Winston took a deep solemn breath.
"We have contact." He stated. "Nosedeenian containment is at thirty percent and rising."
The device which projected the map started to blink. Sir Morton's giddiness and pride was being broadcasted to them over the device.
"Ha ha! What did I tell ya–"
As if it was on cue with the gloating, two red dots appeared on the map.
Stain and Kurogiri involved themselves further, as Winston worked to narrow the source. And when he did, only one word came out from his mouth.
"Interference."
Simultaneously, Albedo raised his head from the device and Shigaraki put down the drink he had gotten. Winston got visual over one of the locations set up… and they saw Yaoyorozu twirling her staff, right before holding it behind her back with one hand in the front.
One knight launched forth. Yaoyorozu responded, shifting her stance and slamming the pole to his head with a downward swing.
Another tried a horizontal slash but she blocked with one hand over her shoulder, holding the staff!
A crack sound rang out.
"Ow…!" She tumbled back, grabbing her right shoulder, before clashing with another knight dead in the center!
Kirishima, in the meantime, stumbled onto his knees but still bounced back!
"Here! Red… Gauntlet!" He shouted, punching one knight and launching him into others like a bowling ball into pins!
Laughing, he relaxed one hand to wipe his nose. Two knights however, attacked him from both sides.
Taking a deep breath, he hardened both arms and landed two heavy blows, one to the chest and one to the stomach. He then glanced back and retreated a fist, slamming it's back right to the metal helmet!
Taking deep breaths again and letting sweat drool down his face as he undid his hardening, Kirishima glared at his opponents painedly.
"Who's…" He hardened up again. "...next!"
As if someone were stalling for the cue, Kirishima saw one blade swing to his face!
The knight declared. "I have you!"
He crossed his arms to block. Letting the blade graze through his arm, he riled his fist back and punched the guy's ribs!
"Full. Steam. Ahead!" Kirishima declared.
"Right!" And Yaomomo joined him!
All in quick succession, he landed a palm strike under the chin of one, right before turning and landing an elbow strike to the stomach of another, ending with grabbing a third and bashing his head against his!
Two of them tried to shoot, but Yaomomo dove in between them with a titanium shield, blocking the shots right before lowering it horizontally.
Kirishima didn't skip a beat. He used the shield as a step, leaping into the air, and slamming right into the shooting gallery!
Inside the villain hideout, Sir Morton's gloating over the device ceased completely as Albedo walked over to Kurogiri with the device in hand.
"We can't wait." He said–
"Do not worry, page boy!" The voice of Sir Morton distracted him.
From behind the noise of combat and electrical discharge, which sounded to be pounding his shield, the squire heard a laughter.
"Cuz we Forever Knights, know what to do if there're nails sticking out!.."
Catching everyone off guard, a second screen started being projected from the device. Winston instantly recognized the visor-like display as the shaky projection showed rooftops and chimneys passing by each other in a flash!
Pushing another knight back, Kirishima really squeezed his fist, and punched the guy's lights out.
After that he panted, but let his gaze turn– and meet a warrior robotic and red.
Sir Morton's voice came through loud and clear, as if he stood tall and crossed his arms.
"...WE HAMMER EM!"
"Kirishima!" Momo shouted.
His eyes widened with a gasp, as a metal fist got implanted to his cheek, breaking his armor and knocking him down.
With his katanas on his back and visor glowing crimson, the Forever Ninja stood, looking over at her from its shoulder.
She gritted her teeth.
Manifesting her pink dust-like glow from her face, she created and dropped smoke pellets to the ground!
Grunts of numerous Forever Knights came through the veil of smoke. The Forever Ninja fully turned…
Emerging from the smoke with a leap, Momo spun her staff, ready to land a hammering strike!
But the Forever Ninja grabbed it, and with its grip strength, her staff snapped in two!
Momo landed on the ground. "Impossible…" She uttered with a faltering resol– "Ah!"
With a spinning sidekick, she got thrown across the alley, hitting the wall before landing in a pile of garbage bags.
"That… was… Titanium…" She clutched her stomach.
Her usual ponytail had gotten undone.
"NO!" Kirishima shouted, right as the ninja grabbed him by the neck!
He tried to struggle, pry open the fingers however it just didn't budge!
"Come on, man!" Eijiro said as he started kicking the damn thing one leg at a time.
"Let! Me! G–!"
The fingers around his neck suddenly tightened. He hardened his neck, but it didn't help with the breathing. Eijiro gritted his teeth.
"Don't pass out… Don't pass out… Do *not* pass out, man…"
He glanced at the container Yaomomo was thrown at. However there was no sound coming from there.
"If you pass out…"
He grabbed several fingers of the ninja and tried to pull!
One of the fingers bent but the ninja tilted its head and tightened its grip further.
With a gaze that increasingly became more and more blurry though, his muscles couldn't put up that much more of a fight.
So, this was what it felt like.
Really losing strength, his arms started to dangle instead. So he gave it the meanest sneer he could giv–
*SLASH!*
In a blur too fast for near-shut eyes, coming down from a roof nearby… something tore through.
"WHAT?!" Winston jumped, as the arm hit ground!
"Whaddaya mean what, sprout?" Sir Morton's voice came through.
"I don't know, sir." Winston responded. "The entirety of the ninja's left arm just went dark. I…"
The screen which was filled with fuzz and static resumed shortly.
What he saw… was a girl with black untied hair, wearing a black&white fur trim jacket over a brown corset with a crimson skirt as well as a silver cross necklace.
"I think their reinforcements have arrived but I…"
"Spit it out!" Sir Morton commanded.
