Chapter 6 - The Trial of Battle Part 2
By One Above All
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Brisk cool air could be felt all around. A room that was usually a mess is left unchanged. A door with a small sign that read Ormur creaked back and forth by a breeze from an opened window. All was but a peaceful sleep. Until a scent could be picked up by the sleeping Icelandic teen. It was awful. Metallic, raw, and pungent. Eyes flickered open and a response was given about the odor.
"What the hell is that smell?", an awoken Ormur asked.
"You tell me. I worked for these people for years and they still don't tell me what's in it", said an unfamiliar voice at the right of the bed.
The eyes of the Icelandic teen went wide as he realized a hooded masked person was standing next to his bed.
"Skítt", yelled Ormur as he rolled off his bed and fell on his face. The impact didn't affect him as he quickly stood and got to a sloppy fighting stance.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you here? What did you do to everyone?", the teen demanded as the intruder sealed the small container that held the awful scent.
"Before we play twenty questions, I just want to put it out there that we're currently clutched on time. So, to sum it up. I just put my SHIELD patented sleeping gas in the air conditioning which knocked out everyone in this orphanage", explained the stranger.
The sly behavior of the intruder made the young Icelander narrowed his eyes but caution quickly gave way to confusion as the mention of SHIELD was heard.
"Wait, SHIELD. As in the international defense organization. Are you with them?", asked the muscular teen.
"Oh, so we're known in this country too. I figured the isolation from the European civil wars played a factor in something, but this makes it easier. Alright, Ormur, I need you to come with me", said the stranger as he whipped out his SHIELD communicator which displayed his authorization sigil as agent.
"Wait, why and how do you know my name?", asked the Icelandic teen now identified as Ormur.
"For the latter, it doesn't take a genius to know that SHIELD has a file on anybody they see as promising or a threat. For the former, your home is in danger, and we don't have time for interrogation. You'll learn more about it on the way out, so let's go", said the stranger as he walked out of the room.
Ormur, still filled with unanswered questions, chased after the possible SHIELD agent. Upon exiting his room, he noticed through some of the opened rooms that everyone was completely asleep. Orphans were on their beds, the floors, and even slumped to the walls.
"Wow, you weren't kidding about the sleeping gas", said Ormur as he and the SHIELD agent reached the lobby.
"Yeah, it took a while to get everyone situated after the gas faded away. The two owners of this place are asleep in the kitchen. Good thing too, because that was my only canister of sleeping gas", said the SHIELD agent as two exited the orphanage. The snow-covered grass was all that surrounded them as they reached an armored SHIELD vehicle.
"The name's Trickshot by the way. If you were asking", said the man now called Trick Shot as he got on the driver's seat.
"Is that your hero name or SHIELD name?", asked Ormur on the passenger seat.
"Both. Now listen up, I found out not long ago that I'm not the only one who has you in their sights. As we speak, two mean bastards are about to enter the town nearby and they will decimate everything until they find you or the thing that's causing all the snowstorms lately", said Trick Shot as the two drove their way to west valley.
"You mean to tell me that something is causing the snowstorms?", pondered Ormur as he looked at the clouds above.
"Yeah and getting it to stop revolves heavily on you. So, will you please trust me for the next few hours and work with me on this?", asked Trick Shot with full seriousness.
Young Ormur thought about the whole situation he was stuck in. A SHIELD operative has popped into his home and uses sleeping gas on everyone he cares about. Now, said operative is asking for his assistance in fighting off what could be the first villain attack in Iceland in years. Breathing in and out once, he nodded to the archer and the two newly formed comrades rode quickly to West Valley.
Having taken thirty minutes to reach their destination, the archer and young Icelander stopped their vehicle outside of the town where their soon-to-be foes will approach. They walked the rest of the way to the entrance as Ormur wondered just who he might be fighting to defend his people. He looks to the American next to him for confirmation.
"Hey, Trick Shot. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are we up against?", asked Ormur.
"You know those movies that involve secret organizations using science to make super soldiers for shady global manipulation", responded Trick Shot.
"Yeah"
"Well it's like that. Except the organization is some cult that worships a dead Italian guy"
"Oh"
… on the other side of West Valley …
Sitting back on his chair and snoring like a fat bear, the local officer was in the middle of his daily nap after having pie and mead for morning munching. Next to him, his sheepdog had been sleeping on the grass. The two peacefully slept in the snow-covered streets of the town's police station.
Their peace was then disturbed by a sudden scent picked up by the sheepdog. The canine sniffed vigorously to find the source. Once it found its target, it then barked at them. Awoken by his companion's barking, the lone officer looked to where his dog had been startled by.
There, standing seven feet tall each, were two intimidating figures in full body suits that covered them head to toe. Their body proportion spoke that of two males. The most notable part of their matching attires were the two golden metallic numbers positioned on the left side of their chest. The figure on the left was numbered as one, while the right one was numbered as three.
The Icelandic officer just watched as One and Three walked with stoicism through the pouring snow. Feeling the possible threat this could be to the town, he holstered his handgun and brought his sheepdog inside the police station. With his canine safe, he walked up to One and Three and held his hand up to order them to stop moving. The two indeed stopped moving, but not out of receiving the constable's request.
Upon observing the little man, the two augmented Sons turned to each other in silent debate. One shook his head in disagreement and then Three nodded in confirmation. With the Icelander confused by their gestures, he failed to register the moment when the two simultaneously punched him away. The force behind the combined punch was enough to knock out the officer, but not kill him.
With the distraction dealt with, One and Three traverse further into the town. They continue their search for the relic hidden on the Nordic Island.
… Meanwhile at Yuuei Academy …
Anticipation. That one word can be shared by all sides locked in battle. One side must hold out as long as they can. And the other, they must obtain the objective to win. For Momo Yaoyorozu, she fully anticipates any outcome that may come her way.
The weapon was behind her. Her location is a simple rectangular room on the sixth floor. There were only two windows and one door. With only assumptions of what her opponents may be capable of, all she could do to secure victory was to plan an unbeatable defense. Barricades for the windows. Steel clamp barriers for the door. And finally, any possible suppression weapon to either slow them down or restraint them.
There's just one unknown variable. And he has been quiet for a while now.
Victor von Doom stood with his arms crossed as he watched the door. His eyes gleamed a bright green as he waited for his opponents to make their appearance. Kaminari obviously has an electrical based quirk, so he'll be easy to beat. The girl he was with is known as Kyoka Jirou. Her quirk can only be done with those earphones' jacks. Keeping the possible range of her attacks in mind, she might as well be easy to beat too. Truly, this match of theirs is so one sided.
"Pardon me, Doom-san", said his current teammate.
Doom's green eyes then shifted to this Yaoyorozu girl. He studied her posture and speech. Constant self-evaluation. A sense of urgency for situations that require ethical logic. A hint of restrained potential from years of heavy expectations. More proof of her high-class upbringing is becoming more obvious.
"Is there something you need, Miss Yaoyorozu?", asked Doom with neutrality.
"We should prepare for when the hero team arrives. I suggest we make strong barricades to the door and fortify ourselves with a defensive perimeter around the bomb. The distance between us and the door should provide a decent range for your quirk to keep them back", Momo elaborated as Doom pondered on her strategy.
"Your confidence in our victory is well appreciated, but you're overthinking this. We are in no danger of failure. For our opponents have already lost this. We are simply playing the waiting game", said Doom with little concern for the result of the test.
"Isn't it unwise to underestimate an opponent?", asked Momo, now put off by Doom's overconfidence.
"Only if you know you'll win. Besides, I doubt mister Kaminari and Miss Jiro will get past what I have ready for him", said a still confident Doom as his eyes glow green at the last sentiment.
Momo noticed immediately at the unquenchable ego of her foreign teammate. Does being a SHIELD youth really make a person that much so narcissistic? She tries to push the thought away as she tries to focus on the test at hand. After creating her defenses and getting them to their positions, the dark-haired maiden stood next to her partner with a collapsible staff in hand. Unknown to her, the young Latverian had been observing her creation quirk.
Doom deduced that her body must be using some bodily material for particle conversion to create objects that are needed for the task at hand. The probability of what such an ability is capable of is simply intriguing to him. Proper eloquent, keen observation, and clear understanding of a quirk that requires knowledge of physics and chemistry. He, Victor von Doom, was humbled enough to internally praise the Japanese teen for her ingenuity.
Then came the silence.
They still had a few minutes before the hero team eventually found them. Doom's thoughts were concentrated on his personal projects. This test had become unimportant once he knew who he was facing. Momo's thoughts however were back and forth between the expectations she held for Yuuei and its expectations for her. She plans on being an inspirational hero and this academy will do just that. However, doubt keeps lingering within her. It always comes down to expectations. If she ever reaches her best, will it still be good enough? Could it ever be enough?
With the grip on her staff loosening, Momo's eyes then shifted back to her Latverian peer. Her mind raced with thoughts to how this boy no older than her was coveted the honor to serve in the SHIELD organization. The only other thing was off about him, other than his overconfidence, was his last name. Just how could a child be born with the word Doom for a last name? Was the mother okay with such a marriage name? Maybe it was a European thing?
"Why do you stare, Miss Yaoyorozu", asked Doom with his eyes still on the door.
Momo's cheeks slightly reddened at getting caught.
"O-oh, I'm sorry Doom-san. It's just. Would you indulge my curiosity for a moment?", she asked as she calmed herself down.
"Proceed", indulged Doom.
"What is it like to be a SHIELD youth? By all accounts, that already makes you the same rank as the upper classmates who have preliminary licenses. Was it difficult to be accepted despite the hardship in Europe?", asked Momo in need to find some encouragement.
"I took no trial or test. SHIELD did accept me, but it's more on the aspect that they took me in. A wise decision I might add. In truth though… ", Doom paused as he shut his eyes as he gritted his teeth.
Momo continued to look at him as it appeared to her that he was reminiscing of a sort. She was then brought back in as the Latverian opened his once more to finish his small tale.
In truth, I was on my last leg and a SHIELD operative provided a crotch. I have been with them ever since. My association with the SHIELD organization is more of an honor bound duty to repay a debt I have with the director. There is no other woman on this Earth I respect more than her", confessed Doom with a hint of gratitude.
Momo Yaoyorozu was silent. This Latverian before her wasn't accepted to begin with. His position in SHIELD wasn't that of exceeding the expectations of others, but instead of a tragic upbringing. She could only wonder what else Victor von Doom had gone through to get where he is. What definitely caught her attention was the tone shift. At the start, the Latverian sounded arrogant and prideful, but telling off the Director made him slightly sad and at the same time dependent.
Momo wasn't the only one who was taken by Doom's tale. All-Might had heard as well. The way the lad had spoken had reminded the veteran hero of time in his career when he felt such invulnerability. Having read of young Doom's file and spoken to Director Carter personally, All-Might could tell that this mutual respect was just what young Doom wants to outwardly convey. No, Toshinori has been at this long enough to know that there was pain behind those words. Like a child wanting to come home.
Back in the exercise, Momo's thoughts were halted when the slight sound of footsteps could be heard from where the door was. Muffled by the metal barricades, the patting of boots and shoes stopped. The villain team waited for something to happen as they stood still. Suddenly, the metallic barricades began to vibrate, and a bolt went off its hinges. Soon, more bolts came off as metal plates fell over.
"This must be Jirou-san. She's using her earjacks to perform a type of vibrational manipulation", alerted Momo.
"Excellent assumption. But their efforts will mean nothing still", proclaimed Doom as he stood closer to the door.
Upon the last plate falling, Jirou Kyoka kicked open the door and ducked to let Denki Kaminari shoot a bolt of electricity. The bolt flew statistically towards Victor von Doom who remained standing in front of Momo Yaoyorozu. Not as her protector, but as the pinnacle of a self-driven force. Prideful and strong, the Latverian glared at the offending projectile heading his way.
For Momo, it was as if time slowed down. She watches in anticipation for what the SHIELD youth will deliver. The day of their quirk apprehension test was just a preview. Just how will he respond?
And thus, Doom answered. Quickly uncrossing his arm, the Latverian summoned a green misty aura around his right hand and backhanded the attack away from him. The bolt was redirected to a column, leaving a small scorch mark. Almost immediately, two earphone plugs shot straight for his face. Fortunately, the young Latverian caught the flimsy limbs in his left hand which was covered in the same green misty aura. With a hard tug, the green mist brought the owner closer by her earlobes.
Jirou was helpless as the green particles surrounding her made her levitate. Kaminari ran in to save his partner from Doom's hold. Noticing this, the Latverian sighed at the pathetic attempt and threw a torrent of green particles at the blonde. The two halves that made the hero team were both now in the air. Doom's outstretched left hand kept them where they were.
"I would say that was a good enough attempt, but then I would be lying. Thus, this farce comes to an end. So, as they say. Take this L", mocked Doom.
As with a swift of his left hand, Doom entrapped the hero team in a spinning vortex of his quirk's particles.
"D-damnit", whined Jirou as she felt her world literally spinning.
"I can't handle this right now", cried Kaminari as he too spun with dizziness.
Doom smirked at the sight of his struggling opponents and then looked to his right hand to see two rolls of capture tape. Nonchalantly, he threw them into the green vortex. From being a miniature hurricane of green particles to a twister of glowing green tape strips, the satisfied Latverian clapped twice to end his construct. The end result was two nearly mummified heroes.
"VILLAIN TEAM WINS"
"Such a disappointment, but a win is a win nonetheless", said a bored Doom as he closed his hand into a fist. The action caused the capture tape to glow green and unravel its captors. Now free, Jirou and Kaminari slowly stand up as they recover from their dizziness. They then turn to the Latverian who started to roll up his right sleeve.
"Man, you SHIELD guys really know how to one up on people huh. I kinda hope that rundown of you was just hype, but yeah… you do pack some heat", said Kaminari as he dusted his attire and picked up any of his fallen accessories.
"Our "one ups" are merely results we strive to obtain in our goal to become better. SHIELD can definitely do that for a person", said Doom who was checking his right arm for any irritation. Once satisfied at not seeing redness on his skin, he rolled his sleeve back on.
"Ugh, it really proves that our time here is going to be such a pain. Are they really going to push us more than their usual standards because you guys are with us?" Said Jirou who was unnerved by how quickly they lost.
"I suggest you get used to it. SHIELD is doing this collaboration for the three years of us here. I say the tradeoffs of our sudden arrangements are fair. Yuuei has higher standards for you. SHIELD is giving more restrictions to their youths. Honestly, it's irksome", explained Doom with his arms crossed. He then turns from Jirou and Kaminari and faces Momo.
"My apologies for not letting you perform, Yaoyorozu. I simply wanted this exercise to be done already. I'm sure you had an elaborate counter to their blunt entry", said a neutral Doom to a slightly disgruntled Momo.
"Despite our preparation, I hadn't taken account of the suddenness of the entry. I'll admit that our victory was thanks to you", said a downtrodden Momo. Her negativity didn't last though, for she regained her confidence to give the Latverian a stern look.
"However. For the exercise to be used to its fullest, cooperation is necessary for us to do better for future assignments. You should try to be more open to the suggestions of others, Doom-san", declared Momo.
Victor von Doom sighed at her display of exuberance but decided to humor her to avoid further complications.
"I'll try to be more extroverted for the sake of the assignment next time. I'll be sure to let you have first go if we ever partnered up again", said a humored Doom as he began to walk to the exit of the room.
"You know, for someone who's called a squad leader, you don't seem to be a team player", said an irked Jirou who was unemused by the young Latverian's sarcasm.
"Or perhaps I'm just that powerful. It speaks volumes of what you all could see in the near future", said a grinning Doom who kept his head forward to avoid irritating the purple haired girl. As amusing as it would be.
As Victor von Doom left the room, the three Japanese teens remained there contemplating the possible gap between them and the young Latverian. Denki Kaminari was originally nervous about the exercise, believing the foreigner would have given him a world of pain. Thankfully, he got off easily and his opponent was way more chill than he thought. Still, that just means he had a long way before he could reach that form of talent. Jirou Kyoka felt otherwise, the Latverian definitely left an impression on her. Egotistical and judgemental. She just wondered if he was going to be like that for the rest of the year.
Poor Momo Yaoyorozu however didn't put much focus into her teammate's mannerisms. Her mind instead lingered still on the fact that she hadn't done anything during the exercise. Sure, she contributed to their defenses, but she just stood there as her partner used his superior quirk to do all the fighting. Clutching a fist to her chest, she pushes forward to her determination and follows the others outside. There was always next time.
… Meanwhile in Iceland …
The unfortunate Icelandic officer remained unconscious on the cold streets of his town. His internal vision flickered between his dreams and the darkness of his closed eyes. He then realized that he was being shaken by someone to wake up. With a gasp, his eyes opened widely as the first thing he was a teen boy that he and the town knew too well.
"Nirsh, get up. Come on, you need to get somewhere safe", said Ormur as he pulled the man up.
"Ormur, what is happening here boy?", asked Nirsh.
"Probably the first attack on Iceland since… well ever. Some SHIELD agent and I are dealing with it, so don't worry", said Ormur confidently.
At that moment, a chunk of the road was thrown over them as it smashed into a building. Said building was actually where Trickshot was for he was the intended target.
"You missed, Jackass", mocked Trickshot as he shot a trick arrow from his bow.
The projectile zoomed through the air as it made a direct hit to its target. The arrowhead stuck to the chest of Three. The augmented Sons agent looked at the arrow and tried to pull it off. Before they could, it exploded in a flashing eruption. Where Three stood, a black smoking cloud laid. They then emerged from the cloud with the minor scorch marks on his suit.
"Damn Sons, those suits just get stronger with each number. Ormur, get that guy out of here. These freaks are coming in hot", ordered Trickshot as he leaped off the building and shot more arrows midair.
Agreeing with the archer, Ormur carried the officer over his shoulder and leaped to the town's shelter. There the rest of the west valley police stand guard as the civilians sit in wait for their sign of security.
"Everyone in town is there. Don't let anyone out until we've beaten the villains", said Ormur as he gave the officer back to his comrades. He was about to leap back to Trickshot, but was stopped by the town's mayor.
"Ormur, just who are these villains? Why attack Iceland of all places?", asked the mayor who looked rather tired from having to reassure hope for the civilians.
"I honestly don't know, mayor. All I do know is that fighting is my only way of getting answers", said Ormur determinedly as he leaped back to the fight.
Back with the archer, Trickshot continuously evaded several hard attacks as he tried to get any arrows in. Giving his quiver time to recharge, he switches from bow to his Adamantium sword and goes in for a slice. He was able to get a horizontal slash across Three's chest. He expected sliced fabric followed with drips of blood. Instead, he was surprised by the sight of colors other than red to pour out.
Three's chest indeed was wounded, but bled rivers of reds, blues, greens, and any other colors found in a rainbow.
It was then that Trickshot noticed a shadow over him. Looking up, he saw One about to come down on him with a circus style mallet. Moving out of the way, the spot where the archer once was had become an immense cracked pavement by what appeared to be a colorful wooden hammer.
"I'm starting to see a theme with you guys. Trust me when I say it's bringing up some very unwanted memories", said Trickshot as he repositioned with a sword stance.
One and Three ignored him and remained mute. They walked closer to their opponent. One tightened his grip on his mallet as Three claps both hands on the paint bleeding wound on his chest. The multicolored paint in both hands had then turned to several sharp colorful throwing daggers. The Sons agent threw each one in fine synchronization to strike at certain points of Barton's body.
Fortunately, Trickshot was able to slice away at any that were at vital areas. Some however were able to cut at the exposed areas of his arms. Ignoring the blood running down his limbs, he ducked to avoid another swing from One's mallet. He managed to evade enough attacks to escape One's range and jumped back in to deliver a downward slice to the right arm.
One's right arm was then cut off and it fell dead to the ground. It didn't affect the Sons agent though, much to Trickshot's confusion. Instead of expressing pain, the agent reached into the gaping sliced flesh wound with his remaining arm. He then pulled out his new right arm. In appearance, the new limb appears to be the right arm of a person wearing a clown costume.
'Seriously, a clown-based quirk', thought Trickshot as a chill crawled up his spine. He then heard a wet sound from behind. Turning around, he witnessed Three spawning four paint tendrils from his chest wound.
The two augmented attackers then perform a combination attack that whipped the archer upward, only to be pulled back down to the cold street with a slam. Groaning in pain, Trickshot slammed a Nightcrawler pellet and immediately disappeared in a puff of dark blue smoke.
