Chapter 11: CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE FIELD TEST
'Reality stone computer simulation number seventy six', Izuku frowned as he typed at his keyboard. 'Fail', he placed his head against the desk, beyond frustrated at this point. The space stone was so easy, but the reality stone was proving a real challenge. There must be something missing if every combination of quirk genetics failed.
He really needed this stone, because with it he could create the perfect metal for the gauntlet. Once he had a device to harness the power of the stones, then there'd be little the heroes and the villains could do to stop him.
"Whatcha doing?" A voice said behind him making him jump. He whirled around to see his stalker Toga Himiko behind him. Ever since he pinned her in two moves a few weeks ago in the bar she wouldn't leave him alone. It wouldn't be so bad, having a cute girl stalk him, if that cute girl wasn't a psychopath who wants to make him bleed. In her words make him look cuter by cutting him up. Izuku was starting to get annoyed by all the constant dodging and maneuvers to avoid her knife.
"What are you doing here Himiko?" How the hell did she find out about this place? Only Kurogiri, Tomura, and Sensei knew about this place.
"Oh I wanted to know where you were always running off to", she smiled showing her sharp canines. "Luckily Shigaraki accidentally let slip where your lab was, so I snuck in to be with you Izuku-kun"
'Damn you and your big mouth Tomura', Izuku silently fumed. "Fine, just don't touch anything and if you try to stab me again you're out of here", Himiko smiled and started walking around the lab asking about every little thing. Izuku was rapidly becoming tired of saying 'Don't touch' over and over again.
"What's this thing?" She pointed at a device that resembled a canister stuck to a belt with tubes and needles.
"Something I made to extract blood in mid battle should the situation call", Izuku explained while still typing away at his computer. "Don't touch", it was located next to a metal container that immediately caught her eye.
"Blood storage!" She beamed finding the container labeled as such and opened it. Izuku leaped from his computer and slammed the door shut.
"That is important to my research. Do not…touch", he warned.
"You like blood", Himiko leaned in closer to him. "I like blood too. Look how much we have in common"
"You have a fetish for blood", Izuku corrected her. He'd been over this with her before when she explained her quirk. He did find it incredibly useful for stealth and infiltration operations. After that he did a complete personality profile and found the girl absolutely deranged and it wouldn't do well to have a psychotic mess like her involved with his plans. "I analyze the quirk genes in D.N.A for research purposes"
"I love the way you got me all figured out", she attempted to glomp him, but he quickly dodged out of the way. "It's like your inside my head. Makes sense because you're all I can think about"
'Why did the psychopath have to develop a crush on me', Izuku sighed in frustration. He wondered if there was a way to get her away from him. It was then that an idea struck him making the teen grin slightly.
"Himiko, sweetie", he began. "Would you like to do me a little favor?"
"Sure", Togo smiled seeing this an opportunity to get more of Izuku's attention to herself. All he ever did when he went to the bar was talk with Dabi. "What do you need?"
"There's something I need you to retrieve for me and I think someone with you skill set would be best situated for the job", Izuku wanted to laugh at how easily he was able to turn this little problem child into a bonus for himself. "If you can complete this task you will be…handsomely rewarded", going over to his files he flipped open the one labeled 'U.A Students', turning to a picture of a brown haired girl that he met a while ago.
THE NEXT NIGHT
Izuku walked through the woods with the partner that Shigaraki assigned to him for this mission. The villain went by the name Muscular. Rather uncreative name if you asked him, but apparently his muscle fiber manipulation quirk made him super strong. Not that he really cared. The guy was just a murderous nut job with enhanced strength.
The green haired boy looked down at his new power gloves. They covered both of his arms and were made of titanium allow, attached to a metallic chest piece that secretly contained the space stone inside. This little kidnapping mission was the perfect opportunity to test it out.
Izuku dressed in his new villain attire which was another white cloak, this one sleeveless to show the power gloves, the same black pants and armored boots, and this time a mask that covered his mouth that functioned as a gas mask as well in case he wandered to close to Mustard. He didn't bother bringing his scouter for two reasons. One it was broken and he didn't have time to make a new one. Two, he already did research on all the students and pro heroes that would be here and was fully prepared.
"Hey Shigaraki said you're the analyst of the group", Muscular started as they walked together. "What do you got on this Bakugou kid?"
