Kapitel 13: Limits [updated]
As Nick left the monitor room he felt his boots crunch against the broken glass of the building that they were both approaching. The sound snapped through his ears as he held onto the thought of it, the feeling. As he was getting himself ready he was interrupted by the running of feet behind him.
Turning around he saw Toru's gloves and shoes approaching, floating like they normally did. Giving Aizawa a simple look the teacher nodded before heading into the building. He did have a few moments to get ready after all, that was part of being the Villain.
Turning back to Toru he just waited for her to speak, standing there in silence as he tilted his head to the side.
"Thank you, Hendrix, and I- I-… I just wanted to offer, should I fight with you?" Her voice was meek as if she knew what the answer would be already.
Letting out a small chuckle Nick shook his head as he said to her. "What could you do? Don't misunderstand Hagakure, I am not doing this for you. I just wanted to actually have a challenge today." Turning he was about to walk away but when he heard the dejected step behind him he let out a sigh and said. "Although you are welcome… make sure the risk I am taking isn't worth nothing, won't you? Train, you can be a Hero… at least I think so." His voice was quiet, he didn't want to hurt her, he may as well play it up a bit. He could have challenged Aizawa a different way after all… maybe he was being soft.
Shaking his head this wasn't the time to think about his. Ignoring the small sniffles behind him he made his way to the entrance of the building and focused on the feeling of the glass beneath his feet. He had to get his head in the game. He had to plan.
Aizawa was strong, strong enough to fight enhanced humans and Nomu prototypes. He was an underground Hero with years of experience. He was probably already making a plan that he could use to beat Nick right now. He knew how to fight, almost as good if not better than even Kendo.
Smiling Nick just cracked his neck as he was getting in the habit of doing, it was time to have a real fight. Crouching down low he kept a hand on the floor and one on the wall waiting for the start signal. He needed to get enhanced as fast as he could before Aizawa looked at him.
Holding his breath the world seemed still for just that one moment before he heard the start signal sound in his earpiece.
Acting as soon as he heard the sound the wall and floor erupted into dust as he felt the air become thick with particles of concrete and stone fine enough that it would be dangerous to breathe in. Hand on his chest he made a film over his mouth and eyes as he felt the metal of the building flow into him.
With the mechanical arms forming he kept them almost purely mechanical this time apart from some nerves and muscles to control them.
With another action as he dashed into the building keeping a hand on the wall he kept the dust billowing into the air as he felt through as much of the structure as he could and closing his eyes he concentrated on the feeling.
Glass.
As he thought that he felt fractures cover the walls flowing through the material of both metal and concrete. The walls were still strong enough that they would stand. Supports were left in the internals but if Aizawa tried to hop around the walls would crumble ruining his footing. He had to be careful. The only solid floor was around Nick but as soon as he left it he changed it too.
Smiling Nick enhanced his ears as much as he could. Picking up the sounds of footsteps moving around the building. He had to stay out of sight. He couldn't beat the Hero if he was seen too much.
Keeping the dust billowing in the air Nick dashed around the building skipping floors as he opened and closed holes. His quirk acted explosive as he ignored the care he normally had when deconstructing. The more dust he could fill the air with the better.
Hearing footsteps in the hall to his right he blew the wall apart sending shrapnel into it. His gaze went in that direction as he saw a shadow twirling through the air. Putting his hands on the floor in an instant he raised a wall in front of him as he heard feet hit the concrete. Damn, he couldn't see what was happening either.
As he was about to drop down to the floor below he felt the capture scarf wrap around his arm and sent his arms lashing out in that direction. Turning to his right he saw the shape of his teacher in the dust as he spun around causing the dust to move with the air as he tried to clear it enough to get a clear view. Feeling a wave pass over him he cursed his luck as now he had to get Aizawa to blink.
Feeling the feedback from his arm he saw that now that the dust was clearing Aizawa had wrapped the attacking arm and was holding it against his body so that it couldn't hit him. Jumping from it he used the Mechanical arms as springboards to get to Nick at speeds the boy barely could keep up with.
Out of pure instinct, Nick bent until his back was parallel to the floor. Seeing the leg start to pass over his head he grabbed it with both of his hands as he tried to twist it and take the control away from his teacher but the other foot stuck him in the side. As the foot made contact with his body Nick was shocked by the strength of the kick but it hurt way less than Kendo's punches.
Pulling the leg he was holding as he stood up and spun around he tried to keep his teacher off balance by holding the attacking ankle. His hand firmly clamped down and with the other foot against his side, he was about to send out his free hand into a palm strike but realized that Aizawa wasn't trying to get away.