One and Three looked around for their opponent, not knowing that he was on the roof of the police station at the end of the street. The poor sole member of the Barton family was aching in his upper chest. He shifted his body so that his back was touching the roof. Removing the goggles from his eyes, Barney Barton groaned silently to stinging feelings all over his torso. Internally, he really wishes he had a bloodthirsty Punisher with him right now.
"Oh man. Just what am I doing, Clint? From vigilante to a babysitter", said Barney depressingly. He then heard a crackle of lightning from a loud impact and after the sound of road breaking.
Standing up, Trickshot could see his objective confronting the two Sons agents. One stood tall against the possible Asgardian, while Three was planted into the ground. The Asgardian teen glared at the invaders who had ruined the cherished peace that his little town had.
"I don't know why you're here and I really don't care. Whether it has something to do with me or not, you two are the first villains I'm about to fight. For that, I am going to do my damn best to win this", declared Ormur as he got into a boxing stance. The young Icelander's pupils then glow with a bright blue and lightning infused onto his clenched fists.
One dashed towards the teen and smashed the mallet on the top of the youth's head. Upon impact, the mallet head broke into splinters. Ormur grunted in pain at the stinging hit to his head and retaliated by giving a thunderous uppercut to his attacker.
One was launched upward from the mighty hit and crashed onto one of the parked vehicles. Seeing their fellow Sons agent thrown around, Three breaks free from the ground and shoots out his paint tendrils to capture the young Icelander. Ormur was then wrapped in living coils of bright paint. To his dismay, his favorite winter is now covered in paint stains.
The paint tendrils started to become thicker and condensed. Ormur used his lightning to solidify the colorful liquids, but all it did was trap him in a dry tar-like cocoon. The rubbery shell just gets thicker with each coat and soon it will cover his head. Suddenly, four arrows pierced into the paint tar and combusted in a deafening explosion.
Back on the rooftop, Trickshot adjusts his goggles to zoom in on his cargo. From the sight of it, the young Asgardian was physically fine with no wounds. Their clothes, unfortunately, were ruined by the explosion. All that was left was their charred pants. Zooming out a bit, the archer could see the Sons agents slowly getting back up. One was pulling themselves out of the wrecked car and Three who was just a head and torso due to the explosion. More paint tendrils slithered out to replace the lost limbs.
Trickshot sighed at the sight and wondered if all this trouble was worth risking his life.
"Oh screw it. We need the big guns.", said Trickshot as he clicked his communicator. In seconds, the SHIELD vehicle drove itself to their position with the backdoors automatically opened. Jumping off the rooftop, the archer runs to Ormur and picks him off the ground. The young Icelander was up, but a little dizzy from the blast.
"W-what was in those arrows? Man, my ears are still ringing.", whined Ormur as he dusted off the burnt pain from his skin.
"A substance literally more explosive than C4. but that's not important, these dicks can take whatever I got and I'm not taking any chances on whether they got something that could put you down. If we're going to win this, we're going to have to go to the center of this whole mess." said Trickshot as the two ran to their ride. Before they drove away, Trickshot shot one more arrow at the semi-clown themed Sons agent. The result was a bright blue followed by a loud static sound due to a well-aimed electric shock arrow.
"That's right bitch. Follow the birdy.", mocked Trickshot as he and his young cargo drove out of the town.
"Where are we going now? I'm pretty sure tiring them out won't work either.", said Ormur.
"No, but these guys can be beat. Unlimited stamina doesn't mean shit if they can't survive serious firepower. And we're getting just that.", explained Trickshot with a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"More serious than your arrows?! What is it? Some SHIELD weapon?", asked Ormur in suspense.
"It's never that simple with these guys. Defeating them is different each time. But that's not what I'm worried about. The fact that they were ready for you means that they know what you're capable of.", explained Trickshot further.
"So what is this firepower? Seriously, what does any of this have to do with me?", asked Ormur with confusion and anxiety.
Trickshot looked at the young Icelander for a moment. The frustration of this whole day was taking its toll on the poor kid. But even still, he knows that this is no mere kid. Only once they reach their ace in the hole, will they truly know just what kind of God this Ormur could be.
"Tell me kid? How much do you know of Norse mythology?"
… Meanwhile at Yuuei Academy …
After the rest of the class had their fun, the time had come for the final battle exercise. Erik Lesher versus Victor Creed. The two had a history in their previous lives. Whether it was in each other's earths or not, one truth remains between them. They just couldn't stand each other. Fortunately, a tolerance was established thanks to Director Carter's guidance and Punisher's discipline. Eventually, that tolerance evolved through years of intense training and grueling missions. It would then become an efficient partnership built from the little mutual respect they have.
But now, they're back at it for just this day. Magneto versus Sabretooth. They would gladly go all out and tear themselves apart if it wasn't for two opposing variables. More unfortunate, the two reincarnates were each assigned to one of them.
"Alright rock head, gimme your name"
As blunt as usual, Victor Creed stood with his arms crossed and looking expectantly to his silent plus nervous partner Koji Koda. Said Japanese teen was in a poor state as he looked down to his boots, not wanting to see the intimidating eyes of his Canadian classmate.
'I th-thought Canadians are supposed to be nicer than this.', thought Koji, shaking on the spot.
"Come on tubby, gimme your name or I'll just have to call you by something so demeaning and inappropriate that I'll get in trouble by All-Might. Do you hear me, teach? I know plenty of things to call this guy. So much that Aizawa might as well want to kick me out of this course.", proclaimed Creed who looked at the camera on the ceiling to address the number one hero. Said pro-hero was quite taken aback by the brashness of his inheritor's neighbor. It seems SHIELD is rather loose with their youth's manners.
Koji had then used hand signals to express his name to the foreigner in front of him. He stopped immediately when he noticed the Canadian face palming at the situation.
"I. Don't. Know. What. This. Fucking. Means. SHIELD didn't teach me sign language bub", growled Creed as he mimicked Koji's hand signals to mock him. The poor young animal whisper only shook more frightened by the foreigner. Fangs gritted and claws out, this was one animal his quirk wouldn't work on.
To class, it looked as if there was going to be another Bakugou. At least this one is less explosive. Some commented on his equally rude behavior and thought he'd already fit the role of a villain. All-Might thought he should bring some focus back into the exercise.
"Three minutes to prepare. Everyone, remember that this is for a grade. So, play nice young Creed.", announced All-Might through his headpiece.
The screen displayed the Canadian angrily punching the fake bomb, leaving a deep dent. Creed then walked out of the camera's view as poor Koji remained shaking in place. On another monitor, it told a different story shown by the hero team of the exercise. A focused and disciplined Erik Lesher walking through the halls with a gitty and playful Mina Ashido not far behind.
The reincarnated Magneto walked through the halls of the simulation building with the purpose of using his magnetism to sense all the metal within the structure. His focus was then disturbed by the sound of wet sliding behind him. He didn't bother turning around and saw no purpose in stopping his partner's childishness. She was young after all but had this been a real battle then he would deliver a severe reprimand to her foolishness. Though, the one thing that did make this serious was the fact that Sabretooth was their opponent. Honestly, he couldn't give a damn about the other kid. Koda, was it?
It was then that Erik sensed a substance flung through his electromagnetic field. The magnetic spectrum emitting from his being shifted to a kinetic orb of a light-purple translucent static energy. Contained in his orb, the young German could only assume that it was his teammate's acid. Looking at the girl, his iconic black helmet hiding his annoyance in its dark shadow, he reminded her what they were supposed to be doing.
"Miss Ashido, I would appreciate it if you didn't sling your acid like water from a damp towel.", said Erik in an authoritative tone.
Young Ashido stopped her sliding and grinned embarrassingly.
"Sorry Lesher-san, I'm just so excited to let loose my quirk. I'm not sure how strong my acid is, but maybe it will get us some points in our overall score. What do you think? Can a super spy like you get us the win?", the playfulness bubbling from Mina's obvious cheery nature was enough to give pause to Erik's concentration.
Internally, Erik analyzed the girl in front of him. Remembering how his two other comrades described their partners during their own exercises, Mina Ashido showed no hesitation or doubt. Which was good but lacked professionalism and statistical intuition. Which was bad. If he had to be honest, it was refreshing to know that he partnered with someone who wasn't afraid or cautious around him.
Then again, that all depended on how their opponents would operate. Knowing Creed, the aggressive Canadian would do the logical thing and take down the weakest first. Which was Mina. Or do the obvious and brave things which would be to go after the German.
Thinking it through, Erik figured it would be wise to explain the circumstances of what their match might become.
"I should be thorough with you, Miss Ashido. Who we're about to face is no joke. He has the same amount of rage as Bakugo if not greater. Instead of blasts, he fights close and ferociously. Your acid could hurt him, but he can easily shrug it off. Victor Creed is a person of endurance. He can fight for days without tiring.", explained a serious Erik.
"Wow. He sounds tough, but we can beat him. Right?", said Mina, a little nervous.
"Fortunately, I alone can keep him down. Long enough for you to reach the bomb and secure us the victory. I doubt his partner has anything to stop you but try to get to the bomb quickly. He's unpredictable at most times, the chances of him getting you first are fifty-fifty.", elaborated Erik.
"Don't suppose he's the kind of guy that doesn't hit a girl?", asked a bit more nervous Mina.
"No, he's the kind of guy that would eviscerate everything in front of him and enjoy it like it was a carnival game. So, it's best if you leave him to me.", said Erik.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll get the bomb and you fight the hardcore wildman. But… wait. Aren't we just doing what Izuku and Ochako did?", said Mina.
"Yes, except we'll have an easier time. Have faith that I can keep him at bay. The rest I leave to you.", said Erik resolutely. Little did he realize, his way of speaking brought Mina's cheerfulness back. She mistook his cold calculative nature for encouragement and sudden.
"You got it! Yeeeeaaaah!", with her optimism back, Mina Ashido continued her sliding as she raced ahead of a now bewildered Erik Lesher. He stared a few more seconds until he decided to just roll with his partner's glee. With a ghost of a smile on his face, he levitated and flew to keep up with her.
With the three minutes up, the match begins with the two teams fated to collide. At least one of them anyway. Victor Creed waited in his corridor for the hero team, more specifically Erik. reviewing his situation, the young Canadian realised now that this assigned partner was a complete coward and lacked any contribution to the team whatsoever. He also realized that he wasn't winning any good student points from All-Might or Eraser-Head. Hell, he was pretty much sure he was going to piss off every other teacher in this school. It was then that his nose picked up the scent of something melting and it was getting closer.
Erik and Mina were about to take a turn, but Creed then ambushed them with a high drop kick. This attack collided with only the German as he imbued his arms with a magnetic force to meet with the Canadian's ramming leg. The pink girl had managed to slide out of the way in time when her partner was pushed back toward her direction. Being a distance away from her teammate, she would then see the two SHIELD youths standing on opposing sides. Cold blank eyes from a dark helmet staring at a ferocious glare matched with a malice grin.
"Tell me creed, what are you going to do now?", asked Erik.
"Whatever I'm about to do, it's better if she doesn't get stuck in the crossfire", answered Creed.
Turning his head to his teammate, Erik meets his eyes with Mina's and asks for one thing.
"Miss Ashido, find the weapon and win the match for us. My annoying comrade and I will be taking our time with what comes next.", said a stoic Erik who then faced the Canadian once again.
Young Mina Ashido observed the scene in front of her for a second and felt goosebumps forming on her skin. She figured what was about to happen was out of her league. Straightening up and nodding, she quickly ran to the next floor of the building.
"I'll find the weapon, Erik-san. Good luck.", called out Mina as she fled from the inevitable warzone.
Upon hearing her, Erik smirked under his helmet and Creed snorted
"How the hell were you so lucky to get someone who can at least take orders with a straight face. I'll admit, yours has mine beat in usefulness.", said Creed as chuckled at his shit luck.
"There's potential in her. I have full confidence in that. But for now, I believe you and I are about to settle something here and now. Settle what? I couldn't tell. So I can only wonder, just what irked you this time?", asked Erik as observed his fellow reincarnate.
"Nothing much really. It's just that I can't remember the last time we tussled. With everything last year, I figured now is the time I finally get a win on you. You goddamn magnetic asshole.", answered Creed as he got into his stance.
"This again. Here I thought it was something meaningful. Very well, it will be your fault that I leave you broken in a crater.", said Erik as he caused the metal platings to break off from their walls.
As each of the platings orbit in certain positions around the German, All-Might observed the situation and what he heard made him concerned. I just hoped the destruction wasn't going to be too much. Behind him, the students were commenting on the type of quirks of the two SHIELD youths that were currently facing each other.
"All-Might Sensei, what kind of quirk does Lesher-san have? From the looks of it, he appears to be manipulating the metal from the walls.", said Eijiro.
"Man, why does SHIELD have such strong quirks? It's pretty much cheating.", whined Mineta.
"SHIELD really knows how to pick em.", said Toru as she remembered the freaky things Eddie Brock could do.
As the rest of the class murmured among themselves, Katsuki Bakugou stands alone at the back with newfound anxiety forming within him. He hid his emotions from the others, but at times he just couldn't keep off the screen. And at some other times, his eyes would shift to the SHIELD youths that were with them. Eddie Brock and Victor von Doom. Both two guys who have quirks that overpowered him. Despite his stare towards them, they didn't acknowledge him and remain focused on their dueling squad members.
Back with the two reincarnated mutants, Erik and Creed both inhale some air. There was a silence between them. Then, Creed pounced with great veracity as his sights are keen on whatever the silver haired German will do next.
Erik remained elevated on the spot as arranged each of the floating metal platings around him. Raising one hand, he thrust his limb forward to launch the plates rapidly. His Canadian opponent didn't falter and maintain his savage grin as he dodged some of the plates. For those he couldn't dodge, he deflected them with powerful slashes.
Creed now draws closer to the master of magnetism. Unbeknownst to him, said walking magnetic had a trick ready as he remained in his position undeterred.
Erik then pointed an open hand at the blonde berserker, closed the hand into a fist, and then pulled it back away. Before Creed knew it, he was collided from behind by a metallic structure. From the corner of his eye, the Canadian could see that what hit him was a wall made from all the metal platings that Erik had peeled from the very building itself.
With force driven speed, Creed was smashed into a room as he and the metallic scraps caused a big hole where the door used to be. After the crash, dust clouds formed and blinded the surveillance camera in the room the Canadian was in. Erik then levitated and flew into the room as the dust cloud completely covered his being.
Back with the class, All-Might and the students watched at the power wielded by the reincarnated master of magnetism. Some were at awe, while some cringed at the thought of facing someone who could manipulate metal. Bakugou continued to shudder as the thought reached him as well. It was then that the building shook as everyone looked up to see the ceiling rumble.
"Whoa, what's happening up there?", asked Ochako worryingly.
"It feels like the building is being punched from the inside. Man, this is getting intense.", said Eijiro as he was feeling both nervous and excited.
"Hey, look at the monitors. They're all blinded by some kind of smoke.", pointed out Sero.
"No, not smoke. Dust. They're making dust clouds from the debris Young Lesher is making with his quirk. I need to stop this. Young Creed, young Lesher, your battle is ruining the building.", said All-Might as he spoke into his transceiver.
However, the two foreign boys didn't respond. All-Might kept trying to call them but hasn't yet got any results. At that moment, Victor von Doom walks up to the monitors. Everyone watches to see what he might do next. What comes next was young Doom hacking into the monitors with his SHIELD communicator. With a swift move of his finger over a summoned holographic screen, the monitor that first showed the battle starting had augmented zoomed in on a corner that revealed a set of displaced transceivers.