"I don't… recognize this one." he obliged reluctantly.
Kurogiri was sure that he could hear Sir Morton's head tilt from the other side. The Hero Killer's eyes narrowed.
Cables shot out from the Forever Ninja's now severed shoulder, as a straight slim metal pole extended down. The wires and cable wrapped around, forming around like muscles, as all the little levers and gears replicated within every joint, up until the plating of the rest of the armor descended down, fully reforming the arm.
The old one crumbled with a stomp from it, going up in fire and smoke as it re-engaged!
The girl however was calm. Dropping herself to the right, she avoided the attack right before bouncing back and countering with a powerful punch!
The Forever Ninja was sent a couple steps back. She, on the other hand, just calmly settled.
Winston's eyes narrowed over what he saw. She had punched metal with her bare hands, and yet there was no sign of any bruising.
Drawing the dual swords, the ninja went back to the non-lethal setting. The first slash she blocked with her forearm, however in the rest, she swerved the left and then right.
"What's happening?" Sir Morton's voice came through.
"I…" Winston could say.
The ninja tried to sweep her leg. She flipped to the side before backstepping and avoiding a kick to her stomach.
It tried to bring both swords together, landing a downward strike from the left, but she responded by blocking with her forearms!
Winston gasped. How did it not–
With a rising knee, she countered!
Briefly forgetting and exhaling suddenly, she continued by way of an uppercut.
The ninja didn't rile back this time. It slashed horizontally, but instantly she ducked down, going between its legs and kicking it in the back of the head!
It was as if rust was being lifted off from a machine, the girl herself was getting faster. Winston, with slow movements of his own, hit another button on his hand, sharing the visuals with Sir Morton.
The ninja's arms split from the middle, ready to unleash the four swords. She however ran in before it could react, striking with her palm right into the chest.
All of its four arms went up in a gust of air!
Gathering her fists, she followed up by landing one strike after the other, launching an absolute flurry.
However, none of the strikes broke the chassis.
So, the robot still managed to reach down, as ninja stars emerged out of its wrists. It threw them, and even though she leaped, swerved or dodged all over the space… some pierced her skin.
Suddenly yellow electricity appeared all over her. Winston felt like cheering for the development.
"Time for the restraining feedback." He hit the hologram panel, and the ninja mimicked him, pressing a button on his gauntlet, shocking her!
The alleyway was lit up in yellow.
Her body straightened like an arrow, before the charge ceased… dropping her to her knees and instead manifesting as if it were a rope around her arms.
With faint ticks and grinding inside its machinery, the ninja then straightened, ceasing its combat protocol for its detaining one. A glimmer of yellow light ran across from one end of the visor to the other.
The girl had her head lowered, only to look up defiantly.
Sir Morton, just like Winston who was in the bar, paused. He lowered his weapon and watched as the ninja approached and a weird sense of deja-vu struck him–
"RAAAAAAAA!"
The girl headbutted the machine, and now on her feet she spun around and landed a butterfly kick right to its forearm.
And, under her breath, she roared.
Sir Morton gasped on his own end. "I see ya."
As the electricity around her veined and the ninja went limp, Winston's worry grew. Oil leaked out as now there seemed to be a hole on the forearm… along with the girl's boot.
"I see ya, girlie."
With the ninja stars falling down like bullet casings, the girl ran up to it with outstretched hands. Crossing all four of its arms, the ninja tried to block but the girl leaped and landed a demolishing elbow to the head!
Winston still tried to manage the failing systems of the ninja, however it was no use. The ninja turned its head, only to be greeted with one punch from the left, another from the right, and an axe kick right over its shoulder!
However the giggling of the commanding officer, Sir Morton, made its way to his ear.
"Master Morton, sir?" Winston asked.
"Oh, apologies, sprout." Sir Morton said. "I simply didn't expect such a catch of the century, that's it."
Winston confusedly put his hand on his own communicator, tilting his head–
Energy reserves of the Forever Ninja suddenly tanked. The display became static however the situation was clear. As its high-end armor was being chipped away at, somehow her skin just… wouldn't. Every strike of her simply became more and more wild, implementing wider swings or swifter jabs.
The ninja was hopelessly on the back foot, and drawing her fist back, she prepared a hammerfist to the head.
And all with a heavy heart, Winston hit a button on his own gauntlet. She struck air, as all the knocked out knights vanished from the alley and the ninja appeared behind him.
"I… have recalled that section's personnel." Winston said defeatedly, putting his hands over his face–
"That's fine!" Sir Morton's eager voice came through, shocking him right out of that.
"Wha… Why?" Winston could ask, before Stain approached.
"Because he found something unforeseen."
Silence engulfed the bar for a moment. Shigaraki turned to them, as the confident but calculating sneer of Sir Morton exuded in their ears.
They could smell the opportunism from his commander's tone… as did Kurogiri.
"And his mind now races to make ready, to exploit."
Sir Morton put his own hand on his helmet.
"Mr. Forever King, sire." A small snicker escaped his mouth, talking so only his liege could hear him. "You may wanna sit on yer throne extra firm for this one."
"Ugh…" Kirishima sluggishly groaned, before raising and putting a hand on his face. His back was still laying on the ground as his entire body felt sore, like he had just gone to the gym and napped–
A hand descended in front of him. With the sun shining into his eyes from behind the figure who lent the help, all he could see was that it was a female silhouette.
And that felt appropriately familiar.
"Thanks, Yaomomo." Kirishima said without giving it too much thought.
Only when he grabbed the hand, the grip instantly felt much firmer than Yaomomo's.
