As the forest around the training camp burned and filled with poison gas, while the students of Class 1-A and 1-B fought to survive and protect each other, Tom Jacker felt as if he had just entered the world's best amusement park. Every explosion, every scream, every appearance of a new Quirk was a ride waiting to be tried.
He ignored Mandalay's instructions to retreat. Retreat? When the party was just getting started? No way.
His first target was the source of the loudest roars and greatest destruction he could hear: Muscular, who was brutally pummeling Izuku Midoriya. Tom arrived just as Muscular was about to deliver his final blow to the already battered Midoriya.
"Hey, Muscle-for-Brains!" Tom called out. "Why not try someone your own size? Or at least, someone who won't break in one punch?"
Muscular turned, his bloodthirsty eyes fixing on Tom. "Who are you, kid? Wanna die too?" He lunged at Tom, his muscles bulging and layering over his body, creating monstrous physical strength.
His punch hit Tom squarely. Or rather, Tom allowed the punch to hit him. There was a loud 'CRACK!', but it was the sound of the ground beneath Tom's feet cracking from the pressure, not Tom himself. He didn't even budge.
"Decent punch," Tom said, stretching his neck. "But I didn't feel a thing." He patted his shoulder, which should have been shattered. "My Shock Absorption Quirk really comes in handy."
Muscular roared in anger and attacked again, bombarding Tom with a barrage of punches that could demolish a building. Tom just stood there, taking it all, his body perhaps denting slightly here and there before returning to normal in an instant thanks to his Tom's Template. He thoroughly enjoyed the look of frustration and disbelief on Muscular's face.
"Alright, my turn," Tom said after Muscular started to tire. He didn't retaliate with a punch. He used Telekinesis to grip the muscle fibers layering Muscular's body, then with a single mental tug, he "peeled" the muscle layer off Muscular's frame as if skinning a fruit, making the Villain scream in agony before collapsing helplessly.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met.
- System Notification: 'Muscle Augmentation' ability has been copied. Slot filled: (replaces 'Shock Absorption').
- Description: Allows the user to exponentially enlarge and strengthen muscle fibers, drastically increasing physical strength and speed.
Tom felt a new surge of power in his body. His muscles felt denser, more potent. "Now this is exciting!"
He left the groaning Muscular and Midoriya, who was staring at him with a mixture of gratitude and horror, then teleported off in search of his next "ride."
He soon found Moonfish, who was madly slashing through the forest with his blade-teeth, cornering Bakugo and Todoroki (though both were putting up a fierce resistance).
"Interesting design," Tom commented as he appeared behind Moonfish. Moonfish's blade-teeth shot towards him from all directions. Tom didn't dodge. He just let the blades pierce his body in several places, then he grabbed a few of the blades with his bare hands. "Sharp, too."
Moonfish was shocked when the man before him didn't die, and instead pulled on his teeth forcefully, making him shriek. Before Moonfish could retract all his blade-teeth, Tom had already used Telekinesis to bend and tie all of them into an intricate knot, rendering Moonfish helpless.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met.
- System Notification: 'Blade-Tooth' ability has been copied. Slot filled: (replaces 'Somnambulist').
- Description: Allows the user to elongate and manipulate teeth into incredibly sharp and strong blades.
-
"Now I have more ways to cut cake," Tom said with a grin, feeling a strange sensation in his own teeth.
Next, he smelled a pungent gas. Mustard. Tom casually walked through the cloud of poison gas, which had no effect on him whatsoever. He found Mustard firing at Tetsutetsu and Kendo from Class 1-B. Tom simply appeared in front of Mustard, stopped his pistol shot with a single finger (which then instantly regenerated), then blew the gas back towards Mustard using a powerful telekinetic gust, causing the Villain to pass out from his own gas.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met.
- System Notification: 'Gas' ability has been copied. Slot filled: (replaces 'Warp Gate').
- Description: Allows the user to generate and control sleep gas or poison gas from their body.
Tom now possessed three new, very powerful, and combat-oriented Quirks: Muscle Augmentation, Blade-Tooth, and Gas. He felt like he had just finished shopping at the best candy store.
He glanced towards the forest, still filled with the sounds of battle. There were still a few members of the Vanguard Action Squad roaming around. Dabi with his blue flames looked interesting. Twice with his cloning ability was also unique. And of course, their main target: Katsuki Bakugo.
"Time for dessert," Tom thought, a predatory smile on his face as he teleported towards the next source of chaos.
The forest had turned into a hellscape. Dabi's blue flames snaked through the trees, creating a horrific contrast with the darkness of the night. The sounds of explosions, screams, and clashing metal echoed everywhere. Tom Jacker, a smile on his face, teleported from one hotspot to another, like a tourist at a deadly fireworks festival.
