totherelentless | CMO 2021 !

( she expected that on some level- they're all the same. i won't let you do this, i won't let you do that, you won't get away with this- blah, blah, blah. doesn't it get old? with a dramatic sigh and a shake of her head, jinx just smiles... 'sweetly'. )

Then I'll take it by force.

( which is his only warning that she's going to fling another hex his way, keeping his attention on her. mammoth isn't going to jump in just yet, but he's close and if it's really needed, kyd wykkyd can also make a portal for her. ... huh. they should work on utilizing those portals in fights more, actually. sounds like it'd be hell for their opponents. )

[This time, mercifully, Izuku is ready and able to dodge it. It's what will show Jinx that this hero in particular is actually quite fast, the energy from OFA powering his legs so that he hops out of range moreso than he runs.

While he's in midair, though, she'll also have to contend with him firing a blast of pressurized air at her from his gauntlets in an attempt to knock her out of range to keep attacking him. Well, so much for just talking his way through this...

And yet, his mouth continues to run!]

Not while I'm here you're not!

( oh fuck, she wasn't expecting him to be able to knock her back like that without even touching her. all she can do at the surprise is cover her face with her arms, and in retaliation she sends out rapid waves of the energy from her hand as she lands, causing the floor's tiling to start cracking and growing with each wave- even if she isn't able to hit him, it'll make his own landing and any continued movement a bit precarious, no?

it seems that jinx has no words for him at the moment, however. )

[Unfortunately for Jinx Izuku just does not know how to keep his mouth shut, but especially so when he's fighting against someone. He's able to keep his distance just fine at least, but the constant onslaught of attacking on her side is forcing him to stay up off the ground. That part is...considerably more difficult since the only things he can balance on around are easily destroyed, and he's trying to avoid more property damage here.]

You're just going to end up getting yourself cornered in here!

[He shouts, as if he isn't in far more danger of that.]

Prolonging the inevitable does nobody any good!

( prolonging the inevitable? were she in a fouler mood, she might use that to make a goddamn death threat. instead she just taps a finger to her chin, somewhat exaggerated as she hums in thought and balances on one heel- on the swing back down she catches herself.

fucking annoying, the innocent act, but that's why she does it. )

Oh, but who's the one who ran in to a full team without backup? Maybe you're a bit confused? Or maybe, since you were so rude and forgot about them, you can have fun with everyone.

( they're all close by, for the most part- doing their own jobs, but ready to come when she calls. they know better, at this point- with the intense hero population, their school assignments are certainly risky. to abandon the team leader would be... no, everyone knows better.

she debates, for a moment, showing some mercy. dumbass did come in outgunned, after all.

and then she jerks her head over to mammoth, and mammoth steps in from behind izuku, fists raised-- and down they come, cracking the floor just behind him. ... they're not monsters, after all. )

[He didn't forget about them, he wants to retort, but there's no time for him to be arguing semantics with the bad guys. He really is only realizing just now that he's landed himself in some pretty hot water here no matter how long he can drag things on for...and that shows itself rather quickly when mammoth suddenly joins in and crushes the floor just behind where Izuku is standing.]

W-ah-!!

[The cracks rushing through the floor make his footing immediately unstable, forcing him to roll away and- stressfully- land himself even closer to where Jinx is. Now he's between the both of them, and who knows how many more of her team members are watching from the sidelines. He focuses his attention on mammoth now, keeping Jinx to his side while also trying to keep an eye on her, too.

Izuku targets mammoth next, rushing at him with an attempt to roundhouse kick him in the side. OFA charged kicks or not, he's apparently less unwilling to attack directly while also not concerned by the fact mammoth could probably break him like an actual twig if he lets him get his hands on him properly.]

( mammoth says something like 'you think that'll phase me, runt?' and punches down harshly while jinx watches, unfazed. the rubble from broken tile will make for poor cushioning, frankly, but it could be so much worse, she thinks. with his size and strength, it looks all too easy for him to just pin the other boy down with his hands- jinx looks away, one finger to the coms in her ear and listening. )

... Alright, our fun's being cut short. Gizmo, get the doors locked in place- Mammoth, you're with me. Everyone else, pack it up.

( and with the orders given out, she takes another look at izuku before walking over quietly and crouching down, expression neutral. )

Do me a favor and stay down, would you?

( even as she asks, she rests one hand against the the floor and with a pulse of pink energy, the floor beneath him crumbles into a hole- the air just above the ground is staticky and hot, and the floor falls away into a storage room beneath everything. and they let him plummet.

