying to come up with names, and he has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, and I'm a bit more basic." Yuji laughed as he waved his hand. "He came up with divergent after looking up different words online. It means…" He snapped his fingers a couple times, before looking at his best friend, who was currently in the middle of chewing his lunch. Junpei went to swallow when a different voice spoke up from across the table.
"It means changing. Since your quirk is changing, or at least your knowledge of it is, it seems a fitting moniker for the present." Yaoyorozu's confident and proper manner of speech cut into the conversation, leading to Yuji looking at her gratefully, while Junpei nodded. "That should be different in a few years though, shouldn't it? It's not like your quirk is going to continuously change." Yaoyorozu continued, her tone questioning. Yuji was about to desperately speak up to try and shift the topic, keenly aware of his conversation with Nezu the previous day, when Kirishima spoke up for him.
"It could if it was an adaptation type quirk though? Isn't there a rescue hero from the UK that can adapt to any environment?" Kirishima's question was left unanswered as the entire table shrugged at the same time. "Okay, how is it that all of you go to a school to become heroes, and not one of you pays attention to the international hero news?" He asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"I only pay attention to the heroes that make movies." Junpei replied shamelessly.
"I kind of don't pay attention to the news and only follow a couple pro's closely." Uraraka fidgeted in her seat, looking away while pushing her fingers together.
"I follow some, but I mainly focus on heroes that are in cities or open areas due to my quirk." Ida responded, his hand chopping rapidly.
"I'm surrounded by heretics and the hopeless." Kirishima pointed at each of them in turn, before turning back to Yuji. "So, what could change in a few years, Itadori? Think your quirk will have another ability?"
"It could since it is changing slightly," Junpei saw his chance to defend his suggestion and jumped for it, "It's not likely though, especially this late in life. We also figured that since Yuji's always been good at thinking about problems from odd angles, it fits him."
"Like pantsing a teacher from another school to get out of a very awkward conversation." Yuji threw in proudly.
"You call completely stealing his pants off his body, taunting him, and leading him on a chase around the block pantsing?" Junpei eyed his quickly deflating friend as the table burst into laughter, or shock in the case of Yaoyorozu and Ida. Junpei shook his head and continued.
"Creative problem solving aside, his quirk is being weird and calling it Divergent Strength is way better than being the three thousandth enhanced strength in the database." Junpei stared accusingly while Yuji attempted to whistle and failed miserably. His innocent act brought another round of laughs from the table.
"What do you mean his quirk is acting weird?" Uraraka asked once they calmed down. "What's weird about a quirk that makes you strong, making you stronger?" her head tilted a little, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.
"Well, if I use a certain amount of power, my fists and feet kind of smoke now." Yuji admitted sheepishly.
The entire table stared at him, confusion written on their faces as their friend admitted that his quirk not only gave him super strength but caused his hands and feet to smoke. Yaoyorozu was the first to find her voice.
"Well, that would certainly qualify as strange. It's unheard of for a quirk to develop new and unrelated attributes suddenly, could it be some kind of hidden mutation?" she mused, glancing around the table. Ida had crossed his arms, staring at Yuji, but turned to Yaoyorozu when she spoke. He slowly nodded and turned back to Yuji.
"It is possible, it's not unheard of for quirks to grow stronger and mutate slightly with training, it just seems odd for a quirk to suddenly gain power out of nowhere." He moved his hand to his chin as he fell silent.
"It could be that Itadori just wasn't utilizing his full quirk, right? I didn't figure out I could do certain things until I tried. It's not like quirks come with instruction manuals." Tsu's croak broke through the silence next, her hands miming climbing up walls.
Yuji shrugged, "Maybe, but All Might and Principal Nezu have a plan to help me learn how to control everything anyway. It's part of why I didn't walk home with everyone yesterday. I started my training after school."
"Oh yeah! How is training with the number one hero?" Kirishima asked eagerly. "Is he going to teach you any super moves?" The table once again turned to Yuji, eagerly wanting to hear how his personal training had gone. Yuji deflated under their combined gazes, laying his face on the table with a groan.
"It was exhausting!" He complained "Principal Nezu and All Might took me to a gym on campus and had Cementoss make this huge and elaborate obstacle course. I had to use my quirk the entire time, and it would change randomly!" He walked his fingers across the table, only to slam his other hand in front of them, the fingers slamming into the 'wall'. "The goal was for me to finish the course without losing my concentration or going above a certain limit. Principal Nezu kept having Cementoss move the goal and would make it so I had to break through certain walls. I had to figure out in a split second if I had to avoid walls or go through them. I was completely covered in cement dust by the end and then I had to go home and finish all my homework." Yuji threw his hands up as he leaned back, slumping in his chair.
Junpei was the first to burst out laughing. "That was why you came in covered in white dust last night?" he was clutching his sides, shaking from laughter. The others soon followed, picturing a haggard Yuji stumbling home covered in powdered concrete or slamming face first into walls.
Ida glanced at his phone while laughing and stood up, nodding to the group. "It's time everyone. We need to head back to class, or we'll be late for rescue training today. Yoshino, we'll see you after class." The rest stood as well, gathering trays of food and bidding farewell. Yuji was the last to stand, offering a fist to Junpei. Junpei grinned and bumped his fist against Yuji's.
"Go on, head off to your fancy rescue training." He said, rolling his eyes, as Yuji grinned back and walked off.
Yuji stepped off the bus, once again in his costume. The plates in his jacket had been replaced and the extra weight was still unfamiliar. He grabbed the bottom of his jacket as he stopped, keeping it from swaying again and throwing his balance off.
"I'm absolutely requesting this jacket be fixed as soon as possible." He muttered, glaring at the jacket.
"Issue with your costume Itadori?" Uraraka asked, walking up beside him with Ida in tow.
"Yeah." He sighed, "The plates in my jacket are nice, but since they are in the jacket, they cause it to move when I stop. I can deal with it, but it keeps throwing my balance off slightly."
"Oh I know what you mean. My suit is cool, but I didn't exactly want a skintight one. I wish I had added a little more detail on the request now." She patted him on the shoulder, smiling at him through her mask, "Guess we'll just have to get it right on the next versions!" She turned to face the front, and her mouth dropped open, a strangled noise escaping her. "Is that Thirteen with Mr. Aizawa?!" She squealed.
Yuji turned to face their teacher as well, spying him talking to a new hero. They were covered head to knee in what looked like a space suit, complete with a massive black dome for a helmet. The helmet had two large, glowing spots, seemingly meant to look like eyes. They finished their conversation and turned to face the class.
"Greetings Class 1-A! I'm Thirteen, and I'll be assisting in your training today! Does anyone know what type of hero work I specialize in?" The hero's voice was clearly female but was far softer than what Yuji would have expected for someone talking to a crowd. 'Maybe she has some kind of speaker in their suit to broadcast her voice?' His musing was cut short as Uraraka raised her hand and spoke up.
"You're a hero who specializes in rescue operations. You say your quirk is too dangerous to risk hurting people by accident and you only fight when there is no other choice!" Uraraka was practically bouncing as she spoke. "You're my idol! I didn't know you taught at UA!"
The hero laughed, the eyes on her helmet changing to mimic being closed. "That's right! I specialize in rescue operations, specifically operations involving rubble and trapped people. My quirk is called Black Hole, and it allows me to mimic the destructive pull of a black hole with my hands. As your classmate said, my quirk is far too dangerous for me to risk injuring people, but that is not the only reason I choose combat as a last resort." The hero's voice carried over the now quiet students, all listening intently. "I grew up worried I would end up hurting people, that the world would be better off without my quirk. I was sure that I was just a burden on society, until one day, there was a villain attack."
The students sucked in their breath, already dreading the end of this story. Thirteen didn't pause, her voice now filled with passion, "The attack caused a building to collapse, and I was trapped along with twelve other people. Among those trapped were both the villain and the hero whose fight had caused the destruction in the first place. I was terrified, and so scared that I would die in that small cave we had found ourselves in. That's when the hero, bleeding and with two broken arms, knelt beside me and tried to calm me down, telling me that everything would be okay, I just had to be brave." The hero paused, letting the words sink into the teens before continuing.
"I was barely a teenager; I wore special gear to lock my arms and keep my quirk from activating. People were sobbing, moaning in pain, and all I could wonder is why wasn't I lucky enough to be crushed by the debris?" Thirteen's voice was barely a whisper, but it hit the class with all the force of a hurricane. "That's when I learned what a true hero was kids. They asked me what my quirk was, and I told them it was a curse, the ability to mimic a black hole with my hands and disintegrate anything. They didn't even flinch, they told me it was amazing and asked me if I would use it to create a tunnel out of the rubble. I was terrified, I could barely control it, one misstep, and I would either collapse the hollow, or kill everyone else. I decided to use my quirk, and with that hero's guidance I created a tunnel out of that rubble." She raised her hand, clenching her fist. "I saved everyone, and I realized something that day. Quirks are not inherently evil, nor are they just for one purpose. They are what we make them, and I firmly believe that quirks are not meant to inflict pain. Heroes don't just beat the bad guys, they save people, and they guide people to a brighter future. You will all have to choose what kind of heroes you want to be, whether that is as a rescue specialist, a combat specialist, or whatever else your heart calls to. I hope you kids leave here today understanding that above all else, your powers are meant to help people."
Yuji felt his mouth dry out, her voice imprinting itself on his soul. He could feel that his mouth was open, mirroring Uraraka's gobsmacked expression next to him.'I want to be a hero that helps people. Just like Grandpa asked me to, and just like All Might does. I don't have to only fight villains. I want to do what she did, guide people to a future worth living.' As he thought the words, he knew it to be true, and it felt like something snapped into place within him, like a part of himself that hadn't been there before suddenly was. He felt his body heat up, and his stomach felt like it was on fire. With a start he realized One for All had activated, and he focused on bringing the power under control.
Thirteen either didn't notice or trusted he had it under control. Her voice grew once again, returning to the cheerful tone from earlier. "I became a hero, and eventually I was invited to teach here, to help guide students like you. That's when I asked UA to build this," She raised her arms gesturing to the building behind her, "The Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short, a place to train young heroes on how to rescue people. The whole point of this building is to help train your responses in different scenarios, so that when you're heroes and out in the field, when lives are on the line, you can save everyone calmly and safely!" she declared, sweeping her hand over the class. "Now follow me!" she turned and marched into the building, throwing open the doors.
Yuji started forward and felt a thud against his side. He looked over at Uraraka, who was smiling widely, her eyes shining. "Told you she was awesome!" she exclaimed.
"Okay, you were right, and for the record, I never said she wasn't." he fired back. He caught sight of Mr. Aizawa staring at him, and as he met the teacher's gaze, Mr. Aizawa nodded at him, and beckoned Yuji over. Apparently, his accidental quirk activation had not gone unnoticed afterall.
Dreading a dressing down, Yuji moved over to the haggard looking man. "Yes sir?"
"It's alright to have emotions, but you have a tendency not to control them. That's not logical, and it will get you killed in the field." The Pro didn't look at him directly, instead keeping his eyes on the class as a whole as they walked into the building. "Emotions can be a powerful tool, but the best heroes are the ones who have their emotions in check. You need to be able to put your emotions to the side and focus on the tasks in front of you."
"Is that what you do sir?" The words escaped his mouth before he could think them through, and his eyes widened. 'Crapcrapcrap. He's going to put me in detention for a month.' Yuji thought.
To his shock, Mr. Aizawa only glanced at him, and Yuji could see sadness in his teacher's eyes. It was there, and then it was gone, years of experience pushing it down until all that was left were the cold, tired and unflinching eyes of a professional hero. One who had seen the pits humanity would sink into and carried out his duty anyway.
"I do, because to do otherwise would let people get hurt, and I refuse to let that happen when I have a say in it." Yuji swore his teacher was on the verge of saying "again", but they reached the entrance before he could follow up with him. As they reached the building Mr. Aizawa turned away, pausing at the doorway and ushering his students inside.
Yuji had no time to think further about the exchange, as when he stepped into the building, he observed exactly why Thirteen had called it the USJ. They stood before a flight of stairs, and at the bottom of which was what could only be called plaza. The plaza was placed right next to a lake, in which Yuji could see a large boat. In the distance directly across the lake, he could see a small mountain, complete with a snow cap and a forest covering the zone between it and his left. To his right, he could see a replica of a small city along the lake's edge, one part of that city on fire, the other covered in dark storm clouds. Just before the mountain, the city stopped, and he could see what looked like the remains of an airplane scattered on the slope.
"Holy crap." he heard someone say and couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. The building had looked large from the outside, but being inside it, he could comfortably say that gargantuan was the only word that truly encompassed the size of the building. Glancing around, Yuji could see that most of his classmates were not only shocked but now looked eager.
"Welcome to the USJ!" Thirteen cried from the front.
"Has the training started already?" Kirishima asked, pointing down the stairs to the central plaza. Following his finger, Yuji saw a number of pitch-black swirling clouds, and from within, people emerged. They seemed a motley crue, all in ripped and dirty clothing. Some had gear of some type to no doubt support their quirks, while others were mutant types, but they all shared one trait. They were all grinning savagely, staring up at the class.
From within the central cloud, two figures emerged, and Yuji immediately focused on them. The first was lithe and looked to be about Yuji's height. He had dirty gray hair, and all over his body, he had dark gray hands attached to him. They were on his wrists, his arms and legs. Two were on his neck, seemingly choking him, while another covered his face. He looked around, focusing on class 1-A for a moment before turning to appraise the rest of the building.
Beside the first figure, a larger hulking person loomed. They towered over the others, nearly two meters in height, and their physique could rival All Might's. Their skin was black, and they wore no shirts, or shoes, only a pair of beige pants with skull like knee guards. Their face resembled a vultures, but even at this distance, Yuji could see the massive, jagged teeth within the beak, more reminiscent of a more savage predator. On top of their head, rather than being bald, the brain of the person was clearly exposed.
Mr. Aizawa spoke up now, starting the class. "This isn't part of the training. Those are villains."
The class had varied reactions. Kaminari, Mineta, and Hagakure started to shout. Jirou, Koda, and Sero all looked nervous, but made no noise. Todoroki, Yaoyorozu and Ida maintained their calm states and began to assess the situation before them. Kirishima, Bakugo and Yuji all tensed, their quirks priming, ready for a fight.
"Wait, even if those are villains, this is UA. Wouldn't breaking in here be like handing yourself over on a silver platter?" Ashido asked nervously.
"Normally, you'd be right, there are alarms all over campus that will go off if an unauthorized person manages to get past the outer perimeter or even into a building. None of which are going off. Which means they have some way of neutralizing the alarms. Either a quirk or a device."
"Most likely a quirk. Principal Nezu takes his job too seriously to let something like a normal signal jammer stop the systems at UA." Mr. Aizawa had loosened his scarf, the fabric seemingly never ending as it uncoiled from around his neck. "Thirteen, take the students and get out here. You need to alert the main campus and get the other heroes here." He reached up and moved his yellow goggles to cover his eyes. "I'll hold them off. They look like a motley assortment of two bit punks anyway." He started to move when Uraraka spoke up.
"Mr. Aizawa, you're just one person! Punks or not there's a ton of them down there!"
Aizawa didn't look back at his students, he leapt forward, calling over his shoulder "You can't be a pro if you can't adapt to any situation." Their teacher rushed down the stairs, the first wave of villains already on their way to engage him. Yuji watched just long enough to see his teacher slam into the first villain's face, feet first, before Thirteen called for them to run. He turned and began to run for the exit with his class.
They had only made it a few meters when a black cloud erupted in front of them, forming into the yellow-eyed figure from the plaza. The class skidded to a halt, Thirteen holding up an arm for the class to stay behind her.
"Forgive us for so rudely interrupting your training young heroes," a deep voice reverberated from the cloud, "Our information told us that All Might was to be here for this training, but it would seem some unforeseen circumstance prevented him from showing." The man sounded sad and the cloud seemed to slump down for a second before rallying. "A shame, but all is not lost. Our plan to kill the Symbol of Peace can still progress, we will simply have to kill his students and fellow teachers until he shows himself."
Thirteen had heard enough, and she swung her arm forward, a small cap on the index finger popping open, her quirk activating. She was forced to stop as Bakugo slammed into the villain, an explosion ripping the clouds apart.
"You think I'm just going to sit here and let you do what you want? Not a chance. Time to die, freak." Bakugo snarled, more explosions erupting from his palms.
The clouds swirled, the villain reforming immediately and larger. His yellow eyes glared at Bakugo. "You have spirit, but that will not be enough. Goodbye children, thank you for your sacrifice in our quest." The villain dispersed, and the gloom surged again, swirling around the entire class. Ida moved first, activating his quirk and tackling Uraraka and Sero out of the mass. Yuji had enough time to see Ida skid to a halt before the darkness swallowed him.
The next thing he knew, he was falling through the air, screaming as he plummeted toward the central plaza. He spun in the air and took a breath. 'I fell further during the entrance exam, and now I can use All Might's quirk at will. I can help Mr. Aizawa fight until backup arrives!' He thought as he fell. He could feel One for All thrumming through him, the power still coiled and ready to be unleashed. He saw Mr. Aizawa below him, fighting through a group of villains. Yuji grinned, and oriented himself to land, bringing his knees up to his chest. When he was close to the ground, he lashed out, his stomp catching a large mutant villain squarely in between the shoulder blades. The villain was slammed into the ground, slightly pressed into it, groaning and clearly out of commission.
"Hey Mr. Aizawa! Mind if I give you a hand?" Yuji asked cheerfully from on top of the villain.
"I told you all to get out of here." His teacher didn't even glance at him, instead wrapping two villains in his capture scarf and swinging them into another group, knocking them down before tugging on the scarf and driving his feet into an unfortunate villain that stepped in the way.
"That black cloud from before was apparently a person, and they stopped us from leaving. He surrounded us and the next thing I knew, I was falling through the air!" Yuji waved his hands around as he spoke, completely ignoring the villains that were surrounding them.
"Must have some kind of warping quirk, that explains how they got in." Aizawa spun, slamming his heel into a woman's stomach, folding her before following up with an elbow to the back of her head. She slumped over, and didn't rise again. "Itadori, you need to get out of here." Aizawa did turn to glance at Yuji this time, and his tone left no room for argument.
"Mr. Aizawa! I can help!" Yuji began to plead, only to be cut off by his teacher.
"You can barely control your quirk. You nearly maimed Kirishima, and most of these thugs are not as tough as him." A villain with tattoos covering his face began to breathe fire, only for his quirk to be cut off mid-breath. His confused look turned to anguish as Mr. Aizawa slammed his hand into the villain's throat, a mangled choking sound escaping as the man collapsed. "Itadori, you could kill someone out here. That is a burden you shouldn't have to bear. You need to get out of here and save yourself. " His teacher's tone was even, but not cold. Yuji could hear the compassion his teacher held for him, even as the pro decimated the villains surrounding him.
'I already bear a burden Mr. Aizawa, and the only way to save myself from it is to make sure I save everyone!' Yuji made a decision and moved. He came in low, his foot slamming into a villain's jaw hurling them meters back where they collapsed in a heap. "With all due respect sir, saving myself is exactly why I enrolled at UA. I won't run away, and I won't pretend things can be better. I have to make them better myself!" Yuji declared, standing back-to-back with his teacher. "Besides, you said I have to put my emotions away and focus right? Well right now, you're outnumbered, and I'm your back up!"
Aizawa sighed and shook his head. "All Might is rubbing off on you kids already, reckless ideals and backwards logic." Aizawa wrapped his scarf around another villain, leaping into the air. "I'll allow you to fight Itadori, but the second there is an opening or most of these punks are down, you're going to run for an exit. Understood?" the pro called out as he flipped, dragging the scarf and unwrapping his target. The villain turned into a human missile as they collided with the ground, a small dust cloud erupting from the impact.
"Yes sir!" Yuji replied, flashing a thumbs up as he was tackled by a villain. They skidded for a few meters before they stopped, Yuji's hands locked with the villains as they attempted to grapple him. The villain had a bone mask on his face, resembling a rhinoceros, complete with jet black horns sticking through. Bloodshot blue eyes stared at Yuji through the mask, the villain writhing and twisting his arms in an attempt to cause Yuji to lose his footing and gore him.