With his toes hooked behind Nick's ribs from the kick and his other Ankle held, he was standing on the boy's chest basically. Feeling a sudden motion Nick was tumbling head first as Aizawa pulled all his weight back throwing Nick with him despite the strength difference. As Nick tried to stop his fall with his mechanical arms latching onto the roof and the floor he felt a heel impact the back of his head hard enough to make him see stars.
Gritting his teeth Nick threw himself back using his mechanical arms to get some time to gather his thoughts. He couldn't beat Aizawa directly. He needed to get the man to blink somehow.
Pulling back at inhuman speeds Aizawa tried to stay in but Nick was already prepared and countered.
As Aizawa ran in Nick kept his mechanical hands against the roof and floor in the corners of the hall as he waited for Aizawa to attack first.
As Nick started to exchange blows with the man he felt he could barely keep up, each blow was targeting vital parts that would knock a normal person but out of sheer speed, enhancements and instinct Nick was barely fending off the attacks as he backed away slowly, being pushed back further into the hall.
Pulling with his mechanical arms Nick caught his teacher's eyes with his own, he was going to bring the hall down on top of them.
As the walls fractured like glass Aizawa jumped back to not get caught in the falling rubble but an arm shot out and grabbed his ankle. The mechanical hand gripping tight enough to make the bone strain as Aizawa slammed into the floor. The shock of the hall crumbling so easily left him open for just enough time for the hand to grab him. His back impacted the floor painfully as he held his arms up to stop the hall from falling on him. Luckily not much concrete came down on them. But dust once more filled the hall and the impact of rocks made the teacher suck in his breath from the pain.
Taking the opportunity Nick held onto the ankle knowing if he let it go he lost his advantage. He had onto it and not let go. With another arm attempting to slam down into Aizawa's chest he rolled to the side despite the arm trying to pull him into the blow. Grabbing onto the arm Aizawa yanked himself up using it as he dodged the blow that came from the side and with a feat of strength curled his legs in causing the new arm to slam into the wrist of the one holding his ankle.
Feeling the grip falter for a moment Aizawa grabbed the jaw-like fingers and pulled them apart just enough to slip his ankle out from their grasp. As he did this Nick cursed his lack of control from his quirk being cancelled and dashed towards the teacher.
As he dashed forward Aizawa sprung back and jumped against the wall to gain some height through the hole in the ceiling but as his foot impacted the wall he felt it begin to break beneath his weight.
In shock and with a loss of balance he tried to right himself in the air but the arm that grabbed his hand yanked him back down into the hall. Using his mechanical arms to keep himself stable Nick launched forward. His feet went in front of him as he tried to slam them into his teacher's chest.
Feeling his attack miss Nick watched in shock as he heard the pop of his teacher's shoulder.
Having dislocated his own shoulder Aizawa twisted his body at an unnatural angle as the attack went past him. The momentum carrying him forward Nick looked at his teacher in shock. Crimson red eyes meeting sunburnt golden. Unable to pull back on the momentum Nick went past his teacher as he tried to use his arm to throw Aizawa away but he felt a leg latch around his waist as he kept on moving. Feet hitting the wall he felt his arm grabbed and twisted behind his back.
Aizawa had dodged the attack smoothly and gotten behind Nick, before he could react his legs had wrapped around the boy's waist to hold him against him and grabbing one of his real arms he pulled it behind his back as he planned on using his capture tape against the boy.
Feeling panic for a moment Nick realized he was almost about to lose. He couldn't pull his teacher off him and if he yanked any harder he would rip his teacher's arm off. He wasn't prepared to do that to win. He tensed the muscles in his mechanical arms.
The mechanical arms exploded violently.
One of the many things Nick had learned during his study of organics was how to make RDX. An explosive organic compound even more explosive than Bakugo's Nitroglycerin. It was the explosive component in C4.
Nick had all the elements he needed in his body and could just make more from his energy reserves. It was perfect. Having placed a charge in each of his arms at around half a meter from his back he detonated each of them.
As the explosion rang through the building Aizawa was thrown off by the force. The smoke and dust filled the air before he even hit the far wall of the corridor. Feeling his back impact the wall hard enough that he broke a few ribs he let out a strangled cough as the light and sudden shock forced him to blink. Shrapnel was embedded in his goggles.
Nick had placed the charges in a way that they would be directed outwards from the arms but the damage was still immense. The blast hadn't caught Aizawa but the shock wave had thrown him back far, the metal and parts of the arm being thrown around as a cloud of shrapnel.
