"The devastation runs on for miles-!" The news anchor wailed into her microphone, holding her blonde hair from flying into her face from the massive gusts of needle prickling wind which slammed against her thin body.
A battle between All Might with his fellow heroes by his side was taking place against a villain organization known as 'Shadow Jack' in downtown Musutafu Japan.
Helicopters hovered from above, pointing camera down at the ransacked city. Multiple blocks were lying in ruins, littered with injured victims who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
One chopper dared to get closer to the fight, fuzzy outlines from the unfocused camera allowed viewers to see their beloved heroes standing off against the evil which threated the peace.
"H-How do they keep getting back up?" An exhausted Mt. Lady breathed, having returned to her normal size, unable to maintain her quirk any longer.
The fight between Shadow Jack and the heroes was growing close to only a simple hour, but to the fighters it felt like time had abounded them.
"Mt. Lady-" Kamui Woods jumped down beside her, "-are you ok!?" Once Kamui got a closer look at his ally, he could see the scratches and deep purple bruises littering her fair skin.
"I'm ok-" She sounded breathless as she struggled to stand. "-but these villains, they keep getting back up no matter how much we throw at them!"
"I know-" Kamui Woods exhaled, glancing toward the bones of a fallen skyscraper. Over the ruble the villains had recollected together, venomous smirks plastered along their faces boiling the hero's blood. "-they take everything we shove at them and just brush it off their shoulders, it doesn't even seem like they are taking on any damage."
"No-" The R rated hero, Midnight stepped forward having been caught in the crossfire. "-they are gladly taking the damage we give them. They are just bouncing back so quickly from our attacks; it only appears we are barely scratching them."
"So, what you're saying is-" The hero dragon, Ryukyu stepped forward, "-you believe they are using someone else's quirk to give them this advantage?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense." Eraser Head joined,
"What do you mean?" Ryukyu questioned,
"This group of villains are withstanding even All Might's attacks-" Eraser Head said, looking over to the number one hero who stood at the front. "-they are clearly using some type of quirk."
"We need to find this person!" Ryukyu announced. "Once we do, Eraser Head you can get rid of their quirk which will give us the upper hand!"
"Easier said than done." Eraser Head muttered, "We have no idea where this person is, what they are capable of doing, not to mention how would some of us slip away as well as could the hero's left stand a chance without our back up?"
"Hm-" Ryukyu thought for a moment, "-those are all really annoyingly good points."
"Mm-" A voice groaned stirring awake, "-what did I miss?" Mirko, the rabbit hero, awoke.
"Mirko-!" Woods moved towards the fallen hero, "-your awake, how are you feeling!?"
"Like I went on a weeklong bender." Mirko held her throbbing head.
"They are right All Might-" Gran Torino said, looking at All Might before locking his eyes on their target. "-we need to find that quirk user if we stand a chance at victory today-"
"Are you done yet-?" A slow, deep rumbling voice calls out turning the hero's attention onto him, the villain himself: Shadow Jack! "-if you wanted to know how we recover so quickly, all you had to do was ask."
"Huh?" Mirko blinked,
"This is a trap." Wood took a strong guess.
"I don't like this." Gran Torino bit down on his jaw. "Get ready!" He called to the heroes around him, as pools of slick black water bubbled on the stone beside the villains.
"What the-?" Midnight breathed, her enchanting blue eyes wide watching the twisted metal of a machine rise into sight. "-what is that thing!?" She gasped, narrowing her eyes at the contraption.
"Guys-!" Wood called after a second, pointing forward, "-there's people inside that thing!"
"What!?" All Might gasped, feeling the sweat on his back grow cold. "Why do you have people inside that device!?" He demanded to know.
The tall villain dressed in a cloak with pitch black hair and yellow glowing eyes let out a steady, nerve chilling chuckle.
"To siphon their power of course." He raised his hands, acting as if his reasoning was the most obvious idea in the world.
"What!?" All Might stepped forward, staring at the three trapped inside the machine. "What do you mean by that!? Are you stealing the power from their quirk!?"
"I see you're not as dimwitted as you appear on TV." The man replied,
"Who are you?" Gran Torino felt his hair rise on the nape of his neck staring into this man's seemingly glowing eyes.
"Shadow Jack's the name-"
"Is that how you have been replenishing your strength throughout this fight!?" Ryukyu cut in, stepping beside All Might.
"You hero's-" Shadow Jack shook his head, "-always so rude, so abrasive."
"Are they even alive?" Midnight breathed, staring at your expressionless face.
"To a point." Shadow Jack turned, glaring into the pods inside the machine which contained you and two others.
"How could you do such a thing to just kids!?"
"This-" Shadow Jack gestured to the machine, "-this their punishment."
"Punishment?" All Might repeated, "Punishment for what!?"
"Must you heroes always need to know everything?" Shadow Jack cocked his head to the side, "-you're all so...exasperating."
"Let them go!" All Might's indomitable voice boomed, rocking the cracked glass of nearby windows.
"Hm-?" Shadow Jack glanced at you, then back to the number one hero also more commonly known as the 'symbol of peace'. "-what for?"
"They are just children!" Gran Torino effused.
"So?" Shadow Jack said, "Would it make a difference if I told you they were all killers?"
The heroes all stood in silence; their shock scribbled on their faces as clearly as the broken city which surrounded them.
"What did you do to them!?" All Might clenched his hands into tight fists as he felt himself begin to seethe.
"Why do you assume I did anything to them?" Shadow Jack cross questioned. "Perhaps they enjoyed the thrill of spilling blood?"
"No." All Might shook his head, refusing to believe you and the two others you were trapped with were anything but a victim.
"What are you going to do then All Might?" Shadow Jack smeared his hero's name.
"I am going to take you down."
"Really now?" The corner of Shadow Jack's lips twitched in excitement. "Let's see it then!"
Before anyone could move, the machine glowed a bright light. The pain from getting your raw energy swallowed up by the machine was enough to bring you to a daze, opening your blurry eyes you blankly stared ahead.
What was happening?
Where were you?
The tight metal restraint wrapped around your neck, arms and legs kept you flat against the wall of your pod. You struggled to swallow as your eyes strained craning to the side to glance at what was happening.
Bright blond hair caught your attention, making your eyes go wide. Your overly exhausted brain slowly recognized the blurry figure to be none other than the famous All Might hero.
Tears pooled into your eyes, for so long you lifted your head and prayed for him to bust through the stone walls of your dusty cell and save you.
Had that day finally come?
"I will only say this one more time-" All Might's powerful voice sent chills rolling down your spine. "-free these children-"
"Or what?" Shadow Jack's rustic voice dared to ask the chilling question.
"-I'll force you!" All Might catapulted off his back leg, launching himself forward.
You couldn't see the battle, but you could hear it.
You heard the hero's losing.
"Is this it-!?" Shadow Jack demanded followed by a darkened laugh, "-is this all the number one hero has to offer!?"
You knew it was because of you.
You and your two friends who were trapped inside this never-ending labyrinth of pain and misery.
Shadow Jack was using the three of you to power up and reach his hell bent victory.