A Hero's World
CH 038 - Tabooya

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- STREETS of SHIBUYA -

Minamimoto wore an exhausted smile as he sat atop his massive junk pile at Tower Records. His Taboo Rule was now in full effect since he finished erecting the three amplification piles across the dull and grayed streets of Shibuya. The city and its inhabitants were now nothing more than batteries for him, units for conversion.

Which he was grateful for. The drain he felt enacting his rule was greater than he expected. Minamimoto clicked his tongue as he realized that each person was not a set variable. And in this city alone, he wouldn’t doubt that there were a few thousand individuals who managed to offset his initial estimations.

Taking some time to rest wasn't a great loss. He could afford it to ensure he would have the energy required to enact the second part of his plan.

Minamimoto turned his attention to the streets, his amber eyes scanning the frozen crowd. A smirk formed on his face as he began to count them to pass the time, turning them into different factors and variables for hypothetical equations just for fun.

The math-obsessed Villain failed to notice that two variables were missing from his count.

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Noise.

A steady rhythm cuts through the chaotic din.

Static.

A calm, repetitive beat pulsed, trying to overpower the crackling snow.

A forced suggestion. That was what poked and prodded at his mind as Izuku struggled to focus on anything. He could barely go a few seconds of trying to think before the noise took over. In those few seconds of clarity, he felt Ego keep a steady beat urging him to keep moving, even if it was autonomous.

The bunny-hooded Hero student was locked within himself. Every time he managed to see the world around him, it was gray. As he tried to have a singular thought, the effort was easily quelled. Whenever he tried to remember himself, it was as if his identity was nonexistent.

Ego was his only solace.

Izuku didn't know where his pin was guiding him but in those moments of clarity, he knew that it was currently straining itself to fight against Minamimoto's Quirk, trying to maintain some sense of self to spite this "Taboo Rule" made by the mad mathematician.

That strain was doubled, however. Every so often, he could feel Ego pulse to someone near him. And each time he felt a small bit of warmth in his hand. At random intervals, he could feel a small, comforting squeeze. And each time he would subconsciously return the gesture if he was able to will his hand to do so

His Ego was taking point. And Izuku just hoped it would find what it was looking for soon.

Soon, the noise returned.

And his world turned gray again.

- SHIELD RESIDENCE, I-ISLAND -

Melissa fidgeted in her chair, her eyes beginning to dry as she stared at her computer monitors. She was thankful that her program still managed to work. It was the only thing that allowed her to know if Izuku was okay or not.

His radio was silent. Rhyme’s radio was silent. Shibuya was silent.

Five hours, she counted. She lost contact with Izuku and the others five hours ago.

She was beyond worried. Melissa hadn’t left her lab since it happened, prompting her father to come and check on her several times. But the support engineer refused to leave. She felt like if she did, she was abandoning Izuku and Momo.

Just the thought of that caused a pain in her heart. Ever since reconnecting with Izuku, Melissa couldn’t help but notice she had started to catch feelings for the verdette. She was reminded of his personality, his kindness, and his intelligence. Not to mention when she saw him for the first time and how she had to fight off a heavy blush.

Those freckles of his were certainly a bonus. It made him too cute, in her opinion.

Add on Shoka and Momo joining him and becoming her newest friends and the blonde was honestly at one of the happiest points in her life, outside of getting her bachelor’s degree early.

And while the news that Izuku, Shoka, and Momo were all in a relationship was a surprise, that didn’t seem to put a stop to her growing attraction to the verdette. It didn’t help that she had a very vivid and active imagination, something her father said she got from her mother. If anything, it seemed to have boosted her feelings for all of them.

During the first hour of Izuku and Beat traversing Shibuya for the keys, she couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like if she was a part of the throuple’s relationship. The blonde had to shake those thoughts away several times in order to focus on the mission. They were, after all, just thoughts and what-ifs in her mind.

Another problem was all the worry she felt for Izuku as he worked. Being there with him step-by-step had helped. It felt like the kind of friendship her father and All Might had while they were partners. The blonde felt proud to be able to, at the very least, help the verdette.

It only made losing connection with him that much harder. She watched in real-time as his Quirk went wild and then quiet, spiking every now and then. Izuku was in trouble, and she couldn't help him in any way.

The blonde glanced over at her second monitor, as she watched reporters recount a recent press conference held by the HPSC. It was one of the only sources of information she would get at the moment regarding what was happening.

The other source she managed to pull information from was snippets here and there on different Hero News websites. So far, the Commission had effectively quarantined Shibuya, preventing anyone from entering. Some reports stated that several people had gotten too close to whatever rule Minamimoto had set and gone catatonic.

Melissa looked back at the readings she was getting from Izuku. His Quirk was still fighting, albeit, at a much more subdued level, like it was simply trying to survive. But to her, that meant he still had a chance to break free. The blonde engineer had to believe in him, now more than ever.

“Minamimoto’s Quirk deals with setting rules, and he does so with equations,” she recounted her intial observations. Melissa brought up a map of Shibuya and began to mark the reported range of the Villain’s Quirk. It was a problem that needed solving and one that would help Izuku and the others once they were free of the rule. “There has to be something else to it…”

Melissa studied the map, noting that the major points were set in a triangle, with each point being where the keys that Izuku and Beat searched for were. She looked over at Izuku’s readings, seeing them flux sporadically as if Minamimoto’s Quirk was overpowering his. The blonde grew worried, her mind racing with thoughts and explanations as to what was happening.

“He might be near one of those points…” Melissa concluded. Despite the dire situation, she smiled. “Izuku must be moving!”

The aqua-eyed engineer sighed in relief. It was a small hope that began to fill her heart that that was the case. It made her wonder how he was doing that before her thoughts went to his Quirk.

Specifically, Ego.

The thought of the white bunny skull pin made her consider something. She looked back at the map as her mind worked through the problem at hand. "Ground Zero was at Tower Records. Minamimoto had a junk pile there and Izuku said that those piles were what affected people." Melissa closed her eyes, her mind going back to the quick briefing she had with Izuku and the Bitos earlier today. She paused when she remembered the fight Izuku and Beat had with the Gorilla Villain yesterday.

The blonde pulled up the video of that encounter, watching and rewatching it for even the smallest detail. She paused at Ozaru's defeat when the black markings on his arms left and shot off into the air. There was a brief glimpse of that energy returning to Minamimoto, and Melissa was extremely glad that the person recording managed to catch it.

"It's an Emitter, possibly with Stockpiler qualities," the aqua-eyed engineer theorized as she went back a few frames.

With this new information in mind, the blonde started to make notes. Melissa watched the screen as the seconds continued to tick away, only shifting her eyes to the readings of Izuku's Quirk. The sensors were still active as the wild spikes in activity were slowly decreasing.

"Come on, Izuku," Melissa said as she focused on the screen, "Don't give up. Whatever is going on with your Quirk, keep it up and come back to us."

- HEIGHTS ALLIANCE 1-A, U.A. UNIVERSITY -

Kyoka sat on the couch, rubbing her ears, and winced as the person next to her kept tapping his foot nervously as he stared at the television. She couldn't blame the guy, the punkette just wished he toned it down a little.

She had returned from a patrol with Present Mic earlier when she learned about what happened. Kyoka immediately rushed back to the dorms in search of Shinso, only to find him sitting on the couch with his phone in hand as Himiko rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down.

The violette tried her best to help, but she was just as worried for her friends as she was, making things rather difficult.

Then the press conference happened.

The two Hero students and Himiko watched as the Vice-President of the Commission explained the situation, not shying away from the truth of the matter. While it did cause Kyoka and Shinso to grow even more anxious, the two did appreciate cutting through the bullshit.

Even when the reporters tried to catch Vice-President Kiryu off guard, the ashen-haired man was quick to answer concisely, leaving no room for argument, and ensuring that his words couldn't be taken out of context.

Now, the trio just watched the news, switching between channels in the vein hope that one of the news organizations began reporting something good. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be at the moment.Now, the trio just watched the news, switching between channels in the vain hope that one of the news organizations would report something good. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be at the moment.

"They'll be alright." Kyoka perked up as Shinso spoke, shooting him a questioning look.

The indigoette looked much more disheveled than usual, the bags under her eyes darker from him staring at the television for so long without a break. Add on his late-night patrols and lack of sleep, Kyoka was amazed he was even awake at the moment.

"Izuku's stubborn. And we know Momo is with him, so that means she'll be able to keep him in line and focus that stubbornness," the indigoette continued speaking.

Himiko watched her friend curiously. Since the only friend of his she had met was Kyoka, the ash-blonde still had to rely on the stories Shinso shared with her about Izuku, Shoka, and Momo. While she wanted to believe in his friends, this seemed like something beyond what they could handle.

While she didn't say anything, mostly due to not knowing what to say, Himiko reached her hand over and took hold of Shinso's, giving it a quick squeeze. The indigoette returned the gesture, earning him a wide smile from the ash-blonde. Himiko would take what she could get. Shinso was there for her when she needed him, she would be sure to do the same for him.

Kyoka watched the interaction, a small smirk forming on her face. She decided to save the teasing for later, focusing instead on trying to keep their spirits up. She was thankful that Present Mic helped her realize how far good vibes went. Besides, Shinso was right. Izuku was stubborn and Momo was smart. She knew the two of them working together meant that nothing would stop them.

Granted, Kyoka mostly knew that because she overheard them talking about some of Nezu's lessons. She didn't get much sleep that night. She was too busy jumping at shadows because of a scenario the two had made. In all honesty, the punkette didn't doubt that the two could pull out a win, she just was unable to see how.

"Yeah... Yeah, they got this," Kyoka stated tensely.

Shinso could hear some disbelief in the petite punkette's voice but didn't call her out on it. He knew his coursemate was just as tense as she was, she was just handling it the best she could. But she didn't know Izuku like he did. And with Momo, well, the indigoette learned to trust her rather quickly. Despite the busty heiress' own hang-ups, he knew she was getting better, and he knew Kyoka saw it too.

"They do. If anyone can pull a miracle out of their ass, I'm betting everything that Izuku will," Shinso answered confidently.

Kyoka smiled at that and turned back to the television as the news shifted to coverage outside the quarantine zone of Shibuya. Her eyes widened when she spotted a black cat hood in the crowd, staring into the city.

The punkette's lips formed a thin line as a thought crossed her mind, 'Geez. If we're feeling tense, I can only imagine how Shoka is doing...'

- LUNAR BURROW, TOKYO -

Shoka was not doing well. The slender ravenette was having a moment of panic as she watched the news. The city she called home for several years was under the control of a Villain. And to make matters worse, her boyfriend and girlfriend were there.

And that was another matter. When she contacted Melissa earlier to hear about what exactly happened, the blonde hesitantly informed her that Momo was also in the city. The gray-eyed Hero student nearly yelled at her newest friend but managed to stop herself. Shoka reminded herself that was unfair to Melissa.

So, she vented her aggression and worries on several dummies Mirko still had yet to destroy after her own tirade earlier.

It wasn't the blonde's fault Momo chose to go after Izuku. And while Shoka wasn't happy they were in trouble; she was glad they were together at least. She knew that those two together could figure out something to pull out a win.

'Damn it! I already did something stupid and dangerous. Why the hell did you two have to one-up me?' Shoka thought as her eyes remained glued to the television. 'Why can't I be there for you two?'

The slender ravenette sighed heavily as she tried to calm herself down. She needed to trust in Izuku and Momo. It was just easier said than done at the moment.

"Come on you two..."

- CITY LIMITS of SHIBUYA -

Toshinori sat in the back of an unmarked van, his Hero Costume hanging loosely over his emaciated body. His fists clenched tightly as he internally raged at the situation. And his inability to do anything about it.

