Chapter 6: Trial By Combat (Part 2)
"You're that confident, huh? This is gonna be fun!"
The Radiance's breath came out frosty causing her to blink. Actually, now that her adrenaline–or whatever her equivalent was– had subsided she noticed that she was shivering. Rather badly in fact. Her eyes widened in realization before narrowing in fury. Grimm!
"I am going to skin him alive…" she growled. The antennae weren't the only moth-like qualities that Grimm had given her. Was that why she was so fascinated by the sun?! She thought it was because of who she was!
"Really playing the villain role there, huh." Ojiro noted somewhat nervously. When he saw her wrap her cloak around herself, however, his nervousness turned into concern. "Are you ok?"
She spared him a glance, "moth's and other similar insects don't quite enjoy the cold. It would seem that I'm more susceptible to it than I believed…" The cloak helped a little bit, but she hadn't even considered the cold to be an obstacle when designing her costume. That was a mistake she would rectify as soon as possible. Her antennae twitched uncomfortably, tingling from the sudden cold. "I'll be fine," she decided.
"Should we switch? If you're at a disadvantage won't it make things more difficult?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm still the most suited to fight him. At the very least my barriers will be able to negate most of his ice…" She twitched her antennae, closing her eyes. "One of them, most likely Todoroki, has entered the building, the other is staying outside." That was a semi-lie. She knew it was Todoroki that entered the building, she could sense his surface level thoughts and by now she could tell most of her classmates apart through their 'aura' alone. Everybody gave off a different feel when interacting with her Domain. She couldn't 'smell' them like she said she could, but telling him that if she really wanted to she could probably pinpoint anybody in the country was probably a bad idea.
Her power welled within her. "I'll leave it up to you if you wish to stay here or if you want to pursue the one outside. If something happens I'll let you know."
Ojiro blinked. "Uh, yeah! Likewise."
She nodded at him in approval. It felt like he was comfortable taking her lead, so she didn't have to worry about him doing anything stupid. "Good luck," she told him before disappearing. Stealth wouldn't be an option here, her power wasn't quiet by any stretch of the imagination. She would make noise no matter what she did, so she would have to rely on shock and awe.
Ojiro gave the weapon a look. "Well, if she says she has Todoroki handled then I'll trust her. I'll see if I can't get the other guy in the meantime!"
Shoto Todoroki stalked through the narrow hallway, ice crunching underneath his feet. He was getting close to where the weapon was, so if he took a right at the T-Junction at the end of the hall his objective would be in sight. A slight frown crossed his face though. The boy with the tail, Ojiro, shouldn't be an issue, but the moth-like girl, Grimm, would definitely pose a problem. Her Quirk had amazing versatility but he didn't know how far that extended. From what he saw her lasers were powerful, but would she be willing to use those in such close quarters? It didn't matter. Victory was already his, he just had to make that a reality.
The air suddenly started hissing, causing him to stop. Suddenly a roar of light flashed behind him. Whipping around he came face to face with Grimm. She held her hand out immediately and a beam of light erupted from it, screaming towards him. Experience born from years of hellish training saw him ducking underneath it before retaliating with a massive wave of ice. It filled the entire hallway from floor to ceiling, glistening in the low light. He couldn't afford to underestimate her.
"You've got something to prove, don't you?"
SHHIIIIINK
BOOM!
His ice shattered into a brilliant mix of golden symbols and crystals. Standing unharmed, though covered in frost, was Myla. She was shuddering, but the look in her eyes was anything but nervous.
"You should give up now, insects don't do well in the cold." He said, ignoring her pointed question.
"Good thing I'm not an insect then." They moved at the same time, with Shoto sending his foot forward and shooting out another wave of ice, and Myla stomping? His eyes widened as dozens of sword-like spikes erupted from the floor, scattering his attack. He had to jump back as they reached him, making a small platform for himself. Yet again his ice blew frost all over the girl, causing her to hide her face until it stopped.
"You're making this exceedingly unpleasant," she snarled.
"I thought you said you weren't an insect?" He taunted. All he got was a withering glare in response. Stepping forward he created a slide of ice, propelling himself through the hallway and past the surprised girl. As he passed her he reached out and sent a point blank attack towards her, but he blinked in shock when she just vanished in a flurry of those strange symbols.
Looking forward she was yet again in front of him, but this time she stood still and held out a hand. A golden barrier sprung to life that covered the entire hallway, a barrier that he was about to collide with! He managed to swerve away at the last second but he still bounced off rather painfully, stumbling to keep himself from falling over. Myla observed him from her side of the barrier, crossing her arms over her chest. He needed to find a way around this thing, doubling back would take too long and she'd be able to attack him regardless.
"All this time you've only attacked me using your right arm and leg. Why is that?" The girl furrowed her brow in confusion. Her nonchalance about this situation and her question caused his anger to spike.
"What's it to you?" He asked, looking the barrier up and down. There definitely wasn't a way around it.
"There's more to your Quirk. If ice is all there is to it then why not use your left limbs? You have more power, yet you're limiting yourself. Why?" She tilted her head. Was she buying time? The cold was obviously affecting her so maybe she was just trying to stall him out. Regardless…
"I never use my left side. And why do you care? My reasons are my own!" He growled.
"Then you're all but forfeiting the fight." She responded neutrally, like they were having a debate.
His fist pounded against the barrier, causing a ripple to extend across it. "A real hero won't just give up if they're at a disadvantage!"
Myla Grimm regarded him with a curious look before letting out a shuddering sigh. "Very well then." Suddenly the barrier vanished, and before he could even register that it was gone something impacted his chest and sent him flying into a wall. She began advancing before…
"Mashirao Ojiro has been captured!"
The orange-eyed girl paused before sighing. "I apologize but it's time to end this."
"I was thinking the same thing." He said, causing the girl to blink curiously.
SHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!
Slamming his hand on the ground he sent out the largest wave of ice that he'd formed in a significant period of time. It was so big that frost covered almost half of his body. He'd take care of that soon though, right after he captured the weapon. Then he'd have to rush back and that Grimm out. She was human, but depending on how much like a moth she actually was she could be in serious trouble. He jumped around the corner. There! He could see the weapon! With victory in sight he threw caution to the wind and started sprinting. On the off chance Grimm could get out of that ice he didn't have a second to spare. He was so focused that he barely had time to register the small barrier of light that formed right in front of his face, clotheslining him and causing him to flip head over heel.
His vision was blurry as he blinked the stars away. "You are unbelievably stubborn…" The girl came into view, soaked and covered in frost. He wouldn't give up! Not with the weapon that close! "Sorry in advance," she muttered. His vision flashed in a golden light before everything went black.
"Shoto Todoroki has been eliminated!"
Myla Grimm wrapped the capture tape around the unconscious boy's wrists before waddling to the weapon, unsteadily sitting down in front of it. There was much more to Shoto Todoroki than she originally believed, but she would think about that later. Against anyone else he would've been an extremely dangerous opponent, but he was only human. Ice was easy to destroy, and exhausting as it was, she could teleport out of it if he managed to trap her. She had proven that. Still though, right now she was tired, cold, and miserable. Forget winning in some extravagant way. Teleporting so many times had put her pretty close to her limit, and the cold seemed to make it even worse. Usually Higher Beings did all they could to stand out and show that they were the best around. Her kind liked to Posture themselves. But she would play this safe, so if Todoroki's teammate wanted to fight, she'd let him come to her.
