(Author note:
Marcus - Royal Mark
Evelyn - Royal Eve)
-----------------------------
The bus hummed along the highway, carrying Class 1-A toward their next training exercise.
Marcus sat near the window, his posture relaxed yet alert as he observed his classmates' interactions.
Beside him, Evelyn maintained a friendly conversation with Yaoyorozu about molecular physics, both getting along pretty well because of the similarities of their abilities.
"I'm telling you," Kaminari's voice rose above the general chatter, "the Grayson siblings are definitely going to be top heroes someday! Did you see them during combat training? Insane!"
"They're certainly skilled," Iida agreed, his hands chopping the air in his characteristic manner. "Their quirks appear to be exceptionally well-developed for late bloomers."
Marcus caught Evelyn's eye briefly, sharing a subtle moment of amusement at their classmates' speculation.
Maintaining their cover as "late-blooming quirk users" had proven effective - explaining their exceptional control while justifying their absence from previous hero schools or competitions was the hardest part though. Still they succeeded at that too.
"Hey, Grayson!" Kirishima called out. "Is it true your dad was in some special military unit? That's where you learned to fight so well?"
Marcus offered a practiced smile, the kind that appeared genuine while revealing nothing. "My father taught us discipline, yes. Military habits die hard, I suppose. Though he works primarily as a travel writer now."
"And your uncle?" Ashido chimed in, leaning forward eagerly. "The one who's Evelyn's dad? I heard he was some kind of special forces guy too!"
"Something like that," Evelyn replied with a modest shrug. "Dad doesn't talk about it much. Old injuries forced him to retire early."
The conversation shifted as the USJ facility came into view - an enormous domed structure designed for rescue training in various disaster scenarios.
Marcus noted Midoriya's excited muttering about the facility's designer, the Space Hero Thirteen, filing away the information for later reference.
As they disembarked, Marcus caught sight of Aizawa and Thirteen waiting at the entrance.
"Welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!" Thirteen announced as they entered the massive facility. "As you can see, I've designed this facility to prepare you for rescue operations in various disaster environments."
Marcus surveyed the enormous space with genuine interest. The engineering was impressive - distinct zones recreating natural disasters with remarkable fidelity.
A shipwreck zone with actual water, a landslide area with controlled rockfalls, a conflagration zone with real fire.
"Where's All Might?" Aizawa asked Thirteen quietly, though Marcus's enhanced hearing caught the question easily. "He was supposed to meet us here."
"Apparently, he reached his limit during morning patrols," Thirteen replied, holding up three fingers discreetly - a reference to the hero's mysterious time limitation that Marcus had noted previously.
Interesting. This confirmed their intelligence about All Might's weakening condition. Marcus filed the information away while maintaining his attentive student expression.
As Thirteen began explaining the dangers of rescue work and the potential lethality of quirks, Marcus's attention was drawn to the central plaza below.
The air seemed to shimmer oddly - a distortion that shouldn't be there.
He nudged Evelyn subtly, directing her attention with a slight nod. She noticed immediately, her posture shifting imperceptibly as she prepared for potential trouble.
"Everyone, stay together," Aizawa suddenly commanded, his voice cutting through Thirteen's lecture. "Something's wrong."
The shimmering air in the plaza coalesced into a dark, swirling vortex. A hand emerged first - pale, disembodied, followed by a face covered with what appeared to be severed hands.
"Sensei," Marcus said quietly, "those aren't staff, are they?"
"No," Aizawa confirmed, pulling his capture weapon loose. "Those are villains."
The black mist expanded, disgorging dozens of figures onto the central plaza - a motley collection of criminals and thugs led by the hand-covered figure.
Marcus's enhanced vision allowed him to count them quickly: forty-seven individuals with various quirks, most appearing to be common criminals rather than trained combatants.
"Thirteen, protect the students!" Aizawa ordered, pulling his goggles into place. "This is real combat now."
"But sensei," Midoriya protested, "your fighting style is capture and ambush! Taking on that many-"
"No good hero is a one-trick pony," Aizawa replied before launching himself toward the villains below.
Marcus watched as Eraserhead engaged the first wave of attackers.
Despite his quirk being primarily suited for ambush tactics, Aizawa's hand-to-hand combat skills were impressive - efficient movements that maximized the impact of each strike.