"Apparently, teacher, my comrades had taken off their transceivers. They don't wish for their battle to be interrupted. Unless you wish to use the intercoms, your words will not reach them.", explained Doom.
Momo Yaoyorozu then let her opinion be heard.
"They shouldn't have done that. It's a violation of the whole exercise and lessens their barely established grades.", reprimanded Momo.
"What you see is a violation. What I see is them not caring in the slightest. To be honest, I expected this, because I didn't really care much myself.", said Doom nonchalantly.
"Young Doom, this is still a class. Surely as SHIELD youths, they should understand the fundamental importance of what the hero course means to the many generations of pro-heroes who walked Yuuei halls. Other than not obeying the rules of the exercise, they are being uncoordinated and destroying the simulation building. I should stop this.", said All-Might firmly.
"Don't bother. It's almost over. Look at the monitors once more.", said Doom.
After the Latverian said that, everyone watched the screens once more and saw the monitor with Koji Koda. The wide-bodied boy was shivering in front of the bomb as Mina Ashido had just arrived in the room. She held a confident smile as took steps closer to her objective with acid droplets forming on her palms. The Pinkett and the rock headed boy would have then commenced in a funny and perky battle with the bases of their teenage personalities. Unfortunately, the true fighters of the warzone arrived.
Mina and Koda struggled to keep standing as their floor shook violently. Suddenly, it stopped and the two were able to maintain their footing. Until, an eruption occurred behind the pinkett and emerged Erik raising Creed up by the collar as they floated from the hole they made. Using a concussive blast of his own manipulated electromagnetic energy, the German launched the Canadian through one of the pillars.
Creed grunted in agitation as he was implanted into the wall. Forcing through his dizziness, he sees Erik controlling the steel rebar from the ruined pillar and shoots the rods toward him. The blonde was able to pull himself out of his indentation with an upward backflip. As the rebar collided with the area their target originally was, the silver haired teen pulled them out with his magnetism and continued with a flurry of rebar whiplash. Each rebar whipped left wide lashes along the walls as the Canadian dodged each one.
Creed then climbed up a pillar and, before the rebar could nicked his foot, he lounged at Erik with claws. The German immediately brought out two metallic plates from the lower floor in front of him. the claws pierced through the thin metal, but that didn't stop the Canadian.
Creed would then quickly shift what's left of his momentum into his legs and swing an upward kick directly at Erik's head. This caused the German to lose his iconic helmet upon impact with his opponent's boot. This also caused any floating metal to fall back down due to the magnetic teen losing his concentration. The Canadian flicked the plates from his hands and snarled savagely at his fellow reincarnate. He ran up to him and delivered a hard punch to the gut.
Erik coughed up saliva upon the punch, but that didn't deteriorate him. With hatred in his eyes, he imbued electromagnetic energy into his own fist and gave a nasty right hook to the Canadian's mouth. However, it didn't stop there. Both being intoxicated with their fight; they each went blow for blow. Giving each other bruises on their heads and torsos. This fierce exchange ended when the magnetic teen used his magnetism to retrieve his helmet and bashed it against the blonde's face.
It had then gone too far as Creed snarled with a bloody malicious grin and Erik forcefully blew the blood out of his nose as he quickly put his helmet back on. Such tenacity and fighting intoxication being built up, they shouted out at one another.
"You damn magnetic fuck.", roared Creed.
"You idiotic undomesticated animal.", roared back Erik.
The two then charged at each other with fists reeled back for blows to the other's face. More blood would have been spilt if they had not interrupted.
"HERO TEAM WINS"
Both reincarnates stopped their fists as they both faced the other in semi-shocked states. Their fight was over. How? Why? Who dared? Erik and Creed then looked at the bomb positioned in the center of the room. They see Koji Koda shivering and frightened for his life upon their glares landing on him. The two foreigners then looked to the right to where the pink girl was. Mina Ashido was touching the bomb with her right hand as waved to her partner with a nervous smile.
Erik and Creed then lowered their arms and allowed themselves to relax. With their minds mellowed out, they accepted the reality around them.
"Screw it, it's your win this time Erik.", said Creed as walked to the gaping hole in the floor.
"So it is. Though, I believe we went a bit too far.", said Erik as he looked around the damage he caused.
"It's just a mock building. Who cares, and besides the school has plenty of those.", said Creed as he descended to lower floors.
Erik Lesher then turned to face his partner. Mina straightened herself as she and the German teen made eye contact. He let out a sigh that made the Pinkett jolted slightly. He then proceeded to remove his helmet and wiped away any dried blood from under his nose with his gloved hand. Next, he removed his hair band to allow his long silver hair to brisk freely. The pink girl had to admit. The German boy in front of her truly matched her criteria for a hot European guy, both him and the Latverian. she was nearly entranced by his blue eyes until he started speaking to her.
"Miss Ashido, it was a pleasure to have cooperated with you for this exercise. Hopefully next time, it will be less violent than needed due to my immature eagerness for combat. You made the right call for ending before worse things could have happened.", said Erik with sincerity.
"O-oh yeah sure, next time could be way more fun. Maybe I could do the fighting next time.", said Mina cheerfully as she raised a fist in the air.
"Mmph, yes. Maybe.", said Erik with a silent chuckle. The German then levitated away from her to follow the Canadian. Both teams reunited with the rest of the class.