章 16: Aftermath

┃🔴 MegaMacho [p a treon . com (slash) MegaMacho (remove all spacing and replace "(slash)" for "/")]

👾 GQeFpEAjn2 [d i scord . gg (slash) GQeFpEAjn2 (remove all spacing and replace "(slash)" for "/")]

»»—-[☆]—-««

[Vol.3 American in U.A.]

"-" Speech

'-' Thought

(-) Thought in the middle of a sentence.

*-* Sound noises

»»—-[☆]—-««

"You are done, Rick!"

A man wearing a white thoub and a large white hat with an almost square shape. He had a long and rough black beard. A look the West often discriminates against for its correlation to terrorism, despite being a cultural look.

He was in the middle of the air, his robe fluttering by the air currents. A cruel smirk marked his face as he looked down at a man in a WWII helmet and uniform on his knees, gasping for breath.

"Rick, you can't defeat me. You can't protect the Twin Towers! Obama cannot help you! He is too busy dealing with my other planes." The man pursued a scheming grin only an evil mastermind could make, seeing the product of his plans, or rather, planes.

New York was reduced to rubble and debris.

"With my Quirk awakening, I can now summon AND control my planes remotely! America is done for! By me! Osama Bin Laden! HAHAHAHA!" He laughed to the skies full of joy, echoing through the ruins. The citizens could only look in fear at him.

The soldier struggled immensely but managed to get up and stand up, albeit shaking like a leaf. A rocket launcher appeared in his arms.

"I-I… won't let you…" He whispered between inhales and took aim at the figure, who merely scoffed.

He fired a rocket from his weapon, but the figure merely rolled his eyes and flickered at him, a mini plane coming out from the tip of his finger and hitting the rocket so fast that the missile could not even get far enough to save its launcher from being blasted away.

It was just too fast, too strong, for the soldier to do anything but helplessly watch fate unfold.

The terrorist seeing Rick try and fail to stand up, for real this time, turned towards the two iconic and massive skyscrapers.

"You are done, Rick. I can kill you whenever I wish… but I want you to witness this. The moment where I make history, and make America become history! HAHAHA!"

He could only watch as two massive planes, bigger than anything he had ever seen, materialize in front of the enemy, and fly at breakneck speeds toward the symbol of economy.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Rick suddenly opened his eye and rose to a sitting position while screaming. As he huffed to regain his breathing, he looked around in confusion. He was not in NY; he was on a bed. A hospital bed.

"AAahh!" A startled scream appeared right on his side.

"…Mom?" Rick uttered. As he looked at her, he noticed her messy hair and the dark bags under her eyes, and the trails of makeup running down from it, making her look like she had just woken up from a very depressed and very short sleep. She was sitting on a chair near his bed. Just how long was he out of commission?

"RICK!" Before she could say anything, the woman threw herself at him, hugging him tightly and sending an unexpected jolt of pain through his body. Painful enough for him to instinctively grunt loudly, making Midnight retreat instantly.

"I'm so sorry Rick! I-I just I- Are you okay?! I'll call the doctors right now!" She sputtered full of anxiety and stood up towards the room's door. However, her son grabbed her arm (hissing at the sharp pain), stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Mo- Nemuri, what the hell happened? Why am I here?" He urged pressingly. He didn't remember for the life of him how he got there. His head felt like a balloon and his body the less said the better.

Nemuri stared at him for a moment. "… You don't remember? The U.S.J. rescue training? How the villains invaded and attacked your class. The monster that did this to you. Do you recall nothing?"

He just shook his head. And so, the heroine began telling him the events.

»»—-[☆]—-««

(Midnight's POV)

I was in the middle of my afternoon classes when the school's emergency alarm blared. A specific sound that meant the immediate gathering of the teachers to the principal's office. It put me on alert, but the signature sound and blur outside my class's window that passed like a jet put me off even more. All Might.

Arriving there together with my fellow heroes, they saw a boy wearing a very similar-looking costume to Ingenium. It was Tenya from 1-A, panting like no tomorrow. He was supposed to be in U.S.J. together with her son…

Nezu immediately told us the situation. U.S.J. was invaded and under attack by villains who cut off the facility's communications and had a portal user. All Might, being the fastest, was already on his way.