He soon found the center of most of the commotion: a group of students, including Midoriya and Todoroki, desperately trying to protect Katsuki Bakugo and Fumikage Tokoyami (whose Dark Shadow was rampaging due to the darkness) from several members of the Vanguard Action Squad. There was the agile, masked Mr. Compress, a smirking Dabi shooting flames, and Twice shouting in two different voices.
"Now this is what I call a party!" Tom exclaimed, appearing on a tree branch above them.
Everyone's attention, hero and villain alike, immediately shifted to him for a moment.
"The crazy kid from USJ!" shrieked Twice.
"You again?!" Dabi growled.
Mr. Compress, always looking for an opportunity, saw this as a diversion. He dashed towards Bakugo. "Time for a magic show!"
But Tom was more interested in Mr. Compress's Quirk. The ability to compress anything into a small marble? That was very unique and full of potential for mischief.
"Not so fast, Magician," Tom said. Before Mr. Compress could touch Bakugo, Tom had teleported in front of him. With a wave of his hand using Telekinesis, all the marbles in Mr. Compress's pockets floated out. "Nice collection. May I take a closer look?"
Mr. Compress tried to jump back, but Tom used Telekinesis to "hold" the air around him, immobilizing him as if caught in an invisible net. He then casually took one of the marbles from the air, examined it, then crushed it with his mental power, releasing a large rock that immediately fell and nearly crushed Mr. Compress's own foot.
"A very useful Quirk for cleaning up," Tom said. He then touched the forehead of the helpless Mr. Compress.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met.
- System Notification: 'Compress' ability has been copied. Slot filled: (replaces 'Gas' Quirk).
- Description: Allows the user to compress any target (object or person) into a small marble without harming it, and release it at will.
While Tom was busy with his new "acquisition," Dabi and Twice didn't stand idle. Dabi shot a wave of blue fire at Tom. Tom, having gotten what he wanted from Mr. Compress (who was now unconscious after Tom "released" him by slamming him into a tree), simply teleported behind Dabi.
"Nice fire," Tom said, right next to Dabi's ear. "But I prefer it when it doesn't burn my clothes." He used Telekinesis to bend a nearby water pipe and spray water at Dabi, causing his blue flames to dim slightly and the Villain to growl in annoyance.
Twice tried to attack by creating several clones of himself, but Tom just sighed. He used his Gigantification Quirk for a moment, his hand growing to a giant size, then with a single, gentle swat, all of Twice's clones disintegrated into dust. He returned to his normal size while dusting off his hands.
However, amidst all the chaos Tom created, the other members of the Vanguard Action Squad hadn't entirely failed. Spinner and Magne had managed to keep Midoriya and Todoroki busy long enough. And Mr. Compress, before being completely neutralized by Tom, had apparently managed one last trick.
When the other Pro Heroes, including Aizawa and Vlad King, finally managed to reach the main battle site after securing the other students and putting out fires, they found a horrific scene. Several members of the Vanguard Action Squad lay incapacitated, the forest around them devastated. Tom Jacker stood in the middle of it all, seemingly testing his new ability by compressing a large rock into a small marble and then restoring it.
"What happened here?!" Aizawa demanded, his eyes sweeping the area. "Where's Bakugo? Where's Tokoyami?"
Midoriya, severely injured, pointed with a trembling hand towards a small blue marble that Dabi had just retrieved from the unconscious Mr. Compress's pocket. Dabi smirked triumphantly.
"Mission accomplished," Dabi said. He fired a signal flare, and Kurogiri appeared behind the remaining Vanguard members who could still move.
"No!" Midoriya screamed.
Tom watched the scene with flat interest. He could have stopped them. He could have retrieved the marbles. But... why bother? This wasn't his business. Besides, this abduction would surely lead to an even bigger show later. And that meant more entertainment.
The Villains disappeared into the portal, taking the compressed Katsuki Bakugo and Fumikage Tokoyami with them.
The Heroes had failed. The training camp had ended in disaster.
Aizawa stared at Tom, who was now casually pocketing the rock marble he had compressed. "Jacker," Aizawa said, his voice filled with restrained anger and exhaustion. "Did you... did you not even try to stop them at all?"
Tom turned, looking at Aizawa with an innocent expression. "Stop them? Why? I'm just an observation student. Besides," he grinned. "I was busy playing with my new toys."
Aizawa could only clench his fists. This kid wasn't just a problem. He was a natural disaster wearing a U.A. uniform. And that disaster had just allowed one of their most precious students to be kidnapped.