All For Luz (2022) - DeathlyJazzHands55 - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1: S1 - Ep 1: Luz Noceda - Origin

Chapter Text

The sound of birds chirping could be heard all around the small, quaint little neighbourhood located in the small town of Gravesfield, Connecticut. As the birds chirped, doing their regular morning greetings to one another, the sun was just rising above the clouds, giving the sky a faint pinkish hue to separate the normal blue.

Within one this small, normal, regular old neighbourhood, there was one house tucked away a little further than the rest, near the woods surrounding the small town. The house itself wasn’t all that big, perhaps no bigger than your typical everyday, slightly below-middle-class home. And although it was small, it was all that was needed.

Now, as for what the house looked like….

The outside of the house was white, sans the brown wooden planks acting as a bit of a buffer between the house and the stairs leading up to the front door. The roof of the house was sky blue, contrasting with white and brown. It had a brick chimney sticking out of the top, with a giant window surrounded by the same brown wood that made up the lower half of the house.

The front part of the house had four windows, the first two separated by a gutter pipe that drained down into the sewer system, where the next two windows then continued past the gutter pipe to the edge of the front exterior. Overtop the front door was a bell, which alerted anyone inside the house that someone opened the screen door.

Next to the front door were two thin windows, not unlike the rest of the windows in the front portion of the house. Leading up to the front door was a small rock path, and over to the right was a garbage can filled to the brim with trash, ready for pick up. The front lawn was a little unruly and could do for a quick trim, but it was nothing too outrageous. On either side of the house was a white fence, separating the lawn from other people’s properties.

All around the front of the house were small bushes, some with flowers, others without. Overall, the house looked like something you’d see in a regular, everyday neighbourhood. Nothing was special about it.

It was a Saturday, and the beginning of summer vacation, meaning school was out for the rest of the year. However, while that normally meant it was time to sleep in and catch some extra Z’s, for one Luz Noceda, that was not the case. She had to be up bright and early to catch a special bus that would take her to a not-so-special summer camp.

And as the sound of an alarm rang in Luz’s left ear, the fourteen-year-old Dominican-American groaned as she sat up in her bed, wearing a set of light blue pyjamas with stars littering across the whole thing. A yawn escaped the teen’s mouth as she stretched out her arms from behind her head, after which she slumped forward, not too excited for the morning.

On any other day, Luz would be excited to wake up and start the day fresh! But today was different. Why? Because she had to go to, and she couldn’t believe it was the name of the camp,Reality Check Summer Camp. Their slogan? ThinkInsidethe box.

So, yeah! Not exactly something that she would be all too fond of going to. Luz was the type of person wholovedto thinkoutsideof the box. Her mother even said that her creativity knew no bounds! However, it wasbecauseof that creativity that she was in the situation she was in, to begin with. Because of her rampant creativity, she had a hard time, well, not being overtly creative. It often made it so she overdid things, to the point where it got out of hand.

For example, her final project for that year was a book report. That was the metaphorical straw that broke the camel’s back, seeing as it involved live snakes. Don’t ask herwhyshe chose to involve live snakes, it just seemed like a really good idea at the time!

And so, because of a blunder that her mother was now calling the “Creative Incident of 2018” in a joking manner, she was going to have to attend that rubbish, no-good, no-fun, uncreative summer camp.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Luz crawled out of bed with an unenthusiastic groan, meandering over to her dresser to get a fresh set of clothes to put on, that being a black undershirt, a pair of blue jean shorts, blueish black leggings, and then moving to her closet, she snagged her favourite quarter-purple-majority-white short-sleeve hoodie. After getting dressed, Luz grabbed a brush off of the same dresser she had just gotten most of her clothing from, she quickly brushed her hair to make it look at least a tad-bit presentable.

Once she was done, she sat back down on her bed and looked at the time. Her alarm was scheduled to go off at 7:30 AM, just like her mother had asked her to set it to. The bus was supposed to pick her up at the bus station at the center of the town by 9:30 AM, and the walk was about an hour away. Right now, it was nearing 8:00 AM, seeing as the clock said it was 7:45.

Usually, it didn’t take long for Luz to be ready for the day, however, as was previously mentioned, the summer camp was starting today—a summer camp she wanted nothing to do with. Henceforth why she was taking her sweet time.

“Mija! Get ready! You need to start walking to the bus station! You don’t want to be late!” The voice of Luz’s mother, Camilia Noceda, rang out throughout the house and past the door leading to Luz’s bedroom on the second floor. The young girl sighed, standing up from her bed, an unenthusiastic expression on her face as she responded.

“Coming, Mami!” As Luz said that, she balled her hands into fists, trying to get herself out of the little funk she had been in. “Come on, it’s not going to be so bad, right?” Luz said to herself, bringing her arms and balled-up hands from either side of herself. “It’s just the whole summer at a boring, dull, number-crunching camp. It can’t be all that bad, right?”

That alone was enough to make Luz dread the next upcoming months of her life, which made her facepalm. She honestly didn’t know why she was being punished for being creative! It was completely unnecessary! Sure, she had no real friends, but that was because she was fine without them! She was fine being by herself, making AMVs. She was fine writing her cringy fanfiction! She was fine reading her favourite fantasy books all alone!

But, her mother just wouldn’t understand her, or if she did, she refused to let Luz stay that way. That was what annoyed her the most about this. She knew her mom was doing this out of the goodness of her heart. She knew her mamá wasn’t doing this to spite her. But it just felt like she was up against a brick wall.

“Iknowthe difference between reality and fantasy. Why won’t Mamá see that?”Luz thought, pulling her hands away from her face as she looked down at them, a sombre expression on her face.

…until that sombre expression became one of confusion. Why? Well, it was because that was when she noticed something… off… about her hands.

Now, what exactly would be considered “off” about someone’s hands? Well, the first thing that came to Luz’s mind was perhaps a scar from some sort of accident like palming the ground to avoid introducing her face to the concrete.

But what she saw on her hands? Well, it wasn’t exactly ascar, but rather something… worse? Maybe not worse, but definitely something that wasn’t supposed to be there.

There were tiny, little holes the size of dimes in the palms of each of her hands. Luz blinked, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her, but when she opened her eyes again, they were still there. Luz then pinched herself on the cheek to make sure she wasn’t dreaming; namely, because she had a habit of lucid dreaming from time to time.

When she realized that she was awake, only then did alarm bells go off in Luz’s head, and for her to stumble backward, trip, and land on the floor, back against her mattress as she groaned. When she looked at her hands again, she couldn’t stop staring at the little holes in the palms of her hands.

“When did I get these?! I didn’t have holes in my hands yesterday, so why do I have them now?!”Luz thought, panicked as she tried to rationalize the reason she had holes in her hands.

“Mija?! Is everything alright up there? I heard a loud thump!” Her mother called up as Luz instinctively slid her hands into her hoodie pockets. She would deal with whatever that was later.

“I’m alright, Mamá! Just slipped on a stray… piece of paper!” Luz called down, gaining no response. She sighed, taking her hands out of her pockets as she helped herself up. Looking back at her palms, Luz bit the inside of her lip. Deciding to test something, she took her left pointer finger and went to stick it inside of her right hand’s palm hole.

In the best-case scenario, they were just random doodles she did on her hands yesterday.

In the worst-case scenario, the holes were real, and if the holes were real, that meant somethingmust’vehappened to cause them.

Besides, it would be fantastical to believe that the holes werereal. And Luzwasable to separate fantasy from reality, so obviously what was going onhadto be the former. There was just no possible way for it to be the latter.

So, when the fingeractually went into the hole, to say that Luz was beyond confused, concerned, and also atad bitexcited, would be an understatement. Removing the finger from the small finger-sized hole, Luz immediately opened the door to her bedroom and ran down the stairs, her expression riddled with confusion, slight excitement, as well as enthusiasm.

She had to tell her mom! Especially because if her mom didn’t find out sooner rather than later, then the freak-out would probably be worse. That, and perhaps there was a chance that she could avoid going to that summer camp.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she sharply turned into the kitchen, which was where her mother was. “Mamá! Mamá! Look! C’mere! Mamá!” Luz practically shouted, though her mother was on the phone, and more focused on the call. Her expression was confused, too. Luz didn’t know why, but she seemed confused as well. Camila was an immigrant from The Dominican Republic of Spain. As such, much like Luz, she had caramel tan skin, medium-length brown hair, and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a two-piece light blue doctor’s attire, with a pair of black shoes on her feet.

“I don’t understand. What do you mean your son started to breathe fire? Racheal, please calm down. I’m sure he’s just being hysterical. Look, I have to go, my daughter is bugging me. I’m just a vet, so I can’t help you with what your problem is, go to the doctors and have them check it out there” Camila said, hanging up the phone before looking over at Luz. “Hello, Mija, how’re you doin—”

“Mamá! Look! I’ve got holes in my hands!” Luz called out as Camila recoiled, her eyes adjusting to having hands shoved into her face. She saw the small holes before sighing and shaking her head.

“Mija, come now, this is ridiculous. Come here, I’m going to clean your hands, then you gotta get going,” Camila said, not too impressed with what was going on if her annoyed expression was something to go off of.

“No, Mamá! I’m serious! I’m not—”

“Luz, not right now!” Camila said, walking over to the sink and grabbing the cloth that was draped over the sink tap. Rinsing the cloth under warm water with a drop of soap, she walked over to Luz, grabbed her wrist, then began to scrub over the hole. “You need to stop drawing on yourself. That’s something a little girl does. Ahora tienes catorce años, Luz. Empieza a actuar según tu edad!”

Luz frowned. “Mamá! Por favor, just listen to me, I’m not—”

As she scrubbed the “doodle” one of Camila’s fingers brushed over it. As she put more pressure on it, her finger with the clothenteredthe hole, making Camila’s eyes widen. The older Noceda backed away, taking the cloth away from the hand and letting go of Luz’s wrist. Luz shook her hand as she pouted, looking up at her mother with an unamused expression.

“See, I told you Mamá, I’m not lying! I really do have holes in my hands!” Luz exclaimed as Camila looked over to her phone, then back to Luz, then back to her phone, then finally back to Luz. It was then that her motherly panic took over, which caused Camila to once again grab Luz by the wrist and take toward the front door.

“¡Oh Dios mío! Luz! We’re going to the doctor, right now!”

“¡Espera, mamá!”

“No discussion, we’re getting this checked out, now!”

And that was exactly what happened. There was no argument, and there was no fighting about it. Luz was going to the doctor for an impromptu appointment. When they got to the bus station, instead of boarding the bus heading toward the Summer Camp, which funnily enough was not there. Luz, now with Camila, boarded the bus toward the city to take her to the doctor, the entire way Camila was nervously muttering to herself in Spanish, making Luz feel a tad bit uncomfortable.

If what Luz had overhead on the phone conversation was true, perhaps the summer camp was being delayed due to what was going on. If other people were waking up with strange anomalies like the holes in her hands, then maybe the camp was cancelled.

If that were the case, then Luz would be pretty happy with that idea.

When they got there, what the pair were greeted with were several children Luz’s age in a very similar situation. Some kids were floating things with their minds with excitement on their faces, and worry and trepidation from their parents. A few had ice forming on their hands, and a few even had gills on their necks.

If Luz had to describe it, she would probably have to describe it as something ripped out of a fantasy novel. However, if that wasn’t confusing when she walked into the room, there were thin, barely visible strings attached to those with powers. Out of the 50 people in the room, 35 of them had some kind of power, visible or otherwise.

None of the other kids knew about the strings, or if they did they didn’t pay attention to them. Luz blinked in a bout of confusion, and just like that, the strings were gone, which only served to confuse Luz even more.

Why were there strings around those people? Better yet, why didn’t they notice them?“What was that?”Luz thought as she observed the atmosphere of the waiting room. The staff were just as confused as everyone else, trying to organizesomethingto make the area less chaotic. TVs were playing as they usually did. News stories of children 12 to 15 waking up with superpowers across the globe.

It was like a national disaster was being reported on. Some of the news anchors were freaking out, saying it was some sort of secret conspiracy. Of course, it was Fox News who was on, specifically Tucker Carlson, because of course it was.

“Let me guess, your kid got one of those freaky superpowers, too?” The secretary lady asked, catching both Camila’s and Luz’s attention. The pair walked up to the desk as the lady sighed. She looked tired with bags under her eyes. She was wearing a white shirt, and that was all that Luz could see seeing as the counter blocked the rest of her view. “So, does she? If it’s nothing too troublesome we can let you see a doctor right away.”

“I don’t know if it’s troublesome or not, but…. She’s got holes in her hands. I don’t know when they showed up, but—”

“It was probably late last night, that’s what everyone else is saying. So that probably extends to your kid, too,” the secretary interrupted, reclining in her chair, giving luz a glimpse of the lady’s black yoga pants. “Seeing as your kid’s power doesn’t cause any kind of property damage, we’ll let you sneak into one of the doctor’s offices. Quickly, get. The furthest down on the right. Go.”

With that, Camila and Luz went down the hallway. Luz looked back at everyone else in the waiting room, all of them trying to figure out whatever superpower they had gotten. To Luz, it all made no sense. Just yesterday, everything seemed normal. Now all of a sudden everything was warping into some strange amalgamation between fantasy and reality.

In a way, she found it funny. Everyone had been telling her to separate fantasy from reality, and now it was blending together. The irony was palpable.“Suck it, crappy teachers! 1 point for Luz, 0 points for restrictive school!”

When they entered the doctor’s office, they were greeted by a young white-skinned black-haired man, wearing a white doctor's coat. Underneath the coat was a light blue outfit, not too dissimilar to what Camilia was wearing.

“Good morning. I take it you’re in a similar situation as everyone else right now?” The doctor asked as Luz took a seat in front of the doctor, while Camila sat on the sidelines.

“Yes. My daughter woke up this morning and found holes in her hands. At first, I thought she drew on herself again, but this was different. Please, doctor, can you tell me what’s wrong with my baby girl?” Camila asked, her voice almost desperate sounding as Luz recoiled. There was nothing wrong with her. Why had she assumed the holes in her hands were bad? It wasn’t like they hurt or anything.

The doctor motioned if he could see her hands, to which Luz reluctantly accepted, opening her hands up to reveal the small dime-sized hole. The doctor scratched the side of his head in confusion, shrugging his shoulders as he looked over to Camila.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. But… just in case….” And thus, the doctor began a rather standard check-up procedure. When nothing was found wrong with Luz, the doctor scratched the side of his head again, just as puzzled as everyone else. “I can honestly say your daughter is in good health, Mrs…?”

“It’s Ms. And, my name is Camila Noceda. This is my daughter, Luz Noceda. I’m sorry, I should’ve introduced ourselves before this. I was just so caught up in what was going on that I—”

“No, no, it’s quite understandable, Ms. Noceda. However, your daughter is fine. The only thing I could recommend right now is for her to be careful and to wash her hands extra thoroughly. Although, I’d like to ask you, Luz. What’s your perspective on this?” The doctor asked as Luz cleared her throat.

“Uh… well, when I woke up, I didn’t even notice them at first. It was only after I face palmed for something I was thinking about that I saw them. I told my mom, then we came here,” Luz explained as she rubbed the back of her neck. “But when I came into the waiting room and looked at the others… I saw strings. I counted the strings, and all those who had a string had superpowers because others didn’t have strings… the older people, I mean. When I blinked, the strings were gone.”

As Luz finished her explanation, the doctor quirked an eyebrow. “Strings? Did anyone else see them?” The doctor asked as Luz shrugged.

“If they did, they paid no attention to them,” Luz replied as the doctor sighed.

“Alright. Well, my recommendation is the same as before. And if you see those strings again, maybe try seeing what they are. I suspect the government is going to want to know what these powers are about at some point. Try and stay safe. You’re free to leave.”

When the doctor finished, he gestured for the pair to leave his office. The two did as they were silently asked as another older person walked past her and entered the office. As Luz re-entered the waiting room, she saw the strings again. So, she did as the doctor suggested. She reached out toward the string and grabbed it. When she did, small sparks showed up dancing around on her fingers. But nothing happened after that. She removed her hand away from the string, then put her hand into her hoodie pocket.

“Weird….”Luz thought as Camila glanced over at her, then away. Luz felt weird when her mother looked over at her like that. There was a hint of concern in her eyes, yet also… fear? No, that made no sense. Maybe it was because of what she described to the doctor that she was slightly scared of her. But why? Luz had no idea why that was, but she wasn’t going to press it.

When they got home, her mother immediately asked her to sit down. When she did, her mother sat across from her at the table and placed her phone down on the table. There was a picture of Reality Check Summer Camp with big red words saying “Closed till tomorrow”.

“You’re still going there, Luz. I already paid $250 for your admission. I know you don’t like it, but I promise you will come out of it a better person. You’ll meet friends! Bond over classical radio and crunch numbers! Besides, it’s a learning experience, too. What’s so bad about that?”

Luz was taken aback by that, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Huh? ¿De donde viene esto? I never said anything aboutnotliking the idea of going to camp,” Luz said, though it was a lie for the most part. She never did say anything, but she was against it.

Camila sighed, taking her phone back. “I can see it in your eyes. You don’t want to go. I just want to tell you that it’s a good place. I’ve been there myself, so don’t worry about it. Now, I’m going to be late to for work. Do what you want today, but tomorrow, I want you to set your alarm for the same time as this morning. Go do that now before you forget. Te quiero, Luz. I’ll see you after work.”

With that, Camila kissed her forehead, then left the house with the sound of the door closing echoing throughout the now-empty house. Luz sat at the table, slumping forward, her hands on her cheeks as she looked absently at the time on the stove.

It seemed like that she was going to Reality Check Summer Camp after all.“1 point for dull and crappy camp. 0 points to Luz Noceda…. Crap.”

-To Be Continued in – The “Not-so-Dull” Summer Camp Pt 1-

Chapter 2: S1 - Ep 2: The Not So Dull Summer Camp - Pt 1

Chapter Text

[The "Not-So-Dull" Summer Camp – Pt 1]

The day came and went, and the next thing Luz knew, she was up the next morning following the same routine as she had done yesterday; only this time having to drag down a suitcase behind her filled with extra pairs of clothing, some sunscreen in case she ever needed it, a few books, as well as a sketchpad or two so that she had something to do during her off time at the camp.

After an admittedly silent breakfast, Camila said her goodbyes before heading to work, leaving Luz to walk to the bus station just as she was supposed to do yesterday. A part of her wanted to just turn around and go back home and maybe hide somewhere in the house, but she knew her mother would've been rather upset at her for a stunt like that. So, she elected against it.

The walk was an hour long, and when she got to the bus station, she was annoyed by the fact that the bus had actually been there this time around. It was a green and brown coloured school bus with the words: Reality Check Summer Camp plastered on the side of the vehicle in big red letters; as if it wasn't already obvious that it was there for that specific reason.

Standing in front of the doors of the bus was a thin, dark-skinned woman wearing a light green button-down vest, underneath which was an orange shirt. They wore a pair of light brown shorts and long black socks with white air-force ones. Atop their head was a green hat, while underneath said hat, Luz could see that the edges of their hair were black with the front tips of their bangs being dyed green. In their hand was a clipboard, and when they saw Luz, a small smile appeared on their face.

"Hello, are you here for Reality Check Summer Camp?" The woman asked as Luz nodded unenthusiastically. The woman hummed and then nodded. "Name please?"

"Luz Noceda."

"Ah! Alright," The woman said, looking down at their list before checking something off. Luz was about to get on the bus when the woman stopped her. "Hold on, there'sonemore question I'm legally supposed to ask you before you enter the bus," the woman began as they flipped the paper on their clipboard to reveal yet another piece of paper. "With what's been going on recently, higher-ups want to know whether or not you have a superpower or not. Don't worry, we ask all children who board the bus that question, so don't think much of it."

Luz blinked at that. "Why…?" She questioned, a hint of apprehension in her tone as the woman sighed. Not a sigh out of frustration mind you, but more like a "they had been forced to read off of a script the whole time, and that this question didn't have a scripted answer" kind of sigh. Luz had been in that situation before, namely for group projects when school was still up and running; you know, before summer break?

"Well, you see…." The woman began, keeping up the happy-go-lucky "smile at everything that moves" façade they had been holding onto since the beginning of their conversation, only for it to drop to a more annoyed one. Once again, not annoyed at Luz, but more like they had been annoyed that they couldn't default to a scripted answer, and had to make one up on the spot.

"Honestly kid, I don't know. Higher-ups won't tell us squat. Just answer the question, please. You'll be able to board the bus either way," the woman tried to assure Luz, although it didn't work.

Now Luzreallydidn't want to go to the camp. A part of her was worried that the place was a little bit more of the… deceitful kind than what they were advertising themselves to be. If they were asking questions likethat, just how much more did they want to know about her?

Luz was never a paranoid person, but she did get uncomfortable when mega-corporations started asking strange questions about her personal life. Unless it was a doctor or her mamá, no one else needed to know about how the inner workings of Luz Noceda went.

However, Luz knew that if she turned backnow, it would've made no real sense to do so. What else was she going to tell her mamá? That she walked away after being assured she could go on the bus regardless of her new-found, mystery hole-hand power?

Honestly, she was banking on them not accepting people with superpowers, but seeing as that wasnotthe case, Luz had no real choice but to continue forward. Of course, she couldlieto her mama; but that was only something rotten, nasty, and mean people did, and Luz was decidedly none of those things. So, seeing as she had no other option, she decided to spill the beans on her superpower, even though she barely understood it herself.

"Well, I do. All I got are these holes in my hands, and I can see strings connecting to other people with superpowers. That's it…." Luz responded as the woman nodded, allowing her to continue up the stairs and into the bus. Once she did, the woman followed in behind her, leading Luz to believe something that she had been sure was the truth since the beginning.

"Guess I'm the only one from Gravesfield to actually be going here…. Lucky me!"Luz thought wearily as she stepped into the aisle between each row of seats, her eyes glancing over all the people inside who were chatting with one another. A common thing she was beginning to notice when it came to her and buses was that the seats were almost always full when she boarded, relegating her to the back of the bus.

And so, to the back of the bus, she went.

A Luz meandered her way to the back, she noticed that almost everyone in the bus, minus 7 of the other kids as well as the driver, and the lady she just talked to, had superpowers; that was if the strings she saw indicated anything.

Most of them weren't visible powers like gills, bug eyes, or whatever the news had been reporting on yesterday aboutstrange mutantsthat some of the hacks on CNN and Fox News have been saying lately. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Regardless of what it entailed, at least she knew she wasn't going to be the only one with superpowers.

Out of the 40 kids on the bus, 33 of them had superpowers. That was quite the difference. Oh, and she was counting herself in that group of 33, so excluding her that would've meant that 32 kids other than her had superpowers on this bus, but what did that matter?

When she got to where the only remaining seat was, she noticed that it had someone else sitting there already, with only the aisle side portion of the seat being available.

The kid in question was a girl. She had long pale-blonde hair, pale skin, and light green eyes. She was wearing a white sleeveless blouse with a flowery collar as well as a pair of blue jeans, the cuffs at the bottom of which were rolled up to stop them from going past her ankles. She was wearing light brown ankle boots for footwear, though they looked a little dirty with splotches of dried mud on the edges of the boots.

There was a little flower pin in her hair, and her face rounded, just like most other girls their shared age; or well, she assumed they were the same age. Not that Luzcaredper se, but that was beside the point.

Overall, if Luz had any say in what to think of the person in front of her, Luz would say that she was, objectively speaking, pretty. Almost unnaturally so. However, looking past that, with the calm look she had on her face, she also judged immediately that she was nice. She had nothing to base that on, so naturally, she assumed that to be the case.

Putting her suitcase underneath the seat, she sat next to the other kid, who glanced at her. "Uh… hello," Luz began as the girl smiled.

"Good morning," the girl replied, placing her hands comfortably atop her legs in an overlapping manner. The first thing that Luz thought of was just how fancy that seemed. No one in Gravesfield sat like that, and so that was when the second question kinda just… came out with no real forethought.

"Are you rich?"

The suddenness of the question made the girl blink in confusion. "What gave you that idea?" The girl asked, though there was no hint of annoyance in her tone, more or less just shock. Luz realized what she had blurted out, then sank into herself a little.

"Uh… sorry, I was just thinking out loud…. I didn't mean to upset you," Luz said as the girl quietly giggled to herself, making Luz raise an eyebrow. She… wasn't mad? Most people were mad at her for blurting stuff like that out. Or, for just talking to them in the first place.

"No, it's alright. I've had people ask me that a lot, so I'm used to that question," the girl replied as Luz felt a wave of relief brush over her. "But, to answer your question, yes. My mother and father are wealthy. They're oil tycoons," the girl said, sighing. A sombre expression came to her face for just a split second, before disappearing at a moment's notice. "May I ask for your name?"

Luz chuckled awkwardly at that. She felt like an idiot. Only now did she realize just how rude it was for her to not introduce herself to the girlbeforeasking that "are you rich" question to her. So, she made up for that by giving the girl her name. "Names Luz! Luz Noceda, nice to meet ya, uh…?"

"Oh, right! Julia, Julia Wittebane of the former English noble family of the Wittebanes," Julia replied, though her expression made it clear that what she was saying was some sort of rehearsed introduction. "But, please, call me Julie. It's what most of my friends call me, and… well, you seem like a nice person… so…?"

Luz's eyes widened, followed by a small pink colour dusting her cheeks. It was barely visible, though. Just the idea of someone asking her to be their friend was enough for her to be ecstatic, but someone nice asking that same thing? Well, sign her the heck up! "Uh…. Sure! I don't see why not!" Luz said as Julia smiled.

But, before Julia could continue speaking, another voice made itself known. "Alright everyone, listen up!" The voice of the woman from the front of the bus called out. Everyone within the bus quieted down as she gained their undivided attention. With a smile on her face, she continued.

"This will be a rather long bus ride to the camp, around 10 hours or so. We will be making pitstops at gas stations to refuel the bus when need be, so at that time, it is suggested that you gointo the gas stationto purchase some snacks or whatnot; don't worry, you'll be allowed to eat and drink on the bus, so long as you clean up afterward. If you don't have any money to buy anything, ask the person you're sitting next to for a couple of bucks to get something. This will be your first "lesson" at the camp, so to speak. Loans, and how to pay them off properly. 'Course that's up to the person next to you to decide whether or not they'd consider it a loan or an act of giving to the needy. Either way, the idea is simple enough. Get comfortable, it's going to be a long trip! Hands and feet in your seats at all times, but if you can't help it, that's fine too. Those with superpowers, keep it to yourselves. No overly loud shouting, Yadda-yadda-yadda, you know the drill, standard field-trip procedure, let's go!"

After that announcement, the woman sat down in one of the front seats as the bus began to start up, and for the doors to close. When the bus began to move, Luz jolted forward from the sudden bounce of the tires. Julia giggled to herself at the sight making the teen flush with slight embarrassment. "I take it your sense of balance isn't the best?" Julia questioned as Luz frowned.

"Well… Ididtry out for being a cheerleader at the school. It… didn't work out," Luz replied as Julia nodded.

"I see. Well, the point is that you tried, right? As my mother told me once: If you don't try something, and give it your honest effort, then what's the point in saying you don't like it? Honestly, it's admirable of you to try something that could seem so daunting. I know I wouldneverlet myself do that. I guess I'm a bit more… reserved than most others. Especially with what's been happening recently…." Julia said, looking over to the window of the bus, avoiding meeting Luz's eyes.

Luz quirked an eyebrow at that. "Do you mean the whole "people randomly waking up with superpowers?"" Luz questioned as Julia glanced back over to Luz, nodding her head slightly.

"Yes, that would be correct. Our family has had… a rough go of things as of late. Being related to a rich oil tycoon leads to… well, perilous situations. But, I'd rather not get into that. With people now gaining superpowers my father has been worried that perhaps some of the people who want us dead might have gotten some. The whole purpose of sending me to this camp was to protect me and help further my education with school being out for the summer."

Julia paused for a moment, pursing her lips as she bit back a sigh, instead taking in a deep breath before facing Luz. Luz only saw it for a split second, but there was a look of conflict in her eyes. It was almost as if she was having trouble with the idea of asking whatever it was that she wanted to say. Luz knew that feeling all too well, especially when it came to her past teachers.

But, that was beside the point. This wasn't about her, this was about Julia. Speaking of whom, the conflict in the pale blonde's eyes disappeared and was replaced with a hint of resolve as she asked the question that was on her mind. "On the topic of superpowers…. Do you have one?"

Without so much as hesitating, Luz flipped over her hands to reveal the holes in their palms. "I got these things. I don't know what they do, mostly because I never tried to use them for anything yet. Aside from that, I can see strings that attach to other people with superpowers, but that's about it. And…!" Luz blinked, and sure enough, just as she had assumed as to how the "invisible strings" worked, there was one pointing directly toward Julia. Oddly enough, or more like coincidentally enough, the string was pointing toward Julia's forehead.

"Come to think of it, it was the same with that other kid in the doctor's office. All the strings were pointing toward their heads. I wonder why?"Luz thought as she blinked again. "You have one, too. My power doesn't lie, so…? What about you?" Luz questioned as Julia's eyes widened in shock for a split second, before turning back to their normal calm, not shocked wideness.

"Ah, yes. Well, this is what I can do…." As soon as Julia said that, thick green vines began to wrap around her fingers. Luz opened her mouth in awe, her eyes sparkling with wonder, well metaphorically sparkling, that was. Julia giggled, the vines retreating into her fingers. "Of course, I can extend them past the tip of my fingers, but I don't know to what extent…."

Luz smiled at that. "Well, maybe at the camp you could test yourself with your power. I mean, you'll be in a wide open space, so I don't see how that could be such a bad idea, right?"

Julia hummed at the response, then lazily shrugged her shoulders. "I for one don't mind that idea, but I think I'd have to do it in secret. I doubt the staff would want anyone to use their powers if it could be helped," Julia said as Luz nodded.

That was another thing that she felt was strange about this whole scenario. Hell, it all felt so bizarre. Why the camp was even opening amongst such chaos? When the Ebola outbreak happened, the whole world, or at least parts of the world, ground to a halt. If something so chaotic as every young teenager across the globe, or at least a good majority of them, suddenly woke up with superpowers, wouldn't the government want to take control of the situation?

To Luz, it was almost as if those in power either didn't care enough to do something about it, or they themselves were panicking to get everyone wrapped together into doing something about it. Then again, it wasn't all too surprising considering who it was who was in power right now. Then again, Luz was exactly too bothered by this, you know, except for actually having to go to the camp.

"Well… If Ididn'tgo to this stupid camp, I wouldn't have met Julia… maybe this won't be so bad after all?"Luz thought as she looked over to Julia, who had gone back to staring out the window. The way she watched the cars pass by them almost looked like she was gazing on in nostalgia. Julia glanced back to Luz, then yawned, covering her mouth with one of her hands.

"Sorry, Luz. I'm a little tired… say, wake me up once we get to any pit stops, will you?" Julia asked as Luz nodded.

"Sure thing!"

Julia smiled. "Thank you, Luz…." With that, Julia turned her head in the other direction, and leaned against the back of the chair, before closing her eyes. It only seemed to take the pale blonde about a few seconds before falling asleep. Luz kind of envied that. It usually took her an hour at best to go to sleep. Then again that mostly had to do with the fact that she never seemed to run out of energy. Even right now, Luz had only just noticed that this whole time she had been tapping her foot against the metal floor of the bus for the last five or so minutes she was talking with Julia.

Luz sighed. Just as the bus attendant at the front had said; this was going to be a very long ride.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 3: S1 - Ep 3: The Not So Dull Summer Camp - Pt 2

Chapter Text

[The "Not-So-Dull" Summer Camp – Pt 2]

"What do you mean you're commandeering the camp?!" A pale-skinned man with black hair spoke out in a tiny little remote office just off to the side of the Reality Check Summer Camp camping grounds.

The man was wearing a brown button-down vest and a purple shirt underneath. For legwear, he wore a pair of standard beige shorts with long white socks. For footwear, he wore a pair of black leather hiking boots with steel toes inside. The man had a rather bushy mustache on his upper lip, and a soul patch forming on his chin. He was rather muscular, though not all that much in comparison to the person in front of him.

The person in question was wearing a black two-piece suit with a white dress shirt underneath, over top of which was a black tie. Their hair was dark brown, and their eyes were a deep blue. Mixed with their white skin, they looked to be your stereotypical FBI agent, minus the sunglasses and wiretap connected to their ear.

"With all due respect, counsellor Johnson, this is for the safety of the people of Connecticut. I'm sure you understand, no?" The man asked as Johnson rocketed up from his chair, slamming his hands onto the desk with enough force to shake the table.

"With all due respect, Governor, I quite frankly do not agree to this! In fact, you didn't even approachmeto say it was okay for you to do this! I already had everything planned out! You can't just waltz up in here and—"

"You're right," The Governor interrupted, reclining in the wooden chair that he was offered when he first walked into the building to begin their current discussion. "I didn't speak to you about it. I spoke to your boss, counsellor Johnson. Do you want to know what they said? They said that I was free to do whatever I pleased. You'reluckyI decided to speak with you about this to at least make sure you were aware of the current situation, to begin with."

As the Governor spoke, his blank expression turned to one of unamusem*nt, as he folded his arms across his chest while narrowing his eyes at the counsellor. Johnson guffawed at the blatant nonchalance that the Governor was giving off, leading to him getting even angrier. But, instead of screaming his face off, he composed himself, not wanting to continue to let the Governor to get a rise out of him.

No. Instead, his eyes left the Governor of Connecticut's face and panned down to see something in front of his desk that the man in front of him had placed there.

There was a folder that had been placed on the desk labelled asTOP SECRET.The Governor had put it there at the beginning of the meeting, which had immediately dictated the tone of the conversation at hand. Then he had mentioned that he was commandeering the camp, which had only added to the further mounting stress the counsellor was feeling.

But to top it off, The Governor had now made it clear that Johnson had no choice but to follow along with what he had in mind. And what he had in mind had to have been in that folder.

"Go on, open it. It contains the new schedule this camp will be undergoing for the foreseeable future, counsellor," the Governor explained as the counsellor took the file and opened it, flipping through the pages within with a steadily alarmed expression. The more he read, the more his eyes widened in shock.

"You… you can't be serious!? These arechildren, Governor! What the hell is—"

"You will be doing it, regardless," the Governor interrupted yet again, his tone leaving no room for argument as his eyes narrowed even more at the counsellor, who had just looked up from the folder, a look of shock and disgust on his face.

"But if you're so against doing it yourself, then I will take the job off of your hands. After all, I have found myself with progressively more free time as of late, so I don't see why not. That way you can attend to the rest of the people who will actually go through with your mundane camp," The Governor said as he leaned forward, making the counsellor lean backward in slight fear.

"These people, these children—as you were so keen to point out—are dangerous. They are biological weapons. While they did notchooseto be that way, the government, I.E. myself for the state of Connecticut, have to keep the people's best interest in mind. To keep their safety in mind. Besides, counsellor, it's not as if we're torturing them, now are we? Think of this as a… I don't know, a boot camp of sorts? No, more like a survivalist camp. We've increased your funding for the project anyway, so why are you complaining?" The Governor asked as the counsellor clamped his jaw shut.

The Governor laughed, relaxing his arms as he stood up. "See! I knew I could talk some sense into you, counsellor Johnson. Besides, who needs to know algebra and complex maths when you can be learning how to serve this great nation?"

"This isn't right…." Johnson murmured, shaking his head. In response, the Governor shrugged.

"What's right and what's wrong doesn't matter in the end. As I said, counsellor Johnson, I and now you, have a duty to uphold. Those kids will be getting here in the next three hours, correct? When they do, separate those with and without superpowers based on the list we sent you over email, which you can print out easily. Those that are without powers can attend the regular camp. Those with? Well, you read the new schedule. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out, now will it?" The Governor asked as Johnson sighed in defeat.

"Yeah… it wouldn't betoodifficult to do, Governor." As Johnson said that, the Governor smiled.

"Very good, counsellor Johnson. I look forward to meeting our newsuper soldiersin the coming hours." With that, the Governor of Connecticut left the small wooden office building that belonged to Camp Counsellor Darek Johnson. Putting down the folder, Darek looked over to his desktop computer as a list of names appeared alongside their status.

"33 out of 40 of these kids have superpowers. 7 of those kids won't have to go through with this, so they can stay with the rest of the regular staff. The rest go with The Governor and his men…. I'm sorry, but I have no choice. Please, God, forgive me, because I'm sending these children to their doom…."

xxXXxxXXxx

Luz had a hard time trying to stay awake during the entirety of the bus ride. In fact, she was fairly certain she had nearly fallen asleep, or flat out did on numerous occasions, but quickly woke herself up in case she missed the bus stop at a gas station; which she nearly did. So, being the nice friend that she was, she woke Julia up and the two went into the gas station as they were told to by the bus attendant.

Luz ended up getting a medium bag of pretzel sticks and a soft drink, specifically co*ke-a-Cola, while Julia got herself one of those crappy gas station salads that wereway toopricey to actually be good. Of course, the two also went to the bathroom before that, but that was not important.

When they got backonthe bus, the pair sat in the same seat as they sat in before, only this time Luz had the window side while Julia sat on the aisle side. After a small conversation about their favourite type of pets—Luz's being puppies for very, very obvious reasons, and finding out that Julia was more of a fish person, once everyone else boarded the bus ride continued yet again.

Once Luz finished her food, she was able to get some sleep this time around, about 4 hours, to be exact. and when the bus stopped again, it was when they were at the camp. By this time, it was fairly dark out, seeing as it was around 8:35 PM, at least according to Julia's phone.

One by one, everyone was filed off the bus. She couldn't see out the windows due to how dark it was, and the lack of any street lights didn't help the matter. It sent a chill down Luz's spine for some reason or another, and because of that, she got a bad feeling about… something. Taking her suitcase from underneath her seat at the back of the bus, she was escorted out of the bus by the attendant, who didn't get off with her, which already raised alarm bells.

She still couldn't see a thing, which unnerved her. She couldn't see Julia either, nor any of the other kids. "Hello?!" Luz called out, only to get nothing in reply. She looked all around her, only to find no one else. The bus began to back out of the little spot in the woods where it had parked, and as soon as it did, Luz felt a sharp and sudden pain in the back of her head. She had no time to react, as she immediately fell to the floor.

And then, she was out like a light. When she came to, she found herself laying atop something. Slowly sitting up, she looked down to see it was a bed. Her eyes were still getting used to the sudden influx of light, a groan leaving her as she looked around the room. Or, well, less of a room and more like a massive green tent. The ground was just that, ground, and the bed she was in was held up by a metal frame.

When her eyes finally adjusted, she saw that she wasn't the only person in a metal-framed bed. There were others. 32 others, to be exact, and one by one they all started to wake up. As they did, a figure moved into the tent through a throw-open door flap that most tents of this scale had.

The person in question was wearing a camouflage uniform, a camouflage hat, a pair of sunglasses, and a pair of brown leather boots. They were dressed like a soldier, and because of that, once again, just like last night—assuming it was daytime, alarm bells rang throughout Luz's head.

"Alright, everyone! Get up! You got 10 minutes to be ready and out to the field. You don't want to know what happens if you don't. Get going!" The man shouted earning several confused mutters and groans throughout the whole tent. He sneered, but turned around and left.

"Luz…?" A soft, tired-sounding voice spoke up to her left, which she recognized to be Julia's.

"Julie…? Are you alright? Did you get a sudden pain in the back of your head too?" Luz asked the barely conscious teen, who nodded as she sat up, cupping her forehead with a look of pain in her eyes.

"Yes. I think we might've been kidnapped…."

"Kidnapped?!" A loud voice to Luz's right spoke up as a boy with presumably dyed green hair spoke, eyes wide. He had caramel brown skin similar to Luz's own and was wearing a white and green striped shirt. He had flipped the covers off of his lower half, revealing a pair of rainbow shorts. "That can't be right!? Who would kidnap a bunch of teenagers?!"

"Sick freaks, that's who…." A voice from in front of Luz said, the voice belonging to what appeared to be a goth girl. She had caramel brown eyes, tan skin, and black hair. She was wearing a long black dress with a white bow at the border between said dress and a light brown turtle neck shirt. "Name's Carla, by the way."

"Right…." Luz said, rubbing the back of her head, a phantom pain still making the back of her head ache. "Well, we should probably do as they ask, right? I don't want to know what happens if we're late," Luz suggested as everyone else who had just been as confused as well as everyone else, started to leave their beds. Oddly enough, a pattern that Luz had noticed was that they all still had their shoes on.

"Maybe that Carla girl was right…! These people are sick freaks! Who lets anyone sleep with shoes on?!"Luz thought, clearing her thoughts as she made her way toward the exit of the tent, adopting a more serious mindset… if that was even possible."Focus, Luz! You were just kidnapped by some guy in a military uniform. I've seen enough death-game anime to know where this is going… just keep a rational head, and don't do or say anything dumb like you normally do!"

As she walked out of the tent, a line had formed just in front of and behind her. In front of her were the two people she had just met, the nameless orange-haired boy, and Carla, while behind her was Julia, who looked on edge, her eyes dancing from left to right constantly. She had her guard up, which was a pretty good idea considering, well, everything.

When they got out and into the field, they were bombarded by blue skies and the bright light of the sun, cementing that it was, indeed, daytime. On top of that, they were met with two other people in camouflage clothing, and a man in a black, two-piece suit.

The man in question was tall, really tall, maybe six feet tall if Luz had to guess. He was also muscular, kind like those wrestlers her mamáwould watch from time to time on the TV. He wore a tie around his neck, as well as a white dress shirt underneath his suit. His hair was dark brown, and his eyes were light blue. Both of his hands were behind his back, and the look in his eyes was judgemental to say the very least.

"Who the hell are you?! You don't look like the camp counsellor or any counsellor for that matter!" One of the other kids said as Luz glanced over to where the voice belonged to. The person in question looked like your stereotypical upper-middle-class kid. Blond hair, white shirt, black jeans, thin as a stick and paler than lard. The man sighed, shaking his head.

"Iam the Governor of this fine State, thank you very much. Mynameis Rodger Maxwell. That's Mr. Rodger Maxwell toyou, Kennedy Jenkins," The Governor, aka Rodger Maxwell said, causing the boy to freeze in place, the colour draining from his face in starch fear.

And he wasn't the only one who felt their hearts drop. Luz was one of those people. TheGovernorof the very State she lived in Kidnapped them? For what purpose? Was her stupid guess right? Was she really being put into a death-game scenario?! She had played and watchedfartoo much Danganronpa to know howthatwould end if that were the case.

Luckily for her, she didn't have to voice that question. Someone else did.

"Why did you kidnap us?" A shockingly calm, yet also slightly on edge voice spoke out. The person the voice belonged to was a rather thin yet tall girl. She, unlike most of the people there, was darker skinned. Although, there were parts of her arms and even some parts of her face that were lighter, or sometimes even white. She heard her mamá talk about something called Vitiligo. She didn't fully pay attention to what she had said, but it was something along the lines of pigment in the skin being lost over time.

The girl was wearing a black crop top that exposed her midriff, as well as a pair of jean shorts with pockets dangling from the outside of said shorts. She also looked older than everyone else in there, maybe 17, or hell, maybe even 18. Her hair was long and white, which added further credence to the whole "Vitiligo" thing.

Rodger hummed at the question, raising an eyebrow. "Kidnap? No, I think you misunderstand.Thisis Reality Check Summer Camp. But, with a twist," Rodger began as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "With the sudden awakening of Superpowers all across America, the government has decided to use facilities such as this place to, well, facilitate the monitoring of said powers that you lot have."

"Huh?"

"To put it simply; plans have changed. What was originally going to be a regular, boring, mundane camp meant for breaking your spirits and turning you into cubicle working wage-slaves, has now been transformed for the sole purpose of finding out just what kind of powers you have, and what it is they can do, by simulating a high functioning stress simulator meant to train soldiers who are about to go out to war, once again, with a twist. Said activity is a little-known thing I like to call:Civil War."

There was nothing but silence amongst the group of 33 teenagers of varying ages. But, if there was one thing that they were all feeling at that one moment that they could collectively agree on, it was fear. Fear for the unknown, and fear of whatever the hell this "civil war" activity was going to be.

But, almost as if Governor Rodger Maxwell could read minds, he answered the unspoken question. "Now, I get the feeling you alldon'tknow what that means. So, allow me to enlighten you." Rodger began as he took both of his hands out of his pockets, placed the right one behind his back, and the left one by his side as he began to pace back and forth.

"The 33 of you will be divided into 3 different factions of 11 people. One group will be known asFoxtrot, another will be known asThe Alpha Squadron, and the third will be known asThe Heavens Devils. Each group of three will be given a map as to where their base camp will be, andonlywheretheirbase camp will be, not anyone else's camp."

The silence was the only thing that The Governor got in response. A feeling of dread washed over everyone, including Luz. Faces distorted in concern, worry, and strangely enough, intrigue littered the crowd as Rodger smirked. Almost as if that was the reaction he was looking for.

Luz looked over to Julia, who seemed to be attentive, paying attention to every word as if it was the last thing she would be hearing till the day she died. Her eyes glimmered in anger, repulsion, and fury; yet that ever-calm expression did not display any of that. In a way, Luz now grew to envy Julia for that characteristic, because compared to her, Luz probably looked like a frightened dog whimpering as they were chained up to be shot in the face point blank with a shotgun.

"Wow… I playwaytoo much Wolfenstein ifthatwas the first thing I thought of…."

"Great! At least I know you all are paying attention!" Luz was snapped out of her thoughts when Governor Rodger spoke up again. "Now, behind me is a forest. In that forest you will be suspected to survive thewholesummer; otherwise… well, I don't think I need to tell you what the opposite of survival is. The simulation will end when either the time is up, or if two of the three groups areeliminated. And I don't just mean eliminated via some sort of tacky game of tag. I meaneliminated.Killed.Wiped off the face of the Earth. Only the 11 best, or hell, maybe even less than that, will be allowed to go home following a non-disclosure agreement being signed by the winners, or in the worst case scenario, winner."

Shock. Disgust. And vocal protests were what the Governor was met with. All until the two soldiers behind him drew out some variant of semi-automatic weaponry, which immediately caused everyone in the crowd to shut up, and for the fear of God to be put in anyone who saw it.

"Now, now, I'm sure there's no need to bear arms in front of children. Put your weapons down, men. It's unnecessary," Rodger said as the soldiers did as they were told. Afterward, with a look of amusem*nt on his face, Rodger asked a rather simple question, yet that question held far more weight than anything of its sort should have been able to have.

"Now…any questions?"

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 4: S1 - Ep 4: The Not So Dull Summer Camp - pt 3

Chapter Text

[The "Not-So-Dull" Summer Camp – Pt 3]

There was nothing but suffocating silence, terror, and dread filling the air. For a solid minute and a half, no one answered the call to ask a question about this horrendous scenario. As far as Luz was concerned, she wanted nothing to do with this. But, with the threat of being most likely gunned down if an attempt was made to escape, Luz also knew that that option was thrown right out the window. There was no escaping this, which only made the dread in her heart feel even worse.

The Governor was waiting patiently, looking at his watch every now and again to check the time. It was almost as if he was wanting there to be questions, considering he made no moves to actually start the "game" as he was calling it. But Luz knew better."This isn't a game…. This is murder with extra steps!"Luz thought, balling her right hand into a fist as she looked at the ground.

Luz felt powerless. Hell, she was pretty sure everyone felt that in some way. But for her, it was even more so than that. All she had were holes in her hands and invisible strings connected to those with superpowers. What was she going to be able to do in a situation like this against people without powers!? Hell, she didn't even know what the stringsdid. All she knew was that they made her fingers spark red!

Luz wanted to do something, anything! But there was really nothing that she could do. If she had to compare it to something she had read in The Good Witch Azura, it would be where Azura was stuck in a lose-lose situation, with no hope of getting out.

Except, unlike here, Azura did have a way to escape. Luz did not. And because of that, the feeling of being powerless increased tenfold

"Everyone else in this place has stronger, better powers than myself, even Julia does! If I'm caught off guard by someone who has murder on their mind…."

A wave of dread washed over her as a horrifying idea welled its way through her head."Oh, Dios mío! I could die here!"The dread on her face was visible to anyone who looked at her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her slightly. Luz looked over to where the hand came from, only to find Julia, a concerned look on her face.

"Are you alright?" Julia whispered as Luz sucked back a shaky breath, nodding. Julia looked unconvinced but didn't bother to say anything else, only nodding in reply.

The silence furthered for a little while longer, the Governor now seemingly becoming impatient. It was only when another minute passed that someone spoke up.

"What is the incentive to clearing this so-called "Civil war" outside of going home to our families?" A rough-sounding voice said as almost everyone turned to look at who it was who asked the question.

The person was tan in colour, and the top of a skull tattoo was exposed through his white undershirt's neck hole. He looked like one of those Olympic track runners in terms of his body build, height, and posture. His hands were behind his back, almost as if he had been lined up to join the army. His expression was calm, unwavering in whatever he was feeling at the moment. Those around him stepped away, looks of fear on their faces as The Governor smirked.

"Finally. About damn time someone spoke up," the man muttered under his breath as he looked at the teen in question. "Good question, Stanley Richardson. Outside of going home to their families, those who survive will get a cash prize of 1.1 Billion dollars split up between those that make it out of this alive. You'll also have access to training equipment to fully enhance your abilities, and…! You'll be given a free pass to use your power whenever you want in public, at least, in the State of Connecticut. This is not to mention any crimes you commit here will be swept under the rug. And I do meanany crime."

The part about the "use your power wherever you feel like within the borders of Connecticut" no one really seemed to care about. It was the first, second, and last thing that he mentioned that made everyone's eyes widen. 1.1BillionDollarssplit between those who lived, have access to proper training, andany crimethat gets committed within this"game"getting swept under the rug?! It was almost like he was asking for atrocities to be committed! Luz just hoped that no one got the wrong idea to do anything, well…too heinous. You know, outside of murder, which was already bad.

"I see… thank you for answering, Governor," Stanley replied as he rolled his neck to the left. The Governor nodded, crossing his arms as he gave everyone else another once-over.

"Do we have any other questions that need to be asked?"

"How will we obtain food and water, sir?" shockingly enough, it was Julia who asked that question. The Governor nodded, clearing his throat.

"There will be care packages that drop every weekend. It'll be a free-for-all as to who gets the food. However, every base has enough rations to last until the first care package. Or longer, though that depends on your food management," The Governor stated, earning a nod from Julia. "Is there anything else?"

The silence was all he was met with, which allowed him to conclude that the questioning period was over. "Alright then. If there are no more questions, let's get to forming the factions, shall we? First, let's start with the leaders of the groups. For The Heaven's Devils, Kennedy Jennkins will be put in charge!" The Governor announced, pointing in the direction of the previously unseen flag banisters for each faction.

The one for The Heavens Devils was a black flag with a yellow halo and devil horns sticking out from beside said halo. Kennedy didn't seem to be too stressed out with the idea of leading a group, and had no hesitation in walking over to the flag and standing next to it.

"Next one up is Emilia Worstoch, who will lead Foxtrot!"

An orange-haired pale skinned teen, probably no older than 14, wearing a thick black jacket covering most of her body, minus her legs which had long knee-length red stalkings, walked up to a red flag with a fox logo smack dab in the center of said flag. She looked just as scared as everyone else did, which was pretty much a given.

"And finally, for The Alpha Squadron, their leader will be….Luz Noceda!"

Luz's heartdropped."Me? A leader?! W-what the hell?! Why!""Huh?! Why me?!" Luz said as the Governor shrugged, a nondescript expression on his face.

"I'm just picking from random. Now go stand by your flag, Ms. Noceda," The Governor said as Luz bit back whatever snarky remark she was going to make, and did as she was told. When she got to the flag, she glanced at it and shivered. It was a pair of knives aligned in the form of the United States Flag. The Governor looked over the leaders, then nodded to himself.

"Alright. Now that that's done, everyone, go where you see fit. Remember, theremustbe 10 other people per team, totalling 11 members on each faction. After which you will be led by one of these fine gentlemen," The Governor paused to gesture to the soldiers, who nodded; "to your camps! Is everyone clear on that?"

A series of partial to full agreements were what The Governor was given in the response, to which he huffed."Before we start, I must state this now. For the first 24 hours, there will be a grace period. This means that until 9:00 AM tomorrow, no attacking, violence, or whatever may occur to the other factions. After that? Prison Rules, which means no rules. You're free to do whatever you want, with the obvious no attempting to escape." After the Governor said his piece, he gave everyone one last glance, before smirking. "Alright. Go!"

Almost immediately, Julia walked toward Luz, followed by Carla. The rest of the people that followed Julia were people that Luz didn't know the name of. Once everyone had been equally divided, The Governor had signalled the soldiers to take them to their camps. There were no words exchanged between anyone after that point.

All Luz could do was walk in silence, occasionally looking next to her to see what Julia was doing. She had let no indication show that she was either scared or fearful for what was to come. She was stone cold, only blinking and checking her surroundings every so often.

Her thoughts were filled with dread. All she could think about was the situation she was in, and… her mother."Mamá… this… no, I can't blame her, she knew nothing…."Luz thought, biting the inside of her lip.

It took another hour before they were brought to their base, which was surrounded by massive wooden walls and blocked off by a drawstring gate. The soldiers let them in, then closed the gate on them afterwards, the big wooden wall slamming shut with a thud. The flags of their Faction flew high into the air, the walls towering over them, reaching almost up to the trees in height.

The inside of the base washuge. There was a massive camping station with log seats and a pile of firewood off to the immediate right of the entrance. There were three log cabins with log roofs, all of which were positioned in the back, with gravel paths leading to them. There was another house split up with two entrances with male and female signs—in other words, the bathrooms.

There was what appeared to be a small farm, though Luz doubted they'd need it. It being there in the first place however made an awful feeling well up in her chest. What if they were going to be kept there forlongerthan the summer? What other things were the Governor and his soldiers going to do to them if given the chance?

"Don't think about that. That'snotwhat's happening. Everything will be alright… for the most part…."Luz thought as she turned to face everyone else, keeping herself calm and composed. "Alright, everyone! If we're going to work together, I need names. Does anyone have a piece of paper? Or maybe something to write on?"

Silence, for all of a few seconds, as someone stepped up, holding a small notepad with a pen. "I got a notebook and a pen!"

The person in question was pretty short, maybe 4 foot 1, at best, and 3 foot 11 at worst. She had shoulder-length black hair, and tan skin, and was wearing a plain white t-shirt, a pair of dark blue shorts with black ankle socks, and a pair of Nike runners. Luz took the notebook and pen, a strained smile on her face. Clicking the back of the pen, she wrote down her name and Julia's, before looking at the girl who gave her the notepad. "What's your name?"

The smaller teen smiled, putting her arms behind her back. "Arla Thatcher! I would say it's nice to meet you, but… due to the circ*mstances, I wouldn't call it, well, nice…."

"I feel the same way, so no hard feelings," Luz replied as she wrote down the name. "Alright. All say your names… uh… ten seconds after the other, that way I can write them down. Okay?" Luz said, her tone awkward as everyone mumbled in the group of 8, outside of Arla and Julia, looked at one another. After a few seconds, someone spoke up.

"Judy Valentina," A pale-skinned girl with dyed half-pink and half-brown hair said. She was wearing a black leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders, a white ripped shirt underneath, and a pair of ripped jeans with black leather boots for footwear. "A pleasure to meet you, captain."

Luz nodded, the same strained smile on her face as she wrote down Judy's name.

"Ronny Armstrong!" A tan-skinned boy shouted. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and green shorts and white runners. Luz nodded, before also writing down his name.

"Jean Pierre," A white-skinned boy with a french accent said. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt, with a pair of long black yoga pants and green trainers on. His hair was silver and had been flat-topped, almost like a hat.

"Stanley Richardson." Luz already knew who that was. She was a bit shocked that he had joined her faction, but at least she knew that someone…boldhad joined them."If he was bold enough to ask the question he did to the Governor, maybe he would be a good ally?"

"Theodore Jackson," A dark-skinned boy said, crossing his arms over his black and yellow shirt. He was wearing a pair of zebra-coloured pants, and black high-tops. He also had a golden loop earring hanging from his right ear.

"Carla Tsunata." Once again, Luz knew who that was. She seemed nice enough from her introduction back at the tent, so she was glad to have both Julia and Carla on her team.

"Johnny Marshal!" When she looked up at who said the name, Luz recognized the boy. He was the one with the dyed orange hair from the tent. Another familiar face.

"Call me Marcone. Marcone Giovanni. Yes, I am aware it is a stereotypical Italian name. I blame my parents." A tall boy with black and yellow striped hair said, his tone bored sounding. He wore a grey sweater shirt, a pair of black jeans, and black hiking boots. When Luz finished writing down the last name, she smiled.

"Alright! That's everyone! Obviously, my name is Luz Noceda, and… as much as I amsupernervous to actually be leading a team of people… I will try my best to be the best leader I can be!" As Luz said that, she was met with silence. A wave of embarrassment washed over her as she cringed into herself. A scoff came from the crowd, as Stanley rose from where he was leaning against the wall.

"You got spunk. I like that. I was kinda worried you'd be a bit of a loser. Glad I made the right call," when Stanley said that, Luz smiled, putting more confidence in her posture as she stood, a small gleam in her eyes. "So, Commander, what's the first line of duty?" Stanley asked as Luz cleared her throat.

"Well, first things first, we need to get settled. Once we get comfortable, I'd say in an hour or two, we'll all meet at the campfire. We'll go from there afterward. Sound good?" As Luz finished her "command" everyone all nodded, and split apart into various small groups, then jutted off to places around the base. Luz felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Luz watched as Julia approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she smiled. "You look tired. Is everything alright?" Julia asked as Luz sighed.

"Well… I mean, the day hasn't even begun, and I'm already drained of energy," Luz replied as the pale blonde smiled.

"It's at least midday, Luz. Look, If you're tired, got lay down in one of the cabins. I'm sure one of them has a bed you can sleep in, right? Don't overwork yourself because you feel like you need to. It's bad for your health," Julia suggested as Luz frowned.

"But… that'll set a bad first impression. Julie, I'm their leader, right? I'm also yours, so what kind of leader would that make me if napped while everyone else did some kind of work?" The half-Dominican, half-American teen asked as Julia took her hand off of Luz's shoulder, and made a reassuring gesture by placing her over her heart.

"Then I can be the second-in-command, right? That way you won't have to worry about leading everyone. Every good leader has someone to fall back on if they're heavily wounded or tired, right? King Arthur had Sir Geraint. So you can have me? Why not? Besides, I don't mind. It's not like you're forcing me to take up this role, in the first place," Julia explained as Luz bit the inside of her lip before clicking her tongue against her teeth.

Julia was right in that regard. And besides, so far she seemed like a good person. So… why not? "Thank you, Julie, you're a lifesaver," Luz said, not realizing she had embraced the pale blonde in a hug, which the girl didn't seem to mind, even hugging her back. It was only when Luz realized that she had hugged her that she stumbled back, an embarrassed blush on her face as Julia giggled.

"A-Ah, my bad! I'm sorry if I offended you, I—"

"It's alright, Luz. Seriously, calm down. Go rest. Once the hour or two is up, I'll wake you up so that you can do your job," Julia assured the embarrassed Luz, who nodded, before striding over to the first cabin in front of her. When she opened the door, she was greeted with two bunk beds and two single beds. In the center of the room was a lightbulb attached to a string. The interior had no decorations. It was just a simple wooden cabin with a log roof.

And seeing as she wanted nothing more than to sleep, she didn't even bother turning on the light. Closing the door behind her, she walked over to the single bed, took her shoes and socks off, then laid down on the pillow. Themomentshe did that, she fell asleep and began to dream.

In the dream, she was in a dark void. She was wearing the same clothing she had been in the real world, which for her dreams that normally consisted of her fighting epic battles against her favourite villains dressed as the main character wasnot normal. Then again, so was the black void.

In front of her was a fireplace, two red leather chairs with golden dots lining the fabric of said chairs, and… someone she didn't recognize.

The man in question had short starch-white hair, pale skin, and red eyes. He was wearing a black two-piece business suit, not too dissimilar to what The Governor had worn. His arms were crossed, and he had a smirk on his face.

"So…. We finally meet, Luz Noceda. I wanted to meet you sooner, i.e. last night, but I didn't have enough strength to build that connection. But now… now I have." As the man said that, Luz recoiled, partly because he knew her name, and partly because the tone of which he was using was way, way too familiarizing to be described as normal.

"Uh… who are you?" Luz asked as the man's smile never wavered.

"Ah, you'll learn that in due time, my dear Luz. For now, take a seat. We have much to discuss and so little time in which to do so."

-To Be Continued in – The First-

Chapter 5: S1 - Ep 5: The First

Chapter Text

[The First]

When looking at the mysterious man in the chair, there was a hint of reluctance in Luz's eyes. The man before her seemed nice enough, but there was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way.

Maybe it was the way he sat in the chair, his shoulders raised high and mighty. His chest pronounced, showing his confidence. His eased, if not completely relaxed expression mixed with that eerie smile of his. It was almost as if he was a king sitting on his throne, looking down at a peasant to whom he wished to speak to.

Maybe it was his general appearance. In other words, the business suit and tie to which he wore. It made him seem like an important figure of power, just like The Governor was. There were no stains on his clothing. No wrinkles, no nothing. It was clean, showing that he cared about his appearance, much like how those in power do. It was almost like a metaphor, how his appearance and reputation were seemingly spotless, yet those eyes of his showed a different side to him.

With that gleam in his eyes, it was almost as if he screamed: Danger – evil, in all caps. Yet, his appearance made him seem the complete opposite. Two conflicting statements as to who, orwhat, he was.

Whatever it was that Luz didn't like about him, she didn't know. Perhaps it was all of those things? All that she knew was that she didn't like it. In fact, she hated it, vehemently so. If she had the choice, she would walk in the other direction and pretend she never saw him. But, then there was that inherent curiosity for what this could possibly give her that made her mind do a full 180, despite knowingnothingof who orwhatthis man was.

However, if there was one thing that Luzdidknow, it was that this man knew her and that he wanted to speak to her aboutsomething. She didn't know what that somethingwas, but whatever it had been, it was clearly important enough for the man to "build that connection" he mentioned just a few moments ago.

Apparently, he wanted to build the so-called "connection" earlier, but he didn't have enough power to do so…. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Luz couldn't quite put a finger on what that meant, and it was bothering her. It soundedcreepy. Like a creepy uncle being, well, a creepy uncle. Still, it was weird. Luz didn't like it. Not one bit. The worst part was that she didn't knowwhyshe didn't like it.

To make things even weirder, she had never seen him before. Not at family gatherings. Not in photos around the house. Not on Youtube. Not on Instagram. Hell! No one in her family, extended or otherwise, had mentioned a man who fitted this one's description, even in passing!

There was not a single place to which she had heard or seen him. Yet, he claimed toknowher. How could he know her, if she didn't know him?! Luz knew she didn't have any stalkers because everyone in Gravesfield thought she was either a nuisance or weird, and not the cool kind of weird either.

All that she knew was that this man was in her dreams and that he wanted to talk to her. She had a very, very bad feeling about this man. Deep in her gut, she knew that something was off about him, and yet, regardless of that feeling she found herself walking over to the chair adjacent to him, and sitting down, her hands folded against her lap all prim and proper-like.

For a few moments, they sat in silence. Her nerves were on edge and so was she, all for a good reason. This whole thing was so surreal that it wasn't even funny! But, then again, thiswasa dream, so it was fairly obvious that he would know her name—mindscape and all that jazz. It was a common trope in fanfiction that she read about constantly. But to actually experience it? Well, it wasn't exactly all too pleasant.

After a few more moments of silence, Luz built up the courage to speak. "So, uh, what do you want?" Luz asked, her tone timid, yet carrying that hint of curiosity. The man chuckled to himself, his voice having been deeper than she had expected.

Granted, when he spoke before, there was a hint of joy in his voice, but with that gone, his voice sounded less joyous and more malicious. Like there was something darker that lurked beyond the surface.

Once again, the "Warning: This man is clearly EVIL" alarm started thundering off in her mind. However, it was quickly drowned out by her innate curiosity about the situation. Sometimes she reallyhatedher ADHD, especially when it revolved around things like this. Now was not the time to be hyper-fixated on something as dangerous as whoever this man was! Yet, she couldn't help herself. She wanted—no—needed to know more!

"I see! You want to cut to the chase! Good! I was expecting a bit more fluff coming from what I know about you. But, I am pleasantly surprised," the man began, uncrossing his arms as he relaxed deeper into his chair, folding one leg over the other. "That question is rather simple, but also multi-faceted. There areplentyof things that I want. So you'll have to be more specific, Luz Noceda."

Once again with the name drop. Every time he said her name in that silky smooth tone of his made her spine shiver. It gave her goosebumps, and it was really, really unnerving. Pushing the uneasiness aside, Luz responded, but not before gulping back the fear that had built up in her throat. "Uh… what do you want with me?"

The man's smile shifted to that of a grin as his eyes gleamed once more with that malice that she had seen earlier. "Ah, there we go. That's more like it," The man said, his grin turning predatory as Luz cringed at the sight, her shoulders raising just above her neck as she sank into the chair, making the man frown. "Come now, don't be so defensive. I'm not going to hurt you, Luz. As I said, I want to talk," The man continued, his voice taking on a more reassuring tone, though it didn't help any, something that he noticed.

"Hmm…" the man hummed, his expression turning neutral. It remained that way for a few seconds before he then spoke again, the malicious gleam vanishing and being replaced with a more fatherly look in his eyes. It made the hairs on the back of Luz's neck tingle as her shoulders hiked up a little bit more, her head tucked deeper within the defensive huddle, her mind blaring "Stranger Danger" on repeat. "As I said, Noceda. All I want to do is talk. To be specific, I want to talk about your power."

Now that caught Luz's attention, making her head bounce up, and for their eyes to meet. Did he know something that she didn't? If so, then perhaps that was why he was here! And if that was the case, maybe he could help her clear up any confusion she had with her power. Still, though, she kept her guard up but lowered her shoulders a little bit to at least show that she wasn't going to try and run away anymore—because that was what she was planning on doing if this conversation had veered any more into that "creepy uncle" territory.

"My… power?" Luz asked cautiously as The man nodded, the fatherly look in his eyes disappearing as he smirked.

"Yes, your power. To be more specific,ourpower. Well, itusedto be mine, but ever since I died to that oaf Toshinori Yagi, it passed on to someone else. In this case, Luz Noceda, that would be you." When the man said that, he pointed at her, the smile returning before he put his hand down and clasped his fingers together, placing both hands on the elevated knee that belonged to the leg that was currently over top of his right leg. "Originally, I had a successor in mind as to whom would receive my power. But, as it appears, the universe had other plans. And now, you hold mypower, making you the official second holder of my Quirk."

Luz blinked, her jaw slowly dropping as confusion took hold of her face. "Uh… what?!" Luz near shouted as the man chuckled to himself, muttering something in a different language that she recognized to be Japanese. He laughed quietly to himself, before then sighing.

"I can never get over how kids react to information like that. It blows me away how easily dumbfounded the youth can get over simple concepts," the man said, though it was mostly to himself. "Yes, Luz Noceda. You heard me correctly. I am the first holder of our shared power. And I must say, I find myself a little disappointed that you have yet to use it. You came so close to doing so in that waiting room in that doctor's office. Had you reached out just a little further, you would've been on the road to becoming the strongest human being this world would ever know."

The way he spoke with such finality only served to make Luz a little uncomfortable as his tone sank into something less than human. It was almost as if she was speaking to a demon, a monster of the underworld given human form. "Are you some sort of demon?" Luz blurted out as the man laughed uproariously.

"Oh! Now that is something I've heard plenty of times! But sadly no. I am… or was, just as human as you are, Luz. The only thing separating us is the universes that we live in, or in my case, lived in." The man paused, adopting a thinking expression. "Tell me, Luz. Have you heard of the Multiverse Theory?"

Once again, Luz blinked. There was so much to unpack in the last 30 seconds of dialogue that had been exchanged that it was hard for her brain to keep up! So, she focused on the things that she picked up on the most. "Hold on! Just wait a second, I'm having a hard time understanding. What's a Quirk? And what do you mean by the universes we lived in? If you're dead, that means you came from this universe, right?"

The man smiled, crossing his arms again as he unfolded his legs, leaning forward slightly as Luz recoiled. "Hold on now, I think there has been a misunderstanding. How about this, I'll answer those two questions, then, you answer mine. Alright?"

"Yeah… sounds good," Luz replied, her voice still weary as the man nodded.

"Very well. A Quirk is something that you have. Your power. I take it that they are not called that just yet. To put it simply, you are a Quirk User. You have a Quirk, specifically, my old Quirk. As for the whole universe bit…. Well, that requires you to answer my question." As the man finished his explanation, Luz frowned. He was clever and sharp-witted. It wasn't as if she hadtriedto trick him, but it was clear that he noticed it.

Luz sighed, shrugging. "No. Well, I heard of it, but I never looked into it. Uh… explain, please?" The teen asked as the man put up his hands, then balled them into fists before bringing up both pointer fingers.