"We need to evacuate," Thirteen instructed, gesturing toward the entrance. "Stay together and-"
The black mist materialized directly in their path, expanding into a towering column of darkness with glowing yellow eyes.
"Greetings," the mist spoke, its voice deep and cultured. "We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but today, we've come to U.A. High School - this bastion of heroism - to end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace."
Marcus tensed, calculating angles of attack while assessing the nature of this quirk. Some form of teleportation or spatial manipulation, likely with significant range given their infiltration of a secure facility.
"Though it appears All Might is not present. Was there a schedule change?" the mist continued. "No matter. My role remains unchanged."
Thirteen moved to open the ports on their fingertips, but before they could act, Bakugo and Kirishima launched themselves at the misty villain with reckless abandon.
"Idiots," Marcus muttered as their attacks passed harmlessly through the mist.
"How dangerous," the villain commented as the smoke from their attacks cleared. "You may be students, but you're the best of the best."
The mist expanded suddenly, enveloping the entire group. "Now, scatter and be tortured to death!"
Marcus felt the spatial distortion pulling at him. Acting on instinct, he reached for Evelyn's hand, but the warping force separated them before their fingers could touch.
As darkness consumed his vision, Marcus caught a final glimpse of his classmates being pulled in different directions.
'Strategic separation,' he thought - keeping completely calm because of Viltrumite training from Kregg and Thragg - as the void claimed him.
'Divide and conquer.'
---------------------------
Marcus landed hard on rough terrain, immediately rolling to absorb the impact and springing to his feet in a defensive stance.
Quick assessment: Landslide Zone.
Unstable footing. Limited visibility due to dust clouds. Three civilian students nearby - Bakugo, Kirishima, and Mineta. The latter was trembling visibly, tears already forming in his eyes.
And approaching rapidly: five villains with various physical mutation quirks, already moving to surround them.
"Well, well," one villain grinned, his arms extending into serrated blades. "Looks like we got some kids to carve up!"
Bakugo's hands sparked with small explosions. "You picked the wrong day to piss me off, extras!"
"Wait!" Marcus called out, his voice commanding enough that even Bakugo paused. "Formation first. Back-to-back. Assess before engaging."
"Don't tell me what to-" Bakugo began.
"Do you want to die here?" Marcus cut him off, his tone dropping to something colder, more authoritative than his usual friendly demeanor. "Form up. Now."
Something in Marcus's voice - the absolute certainty, perhaps, or the sudden absence of his usual warmth - made even Bakugo comply, though with obvious reluctance.
The four students formed a tight circle, facing outward as the villains approached from all sides.
"Blade-arms is mine," Bakugo growled.
"The rock-skinned one matches my hardening," Kirishima added.
Mineta whimpered, his small hands reaching for the purple balls on his head. "I-I'll try to stick them in place!"
"I'll take the two on the left," Marcus stated. "Mineta, stay in the center. Your quirk works best as support."
The blade-armed villain reached Bakugo first, slashing with surprising speed. Bakugo met him with an explosion that sent the villain skidding backward but didn't disable him.
Kirishima engaged the rock-skinned opponent, their hardened forms clashing with the sound of stone striking stone.
Marcus faced his two opponents - one with elongated limbs ending in claws, the other with what appeared to be acid-secreting pores across his exposed skin.
"Just a couple of teenagers," Acid-Skin sneered, spitting a glob of corrosive liquid.
Marcus dodged with minimal movement, the acid splashing harmlessly behind him. He needed to be careful here - show enough skill to survive but not so much that it raised questions about his supposed "late-blooming" quirk.
He's already shown too much when he was still getting used to acting during the Entrance Exam.
"Surrender now," Marcus offered, "You won't get another chance."
The villains laughed, charging simultaneously from different angles.
Marcus sidestepped Claws' attack, grabbing the extended limb and using the villain's momentum to throw him into his partner. They collided hard but recovered quickly, separating to attack from opposite sides.
'Limited strength here,' Marcus reminded himself, carefully calculating the appropriate level of force to not kill them in one hit.
He blocked Claws' strike with his forearm, delivering a measured counter-punch to the villain's solar plexus - strong enough to incapacitate.
As Claws doubled over, gasping for breath, Acid-Skin launched another attack, this time sending a spray of corrosive liquid directly at Marcus's face.
Marcus ducked under the spray, closing the distance in a blur of speed. His fist connected with Acid-Skin's jaw snapping the villain's head back and sending him crumpling to the ground.
He turned to check on his classmates. Bakugo had defeated his opponent the blade-armed villain lying unconscious with singed clothes.
Kirishima was still trading blows with the rock-skinned villain, neither gaining a clear advantage.
The fifth villain - who had hung back initially - now charged toward Mineta, wielding what appeared to be a makeshift club.
Mineta shrieked in terror, frantically throwing his sticky balls in the villain's direction. Several connected, slowing the attacker's advance but not stopping him completely.
"Help!" Mineta cried out, backing away and tripping over debris.
Marcus moved intercepting the villain before he could reach Mineta. A precise strike to the nerve cluster at the base of the villain's neck sent him crumpling to the ground, unconscious.
"T-thanks," Mineta stammered, wiping tears and snot from his face. "I thought I was gonna die!"
Turning his attention to Kirishima's ongoing battle, Marcus assessed the situation. The rock-skinned villain was proving resilient, his quirk apparently providing greater durability than Kirishima's hardening.
"Kirishima, switch!" Marcus called out, moving to intercept the villain.
As Kirishima disengaged, Marcus stepped in. The villain swung a massive fist, which Marcus caught.
"What the-" the villain gasped as Marcus held his fist immobile.
Marcus met the villain's eyes. "Where is your leader? The one with the hands."
"Fuck you, kid," the villain spat.
Marcus applied pressure to the captured fist, the sound of cracking bones filling the air as he crushed the villain's hand.
The villain screamed, dropping to his knees as Marcus maintained his grip.
"I'll ask once more," Marcus said, his voice eerily calm as he increased the pressure. "Where is your leader?"
Bakugo, Kirishima, and Mineta stared in shock at the sudden brutality from their usually friendly classmate.
"Central plaza!" the villain gasped through his pain. "With the Nomu! Please stop!"
Marcus released the mangled hand, allowing the villain to collapse. "Thank you for your help."
He turned to find his classmates watching him with varying expressions of surprise and unease.
"What?" he asked, his cold demeanor shifting back toward his usual persona, though not quite reaching it. "We need information."
"Dude," Kirishima said hesitantly, "that was... intense."
"It was necessary," Marcus replied simply. "Now we know where the leader is. We need to regroup with the others and formulate a plan."
Bakugo studied Marcus with narrowed eyes. "You're not as soft as you pretend to be, are you, fly-boy?"
Marcus met his gaze evenly. "We all do what's necessary when lives are at stake. Now, let's move. The central plaza is this way."
Mineta looked between them, still shaking. "W-wait, we're going TOWARD the villains? Shouldn't we try to escape?"
"Our classmates are still scattered throughout the facility," Marcus explained, his tone more patient with the frigthened Mineta. "We regroup, assess the situation, then decide the best course of action."
As they began moving carefully through the landslide zone, Marcus noted the changed way his classmates regarded him now.
The revelation of this colder, more ruthless side had altered their perception - something he would need to address later to maintain his cover.
It simply was too difficult to not fall back into training with how hard Thragg and Kregg trained him.
But for now, their mission was clear: regroup, assess, and neutralize the threat.
--------------------------
Evelyn materialized in the Conflagration Zone, surrounded by burning buildings and intense heat. She landed gracefully, immediately assessing her situation.
Two students nearby: Todoroki and Ojiro. Both appeared unharmed but disoriented from the teleportation.
And approaching through the flames: seven villains of varying appearance, all looking pleased at what they assumed were easy targets.
"Stay behind me," Evelyn instructed her classmates, stepping forward with calm authority.
"I don't need protection," Todoroki replied coolly, frost already forming on his right side.
"Then protect Ojiro," she countered, not taking her eyes off the approaching threats. "His quirk is disadvantaged in this environment."
The lead villain - a woman with metallic scales covering her body - laughed. "Aren't you kids cute, trying to organize. This isn't a classroom exercise, brats!"
The villains charged as one, clearly expecting easy victory against mere university students.