Not having expected the blast to be so strong Nick tumbled to the ground feeling searing pain throbbing through his back. It hurt to just move. Touching his chest Nick almost bottomed out his reserves as he felt his back reform and the arms fall to the ground. At least the broken ends of them. He had his quirk back, the explosion had made Aizawa blink and had thrown Nick out of his sight.
Putting his hands against the floor Nick filled the room with dust once more as he closed off all the doors and thickened the walls, blocking out all light. Trapping him and Aizawa in a large room as the dust was thick enough that Aizawa couldn't see his hand if he reached his arm out.
Seeing a silhouette move in the dust Aizawa looked towards it as he stood up shakily. He hadn't expected such a powerful explosion.
"You have impressed me Aizawa, I didn't expect to have to blow my arms up…" His voice came out deeper, the filter in his throat making his voice drop a few octaves with a mechanical hum. His voice amused.
Looking towards the sound of the voice he didn't see anything in the dust and smoke as he held his shirt over his mouth as a mask. "You have impressed me as well Hendrix, even if that last attack was a bit reckless." Responding so that he could stall for time.
As the dust began to settle Aizawa started to make out more of the room. The walls had been moved back as the entire first and second floors had been merged into an open area. Pillars supporting the floors above. This was an advantage for him? Why was Nick doing this?
"It still seems I have a lot to learn when I cannot use my quirk. Honestly, I thought I would be able to beat you in hand-to-hand combat. Seems this is my limit for now though." Nick said, his voice confident. Amused as if he was in control of the situation despite the last fight being so close and the new environment he had just made.
"I still have quite a ways to go huh?" Nick continued.
Not being able to see Nick through the last settling dust Aizawa just stared in the direction of the voice waiting to catch a glimpse so that he could activate his quirk and run back into the fight.
As the dust settled Aizawa locked his eyes onto the form of Nick and tried to activate his quirk but felt that it didn't hold. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Nick's figure.
Surrounding Nick was flowing metal, moving and coiling like water and muscle over his skin. Covering every inch of his body so that none of it could be seen. It must have only been a thin layer since his features were still distinguishable but since Aizawa couldn't see Nick directly he couldn't activate his quirk on the boy.
Lights attached to the ceiling flickered on brightening the room. Clearing displaying what was about to happen.
"But with my quirk? Your just a normal person Aizawa, no matter how experienced you are." Nick's voice sounded throughout the room, mechanical and low as he slammed his hands into the floor.
Jumping back in order to avoid whatever attack was coming Aizawa was shocked when he didn't push off the floor but instead his foot sunk into it instead. The ground around his feet turned into loose sand. Quickly followed by it all exploding around as Nick deconstructed the floor around his teacher in an instant.
Barely able to react in time Aizawa threw his capture scarf out and wrapped it around a pillar pulling himself towards it to avoid whatever was happening with the reconstruction of the floor.
Smirking the entire pillar that Aizawa was anchoring himself to exploded as well leaving Aizawa hanging midair with momentum that he couldn't stop. Reconstructing the pillar around the scarf trapping it and making it useless for the Hero as Nick just watched Aizawa nimbly dodge a barrage of spikes.
Tired of playing and knowing that time was running out Nick made everything around Aizawa deconstruct forming walls around the teacher that he tried to jump from but anything his teacher touched deconstructed stopping him from getting any foothold on anything. As soon as Aizawa slipped up and didn't pull his foot back in time his foot was encased in concrete. Trapped and unable to run he desperately looked around trying to find where Nick went but he was gone.
Feeling his instincts flare he tried to move forward and pivot on his stuck foot but he was grabbed by the same capture scarf he lost being controlled by his opponent's quirk. Held and trapped Aizawa felt a hand pressed against his back as his eyes were forced close a he felt his body shudder. Another quirk entering it.
"Dead." Was all he heard from Nick as he stood behind him. The shifting metal had parted just enough so that Nick could touch Aizawa's back. Nodding his head Aizawa was suddenly released as the Material flowed off him. Letting his foot go. Turning around he saw Nick holding out his capture scarf for him to have back as the boy said unexpectedly.
"Thanks for the fight Aizawa, you have shown me that I have a lot to learn still. If I ever lose my quirk or have it countered then I need to know how to fight better. Would you mind showing me a few of those moves you did?" His voice was genuine. Nick had fun in that fight. He had to admit, if Aizawa hadn't lost sight of him he would have lost. The man was just too good at hand-to-hand combat but what could he do when the ground he was standing on was deconstructed and fought against him?