"Let's start with a simple diagram. This finger, my left one, is my universe," the man began as he drew that one into himself, nearly pressing it against his suited chest. "This finger, my right one, is your universe," he continued as he brought the finger forward, positioning it to be parallel with his left. "The Multiverse Theory suggests that these two universes, my and yours, are parallel to one another. That they are, theoretically speaking, linked in some way, shape, or form."

The man then brought up the rest of his fingers, before bringing them together and interlocking them, bringing them forward as Luz watched intently. "Now, the rest of these fingers represent the various off-shoots of our respective universes, all intermingled into one another. Of course, there are more than ten, but this is all I can do with what I have available to me at the moment. In short, the theory suggests that there is not one universe, but multiple, all of which are interlinked in someway; some with small changes such as drastic as World War II being won in the Axis Powers' court, to something as small as you not waking up at 7:30 AM on the day of which you were meant to go to Reality Check Summer Camp, and instead you woke up a little earlier than that. A small change, but drastic enough to warrant another universe being created."

The man un-linked his fingers, then crossed his arms again. "Of course, that also brings up the Butterfly Effect, but as it stands, we're pressed for time," The man said as Luz raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" Luz asked as the man chuckled once again.

"Because, Luz, time works differently in the Vestige World, i.e. the dreamscape we are in right now. While it might have only been five minutes here, it's been fifty minutes in your world. The waking world. So, allow me to speed things up a little bit. Starting with how I am here." The man paused, reclining in his seat once again. "Due to our universes being parallel, when I died, I did so right around the time of when your world experienced its very first Quirk Awakening. Seeing as there can only be one version of my power in all the known Multiverse at a time, when I passed away, my soul along with my Quirk was dragged into this universe—your universe. From theverybeginning, you were pre-destined to awaken some form of incredible power or to be taught one. In this universe, you werebornwith mine. Only now did you awaken it due to the world experiencing its first Quirk Awakening. The seeds were planted for your eternal greatness when your mother was impregnated by your father. Because of your mere conception, multiple universes were created to hold your future, some blissful, others grim. It was written in the stars, the very fabric of the Multiverse! You, Luz Noceda, are The Chosen One! And with my power, nothing can stop you!"

The way the man spoke, it was motivational. It got Luz's blood pumping, a gleam of excitement in her eyes. But then, something popped up into her head. A question, and a very simple one at that. And so, as she rubbed the back of her head, she asked that very question. "That's great and all, but… what exactlyisyour—I mean,ourpower?"

The sinister smile reared its ugly head again, as the gleam of malice returned once more. And when he spoke, the answer she received made gave her goosebumps. "That, my dear Luz, is the crux of this conversation. The power of which you were gifted, was mine. Now, it is yours. And the name of that power…. IsAll For One. The ability to take and give Quirks as you please, with no known limit—even to myself. To steal away someone's power and make it your own. Or, to give to those who are desperate to even the playing the field. Whatever you see the power as my point still stands. You are destined for greatness, just as I was once. With All For One, you can do whatever it is you want, how you want, and when. It's only up to you."

Luz felt a pit in her stomach grow. Her power, the one she was supposedly born with, was the ability to take away someone's power—their individuality. "That's… that's awful! I, I can't do that! That's, that's cruel, unfair, unjust! It's wrong! Why?! Why would Ieverdo that?!" Luz exclaimed as the man chuckled.

"You know… you sound just like my younger brother. But, what you are failing to understand Luz, is that at some point, you won't have a choice. All For One alters a person's mind. If you do not feed The Quirk, it will take over control and force you to take something. It's like an addiction. For example, let's say that you start smoking. You tell yourself you'll only do it once, just to try, then never again. But now, before you are even aware of it, after that one smoke, you become addicted. It starts small, barely even noticeable, so you ignore it. After a day or two, you start to become irritable. You begin to find yourself getting angrier for no apparent reason. You want it to stop, but you have no idea how. Then, you think back to that cigarette. You think that it'll stop your anger and irritability! So, you go to the store and buy a pack of cigarettes and a lighter to light said cigarette. Once you open the pack, pop the cigarette in, light it and take a couple of puffs, the anger and irritability are gone. The cycle repeats itself until suddenly you can'tnothave a cigarette every 3 to 4 hours. Youhaveto have that cigarette, otherwise, you'll start to get crabby. And thus, you become trapped in this endless cycle of smoking, saying you'll quit, but you can't. It has you caged, and because of it, you're slowly killing yourself. A sad, sad reality, but it is that way for most people."

As the man finished, his smirk changed to a smile, making Luz lean back into her chair. "For us, Luz. That addiction has already begun. The moment All For One awakened inside of you, your brain immediately grew an addiction to taking Quirks. Now, granted, it's notnearlyas bad as having a cigarette addiction, but I think you get the metaphor. If you do not take a Quirk, I'd say… in the next day or so, you'll snap and attack one of your people, take their Quirk, and suddenly cause a lack of trust. Now, you wouldn't want that, would you?" The man said as Luz blinked, before narrowing her eyes.

"You're trying to manipulate me, aren't you?! No! I refuse to do that! I refuse to take people's powers, Quirks, or whatever you want to call them! I amnotthat kind of person! That isbeyondselfish! It's cruel, it's evil! It's—"

"What if you end up attacking Julia?" The man cut her off, his expression turning to a deadpan one as Luz's eyes narrowed even sharper.

"What?"

"You heard me. What if when you enter that Quirk Feuge, you end up coming across Julia, your friend? She casually greets you and asks how your day is. Then, out of nowhere, you suddenly lunge at her, grab her by the head and drain her power away, taking it for yourself with little to no remorse in the action. Suddenly that friendship is shattered, and she hates you for it. She'll never forgive you, even if you try and explain yourself. You couldn't help it, because your power took over you and made you do it. But she doesn't buy that. Not even for a second. From there on out, she and you are enemies. And there is nothing you could do about it." When he finished, the man shook his head. "That is the reality you live in, Luz Noceda. You might notlikethe idea of taking someone's power away from them, but it is the sad reality that you are now in. All For One will never leave your body, not until you die. And I don't think you'd kill yourself over something as stupid asthis, would you?"

Luz was frozen. She had no way to respond to that. Because as much as shehatedhow he used her friend's name for that horrible example, he was right. She hated how he was right. It infuriated her to realize that what he was saying was correct. The worst part was that sheknewhe was probably speaking from a personal experience. It wasn't as if he was pulling the example out of nowhere. He was the first user of the power after all, so why would she doubt him?

"I…. No, you're right…. Ihatethat you're right, but you are…" Luz said, bowing her head slightly in defeat as the man hummed.

"Good. You've come to your senses. Now, I'll leave you with one last thing," The man said as Luz looked up at him.

"What? Are you going to tell me something cliché like "with great power comes great responsibility" or some garbage like that? Because if you are, that's kinda lame," Luz said, a disinterested look in her eyes as the man scoffed.

"No, Luz. I'm telling you myname. After all, I'm going to be your mentor whether you like it or not, and I don't think calling me "old man" or "mysterious man" is going to get you anywhere, now will it?" The man said as Luz rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yeah… well, okay then, what's your name?"

The man smiled as he stood up. "My name is Shigaraki. Shigaraki Rikitasu. But, you can call me Sensei." As Shigaraki said that, he looked down at his wrist, then frowned. "It seems we are out of time, Luz Noceda. Till next time, and remember, keep what I said in mind. After all, we wouldn't want that what-if to come true,now do we?"

And with that morbid note, Luz felt her body go numb within the dream, and for her vision to blur. As soon as that happened, she woke up, and the last thing she saw before she awoke was the man's predatory smile and evil gleam in his eyes. Only then did she realize something rather important.

"What did I just get myself into?"

-To Be Continued in – Forming The Team-

Chapter 6: S1 - Ep 6: Forming The Team

Chapter Text

[Forming The Team]

"…Z…! L..Z…! LUZ!" A voice spoke out to the young girl as she rocketed up from her flat position on the bed she had been on, a hand gripping tightly on her right arm as she yanked it away, eyes wide with confusion as she was face to face with Julia, who stepped back. "Oh god, Luz. I was worried! You were sweating and breathing heavily, and I didn't know what to do."

Luz looked down at herself and noticed that her skin was a little glossier than usual. She felt cold, really,reallycold. That, and Julia was right, she was breathing pretty hard, too. "Luz… are you alright? Did you have a nightmare or something?" Julia asked as the caramel-brown-skinned teen cleared her throat, looking down at her hands, as well as the holes.

Before, she used to look at them with curiosity and joy. She had a superpower, something inherently unique to her and her alone. Granted, there were other people with superpowers, but this power, the one that she had, was unique to her.

And then she met Shigaraki. She learned the truth about her power, about where it came from, and how inherently selfish her power was. Now whenever she looked at the holes in her hands, all she could think about was the horrid nature of her power.

"Remember, keep what I said in mind. After all, we wouldn't want that what-if to come true,now do we?"

A shiver went down Luz's spine at hearinghisvoice in the back of her head. The last words that Shigaraki had told her made Luz want to curl up into a ball and forget it all. His red piercing eyes gave her the chills, his silky smooth voice gave her goosebumps, and his mannerisms belonged to that of someone who wanted nothing more than to rule the world. And what made all of those things worse was that every single word he said was true. And why wouldn't it be? He was the first user of this power… ofAll For One, so why would he lie to her?

Of course, there was always the chance that he was manipulating her, but… but even so, there was a saying that she remembered from when she played Danganronpa V3, er well, watched a let's play of it, but that's beside's the point. The saying was this: Truth can be found in another man's lies.

Even if Shigaraki was lying to her, there was some truth to be found in his words. That, most of all, made him that much more terrifying. When he spoke, he commanded respect. When he got serious, he commanded fear. It was like she had just finished talking to a bona fide supervillain. And what made things worse was thatshe had his power.

A power that could take other people's powers.

A power that was Greed incarnate. And the addiction that came along with it.

Was that even true? Was helyingabout that? Or… was he being honest?

And if Shigaraki was honest aboutthat, what else was he not lying about? Or better yet, how much of his words had been whole truths? It started to make Luz panic a little bit because now she was on a deadline. She didn't want to hurt anyone, yet, she had no real choice.

Luz wanted to discount everything that Shigaraki had told her. But logic demanded that she heeded his words. If what he said was true, then she might've been in for a rude awakening very soon.

She had no idea how close "soon" was, or if that was only moments away. Hell, it could've beenright now and she wouldn't have been any the wiser—

"Luz? Are you alright?" It was Julia's voice that snapped Luz out of her thoughts. Luz blinked, her dark brown eyes meeting Julia's emerald green. There was a look of concern dancing throughout her friend's eyes. There was a part of her that hated seeing that. Seeing that someone was worried about her.

"No, I'm… I'm alright. Let's just get this party started, yeah?" Luz said as Julia arched an eyebrow.

"Luz…. You just about had a stroke," Julia said, her tone of voice dripping with worry and concern. "I don't know what happened, but you need to see a doctor, or—"

"What doctor, Julie?" Luz interrupted, her voice deadpan as she crossed her arms over her chest. "There's no doctor in this camp, and I doubtthe Governoris gonna send one because one of us got sick. Hell, he's hoping for us to die here anyway, so what does it matter?" Luz said, her tone cold as Julia looked away.

A pulsing headache rushed its way through Luz's head, making her grit her teeth.

"After a day or two, you start to get irritable…."

Once again, his voice invaded her mind, making Luz's face scrunch up with annoyance as she looked away, standing up and heading for the door. Ithadbeen two days since she awakened her power. And if what Shigaraki said was true….

Luz's eyes widened for just a split second before she looked over to Julia, a sombre expression on her face."He was right…."Luz thought, clearing her thoughts. "Julie… I'm sorry. I'm a little…irritableright now… It's a side effect of my power…." Luz said as Julia looked over at her, smiling.

"Oh, it's alright. I should've realized that there would be no doctor around here….. Come on, let's go talk to the others. They're all waiting for you at the campfire." As Julia said that, she glided past Luz, and out the front door. Luz took a deep breath through her nose, then let it out as a sigh.

"Come on, Luz! You can do this! It's just like Shigaraki said, you're the chosen one! You got this!"And with that, Luz stepped out of the cabin and walked toward the campfire. The other 9 people were waiting, all chatting and talking about one thing or another. That was, until, Luz came into the picture. Everyone stopped talking as an awkward silence befell the camp.

"Commander, you're here," Stanley said as he stood up, meeting her eyes. "So, what do you have in mind? Do you have some form of game plan for tomorrow?" Stanley asked as Luz scratched the back of her neck.

"Well… to be honest, no…." Luz said as Stanley frowned. Luz reacted almost immediately. "BUT! I do know what we can do right now. I've played my handful of strategy games, and… well…. I was thinking we could split everyone into groups with certain roles. You know, kinda like those top-view management games. Like Command and Conquer?" Luz explained as Marcone smirked.

"Good idea, Signorina Comandante. However, I think you're going to need a little bit more information on us than just ournames."

"Yes, I know. Your power. I need to know what you can do before I put you into any roles. I already have my second-in-command, Julia. So that leaves the rest of you," Luz said, looking over everyone. "Soooo…. Who wants to go first?"

Silence. Luz rocked back and forth on her feet as no one answered her question. That was until Judy spoke up.

"Darkness. It allows me to create a black substance from my hands. I can hide in it, as well as shoot it out of my hands like projectiles," Judy explained as she demonstrated her power. A black fire-like thing came out of her hands. She twisted it around her finger before shooting it upward into the sky, kinda like a become. Immediately, Luz had a good spot for her.

"Recon. Commander. That's what you'll be. With your power, you can signal people to a targeted location. That, and you can hide in the dark, like camouflage. It's perfect!" Luz said as Judy nodded.

"Aye, aye, Commander."

Julia wrote down the necessary information in the notebook that Arla had given them to use as an information-gathering book, and when she finished, she smiled. "Alright, everyone. Let's keep this train moving!"

This continued for the next hour, Luz listening to powers being named and explained before then giving out titles and roles to them depending on their powers, all the while Julia wrote everything down. There was a bit of confusion every once in and a while during the Quirk descriptions, like with Carla's Black Cat power. When Luz heard it, it sounded like something out of One Piece, like a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Other than that, everything went smoothly, which was a good change of pace compared to the last few hours. Once they finished, Julia spoke.

"Alright. So, let me get this straight and organized," Julia called out, looking over the notebook. "Judy is the Recon Commander. Under her orders is Ronny Armstrong with a Super Strength power, Jean Pierce with Sword manifestations, and Stanley Richardson with Shock Absorption. Arla is the medic with her Repair power. Theodore Jackson with his Arm Blades power, Carla Tsunata with her Black cat transformation power, Marcone Giovanni with his Life Giver power, and Johnny Marshal with their vibration control powers are warriors. I am Second-in-Command and Luz is the leader, which means she oversees all commands and approves them. If she is not here, that job falls to me. Does everyone got that?"

"YES MA'AM!"

Julia snickered at that, before sighing. "Alright then, this meeting is dismissed," Julia said as Luz sighed, looking up into the sky. The moon was bright and casting a brilliant blue light down upon everyone. The stars were brilliant as well, but there was something else that was brewing. Dread. A wave of dread washed over everyone. It was their first night in the "camp" and now they were expected to sleep here. This death camp. That was all it was. Everyone knew that, but they had no choice but to play along. At least, for now, they did.

It was all so surreal. All of it. None of this made any sense, and at the same time, itdidmake sense. It shouldn't have, but it did. No one ever said that the world had to be nice or to be fair. That was a lesson that Luz had to understand far faster than she would've wanted to. Then again, she realized that pretty quickly at school, especially with people making fun of her. But this? This was different. This was more than just getting her lunch money stolen. This was more than getting called "weird" or "crazy." This was about life or death.

And quite frankly, she didn't want to think about it. What was worst was that they were all expected to be their own Judge, Jury, and Executioner of those who were also forced to participate in this "game."

"Well, Commander, I think I'm going to hit the hay. We're probably going to have a long day ahead of us, so let's make the most of it," Stanley said, marching off to the cabin that Luz was just in. Once he was gone, someone spoke up.

"Say… Commander, what'syourpower?" Theodore spoke, an eyebrow raised as he leaned against the wall protecting them from outside threats. Luz bit the inside of her lip, before then speaking.

"I…." Luz paused, looking over to Julia, who smiled at her, giving her the courage to then continue. "My power is called…. All For One. I know, kinda cheesy, but… there's a good reason for it. It allows me to… to…." Luz stopped, looking down at the ground."Please don't blow up in my face for this.""Steal other people's powers and keep them for me… permanently."

For a full minute, there was nothing but silence. That had seemed to be a trend, only this time the silence was more deafening. Just as Luz was about to leave, knowing full well that she might've just scared the rest of her team, a voice spoke up behind her.

"That's incredibly useful, actually…." The voice was belonging to Johnny Marshal, which made Luz snap her attention over to the boy in question. "Think about it. Yeah, it's probably really dangerous, but we're in a "war" like scenario, right? We got two groups of people who want nothing more than for us to die. I doubt "the power of friendship" is gonna save our asses. So, considering you got a power that literally de-powers other people and givesyouthat power… why I'd reckon you're our secret weapon."

Luz raised an eyebrow, a confused expression on her face. "Huh?" Was all that the girl could say before the realization dawned on her. Johnny was right. Not only was he right, but he was more than just right. She had never considered the fact that she could use this power of hers, All For One, on her enemies. Of course, she'd have to jump them first, but that wasn't a big issue. The forest was massive, and not everyone was keenly aware.

Johnny seemed to recognize the look in her eyes, as he smirked. "Now you get it. If our enemies are powerless, there isn't anything they can do against us. Right? All we'd have to do is send you out with the recon team and BOOM! Those chumps wouldn't even know what hit'em," Johnny said as Judy hummed.

"Yeah, that could work. But… I think we deal with that later. Right now, we should all get some rest. Except for maybe Luz. Shejusthad a nap, did she not?" Judy remarked as Luz rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yeah, I'll stay up for a bit longer, just in case something happens. I know it's peacetime, but… you never know, hehe…." Luz said a nervous expression on her face as everyone was dismissed. Johnny patted Luz on the back as he went, a smirk on his face as Luz looked away.

Julia followed the rest of them, but not before giving her a quick hug, and a worried glance, before then after that, Luz was all on her own. Her stomach growled, and when it did, she looked over to the campfire. There were some Hotdogs on sticks propped up against one another. And with the Campfire still going, she decided that she would cook herself up something to eat.

-To Be Continued in – Search and Steal – Part 1-

Chapter 7: S1 - Ep 7: Search And Steal - Part 1

Chapter Text

[Search And Steal – Part 1]

Luz couldn’t sleep.

Well, it wasn’t that she couldn’t sleep, but it was more like she didn’twantto sleep. If she slept, it would mean she’d have to talk tohimagain.

There was no doubting the fact that he was evil, vile, and manipulative. The worst part about it was that he was in her head, more specifically in her dreams. If she ever fell asleep, then he would be there, waiting to speak to her.

Was it irrational to fear sleep? Well, she guessed not. It was kind of like a Nightmare on Elm Street situation, just without the threat of dying. But then again, Luz believed in the idea that there was a fate worse than death. And as she looked down at her hands, she felt a cringing sensation wash over her body.

If not used carefully, her power could cause people to go brain-dead.

And speaking of her power…. “I forgot to mention that I can also give powers…” Luz muttered, clenching her hands into fists. She had been so caught up in thinking about stealing other people’s powers, that she never once thought to add the fact that she could give powers. But to give them, she had to already have a stockpile of other abilities.

It wasn’t like Shigaraki told her that, she just figured that to be the case. Besides, how could she give powers if she didn’t have one to give? Right now, she was “empty” at the moment. She had nothing to give, which meant all she could do at the moment was take.

And that there was the crux of the issue. She didn’twantto take anyone’s power, be they an enemy, ally, or random civilian. It waswrong. But, she felt as if there was going to come to a point in time when she had no real choice. Shigaraki mentioned the addiction, and that it started the moment her power awakened.

“All For One….” Luz murmured, opening her hands as she glared at the holes. “A power of The Chosen One… yeah, if they’re a villain….” Luz grumbled, looking up at the sky. The stars were shining bright, a sight she rarely got to see due to the busy city. Being in the forest meant she got to see the stars, so maybe it was all bad? After all, she met all the people here, right? They might not be friends, but at least they’d listen to her. Shewastheir commander, after all.

A wave of emotions came over her. Looking away from the sky, she kicked dirt into the fire, her expression taking up a more annoyed visage. Anger, sadness, joy, confusion, and above all else, stress filled her mind all at once.

How was she supposed to be a leader if she sucked at talking to others? How could she be a leader when she had nothing to show for it? She was Luz Noceda, the strange kid from Gravesfield Connecticut with no friends and ridiculous hobbies. How couldshebe a leader? What was the point of her being a leader when she had absolutely no self-confidence?

Well, that wasn’t true. Shewasconfident. The word she was looking for wasfear. Above everything else. Above the anger, confusion, sadness, joy, and stress, the strongest emotion that she held onto right now was fear. Fear of the future. Fear of The Governer. Fear of those around her.

A part of Luz wanted to be optimistic, to see if she could end this diplomatically. That she could round up everyone and say that they decided to “sue for peace” or whatever the military term was for ending things with no bloodshed. But the looks on everyone’s faces when the prize money was revealed… she could see that at least a few of those people looked at everyone as a target.

Greed. That was the root of their problem. The root of her problem. All For One was a symbol of Greed. Greed for other people’s powers, which was a direct parallel to what the Governor was hoping for. The Governor was banking on everyone’s Greed to push this whole thing along. So thatkidswould cave in and kill one another for his sick amusem*nt.

This was a test. A sick, disgusting, disturbing test. Why hadn’t the government found out about this? The news would be all over this if it was found out that 33 kids got kidnapped by the governor of Connecticut for some twisted experiment!

Unless of course… “the government is backing this whole thing….” Luz pondered aloud. And it was that which finally made Luz realize something that she probably should’ve realized the moment this whole thing began.

“He doesn’t plan to give any of that money away…. The moment we finish this, he’s going to forcibly recruit us to the military!” Luz shouted, narrowing her eyes. Most people didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that Luz was smart. Sure, she had her dumb moments, but most of the time, she was wicked sharp when it came to things like that. She just happened to focus it all on her creativity.

But with no creative outlet to hone that one, all she had to focus that intellect on was the situation at hand. And while she didn’t realize it, a smirk came across her face. A small, toothy grin, as only one poisonous thought, filled her mind.

“Once this is over… The Governor is going to pay for this with hislife.”

Luz blinked as she snapped out of her trance. Where didthatcome from? “Oh… don’t tell me this power is going to corrupt me into some evil tyrant!” Luz said, looking back down at her hands. Clearing her head of all of her thoughts,especially that last one, Luz went back to looking at the ground.

And then, the sound of a door creaking open caught her attention….

xxXXxxXXxx

Julia Wittebane was what some might call your typical rich and snooty fundamental extremist. Or at least, her family was. She herself wasn’t nearly as bad, but she held quite the remark or two for those who believed in witchcraft and magic. All of her life her family had been taught that those who had magical powers were to be seen as monsters and should be killed. Fitting, seeing as their family were witch hunters back in the 1700s. Not only that but her family were devout Christians, including her.

Every Sunday she went to Church, when asked to she knocked on doors to spread the word of her God and Jesus Christ, and she always donated when asked, often chipping in with her hard work for money. Her family banned television within the household, and any mention of witches, often preventing friends from coming over because they would taint her mind with devil worship.

Of course, Julia had a rebellious phase; most kids did, and it was because of that she was supposed to go to Reality Check Summer camp. Her parents weren’t happy with her reading books about magic, like Harry Potter or The Dresden Files—she blamed a kid in school for that. She even went as far as to buy a copy of the first books of both series, which her father quickly burned.

Another thing that they found out was that Julia was a lesbian. How? Well, they caught her kissing a girl, and that sent them over the moon with anger. They pretty much locked her in her room for a month after that. Her father would make her read bible verses over and over again about how sex with the same sex was wrong, and yadda yadda, over and over again over that period.

It didn’t change the fact that she liked girls. No matter how many male suitors she was given to marry for the rich clout, she refused them all. She didn’t like men, and that was final. That had been the first sign that her father and mother didn’t like her. Not like they used to, anyway. They started verbally harassing her but never laying a finger on her. Their butlers sympathized with her, but couldn’t do anything. She was basically on her own at that point.

All she wanted was to live the life that she was given. Sure, her mother and father might have disowned her in everything but her name, but at least they still let her live in that house. Nothing else could’ve possibly gone wrong….

Until two days ago.

The final straw was her Super Power awakening. Her vines. Shehatedthem with a burning passion. Because of them, her mother and father disowned her completely and kicked her out of the house the day before she went to the camp. All of her friends, who had been made at the church and several meetings as well as at Sunday School abandoned her and left her to die.

Her church refused to let her in and refused to give her any food or clothing. Her whole community abandoned her, and all because she awakened a superpower. But she wasn’t the only one, far from it. Hundreds of children from around the area were being kicked out because of their “demonic powers” and their “unholy appearances.” Seriously, some kids woke up withscalesor even horns growing out of their heads! It was INSANE!

And now, she found herself in a similar situation to all those people that her father laughed at, calling them beneath her and her family. She was without a home, with only a suitcase, a few changes of clothes, a couple of snacks, and her phone with a charger. Sure, it was more than what some people could claim to have, but going from living in luxury to living on the streets with nothing but a handful of things to her name was a shock to the system.

At least she had RCSC to look forward to, which she was originally opposed to going to. But now, considering she was homeless and without proper shelter or people to rely on, she had been excited. At least, all until she had been hit in the back of the head with the butt of a gun.

And now, it turned into some stupid death game. A death game that gave them theprivilegeto turn into super soldiers for the army. It wasn’t stated, but it was so obvious that it wasn’t even funny. At least she made a friend in Luz Noceda, a half American half Spanish teenager with a quirky personality. She was kind and caring enough to become her friend and was also afflicted with power, much like a majority of those put on that bus. At first glance, her power had seemed to be something of a dud, but as of this evening, that was not the case.

Originally, from what she told Julia, was that she could see who had powers, and she had tiny holes in the palms of her hands. That was it, and as such, she brushed her off completely in that regard. It wasn’t a great power, making her mostly normal. In other words, she probably wasn’t sent to the camp because of the power outbreak, but for something else entirely.

And then, Luz told everyone what her power was, and Julia had to struggle to not jump for joy! She could take away people’s powers! That meant her power! If Luz could take away herstupidvines, then her father and mother might accept her back into the family! She would be able to go back to her normal life and not have to live on the streets! She had only done that for one day, granted, but it was miserable!

Of course, she knew things probably wouldn’t have been that simple, but at least she could try! At least then she could have achance. There was no use in sticking with the stupid vines if Luz could take them and make her life that much easier!

However, a nagging voice in the back of her head told her that it was a stupid idea. She was in a death game specifically about their powers. If she suddenly lost hers, The Governor would probably have her killed if she suddenly didn’t have them so that this could’ve been kept a secret. Then again, even if her parents did find out, they probably wouldn’t have cared.

Sitting on the cabin bed, Julia was staring at the floor with a contemplative look on her face. It had been five hours since everyone had decided to go to bed. Everyone besides herself had fallen asleep, except for Luz.

Luz had yet to come to the cabin, which was strange seeing as she looked pretty tired. She looked out of the cabin a couple of times and saw that Luz was still at the campfire, sitting there and doing nothing. There were times when she would fidget in place, but not much else. The fire was still going, meaning that Luz hadn’t put it out.

Julia was worried for Luz; not only because she was her friend, but because she seemed to separate herself from others. She wanted to comfort Luz, truly she did, but she didn’t want to make it awkward. Most of all, though, was that she wanted her power taken away.

Calming herself, Julia exited the cabin as quietly as possible, closing the door behind her in the process. When she did, from a distance Luz’s attention snapped over to her. The brunette saw her and smiled, causing the pale-blonde teen to freeze up. She could do this, it wasn’t that hard to do, now was it? Walking over to Luz and sitting next to her on the log, the teen spoke up.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Luz asked as Julia nodded.

“Yes…. I don’t know how to feel about all of this, thus it has caused me issues sleeping….” Julia replied as Luz snorted.

“You’re so… formal, you know? No offence, but you sound like you come from one of those medieval-era movies, like a princess stuck in a tower,” Luz quipped as a smile appeared on Julia’s face. She had always wanted to watch movies like that, but yet again, as many things seemed to have been so, her parents banned them.

“I see…” Julia said, placing her hands in her lap as she stared into the fire. There was silence for another few moments until Julia finally built up the courage to speak. “Luz… I know this might sound strange, but… I want you to take my power away.”

Luz blinked, confusion riddled over her face as Julia began her explanation. “My parents… they are Religious extremists, and as such when my powers awakened, they thought me devil spawn. I hate these things….” Julia said, sprouting the vines from her fingers. “I think it was God who set me up to meet you. You can take away what is to me a curse, and maybe then when this is over, my family will accept me back into the house….”

Julia retracted the vines and looked at Luz with a faint smile. “Please, Luz. I know it might sound selfish, but I beg of you. My powers are nothing but a curse to me…! They’ve brought me nothing but misfortune since the day they showed up! So please, take it from me!”

Luz looked away, a contemplative expression on her face. Once again, there was a moment of silence, but this time it was more palpable. Julia felt whatever hope she had in her chest die away. Of course, she’d be reluctant. Julia didn’t know why she even bothered. But, it was worth a shot, wasn’t it?

And then….

“It’ll hurt… a lot,” Luz said, making Julia tense.

“Huh?”

“I said, it’ll hurt. It… it might even make you go brain-dead. So… if I do this, and you die…. I…” Luz trailed off, looking away as Julia bit the inside of her lip, not sure what to say to that. Brain death was something that no one could ever come back from. A heart attack could be solved by a defibrillator. Death of the brain? Not so much. The human body needed that to function at all times, so if it stopped for even a moment, then the body would be pretty much useless at that point.

But if she did live… then there would be a chance that she could get her old life back. And that was well worth the risk.

“I’ll take the risk,” Julia stated, looking at Luz with a serious expression as the teen looked back at her. A conflicted expression took over her visage, and then, Luz frowned before nodding.

“Alright…. Since you asked for it, it can’t be so bad, right?” Luz said, reaching her right hand out and touching Julia’s forehead. As soon as it made contact, Luz’s eyes flashed red, and when they did, black and red lightning sparked from her arm as a shocking sensation rippled throughout Julia’s body.

She screamed.

It hurt! It hurt so badly! It was like she was being hit by a car repeatedly over and over again! No, that wasn’t right. It was more literal to say that she was getting shocked by an electric chair at maximum voltage, or maybe double that. Because of it, goosebumps rippled all over her body as tears fell from her eyes.

Actually… no, that wasn’t right either. There was no way to reasonably explain it. It felt like something was being forcibly removed from her brain like someone had cut open her head, pulled out her brain, and used a pair of tweezers to extract a single part of the brain that contained her power.

No…

No….

No…..

That didn’t describe it….

The only thing that could explain the pain that she was feeling was this: It hurt.

It hurt!

It hurt…!

It Hurt…!!!

Ithurtithurtihurtihurtihurtithurtithurtit—

The pain ceased as Luz took her hand away from Julia’s head. Julia breathed heavily, looking down at her hands. She tried making the vines appear, but they didn’t. Julia smiled as she looked over to Luz, who was staring at the vines coming from her fingers.

And then, for some reason or another, something… clicked for Julia. She didn’t know why this came to her mind, but a connection had been made between Luz, and something else. It was a strange comparison, but… it was something that only now did she notice.

God fated them to meet on that bus, that much had to be true. It was like an angel and a lost mortal meeting on the mortal’s brink of collapsing into sin, only to then be swooped out of that wicked fate by said angel, said angel, in this case, Luz. And, as for Luz, much like the christly figure of Jesus, she had holes in her hands, though not because she had been crucified, but rather because of her godly power to take away powers from those who could be deemed as “unworthy”.

And with the way the moonlight had shone on her like she was some sort of deity, Luz became something more to her than a friend.

She became her saviour.

From the distance, a camera zoomed in on Luz, and beyond the camera, The Governor smiled.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 8: S1 - Ep 8: Search And Steal - Part 2

Chapter Text

[Search and Steal – Part 2]

~One Week In The Future~

A raging fire spread across the forest with reckless abandon, smoke clogging up the air as a boy crawled away, blood soaking his entire body as he coughed. With each breath he took, his body shuttered and wheezed with indescribable pain. His blond hair was damp with a miasma of liquids, most of which were blood.

His body was riddled with cuts and scrapes, some deep, some not. He just wanted to go home! He didn’t want to die! And yet… this was his fault. If only… if only he didn’t issue that raid, maybe he’d have a higher chance of going home than he did right now. But now? He didn’t stand a chance. the best solution he could come up with was to hide, and pray thatshewouldn’t find him.

Dragging himself toward a tree, he reached out to it so that he might be able to stand up and run like wild away from this hell that he inadvertently created, only for a foot to violently slam down on his back. Coughing up blood, he screamed in pain, a loud snapping sound echoing throughout the forest as he felt his ribs crack underneath the weight of the action. And as he slowly looked over his shoulder, his eyes shrank with fear.

What he was greeted with were two crimson eyes that stared back at him with nothing but anger, vitriol, and bloodlust. Shadows completely covered the figure, making identifying them nearly impossible. However, that didn’t matter. He knewexactlywho this was, and it was the main reason why he carried out that raid.

And that reason? To kill them. Why? Because they were far too dangerous to be kept alive. With the kind of power they had, if they were to come out of this alive, who knew what kind of terror they would invoke? And so, he banded both Foxtrot and The Heavens Devils together to wipe out The Alpha Squadron.

Only issue? She wasn’t there when the attack happened, and, as was obvious, his plan was backfiring on him, as the remains of his allies laid strew about around him. His entire team was taken out, along with the neighbouring one. And to think, all of this, all of it, was triggered by one person’s death. Just one! Not becauseherteam was killed, minus the handful that got away, but because of one. f*cking. Person.

Red sparks of electricity washed over the figure, illuminating the blood-soaked clothes of the figure, but nothing of their facial features. To say that he was scared sh*tless of this person was an understatement. The person standing over him couldn’t be human! There was no way that something like this… thisthingcould’ve been born by a human woman.

But then again… thinking of the idea that shewasn’thuman made this whole situation ten times more terrifying than it already was.

“N-No! P-Please! I-I-I’ll do anything! Anything at all! J-Just please, please don’t kill me!!” The boy begged as the figure scoffed, applying more pressure to the boy’s back as he gagged.

“Funny… I bet that’s whatshesaid, too. Then you ripped out her spine with that power of yours. A power you don’t deserve. Heh… and here I thought diplomacy would’ve worked…. My faith in humanity plummeted when I got here, but maybe, just maybe you and the other team would’ve been more humane than the bastard running this cruel joke. Guess I was wrong.”The figure spat as they recoiled their right arm.

The skin of the arm rippled as it tripled in size. Sharp points and spines jutted out of the arm’s skin, though it caused no pain, or if it did, thenshewasn’t expressing it. Vine-like growths covered the arm from wrist to shoulder, as sharp blades covered the entire outer ridge of the arm. The entire arm eclipsed the figure’s body, and probably weighed fifty times more than the figure, and yet, the figure did not sway, nor did they grunt due to the immense weight. All they did was keep that same, cold, anger-filled expression.

He recognized all of those powers. They were the powers of those who fell in the onslaught, and from the figure’s own team—the dead ones, anyway. He didn’t knowhowthey were taken, but they were. And now themonsterhad them.

And right then, right there, did he realize just how much of a colossal f*ck up he had been throughout this entire situation. During the raid, he had said to The Alpha Squadron that they were trapped here with him. But he was dead wrong.They were trapped in here with her.

“N-NO! NO!!! DON—”

A sickening crack, followed by a thunderous boom echoed throughout the forest.

It was over. This “game” was over.Sheended it all by herself, letting those who wanted to flee do so. She knew going into this that she wouldn’t be able to control herself after a certain point. All the rage, anger, and vitriol she had stored over the last week had finally boiled over, and out of it came a monster that she tried to keep down for far too long.

But at least now, it was over. With one, tiny, little exception.

There was still one more thing that she had to do.

~Present Day~

Luz didn’t know what to think. Staring at the vines now covering her fingers, a small amount of guilt filled her mind. She just stole something that belonged to another that shouldn’t have been able to be stolen. And yet… here it was, in her hands and not Julia’s. Looking over at the pale-blonde-haired girl, her heart skipped a beat.

“Are… are you okay?” Luz asked the girl, who slowly stood up. There was no verbal response, instead, Julia hugged her. Luz tensed, not expecting that in the slightest as the vines retracted on their own. It wasn’t that she was against the idea of being hugged, but… it just seemed to come out of nowhere.

“Thank you….” Julia muttered as she… cried? Why was Julia crying? Did she do something wrong? She did scream in pain earlier, so maybe she was hurting? Or maybe… maybe she was crying because she was happy? Happy that she had her power taken? She could understand why she was happy about her power being taken, but to cry over it? To her, that just seemed… over the top.

“But then again, if I was in her position, I would be crying to…”Luz thought, as she slowly reciprocated the hug, patting the crying blonde on the back softly, a concerned expression on her face.

After a few minutes, the two let go of one another, Julia wiping a tear from the corner of her eye as she laughed. “I… I’m sorry for just… doing that. You… you have no idea how happy I am right now.”

Luz rubbed the back of her neck, glancing at the ground with a bashful expression on her face. “Y-yeah… uh… you’re welcome?” Luz responded, her socially awkward side coming out in full force. Julia chuckled, covering her mouth in that stereotypical rich person way. If Luz were to be honest with herself, she found it kinda cute—you know, in a platonic sense!

“Hey! Is everything okay out here?!” A voice called out to the pair as both Luz and Julia spun around. Standing in the doorway of the cabin was Marcone. The boy looked tired, confused, and also worried. “I heard screaming! Did someone… you know?” Marcone called out as Luz stiffened like a board. Thankfully, Julia was there to back her up.

“It’s quite alright, Giovanni! Go back to sleep, everything is alright!”

There was silence, and then the sound of a door closing. Julia looked over to Luz, who smiled sheepishly. “Come now, it’s time that we get some sleep. You’ve been up most of the night anyway. You need it, Luz,” Julia said as Luz sighed. The pale blonde wasn’t wrong, much to Luz’s chagrin. And while Luz had her reasons for not wanting to sleep, Julia didn’t need to know that. So, instead of resisting, she walked with Julia back to the cabin.

When Luz got inside, she took the bed closest to the door, whereas Julia walked further down the aisle to an empty top bunk. For a few minutes, Luz simply stared at the bed. She didn’t want to go back to that place again, especially considering who was waiting for her. But, then again, she still needed to sleep. And if she didn’t sleep, then what good would she be as a leader who was constantly dosing off?

That was a trick question because the only answer to that was that she wouldn’t be a good leader. She wouldn’t have the energy to lead in the first place if she never slept. And so, with a defeated sigh, Luz sat down on the edge of the bed. There were a lot of thoughts and ideas bouncing around her head that she wanted to express, but found herself unable to.

Now that she had Julia’s vines, did that mean the addiction was going to go away? Or did she only delay it? What would the others think if they found out that she took away Julia’s power? Would they believe Julia if she said that she willingly gave them up? Or, would they all turn on her? If they did… what was she going to do then?

“No! Stop that train of thought right now! Not everyone is going to turn their back on you just because you helped someone! This place, as hellish as it is, won’t be like that stupid school!”Luz thought, rapping her fist against the side of her head repeatedly until it began to hurt. She sighed, putting both her hands on her knees.“Oh, mamá, por favor… when I need you the most, you can’t help me…”

She was at a loss for what to do. She truly believed that it felt wrong to have taken away Julia’s power… but if that was what she wanted, who was she to deny it? What about everyone else? Did some of them want their powers taken? Was Julia the only one? What were those on the other teams thinking? Did some of those people want their powers taken away? If so… who was she to deny them either?

Luz shook her head. She was beginning to assume now, and that wasn’t a good thing. Assuming things of other people who she didn’t know was a bad idea, and was a bad habit to get into.“Well… maybe I should sleep on it? Maybe then things will turn out better….”Luz thought as she lay down. When Luz’s head hit the pillow, a wave of drowsiness hit her like a train, and she was out like a light.

When her eyes opened again, she found herself in a dark, empty, void-like expanse. Groaning, she knew where she was, seeing as she instantly recognized those leather chairs and the person sitting in one of them. Her eyes wandered over to Shigaraki, who smirked upon seeing her.

“Well, well, well. Look who came back!” Shigaraki greeted, arms wide and welcoming. Luz narrowed her eyes toward the man, who sighed, putting his arms down against the armrests of the chair. “Well, you didn’t “come back.” It was more like I dragged you back here. Just for your information, Luz, you don’t come back here unless I will it to be; so try not to purposely stay awake. That’s not good for your health.”

Luz said nothing, nor did she move an inch closer to the man or the chair next to him. She simply stared at him, glared at him, and did nothing. Shigaraki’s expression grew flat, as did the look in his eyes. “Oh, don’t tell me, you’re mad at me because you’re here again, right?”

“You just said you dragged me here, so, duh! Of course, I’m mad! It’s because of you that I can’t sleep properly! I hate knowing that whenever I close my eyes I come back here!” Luz shouted as Shigaraki pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in an almost disappointed way, which only further spiked Luz’s anger, and makingLuzof all people angry was a very, very hard thing to do. However, as she was beginning to notice, Shigaraki had a natural talent for doing so.

Finally, Shigaraki’s crimson red eyes met Luz’s dark brown eyes with a tired, almost annoyed look of his own, which quickly went away and was replaced with a neutral expression.

“There is no need to be mad at me. Besides, if anything, you should be glad to see me. After all, I dragged you here to teach you more about your power. There’s more to it than just taking and giving, you know? Not that it’s relevant to you right yet, but it will be in the future when you start amassing more power,” Shigaraki explained as Luz blew out a sharp intake of air.

“Yeah, right! I don’t plan to take any more—”

“The addiction, remember?” Shigaraki interrupted, causing Luz to clamp her mouth shut. “As I said, All For One comes with an addicting feeling to taking Quirks away. And now that you’ve actually taken one, it will only get worse from here on out. Well, perhaps not worse, but the longer you wait to take power, the more aggravated you will become, and the more snippy you’ll be with those around you. I don’t think I need to repeat myself from our last talk. As such, you should take a seat, because we’ll be here for a while,” Shigaraki explained, gesturing to the chair next to him.

Luz sighed, closing her eyes as she composed herself. There was no point in denying him, so instead of starting a needless argument, she walked over to the chair, and sat down next to the supervillain—because she wasn’t going to kid herself, that was what he reminded her of. Shigaraki smiled, reclining in his chair as he crossed his arms.

“Now. For future reference, may I point your attention in that direction,” Shigaraki began as he pointed toward a dark corner of the vestige realm. Standing there, idly, was a black, human-like shape of nothingness bobbing back and forth like one of those wacky-wavey-inflatable-arm-waving-tube men. Luz recoiled at the faceless, shapeless humanoid, which was seemingly what Shigaraki was looking for, judging by his creepy smile.

“W-What the heck is that?!” Luz asked as Shigaraki huffed.

“That, Luz, is the imprint that is left behind when you take a Quirk from someone. Much like myself, it is a vestige, but an incomplete one, seeing as the person who you stole the Quirk from is still alive, the vestige cannot fully become their own person, so to speak. I’ve dubbed them “incomplete vestiges.” For them to become complete, the user in the real world, or in this case, the former user, has to die.” As Shigaraki explained that, Luz scowled.

“You better not be telling me that I shouldkillJulia because if that is what you’re telling me to do, I swear—”

“Oh, heavens no!” Shigaraki quickly interrupted, putting his hands up defensively as Luz relaxed. “In fact, if this Julia person were to die, it would only make your quality of life worse,” Shigaraki continued, a distant look on his face. “You see, the more people you take the powers of, the more this place becomes full of other vestiges. Now, granted, they do not have power over you, nor can they do much of anything against you. However, depending on how you took the Quirk, be it forcefully or otherwise, a vestige of them will appear here. Now, some are silent, much like that one over there, but some are more vocal, and can even be nasty. ESPECIALLY if you killed them after taking their Quirk. It would be better for yourself if you didn’t kill anyone you took the Quirk of if it can be helped. Otherwise, you will be bombarded by the voices of those who you’ve stolen the Quirks of. Believe me, this happened to me on multiple occasions, so much so that I eventually found and stole a Quirk that made it so I didn’t have to sleep.”

As Shigaraki spoke, he cringed at the last part. “Trust me, it is NOT a good idea. Now, if they were to die outside of you being the reason for it, the vestiges will never fully form, remaining shapeless blobs like that one over there,” Shigaraki said, pointing toward the blob in the corner. Luz felt a shiver run down her spine when she looked at the blob, her shoulders tensing as she pushed deeper into her chair.

“It’s creepy…” Luz murmured as Shigaraki nodded.

“My point exactly,” Shigaraki quipped, clasping his hands together. “Now, moving on. There is one more thing I must tell you about All For One that is crucial once you acquire more Quirks,” Shigaraki said as Luz placed a hand on her cheek, a disinterested gleam in her eye at the mention of “acquiring more Quirks.” Shigaraki’s mouth morphed from a neutral line to a frown. “Luz. Let me ask you a question, and I want to hear your honest response. Why is it that you seem so annoyed when I mention stealing other people’s powers? There is clearly a reason behind it, and in order for this to work, you have to come forward about it.”

Luz scoffed. “Do you really want to know, or are you just trying to pick my brain super villain style so that you can turn around and say “I kNoW yOuR gReAtEsT wEaKnEsS” later down the line.”

Shigaraki frowned. “Luz. I’m serious about this. Whether you like it or not, your Quirk is designed to steal other people’s power. And yes, I truly do want to know your reasoning. Because if it is what I think it is, then perhaps I can make this easier for you. In our first meeting, you mentioned that you didn’t want to take people’s powers because you saw it as wrong. Care to explain that a little bit more?” Shigaraki questioned as Luz sighed, sitting up straight and looking the man dead in the eyes.

“Why do I have to explain it more? Shouldn’t it be obvious? Taking other people’s powers is like ripping away the thing that makes them unique! Why should I be the one to decide who gets to be special, and who doesn’t? All of my life I’ve been seen as “the weird one,” or “the kid who can’t separate reality from fiction.” And now people will finally get to see the world how I saw it, and now you’re telling me that I should strip them of that?! Here’s a question for you, what gave YOU the right to do what you did in your world, ‘cause I’ll be honest, you strike me as some kind of maniacal supervillain who takes over countries and steps on babies for fun!” Luz ranted, glaring at Shigaraki, who gave off a calm aura. “Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong because I’ll call you a liar if you do.”

Shigaraki reclined in his chair, looking up at the infinite expanse above them. He remained like this for what seemed like hours when in reality it was only a few seconds. Finally, he came back with an answer.

“For starters, Luz. The worlds we inhabit, or in my case inhabited, were far from the same. For you, Quirks are just awakening as a result of a mutated genome found within the human body that mass produces adrenaline at such a rate the body has to find some way of getting rid of it, which culminates in those who are affected to gain superpowers. In my world, it was because some child back in the 2020s was born with an abnormal amount of brain cells that converted energy into light, allowing this baby to glow like a lamp. This trait then carried over to other children, which would make them exhibit strange abilities later called Meta Abilities, which then came to be known as Quirks,” Shigaraki began, glancing over to Luz, who began to pay attention.

“Now, when I was born, I was what was known as a second-generation Meta-Human. The science behind identifying Quirks at the time was severely lacking compared to what it was in the future, so when I was found out to be a Meta-human, I was shunned by my peers and those around me. When my baby brother came around, he went through the same thing. And so, I got fed up with the treatment, and I acted upon my urges. I started to amass power, steal from those who I thought didn’t deserve it, and redistributed it to those who I knew would never lay a finger on my brother and me. My brother, Yoichi, believed that what I was doing was monstrous, and compared me to a comic villain that we both read about as a kid. Granted, I always found myself relating to that villain in question, so I went full throttle with the idea of being the big bad. I started to amass armies, and eventually, I took over Japan. It got to the point where there was a resistance force created solely to kill me!” Shigaraki continued, a smile on his face as he reminisced.

Slowly, the room began to change into a vault, and within it stood a copy of Shigaraki looming over a sickly, frail young man with long white hair. The copy of Shigaraki was seemingly forcibly taking, or maybe even giving something, to the younger brother, which made Luz sick to her stomach.

The idea of forcing anything on anyone made her want to puke. As far as she was concerned, forcing anything on anyone was akin to… well, just thinking of the word made her sick, but it was true! It was a non-consensual act, be it forcing a drug on someone, or be it… whatever else, it was still wrong! Morally and legally. And when she looked over to Shigaraki, he had a grimace on his face.

She didn’t know whether to be relieved that that was the case or to be disturbed because with the way this story was going, it most likely wasn’t because he regretted forcing whatever it was he was forcing on his younger brother.

“This. This was where my downfall began. You see, I pitied my brother. I wanted to make him strong, but he refused to accept any of my offers. Eventually, I got so frustrated with him that I gave him a Stockpiling Quirk. This was a mistake, as my brother would then turn around and join the resistance force. I later found out that his Meta-Power was a lot similar to mine, and that he could pass down his Quirk to others, and with it, those who had the power could accumulate power, make the Quirk stronger, and move it down the generational line. With each user, the Quirk would become twice as powerful as the last time, empowering the original Quirk of the person it was attached to. This Quirk would later be known as One For All. Fitting, as it is the polar opposite of my power.”

The surrounding plain went back to how it was before, as Shigaraki looked over to Luz. “While my actions, to you, might seem detestable, or even downright disgusting, know that we grew up in different situations. My people, those with Quirks, were seen as monsters. My people were culled, and it was even worse with those who had mutant powers. I will admit that it was wrong for me to take advantage of the situation and become a tyrant, which I will freely admit that I was. However, and I cannot stress this enough, you do not have to do the same thing. Learn from my mistakes, become who it is YOU want to be, but allow the stories of the past to mould you. For all you know, the very same thing could be happening right now, and you would never know because you’re being forced into this murder game. A murder game, may I remind you, that is being sanctioned by your state’s ruling government. And whether you like it or not, there will be people here who will try and kill you. Use THAT for your justification to take powers away from others. Don’t be afraid to do what is necessary to protect not only yourself but those around you. While my actions may have been twisted, yours do not need to be the same.”

Shigaraki paused his speech, allowing Luz to soak in all of the information. She wasn’t going to lie to herself and say that not all of what he said wasn’t useful information. And the fact that he was so willingly able to call out his past actions, just to make sure she understood the full scope of his prior situation…. It was… strange. For someone to admit that they were a bad person, and to do so unflinchingly… well, it was certainly a bad thing. It was clear that this man was evil, which was a no-brainer. But the fact that he admitted to it was more than enough to satisfy Luz.

As far as Luz was concerned, everything that Shigaraki did was unforgivable. He was a monster, through and through, and there was nothing he could say, do, or change about himself in this vestige form to make her think otherwise. However, the simple act of admitting he was wrong made Luz look at him in a different light.

It was one thing for a tyrant to brush off what they did and claim no wrongdoing. It was another for them to admit and call out what they did as wrong; something she had never seen from the villains in her favourite animes, mangas, TV Shows, and comics. In those shows, there was either the misunderstood villain or the comically vile and monstrous villain; and nine times out of ten, it was the latter.

So for Shigaraki to straight up say that what he did was bad, and then tell her to not make the same mistakes he did. It sounded like… he regretted it. “Do you… regret what you did?” Luz asked as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.

“Do I regret my actions?” Shigaraki asked back, huffing out hot air. “Hardly. The only thing I regret doing is going about it in the way I did. I made a lot of errors back then, and if I were given a second chance, I would do it again, only perhaps with a less violent approach, and perhaps I wouldn’t have created One For All with my future knowledge. To give a very short version of my answer. No. No, I do not. But if I could change small bits and pieces of what I did to make for a more healthy outcome, then I would. Otherwise, I’d keep things the same.”

Luz frowned. “So, you’re saying that you’d still become a tyrannical monster on purpose?” The Dominican teen said, furrowing her eyebrows at the man, who shrugged.

“Who knows? For all I know, if what I change does end up getting changed, perhaps I wouldn’t become a tyrant. We will never know what that future holds, or what it would turn out to be. But, what I do know Luz, is that we’re getting off-topic,” Shigaraki said, smirking.

Luz cringed at the hideous smirk on his face, avoiding eye contact. Shigaraki’s smirk faded back into a neutral line, as he adopted a more thoughtful expression. “And now I know why you don’t like the idea of taking away people’s powers. You find it to be abhorrent because you see it as taking away someone’s individuality, and not only that, but you see it as a form of projecting your pain onto others when you don’t want anyone else to experience that level of loneliness,” Shigaraki said, catching Luz off guard.

“B-But that’s—!”

“And not only do you not want others to feel that way, if I were to take an educated guess, if you could you’d also go back to being the normal, plain, no power-having Luz so that you don’t have to live with the burden of knowing that with just a simple shake of the hand you can take that person’s power. Am I correct?”

“Y-You…! You don’t know that!” Luz shouted as Shigaraki grinned.

“Oh…? Am I not correct? Does this perhaps mean that, secretly, deep down in your heart of hearts, youlikethe idea of stripping away power from others?” Shigaraki questioned, making Luz flinch. Just as she was about to interject, Shigaraki continued. “Don’t lie to yourself, Luz. You enjoy that idea, don’t you? Even if you’d never willingly admit it, the idea of taking away power from those who you believe don’t deserve it is something that you’ve always liked. After all, everyone who you ever met who had a modicum of power over you, even your own mother, has discredited your creativity to some degree, calling it a waste of time, or worse, something that you should strip from your very being!” Shigaraki said, his voice picking up in level, and a distorted, warped passion oozing from each and every word he spoke.

“Look around you, Luz! This very situation you’re in is because of those who had power over you saw your creativity, and saw it as a blight on your very soul! So, instead of helping you direct that creativity into something positive, what do they suggest to your mother?! They suggest taking you to aconversion camp meant to make you fit in line with those around you.And the worst part?Your mother agreed with them.”

At that, Luz flinched harder than she ever had before. She could feel tears poke at the sides of her eyes as Shigaraki continued to speak. “Your mother, someone who was meant to care and love you, agreed with those who said that you were “too weird” or you were “too obnoxious” for polite society. How devastating is that? To know that your mother doesn’t love you for the way you are, and would rather have you change into someone else so that HER life is easier!”

Luz snapped to Shigaraki, fury in her eyes as she spoke, “B-But that’s—”

““But that’s not true!” you say?!” Shigaraki interrupted as a sharp snarl came across his visage. “Oh, really! Is that the case? Then why did she send you here? Hm? What, let me guess, she said that “this is an opportunity to make new friends,” right? But what was therealreason? Do you even know what the real reason was? You don’t know, now do you?” Shigaraki spat as Luz shrunk deeper into herself. “Well, allow me to make an educated guess, speaking from experience. Your mother caved into peer pressure, and sent you away, instead of standing up for you and making it known that she’d stick by you to the bitter end, falsely believing that what she was doing was the right thing, right? That sounds to be in line with how your mother operates, am I wrong?”

At this point, Luz was shaking. Not out of anger, well, not solely out of anger, because that was one of the reasons, but it was because of just howrightShigaraki was. Of course, there was a vocal, very loud part of her mind that was shouting at Shigaraki to shut up, to go away, and to never utter another word again.

But, at the same time, a more quiet, rational side of her, a side that only came out when she knew that the person in front of her was right, whispered in her ear and told her that Shigaraki, for no matter how evil he might’ve been, was correct about a few things. Very, very few things, mind you, and unfortunatly, this was part of it.

And no matter how much she wanted to punch him in the face for it. No matter how much she wanted to scream, to shout, to cry that he was wrong, she couldn’t deny the fact that what he described was probably true.

For as much as she loved her mama, she was the type of person to cave under peer pressure. It had happened before with the idea of getting her to try out for the cheerleader squad so that she could distract herself when in reality all it did was humiliate her. Granted, that wasn’t her mama’s fault, but she was partly to blame for it.

But this? This was different. Sure, her mother might not’ve known that this whole “death camp” thing would come out of it, but she knew that it was meant to convert her into a pencil-pushing snore-fest of a person.

And to Luz, that was unforgivable. No matter how she sliced it or diced it, that was something that only someone who hated a part of that person would do, even if peer pressure was involved.

And Shigaraki seemed to notice that it struck a nerve with Luz, seeing as he reclined back into his chair, and let out a small, soft, quiet breath. “My point is, Luz, is that those around you who have had power over you used it to make you feel small, weak, and little. And in the back of your mind, you’ve always wanted to strip that power from them. Now that you have the means to, are you really going to try and tell me that you would never do such a thing? That now that you have the means to point back at the world, and tell them for once that they’re wrong, that you won’t?”

When Shigaraki poised to her that question, all Luz could do in response was hum out a no. Nodding, Shigaraki sat up straight, the vestige world flickering in and out of existence. The man hummed, letting out a sigh.

“Seeing as we are running out of time, and that morning is now quickly approaching, I'll summarize this as fast as possible. When you do eventually gather more powers, All For One gives you the ability to also combine Quirks together and create new ones. Now, these are not permanent creations, though they can always be paired together and activated in that way. Over time, though, if you use them together enough, you can turn them into a new Quirk completely. So, use that creative brain of yours to think up interesting Quirk combinations when you do get around to it.”

The vestige world flickered again as Shigaraki nodded to himself, standing up from his chair. “It seems our time is up. Luz, do not forget what I told you here. Don’t force limitations on yourself because of some misguided morality. Do not let anyone control you anymore. And most importantly, use All For One the way you want to. After all, there is no such thing as an evil Quirk, only an evil Quirk user.”

And as Shigaraki spoke those last words, the vestige world began to disappear, and for the second time that day, Luz awoke….

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 9: S1 - Ep 9: Search And Steal - Part 3

Chapter Text

[Search and Steal – Part 3]

When Luz awoke, she did so with a headache. This was starting to become a pattern, and she didn’t like it. Looking around her, she saw that the cabin was empty. Well, not totally. She couldn’t remember her name, but the goth girl seemed to be still sleeping.

Luz scratched just beneath her eye, drooping her arm to the edge of the bed after that. She was still laying down, looking up at the ceiling with a distant look in her eyes. She didn’t want to get up, especially after the talk she had with Shigaraki. She hated how he was right about damn near everything he said. Wake-up call after wake-up call was something that she was used to, but not with the bluntness that Shigaraki provided.

Most people danced around every subject, but Shigaraki didn’t. He went straight to the heart of the problem and ripped the bandage off with a pair of pliers each and every time. First, it was about using her power, then it was about the reality of the situation she was in, and recently it was about her mother and her actions. Did her mama think that? Did her mama truly send her to this camp because she wanted to betterherlife?

Without her here to ask those questions, it was hard to piece together the proper thoughts. She didn’t want to assume anything, but seeing as there was no way to confirm or deny anything, Luz couldn’t help it. What was her mother thinking now? Was she glad that she was out of her hair? Was she happier with her gone?

“No…. Mama would never think that…! Right…?”Luz thought, forcibly closing her eyes, blinking back the tears that fought to break past her eyelids. Putting an arm over her face, she hitched back a breath, unaware of the cabin’s front door opening. When the creaking of the door stopped, a voice spoke out to her, one that she was vaguely familiar with.

“Hey, Boss, you up?”

The arm over Luz’s face flopped to the side of the bed as she looked over to the person who spoke. It was Ronny Armstrong, his arms crossed against his chest as he looked at her with a worried gleam in his eyes. Ronny was wearing a different shirt from yesterday. Instead of it being black, it was white, and instead of green shorts, he was wearing black shorts. But as far as Luz was concerned, the minor details didn’t matter. What he said, did. “You good?”

Sitting up, Luz rubbed away the tears forming in her eyes as she nodded silently. Ronny shook his head, sighing, sitting down on the bed in front of her. “Don’t bullsh*t me. You ain’t alright, matter of fact you look like sh*t. What’s going on?” Ronny asked, genuine concern in his voice. Luz couldn’t bare to make eye contact with the boy, for the simple reason that making eye contact with anyone was hard enough as it was, let alone now.

But, seeing as Ronny probably wasn’t going to leave without an answer, Luz decided to speak. “I… I’m homesick,” Luz admitted, though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt in her chest at the idea of going home. Ronny sucked in a breath, before grunting.

“Ah… wish I could say I relate, but being an orphan doesn’t give me that luxury,” Ronny said, letting out a bitter laugh. “I mean, your parent’s really gotta hate ya if they sent ya here to some shoddy education camp, right?” Ronny snorted, unaware of the pained expression on Luz’s face.

“You might be right….” Luz muttered as the taller kid blinked, before grimacing.

“sh*t, that was a joke, ya know…. I didn’t think… never mind, ignore me, I’m sorry,” Ronny said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, uh… I and the recon team want you to go with us on our first excursion. Judy said that with the power you got, we could probably get the care package that location mapped out before sh*t hits the fan. Peace time’s over, the fight’s only gettin’ started, and seeing as you can steal other people’s powers, well… weakening the enemy seems like a good idea to me, right?”

Luz didn’t respond verbally, instead, she sat up, jumped off the bed, and headed toward the door. Ronny shrugged, scoffing. “Guess that’s a yes.” And he wasn’t wrong. The only reason why Luz didn’t say anything was that, quite frankly, she didn’t want to talk. Not because she didn’twantto talk, it was because she had too much on her mind.

When Jean saw her, he smirked. “Tu vois? I was right, I knew she’d come,” Jean said, ejecting a blade from his wrist in a flaunting gesture. “Ready when you are, commandant!” Jean was wearing an orange and white striped t-shirt, a pair of baggy sweatpants, and hiking boots.

Luz looked over at Jean, a small smile on his face. Everyone seemed so… happy? No, not happy. No one here washappy. They were doing what it was that anyone in this situation would do. Coping. Coping at the fact that their families threw them away, unaware that they would be subjected to this. But even so, the act of throwing them away, it was something everyone here could at least relate to.

They were doing the best that they could. And if moving forward was what would distract them from the truth, then she’d go along with it. “Do we know where the care package is?” Luz asked as Judy spoke up.

“No, we don’t. But, if we had to guess, it would be in the center of the forest. All we have to do is map out where the center is. That is why we’re doing this first excursion,” Judy explained as Luz nodded.

“And what about the other participants? What’re we going to do if we come across them?” This time, it was Stanley who spoke. When Luz looked over at him, she saw what it was he was wearing, that being a black button-down shirt, a pair of black jeans with a jacket tied around his waist, as well as a pair of rocky mountain steel-toed boots.

“Do we subdue them, retreat when seeing them, or… well, ya know….” Stanley left the last option out, mainly because no one wanted to even think about the prospect of spilling someone else’s blood. Killing someone waswrong. To Luz, taking their power away was already bad enough, but killing someone…?

Luz sighed. She knew what shehadto say, not what shewantedto say. Wants and needs were finely separated here, and being a leader in a literalwargame forced that out of her. She wanted to say not to kill. But… “we match their intentions. They want to subdue us? We subdue them. If they retreat, we let them. But… if they try to kill us….”

“We kill them,” Jean said, a grim expression on his face.

“Only, if necessary,” Luz added, looking down at her hands. “If I can’t take their power in time, then yes, by all means. The fewer people that have to die, the better in my eyes. It’s not our choice that they get to live or die. Even if they don’t have powers, it’s better if they live rather than kick the bucket. Right?” Luz said as everyone nodded. A small smile crept its way on her face as Julia placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Be safe,” Julia said, a worried expression on her face as a soft smile made its way to Luz’s face. Luz nodded, before looking at the draw bridge that acted as a door. She walked up to it, placing a hand on the bridge. Putting a small amount of pressure against the draw bridge, she closed her eyes, before then pushing it. When she did, it fell with a loud thud.

Luz had to take a step back due to the noise, as did a few others. Dust kicked up around them as the bridge now no longer blocked their way. A big rope that was connected to some sort of gear mechanism dangled to the left of the entrance, showing that was how the bridge was supposed to be brought back up.

Exhaling, Luz walked out of the base, as did Jean, Ronny, Stanley, and Judy, though Judy had a duffle bag over her shoulder with a bunch of stuff. Luz guessed it was for camping out, in which case, she was glad that Judy thought so far ahead.

When everyone was out, Luz turned to see the drawbridge begin to close up the entrance to the base. The drawbridge was raised by Julia, who smiled at Luz. Luz smiled back, waving at Julia, before turning to face the group of four as the drawbridge closed with a thud. “So… which direction does everyone want to go in?”

Ronny shrugged. “When in doubt, go north. We’re bound to find something there. Everyone cool with that?”

With a series of nods, it was decided. North they would go.

xxXXxxXXxx

“Hmm… very interesting…. Very interesting indeed,” Rodger hummed, overlooking the camera footage of last night. He played the clip over and over again, watching as Luz Noceda, leader of The Alpha Squadron, stole Julia Wittebane’s power. The idea sounded preposterous, but even so, he couldn’t deny the facts. One moment, Julia had her power, Vines, and the next she was without them, and Luz Noceda had them.

That kind of raw power was deadly. He didn’t know just how many powers Luz could steal in one go, but seeing as her power wasn’treplacedby the vines, it was clear that there either was no limit, or there was one, and she just hadn’t reached it yet. Granted, it appeared that this was her first time taking a power, seeing as she seemed a little on edge about it. But, the fact of the matter remained.

She was perfect.

When the power boom occurred, the government was in shambles. They needed a way to contain this outbreak, and seeing as there were not enough armed men to keep those with powers at bay so they didn’t cause any uproars, Rodger took matters into his own hands and created this. This was simply a test run for things to come. If all went according to plan, then he would do more of these.

But that was only if this went right. If it flopped, then there was a high likelihood that he’d lose his position and his freedom. The Federal Government was completely unaware of this camp he was doing, seeing as he was using State Funds to fund this thing. The General of the military didn’t even know why Rodger needed the men in the first place but handed a couple hundred over because of the power outbreak.

While most of them were patrolling the streets and neighbourhoods making sure rowdy kids didn’t try and start sh*t, 50 of the soldiers he requested were guarding the forest so no trespassers could come skulking through the woods and find the test he was doing.

He knew damn well that he was immoral. But, as far as Rodger was concerned, he didn’t want anyone in his State to have any sort of power against him or his friends in the office. Granted, what he was doing was probably counterproductive, but, as he had mulled over before, this was for the betterment of the country. The fewer of these freaks that existed, the better.

And then, along came Luz, with her power to steal other powers. That had intrigued him. Not only did it intrigue him, but it got him thinking. What if he set something up between the three groups that would cause a massive fight to ensue, but distract Luz long enough for it to pass by? And once it was done, introduce Luz to the situation, in where then she could take the powers from the fallen, and kill the rest of the stragglers and take their powers.

Then, bring more super-powered kids in by the truck full, have Luz take their powers, kill them, then kill her! All of the powers in his State would be gone, and he would have nothing to worry about! It was a genius plan! Nothing could possibly go wrong with it! All he’d have to do is bomb the location with Luz still inside it, therefore killing her with all the powers stored up inside of her. And once she dies, there would be no more powers in the state of Connecticut!

The problem was… how was he going to do it? How was he going to convince the rest of them to gang up on The Alpha Squadron, then each other…? Maybe introduce more money for the survivor? Kids were greedy like that. Money was money was money. Kids didn’t care the amount, pay’em and they’d do it. Morals? Who needs’em when you can be a billionaire? Rights? Pfft! What do human rights have to do with them getting rich?

Besides, it wasn’t as if he was gonna give them any money in the first place. This was all just to make the perfect super soldier. And while making Luz one would be another easy alternative to get her out of the way, no one should have that much power, which was ironic seeing as he was a Governor of a State.

He sighed, reclining in his chair, and rubbing the sides of his head. “Now… what to do about the parasite….” Rodger murmured as he tapped his chin. Super soldier or battery for power then nuke from orbit. Oh, the options, so many and yet so little time. Two and a half months wasn’t long in the grand scheme of things. He was working with limited time and a small group of people.

Then again, he didn’t have to give the kids back, now did he? He could make the camp counsellor lie and say that some tragedy occurred and they all died. That would buy him enough time to get what he wanted to be done off the ground.

He smirked to himself. Option two was the better way to rid his State of superpowers. So that was what he was going to do. Besides… what could possibly go wrong? Now all he had to do was get a message to the other two teams, and get them to cooperate. Once that was done, then he could move on to step two of his plan. As half-baked as it was, it was better than not having a plan. This was all sprung at him with no sudden warning—Luz’s power, that is. Technically this whole thing was slapped together in a matter of hours, but at least it was working.

Honestly, if the first round of intimidation when he rounded them all hadn’t worked, then he would’ve just had to kill them outright. He was glad it worked, because otherwise if he didn’t give a proper explanation to the General, he would’ve lost everything. Once again, he was pulling off a massive gamble, and as a gambler, he was glad that sticking to his cards gave him yet another victory.