As he got to his feet, he took another look. Though she also had black hair and the shadow had cascaded over her… he could see the light of wide, curious green eyes.
Yaomomo didn't have green eyes, nor that outfit.
"Oh… no, sorry. Not Yaomomo." Kirishima got to his feet, and dusted off his clothes. However, there wasn't any response from the girl. With her muscles still twitching ever so slightly, she kept her fists clenched. Hell, she didn't even look at him.
He took notice of a couple more differences as well, namely the fact that she wasn't chatty one bit unlike Yaomomo and that *he* was the taller one out of them.
She seemed so distant and skeptical, as her gaze was set on a couple garbage bags in the distance. He saw her intent focus–
"Oh no, Yaomomo!" He bolted, immediately seeing the vice prez laying on her side on top of a bunch of trash bags.
He got on one knee.
"Yaomomo? Yaomomo, how're you feeling?"
Her eyes were still closed, but even with just feeling his hand, she was starting to groan.
"Oh good." Eijiro took a sigh of relief, relaxing. "She's coming to–"
Instantly he heard her breath hitch.
Getting up and turning around, he saw her eyes glancing down… next to his shoe. Kirishima, as soon as it was pointed out, narrowed his eyes.
Lifting it the sketch of the battery creatures came to light. He looked down at it, and then her. And the similarities… were palpable.
Both of them had widened stances, and their irritated expression–
The girl then took a step back. He could see her hair standing on edge, and her hands now open, as if the fight or flight inside her was active.
Kirishima held out his hand. "No, wait for a–"
*Cough! Cough!*
The vice class president currently behind him, started to shake her head. Pursing his lips, he instinctively looked back to make sure she's okay, right before turning again– only to see her gone.
He gasped. There was no one there. In a split second, she had disappeared.
Before gritting his teeth out of regret, he shook his head. However, it was too late for that regret.
"Yaomomo." Eijiro crouched back down next to his classmate.
"How're you feeling?" he asked. "You hurt anywhere?"
"No…" She shook her head, managing to lift herself up using her left hand. "I don't believe I am– Ah!"
She clenched her left wrist in pain. If Kirishima could give it any guess, there was probably a fracture there now.
Eijiro frowned as, unbeknownst to him, the girl looked down from on top of the left building in the alley.
"What are we gonna do?" She heard Kirishima ask outloud–!
In a flash, a red and yellow blur entered the alley and touched down.
She instinctively ducked down behind the air conditioning units, staying out of sight. However, when that whooshing got followed up by a green flash, her nose got greeted with something… startling.
"Tennyson, my man, it's good to see you." Kirishima came through again, and the voice that she heard afterwards only made her sit down, settling her spirit..
"The feeling's mutual."
The transforming teen took a look at the pair. "Let me guess, knights suddenly appeared and completely ambushed you all over?"
Kirishima tilted his head embarrassedly.
"Indeed." The one called 'Yaomomo' responded as a pink glow overtook her arm, and created a brace.
Tennyson's heart almost jumped.
"Kirishima?" He held out his hand in concern. The redhead shook his head.
"I'm good. We're good." He stated, even though Yaomomo winced and grabbed her brace. "...mostly."
Tennyson's concern then raised to her eyes. Her response was pushing through the pain.
"Good enough to continue." She stated with adrenaline.
Tennyson opened his mouth, but closed it instead and clapped his hands.
"Alright. Brass tacks then." Putting his hands on his hips, he took a look around the area, trying to puff up his chest.
The girl did something similar. Narrowing her eyes, she then made her own observation about the grounds and… some of the concrete caught her eye. It shined ever so slightly.
The last thing they had done was teleport away.
"There is some sort of residue–"
"Well, it looks like you guys managed to drive them off." Tennyson said however, not seeming to notice that whatsoever.
And yet, his beating heart didn't slow.
"What did they send?" He folded his arms.
"Soldiers." Yaomomo answered. "One group… two at most. As well as…"
Her breathing hitched, and so Tennyson's glare turned to the redhead. The girl could hear his heart rate almost double.
"Kirishima?"
The redhead shook his head, before glancing to Yaomomo. However, Tennyson didn't have any hint that he was going to back down.
"The ninja was here, man." He sighed. "It… it really wiped the floor with us, no questions asked–"
"Wait… The ninja– the ninja was sent here?" He interrupted with a hand outstretched. The girl could feel his panicked motions cutting through the air. "How!.."
One hand brushed across his hair, as he looked away.
"..How did both of you come out of it with just a fractured hand?!"
Yaomomo shook her head with a mellow tone in her voice. "I do not know."
Her pupils… then went over to Kirishima. Even without any kind of super senses, it was easy to tell he had a whole nother air to him.
Steadying himself, he answered.
"There was a girl."
Tennyson listened. With his arms folded, his heart racing and his feet just letting his body pace around. He seemingly also tried his best to not let some part of his hand also fidget.
"The ninja lifted me by my neck and… then she interfered." Kirishima told them. "I didn't see much but she was actually beating it back, not just holding it off."
While Yaomomo at least took the last information about the fight with wonder, Tennyson put a hand over the bridge of his nose. Now, Megawatts were back too.
"Anyway, after that both of them left, we got our bearings, and…"
"...and I arrived." Tennyson finished for him.
Kirishima nodded, as he then saw the doodle of the girl on the ground. His hand went from being on the bridge of his nose to brushing over his entire face.
"Tennyson." Momo spoke. She had noticed a lack of intrigue and more of frustration. "Do you perhaps know of this party?"
Kirishima's eyes widened. "Yeah yeah, like, was she like Kevin? An old enemy or somethin?"