'it's a shame there was a patrol so close', a teacher says- and no one's entirely sure where she came from, but she's there with the carrier. with cash and jewelry and all kinds of stolen goods, the H.I.V.E. Five all load up quickly, with only jinx lingering for a moment before stepping onto it herself.

'that might detract from your grade... we'll have to go over everything when we get back to class.' )

[Izuku had been prepared to fight. He'd only really just been getting started against Mammoth, dodging his fists and trying to create openings for himself. It's honestly shocking that they aren't choosing to stay and fight, or at the very least do more to finish him off so he's unable to call for backup.

The energy from Jinx's powers coupled with the floor caving in is too quick of a one-two punch for Izuku to avoid. He plummets along with the rest of the rubble with a startled cry, yet even as he's falling he's reaching out blindly and searching for anything to break his fall. Broken pipes, chunks of rubble...even with OFA at his disposal, he isn't indestructable. He hits the floor of the storage room as the remains of the floor partially bury him beneath, fortunately not to a degree where he'd be crushed. Instead, he finds half of himself stuck beneath the rebar, and unless he wants to rip his own legs off trying to get free, he'd be wise not to use his Quirk right now.

Even in all of the din of the collapse and dust clouding his vision, Izuku looks up sharply when he hears talk of "grades" and "class"...and in spite of himself, he hollars up with his voice echoing in the space left by the broken floor.]

H-hey! Hey, wait!!

( the teacher does not wait, simply ignoring the security alarms blaring and the boy calling out. jinx, however, lingers somewhat, staring down at the hole with an unreadable expression. she'd said stay down for a reason- the adults of HIVE were not as merciful, after all. the only good hero is a dead hero, to them. why risk an intern growing into anything worse? but he's half-trapped, so she just turns around without a word to get into the carrier. the teacher will drag a finger down the air as if cutting a portal into reality, and they'll escape with no trouble. just like always.

after all, class is still in session. )

[In the end, HIVE gets away...and Izuku is unsurprisingly reprimanded for his actions during it all. It doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things that he was able to uncover vital information about them. Because of his inability to wait, he'd been responsible for a huge portion of the plaza being destroyed...something heroes are meant to prevent at all costs. He's still going to be working as normal, but getting a warning like he had isn't one that he wants to repeat.

Still, it gives both the agency and the press something strange to chew on. The idea that villain coalitions are forming and teaching young, impressionable individuals the art of villany. It's worse than if they were simply acting on their own.

But what can Izuku do about it? Acting alone is illegal, and he doubts his agency is going to want him spearheading any missions for a while, even if he'd meant well. He's stuck on patrols, left with only the memory of the group...and of Jinx herself in particular when she'd looked on at him down in that hole before leaving him there, bruised but unharmed...

Why?]

( why indeed?

jinx's team isn't sent on raids for a while, after that. jinx herself is questioned for playing it too safe, but ultimately her team had taken a decent haul with a lot of variety- they even got to keep some of the goods! unfortunately, jinx herself gets some points docked for not bringing anything in, but oh well. she kept the intern off the rest of the team, and she was always the best at commanding attention.

but jinx doesn't just go out for assignments- but bright pink hair is common, and she can play the sweet, innocent girl (though contacts, sunglasses and makeup help a lot) and sneak her way around well enough. live a life like her and eventually you learn how to be invisible, regardless of your actual quirk.

of course, she's not going to be so lucky all the time.

it's an unrelated attack, she doesn't even see the fight- nor does she see the smoke rising, given that she's inside browsing through a department store. absolutely no one sees one startled civilian lose control of his quirk- turning solid objects into non-newtonian fluids, yikes- in the panic of a heist, or how it winds up half-collapsing the target building and the store next door.

things went poorly, needless to say, and after this- after loud breaking stone and shaking and the lights cutting out- is when jinx finds herself curled up and unharmed but covered in dust and some rubble. it takes her some time to risk moving, but... )

What the actual fuck.

( super response, jinx. carefully standing up, she just brushes her dress off, but.. even if her jaw's set a bit tighter than usual. she could try risking using her powers as a light, but it could easily make everything worse... what to do? only one thing is clear: she can't stay here. but she was on one of the higher floors... time to get the hell out, then. )

Is anyone there?