As soon as word spread that Shibuya was under attack by a Villain, the No. 1 Hero quickly left the teacher's lounge at U.A., unwilling to waste even a second to act. He was only stopped by Nezu when the dean of the Hero University managed to convince him that brash actions would only cause more problems.

The blonde was glad the chimera had done so. After learning what exactly happened, he grimaced at the thought of somehow losing himself the moment he stepped into the city. That thought had only made his growing anger at his inability to act rise more and more. Hundreds of thousands of people, civilians and Heroes, were trapped in Shibuya with no way out. And All Might, the No. 1 Hero, couldn't do a damn thing about it.

'Young Midoriya...' His thoughts soon drifted to his successor. He knew the verdette accepted an internship opportunity here and knowing the young man was here was just another blow to the Pro Hero's pride. When Melissa had called him and explained the situation, he felt his heart drop knowing that not only Izuku was in trouble, but that Momo was as well.

A series of knocks broke Toshinori out of his thoughts as a voice called out to him, "Toshi, I'm coming in."

The van door opened, revealing a rather short, elderly man with short, gray spiky hair and a matching trimmed beard running along his jaw. His face contained heavy wrinkles, with a black domino mask covering most of them and allowing his brown eyes to stand out.

Worn over his scrawny body was a monochrome bodysuit, with a pair of large yellow gloves and boots over his hands and feet, a matching yellow belt with a gray, metal 'G' as the buckle. The elderly Hero finished his costume with a long, yellow cap, that dragged across the ground due to his short stature.

Despite his appearance, his eyes had a level of sharpness that caused most who fell under his gaze to feel small compared to him.

The older Hero sat across from Toshinori, hopping on the seat as his feet dangled over the edge. The blonde didn't look at the man. Instead, he kept his bright, blue eyes down as he dwelled on the current situation.

"Quit moping, you oaf," the older Hero said to Toshinori, "You can't afford to get lost in your own doubts right now."

Toshinori sighed, unable to disagree with the elderly man's words. "I know, Torino-sensei. I just-"

"You're worried about the kid," the now-named Torino said, cutting the blonde off. "You wear your heart on your sleeves. That and you're too easy to read."

Toshinori seemed to wilt at the older Hero's words. "I've gotten better..."

Torino merely stared unblinkingly at the emaciated blonde, causing him to curl up even further into himself. The elderly Hero decided to give his old student a break and turned to look at the city through the open van door. "Nana had faith in you, just like you had faith in her." He then turned back to face Toshinori, making sure his words stuck with the blonde, "So have faith in your successor, just like he has faith in you."

His mentor's words seemed to breathe new life into the No. 1 Hero. His heavy frown slowly shifted into a smile as he looked at Torino, "You're right, sensei."

Torino huffed, "Of course I am. Besides, Nana was always finding a way out of trouble just as much as she found herself getting into it. Just like you, you damn oaf. And I have no doubt this Midoriya kid of yours is the same. Anyone tied to that Quirk seems to be a trouble magnet. That just means he has the potential to be a damn good Hero, so let him have his chance."

Toshinori started to sweat at his mentor's assessment. He didn't want the elderly Hero to know how correct he was. Instead, the emaciated blonde turned his attention to the city in the distance. Torino was right. He needed to believe in his successor. The verdette had already proven himself time and time again. This was just another chance for Izuku to do so.

And Toshinori was beginning to fully believe that Izuku could overcome this.

Off to the side, standing near the supposed danger zone, and joined by Kariya and Uzuki, Joshua kept his eyes on the city before him. The vice president arroved at the scene right after the press conference. He had called Shibuya home for a time, long before he joined the Commission. To see his city turned into its dismal state filled him with veritable rage and annoyance.

And the vice president was willing to deal with being out of commission for a time if it meant using his Quirk to set things right.

'Well, I should probably still do my part,' Joshua thought as his fingers began to tap his leg. Their drumming turned into a steady rhythm, garnering his agents' attention. Kariya smirked while Uzuki grew concerned as they watched him work. The ashen-haired man paid them no mind, instead focusing on the task at hand.

'No one turns my city into their personal playground. You'll find that you can't always plan for the unknown, Minamimoto.' His rhythm intensified as his other hand moved fluidly as if he were playing a piano. Soon his other hand joined in, miming the actions of the other as Joshua continued his phantom musical. 'There is always a new factor you never thought to consider, after all.'

He slowly closed his eyes, his hands dropping lifelessly as he fell into Kariya's arms. The Vice-President was thankful no one was paying attention to him, everyone else was too focused on the city.

His violet eyes opened enough for him to give Shibuya one last look before he lost consciousness.

'It's up to you to finish this song, Midoriya.'

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A splash of color. A vibrant beacon of safety stood in front of the emotionless verdette. An arm reached out, a gloved hand grazing a concrete wall when the noise suddenly died out.

Ego roared within him triumphantly as its rhythm increased, its normal hum turning into an excited song within Izuku. Hidden within its beats was a faint melody, urging the verdette to act.

And Izuku opened his eyes, life filling them once more. He looked around the area frantically, trying to determine where he was. 'We were at Tower Records,' he recounted. 'How did I end up here?'

Everywhere around him was a dull gray. It greatly unnerved the Hero student. He could hardly recognize the once vibrant city. As the verdette managed to calm himself down, he took in the sight before him as a bright smile formed on his face.

His elated expression soon turned to shock when he felt his other hand being gripped by another. Izuku turned and his heart nearly shattered as he saw Momo, her onyx eyes blank as she seemed to stare directly at him. He felt Ego connect with his busty girlfriend as if it were trying to pull her out of her current state.

Izuku felt grateful that his Quirk hadn't given up on him. While he could only pick up vague snippets of the past few hours, he knew that Ego was constantly at odds with Minamimoto's Quirk. The verdette figured that the Villain wasn't able to completely counter him with his rules. It was a thin, silver lining in a rather large and dark cloud, but Izuku was willing to take it.

He turned his head and looked at the wall behind him. Ego brought him here, but this spot broke the verdette completely free of Minamimoto's rule. Izuku turned back to look at Momo. 'I got you, Momo.' Determination filled his core as he gently pulled her close to him, and guided her hand to the wall.

Nothing happened. Izuku stared at the wall in confusion, going back and forth between it and Momo's hand. He nearly slapped his hand against his forehead when another thought occurred to him. The verdette placed his hand over the ravenette's and felt Ego's connection to her grow stronger. Not a second later, the glazed and blank look on Momo's face faded as her onyx eyes widened in surprise.

"What? Where-" Momo was cut off as Izuku pulled her into a tight embrace. Her confusion soon turned to relief as she recognized what was happening. The busty heiress began to nuzzle her face into Izuku's mop of green hair, taking in his scent as her nerves calmed down.

The two remained like that for a moment, neither willing to break away from the embrace. After being mentally trapped, unable to recognize the world around them and what was happening, the Hero students were obviously shaken up.

"I was so worried, Momo," Izuku said as he clung to her tightly.

"I know," Momo replied. Her lips formed a small, wamr smile as she spoke, "So was I. But I'm here, Zuzu. I'm right here."

When they finally broke apart, Momo began to focus on their situation. "Where are we, Izuku? I remember us being at Tower Records, but after that, nothing."

The two Hero students scanned their surroundings, noting that the late-evening sun stood as a stark contrast to the dulled cityscape around them.

"Udagawa," Izuku answered as he turned to look at the wall the two were next to. "A safe zone, apparently."

Momo quirked a brow at his answer and followed his example. Her eyes widened at the sight before her.

The two stood before a wall covered top to bottom in colorful, vibrant graffiti, the hues and designs clashing against the dull gray of Shibuya. Directly in front of the pair was a black cat head, with a white upside-down cross and five-pointed star for eyes, a set of bat wings on its cheeks, a thin red body and two large, stylized hands with its pointer and pinky fingers extended out, pointing downward at Izuku and Momo.

To the right of the cat was the word cat in bright yellow letters. Continuing down the wall was a series of graphics and words that seemingly had no reason for their design and placement with the mural, but somehow played into the piece flawlessly.

On the left was a series of sky-blue crosses and an imposing grim reaper clothed in a dark blue hood looming over them. There wasn't as much cluttered art past the reaper, aside from a stylized gold tiger and plenty of blank space for others to add their mark.

"I still don't understand," Momo stated. She looked at Izuku, allowing him to see the confused expression on her face before she looked at the grayed city around them. "How is this mural not affected? And how did it aid us?"

Momo turned her attention back to Izuku, seeing the fond smile form on his lips as he placed a hand against the black cat. "This is just a guess, but CAT's work may be affected by their Quirk. When I first looked into their stuff a couple of years ago, people always said that their art spoke to them."

Izuku's mind traveled through its memories as he found himself back at the park in Musutafu, staring at CAT's mural of All Might in amazement. "I know that feeling all too well."

"I see," The owl-hooded Hero student replied as she turned back to the mural. She didn't say it, but she saw what her boyfriend meant. It was odd. Graffiti wasn't something she had much exposure to, with the only real experience being the time she and Shoka helped Izuku paint his wall before the school term started. But she could feel this piece connect with her.

"I think there is more to it, though." Izuku's words brought her attention back to him. "I think Ego was drawn to this place. The only reason I can think of was that half of my pin's design was influenced by CAT. Maybe it made a connection?"

Izuku let out a mirthless chuckle. "You know, it's kind of funny. I wanted to see this before my internship ended. Have some time to appreciate it." His emerald-green eyes lingered on the black cat as he spoke, "While this wasn't the first showing I had in mind, I can still appreciate it. Maybe even more so now since it might have saved us."

Momo brought a hand to her chin as she considered the verdette's words. If it were anyone else, she wouldn't give the thought much credit. It was only because Izuku's Quirk, and by extension Ego, were so odd that his theory seemed plausible. He and Melissa did state that his Quirk gave him resistance to Minamimoto's Quirk.

"We need to see if I can make a Psych to counter Minamimoto's rule," Izuku said, breaking the ravenette from her thoughts. "I told Melissa and Beat that I could probably make a counter, I just needed time and information."

"Are you sure you can create a new Psych right now?" Momo asked.

"I have an idea, I just need the materials," he stated, giving her an embarrassed look.

The busty heiress gave him an understanding look and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Just tell me what you need, Zuzu."

"Okay," the verdette said as he took a deep breath, his mind going over what materials he would need to work with while keeping the cost of Momo's fuel for her Quirk in mind. "I need a set of colored pencils in a light, middle and dark shade of green, and flat black. I also need a black and a white pen. Then I need a couple sheets of white stock paper, thin, and cut into a two-by-two square." He unclipped one of his set pins from his belt and handed it to Momo. "I need metal discs like these with a diameter of one and a half inches, and a circular piece of mylar for the cover."

Momo quickly used her Quirk as she started to make the supplies from Izuku's list as he spoke. "Do you need a pin press?” She asked. The heiress hadn’t seen him create a Psych yet, but she knew his process.

Izuku shook his head as he took the pencils and pen from Momo and lightly sketched out a design for his counter. “No. I’ll just use Orbit to press it all together. We need to save you Quirk as much as we can.” He looked up, his emerald-green eyes locking on to her onyx ones. “How are your reserves?”

“I still have plenty of lipids,” Momo replied as she watched him work.

She was entranced. Izuku's drawing hand seemed to flow seamlessly from his light-sketch to inking in a more detailed drawing of his green bunny mascot with its paws against its head, its eyes closed and brows furrowed as if it were thinking heavily on a concept. After he had filled the background around the bunny a solid black, Momo saw Izuku pause, the verdette deep in thought before he carefully added simple equations and math symbols to the drawing with the white pen. When he finished, he used Orbit to take every piece of the pin and force them together.

Izuku stared at the pin intently. He felt the hum from Ego, but when he tried to send energy into the Psych, it felt empty. He knew when a pin was a failure and was starting to get that feeling from this one. The freckled Hero student was undeterred and stood up, sliding the pin into one of his belt slots, and looked over at Momo.

"Time for a field test," Izuku said half-jokingly and half-resigned to his fate. He didn't want to field or stress test his Psychs, and hearing the long sigh coming from Momo, she didn't want him to either.

The brainy ravenette made her way over to Izuku, Creation flaring to life as a thin rope emerged from her arm. "Here," she said as she wrapped it around his waist. After ensuring the knot was secure, she gave him a weary and concerned smile. "Just in case, I can pull you back to the mural."

Izuku gave her a nod and turned to face the city streets. Taking a moment to breathe and calm his nerves, the bunny-hooded Hero student took several steps forward. Momo watched apprehensively, her grip on the rope tightening with every step. After several more steps, Izuku came to a stop.

The verdette looked at his new pin and smiled before turning to Momo. He wasn't hearing any noise, and while Ego was still acting defensively, most of that energy was being sent to his newest Psych.

The owl-hooded Hero student let out a relieved sigh. "What next, Izuku?"

Izuku looked at the ground in thought. He didn't want to risk going into the city alone, despite having protection against Minamimoto's Quirk. He needed help, and Momo was his partner in this.

"We'll need to test and see if the link Ego made to connect us can carry over my Psych's protection," Izuku stated.

Momo didn't need him to say anything else, though she could hear some hesitation in his voice. "Well, at least we have a way to break the rule if we need to."

Izuku gave her a curt nod and walked back over to her. A warm smile formed on his face, helping to relieve some of the tension the ravenette was feeling. He held out his hand to her, which she accepted gratefully. Giving her hand a quick, comforting squeeze, Izuku slowly guided her away from the mural and into the streets.

Taking several steps forward, Momo felt nothing except Izuku's hand squeezing hers. When she took one more step noise began to fill her ears, the sound permeating her mind. Her thoughts were soon locked away as the noise was too much. Her last thought was on the hand that held onto hers.

An intense panic filled Izuku as Momo's onyx eyes grew dull, her expression blank as she stared into the distance. He quickly guided his girlfriend back to the mural, hoping that it would break her free from Minamimoto's Quirk. As soon as he placed her hand on the wall, and his over hers, the verdette channeled Ego through their link.

"Wha-" Momo was cut off immediately as Izuku pulled her into another tight embrace as soon as life flashed within her eyes. The action caused her to blush, her mind finding enjoyment and pleasure at how protective her green-haired lover was being. She wrapped her arms around him, doing her best to calm him down once more. "I'm fine, Izuku. You brought me back, safe and sound."

"Still..." Izuku said, chastising himself for not being able to protect her, even with his new Psych. Momo could see the gears turning in his head when a realization struck him.

"What’s wrong, Izuku?" Momo asked.

"I assumed that Ego's link would work with my new Psych. I didn't elaborate on its abilities during its creation!" Izuku explained. He slapped his forehead, leaving an angry red print behind as he returned to the supplies Momo created for him.

The busty ravenette joined him as he took off his new Psych and began to sketch a second one. Izuku brought the black color pencil to the paper, only to pull back and think for a moment, repeating the process several times when inspiration struck him.

Momo heard him speak in a low voice, working through the current problem in front of him. "Why exactly did your new Psych fail?" She asked as the verdette continued to try and fail to start a new sketch.

"I applied the idea that the Psych would protect me because of Ego. That was the base idea and it worked." Izuku explained as he looked up at the street art when an idea struck him. "I just didn't expand it to cover others, but I have an idea!"

His pencil quickly glided across the paper as a new drawing appeared on the square sheet of paper. The green rabbit formed in the bottom right part of the circle Izuku drew, a pair of large, circular glasses hanging over its snout.

As he continued to draw, Momo's curiosity grew. "And what idea is that?"

Izuku pointed to the mural, not even taking his eyes off the drawing as he worked. "CAT's mural is a safe zone, he-they created it by tagging that wall with their symbol and name. This new Psych will do the same. It will have two functions; Protect me from Minamimoto's rule, same as the first Psych does, and cancel its effect on anyone or anything I tag."

The image he was working on soon came to life. Momo started to note the differences between this new Psych's design and his other one, as well as the similarities. The green bunny stood before a black background, with equations and formulas dotting across it. The ravenette noticed that her boyfriend designed this one to have the bunny more active, with a piece of chalk in its hand. The biggest draw of the design was Izuku's skull symbol placed in the upper left and sitting over stylized crossbones, which took up most of the space in the background.

As Izuku assembled the pin, a thought crossed Momo's mind. "How many times can you perform a 'tag'?" She asked.

Izuku held his newest Psych, studying the small disc as he contemplated his answer. After a moment, he responded, "I won't know until I use it. I think Ego is the one that determines that. A defense mechanism, maybe. Something to ensure I don't overpower it."

"I see," Momo replied, thinking about his answer. It made some sense to her. Quirks did try to limit the damage they caused their own user. Any injuries are mostly caused when a person goes too far past their safety limits. It was similar to how her Quirk refuses to work if she were to drain her lipids. Her body would be unwilling to use other sources to fuel her creation.

Standing back up, Izuku set his newest Psych to his belt and placed the first one in his pin case. As he ensured the rope around his waist was still tied, the verdette handed Momo the other end before making his way out of their safe zone. Stopping at the edge, he took a second to begin a mental countdown, and as he reached zero, he took a step forward.

Once more, the noise from Minamimoto’s Quirk seemed to dither and fade away as it tried to assault his person. Izuku smiled, knowing that his newest Psych did half of the job he wanted it to. He quickly turned on his heels and jogged back to Momo. The busty ravenette met him halfway, stopping just a few inches from him.

“Alright, time for the second test,” Izuku stated as he held out his arm. Momo did the same, lacing her hand delicately into his. The freckled Hero student’s face scrunched up in thought, ‘Will the tag remain on Momo no matter where I put it? What if it’s on her costume and that part gets torn or damaged?’

“Zuzu?” Momo called out to him, the gentle squeeze she gave Izuku’s hand breaking him from his thoughts.

“Sorry, Momo. My mind is starting to consider what-ifs,” Izuku explained, “I’m trying to figure out where to place the tag.”

The brainy ravenette nodded, understanding what he was getting at. “You’re considering that something could happen to the tag and disrupt its ability to counter Minamimoto’s rule?”

Izuku smiled brightly at his girlfriend’s words, happy at how quickly she caught on. “Got it in one.”

“If that’s the case…” Momo shifted her feathered cloak, showing the red, black, and white leotard underneath it. She took Izuku’s hand again and guided it to her chest, placing it over her heart. Giving him a shy, amused smile, she spoke, “This seems like the perfect spot to place it, no? Much like how Ego has its place over your heart.” An intense blush started to form on Momo’s cheeks. “And speaking honestly, I rather like the idea of having it shown here, for now at least.”

Izuku let out a tiny chuckle at the ravenette’s words. “That sounds like the romantic in you. Pretty sure Shoka would just say you wanted me to mark you as mine.”

“Oh hush,” the heiress playfully chided him, “You know very well that I’m already yours and Shoka’s.”

Izuku took in a small breath and nodded. Making sure his hand was touching Momo’s bare skin, he began to channel his Quirk’s energy into the pin, a new connection forming. The link between the two Hero students flared within them as Izuku’s bunny skull sat over graffiti-like crossbones formed over the ravenette’s heart, colored in a faded black, much like a tattoo.

Momo smiled as she felt the energy from Izuku’s Quirk washing over her as a warmth filled her core. Izuku was studying the effects of his new Psych. He felt the mark resonate with his pin, and that resonance continued through Ego. The verdette knew then that his new Psych had a limited number of uses, but he would have to figure out his limit on the go. The most important thing on his mind right now was that Momo would be safe.

"Time for the stress test?" Momo asked, her tone laced with humor and apprehension.

"Yeah," Izuku replied. He took her hands and slowly walked backward, gently pulling the ravenette with him.

As Momo crossed into the safe zone's border, she felt noise begin to fill her mind, only for it to be blocked off entirely as a surge of energy flowed through her. Her onyx eyes scanned the area before stopping as she looked at the verdette.

A feeling of triumph washed over the pair of lovers. The two took a moment to bask in the moment before moving on to more immediate concerns.

"We should try and contact CodeR or Melissa," Momo stated, "Or possibly someone outside of the city."

"I'll try Rhyme and Melissa. You see if you can reach someone else." Izuku brought a hand to his headset, activating his radio once more while Momo tried using her phone.

"CodeR? CodeR, are you there?" All Izuku heard was static. He had hoped that the younger Bito was safe in their agency. He gave the slim blonde more time to respond as he considered the idea that there may be too much interference.

He bit back a curse as he tried to reach Melissa. "Melissa?" Static continued to ring out through his headset's speakers, causing him to frown. It was looking more and more like Minamimoto's Quirk caused some interference. "Melissa, it's Izuku. If you can hear me, please respond." There was still nothing from the blonde engineer. Izuku huffed in annoyance at the situation. "If you can hear me, then I'm okay. Momo and I are fine and I figured out a way to counter Minamimoto's Quirk based on your input."

Lowering his head in frustration, Izuku calmed himself down and gathered his thoughts. He turned to Momo, hoping his busty girlfriend had better luck than he did. Seeing her shake her head with a defeated look shattered their hopes of contacting someone outside the city.

"What's our next plan?" Momo asked, unsure as to what their next objective was.

Izuku thought about that. They were alone in Shibuya and the only two active people in the city who could possibly face Minamimoto. He would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling the pressure on his shoulders at that thought. Ego hummed, his pin crushing whatever hesitancy he had. Determination filled him as his fist clenched tightly.

"We try to counter Minamimoto's rules. We have the means to do so with X-Factor," Izuku stated resolutely.

Momo felt courage surge within her through their link. Despite the odds they were facing, she couldn't help but match the verdette's resolve, "We should get a better lay of the land, try to find anything that seems out of place."

"We can also see if we still get any interference on our calls the higher up we are," Izuku added.

The two readied themselves, and Izuku determined what Psychs to go with. Excalibur and Orbit were set in his gloves, and with X-Factor being required, that left him three more slots. 'Vitali-Tea I can leave out at the moment. I will just have to pull it out and use it if I need to.' The verdette ran through a mental checklist and determined that Blink was too useful to not have. With two more slots left, Izuku decided on Resolute and Buster-Shot, going for defense and range. He could always switch something out if need be.

He turned to look at Momo as the ravenette created a grapple-gun. "Ready, Materia?" He asked, shifting into a Hero mindset.

She gave him a quick nod and aimed at the roof of a nearby shop. "Ready, Link," Momo answered as she pulled the trigger. As her hook sailed through the air and anchored itself against the building's facade, she was immediately pulled forward.

Izuku watched as the busty heiress seemingly glided through the air with the aid of her cloak, using its feathered wings to slow down and descend gracefully onto the roof. When Momo landed, she turned to face Izuku, who quickly followed after her with several jumps using Blink to ascend.

The pair continued on, moving closer to Tipsy Tose Hall and climbing the taller buildings. Izuku felt a small rush as they ran across the rooftops. Spending time with Beat and Rhyme had helped him understand how important your rhythm was. As the verdette reached the lip of the building he was one, he wasted no time in using Blink to appear on top of the shop across from him, all while maintaining his momentum.

When the bunny-hooded Hero student glanced over his shoulder, he could see that Momo was hitting her stride as well. The onyx-eyed ravenette's movements were fluid as she effortlessly shifted from running, launching, and gliding as she managed to keep up with him.

As they clambered up the Tokyu Hands Department Store, Izuku's eyes widened at the site of a new junk pile in the middle of the street leading to Center Street.

"Minamimoto made another?" Momo asked worriedly.

"Seems like it," Izuku said through gritted teeth as he studied the new pile of trash. He could hear Momo trying to contact anyone outside the city, but his mind was focused on Minamimoto's handy work. His mind ran through everything he knew about the junk piles and his own interactions with them when a realization hit him.

"They're amplifiers!" Izuku stated. His words caused Momo to jump slightly as she put her phone away. He quickly turned to face her, a smile on his face as he spoke, "Minamimoto has formulas under the piles! He probably uses the piles as amplifiers for his rules!"

Momo's eyes widened slightly as she caught on to what Izuku was saying. "And if they work with his rules, you might be able to tag them and disrupt his Quirk!"

"Exactly!" Izuku looked down at the street, his eyes scanning the area. Aside from the emotionless crowd frozen people standing in the street, the verdette saw no signs of the Villain. "We should move fast. I don't want to get caught if we can help it."

"Agreed. I'll keep an eye out while you tag it." Momo moved closer to Izuku, planting a quick kiss on his lips and smiling. "Good luck, Link."

Izuku leaped off the building and used several jumps with Blink to safely reach the street below. He stopped, looking around at the crowd once more to see if there was any reaction to his appearance. The crowd of civilians still maintained their vacant expressions, and the verdette couldn't help but shiver. He shook his head and instead focused on completing his task, knowing that the sooner he acted, the sooner Shibuya would return to normal.

He stood in front of the junk pile, noting that it was much more similar to the one in Miyashita Park than the one at Tower Records. Izuku considered that it may be due to the Tower Records pile having a different function compared to this one.

Raising his left hand, Izuku began to channel his energy into Orbit, his Quirk flaring to life as he quickly and carefully disassembled the junk pile, piece by piece. As he worked, Momo, from her perch atop the department store, kept her eyes on the streets. Her eyes darted back to Izuku every so often as her heart beat faster and faster the closer he was to finish his task.

Finally reaching the final layer and setting the base pieces aside, Izuku was greeted by the site of a ring of symbols and math equations. The noise he heard grew louder as the numbers and letters were exposed, forcing a wince from the verdette. X-Factor continued to protect him and Ego urged him to act. Izuku shot out his hand, placing it in the center of the ring as he focused on countering Minamimoto's Quirk.

Izuku closed his eyes as a bright light flashed in front of him. When he opened them, the bunny-hooded Hero student was greeted with the sight of his symbol, sitting over a set of crossbones in the style of graffiti.

The noise pressing against his mind lessened soon after, causing a wide smile to form on his face.

----------

At Tower Records, Minamimoto shot up from his junk throne.

"The hell?" He felt a shift in his rule as if the factors had been changed. His mind raced at how someone would have been able to do so. The HPSC and the Heroes couldn't risk crossing into the city without being subject to his Taboo Rule. "The only Heroes who know about my Quirk are..."

A challenging smirk formed on his face. "It seems that the variable has shown a different function in this equation. Interesting," Minamimoto's smirk grew wider at the thought of a challenge. "Fine then. I know my equations lead to irrefutable proof of my ideals. But what sort of man would I be if I ignored those who want to check my work."

"Come on then, zeptogram. Try and prove me wrong."

----------

One for All stirred. A faint reconnection was made that caused the generational Quirk to come to life within the No. 1 Hero.

Toshinori's smile brightened.

"Good luck, young Midoriya."

----------

When Izuku felt the pressure of the noise lessen, he quickly tried to contact Melissa in the hope that the interference caused by Minamimoto's Quirk had started to fade.

"Melissa? Melissa, are you there?" Izuku asked into his headset.

"Izu--! You-- al-ight! I ca- bar-ly he-- -ou, tho-gh." Came the voice of the blonde engineer.

Izuku frowned as there was still plenty of interference, preventing a clear line of communication between him and the I-Island resident. "Melissa. Momo and I are fine. We found a way to counter Minamimoto but his Quirk is still stopping us from contacting anyone else. We took down a new junk pile in Tipsy Tose Hall."

"O-ay. Th- city i- -nder loc- down. Yo- sa-d Tips- Tose -all had a --nk pil-. Ex-res--ay Und--pas-. Tok-u Plaza. Min-mimo-'s Qui-k is us--ng those pl-ces to po--er his r-le," Melissa said over the line.

Izuku understood what the blonde was trying to get across to him. The engineer must have wanted to share the more pertinent information with him. 'Minamimoto's Quirk is covering a good portion of the city, and Melissa tried to tell us where she thinks more of those junk piles are located.' Izuku huffed in annoyance at the knowledge that the math-obsessed Villain placed them where he and Beat went to get the keys.

The verdette stepped away from the tagged amplification equation and Blinked back to the Tokyu Hands Department Store rooftop.

"I saw you managed to get through to Melissa. Any word from outside the city?" Momo asked.

"I barely got through. Things were still choppy, so we might have to take down another junk pile for the signal to clear up some more ," Izuku explained.

Momo nodded along, agreeing with his assessment. "Was she able to give us anything to work with?"

"Yeah. Shibuya is being locked down, most likely the HPSC and several heroes are ensuring that civilians don't cross into the city." The verdette said.

"Right. Standard operations," Momo replied, earning a confused look from Izuku. The ravenette seemed to straighten up with a proud smile on her face, and an unrestrained bounciness to her, Izuku noticed, as she now had a chance to share some of the knowledge she learned in her Operational Tactics and Command elective. "Attacks on a scale like this require the Commission to protect the populace from entering and to keep Villains contained. With Shibuya essentially being considered a hostage, they have to take great care with how they handle this situation."

The ravenette's expression grew dour as she explained further, "This is an extreme case, but we have to assume that they don't know the full effects of Minamimoto's Quirk. I have no doubt that they attempted to have several Heroes scout out the situation, and have lost contact."

"What would the Commission's next move be?" The verdette asked.

"With an attack on a city like this? Most likely they will continue their observation until they find a way to counter Minamimoto's Quirk," Momo explained as she gestured between herself and Izuku, "which is what we're currently focusing on. Once that objective is accomplished, they will move to evacuation and suppression, but until we know that Minamimoto's rules are fully countered by your Psych, that may be delayed."

"Then we better work fast," Izuku stated resolutely.

"Where's our next stop?" Momo inquired, determination filling her being.

"The underpass first. We need to avoid Tower Records and we can't cut through it to reach Tokyu Plaza, so the Expressway Underpass is the best bet," the verdette explained as he made his way over to the roof's edge. "We'll go down Center Street and cut through the Scramble, and then straight through Shibuya Hikarie."

Momo joined him at the ledge and readied her grapple gun. "Understood, Link."

The two quickly descended the building and sped off down the street as they hit the ground. It was unnerving to the pair, to see the once bustling city be so lifeless. Stores that they passed by that buzzed with activity earlier that day seemed dead. And that was just Center Street.

The Scramble Crossing, what could be considered the heart of Shibuya, wasn't beating with the rhythmic sounds of foot traffic, the cacophony of voices battling each other in rising crescendos, its colorful signage was bland and dull. The crowd that was there merely stood around, encircling the main square of the Scramble and leaving it bare.

Izuku came to a stop. Momo fell in behind him and watched as he peeked around the café next to them. "We should try to avoid being seen. If Minamimoto is down there, we don't want him knowing where we're going."

"And how would we accomplish that?" Momo asked the verdette.

"I'll just push as much as I can with Blink and jump us over to the other side of the street," Izuku explained. He took hold of Momo's arm and guided her back far enough that the initial jump wouldn't be noticed.

"Will you be okay, Link?" The ravenette couldn't help but feel immense concern for Izuku. While he often avoided pushing his Psychs to their limits, she knew he did so when the occasion called for it. She was mostly worried about the backlash he would no doubt face afterward.

"I should be," Izuku said with a nod, "And since I shouldn't have to use it after that, it will give Blink the time it needs to recharge fully. I have two copies with me so if it breaks, it won't be an issue."

The Psych user wrapped an arm around Momo's waist and pulled her close to him. His emerald-green eyes focused on a spot beyond the building across the street, one that would provide even more cover for when they completed the jump. He looked at the ravenette, his eyes meeting hers, and gave her a nod. Momo returned it, giving Izuku the signal to make the jump.

And a green and teal flash, the pair were gone from their initial position and popped up on the other side of the street. Momo was forced to keep Izuku steady as the verdette nearly stumbled. He groaned and brought a hand up to his head, massaging his temples as he tried to alleviate the stinging headache he was now feeling.

"Link?" Momo carefully held Izuku close to her, making sure not to aggravate any pain he was feeling.

"I-I-I just need a sec," Izuku explained through a wince. Blinking with another person already made things difficult but adding on having to jump across a distance outside his safety range made maintaining his control over his Psych worse.

After taking a moment to rest, Izuku stood up straight and gave Momo an appreciative smile. The busty heiress gave him a smile in return before schooling her features.

The two restarted their trek, taking the time to walk to ensure Izuku could handle moving himself. As the verdette stabalized, the pair of Hero students picked up their pace with a jog and started down Shibuya Hikarie and onto the Expressway Underpass.

Their target was in sight as a junk pile loomed over the streets, the tip peeking over the pedestrian walkway that hovered over the street. Momo rushed up the stairs to have an elevated viewpoint while Izuku ran under the platform and straight for the junk pile.

He immediately began to disassemble the pile with Orbit, though this time going for speed over cleanliness. As he worked, Izuku noticed that Orbit wasn't as effective as it usually was, its limit lower than normal. His mind began to work out the problem he now faced, making a connection to when he set and used Breaker Force.

X-Factor was lowering the effectiveness of his Psychs. The only thing that made sense in his mind was that the more tags he placed, the more energy it took from his stockpile, making his other Psychs less effective. Izuku bit back a curse as he kept working, not enjoying the idea of such a downside from using his new Psych, but it made sense to him.

After all, he was using his energy to make connections, and each time he used it to create a tag, he was cutting off just a bit of his stockpile he could access.

Despite his current limitations, it didn't take him long to reach the base layer of the trash tower. As the file piece of junk was removed, Izuku rushed to the equation marking the ground, and slapped his gloved hand in the center, pushing his energy into X-Factor and creating a new tag.

He and Momo felt the oppressive pressure Minamimoto's Quirk was creating lessen even more as the tag canceled the Villain's rule. Izuku took a moment to study the ring of numbers as Momo used her grapple gun to safely descend to the street and joined him.

"The formula is the same," Izuku stated as his eyes looked over the ring.

"Then you were right. Minamimoto is using them to boost his Quirk's effects and strengthen his rules," Momo said, coming to the same conclusion as Izuku.

The sound of static cut the two off from their thoughts when a voice came to life through Izuku's headset.

"Izuku? Izu-- are you th--e?" Melissa asked.

"I read you, Melissa," Izuku replied. He watched as Momo stepped back and began to scroll through her phone in an attempt to contact someone outside the series.

"Whate-er you and Momo --d is work-ng," the curvy blonde said over the radio. "I'm able t- keep a ste-dy con--ction with you now. H-w are things on yo-r end?"

"It's getting better, but there's still some interference. You were right about the Expressway Underpass. We just took down another pile and canceled out one of Minamimoto's rules." Izuku caught a glance of Momo bouncing on her heels, a smile on her face as she began talking to someone on the other end of the phone. "Momo just got in contact with someone too, so we'll have more to work with here in a bit."

"Got -t. How were yo- able to cou--er our ma-h Villain's Qu--k?" Melissa asked.

"A new Psych. We found a safe zone earlier and I managed to make one that protected me while being able to counter Minamimoto and his rules," Izuku explained.

----------

Melissa took in what Izuku said as she studied the readings she received from the sensors still keeping track of his Quirk's activity. She saw that his energy seemed to link to several things and concluded that those must be the counters he made.

What was odd was that his stockpile didn't seem to be draining like she expected it to. His new Psych seemed to replicate his linking on a much minor scale.

She also noticed that Izuku's Quirk wasn't acting as aggressively as it was earlier when it defended itself from Minamimoto's Quirk. There was still some interference here and there, and the glasses-wearing blonde noted that there was a minor spike before calming down again between the time he called her from Tipsy Tose Hall and now, coming to the conclusion that she could track how effective the Villain's rules were now that his junk piles were being removed from play.

"Well, I'm glad you figured out a way to fight back," Melissa said with a relieved smile, "You're already making a dent in Minamimoto's plans. You just have one more small pile left before you take down the one at Tower Records."

----------

Izuku nodded at the blonde's words. "Right. Momo and I should have it done soon."

"Link! I managed to establish contact with someone you know," Momo said as she rejoined Izuku at his side.

The ravenette held out her phone as a familiar voice spoke through the speaker, "Hey, kid? You th-re?"

"Yes, Agent Uzuki," Izuku quickly replied to the pinkette on the other side of the call.

"Holy sh-t! Final-y some good news." The two Hero students could hear the HPSC agent's relief through the call. "Yo-r girlfriend gave us a quic- run-through of t-e sit-ation. Greenie, can you h-ndl- this?" Uzuki asked, her relieved tone now turning tense and commanding.

Izuku didn't answer right away. There was a sliver of doubt running through his mind. He knew it was a simple mission, but at the end of the road was Minamimoto. The fate of Shibuya was currently pressing down on his and Momo's shoulders, and the verdette was worried he would falter somehow.

Ego let out a comforting hum that resonated through his entire being, once more being accompanied by an unfamiliar melody. Izuku felt his resolve grow instantly as his fingers grazed the small, metal disc clipped to his costume. There was no room for doubt nor time to fall to his growing fears.

A determined and bright smile formed on the verdette's face as he answered the agent, "Yes. We got this, Uzuki."

"Th-n don't make me r-gret this." Uzuki went quiet for a moment as she gathered herself, taking on a much more professional tone. "Link. Materia. Yo- t-o have full permission to use y-ur Quirks as you se- fit to handle this op-ration. You two -re now on point until a Pro H-ro is able to come to y--r aid and take over. Underst--d?"

""Understood."" Izuku and Momo answered back.

"Then g-t to work -nd keep in t-uch!" Uzuki directed as she ended the call.

"Off to Tokyu Plaza then?" Momo asked Izuku as they started to break off into a run back down Shibuya Hikarie.

"Yep! Let's put a stop to this," Izuku stated as they passed under the first sky bridge in this section of the city. "Aegis, can you maintain this connection?"

"I got ov-rwa-ch!" Melissa replied quickly.

Spurred to action, Izuku and Momo kept up a fast pace as they raced through the streets of Shibuya. They started to notice that the city itself was starting to shift. It was much more apparent when they reached Miyashita Park. The dull grays that dominated the cityscape were starting to return to their vibrant colors, albeit still dulled.

The people were still unresponsive, with barely a hint of change within them. That only caused Izuku and Momo to double-time it to the plaza.

It didn't take them long to reach their destination, the sight of the last of the small junk piles acting as a beacon for the two Hero students as they crossed into Tokyu Plaza. As Izuku maintained his pace, already pooling his energy into Orbit, and began deconstructing the tower, Momo spun on her heels, her muscles coiled and ready to spring into action as she kept her eyes on Cat Street.

Izuku worked quickly, noticing that Orbit's effectiveness was cut down once more. As soon as he removed the base layer of junk, he already shot his arm out and slammed it onto the pavement. X-Factor responded to his intent as his symbol quickly formed within Minamimoto's equation ring and canceled out the Villain's rule.

The lingering oppressive feeling Izuku felt in the air was beginning to fade away. He let out a relieved sigh, knowing that he and Momo were one step closer to the end. He was so lost in the moment that he never noticed the stars had begun to shine in the darkness, their lights mixing with the muted street posts and digital billboards and signage, but even those were beginning to have some color in their fluorescence.

The verdette heard the sound of footsteps approaching him as Momo stood next to him. The two were quiet, taking the time to gather themselves for the final push. They both saw the concern flooding the other's eyes. It wasn't until the link between them began to release a calming pulse that the two Hero students finally managed to calm down enough to focus their minds.

"Aegis? How do things look from your side?" Izuku asked into his radio.

"The spikes coming from your readings are receding, but they're still there. I'm sure when you get close to Minamimoto that will change. Plus, as I'm sure you noticed, no added interference now either," Melissa answered. She went quiet for a moment, making Izuku grow worried when she suddenly came back to the call, "Link, something is wrong with your stockpile. I noticed a change earlier when you and Materia were at the Underpass, but now there's a bigger discrepancy."

Momo shot Izuku a concerned and pointed look, causing him to flinch slightly. "Yeah. I expected that. I was going to ask you to confirm it but you already did," Izuku replied. He looked at Momo as he began to explain, "X-Factor seems to need my stockpiled energy to maintain the tags I make... And that in turn makes my Psychs less effective, just cutting down their use limit, and in Orbit's case, its weight limit."

The busty ravenette let out a heavy sigh, obviously not liking what she was hearing. She wasn't going to hold it against Izuku. This was a new Psych he made specifically to fight Minamimoto. And with what she knew of his Quirk, it always made a way to counter-balance a Psych's abilities.

"Just be careful, Zuzu," Momo softly said to the verdette as she reached for one of his hands. She gave it a gentle squeeze, letting Izuku know that even though she was worried, she trusted him to take care of himself.

"I'll keep track of his new readings, so don't worry, Materia," Melissa said over the radio.

Izuku smiled at his brainy girlfriend's concern and returned the gesture. "Got it. Thanks, Aegis," he said to the blonde on the other end of the radio. Izuku turned to look at Momo, a steely resolve setting on his face as he did. "We should contact Uzuki before we head over to Tower Records."

Momo was a step ahead of him, pulling out her phone and dialing the agent. The phone barely had time to ring when the pink-haired HPSC agent answered.

"You two already took down the third junk pile?" The agent asked, surprise apparent in her voice. "I appreciate you not wasting time. Okay, now, I really don't want you two going up against Minamimoto if you don't have to. Just focus on doing what you need to do in order to screw him over so we can send in the big guns."

"Big guns?" Izuku and Momo shared a look, unsure of what Uzuki meant when a realization struck the verdette, "You mean All Might-sensei is here?"

"That he is, Greenie," Uzuki confirmed, "Since we can't afford to lose him, he's currently on standby. So, the sooner you rain on Minamimoto's parade, the sooner he gets taken out."

"Then the next time we contact you will be to call in reinforcements," Momo stated before Uzuki ended the call. “How should we handle the Villain, Link?” She asked as she turned to face Izuku.

The bunny-hooded Hero student started to think about Momo’s question. Their main goal now was to take down the last junk pile and tag the formula, not needing to face Minamimoto in a straight-up fight if they could help it. The issue was, in his eyes, that the math-obsessed Villain wouldn’t make it easy for them.

“It may come down to defending ourselves while we work on the junk pile,” Izuku stated plainly. “And I’ve mostly been removing all the trash in case it was needed for his Quirk, so maybe we can just cut out the middle man and focus on reaching the formula.”

Momo nodded along with the verdette’s assessment and added her own input, “I can focus on slowing him down. I still have plenty of reserves to pull from for my Quirk. At this point, Minamimoto should have noticed what we were doing, meaning the element of surprise is already gone.”

“So, we just need to be blunt and straightforward about it, huh?” Izuku asked with a huff. Psyching himself up, Izuku double-checked his pins, making sure he was happy with his current loadout. “No time like the present,” he said, looking back at Momo.

The brainy ravenette was busy making several creations and preparing for the fight. Izuku noted that she had made a couple of flashbangs and several round spheres, which he recognized as the capture grenades she used during the sports festival. As Momo clipped her armaments to her utility belt, she nodded to herself and faced Izuku, a determined expression on her face.

Izuku returned the look and the two sped off to Tower Records.

----------

Minamimoto’s brows furrowed as the final connection to his amplifiers was cut off. He was surprised at how quickly the green-haired student worked. That meant that their encounter would happen sooner, but also his conversion process was cut short. And the amber-eyed Villain was rather annoyed by that.

“So, how did you manage to counter my formula?” Minamimoto asked as he heard two pairs of feet rounding the Tower Records building. He turned his head to glance over his shoulders, looking down at Izuku and Momo from his junk pile throne. “I’ve been racking my brain, crunching the numbers to try and figure you out.”

“Not happening, Minamimoto!” Izuku shot back as he took up a defensive stance. Momo did the same, turning her body so that her owl-themed cloak kept her creations out of Minamimoto’s view.

The Villain’s amber eyes noted the presence of the ravenette as he looked at her in confusion. He wasn’t expecting the bunny-hooded Hero student to bring help, but it only gave the Villain more information to work with.

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. While you may have run interference and caused my process to slow down, I still have what I need to complete my plan, even if I have to be more frugal with my resources,” Minamimoto stated as he descended the junk pile.

As soon as his feet hit the pavement, Izuku and Momo felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. It was like the Villain’s presence shifted entirely, putting them on edge by just being near him.

Minamimoto gave them a confident and cocky smirk and spread his arms out wide. “Well, Heroes? What’s your next order of operations? The Villain is right in front of you, so you need to take me down, right? But then you also have to worry about my rule still in effect.”

Izuku didn’t give Minamimoto any more time to speak as the verdette suddenly Blinked away. The amber-eyed Villian was surprised by the action when his instincts flared. A series of numbers appeared on his left arm as he swiped it at the air.

A black wall of energy erupted in front of him as a series of trash and debris slammed into it. Chips and pieces of metal scatter around Minamimoto, his amber eyes locking on to Izuku’s defiant, emerald-green ones as the verdette stood atop the junk pile.

“Fine. Multitasking it is, then,” Minamimoto said as he moved to attack. Before he could take a step, he was forced to dodge a strike from Momo as a metal bo staff sailed past his body. He gave the ravenette a feral smile, baring his teeth at her. “Too slow, Yoctogram!”

The Villain countered as another formula formed on his arm before he swung his arm again. The same black energy flowed around it before lashing out at Momo in an arc. The busty ravenette jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the arc as the attack carved a small trench into the ground.

Momo held her staff up, her fist clenching around it tightly as Minamimoto went on the offensive. The owl-hooded Hero student blocked an attack from the Villain, deflecting his arm to the side, and providing her a chance to counter. Minamimoto was quick though, lashing out his arm and gripping her staff at the end.

Her eyes widened as the metal weapon was crushed within the Villain’s grip. Momo nearly lost her footing as Minamimoto tugged the staff from her hands and tossed it aside. As the amber-eyed man was about to attack, she saw pieces of junk sailing towards him from the corner of her eye. The ravenette slid her arm behind her back and took one of the capture grenades into her hand, pressing down the activation trigger, and waited.

Minamimoto tracked the student’s eyes and leaped away in time as a dilapidated oven slammed into the ground where he once stood. He was given no time to rest as he was forced to dodge several more broken appliances and materials that Izuku sent his way. He growled in frustration at the verdette’s efforts to keep him occupied when he heard a faint beeping at his feet. As he looked down, a mass of blue foam erupted from the spherical device that Momo tossed at him during Izuku’s salvo, hiding it among the trash and refuse.

The foam quickly hardened, trapping the Villain in its grasp. Izuku Blinked before Minamimoto and used the opportunity to attack with Excalibur, giving Orbit time to recharge. The verdette pooled his energy into the Psych attached to his right glove as a green energy blade formed. He focused his intent, ensuring he would hurt the entrapped Villain and not the capture foam.

Izuku let out a howl as he performed his first slash, cutting diagonally across Minamimoto’s body. The amber-eyed Villain let out a grunt of pain, only to let out another as the verdette chained a combo together. A surge of energy erupted from Izuku. A mote of green light and energy shot out from him, towards Momo.

“Materia, you’re up!” Izuku called out to his girlfriend as he jumped back to the junk pile.

The ravenette felt her body becoming more energized as the connection between her and Izuku strengthened. She acted, rushing Minamimoto as her Quirk flared. Momo could feel that her next creation was stronger as if Izuku’s own Quirk was adding its power to her. She formed another bo staff, though instead of the usual gray metal, this one had a darker sheen, a pattern of intricate waves lining the shaft.

Momo didn’t have the time to admire it, though. She kept her attention on the struggling Villain in front of her.

Minamimoto’s eyes widened as the end of Momo’s staff slammed into his collarbone. He felt it nearly shatter from the impact alone. A plan formed in his head, his mind racing with an equation as the ravenette kept up her assault. Minamimoto simply tanked the hits before slamming his hand against the capture foam.

Momo saw a new formula form on her trap before it suddenly shattered by Minamimoto as he lashed out his arms to block her final attack. Her mind ran a mile a minute as she tried to make sense of what happened. She was too caught up in her surprise that she lost her focus, allowing the amber-eyed Villain to strike her.

“GAH!” The ravenette cried out in pain as the back of the Villain’s fist struck her arm and managed to lift her off the ground.

Izuku watched as Momo sailed through the air from the backhanded strike. He quickly Blinked to her and wrapped his arms around her, doing his best to shrug off her momentum as they landed. The verdette was forced on the defensive as Minamimoto rushed the pair.

Resolute quickly formed a barrier around the two students as Minamimoto’s blackened hand slammed into the green dome. Fracture lines formed from the impact sight and expanded outward across the dome. Izuku could feel the mental pain beginning to prick at his mind. He had failed to understand the full power behind Minamimoto’s Quirk.

He maintained the barrier as long as he could, using the time to understand what they were up against. ‘He creates formulas along his arm, dictating what the energy does. He created a wall, using the idea of an X and Y axis.’ Minamimoto slammed his fist into another section of the barrier, causing it to falter. Izuku bit back a wince as he tried to keep focus. ‘He then determined an arc and it followed along how many degrees he set to it. Next, he broke free of Momo’s capture foam.’

Momo could see Izuku’s mind racing and understood where his thought process was. “He changed the density of the foam,” she explained. “He created a rule and formula that changed how the foam worked.”

“Correct!” Minamimoto said as he finally shattered the barrier. He kicked the pair of students away from him, the force behind his attack sending them skidding across the ground and towards the junk pile. “My mind calculates the impossible and throws out trash values.”

The amber-eyed Villain had a feral smile on his face as he tapped the side of his head with a finger. “I think, therefore it is what I make of it.” His smile dropped into a sneer as he stared down the two Hero students. “So, what makes you zeros think you can do the impossible? While you are busy trying to even disprove my work, I’ve already calculated my victory. All that will happen is that everyone else will realize how right I am.”

Izuku tried to stand up, his lungs gasping for air when he fell to a knee. He took a moment to stabilize himself. Momo was in a similar spot to the verdette. Her muscles ached and burned with each movement as she tried to rise. The two students finally managed to get their feet under them, standing on shaky legs as they stared down the Villain.

"It doesn't matter what you planned," Izuku stated through his haggard breathing. His eyes narrowed on Minamimoto, his emerald-green orbs full of defiance. "Because I know we can stop you. It's our job to do the impossible."

Minamimoto began to laugh at the verdette's declaration. "Heh. You can try, but anything times zero is still zero. That's a very real truth that you can't change."

"We won't know until we try," Momo interjected as she reached for a flashbang. She shot Izuku a look from the corner of her eyes. The verdette caught on to what she was doing and an impromptu plan formed in his head.

"So let's start with step one!" Izuku spread his arms out, Orbit reaching out and grabbing several large objects from the junk pile. Once the bunny-hooded Hero student reached his Psych's weight limit, he brought his arms forward, directing the trash in his psychokinetic grasp to fly towards Minamimoto. Momo quickly pulled the pin to her flashbang and tossed it among the trash as green energy enveloped it.

Minamimoto generated another wall of black energy in front of him, blocking Izuku's attack. When he dropped his shield, he was met with a bright flash and a loud bang. He howled in discomfort as his ears rang, his eyes blinded as stars swam in his vision.

"Time for step two," Momo said as she examined the junk pile, her onyx eyes trailing over the tower as she looked for any weak points for them to exploit. She noted that there were several large pieces of debris and metal helping maintain the pile's shape. She tapped Izuku on the shoulder, drawing his attention to those pieces. "Those look like they're supporting the main structure. We need to take those out."

She casually reached for another capture grenade from her belt and rolled it at Minamimoto before he could fully recover. The Villain, however, managed to use his Quirk to fix his vision in time to see the orb coming towards him. He simply kicked the grenade aside, with it erupting as it hit the side of a store building further down the road.

"Take them down, Link!" Momo ordered as she rushed Minamimoto. The ravenette reached for the last flashbang on her belt and her grapple gun as Izuku waited for Orbit to recharge.

Before she could toss the grenade at the Villain, Minamimoto held out his arm as he showed off another formula on his arm. A bolt of black energy shot out from his palm and forced Momo to dodge the ranged attack. She responded to the attack by tossing the flashbang at Minamimoto, straight at his head, which he lazily tilted to the side, letting the flashbang fly past him.

Momo smirked as she held out her grapple gun and launched it. The claw whizzed past Minamimoto, latched onto the grenade without detonating it, and was reeled back as the brainy Hero student pulled the trigger.

Minamimoto lowered his head, his Quirk shifting along his body to cover his eyes. As the blast was triggered, the amber-eyed Villain rushed Momo. His speed surprised the ravenette, catching her off guard as he slammed into her. Her body was flung back from the force, sending her flying past Izuku and the junk pile.

Momo cried out in pain each time her body hit the pavement, her cloak beginning to flay as it did its job protecting her from the damage her body would have suffered.

Izuku felt his heart drop as he saw Momo come to a stop. Relief came soon after as he saw her stir, trying her best to recover from the attack. As much as it hurt him to do so, Izuku had to worry about the ravenette later and shifted his focus back to the pile.

The verdette could hear Minamimoto getting closer, forcing him to pick up the pace as Orbit flared to life. Izuku focused on the largest pieces that Momo pointed out to him, feeling his Psych reach out and grab them tightly. He threw his hands back, sending the salvage out of the pile and towards Minamimoto. The sudden loss of support caused the tower to crumble, a shower of trash and debris being pulled down by gravity and littering the street around it.

Izuku's eyes scanned the ground, looking for a spot to place his tag when Minamimoto appeared behind him. The bunny-hooded Hero student looked over his shoulder, time slowing down as the Villain lashed out with a spiked knuckle.

Minamimoto smirked as he was about to land his attack, only to feel a jolt of pain run up his arm when his fist slammed into an energy shield appearing on the verdette's now-raised arm. His mind felt stunned by the action, his body lethargic as he struggled to move.

Izuku didn't push his advantage. Instead, he looked back at the pile of trash and debris in front of him. Under a large piece of metal, he spotted a series of numbers, indicating where the ring was.

A smile formed on his face and he pulled his hand back, pumping as much energy into X-Factor as he could. "Step three! Throw in a zero and change the formula!" Izuku declared triumphantly as his hand hit the pavement. A light shined below it as his symbol branded the street.

The ambient noise caused by Minamimoto's Quirk was now gone, replaced by the growing cascade of sound coming from Shibuya. Izuku could see life returning to the people around him. His triumph was cut short when a hand roughly grabbed the back of his hood and threw him away from the mass of trash.

Izuku hit the pavement and skidded across the street. He caught himself, shifting his body as he slid across the ground. When the verdette finally stopped at the edge of the Scramble, he saw an enraged Minamimoto looming over him, the Villain's amber eyes practically glowing as he stared down the Hero student.

"Congratulations are in order," Minamimoto growled out. He stepped towards Izuku, causing the freckled student to back up. "You actually ceased the function of my rule with your sloppy addition."

A cruel smirk formed on his face, sending shivers down Izuku's spine. "But that doesn't matter. I can easily adapt and rework the problem. It's time to apply a new rule!"

Static filled Izuku's vision as a mass of dark energy formed around Minamimoto. When the darkness shrouding the amber-eyed Villain dissipated, Izuku could feel the power swirling around him.

Both of Minamimoto's forearms were covered in black markings and the sleeves of his heavy coat ripped and shredded at the seams. The now-tattered coat was opened, revealing a stylized black lion skull running down his torso. His hat and red bandanna were blown away during the transformation, allowing his spiky, gray-brown hair to flow unrestricted.

"Better keep up, Zeptogram! Because your problems just multiplied!" Minamimoto roared as he blitzed Izuku further into the Scramble Crossing, bowling through civilians who were recovering from the effects of his city-wide rule.

Momo pushed up on her arms in time to see Izuku being assaulted by the amber-eyed Villain, her eyes widening as worry flooded her being. As she managed to stand back up, she pulled out her phone to contact Uzuki and followed after the pair when she saw Beat and Edgeshot not far from her.

"BEAT! EDHESHOT!" She called out hurriedly to the pair of Pro Heroes. The two shook off their disorientation as the ravenette stopped right next to them.

"Materia?" Edgeshot asked as he looked around the street, obviously surprised by the night sky hanging over the cityscape. Realizing that he and Beat had been inactive for hours, he looked to his intern, hoping to get a better understanding of the situation. "What's happened?"

"Link overcame Minamimoto's Quirk and we've been working on countering his rule," Momo answered as her phone connected to Uzuki's. "Agent Uzuki! Link tagged Minamimoto's formula at Tower Records but they're currently fighting at the Scramble!"

----------

"Shit!" Uzuki cried out in rage at what she heard, catching the attention of several Heroes and agents next to her. She pulled away from her phone and barked out orders to those around her, "Okay people! I got confirmation from inside Shibuya that Minamimo's Quirk is no longer affecting the city and he's moved to the Scramble! Move it! Start evacuating the area and get after that bastard!"

A heavy gust of wind, followed by a sonic boom followed her command. She nearly was knocked to the ground from the blast when she caught sight of Gran Torino chasing after a speeding All Might, heading straight for Shibuya.

----------

Izuku felt Minamimoto slam a fist into his gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling in the middle of the Scramble's crosswalk. The amber-eyed Villain stalked closer to the downed Hero student as the crowd of civilians slowly regained their consciousness and backed away from the ensuing fight.

As the dark-haired man neared Izuku, the pair heard a sonic boom ringing from beyond the city's limits. Minamimoto smirked, understanding that reinforcements would soon be arriving. Acting quickly, two formulas appeared on his arms as he slammed his hands into the ground, his fingers digging through the pavement and sending out pulses of energy.

"Can't have him messing up my work. Time for a new rule," the Villain declared as he erected an energy barrier around himself and Izuku. The barrier took the shape of a prism and covered the area within the crosswalks of the Scramble.

Civilians watched on in awe in fear as their minds finally recognized what was happening before them. Their fears were washed away as a mass of muscle slammed into the ground, right next to the barrier. Izuku felt relief wash over him as he saw All Might's form take shape as the dust caused by his landing billowed away in the wind.

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might noticed the barrier between him and his successor, causing him to worry about the verdette. He looked around at the crowd and called out to them, "Everyone! Stand back!"

The crowd wisely took heed of the Pro Hero's warning, the mass of people shuffling away as All Might wound up a punch. "TEXAS SMASH!!!"

Despite the power he put behind his attack, the punch simply bounced off the barrier, not even leaving a scratch in its wake.

"Nice try, you barbarian," Minamimoto said as he clapped his hands. The Villain gave the blonde a mocking grin, which All Might returned with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows. "But it's not your turn. Not yet. First," the Villain said, turning his attention to Izuku as the verdette managed to stand back up, "I need to teach a few lessons to the Wannabe-Zero."

Minamimoto seemingly appeared in front of Izuku in the blink of an eye and kicked the Hero student into the barrier. Izuku let out a sharp gasp as his body slammed into the wall. "First lesson. You thought you could outsmart me." The amber-eyed Villain held out his arm as a series of black energy blasts shot out from his palm and towards the verdette.

Izuku rolled out of the way, the blasts slamming into the barrier. Blinking out of Minamimoto's sight, the verdette appeared at another wall, and placed his hand against it as he planned to cancel out the barrier with X-Factor. It would cost the Hero student more of his accessible stockpile, but if he could bring down the barrier, he could bring All Might into the fight.

As soon as he did though, he noticed that his Psych failed. Dread filled Izuku's core as Minamimoto's laughter filled the air.

"Did you really think it would be simple subtraction?" The Villain asked mockingly. He puffed out his chest and held out his arms, drawing Izuku's attention to the black markings on his body. "You already know what I did, don't you?"

That feeling of dread Izuku felt only grew as the realization struck him. "You boosted yourself with your Quirk. You applied that rule you used on Ozaru to yourself..."

"And time to give credit where credit is due. Well done, you can actually compute two plus two," Minamimoto said as he dropped his arms and suddenly blitzed Izuku again.

The verdette Blinked away, feeling the strain on his Psych as his body was growing more and more fatigued as the fight went on. Right as he reappeared, so did Minamimoto.

"SO ZETTA SLOW!" The Villain declared as he placed a hand on Izuku's back, blasting him away with a bolt of energy.

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might cried out as he watched the Hero student roll across the hard, unforgiving pavement. He let out a guttural growl before slamming his fist against the barrier. Again and again, he struck the wall in a vain attempt to break it down and reach his successor.

"What the hell are you doing, you oaf!?" Torino said to his former student as he joined his side.

"Minamimoto has young Midoriya trapped! I can't break through his barrier!" The No. 1 Hero roared back as he continued his assault.

"Well obviously your punching has done nothing! Calm down and think of another way!" Torino chided the Pro Hero.

All Might listened to the elderly Hero and lowered his arms. He tried to figure out a way around Minamimoto's Quirk, but all he could focus on was the fact that his successor was trapped with the Villain. He winced as he watched Izuku attempt to fight back, only to come up short as Minamimoto seemed to toy with the bunny-hooded student.

"All Might-sensei!" The Pro Hero turned to see an injured Momo run up to him. The blonde felt failure stack upon failure as he realized that both of his students had been actively fighting back against the Villain all night, all while he was unable to do anything to help.

As he is still unable to do anything to help.

Torino looked over at the ravenette when his eyes widened at the sight of Beat running up after her. "Kid? You alright?"

"Grampa-rino? The hell are you doin' here old timer?" The Thrasher Hero asked.

"I came to check up on your dumb ass, you oaf!" Torino yelled back in annoyance. Beat had the decency to wince at the older Hero's tone. Off to the side, All Might also winced, an automatic response he had developed during his time training with Gran Torino all those years ago.

Momo ignored the byplay happening beside her as she kept her eyes on Izuku. Her heart clenched as she saw him struggle to fight back against the Villain. She could hear the crowd that had yet to disperse voice their concerns about the verdette, calling out to All Might to help him as he fought Minamimoto.

Those voices only served to compound Momo and All Might's worries.

Izuku pooled his energy into Buster-Shot, holding out his palm as he thrust his arm out at Minamimoto. This Spread Shot attack blasted forth from his hand as the majority of his attack landed, only for the amber-eyed Villain to brush it off.

"Lesson two. Everything is a numbers game. And I cut you off from any additions you could have had to boost your chances from impossible to inconceivable." Minamimoto stalked up to Izuku as the verdette held his ground, staring defiantly at the Villain. It was about the only thing he could do at the moment. Minamimoto smirked at the glare he received, "Just like you studied how my Quirk works, I made sure I knew how to counter you. I don't know how you bypassed my Refinement Rule, but without help, you're not even a factor anymore."

Minamimoto shifted his footing and held out his arm. A mass of energy built up in his palm, expanding into a large sphere of torrential energy. As the Villain released his attack, Izuku reacted by summoning a barrier with Resolute, focusing his attention as best he could on maintaining his defense.

The ball of energy slammed into the shield, forcing itself into the barrier's surface. Izuku began to struggle, his knees going weak and his mind scrambling as his brain started to pound within his skull. His defense faltered, his shield shattering as Minamimoto's attack maintained its vector, and struck Izuku.

"GAH!" The verdette's body flew back as the blast knocked him off his feet. His headset's visor shattered and fell to the ground, his hooded battle coat becoming torn and tattered as he was blasted back. As soon as Izuku hit the ground, almost all his strength left his body. The world around him seemed to fade away as his ears struggled to make sense of the noise around him.

Izuku swore he could hear Momo calling out to him and Melissa trying to reach him through his headset. Even Ego's comforting hum seemed to get lost in the noise. But each of them just faded away as his mind began to drift.

Standing several feet away from the downed Hero student, Minamimoto took stock of the scene around him. He saw the panicked look in the eyes of the civilians watching the fight, the anger and worry on the Heroes' faces as they watched him dismantle the green-haired student at his feet. He enjoyed every second of it and basked in his early victory. A wide smirk formed on the Villain's face when he noticed that most of the crowd was filming the fight, and with the news crews soon joining them, the amber-eyed mathematician decided to play into his role.

Minamimoto wanted the student to truly feel defeat and this was how he would do it. Running a hand through his bangs and slicking them back, he generated a new rule, amplifying his voice so that it would sound out through the Scramble.

"Listen up you zeptogram!" The Villain caught the crowds' attention as he looked down at Izuku. He watched as the Hero student slowly turned his head to look up. "This whole system, this damn world, and its obsessions, are garbage. What you are doing is simply trying to factor into a flawed equation. Heroes, Villains... they're all zeros to me. Numbers that don't matter at all and bring down the perfect system."

"Too many people think that they have it all figured out." Minamimoto barked out a laugh. "They're simply dealing with the imaginary. Me? I deal with reality. And reality is cold calculations. And I will make it flawless."

The Villain directed his attention to the crowd outside the barrier as he continued his speech, "You all saw how easily I can do so. For half a day, I managed to turn this city on its head. All those differing opinions, all those useless factors..." Minamimoto slammed a fist into his palm, "I added them to the heap, proved that they were worthless."

Minamimoto turned his attention back to Izuku, his amber eyes boring into the verdette. "Just like you... What did you think would happen? That you could be the Hero in all this? No. You have been and always will be, a Zero. It's time to get real."

The defiance in Izuku's eyes began to fade at Minamimoto's words. Being declared useless caused his mind to travel back to the past, when his Quirk was out of his reach, just like his dreams. At his uselessness. His worthlessness.

Izuku cringed as he remembered his past. His heart ached. Despite all his time with Mr. H and working on fixing his destroyed confidence, the verdette was finding himself believing Minamimoto.

After all, this was a man who had the power to bring him down. To break him apart and leave the pieces scattered on the ground.

How could he hope to win now?

'I guess... I'll never stop being Deku...' The verdette thought as his mind spiraled out of control.

A beat sounded out. Against the intrusive thoughts and self-deprecation, a best fought back. Izuku's eyes widened slightly as he recognized Ego reaching out to him. And Izuku did the same. The connection he had with his Quirk flared to life as Izuku gained a second wind.

"No..." The verdette pushed himself off the ground, shocking the crowd of civilians and causing Momo and the others to let out a held breath. Minamimoto quirked a brow, curious as to how the Hero student would retort.

"I'm not worthless." Izuku declared as he managed to catch himself as he struggled to stand. "My world is what I make of it. I stopped letting others tell me what I am. And I won't let you do the same."

Izuku finally stood up and faced Minamimoto, his emerald-green eyes full of defiance and determination. He slowly reached for his pin pouch, using Orbit to grab Vitali-Tea and sending it to his hand. He switched out Buster-Shot with his Cure-Drink Psych and immediately used it.

Red energy enveloped his body, easing his muscles and tending to his many injuries. As the red energy shifted to a bright green one, Izuku used the Psych again, fully healing the damage done to him. He switched his pins again and clenched his fist tightly, his voice booming proudly as he spoke, Ego roaring within him as he did, "I AM THE HERO FOR ALL: LINK! SO GET READY MINAMIMOTO!"

Izuku released the tags he set with X-Factor and felt his stockpile return to normal. He shifted his legs and readied himself for a fight as he stared down Minamimoto, "For I am here to protect this city!"

"Then bring it, you zeptogram!" Minamimoto roared.

All eyes were on the two as they fought. Cameras from various angles, whether they were held by either civilians or news crews, caught the ensuing fight.

----------

Shinso and Kyoka leaned forward in their seats as they watched their friend battle the Villain, the two Hero students heavily invested and rooting for Izuku. Even Himiko was becoming engrossed in the battle.

The indigoette felt his heart drop when he saw the despondent look on his friend's face. He remembered when the verdette was there for him their first meeting, how Izuku did his best to help him out of the dark spiral Shinso found himself in.

It was hard to see his friend suffer the same way he did all those years ago.

When Shinso saw Izuku stand back up, he found himself doing the same as a tired and proud smile formed on his face.

----------

Melissa gripped her hands tightly as she kept her eyes on her screen. She grew worried for Izuku when he failed to respond. And after hearing Minamimoto's words, she couldn't help but start to doubt herself, just like she saw Izuku do.

But when he stood back up, she heard the verdette's words. Each one began to resonate with the curvy blonde as she listened intently to his declaration. Her heart swelled as he proudly said his name in defiance.

And now, she watched as he became the Hero he said he would be.

----------

Shoka let out a loud cheer as she watched Izuku rise to his feet.

It hurt to see him being broken and battered. The slender ravenette couldn't help but feel useless as she watched the fight happen in real-time from the different cameras on sight, catching everything as it happened.

But when Izuku managed to stand back up and challenge Minamimoto, she couldn't keep the proud smile off of her face. She even saw Mirko get invested out of the corner of her eye. But Shoka kept her focus on the fight, and the green-haired, freckled dork she called her boyfriend.

Her Hero.

----------

All Might watched his successor with a proud smile on his face. The verdette's declaration caused One for All to stir within him, reaching out to connect with the Hero student. It reminded The Pro Hero of his first meeting with the young man.

And when the No. 1 Hero felt something reach out and connect with his Quirk, his smile grew even wider as he could practically experience the determination to win from Izuku. The desire to make sure everyone was safe. And the will to never give up. All Might felt it all as the connection made between One for All and Ego solidified for the first time.

Inside the barrier, Izuku rushed Minamimoto, Excalibur forming an energy blade that the verdette used to slash at the amber-eyed Villain. He knew that his attacks would be less-than-effective at the moment, but he needed to buy time to figure out a plan. He and Beat defeated Ozaru by working together as Ego formed a link between them. That was the only way they could damage the Gorilla-Villain, and it would be the only way he could damage Minamimoto.

And Minamimoto himself was a challenge. Izuku, with his own limited training with Aizawa, could tell that his opponent didn't have the same experience he did. But the amber-eyed Villain more than made up for it with the knowledge and skill he used with his Quirk. Add on the Reinforcement Rule Minamimoto stated to have applied to himself, his near-invulnerability made things even more difficult.

Before Izuku could string together a combo, with Excalibur, the amber-eyed mathematician utilized the advantage he had and powered through the verdette's attack and knocked him away with an arc of energy. Izuku was put on the back foot as Minamimoto followed up with a series of energy blasts, keeping Izuku at a distance.