"Blonde hair, red eyes, yells a lot, ridiculously short temper, makes explosions", Izuku summarized as if he didn't care. Truthfully he didn't care that they were after Katsuki. Tomura seemed to be under the delusion that he could sway Class 1-A's number one star student to the League of Villain's side. Sadly it would be a fruitless effort. He knew Bakugou for years and the boy was way too stubborn to fall to villainy, even torture wouldn't be enough to break him. If they succeeded tonight the only thing Tomura Shigaraki will have accomplished would be pissing U.A and the heroes off, to the point that they will hunt the league down like animals. Which was fine for Izuku, he wouldn't be there when it happened.
'It seems my time working for the league is coming to a close sooner than I anticipated', he thought to himself. He smiled under his mask as he put the pieces together and found a way to twist this to his benefit. He didn't want to abandon the league completely, especially Dabi. That man was too powerful to let go, but this would be for the best.
"That it?" Muscular asked interrupting his thoughts.
"Yup", Izuku continued to walk keeping a couple yards away from the muscle bound man. They eventually arrived at a good vantage point overlooking the forest when they spotted a small dark haired boy wearing a cap that had two horns protruding from it.
"Hey kid", Muscular grinned maliciously at the scared child. "You're not on the list"
"We don't have time for this", Izuku proclaimed. Something about the boy's terrified face bothered him, so he tried to steer things away from where they were obviously going. "Let's go"
"Leave then", Muscular said as he slowly approached the kid. "This will only take a minute, then I'll catch up", Izuku realized he was going to hurt this kid and that didn't sit well with him.
"Shigaraki told you all to listen to my orders should things go awry", Izuku reminded him what their leader said before the mission. "I'm giving you an order, we are leaving to find the target"
"Cheh!" Muscular scowled. "Alright", he then completely blinded side Izuku by decking him in the chest sending him flying down the side of the hill and into the trees. "Oops", he smirked. "I guess one the students took down Apotheosis", he rehearsed aloud the lie he would give to Shigaraki when they went back to the hideout. Kota shook with fear as he watched the man who killed his parents come bearing down on him. He closed his eyes and awaited death.
"Really?" The boy's eyes flashed open where he saw the back of a white hooded cloak. "Sucker punching me?", Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, it was a good thing he had the space stones protective epidermal barrier to absorb most of that blow otherwise he would have been seriously injured.
"What the hell is this?" Muscular wasn't sure what just happened. In a small flash of blue light that know it all brat appeared between him and the kid. "Insubordinate trash like you doesn't belong in the League of Villains", lines resembling a circuit board pattern started glowing a light blue along the metal of his gloves. "In other words you're fired", muscle fibers sprouted out of the bigger villain's skin, wrapping around his limbs like strings and ribbons.
"Die you little bastard!" Izuku stood his ground as he pointed his hand towards the oncoming fist. Right before it reached him a portal opened up, the man's arm past through it while simultaneously another portal formed underneath Muscular. The result was the villain basically upper cutting himself hard enough to send him flying upwards in the air.
"Is that it for infamous serial killer?" Izuku called out mockingly. 'This little test going quite well'
"You'll pay for that!" Muscular came charging at him throwing one punch after another. Izuku dodged each and every one using the flash warp power of the space stone. Occasional he would create a warp gate to redirect the man's fists back at him, slowly building up injuries. Kota watched in shock as this strange hooded villain fought his parents' killer with what looked to him like super speed and portals.
'Don't throw up', Izuku chanted in his head repeatedly. Every flash warp was making his stomach feel like it was turning inside out. Eventually the queasy feeling caused him to trip up, giving Muscular the opening to slam his fist into the boy's back and punch him into the ground.
"Gah!" Izuku cried out as he was being crushed into a crater.
"Nice try, but your just too weak!" The bigger man laughed as he pressed his fist harder into Apotheosis's back. He would have finished him off if not for a splash of water hitting him in the face. Muscular turned to see Kota with his hand out.
'Oh that foolish child', Izuku grimaced seeing what stopped that psycho from crushing him.
"So you didn't want to wait for your turn?" Muscular grinned madly as he approached, leaving Izuku's body behind. "Fine! Eat this!" Kota stood his ground this time facing his attacker's oncoming fist. Seeing his opponent distracted Izuku flash warped in between them and formed a portal to catch Muscular's punch. As soon as it passed through he tightened his grip, shrinking the blue portal and causing the arm to get stuck. "You little bastard!" Muscular shouted as he tried and failed to pull his arm out.