Evelyn remained perfectly still until they were within ten meters. Then, with a subtle gesture, she manipulated the oxygen molecules in the air before the approaching villains, creating a momentary vacuum.
The villains staggered, gasping for breath that suddenly wasn't there, their momentum broken by unexpected respiratory distress.
"What the hell?" one managed to choke out as Evelyn released the effect, allowing them to breathe again.
"Surrender," she stated simply, her usually warm voice now clinically detached. "You're outmatched."
The scaled woman snarled, recovering first. "Cocky bitch!" She charged again.
Evelyn sighed softly, then extended her hand. Pink energy surrounded the villain's metallic scales, and suddenly the woman screamed as her own armor began to constrict around her body.
"Your scales have a fascinating molecular structure," Evelyn observed calmly as the woman collapsed, her own quirk-created armor crushing her painfully.
"I'm merely adjusting the spacing between molecules. Nothing permanent... yet."
The remaining villains hesitated, watching their comrade writhe on the ground.
"Now," Evelyn continued, her voice remaining unnervingly calm, "I'll ask for information. Where is your leader? What is your objective here?"
When none responded immediately, she tightened the molecular bonds in the scaled woman's armor further, eliciting another scream.
"This is your last opportunity to answer voluntarily," Evelyn stated.
Todoroki and Ojiro exchanged glances, clearly surprised at how Evelyn acts in contrast with how kind and friendly she usually is.
"Central plaza!" one villain finally blurted out. "The boss is waiting there with the Nomu!"
"Nomu?" Evelyn prompted, loosening the scaled woman's armor slightly as a reward for cooperation.
"It's a... a weapon," the villain continued nervously. "Made to kill All Might. That's why we're here. The boss wants to kill the Symbol of Peace."
Evelyn processed this information quickly. A biological weapon designed to counter All Might would be strong.
Marcus needed to be warned - since they both are limited to below All Might based on Roberta's calculations.
"Thank you," she said, then with a gesture, manipulated the oxygen levels around all seven villains simultaneously, causing them to lose consciousness from hypoxia within seconds.
She turned to find Todoroki watching her with newfound wariness.
"That was efficient," he commented, his heterochromatic eyes studying her with increased interest. "Your quirk is more versatile than you've demonstrated in class."
"Combat situations require different applications," Evelyn replied, her tone warming slightly as she returned to her normal persona.
"We should move toward the central plaza. If that's where their leader is, that's where the other students will be in most danger."
"Agreed," Todoroki nodded, though his gaze remained evaluative. "Your interrogation technique was... unexpected."
Evelyn offered a carefully calibrated smile. "Sometimes kindness isn't the appropriate response to those who mean you harm."
As they began making their way through the burning zone, Evelyn began to reason, knowing her boyfriend, that he would be already heading to the central plaza.
So she had to head there fast. If this "Nomu" was truly designed to counter All Might, it was very dangerous.
--------------------------
The central plaza had become a battlefield.
Aizawa was engaged with multiple villains simultaneously, his capture weapon and erasure quirk keeping him ahead of the overwhelming numbers - but only barely.
Marcus, accompanied by Bakugo, Kirishima, and Mineta, observed from the edge of the landslide zone, assessing the situation before engaging.
"Aizawa-sensei is amazing," Kirishima whispered, watching their teacher take down three villains in rapid succession.
"He's reaching his limit," Marcus corrected, noting the increasing intervals between Aizawa's blinks. "His quirk has a time constraint, and he's fighting too many opponents."
As if confirming his words, Aizawa suddenly staggered, his movements slowing as fatigue set in. The hand-covered villain - clearly the leader - noticed the opening and moved to intercept.
"We need to-" Marcus began, but stopped as he sensed movement behind them.
He turned to find Evelyn approaching with Todoroki and Ojiro.
'Dangerous?' they subtly signed.
'Yeah,' he signed back. 'The leader appears to have a disintegration quirk. Unknown capabilities of the large creature beside him.'
They watched in horror as the leader grabbed Aizawa's elbow, causing the pro hero's skin, muscle, and eventually bone to crumble away as if decayed instantly.
"That's his quirk," Evelyn whispered. "Decay on contact."
Marcus nodded grimly. "And the large one - that must be the 'Nomu' the villains mentioned."
The creature was massive - easily two and a half meters tall, with an exposed brain, beaked face, and unnaturally muscled physique.
It moved with disturbing speed for its size, grabbing the injured Aizawa and slamming him into the ground with enough force to crack the concrete.
"We need a plan," Todoroki stated. "That thing is clearly designed for raw power."
"I'll freeze it," Todoroki continued. "Bakugo can attack from range. The rest of you-"
"No," Marcus interrupted, his voice carrying quiet authority. "That creature was designed to fight All Might. Your ice won't hold it."
"Then what do you want us to do?" Bakugo demanded.
Marcus exchanged a glance with Evelyn, a silent conversation passing between them. They couldn't reveal too much of their true capabilities, but neither could they stand by and watch their teacher be killed.
"Evelyn and I will engage directly," Marcus decided. "Our quirks provide the best combination of offense and defense. Todoroki, cover us with ranged ice attacks. Bakugo, be ready to provide explosive distractions if needed."
"And us?" Kirishima asked, gesturing to himself, Ojiro, and Mineta.
"Protect any other students who might arrive," Evelyn instructed. "And be ready to evacuate Aizawa-sensei when we create an opening."
"I-I don't think I can-" Mineta began, trembling.
"You can," Marcus cut him off firmly. "Focus on using your quirk to immobilize any villains who approach. You don't have to fight directly."
Before anyone could object further, a new disturbance caught their attention.
The main entrance doors burst open, revealing several more students - Midoriya, Asui, and Uraraka - being pursued by villains.
The hand-covered leader noticed them immediately, turning away from the battered Aizawa with clear intent.
"Now," Marcus said, launching himself forward with Evelyn close behind.
He moved fast. His target was clear: intercept the leader before he could reach Midoriya and the others.
The leader - Shigaraki, one of the villains had called him - turned in surprise as Marcus appeared in his path.
"Another NPC?" Shigaraki muttered, reaching toward Marcus with his decay-inducing hand.
Marcus caught his wrist before it could make contact, applying just enough pressure to make the villain wince but not enough to break bones - not yet.
"Your game ends here," Marcus stated coldly.
Shigaraki's eyes widened behind the hand covering his face. "Nomu," he called. "Kill this one."
The massive creature responded instantly, abandoning Aizawa's broken form to charge toward Marcus.
Marcus released Shigaraki and turned to meet the new threat.
The Nomu's fist connected with his crossed arms, the impact sending him skidding backward despite his braced stance. 'Strong,' he noted internally.
As the Nomu pressed its advantage, charging forward for another strike, pink energy suddenly surrounded its feet, the concrete beneath it liquefying and then resolidifying in an instant, trapping the creature momentarily.
Evelyn stepped forward, her hands glowing with energy. "I've temporarily altered the molecular structure of the concrete," she explained to Marcus. "It won't hold long."
Indeed, the Nomu was already pulling free, the concrete cracking around its immense strength.
"Combined attack," Marcus decided. "I'll engage directly. You provide support."
Evelyn nodded, understanding immediately.
Marcus launched himself at the Nomu just as it freed itself, delivering a punch to its midsection. The Nomu barely flinched, swinging its massive arm in a counterattack that Marcus barely dodged.
'Shock absorption',' Marcus immediately realized. 'Physical attacks alone won't be sufficient.'
"Evelyn!" he called. "Internal disruption!"
Understanding immediately, Evelyn focused her powers on the Nomu's exposed brain, attempting to manipulate its molecular structure directly - something she still can't do very well, not used to manipulating organic matter, so very limited in that front.
The creature staggered, a guttural sound emerging from its beaked mouth - but then it straightened, apparently adapting to the attack.
"Regeneration too," Evelyn noted grimly. "Multiple quirks in one body."
"That should be impossible," Todoroki commented from his position, sending a wave of ice that temporarily immobilized the Nomu's legs.
The ice shattered almost immediately as the creature flexed its muscles, sending fragments flying in all directions.
Marcus began to think about what to do. With his current limitations, a direct confrontation would be challenging but not impossible. The key was to exploit the creature's apparent lack of intelligence.
"Distraction pattern," he called to Evelyn.
They had trained for this - coordinated attacks against superior opponents. Even with their powers limited by this world's constraints, their tactical experience remained intact.
Marcus charged again, this time aiming for the Nomu's legs rather than its torso.
As the creature bent to swipe at him, Evelyn created a momentary vacuum around its head, disrupting its concentration.
The opening was brief but enough.
Marcus delivered a series of strikes to the creature's joints - knees, elbows, shoulders - targeting possible weaknesses in its structure.
The Nomu roared, swinging wildly now. One massive fist caught Marcus on the shoulder, sending him crashing into a nearby fountain.
'That hurt,' he thought annoyed, rising from the shattered marble. 'Strength definitely comparable to me right now,'
The Nomu turned its attention to Evelyn, who floated just beyond its reach, manipulating the air density to maintain her position. As it charged her, Marcus saw his opportunity.
He launched himself from the fountain debris, accelerating to his max speed in this world.
As the Nomu tried to attack Evelyn, Marcus hit its exposed neck from behind with all his strength, his hand positioned like a blade - his father's signature chop.
A shockwave formed that was immediately absorbed as the Nomu's head partially separated from its body, blood spraying from the wound as its spinal column was severed.
For a moment, the creature stood motionless. Then, impossibly, its head began to reattach, the wound closing as its regeneration quirk activated.
"Not good enough," Marcus muttered, preparing for another attack.
But before he could move, Evelyn descended beside him, her hands glowing with pink energy.
"Together," she said simply. Both still not truly worried. Having faced Thragg in training made this feel like child's play. Just a too tough toy to break.
As the Nomu turned to face them, still regenerating, they attacked simultaneously.
Marcus delivered another powerful strike to the same location, while Evelyn tried to disrupt the regeneration process of the wound with her powers.
This time, the Nomu's head separated completely, its massive body collapsing as Evelyn prevented the regeneration from reconnecting the vital neural pathways.
Marcus immediately caught the head, and crushed it till brian matter and blood sprayed everywhere - making sure its brain was destroyed in case it could regenerate from a severed head.
You never know after all as Thragg always told them - double, no, triple tap if need be - as they both panted from exhaustion.
It finally catching up to them as they couldn't maintain their appearance of perfect power as they normally did - something Thragg taught them too, to always bluff when possible.
Never knowing if there was a hidden enemy waiting for weakness, making them this way in fear back away,
A shocked silence fell over the plaza as students and villains alike stared at the fallen creature.
Shigaraki began scratching his neck furiously. "No, no, no! That's not fair! The Nomu was designed to kill All Might! How could some-"
His rant was interrupted by the main doors bursting open once more. This time, a familiar silhouette appeared, backlit by the entrance lights.
"HAVE NO FEAR," boomed a voice that carried across the entire facility. "FOR I AM HERE!"
All Might had arrived, his trademark smile nowhere to be seen as he took in the scene - the injured Aizawa, the scattered students, the villains, and the headless Nomu at the feet of bloodied Marcus and Evelyn.
Shigaraki's scratching intensified. "You're too late! Your students already killed our Nomu! This wasn't how the game was supposed to go!"
The black mist - Kurogiri, Marcus had heard Shigaraki call him - materialized beside the hand-covered villain. "Shigaraki Tomura, we must retreat. The Pro Heroes will be arriving momentarily."
Shigaraki continued scratching, his agitation visible even through the hand covering his face. "It's not fair! They cheated somehow!"
"Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri insisted, his misty form expanding.
"Fine," Shigaraki spat, pointing at Marcus and Evelyn. "But remember this, players - next time, the game won't be on easy mode!"
Before All Might or any of the students could react, Kurogiri's mist enveloped Shigaraki, and both villains vanished.
"We need to check on Aizawa-sensei," Marcus began, but the world suddenly tilted around him.
The last thing Marcus saw before darkness claimed him was All Might's concerned face and Evelyn collapsing beside him, both of them finally succumbing to the strain of their battle.
'Mission accomplished,' he thought as he saw only darkness. 'The students were protected and we've drawn attention to ourselves for the upcoming sidekick tournament.'
'Uncle Thragg-' he thought, before he caught himself, 'The Emperor will be pleased.'
--------------------------
(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked this chapter!
I hope it wasn't boring. Do tell me how you found Marcus and Evelyn this chapter and their fight with the Nomu.
I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)