“Welp, time to get to work,” The Governor said, walking over to a control panel and smiling. Pressing a green button with a drone icon, he looked over to a pair of screens, showing both The Heaven’s Devils and Foxtrot’s bases. Both leaders were rounding up a group of people to send them out of their bases, most likely on recon. The timing was almost too perfect.

Smiling the Governor activated his microphone on the drones, walked over to his chair, and sat down, tapping on the mic. Through the screen, both leaders turned to their respective drones, eyebrows raised as The Governor spoke.

“Hello, Emila Warstoch/Kenndy Jennkins. I have a request to make of you….”

xxXXxxXXxx

The sun shone down on the five intrepid scouts, beating down on them with 45 degrees of pure UV rays. Sweat trickled down everyone’s foreheads, sweat stains evident on their clothing. Although out of everyone there, Judy seemed to have it the worst, what with the leather Jacket not helping her any. And while she was the one who had every right to complain about the scorching heat, the person who did complain did not.

“Ugh, how long are we going to be out here….!” Ronny exclaimed, his voice hoarse from the heat as Judy pinched the bridge of her nose, a visible vein appearing on her forehead.

“If you don’t stop complaining, I’m going to hurt you,” Judy snarked, black energy warping over her hand. Ronny sneered, standing up from his hunched position with his chest flared out, his arms tense as he clenched his fists. Sensing the conflict, Luz stepped between them, a concerned expression on her face.

“C’mon, we don’t need to fight,” Luz said, looking over to Ronny, then back to Judy, both still having annoyed expressions on their faces as Luz let out a nervous chuckle. It was clear the heat was getting to both of them, though for Luz it wasn’t much of an issue. Her house had no A/C, meaning she always dealt with hot summers at full blast, so she was used to the heat. She had to assume it was not the same for Ronny and Judy. And so, she came up with a solution.

“You know what, seeing as the heat is affecting everyone, how about we take a break? We’ve been walking for a few hours now, so I think stopping for a bit will get our spirits up, right?” Luz suggested as Ronny looked over to Luz, smirking, then stuck his thumbs up, while Judy glowered but ultimately recited her power.

“Alright, we’ll take a fifteen-minute break. If that’s alright with you, Captain?” Judy said as Luz nodded. The dyed-haired teen nodded, opening the duffle bag and scooping out five water bottles, tossing one to each person, before opening the fifth of herself. “I got ten more water bottles, so don’t drink it all. I only took enough to last us a week, and we don’t have a water purifier, so use the water sparingly, got it?” Judy said as everyone gave affirmative grunts.

Luz leaned up against the tree, taking a few gulps of water for herself. It was instantly refreshing, as she sighed. Long walks werenotLuz’s thing, especially through forested areas. She didn’t know what it was about forests, but they always unnerved her. Maybe it had something to do with watching too many horror movies based in the woods. Now that she thought about it, yeah, probably.

Even so, the forest was beautiful. Actually, scratch that,naturewas beautiful. She just wished her first time camping in a long time wasn’t attached to a grizzly death game.

Her thoughts were cut off when someone spoke up.

“Ronny’s question was valid, though. How long are we going to be on this excursion, Commander Judy?” Jean asked with an eyebrow raised as Stanley nodded, agreeing with the question as he crossed his arms. Judy, for her part, sighed as she sat down on a nearby boulder, while everyone else either leaned against a tree or stood.

“A week. We want to be the ones to find the dropoff zone for the chest, right? Then, when we do, we camp it out. I brought spare sleeping bags, five to be exact, that way we don’t have to scramble to find something comfortable to sleep on. Originally, one was going to be a spare in case we lost one, but seeing as our leader is with us, that one will be hers, alright?”

Everyone nodded, as Judy huffed, turning to face Luz. “Speaking of our fearless leader. What exactlyisyour power? I mean, you did tell everyone roughly what it can do, that you can steal powers, but that’s all you said. Is there a specific limit? Does the power you steal replace the current one? Like, what’s the deal?” Judy questioned as Luz frowned, glancing at the floor absent-mindedly.

For a minute, there was silence, until Luz broke that silence. “Well… there’s not much else I can say. I mean, I take powers, that’s what my power is. I don’t know if there is a set limit, or if it's based on how body my strong is to handle more than a few powers, or what have you. All I know is that I can steal other people’s abilities. Er, well… I can alsogivepowers, too. But that’s only if I already have a large number of powers already stored within me. And… if I’m not careful, I could potentially turn someone brain-dead.”

Shocked silence encompassed the group of five as everyone mulled over the information. Brain death was worse than a natural death because even though the person is brain dead, their body could still function based on whatever impulses the brain left behind for upwards of a few weeks. It was worse than a coma and worse than getting your head blown off with a shotgun.

The implications that it left behind caused a couple of the scouts to pale, namely of which being Jean, who covered his mouth in shock. It remained this way for a few moments when Stanley spoke up. “Hey… wait a second. Didn’t you take Julia’s power? Marco said something about someone screaming last night. It was Julia, and when she woke up, she muttered about being cured of something, whatever the hell that meant. Did that you mean you took her power, despiteknowingyou could cause brain death?”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to Luz as she clamped her Jaw shut. For a few moments, Luz didn’t respond. Just as Stanley was about to say something, Luz spoke up. “It’s not like I didn’t tell her that,” Luz started, a sigh escaping her as she met Stanley’s eyes with her own, brown eyes meeting sky blue as the two stared. “I warned her of what could happen. She accepted that warning and asked me to take her vines anyway. Besides, nothing bad came out of it, right? She wanted her vines gone, and so I took them. I don’t see any harm in doing that, even if it made me feel bad after the fact.”

Stanley remained silent after Luz’s response. No one said a thing after that, as Stanley sighed, turning away. He walked over to a tree, and sat down underneath it, looking at Luz, who watched his every movement, not out of keeping an eye on him, but out of fear of what he might do. Stanley was a big guy, with massive muscles large enough to make some professional bodybuilders cry. The kind of power a punch like that could pack, super strength or not, was intimidating—and he didn’t even have super strength! He had Shock Absorption!

“Alright. I guess that makes sense. If she asked for it, then she asked for it. No reason to hold you against it. ‘sides, you’re right. Nothing bad happened. Sorry about that, I just get… touchy about subjects like that,” Stanley said, frowning as he looked up into the skyline. Everyone else remained silent for a little bit longer, and once everyone was relaxed, they were about to get going again, only for a snapping twig to put everyone on alert.

Everyone looked in the direction of where the twig snapped, and as soon as they did, a bright ball of orange flame gathered just above the bush, and then, shot out toward the group of five.

“SCATTER!” Luz shouted as everyone dove for cover, one of the water bottles being hit in the process as the fireball hit the ground, the grass catching on fire before fizzling out. Luz groaned, slowly standing up along with everyone else as a teen around the same age as Judy stood up from the bush. His hair was a deep orange, and his eyes were bright blue. His skin was tan, and his clothing was standard, that of a white shirt and black ripped pants with a pair of hiking boots. On his fingertip was a small wick of flame, a smile on his face.

“Seems as if I lucked out! I knew following those footsteps was a good idea! It led me straight to you!” The boy said, his smile turning to a smirk.

“Oh ho! You’re from one of the other camps, aren’t you?” Jean said, narrowing his eyes at the boy, who clapped in a mocking gesture.

“Bravo! Look’s like we got a smarty! Not that it matters,” The boy said, his right arm dematerializing and turning into pure fire. “Names Cody Johnson, and you’re toast!” Cody shouted, launching a pillar of flame toward Jean! Before it could make contact with Jean, Stanley knocked him out of the way, taking the full brunt of the attack, the flames washing over him like a tidal wave.

“Stanley!” Luz cried out as Cody smirked, only for that smirk to fade as Stanley stood there, not a hint of damage on his body. His shirt was burned off, revealing his muscular body, and parts of his pants were singed, but that was it. The only thing that showed that he was hit with a fire attack was the soot marks on his shoulders and chest. The big guy laughed, slamming both of his fists together in a taunting gesture. Seeing this as a sign to get into fighting positions, Luz drew out Vines from her fingertips, while Judy coated her arms in darkness, Jean drew out his arm blades, and Ronny flexed his arms.

Cody, for his part, cracked his neck from side to side, a smirk on his face. “Oh, it seems I’m outnumbered… oh well! I can take you all on!” Cody shouted, a determined expression on his face. Luz swallowed back whatever fear she was feeling at that moment, as she stared Cody Johnson down. It was only the second day of this hell, and now she had to fight someone.

She only hoped that this would end well, for both parties involved.

-To Be Continued in – The Raging Flame of Battle-

Chapter 10: S1 - Ep 10: The Raging Flame Of Battle

Chapter Text

[The Raging Flame of Battle]

The tension in the air was suffocating. A five-on-one fight was unfair, and everyone knew that. But even then, the sheer look of determination on Cody Johnson’s face was enough to send a chill down everyone’s spines. The fact that he was brazenly standing there without a care in the world, ready and raring to fight, was enough to scare Luz.

Because that kind of determination meant he knew damn well what he was doing. Or, at the very least, he had confidence in his ability to make up for skill. Confidence went a long way, sometimes. Sometimes, confidence could completely change the way a fight worked. She’d seen in it Anime like Death Note, or even Dragon Ball, where the main character would have so much confidence in their abilities that they’re able to take down any threat before them, even if said threat is vastly superior and stronger than them.

With that in mind and a boatload of caution, the battle began, and when it did, it didn’t take long for the first fist to be thrown. Well, Luz would say fist, when in reality it was fire being slung at them for the second time in the shape of a fist, and it was aimed specifically at her. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, but instead of standing there, she ducked to take cover, and narrowly avoided the fist-sized fireball, diving down to the ground with a weak thud.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Judy gathering more dark energy around her arm, and with a grunt of effort, shoot that dark shadowy stuff out of her arm, aiming for Cody’s head. She wanted to shout for Judy tonotgo for his head, but by then it was too late. The darkness closed in on him, and when it did, he smirked.

Cody’s arm went back to normal, and in a matter of seconds, his head morphed into a literal blob of flame, causing the darkness blast to phase right through him and hit a rock behind him, fragmenting the rock into nothing but little shards. Luz shuttered. If that blast had actually hit Cody, his head would’ve popped like a zit. Cody seemed to notice that too, but it seemingly did not affect him as he bellowed. “HA! Nice try! I can morph my entire body into flames! There ain’t no way you can get me with weak-ass attacks like that!”

“Thanks for the info dump,”Luz thought, holding back a laugh. Why was it that the bad guys told the heroes their abilities? Seriously, it made things too easy for the heroes to win in the end. And from what Luz noticed about Cody’s power, he could only turn one part of his body into flames at a time. At least, that was her guess.

“Guys! He can only turn one part of his body into flames! Overwhelm him!” Luz shouted as everyone grunted in acknowledgement. Cody snarled, readying another attack. Before he could, however, Stanley closed the distance between Cody, and Ronny joined him. Both recoiled their arms in preparation to punch Cody, aiming for his chest.

In response, Cody morphed his body into flames while turning his head back to normal, smirking as he let out a wave of fire. Jean and Judy hit the floor so as to not get hit by the wave of flame. Anything the fire touched caught on fire, and burned to ash—mainly bushes, small branches, and any grass and leaves on the ground.

Ronny tried to block the flames, grunting as the wave of flame hit him, a groan of pain coming from Ronny as Luz cringed. Stanley didn’t even flinch, changing his target from Cody’s chest to his head. When Stanley’s fist hit Cody’s face, as soon as the impact was made, Cody went flying backward. Judy, Jean, and Luz all stood up, dusting themselves off as Ronny shook his arms. Small burn marks littered his arms and parts of his hands as he coughed.

“Are you okay?” Luz asked as Ronny snorted.

“What does it look like?” Ronny quipped, shaking his head. “I’m fine, Boss. Now, let’s get after that—” Just before Ronny could continue, a massive plume of flame came speeding toward them. Thinking based on panic, Luz shot out Vines around the two trees in front of them and bent them down in an X-like cross.

There was a lot of strain involved, and it took every ounce of strength that Luz could muster, but in the end, she got the trees to bend. The flames hit the two trees, said trees blocking the path of the flames from hitting the group of five, though some of the flames did lick at the legs of the group of five, who walked back far enough away so that the flames wouldn’t hurt them.

“Quick thinking, commandant!” Jean shouted, the french boy jumping up onto the tree, deploying his blades as he lunged toward the slowly getting up Cody. Cody saw him, and sneered, turning his right arm into flame. Just as he was about to unleash a lance of flame, Jean made contact with Cody, stabbing one of his arms with his blades, blood squirting from the wound as Cody shouted in pain, Jean following up the attack with a blade aimed at the boy’s stomach.

Thinking on his feet, Cody switched his flame arm to his flame chest, the blade harmlessly passing through him and stabbing the tree behind him. Luz let go of the trees, the trees snapping back into place like rubber poles as the group of four caught up with Jean, who used his momentum from the lunge to position his body in such a way that his feet met up with Cody’s face. “Ha ha! Gymnastics really did pay off! Mange mon pied, paysan!”

Jean then proceeded to kick Cody’s face a total of five times before Cody let out another wave of fire. Jean brought back his arm blades and used that to jump upward so that he wouldn’t get hit, while everyone else hit the ground.

Cody brought his left hand up to his right shoulder, wiping some of the blood onto his fingers, looking at it with a sneer on his face. “That was a cheap shot, asshole!”

Jean scoffed. “It was cheap for you to jump us, asshole!” Jean snapped back as Cody nodded.

“Touche. However, counter-argument, YOUR MOTHER!” Cody shouted back, turning his left arm into flames as he launched a cone of fire toward Jean. Luz shot out her Vines toward Jean, wrapping him up and whipping him back down to the ground, gently, while shooting more Vines at Cody, aiming to subdue him. Cody lashed his flame arm toward the Vines, said Vines catching on fire as they rapidly devoured them. Luz quickly retracted the Vines, however, that had been a mistake as the fire travelled with them.

Panic filled Luz’s eyes as she shook her hands, trying to put out the flames before they could reach her. Just before the fire could hit Luz head-on, Judy shot out Darkness toward the rest of the Vines, cutting them off as they fell to the ground, the non-burned remains to slink back into Luz’s fingers. Luz looked over to Judy, who shouted. “Thank me later!” Judy said as they both turned their attention to Cody, who sneered, anger and annoyance apparent in his voice as he shouted.

“Just. DIE. ALREADY!” Cody screamed, launching more fire at them as everyone ducked out of the way, everyone but Stanley, who ran through the flames, charging Cody with a football tackle, slamming his elbow into Cody's chest as the redhead gasped for air. Cody’s body slammed up against the tree as blood came rushing out of his mouth, and as far as Luz was concerned, it looked far more painful than it did in the anime she watched.

Stanley grabbed Cody by the head and repeatedly slammed him into the tree. With each slam, the bark of the wood chipped and cracked, spreading small chunks of bark off of the tree as each impact made caused Cody to shout in pain.

“HOW!”

Thwack

“ABOUT!”

Thwack

“YOU!”

Thwack

“SHUT!”

Thwack

“UP!”

And with one final slam, the boy’s arms slumped, and his flame arm disappeared. Stanley let go of his head as Cody slumped against the tree. Everyone looked at Stanley with concern and Cody with fear. Fear that Stanley might’ve killed him. With a bated breath, the tall, muscle-bound teen looked for a pulse, sighing in relief. “He’s alive, just out cold.”

Everyone sighed in relief, as Luz approached Stanley. “Well, Commander, what’d you want to do with him?” Stanley asked as Luz frowned. She knew what she had to do, but she didn’t know if she should.“But then again, if he does find us again, we won’t be ready for round two. Neither would he, but I’d rather not fight him again… so….”Biting the inside of her lip, she closed her eyes and made up her mind.

Reaching out toward Cody’s head, she placed the palm of her hand against his forehead. Opening her eyes, they flashed red, as black and red electricity sparked around her arm, jumping around her arm and plinking off of Cody. Stanley stood back, eyes wide as Luz ripped the palm of her hand off of Cody’s forehead, a mist-like substance sucking into the hole in Luz’s hand.

Power surged through her like a current, as she stumbled back. It felt like a literal shock travelled through her body, and when it fizzled out, she took deep breaths to mitigate the shock. Clenching her hand into a fist, she focused on the power that she just took, as her hand turned into a flaming ball of pure fire. Luz couldn’t help but feel a small smile make its way to her face, as Stanley chuckled.

“Well, I’ll be damned. That’s kinda cool,” Stanley said, patting Luz on the back as the Dominican teen deactivated Flame. Now, she possessed two powers.Flame,andVines. Deep in the back of her mind, she heard a dark chuckle, to which she shuttered. Shigaraki was well aware of this latest acquisition, and he was no doubt going to congratulate her on it in his own twisted sense.

Jean retracted his arm blades, walking over to Cody’s unconscious form as everyone inspected the damage done to the teen. Blood trickled down Cody’s nose and from the top of his head, as well as from his right shoulder. He was slumped over like a corpse, yet he was still breathing.

Looking over to Luz, Jean spoke. “So, what do we do now, commandant?” Jean asked as Luz hummed, tapping her chin. She didn’t want to justleavehim here, but at the same time, she wasn’t too keen on taking an enemy with them. Especially seeing as he had tried to kill them, or at the very least maim them pretty badly.

“Well, he did try to kill us,” Judy brought up, crossing her arms. “Shouldn’t we do the same?”

Luz shook her head. “No. He’s not a threat to us anymore. I took his power, he can’t fight us anymore. At least, on equal footing,” Luz said, sighing. “We should leave him here. When he wakes up, he’ll either report back to his leader, or he’ll run into a wild animal and die that way.” As Luz said that, a cold look appeared in her eyes. Blinking, Luz cleared her throat as she let out a nervous chuckle. “Hehe, or, we could tie him up. But I think the second option is for the better.”

Everyone looked at Luz, then at one another, and shrugged. “Well, you’re the captain, can’t say no, so… onward!” Judy said, pointing in the opposite direction of where Cody was slumped. “But first, let’s gather our supplies. Can’t camp out without them,” Judy added before walking back in the direction of their stuff. After they grabbed their stuff, they set off down the way they were originally heading.

Luz looked down at her hand, turningFlameon and off, bewildered by how it worked. Her hand basically tore itself apart, transforming itself into flames, before reforming like it was nothing. And the entire time, she felt not a single ounce of pain. She would’ve thought that it would at least be painful but seeing as it wasn’t, it seemed like it was par for the course. In reality, this made absolutely NO sense. That wasn’t how logic worked.

But then again, superpowers popped up out of nowhere, so maybe holding onto the logic she knew about for the longest time was a bad idea.

“You know what…. Thinking about these sorts of things is only going to make my brain hurt,”Luz thought, furrowing her eyebrows as she trekked forward, keeping up with the rest of her group. There was still a long way to go, and the last thing she wanted was to be left behind.

xxXXxxXXxx

[Three days later]

It was peaceful. Too peaceful as far as Julia was concerned. And it was in that peacefulness that she felt a wave of paranoia wash over her. It had been three days since the scouting party had left the base. Julia was aware that they were supposed to be gone for a week, but that didn’t calm her nerves any. There had been times when she wanted nothing more than to run out of the base and search for them, just in case something bad happened and they were without some form of backup or help.

However, seeing as she was the second in command, she knew damn well that she couldn’t do that. She had to stay behind and help with maintaining order in the base. And so far, everything had been running the way it should. People were tending to things that were needed to survive, there was no infighting, and the vibe was good, if not cautious. And while that was all well in good, Julia couldn’t help but feel as if somethingbadwas coming.

Now, granted, it wasn’t like she had some sort of sixth sense, but there was just something about the air that set Julia on edge a little more than the days prior. For all she knew, something bad might’ve happened to Luz or the others out scouting, and she would be none the wiser.

That being said, she needed to have faith in Luz. After all, how was she supposed to look up to Luz as her saviour if she had no faith in her? Having faith in one’s leader was the best way to get through the day, so that was what she did.

Leaning against the wall of the sleeping quarters, Julia sighed. Carla was tending to the fields with Marcone. Johnny and Theodore were standing atop the walls keeping watch as per her orders. And Arla was minding her own business, reading a book at a workstation that, prior to what he was doing now, Marcone helped Arla build.

Said workstation was a small wooden stand with a sloppy-painted red cross on the top, with various medical supplies dotted around the counter. It kind of looked like a lemonade stand, now that Julia thought about it.

Which left Julia, who was pretty much acting as a supervisor. Now, it wasn’t that Julia didn’tmindbeing a supervisor, but itdidmake her feel useless. She wanted to do something, damnit! Standing around and doing nothing was not how she wanted to do things. Hell, even yesterday the others were doing everything.

Well, shedidclean the cabin of any dust, but that wasn’t exactly being useful. That was just doing chores. And by God, the smell wafting off of some of those boys’ beds… it was like Satan himself took a sh*t all over them. She knewwhythey smelt that way, but that didn’t make it any less bearable. Shuttering at the memory, Julia sighed.

At least things couldn’t get any worse, right?

And then, she noticed Johnny leaning forward, hand above his forehead, scouting something before recoiling. “Johnny, what’s—”

Julia had little to no time to react to what happened next. Without so much as a warning, a pointed shard of ice shot through Johnny’s chest, ripping through his skin and through his back as he came falling down from the wall with a splat, and a gross thud. Julia snapped to attention immediately, looking over to Arla, who jumped out of her chair and ran to Johnny.

However, it was far too late for any sort of healing to be done. Johnny was already dead, and there was nothing that Arla could’ve done to save his life. Everyone dropped what they were doing, and got into battle stances, as a ray of pure light shot through the drawbridge, setting the damned thing on fire. Theodore jumped and quickly climbed down the wall, drawing a blade from his body, and gripping it as tight as he could.

When the bridge burned away, Arla was the next to meet a grizzly fate, another light beam blasting Arla head-on, burning her to a crisp as she screamed in pain. Smoke blinded everyone from seeing however many people were attacking them, but that did nothing to stop Theodore, as he rushed the mysterious attacker, only for a hand to jut out of the smoke, and swipe at him.

His head fell cleanly off of his body, though he was very much still alive, screaming in rage and confusion, although he wouldn’t remain like that for long. Julia could only watch in horror as someone jumped the wall in one clean go, their arms and legs coiled like springs as they dropped down from the sky, landing on Theodore’s head, crushing it in the process.

At that point, all chaos ensued, as over 21 people poured into the base. That was when it became clear to Julia. Both The Heaven’s Devils and Foxtrot were attacking their base. They somehow got ahold of their location, and now they were teaming up for whatever reason they had to get rid of them.

And that was all the information that Julia needed to know.

Julia booked it, unable to fight back against everyone. She could hear Carla and Marcone giving it their all, shouting and yelling. Julia couldn’t bare to watch any more people die, so she ran deeper into the base, looking for an exit that wasn’t the front door. She needed to find and tell Luz that they were under attack! Even if the information was too late to be sent out, even if the attack had already happened, there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, Luz and the others could plan a counterattack.

However, her efforts for trying to find an exit were in vain, as several fingers stabbed through her lower abdomen and upper body, blood shooting out of her wounds as a pained, agony-filled expression marred Julia’s face.

Falling to her knees, all Julia could do was scream in pain as a boot came crashing down on her back, forcing her to the ground. She looked up and over her shoulder to see a redheaded girl staring down at her, a smirk on her face. She was wearing a leather jacket, a ripped-up shirt and pants, and pair of black leather boots. Their fingers were pointed like blades, and they were aimed at the nape of her neck. “Aw, shucks. Sorry that we crashed the party! But, you know what they say! You can’t say you’re sorry if you’re truly not sorry!”

The person pressed down on her back, hard, making Julia scream louder. “Now, tell me….Where is Luz Noceda?Because we’ve only counted 7 of you bastards when there’s supposed to be 11. So, wherever she is, that means the rest of you guys are there,” The girl demanded, her voice filled with nothing but pure bliss, almost as if she revelled in killing people.

Julia’s eyes widened, before she coughed, blood coming up instead of saliva, a burning pain coursing through her body. Truth be told, she hadno ideawhere Luz was at. But even if she did, she was never going to release that information.

The only thing on her mind was Luz’s bright smile. She might’ve only known her for a few days, and while she barely got to talk to her new friend, it was more than enough to make her happy. Even though she had been through hell, even though these last days were nothing but painful for Julia, the thought of Luz Noceda smiling at her, willing to talk to her, and being there as a true friend was enough to bring her peace of mind.

Falling flat on her face, blood pooling around her as Julia groaned, the points of the girl’s fingers stabbed at the back of her neck, poking and prodding as the girl sneered.

“C’mon, say something you daft cu—” The girl was about to say something, only to frown. “Oh… I see.Yer dead, well… sh*t. Ayo! Boss! The bitch’s dead!” As the girl said that, Kennedy Jennkins frowned. Kenndy was dressed in a white pullover, bright blue jeans, and white dress shoes. His hair was a golden blonde, and his eyes were a beautiful sky blue. He was as thin as a stick, and his face was as clean as a freshly cleaned dinner plate.

Kenndy sighed, shaking his head. “I see…. Well, that just means we’ll have to roam the forest to find the stragglers. Darlene, go get Darwin and tell him that Kennedy has ordered the scouts to go out and find those who were not here during the raid. Scour the entire forest, and bring me their heads! Then, The Governor will be pleased. If you have to, work with Emilia’s scouts. Go, now!” Kenndy ordered as Darlene nodded, leaving Kenndy with the corpse of Julia Wittebane.

Kneeling to Julia’s body, he raised his hand above her neck, and slashed at it with his hand, severing the head off of the neck as it landed in a puddle of its own blood. Picking the head up by the hair of the body, Kennedy tossed it in the air and punted it like a soccer ball toward a wall in the distance.

“I’ve always hated the Wittebane’s…. Bunch of pretentious douches,” Kenndy grumbled, walking away from the body with a smirk on his face. And as the smoke cleared, the base was empty by the afternoon, only the corpses of those who were unlucky to be in The Alpha Squadron’s base during the raid remaining.

And the only thing on Kenndy’s mind was the extra 15 billion dollars they were adding to the prize pool for when this game was over, and for whenhewas going to win said money all for himself.

-To Be Continued in – The Hunt Begins – Part 1-

Chapter 11: S1 - Ep 11: The Hunt Begins - Part 1

Chapter Text

[The Hunt Begins – Part 1]

-12 hrs Before the massacre at Alpha Squadron Base-

The moon lit up the night sky with a brilliant white gleam, the night sky filled with millions of different stars, lighting up the black abyss above Earth. Underneath a set of trees that the moon’s light illuminated were Luz, Judy, Jean, and Ronny; all of whom were asleep. They were getting whatever rest they could, all the while Stanley stood guard, leaning against a tree just a few feet in front of them, flashlight in hand as he kept an eye out for anyone in the immediate area.

Originally, they were going to have a rotation put in place, where it would go: Stanley, Ronny, Jean, Luz, then Judy. But, seeing as everyone was out like a light, Stanley was the only one awake to stand guard. Besides, he wasn’t exactly against the idea. If he had been against the idea of standing guard, he would’ve made a vocal protest about it. That being said, he was starting to feel tired, especially after walking all the way here.

Their walk was a success. They had found the chest’s supposed location, however, Judy had run out of supplies. Surprisingly, Ronny had quite the appetite. No one faulted him, seeing as no one really bothered to ask. So, they couldn’t camp out the spot where the care package was going to be. Instead, they decided, and by they, he meant Luz, that they were going to head back and gather more supplies. And currently, they were on their way back. Right now, everyone was just stopping to rest for the night.

His eyes drifted toward Luz. Luz… his leader. She reminded him a lot of his younger sister. Both were naïve, or at the very least were not as mature as they should be for kids their age. Stanley was 18, and his sister was 14. Luz, by looks alone, seemed to be in the same age range.

He imprinted on her, and it wasn’t hard to see why, seeing as her mannerisms and overall behaviour reminded Stanley of his sister, Marie. He wanted nothing more than to go home and see Marie, to be there for her. But, he was stuck in this camp, and his chances of living were low enough as it was. He might’ve been able to withstand a ton of damage, but that didn’t mean that his chances of dying were low.

And while Marie may not have been here—which was good—he now had someone who was like Marie to look over. To make sure nothing bad happened to them. And he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was safe. After all, she probably had friends and family to go home to, right?

Of course, though, something justhadto get in the way of that goal. And it was staring him down right now.

A frown formed on his face, as he stared at someone standing just across from him. His hair was golden blond, and he wore a white pullover, bright blue jeans, and white dress shoes. Stanley could see that just beyond him were a few more pairs of eyes, and his heart sank.

Looks like their team weren’t the only one with the same idea. He bit his lip and made no effort to show hostility. In a low tone of voice, barely above a whisper, he spoke. “The hell do you want, Kennedy?”

Kennedy smirked. “You remember our pact?” Kennedy asked as Stanley’s eyes narrowed. A part of Stanley wanted to nod, but he also knew that the situation was different. Kennedy and Stanley had known each other for years—ever since they were two. They were as thick as thieves, and both believed that the other was amazing.

Both of them were on the same soccer team for years, both enjoyed playing basketball with one another, and both had each other’s back no matter what. The pact that Kennedy spoke of was the idea that both of them would help one another out, regardless of what was going on.

But… things changed, and rapidly. The camp turned out to be something different, and now… now things were getting dire. And now… now he was bringing up the pact that they made. Stanley wanted to clock him in the head for even thinking that.

“That wasbeforethe camp turned out to be a murder game, dipsh*t. We might be friends, but I’mnotabout to let you do something you’re going to regret. Do you even know what it is the asshole is asking for?” Stanley growled, crossing his arms as Kennedy frowned, dropping his arms to his side as he narrowed his eyes.

Then, his expression changed from a frown to a smirk.

“C’mon, Stan! We’re allies, friends even! Besides, we’re getting an extra reward for doing this. Just hand over the Latina, and we’ll be on our way! Unless, of course, you have feelings for her?” Kennedy said, making Stanley grit his teeth.

“Shut your damn mouth, Ken. If anything, she reminds me of my sister back at home, you twit. And secondly, I don’t give ash*twhat The Governor wants to award me, or you and your merry band of assholes. I’m NOT handing over Luz to anyone,” Stanley said, his tone defiant as Kennedy’s eyes fell to a neutral look, his expression going from a smirk to a flatline. The boy scratched his cheek and then frowned.

In the blink of an eye, Kennedy punched Stanley in the gut, though Stanley did not budge. With a limp backhand, Stanley sent Kennedy flying into another tree just a few feet away from the muscular teen. The boy hit the ground, hard, with a loud thump. Kennedy spat out a small blob of spit mixed with blood, as he slowly began to stand up.

“C’mon, Ken. You should’ve known that wouldn’t have worked. Besides, I thought we werefriends,”Stanley spat as Kennedy rose from his feet, wiping some blood from his lip. When he got to his full height, he sneered at Stanley, balling his right hand into a fist. He looked like he was just about ready to punch Stanley again, before regaining composure and growling at the muscle head.

“You… you’re gonna regret this! The next time you see me… you’ll WISH you listened!” And with that, Kennedy ran away, and those who were following him followed in line. Stanley sighed, shaking his head. Kennedy, despite his newfound power, was a fool. A small cut made itself apparent on Stanley’s waist, as he sneered at it. There was no pain involved, and the cut itself wasn’t deep enough to worry about.

Kennedy’s power, at least from how he explained it on the bus, relied on the person’s understanding of pain. If the person Kennedy was going to attack understood that they were going to die, then Kennedy’s power would react to that, do the same amount of damage the person thought their attack was going to do, and put that damage into real life. And the name of Kenndy’s power? Pain Assurance.

It was quite the deadly power, Stanley had to admit. Well, at least it would be to those with weak wills. That was why Stanley had next to no damage done to him. And with his Shock Absorption, he knew he didn’t have to worry about it too much. Closing his eyes, Stanley lowered his head.

A part of him felt… wrong. He didn’t know why, but he did. With the number of people following him, Stanley thought that he was about to be jumped. He thought he counted 5 people with him, at least. He couldn’t tell if there were any more than that. And quite frankly, he didn’t want to find out. When he backhanded Kennedy, he was convinced that they were going to rush out and capture Luz regardless.

But… they didn’t. Which meant that there was something else going on. But, the question was… what? Stanley let out a small sigh, shaking his head, before looking up at the night sky. Whatever it was that Kennedy was planning, it wasn’t good. As soon as morning hit, they were going to have to get moving and head back to base.

Closing his eyes, he slumped down against the tree and closed his eyes. He was going to get some rest… something told him he was going to need it anyway.

-Present-

Smoke was the first thing that Luz was greeted with when she woke up. It made her nose wrinkle as she started to cough. Sitting up, Luz blinked several times, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she slowly began to get out of the sleeping bag that she had slept in, courtesy of Judy. She sniffed the air again, before looking at her hands to see if she accidentally activatedFlamein the middle of the night.

When she found that to not be the case, she stood out of her sleeping bag and looked around. In front of her, their backs turned, and completely silent, were Judy, Jean, Stanley, and Ronny. They didn’t move an inch, nor did they say a word when she tried to muscle her way past them. She caught a glimpse of Judy’s mortified expression, and just when she was about to ask what the look was for, she turned to see something that made her jaw drop—and not for any good reason.

A giant plume of smoke was rising from off in the distance. She couldn’t explain why it was there, but what she did know was where the smoke was coming from. And, immediately, she made a dash for that direction. She blocked out any other sound, even voices, as she ran toward the area in which their base was located.

When she realized that she wasn’t making fast enough ground, she gritted her teeth and turned her fingers into vines. Honestly, she was thankful to her mother for one thing, and that was how she made her take gymnastics from when she was seven years old, all the way till she was 11.

Wrapping the vines on a branch, she swung herself forward Spider-Man style, and continued doing that for the next 8 minutes. Behind her, she barely saw everyone else trying to catch up, though she didn’t care for their shouts for her to slow down. Their base was under attack, and she needed to get there before anything bad could happen.

Only a few questions were bouncing around in her mind right about now, all of which related to how their base was found, and if anyone who remained in the base was okay. Her mind flashed to Julia, and the smile she had on her face when they departed three days back. When she promised that she would be safe.

And by the time Luz got to the base, running through the flaming hole in one of the walls…. Her mind ground to a halt. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and once again, her jaw hung low.

Blood….

There was so… much… blood.

It decorated parts of the ground like a fine carpet, some of the buildings had giant splatters of it against the walls, while most of it was haphazardly thrown around as if it meant nothing. She looked to her right and saw the body of Giovanni, lying there, limp, with no head. Over to her left was Johnny, a giant hole blasted through his torso as a look of shock and horror marred his face. In the distance, she could see Carla splayed out on the ground with several small holes all over her body, as well as what she thought to be Arla’s charred remains in the distance to her right.

And then, off in the distance, tucked away by the main cabin, was the headless body of Julia.

Luz’s eyes narrowed, and a small sneer made itself present on her face. She told herself that she wasn’t going to cry repeatedly, over and over again. But… it didn’t work. She fell to her knees, hands lying limply on her legs as she sobbed.

She failed them.

She failed them all.

If she had just been there and decided to NOT go with the scouts, she would’ve been able to stop this. She would’ve been able to stop all of this. She—

“No. You wouldn’t have.”

Shigaraki’s voice pounded against her head like a rumbling earthquake. Luz screamed in agony, as she clasped her hands around her face. And then, a wave of anger rolled over her like an incoming tsunami, and suddenly, something in the back of her mindsnapped. A damn of pent-up aggression cracked, then exploded, allowing a tidal wave of rage to overcome her.

Of all the years of being bullied.

Of all the years of being called a loser.

Of all the years of being treated as an outcast.

Of all the years of being told to be “normal” by everyone around her, including her mom.

All of it came to a boiling point. And it was all because of this… bloodbath.

Her tears were no longer of sadness but of rage. Pure, unadulterated, rage. Something that she never thought she had in her. For all of her life, she never had a single hateful bone in her body. She never raised a hand to anyone, let alone those who bullied her.

But this… this was different. This was something else. She was angry—no, she was beyond that. She was livid. Someone was to blame for this, she knew that much. Someone had ratted out their location, or, perhaps it was pure happenstance. Thepointwas, however, that somehow, someway, someone had found their base.

And now… she was angry.

And Shigaraki was laughing the entire time in the back of her head. But not out of mocking, no… but of joy. Almost as if he had been waiting for something like this to happen, almost as if he knew something that she didn’t. But even then, not a single part of her cared as he spoke.

“Yes, Luz! Show them thereal you. The one that you had buried for so long! You allowed them to control you for years, allowed them to tell you that you cannot be, or who you want to be! Let that anger boil to the top and flow over! Let it be one with you, let itbecome you. Unleash it! Unleash your true self upon those that took, and took, and took from you! You are above them all, and will forever be!

They toyed with you, made you their plaything, and when they were done playing with you they discarded you and threw you into this camp and left you to rot! I’ve told you this before, so it bears not repeating, but you should not allow them to get away with this! This is all their fault!

Let the anger you’ve let sit for years rise. Here, in this domain, you are free to do whatever you please! Do unto them what they did to you! Show them how they messed up! Show them what happens when you toy with God! Luz Noceda, do what you know you have to, and KILL THEM ALL!”

For a moment, for just a brief moment, the rational side of her tried to play reason. Tried to play devil’s advocate; but the more ferocious, angry, vengeful side of her—the one that wanted repentance—ignored that side and pushed it away into a corner that it could not be heard from. Slowly, she stood up, her bangs covering her eyes, and allowing for a shadow to cover them.

And then, a small, malice-filled grin made itself appear on her face. It looked… inhuman, devilish, and filled with nothing but contempt. She reached her hand down to Giovanni’s body and placed a hand on his decapitated head. She didn’t know why she thought it’d work, but she knew it felt… right. Black and red sparks jetted off of her arm as they transferred over to Giovanni’s head.

And then…power. Power surged through her, just like the last time when she stole Cody’s power. But she didn’t stop there, oh no. She went around to every corpse in the base and took their powers. After all, they were dead, what the hell were they going to need it for anyway?

Vines, Flame, Sword, Vibration Control, Repair, Black Cat, and Life-Giver.All of those powers, all of them, went straight to her. Luz didn’t even think twice about it. It just… came naturally to her, like it was the right thing to do. She could feel the powers worm their way through her body, and upon activatingSwordto test if they all worked, a giant black steel blade shot out of her forearm. Luz smiled, observing the blade as it slinked back into her body.

The smile was replaced with a complacent expression, her eyes gleaming with fascination.Vinescould be used for range, as couldFlame, thoughVineswere more or less meant for tripping people up whileFlamewas just for overall destruction.Swordwas good for close combat, andVibration Controlcould be used to do massive damage to everyone in a small area. Though, she couldn’t judge its true potential until she actually used it.Repair, from the name of the power alone, seemed like some form of self-healing, at least, that was the idea she got from activating it momentarily, seeing as the bruises left behind by her sparring with Ronny disappeared rather quickly. She didn’t bother to activateBlack CatandLife-Giver, namely because she didn’t want to.

When she took her hand off Carla’s head, she felt a small tinge of regret pile up in her heart, namely for exploiting the dead, but yet again, she rationalized it with the idea that they were dead, she wasn’t, and she needed their powers, especially if she planned to get revenge for them all.VinesandFlameweren’t going to be enough; that much she knew.

By the time she was done with collecting the powers, she heard someone gasp. When she turned around, she was met with the rest of the scouts, all of whom were standing in the burning doorway of their base. Appalled, mortified expressions filled everyone’s faces as they observed the carnage surrounding them, but by far the one who had the worst expression was Stanley.

One by one, everyone walked into the smouldering remains of the place that was supposed to be their home for the next two-and-a-half months, burnt and covered in bodies.

“That’s what he meant….” Stanley said, kneeling over to one of the corpses as his hand gently glided over it, anger flashing through his face before it switched to sadness. Everyone looked at him, confusion on their faces as he slowly began to stand up. No one said a word, as Stanley faced them all. He went to open his mouth but abruptly stopped before lowering his head. “This is what he must’ve meant by I would “regret it”. I….” the muscular teen murmured as Luz walked up to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and forced him to look at her.

A part of her wanted to slap him, to blame him for everything, seemingly because he was willing to just openly accept it for whatever reason he might’ve had. But the more rational side of her told the angry side to at least wait for an explanation. So, that was exactly what she prompted him to do.

“Who,” Luz said, her tone of voice hidden within a snarl as Stanley tensed. “Who said that? Who did this? You obviously know who, so spit it out,” Luz demanded, her voice becoming louder with each question as Judy went to say something but was met with a glare from the Dominican teen. Judy inched away, looking away, before Luz placed her attention back on Stanley. “Well? Spit it out!”

Finally, after a few moments of silence, Stanley spoke. “Kennedy. He… he approached me last night. He demanded that I hand you over to him. He… he was going to kill you, but… I refused. I refused to do that. He attacked me, so I attacked him in retaliation… then… he told me I was going to regret doing this. I…” Stanley covered his mouth, his eyes widening. “Oh my god… this… this is my fault….”

Luz took a deep breath and walked back from Stanley. A part of her wanted to blame him, but… she couldn’t find it in herself to do that. “No….” Luz drawled, catching Stanley’s attention. “This isn’t your fault. It’s Kennedy’s. It’s Kennedy and anyone who listened to him and allowed him to do this’ fault. And once I find them….”

Luz left the statement ambiguous, clenching her hands into fists as she looked at everyone. No one got a good impression of what she meant by that, but from the glare in her eyes, they all assumed exactly the same thing, and each of them felt like they were staring a ticking timebomb in the face. Reluctantly, everyone took a step back, as Luz nodded. “All of you need to hide. Run, or go somewhere else. My best guess is that they’re going to come back here when they don’t find us back at our last place of rest. When they do… I’ll deal with them.”

There was a brief moment of silence. Everyone shared looks with one another, and just as they were about to do as they were told, Stanley walked up to her, wrenched her arm up to his head, gritted his teeth, and spoke in a demanding tone of voice.

“Take it. Take my power. I….” He paused, before continuing. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t care what you say, I have some part to play in this happening. And… And I don’t think I can live with myself after this. So… take my power, because… I won’t need it. You will….”

Luz was at a loss for words. She didn’t know what to say, and a part of her wanted to slap him for even so much as suggesting that she take his power. But… yet again, she knew that he was right. And if that was what he wanted…. “Fine, but a word from the wise, this is going to hurt.”

And hurt it did, as once she activatedAll For Oneto take Stanley’s power, his screams echoed throughout the remains of the base. Luz still wasn’t used to it but didn’t let it show this time around as she did with Julia. The idea of taking someone’s power still disturbed her, though far less so now. Once the deed was done, she felt her body become 10 times more durable than she initially felt before. It was almost like the muscles underneath her skin hardened but still allowed for fluid movement.

It was… interesting, to say the very least.

Luz looked at Stanley, who was quick to regain control of himself. She let out a sigh of relief, before pointing toward the exit of the base. “Leave, and whatever you do, don’t come back. All of you. Even if you hear screaming, I don’t care. I… I’ll deal with this myself.”

Everyone glanced at one another with hesitant expressions but ultimately nodded. Once they were gone, Luz stood in the center of the remains of their base and once the scouts were out of sight, she sat on the floor, head lowered, waiting for those who started it all to come back. Because, if there was anything she learnt from watching horror movies, cop shows and the like, it was that the perpetrator always came back to the scene of the crime.

And when they did….

The sinister smile came back to her face, as the gleam in her eyes carried no real emotion, other than wanting nothing more than vengeance. And vengeance was exactly what she was going to have. For Julia, and for everyone who died at the hands of Kennedy and those who followed him. And then, after that, once it was all said and done, and the dust was settled… she was going to keep up her promise to snuff out that pathetic excuse of a Governor.

And thus… she waited.

And waited…

And waited….

The fire around her began to die down once it couldn’t spread to anything else, charred walls and piles of ash surrounded her, as flies began to swarm the bodies of the deceased. She kept her head lowered, and her eyes closed. She found herself drifting to sleep a few times but woke up at any noise that echoed throughout the base.

Unfortunately, none of them were footsteps.

A part of her was worried. What happened to the others? What happened to Judy, Stanley, Ronny, and Jean? Were they ambushed? Were they attacked? Were they still alive? Did the Governors lackies kill them for trying to run away?

All of those questions, and no answers. And while she wanted to run and look for them, she had to stay put. She was taking a risky bet, but as far as she was concerned, it was better than nothing. And so, she stayed put; not moving a muscle. Patience, for as little of it as she had, was all that she had at the moment.

After all, the best hunters were the patient ones.

Eventually, one day passed. She was hungry, and thirsty, but never really let it get to her. She was probably dehydrated, but even then she didn’t quite care all too much about that. The only thing that was on her mind was wanting revenge. And if worse came to worse, and they didn’t come back, then she would just track them down like the rodents they were.

Another day passed, and nothing happened. Her eyes opened, and she was met with the darkness of night. She was about to call it quits and begin to walk through the forest when she saw something in the distance. Specifically, man-made DIY torches.

Standing up, she got into a balanced stance between defence and offence, and narrowed her eyes, while keeping her head low. Footsteps filled her ears, and then, a laugh. She glanced at who was in front of her, and lo-and-behold, her hypothesis was right. Standing in front of her was a blond-haired boy, with a white pullover, black jeans, and black runners. Next to him, however, was a girl with long black hair, tan pasty white skin, and yellowish eyes. She was wearing a biker vest, and a pair of jean shorts, or jorts, with knee-high socks.

“Well, guess my hypothesis was right! We couldn’t find the rest of you in the forest, so we assumed that you came back here,” The boy, Kennedy she assumed, said. She gave no reply, only staring vaguely at the ground. Kennedy seemingly frowned, nudging his head over to some big guy in the back. “Oi, Thomas, get the job done. Then we can bring her body to The Governor and get our money.”

Anger flashed on her face. Money…? This was all for money…?

Her friend… allies… dead for extra cash…?

She saw a shadow loom over her, as this Thomas person hovered over her. He looked contemplative, almost as if he was struggling to make his choice. He was in grabbing range, which meant that his indecisiveness would cost him dearly. He walked a little bit closer, wound back his fist, and just as he was about to punch, she jutted her hand out toward his chest, activatingVibration Control.

Ripples formed across his body as his skin moved like water, causing him to jitter in place, his arm going limp to his side as blood erupted from his mouth like a tidal wave. Her best guess as to why that happened was that the vibration that she sent through his body was pretty strong—strong enough to vibrate his heart into exploding.

Kennedy’s eyes widened, as with Luz’s spare hand, she grabbed Thomas’s face, and activatedAll For One, taking Thomas’s power from his body as his corpse fell limply to the ground in a heap. Her eyes hardened with anger, the colour of her eyes changing from chocolate brown to a crimson-reddish colour, as she stared down at everyone in front of her. Curling her fingers inward, she felt untold strength wash through her body—Super Strength, presumably.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the blond-haired boy snarled and pointed at Luz. “Don’t just stand there! Get her!” Kennedy shouted. But, unlike what he thought was going to happen, no one made a move, racked with fear as Luz smiled the same eerie smile that had stretched across her face earlier.

With a foreboding tone of voice, she uttered the four words that would make everyone in the immediate area shiver in fear and would cause everything to go downhill from there, and make the date of July 2^nd, 2018, to go down in history as The Massacre of Fools

“Now… it’smyturn.”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 12: S1 - Ep 12: The Hunt Begins - Part 2

Chapter Text

[The Hunt Begins – Part 2]

Kennedy stared at Luz, eyes narrowed, while Luz stared at him, eyes devoid of anything other than anger. Neither had any emotion strewn on their faces, though Kennedy had sweat dripping down the side of his face in the bucket loads.

Thomas was dead. He didn’t even stand a chance. But that was fine. He had her numbered 20 to 1! He had a number advantage! Everyone knew that they outnumbered her! In reality, it should’ve been easy. If only the idiots would actuallymove! Why wasn’t anybody moving? This was such an easy win, it wasn’t even funny!

He looked at Emilia, who was wide-eyed and full of fear. She looked at him, then took a step back, muttering something while shaking her head. A bitter laugh filled the air, causing the two to look at Luz, who had an eerie, downrightevilsmile plastered on her face, all the while her eyes… her eyes that weresupposedto bebrown now gleamed with a bright, violent crimson.

“What’s the matter…? A little blood never hurt anyone, right? Don’t you all agree?”Luz said, sending a scathing glare toward everyone in front of her. Those that met her gaze walked backward, getting ready to run as Luz frowned, her eyes gleaming with…something. It wasn’t anger, it wasn’t joy either… it was almost like… indifference. No… not indifference, it was something else. Whatever it was, Kennedy couldn’t put a finger on it. All he knew was that it disturbed him to no end, and fully cemented into his head that everything he had done in the last 48 hours was a goddamn mistake.

He just wanted the extra money, damnit! His family was dirt poor, barely surviving off of scraps, and this was the perfect opportunity to get that easy cash! So why did everything have to go belly-up for him? He would admit that what he did was wrong, sure, but this should’ve been easy! Maybe he went a little overboard with killing all of Alpha Squadron, but it was a failsafe in case they couldn’t kill Luz—wipe out the competition! That was the point of the Game… right? He was playing by the goddamn rules!

Kennedy stepped away a little further than everyone else. He wanted to book it. There was something…offabout the Leader of The Alpha Squadron. He didn’t know what, but there was. And personally, he didnotwant to find out.

“Aw… has everyone’s minds changed? Why that’s no good!”Luz paused, giving an almost apathetic shrug of the shoulders, arms up and everything as her frown switched to that of a bone-chilling, teeth-barring smile.“I mean, you guys wereso ready to kill my friends… my allies… my team. What’s got you all jumpy now?”Luz sneered, taking a step forward as several people, Kennedy included, flinched.

Someone within the crowd seemed to snap out of whatever funk they had been in, and charged Luz. Kennedy smirked, knowing full well who it was who did so. It was Daniel, and with his power to triple the impact of whatever it was he touched or ran into, Luz was—

It happened in a flash. Literally, in a flash. Blurred movements, and one minute, Daniel was charging Luz, and the next, he was stopped dead in his tracks. Literally.

Luz’s fist went straight through the boy’s chest before he even had the chance to make contact with her, his heart in her hand as she tilted her head to the left. His body slumped over her arm as she shook her head. Luz crushed the still beating heart in her hand, before slinking her arm out of the boy’s chest, her arm covered finger to elbow in blood as her face shrivelled up in disgust.

“Gross…”Luz spat, shaking her arm as her free hand caught the corpse’s head, red sparks dancing off of it as she took the boy’s Power. Kennedy only watched with wide, fear-filled eyes as Luz smirked.“Ah… so that was his power. He was hoping that ramming into me with such power would do me in. It’s too bad he knew nothing of my Shock Absorption. It would’ve been a useless effort.”

Luz looked at everyone, narrowing her eyes.“Well…? Who’s next? Surely you all want to avenge your teammates, do you not?”Luz asked, eyes flicking from left to right. When her eyes landed on Kennedy, the blond took a step back, arms raised into an offensive stance. When her eyes landed on Emilia, she covered her mouth and physically shook in fear.

A disappointed gleam appeared in Luz’s eyes, as she shook her head.“What a pity… oh well, I guess that just makes things easier for me,”Luz stated, picking up the corpse of Thomas, before effortlessly crushing his head between her fingers, skull fragments littering the ground as the body caught on fire, reducing to nothing but ash.“I have no sympathy for cruel, heartless monsters such as yourselves.”As Luz said, an oppressive air surrounded the base.

The next words that spilled out of her mouth no longer sounded like that of Luz’s, but rather, of someone—no… ofsomethingelse’s. To call it human was wrong, and to call it demonic was far too insulting.“The moment you came here and needlessly slaughtered my friends….”Her tone of voice lowered, as shadow completely covered her eyes, only allowing her vengeful sneer to be seen by those in the crowd.“Your powers….Your lives….they became forfeit.”

Black lightning travelled around her body like an electric current, as the blood that coated her arm peeled off due to the lightning. Underneath the shadow, the deep crimson-red eyes glowed so brightly, they looked nothing like eyes and more like orbs of light. And… parts of her hair seemed to go from light brown to white—but only some parts.

And then…it began.

To call what happened next a “battle” would be like calling the initial beginnings of D-Day to be a siege. Kennedy didn’t know what the hell it was he had gotten himself into until the third person in the crowd met a twisted, grizzly fate.

In the blink of an eye, Jacob, a scout for Heavens Devils found himself picked up off the ground, consumed by black and red lightning, then dropped on the floor unceremoniously before having his head stomped in. If Kennedy remembered what his power was, it was some sort of forced power activation. Useless for combative situations, but perfect for times when others refused to use their powers.

One of his team’s scouts, Darlene, ran at Luz with anger strewn across her face, along with another person from Emilia’s team—the one with spring-like limbs, which allowed his limbs to coil like springs and launch forward, upward, or act like springs, basically.

Darlene shot her spear-like fingers at Luz, piercing her in the upper abdomen and lower chest. Luz grit her teeth, before shooting vines at Darlene, said vines wrapping around her wrists and crushing them, all the while pulling the finger spears out of her body, blood oozing from the wounds asRepairactivated on instinct, skin forming over the wounds in seconds.

Taking notes from what Shigaraki told her about how she could combine powers together, she activatedFlame, and much to her surprise and amusem*nt, fire that appeared out of nowhere began to travel up the vines, making Darlene, who was still reeling from the pain of having her wrists broken, go wide-eyed.

It was a godsend for the boy with Springlike Limbs to come in and sucker punch Luz, knocking her off balance and causing her vines to retract, saving Darlene, whose wrists hung limply. Pain strewed across her face as she cried in pain. Unfortunatly, the reprieve wasn’t meant to last, as the boy with Springlike limbs quickly went the way of the dodo bird, his face being grabbed by Luz as he was drained of his power, before then crushing his head between her fingers like silly putty.

One moment, Darlene was running for her life with everyone else. The next, Luz had jumped on her back usingSpringlike Limbs, bones cracking as blood spewed out of Darlene’s mouth as she hit the ground. Grabbing the back of her head, Luz’s blood-red eyes gleamed even brighter as she took Darlene’s Power. Once the deed was done, Luz activatedSuper Strengthand slammed Darlene’s head into the ground once, crushing her head with one blow.

Predatory eyes landed on the next nameless target, and her smile widened. Said target ran like wind, all the while Luz stuck out her fingers as they shot forward, sharpened to the point of spears as they stabbed into the target. Like a fishing rod reeling in a fish, Luz did the very same with her fingers and took that target's power too—Forcefield Projection, before killing them via piercing of the brain.

Luz’s eyes fell upon another target, a girl, Emilia if she remembered correctly, as she tripped and fell, scrambling away as Luz stalked toward her. “P-Please…! S-Spare m-me!” Emilia begged, as Luz’s eyes narrowed. The teen grabbed her by the chin and wrenched her face up to meet her own.

“Give me one, really good reason as to why I shouldn’t kill you like you did my friends?”Luz demanded as Emilia choked back tears.

“I-I never laid a finger on any of them…! It was all The Governor’s idea!” Emilia stammered as Luz raised an eyebrow, which gave Emilia the sign to continue to explain. “H-He said t-that if we k-killed you, that he’d double the prize m-money…! B-But I wanted nothing to do with it! B-But my team… My team did… they heard the amount of money, and immediately took the deal without my acknowledgement. A Coup de’ tait happened and I became a leader o-only in name. Then, we met up with the Heaven's Devils, and we joined f-forces… sorta. Our task was to kill you… but it was Kennedy’s idea to kill everyone in Alpha Squadron…. I-I never wanted this…! I-I saw what h-he did to that Wittebane girl…! I-I… I’m sorry….” Emilia said, cowering into herself as she constantly whimpered “I’m Sorry” over and over again like a mantra.

Luz’s eyes softened for a second, as they flashed brown for a moment, only a moment, before returning to crimson red. Her gaze hardened, fishing for a falsehood, only to find none, resulting in her letting go of Emilia’s chin, and stepping away from her. Turning her back to the girl, she began to walk away, as Emilia called out. “W-Wait! W-Where are you going!”

Luz turned to look at Emilia, before frowning.“I’m finishing what was started. Now, I suggest you leave, before I change my mind.”

Emilia didn’t spare a second, scrambling from her feet and running as fast as she could. Luz did not look back, allowing for the girl to run away, as she continued to chase after those who wronged her. In the back of her mind, she could hear the more rational side of herself screaming at her to stop, to stop what she was doing and run; leave the camp and never look back. But the side that wanted vengeance, the louder, angrier side refused to listen.

“Look at what you’re doing!? You’re killing people! T-This isn’t right! N-None of this is right!”

More screams echoed throughout the forest, as Luz caught, killed, and stole power from another person.

“Who cares if it’s wrong! I knowexactlywhat I am doing, and that’s giving thesemonstersa taste of their own medicine!”

“N-No, please, I—AHHH!!!” Catch, kill, steal, repeat. Ignore their pain, ignore their suffering. It was not worth her time to hear it. They brought this unto themselves. She knew it, they knew it, so why bother trying to change it? This was their fate, to die byherhand, and she was damn well gonna follow through with it. No more begging, no more pleading, none of it. This washerplayground, and everyone else was fodder.

“B-But… their families, w-what about—”

“They should’ve thought about that when they killed our friends. When they killed Julia. When they butchered everyone else.”

More screams, more snapping of bones, more blood, morepower. Punching, slamming, crushing, choking, burning—it didn’t matter, none of it mattered, all that mattered was getting revenge.

“That still doesn’t make it right!”

“It makes it right to us, they were willing to kill us. And besides, we said that this would happen if they did something similar. We’re keeping to the rules we made for our group. Why the sudden change of heart?”

Black lightning, orange flames, burning trees, smoke, corpses, and one huge smile. It painted a pretty picture, one of chaos, one of pain, one of death, one of suffering—take your pick, because all were smart choices.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right! Didn’t our mother tell us that!?”

“I don’t give a sh*t what that bitch taught us. She spat in our faces, betrayed us, kicked us to the curb and left for us to fend for ourselves in this hell hole! NOW BE QUIET!”

And thus, the rampage continued. Anybody who she saw got their powers taken and killed after the fact. Luz had run out of sympathy to give, and as far as she was concerned, everyone who got in her way deserved it.

Super Regeneration, Hyper Speed, Stamina Negation, Springlike Limbs, Stockpile, Deep Storage, Hyper Intellect, Longevity, Forcefield Projection, Airwalk, Force Power Activation, Kinetic Force, Force Multiplier,Scarlet Light, and lastly, as she stripped her hand away from a black-haired Asian kid,Pain Nullification, dropping his mangled corpse to the floor. But, notably, there was still one more person left. Or, well, two, but she couldn’t find that other guy anywhere. He probably already escaped, but no… who she was after was someone else entirely.

Head turning to face a running blond-haired boy, a twisted smile came upon Luz’s face, as she tilted her head to the right a little more than she needed to, resulting in her looking like a possessed demon girl.“Oh, Kennedy~! Where thef*ckdo you thinkyou’re going!”

Luz’s fingers sharpened into spears, as blackish-reddish sparked over them. As she went to use the power, however, for a split second, her body writhed in pain. Spitting up blood, Luz fell to the floor and on her hands and knees, coughing repeatedly. The skin around her eyes and face began to crack, as blood leaked from it, pain washing over her.

“W-What the hell…!? Wh-What the hell is going on?!”Luz thought, shakily standing up. Her body felt like it was on the verge of combusting. She didn’t knowwhythat was the case, but it was. She quickly activatedPain Nullificationto get the searing pain to die down and followed it up withSuper Regenerationto patch up the skin. She’d have to ask Shigaraki what that was about at a later time.

Trying again, she usedSpear Fingersto shoot at Kennedy, stabbing him in the back of the ankles, causing him to fall face first. Fire consumed the forest around them, as Luz marched forward, crimson eyes narrowing as that smile returned to her face. When she caught up to the crawling boy, she stomped on his back, hard enough to make blood shoot out of his mouth.

Kennedy turned to face Luz, who loomed over him. If looks could kill, Kennedy would’ve died 80 times over. “N-No! P-Please! I-I-I’ll do anything! Anything at all! J-Just please, please don’t kill me!” Kennedy begged as Luz scoffed, applying more pressure to his back.

“Funny… I bet that’s what Julia said, too. Then you killed her and desecrated her corpse with that power of yours. A power you don’t deserve…. And while I’d normally take it like I did everyone else's, yours revolts me.So, keep your power… it’s not like you’ll be using it for much longer, anyway.”Luz began as she recoiled her right arm.“Heh… and here I thought diplomacy would’ve worked… what utter bullsh*t. Two days… two days and that’s all it took for you to change my views on humanity, though the Governor didn’t help matters much. But, I at least thought you would’ve been more humane than the bastard running this cruel joke. Guess I was wrong.”

Super Strength, Force Multiplier, Springlike limbs, Kinetic Force, Sword, Vines, and Shock Absorptionall summoned forth into her right arm as it bulged, and grew in size. Sword tips lined the outer edge of her arm as vines wrapped around it. Due toSuper Strength,Kinetic Force, and Force Multiplier, her arm grew to the size of an elephant’s leg in terms of raw muscle. And while it was only temporary, it looked absolutely disgusting.

Kennedyscreamedas the fist made contact with his head. And when the punch landed, blood, brain matter, and skull fragments lined the floor, the sounds of the raging fire being more than enough to drown out the cracking and smashing of his skull. Luz loomed over top of his corpse, deactivating all of the powers she had called upon at that moment, her arm returning to normal as she stood up straight.

Her breathing was laboured, her energy spent, all the while the heat of the forest fire surrounding her was slowly starting to get to her. But, that was beside the point. It was over. This whole damn thing was over. Well… there was just one, tiny little exception.

She still hadone more person to get rid of.And once she found where that rat bastard was hiding… once she got her hands on his throat… he was going tosuffer.

Luz heard the sound of feet running up behind her. Spinning around on her heel, her crimson eyes met a pair of blue ones, as three people wearing military gear stood in front of her. They were armed, but they were pointing their weapons at the floor. The one in the middle, an older man, maybe in his late 40s, had a concerned, if not frightened look in his eye, though it was washed away a moment later. The other two were no older than 20, maybe 24 if she was being generous. They were wearing black uniforms and had helmets on—completely different from the armed soldiers in camouflage during the first day.

That being said, however, she didn’t know whether or not these people were withhim, or something else entirely. And as far as she was concerned, Luz wasn’t about to trust anyone who was over the age of 18 for quite some time, and eventhen, that was a stretch. The only person she could truly trust at this moment in time was herself, and to an extent, Shigaraki.

And so, in that regard, Luz went to activate one of her many newly acquired powers, specificallyFlame,but when she did…painerupted from her body, as a line of blood and gore blew up diagonally across her body, cutting a few inches deep as her eyes widened in pain. The eldest man cursed, catching her before she could hit the ground.Super RegenerationandRepairactivated at the same time, working overtime to patch up the wound.

Before she went unconscious from blood loss, the last thing she heard put her at ease, even if it was only a little bit.

“Command Base, we found the rogue sect… seems as if they were overlooking some sort of human experiment. We’re taking those that we found alive back to base. Suspect Rodger Maxwell is currently being held in custody, over.”

Good… then all of what she did wasn’t for nothing…. Everyone who escaped got out just fine, and these people, whoever they were, found her…. Were they watching her the whole time? Were they aware of what she did? Whatever the case might have been, she was glad that at least these people weren’t going to hurt her.

And with that, a soft blanket of darkness washed over her senses, as she drifted into unconsciousness.

-To Be Continued in – Betrayed and Alone-

Chapter 13: S1 - Ep 13: Betrayed And Alone

Chapter Text

[Season 1 Finale – Betrayed and Alone]

When Luz opened her eyes, she found herself in a deep, dark void; one that she had become somewhat accustomed to, though equally perturbed by. Clutching her forehead, she looked at her surroundings and saw what looked to be rows upon rows of never-ending cages, all with some misshapen blackish figure in each of them.

The figures within the cages made no noises, nor made any real attempt to communicate with anyone or each other. They simply sat in the cages, peering out from the bars, their misshapen hands gripping the frames of the cells as their deep, soulless white eyes were all trained on her, and her alone. Luz felt a little bit uncomfortable, all things considered. You would be a bit uncomfortable, too, if blob monsters were staring you down as if you were the anti-christ, but that was neither here nor there.

Another change she noticed was the red carpet, and the wooden floor now underneath the chairs that sat by the fireplace. It seemed that the more Powers she stole, the better this place got. That… was a bit weird, but that must've symbolized something, right? Whatever the case might've been, Luz would not be stupid enough to believe that to not be the case.

Off in the distance, sitting where he always did, was Shigaraki. He sat contemplatively in his chair, humming about something with his hands clasped together. He looked deep in thought. Almost like he was mulling something over. That was a bit unnerving. She got to thinking that letting that man think for too long was a bad idea. After a few moments, he noticed her, then sat up straight, hands on his legs as he spoke, a wide smile on his face.

"Ah, Luz. I'm glad you're here. For a moment I was worried about you… The blowback fromAll For Onewas able to nearly rip you in half. I'm glad you survived," Shigaraki said, his tone genuine, though Luz could practically hear the forced smile on his face. And then, just as quickly as it came, it left as Shigaraki adopted a more serious expression and tone. "We need to talk."

And Luz agreed with that, standing up while walking toward the chair. When she sat down, she faced Shigaraki with a completely blank expression, and before he spoke, she did instead. "What happened in that forest… I do NOT want to talk about it," Luz stated, narrowing her eyes as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.

"Which part? The part where you took those kids' Quirks after killing them, or, the part where you nearly blew yourself up?" Shigaraki asked as the teen looked away, bouncing her knee up and down impatiently as her eyes glanced over to the fire.

"The power-stealing part. And… I… I know I killed those people…. I barely remember most of it… but, I couldn't help myself. I was… was just… so….!" Luz stopped herself from drilling her nails into the palms of her hands in rage, as Shigaraki nodded.

"I understand, truly, I do," Shigaraki said. "To see all those you care about dead… any rationally thinking human being is going to want to take revenge by any means necessary. And you did just that. Although, you did spare one individual, Emilia Warstoch, if I remember correctly. Her Quirk wouldn't really have been all that helpful, so no harm no foul, I suppose."

Luz didn't know what to say to that. Of course, there was the obvious bait, which she had learned not to take because that would get him ranting and wasting the time they had in the void to talk about the real important things.

However, there was the other part. The part with her sparing Emilia. 1 person was spared out of 20 others killed. What kind of difference did that make? Not a big one, that's for sure. 20 people, 20 kids were never going to see their parents thanks to her. 20 kids were never going to grow older because of her, and 20 kids would never fully realize their potential because of her. She took their powers and killed them without a single shred of remorse.

What she did… she knew it was awful… it was vile. At that point, she was no better than the person who put them there. She had done what The Governor probably wanted to happen. All Luz did at that moment was make The Governor's job just that much easier. Sure, from what she knew, he was in military custody. But how far was that actually going to go? Chances were that he was going to be acquitted of all of his charges, and return to his job, and it would all be swept under the rug, and be played off as a rumour that never happened.

And she only helped him by killing those kids. Those people.

So if what she did was bad… why didn't she feel bad about doing it? She committed a crime, one of the worst kinds, murder, and she felt nothing for doing it.

Even now, even when she tried to feel bad for what she did, it was hardly working. No matter how much she tried to beat herself up for it, because realistically what she did was a heinous, horrendous crime, she found herself unable to care about it. She found it difficult to look back at what she did and condemn it.

And what was worse… was that she found herself justifying it.

While those kids were just that… kids, they also went out of their way to kill and torture her friends who also would never get to see their parents, loved ones, and friends ever again. A dark, twisted side of her told her that was a fair trade, while the side of her that she always got her morals from told her that human life, no matter how vile, was precious and that doing what she did was wrong. However, it was that moralistic side that was far quieter, than the side that told her that what she did was fair.

And that scared her. That scared her a lot. It was wrong to think that way, everyone knew that. Everyone with common sense knew that. So why didn't she think like that? She used to think like that, but now… it was different. Now… she genuinely found herself not caring about having killed 20 other people. And what was even worse, was that she found herself agreeing with Shigaraki.

"Yeah, I guess…" Luz replied, reluctantly agreeing with Shigaraki, who hummed with a vague sense of approval. Luz felt a sense of shame when she heard that tone, but even so, there was nothing that she could do about it. At least, that was how she felt.

"Now, let's get to the crux of the issue. The reason why you're in here in the first place," Shigaraki started as he looked at Luz with a serious expression. "As of right now, Luz Noceda. Your current body cannot handle the number of Quirks you have taken up within your body. I realize I should've said this sooner, however, I did not think that things would've escalated so quickly. As a result, your body is going to need to… upgrade itself, if you're to be able to utilize All For One, and stay alive for much longer," Shigaraki concluded as Luz rose an eyebrow.

"What do you mean… upgrade itself?" Luz questioned as Shigaraki closed his eyes. A wave of nostalgia seemed to flow through the man's face, before his expression hardened, and his eyes opened, and suddenly, he looked way older than he had any right to appear as. His eyes no longer carried that youthful gleam, but rather, they seemed to reflect a hundreds-year-old entity.