"I really can't stand people like you", Izuku said with his hand held up still keeping the portal open and locked tight. "Bullies that pick on the weak, just because they can", he finally realized what that child's face reminded him of. His own back before he became a villain, back when he wanted to be a hero more than anything. "It doesn't make you strong, it makes you a coward"
"What would you know?" Muscular sneered down on him, still stuck.
"I know you're not a man, you're a beast", just like his own bully Katsuki. "And beasts like you should either be put down", he tightened his grip, pulling on more power from the space stone. "Or declawed", completely closing his fist Izuku watched with morbid satisfaction as the portal completely closed shut, severing Muscular's arm at the bicep.
"MY ARM!" The villain screamed clutching the bleeding stump. While he was busy trying to stitch the muscle fibers over the wound Izuku flash warped a good distance away. Cocking his fist back he focused the epidermal barrier along his knuckles to increase its max hardness, covering them in a faint blue glow.
"Cosmic", Izuku flashed forward multiple times, building a massive amount of moment. With that and the hardened shield around his fist he decked Muscular in the face as hard as he could. "Smash!" Taking a page from Allmight he named this punch after a celestial term instead of an American state or city. The impact was devastating it nearly caved in Muscular's face, and his jaw was definitely broken. Izuku watched as the villain fell back collapsing into unconsciousness. Just to be sure he was finished he walked over and placed one of his metal gloves on the man's chest, focusing the powers of the stone until large muscled body was covered in a faint blue aura that locked him into his current point in space.
"Not so tough now", Izuku chuckled as he found a boulder to sit down on. The metal armored gauntlets he wore were smoking now from overuse. It seems titanium wasn't a viable substance in using the stone's power. Feeling the contents of his stomach finally coming up quickly pulled off his face mask and vomited all over the ground. "Dammit", Izuku choked. He was mostly upset that the prototype gauntlets were not working to his expectations. It seems simply pumping the power into him wasn't giving the full access to the space stone's abilities, and it resulted in a bunch negative side effects. In this case, severe motion sickness.
"What's your name?" Izuku asked without turning to face the child that he saved.
"K-Kota", the boy said, keeping a safe distance from the hooded figure. He may have beat Muscular, but he was still a villain. However that villain saved his life. He didn't know what to make of this
"You wouldn't happen to have a towel Kota?" Izuku looked at him when he was sure his hood would obscure his face in shadow.
"Why did you save me?" Kota asked, eyes watering. "Y-you're a…a…"
"A villain", Izuku finished. "So just because I'm villain that automatically makes me one hundred percent evil, down to my very core? Is that it?" He tore a strip of fabric from the bottom of his white coat and used it to wipe his mouth. After that he placed his mask back on and stood up. "No one's all evil, just like no one is all good Kota", he slowly approached the nervous child and placed a hand on his head. "Just between the two of us I'm not a villain, nor am I a hero. I guess you said I don't fit with either of them", he whispered. "As for why I saved you, well you kind of reminded me of someone I used to know"
"Who?" Kota asked looking up at him.
"Someone who nobody believed in. A person that had dreams that everyone told to give up. Someone who was repeatedly called weak and useless", Izuku looked away sadly.
"What happened to him?" The child wanted to know.
"He broke, he completely shattered, until there was nothing left of the old him", he removed his hand from Kota's head and walked away. "Then he rebuilt himself, piece by piece, into something new. My point is broken things can either be fixed or remade into something else", Izuku waved his hand and opened a portal. "Bye Kota, just stay put until someone comes", he said as he stepped through the rift in space leaving the confused child and the paralyzed body of Muscular alone.
LATER AT THE RENDEZVOUS
"Dabi", Izuku greeted when he arrived through his portal. While running around he managed to collect a blood sample of Mandalay after Kurogiri teleported her near his location. How lucky that was for him. Sadly he couldn't seem to find Ragdoll anywhere, he would have liked a sample of her D.N.A as well.
"Where's Muscular?" Dabi stared down at him wondering where his partner was.
"He was going to endanger the mission, he even attempted to kill me when I gave him an order so I dealt with him accordingly", Izuku stated. Dabi took a moment to really look at him. The kid was a bit scuffed up, but otherwise fine. How the hell did he defeat a villain like Muscular?