"What did I say? "This is going to be fun?" Is this what people call jinxing something?" The goddess wrapped her cloak around her and huddled as close to herself as physically possible.
"Man, I really made a mess of things, huh?" Ojiro asked, hands bound together by the tape.
"Not at all. You genuinely caught me off guard, it was just a bad matchup. Still though you made me work for it." Shoji looked back to the entrance of the building. Todoroki hadn't said anything since entering, and he was starting to get nervous.
Soon after Todoroki froze the building Ojiro had leapt from the roof, nearly catching Shoji off guard with a massive aerial attack. The blonde seemed to have excellent battle-instinct, because he did all he could to stay as close as possible. He knew that martial arts coupled with his tail were his strengths, and that any kind of distance would be big trouble. Unfortunately for him though, Shoji managed to push him away long enough to completely immobilize him using his dupli-arms. Now though…
"Shoto Todoroki has been eliminated!"
Both boys froze in shock before Ojiro let out a small laugh. "She wasn't lying." Then he turned to Shoji, "well, your move big guy!"
Shoji felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead. Todoroki was a powerhouse and he still lost. They had all seen what Myla Grimm could do during the tests yesterday, so his chances were basically zero. What was he going to do?!
The class watched eagerly as two of Class 1-A's two more powerful members fought each other. At multiple points it seemed like Myla had been frozen solid, but each time she appeared out of nowhere, matching the ice wielding boy blow for blow. Many dropped their jaws when she summoned swords of all things, the multitude of blades erupting from the ground and shattering the ice as it rushed towards her.
"Swords?! I thought her Quirk was that glowy stuff?"
"She said her Quirk was Essence, maybe the swords are made of the same stuff as the rest of her ability?"
"But then how does she teleport around like that?"
The class and their teacher watched as Todoroki rushed past her, riding the wave of ice and straight into a barrier, flipping him over until he landed painfully on the ground. Several students let out hisses or winces, as it had not been a gentle impact. The rest waited eagerly, as her teammate had been captured. It was a one on one now, but defying what everybody expected, the moth-themes girl simply walked back over to the weapon and sat down.
"She's just sitting there?"
"Young Myla has the advantage here! She knows that Shoji has to come to her, and the longer he takes the less time he'll have to subdue her. She's playing it smart!"
"I mean, yeah. But still, that's so lame!" Kaminari whined.
"She was shivering pretty badly, ribbit. Maybe she's like me?" The frog-like girl known as Tsuyu Asui put a finger to her chin. Her costume consisted of a bright green bodysuit with darker green accents, webbed flippers, and lifted goggles over a tan headband.
Momo furrowed her brow in thought. "She does resemble the Silkworm Moth, so maybe… Most insects, moths particularly, are very susceptible to cold temperatures. So while you hibernate, maybe she gets weaker? If so, she might be trying to conserve her energy." Momo's costume was a sleeveless red leotard with an open front that extended just below her navel and a tan colored utility belt.
"The light that burns the brightest extinguishes the fastest." Muttered the bird-headed boy, Tokoyami. The orange-eyed girl had been of some interest to him, if only for the fact that they were essentially polar opposites. She represented the light while he represented the dark. How far that dichotomy went, however, he had no idea. His hero costume was mainly a black robe covering a black t-shirt and dark baggy pants.
"I still can't believe she managed to take down Todoroki, that guy's a beast."
"I know! Some people in this class are nuts!"
"I just wish her costume showed more skin…"
The conversations continued throughout the room, with the last diminutive boy earning more than a few glares from the young women in the room. Meanwhile All Might watched the cameras closely, taking notes. Myla was undoubtedly powerful, and with that power came a slightly unhealthy amount of arrogance. Unlike Bakugo though, she didn't revel in beating others. She was confident in her superiority, and as much as he tried to look further he couldn't see much more than that. She was obviously somebody who had an intrinsic knowledge of how their power worked and the best ways to utilize it. She had a near unbelievable battle-sense— the ability to perceive the flow of battle and react and plan accordingly— and she seemed to put just enough effort in to get the results she desired.
He couldn't help but feel like there was something more to her though. When he first entered the classroom he received the reaction he had expected, but hers had been almost fearfully confused. Even throughout the day she seemed wary of him. Why? For now he would chalk it up to first day nerves, maybe meeting an idol for the first time? It was far too early to be making assumptions of his students!
"Hm? It looks like Shoji's moving in."
"Finally! More action!"
Mina pumped her fist, "come on girl! You got this!"
"You've decided to fight rather than concede. How noble of you." Myla looked up from her huddled spot by the weapon. Giving him the proper courtesy she stood up to face him, stumbling a step before righting herself. She observed Shoji with some curiosity. His hero costume was a light blue outfit with dark blue accents and six eye-like circles on his chest. A dark blue mask matched the darker accents of his costume, and it was sleeveless to account for his six arms. Because of the cold she was close to her limit, so she'd spare the theatrics this time.
"It's not in a hero's nature to give up. I know I don't stand a chance, but I'd rather try than do nothing at all." There was conviction in his voice, and though she sensed nervousness it was held back by determination and resolve. She could respect that, as it reminded her of another who was practically the same. Xero… I wonder, did my tainted strength fulfill your wish? You were filled with such sorrow when I averted my gaze from you…
"Then I shan't prolong this." She leapt into the air, cloak billowing out behind her and giving the illusion of two great moth wings. Essence gathered in her hands and exploded into a flurry of ethereal daggers. Shoji didn't have any room to dodge and he knew it, so instead he braced himself and stood his ground. Duplicating his arms he started punching as many daggers as he could, wincing as they burst into small explosions. Those that got through exploded as they hit his body, causing him to grunt. Distracted with his defense, he barely noticed her hand glowing before she fired a singular beam at him. Shoji leapt to the side, barely avoiding the attack, but airborne as he was he wasn't able to dodge the orange orb hurtling towards his chest. He crossed his arms over his chest and grunted as the explosion sent him flying into the wall, cracking it before falling down.
The Radiance gently glided until her feet touched the ground. She could feel that damned glyph flaring inside of her, pulsating with its horrid red glow. All of her spare energy was going into figuring out how to destroy it but so far she was coming up empty handed. Panting, she approached the prone form of Shoji. Idly she wondered if she had gone too far, that last explosion was more violent than she intended it to be, but when she considered Midoriya and Bakugo's fight this was rather tame…
Reacting on reflex she crossed her arms in front of herself, erecting a barrier that blocked a four-fisted punch. Extending a hand towards the weapon another barrier sealed it from the rest of the room, deflecting the remaining two hands. As far as last-ditch attempts went, that was better than what she was expecting.
"Tiiiime's up! The Villain Team WINS!" All Might's booming voice erupted over the speakers. Shakily she dropped her arms, almost slumping over. That had been far closer than she was expecting, hadn't she sworn not to underestimate her classmates? Or was she just overestimating herself? She may be a Higher Being, but she resided in the body of a human. She NEEDED to temper her expectations.
"You fought well, Shoji." She panted, cringing at the feeling of Essence rising up her throat.
"You as well. Are you alright, Grimm?" Again with this?
"I'll be alright," she spit out a glob of glowing orange discharge, glaring at it hatefully. "Just dealing with the cold, and the consequences of my Quirk… Let's gather Todoroki and Oojiro and head back to All Might."