[Incidentally, Izuku isn't working today. In fact, he's actually been spending the weekend with his mom, giving himself some time to ruminate over how that mission went and how he could perform better next time. He knew that he had things to improve on, and that working together with everyone was going to be more helpful in the long run...it's just that he's starting to realize that sometimes, the higher ups don't have the best ideas. It's hard to go along with what you're told when your instinct is to help, no matter what.

But today, he's not a hero. He's a civilian the same as everyone else in the instant the building suddenly collapses. He can hear the sounds of heroes clashing with villains outside, and while his instinctual response is to help, isn't that what got him dinged in the first place? It's not his fight, so he can't-

It's chaos and turmoil for what feels like years, even though it only lasts for a few seconds. By the time the dust settles, Izuku can barely tell where he's ended up among all the rubble as he tries to work himself out from behind what must be a collapsed wall. It's terrifying, not being able to hear any signs of life. Surely everyone was able to get out...

But then he hears a voice that, with his heart pounding in his ears, he doesn't immediately recognize. He rushes towards it, able to hear Jinx's footsteps through a gap in the debris.]

I am! I'm over here! Are you okay?

( he might not recognize her voice, but she certainly recognizes his. almost immediately, she ducks behind a barely standing counter, eyes wide. fuck.

what was he even doing here? shouldn't he be out fighting whatever moron decided to collapse a building or something? why did she even say anything-- where could she go in all of this? the instability of everything was too much of a threat for her to try to work her powers- more load-bearing supports might break, there could be oil or something that could ignite, and wasn't that smoke she smeled in the distance?

leaning her back against one of the counter cupboards, she put her face in her hands- this was a nightmare. hero on one side, a disaster her presence would only make worse on the other. how was she going to get out of this? )

Edited 2021-05-25 23:53 (UTC)

[Jinx going silent is understandable- and is probably saving her from the awkwardness of Izuku eventually catching on to who he's talking to- but it also opens up the issue of him growing increasingly worried by the silence. He puts his hands up against the debris, trying to peer through the gap...and when that doesn't work, he'll call out to her again.]

Hello? Please answer me if you're still out there! I'm a hero in training, so I can help you get out!

( as he speaks, she tries sneaking away from where she can hear him, but every footstep feels like it's all too loud. but... something is strange. it wasn't an especially slow day at the store- so shouldn't there have been more people? and yet, there was only... no. there'd have to be more to it.

what the hell was happening?

as jinx takes everything in, the ceiling shifts again and she can only duck with what was definitely not a shriek-- was that her or just things going poorly-- ... yeah, that definitely gave her location away. with a frustrated sigh, she can only really backtrack. might as well get it over with, because there's no way in hell some hero in training won't come running regardless of the obstacles after that. )

I'm fine. Focus on finding a way to the lower floors. It's too unstable up here.

( she doubts he's going to listen, of course. but it's worth a shot? )

[Haha, expecting Izuku to listen. Especially after hearing her scream like that?]

I'm not just going to leave you up here by yourself. There's got to be a way around this rubble...

[He doesn't want to use his Quirk in close quarters like this, especially when any wrong move could cause the ceiling, walls, or floor to just cave inwards or suck them down with it.]

Can you see any openings from your side?

( jinx just groans as she drags a hand down her face. fucking- self-righteous savior-complex heroes. can't just listen for once, can they? grumbling, jinx leans against a slab of concrete, tapping her fingers against her crossed arms.

won't he be so disappointed when he gets what he wants? the girl who dropped him into a storage room instead of some pretty little damsel.

she does see an opening- small, she'd have to crawl through it. but doable, unless it's blocked somehow. after a moment of debate- does she suck it up and deal for a short period of time and then run for it, or does she wait trapped in a ticking time bomb to get found later, risking recognition when she won't be able to escape?- she sighs, before approaching the door again... but careful to stay out of sight. )

Twenty feet to the right, near the bottom of the wall. There's a hole. Is it blocked on your end? If so, can it safely be removed.

( she doesn't have it in her to emote, play up the lost and scared aspect to distract from her voice- getting out of bed today was clearly a mistake. )

[Sorry Jinx, Izuku is the "act now, regrets later" type of person. Common sense exists, but is sometimes pushed to the wayside in the pursuit of heroism.

Relief floods him when Jinx cooperates, Izuku immediately making his way over to the indicated area. He has no reason to think Jinx doesn't want his help. If anything, he'd assumed she told him to leave for his sake.

WHICH...isn't entirely untrue, but it wasn't for benevolent reasons.]

I found it! It's um...

[He crouches down, very carefully reaching a hand through and into the gap to see if there's anything immediately blocking it. When there isn't, he'll tilt his head to look through, careful not to stay on the ground too long lest the floor suddenly decide to give way.]

It's a tight fit...but it's open all the way through to your side. I think you should be able to get over here through it.

[He assumes. He wouldn't be able to fit unless he pulled some more of the wall apart, which is dangerous to try right now.]

Damn.

( jinx only sighs. she can't put this off forever... so. might as well. crouching down, she slowly makes her way through the little tunnel, careful not to touch anything for more than a second- she can't risk the ambient bad luck making things collapse, or worse.

... okay, she kinda wants to- but that's mostly with how much she's dreading coming out on the other side. but it's too late now, and forcing herself out through the other side is more because of the strong desire to run away than because it's difficult or dangerous or anything.

standing up and dusting her leggings off, she gives izuku an emotionless stare before smiling sweetly. )

Surprise.

[Izuku waits patiently outside of the opening, ready to help through whoever it is that's approaching. She doesn't give him much opportunity to do so though, not when she's moving fast enough to avoid actually keeping her hands on the walls and floor for more than a few seconds at a time.

Jinx emerges, and all Izuku can do at first is stare in disbelief. How...did he not recognize...?]

I-it's you!!

[IT'S HER]

Awww, you do remember me! How sweet. I thought for a moment you might have forgotten!

( even with her gentle cooing, however, jinx is quick to drop the act, the hands that had been clasped together against her cheek dropping to her hips instead. what, did he think she told him to get out of here because she was nice? )

There wasn't anybody on my side that I could see, for the record. Since you were so willing to play the hero for someone telling you to get lost, I'm guessing it's the same for you?

( because of course, she can't not be a prickly cat about this. )

[Izuku takes a tentative step back as Jinx talks, not because he's afraid of her, but because he doesn't trust what she might do. He's seen her powers, and he's seen the way she operates...if she had half a mind, she'd have just left Izuku behind. Maybe set off a chain reaction to get the place to fall in on him for good.

...but that wouldn't line up with the way she'd dropped him relatively harmlessly before, now would it?

He's frowning, but he isn't immediately going after Jinx either. He's just watching her carefully, gauging the situation for what it is for the time being.]

Yeah. There aren't any civilians on my end.

[...]

And sorry, but I wouldn't have left even if I knew it was you. This place could go down any minute.

[And it sounds like Izuku doesn't think she deserves to be trapped any more than a civilian does.]

( yeah, you back away. and stop making connections between her actions and any potential deeper meanings!

it's a struggle not to roll her eyes, honestly. of course he would! because he's a good little hero boy and that's what they do. regardless of anything!

yeah, right. )

Oh, spare me. Just focus on yourself before you get proven right.

( it's eerily quiet, even by her standards. the air is thick with dust, and the only thing she can hear is the two of them. given everything that's happening, shouldn't there be more?

it's stupid to split up. and she hates that, because she wants nothing to do with any of this- there's a sick heavy feeling in her stomach that isn't from the building collapsing, and her skin's absolutely crawling. )

We need to find a way out. Careful with your quirk though. The force of it will definitely upset the balance on something.

I know.

[He doesn't like this either. He doesn't like working with a villain, being told stuff he already knows about his own Quirk...but Izuku knows that if they don't cooperate, they could both die up here. That's to say nothing of the people who could potentially still be trapped.

Yet, how does he know this isn't the doing of her and her group? He has good reason to be suspicious of that, considering what happened when they last met...]

...do you know what caused this?

[Yet.......he can't help himself.]

If you think it was me, just say it instead of hiding behind half-guesses like an asshole.

( jinx just sighs, crossing her arms tighter. 'do you know what did this', 'did you see this happen'- all empty attempts to 'soften' the accusation. she's heard them all before.

fucking hell, today was a mistake. even before she answers, she's already walking away to try and scope out a way down. )

But no. I don't. I smelled smoke, and I remember the cases shaking, but I wasn't by any of the windows or anything. And then everything went to shit.

RIPPERONI.... but also she has No Idea.........

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rip in rest izuku died as he lived: completely fucking reckless

hi my name is midoriya izuku and this is jackass

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just for u

VIBRATES

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don't mind me as i sprinkle in more shit they have to deal with to avoid writing npc civilians

ITS FIIINE

it is! they're all fine, just having to deal with their own survival situation with no one to help!

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them casually pushing each others buttons and me chinhanding like its the best thing ever