"There are several ways for your body to upgrade itself. For starters, there's working out—becoming healthier and gaining muscle and strengthening your body. For most of my life that's exactly what I did. Every day for 20 years I'd push my body to the absolute maximum so that I could contain and manage all the Quirks that I had. Of course, at one point, that no longer did the trick, and I moved to more… illicit options, but that's beside the point," Shigaraki explained, leaning back into his chair. "For you, I'd suggest doing the same thing. Strengthen your body before you end up imploding again. You're lucky for the Regeneration Quirks you have because otherwise, you would've died right then and there."

A phantom pain washed over Luz as she curled into herself, eyes widening as the image of the diagonal line bursting across her chest and abdomen played out. There was so much blood…. It was disturbing at just how that much blood had come out of her. What's more, was that she still managed to survive after the fact. That was going to leave one nasty-looking scar. However, there was one question lingering in her mind. One that she needed an answer to before this conversation continued.

"What… exactly is my current limit?" Luz asked as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.

"Your current limit? Hmm… judging by the strength of your body, and the visceral reaction you had when you tried to use as many powers as you did at once…. I'd say your current limit is only10, and that's pushing it. It's the default limit to whatAll For Onecan stand in a regular person's body. Anything passed that is dangerous. Right now you have28powers swimming throughout your body right now, meaning, to keep yourself from killing yourself accidentally, you should dump one or three powers on some other people, even if they die from brain death," Shigaraki stated, crossing his arms. "Until then, you shouldn't activate any of the Quirks you have, otherwise you could cause an implosion, and one of these times, it just might be your brain and head that blow up rather than your torso," Shigaraki warned, crossing his arms as Luz paled.

"Only10?! You sound disappointed! 10 is a lot, isn't it?" Luz asked as Shigaraki deadpanned.

"Kid… at my prime, before my nemesis killed me, I had over 1,000 Quirks flowing through my body, with another 1,000 deposited in a mountain of corpses that I could pull from at any moment and time.10is a drop in an ocean of uselessness," Shigaraki stated, crossing his arms before sighing. "That being said, foryou, 10 would be a lot. You can do a lot with 10 Quirks. It depends on which Quirks you have. If I were to recommend 10 to keep, I'd sayLongevityandSuper Regenerationare a must-have. Those Quirks arerare, and it might be a long, long time before someone shows up with those Quirks," Shigaraki explained.

Luz raised an eyebrow. "Rare? There's such a thing as Rare Powers?" The Dominican teen asked the old Japanese man, who smirked.

"Yes.All For Oneis considered a rare Quirk. No… beyond that. It's the kind of Quirk that exists as a failsafe for the universe. Wherever Quirks are birthed, anAll For Oneis there for a safety measure. Although…." A frown filled the old man's expression. "It isneveralone."

Luz felt a chill run down her spine as he said that, instinctively looking over her shoulder. She didn't know why, but she did. "Uh… what doesthatmean?" Luz asked as Shigaraki's frown deepened.

"I…mighthaveliedabout something.All For One….It isn't a holy unique Quirk. Itcanbe copied with the right tools, and there is more thanoneof them in the multiverse, but usually in inferior formats. There have been previous users of the Quirk that weren't me, such as No. 6, and another human experiment I was working on named No. 9, or Nine, but they could only hold a limited amount of Quirks at a time, 6 and 9 respectfully. I was never fully able to copy the damn thing to ensure my legacy, however, my statement does somewhat ring true. TheoriginalAll For Onecannot be replicated. At least, not to my knowledge. However, that was not what I was getting at," Shigaraki stated as he stood up from his chair.

Shigaraki wastall, easily 6 feet tall, and cut an imposing figure. Luz stood up as well, feeling like a dwarf in his presence. The man nodded, gesturing for her to follow him. The two walked through the void-like expanse for what seemed like hours. After a moment, the man stopped and stood in front of what appeared to be a pedestal. It looked like one designed by the Greeks, and underneath it was a name.

One For All

Luz blinked, staring at the pedestal with a confused expression. "What… is this?" Luz asked as Shigaraki sighed.

"Thisis whereOne For Allwould be….If I had it…." Shigaraki said, growling the last part through a clenched jaw. The walls and floor around them rippled, almost like the mind space was reacting to Shigaraki's seemed anger. It made Luz tense for a second, but only a second, as it calmed down as fast as it happened. Luz was ready to move on, but Shigaraki, on the other hand, continued after the fact about the same topic.

"I found it peculiar that it wasn't here when I died, but I supposed it makes sense.One For Allis back in my universe. However….All For Onestill hungers for it, as do I, which means that the Quirk itself is aware thatOne For Allexists, and it can be reached, otherwise, this unending hunger for the Quirk would've ended when I died, and it passed on to you, Luz. Unfortunately, there is norealway to get there…." Shigaraki said, before pausing, cupping his chin as a small smile appeared on his face. "Well, nottotally. Thereisone way, but… gettingthereis the issue," Shigaraki mused as Luz tilted her head with a confused gleam in her eyes.

"What… are you talking about?" Luz asked as Shigaraki's eyes widened for a second, before turning to Luz.

"Ah, I was thinking out loud. Oh well… I might as well "spill the tea" as the youth has come accustomed to saying," Shigaraki said as Luz cringed. The old man sighed, shaking his head. "Good… I'm glad you thought the same thing, I willneversay that sentence again," Shigaraki stated as he cleared his throat. "You see, there exists a… bridge, you could call it. A dimension between various "human realms" if you will. You can never predict what portal to what "human realm" can be opened at a time, and it is far too finicky. Sometimes it can be your world, other times, it can be another one. The only reason why I knew of it is that I happened upon a portal one time, and, suffice to say, curiosity had gotten the better of me. I was only there for a moment, but the variety of creatures and powers I saw there… was outstanding."

Luz blinked a few times, tilting her head with a confused gleam in her eyes. "Uh… what are you talking about? That sounds… unbelievable, even with the state of the world right now, parallel worlds seem kind of… stupid?"

Shigaraki blinked, before looking at Luz with a disappointed expression. "You mean to tell me that you're willing to accept the idea of a multiverse, but parallel worlds in your own dimension is… stupid?" Shigaraki asked as Luz looked away.

"Okay… now that you put it like that… maybe that did sound kind of dumb," Luz muttered, causing Shigaraki to snort, as he continued his explanation.

"That is beside the point, Luz. However, this does present a goal for you, should you choose to go after it. I do not know much about this dimension between dimensions, but should you happen upon a portal, go through it. It should take you there. Once you are there, I want you to explore, and document everything you find. Leave no rock unturned, leave no person untalked to, and leave no law unread. I wish to know more about this place. In turn, I can give tips as to how you should useAll For One,should you find yourself needing guidance," Shigaraki said as Luz looked over to the rows and rows of cages

The amorphous blobs that were the remnants of the people she killed seemed to moan and groan in agony. It made Luz feel uncomfortable. Some even reached out to her, almost like they were begging her to free them. The more she stared, the more guilt she felt. And then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Shigaraki, who was looking at them as well.

"You shouldn't feel bad about what you did. You were not in the wrong. You did what had to be done, no matter what anybody tells you. Those who wronged you deserved their fate, as does anyone else who has wronged you in the past. Keep this in mind as you continue your journey. The world isyours, Luz Noceda. You are the chosen one, after all. The universe blessed you withAll For One, and as such, you should use it for its intended purpose," Shigaraki said, as Luz looked away from the man.

"And… what exactly is that purpose…?" Luz asked as Shigaraki smirked.

"Its purpose, Luz, depends on what you think it is. For me, it was World Domination. For you… it could be whatever you desire. What does your heart tell you, Luz? What does your mind tell you? I cannot tell you what you want. I can only suggest. It is up to you to take up those suggestions or ignore them. After all, I am not in control here. I am merely a passenger," Shigaraki said, as the world around them began to crumble. "Ah…. It seems as if your body is waking up. That means our time has been cut short, Luz. I look forward to our next discussion…."

And with that, Luz Noceda began to hear a small, tiny little voice in the back of her head, calling out her name. When her eyes opened again, she saw several doctors and surgeons, as well as her mother, holding her hand with wide and concerned eyes. At that moment, a small twinge of anger roared over her, staring at the person who had dumped her into that horrible situation.

But then, she calmed…. She wouldn't be angry at her. Oh, she could hate her, but she couldn't be angry at her. Her mother most definitely did not know about what happened at that place. If she was going to explain everything to her, it was going to be in a calm, and flat tone of voice. She wasnotgoing to lash out in rage.

Her mom did not deserve that.

"Oh my god, Mija, are you alright?! I-I saw them bring you in on a stretcher, a-and, and! Y-You were covered in blood, and I—"

"M-Mom…" Luz rasped, coughing as she lurched, pain shooting throughout her body as she reclined back into the bed. An idea came to her, and so, she acted upon it. She reached her hand out to her mother's head and selectedRepair. Her mother was a vet doctor, so she decided to give her that power. She wasn't ever going to use it, but she knew her mama would.

After all, she needed to start getting rid of her extra powers. Why not start with an easy one right off the bat?

She pressed her hand to her mom's head, black sparks jetting off of her arm and dancing over to Camila. When they connected, she transferredRepairover to her mother, and once it did, Camila yelped in pain, as Luz's hand drooped back to her side. "I… Hope you like it…" Luz rasped again, coughing as the doctor to her right made her bed sit her up using its rising feature.

Camila looked at Luz with a confused gleam in her eyes. "Mija… what did you do?"

Luz smiled, before speaking in Spanish, so that only her mother would understand what it was that she had said. "Te di poder, mama," Luz said as her mother's eyes widened. "That's what I can do, mama. That's what my power is…." Luz coughed, specks of blood splattering on the blankets of the hospital bed. "Mierda… Ow, eso dolio…"

"Ms. Noceda, and, young Noceda… I'll explain to you what happened. But… it won't be pretty…." One of the doctors said, a clipboard in his hand. He was wearing all kinds of medical clothing, a mask, a hair cap, goggles, gloves, a blue button-up coat, and overtop of that was a white doctor's jacket. Luz assumed that the only reason why her mom was in the room with her was that she was probably fully sanitized before coming in.

"We have no idea what could've caused it, Ms. Noceda, but when your daughter was transferred over, her entire upper body had… well, had practically been hanging on by a few threads of muscle fibre and skin. How she was able to survive with her heart being nearly bisected is beyond me, but with all these superpowers awakening, it must have something to do with that. The surgery was complex, mostly because young Noceda's body was… healing itself, working overtime to do so. Luckily, it seemed to know what we were doing and avoided getting in our way. We have no idea how this was happening, but all indicators once again point to the fact that it has something to do with the fact that your daughter is superhuman."

Her mom covered her mouth, eyes wide and watery as the doctor then narrowed his eyes, looking away from his clipboard, and spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone. "By all accounts, Ms. Noceda. Your daughter should bedead. There is no earthly way that she should've survived it. Now, I'm no particular believer in God, but… what happened was a miracle. Normally, once this is all said and done, we'd charge you a bill, then send you on the way, but with all of what's been going on, we won't do that. Well, charge you, that is."

Luz frowned in thought. She… should've died? Now she understood why Shigaraki wanted her to keep Super Regeneration. If she didn't have that, she would've been dead, and being dead was…. Well, it most certainly wasn't a good thing.

For a brief second, images of the corpses in the forest clouded her eyes, the vile, smiling face of the governor, Julia's headless body—all of it flashed before her eyes, making her eyes widen, and her breath to be caught in her throat. Suddenly, the heart monitor started to peak, and the doctors panicked. Her mother stood up, as the doctors rushed her out of the room. Luz started breathing faster, and the doctors suddenly realized that she was having a panic attack.

"Mija! Mija!"

"Ma'am, leave, now! Can someone get me a breathing mask!"

And suddenly, things went dark.

xxXXxxXXxx

Camila sat in the waiting room, as one of the doctors came out—Dr. Rodriquez. He was tan-skinned, had short black hair, brown eyes, and the starting of a beard. He was rather tall and athletically built, and he had a burn scar on his left hand. He dressed in the usual doctor's attire, which wasn't too surprising. "Ma'am," his accented voice rumbled, as Camila looked up from the floor.

"Is my daughter alright?" Camila asked. A few hours went by, so she had to ask. In response to this, the Doctor hummed.

"We've done some tests. The healing is going smoothly. Medically speaking, she's fine. Mentally… not so much," Dr. Rodriquez said, crossing his arms. "I'll explain what happened. At least, according to the military officials that found your daughter."

"Military?"Camila thought, frowning. "Why would the military be finding my daughter? I sent her to a summer camp, the military should not have been there," Camila stated, her tone flat, as the doctor sighed.

"Well, I don't suppose you read the news, and this is related, but Governor Rodger Maxwell was arrested by the Military for, and I quote: Human Trafficking, Child Trafficking, Serial Murder, Domestic Terrorism, Endangerment of Children, first-degree manslaughter, Kidnapping, Money Laundering, Emblezment, Fraud, and the list goes on for a country mile, so to save myself from reading a literal novel worth of crimes, I'll cut it short there," Dr. Rodriquez began, as he leaned against the wall.

Camila was shocked. How could one person do that many things? But more importantly…. "What does this have to do with Luz and the Military?"

The doctor shrugged with one shoulder. "Most of the information is being kept down with a lock and key. My impression is that if word got out, the whole world would have a field day with America for not keeping a routine check on its Governors," Dr. Rodriquez replied, sighing. "But, what we do know, from those thatsurvivedthatdeath camp, the Governor kidnapped 33 children, one of which was Luz, and all of which had Super Powers to some degree or another, and were forced through a murder game. I don't know the specific details, or how The Governor did it, but when the military found your daughter and arrested the bastards who went along with the Governor… well, they were pretty sure that the blood that was drenching her clothing did not belong to her. And with a corpse inches away from her feet…. Well…?"

That made Camila pale. "M-My daughter… did she r-really…?"

"Self-defence. At least, according to the camera footage that leaked online. It's going viral on places like WorldStar and Vimeo. Every upload to it on Youtube gets taken down… but the camera's caught it all. Your kid is a f*cking weapon of war, no different from a super soldier, taking hits and dishing them out like it was nothing!" Dr. Rodriquez said, repressing an impressed-sounding chuckle, which did not make Camila happy in the slightest. The doctor regained his composure and frowned. "Supernatural feats aside, the event wrecked your daughter mentally. We can't say for sure, but… she's got either PTSD or ASD. She shows signs of it, and…Mio's dio,I don't blame the kid. I can only imagine what she went through there…." Dr. Rodriquez said, before clearing his throat.

"We haven't nailed it down just yet. Unfortunatly, due to her medical record, and due to the fact that the type of meds that you're supposed to give to someone with either illness Luz is allergic to, the best we can do is warn you," the doctor concluded.

Camila let out a shaky breath, her hands shaking. "Oh, my god…. Todo esto es culpa mia…."

The doctor shook his head. "Vamos, oye ahore, don't blame yourself for this. You couldn't have known. Heck, I'm pretty sure Luz doesn't blame you either," Dr. Rodriquez replied. "Just so you are aware, we'll be keeping Luz in the hospital for another few days, and if she is progressed enough in her recovery that she can live without any doctors having to be on standby, then she'll be allowed to leave."

Camila frowned… clenching her right hand into a fist. So many things were on her mind, that she didn't know what to say. Anger. Anger was definitely one of the things she was feeling. Not toward Luz, of course, she could never be angry at her, not unless she did something really bad. No. She was angry at herself.

She had pushed Luz into going to that camp. She had pushed Luz to do something she didn't like. And as if God was looking down on her, or maybe even the devil, who knew at that point, fate seemed to screw everything over.

Camila was a religious woman. Her mama was, her papa was, and therefore so was she. Luz wasn't baptized as a baby, much to her mama's chagrin, but there was a reason for it. She wanted Luz to make that choice, and not force her to go to church. Of course, when she was little, very little, she made Luz go with her to the church, at least to the playroom with all the other kids, but that was about it.

If Luz wanted to be a catholic like she had been, then she was free to do so, but she wasn't going to force Luz to be something she didn't want to be.

And so, clasping her hands together and lowering her head, she said a simple prayer, hoping that Luz would be okay andese pedazo de mierdaGovernor Maxwell rotted in prison for the rest of his disgusting, miserable life. When she was done doing that, she stood up, looked over to the room that Luz was in, frowned, then started to leave. She had to go to work, but once she was done, she'd spend as much time as she could with her daughter.

She wasn't going to fail her daughter again.

Never.

Never again.

Before she left, Camila looked over at the doctor and smiled. "Gracias, Dr. Rodriquez… and, may I ask for your name?"

Dr. Rodriquez smiled. "Samual. The name's Dr. Samual Rodriquez. Have a good day, Dr. Noceda, I'll tell Luz where you went in case she wants to know." With that, Camila left the hospital and went to go catch the nearest bus to work.

xxXXxxXXxx

It had been about a week since Luz was admitted to the Gravesfield Hospital. It had only been one day since she had left the place, and she had felt like she had lifted a weight off of her shoulders, both figuratively, and literally. Why? Because she had off-loaded enough Powers at the Hospital to be back at a healthy 10. Well, it still put a bit of a strain on her, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was when she had all 28.

The process was slow, seeing as she was still tired, but, at least now she didn't have to worry about imploding anymore, right? As a result of using her power so much, though, her hair started turning white in a few areas. It was just a few patches, nothing drastic. She had to admit, that it did look pretty cool. Colour theory ruled! Anywho, the powers that she kept were the following:

Longevity, Super Regeneration, Shock Absorption, Super Strength, Spear Fingers, Pain Nullification, Springlike Limbs, Forcefield Projection, Airwalk,andStamina Negation.The reason why she didn't keepVineswas that if she did, then she'd be clinging to the past. Sure, it would've been nice to hang onto Julia's Power, but, even reminding herself of Julia reminded her of her fate.

The doctors had told her that she had gotten PTSD from that nightmare camp and that thinking back on traumatic moments would only make things worse. So, getting rid ofVineswas one of the ways she'd help herself move past that camp. After all, that power was nothing more than an ugly reminder of what happened. Besides, she gave it to someone else. Someone who liked Spiderman.

The powers that she gave away were, at least in her mind, ones that she wasn't going to use regularly. And whileHyper Intellectwas cool, when she had used it, it had stripped away her emotions, which was probably why she had felt apathetic toward what she had done. Well, actually, no, because she still did feel apathetic about it.

Realistically speaking, she just didn't want to be super smart. She wanted to be Luz. No one else. She liked how smart she already was. She didn't need to be smarter because of some power. Besides, she felt that giving that to a scientist was a better idea.

When she left the hospital. She felt… different. She felt… what was the word again? Complacent? No… not that. Something else. Something more… profound. The word was escaping her, what was it again?

Oh, right! Contemplative. For as much as she hated her time at that death camp, looking back at it, that camp… did some good, but very little. She had friends now. Friends she reconnected with at the Hospital. Of course, they had to go back to the states they lived in, but Ronny, Jean, Judy, and Stanley all said they'd keep in touch somehow. As for Emilia, she transferred to a different hospital, so she didn't know whether or not she'd get to see her again.

Whatever, it didn't matter. If she saw her again, she'd have a few choice words for her anyway.

Right now, Luz was at a funeral. Specifically, Julia's funeral. She was dressed in a black two-piece suit, with a black tie and white shirt. Why a suit and not something more girly? Well, Luz was never much of a girly girl, and she always preferred suits more to dresses. So… she got a rental suit from a tailor. It was due back on the 12th of July. It was the 10th today, the day of the funeral. So, all she'd have to do is wash it, and return it quickly thereafter.

Speaking of Julia's funeral. It was being held at her community local church, which had A. surprised her, considering she didn't think Julia had been religious, and B. confused her because she thought that Julia wasn't from Gravesfield. Maybe she lied? Whatever, it wasn't important. The funeral was a closed casket, for obvious reasons. No one wanted to see that. It was disgusting, and already being here was enough to put her in a bad mood.

The service had ended, and all Luz was doing right now was sitting in the pews, thinking to herself. She regretted leaving the base that day. Maybe she could've convinced Judy to bring Julia with them. It was a possibility. But even so, it still hurt to think about."Don't dwindle on the past. I came here to get closure, that's all…."Luz thought, standing up from the pews.

She was about to leave the church, when she heard something that the pastor had said under his breath.

"I cannot believe that her parents didn't even show up to the funeral," The pastor said to one of the choir members. "I knew that she had been kicked out of the house, to care so little about your own child to not have the gall to show up to their funeral…. Those Wittebane's… They're a blight on our community. Always starting stuff when they don't need to… Julia was the only good one to come out of that bloodline."

"Huh?"Luz thought, turning to look at the pastor. Walking up to the pastor, who appeared to be a greying old man, she cleared her throat, catching his attention.

"Oh? Why, hello there, young lady. Say… are you the daughter of Camila Noceda?" The pastor asked as Luz smiled.

"Yeah… this is my first time here. Kinda crappy that it happens to be for a funeral, huh?" Luz replied as the pastor smiled grimly.

"Quite. Hmm… you know, you look just like Camila did when she was younger, minus the dyed parts of your hair," the pastor said as Luz sighed.

"It's… not dyed, Pastor. It's from stress…."

"Oh… Hmm, ah, you were one of the kidnapped kids, weren't you?" The pastor asked as Luz sucked in a sharp breath. The pastor nodded, not pushing the subject. "I see, my apologies for reminding you. It must've been quite traumatic."

"Yeah," Luz said, dejectedly. She needed to get to the point. "Uh… Pastor. I couldn't help but overhear that… Julia's parents didn't attend the funeral. Why?"

The Pastor sighed. "They disowned her for being… what was the word again? Lesbian? Honestly, I don't know the difference. I just wrap them under the term Gay or Queer. My old brain can't retain any more new information or terms nowadays. Oh, anyway, rumours had it that they subjected her to some rather nasty things. But those are just rumours. The only thing truthful about them, at least without solid proof, is her being disowned. Technically speaking, her name on the records was Julia Delmisso, her mother's maiden name."

Luz felt a tick of anger in the back of her head but quickly calmed herself. "I see…. But, you also said that they "try to start things?" What do you mean?" Luz questioned as The Pastor smiled.

"The Wittebane's were a family of witch hunters, during the Salem Witch Trials. You can imagine what that would mean now that supernatural powers have started showing up. They're getting all the families in Gravesfield who were once families of witch hunters together to start "hunting those who were cursed by the devil." In my personal opinion, I think it's a blessing from God. My Grandson's got one of those newfound powers, too. I can't remember what it was... Bah, it's not important," The Pastor said, before looking over to Luz. "It's almost midday. The church is closing, lass. When you go, don't forget to tell Camila I said hi. And remember, if you want, the church has its doors open. You seem like a behaved kid, which goes to show just how great of a parent Camila is. Even if you want nothing to do with God, you're always welcome. Your mother and I are good friends, you know?"

Luz smiled at that. "Thank you, Pastor…?"

"Ah, yes. You can call me Pastor Domenico. Have a good day, Luz," the old man said, as Luz made her way out of the Church. "One more thing, Luz!" Pastor Dominico called out, earning Luz's attention. "They knew…. the Governor and the Wittebane's were in constant contact, though they most likely made sure Julia knew nothing. They knew about it, his plans, the camp, all of it. Luz… I know the strength you carry. Your power even gives you Stigmata wounds in your hands. I don't know why it does, but perhaps it was a sign. And if it is…. Then…. I saw Julia as my granddaughter and those…. Thosedamnable bastardsdamned her to hell. Please, avenge Julia for me. Please?" Pastor Domenico asked.

Luz's blood boiled. Anger gleamed in her eyes, as she tried to force down the snarl that was worming its way on her face. Keeping her calm and collected expression, she nodded. The Pastor smiled. "Godspeed, Luz. May the lord be with you."

"Thank you, Pastor," Luz replied, as she opened the doors of the church, and left. Once she exited, she started to walk down the street, hands in her pockets as she thought to herself.

"They betrayed Julia… they did that because of her feelings… they left her alone…. They kicked her out and signed her up for that camp while knowing everything. At least my mama was apologetic…. She couldn't stop crying about it for a week. She didn't know a damned thing. But these guys… these ese pedazo de mierda's did. They knew everything. And now they want to hunt "witches." And by witches, they mean people with powers…. They live in Gravesfield.MyGravesfield. I won't let them do that. Absolutely the hell not,"Luz thought, furrowing her eyebrows into a v shape, as her mouth formed into the shape of a deep frown.

This was her town. She wasn't about to let some stuck-up, rich, assholes do what they wanted. She already had enough of that. If she had to become the protector of Gravesfield, then so be it. Even if…. Even if….

Even if it meant she had to get her hands bloody again.

To Be Continued in – Season 2, Episode 1 – Summer Break Shenanagins – Part 1.

Chapter 14: S2 - Ep 1: Summer Break Shenanigans - Part 1

Chapter Text

[Summer Break Shenanigans – Part 1]

“Breaking news! After a month consisting of a long, gruelling trial, former Governor Rodger Maxwell has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, due to his myriad of crimes against humanity, kidnapping, etcetera. This is a developing story, so be sure to listen in for frequent updates!”

The sounds of a falling log rumbled throughout the densely packed forest located just off the city limits of Gravesfield, Connecticut. A figure rolled their shoulders while cracking their neck, getting the kinks and knots out of their muscles, as they had just gotten up from doing arm workouts, and had been laying on the ground like that for nearly a full hour. The person was sweating like a pig in the summer heat, wearing only a sports tank top and a pair of knee-high shorts, oh, and some running shoes.

Their cheek-length hazel-brown and white hair gleamed with sweat—they’d need to take a shower once they got home, as always—as their darkish, reddish brown eyes gazed out into the brush, making sure no wild animals came out to check for what the hell that loud noise had been.

They had a towel set aside to wipe away the sweat that had built up on their forehead, which they quickly used to not cause any acne—a teenager's bane if you asked them. A finger traced a scar that spanned across their eye, a result of that part of their face nearly imploding. Luckily for them, it caused no damage to their sight, which was a blessing, truly. It did, however, give them a pretty neat-looking scar.

The other scar… not so much.

Another scar, this one larger, zig-zagged like a lightning bolt across the figure’s lower and upper torso. The bigger scar was a deep red, compared to the fading colour of the scar around their eye. It was… jarring, to say the least, but it served as a memory. And a motivation. Motivation for what, you might ask?

Simple. Motivation to get stronger. So that something like what happened to them would never happen again. So that no corrupt politician couldeverdo what Governor Roger Maxwell dideveragain. Their goal was to become a symbol.

What kind of symbol, you might be asking?

Why that answer was easy…

A Symbol of Justice and Fear.

Justice: For those who sought it out, to be protected by it, and know that they can sleep peacefully at night, knowing that they were out there, watching, protecting, and making sure that their fair city, neigh, the country was at peace.

Fear: For those who sought to cause havoc, pain, and misery to those who they swore to protect. So that those who wished to do villainy could fear their very existence, knowing that it wouldn’t matter what it was they’d try and bargain them with, that it would never work.

But to do that, they needed to get strong. And that was exactly what they were doing. They were getting stronger. And, it had two different benefits.

What used to be flabby skin had been worked into some startings of a finely tuned body. Their arms were no longer stringy, but rather had become decently built, and lean, with a good amount of muscle on their bones, and their grip strength had greatly improved. Their shoulders were broader, their stomach more defined coupled with the start of fledging plus sign definition. Their back had also gained some muscle, but nothing too outrageous. Legs were the same as arms, decently built with a small bit of muscle but nothing ludicrous.

If you had told them a few months ago that they’d ever looked like this, they’d look at you and tell you that you’re crazier than a wackadoodle. But then again, a few months ago superpowers weren’t a thing, and a few weeks ago they hadn’t had been put through an extremely traumatizing experience, now had they?

Besides, it wasn’t as if Luz Noceda had a choice to work out, either. Quite frankly, she didn’t want to implode again. So, that was part of the motivation. But, another motivation was that she didn’t want her town of Gravesfield to experience another tragedy like the one that occurred, the one that was now known as The Massacre of Fools.

The oneshecaused.

33 Children went in…. only 6 got out alive. The rest? They went home in body bags, or worse, urns because the damage to their bodies was so severe that it wouldn’t have been right to show the parentsthat.

Slipping on a baggy black shirt, and turning off the radio she had brought with her, Luz started to make her trek back home in silence. Her mom, thanks to her new power, had become a step above a Veterinarian, and now ran her very own animal hospital. Thanks to that, they no longer had to live in that small lower-class house. And while she had fond memories of it, it was true to say that it was in the past.

Like most things… the past was meant to be forgotten.

They didn’t move too far away from the previous neighbourhood, but they did move a decent way up the hill, and a bit further away from the forest. They were still unpacking, but that wasn’t really important.

The house they now lived in was a two-bedroom home, only this time her room was on the same floor as the rest of the rooms. The house came with an attic and a basem*nt. The basem*nt served as the games room for when Luz felt lazy and wanted to play video games for half the day, and the attic was meant for… you know attic things. Their living room was a tad bigger, and they now had separate dining and kitchen spaces—something her motherloved.

Aside from that, Luz had to admit that the house wasn’t that much different from the one that she previously lived in. She had met the neighbours, and they seemed nice enough, but she still had the reputation of the strange kid, now with less to do with the fact that she was overall goofy and more to do with the fact that she was silent and barely talked to anyone anymore for any reason.

And, yeah, she was still strange, she still had her anime obsessions and whatnot, and she still made AMVs in her free time—she was uploading one right now, as a matter of fact, her doing this little workout in the forest was meant to pass the time—and she still constantly read and re-read The Good Witch Azura—but things were different now. They didn’t give her the same joy they used to. And how could they?

How could she feel the same passion for what she did after that week in literal hell? After seeing all that needless violence. After feeling all of that blood on her skin—blood that wasn’t hers. How could she take even the slightest bit of joy out of anything she did knowing that she was a mass murderer, who would never be punished for her actions?

Sighing, Luz turned her newly purchased phone off and slipped it into her left shorts pocket. It was surreal to believe that she could deadlift a tree with ease now, which made her consider her newly found strength. She needed to be careful, but that was a given. She had been practicing controlling her power output, and thankfully no accidents have happened thus far.

As she walked, she passed by a donut shop. Her stomach rumbled, which was to be expected. Luz hadn’t eaten this morning, so it only made sense that she was hungry. And considering it was nearing the afternoon, she figured that eatingsomethingwas a good idea instead ofnoteating.

Taking her Good Witch Azura-themed wallet out of her pocket, she opened it to find two twenty-dollar bills. She could use a quarter of that to get a box of donuts. She just had to make sure she could get one cream-filled donut for her mom—which was her mother's favourite kind of donut.

Closing her wallet and taking one of the twenties, which she held firmly in her hand, Luz entered the store and stood in the short line. A few people sat around the place, all of whom were from her old middle school. Shewasstarting high school by the end of the next week, which was going to be a trip and a half.

“Hey, is that…?” A familiar voice came from the corner of the donut shop spoke out, and Luz grimaced. She recognized that voice from anywhere, and not for a good reason. The person in question had blond hair, light brown skin, sky blue-coloured eyes, and an earring in her left ear. She was currently wearing a white and blue striped shirt, and a pair of jean shorts with black shoes. She was one of the school’s cheerleaders back before summer break and graduation.

And her name was Amber Stirwell. Not only was she a former cheerleader for Gravesfield Middle School, but, she was Luz’s number one bully.

“Holy sh*t, itisLuz!” Another girl, this one with dyed red hair, darker skin than ever Luz’s own, brown eyes and what appeared to be green lipstick of all things spoke. She was wearing a blue denim vest with a black and white striped crop top, a pair of grey form-fitting yoga pants and blue sneakers. That was one of Amber’s friends, Natasha Nolsen.

And, from whatAll For Onewas telling her, Natasha had a superpower. What that superpower was, Luz didn’t know, and nor did she care all that much. Natasha never really bullied Luz in middle school—in fact, she tried to befriend her on multiple occasions, but Amber put a stop to that quickly almost all the time.

Amber stood up and stalked over to her with a smug grin. Luz didn’t even bother to give her any attention and stared straight ahead, waiting for the line to move. “Hey there, nerd. What’re you doing here?” Amber asked, her tone demeaning and belittling. Luz paid her no mind, only giving her a vague glance before staring ahead again.

The line moved, as did she. Two more people to go, and then she could leave. “Oi, I’m talking to you, loser! What’re you doing here?” Amber continued, as Luz exhaled sharply through her nose, still ignoring her. Luz yawned, covering her mouth with her free hand, before putting her hands in her pockets, relaxing her shoulders and staring blankly ahead.

“Amber, leave her alone. She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Natasha said, giving the blond a lopsided stare. Amber scoffed, putting both hands on her hips as she stuck her face in Luz’s, which finally got her to act like she was paying attention.

“Hey, I’m talking to you, are you even—”

Like a lightning bolt striking the ground, Luz snapped her hand around Amber’s mouth making her shut up, before shoving her back, and making the blond stumble to the ground, landing hard on her ass. Luz glared down at Amber, before frowning. “Get out of my face,” Luz said curtly, before turning her attention back to the line, of which the people who were in it looked at Luz. “What?” The Dominican American questioned as everyone went back to what they were doing.

Amber slowly stood up, glaring and sneering at Luz, before rushing the teen, shouting “you f*cking whor*!” and trying to shove her… to no avail. Luz’s shoulders tensed, as she slowly turned her head to look at Amber, eyes flaring red.

Amber paled, as Luz balled her hand into a fist, before placing her non-balled-up hand on Amber’s shoulder, squeezing hard enough so that the sound of something cracking reverberated in the donut shop. Amber screamed in pain, falling to a knee. “I’m sorry… but,what was that?”Luz asked as Amber whimpered. Luz shoved Amber downagain, then turned back to the line. “Last warning. Try that again, and it will be worse, Stirwell.”

This time, some people had brought out phones to record the incident, as Amber slowly crawled away over to Natasha, who shook her head in disappointment. By the time Luz got to the counter, and paid for a box of assorted donuts, as she exited the donut shop, a voice called out to her. “Noceda, wait!”

Luz stopped in her tracks, before turning around and facing Natasha, who was standing in the donut shop’s doorway. Luz stared at her, an uncaring gleam in her eyes as Natasha averted eye contact. “Look, I’m… I’m sorry for not stepping in, I—”

“Stop,” Luz interrupted, shaking her head. “Don’t apologize. It’s not wanted or needed. Just… stop,” Luz said, before turning her back on Natasha. “Have a good day, Natasha.” And with that, Luz walked away and headed home. By the time Luz got home, placed the box of donuts on the table, and took the double chocolate that she had specifically asked for to be in the box, Luz quietly went to her room to rest.

Her body ached all over from working out, which was to be expected. That was what was supposed to happen, but it never quite hurt like this. Which meant she was making better progress than she had been for the last few weeks. All of this was to work towards her goal of becoming stronger, both so that she could keep up her promise, and so that she could handle more Powers.

Last month she had been working on getting stronger, physically, and mentally. Physically for the obvious reasons, and mentally to push back against the addiction of wanting to take away powers. But, the opposite had been happening, at least, in the mental aspect. She had begun to notice that she was resorting to violence a hell of a lot more than she used to. She blamed Shigaraki for that, or at least, she tried to.

Shigaraki had nothing to do with it. And she knew it. Hell, the last time she had spoken to Shigaraki was about “The Dimension between Dimensions” talk she had with him two months ago. Luckily for her, however, it hadn’t really gotten her into any serious trouble.

The only time that she had to deal with her newly found “drop-of-a-dime” anger issues she found herself having was when she socked a police officer in the lower jaw and sent him flying into a telephone pool after saying a racist remark toward her mother when she had, apparently, been speeding.

She had to spend a week in a jail cell for that move. The officer didn’t press charges ‘cause she was a minor, but that was about it. Her mom scolded her for a week straight after that one. So did her counsellor when she saw them last.

A part of her assumed that her anger came from her trauma and that it was a coping mechanism—her therapist assumed the same as well—along with her extreme reluctance to form meaningful relationships, friendships or otherwise because she was afraid to lose them; just like how she lost Julia.

Julia… she had nightmares about Julia.

She blamed herself for what happened to Julia. If only she had been there to protect her. If only she had suggested to Julia to come with her and the scouting group. If only, if only, if only. But those were just that. “What if’s.” They didn’t happen, wouldn’t happen, nor couldn’t happen. And Luz hated that. She hated it more than anything else that had happened, except The Massacre of Fools.

That…. That was what she regretted more.

“I really screwed up this time, haven’t I?” Luz asked to no one in particular, as she slumped down on her bed. She quickly ate the donut, before balling her hands into fists. If it wasn’t forShock Absorptionshe would’ve probably pierced the palms of her hands and drawn blood. She wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. She hadn’t felt this weak in a long time, not since the first week of leaving the hospital.

She thought back to the promise she made to herself, and to The Pastor of the local church.

She’d make the community a better place.

Shehadto make the community a better place.

But how? How wasshegoing to make the community a better place? How was she going to actualize her goal of becoming a symbol of both peace and fear?

And then… she got an idea. Looking over to the suit that she had in her open closet, she took it and got changed into it. Then, she grabbed a cosplay mask that covered the wearer's entire head that she had from one of the Payday 2 characters—Dallas if she remembered correctly— with a voice changer and everything and put it on.

Once she finished putting on the outfit, she tightened the tie around her neck and smirked underneath the mask. With this, she would be able to actualize her promise to both herself and the pastor. This would be her start. Her raise. And, as she looked over to T.V. in her room, she saw that a live police chase was going on.

Luz smirked, knowing damn well what she was about to do. She recognized the place where the chase was being had, that being a few streets into the actual main part of the town. And with that in mind, Luz exited the house to spark her debut.

xxXXxxXXxx

“f*ck yeah! We actually did it!” A man with a black ski mask over his face cheered. He was wearing a brown button-up coat and black jeans. In his lap was a trench gun, which was a pump action shotgun. The man next to him was dressed similarly, and even though he was driving, in his right hand was an M1911.

They had just gotten away with robbing the largest banks in all of Gravesfield, making off with around 3 million dollars. It was a job tasked to them by their boss, who had been completely unknown to even them. In all honesty, they didn’t know it would’ve been possible. But, they got lucky and snagged something along the way.

And, it was thanks to them that they got away with it.

“Don’t get too excited, we still got the cops chasing after us!” The driver spat as the man with the shotgun scoffed.

"And what the f*ck are they gonna do, we got our little girly girl over here,” the man said, jabbing a thumb at a girl in the back. The girl in question was an orange-haired, green-eyed teenager. On her hands were leather gloves, and she was wearing a black shirt and grey sweatpants, along with a black leather jacket. “She can fry’em for us! Ain’t that right, girlie girl?”

“You assholes kidnapped me. Why the hell should I do anything for you?” The girl mumbled as the man with the trench gun snarled.

“Because if you want to live, you’ll listen, now—” the mand was cut off whenfingersstabbed through the windshield, grabbed the radio section of the car, and pulled so hard that the front of the car—the entire front of the car—was ripped out of place and thrown to the other side of the road, making the two robbers tumble out of the vehicle and stop just before a pair of dark red shoes.

The girl in the back of the car went pale in the face, swallowing as a figure wearing a black two-piece suit and tie stood before her captors. The masked figure, who had Dallas’s mask on of all things, stared down at the two men and spoke in… a heavily distorted voice, almost as if they were using a voice changer, and they ended up sounding exactly like Dallas from Payday 2.

“Sorry. I didn’t intend to rip off the front of your car. Or, maybe it wasn’t your car, to begin with, but that’s whatever. Whatisn’twhatever, is that your running from the cops. I mean, I get it, you’re a bunch of crooks, but… seriously? That’s kinda sad. So how about you do everyone a favour and hand yourselves over, and then I don’t have to do anything more than I have to, sound good?”The figure said, before the man with the shotgun grabbed his weapon, stuck it straight to the person's chest, and spat.

“f*ck YOU!” The man shouted, before firing point blank with the gun. The girl in the car gasped, crying out loudly for the man to stop, but it had been too late, as the gun had already gone off. But instead of seeing a dead body with a hole through their chest, what they saw was that….

The front of the suit was shot off… and not much else. There wasn’t even any sign to assume that the spread shot had even hit the person’s chest. But it did reveal that the person was wearing a bra, confirming to the ginger that the figure was at least a female. Even so, that did much else from stopping the two people before the gingers would-be saviour from sh*tting bricks.“Seriously? I mean… you could’ve just… you know what, whatever, you asked for it.”

And then, the figure grabbed the man by the head… and threw them into a nearby fire hydrant. The other man, who was trying to scramble away, got their heel stomped on, breaking their foot before the person chopped the back of their neck, knocking them out. The girl in the back of the car screamed, as the person looked at them.

“Ah… one more, and… oh, you’re about my age. That’s sad,”the figure said, walking toward the car as the ginger girl scrambled to her feet, falling to her knees and… began to beg. Even though she did nothing wrong, she just… felt compelled to beg for her life. A presence more sinister than the robbers wafted off of the figure, and it frightened the ginger. Instead of saying anything, or doing anything, all the figure did in response was hum, with curiosity in the figure’s tone.

“Please d-don’t hurt me! T-They kidnapped me! T-They used me! D-Don’t hurt me!” the ginger said as the figure cupped their chin. They looked toward the incoming cop cars, before shrugging, and turning around. The ginger blinked several times at the action, as the person walked away, but before they could, the ginger outstretched her hands and shouted. “W-Wait!” The ginger teenager called out, making the person stop and turn to her. “W-Who are you?” The ginger asked as the figure seemed to be in thought. And then… they spoke a name that she’d never forget. Because it was the name of the person who saved her from the robbers, and her kidnappers.

“You can call me… All For One.”

And then, just like that, the figure ran away, dipping into an alleyway as if running away from the scene of a crime. The police surrounded the remains of the car, and all of them looked thoroughly confused as to what happened. When she was carted away into the police car separate from the one that the two adults were taken into, all she could think about was the person that had saved her life….

“All For One… Thank you…”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 15: S2 - Ep 2: Summer Break Shenanigan's - Part 2

Chapter Text

[Summer Break Shenanigans – Part 2]

The police station was hectic, and Sheriff Martin Johnson was not exactly in the bestest of moods right about now. Oh, don’t get him wrong, he was glad that they had finally been able to catch The Wet Bandits—and yes he was fairly certain that it was a reference to the Christmas movie Home Alone. Too bad they did bank robberies and not home invasions, because that would’ve made it even funnier if you asked him.

Well, maybe not funnier, but it would’ve fit the reference more. Oh, to hell with it, he was just looking for something to cheer him up a little bit and to get him out of his rather sh*tty mood. That aside though, while he was glad that they had finally caught The Wet Bandits, it still put him in a sour mood, and not because they had caught them.

No, it washowthey were caught that annoyed him more than anything.

For some context: A month after superpowers showed up in the real world, stories of power-hungry children, as outlandish as that sounded, attacking people on the street and using their powers for quote-on-quote evil had been blowing through his ear from the major city police departments. He’d call bullsh*t if he hadn’t seen some of these events on the news.

For example: in California, a kid with the power to continuously gain kinetic energy and build it up in his body just by merely existing blew his whole school out of the ground in an unprovoked attack, killing 100s of people in the process by flying debris, as well as anyone who was in the immediate area of the shockwave and the explosion, along with himself, seeing as the police shot him dead on the spot the moment he got out from the rubble.

And that was on day three of these superpowers showing up.

Then, later on in the week, there was the situation in Houston, Texas. A kid with similar powers to the Marvel villain Magneto launched an attack on a mall to steal every video game console in the store, TVs included. Now, in comparison to the first example, it didn’t seem as bad. However, and as much as he hated to admit it, the way the police handled the situation was downright horrendous.

What he meant was that: when police were involved, it devolved into a shoot-out with the kid in a matter of moments because one of the dipsh*ts discharged their weapon on the kid, and, well… needless to say it got ugly real quick. The kid, who was a girl around 17 years old if that even mattered, retaliated by using cars as bullets. The resulting onslaught ended with 90% of the police that had been called up for backup ending up dead, and the kid only getting arrested after having been shot at least twice in the torso but managing to survive because of her magneto-like powers.

The girl lived and was going to be heading to trial for multiple cases of first-degree murder. Needless to say, she wasn’t going to be seeing the light of day for the rest of her life, assuming they could restrict her powers, that is. Because otherwise, unless she’s put in a concrete bunker where no metal could be found, period, then she was going to escape and cause more havoc.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. Shocking, he knew, but the next thing made him sick to his stomach knowing it happened in his home state of Connecticut. What did he mean by that? Well… it was hardnotto mention it considering it happened so soon to when this whole superpower pandemic started.

In case it wasn’t obvious, he was referring to the death camp they had discovered that Governor Maxwell not only created but had run while doing his job as Governor. 33childrenwent in, and only six made it out alive, making it one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in US history since the Columbine Massacre, and any other requisite school shooting since then—the recent one with the boy and his kinetic energy power included.

And this was all in the firstweekof these things showing up. The rest of the month… he could’ve sworn the world had become a f*cking comic book. Articles from the UK and Japan recording recorded high numbers of deaths due to battles in the streets with kids who had powers to level whole cities—children, man! f*cking children! Sure, some of them were, at the oldest, 18 years old, but the youngest of these superpowered kids were 7 to 8!

And the worst part about all of it was that no new laws, outside of having these powers registered as deadly weapons for very, very obvious reasons, had been passed to at the very least garner some form of control over these superpowers. Not even China was able to crack down on these powers, and that was saying something.

Funnily enough, speaking of China, “President” Xi Jinping and the entirety of the CCP had been assassinated by some kid with, funnily enough, superpowers that were based on stress. The militarized police were taken down in seconds, and the kid single-handedly toppled a horrible regime just by existing.

Now, whether or not China was going to undergo a collapse was not his problem, but he just found it incredibly ironic. But, that was beside the point. He was getting sidetracked with global affairs.

He hadn’t even begun to touch upon the third wave of The Satanic Panic that was going on back in “The land of the free”, with more heavily Far Right-leaning mega-churches declaring that these children with superpowers were “demons that had replaced our children”. The worst peddlers of which was The Wittebane Mega Church in, you guessed it, his hometown—the one he operated in, i.e. Gravesfield Connecticut.

All of this is to say, that the reason why they caught these dweebs wasbecauseof a super-powered kid playing hero, which he had to admit was refreshing to hear. Said kid was seen wearing a black suit with a head mask belonging to some videogame character, going by the pseudonym “All For One”.

Needless to say, his life had been a living hell for the last few hours. Don’t get him wrong, he was glad at what this All For One person did, but, by the law, he now had to track down and find this person and arrest them for vigilantism, and assault with a deadly weapon, I.E. a superpower, which had been added to that list after The Supreme Court took on a case that said that they should be considered deadly weapons, with the vote being damn near unanimous—a first in a very long time.

Sitting at his desk, taking a sip of his dark roast coffee, the police chief combed a hand through his thick black hair, as he rubbed at his eyes, which had developed bags from a severe lack of sleep. Starting the search for this “All For One” figure was going to be extremely difficult, namely because they had nothing to work off of, not even skin tone.

Of those with superpowers, the majority of them hadn’t registered them. And while that was bad enough, what was worse was that they didn’t know who had them in the first place, and they certainly couldn’t go around and arrest a bunch of kids off the street, because that would be sketchy as all hell, and be a gross misuse of power.

Sheriff Johnson frowned, tapping his desk, waiting for someone to call. He honestly hadnothingto do. Thankfully, no one in this town was a crazy, power-hungry psychopath. That was the benefit of small towns. Everyone knew everyone, so if there was ever an idea that something big was going to go down, he’d be the first to know.

Oh, there were certainly a few people with screws loose, but none of them were mass murderers, save for say one, but due to obvious circ*mstances, they wouldn’t be charged with anything. The person in question being Luz Noceda.

She was probably the first Serial Killer to date that would never be charged with her crimes BECAUSE of WHY she killed that many people. Although, if it was up to him, he would’ve thrown the book at her regardless of why she did what she did. The fact that a monster like that could be allowed to walk the streets… was aggravating. Her record was expunged by the local courts before she was actually formally charged. It was seriously annoying.

The Sheriff didn’t care what the reasoning was, letting someone like that walk free was just asking for a disaster to happen!

That, and he had a personal vendetta against the girl. Namely, because his nephew, Cody Johnson, had been killed by her—at least, he assumed so, since he was never found and was presumed dead by natural causes, but heknewshe had something to do with it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to do anything about it on the record.

Off the record, however, he had done everything in his power to make her life a living hell. It was theleasthe could do. He made sure every store banned her from shopping there, those whose managers would take the bribe, anyway. The only stores that didn’t were the local donut shop, the corner store, and The Shoppers Drug Mart. Every other store, however, gladly took the bribe.

The local Gym, the daycare, the schools, all of them banned her, too, all because he spread the rumour that she was a crazy murderer. All he had to do was show them the newspaper of what she had done, leave out a few key details, and boom—banned for life!

And if anyone said anything about it…. Well, hewasthe police chief. Hewasthe law. Hewasthe person who enforced the laws. But that was beside the fact. No one had come to him complaining, with the obvious exception of the girl’s mother. All he told her was that it was their right to do whatever they wanted in regard to how they worked.He couldn’t do anything about it.

“Heh… it’s the least I can do… I could probably throw some stupid charges at her and get her arrested anyway. But Nah, I think this is more karmic. Good luck having a future, brat!”Sheriff Johnson thought as he took another sip of his coffee, and reclined into his chair.

He was about to start digging into the identity of “All For One” when someone knocked on the door. Sheriff Johnson sighed, sitting up straight before speaking. He had a feeling as to who it could’ve been, and while he didn’t want to deal with her, there was nothing he could do about it. “Come on in,” Sheriff Johnson droned, as the door opened. And, wouldn’t you know it, it was Ms. Noceda again. She had already come in two days in a row now, and now she was coming back for athirdtime.

And, he probably had an inkling of an idea as towhy.

“Good Morning, Ms. Noceda, what can I do for you?” Sheriff Johnson asked, his tone filled with disinterest as the Dominican woman looked extremely upset.

“Sheriff, I’m telling you, this isn’t right! My daughter’s been denied entry intoschoolnow. That’s a basic human right! Youhaveto back me up on this, please! If she can’t go to school, then she won’t have a future!” Ms. Noceda exclaimed with a frustrated look on her face as she sat down in front of him, brushing aside her brown turncoat, dusting off her shirt and pants, and looking presentable. She also fixed her glasses, as they were a bit lopsided when she walked in.

Inwardly, the Sheriff was smiling. Outwardly, he was frowning to keep up appearances and told her the same thing he had told her the last two times she had come in looking for help. “Look, Ms. Noceda, I’ve already told you, I can’t do anything about it. Have you tried online school? Maybe they’ll accept her?”

The frustrated look in Ms. Noceda’s eyes doubled, as she crossed her arms. “That’s the thing, I already tried that, but they denied her as well!” Ms. Noceda replied as the Sheriff blinked. Well damn, he was planning on bribing them next, but seeing as he didn’t have to raise a finger, he felt a little bit disappointed and proud at the same time. Maybe the schools, online and otherwise, already deemed her a risk after he tipped off Gravesfield High? Ha! Now wasn’t that ironic?

Johnson reclined in his chair, arms folded and expression dour as he spoke. “Well, if that’s the case then I’m sorry, but I—”

“Bullsh*t!” Ms. Noceda snapped, interrupting him as she glared at the Sheriff. “It is a basic. Human. Right. It isyourjob to uphold them! Do. Your. Job!” Ms. Noceda spat, as Sheriff Johnson blinked. That was actually a good response, but, unfortunatly for her, it wasn’t going to work.

Yes, it was a human right, but with legal loopholes, they could continue to deny her and her daughter’s right to education based on company rights and people who could be deemed too dangerous to go to public places such as schools, gyms, etc. And seeing as every business that had a reputation to uphold, aside from Shoppers Drug Mart, didn’t want people to flee in fear because a supposed crazy person with power they shouldn’t have was in their shops… well, who was he to deny them their right?

Sheriff Johnson narrowed his eyes in response to the glare and the statement. “Exactly, and it’s also my job to enforce the laws, and the company’s rights. If they want to ban your daughter due to seeing her as a safety risk because of what happened at that camp, and what with her being superpowered and all, then I cannot do anything about it. Plain and simple, Ms. Noceda. Now please, leave my office. You’re emotionally distressed, and clearly, you need a breather. Come back when you’re not about to blow a gasket.”

The frustration in her eyes skyrocketed, before she launched up from the chair, and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her. He smirked once she left, reclining in his chair once again. If he was able to drive that monster out of his town by the end of the month, then it’d be smooth sailing from here on out.

The Sheriff closed his eyes, as he went back to thinking about the more important matters. That of “All For One.” There was a good chance that if another crime happened, they would be there. “I could probably pay off a few crooks to start something, then send the boys in blue over to capture both the crooks and this “All For One” person,” Sheriff Johnson said, before smirking. “Yeah… that’ll work…”

It shouldn’t be too hard, right? What could go wrong?

And as the Sheriff began his search, he failed to notice a black and white tabby cat hop down from his window sill, wagging its tail from left to right as it pranced away.

xxXXxxXXxx

Riley Stewardson was your typical senior-year high school student—worked a minimum-wage job, hung out with friends after school when she was free, had decent grades and was on the path to graduating this year… had the power to turn anything she touched with her bare hands into bombs—you know, the usual.

On a less joking note, Riley found out about her power when her father… well, the less she talked about it, the better. And during that… incident, she found out just how powerful those explosions could be. What she meant by that was that she had lost her right eye because of the explosion… and she was lucky that was all. A good portion of her face had been blown away, and the only reason why she lived was that her brother had awakened a power, said power was that of a regenerative saliva power.

She still lost her eye, of which she was now wearing a black eyepatch over her empty eyesocket, though, and her mother had kicked her out of the house for killing her husband. She didn’t blame her mom, though. Her mother had no idea her father did horrible things to her. Riley didn’t even bother telling her mother what had happened, because it would’ve been like talking to a brick wall.

And if it weren’t for The Wittebane Mega Church, she would’ve been homeless. Of course, it came with a catch, and that catch was that she had to become one of their assassins—yes, Mega Church’s had assassins, and she was surprised about it too.

Seeing as she owed the Wittebane’s her life, she had no choice but to agree.

For the record, Riley hated the Wittebane’s for their supposed connections with what happened at The Death Camp. But, they paid good money—really good money. Like, seriously, 100K per job. All she had to do was kill someone, and they’d pay her a good sum of cash, and because it was a church job, it was tax-exempt.

You’d think that because she was an assassin now that her social life would tank, but it was quite the opposite. As twisted as it was, she had made good friends with her colleagues and had even begun to begrudgingly respect the Wittebane’s for what they did, even if she saw it as disgusting and outrageously bigoted.

And by respect, she meant “put up with” because what they were doing was morally reprehensible, and using the masquerade of God to continue to do this horrible sh*t was… well, now that she thought about it, scarily normal. All one had to do was look back on the Church’s history and… well, yeah no big shock, they were all scum bags—the Mega Church’s, anyway.

That aside, she still kept up with her social life outside of work as well, and the Wittebane’s kept their secrecy for their plans. Plans that Riley didn’t have any intention of looking into, because she didn’t want to end up dead in a ditch.

So, for the most part, she lived a regular life, outside of the times that she was driven to places to kill oppositions that The Wittebane Mega Church wanted dead.

Funnily enough, despite their outward stance against those with Superpowers, all of their hired guns were people with powers. Granted they were all 18 and 17, respectively, and surprisingly, seeing as they’d only had their powers for a month, some of those people had already mastered their powers to a science. And while she barely knew most of her colleagues, she did hear about them and their powers.

It was terrifying how some of them were as powerful as they were….

Although one of them… didn’t look human. They had strange ears… and even stranger skin… and they had more than one power. And it had to do with the circles they generated with their pointer finger, though they typically used a wand, almost like a witch she’d read about in those fantasy novels.

Whatever the case was about them, it hardly mattered to Riley.

The red-haired, 5 foot 9 tall girl was walking down the sidewalk. She was wearing a black leather jacket, with a red shirt underneath that had the graphic of an explosion on the front. She wore a pair of jean shorts, and black knee-high socks, along with a pair of white shoes.

Right now, she was keeping an eye out for her current target, who supposedly lived in the town, and they went by the pseudonym “All For One.” She knew that both the police and the Wittebane’s wanted said person out of the picture, and with that amount of people after one person, it meant they would go into hiding.

The problem was… no one knew what they looked like, and because of that neither the police nor the Mega Church had any idea who they were looking for. Hell, their voice wasn’t even known because they used a voice changer.

Riley was able to see what it was they could do thanks to the news reports. They were able to stop speeding cars with one hand, and they could extend their fingers, and turn them into blades. That was three separate powers used in one go. It was no wonder why The Wittebane Mega Church saw them as a threat.

And the money involved with getting rid of them… was around 10 Million American Dollars. The Church really wanted them gone, and she was going to do whatever it took to get rid of them.

The redhead stopped when something rubbed up against her legs. She looked down and saw a cat. It was a black and white tabby cat, and as it purred, Riley knelt down and patted it on the head. The cat then leapt up and perched on her shoulder, making Riley sigh with annoyance. “Millie, I told you to stop jumping on my shoulder.”

The cat purred, before hopping down and running off into a nearby alleyway. Riley sighed, following the cat as it jumped atop a dumpster before the cat transformed into a person with… strange ears. They had ashen white bordering on grey skin, ruby-red eyes, and long black hair. Millie Ravenclaw was the aforementioned person with the strange ears that, according to the Wittebane’s, was a close ally of theirs thanks to the “connections” they had… whatever that meant.

“Sorry, but it’s the quickest way to get someone’s attention, yeah?” Millie said as she brushed off her white cloak. Millie was wearing the aforementioned white cloak that came with a hood, kept together by a golden triangle pin. Underneath the cloak was a black jumpsuit with what appeared to be old-fashioned balloon pants, brown leather boots, and gloves.

“Doesn’t make it any less annoying,” Riley bit back as she crossed her arms. “Alright, what is it? What do you want?” Riley questioned the cloak-wearer as Millie smirked.

“Well, I’ve been doing some searching around, and there’s a rumour as to where All For One’s gonna show up next. One of your guy’s police dudes or whatever is gonna be funding some crook to draw’em out. And then, that’s our chance to get’em! It’s gonna happen tomorrow at 4 pm, and it’ll be at the local supermarket building!” Millie replied in an excited, but hushed tone of voice.

Riley, on the other hand, felt sick to hear that. “What…? So wait, the police are corrupt here? I thought this place was safe from that?”

Millie shrugged her shoulders as they hopped down from the dumpster, before leaning up against the wall. “Corruption can happen anywhere. It’s just a fact of life. But hey, if it benefits us, who are we to prevent it?” As Millie said that, she stood in front of Riley, who dwarfed her by at least a foot and two inches.

“That’s….” Riley’s words died in her throat as she sighed. “Nevermind,” Riley deadpanned as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. “So, what, go to the store at 4 pm tomorrow, and they’re bound to be there?” Riley questioned as Millie nodded.

“Exactly! Catch ya later!” And like that, Millie twirled her pointer finger in a circle, before hopping through the ring and transforming into an animal—this time it was a dalmatian dog—before sprinting away from the alleyway, leaving Riley all by herself.

As she exited the alleyway, Riley let out a frustrated sigh. Of course, that was how things were going to develop. This town was already f*cked as it was, what with most of the population being a bunch of brainwashed dumpster twits, but now they had morally bankrupt and corrupt police officers too?

“Well, f*ck. If it wasn’t for the Wittebane’s, I would be outta here…”Riley thought as she stared across the street. Across the street from her, was a brown-skinned, brown and white-haired girl, staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She stared back with an equal amount of confusion, only for something in her to click.

She recognized that person… someone who she hadn’t seen in a long, long time. Not since her father’s brother had passed away had she seen them.

In a bid of confusion, Riley called out to the person on the other side of the road.

“Luz?”

xxXXxxXXxx

Luz was starting to get the idea that this town hated her as she walked out of a locally owned comic store, the echoes of the owner calling her a freak and a monster as he threatened to call the police rattling about in her mind. She’d say it was racism, but it had happened to her at a few other stores too, and it was beginning to feel like something a little more than racism on behalf of some of these store owners and managers.

In fact, from her perspective, it felt as if it more had to do with a pattern of events, rather than her just being extremely unlucky—which up to this point she had been believing.

Fool her once, shame on her.

Fool her twice, shame on the person fooling her.

Fool her three times, well, now you were asking for trouble.

Don’t get Luz wrong, she wasn’t going to get mad at the guy who had kicked her out—although she was more than certainly annoyed by him—because it wasn’t just him. If it had just been him, then it would be a completely different story. To explain what she was getting at, the 7-11 down the road kicked her out for “being a threat to other customers”, as did the library, as did the Papa John’s Pizza place for the same reasons. And now, the comic store did the same thing, only a little bit more… hatefully.

Once again, she could pull the racism card, but when other people of similar skin tone to herself were allowed in just fine, she came to the conclusion that it most certainly wasn’t racism, and was in fact something else entirely.

That, and this wasn’t a recent development either. A week or so after she had been freed from that awful death camp, places she used to regularly frequent now forbade her from entering. It started small, but then as the days and weeks passed, almost 99% of the town’s stores and local businesses refused her entry. Oh sure, her mother was allowed in, but she was not.

The only places that allowed her entry were the donut shop she had gone to yesterday, the local corner store, and the Shoppers Drug Mart. Everywhere else? To hell with her. Oh, and she also found out that she wasn’t allowed within ten meters of any of the schools, either.

And she had a feeling as to who was to blame.

Sheriff Johnson.

Now, why did she think that way? Because Sheriff Johnson was a relative of Cody Johnson—the boy whom she stole the flame power from, and gave away to a man who was in desperate need of a lighter. And, apparently, the boy went missing and was presumed dead. Seeing as she had a reputation for what she did in the forest, it was obvious to assume that Sheriff Johnson may or may not have been throwing his weight around to blacklist her from basically every business within Gravesfield.

Now, typically, she would be stomping her way over to that man’s office and “politely ask him” to undo the stupid sh*t he was doing. However, Luz figured that all that would do was confirm his bias against him. That, and she already had a bad rep as it was, making it worse would only make public reception to her mere existence even more troublesome than it already was.

So, what was she to do, knowing that she was basically softcore banned from being a person within her hometown? The answer was actually quite simple: Amazon and Youtube.

For as much as Sheriff Johnson thought he was smart, he really wasn’t. Banned from a store? Cool, use Amazon Delivery to get what she wanted. Need to learn something? Youtube had learning and school channels for a reason. And if she needed more tools for education at her disposal? Khan Academy worked too.

Was it perfect? f*ck no. But between that and moving out of Gravesfield, where she had obligations to deal with and getting rid of the Wittebane’s wasnotan option. She was going to make them pay for what they did to both Julia and for colluding with Governor Maxwell. She wasnotabout to let them get away with that.

Luz sighed, as she walked down the sidewalk so that she could go home. No longer was she wearing her now destroyed suit—which her mom was patching up—as she was now wearing what she’d normally wear, that being her favourite hoodie, shirt, and shorts combo. She skipped out on the leggings because it was way too hot for that nonsense. 112 degrees Fahrenheit wasnotlegging weather. Hell, it wasn’t hoodie weather, but the shirt was so thin, and with her sweating like a pig… yeah, absolutely not.

As she walked by an alleyway, she couldn’t help but stare down it, only to bare witness to a bunch of drug addicts high off their marbles. Luz felt repulsed and kept walking. The fact that people would so willingly fall into that crap… honestly disgusted her.

Life was precious. To waste it like that made her furious.

Glancing over to the other side of the road and over to the other sidewalk, she watched as someone transformed into a dog and pranced away, while a redhead walked out of an alleyway.

A redhead that she knew.

It was Riley… her father’s niece.

Her dead father’s niece.

It was her cousin Riley…. And she was in town. She never once said anything to her mother about it, either. And with how Riley was looking at her, that being in shock…. Luz watched as Riley shook her head, then motioned for the crosswalk up ahead. But Luz had no time for that, and activatedSpringlike Limbs, hopping over the street and landing next to her cousin, before enveloping her in a large hug.

“OHMYGOSHYOU’REINTOWNANDYOUDIDN’TEVENSAYANYTHING!” Luz spoke so fast that most of what came out of her mouth barely so much as even made coherent sense, yet the laugh of her cousin made it all the more clear that she was able to understand what she had said.

“Heya Lu, what’s up?” Riley said, ruffling her hair as Luz let go of her cousin. She hadn’t seen her since she was 6, and that was at her papa’s funeral. But the moment she saw that head of red hair, she knew that it was Riley. And who could forget her bright blue eyes! Luz sure as hell couldn’t. Especially when she was being glared at forperhapsdrawing all over her diary all those years ago…. “You’re hair’s different. What’s with all the white?” Riley questioned, dragging Luz out of her thoughts as the All For One wielder chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Stress…. Uh, did you read the news?” Luz questioned, her expression shifting from excited to neutral in a matter of seconds as Riley frowned.

“Oh… yeah, I heard about that. Are you okay? Your mom was posting some scary stuff on Facebook saying you had been in the hospital and were in for emergency surgery. After that, she stopped updating her page, and we all thought the worst had happened….” Riley said as Luz frowned. So that’s why she didn’t bother to talk to her mom and tell her that she was in town. Her family thought she was dead….

“I see…” Luz muttered as she chewed the inside of her lip. “Well, um. I’m okay! But, uh… the doctor said I’d probably have PTSD from the event. I mean, yeah, it makes sense. And, well, the surgery obviously went well considering I’m alive,” Luz replied as Riley smiled, nodding.

“Well, that’s good,” Riley paused, as she rocked back and forth on her heels before she spoke up again. “Uh… so you got some sort of spring power, huh?” Riley asked as Luz bit her lip.

“Er… kinda?” Luz began, as she smiled. “I mean, I havemorethan just that. But, uh…. Tell you what, you come over to the house so that mama can see you, and we’ll have a nice long discussion about it over dinner, yeah?” Luz said as Riley raised an eyebrow. There was almost a calculating confusion in her eyes before the redhead spoke up again.

“Uh… sure. Ihavebeen meaning to catch up with Camila for a while. Even if we’re not blood-related, I still see her as family,” Riley said as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. Luz smiled as she walked home, Riley following close after her.

Today, Luz decided, had been a good day.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 16: S2 - Ep 3: Summer Break Shenanigan's - Part 3

Chapter Text

[Summer Break Shenanigans – Part 3]

Shigaraki had to admit that the last month had been extremely dull, especially for him. But then again, there wasn’t really much he coulddoat the moment. The mind space was like a prison for him, so unless he sucked Luz into their shared mind to speak with her about stuff she probably was already figuring out on her own, there wasn’t much else that he could do in terms of entertainment.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. There was one thing that was keeping him satisfied, and that was what was surrounding him.

Darkness surrounded him, but in that darkness there were cages. And in those cages amorous blobs of what used to be people. Glowing eyes of various colours filled the darkness, along with the occasional moan of pain.

Shigaraki smiled, staring at blobs. There was nothing more musical and wonderful to his ears than to hear the sounds of idiots who thought themselves to be any match for the collective power that was All For One, and for their punishment to be eternal slavery within the confines of the Quirk—forever to have their power used for the sole purpose of progressing his goals.

In this sense, Luz was truly a prodigy.

By seeing them as nothing more than powers, Luz’s mind effectively made them less than human, something that he had a problem with within his own life when he had the Quirk. And because these people were powerless to do anything about their current scenarios, they couldn’t do what they did to him and torment him, driving him insane.

In other words, they could not degrade the mind of his (possible) successor, as they had no mouth, and could not scream.

But then, the question remained, how was this possible? How did entities come out of Quirks that were stolen? Well, the answer to that one was rather simple. See, Quirks were fragments of people, so in a sense, she was stealing a fragment of that person alongside the Quirk, in this case being a part of their soul. Taking away what made them, them. Which, from what he gathered, was the very thing that she despised doing. Which was probably why she hadn’t taken any more Quirks in a while.

Although, like most things he predicted, he was sure she would continue. There would come a point when she wouldn’t have a choice, be it out of necessity, or by his hand.

After all, the “addiction” was him forcing her hand, making her take another Quirk to fuel his sadism. Influencing her actions, her emotions, and manipulating her without even uttering a word. While he couldn’t take over her body, yet, he definitely could influence her.

Whether she knew it or not, every action that she did that she considered as “bad”, as well as every thought and word she spoke that made her look like an evil person was, in some way, influenced by him.

And while he could go at that for days on end, he still had to prepare for his master plan. Sure, it was fun to torment Luz and manipulate her, but he needed to keep his priorities straight. And that priority was making sure he could complete his goals. There was just one small issue with that. And that was the fact that he had no physical body. Without the ability to do anything physically, he could only do one thing, and that was the thing that he excelled in the most.

Planning.

Rikitatsu Shigaraki was a man of planning. He never did anything without a plan, a backup plan should that original plan fail, and another backup plan if that backup plan fell through. Some people would call him meticulous to a fault, and perhaps that was his downfall prior to his death, but he had plans in place should he ever die before his plan with Tomura would see through.

