Description[]
The Boys vs. My Hero Academia. It's a race between speedsters to determine whose drive pushes them the most.
Introduction[]
Wiz: A-Train, the Speedster of the Seven.
Boomstick: Tenya Iida, Class 1-A's Ingenium. Wherever you find superheroes, you'll find at least one that makes the speed of sound look like a snail in comparison.
Wiz: And in worlds where superheroes are outright commercialized, the need to fill this role drives many a person's ambition.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armour and skill to find out who would win a Death Battle!
A-Tain[]
Wiz: Vought International, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate built up through the use of their access to the most valued of products; superheroes.
Boomstick: If you want an idea of how it all works, just replace superheroes with celebrities. Or imagine Disney themed around superheroes from the very start, complete with a founder who was ant-sematic and non-too squeaky clean.
Wiz: Whilst Vought represented thousands of different supes, the best of their best was the Seven, and they were expected to prove it. And this was especially true for whoever happened to be fulfilling the speedster role of the Seven, since they were essentially glorified athletes. And we all know athletes have to constantly prove themselves, or else they will be overtaken and replaced. Hence the motivation of the Seven's latest speedster, A-Train.
- Background
- Real Name: Reggie Franklin
- Age: 35
- Fills the role of speedster on the Seven
- Former member of Teenage Kix
- Advertises an energy drink
- Had the ashes of Jean-Michael Vincent shot into space
Boomstick: This guy even had all the makings of rising up in the world to become a world-star athlete. Growing up in an impoverished background, when his powers were discovered, he trained with his brother to make a name for himself. And after a brief time with the teenage superhero team, Teenage Kix, he was selected to join the Seven when their prior speedster, Mister Marathon...retired. Yeah, sure he did.
Wiz: Straight away, A-Train loved his new lifestyle, especially with the massive salary it offered. Thus was born his drive to stay no matter what, and prove his speed would never be matched.
Boomstick: First of all, if it wasn't already incredibly obvious, A-Train's main gimmick is his incredible speed.
- Arsenal and Powers
- Superhuman speed
- Superhuman strength
- Superhuman durability
- Accelerated perception
- Accelerated healing
- Compound V
Wiz: Whilst one would probably think his isn't as impressive as speedsters like the Flash or Quicksilver, who he is clearly based off of, you have to remember that at his peak, he's able to move faster than the speed of sound. That's 37 times faster than Usain Bolt's famous 9 second 100 meter run by the way. And it's possibly even higher, since when he was just a child, he outran a bullet.
Boomstick: Being so fast also means that A-Train needs to be able to perceive the world around him in his own time. And he can! Everything else can appear slowed down to himself, letting him weave around with all the time he wants. Plus, having an enhanced metabolism naturally means he has an accelerated rate of healing, because that's part of what metabolism is about.
Wiz: That's...actually right.
Boomstick: Don't thank me. Thank a brief look at Google. And in spite of speed being his forte, he's not without other physical talents. For one thing, he has a degree of super strength, which appears to be a staple of any Supe made by Vought. It allows him to bust through concrete starting points and pull a train behind himself. And as a result, is pretty tough, requiring the strength of another Supe to actually be injured.
Wiz: Unfortunately for A-Train however, good things won't last, and he soon found himself plagued by his greatest weaknesses; his thirties.
Boomstick: Oof!
Wiz: It's around this age that athletes start to suffer in their performances and are outpaced by younger competition, no matter how much they train, and apparently even Supes face this problem. So A-Train had to turn to a less-honorable means of keeping up.
Boomstick: It wasn't steroids, if that's what you're thinking, but it was something similar. You see, Supes are in fact man-made, through a special serum called Compound V. And when A-Train found out, he figured he could use it for his own ends.
Wiz: When injected into a normal person, it leads to the development of superpowers, but when a Supe samples it, it instead serves as a performance enhancer. With it, A-Train can push his speed up to higher levels and increase his healing ability. But of course, this comes with a drawback, namely wrecking havoc on A-Train's insides, weakening his bones and causing heart problems.
Boomstick: I think the most significant of all is that it screws with his head thanks to all those aforementioned issues. Thus, it works against his ability both run and process the world. Like that time he splattered into a robin.
Wiz: No, he splattered into Robin. Robin Ward, Hughie Campbell's girlfriend on his way to deliver Compound V to create super-terrorists on Homelander's behalf.
Boomstick:...okay yeah, I started having doubts that A-Train was legitimately heroic when I heard he took drugs, but Captain America did basically the same thing. But now, not really a question anymore.
- Feats
- Smashed the Female through concrete
- Broke a concrete starting point
- Won a race in 1.34 seconds
- Pulverized Robin's entire body
- Pulled a train carriage behind himself
- Defeated Kimiko, Popclaw, Starlight, Bluehawk
Wiz: Well, Bane also used drugs, so not that much of a surprise. It was thanks to V that A-Train was able to win his race against rival speedster, Shockwave, where he ran just over the official edge of sound. It's likely he was capable of this level of speed in his prime, if not even more, again citing how he was faster than a bullet as just a toddler.