Tennyson put his hands on his hip, looking off into the distance. "No…" He turned around. "Kirishima, could you maybe describe her fighting a little more?"
The redhead hummed. "Uhh… I don't know. She was just really efficient, you know?" He opened his arms and punched the air as if he was mimicking it. "She was really reserved, blocking the hits and then countering with her own hits. I really started going out of it though–"
"Wait, she hit the android with her… with her bare hands?" Momo exclaimed, looking at her own hands in shock. "How?.."
"I don't know." Kirishima opened his arms. "It was so metal, no pun intended, but she just pushed through it… screaming and yet continuing."
Now that he spoke of it, he felt more of the weight. No matter who she was, that must have taken resolve.
However Tennyson didn't seem interested. He kneeled down, and looked at the oil spill instead.
"It looks like she did more than that."
He slammed the dial, turning into Chromastone before diving his hand into the spill and pulling out a brownish red metal fragment.
As Momo watched him, a plastic surgical glove manifested from her hand. Chromastone saw it and handed the piece to her.
"She pierced through." Momo said with awe, taking a close look at it.
Tennyson appeared again, as he had gotten rid of whatever was left on his hands. However, as his hands folded into themselves again, Kirishima saw that the expression he had was a disgruntled one.
"Do you remember a couple weeks ago, when there was some news about fifteen people saved from a new villain group?" he asked.
Kirishima's eyebrows went up. He didn't, but Yaomomo instantly put the piece down.
"Yes!" She stated. "Ingenium's agency, Team Idaten, were the first on the scene and… now that I think about it, no new information about the villain group came to light."
Tennyson nodded and from his determined look, Kirishima's mind filled with anticipation. He took a step back.
"Well…" Tennyson raised his hands in a way that'd point towards himself and so instantly Kirishima spoke.
"THAT WAS YOU?!"
Tennyson reaffirmed. "My first and only day going solo against the Highbreed."
Yaomomo's response however was one of sorrow.
"That was so soon after the USJ." She said.
"Well, I had reached my emotionally-unhealthy quota of things just *happening* around me." he said quite frankly with a sarcastic shrug. "But in either case. That day I followed a lead, and found people in tanks with Xenocites on their faces, in containment as if they were just pickles in a jar."
The two listened to Tennyson's frustration.
"And I… couldn't let that happen. I decided to save them." he said, and saw the awe in both of their faces. Kirishima leaned more towards being amazed, but Yaomomo listened as if she was currently in class.
"The problem though… is that I didn't get fifteen people out of there that day." He sighed. "I got *seventeen*."
Both of their eyes widened in intrigue, and Tennyson had expected that.
"One was wearing a plague mask and just… clearly a villain. But the other…"
"The girl." Yaomomo put the pieces together first. Another wave of wonder hit the redhead.
"Wait wait wait, Tennyson, are you… Man, are you sure this is the same one?" Eijiro asked, and Tennyson opened his arms.
"I can't, since I didn't get to see this one here, but what you described matches pretty well with what I saw. And to be honest, we have enough on our plate already."
Yaomomo nodded, acknowledging the assumption as did Eijiro but…
"I don't know who she is, but…" Tennyson continued–
"She fought with us against the knights!" Eijiro jumped in. "And she fought with you."
"Yes, however there is still the inscription by the Megawatts to consider." Yaomomo stated succinctly, raising her hand.
Kirishima opened his arms, however she still remained vary–
"BUT." Tennyson then raised his voice, interrupting the two. "We can't use up our time, figuring it out. We have more important things to do."
He put his hands in his pockets.
"Right!" Eijiro exclaimed. "How was your mission, Tennyson?"
A frustrated sigh was a strong indicator for it though.
"Not great." He said. "Turns out Team Idaten's offices don't *have* an underground secret bunker or whatever, and I had to go to the original warehouse. Not much tech was left there, but I made it work… for a bit. "
The two instantly sensed that he was alluding to being ambushed by the knights before then leaning forward, feeling a plan incoming.
"Brainstorm managed to get a look at Manny and Helen's equipment before they riddled it with holes." He stated. "And turns out, there is a huge power surge at Koike Power Plant."
"Power plant..?" Kirishima uttered, before his head went up. "Battery dudes?!"
They still hadn't come back from where they bolted off. A tone of dread descended, however Tennyson kept his composure.
"If we're fast, I think we can still catch their party."
The pair nodded and got a move on with Yaomomo reaching for her phone, only for Tennyson to raise his hand in front of them.
He gathered his words but, instead lowered it back down with a sigh.
"Be careful." Tennyson told them.
Yaomomo's response didn't even have a shred of reluctance.
"That's what I intend to do." She said, tying her hair back again.
And Kirishima knew his response didn't have any either. But that was probably why Tennyson wasn't going to call up Midoriya, and that they would go into this understaffed.
He just wondered, as he looked up, whether her part in this… was over.
"Kirishima."
He felt Yaomomo's hand on his shoulder, as Tennyson took the lead in getting out this alley and going to the power plant.
"I know it's disconcerting, however our priority must remain on the objective." She said. "Stopping these Forever Knights, and breaking any ties they might have with Stain and the League of Villains. "
She closed her eyes, shaking her head and becoming that much more disciplined.
"We can't afford to be scared of anyone that may be after us–"
"Oh, I understand that part." Kirishima raised his hands, putting on a sheepish smile. "Really. Pitch perfect."
Yaomomo then tilted her head confusedly. "Is that so?"
"Yeah." Kirishima gave her confirmation again with his expression not changing. After looking at him for a little bit, she couldn't see any doubt.
"Then, what made you so distracted?"
With that question, Kirishima's smile faded as his eyes opened and the widened grin pursed back down.
He looked up.
"I guess… It's because I scared her off." He said. "Like she helped us, even if she's bad or good, that's what happened, and I didn't thank her. Instead I…"
He sighed, and gathered his words. "I came here early because I thought it would be my adventure."
Yaomomo's eyes widened, as her eyebrows went up.
"Your adventure?"
"Yeah." He confirmed. Now that she asked, he felt a creeping enthusiasm spreading to his face. "Like how you went off with Gwen, and how Midoriya went off with Tennyson, Kevin and Gwen."
He really seemed envious, but childishly so, as if he saw a celebrity.
"That's what I want to do as well. Make things better for everyone… minus the villains of course–"
She put her hands on his shoulders, and spoke right after sneaking another look at Tennyson. Eijiro felt a sudden weight on his chest as she spoke.
"It's not that clear cut, Kirishima."
Manny and Helen had gone to the Null Void, and Ingenium was currently in a hospital. Not to mention Kevin's ever distant standing.
"The difference we made…" she spoke with sorrow. "It's virtually no different than failure."
"I don't believe that." Kirishima however, bounced back like she didn't say anything. "And I don't think you do either."
He raised his hand.
"You saved Iida's brother from death. And Midoriya, he gave two people hope about how their friend slash brother may still be out there, alive."
Yaomomo took her hands off, as it was his turn to stand before her.
"I think you said virtually because you know you can't discredit how much you DID help already. Even with just these, you can't help to realize how much better things are by comparison."
Yaomomo seemed to be taken aback, just a little.
"It might still be a bit bleak but every long trek starts with a single step. And we, as men, cherish every single one of them."
He settled back down, just full of conviction and ready to go. She still seemed unsure, but he had faith in her.
"It's just something–"
"Hey!" Tennyson called back at them. "You two ARE coming, right?"
"Y-Yep!" Kirishima was the first one to go ahead among the two. He then beckoned. "Yaomomo, let's go!"
She snapped out of her thoughts, and reached for her phone.
"R-right, I'll contact Launchpad." She said.
What he claimed still made her feel a little at a loss, but she tried to set it aside for now. There was a mission to partake in, and it took precedent.
If only she had known that from the rooftops of her first mission's battlefield, there would have been someone else who heard the young redhead, and felt… just as stumped.
Looking up, sitting with their knees drawn in, the girl hit the back of her head to the air-conditioning unit/ Her eyes were on the passing clouds, wondering ever so wistfully.
"Move it, move it, you slogs!" Sir Morton yelled.
The entire population in the power station were in a rush. One after the other, tech expert knights were teleporting in along with their own small teams, setting up pylons with golden cable wrapping around the black cylindrical base, and attaching a deep purple ball at the top.
As one expert crouched with her materials, she found the commander breathing down her neck.
"I said 'evenly spaced'! Does that look…" Sir Morton put a hand over his eyes. "What are ya, dense like a brick!?"
"My apologies sir!" She immediately went back to measuring the distance.
Albedo in the meantime, shook his head.
"Yes, of course yell at your assistants!…" He muttered. "Most assuredly the stress that fills their system will prevent any mistakes."
Sir Morton turned, and saw the frog tinkering with his two devices inside the complex as well, along with Kurogiri. One looked like a medium sized glass jar, wired to the second one a colorless watch.
The knight commander huffed, and then faked a smile.
"Apologies, mates." He put his hands on his hips. "However, you know how it is. Only we're privy to fail-safes." He nodded in Kurogiri's way, before turning to his knights.
"And they need to remember that."
However, Kurogiri gave no response to the commander. As he walked to inspect more soldiers and further secure the complex, his yellow slit eyes turned to Albedo.
"Do you not have any comments to share?"
Albedo shrugged. "I believe it was your words that talking as such would not be in service to our alliance."
Kurogiri's eyes however, were outright demanding him to speak. His first instinct was to sigh.
"What more do you expect me to say? That this plan is haphazard? That it's a painful attempt at hogging glory? Or that it's based on numerous flimsy assumptions? Well, I believe all of these points have been made already."
"And yet, you're going along with it. Even though unlike the previous one, this plan requires you to be further on the firing line." Kurogiri clapped back. "Why is that?"
Albedo sighed as his eyes glanced at the watch-like device. His eyes crossed upon looking at it, however… just as quickly softened in their expression.
"Because I'm compelled to do so, miscreant." he replied as he watched another Nosedeenian be put inside the jar, and he inputted necessary commands to draw his energy too.
"In times like these the prospect of playing it safe, sticking to ideals, not going beyond the line… it will only elongate the painful prospect coming for us all, and pave the way for that much more suffering. That was what the first thinker is… refusing to understand. I intend to be the evidence."
Albedo raised his head, and nudged Kurogiri to look in front of him.
One of the Nosedeenians had struck down on the scene. Charging its hands and buzzing as if it were an angered bee that just got swatted away, it took aim at the pylons!
"BZZZZZ–"
However just as quickly, a hand grabbed him by the entire body and made the blast miss. It was Sir Morton, and even if the blast continued to shock him, he found it in himself to laugh.
"Ah yes by all means, interfere, you rats! You'll make the after-work all the easier." He said with a reckless, maniacal venom.
Kurogiri felt unnerved, as Albedo only watched before going back to work.
"Do you have something you want to be done?" Albedo stated as his eyes glanced at the watch-like device. His eyes crossed upon looking at it, getting a brief jolt, only to soften just as quickly.
"Then I believe an Earthling expression already holds your answer." He said wistfully. "If you want something done, and done right… you only have yourself to count on."
Kurogiri's yellow slits narrowed, as he also stood straighter and his arms unraveled.
"You talk, as if we're missing a grander picture." He said.
"Talk with your one true master." Albedo retorted. Now that he seemed intrigued and understood his reasons, there was no reason to look him in the eye to amplify his point. "He's the only one on this rock that's more aware than he lets on."
Kurogiri's eyes ever so slightly widened. Many thoughts were racing in his head, but for now, he assembled his hands behind his back. With his peripheral vision, he also looked at the display which said… only two percent.
"Alright, people!" Sir Morton clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention. "Nice work to all ya, very good, our mouse trap's on its spot. Now… the blokes are sure to not be that far ou–!"
With a bang, the hinges of the door snapped and they slammed on the ground!
From the dust and the green flash that followed, the heroes showed their faces. Kirishima hardened his arms, Yaomomo created a shield in her left uninjured hand, and Tennyson had his arms crossed…
Sir Morton turned, laughing. "Ah, and people thought I didn't have a knack for timin."
And Tennyson responded in an equally cocky manner.
"Time to unplug, knights." He cracked his knuckles and palmed his fist. "Consider today's operation thoroughly grounded."
Kurogiri's eyes narrowed, before widening his stance and turning his head slightly to talk to Albedo.
"How much time will you need?"
Albedo grabbed his device, and pulled them behind Kurogiri to avoid being seen. "It's a difficult estimate. As much as you can give me."
Kurogiri nodded. Tennyson's eyes then turned to the purple smoke villain, who had his arms open, in the corner.
"And would you look at that, in league with the League of Wannabes? I'm shocked."
Sir Morton however kept smirking.
"I wasn't informed you could be this *amusin*, Ben Tennyson." He said sarcastically, but Ben shrugged.
"Oh you know, I like making a buzz when I show up."
Yaomomo didn't react to the puns one bit. Her eyes were glued on Sir Morton and the entire room of knights currently caught with their pants down, even though Kirishima passed a breathy laugh.
If this was how they would be working together, honestly he was in! Though, next time he definitely wanted to be further in front of the pack. But then maybe it could be a good idea to get a book about puns, and maybe some comics–
However, just then and only for a second, his eye caught something. From his peripheral vision, he saw the shadow's of the complex move very… oddly. They suddenly stretched, before snapping back into their normal place.
As if, something had… arrived.
Without changing his posture one bit, Eijiro's pupils were directed up.
"What are you doing with the Megawatts?" Meanwhile Yaomomo demanded in English, with her shield put in front of her.
"And a name would be nice." Tennyson added.
The leading, bulky Forever Knight opened his arms. "Right, the niceties. Call me Sir Morton, a knight of the Forever King's roundtable."
Kirishima didn't listen.
"Roundtable?" Yaomomo asked. "As in… King Arthur and His Knights of the Roundtable?"
Sir Morton put his hands on his hips. "Ah, so you're the one who likes hittin them books. Yes, it sure is, girlie."
Her eyebrows knit towards his manner.
"As for what we're doin, mate." He turned to his side, and let them see, along with taking a look himself. However, when that neck of his snapped back at them, there was no intention to explain.
"I don't reckon imma quite ruin that just yet."
Just barely, Kirishima caught another glimmer. His eyebrows went up!
Tennyson in the meantime, slammed the dial, and Rath roared onto the scene.
"WELL, DON'T MIND IF WE RUIN IT FOR YOU!"
Seeing them charge forward, Kirishima gritted his teeth and sneaked to the right instead.
Rath leaped forth, and seeing him Kirishima sped up, only for Yaomomo to look at her side and notice him–!
"Time's ripe, boys!" Sir Morton yelled, interrupting all of them. "Shield's up!"
The pylons suddenly came to life. With the purple ball on top of them rising up, they crackled with electricity of their own and made a light blue dome around the heroes.
"WHA–" Rath smashed face first into the top of it!
Kirishima, bending his legs however, managed to jump and skid right under it by hardening his legs. Thankfully the sound from Rath's faceslam was also there to cover him from being heard.
He tiptoed and hid behind a pillar, using the abandoned aspect of the place to his advantage, as it was mostly covered with metal and any lighting on the inside was dim at best. Even the shield wasn't illuminating much.
"Rath!" Yaomomo crouched next to Tennyson. "Are you okay?"
"Ugh… Lemme tell ya somethin Yaoyorozu Momo, the–" Rath's eyes then widened. "HEY! YOU CALLED RATH WITH HIS NAME!"
"Yes." She mellowly said. "I thought that is a point you've been attempting to make?"
"Y-YES, WELL, RATH APPRECIATES THAT!" He pulled himself up. "NOW FOR YOU–!"
He raised a finger and pointed to the main knight.
"LEMME TELL YA SOMETHIN SIR MORTON, KNIGHT OF THE FOREVER KING'S ROUNDTABLE! IF YOU THINK SUCH A DOME CAN HOLD RATH, YOU'RE DUMBER THAN YOUR ACCENT!" His fists banged at the energy shield. "WHICH RATH STILL ISN'T SURE WHERE IT'S FROM!"
His claws and fists bashed on the shield. With the utmost ferocity, Rath leaped and superman punched before jumping to the top with both fists raised!
Kirishima watched from the sides as the impact and his hands being on the shield made it buzz. But besides that, there didn't seem to be a scratch.
With her eyebrows raised, Yaomomo instantly activated her creation again.