And right now, he was grinning ear to ear. He had been put in the perfect body for his backup plan to work, what with Luz being young, full of life, and completely oblivious to what it was he was attempting to do. This was not to mention that he was in the perfect spot to have direct access to what he called “the hub world of the Realms”.

Or, as it was more commonly known: The Boiling Isles.

But, whatwasThe Boiling Isles?

Well, The Boiling Isles, also referred to as The Demon Realm, was considered a “Realm between Realms.” It almost mirrored Yggdrasil. Except, it only had two Realms it could bounce two and from, the first being The Human Realm, and the second being The Mutant Realm i.e. his realm.

The Human Realm and The Mutant Realm were loosely connected to The Demon Realm, but connected nonetheless. Or well, The Mutant Realm used to be connected, but he would get into that later. However, The Human Realm was still connected, meaning that he now had a shot at getting back there.

Oh, sure, getting to The Boiling Isles was going to be a difficult task, but not an impossible one.

You see, before everything that had happened, an event occurred that made him think about the possibility of there being other worlds out there. So, he asked the doctor to do some research on multiversal theory, and what he found was Titans Blood.

It was the very thing that made Gigantomachia as large as he was, and as loyal as he had been. Contrary to what The Doctor assumed was his brain failing and becoming dumber due to his Quirk Overload, the Titans Blood had been the thing that made him as loyal as he had been.

That small tangent aside, it was thanks to his finding The Titan’s Blood that had allowed him to find out about The Boiling Isles. Truly, what the Doctor thought was a strange blood sample from some weird pet a girl had, turned out to be his biggest boon.

Titans Blood was a rare resource that sometimes leaked over into the two Realms, and was typically found in swamps—this was where he had found more of the stuff once he lost track of that girl and her strange pet dog thing. It made sense, seeing as The Boiling Isles was typically hot and humid. He had never been there for too long, but when he was, he had made an impact. He had a few friends in very high places, and a few pawns there too.

Pawns that were more loyal to him, than they were to their foolish emperor.

All he had to do was get his way there, and those pawns that he had made would come flocking to him, no matter the body he had been in. He had actually planned to extradite those people from The Boiling Isles back to his world. Unfortunatly, something unforeseen happened.

His world had gotten cut off when he ran out of Titan’s Blood, and no more of it came to the swamps he had charted out in the world. His access to The Boiling Isles had been gone, and it made him panic. He had to dosomething. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given much time, because when he was cut off, at the same time as this happened, his fight with All Might happened.

He perished in that fight, and his Quirk, along with his soul, was put into the body of Luz Noceda, which caused a mass Quirk Awakening Event, or a QAE. One that was more advanced than the one that happened in his world, because most of the Quirks that awakened, of the 10s, of thousands of Quirks were Quirks he had stole, making this QAE more devastating than the one that occurred in his world.

However, he no longer had to worry. That didn’t matter anymore. What mattered here is that he was now able to potentially find more Titan’s Blood. Once he got his hands, or more appropriately, onceLuzgot her hands on the Titan’s Blood, he could connect her to The Boiling Isles. And then, from there, he could find a way to bridge back to his world, and continue his reign of terror!

And what was better…Luz was walking right into an opportunity to get some Titan’s Blood without his intervention.It was truly ironic, how even when he was actively manipulating her that he got subpar results. Now that he was allowing her a moment of freedom from his suggestions and manipulations, she was doing what he needed of her.

It was perfect! He couldn’t have asked for a better chance! And with Luz being as suggestible as she was, well… this made things a million times easier. His plan was slowly but surely coming to fruition, and he couldn’t have been any happier!

That was, of course, assuming Luz didn’t catch onto him. That was his only fear. That she could figure him out, and once she did, she would go against him completely. But, he didn’t think he was going to have to worry about that. He was fairly certain he had weaselled his way into her heart enough to make her think that he wasn’t completely vile and allowed him the opportunity to do what it was he needed to do.

What was better for him, and possibly worse for her, was that her body was beginning to change. He had seen that her hair was turning white, and seen that his messing with her mentally and twisting of her mind into something more akin to him was having a real effect on her body. She was inheriting his albinoism. Her eyes were still that disgusting dark brown colour, but as time continued to move forward, they would slowly turn red.

There was just one thing he knew that wasn’t going to change, but that didn’t really matter.

Her skin colour.

In fact, he would prefer if it didn’t, because it allowed him to use it as a scapegoat. Should he be able to return to his world, and should All Might find out, well, he wouldn’t know who he was looking for. Sure the white hair might give it away, same with the eyes, but the skin colour gave him plausible deniability. Again, this was assuming he was going to be able to get that far. Because, right now, Luz was making a terrible mistake.

This Riley individual was going to get her killed. He could tell based on how she looked at Luz. They might have been family, but there was something in that woman’s eyes that told Shigaraki that she was considering making Luz a corpse by the end of the day. A funny feeling, that was. A sense of familiarity struck his heart when he thought about that.

Ah~ good times!

Luz’s life was playing mirror to his own. That was good. First persecution based on how one simply existed both in the past and the present. Now, there was seemingly a potential betrayal in the family. So long as this continued, and so long as enough tragedy strikes her, she’d be willing to listen to damn near anything he requested of her. It was only a matter of time before she gave way to her truest self. The truest self thatAll For Onegrants its user.

Complete, and total, unrivalledPOWER. Free from one’s limitations and morality. Free from one’s perceptions of the law. The moment Luz went quote-on-quote crazy, was the moment that he would be able to grant her the fullest ofAll For One. Sure, the limitations were still in place, and sure, she would still need to make her body stronger, but did that really matter? If he was able to make the same genetic augmentations he did to his own body, then he could replicate them on Luz’s.

Of course, that would mean he would need to have access to a geneticist who would be willing to do this. And, they would need more viable Quirks to do so. All in all, that stage of the plan was going to have to wait until he got back to his universe, and when he got back into contact with The Doctor.

But before that could happen, he still have to groom her into being his successor, should he not be able to get into contact with Tomura, or The Boiling Isles at a reasonable pace. He had no idea how many years could have passed in his time in this world. For all he knew, The Doctor did away with Tomura and left him completely successor-less.

Or worse, All Might found Tomura and scaled back the boy’s rage, and completely turned him back to being Tenko Shimura. That wasn’t desirable. So, this was going to be his backup plan, should he fail in going back to his world, or a variant of his world. Then, and only then, would Luz Noceda have to become his successor.

Which brought up the topic of a name change, much like he did with Tomura.

Names… what to change her name to should she accept—not that she would be given much of a choice, but he digressed. Tenko Shimura became Tomura Shigaraki. Shigaraki had to be a part of it….“Hmm…”Rikitatsu thought, cupping his chin as he sat in the leather seat he was so graciously provided with in Luz’s mental landscape.

He knew he was going to go for the traditional Japanese name route. He meant no offence, but a foreign name mixed with a Japanese name, to him, looked ugly as sin. The meaning could be what he was looking for, but something like Sam Shigaraki or Adjuka Shigaraki just didn’t work for him. It looked wrong to him, so that was why he was going to keep it in his realm of knowledge.

And then, he got an idea!

“Ah! I know… Toshiko… Toshiko Shigaraki. Clever Child of Death. Should she become my successor, that will be the name I bestow upon her.”

Shigaraki laughed, his eyes gleaming a bright red, and his laugh travelling throughout the mind space.

This world would be his, as would The Boiling Isles.

And Luz would be the one to do it all for him. Whether she liked it or not.

xxXXxxXXxx

Riley was conflicted. Scratch that, Riley was beyond conflicted. It was to the point where she was beginning to question her morals and her sanity. Luz, someone she considered to be close to her due to being her family, was All For One, i.e. the one that she was hired to kill.

She found this out when Luz used the same finger spear power that All For One did when she had defeated the Wet Bandits. And then, Luz did it again when she was making herself a bowl of assorted fruits and vegetables for a mid-afternoon snack.

This was probably one of the worst revelations that could’ve happened to Riley. She had expected finding All For One’s identity to be tricky, if not downright impossible. But for her to realize and find out that LuzwasAll For One… haunted Riley.

Because now she had tokillLuz.

And therein lay the issue. Her willingness to kill Luz. She didn’t want to, gods she didn’t want to, but there was a lot at stake here. And yes, she was talking about the 10 million dollars.

Did she kill Luz for 10 million dollars, or did she not kill Luz and be potentially killed by one of the other assassins the Wittebanes employed? The choice was so obvious it wasn’t funny—killing Luz was the worse of those choices, and yet there was something about it that she couldn’t let go.

On the one hand, 10 million dollars was 10 million dollars.

On the other hand, Luz was hercousin.

As scummy as it was, she had to think about it. Over the last hour or so, Riley had been thinking about whether or not she was going to kill Luz, or if she was going to spare her and end up getting killed as a result.

Even if it wasn’t said, it was implied that if she failed to do a job, she would be killed for it. After all, no one was allowed to know that one of the largest Mega Churches had hired guns. For as much as she hated the Wittebanes, she had to give them props for keeping such a massive thing like this a secret.

Now if only she could somehow come out of this by getting both of what she wanted—an alive Luz and the 10 Million dollars. Because as much as she wanted to be optimistic, there was nothing to suggest that it was ever a possibility.

She had to think realistically, and so, that was exactly what she did.

As it stood, Riley had next to no one on her side in terms of true loyalty. If one counted on shoddy trust, then that was the kind of people she had to lean on in times of stress. Those people being The Wittebanes, the other assassins that they had hired, and… that was about it. It was depressing, but that was the reality of it. Or, well, Luz was there too, but she was a target.

She had tokillLuz.

That was what she trying to come to grips with. She had to kill someone in her family. And… quite frankly, she felt conflicted about it. For starters, she barely knew Luz. She met heronceand that was when she was 11 years old, and Luz was 5. The girl could barely put together understandable sentences at 5 years old.

So, in reality, was it that hard to do? If she only saw her once in her life and that was it up until now? She wasn’t all that attached to Luz—hell, she barely even knew Camila, so if the woman hated her for doing her job, so be it.

And it would besoeasy to do it. Luz had her defences down, as she was simply sitting back and watching the TV, fruit bowl in hand and remote in the other. All Riley had to do was simply touch her, activate her superpower, and be done with it.

But… that wasn’t how her power worked. HerBomb-Touchonly worked if she hated the thing that she touched. And, for as petty as this sounded, she, unfortunately, didn’t hate Luz. She hated All For One, but she didn’t hate Luz. And because Luz was All for One, it cancelled out the hatred, and therefore she no longer could hate them.

Meaning her power wouldn’t work on Luz.

That meant that the only thing that she could do was stab Luz in the back. Literally. Camila wasn’t home because she was at work at the moment, and it was just her and Luz. Then again, she made a plan with Millie to take down All For One, so she couldn’t forgo that. Even if it was super easy to kill her right now.

But… that begged the question. Did she kill her at all? Did she betray the assassins and join up with All For One instead? Did she stick with her family, or did she stick with where the money came from? For the last month, she had been loyal to The Wittebanes, but she hated them. However,10 Million Dollarswere at stake here.

“f*ck! What the hell am I going to do?!”Riley thought, brushing a hand through her hair as she stared at the back of Luz’s head as she watched the TV. Riley had a knife in her hand behind her back so it was out of view. All she had to do was lunge forward and kill her. She’d tell Millie that she found All For One’s identity, was in the same area as them, and they were defenceless. That would be the excuse.

“Just kill her. Come on. It’ssoeasy. It can’t be that hard.”As Riley thought that, she shook her head.“No! She’s my family! I can’t kill her. Not… so brazenly….”Riley’s grip on the knife grew tighter as her eyes drilled metaphorical holes in the back of Luz’s head.

“What to do, what to do?! I mean, All For One, or Luz, was said to have 5 to 10 unique abilities. I’ve only seen one, so I don’t know if just stabbing her would work. If it didn’t, then I would potentially lose my life and my power. Goddamnit… I know I shouldn’t be conflicted on this, but seriously, what the f*ck am I supposed to do?!”Riley thought, chewing the inside of her lip.

Seriously, what was she going to do? Sure, it would be easy to just kill her right here, and right now. But at the same time, Luz was her cousin. Luz was some of the only family she had left. If she killed Luz or made an attempt to kill Luz, it would probably end in disaster.

At the same time, though…“NO! f*ck me, no! I can’t! I can’t do it!”Riley thought, pocketing the knife. No matter how much she tried to justify it, she couldn’t kill Luz.

Not alone, anyway….

She had to find some reason to hate Luz. Even if the hate was artificial. She still had a day before the plan went into action. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?

Then again, this was Luz Riley was talking about here. Finding a reason to hate Luz would be rather hard…

Unless…

She blamed Luz for the death of her father's brother. The thing that caused her father to spiral and start abusing her.

“That could work….”Immediately, she felt a swath of anger flush over her. It was manufactured, sure, but it worked. Now she at least could kill Luz. Riley reached out to touch Luz, the tips of her fingers narrowly brushing over the teen’s head.

She was going to go with the excuse that she had found out All For One’s identity. Screw keeping the plan with Millie, she was going to—

“Stop.”Riley hesitated for a second, frowning in thought, putting her hand down.“Bad idea. If something goes down, andBomb-Touchfails, I’m going to be in for one hell of an experience. I’ll wait till tomorrow….”As Riley thought that, she pocketed her hand as Luz stood up, stretching.

“¡Ese fue un buen episodio!” Luz groaned in Spanish, before looking over her shoulder. “Hey, Riley, I’m gonna go publish that video I was working on. Do me a favour and text my mom when she’s gonna get home, ‘kay?” Luz asked, not giving Riley a chance to say anything as she made her way to the basem*nt floor, aka Luz’s computer room.

“Son of a bitch….”Riley thought, dragging out her phone and opening up the messaging app with Camila’s contact in it.

xxXXxxXXxx

“So… Humans have superpowers now? Since when?”An echoey voice came from what appeared to be a mirror as a thin but muscular man in a white suit with a black tie, ashen long blond hair and green eyes, along with the makings of a bit of stubble around his chin, spoke.

“Since a month ago. The World Health Organization dubbed it “The Mass Power Awakening Event. Or, the MPAE. And before you ask, there is seemingly no way to reverse it.” As the man spoke, he sneered, looking down at the floor.

“Is something the matter?”The voice asked as the man scoffed.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking about what recently happened. Even though I disowned her, Julia was cursed with such tainted blood, and expect our newborn son to be the same. We are hopeful, though, that the Wittebane blood shall not be tainted by it through this son of ours.”

“I see… Good. Try and keep it that way. And what about The Agent I sent? Do you approve?”The voice asked as the man frowned.

“She is unorthodox, but at the same time, for as much as I hate the idea of witchcraft and superpowers as a whole, when it benefits us, I see no reason not to approve. Plus, it shall help us in eliminating the person who we are trying to kill. Someone who we know will become a thorn in our side,” the man replied as the voice hummed.

“And who might this person be? Curious, is all…”The voice asked as the man huffed.

“All For One.” The name came out like tar from the man’s mouth. With the amount of venom leaking from his lips, if said venom was real, it would kill 30 herds of elephants. His hatred randeep. And if one heard it, it would send a shiver down their spine, should they be pure of heart, at least.

The voice went silent, muttering something under their breath before speaking up.“All For One, you say? Good… that one… I remember meeting a person who went by that name. It was long ago, 10 years or so. I doubt we’re talking about the same person, but I digress. They almost foiled everything I had planned for, but now that we have a chance to exterminate them, do so. Millie should be more than enough.”

And with that, the connection was severed. Tyler Wittebane frowned. He hated talking to that damnedEmperor Belos. Wizards, Warlocks, and Witches, no matter what they were or what their goals were, should all be extinct. The moment the job was done, Tyler would personally kill that Witch that Belos sent.

And then he’d kill Belos by stepping across that threshold and lay waste to him with as much bullet fire as possible. No one, not even a skilled magic user, could withstand the might of a fully automatic assault rifle.

“Disgusting, filthy, wretched demon spawn,” Tyler spat, turning away from the mirror with nothing but vile things to say. His wife was upstairs doing motherly things, such as tending to the baby and later cooking. He’d chop down some wood later for the fireplace and then prepare the table. The butlers and the Maids meanwhile would do the cleaning.

A part of him was glad that Julia was gone. Don’t get him wrong, she was a wonderful daughter before hercurseshowed up. Once that happened, he knew that a demon must have possessed her, and no matter how much he tried to pray for her, it wouldn’t go away. She was already showing signs of demonic possession when she talked about liking women.

No self-respecting Christian would lay with a person of the same sex. It was sinful, downright disgusting, and morally irreprehensible. He wanted to gag just thinking about it.

“No more thinking about that mistake. I have better things to do with my time….”Tyler thought as he walked out of the basem*nt of his manor. He had climbed up at least two flights of stairs to get there, and when he was done, he was going to lock the door behind him.

Later, after he got done cleaning himself after talking to that wretch of a man named Belos, he would organize a meeting with the assassins he had currently available to regroup and spend all of their efforts on killing All For One. Gravesfield was a small town. 12 assassins should easily be able to kill that damned cursed child.

Theoretically, someone like All For One would be seen as a blessing. Until one realized that they kept the powers after the fact, only making them more sinful and detestable. The Governor had the right idea, but the wrong approach.

All For One couldn’t be used. That was clear, considering they killed and stole all the other children who had “attended” that slaughter fest, then proceeded to give up all of those powers to other people, spreading the plague.

All For One was The Devil in disguise.

And if he could kill The Devil, even if it was through someone else, then it would earn him a spot in heaven. No doubt about it! After all, it was those who were chosen by God’s mission to exterminate Devilishness and Sin, was it not? The Wittebanes, a family of witch hunters, fit the bill more than anyone else.

It was Tyler’s birthright to do this! All For One should feel proud.

The day he put the bullet in the back of that wretches head, would be the day his soul would be cleansed of any sin he could have committed in the past. For he would be the one who killed The Deceiver, The Beast, and the mocker of the Holy Trinity.

He already lost his Daughter to that Devilry. He was not about to lose the town he loved the most to it. Call him a hypocrite, or call him hateful all you want, he had the town’s best interest at heart. Who cared what the others said, he was God’s chosen, and he wasn’t about to let anyone else tell him otherwise.

No one and he meant no one, was going to stand in the way of his Crusade.

Luz Noceda was going to die.

Now, why didn’t he tell his assassins All For One’s identity? Well, Tyler always loved mind games. It had been a thing of his since he was but a wee child. His assassins were also superpowers scum, so why should he help them? It was up to them to figure it out.

Was it petty? Yes. Did he care? No.

Why should he, a man clean of sin and chosen by God, help Devilish Sinners? It wasn’t his job to do that. His job—his family’s job—was to kill them.

Besides, the result would be the same. Luz would die, and she would kill the others whilst they tried to kill her. It was just that simple. He did not need to intervene.

That, and he didn’t want to sic his assassins on the innocent woman Camila. Some of the people he hired were straight-up psychopaths. Young, yes, but murderous nonetheless. They wouldn’t spare her, and he didn’t need innocent casualties on his consciousness.

Now all he had to do was get every assassin to meet up in the area, and then it would be over. Luz would be pinned down in all corners, and he would win.

As he said before, and as he would say time and time again…

No one got in the way of his Crusade.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 17: S2 - Ep 4: Summer Break Shenanigan's - Part 4

Chapter Text

[Summer Break Shenanigans – Part 4]

Luz had no idea why she was sent to the store. Well, that wasn’tentirelytrue, but it was true enough. Her mom was, understandably, tired from working a night shift. That, she totally got. She understood that her mother just wanted to sleep.

That was all well and good. But makinghergo out and buy the groceries? In this town? The one that hated her? She didn’t know what her mama had been thinking, but it clearly hadn’t with all of her functioning brain cells.

Well, she couldn’tblameher mother. She was, after all, sleep deprived. Who she could blame for being Lazy, however, was Riley. Her cousin had spent the night and had planned to leave this afternoon for a hotel. The least she could’ve done was head to the store and drop off some groceries before she left. Butnoooo! Shehadto get some extra sleep.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have stayed up till the ass-crack of dawn….”Luz thought as she dumped a can of lime beans in the cart. Checking over the digital list her mom had sent her. Rice, mushrooms, celery, a dozen eggs, milk, cheerios, three cans of lime beans, and a loaf of rye bread. Assorted juices of her choice—Kool-Aid, she shoved a bunch of varying flavours of Kool-Aid into the cart—chicken, ground beef, and Pizza Pops.

That was what she was tasked with buying, and she was given $200 to do the shopping. Luz thought she wasn’t going to need that much, but as she got to the beans and dropped the other two cans in, after doing the math, she was already halfway through the budget. She had no idea that shopping for weeks worth of groceries was this expensive. It was honestly disturbing.

Pushing the cart forward, Luz ran a hand through her hair. She hadn’t even been given the choice to change out of her pyjamas; which had consisted of a black tank top, and a pair of red and black knee-high shorts. She hadn’t even had ashoweryet. In fact, Luz had only been awake for, what… ten minutes?

“Whatever, at least the grocery store hasn’t blacklisted me…”Luz thought, a callous frown taking up her visage. This town was slowly becoming a pit of hell because of a crackdown on supers by the police. You were no longer allowed to go outside unless had some sort of verified license that told everyone what their power was. She was exempt becauseeveryoneknew what her power was.

Because of that, most people didn’t even so much as walk near her. She had been painted as a monster who would, and she was quoting this from a local newspaper, “kill anyone who so much as looked at her the wrong way.”

First of all, no, no she wouldn’t. Sure, Luz had a bit of a mean streak about her—she would freely admit that; especially to those who tried to throw their weight around as a way of harming others—but she wasn’t a heartless monster. If anything, she was a troubled teenager with mountains of trauma. Trauma that had originated from the States Governor, not anyone else.

Any time someone looked at her, it was either with fear or anger. Little children would run away from her in fear, adults would run indoors after a mere glance, and as previously noted, most of the stores in Gravesfield had blacklisted her except the major market chains, which took up only 5% of the shops of the town. And eventhensecurity would watch her like a hawk.

At least here, at The Independent, no one gave a sh*t about whether or not she was in the store. Or, well, the staff anyway. The staff probably weren’t paid enough to care. And that was her only saving grace.

She hated this. She really, really hated this. She wanted to move away, but her mother was too attached to the town. Even when they had the money to move, they didn’t. She didn’t blame her mama for wanting to stay. And besides, she had promised Pastor Domenico that she would protect this town and avenge Julia.

The only problem with that was that Julia’s parents were extremely powerful, politically speaking. Not only that, but they were extremely elusive. And to make matters even worse, it was clear that they were manipulating the media to give her an even worse reputation than she already had. Which, as she had been experiencing, was having its intended effect on the populous of Gravesfield.

Just as she was about to exit the aisle to continue the shopping list that her mama had given her, and just as she was about to get this stupid venture over and done with….

“Oi!” A voice cut down the aisle as Luz looked over her shoulder. Standing there, at the end of the aisle, was a man wearing a bulletproof vest, an American Flag-themed bandana, a white tank top with various stains, a pair of beige shorts, and a pair of Timberlands. The man’s legs were hairy, as were his arms, and he wore a pair of shades. It kind of reminded Luz of the stereotypical truck nut seen on TV. In his arms was what appeared to be a rifle and… he was pointing it at her.“Is this idiota serious?”Luz thought, sighing.

“Can I help you, sir?” Luz called out as the man jabbed his rifle forward, trying to make it seem as threatening as possible. It was some kind of semi-automatic weapon. If she had to guess it was an AR-15. What kind of AR-15, Luz didn’t quite care.

“Stand down, Demon! Or I’ll shoot!” The man shouted at Luz. Everyone else in the aisle ran like the wind. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel her right eye twitch. This had been the third babuino idiota this month who had pointed a gun at her.

“Demon…? Look, sir, I—”

The man fired off two warning shots just below her feet. “DOWN ON YOUR KNEES!”

In response, Luz blinked, a little shocked that the man had actually fired the gun. The other two she had scared off by staring at them. But this one… this one was special, it seemed. Specially stupid.“And most likely radicalized by the media… poor bastard.”

Luz extended her hand forward as she activatedSpear Fingers. The gunman went to fire more rounds at her, but all that ended up happening was the gun being plucked out of his hands by knife-like fingers, having pierced the chamber of the rifle. Retracting them, Luz grabbed the gun by the barrel and squeezed. An obnoxious crunching and squelching sound came from the gun as the barrel snapped.

The AR-15 fell to the ground in two pieces, right at Luz’s feet. When the last intact part of the gun hit the floor, the Dominican-American teenager crushed it with the heel of her black airforces—something she bought out of pure irony. She had seen some of the comments on the camera footage of her butchering those campers. They said she had “Black Airforce Energy”, whatever the hell that meant.

The man took a step back before falling flat on his ass as Luz approached. By the time she had closed the distance between them, her face had twisted into one of a sneer, her eyes glowing a bright, crimson red. “Now. I don’t think I have to tell you how stupid that was. Do myself, and everyone else a favour, and leave.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, gunfire rang out from behind Luz. The bullets cut through her skin like butter as blood sparkled on the floor. Five bullets shot through her lower abdomen, three bullets shot directly through the center of her chest, missing her heart by a few inches, eight-or-so bullets blasted through the side of her throat and cut right through a major artery, and finally, 3 more bullets had completely blown off her right arm.

Had Luz not been, well,Luz, she would’ve died right then and there. But, thankfully, shewasLuz. And she had several powers that practically made her near invincible.

due toPain Nullification,she felt none of the pain of both the bullets firing through her and the effects ofSuper Regeneration,leaving holes in her clothing. Turning her head slowly, Luz looked in the direction where the bullets had came from. Two more gunmen, all dressed in casual clothing stared at her as if she was some sort of monster, their AR-15s lowered in shock as Luz narrowed her eyes.

“You know…” Luz drawled, rubbing at the side of her neck as it slowly healed, along with the rest of her wounds. Muscles and veins began to reform at an inhuman rate, followed by patches of skin growing back at an irregular rate. Blood cascaded down her clothes as the crimson liquid pooled around her, while at the same time, she turned to face the original gunman. “I just wanted to get some shopping done. Really, that’s it!”

Bones grew from the severing point where her arm had broken off, followed by it being coated in a similar amount of muscle that she had gained from her routine of working out, capping off with a fresh layer of skin. She squeezed her hand in and out of a fist, all the while she rolled her shoulders. The rest of her wounds finished patching themselves up as Luz sneered.

“But, it would seem as if I’m not even allowed that.”

The words slipped out of her mouth like a poison. Thick and full of anger. Her eyes glowed a radiant ruby red as her arm rocketed forth, grabbing the first gunman by the neck. As soon as she did that, the two men behind her began to unload what remained in their magazines. And yet, even though that was what they were doing, all of their bullets ended up littering their friend instead of her—not that it would’ve done anything.

The bullets rained down on the man as holes the size of dimes covered him from head to toe. His bulletproof vest stood no match for the hailstorm of weaponry, signalling to Luz that they had to have been using, at the very least, 50. Calibre rounds.

Lunging forward and closing the distance between herself and the gunmen, Luz activatedSuper Strengthand batted away the man to her right, caving his chest in as forcibly vomited up enough blood to fill a small bag to the brim. Needless to say, the man was dead. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a line connecting to his partner's forehead. The partner in question was a superhuman of some kind and said superhuman jumped back a good distance away from her and discarded his gun.

The man took a fighting stance as several arms began to grow out of his right and left arms. They all glued together like one giant monstrous mass, and then, with a powerful lunge, the man, who now that Luz paid full attention to seemed to be no older than 17 years old, swung his massive limb in a swiping motion.

Luz threw up a forcefield with her right hand, blocking the attack as she had been pushed back a good few feet along with her aggressor.

“Luz.”Shigaraki’s voice filled her thoughts as the second holder ofAll For Onefrowned.

“Shigaraki. You’ve been awfully quiet lately,”Luz responded in her mind as she swayed right to avoid an overly choreographed punch with the teen’s massive left arm.“What do you want?”

“That was one of my original Quirks. You can now hold up to 15 Quirks. I want you to steal it,”Shigaraki said as Luz sighed.

“Was already going to do that. You didn’t need to ask,”Luz replied mentally as activatedSpear Fingers, trying to impale the teen. Unfortunately for her, the teenager blocked the attack by crossing his massive 4-foot-long arms together in an X formation. The teen grunted, deflecting the blade-like fingers as they snapped into pieces like fractured metal.

What remained of Luz’s fingers retracted back and regenerated in the blink of an eye as the teen closed the distance, slamming his massive appendage into Luz’s face as she was sent flying through multiple aisles, knocking them over as she went, before she finally collided with a wall that almost shattered upon impact.

A small line of blood streamed down her left temple as she snarled, her eyes flaring red.“How the f*ck is that power so strong withoutSuper Strength?”Luz asked Shigaraki, who chuckled.

“Simple: Mass times acceleration, Luz. The more mass, and the faster it travels, the more of an impact it will have. Did you ever pay attention in class, dear?”Shigaraki snarked as Luz grumbled. Out of all the times he had decided to start talking it was in the middle of a battle.

As she slowly began to stand up, a huddle of people to her right, all of which had been grouped up in a corner. A few of them were little children, and a few of them were adults. The adults were glaring at her as if this was her fault. She wanted to sneer at them, but she didn’t. She had more important things to deal with.

“Yo,” a voice cut through her observations as she looked over to her right, which had been where the voice was coming from. On the ground level, no one was there. But, when Luz craned her neck up, she saw someone sitting on… a broom. They were a female with grey skin and red eyes, with long flowing black hair. Their ears were pointed like that of an elf she had seen movies, though unlike an elf there was a sinister energy floating around the… child?

They didn’t look older than 10 years old, and yet they felt so… demonic? Was that the right word? Maybe, but either way, it hardly mattered. The child was wearing a white cloak, and with it came a hood that the child had up, with their black hair spilling out from the sides of the hood reaching down past their shoulders. The cloak was kept together by a golden triangle pin, and underneath the cloak was a black jumpsuit and a pair of ridiculous balloon pants.

“You’re All For One, yeah?” The child asked as Luz narrowed her eyes. Just how much had this child seen? Had she seen the entire fight that had been going on? She had obviously seen her use multiple powers in a row, so it wasn’t like Luz could deny it. The child snickered to herself, before sticking out her left index finger and drawing what appeared to be a golden circle. “You know what? Don’t bother answering. I’m here to kill you on behalf of The Wittebanes. Say hi to Julia for me!”

Upon tapping the circle a beam of pure light slammed into Luz as it cut a hole right through her stomach. Immediately after the fact, somehow, her other attacker had snuck up behind her and sent her flying with another backhanded attack. A trail of blood followed her as she was sent flying, all the while the massive hole in her stomach healed over in a handful of seconds.

“This is going to leave a bunch of nasty scars, isn’t it?”Luz thought as she dug her hands into the tile ground, tearing up the ground as she slowly stopped herself.“You know… this fight seems like it’s ripped out of a shonen manga….”

“You read Manga?”Shigaraki questioned, genuine shock in his voice as Luz coughed, small flecks of blood littering her hand. Her regeneration would fix the internal bleeding, so she didn’t need to worry.

“Not the time, Shigaraki. But yes, I do. I reading One Piece, actually. Have you heard of it?”

“It’s called Two Piece where I’m from. Is the main character named Luffy?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll keep quiet then.”

Luz sighed, standing up as she dodged to the right, barely avoiding yet another punch from the fleshy mass. The teen snarled, glaring at her with golden eyes. “You just don’t know when to die, do you?” The teen snarled as Luz huffed.

“And you don’t know when to give up,” Luz quipped as she created a forcefield in front of her relative to her height. Her fingers were spread out evenly around the center of the forcefield, and then she flattened her hand into a spear-like charade as the forcefield launched forward. “Think fast!” Luz shouted as the enemy attempted to block the attack, only to fail, for the forcefield was going far faster than he could’ve blocked.

The forcefield connected with its target, and slammed into her primary target. The forcefield exploded upon contact, causing the teen with the multiple-arm power to spew a large amount of blood from every source imaginable—mouth, arms, torso, waist, legs, eyes, ears and nose. Blood coated the teen from head to toe as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath as Luz approached. The second holder ofAll For Oneplaced a hand on his forehead before red lightning sparked from her hand, up her arm, and surged around her attacker.

The teen screamed in pain as Luz sneered, shutting her heart off to his pain as the power transfer began. She could feel the power enter her body, and at that moment she felt triumphant, her sneer being replaced by a vindictive smirk. The surge of gaining yet another ability under her control acted like a high; and while it only lasted a few seconds, she savoured the feeling. It wasn’t every day that she got to take someone’s power away from them, and something that she shouldn’t get used to.

The all-but-dead teen’s arms reverted to normal, and yet, Luz didn’t let go. She stared down at the teen, her smirk turning into a neutral gaze. Was there any reason to keep this guy alive? Truly, was there a reason? Even if he came out of this, he would most likely be crippled and forced to stay in a hospital. Then again, his eyes didn’t portray any kind of consciousness, and yet they were still open.

The teen looked like a lifeless husk. She hadn’t even wormed a name out of him. And honestly, she didn’t care if got one. All she knew was that this guy tried to kill her, and while she knew it wouldn’t have worked, she had to give credit where credit was due. He never backed down, not even once. He kept going at it until the better end.

“For that, he has my respect… if that means anything, anyway,”Luz thought. How would have told her to react to this? Would she be freaking out? Crying because she was too weak to handle the emotional strain?

Yeah, yeah probably that. No, actually, exactly that.

“Still, keeping him alive would only hinder me. If the surveillance footage doesn’t out me, he will. All For One is supposed to be my secret identity. No one needs to know that she’s the same person as Luz Noceda…”Luz thought as, with eyes burning a crimson red, she activatedSuper Strength. With a gentle squeeze, the teenager's head popped like a zit. Blood, skull fragments and grey matter sprayed in a small radius around his body as Luz recoiled in slight disgust.

A small pang of guilt filled her chest upon killing the teen. Although it was only a small amount of guilt, and nowhere near the amount of guilt she felt after “The Massacre Of Fools.”“Compared to that, this is nothing.”

“Brutal!” The pointed-ear girl said, a smile on her face as Luz craned her neck upward to see the strange child, who was still sitting on a broom, as yet another golden circle appeared in front of her. “Now, actually die this time.” And with a tap of the circle, a beam of pure light shot forward as Luz parried it with a forcefield.

The light beam reflected off of the forcefield and hit the ceiling. That didn’t stop the child though from creating a different coloured circle, that being a purple one. Upon tapping that circle, a mass of purple sludge blasted forward. Luz recoiled in disgust at the stench, jumping back to try and avoid it, only to look on in abstract confusion and horror that it followed her movement.

Creating yet another forcefield, the sludge slammed violently against it, pushing Luz further and further away until she was dragged outside. In her peripheral vision, she saw red and blue flashing lights.“The cops!”Luz’s mind screamed at the idea of the cops getting dragged into this mess. They already disliked her as it was, she didn’t need to get them involved and possibly skew this as all her fault. And so, she propelled the forcefield from her hand as it pushed back against the purple sludge with prejudice.

Not only was the forcefield stronger than the sludge, but it was faster. The sludge parted like the red sea as the forcefield glided through, blowing up in the process as all of the windows shattered thanks to the shockwave.

Luz justbarelystopped herself from crashing into a barricade, her feet dragging against the ground as she tore up asphalt.“Something tells me that the damages to the city are going to be vast… and it’s all going to come out of mama’s pockets….”Luz shuttered at the thought of her mama being angry with her. An angry mama was a scary mama. It didn’t matter how powerful she was, her mama was her mama, and that was that.

“PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!” One of the police officers behind her shouted. Several red dots were lining her body as Luz looked over her shoulder. True to her fears, the police had already made their minds up. “DO NOT MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVEMENTS OR WE’LL SHOOT!”

There were, at the bare minimum 7 officers fully kitted out in ballistic gear. Riot shields were equipped and they were armed with high-power assault weapons. Luz felt her headache grow into a migraine. Out of all of the things to happen today, Luz had to admit thatthiswas not one of them.

“All of this because I wanted to go shopping…. For f*cksake….”Luz thought as she glanced back to The Independent. The child wearing the strange cult-like uniform walked out, broom in hand as she wore a devilish smile on her face.

“Sothisis what All For One looks like, huh? To think that the vigilante ofonesolved crime was the same person who committed a massacre that killed22 minors. Oh, theirony.”

“Again… I repeat, all because Mama wanted me to goshopping.”Luz’s eyes burned with hate, but before it could get any worse, she calmed herself. The last time she gave into her rage, 22 people ended up dead.

And just as she was about to surrender, she felt a hand brush up against her back. When she looked over her shoulder, she was greeted by Riley staring down at her. Her eyes were narrowed and filled with anger, her face drawn into a grimace as her hand mimicked that of a detonator. Before Luz could even so much as utter anything, Riley’s hand pressed down, and then…

There was pain.

Her body felt like it was on fire. Everything burned, everythinghurt. And yet despite all of that pain, even though she could see her torso across the parking lot, and despite the fact that she could see the police chief standing over her would-be corpse, sh*t eating grin on his face as Riley looked on with a mixture of emotions…

Luz should have died.

By all rights, Luz’s life should have ended right then and there.

But Shigaraki knew better. He had come back from worse before, and so he knew how this was going to go.

Because….

Luz. Didn’t. Die.

Arms began to multiply across from her base arms, as they pulled her body together faster than the police could shoot them away. Bones regrew, muscles fused back together, as Luz regenerated from what should’ve been her death.

Luz’s hair, rather than being darkish brown with white spots, now looked more akin to someone with half-brown hair growing on the bottom with white hair coming out from the top. Blood trailed down from her forehead and seeped out of her mouth as her expression became nothing more than a violent mix of fury and hate.

The police chief stared in horror at what he was seeing. Nohumanhad the ability to quite literally pull themselves back together, and yet, he was seeing just that.

Millie, the child with the strange ears, could only look on in fascination and slight terror at what she was seeing.

And Riley? Riley pissed herself with dread as she took several steps back.

Luz could barely see anything. That was how furious she had been. That was how angry she had been. And thus…

She gave in to her hate.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 18: S2 - Ep 5: Summer Break Shenanigan's - Part 5

Chapter Text

[Summer Break Shenanigans – Part 5]

The chaos began without a hint of warning. The moment Luz’s body reformed and sealed itself back together in a mortifying display of what appeared to be immortality, her crimson-red eyes glowed with pure malice and hatred. Her face was contorted into a wicked sneer, the likes of which you would see more often on the face of a comic book villain.

Millie was the first to act. Instead of just using her pointer finger to create the magic circle, she used her entire hand—something that she was only supposed to do for a serious threat, which this was—as it turned a bright red. Tapping the center of the circle, she unleashed a wave of fire so hot that it would melt through skin and bone.

In response, Luz created not one, but two forcefields. One toward her back, which was where the witch had been positioned, and one toward the front, which had been where the police had been stationed. All of them drew their weapons, scoped Colt M4 Carbines, and began to fire. The bullets and fire hit the shields at the exact same time, and when they did, Luz fired off the forcefields, pushing both the fire and the bullets back along with them.

Millie was able to dodge out of the way, the forcefield aimed at her smashing into the Independent behind her. The resulting collision blew the entire top of the building away, scattering rubble across the parking lot, and crushing cars and trucks alike.

Metal shrapnel, tires, car and truck frames, chunks of concrete—anything you can think of scattered about as a result of the impact from the rubble of the building. It was complete and total destruction on a level not yet seen before by anyone within the town of Faraway. For Millie, though, she had seen this level of power before. Though not from anyone other than Emperor Belos.

“To think that someone so young can match the Emperor himself… perhaps she may even rival him?”As that thought entered the witch’s head, Millie immediately shot away that blasphemous thought, erecting a shield to protect herself from the shrapnel and debris.“No. Surely not. No one can ever hope to rival The Emperor.”

The police officers, on the other hand, didn’t get the chance to dodge, as none of them had the time to react. All of them were wiped out at a moment’s notice. One second, they were alive, the next second, they were dead.

The only person who got out of the way in time was Riley, and even then it was only by the skin of her teeth. Everyone, including the police chief, was violently blown away in a spray of flesh, bones, and blood. The impact left behind a crater the size of a small bus, and that wasn’t where it ended.

The ginger nearly had a panic attack. The amount of human life going to waste… all because she had failed to kill her target.“How! How can one person have that much power?! It should be impossible!”Riley thought, eyes wide as she jumped back several times in order to avoid being impaled by Luz’sSpear Fingers.

In passing, the ginger-haired adult was able to applyExplosive Touchto one of the metallic-like spear fingers, detonating it in the process. Luz was fast enough to useMultiplyto eat up most of the explosion and regenerate the wounds that were left.

“She’s not human… she can’t be. This kind of power is unreasonable!”Riley continued to lament, as, in a blink of an eye, Luz was gone. It was like she never existed. It was only then that Riley felt something behind her. Looking over her shoulder, all she could see was a massive fist made out of over a hundred different hands.

Before Luz’s right fist could collide with Riley’s face, Millie generate a shield in front of Riley. Unfortunately for the pair of assassins, the shield cracked and immediately shattered under the force of the blow.

Riley was once again just able to jump out of the way, but not before losing her footing and narrowly tripping and falling on her back. Several spear-like fingers appeared just behind her, snaking underneath Riley as Luz hoped to impale the traitorous family member. Millie once again saved Riley’s life by creating yet another shield underneath Riley, before leaping over to her, snagging her, and diving out of the way from several more spear-like fingers.

“What the hell?! Just what kind of bullsh*t is this! I know you said All For One had several powers, but this is ridiculous!” Riley shouted, looking over at Millie with narrowed eyes. “I know regeneration is a crazy ability, but she should have died! I literally blew her apart into several chunks!”

“How in the Realms was I supposed to know that she could survive that?!” Millie replied with an equal amount of shock, landing a few solid feet away from rampaging Luz. The second user of All For One stared daggers at the two, eyes blaring crimson and filled with hatred, before lunging forward, closing the distance and reaching her hand out for Riley’s face.

“sh*t!”Riley thought. There wasn’t enough time for her to react, but there was more than enough time for her partner to. Once again, Millie was forced to bring out a shield, barely being able to do so. Luz’s hand bounced off of the shield, before another fist—her left fist—slammed into it, breaking it. In response, Millie summoned a wave of Abomination sludge to push Luz back, even if it was only just a foot or so.

It was at this moment that the pair knew that, alone, they weren’t going to be able to defeat Luz. This wasn’t a two-man job, this was a full team job. And even then, Riley was having doubts about ever being able to put Luz down. But one thing was most definitely certain, they would need more than just her and Millie to take on All For One and have a fighting chance.

The duo was nowhere near enough to take Luz on head-on. What they had in teamwork they lacked in ability to put a dent in Luz both literally and figuratively. Even with the amount of damage they were doing to her body, which would have been more than enough to kill a regular person, she simply shrugged it off and kept going.

That kind of power made that person a God.

To make matters worse, it seemed as if the police were ultimately useless in this. If Riley’sExplosive Touchpower did nothing to her, then what the hell was a few guns going to do? Pepper her with holes that would heal almost immediately? The only thing that would do would be to make Luz even more furious than she already was.

That, and even if they were able to get any of the police on their side, what were they going to do? Seriously? What could the police do? What was a man to, for all intents and purposes, a God? Besides, most of the other officers didn’t give a sh*t about All For One or those with superpowers. The ones that came here were those who were on Belo’s and more importantly, Wittebane’s side. The rest actuallylikedAll For One. Though considering what transpired today that was probably going to change.

Either way, they couldn’t stick around for much longer. Luz was already fighting against the abomination wave and was even trudging through it as if it were just some water and she was moving upstream. The rage in her eyes was probably blinding her to the fact that her skin was being torn off and simultaneously being replaced by whatever overpowered regeneration power she had.

“We need to get out of here!” Riley shouted as Millie nodded.

“Working on it!” Millie shouted back, placing a finger on the earpiece in her left ear. “Oi! Charlie! Get us the hell out of here!” Millie said, and as soon as those words left her mouth, a black sludge-like liquid forced itself out of Millie’s and Riley’s mouths, quickly enveloping them and warping them away in the time it took for Luz to finally wade through the sludge and reach where she was trying to get to.

In frustration, Luz screamed in rage as she slammed her right fist into the ground. Thanks toMultiplyerandSuper Strength, the result caused by this made an even larger crater than the one that had been created by the forcefield shot. It was around four buses in diameter, or just short of 25 feet.

Breathing heavily not out of exhaustion but out of frustration, the Dominican American gritted her teeth, relaxing her shoulders as she stared out at the destroyed parking lot. Destroyed cars, chunks of The Independent Store, pot-holes—all of it was her fault. She did all of this. She caused all of this damage. All in the amount of time it would take for someone to send a handful of text messages.

The “fight”, if she could even call it that, was mostly her lashing out in a rage after being betrayed by someone she considered family. She was barely even coherent during the brawl, and it was only now that she was slowly beginning to think things out. Blood splatters littered the concrete, and she knew exactly where they came from.

The police had shown up to arrest her for… well, her ties to being All For One. While it was against the law to put the law in one’s own hands, Luz didn’t quite care for their opinions. What were a bunch of people with standard handcuffs and no superpowers going to do against a superpowered crook? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not unless they themselves had powers.

That was beside the point. The police officers were more than willing to gun her down, even if it didn’t do anything. She was beginning to notice that happening a lot more often than she was willing to say she liked. It happened in the store, and now it happened outside of the store. One by a group of would-be killers, and the other attempt being done by law enforcement.

Why? Luz wanted to know why everyone hated her. Was it because of what she did at the camp? That was self-defence, or what could loosely be called self-defence. The whole point of that camp was to kill one another. The rest of the camp thought it funny to kill her friends, so she returned the favour ten times over.

Why couldn’t people see that she wasn’t given a choice? Besides, she valued her life over the lives of those who would wish to have her dead.

Not that it mattered. She didn’t care about that anymore. It was behind her, and she had pushed it behind her for obvious reasons. If people were still hung up about what she had done back there, that it was on them for being so indecisive.

Luz could see a small crowd of people gathering across the street, directly across from the parking lot. The teen could barely make out phone cameras being pointed at the parking lot recording the fight to put on Youtube, and in the centermost front of the crowd, she could make out her mama, staring with horrified eyes and a pale face.

For the briefest of seconds, Luz was taken aback. It was only when she saw her mom that Luz realized that she hadn’t even blinked at her actions. She simply… viewed them. Saw them, witnessed them and did them. There was no stopping to think that perhaps what she had just done was evil. That what she had just done was good.

That the fact that she had killed nearly a dozen people in one go was something that she didn’t even blink at. She merely did it. A pit formed in her stomach for a second. Guilt washed over her, as did a brief moment of self-admonishment. It was quickly swept away by the fact that those whom she had killed were actively trying to kill her. Therefore it balanced out in a twisted sort of way.

“Good. I am glad you are starting to come to your senses, Luz,”Shigaraki said, as Luz cringed.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that it’s about time you realize that you were never in the wrong. I know that there are days when you believe yourself to be, but you are not at fault for defending yourself.”

“But… What about—”

“It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or believes. Judge yourself on your own morals. Not anyone else's,”Shigaraki interrupted, before pausing. There was a brief moment of silence between them, as Luz walked forward, passing the carnage that she had caused.

Those police officers had families in town. She had killed them without even registering the thought. Did that make her the bad guy? Was she the villain here, or were they? They decided to fire upon her instead of targeting the one person, Riley, who had narrowly killed her. For whatever reason, they were siding with the bad guys.

Who could hire them? Better yet, who hired Riley and that strange child to kill her? Was it the government again? Or was it someone else? Some other group? It was in that search to find someone to blame that Luz realized exactly who could have been. There was only one group of people who could have possibly had it out of her, and by extension, all of those who had powers, to begin with.

The Wittebanes.

She had seen several news channels cover Tyler Wittebane’s speeches about those with powers being called Demons and monsters that should be stripped of their rights. Outright saying that kind of thing to crowds of people. He was currently touring the southern United States to spread his message. Meaning that he wasn’t actually in Gravesfield at the moment.

The Wittebane Mega Church had been long controversial for the things they preached. His church was extremely right-wing, to the point where it was common for him to go on long rants about how those who weren’t strictly white, straight, or cis-gendered should not have the ability to live in Gravesfield.

Some time ago, Gravesfield had been a “Sundown Town.” It was a stain on the town’s history. As of late, it had stopped being such, with the current Mayor—Mayor Abscott—being the one to revoke those laws and make it illegal to discriminate against anyone for any reason, with a major fine being attached to those who offended. There was just one exception to the rule, and those were the churches.

The churches were allowed to do whatever they wanted, and that was most likely how Tyler was able to get away with what he was doing. And considering that he and his congregation most likely viewed those with powers as evil, and considering what kind of power Luz had… there was no other person in the town or country who would have a true reason to have her dead.

As Luz thought it over, she seethed in silence, her right hand clenching into a fist. As she approached the group of people, Immediately, almost like a knee-jerk reaction, those who had phones out put away their phones and stared. They looked afraid of her. To be fair to them, they had every right to be. Even her own mother looked horrified.

“It seems even your mother is scared of you, Luz. What are you going to do?”Shigaraki asked the teen, who ignored the fossil of a man resting in her head. Luz looked down at her hands, and for a brief second, she saw blood. It made her flinch, but nothing more. There was no visceral reaction to it, she simply saw it before it disappeared, and reacted as if it was nothing more than the blip it was.

As she looked back at the crowd of people, consisting majorly of people her age, alongside a couple of parents and younger children, along with her mother, Luz overlooked the crowd with a neutral gaze. The white and brown-haired teen knew exactly what it was she had to do.

She knew that, despite whatever excuse she could come up with, no one in the crowd was going to believe a word of what she would want to say. They saw her kill police officers. Whatever attempt to be a hero there was for her was now gone. No one liked or routed for a cop-killer, even if that cop was a dirty cop.

Luz looked at her mama, closed her eyes, then looked down the road. There was a police barricade with empty cars set up. No one was there, at least from what she could see. Even if there was, they had to have seen what had happened, and she had to harbour a guess that they weren’t stupid enough to try anything.

“You know what needs to be done, correct?”

“Yeah, I do… the question is, where do I start looking?”

“Perhaps that priest you know may have some answers. After all, despite his apparent loathing for the head of the Wittebane Mega Church, he might have some information. It’s better to start with those who share in the business in deluding the weak-willed than to go elsewhere and paint a target on your back.”

“Just gonna ignore that last part and agree with you,”Luz sighed, walking away from the crowd. It was only when she heard her mother call out to her that she stopped.

“Luz! Where are you going?!” Camila called out, a worried expression on her face as Luz glanced over her shoulder. She thought about saying something, like a catchy one-liner, but she decided against it. So, she said what it was that she was going to do in as blunt a-way as she could.

“I’m going to kill the Wittebanes. They’re the ones that sent Riley after me. They have to be. So I’m finishing what they started,” Luz replied, her tone of voice distant. She didn’t want to show her mom the lack of conviction she felt saying that. She didn’t want to show her how much she hated using the word “kill” to describe something she was going to do.

By all rights, her mother should have said something to admonish her. At that point, she should’ve cast her to the wolves. And if she did, she didn’t vocalize it. She didn’t say anything, and if she did Luz didn’t hear it. Luz was more focused on the fact that she needed to stop this from happening. Before her mother was targeted. She had no idea just how much blood was on their hands.

She would make them rue the day they had decided to mess with her.

xxXXxxXXxx

“You failed. You said you would be able to kill her and you failed,” Tyler spat, glaring down at Riley and Millie, as standing next to him was Charlie, the person responsible for getting them out of that horrendous situation. He was lanky, with pale skin and black hair. He had dark blue eyes and was darker-skinned.

Charlie was wearing a dark blue shirt with red stripes, and a pair of black jeans with rips in the knees. Alongside that, she had a spiked choker around his neck, and his hair was shaved at the sides. Alongside that, he had a star tattoo over his right eye, and his expression was blank save for the corner of his lip being upturned due to a burn scar.

“To be fair to us, sir, All For One should have died by Riley’s hand. We never expected her to be able to piece herself back together… quite literally,” Millie interjected as Tyler raised an eyebrow.

“I beg your pardon?” Tyler asked, staring at Millie, who fidgeted uncomfortably under the man’s gaze. It was just like The Emperor’s stare. The kind of stare that demanded absolute devotion and absolute respect. Perhaps this Tyler Wittebane was this world’s version of The Emperor. It would explain why he was so revered by the people that followed him.

“I mean what I said, sir. All For One, otherwise known as Luz Noceda, was able to piece herself back together from being tiny little chunks of meat left behind in one of Riley’s explosions,” Millie explained, hardening her gaze as she gave the man the report of the events. “By all rights, she should have died. But, by some… bizarre luck, she was able to come out of it alive, and as a result, she began to sprout millions of arms to piece herself back together, starting from her original arms.”

“That sounds like Derreck’s power. Did Derreck die?” Tyler asked as Millie nodded.

“I saw his death. He had his power drained from him by All For One and then had his head crushed after the fact. Once again, there was nothing that I could have done to stop it. By the time I had begun to assist Derreck, he was already dead,” Millie continued as Tyler sighed.

“I see… then that does bring us some problems, now doesn’t it. We only have 4 more assassins left. And with the information you’ve just given me, it stands to reason that we may not be able to take Luz Noceda down. In which case, we are going to need more support,” Tyler stated as Millie frowned.

“Are you implying that you are going to try and get back into contact with Emperor Belos?” Millie asked as Tyler nodded.

“I do intend to. If he is a man of his word, he will send me more reinforcements. Clearly, this is much bigger than I thought it was going to be. Perhaps this…Golden GuardI’ve heard so much about might be able to help,” Tyler said, as Millie shot to her feet.

“The Golden Guard is The Emperor’s personal assistant! Why would he send someone like that to help a pathetic human like you—”

The barrel of a gun was placed gently against the back of Millie’s head, as the child froze on the spot. Behind her, was a man standing around 10 feet tall. The gun in question was a standard 6-round revolver, polished and cleaned to perfection. The hammer was pulled back, and the man’s finger was on the trigger.

As for the tall man, his eyes were a deep purple, his hair was a jet black that reached down to his cheeks, and over his mouth was a mask, connected to which were a pair of pipes that coursed with purple energy. He wore a black vest, with a white button-down shirt, alongside a pair of leather brown pants and cowboy boots.

“Aye there lil’ missy. Ya best shut yer damned mouth. Yer talkin’ to the boss with such a sharp tongue. Perhaps I should remind you just how far down the chain of command you truly are, runt,” the man said, his accent a thick Southern one. Tyler sighed, staring at the gunman with a frown.

“Jonah, please, put the gun away. I despise infighting, and I would like to keep it to a minimum, okay?” Tyler stated as Jonah, with a frown, drew away his gun and let go of the hammer. The man put his gun back into his holster and huffed. “How is the mask I prepared working for you? Is it easier to maintain yourSmog?”

“Yup,” Jonah said, popping the p as he crossed his arms. “All I gotta do is point and the gas goes where I want it to. Although, I gots to ask, where’d ya get it from?” Jonah questioned as Tyler smirked.

“As I said, I made it myself. Now, if you’re quite done, I have a job for you,” Tyler said as Jonah perked up with an almost joyous jolt of energy. “I want you to… clean up a little. Get rid of some loose ends. I know I said earlier that we shouldn’t drag innocent people into this, but… I believe we’re sending the wrong message.

“The request is simple. All For One is too strong mentally for a single opponent to defeat. Clearly, no matter the betrayal, All For One is still under the belief that no one else other than her will be hurt. So, I suggest we make it quite clear that we are not to be trifled with. If All For One wants to make my life harder, then I will do the very same.”

“What’cha saying, Boss? You want me ta kill ‘er mother or something like that?” Jonah asked as Tyler smirked.

“Oh, not just her. I want you to kill anyone who so much as had any sort of positive connection to Luz Noceda at any point in time. Start with the mother, end with that damned Priest that’s against me. And if by any chance you get caught in the act, I’ll have Charlie warp you back safe and sound,” Tyler stated as Riley’s eyes widened.

“You said no harm would come to Camila!” Riley snapped as Tyler frowned.

“No, no. I said no harm would come to Camila…should you succeed, Riley. But youfailed. Therefore, the deal is off. Learn to pay attention to what I say before you agree to something, child,” Tyler spat as Riley flinched. Jonah smirked, cracking his neck from side to side.

“Alright. Consider it already done, Boss.”

As soon as those words left Jonah’s mouth, the black sludge created by Charlie spewed out from under the mask, then completely enveloped the man, sending him off to where he needed to go. Tyler looked down at Riley and sighed. “I am sorry, child. But it has to be this way. If you are looking for someone to blame, blame All For One, for she did not die as God decreed.”

Riley said nothing as Tyler Wittebane turned around, and began to walk away. They had all been in a dark room, one connected to the house that Tyler had been staying in for the time being during his travel across the Southern States.

“Oh god… I f*cked up… I f*cked up big time….”Riley thought to herself, looking down at her hands. Not only did she betray Luz, she inadvertently, without even knowing it, killed her Aunt. Camila’s blood was now on her hands because knowing Jonah, the death was going to be gruesome.

Jonah’s crime, before Tyler had bailed him out, had been the rape and then murder of his wife who had been 37 at the time of her death. He was sentenced to 25 years to life, and placed on a 10 million dollar bail. When powers began to show up, Jonah, 19 years of age, awoke his powerSmogin prison.

Now that monster… that degenerate… was going to kill Camila. All because she had failed to kill Luz. She had already betrayed Luz by attempting to end her life… but now…“Please… God, don’t have Jonah do what I think he’s going to do… I don’t pray to you often, but this cannot be done. You can’t let him do this…”

There was a haunted look in Riley’s eyes. Drowning in her own guilt, knowing that what was about to happen was her fault, tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

For the first time since she had been free of her abusive father, Riley Stewardson broke down in a mess of guilt, grief, and tears.

-To Be Continued in – Death to Normality – Part 1

Chapter 19: S2 - Ep 6: Death To Normality - Part 1

Chapter Text

[Death To Normality – Part 1]

Camila was… shell shocked wasn’t exactly the best word to explain how she felt. Confused, terrified, and more importantly, shameful. She knew that her mija was… horribly affected by what happened to her. That much was obvious. She had become jaded and… extremely pessimistic. She began to do things that Luz used to never do. Like, For example, she went out of her way to openly announce the fact that she was more than fine withkilling someone.

Of course, there were less extreme things that she has said and done, for example, prior to this drastic change, Luz used to get dicey around the idea of gratuitous exercise. That wasn’t to say she was against being healthy, far from it in fact. But going out of her way to do it? Like, actively going to the gym to work out? That was something beyond foreign for Luz to do.

The idea of Luz working out was… well, it wasn’t exactly uncommon. She was always a “tomboy” more than a “girlie-girl.” But that didn’t explain the shift in attitude. She used to be so energetic, so full of life! But now she was… almost like a husk. When she looked at Luz, Camila didn’t see her daughter. She saw someone who looked like her daughter, sounded like her, and had the same likes and dislikes, but she wasn’t her daughter.

That was not to say that she was disowning Luz. Far from it. Luz was the last real family that Camila had left. She would never disown Luz, because Luz was her own flesh and blood. She would stick by her side as much as she could—despite the fact that she was so ready to send her off to that camp.

The amount of guilt that racked the Noceda Matriarch was unlike any she had felt before. What happened at that camp was something that Camila could have never seen coming, Luz and Dr. Rodriquez said so. She knew that, and yet she blamed herself for sending Luz there. Luz should have never gone to that camp. If she hadn’t sent Luz to that camp, then Luz would have been happier. She wouldn’t have to deal with allthis.

When she opened the door to the house and sighed. Taking her shoes off at the door and setting aside her purse, Camila closed the door behind her before walking into the living room. The house felt so… empty, and she had a feeling that it would become her future. Why? Because after what Luz did… well, it was clearly obvious that she wasn’t coming back. She couldn’t come back.

Again, it wasn’t because Camila wouldn’t allow Luz to come back, but it was because the neighbourhood—no, thetownwouldn’t let Luz come back. She knew that, Camila knew that, and that was probably why Luz announced what it was she going to do. Luz knew that there was no going back, and for that, Camila felt horrible.

“I’m going to go kill the Wittebanes…”Those words haunted her thoughts. Kill…. Luz killing someone outside of self-defence such as during The Death Camp and the front of the store was just something that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

Her mija… killing someone in cold blood? No… her mija would never. And yet, here was the future, staring her in the face. Her daughter was going to run away, get as far away from Gravesfield as she possibly could and leave her old life behind. In the process, she would leave behind her mother, and she did so telling her of what she was going to do.

“Why…?”Camila thought, sitting down on the couch with her head in her hands. For a split second, they glowed green. She was still trying to get a hold ofRepair, Luz’s gift to Camila. It would be the final thing that she had of her daughter after this, at least, aside from memories and pictures.“Why my family… why did this have to happen…?”Camilia thought, tears welling up in her eyes.

Why her family? Why did ithave tobe her family? First Manny died of acute heart failure, her parents died in an earthquake, and then her daughter had been put through hell and back by pretty much everyone around her. She wasn’t even safe from her own family, considering what Riley just did….

Why? Why did Riley…. No, therehadto be a reason. That didn’t mean that Camila would forgive her—no. Absolutely not. But she at least wanted closure.

“Oh, Luz… I’m so… so sorry…”

As soon as those words left Camila’s mouth, she felt something rest over her shoulder, and when she looked over to her right, she saw a giant of a man. He was built like a mountain, with deep purple eyes. He had cheek-length black hair, as well as a strange mask that was connected to some sort of tank on his back via industrial bendy pipes. He wore a black vest, and a white button-down shirt, alongside a pair of leather brown pants and cowboy boots.

“Well ain’t that just the sweetest ting a man can ‘ear,” the stranger said, making Camila scream in horror at his sudden appearance. She didn’t get the chance to actually scramble away, as his whole armtransformedinto a puff of purple smoke, the smoke wrapping around her neck as it began to invade her nose and mouth.

As he stood, she rose with him. The Dominican American struggled to breathe, kicking and choking on the smog as the man laughed. “Kinda sucks thatBombardiercouldn’t get the job done. Then again,All For One’squite the terrifying little sh*t. Yer daughter’s quite the sh*t disturber, ya know?”

Camila couldn’t respond, as she began to feel her body grow weak. Was she… going to die here? “Ah, I can tell from that there look in yer eye…. Ya think yer gonna die, doncha?” The way his voice oozed from that mask of his… the way it made him sound like a monster…. She was beginning to recognize his voice. And as soon as she did, a wave of despair washed over unlike any she had felt since she learned of what happened to Luz.

It was Jonah Smith. The “man” was convicted of raping and killing his wife at the age of 19. She knew a lot about him because the news wouldn’t stop covering him. He was born with Giantism, but suffered no real problems from it, as a matter of fact, he thrived with it. He would’ve become a pro wrestler had it not been for the fact that he had committed… well, the crime that he did.

And now… that monster was in her house, staring her down. She coughed, trying to get the smoke out of her lungs, but to no avail. He laughed, before slamming her against the kitchen wall by extending his purple-smog like arm from the living room and into the kitchen. His other arm transformed, wrapping her arms together as he proceeded to drag her across the walls, breaking off cabinets and causing her an immense amount of pain.

After he was done turning her into a ragdoll, Jonah retracted his smog-like appendages before puffing into smog completely, the only thing giving him away being the tank and the mask, leaving a dazed, confused, and hurt Camila on the floor, coughing up puffs of purple smog. “W-Wha—”

Camila wasn’t given much of a chance to collect herself when she was grabbed by the tufts of her hair. Her face drew up into a cringed expression, her whole body seizing up as Jonah Smith’s face formed out of the purple smog.

“What? Confused? Well, I guess I can tell ya what ya want to know, seein’ as yer dying here and now. Ya see da boss wants ya dead. Bombardier, or as you might know ‘er as Riley, failed’em, so I gotta fulfill my end of the deal.”

Camila felt her heartbreak. Riley… it all came back to Riley. She wasn’t given a choice, evidently. And because Luz didn’t die…

Camila smiled. “I-I’d rather die than… I’ve already lived a fulfilling life… the only regret I have is making my baby go to that horrid camp….” It was the truth, and as corny as it was, that was how she felt. Sure, she would die, but at least Luz would live. Live to avenge her. It wasn’t at all what she truly wanted, but she knew that Luz would be able to do it.

Jonah scoffed, forming the rest of his body back together as he drew a gun, placing the barrel to Camila’s forehead, pulling back the hammer, and then firing. Blood splattered the floor, and in the same amount of time that it took for Jonah to blink, Camila was killed.

“Sappy sh*t… I f*ckin’ hate it,” Jonah grumbled, holstering his revolver. Placing a finger to his earpiece, he cleared his throat. “It’s done, hoss. Did’ja get dat help yer tryna get?”

“I did, Jonah. All For One will have a fun time dealing withthat. And congratulations on a job well done. I’ll have Charlie warp you out as soon as possible.”

The connection was terminated, as Jonah looked down at the corpse of the woman. He scoffed, kicking the body just for the fun of it, before Charlie, using his gross warping Quirk, teleported him out of there.

xxXXxxXXxx

Luz had a vague idea of where it was she was going. The Wittebane Mega Church was in the southern area of Gravesfield, which from The Independent was a 3-hour walk. And while Luz was more than annoyed that she had to walk that far, she had a feeling once that human-trash Wittebane was killed she might havesomesemblance of normality.

Ever since she awoke to havingAll For One, her superpower—no… what did Shigaraki call it? A “Quirk?” It was less of a mouthful, so yeah, she’d go with that. Ever since she awoke to havingAll For One, her Quirk, her life had derailed.

First, it was the camp, the death of Julia, the rampage, and the aftermath of all of that. She thought that, after the camp, her life would return to some semblance of normality. But, as was obvious now, that was never going to happen. Especially with what had just happened.

However, she had someone to blame. Aside from the governor, there was one other person she could blame for her troubles. The Wittebanes. The lot of them, except for the late Julia, had a hand in all of this.

But once those bastards were done for. Once those pieces of human scum were rid of once and for all. Once she got rid of them, then and only then would she be able to be at peace.

She could go back home… she could live her life as if anyone else would. Sure, school would no longer be an option, but she could find something else to do. Maybe become an accomplished streamer? Honestly, she didn’t know. What she did know was that she wouldn’t rest until that waste of air was gone.

Currently, she found herself walking with her head down in the vague direction of where she needed to be. As she walked, she kept an eye out for anyone who wanted to fight. Her guard needed to be up until she got to a safe location. She wouldn’t be safe until then. Well “safe” in quotations. Nothing could do any permanent damage aside from leaving scars—her healing factor was just that insane.

That being said, no matter what kind of power she had, Luz still had to have her wits about her. And that meant she had to keep her head low, her hands to herself, and blend into the crowd as much as possible.

As she walked, she glanced around her surroundings. The streets were chock-full of people walking home from school. Word hadn’t gotten out yet, at least she hoped it didn’t. If it did, then she might’ve been screwed. What little police force was left was sure to go after her once word spread. And in a small town, information like that got passed around rather quickly.

She also knew that the police weren’t the only ones after her. She also knew that Wittebane had some kind of cult-group thing that was after her as well. So not only did she have to watch her back, she also had to watch her front too.

For all she knew, she could get jumped. And the last thing she wanted to deal with now was another fight. Infinite Stamina she might have thanks toStamina Negation, but that didn’t mean she had infinite patience.

Unfortunately for Luz…

“HALT, WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!”

She walked right into a trap… because of course, she had. And, as she looked up, she could see that stupid Church in the distance—about an hour away, give or take.

In front of her, and as she looked over her shoulder, behind her were four police cars in total. Each with two police officers, totalling eight, and all of them were behind their doors with loaded weapons pointed at her. Luz sucked in a deep breath, straightened out her posture, and leaned her neck back as an uninterested expression drew upon her face.

“Now… I don’t think I need to tell you guys how much of a dumb idea this is, do I?” Luz questioned, looking around her surroundings as the officers stayed quiet, their guns trained on the teen. Rolling her shoulders and shaking her wrists, Luz blinked, slowly, before stretching her arms out to the side, as she began to loosen by gyrating them in circles.

“The last group of police got turned into smears on the road for attempting this. So long as you don’t fire your guns—any of you—you all can go home, have dinner with your families, and forget about what it is that happened today, kay?” As Luz spoke, she narrowed her eyes, her irises flashing red as she smirked.“Of course, we can also do things the fun way, but that’s up to you.”

The officers tensed, as Luz’s eyes returned to normal. She frowned, sighing. “Look… just put the guns down. Let me go, alright? I’ve had a long day.”

“I wouldn’t listen to her, fellas!” A voice echoed through the street and after a few seconds of looking around, Luz finally found who the voice belonged to.

It was a woman. She had black hair, and orange eyes, and her demeanour was relaxed. She was wearing a dark red parka with a pink feather-like collar and cuffs. It was unzipped, revealing a blue shirt underneath. She was also wearing a white pleated skirt, black stockings, and red dress shoes. Her skin was a tad on the pasty side, and she had black-painted circles around her eyes.

The woman looked to be around 20, and as Luz narrowed her eyes, she noted that the woman had a Quirk as well if the string connecting to her forehead had anything to say about it.

The woman smirked as she sat on the edge of the roof of the bass-and-pro shop, one leg over the other with her hands spaced out behind her back. “After all, she was the one who killed all of those police officers~! Don’t you think you should mete out some justice for your fallen brothers and sisters?”

That was all it took for one of the officers, their face red with anger and teeth gritted, to pull the trigger of his gun. The officers shouted for him to stop, and one of them even tackled the man to the ground. Luz, for her part, let the bullet pass through her shoulder, the wound healing in an instant.

Luz ignored the police and focused her attention on the woman atop the roof. She huffed, before hopping down from her perch. When she did, she pointed her hand out to the left of her, which was where two of the four police cars had been.

When she did, a ball of red energy built up on her palm. The ball was as big as a basketball, and when it fired off in the direction of the police cars, Luz was quick to act. Despite the cops having been the ones who gave her a lot of grief, that didn’t stop her from trying to save as many lives as she could.

She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t a villain. She wasn’t going to be likehim.

Luz was able to get in front of the police officers just in time to create a shield usingForcefield Projection, the red ball making contact with it. Upon making contact with the yellow barrier, the red orb exploded. Luz braced the explosive, but even then it wasn’t enough as it sent her rocketing backward and into a store about 15 feet away from where she encountered who she chalked up to be yet another assassin.

“First it was Riley and that child… now it’s this random woman. Seriously?! Just how annoying can this day get?!”Luz thought, looking around her surroundings as the dust settled.

She was inside some kind of clothing store, with shelves of shoes, shirts, pants, and whatever else you could find in a teen fashion store. Several customers and store owners ran away when they saw her, heading toward the exit as fast as they could.

Her reputation exceeded her, she guessed.

As Luz slowly got up from the pile of store shelves and clothing she had accidentally used to cushion the fall, she looked down at herself and was mortified at what she saw.

The skin and muscle on her left arm and most of her upper body had been peeled away, revealing bones and organs. She felt air pass through her lower jaw, meaning that was missing now too. There was a veritable ocean of blood left behind by the wounds that she now had, and it was only now that she realized that she was just getting the vision back in her right eye.

As her body began to regenerate, she quickly grabbed something to put over the top of herself seeing as her shirt had been destroyed as collateral. She picked up the closest random shirt, and slipped it on regardless of size, as her wounds finished healing.

If it wasn’t for herPain nullificationandRegeneration,once again, she would’ve been dead. She was becoming more and more reliant on those Quirks, it seemed. Honestly, though, it hardly mattered.“Shigaraki, do you recognize that one?”

“No. I don’t. That was never in my catalogue of powers. Not even in my vault. It seems this Realm has generated powers of its own. And, it seems powerful. If you have the chance, try and steal it.”

“Already ahead of you, Shigaraki.”

Just as Luz finished her brief mental conversation with Shigaraki, the woman walked in, saw her, and smirked. “So, it’s true. You regenerate pretty quickly,All For One. Not only that, but you also don’t appear to be in any pain. Interesting… very very interesting indeed,” the woman said as she thrusted her left hand forward, a blue orb appearing.

“But everyone has a limit. My power,Limitless, will prove that beyond all else, even a giant like yourself can fall. As a member of The Wittebane Church’s Militia unit, I, Sophia Humbolt, was given orders to have you killed. Prepare to die, girl.”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 20: S2 - Ep 7: Death To Normality - Part 2

Chapter Text

[Death To Normality – Part 2]

It is said, on August 15^th, 2018, Gravesfield Connecticut was wiped off of the map. Casualties counted in the thousands. Out of the population of around 3,867 people, only 15 recovered. Nobody knew exactly what caused it, nor did anybody know what exactly transpired, as those who survived the atrocity kept silent.

For the third time that year, during the summer of 2018, another historical event occurred. The event was known as The Great Battle Of Gravesfield. There were only six known combatants that day, four of which were deceased by the end of it all, and two disappearing completely. The only one whose identity could be confirmed being that of, and coincidently was one of the ones that disappeared was…

Luz Noceda, alias All For One. Wanted Criminal, and Domestic Terrorist.

.

.

.

The ball of energy that Sophia shot out launched toward Luz, who once again brought out a forcefield to protect herself. However, instead of one, she created two. However, instead of exploding like a bomb would, the ball of blue energy collided with the shield and crumpled it like a tin can.

Luz’s eyes widened, as she attempted to jump back from the blue ball. Instead, she was pulled in, almost like the ball was attracting her to it, kind of like a vacuum. Once she got near the ball, she outstretched her arm to attempt to hit it point blank with a forcefield, only for her arm to begin to crumple and fold like a piece of paper being balled up.

Blood sprayed everywhere, getting her new stolen shirt ruined. Luz gritted her teeth, as the blue orb pulsed, and exploded outward, knocking Luz back deeper into the store.

As the dust settled, Luz coughed from the dust getting into her lungs, before looking at the damage. Her arm looked like it had been bent in every wrong direction imaginable. Not that it mattered, as in the blink of an eye, Luz’s arm repaired itself. When it was fixed, she struck it outward and launched a barrage ofFinger Spearstoward Sophia.

As the bladed fingers encroached on Sophia, the woman dodged to the left, before firing another red orb at Luz. The second user ofAll For Onecursed, attempting to avoid the attack. Instead, she was caught in the blast, knocking her to the right and through a wall, into another building.

Luz groaned as she stood up, not bothering to pay attention to the wounds she had garnered as she healed. Screams echoed around her, most likely from civilians running away from the oncoming fight. That was a good idea. The less collateral damage caused, the better. Although she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to last long.

“With the amount of damage those red balls do, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gravesfield itself is gone. If I don’t cut this short, that could very well end up being a possibility.”

“If I may…”Shigaraki began, as Luz narrowed her eyes.“You do remember what I said about mixing Quirks to create powerful attacks?”

“Yes?”

“I have an idea. Try activating both Multiply and Forcefield Projection at the same time, and see what that gets you. That might help.”

Luz hummed to herself, rolling her right shoulder back into place. The moment she activatedMultiply, several arms, around eight in total, came out of her back, which looked to be made of smaller hands and arms. Even the new hands looked like they were made of smaller hands. It was bizarre, but it worked.

Just as she did that, Sophia walked into the room, the woman scoffing. “What’re a couple more hands going to do? What, are you going shoot more of those pathetic blades at me?” Sophia huffed, before outstretching her right hand out, a ball of red energy collecting on the end of her palm. “Make my job easier, and just die already.”

In response, Luz activatedForcefield Projectionon each separate hand she generated. When she did,Forcefieldsappeared, their yellowish hue glowing and shining down on Luz. Unlike when she would create multiple shields on one hand, these shields all retained the base strength of a singular shield, instead of being divided altogether.

As soon as that was done, Sophia launched Red. Luz had the forcefields lurch forward, the first four creating a barrier in front of Luz while the other four hung back, hovering just above Luz. When the red ball collided with the shields, it exploded. When it did, the first four forcefields were destroyed. Just as she had expected them to be.

Sophia narrowed her eyes, preparing to create a blue orb, when Luz launched the other four forcefields at the woman, uttering something.“Forcefield Cannon.”

The forcefields slammed into the ground around and near Sophia, the resulting explosions rupturing the building and destroying the surrounding area to the point where both the building Luz had come from and half of the building she was were now nothing but a crater.

When the dust settled, Luz expected Sophia to be dead. What she didn’t expect, was for Sophia to be basically unharmed, sitting there with crossed arms. Luz blinked, as Sophia smirked.

“Blue. It acts as a defensive property and offensive, whileRedis purely offensive. Effectively, when I haveBlueout, all damage is sucked into it. While I can only use one at a time, I can effortlessly swap the two out whenever I feel like it.”

As Sophia said that, her expression became dark, as a wide smile overtook her visage.“In other words, you can’t kill me~!”It was at that moment that Sophia shot out another ball of red. Luz sneered, jumping up and floating in the air withAir Walk, creating five more forcefields and launching them atRed.

When they collided, a massive explosion overtook the surrounding area, knocking both combatants back. The damage caused by the single attack wiped out seven of the fourteen buildings on the street. Anybody who was caught in the crossfire had been blown to bits, and there was now a massive crater in place of where everything had been.

5% of all of Gravesfield had been destroyed thanks to two attacks clashing with one another.

Luz found herself in a small dividend in the ground, the minor cuts and scrapes caused by the collision of the two attacks healing over—and that wasn’t an exaggeration either. The Forcefields and taken up more of the damage than Luz had expected.

As for Sophia, she had been perfectly fine. Right as she launchedRed, and right as the four forcefields created byAll For Oneconnected withRed,Sophia createdBlueto suck in all of the explosive force of the attack. The only thingBluedidn’t do was not stop her from being knocked back.

Bluehad a limit. Which was funny, considering her power was calledLimitless. She had fun testing out just what the limits had been withBombardier, and she calculated that it took about 200,000 Newtons of pure, unrelenting force to preventBluefrom sucking up anymore, filling it to its limit.

That kind of power could only be found in Hypersonic Cruise Missiles. She knew this thanks toBombardierand her knowledge of her own power, and having directly compared her own attack to that of the aforementioned weapon. That kind of power could take out whole parts of a town. Combine that withRed, and, well… basically, she was asking far too much fromBlueat that point.

As Sophia got up, she brushed herself off, staring off into the distance, watching asAll For Onegot back up again. She looked as if nothing had happened, her expression sharp and her eyes red and narrowed. Red lightning coursed around her body as Sophia smirked.

Luz watched as Sophia raised her hand, another ball ofRedforming at her palm. Luz narrowed her eyes, before flexing her fingers and casting outFinger Spears. Atop that, she created five more arms from her back usingMultiplyand sent out moreFinger Spears.

Sophia jumped back as each spear landed, piercing the ground and cutting some of Sophia’s skin, causing small lines of blood to drip from the wounds created. Nevertheless, Sophia launchedRed, as Luz sneered.

Luz countered, once again firing offForcefield Cannon, meetingRedhalfway, but at the last second, Sophia snapped her fingers. When she did,Redchanged toBlue, which made Luz go wide-eyed. The forcefields and spears were sucked intoBluelike a black hole, forcing Luz to deactivateFinger SpearsandMultiply.

Luz made a break for it. Running through the rubble caused by their fight. As she ran, Sophia fired off anotherRed, and when it caught up to Luz, the Dominican American attempted to activate bothMultiplyandForcefield Projection, only for it to be too late.

Luz was hit point blank withRed, and once again, since she had been blown up by Riley, she felt pain. Her body seared in agony as her skin was practically boiled off of her body. Bones shattered, and muscles liquified. It was like being caught between a rock and a nuclear warhead.

Luz, or whatever remained of her body, was shot through the street, the impact dredging up the asphalt, and destroying the entirety of the road, along with any cars that had gotten in her way. Maple Avenue, if she remembered the name correctly, had now started to look more like a warzone than a street.

The second user ofAll For Onefelt her body regenerate the damage. Despite how much of her body had been missing, that being her right arm, the entire right side of her abdomen, and her legs, they came back rather quickly.

Luz frowned, narrowing her eyes as her body put itself back together. She looked over to the nearest person she seemed to be her age, lunged toward them, hitting them in the head, ripped off their pants, and put them on herself. A pair of black sweatpants. The other person still had underwear, she didn’t. Why? Well, she just got hit by a massive ball of death. Her clothes, or what remained of them, had been vaporized. While she was at it, she took the person’s shirt, too—a pink shirt with a unicorn on it.

As Luz finished re-dressing herself, she looked at the person she stole the clothes from, and sighed. It was only then that she recognized the person in question. A girl, and one with blonde hair. If she remembered correctly, it was one of the girls on the cheerleading team back at Gravesfield Middle School—Juniper, if she had remembered correctly.

Whatever the case was, it hardly mattered now. She had a power, and seeing as she was knocked down. Well, she saw an opportunity, so she took it. Reaching out, Luz placed a hand on the girl’s head, activatedAll For One, and began the stealing process.

Red lightning pronged off of Luz’s arm and washed over the unconscious girl as she felt the transfer begin. When it finished, she shuffled around in her mind to pick out the newfound power. When she found the latest addition to her ever-amounting collection of powers, she activated it.

When she activated it, Red lightning danced off of her right arm. She was confused, up until she noted the strange pads on the ends of her fingertips. Before she could figure out what kind of power she had stolen, she was blindsided by another ball ofRedmaking its way to her.

Not having enough time to activate bothForcefield ProjectionandMultiply, she settled for justForcefield Projection. In an instant, she created 16 forcefields in front of her,Redeffortlessly charging through the first 11 of the forcefields, before stopping at the 12^thforcefield, the explosion dragging Luz back another few feet.

Frowning, Sophia was starting to get annoyed.“Even after hitting her point blank withRed,she’s recovered almost completely. It was just as Bombardier warned. No matter how much punishment you dish out, she’ll just come back from it.”

Sophia looked around the street and saw the level of destruction her battle withAll For Onehad caused, and smirked, looking back over to the girl in question. “You know, this is like something ripped out of one of those oriental comic books, isn’t it? Two powerhouses fighting against one another. MyLimitlessversus your wide variety of powers.”

Luz said nothing, looking at her hand. The pads looked like something one would see on a dog. She had no idea what this Quirk did, but at the same time, it felt familiar. She didn’t know why, but it did.

Sophia, for her part, scoffed. “Not going to speak? Fine then,” the black-haired woman said, creating another ball ofRed. “Then let’s get this over with, shall we?”

It was then that Luz leapt off to the right. She had finally figured out what it was that her new Quirk did. There was an intact building off to the right, along with a couple of destroyed cars, and a few heaps of rubble.

In the time it took to blink, Luz touched everything in that area, as they began to fly upward. As the objects floated in the air, a purple aura covered the objects. It ended with Luz touching her just underneath her chin, as she too began to float while activatingAir Walk.

The objects floated behind her, and as they did, a large smile covered Luz’s face, as she uttered the names of the Quirks she was using at the moment to make this entire scene possible.“Air Walk, Super Strength,andGravity.Quite the combination, yeah?”

Sophia, instead of being intimidated, smiled. “Oh, now this just got interesting!” The black-haired woman exclaimed. “When I came to myLimitless, I thought that I would never have a decent fight ever again! But this…! This is amazing!”

Luz blinked, confusion taking up her visage. Whatever that was about, she didn’t care, asRedcame hurdling toward her. In response, she threw everything she had atRed, the veritable tornado of rubble and whatever else Luz could’ve found in that corner she got everything from. As she did, on instinct, she pressed both hands and spoke.“Release.”

The moment she said that everything that had been hurdling toward Sophia picked up in speed, so much so that when it hitRed, the explosion that was created didn’t destroy everything.

Sophia stared up at the oncoming debris that remained after the explosion, that being half of a destroyed car, and small chunks of building. She knew that if she attempted to bring outBlue, it wouldn’t be ready in time. She also knew the same thing withRed. If that rubble hit, it was basically game over. She would be squished flat.

Sophia smiled, looking up at what would be her final battle. She had lived for fighting and had been training to be an MMA fighter. When she awakened toLimitlessthough, she pivoted. Not that any of that mattered. She was going to die.

Or at least, she thought so anyway.

A thick blanket of Purple Smog surrounded Sophia, and as soon as the debris made contact with the smog, the smog wrapped around it before tossing it in every which direction, creating holes in the ground and destroying parts of some buildings. Sophia blinked, as the smog retracted back to where it came from, which had been from behind Sophia.

Luz narrowed her eyes, seeing the person in question.

The man was tall—freakishly so. Much like Sophia, he had black hair. Unlike Sophia, his eyes were purple, and his skin was lightly less pale. He wore a mask over his mouth, connected by pipes and some kind of canister on his back. He also looked like a cowboy, what with the vest, boots, and hat. The leather pants didn’t help much, either.

“Ya’ll have caused quite the mess, doncha think?” The man said as Sophia frowned.

“Jonah… what are you doing here?! The Boss said that this was my fight!” Sophia complained as Jonah shrugged.

“Boss said that you weren’t gonna do it by yourself. Said someone needed to become backup. He doesn’t trustBombardier, so he sent me. If we both fail,BombardierandWitchwill come. If they fail with us, then he’ll allowThat Guyto come. He’s the last resort,” Jonah said, as the man chuckled to himself. “‘Sides, If you were able to push ‘er this far, I wonder what the two of us can do. YourLimitlesswith MySmog.”

“Smog… Ah, yes. I hardly used that Quirk because it was too hard to control. It ended up being used on a project of mine. I died before I got to see the fruits of my doctor’s labour. I wonder how it turned out? Either way, I wouldn’t recommend getting it,”Shigaraki said as Luz hummed in acknowledgement.

“So…” Luz drawled, staring down at the two assassins. “Should I expect any more interruptions?” Luz asked, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. Truthfully, this was starting to get on her nerves. Just when she thought she could’ve ended this fight, an unknown variable came in and ruined things.

She sort of regretted not keeping that intelligence Quirk, now…

“Shut it, Shorty,” Jonah rumbled, before transforming his right arm into smoke, while at the same time, Sophia shot off a ball ofRed. Luz, for her part, activatedMultiplyandForcefield Projection, creating 30 pairs of arms, all folding them into one big arm quadruple the size of herself, and creating one massive forcefield that was about the size of a small building.

The purple smoke wrapped aroundRed, creating what appeared to be a cloud of sorts, turning the smoke from purple to black. A combination attack, it seemed. The smoke shot forward, hitting the massive shield. What happened next shocked Luz, as the smoke seemed to eat away at the Forcefield, creating a hole forRedto travel through.

In a bid to protect herself, Luz created yet another massive shield in the time it took to blink, narrowly blockingRedin the process. The explosion harmlessly cracked the massive shield, something she came up with on a whim. What she forgot, however, was the black smoke.

It widened, like a maw, and seemingly ate the first and second forcefield whole, making Luz glide backwards as far as she could.“CouldSmogdo that?!”

“Yes, it could. The problem with that attack, however, is that it takes the user’s full concentration, which is why I never used it. It will eat away at anything it comes across. Thankfully, you still have regeneration. That being said, you don’t want it to touch you either way. When I fought the original user in my world, I found that it bypassed Pain Nullification.”

“Wonderful…”

The smog rocketed toward Luz, who created and shot out a forcefield, hitting the smog point blank. The smog seemed completely unfazed, as it travelled forward regardless. Luz swerved to the left, before firing once again at Jonah, who simply turned his whole body into Smog upon impact.

At the same time, Sophia launched anotherRedtoward Luz, which made her glide over to the left and upward to avoid bothRedand the cloud of black smog. At the same time, she activatedMultiplyandFinger Spears, creating around about 50 hands, individually this time, and shooting spears toward the pair.

The amount of finger-like spears heading their way was enough to overwhelm them, as Jonah evaporated into smoke, avoiding the attack. Unfortunately for Sophia, she was unable to dodge or create aBluein time for the attack to land.

The result was Sophia being skewered in all of the wrong places. Her neck, her heart, her lungs, her legs and her arms. Luz, seeing an opportunity, rocketed forward as Sophia coughed up blood, her eyes glazing over, signifying her Death.

At the same time, the black smog followed after Luz, but at that point, it hardly mattered. As Luz descended upon Sophia’s body, she outstretched her hand, grabbed Sophia’s head, and activatedAll For One. At the same time, the black smog made contact with Luz’s body.

Luz bit back a scream of pain as the black smog began to eat through her body faster than she could regenerate. Jonah smirked under his mask, preparing to launch another thick blanket of his black smog attack.

It was too bad then, that Luz had already finished stealingLimitless.

Luz kicked Sophia’s body to the ground, before aiming her left hand behind her back and creating an orb ofBlue,sucking up the black smog, before shooting the orb off into the distance, blowing it up and getting rid of the black smog.

The damage done to her by the black smog had left a sizable hole in her left abdomen, which her regeneration was working overtime to fix. Jonah glared at Luz, before sneering under his mask. He brought a hand to his ear and spoke.

“Oi, Boss, send’em this way. Sophia just got her power taken and was killed. I’m gonna need backup.” As Jonah said that, he braced himself, as Luz stared at him, her eyes glowing a crimson red.

This battle was far from over.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 21: S2 - Ep 8: Death To Normality - Part 3

Chapter Text

[Death To Normality – Part 3]

The battle started immediately. Although, to call it a battle would be like calling someone attempting to stomp on a bug a couple of times before succeeding, a battle; which wasn’t true.

Luz was quick to understand howLimitlessworked. All she had to do was will the energy to her palm and fire it off. And so as Jonah transformed himself into that purple smog to close the distance between herself and him, Luz fired off a singleRedat Jonah.

Just in time forRedto collide with Jonah, theSmog-userexpanded his body out to avoid the red orb of energy, reforming as he gathered the same black smog around his fist, slamming it into Luz’s face. Luz’s head turned with the punch, specks of blood flying in amongst the saliva she spewed from her mouth, before grabbing Jonah by the scruff of his shirt.

In that same moment, she activatedZero Gravity, removing Jonah’s gravity from his person, and making his eyes go wide. Luz was seconds away from point black hitting him withRed, only for him to disperse his body.

Once again,Redpassed through the smog, making Luz narrow her eyes. Jonah reformed beyond Luz, round-house kicking her in the side of the head with the same black smog-forming around his ankle and foot. This time, it actually made Luz stagger.

Before Luz could do anything in retaliation, Jonah’s eyes narrowed, as a massive gathering of black smog pooled in front of him. When it did, several hands formed out of the black smog. Luz noted that it was almost like his own version ofMultiply, though more restrictive.

The black hands balled into fists, launching toward Luz as they impacted her body. The punches had more oomph to them, scraping away skin as she grit her teeth, experiencing pain from the attacks as she jumped back, activatingMultiplyandForcefield Projectionto useForcefield Cannon.

The assassin sneered, pressing a finger to his ear before snapping his fingers, almost like calling out a signal, shouting out a command. “CHARLIE! DO IT NOW!”

Jonah had an idea. It was foolproof. Sure, Camila Noceda was already dead, but Luz didn’t know that. If he made her think that she had been the one to kill her mother… well, that would leave her open. And so, as the black glue-like substance spewed from his mouth and converged on him, just as Luz was about to fire off that, quite frankly, bullsh*t attack, he got out of there and was repositioned to the roof of a nearby building, swapping his place with the corpse of Camila.

Next to him was Charlie, whose dark brown hair with red streaks was brushed to the right, the shaved sides of her head dyed red, and her black, empty eyes glaring down at the town below. She was wearing a white robe with a cross around her neck, her hands covered by the sleeves of the robe. The robe had gold lining around the collar and cuffs of the sleeves.

Beside her, a pile of black gunk enveloped the body that Jonah had Charlie take with her, the transport beginning. Her expression was void of anything. Behind her was a veritable mountain of weapons that she had stockpiled just in case they needed to be used.

If Jonah’s plan were to succeed, then this would be all that was needed.

As for Luz, she didn’t know of the switch-up, and by the time it happened, it was already too late when she fired off the attack. The second user ofAll For Onesaw her mother in place of Jonah, and her eyes widened. It was too late to stop the attack, as the first forcefield collided with her body, and it was quickly followed by the other seven.

“MAMA!!!!”

It hardly mattered at that point, as an explosion of blood and gore splatteredeverywhere. Luz stared, her body shaking as her mouth was left agape. She fell to her knees, her body slumped over as she clenched her hands into fists, tears welling up in her eyes.

“No… No… No, no, no, no! T-That… that wasn’t…. that couldn’t have been…!”

“Calm yourself. Focus… You can grieve later. Channel that anger and despair you are feeling, and use it against your enemies. Push past this, and bring your wrath down on your foes!”

Shigaraki’s voice echoed in the back of her mind. She wanted to curse him out, to tell him to shut up and to leave her alone. But his words, yet again, held a lot of truth. Her body trembled, her anger simmering as she gritted her teeth.

He was right. Of course, he was. At this point, she had all but accepted that Shigaraki was right more often than he was wrong. And so, with that in mind, Luz took a deep breath, calming herself, focusing on the anger and despair she was feeling as her eyes narrowed, her eyes shifting colours from dark brown to a permanent crimson red.

This anger… This despair… thishatredshe felt. She would never let it go. It was one thing to imprison her in a camp meant to kill them all like Governor Maxwell had. It was another hurt her friends—to kill them, like Kennedy had. But it was another thing to trick her into killing her mother.

In the distance, she heard a sickening laugh. Her blood boiled, as it became evident that she had been duped. Not only that but she… she had killed her mother. And it wasn’t even on purpose. It was on complete accident.

She looked in the direction of where Jonah and his accomplice were, her eyes filled with nothing but hate as they glowed a downright demonic crimson.

“Now ain’t that just the funniest sh*t I’ve ever done seen!” Jonah laughed, cackling as several black sludge-like portals opened up all around Luz, surrounding her in a circle, as several militaristic weapons, most of which were high-power weapons, all pointed at Luz. Machine guns, assault rifles, anti-tank rifles. If it could be found on a military base, it was pointed at Luz. “Now… while her defences are lowered… Charlie,FIRE!”

Every single explosive went off, as well as a hail of heavy-duty gunfire, along with three flamethrowers, several grenade launchers, and multiple rocket launchers. They were all continuing to rain down on Luz, and Luz alone.

Jonah watched with a victorious glint in his eye, the smile underneath his mask cracking the sides of his face. “HAHAHAHA!!! THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR GETTING IN THE WAY, BRAT!!!” Jonah declared, cackling as hard as he possibly could before abruptly stopping, snapping his fingers, making Charlie stop her assault.

As the dust settled, Jonah smirked as he saw that there was nothing there. Nothing but the scorched and destroyed ground. “Hmph! All Sophia had to do was be unrelenting. It seems the all-powerfulAll For Onewas nothing but a joke!” Jonah said as he raised his hand to his earpiece and was about to speak to report on a job well done. It might have cost the life of Sophia, but the Job was done.

That was, until, he heard a choking sound off to his immediate right. When he looked in that direction, his eyes widened as he saw practically nothing but a charred flesh arm sticking through Charlie’s chest, heart in its crispy hand as muscle and skin began to regrow.

Charlie’s eyes were wide and in pain, as her still-beating heart spurted blood on top of the roof’s ground. Just as Charlie went limp, the hand crushed the vital organ, while at the same time, the hand had been completely restored of skin.

Jonah looked over his shoulder and saw the regenerating form of Luz Noceda, akaAll For One. Black lightning sparked and jumped off of her body, and as her body regenerated, her expression twisted into one of pure hatred with a visible sneer, her eyes a searing, demonic crimson, and her hair had turned almost completely snow white.

Jonah stumbled back, tripping over himself as Luz placed her hand on the back of Charlie’s head, taking her power while at the same time charging up a ball ofRed. The moment she was finished stealing Charlie’s power, she fired offRedpoint blank at Charlie’s corpse, desecrating her corpse further.

“You can hunt me down all you want…”Luz growled, nothing but pure hatred seeping from her voice as she turned to look at Jonah, who was on the floor, staring up at her with abject fear in his eyes.“But you dragged my mama through this… Mama watched a movie in our native tongue once, and it had this saying I really liked. But I never said it because she said it was bad and would get me in trouble at school…”

She inched closer toward Jonah, who fired off black smog punches as if they were nothing. Luz didn’t so much as flinch, as the black lightning continued to spark and jump off of her body, glazing the ground and causing small charred spots.“But I don’t go to school anymore. I don’t have to worry about getting in trouble. And you’ve pissed me off. So I think it goes without saying, but…”

A panicked gleam was within Jonah’s eyes as his attacks picked up in speed, not that it affected Luz. And just as she got within two feet of his downed form, Luz spoke.“Puedes huir. Puedes esconderte. Puedes llamar a las autoridades todo lo que quieras. Pero nada menos que Dios mismo me impedirá encontrarte y hacerte pagar por tus crímenes. Y en este mundo sin Dios, ese Dios soy yo.”

Faster than Jonah could react, Luz stomped down on his head, crushing it like a grape. Blood, skull fragments, and grey matter spilled atop the concrete roof.

It was over. They were dead. The Assassins were dead. At least, she hoped so, anyway. She really didn’t want to fight anymore. She was emotionally exhausted, and now that she had fourteen out of the fifteen Quirks she could hold, she could feel her body begin to strain just by using an ability.

She remembered a while ago that Shigaraki said something about how as she got closer to the limit of Quirks that she could hold, her body would begin to strain, and when she hit her limit, it would feel like she was carrying more of a great weight on her back. Any more than that, and she would be bursting at the seams.

That didn’t matter. If she hit her limit, then so what? She’d just make her body stronger. Maybe she could live in a cabin in the woods after this? Seclude herself away from society and never show her face ever again? Maybe then she could have some semblance of peace.

Once she killed Wittebane, of course. Then… then she’d go into hiding. Because after all the destruction she caused, the interstate police would be definitely looking for her. As a matter of fact, she could hear the news helicopters from above.

It was only a matter of time before some sort of law enforcement was here.

Luz looked down at the road below, where all the carnage had taken place. It looked like a warzone. The blood, the fires, the destruction, and the bodies that lined the floor. She only realized now that the fighting had killed more than just Sophia, her mother, Jonah and Charlie. There were more than over a dozen bodies, and it made Luz’s stomach knot.

She didn’t mean to kill all of those innocent people. Really, she didn’t. They were all caught in the crossfire, none of them deserved that. And yet, here they were.

Blood coated her hands, a heavy sin, and her body shook. She was fine with killing her enemies—current circ*mstances forced that to happen. But the blood of the innocent? It was never meant to touch her hands.

And yet, here it was.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder. Luz looked over her shoulder, and saw… “You…” Luz hissed, staring at Riley with narrowed, crimson-red eyes. Riley looked at her with a concerned look in her eyes, her body trembling.

“Luz… I… I know y-you’re probably very, very mad at me… but you have to understand that I w-wasn’t given a choice…” Riley said, staring back at Luz. It was like she was staring directly into her soul. Her eyes then narrowed, before Luz’s hand jutted out to Riley’s head. Riley gasped, though she should’ve seen this coming.

“Shut up. This is your fault… all of this. Everything that happened today… It was all onyou. So do me a favour, anddie.”

Luz activatedAll For One, beginning the power-sapping process. Riley screamed in pain, her hands grabbing onto Luz’s wrist as the teenager ripped away Riley’s Quirk. The moment she did, and the moment Luz got her hands on the Quirk, Luz activatedBomb Touchand created a detonation charade with her free hand.

At that moment, Luz pressed down on the charade. Riley blew up into pieces, and unlike what Luz did, the traitorous cousin would never come back.

However, wherever Riley was, she knew that there would be another to follow. After all, that strange child was with her the last time. It wasn’t a stretch to conclude that she would be here too.

Her eyes scanned the area, and as she swept the area, a giant collum of purple gunk slammed into Luz’s side, knocking her off of the roof and dragging her through the already destroyed streets, except it extended into a newer, less destroyed part of the town.

Luz snarled as she both regenerated and had her skin and muscle torn away from her arm, hand, and left side of her face. That was until she started to formBluein her left hand, absorbing the purple gunk like a vacuum. It eventually stopped, but that wasn’t the end of the attack. Luz leapt out of the hole in the ground, narrowly avoiding a collum of fire, caused by a giant circle above her.

Luz looked up and just as she assumed, she saw the same strange child from the store earlier today that had been with Riley. She was flying on a staff of sorts with an animal insignia on the tip, that of a bullfrog of sorts with horns sticking out of its head. She was still wearing the same outfit, and this time, she had a pissed-off expression on her face.

The child didn’t say a thing, she simply continued to attack, sending down a flurry of lightning bolts in Luz’s direction. The second user ofAll For OneactivatedMultiplyandForcefield Projection, creating a massive barrier around Luz, and protecting herself from the attack.

“THIS IS FOR RILEY!” The child screamed, anger in her voice as Luz narrowed her eyes. Snapping her fingers, Luz fired off the forcefield, launching the massive yellow oval toward the strange child. However, the strange child flew out of the way faster than Luz had expected, just as the forcefield hit one of the helicopters in the sky, knocking the flying contraption down to the ground and into several buildings, causing a massive explosion.

Luz narrowed her eyes as the small child created yet another circle with her finger, this time, however, it was green. Several vines launched toward Luz, all of which were the size of tree trunks. Luz dodged and weaved past the vines, all the while she touched as much rubble and debris as she could, all of which beginning to float with a pinkish aura around them, usingZero Gravityto do so.

To make things faster, she also activatedMultiplyalong withZero Gravity.UsingMultiply, she created ten arms, all of which were sprouting out of her back. Five of them were usingZero Gravity, whereas the other five were usingLimitless, creating balls of red energy.

The myriad of vines coming out of the ever-growing circle that the child was creating increased in volume and size, making large Venus flytraps to try and snap and grab Luz, The aforementioned teenager jumped up onto one of the vines, running along them as a wall of debris followed behind her.

With her two main hands, Luz pressed the two hands together and shouted.“RELEASE! LIMITLESS GRAVITY VOLLEY!!”Luz shouted. The countless waves of debris andRedrained upward at the strange child, whose eyes widened. She flew as high up as she could, dodging as much of the chaos as she could.

The result of the attack caused several of the larger chunks of debris to crash down on other buildings, even crushing a few fleeing people, one of whom was a creepy-looking dude with a beard, glasses, and a brown duster.

As for the balls ofRed,they all barely missed their mark, but their explosions knocked the child off of her staff, falling to the ground, but not without the child creating another green ring, making a mushroom cushion her fall. All the while Shigaraki’s voice in the back of her head snickered.

“Named attacks? I heard that kind of thing in my world. I even had a few. You’re quite the natural.”

Luz ignored the vestige in her mind, focusing on the fight she had gotten herself into… again. Standing atop the massive vines that the child created, Luz stared down at the child, glaring as her eyes burned with annoyance and anger.

“Are you done yet!? Seriously! What did I ever do to any of you!? What did my mama ever do to any of you?! We just wanted to be left alone!” Luz shouted as the child slowly stood up, glaring up at Luz.

“You brought this on yourself,All For One!You might look different from before, but this is all your fault! You should’ve never got inhisway!” And with that cryptic declaration made, the child created yet another circle, except, it wasn’t just one circle. It was multiple.

Several golems, about 10 of them, made out of the purple sludge that the child was shooting formed out of the ground. They were bulky, and their eyes were a yellowish-gold colour. She could smell them from all the way over here, and Luz was not exactly a fan of them.

They were tall, easily as tall as a lamppost, and they looked more than capable of punching a hole through a wall. “ABOMINATIONS! GET HER!”

The army of monstrosities rushed up the vines, as Luz activatedSpear FingerswhileMultiplywas still active, creating a maze of spear-like fingers. They rained down on the approaching monsters, stabbing through their heads, necks, and chests, but they continued regardless.

“I knew that wouldn’t work. Oh well, worth a try!”Luz thought as she recalled the Quirk, her fingers snapping back as she undidMultiply, the arms harmlessly returning to her body as she touched her legs whileZero Gravitywas active, allowing herself to fly.

The Abominations continued onward anyway, aiming their arms upward and spewing their gunk upward at Luz. ActivatingLimitless, Luz created aBlueorb to absorb the gunk, before firing it down toward the small group of them on the left vine.Blueconnected, blasting them off of the vine with a powerful explosion, dispersing the creatures and turning them into puddles. That seemed to do the trick, as they didn’t get back up.

With the blue orb gone, though, the remaining Abominations on the right vine continued attacking her. Notably, it was far weaker than the gunk that the child herself created. It didn’t tear away at her skin—it didn’t even bruise her. It was more annoying than anything.

In response, the second user ofAll For Onecreated a ball ofRedwithLimitless, fired it at the group on the right vine, and hit them square in the center, blasting them apart. With them taken care of, she looked back to where the child was, only to not see them.

Luz narrowed her eyes, and just as she was about to scan the area, she felt something wack up against the back of her head, making her stagger forward.

Turning around, she saw the child riding on her staff, standing atop it, who had punched her in the back of the head. It didn’t even hurt. It was actually kind of funny, all things considered. When the child saw that all it did was annoy her, Luz narrowed her eyes, co*cked back her right fist, and smirked asSuper StrengthandSpringlike Limbsmade her arm look like a canon of flesh.

“Nice shot, too bad it was weak.My turn.”

The punch connected, and from the sickening crunch Luz heard, along with the stream of blood coming from the child’s face, nose, and mouth it was clear that she was basically done for. As the child fell to the ground, thudding against the concrete below, Luz followed suit, gently landing on the ground with the help ofAir Walk.

Millie rasped, her breathing heavy and strained as she looked at the approachingAll For One.Her eyes were full of hate, though her expression was completely neutral. Millie’s nose was broken, her lips and gums were split, and she had a killer headache, meaning she might have gotten a concussion.

“Are we done yet?”All For Onedemanded, a hint of anger in her voice as her neutral expression morphed into a sneer. “Because I’m really starting to get fed up with all of this. Gravesfield is in dire straits because of this crap. All I want is to find the Wittebanes and get rid of them. If you tell me where they are, I’ll spare you. The last thing I want to do is become a hypocrite.”

Millie spat up blood, glaring at Luz with a smirk on her face, blood dripping down the side of her mouth. “I-If you think… I-I’ll ever tell you where t-that is, you have another thing c-coming…. Besides… they’re not even in the state anymore. They’re long gone. They left! And they’re in a place where youneverfind them!”

As Millie said that, she coughed up more blood. Luz glared at Millie, before outstretching her right hand. Millie’s eyes widened. “H-Hey! Y-You said that y-you’d spare me if I t-told you!”

“You didn’t tell me anything,” Luz spat. “Besides. If what you said is true, that means they’re not in Gravesfield. That’s all I care about. But you? Whose after my head? I still have to get rid of you. Besides, I’m not killing you. I’m just making sure you can never pursue me again.”

A singleSpear Fingerlaunched out from Luz’s index finger, aiming to hit her in the lower abdomen and paralyze her from the waist down. However, just before she was able to connect the hit, a golden blur grabbed Millie off of the ground, jumping away to the left as Luz’s eyes tracked the new arrival.

“I swear to God… If that’sanotherassassin, I’m going to lose my mind!”Luz snarled in her head, as she looked over to her left. Standing there was a person completely kitted out in some kind of armour. They were wearing a white cloak, which was held together by a golden triangle clasp, just like the strange child.

Unlike the strange child, the person in question had an owl-shaped golden mask with black, empty sockets. It was too dark to see within the mask, so she couldn’t identify who it was. Underneath the cloak, the person was wearing a golden chest plate, underneath which was a golden tunic, and a pair of black pants, and it was all held in place by a brown belt with a golden buckle. Then came the boots, which went up to just below the knees. He also had a pair of brown leather gloves over his hands.

And while his outfit was strange, there was something even stranger about this newcomer, and only she could see it. Most people had a single or no string connected to them. The strange child who could use some sort of power had no string connected to them. She would’ve asked questions about that once she had made sure she could never attack her again, but that was beside the point now.

Because the newcomer… he didn’t have justonestring. He hadfourstrings.

“Uh… Shigaraki, you want to explain?!”

Shigaraki snickered, as the person before them lowered the strange child to the ground, before standing up, back facing them.

“You remember when I told you about The Demon Realm? This boy is from there. And he was one of the people I came into contact with during my time there. Be on your guard. I may or may not have given him four very, very powerful Quirks, and locked them into his body using a special technique I know. You can’t steal them, his body won’t allow it. They’re bound to his very soul.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“Let’s just say that before my departure from the land of the living, I had plans for The Demon Realm. But thanks to my death, it ended before it ever began. Think of him as a future potential ally, at least, if he remembered what I told him all those years ago. My guess now is that he’s going to test you should my assumption be correct. Be prepared. I don’t know what kind of training he’s been through. It’s been a decade since I saw him. Good luck!”

With that, Shigaraki stopped talking, as the armoured boy turned to look at Luz. She felt as if she was being judged as if the boy was narrowing his eyes at her. Finally, he spoke. “I take it you’reAll For One, correct?”

Luz nodded as the boy sighed. “Very well. Let’s make this quick, shall we?” As the boy said that, a pair of bright golden wings sprouted from his back, and in his right hand, a golden short sword appeared. “I am theGolden Guardof Emperor Belos. And you,All For One, will not be leaving this place.”

-To Be Continued in – AFO verus of Golden Guard – Part 1-

Chapter 22: S2 - Ep 9: AFO versus The Golden Guard - Part 1

Chapter Text

[AFO versus Golden Guard – Part 1]

If Luz hadn’t put up a forcefield the moment she saw The Golden Guard lunge in her direction, the sword—which she realized was made entirely of light—would’ve cleaved her in half. Even still, that wasn’t all that shocked Luz, because there was more. The sword had been more than sharp enough to cut through the forcefield in one swing.

Luz attempted to create distance between herself and the Golden Guard, only for her opponent to close the gap as Luz was creating it. The wings made of light flappedonce, creating enough force to make a shockwave that blasted away all the rubble around them, causing more collateral damage knocking down several walls and windows, and even creating more potholes in the ground.

The Golden Guard tsked, disappointed it seemed, as he was mere inches away from Luz. He arched his arm around his back, sword hilt gripped tightly as he vertically slashed at Luz. The second user ofAll For Onegritted her teeth, as the blade sliced through her like butter, and not only did it do that, but itburned. It was like she was dunked in a volcano as she held back a scream of pain. Though, as it cut through her, she recovered at the same speed.

That didn’t matter, though. Even if she had recovered, that didn’t stop her from feeling pain—something she was so used to not feeling over the last month of her life. HerPain Nullificationhad been failing her lately. Did it have a limit? If it did, she didn’t know what the exact limit was, and considering Shigaraki wasn’t saying anything, he mustn’t have known it either.

Luz retaliated, creatingRedpoint blank in front of The Golden Guard. Before he could react, she fired it, hitting him square in the chest. The blast was more than enough to evaporate his upper body, including his head.

Luz smirked, thinking that it was over…. Because, it should’ve been. No one, aside from someone like herself, could come back from that. So, imagine her shock when she watched as his entire upper body reformed out of light particles, clothing and all. She could’ve sworn he was smirking underneath his helmet, as he spoke. “You’re going to have to try harder than that,All For One.”

Luz’s eyes widened.“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? SHIGARAKI! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME I WAS FIGHTING A KIZARU KNOCK-OFF!!!”

“Oops. To be fair to me, his Lightbringer Quirk wasn’t that strong when I first gifted it to him. That must mean he’s had the time to awaken it. Then again, having a Quirk like that for a decade and training it non-stop does that to a person.”

Just as Shigaraki finished speaking, and as Luz mentally cursed, The Golden Guardback-handedher, sending Luz flying through several houses in the neighbourhood that she had lived in. With every house she knocked into, she watched it collapse, probably killing everyone in the house or most of them. Her anger stirred, but she kept it to herself. The last thing she wanted to do was blind herself with fury. She wastryingto limit the collateral damage. The keyword being “trying”.

As she slammed into the last house, her body nestled in the rear wall of what seemed to be a living room, Luz heard the family that lived in there screaming, but she ignored them, seeing as she wasn’t staying there for very long. She jetted off toward where she was knocked away from, only to receive a point-blank blast from a light beam once she got there. At the same time it was fired, she created a forcefield, protecting herself.

She was getting quicker on the draw with her forcefields, which was sad more than anything. She fired off the forcefield at point-blank range, and to add insult to injury, she addedRedto the mix, launching that as well. Just as both were going to hit, she watched the boy split himself apart into light particles.

He was doing it before the attacks hit. That was going to be a pain in the ass to deal with, and she knew that it was only going to get more annoying, because from what she could tell, only one of the strings was active, meaning that he was doing all of this—the wings, the sword, and separation, everything—with just one Quirk.

It was just as Shigaraki said. He “awakened” it, whatever that meant. She’d ask what that meant, but she was a little preoccupied. If Shigaraki was to be believed though, the Quirk in the beginning wasn’t all that good. That meant that Shigaraki never knew it could become something like this.

That aside, she watched as The Golden Guard recovered faster than she had anticipated, and when he did, he generated another sword from the palm of his hand and attempted to slash at Luz downward. The second user ofAll For Onecreated a forcefield in response to the slash, but that wasn’t the end of it. The Golden Guard wasn’t finished with just one slash, as he swung again, and again, and again; and in response, Luz created more forcefields. As one forcefield was destroyed, another took its place, and Luz narrowed her eyes. From what she could tell, there wasn’t a single opening being provided.

It was clear that, unlike Luz, The Golden Guard was trained in combat—Shigaraki had assumed as such. The way he followed up each swing one after another without tiring, and the way he seemed to command the fight was unparalleled to her previous opponents who were sloppy at best and unable to fight at best—the only reason Luz was able to get those attacks in was because she had caught him off guard. Now, he was completely in the zone.

ActivatingMultiplier, Luz created ten extra limbs, all of which preparing to create orbs ofRed. They were unable to do their job, as they were all cut down before they could even activate the Quirk in question. Luz’s eyes widened, as The Golden Guard round-house kicked her into the ground, before following it up by cupping his hands together and shooting out a beam of light directly toward Luz.

In response, Luz created a massive Forcefield. Upon the light beam's impact, the shield began to crack, and digging Luz deeper into the ground. The white-haired teen snarled, her eyes glowing brightly as she tried to push back. But it was no use.

She tapped herself withZero Gravity,removing the weight from her body and rocketing up into the sky before she was quickly intercepted by The Golden Guard. Luz swung a lazy punch in his direction, smashing her fist against his armour, only for it to disperse into light particles.

“I have nothing!! There is nothing that I have that can counter him!”Luz exclaimed in her mind as Shigaraki snickered.

“He’s holding back, too. Every blow he delivers is restrained. If he really wanted to kill you, Luz, he would’ve done so already. I was right, he’s only testing you.”

Luz felt a chill wash down her spine. The fact that Shigaraki was right scared her. Never once had she met her match, and yet, now she had. This guy, this Golden Guard, was kicking her ass. Though as much as that filled her with hopelessness, her pride wouldn’t allow her to lose like this.

Every opponent she had fought had fallen to her hands. Every enemy who was out to kill her, or in this case, to defeat her had died. And while she wasn’t trying to kill him, there was a limit to her patience. And he was expending all of that patience.

Right where she had punched him in her face, Luz created an orb ofBlue.And it was there that she found a weakness. The orb began to absorb the light particles, which made The Golden Guard react, flinching as he lunged backward, just as the blue orb imploded, sucking in everything around before it shot it back out again like a shotgun.

“Nevermind! I found a weakness! If I can get in close, I can—”

Unfortunately, Luz was cut off by The Golden Guardregenerating.It was there that she got to see a fragment underneath the mask. The singular visible ruby red eye met crimson, as the boy’s right eye narrowed. A scar was just underneath the eye, as the boy spoke.

“Now that… that hurt.” As he said that, he looked below him, and sighed. “I was hoping to avoid any more collateral. But it seems you have other ideas in mind,” The Golden Guard said, staring back at Luz.

Luz frowned, hovering in place thanks toZero GravityandAir Walk. “You’re the one shooting light beams. Also, this part of town is basically destroyed. What collateral is there to be had?” Luz asked, and for the first time she heard the coldness in her voice.

Had she been talking like that the whole time? She hadn’t noticed, and it had actually shocked her when she heard her voice. It sounded… distant, detached, and downright sociopathic. However, Luz wasn’t given a chance to dawn on it. Because if she did, it would only waste time. She just wanted to get this over with, and when it was, she’d… figure something out. The boy chuckled, before swiping his hand over his face, his helmet repairing itself with light.

“Touche,All For One. Or… sorry, was it Luz? My bad. I can tell now you’re different fromHim. But regardless, it’s my job to at least detain you, so make this easier for me, m’kay?” As The Golden Guard said that, he outstretched his hand, and began to generate light in the palm of his hand.

In response, Luz charged forward and feltSuper StrengthandSpringlike Limbsactivate. On top of that,Multiplierbegan to overlap with her arm, increasing its size to the point where it dwarfed her body, as she narrowed her eyes. Luz felt the strength in her right arm increase tenfold, as she closed the distance between herself and The Golden Guard.

The Golden Guard fired off his attack, as Luz launched her punch. Both attacks hit at the same time, and both attacks sent each other flying in opposite directions. Luz was dragged through the air, and dragged through over a mile of street, tearing up the asphalt and destroying any cars that had gotten in the way, finally ending at the end near the school, with the beam of light blowing up in her face.

A crowd of teenagers who had gathered near the school watched it all godown and ducked out of the way, hitting the ground with their hands over the backs of their necks when the explosion happened. Thankfully, they weren’t injured.

As the dust settled, and as all the teens stood up, they looked over to the crater and saw Luz Noceda, her face completely burnt away with only her skull showing, along with a majority of her upper body having been evaporated, revealing her ribs and her beating heart and contracting lungs—meaning she was still alive, somehow.

It was a grizzly site, and one of them wanted to puke. The only reason they could tell it was Luz was based on the skin and what the body was wearing. One of them was about to call the emergency services when the body began to regrow muscle, eyes, and skin in the blink of an eye.

Screams echoed throughout the area as Luz narrowed her eyes. As her skin regrew, she covered her regrowing torso with her right arm, narrowing her crimson eyes as her hair grew back, completely white except for the tips.

This was the second time her outfit had shredded away, and it was really pissing her off. Luz looked over to one of the cowering teens, got out of the crator, and stalked over to the teen. They were wearing a purple hoodie, and she could see a shirt underneath.

The teen, a brown-haired boy stared up at her, terrified as his body shook. He also had a Quirk. Luz smirked, reaching out with her free hand and grabbed his face, covering his eyes in the process as she stepped down on his right leg. Then, she reached out with her other arm, grabbed his hood, and ripped the hoodie off of his body whilst she stole his power.

When she did, and when she was finished, she slipped the hoodie overtop of herself, before sighing. “Much better…” Luz muttered, looking down at herself. The boy was unmoving, though he had a terrified look on his face, his eyes completely glazed over, showing that he was dead.

Luz looked at him and winced. She didn’t want to do that, but… at the same time…. “Sorry, but I need it more than you right now,” Luz said, looking away as in her hand was a brilliant red flame. “Good. I was missing thatFlameQuirk. While this one is just a simple fire projection, Quirk, it’s better than nothing. I’ll call itFlamethrower.”

“Luz. You’re going beyond your Limit. Are you sure about this?”Shigaraki’s voice echoed in her mind as Luz frowned. He was right, but she needed this. She needed something to counter that pesky Light Quirk that The Golden Guard had. WhileFlamethrowerwasn’t going to be it, she needed to search for it.

Bluehad already proven to not be enough. And punching her problem wasn’t going to work. Although, considering that The Golden Guard wasn’t able to ignore her punch by simply turning his body into light, it was clear that while his ability was very, very similar to Kizaru’s Light Light Fruit from One Piece, it wasn’t the exact same.

“Shigaraki. Does that Light Quirk of his have a drawback?”

“It does, although his other Quirks make up for it. Typically, overuse of it would cause the user's skin to burn. But because he has a copy of Super Regeneration, it negates that issue. As for his two other Quirks… I’m not going to tell you.”

“Why not?!”

“Because if I did that, then what would be the point? Just because I’m your mentor does not mean I am obliged to give you all the answers. I can’t coddle you. If you are to be a true successor to All For One, you need to figure it out on your own. Just because you have a plethora of abilities does not make up for a lack of problem-solving. I didn’t get anywhere in the world without figuring out my problems for myself.”

Luz cursed under her breath, before looking over to the rest of the group of teens, who stared at her in horror. They ran away as fast as their legs could carry them, though Luz really didn’t care about that anymore. She was too focused on the problem she was facing.

Just as she turned around to leap back into action, a fist made of light slammed into her face, making her stumble backward,Shock Absorptiondoing its job as another fist slammed into her gut, and another, and another, and another at blinding speeds, each impact making shockwaves and ripples in her body.

Had it not been forPain Nullification,she would’ve felt her bones shatter, her organs practically explode, and it would’ve made the blood erupting from her mouth even more horrifying to the teen than it already was.

What made it even worse was that it wasn’t even coming from The Golden Guard himself, as he was standing a good chunk away. Rather, he was shooting these fists out from his body, as if he was creating them on the spot.

And all of this, all of these attacks, they were all coming from a singular Quirk. Not multiple. Just one. It was almost like he had mastered it in its entirety.

With one final punch, Luz was sent rocketing up into the sky, of which she had stopped the ascension when she reactivatedZero Gravityon herself. As her regeneration repaired the damage, she also created a massive barrier in front of her usingForcefield Projection.As she did, at the same time, activatedSpear FingerswithMultiplierto create a maze of finger-like spears in his direction.

Much to Luz’s chagrin, The Golden Guard was more than able to dodge around it all, flapping his golden wings made of light and swerving through the maze of dangerous blades like it was nothing. Panic began to settle into Luz, as she created several more limbs, and created multipleRedenergy balls, around about five, all aiming at The Golden Guard.

Four of the five red balls of energy missed the other worlder, but the fifth one hit him point blank. Not that it mattered, as he had dispersed himself into light particles. That’s when Luz smirked, snapped her fingers, and transformed theRedintoBluelike Sophia had.

The Golden Guard, for his part, was shocked when he saw that. The light particles that he had dispersed into were sucked into the blue vacuum, which made him disengage as fast as he could.

Much to his chagrin, when he reformed, he was missing a good chunk of his lower torso. It didn’t take long for it to be replaced, but that wasn’t the point. He could tell she was holding back, which was good. Although it did slightly scare him knowing that this was her holding back. Prior to this, though, she wasn’t. That meant she caught on to what it was he was doing.

Regardless of that, the two combatants stared down one another, as Luz fired off the forcefield in his direction. The Golden Guard re-created the Light Sword to cut the massive shield in half. Arching his body back, he sliced through the air, creating an arc of light where he had slashed the air as it travelled and grew the further it travelled from The Golden Guard.

Luz’s eyes widened at the raw display of power as the light blade cut through the massive forcefield like it was nothing, splitting it in the middle as both halves landed on the ground, exploding on contact. One half landed on the school, and the other half landed on a small group of buildings. The explosion was more than enough to blow both parties back just a little bit, and when the dust settled, all that was left were two craters.

Another 5% of Gravesfield was destroyed with that attack. Luz narrowed her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. What was also ridiculous was the fact that cracks began to form on her body, specifically around her face and her arms. She could feel them spreading. Her body was breaking, and while her regeneration was working overtime, she knew she was on a timer.

She shouldn’t have stolen that Quirk, but she did. But now, anyone that she could’ve offloaded it onto in the immediate area was dead. That meant she had no choice but to wait until she found someone to dump it onto.

Until then, she reconned, she would use it.

A ball of fire the size of a basketball began to form in Luz’s hand, as she fired it off in the direction of The Golden Guard, and followed it up with several more of those fireballs. The Golden Guard, in response, slashed each and every ball of fire that came close to him.

Instead of dispersing, the flame balls simply stayed cut in half, and after a moment, the balls of fire exploded, catching The Golden Guard off guard. And when that happened, Luz closed the distance and repeated the same combo of Quirks she used to punch him the last time. She wanted to test something, and if she was right, that meant she now had a real, solid chance at beating The Golden Guard.

The fist came into contact with her opponent’s face, shattering the armour covering his face, and sending him flying into the ground. He didn’t disperse into particles that time, nor did he try and escape by some means. He simply took the punch. That meant he was tiring out. She smirked at that.

She had unlimited stamina.

He did not.

This would become a battle of endurance. She could outlast him, and when she did, she would get the answers she was looking for. However, there was a voice in the back of her head, reminding her that she had only seen two of the four Quirks he had at his disposal. Meaning he could always just pull out something new.

So, she’d have to remain vigilant. She couldn’t let her guard done. But, at the end of the day, she was going to win. After all, she had to win.

She alone, wasThe Chosen One, after all. AndThe Chosen Onenever lost.

So as she stared down the falling form of The Golden Guard, who created a set of wings made of light, she smirked, black lightning sparking off of her body, her eyes glowing bright, as she floated in the sky, all while a bell only she could hear dinged in the back of her mind.

“Round Two, Golden Guard. And this time, I’ll defeat you.”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 23: S2 - Ep 10: AFO Versus The Golden Guard - Part 2

Chapter Text

[AFO versus Golden Guard – Part 2]

“Fear not the person who has everything left to lose, because they will hold back to save the ones they love. Fear the one who has nothing left to lose, because they are the ones who will show no mercy to anyone, or anything around them should it mean they defeat their opponents. That is why, every year, we grieve the loss ofthat small town, for it paid the ultimate price. We must learn from our mistakes, and I will be the one to steer this country forward to do that!” – President [Redacted], 2033, after her election 15 years after The Battle Of Gravesfield.

There was a flash of blinding light, and in that flash, Luz was greeted with twenty lances made of light. They flew toward her at speeds that couldn’t be tracked by the human eye and immediately pierced through her shoulder, stomach, and knees as if she were made of butter. She wasn’t affected by it, as a matter of fact, she didn’t even flinch. All she did was regenerate the wounds.

When she blinked, The Golden Guard was already in front of her. So much for sending him flying. He arched his arm back, and prepared to swing his sword diagonally, ready to cut through her like it typically did, but instead of flesh, the sword was met with aForcefield.It cut through the shield, but afterward, before it could cut Luz, she jabbed his mask, making him stagger, and shaking his head.

The Golden Guard frowned underneath his mask, but before he could do anything to continue his attack, the white-haired teen grabbed the front of his mask. At first, he was confused. He didn’t need to worry about his Quirks being stolen, especially because she wasn’t touching skin.

So, when he went to cut her hand off to stop whatever she was planning on doing, he had expected it to go off without a hitch. Instead, he was blasted by a massive, street-wide collum of fire that sent him flying back yet again.

The flames were harmless—they didn’t even char his armour—but they did burn away his hood and the fabric spots of his armour, leaving parts of his defence vulnerable. He stumbled while regaining his stance, but not before he was decked in the face by a massive arm, sending him into the asphalt ground, the resulting force making a massive crater, with the wind pressure blowing away the houses and buildings surrounding them.

“She’s destroying the town while she attacks!”The Golden Guard thought, eyes narrowing. He raised a hand upward and blasted a beam of light through his attacker's chest.

It stunned her for a moment, which allowed The Golden Guard to switch gears. While he didn’t deactivate hisLightbringerQuirk, he moved it over to the side and selected one of his other Quirks. Immediately as he did that, his right arm swelled up to his elbow, before it expanded and expanded until it was about the same size as a house.

Selective-Gigantismwas one of those Quirks that only worked in massive battles. He typically only usedLightbringerbut at times he would useSelective-Gigantismagainst bigger enemies. Well… typically he used them against giraffes… those foul beasts.

The white-haired teen’s eyes widened in shock as she regenerated the wound created by The Golden Guard, before being swatted away by the massive house-sized arm that, surprisingly, was still covered in his armour. That was because of whatSelective-Gigantismdid. It didn’tjustmake his body bigger. It made his body bigger, or at least that part of his body bigger that he needed to be bigger, but it also enlarged the clothing on his body so that it didn’t break.

That was because, likeLightbringer, Selective-Gigantismwas awakened.

His breath laboured, he shrunk his arm back to a normal size. Hunter frowned. This wasn’t going as well as he thought it would. The Emperor had told him to kill All For One, and while he wasn’t exactly against it considering what the previous version of the man had done, this one was ripe for the moulding to be the liberator of The Boiling Isles.

He couldn’t kill her. Both literally and figuratively. Because no matter what, it seemed she recovered from whatever wounds he inflicted upon her. He looked around his surroundings and saw smoke, fires, and panicked civilians. His gilded wings flapped in the air as he frowned.

“This place is going to be destroyed if I don’t wrap this up. I need to get to that portal before it closes… but with the way this is going…”Hunter thought, narrowing his eyes. He had twenty minutes to finish this fight before the portal disappeared. Of course, he could always rely on the portal that periodically appeared in that run-down house in the forest, but that was only if things got desperate.

How did he know of its existence? Because The Emperor told him about it. He didn’t knowhowThe Emperor told him about it, but he guessed it had to do with the previous All For One.

A flash of red overtook his visage, as he flew back, narrowly avoiding one of those destructive red orbs, only to be grabbed by what appeared to bevines, then slammed into the ground by said vines, and dragged across the asphalt, picked up, and kicked in the chest, cracking his armour, all in the span of a few seconds.

He was able to stop his sudden flight with a strong flap of his light wings, as Luz stared at him, clutching her hand into a fist. “I told myself I would never keep this Quirk… but I found the boy I gave it to, or well, his body. I guess our fight caused a lot of collateral, huh?”

“So you gave that one away… why?”

“None of your business,” Luz snapped, before charging him again. She got about five inches away from him, only for her arm to explode, and reform. Hunter took advantage of her brief shock to activateSelective-Gigantismin his right arm and punched her into the ground.

The shockwave of the attack travelled for miles, tearing up more buildings and houses, and leaving a massive crater in its wake. He wasn’t exactly proud of it, but at the rate, this town was being destroyed, there really wasn’t a reason to hold back. The amount of damage that was being done… it wasn’t going to be repaired. At least, he thought so anyway.

In the crater, Luz’s arm began to repair itself, as she slowly sat up. Instead of waiting to act, Luz activatedAir WalkandGravity,but as she did, she vomited up blood, both Quirks deactivating.

“Your limit… Noceda, youneedto expel those extra Quirks. Your body cannot handle it!”

“Shut up! I—”

“Listen to me! You willdieif you don’t! Do not be a fool!”

Luz cursed under her breath. She looked around her, trying to find someone to dumpFlamethroweroff on, only to be kicked in the face, sending her travelling through the asphalt, the street digging up more and more debris the further she travelled. Before she could get back up, she was blasted by another beam of light, pushing her further and further into the ground.

As she was being damaged, her body was healing it over as if nothing had happened. HerRegenerationwas being worked overtime. Just as the light beam finished, The Golden Guard was already in the same deep hole she was in, grabbed her by the collar, and flew her out of the ground, before throwing her into the school through the roof.

When she crashed through, she fell squarely on a desk, as the room filled with those who were hiding from the battle gasped and screamed, most kids of varying ages. The severely crippled and damaged Luz tried to get up, but couldn’t. The pain coursing through her body was too much. Even withPain Nullification,the pain the extra Quirks were causing her body to be in wasn’t going away.

It was like she was being hammered all over by the moon itself. Her fingers refused to move. Her lungs had a hard time expanding to take in air, and her heart was slowing down. All of this, just because of two extra Quirks. She reasoned that she hadn’t felt this before back at The Camp because of all of the adrenaline at the time. But now? She felt every inch of pain.

Tears welled up in her eyes. How did it come to this? In just a month, things went from somewhat normal to hellish. A month. A single month of the world being granted superpowers, and her life had taken a nosedive. How?! This was herdreamcome true!

Her dream wasnotsupposed to screw her over, God Damnit!

Finally, after being mocked, ridiculed, and harassed by her peers, not believed in by her mother or straight up told that her mannerisms were wrong for polite society, herdreamcametrue!

Fantasy had become reality. The very thing she was accused of not seeing because of her appreciation of the make-believe! Of her love of all things fantasy! Now that it was real, it wassupposedto be a good thing! She was vindicated!

But it turned out to be a hellish, horrible, worsening change! Life didn’t get better, it got worse!

Because of it, she lost her mother, lost her faith in humanity as a whole, and lost her innocence! She had to kill to survive because people kept trying to kill her, and it robbed her of her chance at a normal childhood!

Anger, mixed with pain, mixed with regret, mixed with sadness flowed all through her body as she clasped her forehead, weeping. Her life had taken a turn for the absolute worst, and it was all thanks to this stupid power!

“Luz, listen to me! Get rid of the extra Quirks, and you’ll be back at your peak. Trust me on this. I know what I’m talking about!”

Luz didn’t respond, she just lay there. Her body was sparking with red electricity and random intervals, as The Golden Guard landed in the classroom with a gentle tap of the wooden floor. The Golden Guard approached Luz, each step carrying more and more weight as he moved.

“This is the end of the road for you, Luz Noceda, Wielder of The Quirk All For One. Come quietly, or perish,” The Golden Guard said, his voice calm as Luz sneered.

“You…” She began, her body sparking with more and more red electricity. “Do not…” the lightning continued to get more and more active, as the last few inches of her hair turned white. When they did, something happened. Something that no one had expected to happen.

Within the Mental Landscape, Shigaraki felt something change. The space began to shake like it was being disturbed by some unseen force. The man stood up from his chair, feeling a rush of excitement. His eyes widened. Heknewwhat was happening.

“Out of all of my years of living, I have never seen this happen! I never even thought it was possible!”Shigaraki thought with a smile on his face. The inky black ground cracked, peeling away as a checkered tile floor replaced it. Where the chair once sat, a pair of thrones took its place, and the fireplace was changed into a massive burning pit behind said thrones.

The cages were lifted off the ground into the endless ceiling above, as the cages themselves were changed from cages to glass cells. The blobs took a more humanoid shape, and one had changed entirely, though it was still covered in shadow.

The black walls changed into regular walls made of white brick with windows and red curtains, and there was a red and golden carpet leading toward the thrones. Shigarakicackledas he spread his arms out wide, his eyes crazed and bloodshot.

“It happened! It finally happened!!”Shigaraki thought, laughing with pure joy. This couldn’t have been better!

Back in the real world, The Golden Guard took a step back from the desk that Luz had fallen on top of. Luz had stood up, red electricity sparking off of her body, as her eyes glowed with a pure menacing crimson light. Everyone in the room huddled in the corner.

She could feel a power unlike any other coursing through her veins. Her hair began to stand up on end as the power flowed through her body. “…TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

“ALL FOR ONE HAS FINALLY AWAKENED!!!!”Shigaraki thought with pure bliss in the mental world, as in the living world, Luz lunged forward, arched her arm back, free of any pain she had felt before and slammed her fist into the chest of the Golden Guard,shatteringhis armour and sending him flying up and out of the building from the same hold that Luz had through.

The white-haired teen jumped out of the hole, kicking up dirt as multiple arms, around twenty-five, sprouted from her back. They were the size and width of public transport buses, eclipsing the portion of the sky that Luz took up, covering the street below in shadow.

The Golden Guard stared up at the mass of arms and prepared to create lances of light to throw at Luz, only for something else to happen. He stopped his attack mid-generation, he stared at what was about to hit him.

Five of the arms charged up massive columns of blue fire, and another set of five had a mix of blue and red energy orbs prepared to fire at him. Another set of five arms were turning their fingers sharp, and another set of five were creating massive amounts of vines. The final set of five created five human-sized forcefields.

All of them were aimed at him, and if all of them hit, the explosion caused by such an attack would be devastating!

“CHAOS VOLLEY!”Luz shouted, firing all of the attacks at once.VinesandFinger Spearsthe size of trees came down on The Golden Guard, who created a light sword, slicing his way through as many of them as he could.Flamethrower’sflames, now a bright blue, came down upon him as he ducked and weaved with his flight, the columns chasing after him as if they were heat-seeking, juggling keeping the vines and fingers away as he spun in circles, dodged to the left and right, and did whatever he could to not get hit.

And then came the red and blue orbs. As they got closer to him, he was prepared to leap back. But something happened that he wasn’t expecting to happen. Instead of having to dodge theRedsandBlues,they fused into twoPurples,both of which flew faster than before.

“And it not just All For One, but as a result,every Quirk stored within from now until forever has been Awakened!This is the very thing I wanted, but could never do! It is all thanks to you, Luz Noceda!”Shigaraki thought in the mental world, still cackling as the battle continued in the real world.

As they came close, they distorted the space around them, sucking him in like a black hole, but unlikeBlue,the suction was far stronger. He couldn’t get away, as he was blasted by bothPurples, destroying his upper body and sending his lower half falling to the ground.

As thePurplescame into contact with his body, and as it basically erased it, it didn’t explode on contact. Instead, they kept going. They hit the ground, and drilled holes, causing asphalt, corpses, trees, grass, and anything in a 5-meter radius around thePurplesto be sucked in, before finally evaporating once they had gotten to the center of Gravesfield.

When the lower half of The Golden Guard’s body hit the ground, Luz retracted the extra limbs, and landed in front of it, staring at its remains. Scoffing, she turned around, looking down at her hands. She felt far stronger than before. She felt more durable than before, and she felt as if she could never be put down ever again.

And with The Golden Guard defeated, now all she needed to do was—

A sword made of light pierced her chest, her eyes widening as she was sliced in half. Her body regenerated instantly as a result ofRegenerationbeing awakened. It didn’t even leave a scar. Luz turned around and saw The Golden Guard staring her down, his upper armour gone, revealing a young-looking face, red eyes, and bleached blond hair. He had a scar under his right eye, and his expression was drawn into a frown.

“How…Purpleis a combination of bothBlueandRed. You should be dead!” Luz spat as The Golden Guard smirked, his armour slowly replenishing out of light.

“I have four Quirks.Lightbringer, Regeneration, Selective-Gigantism,and my favourite of them all,Overclock.That last one is what saved me. In combination withLightbringerandOverclock, I was able to speed up my body to the point where it looked like I wasn’t moving. To you, it looked like I got hit. In reality, I had already moved out of the way. Your brain had no way of knowing I had moved because that was how fast I was.”