"Right," Shoji nodded.
"All right! Does anyone have a guess as to who the MVP of this match is?" All Might asked the assembled students, his signature grin plastered on his face.
Once again, Momo raised her hand. "I think it's safe to say that Myla Grimm was the star of that match. Despite being at a disadvantage in the beginning she controlled the flow of battle to her favor, waiting and examining how her opponent attacked and moved. When she knew victory was assured, rather than trying to 'win harder' she decided to play it safe and force her remaining opponent to come to her." She held out her hand, "Todoroki's plan was sound, but he failed to account for an opponent who had a genuine counter to his ability, and he failed to effectively communicate with his teammate beyond the beginning of the match. While Shoji followed Grimm's lead he attempted an ambush without planning much beyond the initial attack. Shoji didn't do anything particularly wrong, but he wasn't able to do anything that would turn the match around." She held up a finger for each of her points.
All Might flashed her a thumbs up while the rest of the class looked on, stunned. "You're two for two now, good job!"He turned to Myla, "Anything you want to add? You don't look like you particularly agree with her assessment."
The goddess in disguise pursed her lips before sighing. She'd put aside her pride, even if it went against her very nature. "My victory was sloppy, I failed to account for my own biology and if I wasn't able to correctly adapt it would've cost me the match, but… The main thing is that I don't feel like I earned the victory." She turned her cool orange gaze to Todoroki. "I can tell that it's clearly for personal reasons, but if you used your Quirk in full you could have easily claimed the victory for yourself."
Todoroki returned her stare, expression unchanging. She felt his frustration though, it was impossible to hide. "I already told you, I'll never use my left side!"
"And that's precisely my point. I have no idea what the other part of your Quirk is. Planning around it would be impossible, it would've caught me completely off guard." Both of them were either unaware, or in Myla's case, ignoring the tension in the room. "I've said my piece, I won't waste my breath on a hardened shell. Also! This may sound odd compared to everything I've just said, but please call me Myla. I detest my last name." She turned back to All Might, "sorry for the interruption."
"Erm, no sweat! And everything you said was completely true as well. Everybody remember! Even in defeat there are important lessons to be learned, great job you four! Now, onto the next battle!"
The Battle Trials continued, and throughout all of it The Radiance paid close attention. Even though these teenagers were her classmates, they would undoubtedly end up being her rivals at some point. She had an excellent memory, so every move, kick, punch, Quirk, fight, she committed it all to memory. Eventually the last two teams fought each other, and that was the end of the class. All Might gave them some parting words before telling them that he was going to check up on Midoriya, and he practically vanished out of their class room. At this point in the day their classes were all but over, but the majority of the class wanted to wait for Midoriya to come back. Surprisingly enough, she was a part of that group. She did very little talking outside of idle conversation with Mina, but she waited nonetheless. Until…
"KYAAAAA!" Her head was up in an instant, looking to the back of the room where Jiro and Momo were backing away from a desk. Jiro looked like she was about to faint, and Momo, as unflappable as she seemed, had lost some color to her. She shared a glance with Mina before the two of them made their way over, even joined by a few of the boys.
"What— Nope! Nope, nope, nope, uh-uh." Mina shook her head, walking away as well. Kaminari made a similar noise of fright and Koda genuinely fainted.
"What on Earth is the matter?!" She exclaimed, gently pushing her way through the crowd. When her eyes landed on the cause of all the commotion she deadpanned. Inching away from the sudden crowd was a little eight-legged weaver. Its big eyes stared up fearfully. "You're all frightened of this small creature?"
Kaminari and Jiro looked at her like she had grown a second head. "You're not even phased?! It's a spider!"
A spider? "It isn't even an inch long…" She said in disbelief.
"Uh-uh, anything with that many eyes and legs is an automatic no in my book!" Jiro stuttered, almost hiding behind the electric boy. These two would've died of fright if they'd found themselves in Deepnest…
Turning towards the spider she crouched down until her head was almost level with the desk. Slowly, she held out a finger towards it, causing it to inch back. "Hello, Little Weaver. How have you found yourself here?" Gently, she touched its mind. She was surprisingly comforted by the familiarity, and warmly she touched its mind. The poor creature was terrified by the giants and the noises, so she extended a tendril of her Light, her inviting warmth, in order to calm it down and show herself as a friend. She smiled when it leapt onto her finger. She pointedly ignored the startled yelps a number of students let out as it did. Honestly… Weren't they supposed to be Heroes-in-Training? Holding the little weaver on her finger she gently placed it into her backpack, giving it instructions to rest and hold tight until she got home. It wasn't communication, per-se, it was more her slightly influencing its thoughts.
The purple haired pervert raised a shaking finger, "girls are supposed to be terrified of bugs! What's the matter with you?" The bloodlust that permeated the room afterwards was astonishing, barely any of it coming from her.
She blinked. "Actually I'm rather fond of insects…" She didn't notice Mina's teasing grin until it was too late. She should've just kept her mouth shut…
"Lemme guess, are moths your favorite?" Mina giggled, a wide grin plastered on her face.
"… Tsk." She turned her head away, refusing to answer the targeted question. So what if she had created a tribe consisting of moths? So what if her actual form was essentially a giant moth? None of that meant anything…
"Oh my God she's blushing!" Mina gasped, almost jumping up and down. Myla looked at her friend, scandalized. She was not! She was a Higher Being, a question about moths wouldn't cause this! None of that made the burning in her cheeks subside though. Light…
Sparing herself the embarrassment she stood up to her full height. "I'm leaving," she said, roughly pulling her backpack to her shoulder and thundering towards the door. "Please give my regards to—"
"Midoriya!" Kirishima called out, distracting her enough that something hit her, colliding with her chest before she stumbled back, almost tripping and causing her to let out a very undignified yelp.
A singular hand steadied her, "Oh my gosh, are you ok Myla?!" That voice… She pleaded that it wasn't who she thought it was, but when she looked down it was Midoriya's worried and also red face that met hers. As if her face wasn't already burning…
"I-I'm fine, you can let me go now." She mumbled, causing him to do so with a nervous chuckle. Luckily for her though it seemed like his arrival was enough to distract most of the class. All except for Mina, who was giving her a giant Cheshire grin, mischief twinkling in her obsidian eyes. Spare me this humiliation…
And for once whatever being that wasn't her granted her wish, and Midoriya was washed up in congratulations and introductions. Thankfully Mina was ignoring her for now.
"Congratulations on your victory," she told him, finally composed again.
"Uh, thanks! How did your match go?" He responded, smiling somewhat awkwardly for some reason.
"My team won, although I discovered that I have an aversion to the cold." Nodding, she gave him a small smile. "I'd love to continue talking but I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow." She had to escape Mina's relentless teasing, or she'd find out exactly how long she'd be able to keep up the charade of being a human.
Walking through the front doors she passed Bakugo, their eyes meeting for just a second, but it was still long enough.
"I WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN!"
She blinked, almost shuddering. How did he remind her so much of herself?
"The hell are you staring at, Silkworm?" he growled, glaring at her.
"Silkworm?" She asked, confused.
"Yeah, you're a moth aren't you? All the better since you're an insect I have to crush!"
"How do you have this much hatred inside of you?"
"Huh?!"
