Yellow Jacket. Chapter 6.

Yellow Jacket. Chapter 6.

Commissioned by Sivantic

Word Count: 2537

…

Midoriya somehow overcame being mastered due to his Quirk.

While most Triggers had unknown effects, that wasn’t the same for Quirks. Here, on this Earth, people had powers. The power is specific to the individual. It can be trained like a muscle to become stronger. However, Quirks had upper limits, just like muscles. In the end, it could waste away into nothing, if it was left unused, with its maximum threshold lowered significantly if trained at a later date. A Quirk is part of the person, thus it had limitations to its scope, scale, and abilities.

Agents are different. Under extreme stress, they evolve and become more than what they are, or they can hide effects that’ll only be understood by the user at a later date. They’re creatures all their own, parts of an Entity that’s used to propagate an endless cycle of reproduction. Each Agent can be used to its fullest extent the moment they activated, with their maximum available output available at the start, requiring no training or maintenance beyond familiarity and experience. However, they aren’t part of a human, rather they’re parasites that take control of a human, override their will, and gather data overtime. 

Quirks tend to err towards strange, weaker powers, except in certain circumstances, but I’d take them over Agents any day.

So, why was Midoriya acting more like a Parahuman than someone with a Quirk?

While I’d been worrying about a potential Master in UA, who’d need a talking to later, even with his intentions to be a hero, Midoriya’s fight worried me far, far more.

According to Bakugo, Midoriya never had powers, but after he’d rescued him from some criminal, he disappeared from the public eye for the whole of summer, before returning with his ability to utterly devastate an obstacle designed to harangue children training with their powers their whole lives. Not only that, but Quirks are natural to their users, they are natural portions of the body, therefore they shouldn’t cause harm when used, except through exhaustion. Meanwhile, Midoriya’s power was limited by his own body, instead of his training and maintenance of Quirk.

I didn’t have concrete evidence that there’s never been a Quirk that harmed their user, which I’ll be rectifying at the end of the festival, but all signs were currently pointing towards something utterly terrible.

Especially when I considered how willing Midoriya was to getting hurt and throwing himself in harm’s way.

It was completely and utterly possible that an Entity has laid their eyes upon this Earth.

And, Midoriya might be among the first to receive an Agent.

Was this my fate? 

Am I to live and die and live again to fight against the Entities throughout all my lives? If so, why me? Why did have to even consider the possibility that I had to face another entity like Scion… and possibly witness another Golden Morning? Or, if things were truly terrible, it could be that I’d face a breeding pair, instead of one that’s lost, afraid, alone, and tired. 

I could only hope that I am wrong.

And, the best way to prove that I am is by giving Midoriya a concussion. 

So, I had to defeat both Tokoyami and Bakugo.

While hoping that Midoriya could beat Todoroki.

The former was easier than the latter.

…

“Oi, Aizawa, why does your student look even more terrifying this time!?” Once more, I stood to be described by Present Mic’s… colorful rhetoric. I did my best to ignore the crowd and evaluate my current foe. I’d fought with Tokoyami at the Disaster Center. While the sun was high in the air at the moment, weakening his shadow-based powers, he was physically adept and unlikely to be considerate enough to give me the element surprise. “Eh, what’s this!? Both your students down there are acting pretty serious and scary right now! They look like two samurai sizing each other up! These kids are way too serious, Aizawa! What are you teaching them!?”

“Again, they’re just like that. Especially Koda-san.” Sensei, I once had faith you. While you still have my respect, because you have one of the few Quirks that are legitimately terrifying, and is quite possibly the most powerful Master/Trump combination I’ve come across, I no longer have any faith in your ability to show off your students. Please, consider just shutting your mouth. “Ah. She noticed me. I think I’ll go die now.”

“Eh, Aizawa, that’s not what you’re supposed to use bandages for! They’re supposed to keep you alive! Not the other way around!”

Thankfully, having a serious opponent granted me a semblance of dignity.