He sent us off on one of U.A.'s buses towards the facility, but even at max speed, it would take some minutes to get there. Minutes that stretched far too long for me. I didn't even notice I was trembling until Hizashi grabbed my shoulder.

"Eyyy Nemuri, relax. Rick is a tough nut to crack, isn't he? Besides, All Might is probably already there anyway." He said soothingly with a smile and a thumbs up to me.

I wanted to argue about how long they were already there since Iida reached them with the info. About the unknown villains and quirks there. But I just remained silent. I didn't find myself with the disposition to even say a word.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they arrived and I was the first to jump out of the bus and run straight into the U.S.J. There was a fort made of ice at the entrance with the majority of 1-A inside, equipped with guns and even a mortar. What the hell happened?! And most importantly, no Rick.

"What's the situation? Where are the others?" I asked the group. A girl with a black ponytail and revealing clothes she would be proud of if it was another situation stepped up.

"Midnight, the fight is over. We are fine, but the others who were fighting that monster… we don't know." She trailed off, looking through one of the ice castle's windows towards the center area right beneath the stairs.

It was like a battlefield. Full of craters, smoke, and red spots that I prayed not to be blood, ice, and a lot of smoke. The rest of the students, Thirteen and Aizawa together with All Might were around an especially big and red crater, with Eraser yelling on the phone and Thirteen making 'fall back' gestures to the students while the number one hero digging something from it… or someone.

It was Rick. And if the red paint over him was not enough, his limbs being bent in odd directions should be. A paralyzing sight for anyone not messed up in their head.

"RICK!"

I rushed with a speed only a mother could, going down the stairs and running to them. Aizawa looked at me with eyes wide open, too startled to properly react.

I knelt right beside Rick, checking the pulse of his neck and feeling a very faint one. He was alive thank God. But for how long?

"Midnight, he is alive. The ambulance is already underway. They will soon arrive." Aizawa said, kneeling right beside me.

"Is he okay?! Is he gonna be fine?! He doesn't loo-" I was cut off mid-sentence.

"He is… stable. Now I need you to stand back. He needs air." Had I paid more attention to my friend, I would have noticed his slight grimace and pause in his voice and he immediately fixed it.

I could do nothing but stand there, watching over the mangled body of my son. Completely helpless to do anything. She could only pray for the ambulance to arrive faster.

What would happen if he died right then and there? She didn't even manage to make things right between them.

I found myself in a hug, finally noticing the tears running down my eye mask and cheeks. I was crying. It took me a second to realize just where I was. I'm a heroine at work, my students are here.

With one last sniff, I wiped my tears and recomposed myself. "I'm fine Aizawa." He untied his arms around me and looked at me briefly before nodding.

Taking another look at the situation, I could see Thirteen looking at her hands. They were trembling until she clenched them and put them down. The greenette was clenching his fists while looking at Rick. The spiky blonde was doing the same, with a confused look on his face. The Todoroki brat face was neutral but intense. The other blond in a knight costume had a mixed expression. The brunette girl was puking on the other side, cleaning her mouth with her wrist.

The number one hero was sporting a murderous smile that sent shivers down her spine. I never saw him that angry, perhaps nobody did. Oddly enough, that sight was comforting to me. Maybe because the very thought that the bastards who did this to my son would have the wrath of the strongest man on the surface of earth pleased me.

I was more vindictive than I thought it seems. It was a bit scary to be honest.

Thankfully, the paramedics came quickly and strapped Rick to their bed and rushed to the entrance. The brunette helped by making Rick weightless which accelerated his transport to the ambulance. I made sure to remember to thank her later.

I was inside the ambulance together with Rick as we went and arrived at the hospital. Many people in white and blue came and took him to a room, leaving me to stand outside waiting for news.

After hours, one of the medics inside came out and told him he was stable and would recover well, even with the damage done. The guy in question ranted how it was a miracle how well he was for the impact necessary to cause the injuries which should have been much more severe before he realized what he was saying and to whom and apologized, scurrying away from the scene.