Boomstick: We can support this theory by pointing that Homelander himself is capable of searching for another supe, Translucent, at Mach 1.5 and out-flying F16s, which can travel at Mach 2. Hell, a calculation on Imgur estimated that he would've moved at Mach 4 to outpace an explosion. If A-Train really was the fastest man alive at some point, he might be clocking at these similar speeds, if not higher. So he could surely deliver more energy that what was needed to splatter Robin, which was 58 thousand joules.
Popup: A-Train outpacing a bullet (Mach 2) in childhood is similar to Homelander breaking the sound barrier (Mach 1) at a similar age.
Wiz: A-Train is also capable of besting other supers, like Starlight, who's bulletproof, and Kimiko, AKA the Female, smashing her through a large of section of concrete and thus requiring him to exert more than 11 megajoules of force (Euyemura). And then there was the time he paid his own brand of vigilante justice on the corrupt racist super, Blue Hawk.
Boomstick: He used that asshole's blood to paint a whole stretch of road red, but unfortunately, that was when he reached his limit, and his heart gave out. But hey, he got a new one which would allow him to run at full strength, so he basically back in tip top shape. There was just one catch; it had belonged to the racist douche he'd turned into road paint, Blue Hawk. Oh, and he'd also crippled his brother, Nate, and in exchange for keeping this fact from the public to keep A-Train's reputation intact, Blue Hawk had to be lionized instead of posthumously brought to justice.
Wiz: Which brings us to perhaps A-Train's biggest flaw as a person. When given the chance to actually do something right, he either turns away from it or screws it up, all for the sake of his reputation and paycheck. It's kind of tragic really, especially since he's seemed to forgotten what he wanted to be a hero for; to give his family a better life.
Boomstick: It's easy to tell that his obsession with being the Fastest Man Alive is blinding him to the larger picture, yet alone the fact that he will eventually be overtaken, a problem which even being the quickest won't let you outrun.
Tenya Iida[]
Wiz: In a world full of superpowered people, there are naturally institutions tailored towards making sure that these "Quirks" are eventually put towards good use, as well as to make sure those who would seek to abuse their powers are kept at bay.
Boomstick: Oh just come out and say it Wiz, they're schools for superheroes.
Wiz: Well, I was helping to be a little more nuanced about it. The most noteworthy of these, ugh, schools is UA High, and the most promising of the students there were filled into Class 1-A.
Boomstick: It was a classroom filled with kids who had Quirks which, whilst not necessarily powerful, would certainly be powerful if they could master them. So it's pretty clear there would be at least one legacy student there. And there was, named Tenya Iida.
- Background
- Age: 16
- Height: 5'10
- Class 1-A's Student Representative
- The Second Ingenium
- Likes beef stew and studying
Wiz: Tenya had been exposed to the role of a superhero from childhood, since his older brother Tensei Iida was one himself. Going by the name Ingenium, Tensei possessed the Quirk known as Engine, and apparently, it was also genetic.
Boomstick: So he was pre-destined to grow metal mufflers out of his calves. In any other setting, that would be something straight out of a body horror movie, like the one by Julia Ducournau. But in the Quirk-filled work, it was the cause and means of harnessing their power, dubbed appropriately as Engine.
- Engine
- Mufflers located in each calve
- Fueled with orange juice
- Suit is designed to accommodate Quirk
- Techniques
- Engine Boost
- Recipro Burst
- Recipro Extend
- Recipro Turbo
Wiz: His legs essentially serving as car engines, it enables Tenya to reach incredible speeds in short bursts, making him Class 1-A's key speedster. The mere cusp of this ability is that it enabled him to clear a 50 meter racetrack in 3.04 seconds.
Boomstick: His engines are also said to have different gears. If they're anything like a car, then these could be based around complete motions forwards, help with going backwards or make sure he stays grounded until he decides to move.
Popup: Iida's likely has more than three gears, although the names for them are unknown.
Wiz: In order to improve the performance of his engines, Tenya taps into several different techniques. First, there's his Engine Boost, which allows his Quirk to increase in power and offer him more speed.
Boomstick: His Recipro Burst does pretty much the same, only more, and the effect remains for 10 seconds but at the cost of disabling his engines for a short time. Not to worry though, since Recipro Extend is available to him after he's been able to recover from the effects of the Burst for another boost of speed.
Wiz: And after advice from his brother, Tenya learned of a means to further enhance his speed. By pulling out his organic mufflers!
Boomstick: Hot damn that had to hurt! But like the way exercise work, newer, stronger mufflers grew in its place which are capable of handling even more of the Recipro technique, enabling him to use it longer and move even faster than before.
Wiz: Tenya's hero suit, modelled after the past Ingenium's, is intended to further increase his pacing prowess, with the helmet being anti-wind resistant and the massive boots containing cooling systems to make sure he won't overheat. Unfortunately, it won't do much for the issue that, if his mufflers get blocked or sealed up, his Quirk won't activate properly.
Boomstick: Plus, he needs a lot of juice to keep himself going. That's not a euphemism by the way, his Quirk literally runs on juice.