"I saw what you're quirk can do", Izuku started, referring to the blue fire he witnessed earlier. "Your strong, yet you're not a more infamous villain?" He didn't know much about Dabi. They only ever talked about Stain's ideals and fake heroes that needed to be purged from the world. One interesting fact he found out in their conversation was that Dabi had an extreme hatred for the number two hero Endeavor. Beyond that he didn't even know the villain's real name. Dabi ignored his question and turned to face the tree line.
"Our target should arrive soon", and just as he said that Katsuki arrived with Shoto, Fumikage, Mezo, Tsuyu, and Ochako.
"Its you!" Bakugou shouted seeing the villain that made him look like a fool back during the U.S.J incident.
"Let me handle this", Izuku whispered to Dabi seeing an easy way to get rid of the others and put the Kacchan in a position to be captured. "We meet again Bakugou! You know I thought you were the best, then I easily crushed you and I thought that U.A must have poor standards if you're the best!" Izuku said while Dabi watched with amusement. Katsuki silently fumed while the villain taunted him. "Then you go and win the sports festival, makes me wonder if you were holding out on me!" He knew exactly how to rile the blonde teen up and just like he predicted Bakugou dashed forward firing a massive explosion at the villain that mocked him.
"Hm", Izuku merely pointed his hand at him and opened a portal as soon as the blast went off. Katsuki froze seeing his explosion disappear into a hole, then gasped when he heard the very same explosion go off behind him. Turning around he saw the result as the other students lay scattered about away from the smoking crater.
"Oops" Izuku chuckled, having redirected his explosion back at the others. "Looks like you blew up your comrades"
"You bastard!" Bakugou turned back around and yelled at the one responsible for this.
"I guess it will be easy to be the number one hero after he murders all of the competition", Dabi remarked with a smirk. Katsuki looked murderous as the two continued to mock him for his violent tendencies.
"Are you going to do it or not?" Izuku asked staring past Bakugou.
"Wha-", Katsuki was cut off as a hand touched his back and suddenly he was turned into a marble. Mr. Compress stood there holding it between his fingers, having used the smoke to sneak up behind their target.
"I just wanted to add a little theatricality", Compress was annoyed with Izuku. "But you had to go and ruin it by giving away my position".
"We're not here to play games, we have a job to do", Dabi reminded them. Right on cue Kurogiri appeared opening a warp gate for them.
"I take the mission is successful", the misty bartender stated.
"I have young Katsuki Bakugou right here!" Compress chuckled tossing the marble up and down.
"I was only able to retrieve Magne, Spinner, Toga, Twice and the Nomu", Kurogiri explained.
"Can we go please? I'd rather not be around when the pros show up", Izuku pleaded, Dabi agreed and a few seconds later Kurogiri's warp gate enveloped them.
"Izuku!" He felt arms wrap around his shoulder as soon as they entered the bar.
"Can you not say my name aloud Toga, we have a guest", Izuku scolded her.
"Its fine he can't hear anything while in marble form", Mr. Compress said.
"I was able to get what you wanted are you proud of me Izuku!?" Himiko asked holding up a vial of red blood.
"Yes very", Izuku thanked her and took the vial. A sample of Ochako's blood might be just what he needed to complete the next stone.
"Can you and your girlfriend take this somewhere else?" Shigaraki finally spoke up gaining everybody's attention. "Do you have him?"
"Katsuki Bakugou is resting comfortably in my front pocket", Compress patted his jacket.
"Get the chair", Tomura ordered. Kurogiri nodded and used his warp gate to bring forth a big iron seat with multiple restraints attached, obviously to keep Katsuki contained. While they were getting that ready Izuku took Himiko over to the counter.
"Alright so a deals a deal", he told her. "You get to spend one day as me. In addition you get to keep the blood extraction device I lent you", Toga was perversely excited to hear that she would get to walk a mile in his skin and keep his invention. "However I'm going to pick the day"
"Oh come on", the blonde girl whined.
"Take it or leave it", Izuku glared at her.
"Fine I'll take what I can get", Toga pouted. She then flipped her frown into smile. "I still love you Izuku"
"You're sick in the head", he replied while pocketing the blood sample. "But you've been a great help", he smiled at her while patting Toga's head.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone