Night of the Reaper: Part 2
Orochi paced near the front gates, her hydra heads swaying nervously, reflecting her unease. She was ready for action but hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Suddenly, the distant roar of an engine broke the stillness. She squinted into the gloom and saw a motorcycle. It was Genma's. He had been patrolling around the school grounds, and that guy would take any chance he could to enjoy his ride.
Despite the evacuation, a skeleton crew of pro heroes and a few students, including Orochi, had been left to guard the premises.
Her relief was short-lived when she noticed the passenger clinging to Genma's back.
Hiro.
The bike skidded to a halt, and Hiro awkwardly dismounted, still favoring his injured hand. Orochi rushed forward, her hydra heads hissing in agitation.
"Hiro! What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice a mix of anger and concern. "You should have taken shelter! This is no place for you right now."
Orochi turned her ire towards Genma. "And you, Genma! Why did you bring him here? He should be somewhere safe!"
Genma, still straddling his bike, removed his helmet and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn’t have a choice, found him inside the school gates already, and comms aren't working, so the closest pro we could inform is here."
As they stood together in the pouring rain, Hiro looked at Orochi, his eyes serious.
"Yeah, I’ve been trying to contact the teachers and even you," Hiro said, his voice barely audible over the storm. "No one's responding. Not only your comms, but phones are also useless. I think Sandatsu might be targeting the school."
Orochi's eyes widened, her hydra heads freezing in mid-sway. "What? But the last report said he was going for the Safety Commission. Why would he come here?"
Hiro shook his head, rain dripping from his hair. "Hijack's stuff. It's still in the lab. I don't have time for explaining now, just know that he better not get his hands on it."
Orochi clenched her fists, frustration bubbling up inside her. The situation was spiraling out of control. "Dammit, Hiro. And now you’re putting yourself in even more danger."
"Besides the normal lab clearance, the storage unit requires biometric data—either Hijack’s or mine—to access it."
What do you see?
They sprinted toward the main building. The rain battered them, and the oppressive heat made every step feel like a struggle. The school's corridors, usually bustling with students, were silent and dark.
As they reached the lab, Hiro's hands were shaking, whether from the cold he felt despite the heat or fear, he couldn’t tell. The door clicked open, and they rushed inside. The lab was a mess of equipment and half-finished projects.
The lab felt oppressive, the air thick and difficult to breathe. Outside, the storm continued to rage, the rain pounding against the windows with relentless fury. The oppressive heat and the cold fear in their hearts made for an unsettling combination.
Tucked away in a corner was the storage unit that housed Hijack's project.
Orochi’s hydra heads scanned the room nervously. "Alright, get that thing open, Hiro. We don’t have much time."
Hiro moved to the storage unit, inputting the necessary codes and pressing his palm against the scanner. The unit hummed to life, and the door slid open.
The comms in Orochi’s ear crackled, the connection barely holding.
"—...collateral… sector…"
She relayed the information to Hiro. "There's some movement on the comms, but it's basically useless."
"Phone's still useless too." added Genma.
Orochi’s hydra heads snapped to attention, their eyes scanning the darkness.
"He's here," she whispered.
She grabbed Hiro's arm and pulled him into away from the storage unit, it's door closing softly behind them. They needed to stay hidden until they could come up with a plan. But what could they do?
"If Sandatsu finds us here, we’re sitting ducks." Hiro’s face was etched with determination as he turned to Orochi. "I just thought of something to slow him down or at least give us a fighting chance."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Genma.
"Makeshift trap. It won’t stop him, but it might buy us some time."
"I can help you rig it. Tell me what you need."
Orochi looked at the back and forth between the two boys. The room was filled with the sounds of clinking glass and the rustling of materials as they improvised. Despite the urgency, there was a certain rhythm to their movements, a silent understanding that helped them make it work.
Hiro looked at Orochi. "Don't just stare. I need your help."
"Huh? Wha- I mena, sure, what should I do?"
It's there
"Done," Hiro said, wiping sweat from his brow. "It’s not perfect, but it should at least slow him down."
Orochi nodded, her eyes scanning the room one last time. "We need to hide. If he sees us, it’s over."
They squeezed into a nearby locker, the cramped space barely accommodating both of them. The darkness was almost absolute, save for the faintest slivers of light filtering through the vents. They could hear each other’s breathing, heavy with fear and anticipation. Genma was in the locker next to theirs.
Then, they felt it.
Even though Sandatsu was still on the other side of the building, his presence was suffocating. It was as if the air itself grew thicker, the temperature climbing even higher.
Orochi’s hydra heads were tense, their eyes wide. Hiro’s hand tightened around the edge of the locker door, his knuckles white.
Sandatsu strode down the hallway, his heavy steps echoing off the walls. The lab doors stood no chance against his psychokinesis; they buckled and twisted with a creak of metal, torn open like paper.
He moved with an unsettling calm, making his way to the storage unit where Hijack’s project was kept. The reinforced doors met the same fate as the lab doors, crumpling under his invisible grip. Within moments, he stood before the culmination of Hijack’s work: several boxes of samples and documents, a terminal, and a couple of small devices.
Sandatsu’s eyes lingered on the terminal. He accessed it with a flick of his wrist, the screen lighting up as he began to sift through the data. He read in silence, his expression hidden by his messy long hair, though the oppressive weight of his presence made it clear that he was absorbing every detail.
In the cramped confines of their hiding spot, Hiro and Orochi could do nothing but watch. Their hearts pounded as they tried to remain undetected. But their luck ran out when Sandatsu, without turning away from the terminal, gestured with a casual wave of his hand.
The locker doors were ripped open with brutal force. Genma, Orochi and Hiro were yanked out, the latter dangling upside down in mid-air, brought closer to Sandatsu. The villain's focus never left the terminal as he held Hiro aloft, his grip suffocating and unyielding.
"Where is the rest of the information?" Sandatsu asked, his voice unnervingly calm.
Hiro struggled against the invisible force holding him, his mind racing. The air was thick with Sandatsu's malevolent presence, making it hard to think, to breathe. But he knew he had to act, to say something.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Hiro bluffed, his voice strained. He forced himself to meet Sandatsu’s gaze, despite the terror threatening to overwhelm him.
Sandatsu finally turned his head, his eyes locking onto Hiro with an intensity that felt like a physical blow. "Is that so?" he murmured, his tone almost disinterested.
With a casual flick of his hand, he pinned Hiro against the wall next to the others, invisible tendrils of force coiling around them both. Assorted cables and thick steel wires were ripped out of the walls, binding them tightly.
For a few minutes, the only sound in the lab was the hum of the terminal and the distant rumbles of thunder outside. Sandatsu was absorbed in his task, his cold eyes scanning the data with unsettling precision. Hiro and Orochi locked eyes, communicating silently. With a small nod, they steeled themselves for what they knew had to come next.
One of Orochi's hydra heads writhed against its bindings, its scales scraping against the wires. Sandatsu barely spared it a glance, dismissing the effort as futile. But Orochi's focus was unyielding. The hydra head struggled, then regurgitated a small, round device that fell to the floor with a metallic clink.
Simultaneously, Orochi summoned all her strength, muscles tearing under the strain but finally managing to free herself enough to turn towards Hiro, shielding him with her own body. Genma materialized a sturdy and thick layer made of a shock absorbing padded material.
The device was a small grenade, and it detonated with a moderate explosion, releasing a thick cloud of unknown gas into the confined space.
The explosion was deafening in the small lab. Hiro felt the heat and force of the blast, but Orochi's body took the brunt of it. He immediately checked on her as the smoke began to clear. "Orochi, are you okay?"
Orochi grimaced, pain evident in her eyes, but she nodded. "I'm fine. My back... it's already regenerating," she said, her voice strained but resolute. Her back, though severely damaged, was slowly knitting itself back together, scales reforming over raw flesh.
Hiro looked over to Genma. He had created a gas mask over his head, and was focusing on freeing himself from the bindings by bending the metal wires through sprouting sturdier metal pieces from his body.
Sandatsu, on the other hand, had been caught off guard. The force of the explosion and the sudden appearance of the gas disrupted his concentration. He staggered slightly, his usually composed demeanor momentarily broken. The gas filled the room, thick and cloying.
Hiro and Orochi seized the moment. With her remaining strength, Orochi tore through the last of her bindings, freeing herself completely. Hiro, though still constrained, managed to slip out of the loosened cables.
Sandatsu lashed out with his psychokinesis, trying to prevent Genma from freeing himself fully, but his grip wavered, and the bindings holding Hiro finally fell away. Free at last, Genma joined Orochi and Hiro.
The gas released by the grenade had been Hiro's creation, crafted with Orochi's assistance. The base was derived from a prototype quirk stabilizer, a part of Hijack's project. Its purpose was to render quirks temporarily inert, facilitating safer operations and experiments. When combined with Orochi's venom, it became a potent concoction. Orochi's unique physiology allowed her regeneration to focus on the quirk stabilizer as she was immune to her own poison. On the other hand, this combination made it particularly effective against Sandatsu. His regenerative powers would prioritize neutralizing the venom before addressing the quirk stabilizer, granting the latter a chance to take hold.
Sandatsu's initial shock turned into visible struggle. He fell to his knees, his breath labored. Sandatsu vomited, the contents splattering onto the cold lab floor. Among the bile and stomach acid were human fingers. His body trembled as his regeneration battled the dual assault of the toxin and the stabilizer.
Hiro watched warily, knowing that despite the temporary advantage, Sandatsu was far from defeated. His quirks had been augmented to an extraordinary degree, and such an attack would not incapacitate him for long.
He staggered to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, but before he could fully regain his composure Genma sprang into action. He retrieved a support item from among the debris, revealing a large metal stake loaded into a custom-built launcher that he had hidden away before Sandatsu arrived at the lab.
“Eat this!” Genma shouted, pressing the trigger.
The metal stake shot forward with incredible speed, a sharp whistle cutting through the air, a thick metal cable connecting it to the launcher. Sandatsu barely had time to react. The stake struck him square in the chest, its force propelling him backwards. He let out a guttural roar of pain and rage as the stake embedded itself deep into his torso, pinning him to the wall on the opposite side of the lab.
Blood poured from the wound, but even more horrifying was the sight of his flesh beginning to put itself back together around the metal.
Genma didn’t hesitate. He activated the second feature from support item, electricity arcing through Sandatsu’s body. For a moment, Sandatsu went still, his body convulsing from the electrical surge.
Before Sandatsu could grab hold of the first stake and release himself, Genma revealed his ace in the hole.
“You’re not getting out that easily,” Genma growled.
He reached for the stake embedded in his chest, but before he could yank it free, another stake fired, impaling his left arm. Genma had prepared multiple launchers.
Sandatsu roared in fury, thrashing against his restraints. His regenerative abilities worked overtime, but the stakes were designed to be particularly devastating, both durable and serrated to maximize internal damage and slow his healing process, which was already slowed due to the gas.
“I can create as many of these as I need,” Genma said, his voice steady despite the chaos. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Sandatsu tried to free himself again, his right hand stretching towards the second stake. Just as his fingers brushed the metal, a third stake shot out, piercing his right thigh with brutal force. His body jerking violently as more shocks were delivered to his body.
The fourth stake drove through Sandatsu’s left shoulder, pinning him to the ground even more securely.
He writhed and twisted, but the stakes held firm. Blood pooled beneath him.
Sandatsu's voice, though strained, still carried a menacing edge. "You think... this will stop me?"
Genma stepped forward. "It doesn't have to stop you completely," he said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. "Just long enough."
Sandatsu extended his hand, trying to summon his quirks. But the gas had done its work; his abilities were sluggish and unreliable. He snarled in frustration.
A sudden burst of energy shattered the uneasy silence. A piercing laser beam shot through the entrance, heading straight for Sandatsu. Sandatsu intercepted the beam with his hand, which sizzled upon contact. He glanced at the burn mark, watching it slowly heal.
From the shadows of the doorway emerged a figure wearing a sleek and large fur coat drapped over his shoulders.
"Looks like I arrived just in time," Majestic announced, his voice dripping with confidence. He stepped further into the lab, his eyes scanning the room before settling on Sandatsu. "You three alright?" he asked, sparing a brief glance at the students.
Sandatsu stopped looking at the fading burn mark on his hand. "Impressive," he remarked, his tone almost casual. "That stings a little. A top-ranking hero, indeed."
Majestic smirked, his laser-focused eyes never leaving Sandatsu. "It'll do more than sting if you don't stand down," he warned, his stance ready for another attack. "You're outnumbered and outmatched."
Hiro’s eyes widened in alarm as he observed Sandatsu’s sudden shift in demeanor. The villain, who moments ago seemed to be on the brink of defeat, now exuded an eerie calm. Sandatsu’s eyes, previously filled with rage and pain, now gleamed with a cold, calculating confidence. With a slow, deliberate motion, he began to rise, the stakes that had held him down sliding out of his flesh with a disgusting squelch.
Majestic, too, sensed the shift. His eyes narrowed as he adjusted his stance, readying another barrage of laser beams. “Fuck...” he muttered, firing another series of beams at the villain.
The lasers struck true, burning into Sandatsu’s flesh, but this time, the villain didn’t even flinch. Instead, he smiled, a chilling, predatory grin that sent shivers down Hiro’s spine. Sandatsu had either found a way to neutralize the effects of the gas or had been feigning his weakness all along. Both possibilities were equally horrifying.
Quirk:「Brain Stim」
Type: Transformation
Description: Turns nervous system stimulants, like nicotine, caffeine, and methamphetamine, into superhuman brainpower.
In the darkness beyond the glass
Biki, her normally cheerful demeanor replaced by a mask of fear and worry, paced back and forth outside the emergency room. Her petite frame seemed almost swallowed by the vast emptiness of the hallway, her every step echoing in the silence.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably, fingers fidgeting with the edges of her uniform, a futile attempt to distract herself from the dread gnawing at her insides.
Finally, a nurse approached, her footsteps echoing softly against the polished linoleum floor. Biki's breath caught in her throat as she looked up, her wide eyes pleading for any shred of hope.
"How is he?" Biki asked, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion.
The nurse's expression softened, a mixture of sympathy and regret shadowing her features. "Your colleague is stable," she replied, her voice gentle but tinged with solemnity. "He's being sent out of the IC unit as we speak."
Relief washed over Biki like a tidal wave, threatening to sweep her off her feet. For a moment, the world seemed to spin around her, the weight of her worry lifting ever so slightly. She exhaled shakily, her shoulders sagging with the release of tension.
"I'm so glad... Shōji-san is alright..." she said as tears of relief started flowing.
It knows you're here
Sandatsu's eyes gleamed with a twisted satisfaction as he employed another combination of stolen quirks. His body convulsed, and several grotesque extra arms sprouted from his back and sides. Before anyone could react, the arms exploded from within, spraying his blood everywhere with terrifying velocity. Each drop acted like a tiny red needle, piercing skin and paralyzing anyone it touched.
Genma was caught off guard. The blood needles pierced his skin, and he staggered back, his body going rigid as paralysis set in. Hiro, despite his best efforts to dodge, was hit as well. The sensation was immediate and overwhelming, his muscles locking up as he fell to the ground, helpless.
Orochi, with her enhanced regeneration, felt the foreign substance in her body but quickly neutralized it. Her muscles rippled and bulged as they expelled the blood, her flesh knitting back together almost as fast as it was damaged. She gritted her teeth and stood up, eyes blazing with fury.
Majestic, ever the composed hero, vaporized the blood coming his way with a focused blast of his eye lasers. The air sizzled and crackled with the intense heat, droplets of blood turning to steam before they could reach him.
Orochi, free from the blood's effects, lunged at Sandatsu with a ferocious roar. Her hydra heads snapped and lunged, aiming to tear him apart. Sandatsu deflected her attack with a wave of his hand, using his psychokinesis to hurl her back against the lab wall. The impact was brutal, but Orochi's resilience kept her from staying down.
Genma and Hiro, paralyzed but conscious, could only watch as the battle raged on. Hiro's mind raced, desperate to find a way to help despite his immobility. Sandatsu's demeanor had changed dramatically when Majestic showed up. Even if he was a monster, the effects of the bomb they made should have lasted for longer. Something was wrong.
Majestic continued his assault. His laser beams cut through the air with searing precision, aiming for any vulnerable point he could find. The intense heat of the beams made the air shimmer, and the lab's remaining metal fixtures began to warp and melt under the onslaught. Yet, Sandatsu's durability was immense. Each blast of energy only penetrated the outer layer of his skin before it regenerated almost instantly.
"Yeah. Definetly feels like a top ranking hero." Sandatsu taunted, his voice a low, mocking growl. He flexed his muscles, a sickening crack echoing as he shifted and readjusted his bones.
Majestic narrowed his eyes, his jaw set in grim determination. "This isn't over," he replied, his voice steely. He unleashed another volley of laser beams, aiming for Sandatsu's eyes and joints, trying to find any weak spot.
Meanwhile, Genma, Orochi, and Hiro were still trapped. The wires and cables that had been ripped from the walls earlier held her tightly bound once again. She could only move slightly, her muscles straining against the bindings. Genma and Hiro, on the other hand, were completely paralyzed, their eyes filled with frustration and helplessness.
With a sudden burst of speed, Sandatsu lunged forward, his hand shooting out to grab Majestic by the face. The hero's eyes widened in shock as he was lifted off his feet, his laser beams cutting off abruptly.
"Stop!" shouted Orochi.
"Nope," Sandatsu growled, slamming Majestic into the floor with bone-shattering force. The ground cracked beneath the impact, dust and debris flying into the air. Sandatsu lifted him again and slammed him down once more, the sound of the collision reverberating through the lab.
Majestic’s eyes met Hiro’s for a brief, desperate moment before Sandatsu lifted him again. The sound of breaking bones was audible.
He repeated the motion several times. "We only stop when Majestic-sensei says so. No ifs, ands, or buts. Isn't that right?"
Of course, Majestic was unable to talk, having Sandatsu's hand on his face and all. His struggles grew weaker with each blow. Finally, Sandatsu tossed him aside like a rag doll, the hero's body limp and unconscious.
Sandatsu chuckled, a deep, sinister sound. "Did you know our teacher here was watching all of this unfold?" he asked, gesturing to Majestic's crumpled form. "It took me pretending to be weakened for him to show up. Quite the hero, isn't he?"
"Ah, so that's what it was," the villain murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. "A quirk stabilizer. Ingenious, really."
Hiro's blood ran cold. Sandatsu understood the compound, and worse, he was already able to counteracting it.
Sandatsu stepped closer to Hiro, his presence looming like a dark cloud. The reaper’s gaze bore into him.
“I have some time to spare, so let’s try this again,” Sandatsu said, his voice low and menacing. “Where’s the rest of the information? The data missing from the terminal?”
Hiro's heart pounded, the weight of Sandatsu's words pressing down on him. He took a deep breath, his mind racing for a plausible lie. “I don’t know,”
Sandatsu's lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Wrong answer,” he said, casually. He didn’t immediately act on his threat, instead letting the tension build. A silent promise of pain to come.
“Tell me, Hiro, have you ever considered joining me? ho knows, maybe I could even give you your quirk back in the future.”
Hiro’s eyes widened in shock. Join him? The very idea was repulsive. He glanced at Orochi and Genma, their expressions mirroring his own disgust and determination. “I’d rather die than join you,” Hiro spat, defiant.
Sandatsu chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. “So predictable.” He turned his gaze to Orochi and Genma, his eyes cold and assessing. “And what about you guys? Do you share his sentiment?”
Orochi's eyes burned with defiance, her muscles straining against the wires that bound her. Despite the pain, she nodded, her resolve unwavering. Genma, though paralyzed, managed a glare that spoke volumes.
Sandatsu sighed, as if genuinely disappointed. “Such a shame. You could have had power, safety... but instead, you choose to be martyrs.” He shrugged, as if their refusal was a minor inconvenience.
“Do you really think I came here just for the terminal?” Sandatsu asked, his voice a chilling whisper.
Hiro, taken aback, managed to rasp out, “I... I don’t know. Isn’t that your objective?”
Sandatsu’s smile widened, and he shook his head slightly. “Wrong answer,"
“The terminal was never my main goal,” Sandatsu continued. “Sure, it would have been nice to get all the information, but I’m not too worried about it. I came here to get to Majestic.”