Scoffing Aizawa took the scarf back as he wrapped it around his neck and said, "I wouldn't mind teaching a brat like you a thing or two… where did you learn to fight like that anyway?" His voice was drowned out by the victory sound.
"I'm not allowed to say. But they are a fantastic fighter just like yourself." Making his way towards a wall Nick put his hand against it letting the metal flow off from him and back into the structure as a door formed so that they could both leave.
Walking back toward the Monitor room Aizawa just looked at the back of the boy leaving, he was good. Abnormally good. He thought he would be able to win that easily and make a display of difference for the class but all he had done was create distance between Nick and the rest of the class.
He didn't know how to respond to the boy… no… young man. Something about him was different, the way he talked to other, and interacted with the world. As if he was watching from an outsider's perspective. He didn't act like a kid excited to become a Hero he acted as if he was moving towards a goal that others could not understand. Following Nick back towards the Monitor room Aizawa just shook his head, to actually be beaten by a student… he was getting sloppy.
---
As soon as Nick had entered the Monitor room he had been bombarded by questions. He hadn't known how to respond but was glad that Aizawa followed him into the room, saving him from having to start answering.
"Quiet down. Hagakure… you have been given a second chance through the heroics of Hendrix, don't waste it. I expect to see you start performing better from now on. I need to go have a coffee." Aizawa said, his voice barely a drawl as he shot Nick one more glance before leaving the room. His voice tired as he shook his head. Today had not gone as he had expected it to.
Soon the last few matches were done, but no one was nearly as interested since Nick's fights had been way more interesting against both Todoroki and their teacher. As soon as they were dismissed Nick was once again looked at in a mixture of awe and confliction. Only a few students actually started asking him questions, such as Kirishima and Ashido. Most of them were content just to listen in.
Looking over the students Nick's eyes settled on Bakugo and Todoroki who were both glaring at him from the other side of the room. Their gazes were clearly pissed. Smiling just faintly as if telling them to bring it he walked out of the monitor room with Kirishima towards the lockers to get cleaned up and changed back into his uniform.
---
As the day ended Nick was just about to leave when Kirishima walked up to him and said! "You were so Manly today! Want to go to the arcade or something? Kaminari and I are going since we're pumped!"
Smiling at the boy's enthusiasm Nick replied in an amused voice. "Sorry, I have training. I didn't get this strong just going to arcades after school." He didn't try to be mean, he didn't even really realize what he said.
Looking at him for a moment Kirishima just smiled broadly as he yelled. "YOU'RE SO RIGHT! I gotta go plus Ultra now if I ever want to catch up and be as Manly as you! Let's go! Mind if I come too!?"
Shaking his head Nick said, "sorry Kirishima, but the guy I train with doesn't take students anymore. I have a good dojo I can recommend for you though."
"Please! Call me Eijiro! And that would be amazing, thanks man!" His voice was excited as he took out his phone to take down the details.
"Just call me Nick then," Nick replied. Soon the details were given and Nick managed to get out of the class just as Midoriya arrived.
Looking down at the boy as he walked past they caught each other's eyes and embarrassed the young kid looked away. Shaking his head at the next 'symbol of peace' he walked away down the hall. As he left he remembered that Midoriya would chase after Bakugo because of the fight. He wondered if the conversation would go any differently… it probably would.
---
Sitting on the train Nick looked out the window at the passing city buildings as he thought about today. His goals were the same, but he had tested his limits and knew where he stood now. If it were any other teacher he didn't know if he would have won, to be honest. Aizawa was easy to counter with his quirk as long as the guy couldn't see him. The 'living armour' had worked better than expected.
Still seeing that he had a long way to go he sighed as he leaned back into the chair. If every canon day was this eventful he would regret his wish that school life be less boring because he felt like it had been answered.
---
Sitting in a bar in Kamino ward of Yokohama city a villain chuckled to himself as he said, "what do you think would happen once the 'symbol of peace' was snuffed out by villains?" His body was covered in pale hands. Unaware of the new variable that had yet to properly be shown to the world.
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Decided that I would rewrite it already since I wasn't happy with it. I hope this is better, to those that did read the first one haha.
Of course, any advice is very welcome! Thanks for all the support so far! It is almost midnight so I am going to bed, I should stop writing these so late but Easter is a busy time for bakers sadly.
Let me know what you think of the chapter! I plan to grow on the idea of living armour. I don't know why but this chapter felt a bit sloppy, it might just be because I am tired. I hope that it lives up to the expectations it seemed to have!
Reviews and comments are always welcome! Let me know what I can improve on and what I am doing well as always! Thanks for reading!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein