Authors note:
Speaking: "…."
Thinking: '….'
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Nedzu's POV
3 Days Earlier
UA High
A man with long, messy black hair and black eyes, wearing an all-black baggy bodysuit, ragged boots, and a long grayish scarf around his neck, stood in front of a relatively normal-sized double door labeled "Principal." He was Shota Aizawa, hero name Eraserhead, one of UA's esteemed teachers and an underground hero.
Knocking on the door, a high, seemingly male voice came from inside. "Enter."
The office was pretty standard: two couches parallel to each other with a table in the middle and a work desk with a chair behind it. On the chair sat a small, white, mouse-like creature with a scar over one of its eyes, wearing a tiny suit.
"You called for me, Principal Nedzu?" the hero asked with an indifferent expression.
"Yes, I did. Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please sit down; there's something I'd like to discuss with you," Nedzu, now identified as the principal, instructed.
Both sat on the couches across from each other, and the principal began speaking. "Aizawa, I have a mission for you. You see, recently, starting last week, villains on their way to Tartarus have been killed, each with a single shot from a sniper. All of them died instantly, and the shots were from some sort of energy bullet, which prevents us from identifying the weapon. Whoever is behind this has found a way to bypass all the countermeasures that were meant to keep the villains safe."
"How did I not hear about this? Normally, the public would be all over a case like this," Eraserhead questioned.
"Well, that's one of the strangest things. All the assassinations occurred at times when no reporters or civilians were nearby, even though we have intel suggesting the sniper could have acted sooner," Nedzu replied, taking a sip of tea from his cup.
"So, they don't want to be seen. Do we have any idea who is behind this, or are we dealing with someone new?"
"We do, actually, because very shockingly, they always leave their mark after each assassination. They're from a new group calling themselves the Eight Rings, though they've mostly stayed hidden, aside from a massacre involving the Tokyo gang."
"How come I've never heard of them? That doesn't sound like something small-time thugs would be capable of," Aizawa asked, a bad feeling forming about the situation.
"About five months ago, they made their first appearance at that massacre. Ninety percent of the Tokyo gang members were killed, with only the newest recruits spared. Endeavor was there by coincidence to apprehend them. He took all his sidekicks with him to the mission, but they were completely outmatched by just two people. All were either knocked out or temporarily paralyzed, including Endeavor himself," Nedzu explained, looking down.
"The police were lucky to conceal the incident, as those who survived refused to speak about it," the principal finished.
"And you want me to go after one of them, alone?" Aizawa asked.
"No, of course not. There will be a team of elite heroes, including Endeavor, on standby, ready to move in on your command. We just need you to track them down and erase their quirk."
"All right. When's the mission?"
"Tonight. A new villain is being transported to Tartarus, and the assassin will surely show up," Nedzu informed him. After discussing the finer details, Aizawa excused himself and left Nedzu alone in his office.
Nedzu walked to the window, glanced at his phone, then looked outside at his esteemed school. "This all wouldn't be necessary if you'd just agree to help for once," he said to himself. "Though, I suppose I see much of his father in him. He was also very secretive."
On his phone, there was an open chat with a contact labeled "Mr. B" and a text message from the man that read, "I'm sorry, old friend, but I won't be able to take the mission. My schedule is already full of work for the government."
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That Night
Eraser Head's POV
Near the bridge to Tartarus
"The villain is now beginning to cross the bridge. With the assistance of Endeavor's sidekick, the search for the assassin didn't take long. The sniper is located on the roof of a tall building; I'll engage now," the hero stated into his comlink in his ear, awaiting confirmation to engage. Using his scarf, also known as his capture weapon, he quickly and quietly swung through the buildings, landing on the rooftop behind a wall.
He saw the sniper lying on his stomach, head and body covered by a hooded cloak, with the rifle aimed at the transport vehicle heading toward Tartarus. Getting ready, he pulled up the goggles hidden in his scarf and silently began sneaking up on the assassin. To ensure everything went smoothly, he activated his quirk, Erasure, which lets him disable anyone's quirk by looking at them until he blinks.
As he did, a sudden wave of purple energy burst from the assassin, forcing him into a defensive stance. The figure took one hand off the rifle, pulled out a revolver from his thigh, aimed it at him, and fired both guns, sending one energy bullet toward the transport and another directly at his ear, destroying his comlink but not injuring him.
Seizing the opportunity as Eraser Head was momentarily stunned, the assassin holstered the revolver and stood up, revealing a clearly feminine figure clad in strange-looking black and purple armor and helmet. Regaining his composure, Eraser cursed inwardly at his slip-up and reactivated his quirk on her, then shifted into a fighting stance. The assassin mirrored him, her rifle extending two sharp, fork-like blades from the barrel, now crackling with electricity, making it resemble a spear.
"Eraser Head, what a pleasure to meet you. I must say, you exceeded my expectations, that was a nice sneak attack. But I never miss my mark," she said, her voice muffled through the helmet.
"Since you know me, wouldn't you say it's only fair to introduce yourself as well?" Eraser proposed, trying to buy time for the other heroes to arrive.
"My name is Shadow. I'm a member of the Eight Rings. Will that be enough, or do you need me to talk longer so your backup can arrive?" she replied, hinting at his plan.
"If you already know that much, you should turn yourself in. You can't run anymore, and soon this place will be filled with heroes. Give it up," he threatened, hoping to resolve things peacefully.
"In that case, why don't we relocate this fight?" the armored assassin stated. She quickly deactivated the electricity on her rifle, secured it on her back, and jumped off the roof. Momentarily shocked, Aizawa rushed to the edge and saw her swinging away with a grappling hook built into her right arm bracer. Without hesitation, he followed, using his scarf to pursue her.
Unfazed, Shadow drew her revolver mid-swing and fired three shots. Aizawa dodged the first two but landed directly in the path of the third. ‚She predicted where I'd dodge and shot directly at me while swinging,' he thought, narrowly avoiding the energy bullet but closing his eyes in the process. With his quirk now inactive, black and purple flames materialized on his capture scarf, burning through it and causing him to fall about three meters to the ground.
He landed, retracted his scarf as the flames dissipated, and resumed his pursuit. After about two minutes, they both landed on a moving transport train. The train was in full motion, traveling at 60 kilometers per hour, making it difficult to stand, though Shadow seemed unaffected as she readied her rifle spear.
Without delay, she charged at him, and they exchanged blows. Eraser tried to catch her blades with his scarf while dodging her kicks, but she steadily wore down his scarf, eventually robbing him of his preferred weapon. Recognizing this, he drew the small tanto blade on his back and reengaged.
Her movements were almost beautiful to watch, her spear spinning expertly as she deflected attacks and landed precise, electrified cuts on him, gradually sapping his strength. Then, a smile appeared on his face as he spotted Endeavor and his team approaching. The backup included Endeavor with Mirko, Kamui Woods, and Midnight flying on a human-sized squirrel.
Noticing the support, Shadow deftly avoided two of his attacks, then used her grappling hook to bind his hands to the train's side, leaving him immobile. She backflipped onto the next cart, firing her rifle and revolver simultaneously midair, hitting the connector between the carts and the lever that diverted her cart's path, effectively isolating Aizawa from the fight.
"She has a flame quirk, and her blade is electrified! Don't get hit by it!" Aizawa yelled to the other heroes, gaining a nod from Endeavor. Then he struggled to cut the rope binding him, though his blade wasn't sharp enough.
Endeavor's POV
"Damn it, looks like she took Eraser out of the equation, but now we at least know her quirk," the No. 2 hero thought with a scowl.
As they closed in, Kamui Woods created a bark shield to protect against her shots. Shadow quickly switched to black and purple flame bullets, forcing Kamui to retract his wood arms and Endeavor to create a fire shield.
Mirko leaped onto the moving train and engaged Shadow in close combat, while Endeavor attacked from a distance. Meanwhile, Midnight prepared to release her quirk, Somnambulist, which releases a pink gas that induces sleep.
In a bind, Shadow released another burst of purple energy ‚ This feeling it's the almost the same as his, though not nearly as potent' endeavor though. The shockwave stunned Mirko briefly, giving Shadow the chance to swoop the rabbit hero off her feet and disable Midnight and the squirrel hero with electrified bullets from her rifle, grounding them.
Shadow then ran at Kamui, who was occupied with securing his two companions, igniting a small knife from her calf with black and purple flames. After knocking him into a nearby tree of the forest they just entered, she pinned him with the burning knife, which set the tree aflame.
Shadow returned to fight Mirko, while Endeavor attacked cautiously, mindful of the surrounding forest. Panting, Shadow was clearly nearing her limit, and both heroes noticed. With a bridge over a canyon fast approaching, Endeavor and Mirko prepared their final attacks.
"This is it! Flashfire Fist: Jet Burn!" Endeavor shouted, as Mirko prepared her Luna Fall move.
At the last second, Shadow increased the gravity on Mirko's leg, causing her to miss. Shadow then leapt, dodging Endeavor's flames and landing on his shoulder. "You're right, Endeavor; I'm too tired to continue this battle," she said, before letting herself fall into the canyon below.
Realizing her intent, Endeavor dove after her. Just before he could reach her, she whispered, "Dragon," and vanished through a black and green portal, disappearing along with all their efforts to capture her.