She opened her mouth, but after a few moments she just sighed. "Hatred only leads to pain, quit this path before it destroys you…"
"The hell are you talking about?!"
"It's not my turn anymore," she nodded towards the building, drawing his attention to the running form of Midoriya.
Letting those two have their moment, and pointedly ignoring the screaming from Bakugo, she had a pleasant and uneventful journey back to her home. On the way though… She stopped along the sidewalk, brows furrowed in confusion and more than a little bit of shock. Floating in front of her, making a light humming noise, was a purple glyph. And then another, and another. They were all coming out of an alleyway, more and more of them. She sped up and turned the corner, eyes going wide.
With a furious squawk a Vengefly flew towards her, mandibles wide open. By reflex she intercepted it with an explosive orb, killing it instantly. In complete shock she approached the singed corpse, nudging it with her foot. It was about the size of her forearm, and it definitely moved when her foot made contact. This… Shouldn't be possible… How was a Vengefly here of all places?!
"Grimm…" she muttered. Her brother never mentioned how he brought them to this world… "Don't tell me…" Stuffing the corpse into her backpack she rushed home, depositing her things, letting the little weaver out, and grabbing the Vengefly. Finding Grimm wasn't difficult, The Nightmare King had a presence equal to her own. With a flash of light her surroundings changed. She found herself inside of a massive tent filled with all sorts of people. Syrra and Syrro stared at her in confusion and joy, the rest were just confused.
She advanced on the twins, her serious pace wiping the smiles off of their faces. "Where is Grimm?!"
"Auntie?" Syrra asked fearfully.
"WHERE IS HE?!"
"Sister?" A smooth voice came from behind her. Sure enough there he was, confused but no less smug. Seeing his face brought on a fury she hadn't felt in a long time. "Whatever is the matter?"
"The ritual you performed to bring us here! It was the Dimensional Gate, wasn't it?!" She yelled.
"Yes?"
"That ritual is forbidden!" She yelled. "Not even Higher Beings attempt it! Dallying with different planes of existence is beyond even us!"
"It worked, didn't it?"
"Oh it worked, you utter imbecile!" Golden light flared around her, her Presence bleeding through her form. "And now we're facing the consequences!"
Siblings as they were, the challenge wasn't unanswered. Blazing red light filled Grimm's half of the room and the Nightmare Lantern blazed even brighter than it was before. "What consequences?!"
"Dimensional Gate is exactly that! A GATE! To this world," she threw the corpse of the Vengefly between them, causing even Grimm's eyes to widen in shock. "And to OURS!"
In the dark corners of the city, screeches echoed in the afternoon, heralded by purple glyphs.
Grimm messed up… Big time…
But that's for a later date!~
I was originally planning to make the fight longer, but honestly I felt like I was dragging it out so it ended up the way it was. And honestly despite my efforts to prevent The Radiance from becoming a Mary Sue, she's still The Radiance. Although I felt like her being weak to the cold was an interesting touch as she's technically a moth as well. And who knew that the big Moth had a soft spot for other bugs? It's a shot in the dark but brownie points to anybody who guesses the spider I chose to be Myla's little pet.
Bakugo's nickname for The Radiance stumped me for longer than it should've, but I've decided on Silkworm, because if you didn't know The Radiance is basically a Giant Silkworm Moth. That nickname might be changed, but it's what I'm going with for now.
Now for answering comments!
Kykkoman4: Never, sorry~
Clagann: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Darkromdemon: Grimm might be a good vigilante, but I have plans for him and the Troupe. They'll play a big role in this story even if they haven't had many interactions yet.
jbXCR12: Glad you enjoyed it!
Zerkil: The Radiance definitely understands what went wrong, and she does regret it. But believe me when I say that she's still a Goddess, and there are a couple of moments coming up where that will show. And concerning other characters, well this chapter answered that, didn't it? I can confirm that I'm not going to unload the entirety of Hallownest onto MHA. The Radiance and Grimm are going to be the only named characters for a while, but there are going to be… issues, going forward~
Nullblaster: She definitely drew a better lot in life than she would've, that's for sure! And I'm glad that you're enjoying it!
Question donut: There's going to be a lot of interesting things between her and Bakugo as time goes on. And regarding the Grimm Troupe, they're gonna play a massive role as time goes on, so you won't be starved for Grimm's interactions!
Now, it's something a little bit different but I'm working on a new crossover, and on each of my stories I'm posting a little teaser. I expect it to come out after The Dragon and the Fox's next chapter.
Final Destination: Teaser
"Ow! Must you be so rough?!"
"You tensed up and jerked away from me… If you had relaxed like I told you to, you would've been fine." The doctor grumbled, pulling the needle away.
"I still don't know why I need these yearly shots, it's so demeaning!" The patient complained, lavender eyes trying to burn holes into the doctor's back.
"You know damn well why you need these shots, Yushiro. Your blood is thinning. She only gave you as much as you needed to survive, and slowly it's being purged from your system."
The Demon known as Yushiro continued before the doctor could finish, "And when it's gone I'll be human again. You're stalling the process by giving me your blood, Datenshi." Yushiro glared at the now named doctor, but it lacked heat.
"And so far it's working. You should've died a century ago, and yet here we are."
"And we have no idea when she's coming back," Yushiro lamented. There was silence between the two of them. "Usually this is where you say something dark or hopeless, Doctor."
Datenshi sighed, typing something at his desk. "Yet nothing comes to mind…" Yushiro rubbed his already healed arm and stood. "I want her to come back too, you know." Both of them stopped, looking down.
"I miss her…" Yushiro whispered.
"I know… I know…" The doctor sighed before looking at the centuries old artist. "But we have each other, the last of our kind."
Yushiro scoffed. "Please, you being soft is making me sick."
Datenshi huffed, shaking his head. "I thought I was going to vomit just saying it. Get out of my office you ungrateful ingrate, I have patients to see."
Yushiro growled before fast walking out of the door, pausing just before he disappeared. "Thank you…" he said sincerely before vanishing from sight.
"Anytime, my old friend…" Finishing his document he stood and entered the lobby of his clinic. For a moment he stared out of the window, beyond, and through the thick viewing port across the small walkway. Five gigantic metallic arms extended away from him. Each of them were gargantuan cities of their own . Beyond? A purple hued nebula with hundreds of space faring vessels going to and from the giant station.
"May you live in interesting times indeed." He muttered to himself before a mother and daughter rushed through the Clinic's entrance. His eyes momentarily lingered on their blue-hued skin before he got to work.
"My daughter!– Her arm…" The mother stressed.
He gently took the arm of the little girl, maybe five or six, and gave it a brief inspection. "It doesn't appear to be anything serious, but please follow me." The three of them went back into the room he had just left, leaving the view alone.
May you live in interesting times indeed…
Chapter 7: Incursions
If there was ever a time that Myla Grimm would snap and break her facade, this would probably be that moment. Over the course of her first few school days she had shown remarkable restraint. Trapped in her human form she was more or less–angling more towards more–on the same playing field as everyone else. If she released her full power she could probably flay the minds of everyone in Tokyo. Oh… how unbelievably tempting…
"Excuse me miss! Is it true that you have All Might as a professor!"
"Can you tell us anything about him?! How is he doing as a teacher!"
"What's like being so close to him?!"
"Can you tell us his exact day-to-day schedule!?"
