And Shield, the crazy bastard gets roasted by Steve and Stacy!! Now that's what I call a fire fight, right!? Woo!!! But in all seriousness, that was epic. And, for someone like Steve, I couldn't help but have him copy Endeavor's ultimate move. Someone like him just feels like he'd be such a big Endeavor fanboy. And it paid off big time. Dude freakin' blew Shield right out the building and into another. That's awesome! But, now we move on to the next big battle(s). And this chapter will surely answer some of the questions that some of you certainly must have on your mind. No, it's not Ryan's group taking on Gregory yet but that chapter will come soon. I'm sure you can guess what it is though by the title above. Enjoy!

-POV: Daina-

"Looks like we're out of the blast range now. I'd say it's time to get you prepped and ready to go, Harper." I said as I dropped the anchor and stopped us a few miles down the Delaware river from Philadelphia. I'd stolen a small barge to float down the river with, about 30x30 feet with a small crane system on it. 

"Please..... just let me go...." Harper said rather quietly as she just sat near my feet, her hands tied to the railing by the controls and the quirk nulling collar still on her neck.

"Hey, hey, hey, can't do that now. We only just got to the spot where we're gonna have so much fun, girl friend!" I said with enthusiasm as I then stopped the motor, now bringing us to a full stop as we felt the anchor hit the bottom. 

"What're you gonna do with me?" She asked me as I crouched down next to her and patted her sweet innocent little head. 

"It's like the boss said, you're leverage. If any of those heroes or kids somehow escaped Jade's gas, the odds of them finding us here are low. But if they do find us, then you'll be put into danger because of them. So, for your sake, you'd best hope no one comes here." I explained to her as she just put her head down.

"What happened to them.... after you and I left the gym, what happened to everyone else there?" Harper asked me. 

"Cry trapped them all inside the schools grounds then Jade released her paralyzing gas inside. Everyone should be paralyzed by now, which means the rest of this should go swimmingly for all of us, even you." I told her as she began to cry. I figured she'd given up all her hope now. And I did feel just a bit bad for the girl, but we've gotta do what we've gotta do. No exceptions. 

"We're all gonna die...." She said as she just started sobbing like crazy. 

"Not you if everything goes as planned...." I said to her as I walked over to a coiled up chain that was on the barge. I picked it up and brought it over but before I could start to use it, we heard a loud *BOOM* sound occur way off in the distance. 

"That definitely wasn't any thunder I've ever heard. Which means...." I said as I looked to the building we had occupied. It was just visible, despite it being so dark out from the rain clouds above. We saw this huge white burst of flames shoot out of the side of the building from about a third of the way up its floor. 

"Well shit. Unless that's Cry which I don't see why it would be, i'd say some of your friends got out of the trap. And by the looks of things, i'd say things are getting toasty in that building." I said as Harper raised her head back up to look. 

"Yeah....but even if some did make it out, what're the chances they find me...." She said, still sounding very sad. 

"Not likely. They can fight their way through that whole god damn building trying to find you. They're just wasting their time. Now, let's get you out of that." I said as I stripped off the duct tape tying Harper's hands to the railing. She struggled a bit before I grabbed her hair and yanked it hard, pulling her close to me. 

"Try anything and i'll use my quirk on you. If you think Shield's shrinking dome is bad, then this would be ten times worse." I said as she just gave me a nod and said she'd stop.

"Good girl. Now stay still. If you do then this might not hurt." I said as I crouched down and brought her feet together. I began wrapping the chain around them a few times before I tied it off, then brought the chain up to her hands. I placed them behind her back and I tied them together at the wrists. I then finished it off by wrapping what was left of the chain around her arms and torso a few times. 

"There, that should hold you. Now, over to the edge we go." I said as I pushed Harper over to the crane system, watching her hop her way along and catching her when she'd almost fall. 

"Now, let's take this...." I said as I grabbed the hook of the crane and pulled it down. I slipped it under the chains around Harper's torso and then stepped over to the control panel.

"And up we go!" I cheerfully said as I pushed a lever forward, retracting the crane and drawing the hook back up, lifting Harper off the ground and making her dangle there. 

"Now, for one last touch." I said as I lifted up a secondary anchor that was laying next to me. It was much smaller than the one used for the barge, but this one would certainly do the trick. I also found a few more chains and I used them to tie the anchor to Harper's legs. 

"And let's just get you into position..." I said as I got back onto the controls and moved the joystick on it to the left, turning the crane so Harper would now dangle over the water. 

"There, perfect. You're all set. Now you just have to hang around with me for a while and watch as all your friends and the city dies." I said as Harper just lowered her head again and continued to cry. 

"Just drop me already. I can't take it...." She said sounding very depressed. 

"Now where's the fun in that? Harper, I do not want to hurt you. None of us, except for maybe Shield and Killer, want to hurt anyone. We're just doing what's needed to be done. All we want is to become people again." I told her as she turned her head and faced me with a bit of a serious look on her face. 

"How did you know it all? The forest, and that everyone was at the school today? How did you all know that stuff?" She asked me as I just giggled a bit. 

"I'm sure you can figure that out, dear. It's not that difficult. We have had an insider this whole time, feeding us information since the time the Squad was just starting out." I told her as she grew even more curious now.

"So there really was a traitor in the school..... Who is it?" Harper asked me as I just shook my head at her. 

"No, no, I can't tell you that. Can't risk anything." I said to her. 

"Please, the odds of you assholes failing is already pretty small. It's just gonna be me when this is all over and I know I can't fight all of you villains. Might as well tell me." She said as I gave her a few nods. I saw where she was going with all this so I figured i'd cut her a bit of slack. 

"Alright. Alright, i'll give you a little clue. I won't say their name, but it'll certainly narrow down your choices when this is all over. My little sister has done wonders for us. She was able to effortlessly infiltrate your little school and feed us all the info we could ever need. Class schedules, field trips, important school operations, meetings, she could find it all and give it right to us. You can thank her for our encounter in the forest, and you can thank her for telling us everyone would be in the gymnasium." I explained to Harper as she just looked shocked now. 

"One of.... the girls.... they betrayed us all.....?" She questioned as the sound of a rocket started to be heard way off in the distance. I turned and looked up at the rainy sky and in the light of a lightning bolt, I saw something flying right towards us. 

"Well i'll be damned. Someone was able to pull it off and get all the way out here...." I said in utter amazement as the person swooped down and landed right on the opposite side of the barge. And I could not have been more happier with who had shown up. 

"You let Harper go right now!!" Phobos demanded as he ignited both his hands in his black flames. 

"So nice of you to join the party, Phobos. Been a while, hasn't it?" I said to him all casually.

"Maybe you didn't hear me. I said let her go now!!" Phobos shouted at me as he raised up his right arm to take aim at me. But as he did that, I moved my right hand and hovered it over a big red button on the crane controls. 

"Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't try anything if I were you. Unless you want little Harper here to take a one way trip to the bottom of the Delaware river. Wouldn't want to be the cause of her death now, would you, tough guy?" I threatened Phobos as he extinguished his hands and lowered them back down. 

"Good boy." I said full of glee as I took my hand away from the controls. 

"Phobos, don't worry about me! Just take her down!!" Harper shouted to him as I shut her up by pulling out a gun from my back right pocket and aiming it at her. 

"Shut it, girl. I'm busy with your friend here. Don't be rude." I said to her as she looked even more afraid now. 

"Wait, stop. Please, don't hurt her. If..... If you let Harper go then.... you can do what you want with me...." Phobos said to me as I now aimed the gun at him. 

"Is that so? Do you even know what I want from you?" I asked him as he just glared right back into my eyes. 

"I'm assuming you want me dead, or something along those lines." He said as I gave him a nod. 