I asked when he would wake up, but the guy said that he was in a coma and that they didn't know, but on the side note that his brain had no true damage, only minor swelling from the trauma.

Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, a renowned police guy known as true man due to his Quirk that made him capable of detecting lies, later came and asked for my report, apologizing for it was protocols. I asked him about what happened, and what I saw in the brief moment I was at U.S.J. with the other heroes.

He looked side-to-side, checking if someone was overhearing before saying about the league of villains, the attack's perpetrators, and their weapon, the Nomu, who had multiple Quirks from the tests done and how they aimed to kill All Might with it.

That piece of news sent a chill down my spine. Multiple Quirks? Was that even possible? Just who we were dealing with that had the gal to try to kill the strongest man? Even worse, if they tried one time, what was stopping them from doing it again? As long as All Might continue to work in U.A., Rick would be in danger.

Should I get him out of U.A.? But how I even begin that, on what ground? He hated me and had friends there, and was too reckless to get out, and without the hypocrisy of me, being a hero, wanting him to quit.

The detective said about Rick's role in its subjugation, how he saved his class from a terrible scenario, and how I should be proud. And with that, he left.

I let out a depreciating chuckle. Proud of what? I didn't do anything, neither as a hero nor as a mother. I had no credit for this. I sat beside my son's bandaged figure and soon found myself sleeping.

The next day, the hospital's receptionist called me, the patient's mom, about a girl named Pony Tsunotori, wanting to see Rick. I remember her. She was Rick's girlfriend, right? I gave the permission and in a minute there she was.

A long-haired blonde with big blue eyes and a short muzzle that together with her tail and calves and hooves, made her look like a human equine hybrid. Not to forget the massive horns she had at the top of her head. She looked cute.

The girl looked at me for a moment before taking another chair from the room and placing it right beside mine. The worry in her eyes as she saw her son's condition made me feel warm. She cared for her son.

"How is he?" She asked while looking straight at me.

"He is gonna be fine. But we don't know when he is waking up." I answered.

After that brief exchange, we remained in silence for a bit. A silence that gave me the only idea I had to help Rick with at least something. If he wouldn't listen to me, perhaps…

I looked at the girl again. "You are Rick's girlfriend, right? Pony?" She nodded. "I have a favor to ask from you, Pony. Would you listen to it?" Her gaze remained fixed on me, and with a firm nod, she agreed.

"I'm not a good mother, Pony." I confessed. "I did something unforgivable to this child, and he doesn't listen to anything I say. He is too reckless to really grasp the consequence of his actions, to those around him. He is too easy to rile up and too easy to lose himself in anything resembling combat, and I can't stop it."

Inhaling air one more time, I continued. "But you… you might be different. He has nothing against you. Pony, I ask you to take care of my son. Ground him to reality when he is too lost in the moment." I cupped her hands with my own. "Please, protect him where I can't. What happened in the U.S.J. might happen again, and my son would too quick to throw his life away. I can't lose him when I just got him. I can't." I begged, wiping my tears with my hands.

I interlocked my fingers, waiting for her to process it. She looked pensive, and with one last look, she told me. "I will."

"Thank you." I smiled at her, and she gave one back. Such a good girl.

We talked a bit more before she had to leave, and soon after I fell asleep on the spot.

»»—-[☆]—-««

(Rick's POV)

"Now, do you recall what happened?" Nemuri made the question after she resumed what happened a day ago at U.A. with the villain attack.

"Yeah, I do now." From the moment I entered the bus to the punch that should have killed me. I remember everything.

That 'Nomu' was so strong. If it wasn't for the use of the [Battalion's Backup] active ability at the last second, I would be a goner. I was sent into a coma with multiple fractures and even permanent scars despite having [Immunity to critical damage], [Raises resistance to damage by 35%], and [Passively increases max health by 20 points (220 total) on wearer] from using said item. It was crazy.

It meant that even minor damages piled up to a life-threatening point in less than a second. Even if the Nomu's Insta-kill punch was denied, everything else was not. The impact on the concrete, the shockwave from the kinetic energy, etc.

Crazy! That thing was akin to a biological weapon. I'm not even saying about its other Quirks yet!

That feeling of being gone forever. I thought I was over it. Yet, look at me now. My hands are shaking under the blanket. I need more firepower. Much more firepower.

I summoned one of my rocket launchers as a test and my fears were confirmed. "Oh." Was all Midnight could say about by completely destroyed gun. 'Oh' indeed…

I kept summoning each item and all of them were in a similar state. My inventory can repair my weapons and refill ammo, yes, but the damage was never so big. And even if it could fix it, how long that's gonna take? Urghh…

"I might have an idea." She spoke with a thoughtful look. "U.A. has a support department where students can file for costume upgrades and more. They might be able to do something about it."

Wow. Look at her. Useful for once. I guess there is a first time for everything.

"It is decided then!" I yelled, followed by a cough as my back muscles spasmed by this simple action.

"You need to recover first, Rick! You are in no condition to get up, let alone walk!" The woman was quick to screech at me. "In some weeks you might be able to, but not anytime soon." She said with a firmness I don't remember her ever using. Damn it! I can't just sit here and do nothing! There must be something I can do!

Think. Rick. THINK!

As I put my fingers on my head and focused on my inner American wisdom, I could see Benjamin Franklin, the founding father of America, and the discoverer of electricity, lighting the light bulb of an idea in my mind. Eureka!

"Mom." I used the cursed, but very useful spell. "Can you call Izuku here? I need to talk with him." I send the American-style puppy eyes.

She looked at me weirdly for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I'll call him. I need to report your recovery to U.A. and the doctors too. I need to go back to my work too. Ugh. One day and so much work piles up." She ranted as she left the room with her phone in hand.

As the doctors did their tests and check-ups, Izuku, followed by Skelly Might and the bear from the Coca-Cola ads (Nezu) arrived, making the doctors leave at the principal's 'shoo' gesturing.

"Rick. It's good to see you are up. You gave us all a scare back at U.A." The rat began. "I apologize for our incompetence and for letting this happen to you. I'll personally see that you'll have the best treatment. Not that you are not already having it."

"Soo… I won't have to pay?" I mouthed, receiving a nod. Uff, thank God. I don't know what's scarier, the Nomu, or the hospital bill. I guess in Japan things are different for the better. Amen!

"U.A. take the safety of their students very seriously. Anything I can do for you, I will. You have my word." He followed with a firm look.

"Well… I have one problem here that could use some help." I summoned a pile of broken weapons in front of me on the bed. "The Nomu guy wrecked all my stuff. I need some repairs, and while I know there is a support department from Mo- Nemuri, I don't really know the costs or limits."

The principal just waved his hands. "That's nothing. Consider it done. You will have the best of the best, I assure you. Free of cost. As soon as you recover, just go to the support department and I'll see that Power Loader, the manager of this sector, will see what you need. There is this one mad genius I think will love to thinker with your weapons." He proposed with an underhanded, scheming grin that sent chills down everyone's spines.

*Ahem!* "Now that's out of the way… Bro, come closer." I called the greenette, who looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately followed my command.

Before he could utter a word, I blew the conch horn from the [Concheror] and jumped off the bed despite the pain and delivered an upward kick right into his nuts, making him collapse on the spot in a fetal position, his hands clenched over his groin.

"That's payback for the crap you pulled in the U.S.J., maggot!" I laughed as I felt the [Concheror] doing its magic. Nezu and All Might just stood there, without knowing to react. Nezu, the smart rat he is, immediately pointed out. "Rick, what is that conch you just blew?"

"Well, this is the [Concheror]. When blown, it [Heals 35% of the damage dealt] to the user and nearby teammates." I told him. At this point, it was not worth keeping this information to myself. I already showed it in the U.S.J., too late for secrecy.

"You surprise me every time, Rick. Well, how are you feeling?" He inquired with an intrigued expression.

"Better. But I'll need a real punching bag for me to truly get back in shape."

"If that's so, I have some ideas to… accelerate the process." Nezu said with a maniacal grin on his lips, with a sadistic shine blazing inside his black eyes. I swear I could see ゴゴゴゴ letters floating around him. Dear God. [1]

"Young Rick." All Might called me, making me shift my head to see the number one hero bowing. "I apologize for my mistake that put you at risk. Had I not used my time earlier that day or had I been faster, you wouldn't have been in this state. I can only say sorry." His frustration and the tone of his voice showed his feelings clearly. "I'll bring the League of Villains to justice. You can count on it." He finished with an intense gaze.

"It's fine. I don't blame you. Portal maggots are super rare." I said, receiving an 'Indeed' from the rat.

Izuku also wanted to apologize for everything, but I quickly told him off. He is no Canadian to apologize for nothing. With that kick, we were even and that's that.

After we spoke some more about things, I sent them off with a wave and I released a tired sigh. I was finally alone in this room, something I was itching for after everything.

Well, that was not really the reason. You see, when I was checking my inventory and seeing my broken guns, I notice a new item in there. An item that gave me a feeling unlike any other I've felt.

With a mental command, I willed the object to appear in my hands. It was like an iPad, but very old school. It reminded me of the fallout pip-boy, but different. It had a flip and two buttons on the bottom right and left corner respectively and with a radio station meter between them. Above this was the wide rectangular screen.

It was the [ConTracker] from Team Fortress 2, where the player could accept contracts and be rewarded. Suddenly, the screen flashed with light as it turned on.

[.\root\mercenary_OS booting up.]

[□□□□□0%]

[■□□□□20%]

[■■□□□40%]

[■■■□□60%]

[■■■■□80%]

[■■■■■100%]

[.\root\user\soldier successfully registered]

[.\root\help is now online]

[.\root\blood_money is now online]

[.\root\mercenary_contract is now online]

[.\root\tf2\mercenary_arsenal is now online]

[.\root\tf2\mann_co_warehouse is now online]

[.\root\tf2\mercenary_bots is now online]

[.\root\tf2\mann_vs_machine\robots is now online]

[.\root\tf2\mann_vs_machine\upgrade_station is now online]

[Welcome to the Mercenary OS]

[Made by Mann Co. to a Mann - TM]

[A DLC package was found. Unpacking…]

[.\root\mha\quirky_upgrade_station is now online]

I was stunned at the series of messages. No way… is this a system? Like in those fanfics? Is this a Quirk Awakening? It doesn't seem like it. Since my reincarnation into my favorite character with a power practically identical to his, this was perhaps the most obvious evidence that this was not a crazy coincidence.

Someone sent me here. Why? Perhaps this is God's way to give me purpose? A purgatory, even if a nicer one, before heaven? Is this even real? I found my punch meeting my face with a resounding *POW!*.

Yeah. Thanks, hand. I needed that. If God gave me this dream and is now even helping me, then this means that he did not abandon me. Perhaps he sent me here to give freedom to these poor souls! American style! This has to be it! This is the only reason why God would call an American. There is simply no other way to see things differently! I am enlightened! [2]

Going back from my mental tangent, I looked back at the tablet. There were 9 circles on the screen flashing orange: [Help], [Blood Money Balance], [Contracts], [Arsenal], [Warehouse], [Bots], [Robots], [Upgrade Station], and [Quirky Upgrade Station], respectively.

I clicked on [Help], hoping it would do exactly that.

[This is the Help function. A pre-recorded message that will loop every time it is selected. To avoid waste of time, please listen closely]

[Blood Money Balance indicates how much Blood Money (BM) you have. Blood money is the currency necessary to purchase the services and items available in the other functions. It can be acquired through mercenary contracts, selling valuables, and directly exchanged from real-world money earned through your effort to virtual blood money. Any money not obtained through direct effort will receive penalties in the exchange, directly scaling to your role in it]

[Mercenary Contracts are missions that can be done for a blood money payment. It gathers the info on the surroundings and issues a respective contract. Contracts are made by using information from your surroundings and memory]

[Arsenal is the store where weapons and items used by the mercenaries from the Team Fortress universe can be brought]

[Warehouse is the store where all products made and/or sold by Mann Co. can be brought, from vehicles to materials, guns, munitions, cosmetics, blueprints, and everything in between]

[Bots are where the mercenaries from the Team Fortress universe can be hired to perform tasks]

[Robots is the function to buy and deliver robots from Mann vs Machine to your location, they have limited intelligence compared to the Bots function]

[Upgrade Station is where weapons and items can be upgraded using blood money, in a similar fashion to the Mann vs Machine]

[Quirky Upgrade Station is where Quirk genes and Quirk factors can be unlocked, depending if they are in a dormant state, or upgraded]

[If you ever need to listen to this again, please select Help]

Holy Mary, mother of Joseph! [3]

JACKPOT!

"Permission to get cocky, men! It is impossible for us to lose! HAHAHA!" I yelled alone in the room. This changed everything! [4]

I basket in that sweet, sweet nectar of excitement for a few more minutes before returning my attention to the iPad. I understand what it does now, but I still need to see them. I clicked in [Contracts] and a bunch of circles with different symbols inside flashing orange appeared scattered on the screen. I started selecting each one.

[List of available contracts:]

[Mann Co.'s Rise: Remake the Mann Co. company in your world. Reward: 2000 BM]

[Valve's Acolyte: Remake valve games in your world. Reward: 150 BM each]

[No Engineers?: Get a personal engineer to support your endeavors. Reward: 200 BM]

[American Supremacy: Become the Number 1 Hero in America and in the World]

[Villain Factory: Find out about the mysterious villain factory that is using the drug called Trigger to make instant villains and stop them. Reward: each action against them will be evaluated and given the corresponding BM]

[League of Villains: Find out about the mysterious league of villains and stop them. Reward: each action against them will be evaluated and given the corresponding BM]

[Creature Rejection Clan: Find out about the organized anti-mutant racist group and stop them. Reward: each action against them will be evaluated and given the corresponding BM]

[Meta Liberation Army: Find out about the organized pro-quirk extremist group. Reward: each action towards the goal will be given the corresponding BM]

[Humanrise: Find out about the anti-quirk organization and stop them. Reward: each action against them will be evaluated and given the corresponding BM]

[Yakuza Menance: Investigate the remnants of the old criminal group and stop them. Reward: each action against them will be evaluated and given the corresponding BM]

[Ultimate Villain: Find out the whereabouts of All For One. Reward: each action towards the goal will be given the corresponding BM]

Whoa… there are a LOT of contracts here. I know about some of them since they appeared in the newspaper or the internet, like the myth about the supervillain that could take and give Quirks and racists who dressed in black and used skull masks to kill anyone that didn't look like a baseline human. As if the KKK was not enough…

I guess I also heard about this villain factory. Didn't really pay attention. The rest I barely remember seeing about it. I guess I have my homework cut out for me.

And I got some pretty interesting contracts. The mission of getting an engineer I think can be solved in the U.A. support department, so it's fine. The one about remaking Valve games and even Mann Co. in the real world was going to be hard. I needed a lot of money to pull that off, and I needed things to sell.

Which makes me go back and select the [Arsenal]. It had all of the playable mercenaries' items and weapons from Team Fortress. And they were expensive, hella expensive! I thought about buying a replacement for my broken stuff but forget it. Let's pray that U.A. goes plus ultra and fixes them for me.

Next was the [Warehouse], and oh boy. They sold everything! Literally everything! And most important of all… they sold australium, and all the related tech and blueprints. The miracle metal capable of doing anything and has health-improving properties just from being near it. It's basically vibranium from Wakanda, but better since it has a passive healing effect too.

In the TF2 lore, this stuff is what made Australia the undisputable superpower of the world. It can be used for teleporting, bringing back the dead, extending lifespan, making mustache grow, transforming the regular Joe into a super chad that wrestles crocodiles and box kangaroos, everything. Anything that can't be explained using science, whether is the weapons that function on game logic or the engineer's bullshit stuff, is due to this miracle metal.

This. This is how I'm making Mann Co. I have a monopoly over the single most powerful element and the technology related to it. However, one little problem…

[Blood Money Balance: 2500]

I'm dirt poor. I can't even buy the smallest unit of australium, let alone the tech and the blueprints. I'm gonna need some investors in my case.

I'm no programmer to make the games for the starting capital, nor will I start robbing banks. The only solution is either a slow grind that takes years, or accepting the American dream and embracing capitalism to its fullest. I got this very resourceful white rat that owes me a favor… hehehehe.