Hiro’s mind raced. Why was Majestic the target? He looked up at Sandatsu, confusion and anger warring in his eyes.
Sandatsu crouched down, bringing his face close to Hiro’s. “Do you think I’m going to kill you?” he asked, his voice soft and almost gentle.
Hiro hesitated, his thoughts flashing back to the improvised bomb he had used against Sandatsu. This villain was a murderous maniac; it made sense he’d kill them. Reluctantly, yet with a flicker of courage, Hiro answered, “Yes.”
Sandatsu’s smile was almost friendly, a stark contrast to the malice in his eyes. “Wrong answer,”
"I won't kill you. I already took your quirk. You survived, so do whatever you want with your life." Sandatsu's gaze was cold, almost bored, as he walked over to Genma. Without a hint of effort, he placed his hand on Genma's head and, with a sickening crunch, crushed it. Blood and brain matter splattered across Sandatsu’s hand, and he looked at it with mild interest before licking some off his fingers. "Unfortunately for Genma," he said, his tone almost conversational, "I want his quirk."
Hiro felt a surge of nausea, the bile rising in his throat. He strained against his bindings, but they held fast. "You monster!" he spat, his voice shaking with rage and helplessness.
The room seemed to hold its breath as Orochi, bound beside Hiro, finally snapped. With a roar of pure rage, she tore free of her bindings. Her hydra heads whipped around her, a blur of motion as she launched herself at Sandatsu.
Her first attack was a furious swipe with one of her hydra heads, aiming to tear Sandatsu apart. He dodged, but not completely—the hydra's teeth grazed his shoulder, tearing through his flesh. He barely flinched.
Orochi didn’t relent. She followed up with a flurry of strikes along her hydra heads, darting and snapping at Sandatsu from different angles. One head aimed for his neck, another for his torso, while her main body drove forward with a powerful kick.
She managed to land a solid hit, one of her hydra heads clamping down on Sandatsu’s arm and sinking its teeth deep into his flesh. Instead of pulling away, he used the moment to his advantage. With a swift motion, he twisted and tore the hydra head from his arm, blood spraying in a crimson arc.
His other hand shot forward, fingers curling around another one of Orochi's tails. With a sickening crunch, he crushed it, ichor spilling from the ruined appendage. Orochi screamed in agony, but she didn’t stop.
Orochi struggled to get up, her body battered and bleeding. She spat blood, her eyes focused Sandatsu’s face as she regenerated.
With a twisted grin, Sandatsu extended his arm, and from the newly acquired pocket dimension he had reaped from Genma's quirk, various objects began to materialize. Among them, the scattered pieces of Genma’s beloved motorcycle clattered to the ground, treated like worthless trash by the callous villain.
“Damn,” Sandatsu sneered, kicking a dented piece of the bike aside. “I even reaped his stuff.”
Hiro’s eyes widened in horror, the sight of the shattered remains of Genma’s bike twisting the knife of despair deeper into his heart. Sandatsu wasn’t done. From the same pocket dimension, he pulled out a handful of gas grenades, their dull, metallic bodies reflecting the flickering lights from the sparks that came out of the torn wires and cables through the ruined lab.
Without warning, he activated one of the grenades and tossed it towards Orochi. The canister released another small explosion when it hit the ground and began to spew thick, choking gas, rapidly filling the confined space.
Orochi, already battered and bleeding, coughed violently as the gas enveloped her. Her hydra heads writhed, trying to dissipate the gas, but it was no use.
"Looks like these weren’t infused with your venom yet. So let’s see how well you fare against your own weaponry.” Sandatsu said, almost conversationally.
The reaper sprouted a black tendril from his back, and it lashed out against the hydra girl. Orochi, her vision blurring from the gas, managed to dodge the first strike, but the second caught her in the side, piercing scale and flesh. He continued his assoult, another tendril aimed for her head. She caught the appendage mid-air, her grip crushingly strong, and twisted it brutally, snapping it in two.
The pain was excruciating, but Orochi fought through it. One last tendril emerged, this time reaching it's target. It pierced Orochi's neck.
he spat blood, her eyes never leaving the reaper's. "You… won’t… win," she gasped, her voice a ragged whisper.
Sandatsu chuckled, a dark, hollow sound. "Wrong answer," he said one last time.
It is the truth
The secluded warehouse was silent save for the distant chaotic hum of the city after the attack and the occasional creak of old metal. The air was thick with the stale scent of dust and decay.
“Any trouble getting here?” Sandatsu asked, a casual tilt to his voice that belied the gravity of the meeting.
Desolator’s piercing gaze didn’t waver. “None. Your diversions were... effective.”
The air grew colder as Sandatsu Owari stepped out of the shadows. His presence was overwhelming, a dark force that seemed to suck the light out of the room. He moved with an air of confidence, slouching into a chair directly across from Desolator, as if he were an arrogant sovereign entertaining lesser beings.
As he listened to Sandatsu, Desolator evaluated the man—if Sandatsu could even be called that. Desolator, renowned as the most dangerous assassin in the world, was incredibly adept at analyzing others, understanding as much as possible from the smallest amount of information. But Sandatsu Owari felt different. He didn’t feel human. He didn’t even feel like a living thing.
Maddox, always alert, subtly adjusted her posture, ready for anything, though she remained outwardly composed. She stood behind Desolator.
"If it helps you relax, Maddox, you can use your quirk on me," Sandatsu said with a grin. "I wouldn't mind."
Maddox’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained silent, letting Desolator take the lead.
The assassin, ever the pragmatist, redirected the conversation. "Lets get to the point. Why did you call us here?" His voice was steady, controlled.
Sandatsu took a moment, clearly savoring the interaction. He smiled, a small, almost amused curve of his lips. "Desolator... or should I say, Samuel Wilson," he said, watching for any reaction. Desolator's face remained impassive.
"I don't particularly care what you call me," Desolator replied coolly. "But understand, Sam’s not talking right now."
Sandatsu chuckled softly. "Fair enough. Let's get down to business, then. I know it sounds weird, but before we discuss the task, let's talk payment." He leaned back. "I can pretty much grant you anything you wish."
Desolator's eyes narrowed slightly. Promises of unlimited payment usually came from those who didn't expect them to survive the job they were proposing.
But Sandatsu Owari was different. His power was such that he could indeed pay them in any way they wanted.
"Is that so?" Desolator repeated, his tone still calm, maybe slightly intrigued.
"Anything," Sandatsu confirmed. "Wealth, power, favors that could tip the balance in your favor. Name it, and it's yours."
Desolator considered this, his mind working through the possibilities. "Let's hear the task, then," Desolator said finally, his voice firm. "You don’t strike me as someone who needs others to handle their targets."
"Hiring you? No, that’s not quite it." He paused, letting the tension build.
Desolator's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for Sandatsu to continue.
"You see," he said, "I thought I’d do things the right way for a change. I'm meeting with Midas later, and I even brought him a gift. It’s clear to anyone with half a brain that I got to where I am in... unconventional ways. I skipped many steps, acquired immense power without the experience to match."
With a flick of his wrist, a portal shimmered into existence beside him. Out of it tumbled a severed human arm and a bloodied eye, landing on the floor besides him.
Sandatsu rose to his feet. Maddox’s muscles coiled, ready to spring, though her face betrayed nothing. Desolator’s demeanor remained unchanged, gaze unwavering.
Then, in a move that caught both assassins off guard, Sandatsu bowed slightly. "I want to learn from you, Desolator."
Making us the foreign elements
The scene outside Shiketsu High was a chaotic mix of flashing lights, frantic voices, and the low hum of engines. EMTs moved quickly and pro heroes stood watch.
Rosethorn, keeping her exterior calm despite the anxiety gnawing at her insides, made her way through the scene.
She spotted the EMTs loading Majestic into an ambulance. His face was pale, a stark contrast to the blood-soaked bandages covering his wounds. He was heavily injured, but alive. Relief mixed with dread in her heart.
As she moved closer to the school, Rosethorn saw Impakt standing near the entrance. His usually stern face was somber, bearing the weight of terrible news. Before he could say a word, Rosethorn's eyes were drawn to the EMTs carrying a body bag. Her breath caught in her throat.
“I...” Impakt began, his voice heavy with sorrow, but she waved him off, her focus shifting to another ambulance nearby.