"Righto, Phobos. After our little encounter in the forest all that time ago, you left some rather painful burns on me and I've been waiting ever since to settle the score. So yes, i'm going to kill you as payback. But i'm gonna do it my way. Which means...." I said as I pointed the gun down a bit and pulled the trigger. I shot Phobos right in his left knee and he collapsed onto the floor, grasping his knee in pain. 

"I want to enjoy this for as long as possible. I want you to feel the same pain I did when you torched me. I want you to remember the person who killed you, even after you've died." I told him as I suddenly got kicked from my right, making me stumble a bit as I looked over. Harper was swinging herself so she could hit me and protect her little friend. 

"How cute. But did you really think that was gonna do anything, Harper?" I asked her as I walked over and grasped her neck with my left hand. I pulled her in close so she could see the anger in my eyes. 

"You watch closely now, girl. Try not to blink." I said as I made Harper face Phobos. I then aimed my gun at him again, right at his head as I pulled the trigger once more. At the same time, Phobos ignited his right hand in his black flames to try and stop me but it was far too late for him. The bullet flew right for his head and I watched as Phobos was struck. His body leaned right back and fell into the water, sinking into the depths of the river. 

"PHOBOS!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!" Harper screamed in utter horror as I just laughed away. 

"That was easier than I thought. Looks like being a hero is really a hero's biggest weakness after all. A hostage is all you need to make them do whatever you want." I said as I walked over to the edge where Phobos fell in and looked into the dark water. 

"Now we're even." I said with a smug look on my face as I then turned to walk back over to Harper. But before I could even take two steps, I heard a splash and felt something grab my hair and pull it back. The pulling mixed with the wet floor from the rain caused me to slip and fall backwards into the water. 

"What the hell!? Was there someone else here too!?" I thought as I quickly made my way up to the surface. I'd lost my gun in the fall which was unfortunate. 

"Wha!? HOW!?" I questioned with utter shock in my voice as I saw Phobos climbing up the side of the barge, still alive. 

"Oh no you don't! Come here, you little shit!!" I shouted as I swam over to the edge and grabbed hood of his jacket. I began using my quirk to shrink it and him. 

"Not gonna let you do that again!" Phobos shouted as he slipped out of his jacket and rolled himself onto the floor of the barge. 

"Get back here!!" I shouted in a rage as I hoisted myself up onto the barge and quickly stood up on my feet. Phobos took a bit longer since I had shot him in the knee but he was still clearly injured. 

"What did you do? How did you survive that?" I asked him as I could see no bullet hole in his head at all. 

"Just as you shot, I activated my quirk. My flames burn at over 15000 degress F. and the heatwaves they make are pretty strong, even in the rain. When your bullet came close, the heat was so intense that your bullet melted in midair. I just made it look like you shot me by falling back into the water so I could catch you off guard. And now look. I'm the one standing between you and Harper, not the other way around. You've got no gun, and I've got the range and power over you. Make this easy on yourself and give up now." Phobos said to me as I clenched my fists tightly in rage. 

"Don't get cocky, kid. Only reason you beat me the last time was because you had that diamond chick, Amelia, with you. But now it's just you and me. And I cannot wait to hear the sounds of my quirk crushing every bone in your body to paste." I said as Phobos ignited his arms once again. 

"You think that but it's just gonna end the same. With you being roasted alive." He said to me as we approached one another. 

"Then let's see what you've got!!"

-POV: Markus-

"Come on!!! Is that all you two have got!? I expected more from a pair of Sports Festival quarter finalists!!" I roared in great joy as my fight with Josh and Amelia was going in my favor. As of this point, there futile attacks have only managed to tickle me. And my attacks, each one to them, I can only guess they feel like cannon balls, to say the very least. 

"We're just.... getting started.... asshole..... I can do this all day...." Josh said to me as I had knocked him back nearly to the edge of the roof. He was down on one knee and had bruises all over, plus a big black eye on his right side.