The future was looking very bright. Ideas were flooding my brain about the glorious future of Mann Co., but I still needed to address something…

I selected the [Bots] option and all the mercenaries appeared there to hire. Each one cost 2500. That is everything I have! Ugh. And it was for a specific and single task, meaning I couldn't just tell them to do something too broad in definition. What a rip-off!

As I saw the figure of the soldier, I fought the urge to immediately select it and meet my hero. There was even Merasmus here! Miss Pauling too! I guess I know who to contact for a secretary. It was unfortunate, but I needed the service of someone more… baguette.

I selected the spy and made my purchase. Why you might ask? Well, more than half of the contracts involve investigating something or needing info for me to do anything. I need money, and fast. The sooner I start putting foundations, the sooner I get the rewards. And I just know which contract to pick first.

Creature Rejection Clan. They are the easiest criminal organization within the contracts. Not only that, but racists are stupid by default. It is very unlikely that they had good Quirks and their back and call. It would be a perfect test to get a grasp on this whole thing.

With a puff of smoke, a masked man clad in a very expensive-looking red suit appeared in front of my bed. He sported a signature look of superiority only a refined French could make.

"Sorry to 'pop-in' unannounced." He spoke with his iconic accent while he adjusted his tie. "Come on, I don't have all day. What is the mission?" [5]

I stared at him for a couple more seconds before regaining my bearings. "Investigate everything you can about the Creature Rejection Clan here in Japan and give me the results." I said with the closest thing to a stoic look I could muster.

He squinted his eyes at me briefly before letting out a chuckle that came with a puff of smoke from his cigar. "It will be done, pardner. I shall start right awa-" The fire alarm cut his words. His cigar had triggered it.

"Oh dear, I've made quite a mess." He chuckled as he brought his left wrist to his chest, exposing a watch that with the press of a button made him invisible. Cowardly crouton! [6]

I could swear I heard that cursed Frenchie laugh mixed with snorting sounds as the medics and doctors entered my room. God damn it, Spy! Words cannot express how much I hate France right now! [7]

»»—-[☆]—-««

(League of Villains POV)

A man with grayish-blue hair was fiercely scratching his neck while a man made of purple smoke talked towards an old TV full of static, detailing the events of their attack at U.A., and their resulting failure.

"The Nomu was defeated without All Might? Interesting. Tell me all of it, Kurogiri." The voice on the other side of the TV inquired, very intrigued by the unexpected turn of events.

"The students were more powerful and organized than we thought. Eraser Head's actions were also unexpected. He did not enter the fight until much later, focusing solely on me at this time. He also let the students fight the villains unsupervised." The High Nomu said while polishing a glass cup.

"Besides the sheer power of some of the Quirks the students had, what intrigued me most was the organization. I believe it was the work of one student alone." He added, squinting his eyes as he recalled the events. "Looking back at it, this one kid wearing a helmet was the one who manifested strongly to our arrival. I remember him talking to Eraser Head and reuniting with the others as I transported the cannon fodder there."

The scarred face on the other side flashed an evil, but very amused grin. "Continue."

The bartender proceeded to talk about the soldier-wearing student, and his name, Rick, as the other students called him. About his resilience and his Quirk that summoned weapons and other military things from nowhere, and his leading role in the takedown of the Nomu. He also talked about the actions of the other students.

Each word about the menace who ruined his plans infuriated the man wearing hands all over his body. "That hacker, good for nothing kiting bastard! He just used exploits, glitches, and underhanded methods! He didn't let the Nomu attack properly! He was stun locking us over and over! I'll turn him into smoke next time I see him, sensei." He voiced with a raspy voice marked with pain from his injuries. He also ranted about a green-haired kid that moved like All Might, saying 'Smash' in each of his moves…

"Tomura." All For One said. "Take this as a lesson. There is always a next time. As long as you are capable to learn, to adapt, there will always be a new tomorrow for you to try again. This Rick, I look into him. Learn everything about him, my student. Prepare yourself. He is just one of the many others who you will have to face."

The villain just grumbled at his teacher's response but still nodded. He was no fool to ignore it.

