*Crack* *Ring!*

"Sorry Shark King," the orange-haired man shrugged, looking down the pool of water.

Right now, he and Shark King were in the aquarium and just broke the glass floor. "Whatever, let's get this over with," he said.

With a splash, he jumped in the water carrying a transparent bag and said, 'I've got to collect all the expensive ones.'

"Hey, Jason, has he started already?" Taro walked into the building with a satisfied smirk. Looking back, many houses and buildings were leaking purple smoke.

"Every building is sound asleep," Taro said, coming next to him.

Shark King swam up, placing two water-filled bags with schools of bright yellow fish. "Get them to the boat, now." He ordered.

Both saluted and did as told. As they made their way to the pier, Taro turned to his partner, asking, "Hey Jason, I know Boss has a plan and all, but what are we going to do when Gang Orca shows up?"

Logging the bags onto their escape boat, Jason hummed, "Not entirely sure, but I heard that he went to see "you know who," the one who can give and take quirks."

"I thought that was a scam." Taro said as they made their way back to the aquarium, "Is that why he's so confident?"

"Both of you quit yapping and grab the cargo," Shark King barked, resurfacing to the aquarium floor with four bags in hand.

"And hurry it up," he barked before jumping back in the water.

...

*Splash!*

"We're almost there!" Kirishima shouted, seeing the island.

"A few lights are out, I can't see much on the island," He added.

"They shut down everything; we can't reach anyone, so they're either all unconscious, held hostage, or worse. And we don't know how many we'll be facing either."

Kirishima felt the situation sink into his bones; people were in danger. This was real life; no do-overs or mistakes were allowed.

He had to be a real hero. "What's the plan?"

"Once we arrive, assess the situation before moving ahead; they're most likely aiming for the fish in the aquarium, so that's our destination."

Kirishima nodded as they reached the island. Quickly and efficiently, they examined the VIP area; all the homes were leaking purple smoke, "a form of sleeping gas."

Kirishima saw a device within the building and a timer on top. "It's only temporary," he said, turning to Gang Orca, who was scrolling through a tablet.

"Then it's temporary, which means they're not here for hostages only; they've planned this well, cutting off communication to the mainland."

Gang Orca hummed in thought, formulating a plan.

"I need you to head to the main building and turn off the machine to try and wake the others up; if you can't, then come down to the aquarium. Keep in contact every five minutes using these."

He said he was handing Kirishima earphones.

"Right!" Kirishima nodded and went.

'Good at following orders and calm in a stressed situation,' Gang Orca noted Kirishima's development in the situation with a proud smirk.

"Now," with a firm tone, he marched, "who's trying to ruin my aquarium?"

Kirishima quickly made it to the building. Seeing the gas within, he put on a mask and opened the doors. Purple smoke gushed out, and seeing the machine ahead, he moved.

His fist hardened as he went to destroy it.

*Bam*

"This thing's cheaply made."

He went through the building as the smoke cleared, trying to wake anyone up, but they were sound asleep.

"I can't wake anyone up, Gang Orca; they're all sound asleep," he said, pressing his comm.

"Then move to the aquarium; we have a situation, quickly." He said it with a grunt.

'What's going on!?' Kirishima dashed outside quickly. He bent down, his muscles hardening, and kicked off, soaring at an angle.

He landed on the top of the trees, kicking them off again and again and accelerating towards the other side of the island with great speed.

*Boom!*

The ground shook, 'what?' Kirishima, landing on the concrete floor, could see the aquarium in the distance as the earth shook once more.

As he got closer, he froze and jumped to the side, right on time as a dark figure flew past him, tearing the concrete apart.

"Gang Orca!?" Kirishima stepped back as the hero stepped out of the concrete.

"You're here. Good."

"Hahaha! And who's this little shit?" A booming voice came from across them.

Kirishima saw the tall shark mutant's imposing figure.

Gang Orca spat, cracking his fists. "Kirishima, this is Shark King; I'll take care of him."

"Sure, you will," the man chuckled in defiance.

"I need you to focus on those behind him. And stop them." He pointed behind the villain.

Kirishima saw the two individuals, one with orange hair, and the suspicious person he pointed out before carrying clear water bags with the aquarium fish.

"I got it." He nodded.

"As if I'll let you pass me!" King Shark dashed forward.

Kirishima braced himself. "Bring it!" He hardened his body.

"I admire your spirit, but focus on the mission!" The Gang Orca grabbed him and threw him at the aquarium, tackling King Shark in the process.

Kirishima adjusted and landed softly, looking back at the two apex mutants swinging at each other. The ground shook, and their fists clashed.

Shaking his head, he focused on the men in front of him. Or rather, the orange-haired man vanished.

Clicking his teeth, Taro walked forward, opening his palms. "You don't want any of this, kid."

The screeching of metal echoed as Kirishima transformed, "likewise."

Dashing towards him Kirishima was ready to pummel his face in. The man frowned and dodged with surprising speed, thrusting his arms, and a torrent of water shot forward.

Kirishima easily dodged, jumping straight up in the air.

"How are you going to dodge this?" Taro said he was shooting another blade of water.

'So he can shoot water blades?' Kirishima thought, clicking his boots as compressed air blasted out, moving him.

He closed the gap between them, descending with a powerful axe kick. "Fuck!" Taro jumped back as Kirishima's leg came down.

*Boom!*

'Fuck, where is he!?' Taro thought as he sensed his surroundings.

Kirishima came out of the smoke, delivering a powerful punch to the bastard's face.

"Ah!" Taro fell with a thud.

"Calm down," Kirishima said, walking forward. Maybe it was the fact that he grew stronger or that he faced Nomu, but he felt calm despite the situation.

That didn't let it get to him, though. As he got close to Taro, the man sprung up and said, "Die!" And he blasted Kirishima up close.

The water blades exploded, colliding with his hardened frame. "W-what?" Taro was frozen.

Kirishima was fine; there were some cracks in his defence, but the attack barely registered. And he wasn't even at his second level of hardening.

"Are you done?"

"I... fuck you!" Taro kept on unleashing his water blades up close. Kirishima, feeling the attack, stood there and took it.

Sighing, he caught the man's fist and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, pulling him over. He slammed him into the ground, a perfect judo slam.

"You aren't very powerful, huh?" Kirishima said to the groaning man, pulling out cuffs from his utility belt to keep him there.

'Now where's the other guy?'

"Kid!" A voice called out to him.

"Mark?" Kirishima turned immediately to the voice. Mark was beaten, bloodied, and limping towards him.

"Thank God I found you; these guys are stealing the fish in the aquarium; we have to tell Gang Orca," he said.

"Wait, stop moving; let me help." Kirishima walked up towards him, reaching into his utility belt.

A grin appeared on Mark's face as he pulled out a knife, pressing a button that hummed red, 'for hard defence quirks like you!' And swung!

*Pah*

Kirishima caught his hand. "So it's either cloning, mind control, or something else," he said, tightening his grip and seeing Mark's face tremble.

*Crack!*

"Gah!" Mark let go of the blade, his wrist snapping.

"N-no!" Mark said as his body shifted and contorted. Reverting to his original form.

"Oh, I see now." Kirishima said in a flat tone, "Where's Mark? The real Mark."

Jason gulped, fear pouring down his sweat glands, not wanting to answer.

Kirishima had a feeling that the silence implied, but he didn't want to accept it, at least not until the jobs were over.

There was nothing wrong with holding some hope so long as it didn't blind him.

He cuffed the man and dragged the two against a wall where he could watch them. They wouldn't be able to break out the cuffs, considering they were made out of his hair.

"This isn't over, kid," Jason said, looking past Kirishima.

"If I were you, I'd look to help your mentor over there." The man said it with a grin.

Kirishima followed his gaze, and his face fell slightly.

Gang Orca stood on one knee, wheezing; in front of him was a much taller Shark King.

Except the name would be better as Tiger Shark King, due to the glowing red tiger patterns covering the mutant villain's body.

Gang Orca rose, swinging his fist. Shark King dodged and went to the counter, only for Gang Orca to unleash his sonic wave point blank.

The ground crumbled like an earthquake, but the attack was short-lived as the Shark King headbutted Gang Orca.

"Hah, as if that would work on me! I've gotten a few upgrades since our last fight."

'A resistance to my sonic waves?' Gang Orca jumped back, 'and the glowing red marks.'

Shark King's footsteps shook the ground as he marched towards Gang Orca. "Not even in your best condition, the sea is going to help you."

He blitzed to Gang Orca's side, kicking him on his left side. The hero blocked but slid through the concrete floor.

'He's stronger,' Before he had time to recollect himself, King Shark was already behind him, delivering another blow to his back.

Gang Orca tanked the hit and swiftly turned the counter, but was blocked as another punch was incoming.

They exchanged blows with Gang Orca, mostly on the defensive. "Hahaha! Is this all you have?"

The fight continued. 'He gained quirks from all for one,' Kirishima thought, watching the fight all the while formulating a plan.

'His body grew; those tiger patterns aren't the quirk, but his skin stretched!' And an idea came to mind. He was ready.

*Boom!*

Gang Orca sank into the concrete floor, a crater spawning around him. But he stood up as if nothing had happened. "So this is all the power you've gained?"

He asked, spitting a mouth full of blood.

"Heh, don't try and act tough. We both know you're hurting," he said. "You're bleeding. Maybe if we were in the water, you'd put up a better fight, but I don't care."

Gang Orca coughed all the while he growled at him. He was ready to stand once more when laughter drew his attention to both his and King Sharks.

Kirishima was having a fit. "I can't believe you call yourself a man." With a soft giggle, he walked up, slowly talking.

"I mean, what kind of man runs with his tail between his legs for more quirks instead of training, King Shark? You know Orca beat sharks, right?"

Gang Orca was about to rise and stop him when he saw the look in his eyes: 'An Idea? But what could he get from aggravating him?'

Veins sprouted across the shark mutant's body, and his size grew as his skin stretched, staring daggers at the approaching Kirishima.

"What did you say, little shit?"

Now standing in front of him, Kirishima grinned.

"Come at me!" Unrivalled blind confidence. But then what was his plan?