“Kaichou.” Tokoyami offered me a bow, which I returned given the fact that the fight hasn’t been declared yet. I gave a gracious bow, befitting a lady, and hoped that it would satisfy a few of the fearful gazes I felt upon me. Needless to say, I was less than enthused by the opportunity to show of than I’d been previously. I’d planned to get fame, but instead I now had infamy, and the former was hard to gain with any amount of the latter. My only option now was to capitalize on my current gains and gain a reputation. One that I didn’t want to have. “Let’s fight well.”

Not fairly, honorably, or nobly. 

Well.

I knew I liked Tokoyami for a reason.

“Let’s.” Given how he’d given me the proper amount of respect, it was only proper that I give him the same. I readied myself precisely and confidently, all but declaring my chosen martial arts, and giving Tokoyami a clear indication of what to expect. Not that he’d benefit much from it. I could tell from the way he stood alone, without bringing his hands up to guard, that he had little idea as to what I was doing. Still, I made a mental note to start studying something else in the near future, to throw off anyone who decided to investigate my past. “I won’t hold back. I promise.”

Miss Midnight seemed a little tired from officiating over a whole round, so she merely declared our battle to start, instead of providing any… colorful commentary.

The moment she did, my focus was only on Tokiyami. 

Above average in physical abilities, mutant on the avian spectrum, with a Quirk that granted him what amounted to a second, extendable torso with superhuman strength, agility, and dexterity. He utilized it like a massive arm, claws, and prehensile tail. In essence, his Quirk alone firmly placed him the heavyweights of the class, but he was also calm under duress, capable of holding his own, and focused on  hit-and-run tactics. He was Brute, with a minor Mover classification, and a sound, tactical mind. Therefore, I placed him amongst the highest in terms of ability in the whole class. 

Defeating him as I did Aoyama is impossible.

Therefore, I wouldn’t. 

I took a deep breath.

“COME TO ME! NOW!” 

And used my Quirk with all my strength.

The screaming started a few seconds later.

“Kaichou… what did you do?” Typically, I wouldn’t explain, but I’m already knee-deep in infamy and the more time I delayed his assault the better. So, I answered Tokoyami’s question, as the stadium became a mass of panic that was held back by the heroes in the stands. Present Mic and Aizawa-sensei were both saying something from their booth, but most of my focus was on Tokoyami and how unnerved he was from my power. The more terrified he was of the situation the better off I was. “W-what is this.”

“My Quirk allows me to control any animal besides humans as long as they hear my voice. So, I asked them to come to me.” My declaration was simple and succinct. I wasn’t used to grandstanding, showmanship, and hammy declarations that was so prevalent here.  However, I did know how to properly terrify and intimidate people. With my reputation completely sullied, I no longer had to maintain any false pretenses, so I didn’t hold back. My words were few and spare, because the atmosphere and situation did the majority of the job. The panic in the crown, the sun being blotted out by the wings of dozens of birds, and the rush of dozens and dozens of small creatures was more than enough. And, that wasn’t considering the chittering, the familiar sound of a swarm. “We might be in a city, Tokoyami-san, but that doesn’t mean I’m helpless, you know?”

I’d practiced my Quirk to the point where I can be heard about a quarter of a mile away. A square mile typically has five and a half billion insects beneath the soil. While the wind, direction, and sound-dampening materials effected my range, and who’d come to hear me, even .0001 percent of five and a half billion is a terrifying amount of mass. Then, of course, there were the rats, pigeons, crows, squirrels, and other animals who had better senses and lived above ground. 

A carpet of life was converging upon me, rapidly filling where Tokoyami and I would fight, and his only chance of victory was a frontal confrontation that would put him at a severe disadvantage as time went on—

“I surrender.”

Eh.

“Eh.” That was my mouth catching up with my mind.

“EHHHHH.” That was the audience.

“IT SEEMS THAT IN THE FACE OF KAIJU KAICHOU’S DIVINE WRATH, TOKOYAMI HAS DECIDED TO SURRENDER!” That was Present Mic.

“What I wise child I have the honor of teaching.” That was Aizawa.

“Koda wins! She moves onto the Semi-finals!” That was Miss Midnight.

What just happened.