"I guess that is all. We will resume this talk later." And with that, the TV turned off on its own. Leaving the league to plan their next steps.

The former hidden king of Japan put a hand on his chin. There was something familiar about this Rick. About this Quirk…

With the quick use of one of his many memory Quirks, he remembered what triggered this sudden bout of nostalgia. There was this interesting American experiment he heard about years ago going on in the army there. The May family. At the time, it was too risky to make a move and kidnap one of them. But now, one entered his domain so willingly…

A chuckle escaped his lips. This recent loss came with a blessing in disguise. He also hadn't forgotten about the green-haired kid who might be One For All's new user.

The pieces were aligning wonderfully on his chess board. Now all he needed was to wait for his turn and move them as he pleased…

»»—-[☆]—-««

[Writing Notes]:

[1] Iconic line about bucket: Dear God/ There's more/ Noo!

[2] Soldier is literally a dumbass that is simply too dumb for any kind of deep self-reflection, and borderline delusion with America. He is too stupid to even be sad for long.

[3] This is one of the soldier's voice lines, and yes, he misspoke the bible. He is an idiot.

[4] Another soldier voice line.

[5] 2 Iconic Spy voice line.

[6] Spy voice line and also soldier call spy crouton a bunch of times in the game.

[7] Soldier voice line against spy.

»»—-[☆]—-««

[Author Notes]:

IT IZ I! I'm back!

I have so many things to talk about in this chapter. So many things turned out better than I had planned.

My idea for this chapter was just Rick waking up, getting a power-up in the form of the Mann vs Machine Upgrade Station to improve his guns and gain new powers, and setting to meet MHA's favorite mad scientist to also upgrade Rick's gear. However, I remembered comments from months ago about a guy asking if there would be other TF2 characters, and I said no.

I said that to not deviate too much from the essence of the soldier. I was not confident I could pull that off or even how I could, but now I do. Everyone, let us all welcome Rick to the most ferocious battlefield of all, capitalism! Mann Co. rises once more!

Don't worry, the system will be VERY balanced and everything will be TF2 cannon-friendly or MHA cannon-friendly. It is more for convenience than anything. The OP part of it is the Upgrade Station I told earlier that was already planned. The other power-ups I have planned won't even come from it. It is literally just there to incentivize Rick to enter other MHA plots and make waves through his Mann Co. store. Rick will barely rely on it. You guys will probably forget it is there soon enough.

I understand the hate about systems. Trust me. This is no system fanfic.

Also, about buying items from other classes in TF2, don't worry. Rick won't be using or buying them for himself. For him, it is more worth upgrading his arsenal or hiring mercenaries, or simply buying them for other people. I already have the perfect person to give a spy clock to…

While I'm at it, due to this new development, I managed to draw one more sensible way for Rick to get another harem member. I have 5 in mind right now. Who is it? Not telling you. :)

And I also have another announcement. I'm making a new fanfic! A Minecraft x Terraria x Don't Starve x more super crossover fanfic, with a crap ton of mods. It is going to be a slow project since I added so many mods that It hurts my brain to develop the plot. This was inspired by my favorite Terraria webnovel [The Player? Surviving in Terraria as the only existance]. I felt true loss when the author went ghost. It is still up. I recommend reading it.

The plot is basically MC reborn in a dying world where everything is heading to doom. Mc is the champion of humanity, and he will become doom guy as he tries to survive against impossible odds. It is going to be an epic fanfic. Honestly, I feel like I won't be able to pull off what I want by the sheer scale of it. But I need the challenge. The breath of fresh air.

I love this fanfic, but there is a reason why most authors have more than one fanfic. We all have a saturation point.

I have a goal of writing 1K words a day, and soon I'll enter my vacation, so things will pop off.

I'll accumulate 5 chapters of this Minecraft fanfic in my P T30N before releasing them here. If I don't mess up again the release schedule for this fanfic again, I may also start pumping chapters in there too. I kept you guys waiting for too long XD. I'm sorry. You guys' support was amazing.

I hope this 7K word chapter will satiate you guys for now. I already have great plans for the next chapter. And that's about it.

See ya!