Hiro and Orochi were sitting on stretchers, EMTs attending to their injuries. Hiro looked pale, his body trembling slightly from the aftereffects of the paralysis and the intense confrontation. Orochi’s back was regenerating, the process slow and painful. Her hydra heads were limp.
Rosethorn approached them, her heart pounding. “Leave us alone for a bit,” she instructed the EMTs softly. They nodded, stepping back to give her space.
She knelt in front of Hiro and Orochi, her facade of calm breaking slightly as she let out a sigh of incredible relief. Hiro looked up at her, his eyes filled with guilt and pain.
Before scolding the boy, Rosethorn listened intently to him.
Hiro's voice trembled as he began to recount the harrowing events.
"Sandatsu... he killed Genma in cold blood," Hiro said, his eyes wide with the memory of the horror. "That... that made Orochi snap."
Rosethorn turned to Orochi, concern etched across her face. Orochi met her gaze, nodding slightly. "I'm fine," she rasped, her voice faint and strained. "My vocal cords... they haven't fully regenerated yet."
"Orochi broke free and tried to attack him. She was incredible, really. She grabbed me and got us out of there. He didn't chase us... it was like he didn’t see us as a threat."
Rosethorn's mind flickered back to the sight of the body bag being carried away. The loss of a student weighed heavily on her, but she knew she had to stay focused for the sake of those who survived. She forced herself to push the grief aside and concentrate on Hiro and Orochi.
Rosethorn's eyes narrowed as she took in Hiro's battered appearance. "Hiro, you were already heavily injured before all this, and you had your quirk stolen. Your actions were too reckless."
Hiro looked down, avoiding her piercing gaze. "I know," he said quietly. "I knew how fucked up my actions were. But... I had to try. I understand if I'm kicked out. Honestly, I probably would've ended up leaving anyway because of my condition."
Rosethorn's stern glare held for a moment, her eyes filled with a mix of anger, concern, and something akin to sorrow. "Why were you even here? Revenge? Even for pro heroes facing that monster is a death sentence!"
Hiro noticed Orochi looking at him, then at Rosethorn, and then back at him. He could see the unspoken question in her eyes. He thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Yeah, we should tell her," he said softly. "It'll be fine."
One of Orochi's hydra heads regurgitated a small drive, its slimy surface catching the light. Hiro took it, wiped it clean, and handed it to Rosethorn. "This drive contains very sensitive information regarding Hijack's investigation projects," he explained. "Sandatsu wanted to get his hands on it if possible."
Rosethorn's expression hardened as she took the drive, her grip firm and her eyes piercing. "Is this the reason you went to the school?" she asked sternly.
Hiro nodded. "Yes. The project info needed my biometric data to be accessed. There wasn't any way to contact anyone, so I risked coming to the school to do it. We couldn't let Sandatsu get his hands on this information."
Rosethorn took a deep breath, her mind racing as she processed the situation. "You took a huge risk, Hiro. For the sake of your future I hope this information is as important as you say."
Orochi's voice, still faint and raspy, broke in. "We had to try. We couldn't just sit back and let him take everything."
Rosethorn's gaze softened slightly as she looked at her students. Despite the danger, despite the fear, they had acted with bravery and resourcefulness. "I’m glad you’re both alive,” she said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. She knew she had to stay focused, to keep her emotions in check, but it was difficult when the stakes were so high, and the losses so personal.
Before she could continue, another hero approached, urgency in their voice. "Rosethorn, we need you over here."
She took a deep breath, her eyes still on Hiro. "We'll talk later," she said firmly before turning and walking away with the other hero.
Hiro watched her go, feeling a strange mixture of relief and dread. He knew he had pushed his luck, and now he had to face the consequences. He glanced at Orochi, who gave him a supportive nod, her hydra heads coiling protectively around her.
"Why didn't you tell Rosethorn-sensei about our... 'secret weapon'?"
Hiro scoffed, shaking his head. "Because if they knew about that, Orochi, it wouldn't just be about getting kicked out of the hero course. I could go to jail for real."
"Just promise me that if things get worse, you'll consider it."
Hiro looked at her, his expression serious. "I promise. But only as a last resort."