Hence, Yuta made no plans to base his internship in Hosu, nor did he bother sending a shadow clone. However, it seemed fate had other plans.
"You've heard of Hosu, haven't you?"
Aizawa's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Huh? .. oh, yeah, I have on the news." He replied. "That's way the infamous Hero Killer was last sighted ... Right?"
Across from him, Aizawa opened one eye. "Exactly."
"And you're taking me there ... Why? Shouldn't we be going somewhere... safer?"
"It is safer." Aizawa replied in a bland tone. "If the Hassaikai wants to find you, where's the last place they'd expect you to go?"
Yuta frowned. "A city on high alert for a serial killer?"
"Precisely." Aizawa's expression didn't change. "Hosu's currently crawling with top-ranked pros. Endeavor himself will be there if he isn't already. Every hero agency in the district is running double patrols and police presence is at an all-time high."
"So you're using the chaos as cover," Yuta concluded.
"More than that. The Hassaikai operates in shadow and it's hard to pin them down. However, The Hero Killer's activities have turned the Hosu into a fortress. It's the worst possible environment for them to operate in."
He paused.
"And it serves another purpose. You wanted close-quarters combat training, right? That was the whole point of choosing Gunhead."
Yuta nodded.
"Well, you're getting it."
He pulled a tablet from his bag, swiping through a digital itinerary.
"Our itinerary for the week is simple: We arrive in Hosu, check in at the local precinct for the joint task force, and then we head to a private training facility I've secured. You'll be spending ten hours a day in active combat drills with me."
"Also, let me make a note of it. There will be no patrols and no solo excursions. No private investigations either. If you sneak out on your own for any reason, your internship is over. Best report to me if you notice something."
"... Yes sir."
"Good. We'll arrive in about thirty minutes. Once we're there, we're keeping a low profile ..."
CRASH.
The entire train lurched violently. The screech of metal on metal tore through the cabin, followed by the deafening roar of wind as the pressurized seal was shattered.
Screams followed from the back cabin.
"What was—?!" Yuta turned back, but Aizawa was already moving. "Come with me!" His capture scarf unfurled like a living thing.
They raced toward the back of the car. When they reached the connecting vestibule, they stopped dead.
The side of the back passenger car had been ripped open as if by a giant claw. Glass shards littered the floor, and the night air was rushing in at two hundred kilometers per hour.
Standing at the side of the train, was a creature that looked like a mutant among mutants.
Beneath its massive palm, pressed into the floor, was a pro hero. Their costume was torn, blood seeping from multiple wounds. They weren't moving.
'That's ...' Aizawa recognized it.
'.. Nomu' As did Yuta.
'A Nomu's attacking the train? What the hell?'
Yuta was stunned.
The scene right now reminded him so much of Deku and Gran Torino's original scene.
Only this time the replacements were him and Aizawa, and it was a day or two early.
Was Hosu still happening?
Did Shigaraki and Stain still meet and the attack on Hosu happened either way.
The Nomu's head turned slowly, its vacant eyes locking onto Aizawa and Yuta.
"Get the civilians out of this car. Now."
"Sensei—"
"Now, Akutami."
"Ahhhh!"
The scream erupted in the almost empty cabin.
On the opposite end of the car, a man and woman were pressed against their seats, clutching their seats with fright
The creature's massive hand reached toward them, fingers spreading wide to grab the woman's head.
"Help!"
The Nomu's head snapped toward the sound.
It's massive hand reached toward them, fingers spreading wide to grab the woman's head.
SNAP.
Gray fabric shot through the air, wrapping around the Nomu's wrist mid-reach.
Aizawa yanked hard, his eyes glowing crimson as his Erasure activated.
"Akutami!" Aizawa barked without looking back. "Get them out!"
Yuta was already moving. He grabbed the couple by their arms, pulling them toward the front car. "Go! Move!"
Behind them, Aizawa's Erasure had seemingly no effect. The creature let out a piercing roar. Following which, Its free hand clamped down on the capture weapon with crushing force, then pulled.
Aizawa was dragged forward like he weighed nothing. At the same time, the Nomu's second hand shot out.
Aizawa didn't fight the momentum; instead, he leveraged the force of the pull to launch himself into a high-speed backflip. He sailed over the Nomu's head just as its second hand swiped through the space his torso had occupied milliseconds prior.
'Its just like the one from USJ.'
He twisted mid-air, landing in a crouch behind it ...
'Erasing its quirks won't do anything" And dodged, just as the creature struck the aisle he stood on. The iron was smashed apart.
The scarf snapped forward again, wrapping around the creature's leg. He pulled, trying to throw it off balance.
The Nomu, didn't budge.
Instead, it stomped down, pinning the fabric to the floor. Then swung its arm.
Aizawa released the scarf instantly, rolling to the side as the Nomu's fist crashed through the seat where he'd been standing a heartbeat earlier. Metal and cushioning exploded outward.
Up front, the Train conductor engaged the brakes.
Metal shrieked as the Shinkansen began to decelerate violently. The sudden change in speed threw everyone off balance.
Aizawa who was mid manuevers, was affected the most as he fell forward way more than he intended to.
This time, there was nowhere to dodge.
The Nomu's fist connected with Aizawa's ribs.
The impact was devastating. Aizawa felt bones crack as he was launched backward through the shattered side of the train.
He hit the concrete railway wall hard enough to leave a crater, his vision going white for a moment before dropping to the floor.
Blood filled his mouth.
'Damn It.'
He looked up.
Barely a few meters away, the train came to a halt. The Nomu stepped through the hole it had created, walking along the edge of the car.
Aizawa tried to stand up.
He winced the moment he did, pain shooting through his ribs and left arm.
The Nomu dropped from the train, landing on the tracks with a heavy thud. Then it crawled on all fours towards him.
'This is bad,' Aizawa thought, forcing himself upright against the wall. 'I can't fight it head on.'
His quirk was ineffective. His capture scarf was gone. Now this.
He pulled his goggles down with his right hand, his hair beginning to drift upward as he ignited his Erasure one more time. Even if it couldn't stop the creature's raw strength, he had to make sure he nullified any reactive quirks that might trigger once the kill-strike began.
Not for himself, but rather ..
WHOOSH!
A figure shot out of the hole in the train at blurring speed.
The Nomu had barely registered the disturbance when ...
BANG!
Yuta's chakra-enhanced fist slammed into the top of the creature's skull with devastating force. The impact cratered the tracks beneath them, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.
The Nomu's body went limp, its face pressed into the splintered railway ties.
Aizawa shielded his face from the dust before taking a proper look.
"I thought I told you..." He coughed, a fresh smear of blood staining his chin, "...to get the passengers to safety."
"The vestibule doors are locked and the conductor is calling it in." Yuta said without turning around. His eyes sporting the signature blood red of the Sharingan.
"But if I'd stayed there, I'd be looking for a new mentor by tomorrow morning. I'm not ready to go back to General Studies just yet."
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not ready to die just yet."
He took two steps towards him. Yuta stepped aside. The Nomu was currently motionless. No movement. No breathing sounds. Just... nothing.
"Is it dead?" Aizawa asked, forcing himself into a sitting position against the wall.
"Nope." Yuta replied. "Just unconscious."
"Figures. The one from U.S.J took way worse and kept moving. These things don't go down easy."
As if on cue, the Nomu's fingers twitched.
Aizawa's had barely said anything when ...
BANG!
The ground shattered yet again.
".."
Looking at the motionless body, then turning to look at the boy who caused it.
Yuta shrugged. "What? You said they don't go down easy."
___
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