"Yeah..... we're only done.... when we say we're done.... and that ain't gonna happen.... ever...." Amelia said to me as she was standing on both her feet, but she was rather shaky. She had no visible damage on her thanks to her diamond skin blocking most of my attacks, but it was clear she was becoming exhausted. 

"Then when are you finally gonna take this seriously? Josh, you told me you'd changed since the last time we met. Yeah, I can tell you're stronger and faster but it's hardly made a difference. And you, Amelia, yes you have a good defense, but it only lasts so long and you can barely hurt me. To be honest, you two are just boring me now."  I said to them as Amelia helped Josh up to both of his feet. 

"You know what, I have an amazing idea. Or, at least for one of you. Here, have this." I said as I pulled out a syringe of Trigger and tossed it over to them. Amelia caught it and both looked at it and then back to me. 

"You think we need this to beat you? We can deal.... with you... without your cheap drug..." Amelia said as she pocketed the syringe.

"Oh really? I have another syringe on me, and what would happen if I were to use it? If you can barely keep up right now, then how would you fair when i'm 10 times stronger? So you keep that Trigger on you. You just might need it to stand a chance." I told them as Josh came running at me. 

"We won't! We'll beat you and the rest of your little team! Heroes will come out victorious, just like they always do!" He shouted at me with determination as I chuckled a bit. 

"Try saying them when you're six feet under!" I said as I used my quirk and generated the Crush field around me to slow Josh down. He was strong enough to resist it this time but his sprint slowed down to a march and his feet were digging into the concrete roof. 

"Not.... stopping me.... again!!!" Josh yelled as he reeled back his right arm to strike me. 

"Oh yes I will because you're still as weak as ever!" I replied as he threw his punch at me. But I easily caught it in my left hand then pushed his fist back, hitting himself in the face with his own hand. I then struck him with a back hand and sent him flying away, smashing him against the barrier at the edge of the roof. 

"Kids these days never learn, do they..." I said as Amelia came at me next. 

"Don't forget i'm here too, Markus!!" She shouted as I stopped creating my Crush field and moved it to just my hands, making them glow white. 

"I'll take anything you throw at me, jackass!!! Now bring it on!!" She screamed at me as she took a deep breath and turned her skin to diamond.

"At least you can take a hit, girl!" I shouted as I threw a punch at her. She stopped and crossed her arms in front of her and took my attack head on. She managed to hold her ground and slide back only a couple feet.

"Don't think i'm done yet! Let's see how much you can take!" I shouted with great joy as I came at her and threw another punch. She kept her guard up but this time I came from below, slipping my fist under her arms and delivering a powerful uppercut to her rock hard jaw. The impact made her separate her arms and I took the opportunity to strike one last time. I crashed my fist right into her face ad sent her flying back. She was blasted into the barrier right next to Josh and she actually broke through it and began to fall off the building. 

"Hold on!!" Josh shouted in great worry as he scrambled to reach down for her. But he did catch her before she became out of reach. 

"Turn our quirk off! I can't pull you up in this position, you're too heavy!" Josh said as I approached them. 

"Like taking candy from a baby. This is over." I said as I was looking to push Josh off and watch them both fall to their deaths. 

"Any last words, tough guy?" I said as I stood over Josh who laid in front of me, holding Amelia's right wrist with both of his hands. 

"Yeah, just one..... NOW!!!" He roared as he turned his body and effortlessly swung Amelia back up. She turned her skin to diamond once more and Josh smashed her  body right against my face, knocking me back and making me fall over about 10 feet from where they were. But I got back up a few second later and wiped a bit of blood off my right cheek. 

"Clever trick but what did it amount to? Just a few drops of blood. But I commend you for thinking outside the box. You took a life-threatening situation and turned it into an opportunity. Nicely done but it's the last you're gonna get." I told them as Josh picked up Amelia again. 

"We'll see about that, Markus! Josh, do it!!" Amelia shouted as Josh threw her right at me with all his might. She came at me like she'd been shot out of a cannon and activated her quirk again. 

"I said no more tricks and I meant it! I'll show you just how outclassed you two really are!!" I shouted as I activated my quirk on my entire right arm, making it glow white as I raised it above my head. And when Amelia got close, I brought it down and smashed it against her head, forcing her down into the concrete roof as it cratered a bit. I flattened her on her back as her skin turned normal again. I stepped down onto her chest to keep her there as she tried to struggle out. But she stayed there as I turned my attention to Josh. 

"What now, hot shot? I've got your little friend now thanks to that idiotic attempt to attack me. Whatcha gonna do to save her, hero?" I asked Josh as he leaped for me, positioning himself to drop kick me.

I'm gona kick your ass is what I'm gonna do!" Josh yelled as he approached me.

"Looks like I was right after all. You really do never learn!!" I shouted back as I reached up and caught both of his feet. I made him come to a full stop as I then swung him around in the air before letting go. I threw Josh with all my strength and he went right over the edge of the building. But before he could start to fall, he reached out and embedded his fingers into the concrete to save himself. But now he changed over the edge by one arm, giving me a bit of time to focus on Amelia.

"Get.... off..... now!!!" She shouted as she was still trying to struggle out from under my boot. I turned me head down to her before activating my quirk on my hands.

"Sure, I'll get off. When I'm done, that is!! Now die!!" I shouted as I began to barrage Amelia with a flurry of powerful Crush filled punches. She'd turned her skin to diamond once more to try and soften the blows but with the amount I was hitting her with, it wasn't helping very much. I was burying her head deepervsnd deeper into the concrete with each blow and after a few seconds, she ran out of breath. Amelia's skin returned to normal as I delivered one last punch right to the dead centre of her face. An incredibly loud *CRACK* sound filled the area as I'd busted up her whole face.

"Let's see you withstand that, dumb kid." I said as I stepped off her and examined my work. Her nose was bending far off to the left, several teeth were missing, her eyes looked nearly smashed in, as did her face and she was just covered in blood.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!" I suddenly heard Josh scream as I turned back over to him only to see one of his fists fly right into my face. He hit me with everything he had as he sent me flying back into the barriers at the edge.

"Amelia? Amelia, talk to me. Please, don't be dead on me." Josh said as he crouched down next to her and held up her head and upper body. She started coughing and breathing very heavily, no doubt in massive pain from my assault on her.

"Can't.... f-feel.... anyth-thing..... I'm... done....." I heard Amelia say as I got back on my feet.

"Hey, you can't quit on me now. I need your help to beat this guy. You have to get back up." Josh begged as Amelia shook her head at him.

"We c-can't.... beat him.... like this..... But.... you can..... with this...." She said to him as I saw her pull out the syringe of Trigger from her pocket and stick it in Josh's neck.

"Go get 'em..... Hero....." Amelia said as she then fell unconscious. Josh laid her back down as he then began to grunt in pain. The effects of the drug were kicking in and his muscles were expanding even more. And when he stopped, he rose to his feet and turned to face me.

"I'm going to make you pay, Markus. Not just for hurting Amelia, but for everything you've ever done. My maximum before was around 80 tons of striking force. But now that Anelia forced your Trigger into me, I guess that's now 800. Let's see if you can take blows that can destroy buildings." Josh said as intimidatingly as possible as he cracked his knuckles very loudly. And in response, I pulled out the second syringe of Trigger I had on me and stuck it in my own neck.

"Yeah, you're definitely more than enough to overpower me now, but we'll see when this stuff kicks in. Maybe you'll give me a good fight after all, Josh." I said to him as I could feel the surge of power flow through my body. I let out a few grunts before stopping and then I activated my quirk.

"And now that it's just the two of us, we can truly have a rematch worthy of the name. You say you're a building crusher, Josh?" I asked him as my whole body now began to glow with Crush energy.

"Well then consider me the mountain crusher!!"