Chapter 12: Breach & Battle
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The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. Students started packing up their bags and filing out of the classroom, eager to get some food.
I made my way through the crowded halls, weaving in and out of the crowd. The cafeteria was packed with students when I arrived, the air filled with the sounds of chatter and laughter.
I entered the cafeteria, or better known as Lunch Rush's Eatery.
Lunch Rush's Eatery was a bustling place, filled with students from every class and grade. The aroma of delicious food wafted through the air, making my mouth water.
I spotted some familiar faces in the crowd, including my classmates and a few others from other classes. It wasn't easy to tell which students were from which class based on their uniforms.
I got in line and patiently waited for my turn to order. There were a lot of students in front of me, so it was going to take a while.
After about ten minutes of waiting, I finally reached the front of the line. Lunch Rush was there, his cheerful expression as warm as ever.
"Hello, Narikawa! What can I get you?"
"What do you suggest I get, Lunch Rush-sensei?"
Lunch Rush chuckled, rubbing his tube in thought.
"Hmm, well I always say the best meal is the one you make yourself, but I'll give you a little recommendation."
Lunch Rush turned to the counter and grabbed a tray. He then started loading it up with a variety of food, from rice to tempura to grilled fish.
"I'll go with the traditional Japanese lunch. It's a classic for a reason."
He placed the tray in my hands and smiled at me.
"Enjoy your meal, young man."
"Thank you, Lunch Rush-sensei!" I thanked our resident Teuchi Otsutsuki.
Lunch Rush gave me a nod before turning to the next customer in line. I headed over to the seating area, looking for a place to sit.
As I looked around, I saw that Midoriya, Ochako, and Iida were already sitting at a table together. Hikari, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.
I walked over to the table and sat down next to Midoriya, setting my tray down in front of me. The others greeted me warmly as I joined them.
Midoriya looked at my tray and smiled.
"Looks like you got the same thing I did."
"Yeah, I asked Lunch Rush-sensei what he suggests I should get."
"Good choice. I've never seen him make a bad meal."
Iida chimed in, his chopsticks poised over his food.
The four of us began eating, chatting and joking as we enjoyed our lunch. The atmosphere was light and cheerful, the conversation flowing easily.
"Hey, Iida."
Iida looked up from his food, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Yes?"
"Are you part of some hero family?"
I remembered this was a mini discussion between them in canon. I only remembered because Uraraka said that Iida should be Class Rep because of his glasses or something.
Iida nodded, looking a bit sheepish.
"Yes, I am. I'm from the Iida family, one of the top hero families in Japan."
Midoriya and Ochako exchanged glances, both surprised at this revelation.
Iida looked between the two of them, slightly embarrassed by their reactions.
"What?"
Midoriya and Ochako were speechless, their eyes wide with surprise. Iida shifted uncomfortably in his seat, waiting for one of them to say something.
"He's the younger brother of Turbo Hero: Ingenium." I chimed in.
Midoriya's jaw dropped.
"You're related to the Turbo Hero: Ingenium?!"
Ochako's eyes widened even more.
"That's incredible!"
Iida nodded, a small smile forming on his face. He was clearly proud of his family's legacy, but also a bit humble about it.
"Yeah, I am. He's my big brother."
Midoriya and Ochako continued to stare at Iida in amazement, still processing this new information. After a few moments, Midoriya finally spoke up.
"You're going to have to tell us more about your family, Iida."
Iida chuckled, his smile widening.
"Alright, I suppose I could share some stories. But only if you promise not to fanboy over my brother."
"Because that's Iida's job~" I joked.
Iida's face turned bright red at the jab, causing Midoriya and Ochako to burst into laughter. He shot me a playful glare, but there was no anger behind it.
"Hey, that's not fair! You know I look up to my brother!"
Midoriya and Ochako were still giggling, enjoying the banter between Iida and I. Iida crossed his arms, pretending to be annoyed, but he couldn't hide his own smile.
"You guys are the worst."
An alarm bell rang, all of the students looked freaked out.
The four of us stopped laughing and looked around, wondering what the noise was.
"What's that sound?"
"Warning, Level 3 Security Breach! All students, please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion!" The intercom announced, the ringing continued.
My eyes widened in alarm as the announcement continued. The students around me began to panic, some shouting and running towards the exits.
It seems Shigaraki has used his quirk on the front entrance and is looking at the list.
Iida quickly stood up from the table, his expression serious.
"We need to get out of here, now!"
"Iida, Midoriya, and Ochako stay here" I announced, I knew the school thought it was just the reporters. I needed to calm the students and then move.
Iida, Midoriya, and Ochako looked at me, confused.
"What? Why?"
"You'll see…" I sighed in disappointment, hearing all the screaming and yelling.
The three of them exchanged worried glances, clearly concerned about the situation.
"Is something wrong?"
Midoriya asked, his voice laced with concern.
I levitated, a golden energy surrounded me as I floated above all of the students in the hallway outside of Lunch Rush's Eatery.
Midoriya, Ochako, and Iida stared up at me in awe as I floated above the crowd. The golden energy around me shimmered and sparkled, drawing even more attention to me
3rd Person
"Oi, you retarded fucking monkeys!" Haruto screamed out as he floated above everyone.
The entire cafeteria fell silent, everyone's eyes turning to look at him. A few of the students were visibly shaking, and some were looking at Haruto with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
"Is this the best you can be as a student of U.A., you're all being disappointments to the school." Haruto said while insulting them.
"Look outside the fucking windows, morons. It's the fucking press, the media. What actual braindead moron would break into a hero school?"
The students slowly turned to look outside the windows, their faces turning red as they realized that Haruto was right. A few of them let out embarrassed sighs, while others muttered to themselves about how they were so worried for nothing.
"I get that you're scared but you're in a hero school. It doesn't matter if you're in the hero course, support course, business course, or even the general studies course. You all made it in here, so act like you belong here."
Haruto's words seemed to have an effect on the students, who now looked more determined than scared. Some of them nodded in agreement, while others clenched their fists in resolve. The panic and chaos from before had died down, replaced by a new sense of purpose and determination.
"I apologize for insulting everyone here, but it was the only way to get everyone's attention. The police will be here soon, just wait and be patient."
The students mumbled their thanks, still a bit embarrassed about their earlier reaction. Iida, Midoriya, and Ochako watched Haruto floated back down to the ground, still processing everything that had just happened.
Haruto secretly walked away, quickly searching the hallways for the real culprits.
As he searched the hallways, he noticed that the chaos had mostly died down, with students now returning to their classrooms or chatting with their friends. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, indicating that the police were on their way.
Haruto continued his search, checking every corner and crevice for any signs of the real culprits. The more he looked, the more he realized that something was off about the situation.
As Haruto was thinking this, he noticed a strange shadow darting around a corner up ahead. It was fast, but he could just make out a humanoid shape. His instincts told him that this was what he was looking for.
"Hey!"
The shadowy figure stopped in its tracks, having heard Haruto. It turned around slowly, revealing a small man with an oversized, almost cartoonish grin on his face. He wore a brightly colored jumpsuit, and had a pair of goggles strapped to his forehead.
"The hell?"
The man grinned even wider, his eyes locking onto Haruto's.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here. If it isn't a hero student all alone in the halls. How perfect."
"You must have been part of the masterminds who breached the school. The press and media were just a distraction."
The man chuckled, clapping his hands together in a mocking manner.
"Very astute, little hero. You figured it out."
"Go on and introduce yourself, clown"
The man laughed again, clearly amused by Haruto's insult.
"I am the mastermind behind this operation. I am called Mr. Compress, and I must say, I'm quite impressed that you managed to figure out my little ruse."
'The fuck did he just say…? I heard that right… Oh fuck!' Haruto thought, realizing things were different in this universe.
"I'm sorry, but I won't be letting you leave here, Villain."
Mr. Compress chuckled again, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
"Oh, really? And how exactly do you plan to stop me, hero?"
Haruto shot multiple golden psychic energy blasts at Mr. Compress. Haruto was testing the waters against such a foe.
Mr. Compress dodged the blasts with surprising agility, his movements almost dance-like in their fluidity. He continued to laugh as he evaded Haruto's attacks.
"Is that the best you can do?"
"Is that the best you can do? Are you scared of some golden energy~?" Haruto tried to anger him. 'This guy was the real deal, not some thug off the street.'
Mr. Compress smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Fear? Me? Oh, darling, you have no idea who you're dealing with."
He snapped his fingers, and suddenly the hallway was filled with marbles that began to roll towards Haruto at quick speeds.
Haruto created a golden psychic wall in front of himself.
Mr. Compress' quirk works by compressing and storing matter; psychokinesis involves manipulating energy through the mind. The two powers are based on different principles and mechanisms, and it is unlikely that they should interact in a straightforward way.
Thankfully, the marbles bounced off the psychic wall, clattering to the ground around Haruto. Mr. Compress's smirk only grew wider as he watched Haruto effortlessly block his attack.
"Oh, so you can create barriers too? How interesting…"
Haruto manipulated psychic energy on Mr. Compress' body, to keep him from escaping. Haurto could keep him here as long as another factor doesn't come into play. Mr. Compress was still an adult and had way more experience in fighting.
Mr. Compress gasped as he felt the golden psychic pressure surrounding him, pinning him to the ground. He struggled against it, but found himself unable to move.
"Grr… damn it!"
"What's your goal?" Haruto already knew, but he had to confirm it. 'Who knows what else has changed in this universe.'
Mr. Compress gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed at being restrained. After a moment, he spoke, his voice strained.
"I have no obligation to tell you anything, little hero."
"You aren't making it out of here, Mr. Compress!"
Mr. Compress scoffed, still struggling against Haruto's psychic hold.
"You're just a student. What makes you think you can stop me?"
Haruto couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, as if the villain had some sort of ace up his sleeve. Haruto couldn't let his guard down, no matter how much he was restrained.
"Who are you working for?!" Haruto needed to try and confirm it was the League of Villains and not some random job.
Mr. Compress chuckled again, a dark gleam in his eyes.
"Now, now, I can't just go revealing my secrets to a student like you. I'd have to kill you if I did."
"You aren't some mafia boss! You'd kill a 15 year old boy?"
Mr. Compress smirked, his eyes cold and unfeeling.
"What makes you think I have any morals, little hero? You're naive if you think villains only kill for a purpose."
"Every villain has some type of moral code, even the Peerless Thief from so long ago! If they don't they're just psychotic killers." Haruto tried to reason, as naive as the thought was.
Mr. Compress rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by Haruto's so-called moral reasoning.
"And who told you that? A fairy tale? Villains aren't as black and white as you seem to think. We're human too, you know."
"If you have no morals, you are the black that stains the gray and white."
Mr. Compress let out a scoff, clearly unamused by Haruto's attempt at poetic justice.
"That's rich, coming from a hero student who doesn't know the first thing about the real world."
"But atleast I'm trying, I may not know who you are or your backstory. But what I do know is that murdering innocent people will never justify anything."
Mr. Compress rolled his eyes again, clearly growing impatient with Haruto's idealism.
"Spare me the lecture, kid. I've heard it all before. The world isn't as simple as you make it out to be. You're either a villain or a hero, there's no in-between."
"Then that would mean you're either black or white, evil or good. Which you said isn't the case a minute ago."
Mr. Compress paused for a moment, clearly frustrated by Haruto's rebuttal. He gritted his teeth as he spoke, his voice laced with irritation.
"I never said there was no gray area. But even gray areas have shades of black and white."
"Then why be the darker shades?"
Mr. Compress let out a low, menacing laugh.
"Why not? There's no thrill in playing it safe. The darker shades offer so much more… excitement."
"You don't care about that bullshit. You're an entertainer, the kind that has a habit of monologuing and showing off his entertainment skills."
Mr. Compress's eyes narrowed as Haruto called him out. He tried to maintain his nonchalant demeanor, but there was a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Hmph. So you're a smartass, huh?"
"If the truth is, then yes."
Mr. Compress chuckled, his expression seemed cold and calculating.
"Careful now. That tongue of yours could get you in trouble one day."
"You best be careful, that showman entertainer act will lead to your downfall."
Mr. Compress smirked, his confidence unwavering.
"I doubt it. My 'showman entertainer act' has gotten me far in life. I've played the villain, the hero, the lover, the trickster, and everything in between. I've never been defeated, and I never will be."
"Who do you think you are, The Bandit King? Oji Harima, The Peerless Thief, The Bandit King, passed away a long time ago."
Mr. Compress' smirk widened as Haruto mentioned Oji Harima. He seemed amused by Haruto's knowledge of the legendary thief.
"Ah, so you know of Oji Harima, do you? I'm surprised a little hero student like you would know anything about the past. That man was truly a master of his craft, wasn't he?"
"He was a robin hood, he was the lighter shades of black. I may have never known him personally, but he did some good acts."
Mr. Compress chuckled again, shaking his head.
"You really do see the world in black and white, don't you? You think that just because Oji Harima was a 'good' thief, he was a good person. That's where you're wrong. He was a villain just like me, and villains don't have morals."
"But you don't know him either, so how do you know?"
Mr. Compress smirked, his eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.
"You're right, I don't know him personally. But I know enough to tell you that the man you idolize was just as much of a monster as any other villain out there."
"As people say, never meet your heroes."
Mr. Compress chuckled, nodding in agreement.
"Indeed. It's always a letdown when you meet someone you look up to and find out they're just as flawed as the rest of us."
"How do you plan to escape? My teachers will be here anytime soon, anyone could walk past here."
Mr. Compress rolled his eyes, clearly not worried.
"Oh please, I've been in far more difficult situations than this. Escaping will be a piece of cake."
Haruto increased the psychic pressure on Mr. Compress.
Mr. Compress winced as the pressure increased, his face contorting in pain.
"Gah! Hey, easy on the pressure, kid!"
"I'm sorry, but I have to make sure you can't escape this."
Mr. Compress groaned in annoyance, his body starting to tremble slightly from the pressure.
"Damn it, you're strong…"
Haruto noticed a smokey purple circle appear below him.
Mr. Compress's eyes widened as he noticed the portal forming under him. He cursed appreciations under his breath, realizing that his escape was about to be secured.
"Is that your fucking escape then?" Haruto cursed after realizing Mr. Compress was a part of the LOV.
Mr. Compress chuckled weakly, trying to maintain his cool demeanor despite the situation.
"Well, I'll admit it, you're a smart little brat. You figured out my escape plan. Impressive."
As the portal continued to grow, and Mr. Compress's expression grew more serious. He was trying to come up with a new distraction, but the pressure Haruto was exerting on him was making it difficult to think clearly.
Just as Mr. Compress was about to make a move, a voice called out from the hallway.
"Hey, is everything okay in there?"
"Help, please!"
The voice came closer, and soon a tall, muscular man appeared in the doorway. It was Aizawa, looking at the scene with a stern expression on his face.
"Hey sensei, mind helping me out?" I said as the warp gate began to consume Mr. Compress' body.
Aizawa nodded and quickly rushed to Haruto's side. He noticed the disappearing warp gate and frowned.
"Damn it, he got away…"
Aizawa looked at Haruto, noticing the beads of sweat on his forehead and the strain on his body from exerting his quirk for so long.
"You okay, kid?"
Haruto canceled his quirk, the golden energy began to dissipate around them.
Aizawa watched as the golden energy disappeared, his expression still stern but slightly softened. He placed a hand on Haruto's shoulder, concern etched on his face.
"That must've taken a lot out of you."
"His name was Mr. Compress, he had to have been part of the group who let the reporters inside. It was all a distraction, Aizawa-sensei."
Aizawa's eyes widened as Haruto revealed that Mr. Compress was a part of the infiltration. He clenched his jaw in anger, clearly frustrated that he had been tricked.
"Damn it, I should've known better. We need to report this to the principal immediately."
Haruto nodded as Aizawa led him out of the hallway and towards the principal's office. As they walked, Aizawa glanced at Haruto occasionally, still concerned about his well-being.
"His quirk wasn't that purple portal gate thing, Sensei."
Aizawa looked at Haruto, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"It wasn't? What was it then?"
"He threw small teal marbles at me, I created a psychic wall in front of me. I'm not sure what they did specifically. But smoke grenades popped out, I didn't realize it during the battle though."
Aizawa frowned as Haruto explained the situation. He was trying to piece together the events in his head.
"Teal marbles, huh? I've never heard of a quirk that uses marbles before, especially not ones that can be used for storage."
Aizawa sighed, still trying to figure out the mystery behind Mr. Compress's quirk. He knew that he would have to do some research to figure out what else those marbles were capable of.
As they arrived at the principal's office, Aizawa knocked on the door and waited for a response.
A voice called out from inside the office.
"Come in."
~~~~~
a
Hello! I have returned with another chapter. What did you think about the fight and pacing?
Just how much more different is this world than the original, hmm?
Find out next time on Dokkan Battle Z!