Chapter 198

(A/N: This chapter was made available by LQuagmire, famous for his durability and stacking up dubs in Pokemon Showdown.)

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After leaving Izuku and Ginka to their own devices, Gran Torino checked on Nejire, Mirio, and Tamaki before making his way up to the bridge where Aizawa and Sir Nighteye were waiting, standing near the room's entrance so as not to be in the way of the carrier's Captain and crew.

"How was everyone...?" asked Aizawa, wearing a far more modern outfit than his usual Hero Costume, beneath which was a black thermal wetsuit. He felt like he was overheating on the climate-controlled bridge, but with the water outside being an average of 3.5°C, it was better to be prepared.

"Midoriya-shounen is still on edge," replied Gran Torino, adding, "I found him in his cabin in a cold sweat, but he didn't outright state anything was wrong. Any news on this end?"

Pushing up his angular, yellow-rimmed glasses with his inordinately long fingers, Sir Nighteye explained, "We're still unsure of its origin, but we can say with relative certainty this storm is manufactured. It's not completely unheard of for tropical storms to appear this late in the season, but never out of the blue..."

"Can you ascertain anything with your Quirk...?" asked Gran Torino.

Staring into Gran Torino's eyes, Sir Nighteye's sclera became pitch black as his pupils and iris changed to resemble a complex, glowing purple lens. As the lens spun, he peered further and further into Gran Torino's future as if viewing his life through a third-person, colorless film flashback. The problem was, ever since the MWT Phenomenon began, the film gradually 'burned' at the edges, making it impossible to see more than a few hours into any given person's future.

Wiping away the blood leaking from his left nostril, Sir Nighteye stated, "It's trouble. We should contact All Might immediately..."

Overhearing Sir Nighteye, the Captain of the USS Samantha Gray, a petite woman with bright pink hair, large eyes, and six tufts of hair that made her resemble an axolotl, questioned, "What was that? If there's danger on the horizon, I need to know."

"Captain Faye Jimenez..." droned Sir Nighteye, striking a pose and making peace-sign-like gestures with his hands, "A group of artificial humanoids known as a Nomu will soon be upon us. Please inform your superiors and advise them to have all nearby vessels exfiltrate the region as expediently as possible. As for the USS Samantha Gray...I'm afraid this may be its final voyage..."

Though she was tempted to shout and ask Sir Nighteye if he had lost his mind, Captain Jimenez was well aware of precognitive abilities. If he said her ship was fated for the bottom of the sea, there was likely nothing they could do about it. Before that happened, however, she could try and save as many of her crewmen and women as possible.

Turning to address her bridge crew, Captain Jimenez shouted, "Sound the alarm! We're to surface, and all non-essential personnel are to prepare to abandon ship! Comms, get me on the horn with Admiral Dewey as quickly as possible!"

"Aye, Captain!" replied the Comms Officer as the entire bridge, which had previously been calm, came to life with the urgency of a war room. In the meantime, Captain Jimenez turned to Sir Nighteye, demanding to hear an explanation of what they were up against...

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*vwooooooooooo* *vwooooooooooo* *vwooooooooooo* 

Hearing the carrier's alarm sound, followed by a voice over the intercom instructing everyone to report to their stations, Ginka sat up with a start, wiping her mouth as she remarked, "Well, that can't be good."

"We should get ready as well," said Izuku, rising from his bunk and fixing his pants before grabbing the rest of his costume, modified for use at sea. It had a near-identical appearance to what he normally wore, but the top and bottom half, when zipped, fused to become one. The outer layer had also been made slightly hydrophobic, so if Izuku needed to move quickly through the water, the friction and drag were reduced.

Noticing Ginka was just staring at him as he donned his prototype Water Regalia, Izuku paused to ask, "What's up...?"

"It's nothing..." replied Ginka, rising to her feet and stretching as she supplanted, "I'm just a tad 'absolutely livid' that we got interrupted before we got to the good shit. Once this emergency or whatever gets resolved, I'm coming for that dick."

Punctuating her words by snapping her shark-like teeth, Ginka promptly departed Izuku's cabin. It was a little awkward, as she had to slowly turn the dog wheel to undo the bulkhead's seal, but once she had, she threw it open with all the force she could muster before rushing out to retrieve the rest of her costume and meet up with Genji. Seconds later, Nejire arrived, sporting a mischievous smile as she leaned into the entryway and asked, "Did the two of you have fun~?"

Before Izuku could respond, a voice came over the intercom, instructing them to report to hangar seven immediately. Nejire's expression became marginally more serious in response, compelling her to wait until Izuku was finished getting ready before asking, "Any idea what this is about...?" while running behind him due to the confined quarters.

"Well, I doubt the tropical storm went away in just a few hours," replied Izuku, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he added, "I just hope we surface before whatever's happening happens..."

"Wow, you really don't like the ocean, do you?" asked Nejire, surprised by how unnerved Izuku was. He never really gave off the impression that he was invulnerable, but after seeing his performance at the Sports Festival and witnessing him brazenly negotiate with the remnants of a God, Nejire was under the impression that Izuku was unafraid of anything.

"It's less about the ocean than a lack of control..." admitted Izuku, turning a corner and making way for a few sailors as he explained, "I actually like space and the deep sea. I find them fascinating. What I hate is that, while we're submerged like this, a single accident or wayward attack from a Quirked-out sea creature could result in us perishing without any practical means to resist..."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that someone with a harem is a bit of a control freak~" mused Nejire, surprising Izuku by abruptly pouncing on him from behind and kissing his cheek, using her Quirk to hover. Then, still clinging to him, she put additional strength into her arms and assured him, "It's going to be okay. I mean, we haven't felt any explosions or vibrations through the hull. If I had to guess, Sir Nighteye saw something, making all this a precaution against an attack or event to come."

Though she had never worked with Sir Nighteye directly, Nejire had heard a lot about him from Mirio. His Foresight was like the ultimate forewarning system, so while she was also feeling on edge, Nejire was certain they at least had time to prepare. If not, well, at least she would have the boy she liked at her side for their final moments. Considering how many girls Izuku was involved with, that was a fairly major victory...

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"Good, you're here," said Gran Torino, standing with his arms crossed in a loose grouping with Aizawa, Mirio, Tamaki, Ginka, and Genji. Izuku's gaze was momentarily drawn to the stealth jets and drones being prepared for deployment, but he managed to ask, "What's the situation?"

"It appears our departure and travel itinerary were leaked. Sir Nighteye's Quirk let him see that I would be battling a flight-capable female Nomu in the next few hours. We don't know if she's the one causing the storm, but we know she can shoot lasers from her eyes, compete with me in terms of speed, and that she possesses super regeneration."

"That...might be a problem..." muttered Izuku, staring down at his Water Regalia. He could still move through the sky without his Sky Regalia, but he would need to rely exclusively on his raw power and the pseudo-wind manipulation of One-for-All.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something, my boy," said Gran Torino, confusing Izuku until he explained, "The six of you may have Provisional Hero Licenses, but you're still students. You're free to use your Quirks in self-defense or to protect others, but your priority will be evacuating with the ship's crew. Leave the fighting to us."

"You forgot the punchline..." Izuku remarked, his expression and tone flat. He understood where Gran Torino was coming from, but splitting their forces and attempting to take on what was likely to be a High-End Nomu on his own was bordering on senile.

Shaking his head, Izuku preempted Gran Torino's response by asking, "Where's Sir Nighteye? Instead of deciding this on your own, we should consult him, have him look into our respective futures, and then decide. What's the point of bringing someone with Foresight along for the ride if we're not going to exploit the shit out of it...?"

Understanding Izuku's frustration, Gran Torino didn't rebuke him and calmly explained, "Sir Nighteye's ability takes a substantial toll on his body. Also, in his vision, I was fighting against the female Nomu alone. Having him look into your futures just to confirm you won't be there or validate actions you're destined to take is meaningless."

Placing his hand on Aizawa's shoulder, Gran Torino added, "Your group will go with Eraserhead and enter the breach as planned. Wamdus isn't known for being violent, so as long as you don't attack them, you should be safe within their demesne. Focus on completing your original mission, and by the time you come out, Toshinori should be here."

"..."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath, Izuku responded, "Fine...I'll retreat. But before that, I should be here to inspect the Nomu's identity and abilities. That way, you won't be caught off guard. And if its powers are too far beyond yours, you can focus on drawing it away rather than fighting it directly..."

Crossing his arms and adopting a defiant pose, Izuku's expression and tone hardened as he added, "Just to be clear, that's what I'm going to be doing. I'm not asking for permission."

"This kid..." muttered Gran Torino, massaging his forehead but smiling. As he did so, Aizawa, after holding Izuku's gaze for several seconds, said, "If that's what you've decided, we'll stay here as long as we can. But are you alright with endangering the lives of everyone here, including those of the flight crew that will be escorting us...?"

Uncrossing his arms and holding out his right hand in a firmly clenched fist, Izuku responded, "I'm the only one who 'needs' to remain behind. I can also escape alone, so it's up to you and everyone here to decide for themselves if you want to stick around. All I know is that I won't...that I can't simply run away..."

Exhaling a loud, exasperated sigh that drew everyone's gazes to him, a nostalgic smile adorned Gran Torino's face as he asked himself, "I wonder if this is how Toshinori's predecessor felt when she let him accompany her to battle All-for-One? You young'uns won't listen to reason unless it slaps you in the face or beats you over the head..."

Adopting a smile of his own, Izuku surprised even himself by stating, "It's that sort of mentality that gives form to hope. We all have our origins, and since I've been entrusted to carry and disseminate the torch that will light the path to the future, I can't afford to turn my back. If I do, the way forth will become shrouded in darkness..."

Snorting, Gran Torino's smile broadened as he mused, "The cheek of this brat..." At the same time, Mirio, unable to contain himself, waved his hands and stomped his feet as if he were running in place before striking a pose with both fists raised, shouting, "Splendidly put, Paragon-san! Now that's the Plus Ultra mentality UA is famous for! I'm-"

Interrupting Mirio's long-winded response, Ginka punched her fist into the air and shouted, "Let's fucking goooooooooo~!" as nearly everyone in the hangar looked at them as if they had lost their minds.

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(A/N: I bet Izuku would be on the first helicopter out if Toshinori were present xD...)