The verdette was undeterred and met the Villain's ranged attacks with his own. Izuku held out his fist and braced his arm as he channeled his stockpiled energy into Buster-Shot and fired a series of Energy Bullets at Minamimoto's salvo, countering them with his own. With the remaining charge he felt with his Psych, Izuku turned his hand and made a finger-gun gesture, switching up his fire-type with a Force Round.

The energy attack shot out and pierced Minamimoto, causing the Villain to flinch ever-so-slightly.

This new bit of information spurred Izuku to press his attack, only to run into a wall, quite literally as Minamimoto generated a shield to protect himself from the verdette. He had to Blink away quickly as the wall formed a series of spikes along its face, nearly skewering him.

Minamimoto was just as fast, warping beside Izuku and slamming a fist into his side. Izuku gasped as the force of the attack knocked the wind out of him. Fighting through the pain, a new plan formed in his mind.

With Minamimoto so close to him, Izuku now had a chance to get a hold of the Villain. Planting his hand against the amber-eyed man, Izuku channeled his energy into X-Factor, hoping that his Psych could tag his target and possibly cancel the Reinforcement Rule.

Unfortunately, his Psych was unable to bypass Minamimoto's Quirk which resulted in Izuku getting tossed and blasted away from the Villain.

Beat watched as Izuku skidded to a halt and used Blink to jump around the cage he was in. The Thrasher Hero started to grit his teeth, his jaw clenching tightly as he grew aggravated at the idea of Minamimoto not even being close to hurt since the fight started. The blonde had recognized the same thing Izuku did and knew from that that his intern was in for a struggle.

Unwilling to stand by and do nothing, the Thrasher Hero instead chose to cheer for the verdette, hyping up his intern as best he could. "COME ONE, LINK! KICK PI-FACE TO THE CURB AND STOMP HIS ASS, YO!"

His words reached Izuku in a way he didn't expect. Within the blonde Hero, the past connection he had with Izuku through his Quirk was remade, allowing energy to surge from Beat to Izuku.

The verdette felt the energy before he saw the green light puck envelop him. A wide smile formed on his face as he re-engaged Minamimoto. Izuku decided to use as much power as he could and began to link several of the Psychs set to his person. Orbit was first, followed by Excaliber, Buster-Shot, and then Blink.

"Psychronization! Blade Blitz!" Izuku howled as seven energy blades formed around Minamimoto.

Faster than the Villain could track, Izuku warped from blade to blade, slashing and hacking away at Minamimoto, and bypassed his Reinforcement Rule. The amber-eyed Villain felt each and every cut made to his body, causing him to howl in pain.

Enraged, Minamimoto performed a new attack as a formula formed along his arm. "Stay in your vector, trash!" He slammed into the ground and a pillar of dark energy shot up around him. Izuku was unable to cancel his attack and ended up slamming into Minamimoto's defensive counter.

As a result, the puck of light amplifying Izuku's Quirk faded. He winced as his body dealt with the damage from Minamimoto's counter, the verdette stumbling as he stood back up. Minamimoto was no better, he noticed. The Villain took quite a bit of damage from the Psychronization, meaning that Izuku now had a chance.

And with a chance, a new plan came to mind.

"Aegis, are you there?" Izuku asked into his headset.

"I'm here, Link," Melissa replied.

Izuku kept his eyes on Minamimoto and dodged another attack from the Villain. Once he gained some distance, he spoke to Melissa, "I need you to track that exponential boost that I get from linking with others. I have a plan to stop Minamimoto and I need as much energy as I can put into it as I can."

"Understood. Kick his ass, Link." With that, Melissa went silent, allowing Izuku to focus on Minamimoto.

Needing to ensure that Momo and Beat understood his plan, he spoke to his opponent, gaining his and the other's attention, "There's one thing you didn't take into account, Minamimoto."

The Villain's amber eyes narrowed at the verdette's challenging statement. "Oh? Enlighten me."

Izuku brought his hand up to his chest, his fingers tapping Ego as it hid behind his tattered battle coat. "My name has meaning. With each person I connect with, each world I experience through them links us together. No matter what, I'm not alone. I'm not just a Hero for All, I'm a Hero with All!"

Beat was the first to respond, catching onto what Izuku was hinting at, "DAMN STRAIGHT LINK! NOW SHOW HIM HOW WE DO IT IN THE 'BUYA!"

As soon as Izuku felt the familiar light puck envelop him, he Blinked, appearing right in front of Minamimoto with an Excalibur blade in hand. The Villain quickly raised another defensive barrier of dark energy in an attempt to block the verdette, only for Izuku to Blink behind him.

Izuku performed several slashes on the Minamimoto before Blinking away to dodge an arc of energy the Villain attempted to strike him with. When he reappeared, Izuku was no longer wielding an energy blade. Instead an orb of energy formed in the palm of his hand that he brought to Minamimoto's torso. The point-blank Spread Shot launched the Villain into the air with a grunt, where Izuku Blinked again to meet him with another blast from Buster-Shot.

Minamimoto forcefully slammed into the pavement below. He was growing annoyed at the resistance the verdette Hero student was showing him. An enraged growl escaped his lips as he readied his next attack. When Izuku landed, Minamimoto slid across the ground, dragging his fingers against the pavement.

The Villain hit a certain point, making a sharp turn at a ninety-degree angle, and continued on to his next point before making the same sharp turn. Once he drew a triangle around Izuku, Minamimoto slammed his hands together as the lines he drew became walls of energy that began to shrink and threaten to crush the Hero student. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the verdette shield himself from the attack, leaving him safe and undamaged.

Izuku heard Momo call out to him, feeling their connection amplify as she did, "Keep it up, Link! Don't you dare falter!"

The verdette smiled brightly at his girlfriend's words. As the light puck returned to him, he felt the energy contained within was surging even stronger than last time. With the amplified energy fueling him, Izuku switched out Resolute for another Psych and connected it to Buster-Shot for another Psychronization.

Buster-Shot combined with Scratch Rhapsody, their powers intermingling as Izuku began to create a rhythm. "Laser Rave!" With his attack called out, the verdette began to assault Minamimoto with a salvo of lasers that danced to his disc jockeying.

Minamimoto warped around their area, dodging a few beams of energy, only for others to react differently than he expected as they began homing in on him. As the Villain tried to escape or block the powerful attack, Izuku relentlessly kept it up, not stopping until his Psychs were drained.

As the attack ended, Izuku could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him. He still needed a strong enough boost from the light puck if his plan was to work, and he was starting to get worried that he wouldn't get in time. Minamimoto proved to be much more durable under his Reinforcement Rule than the bunny-hooded Hero student thought.

"I'm growing tired of this. You've proven to be a thorn in my side for long enough," Minamimoto growled out as he glared at the verdette.

Minamimoto took inspiration from Izuku's last attack and mimicked it to a degree. Throwing his hands out, the amber-eyed Villain looked at his opponent with a feral grin forming on his face, "Let's see if you can reach the velocity needed to dodge this!"

Pillars of dark energy erupted all around Izuku in a random pattern. The verdette was forced to mix Blinking out of the way with physical dodging as Minamimoto's attack nearly covered the whole battlefield. After several close calls, Izuku was forced to use Resolute in order to block an eruption of energy, only to get hit by another that appeared right from under him.

Izuku was knocked to the ground, his connection to the light puck fading. 'C-crap baskets,' He mentally groaned. He brought himself to a knee, his breathing haggard as his exhaustion grew even more. He raised his head enough to get a look at the Villain across from him.

While Minamimoto wasn't in too bad a shape, he was still worse for wear compared to earlier. But that was still much better than the condition Izuku was in. Any boost to his stamina that Vitali-Tea provided was fading fast. And now that he was back to square one, he didn't know if he could last long enough to build up the exponential energy growth several light pucks provided him.

But Izuku remained defiant, standing back up on his feet, and staring down Minamimoto. Even if he was tired, he wasn't about to give up.

And it seemed that the crowd around him didn't want him to. He could hear them starting to chant his Hero name, urging him to stay in the fight. He picked up the voices of Momo and Beat cheering for him the loudest. But it was the proud smile on All Might's face that caught his attention.

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" The No. 1 Hero's voice boomed over the enraptured crowd as he spoke, "A Hero doesn't give up in the face of adversity! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO BEYOND!"

Something clicked between the current wielder of One for All and the future successor. Ego's hum grew deafening, its power resonating deeply within Izuku as a new light puck enveloped his body.

"Link! Something just happened with your Quirk! It's like you just got several of those light pucks passed to you," Melissa explained as she called him over his headset, "Whatever your plan is, now's the time to enact it!"

Izuku didn't need to be told twice. Ego was urging him to act. To finish this fight. And the verdette was more than willing to listen to his Quirk. "Plus Ultra..."

Pooling every bit of his amplified energy into X-Factor as he could, leaving just enough for one jump with Blink, Izuku broke off into a sprint towards Minamimoto.

The math-obsessed Villain's eyes narrowed dangerously as he readied an attack. Swiping his hands at Izuku, several arcs of dark energy shot out at the verdette, threatening to cut him to ribbons. At the last second, Izuku Blinked.

And Minamimoto felt a fist slam into his face, as Izuku let out a howl, "RULE BREAKER SMAAAAAAASH!!!"

A resounding boom was heard throughout the Scramble. Minamimoto's body slammed into the ground as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. When he impacted the ground, Izuku's symbol appeared at the crown of his hand, painting the pavement behind it as a white crossbones design formed along the Villain's chest.

The barrier locking the two in faded right after. The crowd of Heroes, civilians, and reporters watched in silence, all their eyes on the verdette as he stood over the downed Villain.

After several seconds, Izuku looked up at All Might. Seeing the proud smile on the Pro's face, Izuku couldn't help but match it as he raised his fist high up into the air. The crowd began to cheer wildly at his action, but Izuku ignored them. His body began to give out and it started to fall to the ground.

Instead of the hard pavement, Izuku found himself in Momo's arms, his head cradled against her soft breasts. He was thankful that she managed to catch him in time, and even more thankful at how she caught him. The verdette didn't care about what was happening all around him. All he cared about at the moment was basking in the warmth and comfort of the ravenette beside him.

He heard her let out a melodious giggle, the pleasant sound filling his ears as she spoke, "Rule Breaker Smash?"

"Felt right at the moment," Izuku defended. "Besides, I always wanted to punch something and scream smash. Plus All Might-sensei was watching, I just had to."

Momo giggled again. "Only you, Zuzu."

The two were lost in their own little world, neither wanting to break away from the other.

"Momo?" The ravenette let out a hum when the verdette addressed her. "Thank you. For being here. For sticking with me through all this. It means the world to me that you did."

"Of course, Zuzu." Momo lowered her head, burying her face into his fluffy green hair. "No matter what, I will always be there for you, just like Shoka would. And just like how you will always be there for us."

Izuku brought a hand up to his headset, albeit slowly, as he tried to contact Melissa, "Same to you, Melissa. Thanks for not giving up on us. We couldn't have done it without you."

"No problem, Izuku. You can always count on me." Izuku didn't doubt the blonde. There was a level of sincerity in her voice that left little doubt.

With that, Izuku's eyes began to close, his exhaustion finally getting to him and causing him to drift off into a well-earned rest.

- ALL for ONE'S HIDDEN BASE -

Sitting atop his throne, attached to the medical devices keeping him alive, the century-old Villain "watched" the screens surrounding him intently. The smile on his face grew as he listened to the various reports on the aftermath of the attack on Shibuya.

But his focus was on the young man who managed to defeat a Villain that brought the city to its knees.

"Once more, this Midoriya continues to impress me," the Quirk Thief said to himself as the news continued to place. "And it seems, that the blonde buffoon has chosen him as his successor as well."

His smile grew more malicious at the thought. He heard All Might's words to the Hero student, and the age-old Villain managed to pick up on the subtle undertones the No. 1 Hero hid in his words.

"Soon, I will have what was once mine. With interest."

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