It was then that several hundred slashes appeared all over Luz’s body, the force of which blew her back, a large trail of blood following suit as a massive fist took up her visage. She tried to throw up aForcefield, but was too slow, as the fist hit, sending her flying even further. Her impromptu flight was stopped when she crashed into the police station, the building crumbling on impact, falling on top of her.

The white-haired teen pulled herself out of the rubble, her clothing still intact. She wondered how but decided to question it later. She didn’t have time to question anything, as The Golden Guard was already in front of her with yet another fist ready to slam into her body.

This time, she was able to throw up aForcefield, and when she did, it blocked the punch. There were no cracks, no nothing, even after the shockwave of the impact had destroyed several buildings and homes, driving her deep into the floor, as she smirked.

The Golden Guard flinched, most likely out of shock, as she leapt back, creating several moreForcefieldsunderneath the one that she created, before firing them all at once. They all hit due to them being point blank, though Luz wasn’t truly sure because ofOverclock.

The second user ofAll For Onelooked over her shoulder, and just like she thought, The Golden Guard was behind her. “You’re so predictable,” Luz quipped, stomping on the ground as Vinessprouted upward and out, wrapping around The Golden Guard. “I awakened all of my Quirks. Meaning they’ve all gotten stronger. Now I’m at least somewhat on par with you!”

The Golden Guard cursed, before dispersing into light particles. Luz activatedMultiplierandSpear Fingers.Though, the fingers were no longer made of flesh. They were made of steel, it seemed. Like actual spears. They darted and bent all over the place, trying to hit the pieces of light, missing by a few inches each time.

Hunter reformed, and when he did, he blasted off a massive light beam down at Luz. His heart was racing, and he was slowly tiring out. There was a downside toOverclock, and that was that the more it was used, the more tired he would become. He reckoned he had a few more uses, around three more, before he was out of energy.

In other words, he couldn’t waste his uses. He had to use them they counted.

The beam of light connected to Luz, only for the white-haired teen to create aPurpleout of nowhere, and absorbed the beam of light, firing the purple up at Hunter. Hunter, for his part, was able to get out of the radius of the suction ofPurple, but not out of the way of a massive column of blue fire.

“She’s getting smarter!”Hunter thought, rushing out of the flames. HisRegenerationwas inferior to Luz’s, that much he knew. It took longer for him to heal than she did, and it hurt. For her, it didn’t. She must’ve had some kind of pain nullification Quirk.

Luz met him in the air, grabbed him by the neck, and threw him into the ground. She created three arms, all of which fired blue flames down at him. Hunter ducked and weaved as best as he could, but with the wind behind him, he had no choice but to disperse into more light particles, a tiring process.

He had ten minutes until the portal closed. He had to wrap this up. Because if he didn’t, the portal was going to close. He still had to fly back to the portal, and if he couldn’t do that, then he would be done for. He wasn’t going to be trapped in this realm. He refused it.

And so, he became desperate.

He flew up into the air, high above the town, with Luz chasing after him. Good. That was what he wanted. He sucked in a massive gulp of air. And when he did, he activatedSelective-Gigantism. When he did, he didn’t just enlargen his arms or his even his legs.

He enlarged his entire body. Luz was no longer in his sights because she was so small. The town of Gravesfield looked less like a town and more like something off of a map. He was so large, that people from across the state could see him. The massive teenager was just that, a massive teenager. A giant, a titan of a figure that was only seen in myths.

He only had 10 seconds in this form before he went back to normal, as was the limitation, so he had to make it count. UsingOverclock,he threw a punch so fast that it was a blur, even at his size. Luz couldn’t dodge, as the fist was the size of Gravesfield itself.

If she didn’t stop it, it would destroy her home for good. But there was nothing that she could do against it. No Quirk or Quirk combination could stop a punch like that from landing. But she had to try.

Creating 80 massive hands, she had all of them createForcefields, trying to block the punch from hitting. The moment a single knuckle made contact with theForcefields, they shattered, making Luz’s eyes widen. And before she could do anything, she was hit by the fist and was sent with the fist intoGravesfield.

The resulting blast could’ve been felt from the nearest city all the way to the edges of New York. It physically shook the southern part of The United States of America and left destruction for hundreds of thousands of kilometres.

Everyone who was caught up in the blast radius died. That wasn’t even a question. And when Hunter fell from the sky, landing just a few feet in front of the somehow intact portal, he turned around and saw the massive ravine where Gravesfield had been.

He hadn’t wanted to kill Luz. But that was all he could’ve done. He had no choice. He needed to get back home. And so, that was what he did. With his job done, he walked through the portal. He was going to be tired when he got home. That wasn’t even a question.

The portal in question was a cliff overlooking The Boiling Isles. His home. His world. His Realm. He smirked as the portal closed. He had made it just in time, it seemed.

It was beautiful. Bright yellow skies, darker yellow clouds, and a massive setting sun off in the distance. The purple water splashed up against the bones of The Titan their home sat upon, as in the distance he could make out The Castle where The Emperor and his helpers awaited him.

He looked behind him and sighed. In a different world, Luz could’ve been a massive ally. But now, she was dead. He had to. He couldn’t waste any more time. That, and he was getting tired.

“Now… to report to—urp!”

A black ooze seeped from his mouth. He couldn’t hold it back. It was just so… disgusting that he couldn’t do it. It forced him to vomit, and when he did, a hand reached out. His eyes widened, as a glob of goo fell to the ground. When it did, a person crawled out of the small puddle of goo.

Hunter stepped back, as Luz pulled herself out of the gunk, clothing attached to her body in scrapes, the pants now impromptu shorts, as pieces of fabric remained of her shirt, clinging to the important parts of her body that needed to be covered.

Hunter couldn’t believe what he was seeing. How?! That shouldn’t have been possible! There was no way that she was able to survive!

“That was close… If I hadn’t activatedWarpingwhen I did… I would’ve been a goner…” Luz muttered, before standing up, turning and looking at Hunter, a smirk on her face.

“I—”

She punched him in the face, knocking him down to the ground as she breathed in the air. She looked over her shoulder and turned back around. She saw where she was, as Shigaraki spoke.

“Luz… you did it. You made it to where you need to be. Welcome… To The Boiling Isles.”

The second user ofAll For One, and the first to awaken the Quirk looked down upon the land, as Hunter scrambled to his feet. “You—”

“Be quiet,” Luz said, looking over her shoulder at Hunter, making the boy clamp his mouth shut. “You destroyed my home. Well…wedestroyed my home. I have no reason to fight you anymore. So put your guard down. I know that you didn’t want to kill me, because if you did, you would’ve used a light attack. That would’ve killed me without a shadow of a doubt. Yet, you gave me a chance to escape usingWarping. I know what you want. So I’ll bite. I’ll lay low for now. So you go back to report to whoever you listen to. I want to see what this place has to offer.”

When those words left her mouth, she activatedAir WalkandGravity, floating off of The Knee and making her way to the town below that she could see in the distance. Hunter could only stare at her retreating form with a wave of exhaustion. So she knew? Though it was strange that she knew, he didn’t question it. Besides, it made things easier, so why look a gift horse in the mouth?

He let out a sigh of relief, falling to the ground, looking up at the sky out of energy from the battle he had just finished.

He could rest here for a little while. If only for a small amount of time. It wasn’t like The Emperor needed him for anything urgent, so he could afford to waste a little time recovering from the fight.

In the back of his mind, he knew that he was taking his chances. Technically, she wasn’t supposed to be here, because the portal had closed. But at the same time, he guessed that whatever thatWarpingQuirk was, it was either powerful enough to warp through dimensions, or she had activated just as he was leaving, and waited for him to enter this dimension to come out.

Either way, Hunter didn’t care. He wasn’t going to question anything. After all, he was just glad the fight was over.

Perhaps, with Luz Noceda here, The Boiling Isles wasn’t doomed after all?

xxXXxxXXxx

Tyler Wittebane sat in the guest room that he was given by The Emperor of this cursed world. When that Golden Guard or whatever it was showed, flew both himself and his wife to a portal and delivered them to this place, he had thought he was being taken to heaven for his deeds.

But no, he was brought to this place. The Emperor, Belos, had told him to be patient, and that The Golden Guard would dispose of that nasty thorn in their side. And once it was over, he could return to his world.

But that never happened. What happened instead, was that The Golden Guard had returned, yes, but he reported that his fight with All For One had destroyed Gravesfield and that the portal closed just as he left. Meaning he was trapped here with his wife, in a world that was alien to him, and filled with the very creatures his family was made to hunt in the 1600s.

Anger spiked in his mind. He couldn’t imagine being forced to live in a place like this, but here he was. In his own personal hell!

“Dear, are you alright?” Mary asked, her voice dripping with concern as Tyler frowned, arms crossed as he stared out of the guest room window.

“No, I am not. We are without a home, and under the roof of a magical beast. A magical beast we must indulge whilst we are here. However, I will get us through this. Just get some rest, and worry about your pregnancy, dear. Our son willnotbe born in this world. I will find a way out of here. That I can promise you.”

As Tyler said that, he turned to see his wife, who stared at him with concern. His frown faltered, before he walked over to his wife, and sat next to her. He placed a hand on her forehead and smiled. “Do not worry, my love. I am fine. I will cope with this as best as possible. Besides, All For One is dead. We win.”

“You’re right, dear. We won but at the cost of our home. Gravesfield is gone, as is our empire…” Mary said, earning a dismissive wave from Tyler.

“Then we rebuild. We have a positive reputation in our home world. So it won’t be hard. Do not think of the negatives, think of the positives. Now get some rest. I will be in bed shortly.”

Mary turned around, facing the wall and resting her head on the pillow. Tyler stood up and approached the window once more. He gave the disgusting town another once over, closing the drapes, and turning out the light.

He was scheduled to speak to The Emperor in the morning, and he wasn’t going to keep the man waiting. He was royalty, and Tyler wasn’t. He was a peasant compared to him, and so he wasn’t going to push his luck.

Joining his wife in bed, he pulled the covers up and over himself, before closing his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a busy, busy day….

-To Be Continued in – Season 3, Episode 1: A late start to a wacky world – Part 1-

Chapter 24: S3, P1 - Ep 1: Late Start To A Wacky World - Part 1

Chapter Text

[Late Start To A Wacky World – Part 1]

Light from a crack between drapes flooded into a rather large bedroom, illuminating the once-dark room with rays from the sun which had just barely passed over the small single-sized bed underneath it. In the center of the room, there was a light blue carpet, half of which was tucked neatly underneath the bed. Off to the right was a bedside table with heaps of books on one end, and to the left was a dresser filled with even more books, all of which being various novels from bookstores, and history novels focusing on great witches from the past.

The walls of the bedroom were a bright pink, almost mahogany colour, with various posters advertising the Emperor’s Coven dotted along them, with a tapestry of The Emperor’s Coven symbol hung up next to the door. To the person whom the room belonged to, it was to symbolize a dream that she could never achieve.

The final and most notable thing about the room was the balcony off to the right side of the room, the doors to which were closed due to it having rained yesterday. No doubt the wood polish for the balcony would need to be reapplied after last night’s unexpected storm, which would annoy the living hell out of the occupant's father.

Speaking of her, said individual sat upright in her small bed, golden eyes scanning over the page of a book she had been reading. She was dressed in a black mid-sleeved dress coupled with a gray belt fastened around her waist. Orchid tights, black socks, and a necklace with an orchid gemstone completed the look.

The teen had chin-length aquamarine green hair, though it wasn’t natural. Her natural hair colour was brown thanks to her father, but she had dyed it to make it look more like her mother's. Her skin was pale, much like her mother’s.

Her right leg bent to hold her book in place, acting as a rest while she carefully turned the page. Her eyes narrowed, her expression twisting into a slight grimace.“And on that night, Emperor Belos, in a moment of pure desperation used a forbidden spell on The Interloper. Those who had witnessed the spell in action described it as a hideous goo-like substance not too dissimilar to Abomination Magic, though green and blue in colour. It took an immense amount of effort, but Emperor Belos was able to get the Interloper to flee. On the 40^thof Marsh, twenty-four years ago, the Ten-Year War ended. Yeah… but if it was that easy, how come it hadn’t happened earlier?”

As the teen questioned that, she closed the book before haphazardly throwing it on a pile next to her bed. She frowned, getting up from her bed and stretching in the process. Looking out the balcony door windows, she watched as the sun was just beginning to peak over the valley. How long had she been up for? Two hours? Three?

“I need to get my sleep schedule fixed….”Her mother wasn’t going to be particularly happy about this. This problem of hers had been going on for the last week or so, and it all had to do with the fact that she was coming of age. Where she was expected to go to either of the two schools of magic. The stress had been eating at her recently, though it really shouldn’t have been.

For there was a special reason why the teen shouldn’t have been stressing out over something as inconsequential as going to school. It was because of who she was. After all, she was a Blight. She had a reputation to uphold as the youngest in the family. But also because she, unlike the others in her family, with the exception of her mother, was different from everyone else.

She was special.

Amity Blight was a rather interesting individual. Not because she was a member of The Blight Family, though that certainly helped things, what made her interesting was her birth in the first place. Not because it shouldn’t have happened, but because of what resulted in it.

Amity was born not out of the fact her parents had been in love with one another, but because of something else. Something her mother refused to talk about even to this day. And yet even despite that, her mother loved her unconditionally, as did her father. Emira and Edric, her older siblings of two years on the other hand… well, they saw her as a freak, despite her mother’s best efforts to get them to treat her as an equal.

Why? Because of what Amity was born with.

As a result of whatever had happened to spark her conception, Amity was born with a shrivelled up Bile Sac. Meaning that, from a young age, she was ostracized by a good majority of the people in Bonesborough. She was a witch who couldn’t use magic. But, to make up for that, she was born with something else.

She was born with a special power. A special power that made her unique. Something that no one wanted to be in Bonesborough. If you were unique, you would be a target for harassment. Only 200 Unique children such as herself even existed in Bonesborough, and all of them, for the most part, were encouraged to keep to themselves by The Emperors Coven.

Unique children were not wanted by their parents. They were haunting reminders of whatThat Manhad done to their home fourteen years ago. Emira and Edric were born eight years into The Ten-Year War, meaning they saw the worst of it. Amity had been alive to see the very end of it as an infant, and for the last fourteen years of her life, she had to grow up knowing that she was a byproduct of that era in history.

From the day she was born, her mother told her that she knew that she would be special. Special in a way that other Unique children like herself would be jealous of. While her mother would never tell her why that was, she figured that there was a reason. Emira and Edric had told her that she only existed because ofThat Manand his goals. That what he had done to their mother and father was akin to butchering them.

WhatThat Manhad done to her family was beyond anything that she could ever begin to fathom. But she knew thatHewas responsible for the disarray her house was in.Hewas the sole reason for it, in fact. If it wasn’t forHimshe could’ve probably lived a far better life.

Father was reluctant to even look Amity in the eyes on the best of days, her siblings wanted nothing to do with her, and her mother coddled her and showered her in gifts to make her feel loved. She was a child of circ*mstance. An experiment made by a madman. She had read the sole journal that was left behind byThat Manabout a year ago, and from there she learnt the reason why she was born.

The only reason why she existed was apparently to “get back what was rightfully his”. Whatever that meant. She knew nothing ofThat Man. All she knew was that he was a monster and that he had destroyed whatever semblance of a normal life she could’ve had. This brought her back to why she was so panicked about the idea of having to go to Hexside.

She was a witch by blood, but she didn’t have a functioning Bile Sac. She was a walking paradox. Her mere existence was contradictory, and because of that, she had very few friends. The only real friends she had were Boscha and Willow. However, in the case of Boscha, her friendship with the three-eyed redhead was purely coincidental because Willow was her friend.

So, with very few people by her side, and in a place that focusedonlyon magic, the very thing that she couldn’t do because of an experiment that she had no say in due to the fact that she was nothing but a clump of cells at the time, her life for the next three or so years was going to suck. She couldn’t join a coven, so she would be ostracized by that alone. The only reason she had to go there was to make friends and listen to lectures that didn’t apply to her.

“This is going to suck…”Amity thought as the sound of someone knocking on her bedroom door reverberated around the room. The door creaked open, as a much older-looking version of Amity stepped into the room. The differences were that her hair was completely mint green with no brown roots, and her eyes were sky blue.

The older woman, Amity’s mother, was dressed in a violet blouse with a white waistcoat, a pair of navy blue pants and gray-heeled boots. The waistcoat had a triple interlocking orb pattern dancing throughout it, and her boots had straps instead of laces.

“Amity, dear… How are you feeling?” Her mother questioned as Amity frowned.

“Nervous… the other kids are going to mock me, Mom…. Boscha already jokes about it and I can tell Willow is anxious to be around me,” Amity said, her mother scoffing in response.

“Boscha is a rapschallian, so that’s to be expected. Willow is one second away from having a mental breakdown most days, so her being anxious isn’t too unusual. She’s scared of her own shadow most of the time, so it doesn’t have anything to do with you, dear.”

Amity clenched her right hand into a fist. When she did, her skin formed to her muscles as her body tensed. For a kid her age, she had a surprising amount of muscle. The reason for it was because of what she was born with. She had to, less she accidentally used it and did irreparable damage to herself—not that she would ever have a reason to use it. She practiced with it every other day with today being a break day, so she had good control over it, but the point still stood.

Her mother sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Amity. You need to have more faith in yourself. You might not be able to use Magic, but you have a Gift. A Gift that, while it was forced upon you byThat Man, at the very least you’ll be stronger than all the rest. Magic can only take a Witch so far when they’re restricted to only one thing. You’reUnique. Don’t forget about that.”

Amity smiled. Her mother always knew what it was that needed to be said to cheer her up. Although, it was odd. Her father, Alador, had said that before Amity was born, her mother, Odalia, was a far more distant woman. Far more reserved and hardly ever showed love to anyone. But afterThat Manupended everything, she changed.

Amity took that to mean it was a good thing. Her father seemed to find it strange, but Amity was glad that she never met the old version of her mother. Emira and Edric had been too young to remember what their mother was like beforeThat Manchanged her.

Like Amity, her mother had a shrivelled up Bile Sac, but that was because of whatThat Manhad done to her. He had forced upon her a Gift. A Gift that allowed her to gain physical strength over time.That Manhad also done the same thing to her father, giving him a power that allowed the passage of his power down to someone else, which he had done immediately after Amity had been born, upon coming into contact with his DNA.

It was so his Bile Sac worked again. After three years, it started working again. Only now was it back to its previous splendour. He could go back to work to perfecting Abomination Magic, which was the Coven he was placed into when he was still a student at Hexside.

Apparently, it was a copy ofThat Man’sBrothers Gift, or at least, what it had been before it changed into what he was looking for, namely because he couldn’t get the two Gifts to merge within his body, so he had to do something else to get them to. The journal belonging toThat Manhad explained if the two Gifts merged when creating a child, then the result would be what he was looking for. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the perspective,Hewas chased off before Amity was born.

If he was still around though, he would have learned that he had succeeded.

“Yo, Mom,” Edric’s voice, though barely audible, came from the hallway leading to her room. “Emira and I are off to school now!”

“Alright, stay safe!” Her mother called out, before sighing. She let go of Amity’s shoulder. “Amity, I know you’re nervous, but you have to go next week. I can’t keep homeschooling you forever. You’re fourteen years old, and you only have one friend.”

“But Boscha—”

“I don’t count Boscha because she’s a rude, imputant, little gremlin child who doesn’t know how to behave herself around others,” Her mother snarked, crossing her arms. “The only reason why I allow you to remain friends with her is because I know her mother, and I know she’s trying to get her to stop being that way. Besides, Willow was right the last time she came over. You need more friends. Just because you don’t have Magic, doesn’t mean you can’t be a powerful protector of the Isles.”

Even though her mother had said that Amity didn’t believe it. How could she beanythingof worth to anyone? She was a witch without Magic, cursed with a Gift she didn’t even want but was forced to have due to circ*mstances. She was the kind of person who shouldn’t exist. She was something that polite society would see as nothing but a misbegotten waste of flesh that should’ve been terminated.

She was, for lack of a better title, a waste of skin.

“Alright…” But even so, she couldn’t let her Mom know that was what she truly thought. The last thing she wanted her mother to do was to worry about someone like her. Half the family hated her guts anyway. She didn’t need her mother to lose sleep over her.

“Thank you, dear,” Odalia said, enveloping the teen in a hug before letting go and stepping back. She frowned, leaning forward and sweeping her hand across Amity’s bangs. Amity cringed as her mother started messing with her hair, trying to make it less messy and more refined. “You need to brush your hair more. Seriously, this is ridiculous. Also, I told you to stop dying your hair. I know you want to look like your siblings but I think brown hair suits you better anyway.”

“Mom…” Amity groaned, earning a smirk from Odalia.

“Yes, I read your Diary. It’s your fault for leaving it out on the counter last night. I told you what would happen if you did,” Odalia said, satisfied with Amity’s hair no longer looking like a severe case of bedhead, as Amity blushed in embarrassment.

“MOM!”

Amity, now thoroughly flustered, watched as her mother full-on belly laughed at her daughter’s displeasure. Not in a mean-spirited kind of way, but more in a “the look on your face is priceless” kind of way. She wiped a single tear from her eye before smiling. “You get embarrassed easily, Amity. See? This is why you need more friends. You’re embarrassment threshold would be far higher if you actually went out and talked to people.”

“Yeah, well… I! Um… Hmmm,” as much as Amity wanted to argue, Odalia was right. Maybe sheshouldgo out more. In a week, she’d be going to school—proper, actual school with teachers and other students—so this would be the last week of her life inside. Besides, The Coven Convention was going to be happening in the next few days, on the 12^th, which was only four days away. If she wanted to go, she’d need to actually get used to being around people.

“See? I’m right! I don’t know why you keep trying to argue with me. It’s useless. I was a kid too, Amity. You’re just like me when I was a kid. The only difference is that you aren’t a brat,” Odalia said, before turning to leave. “If you are going out, though, if anything happens, what you do, donotuse your Gift unless necessary. I don’t want you accidentally destroying something.”

“You know that won’t happen, Mom. I have excellent control over it. I’m not a baby anymore,” Amity said as Odalia shrugged.

“No, but I know you, Amity. You’re like your father in that way. Youthinkyou have control over a situation when in reality you don’t. You can hardly control anything above a small percentage of it, and even then—”

“Mom…” Amity ground out, earning a sigh from her mother.

“You get the point. Just… don’t do something stupid. If you go out, stick close to the house. And remember, if someone you don’t know asks you to go with them, what do you do?”

“Tell them I’m busy and that I’m needed elsewhere,” Amity said as Odalia nodded.

“Correct. And if they continue to follow after you?”

“Tell them that I’ll get the attention of the Emperor’s Coven nearby,” Amity continued as Odalia hummed in approval.

“Good. Now, if they try and grab you, what do you do?” Odalia continued as Amity frowned.

“Tell them no.”

“And if they don’t take no for an answer?”

“Break their face,” Amity replied, a spark of purple lightning jumping off of her right fist. Odalia smiled, exiting the doorway and heading down the hall, leaving Amity to herself. She looked down at her dress, seeing a stain and frowning.

Maybe she should change her dress before she left….

And so, that was exactly what she did. She switched the black dress to a white one with a golden belt instead of the gray one she had been using with her black dress. She also swapped out the orchid leggings for black ones to contrast the white dress.

Was it a bit pretentious? Probably. Wearing lighter-coloured clothes was seen as flaunting wealth because lighter fabrics were far more expensive than the more common darker fabrics. Not only was getting the actual fabric to make lighter-coloured clothing far harder than getting darker material, but it was also extremely expensive to hire the right person in the Construction Coven, specifically someone who worked with fabrics, and if they were even willing to make things out of lighter fabrics. Then came the prices…

“Ugh… the prices…”She shuttered to think how much Mother had spent on getting half of her clothes made. But, then again, when one was a part of the Blight Family, a high-ranking Noble family, it wasexpectedto wear light-coloured clothing, especially when going out and about.

Exiting her room and closing the door behind her, Amity hurriedly walked down the hall, passing the prestigious brickwork that kept their house together, she made a sharp right turn down the hall and practically ran down the stairs.

Once she got to the first floor, she passed by the living room, not even giving it a second glance before slipping on her footwear. They were a pair of gray-heeled boots, a gift from her father on her 13^thbirthday. They still somehow fit her despite having grown since then. She was grateful. The last thing she wanted was new boots because they were really comfortable.

Just before she left her house, she snagged her purse from a hanger just by the door and slipped it over her shoulder. Checking her purse, she sighed. Only 700 Snails. Granted, that was a lot of money for a kid her age, but that wasn’t enough to get what she wanted.

Oh well, she could make do with what she had.

Exiting the Blight Manor, Amity hurriedly scrambled to get to the nearby market. The longer she was out in public, the more there was a chance for her to be spotted. Everyone knew who Amity Blight was, if only because of her name.

The Blight Family is one of, if not the wealthiest family in The Boiling Isles due to their direction connection with Emperor Belos, and her father’s rivalry with Darius Deamonne, the head of the Abomination Coven.

And, of course, with that came their fair share of enemies. Most were political in nature, but others genuinely hated her family. Most of it had to do with the fact that whenThat Manshowed up, they harboured him in their home. It wasn’t her mother’s fault. At the time she saw it was a good idea, unaware of the consequences it would have.

A lot of the blame for the Ten-Year War fell into the lap of the Blight House. The Emperor didn’t blame them, but conversations with him had been very hostile as of late. It was almost like he was beginning to realize that they were, in fact, somewhat responsible for what had happened twenty-four years ago.

If only her mother hadn’t made that mistake… maybe things would’ve been better for her family. Sure, they were the wealthiest, but all of that wealth was more of a curse than a benefit. That kind of wealth attracted more enemies than allies or people who would wish to get on their good side, only to try and drain money from them.

That… was also why Amity had very few friends. Willow, and to an extent Boscha, saw her as an actual person rather than just the name “Blight.” And even then, the prestige behind the name was as shiny as a dull Snail coin, what with their current reputation.

The market was only a short walk away from their manor. Twenty minutes in total. Upon getting there, Amity snaked her way through the crowd, trying not to be seen. She was going to a specific booth in the marketplace, hoping it was open.

See, there was one thing that Amity liked getting while in the marketplace. Well, two things. The first thing she didn’t have enough money for at the moment, but the second thing was viable for her to get. Her mother might not like her dying her hair, but she needed to get more hair dye.

Blights were known to have their mint-green hair. Sure, looking like a Blight wasn’t a good idea, especially with how the world saw her family, but if it annoyed her sh*tty siblings then she would do it. They could be spiteful, but she was far worse.

There was only one place that sold the dye that she was looking for—the only dye that was compatible with her colour of hair, anyway—and it was a little further into the market than most. She just hoped she hadn’t been chased off yet….

Finally, after getting to the correct stall, she bent over to catch her breath, greedily taking gulps of air as a snicker came from just in front of her. “Damn, kiddo, you in a rush or something?”

Amity stood up straight, staring at the vendor with a small smile on her face. The vendor was an old woman, wearing a green do-rag over her ears and forehead. Dressed in a light red dress, with pale skin and grey hair, the vendor was recognizable as only one individual.

“Well, I know you pack up shop around this time. I almost completely forgot to come here. Please tell me you’re not closed, Eda,” Amity said, keeping her voice low so as to not the guard’s attention.

Eda was a wanted fugitive due to her use of Wild Magic. She was known as The Owl Lady, due to her close association with Owls. It wasn’t very creative, but then again the Emperor’s Coven was never really creative with naming their fugitives.

“Well… I was about to pack up for the day, but since you’re here…” Eda began, before diving under her booth, the sound of rummaging coming from it, the older woman pulled out a tube of the special dye that Amity used. She smiled, placing it on the table. “I can stay open long enough for you to make this purchase. Same price as usual, 500 Snails.”

Amity opened her purse, and placed the required cash on the table, earning a nod from Eda. Amity grabbed the dye off of the table, placed it in her purse, and closed it. “Thank you, Eda.”

“It’s no biggie. Though… it might be a while before I can restock the stuff,” Eda said as Amity raised an eyebrow.

“Uh… why? Just curious,” Amity asked as Eda frowned.

“Well, the place I get the stuff is kinda… gone. Dunno how, but that’s what Owlbert said. Some massive explosion happened and the place just… vanished. Owlbert only just barely got away in time…” There was a hint of concern in Eda’s voice. The kind reserved for a parent to a child.

Most Witches, even Eda, saw their Palismans as extensions of themselves. In The Boiling Isles, losing a Palisman was akin to losing a child. Most who do never pick up magic again. The kind of bond a Palisman and a Witch have is inseparable. When one dies, the other typically never finds a new partner unless forced to.

“I’m glad he got back safely,” Amity said, earning a nod from Eda.

“Thanks, kid. Alright, I gotta go before the authorities try their garbage.” As she said that, Amity nodded in understanding, backing away from the shop. As she did, she knocked into someone, tripping and falling backward. She would’ve hit the ground if it weren’t for thin vines wrapping around her waist and stopping her from falling.

“Sorry. I should’ve watched where I was going,” an unfamiliar voice spoke. It was feminine and sounded about her age. The vines lifted her up from floating in mid-air, and when he got to her feet, she turned to face the person she bumped into.

They were about her height, with crimson red eyes and starch white hair. Their skin was darker than her own, and she was dressed in a black hoodie, blue pants, and black running shoes. The vines that had wrapped around her waist had come from herfingers. So she wasUniquelike her… that was rare.

“N-No! It’s completely on me,” Amity replied, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. “I shouldn’t have been backing up so carelessly…”

The white-haired teen shrugged, slipping her hand into her pocket. A small smile took up her visage, “Well, either way, it doesn’t matter. I should really get…” She paused, looking over to Eda. Amity did the same thing and noticed that the woman was staring intently at the teen. There was a hint of recognition in her eyes. Did these two know each other?

“You look like someone I wished I never knew…” Eda said as the white-haired teen raised an eyebrow.

“I do? That’s a shame,” the teen replied, before turning away. “Well. I have places to be. Before I go, can I get your name?” The teen asked, looking at Amity.

“O-Oh! A-Amity! I-um… my name’s Amity. Amity Blight. And you?”

The teen went to open her mouth but stopped, almost like what she was going to say was wrong. A conflicted gleam made itself apparent in her eyes before she cleared her throat. “Toshiko. Toshiko Shigaraki. A pleasure to meet you. I gotta go. See you later, Amity.”

And just like that, Toshiko walked away. When Amity looked over her shoulder at Eda, she was gone. Her stall was gone. Amity sighed. Well, that was to be expected. She couldn’t have stayed around for much longer anyway.

So, with nothing else better to do. Amity began to walk back to her house. As she did, she couldn’t stop thinking about Toshiko. Her family name. Shigaraki… it was the same asThat Man’sname. Perhaps she was related toHim.

No… if she was, then she didn’t seem like it.That Manwas a monster, and she seemed nice. Not to mention she waskind ofcute. In a platonic sort of way, of course… Totally… But that was beside the point. Hopefully, they could become friends. Having a friend that was like her might actually make things easier.

After all, her mother did say she needed to make more friends. Maybe bumping into her was a sign that things would get better.

At least, she hoped that was the case. Because if things didn’t get better for her soon… what would be the point of living?

Amity dismissed those thoughts. She didn’t havetimeto deal with that today. She had other, more important things to focus on. Such as what she was going to do for the rest of the day. There was still plenty of time left in the day, and she had a feeling her mother wanted her to be out for longer than 20 minutes.

Well, there was always the library. Besides, she had her mother put a book on hold for her when she was there last, so perhaps it was ready for pickup. She could spend the rest of the afternoon reading, and then go home in time for dinner.

Yeah. That was what she was going to do. She had nothing else better to do today. So she might as well spend the rest of the afternoon doing something she liked doing. It wasn’t like her mother couldn’t contact her and call her home. That was what the necklace was for.

Maybe today was a good day after all.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 25: S3, P1 - Ep 2: A Late Start To A Wacky World - Part 2

Chapter Text

[A Late Start To A Wacky World – Part 2]

[12 Hours ago…]

“From here on out, you are going to need a new identity, Luz,” Rikitatsu said, as Luz stood before him in the vestige world, which she had been dragged into once she found a comfortable, out-of-the-way alleyway to sleep in since she had no home in this new world she had found herself in.

It had been three days since she had gotten any real sleep, and she desperately needed it. Luz stared at Rikitatsu, an unreadable expression on her face as Rikitatsu continued. “After all, you’re current identity has done nothing but haunt you, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, I wonder whose fault that is,” Luz bit back, her crimson eyes narrowing. “If it wasn’t for… thisI wouldn’t be in this situation now would I?” She said, gesturing to the vestige world surrounding them. Rikitatsu frowned, crossing his arms.

“If you’re trying to imply that your problems are my fault, I don’t see how that is possible. After all, it wasn’t me who made you go through that death camp. It wasn’t me who sent assassins after you. And it wasn’t me that destroyed your home. Those go to Maxwell, Wittebane, and The Golden Guard respectively.”

“But it was your power that—”

“Incorrect,” Rikitatsu interrupted, making Luz frown. “It isn’t my power anymore. You’ve done the one thing I was never able to do. You Awakened the Quirk. From this point forward, I know nothing except the basics. This is your Quirk now, not mine.” As he said that, he walked up to Luz, and placed a hand on her shoulder, making the teen look down at the ground. “I’m proud of you. You did the one thing that I could never do in life. And for that, I am thankful.”

“Proud… of me?” Luz muttered, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “Mama was the only one to have ever said that to me… and it was only once… When I got an A on a Spanish test in the fifth grade….”

“Well, now I’ve said it. It might not mean much to you, Luz. But what you did has proven to me that you are not only a worthy successor, but a far superior user ofAll For One. It only took you the length of a typical summer vacation to do something I could never do in my 150 years of living,” Rikitatsu praised, as Luz looked up at him, her expression breaking from a neutral gaze to verging on tears. This caught the man genuinely off guard. “Luz…? Are you alright—”

She hugged him. Hugged him and cried. Rikitatsu had no idea what the hell was going on but she hugged him. He stood there, confused, arms in the air as she cried into his shirt.

For a second, she almost looked like Yoichi…

Yoichi…. His brother. God, that man was such a pathetic waste of air. Sickly, to the point of hardly being able to walk. It was Rikitatsu’s fault, too. Back when they were in their mother's womb, he had stolen all of the nutrients, leaving him with nothing. It wasn’t as if he wanted to do that. It was a thing that sometimes happened with twins.

Throughout most of their childhood, while they lived on the streets barely surviving day by day, Yoichi was always like a puppy dog. Pathetic, mewling, and always pestering him. But even so, he loved his brother to bits. It was why he put him in that vault. Not out of cruelty, but to protect him from the outside elements. Sure, he was cruel to those around him. But not to his family.

Never to his family.

It was why he had been so distraught and furious when he found that Yoichi had escaped the vault. Broken out by Kudo Bakugo and Atsushi Kinokage, where not too long after he was broken out, he died due to exposure to the elements thanks to his horrendous immune system and his inability for his blood to clot.

Such a weak, frail, and pathetic man. Yet, a man who he loved as a brother with all of his blackened heart. It was why he hunted after One For All. To reclaim what was his. His brother. He didn’t care about the power that it had. He cared about his brother. There was no other reason why he wanted One For All.

To that end, Luz was just a means to an end. Get to his world, have her steal One For All from All Might or whoever he gave it to, and then override her body and come back to life stronger than ever. With an evolved version of his Quirk, he would be unstoppable, and he could reclaim his empire from those who stole it.

And yet… something sparked in his heart. Something… changed. For the briefest of seconds, the way Luz had grabbed onto him and the way how she bawled hysterically into his stomach reminded him of Yoichi whenever he got upset. Or whenever he saw someone dead on the street.

This girl, who looked nothing like Yoichi… reminded him of Yoichi.

“I’ve known, since the very beginning, that deep down there is a spark of good in you. It’s just buried deep within that hateful soul of yours. I know you’re better than this, Brother. We can both be better than this. So please, stop this! Stop doing what you’re doing. Stop hurting people, and help out! Don’t be cruel to the world just because it was cruel to us!”

Those were the last words that Yoichi had ever spoken to him before he was let out of the vault by the Second and Third users of One For All. It was a bunch of nonsense. Him? Having a spark of Good? What a bunch of heroic malarkey.

And yet… if that was the case, why did he suddenly feel bad for Luz? Up to this point, he had never felt such a thing. Sure, she had gone through a lot of objectively horrible stuff no child should ever have to deal with. But he never once cared, only phoning it in when she needed a morality boost to get through a particularly nasty moment.

So then why did he care now?

He lowered his arms and wrapped them around her, embracing her like he used to do with Yoichi when they were young. “It’s… going to be alright, Noceda,” Rikitatsu said, holding his successor as she cried. “I…” he paused. Damnit, what the hell was he supposed to say now? It had been so long since he had to think about something nice to say. “Take a deep breath, and calm yourself.”

Luz’s breath hitched, sniffling as she did so. She pulled away as he let go, rubbing at her eyes as she stared at the ground. “I-I’m sorry. I-I just…”

“You’ve been through a lot. More than any child should have to go through. But you survived. That’s all that is important,” Rikitatsu said in earnest, letting out a sigh. “Back to our earlier topic. You need to change your name. The name “Luz Noceda” has done nothing but drag you through the mud. And with Wittebane still at large and most likely in this world as well, I believe it best to become someone else.”

Luz nodded, letting out one last shaky breath. “Yeah… that would be pretty smart, actually…”

“If it helps things, I already have an idea,” Rikitatsu said, clearing his throat. “It may not be an English name, but it still fits you nonetheless. Should you agree, your new identity will be Toshiko, and, because you are my successor, you will inherit my last name of Shigaraki.”

The white-haired teen looked up at Rikitatsu, and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. “Toshiko… what does it mean? I hardly know anything about the Japanese language. But I do know names have meaning. What does Toshiko mean?”

“Clever Child, of which you are. It could also mean Sharp or Quick Child, all of which apply to intelligence over anything else. For what it’s worth, it’s true. You are quite clever and creative. As for Shigaraki… well, it translates to something of the effect of a Family Tree Who Has A Grasp On Death. Which, considering everything, makes sense.”

The second user of All For One hummed, cupping her chin in thought. After a few seconds, she looked back up at Rikitatsu and nodded, a gleam of recognition in her eyes as she spoke. “Then so be it. I am Toshiko Shigaraki.”

[Present]

“That girl had a Quirk… Amity, was it? I’ll remember that…”Toshiko thought, frowning. She looked down at her right hand, staring at the hole in her palm. For a split second, blood flashed over it, thick with crimson and dripping to the ground. It wasn’t real. A hallucination. A reminder of the blood that stained her hands. Of the pain and death she brought all those months ago.

In truth, she always knew, in the back of her mind that when she saw all of those whom she called friends dead, she too died that day. Luz Noceda had died, and in her place was Toshiko Shigaraki. A girl who had nothing but hate for those who killed her friends. Oh, sure, she paraded around the name Luz, but she hadn’t truly been Luz. She was just… taking her place, so to speak.

Luz had died the day everyone else had. Toshiko merely wore her skin and stole her name. But now, she didn’t need that. She didn’t need her name anymore. She was in a different world, meaning she had no longer had to hang onto the past.

The teen sighed, looking forward. She was going to need to find a place to stay. Especially because of what she heard about the rain. Sure, her regeneration would prevent her from dying if she was ever caught out at night during a rain storm, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be annoying. The question was where would she go?

She knew exactlynothingabout this place. The most she knew was that Witches, the primary species in this place, were magical beings that had Magic rather than Quirks. She wondered if she could steal a person’s magic. If it was possible, she’d need to find someone to test that on. For now, though, she needed to focus on what was next—finding a place to stay.

As she walked, the dirt road crunching under her boots, she kept an eye open, just in case someone tried something stupid. She doubted anyone would actually try to attack her, but on the off chance that someone did, she wanted to know where it would come from.

Toshiko was in a place that she hardly knew. She needed to have her guard up at all times, regardless of the situation. It was better to be safe than to be sorry. She learnt that the hard way….

As she aimlessly wandered the streets of this town—Bonesborough, she had heard it called—she eventually found an entrance into nature. Tall black barked trees with orange leaves, made it appear as if this place was perpetually Autumn. The orange grass was kind of weird, but then again, thiswasa new world. So nature would be different here, too.

As she walked toward the forest, looking to see what else there was to see, from her right, she saw someone approach. They were wearing a blue shirt with a buttoned collar, with white leather pants. Glasses sat in front of his narrowed dark blue eyes that were slanted—kind of like what Rikitatsu’s eyes were shaped like.

She stared at them, frowning as they approached. He was bulkier than some of the other people she had seen. His hair was black, with spikes pointing backward. He was also wearing a pair of dark brown boots with furred linings.

As he approached, his expression became increasingly enraged. That was when she realized why. She had read a book about how Rikitatsu had been here. She shared his appearance. Red eyes and white hair. Apparently, he had put these people through hell.

And she looked like him.

“Sir. I will only tell you this once,” Toshiko began, standing her ground as she stared down the man. From the distance, she could see a girl her age hiding behind a building. She had greenish-blue hair and green eyes. Her skin was pale just like his, and just like him, he had glasses. She was dressed in a yellow shirt and black pants. Toshiko was able to put two and two together. This man was her father. “For the sake of your daughter back there, whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t do it.”

It fell on deaf ears. Toshiko sighed. She didn’t want to have to do anything. But as he continued to approach, and as he clenched his right hand into a fist, she realized he was going to attempt to strike at her. When he finally made it to her, he grit his teeth, reeled back his fist, and shouted. “THIS IS FOR HARVEY!”

“Harvey… did you kill a man named Harvey?”

“I did. But that was only because he had actually been able to pierce my skin. I couldn’t allow that.”

As the man’s fist came close to her, she sighed. “Then allow me to take you to him.”

She raised her hand, and when she did, her fingers turned into sharp spears. Then burst forth at blinding speeds, and impaled through the man’s shoulder, stomach, right eye, left knee, and through his fist. Blood trickled to the ground as Toshiko retractedSpear Fingers. As the man fell to the ground, she knocked him over, his body hitting the grass with an unceremonious thud.

Crouching, Toshiko stared at the man as he sputtered blood out of his mouth, the life liquid pooling around. His eyes narrowed in her direction, earning a frown from the teen. “I told you it was a bad idea.” Standing up, Toshiko sighed and glanced over where the girl was hiding. Her hands were covering her mouth, tears threatening to escape from her eyes. If it wasn’t for that girl…

“I’m not a monster. I would never take away a father from their daughter. Not intentionally, anyway. So, let this be a lesson. Don’t attack people just because they look like your friend and or husband’s killer.” She activatedSpear Fingersagain, impaling the man for a second time. Only, this time, they flashed green.

This was because herSuper RegenerationQuirk was activated. With it having evolved, she could imbue any physical Quirk of hers with it and heal someone.

His wounds were stitched back together in the blink of an eye, almost as if nothing had happened in the first place. RetractingSpear Fingers, she turned and began to walk away, hands in her pockets as the man sat up, looking at his hands.

Whatever he did after that, Toshiko didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was finding a place to stay. Maybe a cave. Or, hell, she’d take an abandoned tree house or cabin, as cliché as those places were to be haunted.

Little did she know that someone was following her.

Eda had to admit when she saw that girl impale Gilbert, she was seconds away from attacking her to protect a friend. But when she did it again and healed him, she stopped.

She looked likehim.The monster that she had inadvertently brought here, and yet, she acted nothing like him. Well, not entirely anyway. She was two for one at the moment. Two good deeds and one bad deed.

When Eda heard her name, Toshiko Shigaraki, memories of bodies stacked atop a pile, smouldering in a bright flame with a madman standing on top of them, red eyes glaring down at a group of soliders, with her standing next to her sister and Emperor Belos of all people. It was probably the only time that she and Belos ever agreed on something. And that was the defeat of that madman.

It took their combined effort to defeat that man. Her sister paid a horrible price in losing her arm and right eye, whereas Belos had to turn into that monster he called his “DayBreaker” form. A monster that was just as ugly and disgusting as he was as a person.

Although, despite his frail-looking appearance in that form, he was incredibly strong to the point of shattering one of the ribs of The Titan with his fist alone trying to hit The Interloper.

Her reason for following this Toshiko kid was to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid. Staring at the back of her head as she entered the forest, Eda approached Gilbert, putting a hand on his shoulder, looking away from the girl, her attention now on the man in question. “Hey, Gil, you good?”

“I…” he was stunned into silence, staring at his hands with wide, frightened eyes. It was the correct response, all things considered. He looked up at her, shaking his head and standing up. “I’m… alright, Eda. I don’t know what came over me… I just…”

“Sawhiminstead of the kid? Yeah. Happened to me too when I first laid eyes on her. Freaky, yeah? At least she healed you with those creepy fingers of hers,” Eda remarked as Gilbert frowned.

“I shouldn’t have attacked her or tried to, anyway. I almost died… Willow would’ve been without a Dad… I don’t want her to be homeless…”

Gilbert had been going through dire straits as of late. Most people tried to stay away from the “dangerous” Owl Lady. Even if she wasn’t actively being hunted by The Emperor’s Coven anymore after her assistance against The Interloper, she was wanted for not falling under a Coven. Though The Emperor had given her a pardon for all of her “crimes”, there were still members of The Emperor's Coven who had it out for her.

That was beside the point. The point was that most people didn’t want to associate with her because of her status as “The Owl Lady.” But… Well Harvey died at the hands of that madman, it broke Gilbert. He had come to her so she could put him out of his misery, but she refused. Harvey wouldn’t have wanted that.

Besides, if he hadn’t lived on, who would’ve been Willow’s parent? The poor orphan would’ve been stuck in that horrible orphanage for the rest of her life. Besides, she was a nice kid, and she deserved to have a good life. A life that Eda wouldn’t have been able to give her if she had chosen to adopt her instead.

“Well, let’s hope that never happens, yeah, Gil?” Eda said, hoisting the man up from off the ground. When he stood up, Willow came running out from the sidelines and tackled her father in a hug.

“Y-You’re okay!” The short kid said in a shaky voice, tears threatening to cascade down her face as Gilbert enveloped his daughter in a hug. Eda decided that was her que to leave. Besides, she had a girl to track down.

Her curiosity was getting the better of her. That, and if that Toshiko kid came across her house, she would be in for a rude awakening… Especially ifhesaw her.

Ifhesaw her… well, that would be a disaster. A fight would break out. It wasn’thimEda was worried about. It was that kid. Doesn’t matter how strong she thought she was, ifhefought her, it would be extremely bad, to say the very least.

So, with that in mind, Eda began to run for that Toshiko kid. Both because she was really starting to cut it close for being home, and also to make surehedidn’t see her before Eda got there to mediate things.Hecould get very defensive and might start something without meaning to.

Hewas well-meaning, but if he reacted in any way like Gilbert did… it would bebad.

Very, very bad. For everyone involved.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 26: S3, P1 - Ep 3: A Late Start To A Wacky World - Part 3

Chapter Text

[A Late Start To A Wacky World – Part 3]

“900 Snails, take it or leave it, kid,” a cycloptic shopkeeper said, his voice deep and gruff sounding as a scowl took up his grey-skinned visage. Amity frowned, an annoyed gleam in her eyes as she stared up at the shopkeeper who had been more than double her height. During her outing on the town, Amity had decided to stay in the market district to see if she could get something else that had been on her Want List. Unfortunately, she was 700 hundred Snails short.

The object in question was a black diamond ring, with a gold-encrusted band with smaller red jewels within it. A gift she had planned to get for her mother, seeing as her birthday was coming up in a few days. She was turning 36, and last year Amity had felt guilty about not getting her anything. Not because her mother had guilted her about it—as a matter of fact, Odalia had constantly said that the only thing that she considered as a gift was her, though Amity personally didn’t agree with that.

All Amity wanted was to give something to her mother that meant something. The odd doodle here and there was nice and all, and her mother appreciated it a lot, but she wanted to give her something of value. Of real material value. After all, that’s what most children do for their parents, right? Boscha had said so, and even Willow had with whatever money she could scrounge up. It always felt so weird to Amity why she hadn’t, even if her mother hadn’t expected her to.

The problem was finding something to get her. After all, what did you give to the woman who already had everything that she could’ve possibly wanted? It was like trying to find a gift to give to Emperor Belos. It was impossible, especially considering that her mother was as rich as she was. There was nothing worse than that creeping feeling of uselessness that crept up inside of Amity’s heart when she couldn’t fulfil the dreams of her mother, even if her mother could’ve cared less about material desires.

She had been fretting for weeks trying to think of something, anything that she could potentially get for her mother's birthday, and had just been ready to give up. That was when Amity overheard her mother talking to her father that if there was anything that she wanted in the whole world, aside from their marriage, it was a black diamond ring. But she specified that she didn’t want to buy it herself. She wanted it to be a gift because if she bought it herself, it would depreciate its value in her eyes.

While her father had brushed it off as drunken ramblings, because she had a bit too much wine that night, Amity didn’t. Her mother had a hard time being honest with her regarding things that she wanted and or expected of her. While on the surface her mother had said that Amity had been her whole world, deep down she knew that wasn’t the case.

Deep down, Amity knew that her mother wanted something. Everyone wanted something. That was just how people worked in general. Everyone always coveted something that they had been wanting for years now but had never been able to get it for some stupid reason or another. And while it had been an anomaly for what her mother wanted, now she knew. It was a black diamond ring.

And so, with that information she now had, that was what she had been looking for. She was going to get her mother that black diamond ring. And she had been in luck! But now that she had found it, she was 100 Snails off. It had frustrated her to no end, but there was nothing she could do about it. With a dejected sigh, she bowed her head. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, good sir,” Amity said as the shopkeeper huffed.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever kid. Now get. You’re taking up line space,” the shopkeeper rumbled, as Amity walked away, the annoyed gleam in her eye intensifying as her frown deepened. He didn’t need to talk to her like that. Then again, he was a Cyclops. Cyclops were known for their lack of patience and manners. They were often seen as the dredges of society, even below Unique individuals.

That wasn’t to say that she felt the same way, mind you. Her mother raised her better than that. She wasn’t like her siblings. She wasn’t a racist. That was her father’s department. Her father had been the one to do most of the raising when it came to those two, as her mother was mostly focused with her and making sure she didn’t accidentally break anything as a toddler.

The streets of the Market District were filled with vendors of all kinds. Trolls, Cyclops, other Witches, and Demons of all sorts like Spider Demons, Bat Demons, and so on and so forth. There were a lot of different species in The Boiling Isles, and atop of that there was a cast system. Witches were at the top, followed by Demons, Unique Children, Cyclops, and finally Trolls.

Amity didn’t care for the specifics, but she knew that aside from Cyclops, Trolls were the ones that got the most brunt of the beatings. They were often treated less than dirt and were often victims of hate crimes. Even Cyclops used their higher power over them, which to Amity made no real sense—because why would beat down on someone lower than you?

Then again, considering just what kind of times she lived in, it was to be expected.

A sigh escaped Amity’s lips as she clutched her bag to her hip. She had to think of something to do. Her mother was going to want her back home any minute now. She had already been out for over two hours, and aside from the dye she had nothing to show for it. She needed to do something, anything to make that extra amount of money to get that ring.

As she stalked the market district, out of the corner of her eye, something had caught her attention. It was a poster flapping in the wind. It was dark brown and looked like it had been ripped up and torn apart. Curiosity took her over, as she walked over to the poster. It had been nailed to a wooden pole, and the poster itself looked like it was some kind of job application.

It was advertising an underground Witches duelling ring. It was being run by a man by the name of Perry Porter, and it even allowed Unique children to take part. As Amity scanned the paper, she saw the section about payment, and her eyes widened.

For every match that was won, the winner would receive 100 Snails, and they would progressively earn more Snails as the fights continued. There was a special tournament that was going ontodaythat would allow her to earn over 10,000 Snails in one go. All she had to do was win three other battles before the special event, and she would take home 10,000 Snails, a good chunk of which she could use to buy that ring her mother wanted!

Her eyes glimmered with joy! This was it, this was how she got the money that she needed. And what was better was that there were directions to where the fights were taking place and the time. She was also in luck, seeing as they were still taking participants for another hour. The place she was looking for wasn’t even an hour away. It was more or less a fifteen-minute jog.

Rolling up the poster, she opened her bag and put it inside, before turning in the direction she needed to go. She began to run, with a determined gleam in her eye. She was going to make whatever money she needed in order to get that ring. She’d be damned if she didn’t. Well, not really, but that ring was her chance to get her mom something worthwhile.

It didn’t take her long to reach the location. It was a small building on the outskirts of town. The market district wasn’t too far away from the outskirts, hence the short distance. While she wasn’t entirely out of breath, she was a little tired. Said building appeared to be a hut made of black wood, with circular windows. The roof was in the shape of a triangle as most roofs were, and there was a small brick chimney coming out of the top with a small amount of smoke billowing from the chimney. On the front door of the residence was a sign that said “Porter Residence. For tournament, go around back.”

Amity looked around the corner and saw nothing. Her eyebrows knit together, as a skeptical thought wormed around in the back of her head. Was the poster lying? Had she wasted her time? She hoped not….

Walking around to the rear of the building, Amity was just about to get extremely annoyed at the lack of finding anything, when she stumbled forward tripping on a small rock. As she fell, she brushed past what felt like curtains, and when she did, she found herself being caught by someone inches away from hitting the ground.

“Whoa! You alright?” A young-sounding voice asked as she was helped up. Getting to her feet, Amity turned to face the direction of the voice and was met with a kid who looked two years her junior. He had dark skin, meaning he had most likely grown up in Glandus. Those with naturally darker skin lived there, as it was more out in the sun which led to the skin having more melanin compared to other places.

He had dark brown hair and chocolate-coloured eyes. He was dressed in a blue shirt with black trousers, with a steel-chain necklace with what appeared to be the symbol for the Illusion coven attached to it. The sleeves of his shirt were light blue, with bands matching the same colour as his shirt. He also had dark brown boots with furred linings on, and most notable of all a smile on his face.

Amity smiled in kind, placing a hand on her chest. “I’m alright. Thank you for the save. What’s your name?”

“Augustus Porter. But, please, call me Gus. Augustus is too wordy,” Gus said as Amity nodded. “And I take it you’re here for the tournament? What’s your name so I can put you down on the list of participants,” Gus said, as Amity had only just noticed now that there was a clipboard in his other hand. She was able to take a peek at the amount of people who were attending the tournament. She counted roughly twenty-one names, none of which she recognized.

That wasn’t like it mattered. She was here to win. And with her Gift, she could probably beat them all. While she wasn’t a fan of her Gift, nor how it came to be, it was a powerful Gift all the same. There was a reason why her mother was so confident in her abilities. Clearing her throat, Amity bowed ever-so-slightly as her mother had taught her to do, and answered. “Amity Blight. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

As Gus wrote down her name, his expression became troubled, eyebrows furrowing as he looked up from his clipboard and at her. He gained an almost lopsided frown, before tilting his head to the left. “Hmm…” he hummed, before sighing, straightening his head as he spoke. “Come with me, Blight. My father was worried someone of the elite would come by. Nothing against you in particular, he just wants to ask you some questions.”

Amity nodded. She guessed this was technically illegal. But even so, she wouldn’t snitch to the Emperor's Coven. She needed the money, and she needed it fast. If she was lucky, this would only take her a few hours to clear.

If her mother asked where she was, then she would simply tell her that she had been caught up walking around town and that she had forgotten about the time. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done that before. On the rare occasions, Amity had left the house, that type of thing had happened. Her mother was understanding all the other times, so she saw no reason why she wouldn’t be understanding now.

Gus led her to what looked like a staircase that went underground, with two hatch doors opened on either side. Next to the underground entrance was a booth that she assumed Gus had been sitting in, waiting for potential contestants. Peering down the staircase, she noted that it went far underground, to the point where even with a lamp it would be difficult to see past the seventh step. Following Gus down the stairs, as they walked, lamps turned on, illuminating the dark stairwell. The sound of doors shutting behind them made Amity glance over her shoulder. The entrance doors had closed on their own, which made Amity get a nervous feeling in her chest.

The deeper they descended, the more her anxiety built up. Finally, after five minutes of pure walking, they made it to a landing with a pair of double doors. It had a pair of golden handles, with intricate vine-like patterns carved into it, with more blackened wooden doors. Similar carvings were made into the wood, which had fascinated Amity.

Gus opened the doors with a hefty push. He grunted, pushing them open with seemingly all of his might. Once he got them open, he gestured for her to enter. Doing as he had silently requested, she stepped through the doors. What she was met with was a spectacle, unlike anything she had seen before.

Beneath the humble town of Bonesborough, this place existed, hiding completely under their feet. It was yet another town, one that she did not know the name of. Hundreds of people, Troll, Cyclops, Demons and witches alike mingled as if it were normal. Rows and rows of houses seemingly made of mushrooms filled the streets, with other facilities in the distance like a school, a library, and even what appeared to be a museum.

In the center of it all was a massive colosseum the size of Hexside. Her eyes sparkled with amazement as she turned to face Gus, who had a smile on his face. “Welcome to The Underdark. A town that The Emperor doesn’t know about. A safe haven for those who had rejected society and cast aside the law. It’s been a passion project of my fathers ever since the end of the Ten-Year War following The Principals of The Interloper. Strength Above Status, Ideals Above Rules, and Emotions Above Morals.”

His eyes narrowed, crossing his arms as he frowned. “The Emperor cannot find out about this place. When I take you to my father, you will answer him honestly. Otherwise… well, I can’t vouch for your safety. Okay?”

Amity nodded again in understanding. And while this place was fashioned around the principles of the person who had destroyed The Boiling Isles and left it as it was now, she wasn’t one to force others to fall in line. Her mother, beyond all else, believed in freedom and so did she. Gus grunted in acknowledgement, gesturing for her to follow him.

Navigating the streets of The Underdark she realized was similar to navigating Bonesborough. From what she was experiencing the layout was the same. It was like an exact copy of the town above. The only differences were that lamps were replaced with glow-shrooms, dirt rounds were replaced by gravel roads, and there were far more Demons, Cyclops, and Trolls here than Witches.

The residents smiled and waved her in greeting and she would do the same. Even Trolls waved at her, though they didn’t smile. Mostly because their faces were formed into permanent neutral expressions or scowls. Their eyes showed their true emotion, and the Trolls she had seen seemed to be content with seeing her here.

The place that Gus was taking her to was a mushroom house taller than all the others that she had seen. Like most of the mushroom houses the walls were white due to their stocks, though the mushroom top had two more mushrooms growing out of it. Windows were carved into the stocks, though there was no glass. The doors were made out of stone, and there were no chimneys most likely because mushrooms were very flammable. Then again, it wasn’t like it was needed because the Underdark was supernaturally warm.

The mushroom tops were dark blue in colour, compared to the rest being either red or brown. Meaning this was most likely a place of power. If she were to guess the Porters probably owned his place. Gus approached the building as did she, and as he opened the door he turned to face her. “Just a word to the wise, my father is very, very strict when it comes to newcomers. He has trust issues after what happened during the war. While he may be kind to everyone else, he might not show that same kindness to you.”

“I understand,” Amity replied as Gus nodded. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to people being rude to her. Her siblings came to mind, though she quickly brushed it to the side as she entered the Porter residence. When she did, she was met with a humble abode. A carpet made of red and yellow wool, more than a handful of pictures of the Porter family, along with a kitchen off to the far left corner of the home.

On either side of the home, two hallways led to two different staircases. Over the left staircase, above it was a sign that said “Augustus’s quarters” and over to the right staircase there was a sign above it that said “Perry’s quarters.” Off to the far right corner of the home was a living room with bookshelves and several board games stacked atop one another on a coffee table, and near the center was a dining table.

Sitting at the dining table was who she assumed was Perry Porter. He looked old, easily in his mid-40s. Much like his son he had dark-coloured skin, though unlike his son’s straight hair, he had curly hair. His eyes were greyish-black, and he wore a pair of red thick-framed glasses. He was dressed in a casual white shirt and a pair of black pants with similar boots to Gus’s.

His eyes drifted over to where Amity stood, and as soon as he laid eyes on her he stood up. He was easily over six feet tall, and his broad and muscular appearance made him look intimidating, which became all the more apparent when he spoke. “Augustus. Who is this?” As he said that, voice low and baritone, Gus flinched. His voice contained a sharp edge to it, and seeing as Gus flinched it was clear that she wasn’t the only one who picked up on the barely concealed annoyance in his voice. “I’ve told you time and time again to not bring outsiders to The Underdark.”

“Father, she wants to be a part of the tournament. I brought her here because she’s a Blight, an Elite,” Gus replied, keeping a brave face as Perry’s eyes widened. He walked over to her, his eyes narrowed with whatappearedto be anger. Though it faded, along with his scowl. Replaced in its stead was a toothy grin, as he kneeled to her level.

“If it isn’t a Blight. The very family who aided The Interloper during the war! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Perry asked as Gus blinked, confusion taking up his visage.

“You’re not mad?” Gus questioned as Perry laughed, placing a hand on Gus’s shoulder.

“Mad? Why would I be mad at one of The Interloper's closest allies finding us? This has been the chance we’ve been waiting for. And if the rumour of someone going by Shigaraki on the surface is true, it seems our bid to overthrow Emperor Belos will come to pass yet!” Perry said, turning to face Amity. “If you wish to enter the tournament, then you have my blessing to do so. Although, I’d like you to send Odalia a message. Tell her this. Only she’ll understand it, as she spent the most time with the interloper and is fluent in the language he spoke. toki wa kita. kakumei wa mamonaku hazimaru. eikô aru sidôsya no tameni, wareware wa syôrisuru.”

The words flowed through her ears and imprinted into her mind. Whatever that meant, she made a mental note to tell her Mom that. “Alright. I’ll be sure to let her know.”

“Very good,” Perry said, standing up. “If that is all, the tournament is an hour away from starting. Head there now. Gus, take her there. I will be routing for you, Ms. Blight,” Perry said as Gus turned to face her, gesturing with his head to follow him. A part of her was worried about what it was that he was alluding to, but it probably wasn’t anything too worrisome.

There was a part of Amity that didn’t like those words. In the back of her mind, she could’ve sworn she could hear someone trying to tell her something. But it was so quiet that it was almost non-existent. Either that, or she was she just hearing things. She was willing to bet on the latter rather than the former.

Upon getting to the colosseum, Gus ushered inside and took her to the waiting room, which was just down a few hallways. The building from what she saw of it before she was rushed inside was made of granite and looked rather sturdy. That was good, that meant she didn’t have to hold back as much as she thought she might have.

Entering the waiting room, she was met with dozens of eyes on her. Her fellow contestants varied in size and species, and all of them looked extremely strong. None of them looked familiar, and they all looked at her as if a pack of wolves had set their eyes on easy prey.

She’d make them regret that.

“Alright, everyone listen up!” Gus said, gathering all of their attention. “These are the matchups for the first thirteen matches. So listen carefully! If you hear your name, look for your opponent and stand with them. I will fetch you when your fight happens. Starting with the first fight. Jadestone Graymatter versus Juger Narchbache.”

A troll and a Pig Demon stood next to one another, glaring at each other. Gus continued with an indifferent expression.

“Kepke Hutchburn versus Grun Lich.” A Cyclops and a Witch.

“Hindter Wrathson versus Amity Blight.” That was her, and the person who came up to her was a very large, very muscular Bear Demon. He had brown fur covering his arms and a snarl etched onto his expression.

“I’m gonna rip out ya insides, little brat,” Hindter growled as Amity glared at him. So that was how it was going to be? She clenched her hand into a fist but refrained from doing anything. He looked down at her, before scoffing. “Easiest 100 Snails I’ll ever make.”

The rest of the names Amity didn’t pay attention to. Most of the contestants were Trolls, Demons, or Cyclops. Only a handful of them were witches, none of which had covens, meaning they used Wild Magic. That meant they were Wildcards and were people she needed to look out for. Gus motioned for Jadestone and Juger to follow him, before looking back at the rest of them.

“Wait here until it is your turn, we don’t others to have advantages over others by watching what happens during the battles. Remember the rules. There are none. Killing the opponent is perfectly fine, after all, this is The Underdark. Our mantra’s very clear. Strength Above Status, Ideals Above Rules, and Emotions Above Morals. Anything here is free game, so don’t hold back if you value your life.” As those words left Gus’s mouth, Amity felt that anxiety creep up on her again.

He had omitted that little bit of information, hadn’t he? He saved that for now on purpose. The poster didn’t say anything about that. Then again, why would it? Most of the people here were from the Underdark, meaning they knew the risks. She was the only outlier here. Witch duels were known for often causing gratuitous harm to the combatants, but killing was a strict no-no. Then again, this was The Underdark, so she had to play by their rules.

But even if her opponents were going to try and kill her, she wouldn’t do the same. Killing others was above her, and she would not stoop to their level just for some extra money. She wasn’t a monster, nor would she ever be.

And so, she waited patiently for her turn with a determined gleam in her eyes. She was going to win. She was going to get that money to buy her mother that ring. And just to be sure, she took the necklace off, put it into her hand and activated her Gift. Purple sparks of electricity jumped off of her arm as she crushed the gemstone between her hands, letting the remains fall to the floor.

Her opponent didn’t seem to notice, too absorbed in his thoughts. No one else seemed to notice, which was even better. She had the element of surprise against them, and that would most likely be a deciding factor in her victory.

Now all she had to do was wait.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 27: S3, P1 - Ep 4: A Late Start To A Wacky World - part 4

Chapter Text

[A Late Start To A Wacky World – Part 4]

[Mutant Realm, 138 Years ago, 1981]

A boy, no older than twelve, huddled in a corner next to a smaller, frailer-looking child. One had red eyes, the other green. Both had ashen-white hair and pale skin. Dressed in rags, the two children huddled over a loaf of bread, as the one with red eyes stared at it with eager glee.

“Yoichi! Can you believe it?! Bread! An actual loaf of bread!” The older sibling expressed with joy, crimson eyes glistening with pure elation as the younger sibling by an hour smiled warmly.

“And there’s no mould on it, either!” Yoichi said, placing a hand on the loaf of bread. He went to dig some of the bread out to eat, only for the older brother to slap his hand away. “Hey! What gives?!”

“Hold your horses, Yoichi. Watch this,” the older brother said as his index finger took on a more sharp appearance. It looked like that of a blade. The younger brother watched in awe as the older brother cut a thin slice of bread off of the loaf, passing it over to Yoichi, who took it with a smile. “Now, we can conserve this loaf of bread,” the older brother said, cutting a similar-sized slice for himself.

Yoichi greedily scarfed down the piece of bread, before leaning back against the dirty wall of the alleyway they had found themselves in. The rags he was wearing looked like that of a bunch of brown paper bags stitched together with other brown paper bags—mostly because they were—along with wraps of bandages tightly bound against his arms so that his skin didn’t get cut.

For whatever reason, Yoichi’s skin wouldn’t heal properly if it got cut, and the red stuff—blood, Rikitatsu had called it—wouldn’t stop coming out. So the bandages were there to act as a second layer of skin. The only reason why the blood was able to stop before was because of a healing Meta-Ability that Rikitatsu had “borrowed” from some girl they had met on the streets.

It took a lot of energy out of Rikitatsu, or Tatsu as he liked to be called, to mend his brother’s wounds. But, it was worth it.

As for Rikitatsu, he was dressed in a pair of black baggy pants that he had found lying about on the floor, along with the tattered remains of a curtain that he had wrapped around his waist, followed by a pale white sleeveless shirt. Sure, it looked like actual clothing, and it looked far better than what Yoichi was wearing, but the difference between the two had been that these were all in Rikitatsu’s size, whereas nothing that the twins had found had fit Yoichi due to his frail and shorter stature.

There were a lot of things that Yoichi couldn’t do or wear because of his appearance. The poor boy was so sickly that, at times, Rikitatsu feared he would die simply by sleeping. Out of all of the things in this messed up, crooked world, the only thing that Rikitatsu could find himself truly caring about was Yoichi.

“Hey, Brother,” Yoichi spoke up, earning Tatsu’s attention. “Do you think we’ll be able to return to that bunker?”

“It’s not a bunker, Ichi. It’s a house. A rundown house, but a house all the same,” Tatsu replied curtly before taking a bite out of his slice of bread. It was stale, but it was better than eating half-eaten, slightly rotted bananas or whatever else they could find.

The bread wasn’t all that hard, but it was still tough to chew through. Not for Yoichi, though. He was like that character from TV, Shaggy when it came to eating. It wasn’t a Meta-Ability moreso than it was him just being hungry. It had been a solid week since the two twins had eaten anything, and it was beginning to show on Yoichi.

What little fat there was on his body was gone, with his hallowed-out cheeks and his sunken eyes showing to Rikitatsu that the boy was starving. Finding this bread, while most certainly not enough to help his brother, was just another way to prevent the inevitable from happening. The only reason Rikitatsu wasn’t as sickly looking as his brother was because he was able to find a Meta-Ability that allowed him to conserve energy and store more fat, allowing for fewer calories to be burned and for more of them to be stored.

So that simple slice of bread would set him back enough to where he didn’t have to eat for another week, which would allow his brother to eat most of the bread by then.

Yoichi saw him taking other people's Meta-Abilities as cruel, and while that was fine—Rikitatsu didn’t care what his brother thought of him in that regard—it was him taking those Meta-Abilities that ensured his brother's survival.

After all, who would he have without him? Yoichi would have died before the age of four without Rikitatsu being around.

That actually had gotten Rikitatsu thinking. Yoichi was his world. He was his most prized possession—a collectible, should he say. Aside from him being his brother, that was another reason why he took such great care of him. He didn’t want him to depreciate in value.

Oh, don’t get it twisted, Rikitatsu knew that thinking like that wasn’t normal. It was wrong, but that was just how he saw the world around him. As if it was something for him to own and maintain. Yoichi was his greatest asset yet, and the only one he ever found himself caring about.

After all, he was all that he had in this messed up world they had found themselves in. But then, the problem came in that Yoichi was frail, weak, and pathetic. There was a reason why he couldn’t go too far without having to be next to him, and that was because of what happened during their time in their mother's womb.

It was strange, but Rikitatsu had memories of being in there. As if his brain had developed faster than that of regular humans. He knew, subconsciously, that it was his fault that Yoichi had the nutrients that his mother was creating for the two of them in her body sapped from him, and most of it had been because of himself, leaving hardly anything for his twin brother.

He didn’t want that to happen, but it did anyway. So now, it was his responsibility to make sure that Yoichi, at the very least, lived into his early 30s. That was his goal, and potentially, he could get him past that.

But in order for him to do that….

“Hey, Ichi…” Rikitatsu began, as Yoichi looked over to his brother.

“Yes, Tatsu?”

“One of these days… I’m going to save this world,” Rikitatsu said, standing up as he stared out of the alleyway and into the tattered streets beyond. It was a ghost town, Akihabara was. But it was their ghost town. No. Rather, it washisghost town.

“With my power… once I get enough Meta-Abiltiies, I’ll be able to rule the world with an iron fist. No one will have to worry about wars because I’ll end them before they begin. No one will have to worry about hunger because I’ll stop hunger from getting nearly as bad as it is now. No one will have to worry about electricity because I’ll provide it. Everyone will rely on me because by then I’ll be immortal. I’ll be this world’s saviour!” As Rikitatsu said that, he turned to face his brother, a wide smile on his face. “I’ll own this world, and when it’s in my possession, I’ll take great care of it. Just like how I take great care of you! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Yoichi didn’t know how to respond to that. It soundedwrong,but… if Tatsu was taking such great care of him, then a world ruled by his big brother wouldn’t be so bad….

Right?

[Present Day]

The forest. A serene place for nature to take its course. Where plants and wildlife coexist in harmony. Where the cycle of life is championed, and above all else, the natural order was to be maintained. Forests were often seen as a place for life—for continuing future generations of both animals and people, all so that it can be used to further the next generation after that.

The sounds of animals mingling with other animals, some avoiding being eaten while others gathered food for the winter—or whatever the winter entailed here in The Boiling Isles— echoed in the forest, all the while others simply moved on with their lives.

Predator animals hunted prey animals, whilst plants swayed in the wind. Trees stole the sky, and produced breathable air for the people of this realm.

The rustling of bushes and the crunching of dirt underfoot filled the air, whilst birds chirped, giving nature that peaceful aura it always gave off. It was all a sign that life was thriving. All of it was thanks to the forest—nature. The place where life got its chance to jump-start. The place where everything was supposed to goright.

Truly, the wilderness was a place of harmony, peace, and life. It was a symbol that, no matter what kind of civilization cropped up, Nature would be there to greet them. To give them life, and to help them prosper. That was what the wilderness was for. That was what it represented.

But, to Toshiko, the forest represented Death, Destruction, and Suffering.

It wasn’t often, but whenever she was in the forest, she could hear their screams. Their pained cries and their pleas for mercy. She could hear the sound of blood squelching and bones cracking—ruptured limbs and faces torn asunder.

When she committed the act that she had done all of those months ago, she never reallysawwhat she was doing. She only acted on her emotions. But the phantoms she saw… the faces, or lack thereof of some of the people she had killed, haunted her. Every now and again, she could hear faint whispers in the back of her head. Telling her that everything was her fault.

It was never in urban areas this happened, either. Nor sub-urban. It specifically only happened when she was in the wilderness. Whenever she was surrounded by fauna and the bountiful home of nature. Where the leaves, be they green or orange, blew in the wind.

And while the wildlife here in the Boiling Isles was drastically different from Earth—seriously, she could’ve sworn she saw a massive oversized co*ckroach in the distance, and it hadwings—the point was still the same.

No matter where she went, nature haunted her the most. It was the place where everything went to sh*t. There were many people whom she could blame for what had happened to her—The governor, The Wittebanes, and to a smaller extent her mother, though even then that wasn’t fair to say anymore—but she never once ever thought about blaming a location before.

But now she was.

It was strange because that shouldn’t be possible. How did one blame a location for their trauma, when it had no say in the matter? It was stupid. She realized that, but still.

Reaching down, Toshiko picked up a rock she had found on the ground. It was lumpy and misshapen, with small fissures inside the stone. It was smooth, almost polished, allowing Toshiko to see her crimson eyes through it. Now that she thought about it, she really did look like her Sensei now, didn’t she? That was the correct word, wasn’t it? Sensei?

She knew that it meant teacher, but still, she wanted to make sure she was getting the title right. After all, calling him Shigaraki now felt wrong, seeing as she had his name attached to herself. Besides, she was fairly certain that was what Sensei would’ve wanted anyway.

Putting the rock down, Toshiko glanced ahead of herself. There was a pathway branching off from the main path in the forest. Curiosity had gotten the better of her. She wanted to check out what was in that direction. Especially because she could sense something down that pathway. Not a Quirk, mind you, but something else—magic, she had to guess, because she had heard a few residents of that Bonesborough place speak about it existing here.

And so, with nothing else better to do, Toshiko decided to walk down the path that branched off of the main one. There was no urgency in doing so, seeing as she had no reason to have any kind of urgency. Even if it was supposed to rain, she would’ve been staying out for a little while longer than most. Her Regeneration kept her safe from that kind of stuff. Acid rain meant very little when getting half of your face blown off.

The path, as she had found, was winding and long. As if it was supposed to lead to nowhere. After a few minutes of walking it, Toshiko was beginning to think that there was nothing on the other side of the path. Though she doubted it, because that just didn’t seem normal. No one just made a path and stuck nothing at the end of it.

And that was when she heard it.

A growling sound. One belonging to that of a wolf, or a really big dog. It was ahead of her, and the only reason why she noticed it was because she felt the very ground shake with it. Toshiko wouldn’t lie and say that she wasn’t a tad bit frightened. Again, new world, meaning new wildlife. And so whatever was on the other side of that growl was something she probably didn’t want anything to do with.

But even still… her curiosity wasn’t going to be sated until she checked it out. So, going against all forms of reason, Toshiko did the only thing that she could have reasonably done, and that was taking another step forward.

And when she did, she was met with a glowing green eye—singular, nor plural. Though it wasn’t from a cyclops, but rather from the left side of a face hidden in shadows. It was low to the ground, suggesting something on all of its limbs. Just as Toshiko was about to write it off as something small, the creature hiding in the shadows seemingly… grew. As in, it stood up.

And when it did, it grew to be half the size of the tree it was next to. It took a step out from the shadow, and Toshiko had to do everything in her power not to gawk at the creature.

It was tall—stupid tall. It had a skull for a face with a singular glowing green eye and a crack going through the right side of its face. It had a jaw like that of dogs, with several sharp canine teeth poking out from its top lip. It also had a pair of horns, though the one on its left was cracked and broken off, whereas the other wasn’t, and it had been pointing high up into the sky.

Its body was huge, muscular, and covered in a mixture of fur and scales. If she were to compare its physique to one of someone from her realm, she’d have to compare it to Dwyane The Rock Johnson—at least, that was what came to mind, anyway. A pair of small, leathery wings were on its back, and its legs were shaped like that of wolves, though it had hooves rather than paws like that of the animal it so closely represented.

Its hands, or rather claws, were flexed in such a way that it appeared as if it was ready to tear her apart. Said claws looked to be easily the same size as her head, and the actual sharp part of the claws looked to be as sharp as a razor. And to make matters even worse, there was a distinct anger radiating behind those eyes. The kind of anger only something extremely territorial would have.

“You…” It growled, lowering its face down to face her. “You look likehim. Like thatmonsterwho attacked years ago. Who did this…” it gestured to the facture on its face and horn, “to me….” Its voice rumbled, though rather than show any kind of fear, Toshiko’s expression was one of uncaring. Her eyes reflected nothing but disinterest, despite the fact her heart was beating a mile a minute within her chest.

“I’ve gotten that a lot, lately. Suppose it makes sense though, considering the change of appearance. But what does that have to do with anything?” Toshiko reasoned, earning a glare from the creature.

“It means… If you don’t leave, I’ll just have to take my anger out about what he did to me,on you.” As the creature said that, licks of flame began to gather at the base of its jaw. Fire Magic, as there was a glowing ring in the back of its mouth, so it wasn’t a Quirk. As a matter of fact, there were no strings on its being, which meant that it was, in fact, a magical beast.

Toshiko couldn’t help but smirk. A part of her wanted to see just how strong this beast was, and seeing as Sensei wasn’t saying anything about not fighting it…. “Alright then. How about this,” Toshiko began, as the creature deactivated its fire magic, staring at her with a narrowed eye. “I’ll give you a full minute to beat me into submission. If you can render me unconscious, once I wake up, I’ll leave. But, if you fail to do so, I get to retaliate against you, and then, you’ll take me to your home. Sound fair?”

“I won’t even need a minute,” and with that, the creature, without so much as a single moment of hesitation, coiled its arm behind its back, and swiped upwards, launching Toshiko in the air in the span of time it took for her to blink. Eyes wide, Toshiko attempted to orientate herself, only to be met with the creature floating in front of her.

“What the—”Before she could finish that sentence, the creature slapped her north from where she had been, flying through the air. The slap had been more of a scratch, digging into her clothes and into her stomach, leaving three jagged claw marks through her lower torso—nothing herRegenerationcouldn’t fix.

A moment later, the creature was already on top of her, hammer-fisting her to the ground before flames began to converge around its mouth, and when they did, a massive beam of pure flames rained down on Toshiko, almost appearing to look like a plasma beam. The heat had burned away her clothing, singing her skin and leaving 3^rddegree burns everywhere on her body.

Pain Nullifactionrendered what the pain would’ve been null and void, but that wasn’t where it stopped. Several ice spears lodged themselves into Toshiko’s shoulders, thighs, and chest, before the creature appeared, and slammed down atop her. Its fists hammered down on her body again, and when they did, the ice spearsexplodedinto a vast wave of electricity.

And yet, the pain was not there.

Next, she was scooped out of the ground, regenerating from the damage all the while, before being thrown at Mach speeds through the woods, crashing through trees, and rocks, all the while tearing up the ground as she went leaving a massive gash in the suffer of the earth.

Several roots came clawing out of the ground next, wrapping around her healing waist, wrists, and ankles, before they violently began to pull her apart. Toshiko, again, felt nothing, as the creature charged toward her like a rampaging rhino. It co*cks its right arm back, before it thrust its arm forward, creating a massive tree trunk-sized hole in her torso.

“Die...!” The creature hissed, only to earn a chuckle from Toshiko.

“Try harder, and maybe I’ll consider it,” Toshiko spat, earning an angered flare of the nostrils from the creature. It ripped its arm out, pulling out feet of intestines, only for them to rocket out of his arm and loop back into place, the wound healing over in a split second. At that point, green rings of power began to circle around the arms of the creature, as he tugged down, finally pulling Toshiko apart.

The creature stared in a mix of anger and awe as she pieced herself back together, and when that happened, Toshiko landed on the ground, looking back up at the creature. “50 seconds remain, c’mon, you can do better than that.”

The creature snarled, grabbed Toshiko by the head, and slammed her into the ground, before dragging her body through the earth for about another mile, tearing up the ground as they went. She was thrown up into the sky before several yellow rings appeared around the creature's fingers. When they appeared, beams of light not too dissimilar to The Golden Guards' light, if only a little dimmer, blasted through her body like Swiss cheese.

Again, her regeneration healed it over rather quickly.

Toshiko then snapped her fingers as flames covered her chest and lower waist. She wasn’t going to be getting any clothing for a little while, so she decided that covering herself with flames would do. It seemed to piss the creature off, most likely because it saw it as a taunt, as it jumped up and opened its mouth.

Rather than belching more flames, itscreamed,or more appropriately,roaredlike a lion. The sound was enough to tear off skin and shatter her bones, a feat quite remarkable due toShock Absorption. Once again, it was nothing thatRegenerationcouldn’t fix. The creature was getting more and more annoyed as each attack seemingly did nothing to Toshiko. But, underneath that annoyance, Toshiko picked up on what appeared to be excitement.

“So, it’s just like me. Too strong to practice its powers, but now found someone of its equal to do so. Interesting…”Toshiko thought before she landed gracefully on the ground, followed by the massive creature landing in front of her, uplifting the earth as it did so. It charged forward, making a sweeping motion with its arm, attempting to knock her over, and it did so, slamming her into a nearby massive tree.

The flames didn’t spread, as Toshiko had complete mastery over her flames control. They also weren’t blue because they didn’t need to be. They were just there to act as clothing for the time being until she got some actual clothing.

It was then that the creature had decided that it wasn’t going to continue blasting her with magic, but rather was going to use its physical strength, as for the next thirty seconds it repeatedly and without fail punched Toshiko into the great tree-making the bark crack with each punch, until the tree finally gave way and began to fall. And as it fell, Toshiko was grabbed and thrown under it.

The tree landed, crushing Toshiko underneath. The creature's chest rose up and down, as exhaustion began to take hold. It had to admit, it had never had to go that all out before. Even as a child when it was eight years old, when it tried, and failed, to defend itself from those creatures with exposed brains when it had been kidnapped.

“She has to be done now, right?”It thought, narrowing its eyes. 10 seconds remained. It couldn’t do a lot in 10 seconds, but hope. It needed to recoup its magic supply, as it had exhausted almost all of it in the short battle it had with her.

And so it waited.

And waited.

Until finally, a column of flames burst out from underneath the tree. Blue, white-hot flames exploded forth, as the girl came out from underneath, dusting herself off as it stared with disbelief. Its singular green eye widened as the girl smirked, but not out of co*ckiness, but out of genuine amazement if the look in her eyes was enough to go by.

“Times up, wolfy. My turn.”

It happened faster than it could comprehend. One moment, she was fifteen feet away from it, and in the next, her hand was inches away from his face as blue flames gathered at the base of her palm. The slap came first, causing a shockwave so powerful it knocked down hundreds of trees behind it. Then, came the column of flame.

It was as wide as the base of half of a hill, and it scorched the ground, tearing up the earth and dug several feet deep in the process. The flames had been localized toward its head, before it blasted out further in a cone shape. After that, it was shoved to the ground, as another cone of fire erupted upward, blasting up into the sky like a beacon.

From a distance, Eda Clawthorne saw the massive pillar of blue flames. Recognizing it as not belonging to King, Eda’s heart pounded against her chest as she began to run like the wind.

A million different thoughts raced through the Wild Witch’s head. Was King alright? Was Hooty nearby, and was he safe? Was King still alive after that? She knew he was strong but was he that strong? Just what was that Shigaraki girl doing to her adopted son?

All of those questions raced through her mind as she picked up the pace. A part of her considered letting that damnable Owl Beast out so that she could get there faster, but she had a hard time controlling it—even now despite her training with King to do so. King was strong enough to subdue the beast if she couldn’t control it, so with his condition dubious she didn’t want to let it out.

By the time she got to the area where the beacon had been, and when she got there she had expected to see the worst. Instead, she saw something different. King was sitting across from the Shigaraki girl, who had been bathed in flames, most likely as a way to cover her body due to her now lacking clothing somehow.

But that wasn’t the strange part. No. The strange part was that both of them were laughing. Laughing like friends would laugh. King saw Eda, before clearing his throat. “Yo, ma! Check this out! Meet my new friend, Toshiko Shigaraki.”

Eda couldn’t help but stare at the girl bathed in flame. Her red eyes met Eda’s as the teen stood up. “A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Clawthorne.”

Eda’s world came to a standstill. She was glad that King was alright, but this girl…. There was something off about her. But strangely enough, despite her being (possibly) related to that monster of a man, Eda didn’t detect a single bit of malice in her person. Exhaling whilst calming herself, Eda approached the teen.

“Nice to meet you too, Shigaraki”“That sounds so very wrong”“But we can introduce each other properly once we get you some clothes. Because fire isn’t going to cut it,” Eda replied, before a small green ring appeared around her finger, and when it did, a swarm of leaves converged just a few feet in front of her, forming into a longsleeve dress.

Toshiko undid the flames as Eda threw her the makeshift article of clothing. When she caught it, she slipped it on immediately. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Eda. Just call me Eda, kiddo,” Eda said as she gestured for the two to follow her. “C’mon. I’ll take you to the house. Besides, you look hungry, and King needs to take a bath. I can smell you from here, squirt.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” King grumbled before patting Toshiko on the back. “C’mon. let’s get going.” As King said that, he caught up to Eda, as Toshiko stared at the two of them. A flickering sense of hope bubbled in her heart.

Maybe. Just maybe, she could turn her life around, if only slightly. And while a part of her mind told her not to trust them, Toshiko for once ignored that negative side of herself, and listened to the positive part of her mind.

Perhaps she could actually live here in The Boiling Isles without having to look over her shoulder constantly. Even if it was just a far-flung dream of an idea, that idea might be what she needed. And so, she followed after Eda and King whilst her stomach rumbled. The idea of having something to eat was a very good one if she were to say so herself.

xxXXxxXXxx

Deep within the vestige realm, Rikitatsu sat with a grin on his face. “Eda Clawthorne, and King Clawthorne. What a coincidence. And interesting turn of events,” Rikitatsu thought, glancing over to his left. A smile appeared on his face. “This world is full of surprises. I half would have thought that the old crone would be dead by now, and King nothing more than a mindless beast. But it seems that the wound I inflicted on The Owl Lady wasn’t enough to kill her. Then again, that pesky regenerative capabilities of hers, despite being fickle and inconsistent, has saved her from being decapitated in the past.”

He hummed to himself, crossing his arms as he rubbed at his chin. “Still, what I find most interesting is just how strong King has become. He seems to be on par with, at the very least, that O'Clock fellow I had the pleasure to meet. What was his name again? Iwao Oguro? Ah, not that it matters. While he met an unfortunate end due to not working with me, he was quite the opponent. So young, too. He was only 19 when I met him. He could’ve been a wonderful asset. Had he not been diluded by the hero system, he would have made for a wonderful spy.”

Rikitatsu then sighed, cracking his neck from side to side. “Though It’s pointless to keep talking about that. Although, I find it interesting that this has happened. Quite the turn of events, don’t you think? I find it peculiar how this happened, but then again, I suppose it was bound to eventually. After all,youwere the only person who truly vowed allegiance to dear Luz. Or, should I say, Toshiko now? Isn’t that right…”

As he said that, he fully turned to face a blonde-haired teen, with emerald green eyes. Dressed in a white sundress, the teen stared at Rikitatsu with a mix of confusion and fear. Her body language was that of someone who looked about ready to run away, and her slack jaw was one of surprise. Her pale skin, while not nearly as pale as Rikitatsu’s, was still similar to that of snow. She was about the same height as Toshiko, and her last memory of what had happened was her death. And now, she was here, wherever here was. And the man before her knew her if that gleam in his eyes was enough to judge.

And when he said her name, her spine trembled with unease.

“Julia Wittebane.”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 28: S3, P1 - Ep 5: A Late Start To A Wacky World - Part 5

Chapter Text

[A Late Start To A Wacky World – Part 5]

Inhale, exhale. That was the key to keeping calm. Stone cold expression, and narrowed eyes. Relaxed posture, but not relaxed enough to show that one’s guard wasn’t down. That was what her mother had taught her in high-pressure situations like the one she was in now. Granted, Amity never expected to be in any kind of situation where that would be the case, but still, she guessed learning those things was a good way to start.

The first two battles had come and went. She had no idea what it was that she would be up against, but considering that Jadestone, the troll, walked out with bloodied fists and Grun Lich walked out of her fight without so much as a scratch on her body—which was insane considering Cyclops were naturally stronger and faster than witches—It made Amity believe that the magic that she had was insanely potent.

“She’s more trouble than I would have had myself believe…”

“Alright, Ms. Blight, Wrathson, you’re turn. Good luck to the two of you,” Gus’s voice split her thoughts like the red sea as Amity stood up, as did Hindter. His eyes narrowed as he glowered at Amity, who felt a chill run down her spine. Wordlessly, the pair exited the waiting room. Led by Gus, they were taken to a branching hallway, where Amity was instructed to go left, and Hindter the opposite.

The hallway was winding and long, filled with glow-shroom stocks to give light. In any other situation, Amity wouldn’t have been perturbed, but considering killing the opponent was accepted in this duel, it meant that Amity would need to be on her A-Game if she wished to win. She wasn’t going to stoop down to their level, obviously. She just hoped that Hindter would go down without too much of a fight.

“Then again, he’s here to win by any means necessary. I’m going to have to push myself in order to win this, I’m afraid…”Amity thought mirthlessly as she found herself at a massive empty doorway. She could see the arena on the other side, that being a similar circle dirt shape to that of the actual Witch Arena in Bonesborough.

In hindsight, it was kind of haunting just how well The Underdark matched the layout of Bonesborough. If they were able to copy the Witch Arena with such accuracy, then what else were they able to do?

Eyes closed, Inhale, exhale. Calm washed over her like a cool breeze as she entered the mindset of someone who was destined to win.

Opening her eyes, glistening with determination, Amity was ready to fight. That was when the announcer began their spiel.

“LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND ALL OF THOSE IN BETWEEN! I WELCOME YOU TO THE THIRD ROUND OF THE QUALIFERS OF OUR ANNUAL BATTLE OF THE CHAMPIONS!!”

The voice of the announcer was a mix of someone who was rough yet sophisticated, and aged but also young at heart. It was loud, filled with compassion yet command—the type of voice someone who was an announcer would want to have. It boomed through what Amity could only assume was some sort of voice amplification spell.

Bards had those in spades, but considering this place's use of wild magic, it could’ve been anyone. Then again, if most of the people were refugees from Bonesborough, then it was reasonable to assume that this was someone who most likely was a master at using vocal magics due to having been locked into a Coven.

“I’M YOUR FAITHFUL HOST OF THIS YEAR'S TOURNAMENT, RAINE WHISPERS. I’M GLAD YOU’D ALL SEE ME HERE AGAIN, IT IS AS MUCH OF AN HONOUR AS IT WAS THE LAST TWO YEARS I’VE TAKEN UP THIS PLACE TO BE MY HOME. BUT, YOU’RE NOT HERE FOR THAT! YOU’RE HERE TO SEE WHO’LL COME OUT ON TOP! SO, LET’S GIVE OUR FIGHTERS THE ENTRANCE OF A LIFETIME!”

“Raine Whispers!?”Amity thought with pure disbelief as applause erupted from the arena. Raine Whispers was supposed to bedead, having apparently lost their life in the war. How were they alive? It was said that they had taken a spear to the heart of one of The Interloper's henchmen. On top of that, if they were alive, why would they be on the side that believes in him?

Everyone, including Eda, believed that Raine had perished in the war. There was a grave and everything! Unless, of course, they had faked their death and had been with The Interloper from the get-go. So many questions, with very few answers.

It just went to show how the history books were lying at times. Unless they truly had everyone, including The Emperor, fooled that they were dead then their being here was insane to think about, let alone believe. But, there was a first for everything, after all.

“LETS START WITH THE NEWBIE, FOLKS! A NEWCOMER TO NOT ONLY THE ARENA BUT TO THE UNDERDARK AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE AMITY BLIGHT, HAILING FROM BONESBOROUGH!”

That was Amity’s cue to walk out, and when she did, she was met with cheers of excitement. She was surprised that she wasn’t being heckled. Was her reputation that good here, that people would cheer for her rather than give her snide looks? Smiling, she waved to everyone, and as she did so, she looked down at the other entrance, seeing her opponent who glared at her.

“AND HER OPPONENT! YOU KNOW HIM WELL, AND MOST IF NOT EVERYONE FEARS HIM! OUR FOUR-TIME CHAMPION OF THIS TOURNAMENT, HINDTER WRATHSON!!!”

The calmness Amity felt before all but washed away upon hearing that, as Hindter walked out into the arena, a cruel smile on his face as his blackened eyes gleamed with bloodlust. This guy was a champion of the arena!? Why the hell was she pitted against him then!? Did Gus not think of that?! Or was this supposed to be some kind of test?

Either way, she didn’t like the fact that the odds were stacked against her. But, if there was something that she knew to be true, it was that a Blight didn’t give up. No matter the situation, The Blights always prevailed. Otherwise, their house would’ve gone extinct decades ago.

“I told you… this’ll be the easiest 100 snails I’ll ever make, little brat. Your family is famous down here, but that don’t mean sh*t when it comes to fighting. I’ll tear you apart just like I do with everyone else here. On the battlefield, you mean nothing!” As he said that, Blackened Flames engulfed his fists, as Amity’s eyes widened.

“Beast Flames!”As the name suggested, sentient Beast Demons were able to access magic. It was extremely rare, but when it happened, it was extremely dangerous. The only spell known that Beast Demons could use was Beast Flames. They were flames generated directly from their heart, as they had no bile sac to use magic from.

When those who had Unique powers showed up, many believed that Beast Flames was potentially a sort of foreshadowing for those with Unique Powers.

Of course, that wasn’t possible. At least, that was what made sense. Unique powers were, well, Unique, meaning that unless all of those who were sentient Beast Demons were all results from heavy inbreeding, then such a thing was impossible.

Either way, that was beside the point. Beast Flames was a type of magic only Beast Demons who were more than just an animal could use. Hence, it was considered a form of Wild Magic.

Beast Flames burned anything they touched to ash in mere seconds. That was most likely how Hindter won a majority of the fights he got into. Luckily, they were stuck to the body of the caster, meaning they were purely a melee spell. And while that was good in all, they were still incredibly dangerous. In other words, she had to take him out, and quickly.

The signal to begin echoed out into the arena, and when that happened, Hindter charged like a rampaging bull. Narrowing her eyes, Amity felt every muscle in her body harden, as purple sparks washed over her. Her hair began to stand up on end, and in the blink of an eye, she moved faster than Hindter could react to.

In the time it took Hindter to blink, Amity was already behind him, hovering in the air for a second or two as she lined herself up with her opponent. Amity’s body twisted itself to the right, her right arm raised to her face, while her left arm acted as a balance behind her. She raised her right leg in a sideways arc, purple electricity jumping off and bouncing all over as Hindter turned to face her.

To him, it was instant. To Amity, it was as if the world was slowing down around her. Due to how fast she could go, that being three times the speed that of a furious Slitherbeast had, which was known to hunt down even the fastest of witches should they be provoked, Amity knew she had the speed advantage against Hindter. Her eyes comprehended light faster than others when she had activated this part of her power, something she had dubbedLightning Mode,allowing her to perceive the world slower than others due to how fast she was moving.

As for howLightning Modeworked, in the simplest of explanations, it was the same as how lightning reacted within water. Rather than gathering in one place, her power surged throughout her body as electricity did within bodies of water, spreading out evenly but keeping the strength that it normally would, just all throughout the body rather than in one place.

All in one go, she could handle 10% of her power. InLightning Mode, she could only use 5% before it became too hard to handle. 10% in one go, 5% in her whole body. She was sacrificing strength for control, which was what all good Witches did, magic or otherwise.

Of course, while it was great that she was faster than Hindter, her only concern right now was whether or not she was able to take him down in one strike, which had been the goal.

Striking forward, Amity’s boot slammed into the side of Hindter’s face, making him slide backwards, spitting up a tooth as he came to a screeching halt. Blood dripped from his jaw as it sat there slack, whilst Amity stood where he once had been.

“Uwnique, hwuh…” Hindter spoke through his broken jaw, chuckling to himself. “I uwndwerestiwmated ywou…” As he spoke, he wiped at his mouth, as Amity narrowed her eyes. Rather than waiting, Amity charged forward, recoiling her right arm back as she appeared before him in the blink of an eye. Hindter reacted in kind, preparing to hit her with a similar attack, only to get an uppercut to the jaw with her left fist instead of being hit in the face with her right, surprising Hindter.

Immediately after that, as he paused in the air for a split second, he was punched in the gut by Amity’s right fist, making him spit up saliva everywhere in front of him. He was sent flying through the air, as Amity scoffed. She was only using 5% of her power—she remembered reading the name of it in the journal that The Interloper left behind, that beingOne For All.

With just 5% of her power, she was strong enough to knock down walls and break the bones of most witches. She had done so on accident when Emric had tried to strike her for “talking back”, not remembering who the strongest in the household was second to their mother. She didn’t like getting physical, but she would defend herself regardless of who attacked her—family included.

While Demons, especially Beast Demons, had physically stronger bones what with them able to take twice the amount of physical punishment a regular Witch could take, being hit by a punch as strong as the one Amity had delivered must have hurt.

Hindter slammed into the wall of the stadium, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes locked onto her, as he slowly pulled himself out of the crack in the wall. He charged, his eyes filled with bloodlust as Amity prepared to lunge backward. He leapt at her like an angry Slitherbeast, hands out wide for a pounce, only for Amity to do exactly as she had planned to do, avoiding the strike and the beast flames altogether.

“WHAT’S THIS?! IT SEEMS THAT HINDTER IS RESORTING TO HIS ANIMALISTIC SIDE TO DEFEAT THIS NEWCOMER! THIS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE DURING HIS FIRST FINAL’S MATCH!!”

The audience roared with excitement, though Amity largely ignored it. With each swipe from Hindter, Amity was able to dodge it. Her stamina was unlike any other due to the amount she had trained withOne For All. If she kept it solely at 5%, she’d be able to continue like this for five minutes straight. It had only been about 30 seconds, so she still had enough juice in her until she needed to rest.

That being said, she didn’t want to exhaust herself in her first match. So, she decided that she was going to end this here and now.

Leaping into the air once she had the opportunity to, Amity raised her leg to her shoulder preparing to unleash an axe-kick to Hindter.

He lunged upward, trying to grab Amity with his Beast Flame-covered paw-like hands, only for Amity to come crashing down on him. Her boot met the top of his head, a sickening crack echoing out into the arena. Amity’s eyes widened, fearing the worst as Hindter’s expression went from angry to lacking anything at all, save for what could be assumed to be someone in pain.

As soon as the attack hit, Hindter fell to the ground with a loudcrashand very little fanfare, the ground breaking under his weight as his Beast Flames died out. Amity hopped backward, landing just in front of him as blood leaked out of his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“HOLY SMOKES!? IT SEEMS THAT AMITY KNEW OF BEAR DEMON’S WEAK POINTS! THEIR FRAIL SKULLS ARE KNOWN TO CRACK UNDER ANY SORT OF PRESSURE REGARDLESS OF REASON! AND WITH THE AMOUNT OF FORCE THAT SHE PUT INTO THAT ATTACK, HIS BRAIN IS SURELY NOTHING BUT MUSH! MEANING THAT AMITY WINS BY WAY OF FATALITY!!! HINDTER IS DEAD!!!!!”

Despite the loud cheers of the audience, Amity felt her stomach knot. She didn’t know about that. Truly, she didn’t.“I… I killed him…”Amity thought, asOne For Allfaded away. She didn’t mean for that to happen. Stunned by her actions, Amity took a step back from Hindter’s corpse, shutting her eyes as she gritted her teeth.

Turning around, not wanting to be in the body’s presence any longer than she had to be, Amity stalked away with a hurried stride, and silently made her way back to the waiting room to await the next battle. She made a vow that she wouldn’t kill anyone. She didn’t technically break it this time, as it was an accident.

That just meant she needed to be a little bit more careful. She had practiced to be that way, anyway. She wasn’t going to allow this mistake to haunt her. She wouldn’t let this happen again.

She was better than this. She wasn’t going to let that happen again. Period. No exceptions. While Witches weren’t afraid of bloodshed, that didn’t mean they liked it.

If it could be avoided, Amity would not kill her next opponent—scratch that, regardless, she wasn’t going to kill her next opponent. This was a mistake, and it wasn’t going to happen again.

Ever.

Unbeknownst to Amity, hidden deep within the recesses of her mind, someone frowned. Not out of disappointment, but out of concern.

The connection wasn’t fully established yet. It would probably take another day or so for that to happen unless circ*mstances arrived to where it could happen sooner, but it had felt this branch show up, and it needed to be sure it wasn’t what it had feared to be the case.

Unfortunately, it was exactly that. The others would never know of this, as they weren’t this Quirk’s original holder. But as its original holder, it could find whatever copy that existed—the same applied to its brother.

So for this to exist was highly troubling. For now, it would remain silent, but when the connection was built, it would introduce itself to its new user, even if it was unconventional.

xxXXxxXXxx

“I see… so she hasOne For All. Interesting…”Perry mused as he crossed his arms. He had to admit, in the beginning, that he had no idea whether or not Amity would win. Of course, he planned to rescue her if she got into too much danger—after all, it would be a disservice to his old friends if he had just sat there and let Amity die. But after seeing her use the very Quirk that Shigaraki had been trying to recreate, he couldn’t help but smile.

This truly was a sign of good faith. For years, Perry lived a double life. As a news reporter in Bonesborough, and as the leader of The Underdark. His passion project had paid off, and his loyalty to Shigaraki was second to none. After all, it was he who saved his life from a bunch of Emperor Coven members after he tried to report on a story that would have painted Emperor Belos in a bad light.

He owed Shigaraki his life, after all. So he would gladly give it to overthrow the tyrant they lived under. He saw to it that he helped further the creation of the world that Shigaraki wanted. A world where peace would be achieved through the rule of an iron fist. No revolution was peaceful, and they all started and ended in violence.

Turning around, he faced two men dressed head-to-toe in armour. The suits of armour were black, with a red cape hanging off their shoulders. The helmets were based on The Earth Realms depictions of knights, and Perry had to admit, it was very intimidating.

In their right hands were spears, and in their left hands there were palisman staffs, one a serpent and the other a bird. These individuals were members of The Blackguard. They were Elite soldiers who were commanded by Perry and used to keep the peace.

If he were to compare them to anything from the surface, it would be that they were like his own personal emperor coven, but they maintained the peace in their own way. Unbiased and unfettered to uphold the principles Shigaraki instilled into them, these soldiers would turn on him the instant they believed he no longer stood for what they believed in.

It wasn’t as if he was afraid of that possibility. It was that possibility that made him trust them the most. Strange as that was, he knew that he embodied what Shigaraki stood for. Never once had his heart waivered, nor were his actions unclouded. To that end, he knew that he would be fine. But if it ever came to that, he would let them do what needed to be done. Such as his loyalty to Shigaraki.

“Fetch the corpse of Hindter and take it to the lab. Tell Dr. Jade to do the same with him as the other corpses. After all, that guidebook that The Doctor left behind should be close to being solved. If we’re to create thosecreaturesthat Shigaraki had mentioned in his logbooks, then we need all the spare material we can get,” Perry said as the two Blackguards nodded, exiting the room.

Dr. Jade, otherwise known as Hilbert Jade, father of Skara Jade, was a well-renowned scientist who had been living down in the Underdark with his daughter for four years ever since he had learned of the place. He had been a part of the emperor's science division, only to have been kicked out when he tried making an illegal potion per the request of someone in the Emperor’s Coven.

The unfortunate part about that whole debacle is it had been revealed that said member had already been caught and executed, and Hilbert had been next in line for execution after the fact. It was only because The Golden Guard had swooped in to stop said execution at the request of Skara that it had ceased. Now, he worked for Perry to recreate these so-called “Noumu” creatures.

If he was going to overthrow the Emperor, then he would need monsters like those things. They were apparently semi-immortal beings that had near-instant regeneration, strength on par with what baby titans were rumoured to have, and could match even the fastest of giraffes before they had migrated to The Human Realm.

The one thing that Perry knew about “Noumu” was that they were mutated and experimented on Quirk Users, with multiple Quirks shoved into their bodies. Originally, he had thought it impossible without Shigaraki being around until he had made a discovery that changed everything five years ago, that being that The Doctor had left behind copies of Quirks in DNA vials, as well as a few of his machines in the place that now acted as The Underdark’s laboratory.

Thanks to this, they were able to make a copy of the Quirk used, Hyper Regeneration, from a sample that was left behind when The Doctor left in a hurry when Shigaraki had noted they were out of Titans blood.

The part they were struggling with was the fact that they couldn’t get the copied Quirk to stick with the new bodies. They would appear and then filter out. Each corpse that they tried to transform into a Noumu, physically at least, was a success. They looked like the real deals, but the problem came from the fact that they couldn’t properly implant the copied Quirk.

Of course, that wasn’t the only copied Quirk they were able to find. Super Strength was there, and so was another Quirk. From what it was described to be, it was a copy of a Quirk that doubled the user's lifespan. Why it was left behind here, Perry didn’t know. What he did know, however, was that if it weren’t for the downside of witches not being able to have Quirks without losing their magic, Perry would’ve greenlit the surgery to have Gus undergo the procedure in order to make sure he got to live in the world that Shigaraki’s ideals would’ve created.

The only reason why they hadn’t run out of bodies to act as experiments was because of this tournament. While this year's turnout was smaller than last year, it was still enough to continue the experiment.

Heneededto figure this out sooner rather than later. He had several hundred bodies in cold storage waiting for the experiment to be perfected. He just hoped that Hindter’s body would be the one that would act as the breakthrough. If it did, then he could finally get to the planning stage.

“Hey, Dad,” Gus’s voice cut through his thoughts as Perry looked over his shoulder.

“Yes, son?”

“So, I was wondering if I could… possibly attend Hexside rather than the school here?” Gus questioned as Perry frowned. This again. Why was he so determined to go to Hexside rather than Lightborne—the school located in The Underdark?

“Son, you know I trust the Coven heads for about as far as I can throw them, which while it is pretty far, you get the point. The last thing I need to happen to you is for you to be branded with one of those marks.” As Perry said that, he walked over to Gus and knelt to his level, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’ve told you what Emperor Belos has planned for our kind should The Day Of Unity truly be real. And if Shigaraki is to be believed—”

“I know, Dad!” Gus interrupted, glancing down toward the ground. “But, I don’t want to be seen as your son and get special privileges that no one else gets. I know the whole Status thing doesn’t apply here but that doesn’t mean others won’t think that way. At least at Hexside, I’ll be treated the same as everyone else. Besides, It’s not like I’ll get forced into a track… At least, I don’t think so anyway…”

Perry stepped away, letting go of his son in the process before turning away from him, sighing. “I don’t understand why you’re so stubborn about this. But… I’ll think about it. It’s not safe, but—”

“I could act as a spy!” Gus blurted out, as Perry glanced over his shoulder.

“Excuse you?” Perry questioned. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

“I know, but I’m tired of doing nothing but keeping watch! Besides, you’re not the only one who wants to live up to what Shigaraki said. C’mon, Dad. I’m old enough to take some form of responsibility. What was it you used to say again? “A true Witch takes risks in the face of danger”, or something along those lines,” Gus replied, desperation in his voice as Perry was taken aback.

He knew his son wanted to do something to live up to what Shigaraki desired. He had implanted that into his son at a young age—to see Shigaraki as the hero he truly was, despite what everyone else had said about him. Sure he was brutal to his foes, and sure he was cruel, but his intentions were pure, even if a little misguided at times.

And while he was proud of Gus for wanting to step up—truly, he was proud of him—the dangers of what he was suggesting himself to do had layers upon layers of complications that would get him in increasingly more dangerous positions thanjustsnooping for information. The boy was only 13. If he was older, then maybe he’d consider it. Not to mention, Gus was his son, and the last thing he wanted was for him to get himself into danger.

But, at the same time, he knew his son. He knew Gus. And he knew he would do it with or without permission. That was just who his son had been, and considering the news that someone going by Shigaraki was on the surface, perhaps he could be the one to find them.

So, with a heavy amount of reluctance, Perry turned around. “I see your point, and I acknowledge it. Fine. You may be allowed to go to the surface and act as a spy.However, the moment things get too dicey, you are to leave and come back here where it is safe. You will also be tasked to find this Shigaraki individual if you can. We need to bring them here as soon as possible.”

Gus smiled, saluting as he turned to run off. Perry couldn’t help but smirk at his son’s joy. He knew it was a bad idea, but Gus would’ve done it regardless of his thoughts. He couldn’t punish the boy for being loyal, now could he? That would spit in the face of what he knew to be best.

Still… now that Gus would be out on the frontlines, he would need to make sure that this new Shigaraki individual would be found sooner rather than later. Perhaps he would need to get back into contact with some of the others? He knew that Raine would be more than willing to go searching due to how they were tired of being cooped up in the Underdark, but then came the fact that if they were spotted it would spoil the surprise of them being alive.

The next person he could call upon would be Darius, who was a spy placed within the Coven Leaders. However, given his position and what it was he had to do, it would make things a lot harder on the man than it already was. After all, he had less time in the day to meet up with him to report back on any information he could get his hands on when he could. His tight schedule already made that difficult, so tasking him with something else just seemed too cruel. While it was true that Glandians stuck together through thick and thin, there were times when that was impossible, with this being one of those times.

Hunter was out of the question. He was far too busy to go snooping around for the new Shigaraki. The Emperor had him on a leash, so discretely meeting with the boy was going to be problematic. That, and his loyalties were questionable at best, and non-existent at worst.

His final option, if he was desperate, was Eda Clawthorne. Eda wasn’t a member of their revolutionaries but she was the best when it came to information due to her nature as not only a Wild Witch but also a former fugitive. Eda had no idea who he was loyal to, so that meant they still had good blood between them. If she were to find out, then it would become a problem.

With all of his options being laid out in front of him, and considering all of his options had a negative impact regardless of what he did, he was at a loss. What was he going to do? He didn’t have many options aside from the other Blights, and he was on the assumption that Amity was here without her parent’s knowledge. He remembered Odalia being the type of parent more similar to that of a guard dog, i.e. the kind of person who tried to keep their children out of danger regardless of consequences—which was weird because that wasn’t how Odalia had been prior to meeting Shigaraki.

From what he remembered of Odalia when they were kids, Odalia was far more cold, far more manipulative, and for a lack of a better word, was evil to the core. Her change happened when she became pregnant with her third child, that being Amity. It most likely had to do with the fact that Shigaraki had been living with them, and considering that Shigaraki was the type of person he had been, the change most likely had to do with the conversations they had.

It also now made sense as to how Amity ended up withOne For All. Or, at the very least, a copy of the Quirk.

Shigaraki wasn’t shy from doing Witch Experimentation. That was how the trade-off for Quirks and Magic had been discovered. That opened up the possibility that the Blights could possibly hate Shigaraki now. He wasn’t stupid to think that Shigaraki wouldn’t take up the opportunity to do something to people whom he saw as worthy vessels for experimentation.

It was evil, yes. But there was such a thing as a necessary evil, and what he presumably did to The Blights was a prime example of a necessary evil.

While Magic was more potent than Quirks, Quirks had more potential. As a matter of fact, Quirks had a negative reaction to magic. Quirks activelyweakenedmagic’s effects on their hosts. For example: If someone shot a burst of fire on a Witch, it would burn like normal. But on those with Quirks, whose bodies were genetically altered to take more punishment, all it would do would leave a slight singe mark on their skin.

It was part of the reason why it took as many people as it had to take down Shigaraki in the first place. The amount of magic required to even put a scratch on Shigaraki was more than the average Witch had. It was why the impossible team-up of Emperor Belos, Lilith Clawthorne, and the Owl Lady had happened. It required that much firepower to so much as put a dent into him.

Hence the reason why Perry desperately wanted to perfect the confusing mess that was creating a “Noumu.” The Blackguard matched The Emperor's Coven in strength, but not their numbers. The Emperor's Coven had 10s of thousands of soldiers, whereas the Blackguard only had hundreds. The Noumu would equal the playing field in such a way that it would actually make the revolution a possibility.

Perry was a patient man—it was his strongest virtue, as a matter of fact, but everyone had their limits. Four years of hard work, and nothing to show for it would result in said patience deteriorating. Not to mention that The Day of Unity was supposed to begin during the next Eclipse, which would happen, supposedly, either in the coming year or the one after that.

Time was of the essence, and they were running out of time.

“WE’RE ABOUT TO BEGIN THE NEXT ROUND EVERYONE! PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR—”

“I can think about this later. I have a tournament to watch,”Perry mused as he turned his attention back to the tournament, hands behind his back as he watched with great interest. Knowing what he now did, he placed his bets on Amity winning the tournament. After all,One For Allwas said to matchAll For Onein power, if only slightly less or moreso depending on the user.

A small smile took up his visage. This had turned out to be far more eventful than he had originally thought the tournament to be. Sure, there would be fewer competitors, but withOne For Allbeing in the mix, then he knew that, if nothing else, this would be a spectacle to behold.

And so, with bated breath, Perry awaited the results of the tournament with high expectations for Amity Blight and her eventual victory.

-To Be Continued in – Truth, Lies, and The Inbetween – Part 1-

Chapter 29: S3, P1 - Ep 6: Truth, Lies, and The Inbetween - Part 1

Chapter Text

[Truth, Lies, and The Inbetween – Part 1]

[Mutant Realm, 113 Years Ago, 2001]

“Brother! Please, stop this!” Yoichi pleaded to Rikitatsu, both of whom were now in their early 20s, 27 years old, to be exact, as the older of the two twins held up a man in his 40s by the throat. Rikitatsu stared into the man’s eyes, anger dancing behind them as a pathetic means to try and intimidate the older twin brother. The man that he was holding up by the throat was their father. The person who had abandoned their mother and left them on the streets to die. His crimson eyes narrowed as Rikitatsu scowled.

“This man… he left mother to die. Left us to fend for ourselves. Why shouldn’t I get rid of him?” Rikitatsu spat, callousness seeping into his voice as the man he held by the neck sputtered and gasped. His face had changed in hue, going from off-tan to a light red. Still, despite being choked out, he could talk.

“D-Do you e-even know w-who I-I-I am?! I-I’m Tamashiki S-Shigaraki! I-I’m a m-member of P-Parliment!! Y-Y-You can’t—”

“Shigaraki, huh?” Rikitatsu hummed, a devilish smile taking up his visage, ignoring the man’s ramblings. “Yoichi Shigaraki and Rikitatsu Shigaraki… finally, our names are complete. For what it is worth, father. I thank you for finally revealing yourself,” Rikitatsu continued as Tamashiki’s eyes widened, bloodshot and panic-filled, he began to kick and bash his hands and shoes against Rikitatsu.

He was scuffing up Rikitatsu’s new suit. How upsetting. He had just gotten it too after working with the police for the last ten years. He had wormed his way up to being a Captain, too. It paid decently well, and while he wasn’t allowed to use his Meta Abilities—the non-passive ones, anyway—he was still a force to be reckoned with.

That aside, he was starting to get annoyed that the man continued to kick at him. It would have done something, had Rikitatsu not come across a skin physical pain nullifier Meta Ability. All Rikitatsu could do was scowl at the feeble attempt at hurting him, increasing the pressure on Tamashiki’s throat.

Thanks to the job that he now had, being a Police Captain for the Shibuya District in Tokyo, he was able to look up local files based on criminal cases. It turned out that their mother, Aiya Kagurami, had been a convict, having been arrested on numerous charges such as petty theft, prostitution, drug smuggling, drug indulgence, and assault on numerous occasions.

However, there was one time where she had reported a crime. Not one she had committed, but one that had been done to her. The timeline had lined up exactly with his and his brother's date of birth nine months after the fact. He had once thought that his mother was simply just a lone crackwhor* who got far too ahead of herself. But now that he knew the truth, he had become far more displeased with the man in front of him.

The person who was responsible for what had happened to her. The person who had inadvertently spawned them. The person who had caused his mother a great deal of suffering.

This man. His biological father.

This monster.

Rikitatsu had no morals, that much was obvious. But even then he knew where to draw the line. Sure, killing, maiming, and all of that fun stuff. He condoned that. Even human experimentation to a degree. But there were just some crimes that someone didn’t commit. Even someone like Rikitatsu, who despite the fact that he was a police officer who actively committed crimes in his free time, knew that committing those crimes made you an animal.

Their mother was only 17 years old when she had them, having been kicked out onto the streets due to her Spearlike Bones Meta Ability and forced to live on the streets. To mellow that pain, she had started taking drugs, and did whatever it was that she had to do to live—he knew this because, along with the other people whose powers he stole, she was in his dreams. One day, she met their father, and that was whenithappened, resulting in their conception, which wasn’t a consensual one.

This man before him. This man who was in parliament, making laws for the people of Japan—his and his brother's home, Tamashiki Shigaraki, was not only someone who had raped their mother but had done so when she was achild. And that… thatroyally pissed him off.

“Digging through police files,” Rikitatsu began, a full-on sneer worming its way onto his face, “I was able to find out that our mother was Sexually Assaulted. She was a local drug addict, a kid with no place to go or run to. And as such, she was often taken advantage of. You must’ve been the one who committed the final act. A vile, disgusting individual such as yourself deserves nothing. You are vermin, even amongst the other rats in this city, you are the worst. Your political power means nothing to me. Die.”

And with the flick of a wrist, Rikitatsu snapped the man’s neck, much to the shock of Yoichi. All of the words that came out of Rikitatsu’s mouth, while true, still didn’t take away the horror he saw committed before him. Yoichi knew his brother didn’t mind ending the lives of those whom he saw as a nuisance, but he never saw him do it before.

Watching his brother take the life of someone, even if that someone was horrible, didn’t sit right with Yoichi. Even if what Rikitatsu had said about that man before him—even if that was true—the fact that his brother killed him was more than enough to prove to Yoichi that something was wrong.

“Brother…”

“Don’t start. He deserved it. Besides…” Rikitatsu began as he reached into the pockets of the corpse and plucked out his wallet. Opening the wallet, he had found his debit and credit card, along with his ID, and a few wads of cash totalling around about 500K Yen or the equivalent of $5,000 in filthy American money. “He has some money on him. Not to mention we can sell is ID on the black market for some extra cash. That way, we can continue your treatment.”

Rikitatsu looked over his brother, his expression dropping from a smile to a frown. The young man, while healthier appearing than he was when they were kids, was still sickly in appearance. Though now he had more meat on his bones, the fact still remained that his brother was weak and frail. He had a cane in his right hand, and his hair, much like his own, had gone starch white in colour.

He was dressed in a baggy white t-shirt, and a pair of black jeans. He still wore the bandages over his arms as a means to protect them from getting cut on anything, and while his skin still had that same sickly hue, it was less than when they were kids.

“You don’t need to kill and steal for that anymore! I, you… we’re better off than before. We don’t need to keep doing this!” Yoichi said, voice slightly raised though hushed so no one would hear them. They had both jumped their “father” in the alleyway nearest to a salon, so they needed to hurry this up.

Rikitatsu sighed, pocketing the wallet before dusting himself off. “Brother. You must understand. I did that for our mother. That man—”

“I heard you. I understand why you did it. If my arms weren’t as weak as they were I would’ve slapped him around myself,” Yoichi scoffed, shaking his head. “It’s not that which I have a problem with. I have a problem with youstilldoing this. To others. To those who don’t deserve it. You’re better than this. I know you have a passion and dream of your own—one that I share—but we can do this differently.”

Yoichi paused, looking to the ground. “I know that you keep telling me that it’s pointless to try and appeal to the good side of you, what with you saying it doesn’t exist, but I don’t believe that. I know that it exists in you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been taking care of me back then or now. If you are truly as evil as you say yourself to be, then why haven’t you discarded me yet?”

Rikitatsu’s frown turned into a scowl, his hand clenched into a fist. “You’re mybrother, Ichi. I would never leave you behind. I—”

“My point exactly. Youcare. Granted, it’s only about me, but if you just spread that care out to others… you could be the leader that I know you can be,” Yoichi said, approaching Rikitatsu before putting a hand on his shoulder. The older of the two siblings looked at him with a hint of confusion in his eyes whilst Yoichi smiled. “You and I, I know we’re destined for something special. What that is, I don’t know. I can feel it in my chest. I know that you know that too. Prove me right. So please, for me, stop stealing from others. Stop killing other people. We can still bring peace to Japan.”

Rikitatsu frowned, shrugging his brother's hand off his shoulder. Yoichi hung his head low, not needing to hear his brother's response to know what he would say. Rikitatsu turned his back to his brother and continued down the alleyway, gesturing for him to follow.

Yoichi did the only thing he could, and did as his brother told him to do.

As they walked, Rikitatsu led him back to the train station. It took longer than normal because Yoichi was here, and so they had to stop for a medical mask and a pair of gloves so he didn’t get sick. Even with all of the Meta Abilities that Rikitatsu had, not all of them could heal his brother. He could only heal physical wounds, not infections, viral sickness, or bacteria.

The train was supposed to take them from Shibuya to Yokohama which was where their house was. Boarding the train, the two siblings stood side-by-side. Yoichi was still uncomfortable with what Rikitatsu had just done, but Rikitatsu couldn’t have cared less. He avenged their mother, so as far as he cared, what he did was a good thing.

The train ride only took about 30 minutes, which was shorter than the last time they took the train. However, considering the last time there had been a delay thanks to there being a robbery in the train station that they were heading to, that was most likely the reason for it.

That was another thing that was starting to get on Rikitatsu’s nerves. The crime rate in Japan had been exploding lately—thanks in part to himself, of course—and it made his daytime job worse. Meta Abilities were seen as weapons worse than guns, and the government was planning on putting a widespread ban on Meta Humans doing basic things, like going to school to decrease the damage that could be caused.

On top of that, they were already being banned from going to stores, and next month they were going to be forced to wear a special tag that identified them as Meta Humans. Rikitatsu wasn’t a fool. He had read enough history books to know where this was going, and he was going to curb it before it got to that point.

He had already amassed upwards of 50 Meta Abilities. He knew he was reaching his limit, but he would break past it by continuously working his body. He knew he could fit more, but he just needed to make the space.

Getting off the train, Rikitatsu led his brother to their home and took him inside. When they got in, Yoichi made his way to his bedroom, whilst Rikitatsu took off his suit top and tie, revealing the white button-down shirt he wore underneath. He was physically built like that of a Greek God, which had been the point.

Some said he had a sleeper build because of how well his clothes hid his muscles, but that was something his brother had. Yoichi had been working out, too, to be healthier. No one knew it unless he flexed his arms, but he had muscles just like him. Due to his sickly nature, though, it took longer for him to put anything on.

The reason why he was getting his brother to work out, aside from getting him to become healthier, was because he had a plan. He recently received a Power Stockpiler Meta Ability. It would make his brother stronger over time, and if he could find another Longevity Meta Ability, he would also give it to Yoichi. That way, they could rule Japan together.

That, and he wanted to give his brother a chance. Because next month, when the Government planned to roll out that new law, he was going to launch his attack. He had been gathering followers in the underground. Yakuza, Criminal Organizations, and even the Meta Liberation Army. They were under his control and were waiting for his signal.

A small smile spread across his face. It was almost time for his dream to come true. And he would have his brother by his side. No matter the consequences that came from it. He would not lose his prized possession.

Not now, not ever.

xxXXxxXXxx

Julia was confused. One minute, she felt the sweet embrace of death at the hands of that one girl with the strange spear-like fingers. In the next, she found herself standing in what appeared to be a castle entrance, adjusting to what was going on. Well, it was more like a throne room than a castle entrance, but the point stood.

Large ornate windows peered into nothingness, and rows of golden chandeliers lit up the structure she had found herself in, along with a red carpet with golden lining and tassels. On top of that, there were several cages dangling from the roof next to the chandeliers, with blob-like creatures sitting inside them, formless and motionless.

That in and of itself was strange, but then there was the fact that right now, she was staring at a man whom she did not recognize. White hair, red eyes, and pale skin were his most defining traits, and those were what made him seem so eerie to her. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with an equally black tie and a white shirt underneath.

It almost reminded her of her father’s business attire.

But, the most confusing thing of this whole ordeal—aside from the fact that she should be, without a shadow of a doubt, deceased—was that this man knew her name. That had set off alarm bells in her head, and with no exit in sight, the only thing that Julia could do was take a step back.

“Oh, please. Do not fret. I won’t hurt you,” the man said, the smile on his face radiating what she could only describe as malice. Not directed at her, but rather at someone, or perhaps, something else. It didn’t calm Julia down even in the slightest.

“W- Who are you? W- Where am I?” Julia stuttered, eyes frantically scanning the place. There were three chairs, all three of which were thrones. The one the man sat on, an empty one, and another one next to the empty throne. All three were golden with red cushions, with what appeared to be lion’s heads sitting at the top of the thrones in a perpetual roaring expression.

“What a fantastic question, Ms. Wittebane. But first, take a seat on the throne next to the empty one. Itisyours after all,” the man said as Julia blinked. The throne next to the empty one was for her? But why? She didn’t question it, though she did approach it with caution. Walking up to the throne, she sat down carefully, before relaxing into it. It was surprisingly comfortable. It reminded her of her old bed.

“Now, as for your questions. My name is Shigaraki Rikitatsu. As for where you are, you are within a dimensional space known as The Vestiage World. A construct created by the Quirk known asAll For One. This Quirk used to belong to me, but now, it belongs to its current user, Toshiko Shigaraki. Or, as you knew her, Luz Noceda,” the man, Shigaraki, explained as Julia’s eyes widened slightly.

“Luz… this is Luz’s world? And what do you mean by Toshiko?”

“That is what Luz goes by now. She changed her name due to her previous name having done nothing but haunt her due to her actions at the camp and after the fact. Let’s just say that she doesn’t have the bestest of reputations,” Shigaraki replied as Julia narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean “her actions”? What did she do?” Julia demanded as the man smirked.

“She did the only thing that was reasonable for her to do when she found the bodies of her friends strewn about in her team’s home base. She slaughtered everyone who committed the act, all in the name of revenge. The tragedy was named “The Massacre Of The Fools”, and Toshiko became quite the social pariah after the fact. She tried to live a normal life after the fact, but your father wanted her dead due to the threat she posed. One thing led to another, and now they’re in a silent war after having been dragged to a new dimension known as The Demon Realm, oh, and Gravesfield was wiped off the map during a four-hour conflict.”

Julia couldn’t respond to that, because what was there to say? All she could do was stare blankly at the ground soaking in what this Shigaraki man had just told her. Luz… she killed those at the camp as a means to avenge her friends. To avenge her.

That… wasn’t what she wanted at all.

And yet, there wasn’t anything that could be done about it. It was already done, and so there wasn’t anything that could be said to object to what had happened.

“Does she at least regret her actions?” Julia asked as Shigaraki frowned.

“Constantly. There is never a day where she doesn’t reflect on her actions with shame, despite the fact that there was nothing else that she could do. They were coming to kill her, you see. So she had no choice but to defend herself, and as a result, she had to kill others. It was either her, or them, and she chose correctly,” Shigaraki replied as Julia hummed.

There wasn’t much else that could be said then, now was there? If Luz, or Toshiko, or whatever she went by now regretted her actions, then that was all that could be done. Still, it rubbed Julia the wrong way, even if it was the only thing that she could’ve done.

“So, what now?” Julia asked as Shigaraki reclined in his chair.

“We sit here and patiently wait for when Toshiko arrives again. In the meantime…” he snapped his fingers as a pack of cards appeared in his hands—Uno, to be specific, as well as a table. “How about a game of Uno?”

Julia shrugged. “Sure, why not?” She saw no reason to deny him that. She felt that this place was boring without something to do, and so she’d take anything over staring off into the darkness.

And thus, Julia Wittebane and Rikitatsu Shigaraki passed the time playing Uno.

xxXXxxXXxx

“This tastes like Apple Cider,” Eda overheard Toshiko remark as she took a sip from a glass of Apple Blood—non-alcoholic, obviously, because she was a kid. King liked the non-alcoholic version because it ‘didn’t taste like wet, sweaty socks’ or something along those lines.

When they got to her house, Hooty was thankfully asleep. The loud, obnoxious, annoying doorstopper had to sleep once a week and today just so happened to be one of those days. Don’t get Eda wrong, she liked the big goof, but there were some days when she wished he’d just shut up. Constantly yammering about random things that came to his mind, and that wasn’t even talking about the screechy voice he had.

“Let’s not and say we did, yeah?”Eda thought, rubbing at the side of her temples as she looked over to Toshiko. “Do ya like it?”

“I was never a fan of Apple Cider,” Toshiko remarked, looking at the red liquid with a raised eyebrow. “But this isn’t as bitter as I was assuming something called “Apple Blood” would be. So yes, I like it,” Toshiko said, a small smile taking up her visage. She took another sip of the drink before putting the glass down. “Also, uh… quick question. You wouldn’t mind if I slept here for a few days, yeah?”

Eda shrugged. While she wasn’t a fan of having strangers in her home, Toshiko was a kid, and the last thing she needed on her conscience was knowing that a kid, no matter who they were related to, was out on the streets without a roof over their head. “Sure thing. I don’t mind. Just don’t be too alarmed when and or if a large owl face peers in on you every once and a while.”

“What?” Toshiko blurted out as Eda smirked.

“You’ll see what I mean when you meet him. Hooty’s nice, but can be annoying at times,” Eda replied as Toshiko sighed, looking down at herself. “Oh, and I’ll get you some actual clothes. I think I still have some of my old stuff from when I was your age. Don’t know if it’ll fit or not, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you,” Toshiko replied as Eda turned to go up the stairs and toward the attic.

The house that Eda lived in was three floors, technically if you included the attic. There was the first floor with the living room, the guest bathroom, and the kitchen all separated into different sections of the house. The living room was connected to the entrance, which had a couch, a table, and a few bookshelves filled with paraphernalia and books about magic and its properties.

Past the living room, there was a hallway that branched out into three separate directions. Straight ahead was the kitchen/dining room, to the left there was a staircase that led to the second floor, and to the right was the guest bathroom. Taking a left, Eda walked up the stairs and onto the second floor.

The second floor consisted of a bathroom off to the immediate right, and next to that was Eda’s room. Across from her room was a guest bedroom. It used to be Kings, but he became too big to sleep inside the house, instead, he lived out in a den he made a few feet away from the house itself. Then, of course, there was the closet, which had a ladder leading up to the attic.

Walking down the hallway, Eda opened the closet, stepped inside, and pulled on a rogue string that dropped down a set of ladder stairs. Climbing up the ladder, Eda entered the attic, coughing at the amount of dust that invaded her nostrils. It didn’t take Eda very long to look through the confusing mess of boxes to find a box of her old teenage clothing, which had been labelled as such.

Grabbing the box and bringing it down with her as carefully as she could, Eda put the ladder away and tucked the string back where it needed to be so the ladder didn’t come falling down again. Afterward, Eda walked down the hallway, down the stairs, and back into the living room where Toshiko patiently sat having drunk the entire glass of Apple Blood.

“This box,” Eda began as she placed it in front of Toshiko, “contains all of my clothes from when I was a teenager. I wasgoingto donate it but decided against it. Take it up to the guest bedroom on the second floor, which is the bedroom across from mine, and go try some stuff on and see if it fits. The guest bedroom has a label on it and everything, so you can’t miss it,” Eda said as Toshiko nodded, looking at the box before creating vines out of her fingertips, ensnaring the box and heading toward the stairs.

When she disappeared up the stairs, Eda sighed. She had to admit, Toshiko didn’tseembad. But there was just something about her. Something that Eda didn’t like. Be it how empty her eyes looked, or how her face was always stuck in a perpetual neutral gaze, Eda constantly felt like that, at any moment, the kid could snap and do something stupid.

It also didn’t help that she had an uncanny resemblance tohim. So much so that she was half tempted to ask if they were related. Like, seriously, she had the same white hair and the same red eyes. It was to the point that she could either be his extremely young little sister or his daughter. Either or would’ve worked, because that was what it looked like.

It also didn’t help that there was an aura surrounding her. An aura of malice, discontent, and anger, but also loneliness, regretfulness, and sorrow. Two clashing emotions that didn’t mix well when left alone. It was clear that she went through something horrible, that much was obvious just by looking at her. But it didn’t change the fact that Toshiko was still potentially dangerous.

For all Eda knew, Toshiko could be an agent sent byhimto see what had happened in his absence. And it was that thought that made Eda stop herself from fully letting her guard down around Toshiko. Until she could confirm that she was 110% safe to be around, Eda wouldn’t trust her as far as she could throw her.

“Just who are you, Toshiko Shigaraki…”Eda thought with narrowed eyes. Perhaps she made a mistake by letting Toshiko stay here for a while. However, she’d have to find out about that later because right now, nothing seemed to be wrong. Just like most things in her life, she’d find out the hard way, because the last thing she wanted to do was set off that ticking time bomb.

Still though…. Those eyes… that expression. It was just too….

“If there’s one thing I know from my long-lived life, it’s that you can’t be too careful. All of my enemies have always had some kind of second wind, but you, Eda Clawthorne. I won’t allow that to happen.”

Eda winced at the memory, putting a hand under her chest. That was wherehehad ripped out her heart. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she hadn’t cast an illusion over it having it seem like it had been crushed, she would’ve died right then and there. She had to fake staying dead long enough for him to focus on something else before she got up again.

Due to her curse, The Owl Beast kept her alive no matter what, with the sole exception of her heart being destroyed. Divorce her head from her shoulders, and she’d get back up after a while. Lop off her limbs one by one and over time she’d regrow them. She couldn’t truly die thanks to the curse, but if she were to ever lose it, she’d be back to being normal.

That was why she didn’t want to part with it. Before, she did, but its use in the battle againsthimproved to her that she could master it. She did, briefly, during that fight withhimbut she had never been able to do that again. She needed to be pushed to her absolute limits again, and King couldn’t do that because of his leniency against her.

But… if she asked Toshiko…

“No. Too dangerous. Can’t trust her just yet with that information. Not unless I have to,”Eda reprimanded herself. What was she thinking? She still couldn’t trust that kid yet. Not until she knew Toshiko wasn’t an immediate threat.

Part of the reason why she was allowing Toshiko to stay here, aside from not wanting to have a guilty conscience about leaving a kid out to starve on the streets, was to gauge her personality and to see whether or not she should hand her over to Belos.

Oh, don’t get her wrong, she despised that man with every fibre of her being. But, they were on so-so terms, and if she handed over a potential threat to him, then perhaps he’d get off of her back for good. But she would only do that if she had no choice. Just the thought of handing anyone over to that man made her stomach churn, but if she was going to avoid yet another war with someone likehimthen she’d do anything.

Even if it meant betraying her own morals.

Too many people died because ofhim. She wasn’t going to let a repeat event happen. Especially not if she could help it. Doubly so if it wound up being because of her.Again.

“Ms. Clawthorne? How does this look?” Toshiko’s voice broke her out of her thoughts as she glanced down at her. She was dressed in an orange and black varsity jacket that had a few pins on it that represented the tracks at Hexside, specifically the Beast Handling Coven, Abomination Coven, and the Illusion Coven. Coupled with a pair of black pants with grey hoops hanging around the waist, Eda had to admit it looked pretty good.

“What’s underneath the jacket?” Eda asked as Toshiko unzipped it, revealing a dark blue shirt with the picture of a Giraffe on the front with the words “nightmare fuel” underneath. Eda snorted, smirking at her choice. “Alright, that’s good. You can keep it if you want. Also, they’re magically enhanced so they won’t burn off in case, for whatever reason, you and King fight again. Which you shouldn’t, but whatever.”

“Actually,” Toshiko said as Eda raised an eyebrow. “I was wondering if you’d be okay if King and I became sparring partners. Before you showed up, the two of us found out that we had a lot in common, and he proposed the idea.”

Eda frowned. That could be both a good thing and a bad thing. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Eda looked out the window of the living room. King still hadn’t returned from the river from his bath. Titans were special in that they could bathe in the acidic water, whereas Witches, Demons, and Beast Demons couldn’t. They had to purify the water first, and that process was dangerous. It was why most of the time they simply used magic to keep themselves clean.

King had always wanted to hone his Titan Powers. Eda was getting too old to keep up with him and was also starting to get significantly weaker than him to challenge him. One of two things could come from this. King could get strong, strong enough to take her down if she turned out to be like her predecessor, or, Toshiko could surpass King in strength and become even more of a threat that she potentially represented.

“Let me think about it first. Don’t do anything with him unless you have my permission, got it?” Eda said, leaving no room for argument in her tone. Toshiko stared, eyes narrowed for a split second before closing her eyes, sighing, and turning around to head somewhere else in the house.

Once again, Eda had to wonder just what her motives were. What was she trying to do?

Maybe she was just overthinking things. She was just a kid, but then again, she was also possibly related tohim, so that excuse went out the window.

Whatever the case was, she was going to keep an eye on her. Even when she left, she would keep an eye on her until she either disappeared off the face of The Boiling Isles or until Eda died. She would not let history repeat itself.

Even if it meant she had to kill Toshiko Shigaraki to do so.

-Finished, Read The Remake-