"Let's see how you like this." Yuji growled, clamping down on the villain's hands even harder. He twisted and pulled down, the villain flying over his shoulder and impacting the ground hard enough to break the concrete below them. To his surprise, the villain launched himself back to his feet and crouched down before rushing Yuji once again, this time on all fours, his horns leading.
Yuji leapt over the villain, using his hands to springboard off the mad mutant. "Ha! That won't-" His eyes widened as he felt a hand clamp on his ankle and reverse his direction. The villain had turned as he leapt and grabbed his ankle. The rhino villain continued to turn and threw Yuji into another group of four other villains. Their expressions turned to ones of shock as they realized they were in the line of fire.
Yuji tumbled through the air before impacting the new villains like a human cannonball. Two went down immediately, caught by a flailing fist and foot respectively, while the other two served as cushions between Itadori and the hill they slammed into. Yuji blinked twice, dazed before he sprang to his feet and leapt up as the rhino rushed again, slamming his foot into their shoulder as they passed by. By the time Yuji landed from his leap, the villain was rushing him again.
"Okay, clearly you can take a hit." Yuji mumbled as he rushed the villain, and right as they were about to collide, he dropped into a slide. The charging man didn't expect Yuji to go below him, nor did he expect the energy coated boot Yuji slammed into his jaw. The villain was rocked backwards by the blow, stunned as the energy cloud around Yuji's foot swelled. Yuji didn't relent, he pushed off the ground with his hands, wrapping his legs around his opponent's neck and twisting backwards, torquing his waist and dragging his opponent down, horns first into the concrete. Yuji felt One for All push the limits of his control as the raging villain was slammed into the ground hard enough to crater it, horns driven deep into the concrete.
Yuji observed his handiwork. The villain's horns were trapped, and he was laying on his back, unable to gain the leverage to extricate himself alone. It hadn't even hurt the man all that much, just left him in a position where he was unable to save himself.
"Let's see you charge me now!" Yuji taunted before turning back to Mr. Aizawa, ready to help more, only to see that the crowd of villains was more or less a heap of groaning bodies on the floor. 'Geez, Mr. Aizawa is relentless. There must be at least thirty people over there. I only dealt with a few, and even then it was mostly this guy.' Yuji found himself awed by his teacher's skill, only to shout out a moment later. "Mr. Aizawa! Watch out!"
The hand clad villain had rushed forward, faster than Yuji would have thought. Mr. Aizawa turned to face the danger, only for his elbow to be caught by the villain. Yuji saw the cloth around the pro's elbow crumble around the villain's fingers, before it ate into his skin. The skin crumbled, cracking like old, worn mortar, the muscle underneath becoming exposed to open air. Suddenly, Aizawa's hair rose, and the damage ceased, the villain leaping back as Aizawa launched his other fist at their face.
"Well, guess that explains quite a bit. That quirk you have sure is something special, Eraserhead. Then again, fighting in the open was pretty reckless, I found your tell." The villain mused, examining his hand. His voice was hoarse, like he had screamed for hours. "Where's All Might? He was supposed to be teaching today, wasn't he? We went and organized all these people just so we could kill him." The villain spread his hands, indicating the crowd. "What a pity, guess he's just as much of a good for nothing as I was taught. He really does live up to the title of the number one hero after all." The villain clenched his fist and glared hatefully at Aizawa; crimson eyes bloodshot between mummified fingers. "Heroes lie and say they save everyone, but they only save the ones they deem worthy of being saved."
"You really thought this group of wannabe thugs was enough to kill All Might? You must be just another punk with delusions of grandeur." Mr. Aizawa clearly wasn't interested in debating philosophy with the villain.
"Not grandeur, and nothing so asinine as a delusion. We have dreams, and we have arrived with a plan to see those dreams to fruition. You see, you made another mistake, Eraserhead, you thought I was the final boss. Nomu, show Eraserhead exactly how you're going to kill All Might." The villain's order was full of murderous glee.
Yuji blinked, and in that split second, the world turned on its head. A thud Yuji had come to recognize as the sound of flesh impacting flesh echoed, and Mr. Aizawa screamed. The large, menacing bird villain had moved, faster than Yuji could track, and had clubbed his teacher with one of his large hands. Blood and the yellow goggles flew, one of the pro's eyes closed already, but the other was open, glowing and glaring at the villain. The villain disappeared again, reappearing behind Mr. Aizawa and slamming a fist into his back. Blood flew from Aizawa's mouth as he impacted the ground, unable to gain his breath as Nomu sat heavily on him.
Nomu's mouth opened, a shrill mocking sound escaping its throat as it cocked its head, bulbous eyes rolling, before it reached down and grasped Aizawa's damaged arm. Yuji found himself cringing as a loud crack sounded out, Mr. Aizawa's arm now bent at ninety degrees in the middle of his forearm. Nomu yanked back, ripping the shoulder out of its socket, and a scream from Mr. Aizawa.
"That's more like it, not so tough now Eraserhead." The villain scratched idly at his neck.
"Let him go!" Yuji yelled, slamming his fist into the villain, One for All roaring, limit be damned. The green energy around his fist surged and crackled, impacting with every ounce of force he could muster. A shockwave resounded; the air displaced from the sheer power Yuji had poured into the blow. A second later, he was flying backwards, a backhanded blow from Nomu shattering every plate in his jacket. He collided with a hill again, this time cratering it, the air driven from his lungs.
"All you hero hopefuls are the same. That blow could have killed Nomu if he wasn't built for that kind of punishment. Then again, that's probably what you want." The villain mused as the air next to him shimmered, and the black cloud villain from before appeared.
"Tomura Shigaraki, I apologize, but I have failed. I have incapacitated Thirteen, but one of the students escaped. It is only a matter of time until the heroes arrive en masse." the cloud bowed its head to the now irritated villain. Shigaraki began scratching relentlessly at each side of his cheeks, nails audibly scraping the skin.
"Kurogiri, if you weren't so important, I would disintegrate you." Shigaraki seemed to pause before breathing heavily. "Whatever, we were on a time limit anyway. Seems All Might won't breathe his last today." The villain turned, and a small black cloud appeared in the air, intercepting what looked like a doll mid-air. Over the lake a second later, a bright light flashed, accompanied by a loud bang.
"We might be on the clock, but I think we have time enough to leave All Might a little gift. I'll personally make sure it's going to break his spirit." Shigaraki turned and sprinted, crashing into the bushes. A desperate scream a second later accompanied a body flying out of the bushes, landing heavily in the plaza. Momo Yaoyorozu laid there, the staff she had held now in two small pieces. The girl moved to get up, but yanked one of her hands to her chest, cradling it as she gasped in pain.
"That was pretty rude to try, and flash bang me. Pretty reckless too, after all, your teacher is right there, and he relies on those eyes of his to use his quirk, doesn't he?" The villain stalked forward, squatting over the now terrified girl. "Leave it to heroes to teach kids that violence is the answer. I'd say I'm sorry, but honestly, you'd just help perpetuate this cycle."
Yuji felt the world slow down. Shigaraki was reaching forward, his hand spread open, ready to grasp her face. He felt like he couldn't move, his whole body ached from the blow. 'Get up! Move! She's gonna get hurt!' Yuji raged at himself, and slowly his body responded. The hand was closer, maybe five centimeters away, when he lurched to his feet.
One for All activated again, the power flowing through and around him, but it wasn't enough. It was too little, too late. He couldn't control enough of All Might's awesome power to close the gap with the time remaining. He was going to be late; she was going to-
The hand grasped her face, and nothing happened.
"Always so cool under pressure, aren't you Eraserhead?" The man growled, removing his hand and turning to where Nomu had the hero pinned to the ground by his head. Yuji looked and he could see one of his teacher's eyes wide open, glowing a bright crimson, hair raised just enough out of the way. The man didn't respond, obviously in a massive amount of pain. Despite that pain, despite the clear damage he had sustained in this fight, Yuji's teacher had pushed it down and focused on protecting his students. Exactly as he had told Yuji he would.
"Nomu, stop playing with him and knock him out. Don't kill him. That's what these small fries are for." Shigaraki grinned, gesturing to the students. Yuji and the villains watched as Mr. Aizawa was picked up by his head and slammed back down into the ground, a scream erupting from the hero.
Yuji watched it all, eyes wide, One for All's clouds flickering around his limbs. His teacher was being tortured, and he could barely move. Months of training to handle the power entrusted to him by the number one hero. His first chance to save someone like All Might had saved him. A chance to combat real evil, and he could barely move. The thought alone infuriated him, and that gave him a new strength.
One for All raged, but now it raged for him, with him no longer pushing the limits of his control, but staying right at it. It burned, the power tracing his marks as it flowed into his fists and feet. One for All coated them, the green clouds growing tempestuous, and larger. The power no longer raged like a beast against him, instead Yuji was the anger within One for All. There was no need to think, relying on his instincts Yuji Itadori moved.
Shigaraki was turning back to the girl when his eyes widened, and he wheeled to face Yuji, sensing rather than seeing a danger approaching. Yuji was on him in the blink of an eye, black marks silhouetting his blazing emerald eyes and his angry snarl. His glowing fist slammed into Shigaraki's chest. Air erupted from Shigaraki's lungs, and a half second later, the man was sent flying as the energy around Yuji's fist rippled and surged, crashing into the man, a mirror of Yuji's initial blow.
"Divergent Fist!" Yuji roared, the name coming unbidden from the depths of his soul. He didn't think about it; he turned to face the monstrous villain that had hoisted his teacher in the air again. Yuji launched himself at Nomu and drove his fist into his face. Once again One for All surged, the energy surging slamming into the bird-faced villain. The impact was faster this time, air blasting out past the villain.
The moment the hit landed, Yuji knew something was wrong. It felt like he had punched a wall of syrup, the impact lessening even as his fist sank into the villain. He pulled his fist back, and unleashed a flurry of blows, each one accompanied by secondary impact. Dust whipped around them, obscuring them from sight. Each blow felt the same, like he was punching a soft, yet firm rubber wall. He leapt up, spinning and whipping his extended leg towards Nomu's exposed brain.
"Enough! Nomu, get rid of that annoying flea!" Shigaraki's voice cut through the air, and before Yuji could react, Nomu caught his leg. The villain swung Yuji down, bounced him off the concrete and grabbed Yuji by the front of his jacket. He spun around into a head-long rush that slammed Yuji into the hill by the stairs, cratering the ground. Yuji felt his ribs grind and break from the impact of the blow. He held onto One for All, the power and adrenaline keeping him snarling at the villain as new pain blossomed in his chest.
The nightmarish visage of the villain filled his view. Bulbous eyes stared at him from either side of the horrid beak, brain glossy from barely contained fluid. He heard the shrill sound again, and realized the villain was laughing at him. He attempted to punch the villain, but once again the blow did nothing.
"UA really doesn't waste any time. Already training the next generation of heroes, all too eager to use force to keep society pristine." Shigaraki stalked forward, rubbing his stomach where Yuji had punched him. "You could have killed me with that punch, you know? The only reason I'm not flattened is Kurogiri dispersing some of that blow. How would that have looked for a new hero? Not even out of high school and already using deadly force? Society would probably praise you for stopping the villains, but anybody without their head up their ass would see the truth." Shigaraki snarled, crouching down over Yuji, bloodshot crimson eyes bored into his own verdant green. "You'd be nothing more than a glorified murderer. An authorized serial killer, your only job would be to keep those whom society deems trash right where the government decides they belong."
"For god's sake, you sound like you rehearsed that speech in a mirror. Shut up already." A new voice cut in, along with the sound of crackling ice. Yuji watched as ice swept up and encased both Nomu and Shigaraki up to their necks. Seizing his chance, Yuji kicked and rolled to the side, shattering Nomu's arms as he did so. He circled behind the villains, placing himself next to the newly arrived Shoto Todoroki, both of them between the villains and their teacher.
Shigaraki twitched, and the ice around him began to fall away, starting at his hands. "Another one? Kurogiri, I thought these kids weren't anything special? How'd they get past all the friends we left for them? Whatever, get rid of them, and make it permanent this time." The villain swept his hands over his torso, the ice falling away wherever he touched.
The black cloud moved, appearing behind Todoroki and Yuji, only for an explosion to ring out through the still air. Katsuki Bakugo slammed into the cloud, and miraculously slammed it into the ground.
"Don't move you bastard, or I'll trigger so many explosions, you'll be scattered to the four winds." A small cluster of explosions triggered in his left hand, his right hand forcing a metal cone into the ground. "I missed it the first time, but you have a body in there. Something tells me this fancy collar of yours is hiding something really important. You move even one little cloud out of place, and I'll find out exactly what it is, got it?" The teen growled.
"Really Kurogiri, you let them capture you?" Shigaraki had gotten himself completely free and seemed more annoyed than concerned at his current predicament. He ignored the teens in favor of inspecting the frozen Nomu, the trapped villain not even blinking as he held completely still. "Nomu, get out of there already. We're on the clock."
The monstrous villain chittered, and then before the student's eyes, sinew and muscle surged from his shoulders, his arms knitted back together in seconds. He then reared back and smashed the ice encasing his legs, his lower extremities quickly regenerating as well. He stood and flexed, the ice that covered his chest breaking off, his skin regrowing over the affected areas.
"Now then shall we continue where we left off?" Shigaraki growled, flexing his hand as he turned to face the students. Nomu chittered next to the villain. Yuji adopted a boxer's stance, while Todoroki turned slightly, his right side turned to the monstrous duo. Behind them, Bakugo snarled as he attempted to keep both Kurogiri and the other villains in his sight.
Nomu surged forward, its fist sweeping down towards the teens. Yuji moved a half second later, his own super powered blow aimed for the monster's face. Ice swept forth to intercept Shigaraki, the pale villain on the heels of his monster. Nomu's rush shattered the ice, and a moment later, his fist collided with Yuji's own, the blows creating a shockwave.
Yuji managed to keep his footing, but was off balance as his fist was forced to the side. Todoroki rode the shockwave backwards, skating on a wave of ice to get around the villains. Bakugo lost his grip on the smooth metal that had pinned Kurogiri and was sent flying. He flipped in mid-air, explosions launching him back towards the murky villain.
"That's it! Time to die!" he howled, swinging his open palms forward. A massive explosion rang out but was swallowed by the shadows. Yuji watched as Todoroki was launched from his ice wave, Bakugo's explosion ripping a cry from the teen. Yuji moved to catch him, but a fist from Nomu into his abdomen sent him flying towards the lake, ribs screaming in pain as he splashed into the water.
Bakugo snarled at the villains, riding the recoil of his attack, only to find himself teleported right in front of Nomu. The monster grabbed him by a gauntlet and crushed it, breaking Bakugo's arm and ripping a scream from the boy.
"You reap what you sow, little hero. Too bad you didn't have a real plan." Shigaraki's voice was ice. "Nomu, kill him. Now!"
The monster went to slam the teen into the ground, only to realize his hand was now empty. Before any of them could attempt to figure out where their victim had gone, a violent wind buffeted the villain's from behind. They turned, but there was nothing behind them, no source for the sudden wind.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen something as insanely stupid as invading UA and attacking the students. I'd say that you're brave, but desperate is more likely." A voice boomed behind them. The villains whirled as one and saw the legend himself. Instead of his usual skintight costume, All Might was in his teaching attire, a white dress shirt and brown pants stretched to the limits over his massive frame. He kneeled over Yuji, Todoroki, Bakugo, Yaoyorozu and Aizawa. "You four did well to get as far as you did. Rest here and keep Aizawa safe. I will handle the rest." His smile matched his gentle voice, eyes beaming with pride as he looked at the young heroes, noting how each was hurt and how each couldn't look him in the eye. He slowly stood, and rounded on the villains, careful not to let his smile drop until he was sure his students wouldn't see.
"You lot are truly despicable. Not only do you attack children, you go after them with lethal force?" His visage and voice did not match the figure seen on the news channels. This was the face All Might hid from the world, the one he had spent years learning to hide. His self-control had grown with his age, and only the most heinous of acts could bring it out. His cerulean eyes burned with rage, lips twisted into a soundless snarl, teeth bared as he stared at monsters that had committed yet another atrocity. It was bad enough that it had happened at all, but the fact that it had occurred because he had overexerted himself and was too weak to keep going? It infuriated him all the more, his own self-hatred fueling the flame.
"Children? All three of those brainwashed monsters you're grooming used lethal force on us. If we were anyone else, all three of us would be permanently injured or dead." Shigaraki's voice dripped with sarcasm and venom as he called out the young heroes. "It won't matter though. Once we kill you, we'll just finish off them and Eraserhead. We'll leave the world a present, written in the blood of the oppressors! Nomu, kill All Might!" Shigaraki pointed at the blonde titan, and his pet monster charged.
All Might crashed into Nomu, fist met fist as they exchanged blows. Booms echoed out; each one accompanied by a blast of air. Todoroki generated a small ice wall to protect the small group. Shigaraki was forced to crouch, fingers digging into the ground to help weather the storm.
All Might batted aside a blow and hammered a fist into the monster's jaw. To his shock, the beast barely moved, though he saw the flesh ripple briefly before a shockwave erupted from the other side. Nomu drove a retaliatory fist into All Might's side, striking him on his wound.
All Might gritted his teeth, ducking another striking and grabbing the outstretched arm, swinging around flinging Nomu across the lake. The beast bounced once, twice, three times on the surface before a black portal opened up, swallowing the villain. A cry from above was all the warning All Might got as Nomu slammed into him from above, pinning him to the concrete in a dust raising explosion.
"It's no use All Might. Nomu was created to specifically counter you. Shock Absorption and Super Regeneration, mutations that make him physically strong, able to match you even in your prime." Shigaraki taunted as he stood up, the clearing dust revealing All Might pinned beneath the bird monster, hands locked with Nomu's as he struggled. Nomu's jagged teeth mere centimeters from the pro's neck. "Just give up and die! Acknowledge that despite everything, the world you built, and carry is nothing but a failure!" Shigaraki punctuated his statement with maniacal laughter, arms spread as he cackled.
Yuji stood shakily, One for All activating as he placed a hand on the ice wall, ready to leap to All Might's assistance. Before he could, a hand gripped his ankle. He looked down and met the bloodshot eyes of his homeroom teacher, drying blood surrounding his swelling face. Aizawa managed to croak out a single "No", the single word a herculean effort.
"So that's how it is. I was worried this was going to be serious." Yuji whipped his head to All Might, the Symbol of Peace once more bearing his famous smile and boisterous tone. They all watched in awe as the pro lashed out with his legs, flipping Nomu over the top of him, the smooth motion bringing him to his feet. "This won't need anything more than some effort. I'll even get to teach my students while I'm at it." He took up a boxing stance, ready for another round with the villain.
"Pay attention, all of you! You can't imagine a world where I can win. I'm going to show you what our school motto truly means." Nomu attacked again, his fist knocked aside as All Might drove a blow into the monster's stomach. "I'll go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!" All Might roared and let loose with everything he had. His arms became a blur, concussive blasts melding together until it was one continuous boom. Nomu attempted to match it, his own blows raining down on the hero, but he fell behind, All Might gaining steam as the monster was overwhelmed.
"HAVE NO FEAR! BECAUSE I AM HERE!" All Might roared out, his statement punctuated with an uppercut that crumpled Nomu over his fist, driving a screech of pain from the nightmare's beak. All Might followed up with a hammer blow, his fist clasped together and smashed into Nomu's brain, the villain's maw slammed shut as he was driven into the floor, shattering his teeth.
All Might stood over Nomu, chest heaving and shirt shredded, revealing already purple and bleeding skin. The monster made no move to rise, the hero's final blow having been enough to knock it out, blood oozing into a pool from its head.
All Might turned to face Tomura Shigaraki, and found the pale man was stepping backwards into a portal. "You may have won this time, All Might, but this world is on a clock, doomed to die with you. I will kill you." Shadowed blue eyes met bloodshot crimson, and a vow was made. This would not be their last meeting.