…

“Greetings, young Koda-chan and Todoroki-kun! Today, given both your actions in your matches, the principal has declared I need to speak to you about controlling your Quirks!” All Might flexed, with teeth gleaming beneath fluorescent lighting, as he wore a suit before me and my classmate. I did my best to ignore the fact that we were being publically chastised by Japan’s national hero in public, with more than a few people at the other ends of the hallway where the bench we both sat was located. Todoroki seemed ambivalent as ever… but, I have to admit that I was more than slightly panicked. “As it was stated long ago, in the age before Quirks, with great power comes great responsibility! However, I must tell you both that the two of you are lacking in responsibility in measure equal to your power!”

I was aware of what was being done. This was emergency damage control. Todoroki had created an iceberg in his match against Tsuyu. I’d summoned what was a “divine plague” in Present Mic’s own words. UA Academy could’ve allowed one to pass without incident, but two similar results in the span of an hour cannot be simply allowed to pass. Therefore, both me and my classmate were being publically chastised by the strongest hero of Japan, in full view of both the press and the public.

We are still in control, UA is saying, and these children will be given a warning of a punishment that we can enforce. 

On one hand, I admired the reasonable approach that presented a solution that didn’t require much sacrifice. However, I had a little distaste for authority, especially when I was being punished for merely doing my best. Tokoyami, by all means, was a foe I couldn’t take any chances on. He was strong, powerful, and mentally-capable. A Brute that can easily barrel through any of my summoned forces, and put my chances of winning up in the air, unless I went lethal, which I wouldn’t against a child

In short, if Tokoyami hadn’t surrendered, I wouldn’t be in the least bit of trouble! In fact, I was sure that I’d be nursing a few bruises, and that my upcoming bout with Bakugo would trouble me immensely. However, instead, here I was being treated the same as the Blaster 10 that was Todoroki. I mean, with proper prep, I’m a Master 10, but that’s beside the point! I was being a Master 7 at best! People were simply just panicked over seeing so many animals! Most of them weren’t even poisonous! 

This wasn’t my fault!

“There, there, Koda-chan. There’s no need to cry. Frustration is acceptable, but a hero should always have a smile on their face.” All Might’s hand was surprisingly light, despite the fact the whole of my head was caught in its shadow. Still, his gentle hold managed to bring me from my the mess of complaints my adolescent mind was forcing upon me. I rallied, shored up what I had of my dignity, and gave him a nod. When he turned to Todoroki, I discreetly checked for tears, withdrawing my prescription goggles from my eyes, and I was glad I didn’t find any tears on the tips of my fingers. Damn, hormones. “Now, Todoroki-kun, I have a feeling that your heart isn’t as open as your Kaichou’s at the moment… so I’ll only say this: there’s more to being strong that just power.”

With that final phrase, neatly and subtly addressing Todoroki’s hang ups with his father due to his production from a Quirk-based marriage, All Might rose before the two of us and placed his hands on his hips.

“Well, young students of UA, you are both incredibly powerful! However, the power you both wield must be utilized with more care and consideration! Keep those in mind and I’m sure that the two of you will be fine heroes, one day!” The words were more for the onlookers, eavesdroppers, and press, but they were earnest nonetheless. All Might was everything Alexandria should’ve been. Resolute, powerful, and earnest. Someone with a heart, but with the power to see the feeling from that heart come true. He is a hero that I could reach out for without regret. Even after a life of villainy. “Remember that you must both be more than your very best!” He gave us both a beaming smile that nearly outshone the light above us, and raised a single thumb in approval to us both. “Because, being a hero means going beyond the norm! Beyond what’s expected! That’s what plus ultra means!”

The hallway was filled with cheering thereafter, and All Might pretended to just notice all the onlookers. 

Todoroki scoffed at the outcome of the talk, but his shoulders were far less stiff since his match.

Without a doubt, if not for All Might, Japanese would remain a villain-ridden country struggling to stay afloat. 

Therefore, though he was slowly tarnishing away and becoming weaker as time continued to pass, I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to keep him going… even for just one more day. 

Plus Ultra was meaningless as a pair of words, if it was only followed by one individual. 

A single man, even one who changed history, is just a single man.

However, an organization founded on that principle, composed of individuals who were willing to go beyond the call of duty and do what needed to be done, could alter the very course of mankind forever. 

I intended to live up to those words completely and utterly.