Growling, Rath pulled back his fist–
"Wait, Rath!" Yaomomo yelled. The orange tiger turned and saw a stick of dynamite in her hand. "Get back!"
She tossed it to the shield, and plugged her ears as the alien laid cover in front of her–
It went off, absolutely covering the inside of the dome in smoke!
And once it settled, the sight that greeted them was the exact same. A half crater on the inside, while the outside was completely unharmed.
Sir Morton smirked, and Kirishima gritted his teeth.
"Come on Yaomomo, don't tell me that would crack it open…" He thought to himself.
"YOU OKAY!?" Rath asked.
"Yes." Yaomomo coughed into her own hand. "I thought the shield would only form over the air molecules–"
"HA HA!" Sir Morton laughed.
"Sorry to disappoint, girlie." He said with an offensive level of snark. "But this, here, field you're in is completely cut off. From the topside *and* down! So, don't be botherin to get that mutt out either.."
Yaomomo gritted her teeth, and Rath growled behind his own. The veins around his arms became pulsated as his claws extended.
"If we can't go down… Our only option is to go through, and brute force isn't the answer." Yaomomo said with a hand on her chin. "Tennyson, perhaps if you were to try another alien."
"OKAY!.." Rath crossed his arms, and turned his head. "UMM…"
The gears inside that head of his started to turn. Kirishima watched with his mouth open, as even Sir Morton's fun seemed to be fading.
Kurogiri, still in his corner, looked back to Albedo for an explanation.
"That form Tennyson has believes in problems being solved by merely hitting them." he responded. "It's hard for him to go against his nature."
Yaomomo leaned forward, hands assembled behind her. Embarrassedly, Rath fully turned his back.
"UH… WHICH ONE?"
Seeing her face though, the light bulb went off.
"OH, RIGHT!"
He slammed the dial on his chest, and in a blinding green flash, the magenta and violet crystal hero emerged. "Chromastone!"
"Now, watch carefully Mr. Morton…" He said sarcastically and waved his hands, before putting one of them on the shield. "... as I make your big scary shield disappear!"
His magenta crystals lit up as the light blue of the force field stretched and bent to him. It flowed into his hands. Kirishima put a hand over his eyes, shielding them as the shield was doing little to dim the rainbow-colored light!
"Oh man, this is easy." Chromastone said and then put his second hand. "Almost got it."
Yaomomo however kept her eyes on Sir Morton. As one hand of hers shielded her eyes, she could see the rest of the building ahead of her. Yet, despite what they were doing, Sir Morton still didn't seem worried one bit.
"Why–"
Suddenly the shield flickered in and out… along with the lights of the power station.
Yaomomo's eyes widened, as the power breakers inside started to make noise. "Tennyson, stop!"
Chromastone instantly flinched, and took off his hands.
"Why?" He asked. "I almost had it."
"They had a contingency." Yaomomo stated, taking another look around as the buzzing of the power breakers went back to normal. "These pylons…" She said. "They are attached to the main terminals and draw their power from here."
She looked at him. "The more you absorb, the bigger of a stress you put on the system–"
"And if yer to succeed, them town of Hosu's gonna be in one nasty blackout." Sir Morton picked it up. "Men'd be sent to take a look and… well… I think you get the gist."
"Cops." Chromastone said.
"Pro-heroes." Yaomomo added.
"Point is, squirts." As a yellow switch appeared from Sir Morton's sleeve, his voice became more sly… and intelligent. "I'm the only one here with the key to this circuit. And I ain't turnin it off, until we're finished."
He turned around, to his men "Now, what are ya waitin for, a medal?! Get back to work!"
Instantly, all the men inside the building started running back to their positions. The rush inside the power station had begun anew.
Kirishima gritted his teeth, along with Chromastone. Yaomomo however pursed her mouth.
"What a fiend." He thought to himself– before noticing Yaomomo purse her mouth. She got close to Tennyson.
His eyebrows went up, as a smile fashioned his face. "Yep, Yaomomo's never out of tricks!"
Instantly, Chromastone channeled his power, creating another burst of light.
"Though that I didn't miss." He shielded his eyes, as with a crystalline aura, the transforming hero poured everything he absorbed into the blast!
The pounding on the shield was definitely heard from the other side, as some knights turned their heads to see what they were doing, only to ignore it shortly after.
Kirishima still watched, hoping for something. Tennyson ran out of juice shortly after, but then siphoning it to his fists, he started to clobber the shield.
"Brute force isn't gonna work though, she established that already–"
His eyes widened as Yaomomo had changed which arm the shield hung from. It was now on her left, injured arm, as on her right palm she had something else.
In pure, bold black ink, there was an arrow alongside only one word. "Go."
Kirishima nodded in bolted, trying to sneak further away.
As soon as he got to moving, Yaomomo then bashed her shield against the dome and got next to Chromastone.
"Do you think this is going to work?" Chromastone whispered.
"I do not. However, we were the ones attacked." She responded in kind. "We have to figure out why, if this isn't to become another deadend."
Sighing exasperatedly, his hits towards the shield became that much more fierce.
"Ugh… I really hate playing things smart." He remarked, just itching to go into Big Chill and fight their way instead.
Seeing him uncomfortable like this, Yaomomo averted her eyes.
"My apologies…" She said.
Chromastone's eye widened however, as he then shook his head.
"No no, I get it." He responded, sighing. That's what the Ben of his first mission would have done: Save lives now, at the sacrifice of the future.
He shook his head. That needed to be him, no longer. Ben turned to Yaomomo.
"This is necessary–"
"What is?"
Both of their hearts skipped a beat, as they then noticed Sir Morton standing right before them. His hands were on his hips.
"Yer kids tryin a third plan?"
Instantly Chromastone channeled some of his fake valor. "Why? Give me eight seconds and I'm already gonna be outside, kicking your face in! Ten tops!"
Sir Morton rolled his eyes.
"Of course you'd say that, with how you've been trademarkin that ten number. Real unfortunate them lil midget made ya miss yer chance." Sir Morton said.
Yaomomo's eyes widened in realization. "That mid– That's it…!"
"You make it sound as though you've watched the sports festival." she said, as her mind raced. "We need to buy as much time as we can…"
With his heels raised and the entire weight on the balls of his feet, Kirishima watched them from the shadows.
"I may've dabbled." Crossing his arms, Sir Morton responded to the duo in the bubble with a smile. "And watched all yer fights with them boys, ratin them from a scale of one to ten."
"So, you guys are fans?" Chromastone instantly asked.
"I'm 'a fan' of good tv, Tennyson." He responded. "Not yer freaks–"
"Out of curiosity though." Yaomomo intervened before things got too heated. "May you tell us… How was Pony Tsunotori and Todoroki's match?"
Sir Morton slumped. "Oh, that snoozefest?.."
Kirishima was outright wide-eyed.
"They're really letting him talk."
He had thought they wanted him to get close, rip that switch off directly from his palm and free them. However, it seemed this plan ran a little deeper.
"Go." It just clicked. "As in… Wait, as in, go gather intel?!"
His brows settled back down.
"Aha…" He thought, and got a move on, but carefully. The place was still crawling with Forever Knights, and yet again, stealth wasn't his forte. But unlike before, this time he had a lead.
And peeking from behind the pillar, he saw that lead clear as day. The purple smoke guy from the USJ.
"If that guy creates warp gates, and the other man with the hands isn't here…" He thought, as suddenly a red hued light sparked behind him. "If I put my keys on the bowl next to the door, then whatever they have that's important is probably next to him."
Waiting for his chances, he ran from pillar to pillar, right before throwing himself behind one of the turbines.
"Or… it's a trick." He thought. After all, the guy could open his portals anywhere, so why would it matter where he stood?
"Too bad I don't have time to check." Checking his surroundings first, Eijiro raised his head. Not being able to go too far away from the shield really stunk, but there was still a bit of that favorable angle.
He saw one of those Megawatt pals, being forced inside some kind of device. The switch flipped, and when they were let out… they didn't even have a spark left to show.
Barely he could hear them still buzzing, and hence their lifesigns. It boiled his blood, but Kirishima knew he had to keep his head cool!
"So, they are siphoning their power, but…" His eyes turned to the breakers. "I know they power the shields, but why not tap the source for more instead? And what *are* they powering anyway?"
He shifted more to the right. From past the purple smoke, past the knights that kept moving around, he got a better look at the Megawatt device and then what was behind it.
There was a small gray dude there, operating a couple of buttons. He watched as another battery was drained, the dude opened the hatch, took out that one and put in a new one. He also seemed to hit another button to start the process again.
Eijiro tilted his head. "Wait that guy… That guy wasn't at the USJ–"
"KIRISHIMA!"
"Huh?" Eijiro heard both their cries and shifted around in his place, right as a familiar glowing visor grabbed his arms and pressed his face to the pavement!
"There he is." Sir Morton turned around. "The good ol third wheel!"
Kirishima could barely look with his right eye, as the Forever Ninja was intent on keeping his face stuck to the pavement. He still hardened up.
"Honestly kid, if I had a pot to bet on, I'd have put it to you rollin for safety, callin in backup, but instead stickin around here?!" Sir Morton laughed. "And here I thought the Forever Knight gig bein taken as a joke was some far-out ruse."
He turned around to the pair that were currently inside the dome. "Nice one with makin me talk about sports for you two… but counting to three doesn't exactly require effort."
Both Tennyson and Yaomomo put their hands on the bubble.
"MORTON!" Tennyson shouted. "Let him go, or I swear I'll–!"
"Relax, freak." Sir Morton clapped back. "Like I said, I'd open the bubble once I got what I needed, so I'm not exactly in the torture mood."
"Oh, it's funny to think you even can." Chromastone muttered furiously as hand went to his chest– however Yaomomo held it back.
He opened his mouth.
"Wait…" she pleaded, making eye contact with him. He saw her angst-ridden eyes, however her hair was also standing on edge. Lowering his hand, he watched her verily glance around. "Just one more second…"
And Sir Morton enjoyed that, that flare of anger only for reality to crash them right back on the bench. There was no greater rush.
He hit his knuckles together, and with a surge… spikes showed up.
"You see kid." Sir Morton stepped on his face as the ninja let go and just focused on the arms. "Unlike the rest of that order, I have… very specific interests."
The ninja fully let him go, as the knight grabbed him by the collar.. However, unlike before, what lifted him up wasn't a death machine!
He raised his hardened hands – only to get hit in the back by the Forever Ninja.
Kirishima felt the wind get physically knocked out of him. It got tough to breathe, so immediately he dropped the hardening.
Sir Morton smirked as his right knuckle, the one that wasn't currently busy bolding up this brat, surged with its own power.
"And you see, one of those interests is…"
Kirishima tried to harden up again, but it was too difficult to do so. His body felt limp, as his eyes closed. But, he heard two boots strike the ground, and blades slash!
"Huntin." Sir Morton said.
As his eyes groggily opened, and his fuzzy sight focused, he saw the girl… clashing with the Forever Ninja.
"Huntin… in plain god-damn sight."