How… Unbelievably… Tempting…
As the golden rage continued to overcome her being a firm hand fell on her shoulder. Looking to her right she was met with the face of her homeroom teacher, understanding in his eyes but also a firmness. And when she looked down at her hands she could see why. Golden light filled her fists, the telltale sign of her 'Quirk' building power. It was an unconscious act, but any longer and she probably would've lashed out. With a calming breath she dispelled her power and gave a thankful nod to her teacher. His hand fell away.
As she turned to enter the main campus one of the reporters desperately stepped forwards, "please! If there's anything that you can—"
"Please stop harassing my student," Aizawa said tiredly.
"Huh?!"
"All Might's not even on campus today–" Was all Myla heard before she was too far away to hear anything. But then a shiver ran down her spine, a presence so full of malice was nearby. The Radiance turned around, trying to spot whoever it was. Their mind was a storm raining blood, consumed by anger and hatred. If she didn't know any better it was like something from Deepnest was here… Another one? But before she could pinpoint them UA's Barrier activated and a collective shock drowned out the presence. By the time it subsided, replaced by annoyance, the presence was gone. She frowned, debating on whether or not to tell the teachers… But right now she was tired and irritable, if it came back she would know.
There's already enough going on without another incursion already…
Her mind wandered as she walked to 1-A's classroom. After a full blown shouting match occurred between Grimm and her, they used their collective power to deduce that the Dimensional Gate operated in incursions. When focusing, the gateways were easy to detect. They gave off a unique presence that wasn't dissimilar to a Dream Gate, so she was already familiar with it. There were almost two hundred signatures across Tokyo alone, with who knew how many across Japan. They knew it was at least isolated to Japan, as when they casted their consciousness across the world they found nothing. The plan going forward was simple enough; Myla would deal with the signatures around Tokyo and Grimm's Troupe would scour Japan. So began her systematic destruction of many familiar beings. A multitude of husks, vengeflies, aspids, and other Hallownestian bugs had been wandering aimlessly across the concrete jungle. Any traces of her infection were burned, though that left more confusion than answers. Were these bugs from before her… death? Or did her madness still haunt the fallen kingdom? It didn't matter, but it was a curious thing nonetheless. Unfortunately… There were several fatalities. The homeless and criminals found themselves fighting apex predators with natural armor and weapons, who had no care or mind for mercy. And also unfortunately my killing spree lasted well into the morning, meaning I was only able to return to my home around Three in the morning. That itself would've been fine… But there was a third unfortunate event. Not unfortunate at all actually, it was actually rationally and factually positive. It was unfortunate for her…
Myla could feel the ancient power in the alley. Glyphs floated out peacefully, belying their dangerous nature. Was that how some of the deaths happened? People got curious and investigated the pretty floating particles? It didn't matter anymore, they were dead, and this was the last one. She'd kill whatever came through, and she'd go home. Taking a breath a blade formed in her hand, letting the breath out through her nose she charged around the corner and lunged.
"Gah!" The surprised shout threw her off, thinking she was about to skewer a human, and she angled her blade at the last second. She flew past her target, blade burying itself deep into the wall behind her target. The skittering of too many legs for a human met her ears and she whipped around, forming another blade and holding it up to her target's throat. She'd protect the human and– Six bright and terrified eyes met her blazing orange. She blinked. Six eyes blinked in return. There wasn't a hint of the familiar madness at all. The bug raised four intertwined arms around its head in a placating gesture. "W-Whatever you're angry about I didn't do it?" He said. Myla took a step back and her blades vanished, and while the bug let out a sigh of relief she inspected him with inquisitive eyes. A large round head with a mask met her own, his six eyes watching her warily. The bug wore a finely crafted purple and blue cloak made of silk, and four more legs held the creature up. Eight in total, six eyes, silk. A Weaver. And most importantly a Weaver that wasn't mad with her infection… A brief push into his mind revealed clarity, confusion, and fear.
"Y-You're not going to kill me then?" the Weaver stammered, skittering back a foot.
"No," she sighed. "You're free from the Infection. But that comes with its own questions…" Wait a minute… "You're from Deepnest, yes?"
"Y-Yes?" the arachnid responded questioningly.
Myla deadpanned. "I don't believe you…"
"Eh?"
"If you were from Deepnest you would've attacked me the second you saw me…"
"Wha?! I-I can assure you that not everyone from Deepnest i-is a savage!" Myla didn't drop her deadpan, in fact it only became drier. "W-Well… There are some gentle souls among them?" She blinked in response. "Fine! I'm a coward, there! I said it!" He said annoyedly, though more so at himself than anyone else.
"A coward from Deepnest, it's a wonder that you survived at all." Myla crossed her arms over her chest.
"You're telling me. As soon as it was clear I couldn't fight I was ostracized from the Village." The Weaver began tapping his 'fingers' together. Funny, in a way he reminded her of Midoriya. "Honestly that's probably what spared me from the Madness. Everyone else bar one fell to it." The way he spoke was factual, not regretful. Even if he was a coward he was still born of Deepnest. Kill or be Killed ran in his veins.
"Hm… Couldn't fight, or wouldn't?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. She peeked into his mind, as it was completely unguarded. The world became more vibrant and the Weaver seemed to glow. FEAR. REGRET. HOPE. FUTURE. DREAM. As he began stuttering the world returned to normalcy, the Weaver none the wiser. And "bar one?" She already knew of the Gendered Child, so she needn't ask of her.
"A… Bit of both I s-suppose… I… I want to bring things into the world. I'm a craftsman, an artisan. Killing… It's just so wasteful…" He made a dramatic gesture with his hands, like had just gotten something off of his chest. He very well might have as well, no one in Deepnest would've taken that well. At The Radiance's continued stare he began fidgeting again, he really is a nervous wreck, isn't he? "O-Oh, your eyes! I'm so sorry." She raised an eyebrow, but after a moment of silence she remembered that bugs didn't have eyebrows and the meaning was lost on him.
"My eyes?" she asked. She already knew where this was going, but… Did she want to reveal who she was so soon? No, she had a half-baked plan already. He wouldn't need to know.
"Yes, you're infected…" He spoke in a sorrowful tone, like her life being in danger was genuinely a sad thing. Rare, for a native of Deepnest. But she had already established that he wasn't a normal Weaver.
"The Infection isn't present here," she said truthfully. "I am in no danger of it, and neither are you." Also a truth, as she had no interest in letting it spring anew. Technically even the infected bugs from before couldn't spread it, but Essence—especially the violent substance created by her Hateful Shadow—was potentially problematic for humans. She had no idea how it would react to their biology, and she wasn't keen on testing it out. So far the humans she had interacted with had been… amicable, but research into this species revealed that their potential for destruction was unparalleled by any from Hallownest. Essence could do nothing at all, or it could create a superpowered madman… Or it could just kill someone outright. She had no idea.
"T-Truly?" He asked, and at her nod he all but sagged in relief. "Oh that is a relief beyond measure. To be able to sleep without fear…" A pang shot through her heart at the reminder of the suffering she had caused, deliberately or not…
"You're not out of danger yet… Tell me, what have you noticed about your new location?" Time to see if he would survive here, and if he was worth the effort.
"Eh? Well, um… We're certainly not in Deepnest." He ran his hands over the alley wall. "And this stonework is beyond anything I've seen… With the glittering stones above us… Are we in the capitol?" He asked hopefully. It was a guess deduced by his knowledge and reasoning given the information he had before him. So he was intelligent, also somewhat rare for a Deepnest Native.
"A reasonable guess, but no. I can give you the simple answer or the complicated answer," she supplied.
"S-Simple please?"
"We're in a different world," she stated bluntly.
"Eh?" Was his choked response. "I-I thought I said the simple one?"
"That is the simple answer. Someone casted a very dangerous spell and opened a bridge between worlds. Entities from Hallownest have fallen through the cracks, and I've spent the last couple of hours hunting them down. To be honest, finding you was a complete shock… Sorry for trying to kill you, I guess…" She said flatly.
"Oh, d-don't worry about it," the Weaver laughed nervously before continuing in a dejected tone. "I'm used to it… And… I guess that would explain, well, you then. I don't think I've ever seen a bug like you before. Are you a native of this world then? How do you know of Hallownest?" It was a fair question, though it put her in an uncomfortable position… Telling him that she was a Higher Being wouldn't end well… Maybe in time, but she'd drop one world-shattering revelation at a time.
Eventually she decided on a half-truth. "This form is a recent development. When I came here I was close to death, my… friend… performed a ritual to save me. This was the result. The dominant species on this planet are called Humans, and they are… Interesting. In some aspects they are far ahead of Hallownest technologically while they are behind in other aspects. They have no mechanisms for Soul, for example. It is completely foreign to them. I will tell you more in time, for now I should bring you somewhere safe." Without anywhere to stay, she'd bring him to her home. She didn't want to risk bringing him to Grimm, as knowledge of his Troupe varied from bug to bug.
"O-Oh! Of course, thank you so much!" As they boldly stepped out of the alley—as she boldly stepped out, he was practically clinging to her shirt—he began fidgeting again. "A-Are you sure that this is ok? If the natives aren't insects then won't I stand out?" The Radiance gave him a once over. Eight legs, round head, six eyes, and a cloak. Honestly? That was rather tame compared to what she had seen. She had seen a hero dressed as one of humanity's flying machines. To most he would have an Insect Quirk, and that thought sparked an idea. Weaver Silk was renowned for its versatility, that much she knew. It could be remarkably pleasant to the touch when woven, and the Pale Light's knights had cloaks woven from it. Depending on the intention behind the Weaver, they could be incredibly soft, or as resilient as Pure Steel. If she built relations with this Weaver, she could incorporate actual Weaver Silk into her costume. The boon from that alone would be staggering…
"My name is Myla, by the way." She forwent giving her last name, because of Grimm himself, and because insects from Hallownest rarely had more than one name. Mainly that Kingdom favored epitaphs.
"How rude of me! All this time and I never gave my name, haha," he laughed nervously. "U-Um, I'm Shear. It's nice to meet you?"
Taking Shear in with her had been an objectively smart move, although she was unprepared to have another tenant living with her. The Weaver, however, was insatiable when it came to knowledge. Every aspect of her home fascinated him, from the television to the toilet. And she wouldn't even get started on his obsession with fabrics… By the time his thirst had been sated the sun was already above the horizon and she had to get ready for school. His 'lessons' would continue when she got back home… if she had the patience for them… Still, regardless of her complete lack of sleep the night hadn't been too horrible, she had even contacted Grimm to appraise him of the situation. Shear would have a full identity by the day's end, good for him.
"Woah, are you ok Myla?" She heard Mina ask as she entered the room. Tossing a look over her shoulder she saw the pink girl's concern was real. It was a nice thought if unnecessary.
"I'm doing fine, considering last night…" She said, only internally smacking herself when she realized her slip-up.
"Did something happen?"
"No," she reassured, "I just had trouble sleeping is all." And that would've been that if Iida didn't appear right in front of her.
"Grimm!—"
"Myla…" She interrupted, not even slowing him down. If people kept calling her Grimm then Aizawa would find himself with one less student… Or more…
"—The average adult needs eight hours of sleep in order to function normally! Considering our age we need even more!" The bespeckled boy sent a flurry of chopping motions her way, and he would've kept going if Aizawa didn't enter the room.
"Take your seats everyone," he said, walking behind his desk. After the first day nobody wasted a second, not even her. "Decent work on yesterday's combat training you guys. I saw the recordings and went over each of your team's results. Bakugo, you're talented so don't sulk like a child about your loss, ok?" The goddess sitting in front of the boy wouldn't even deny that she felt satisfaction from the spark of annoyance that flared from behind her. He couldn't speak up and he knew it. After his dismissal Aizawa moved on. "Midoriya, I see the only way you won the match was by messing up your arm again. Work harder, and don't give me the excuse that you don't have control over your Quirk. That excuse is already getting old… You can't keep breaking your body while training here, but your Quirk will be very useful if you can get a handle on it. Show a little urgency, yeah?"
"Right!"
"And Myla." She blinked, momentarily surprised that she was being addressed. "Though you did win, you failed to plan for something as simple as your own biology. In a fight it's crucial to have as much information as possible, and to prepare for as many weaknesses as you can. You're confident, but that confidence can easily lead to your downfall." She kept a straight face, but she couldn't control the way her antennae drooped.
"Of course… Thank you for the wisdom," she eventually responded. He had no possible way of knowing, but his words cut her straight to her core, dragging up her memories of her defeats. Both of them… Because his advice perfectly encapsulated the reason as to why she lost each time. The Pale Light was an upstart, and she had severely underestimated his power. And when that tiny vessel entered the realm of her shattered self she couldn't conceive a world where she lost… Both times she underestimated her opponent, and both times she had been lucky… There would not be a third time.
"Let's get down to business," Aizawa drew her out of her musings. "Our first task… will decide your future." As soon as the words left their teacher's mouth The Radiance felt the anxiety in the room explode. It was so sudden and so nauseating that she had to grab her head and center herself. Sometimes… she hated being so attuned to emotions… But then… "You all need to pick a class representative." And like that the anxiety flipped to elation and excitement, only making her condition worse. Right after the assault on her mind followed the assault on her ears as every single one of her classmates bar a few began shouting their promises to the heavens. If this was how childish they were going to be, she wouldn't ever answer…
Finally though, "silence! Everyone please!" Iida's voice cut through the commotion like one of her blades. "The class representative's duty is to lead others, and that's not just something that anyone can do! You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom, therefore the most logical way to decide this is democratically! We will hold an election to choose our leader." By the time he finished speaking he was trembling, because almost immediately he was called out for his own hopes to be the leader.
"Is this really the best idea?"
"But we've only known each other for a few days."
"Won't people just vote for themselves?"
Iida turned to the last person who spoke up, "most everyone will! But that means that whoever gets multiple votes will be the most suitable person for the job!"
