Yuta shrugged. "What? You said they don't go down easy."
Aizawa opened his mouth to respond.
BOOM.
The explosion echoed across the night, a distant thunder that rattled what remained of the train's windows. Both their heads snapped toward the source.
In the distance, thick black smoke billowed into the sky from Hosu's residential district. Orange flames licked at the base of the column, casting flickering shadows across the skyline.
Then another explosion. Closer. The commercial sector this time.
Then a third. Entertainment district.
"Multiple simultaneous attacks," Aizawa said grimly.
It was obvious what was going on.
'The League of villains.'
Yuta was still staring at the smoke. "Sensei, this is—"
"An invasion." Aizawa finished. "Someone just declared war on Hosu City."
__
"Hahahaha!"
Tomura cackled ln the edge of a water tower, watching the city burn with childlike fascination. "Perfect. Now this, is how things should be."
Below, screams echoed through the streets. Car alarms wailed. Glass shattered. In the chaos, the pros of the city struggled to respond to threats all over.
"There's an explosion in the entertainment district."
"I see another in sector 4."
"What the hell ..."
"All units, this is Mammoth. I"m currently in the residential District and there's something here that's . ... Arghhhh!"
Dust and debris smashed in all directions. The muscular, shirtless pro hero with horns on his head, Mammoth, watched the cloud of dust dissipate to reveal a creature with pitch black skin, ripped trousers, no eyes and an exposed brain.
'Villain?'
His eyes narrowed as the creature walked out of the destroyed building, flames rising to the air with black smoke. Civilians panicked at the sight befor them, fleeing in all directions.
"Mommy!"
A frantically searching mother snapped at the voice only to see see her eight year old daughter right in the creatures path.
The Nomu didn't even look down. It simply stepped forward, its massive, grey-toned foot poised to crush anything in its path.
"Kira! No!" the mother screamed, her voice lost in the cacophony of the burning street.
Mammoth roared, his muscles bulging as he threw his entire weight into a charge. "Get away from her, you freak!"
He lowered his horns, aiming for the monster's midsection.
BANG! The collision happened, but the result was far from Mammoth's expectations as the creature had simply reached out and caught Mammoth by the horns mid-charge.
The sound of grinding bone and metal echoed as the pro hero's momentum was killed instantly. The creature then swung its arm, sending the several-hundred-pound hero crashing into a line of parked cars like a discarded toy.
"Mammoth!" a sidekick yelled.
Elsewhere, a creature with similar features swooped from the skies, releasing an ear piercing roar.
"The pacing is perfect, Kurogiri," Shigaraki whispered, scratching his neck until it bled. "See how the 'heroes' panic? They don't know who to save first. It's like a buggy RPG where the difficulty spikes all at once."
"An apt description. You destroyed several of those games in a span of days ..."
Tomura snapped. "I didn't ask you to mention that. Plus there was nothing better to do then."
Kurogiri wisely chose to change the subject "All six Nomu have been deployed successfully. Units Two and Three will pin down possible reinforcements across parts of the city."
"And our guest of honor?"
"He has engaged unit three. What The Number Two Hero faces next are three Nomu's designed to counter his abilities while stain bides his time for the perfect chance to strike. The situation is to our advantage."
"Perfect." Shigaraki rasped. "Let them play."
"Will you not be joining the battle?"
"Don't be stupid. I'm still injured." He growled. "That's the whole point of the Nomu. Without All Might Intervening, nothing can possibly stop them."
Kurogiri's brows raised but otherwise, he said nothing. "Then why not somewhere closer to the main fight?"
"And become a target if the pros spot me? No thanks."
He replied without turning. Taking up his binoculars. "It's just right watching their pain and suffering from here. Chaos tonight, and by tomorrow ..."
He paused. "Everyone will have a memory they can never forget."
___
[RAILWAY SITE - YUTA & AIZAWA]
"We need to move," Aizawa said, forcing himself upright despite the obvious pain. "The response teams will handle the Nomu here. We need to ..."
He stopped, swaying slightly.
Yuta caught him by the arm. "Sensei, you're in no condition to. .."
"I'm fine."
"I can see your internal structure. You have broken ribs and a partially useless arm."
"I said I'm fine." Aizawa's tone left no room for argument. "And we don't have time for this. Those explosions aren't random terrorism. It's most likely the League Of Villains planned this."
"League of Villains? You mean the guys who attacked the school."
"Yes."
Aizawa nodded. "This is a bigger scale than that. Every available Pro is needed to contain this. Waiting here is not ideal."
"But what can we do? You can barely stand, and I'm just a student."
"You're the student who just one-shot a Nomu," Aizawa pointed out. "That puts you ahead of most pros in this city right now. Also, the itinerary has changed."
He tore a piece of his torn clothing and fashioned a makeshift sling for his injured arm.
"It seems you're getting field experience first before training."
"Sensei?"
"These creatures are strong. Just one is a nightmare for regular pros. From the looks of it, there's more than one. It's unknown what the league's goal is here, but if the League is smart, and unfortunately they are, they'll try to take out as many pros as possible while they're grouped together. You'll need to stop them."
Yuta hesitated. "Sensei, I can't just leave you."
"When did I say you're leaving me?"
Yuta was stunned.
"You ... Aren't really in the best condition right now. Aren't you letting me go out on my own?"
Aizawa paused. "No."
".."
"The rules of the internship are clear: an intern cannot engage in combat unless under the direct supervision of their mentor. And even then, only in controlled situations."
"if you act without me present, both of us could face serious consequences—disciplinary action, license revocation for me, expulsion for you. The Hero Public Safety Commission doesn't care about good intentions when regulations are broken. But If I try to fight in my current state, I'm a liability,"
Yuta frowned. "So what are we doing?"
Aizawa's eyes meet Yuta's Sharingan. "We are moving as a unit. I am the eyes and the authority; you are the physical intervention. I disable whatever quirks the enemy has while you do the punching. You do not leave my sight, and you do not engage unless I give the command. If a pro is in mortal danger, you act, but you act as my extension. In no case scenario do we split up, and you're not playing solo hero. Understood?"
"Yes, Sensei."
"Good. Let's go."
Yuta turned. "What about this one?" He pointed to the Nomu. "Are we really just going to leave it here till the response teams arrive? What if it wakes up earlier?"
Aizawa frowned. Just then, "Leave it to me."
They turned to see a pro hero wearing a white costume, themed after what Yuta guessed was a polar bear.
It was the pro hero the Nomu smashed into the train with.
"I'll make sure it doesn't go anywhere." He nodded towards them. "You should go. My Comms say there are two more of these things in the residential and entertainment districts. Plus there was a major explosion in sector 4. No one's reported on the status there yet."
'So three or four more on estimate.' Aizawa frowned. "I see. Thank you." He turned to Yuta. "Akutami, let's go."
They leaped over the walls of the tracks into the city.
'The NOMU at USJ was considerably stronger than this one.' Aizawa thought. 'Nevertheless, still stronger than even a top tier pro. That's without the quirks.'
In the distance came the sounds of destruction from multiple directions. Explosions, screams, the distinctive roar of quirk-based combat.
'Three to four heroes would be needed to have a chance of containing it. That's sixteen on estimate.' His face darkened. 'And Hosu doesn't have that many top-tier pros on duty at once.'
___
[HOSU CITY – ALLEYWAY – SECTOR 4]
The sonic shriek had been devastating.
Endeavor's flames rebounded from the Nomu's attack, the shockwave amplified by his own fire until the entire alley exploded in a cascade of force and heat that sent heroes flying backward.
Windows shattered for blocks. Car alarms wailed. The pavement cracked in spiderweb patterns.
Eventually, it died down, leaving nothing but a ringing silence in the ears of every hero present.
Endeavor stood at the center of the street, his flames flickering dangerously. He stared into the settling cloud of debris where his flame-rebound had occurred.
Around him, heroes were struggling to recover.
"Get the injured back!" Ingenium shouted, his voice cracking as he helped a disoriented Torque to his feet. "Watchbird, status on that sonic blast!"
"My ears are bleeding, but I'm functional!" The hero replied, smashed against a wall of rubble.
Fifty meters away, Tenya and Todoroki had taken cover behind an ice barrier that had partially melted from the heat.
"What..." Tenya's voice was barely audible through the ringing in his ears. "What was that?"
Todoroki didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the smoke-filled alley where the attack had originated.
'Tch.'
Endeavor's flames burned brighter, his attention locked on the obscured entrance.
"Show yourself," A moment of silence followed. Then, a figure stepped out of the smoke.
Massive, three meter tall frame with rippling muscles that looked carved from stone. Its skin was a dull crimson, each step made a resounding thud.
The bone-white protrusions jutting from its shoulders and spine were the most eye-catching feature.
Endeavor frowned.
"What kind of mutant are you?" There was no reply.
"No matter. I'll just finish you off with a ..."
CRACK!
The sound startled everyone.
On the roof of the four-story textile shop overlooking the alley, a second creature perched on all fours. Its limbs were unnaturally long, ending in hooked talons that dug deep into the concrete.
Its features were obscured by the darkness, save for the sickly yellow glow of its bulging eyes.
"Above us!" Watchbird screamed, pointing upward.
A third creature leaped from the center of the smoke column, soaring high above the streetlights before crashing into the pavement between Endeavor and the other heroes.
The impact was so heavy it felt like a localized earthquake.
This one was pitch black, its skin looking as dense as obsidian.
It stood slightly shorter than the crimson one, but its build was somehow more intimidating.
The three Nomu stood in formation, creating a triangle with Endeavor at its center.
Iida's hands were shaking. "Three of them," he whispered. "How... how are there three?"
"No clue. Brothers perhaps."
Todoroki uttered.
"But if they're anything like the one from the USJ .." He looked at Endeavor, whose irritation and arrogance had long since vanished. ".. Then we're in a lot of trouble."
__
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