She could see the logic in that, even if she was wholly unfamiliar with democracy. Hallownest had no such parallel. Both the Moth Tribe and Hallownest itself had been ruled by a Theocracy and a Theocratic Monarchy respectfully. Both The Radiance and the Pale Light had divine authority, no one would dare go against them. The outliers were Deepnest and the Hive; both traditional monarchies, and the Mantis Tribe respected martial strength above all else. The Greenpath and the mosskin had no form of governance, the same could also be said for the Fungal Wastes. Nowhere in all of Hallownest's history or prehistory was there anything similar to democracy. Beyond the borders? Perhaps there was a kingdom of bugs without the influence of a Higher Being, but if so then she had no knowledge of it. Did any of that matter? Not necessarily, and to be honest neither did she care all that much. Leading a group of schoolchildren that may or may not follow her directives didn't appeal to her. Besides, if they wouldn't worship her then what was the point? She'd probably never have something like the Moth Tribe again; tribute and worship for care and security. Establishing herself as a goddess would come with its own tribulations she wasn't ready or powerful enough to deal with… yet. So she'd vote for herself, and take the rest of the time to catch what sleep she could. And looking towards Aizawa's desk, it seemed like she wasn't the only one…
"It's the best way, right sir?!" Iida shouted, only for Aizawa to zip up his yellow sleeping bag.
"Do what you want, just decide before my nap's over." Aizawa said before falling to his side, falling asleep almost immediately.
"Thank you for your trust!" And with that everyone wrote their names down on small slips of paper. Myla put hers at the end of her desk before burying her head in her arms, letting oblivion claim her. As some people deliberated over their choices and the collection process began, The Radiance found herself in her Domain. Blinking the brightness away she found herself in an approximation of her classroom, except her glyphs permeated the air and it was devoid of anyone but herself. Myla narrowed her eyes, running her hand across the desk next to her. It felt the same, but the soft noise her hand made echoed much more than it should. Walking out into the hallway she looked out the window, seeing a golden horizon over puffy clouds. So this was her Domain then, something she had absolute control over. So why did it look like this?
"Aaaaahh, what an interesting realm we've found ourselves in." An old, familiar voice said from behind her.
The goddess' face turned to stone and her emotions turned to ice. She didn't turn around, content to stare out of the window. "It's been some time. I'm amazed that you've found yourself here, because last I remember I tore your souls apart and cast it to the void."
"Meleemoo, and yet here I remain." The Moth Seer hobbled up next to her, old joints almost creaking. Cloudy eyes stared out at the expanse. "How have you been, my Light?"
"Don't treat us like long lost friends. I may have been a shadow of rage when I killed you, but your death was notone that I regret," Myla growled, finally turning her gaze on the Moth.
"Aaahh, I did not expect you to be happy to see me—"
"Happy?" She seethed, "why would I be happy to see you? You led the others to the Pale Light, you forgot me. Me! The one that spawned you! Saying that I'm furious would be a gross understatement!"
But like all things, the ancient Moth weathered her rage. "And we all received our punishment, one that every last one of us deserved… I am—"
"Don't…" Myla growled. "Why are you here? To haunt me? A result of my guilty conscience perhaps?" Two Masters of the Dream observed each other.
"Meleemoo… To be honest I know not why I am here. I am as surprised as you. I did not arrive here through the tears though, I am physically dead. Perhaps I am born of your new form, and your restored being."
"If that's the case, then all I need to do is forget you, betrayer." And so The Radiance cast the moth from her mind, rending her from existence. Not even a spec of her remained in her thoughts, and yet…
"So I am not born from your mind, but from another source. Aaaahh, how curious." An orange light filled the hallway and Myla fired an Essence Beam that completely enveloped the moth. Other than an explosion of glyphs, it passed through the Seer like she wasn't even there. "A result of the Dreamscape then? Meleemoo, curious indeed."
"It was worth a shot, and it was cathartic for me," Myla hummed.
"Killing me once was not enough to sate your anger?" The Seer asked dryly, lacking any real humor.
Myla frowned, "If I could tear your soul apart a million times over it would never be enough to sate me… There is no forgiveness in my mind for you… I wish I could say I was sorry about that…" And she was honest. Being forced to remember the Moth, she remembered the good and the bad. Unfortunately that only made things worse…
"Nor should there be, we should have all been forgotten for our crimes… For the anguish we put you through… Even if you had forgiveness in your heart I wouldn't ask for it…" The realm of the Dream shook violently, though both witnesses stayed perfectly upright. "Aaaahh, it seems that our time is almost up. I do not know if I will be here the next time you visit your Domain."
"I hope you won't be," she said, but before the Seer could get another word in, everything went bright and Myla was forced into the waking world. Pain erupted from her skull and she lashed out, batting something off of her head. "What is wrong with you?!" She whirled on Bakugo, who was shooting her an equally venomous stare.
"The votes are in, dumbass!" Myla rubbed her antennae gingerly and growled at the blonde before turning back towards the front. When she saw the board she was confused.
"HOW DID I GET THREE VOTES?!" Midoriya exclaimed, almost white as a sheet.
"Ok you idiots! Who voted for them?!" Bakugo yelled, standing up in rage. Because right under Midoriya, tied with him, was Myla herself. Flattering to be sure, but also the opposite of what she wanted… Who… No, she knew exactly who voted for her. Looking across the room she saw Mina grinning widely and shooting her a thumbs up. Surprisingly, Ojiro was also smiling at her. She just sighed and turned her gaze to Midoriya. The boy was shaking like a mosskin, but she saw those lights dancing within him proudly.
Iida, almost trembling from disappointment, called them up to the front. "A-As we have a tie we need to vote between Myla and Midoriya!—"
"No need," Myla interrupted, "I'll take the Deputy position." The shock from just about everyone in the room… well, shocked her. In her eyes it made sense; she didn't want to lead people who probably wouldn't follow her, and Midoriya was the greatest curiosity of the school. He was a mystery that she longed to unravel, and forcing him into the spotlight would help that.
Almost out of nowhere Aizawa spoke up, "all right then. Midoriya is our Class Representative, and Myla is our Deputy." The wave of nervousness and apprehension from Midoriya was almost enough to make her reconsider, but that feeling was squashed down.
"R-Really? Uh… It's not a mistake?" he asked hopefully, like some kind of divine intervention would deliver him from his fate. Unfortunately for him Myla was the source of that, and she didn't feel like intervening in anything yet. Slowly though the rest of their classmates voiced their acceptance and even excitement. Despite her considerably soured mood, The Radiance smiled.
A little later at lunch though, it was clear that there was someone who was… less than pleased. "I CANNOT believe that you gave that up!" Mina yelled, dramatically slamming her lunch tray down across from Myla. The moth girl slowed her chewing for a moment before resuming and shrugging. Her antennae gave a happy wiggle as the explosion of flavor crossed her tongue. If there was one thing she was thankful for with this new body, it was the ability to taste food. In the few days she had attended the school she had tried something different each day. She needed to be careful though, as she knew that overindulging in food would result in a negative transformation of her body.
"Is it really so surprising?" She asked honestly.
"Honestly it is!" Kirishima said as he sat down as well, "you strike me as a very commanding person. You just have a 'take charge' kind of vibe." Vibe? She thought.
Well, regarding the first thing, "you're not wrong. But to be completely honest the position never interested me to begin with," she took another blissful bite of her food.
"Youf ghot tu bh khiddin!" Mina yelled through a mouthful of food, almost reaching out to grab the goddess in disguise.
"Chew your food before speaking, Mina…" Myla stonily said. The pink girl did so, still peeved.
"Yeah! Just like that," Kirishima snapped his fingers at her. "Whenever you do that thing people just listen!"
"What thing," Myla scoffed.
"You've got this… I dunno, voice thing? Yaomomo has something similar but with her it just sounds smart. Whenever you do it I feel like I have to, ya know?" Mina shrugged before taking a bite of her food.
Myla flinched. Was she accidentally letting some of her divine power through? She wasn't even trying to influence the thoughts of her classmates! "I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "I didn't even realize I was doing something like that."
Mina almost choked on her food, "No! No no no, I didn't mean it like that! It's not a bad thing, it's just… a thing!" No, it wasn't. Even if it wasn't deliberate she was still influencing people. SHe'd do better, at the very least it would keep her true nature hidden for longer.
"Regardless of my perceived powers over my class, if I had the benefit of foresight I would've given my vote to you. You seemed to want the position more than I did."
"Nah, it's no biggie. I'm curious to see what Midoriya's gonna do after all!"
Myla hummed, "so I'm not the only one? He needs to give himself more credit, he'll do fine."
"I know right? He was so manly in his fight against Bakugo!" Kirishima yelled, doing a fist pump.
Mina though, was focusing more on Myla, "Not the only one, huh? Got your eyes on Midoriya then?"
Narrowing her eyes, she met Mina's cheshire gaze, "yes… He thinks well under stress and has a tactical mind that rivals the best of us. If given the chance I believe that he'll become a great hero."
'Hmm~ So nothing—" But before Mina could finish her thought the bell rang throughout the cafeteria. Everyone looked up in shock, but Myla just took another bite of food. So they got in then? Did I miss the source of malice then? Did it break through while I was asleep?
"Warning! Level Three Security Breach. All students please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion." All at once the students began panicking, shoving each other out of the way and making a mad dash for the exit. Myla sighed as Mina immediately started dragging her away, the goddess casting one last longing look at her abandoned food. It wasn't even an emergency… As soon as the trio joined the mess of students fleeing down the hallways they were nearly trampled, with Mina's grip slipping away. Thinking fast Myla grabbed both Kirishima and Mina before holding them close.
"What—" Mina started saying before a bubble of Essence formed around them, repelling the rest of the students who mostly ignored them. In their panic the bubble was treated as just another obstacle. Myla frowned, pouring her concentration into maintaining their barrier. With all of their panic though that was a task easier said than done… "How long can you keep this up?"
"Not… very… long…" Maintaining the bubble while shutting out the surrounding panic was far more taxing than it should've been. For the umpteenth time Myla cursed both her body and the shackle that was forced on it. Finally though there was a spark of clarity from the window. A familiar trio had discovered the cause of the panic, and if Midoriya's behavior so far was anything to go off of then this situation would be well in hand… And if not then she'd have to get more… physical… in their defense.
"Woah! Was that Iida?!" She heard someone shout from behind her. Momentarily dipping into her powers, yes, that was Iida sailing above her. But why…
"LISTEN UP! EVERYTHING IS OK!" She heard him yell. Thankfully his voice got the attention of the students and the panic evaporated, causing the sudden rush to slow. Hesitantly Myla let her barrier drop, panting lightly. "It's just the media outside, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Everything's fine! We're U.A. Students, so we need to remain calm and prove that we're the best of the best!" The mob murmured in agreement and slowly the nervous crowd began dispersing; either back to lunch or to their next class. "Now if anyone would be so kind, could I please get some help getting down from here?!" Myla tilted her head and noticed that he was ever so slightly trembling. His feet were barely on the doorway and all he had was a small pipe to hold onto.
"Ah, sure," she muttered, forming a staircase for him to descend.
"Many thanks!"
Back in their classroom, Myla and Midoriya stood before their class, "whenever you're ready Midoriya." she said, calm as ever. Midoriya on the other hand…
"O-Ok! We need to find out who the other class officers will be, b-but first… there's something that I wanna say" The green haired boy looked down, as if steeling himself. "I've thought a lot about this, and I-I think that Tenya Iida should be our class rep!" He proclaimed with a bow, much to the surprise of the mentioned boy. Continuing more confidently Midoriya smiled, "he was able to capture everyone's attention so quickly, and got everyone to calm down with just a few words. So I believe that he should be leading our class from now on." Iida meanwhile looked on in shock.
"Yeah, ya know what? If Midoriya vouches for him I'm good. Plus he was a huge help. He totally manned up and took charge, right?" Kirishima said with a smile.
A few more of her classmates gave their agreements before everyone felt a collective chill go down their spine, "this is a waste of time. I don't care who the class rep is, just hurry up and move along." And with his piece said the cocooned Aizawa went back to sleep.
Standing up Iida cleared his throat, "if Midoriya's nominating me for this job… Then I humbly accept!" He threw a fist in the air, "I pledge to carry out the duties of the class rep to the best of my abilities!" Thankfully there was a happy feeling in the air, so as far as Myla could tell nobody was against his ascension. Well, there was one peeved girl in the back, but the world wasn't fair. They would all learn that before long…
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!"
Failed… Gone… Empty…
"Bring it down! Get the zappers, high voltage!"
ESCAPED!
A sole decrepit and weakened arm lashed out and grabbed one of the soft-shelled bugs, throwing it across the strange cave it found itself in. Its other arm was gone, lost somehow. Didn't matter, irrelevant… Pain erupted across its body, and with a violent turn it found the source. Another soft-shell holding some kind of sparking nail. Reaching deep inside of itself it drew upon the void, lashing out with a whip made of inky blackness where its stump was. The bug was sent flying in two different pieces, not getting back up. That one spell though cost it greatly, already it could feel its strength plummeting.
Had it really fallen so far in its imprisonment? One spell drained it so much… NO!
CANNOT FALTER!
Standing tall it leaned back and roared out in deafening silence. Everyone else around it was sent to the ground or rooted in place from the pure pressure it exuded.
"Boss? What do we do?!" one of the bugs asked, holding onto its strange nail.
"The same thing we always do! I'm seeing a lot of money in our future, break it down! Restrain it!" They meant to capture it? Unacceptable. Having given everything it still failed, it couldn't lose here. With their intentions made clear it didn't hesitate.
No Mind To Think…
It grabbed a long tube of metal, it wasn't their familiar nail but it would do. It flipped the piece of metal into its preferred reverse grip and parried a strike before batting a bug away with a sickening crack.
"Damn it, do I have to do everything around here?" An annoyed voice said from above. It barely had enough time before one of the bugs leapt down, crushing the ground beneath where it had been moments ago. "You're costing me a lot of men you freak. That's fine though, you look like you'll fetch a good price. Now, SUBMIT!" A mental wave struck it, but rather than pierce its very being it simply flowed around him.
No Will To Break…
"Well then," the bug laughed, "looks like I get to have a bit of fun!" The bug ducked underneath its swing before grabbing one of those strange nails and shoving the tip into its stump. Pain erupted across its entire being, but it remained silent. No matter how many times it swung, stabbed, or lunged the bug avoided every attack. If it was in its prime, then this bug wouldn't have stood a chance. But it wasn't… More bugs showed up, this time shooting projectiles that made its body seize in pain. But still it didn't make a noise.
No Voice To Cry Suffering…
With every attack it grew weaker, slower, and sloppier. Missing an arm, having been still and rotting for an eternity, not having fought in an unknowable amount of time… All of it took a toll… Eventually it fell to its knees, holding itself up with its stolen tube. It stared down its attackers hatefully before letting out its deafeningly silent roar again. It wouldn't fail… It couldn't fail again…
Born Of God And Void…