Wiz: Orange juice to be exact, which makes sense considering it contains Vitamin C, which are involved in repairing tissue and surely handy for when, say, he pulls out his old mufflers.
Boomstick: Nerd!
Wiz: Boomstick, you knew what metabolism does. And turning to more-flattering descriptions of intelligence, Tenya is commended for his keen intellect, scoring some of the highest marks in tests of any sort and is able to learn from his mistakes, like how he could be debilitated if his mufflers got frozen. Next time it happened, he used it to his advantage to push himself past his current limits.
- Feats
- Placed 2nd in the UA Entrance Exam
- Kicked down a steel door
- Endured 4 stab wounds
- Travelled 50 meters in 3 seconds
- Saved Shoto from Stain with Recipro Burst
- Pushed back Chimera and a High-End Nomou
- Defeated Stain, Ibara, Mudman
Boomstick: Tenya's been crushed under a water tower, powered on after 4 stab wounds and kicked down a large metal door. Izuku Midoriya, an absolute hero geek and a gifted analyser, stated that Tenya was even faster than Gran Torino, a hero who helped trained the Number One Hero, All Might. Explains why he was able to survive an encounter with the deadly hero killer Stain. During which, he saved fellow classmate Shoto from certain death, as in when Stain's blade was literally inches from his face.
Wiz: This was his most notable first usage of Recipro Burst, and it had allowed him to move at 6 times the speed of sound (CloverDragon03). And he only got faster from there.
Boomstick: And let's not forget how he yanked out a blade lodged in his arms with his bare teeth! Holy crap! The Flashes aren't the only speedsters who are hardcore! Now, you may be thinking that his fighting against Stain was part of his tried-and-try role of being a hero, but unfortunately, not so much. You see, the reason why he became the next Ingenium was because Stain had crippled his brother, effectively ending his hero career. Thus, he was after Stain's blood for personal vengeance, which sorta clashed with the idea of what a hero should do.
Wiz: Especially since he was ignoring an injured hero to do so, rather than get him help. Even before then, Tenya demonstrated he had a bit of an issue with putting others first. When offered the chance to team up with his closest friends, he turned them down because one of them being the target, and defeating them would grant him the most points.
Boomstick: Not exactly upstanding. But still, his drive to succeed is something you can respect, because it will push him to improve on his flaws, personal or power based, for the ideal of upholding family values and society's morals. No matter how fast he has to run.
Interlude[]
Wiz: Alright the combatants are set, time to end this debate once and for all.
Boomstick: It's time for a Death Battle!
The Battle[]
Setting: Outside race starting line
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you are ready for the latest in Speed against Speed, as we feature longtime competitor, A-Train of the Seven-
The mentioned Seven speedster strutted out to the starting line, waving to the spectators in the stands.
Announcer: - and the newest in the Ingenium line, straight from UA High!
Tenya Iida marched to his place, himself nodding at the spectators. He and A-Train exchanged a look to size each other up before they turned in the direction of they were to race.
Announcer: So that you can get more for your money, we've rented out over 45 thousand meters as a race track. And our cameras will keep an eye on them at all times.
The two speedsters got into run-ready position, eyes narrowing in concentration.
Announcer: Gentlemen, on your marks, get set...GO!
FIGHT!
Both A-Train and Tenya shot forwards, leaving behind the starting place and already covering a couple of miles. For the first few seconds, they were both neck and neck, staring determinedly forwards. Tenya was in the process of putting some a personal calculation, which A-Train used his enhanced perception to listen in to.
Tenya: 45 thousand meters...to complete in the allotted time of 2 minutes...I will need to at least go at Mach 1...very well!
At that, his pace steadily increased, and A-Train felt panic flare up. Pushing himself best he could, he was able to close the distance before discreetly lashing out with his foot as he ran, snagging Tenya's ankle. Whilst the Seven member kept going forwards, Tenya fell and tumbled across the ground, sitting up after coming to a stop. He shook his head in confusion before he eyes fell on his armoured ankle; he could see a scuff mark from a shoe on it.
Tenya: That scoundrel! He cheated!
He got back to his feet and tapped into his Engine Boost, shooting forwards to catch up to A-Train. He did so in no time, the latter hearing his approach and turning around to confirm. A-Train ducked when Tenya jumped forwards and swung his foot out, missing his head by inches, before landing where he immediately kept running.
A-Train: Hey man! That's not cool!
Tenya: You're one to talk, you tripped me!
A-Train: Well, it's my word against yours, kid!
He dashed by Tenya elbowing him in the side as he did, prompting the UA student to growl and hurry after him. He barged into A-Train from behind, although he was able to keep his footing as he kept running; he turned around and punched Tenya across the face, and similarly the younger speedster didn't stop running either. Continuing to run, with A-Train doing so backwards to face Tenya, the two of them shot out, parried or dodged punches from the other. The two ended up grappling, pressing their foreheads together as part this, before Tenya tapped into the next part of his speed increases; Recipro Burst. A-Train was thus lifted off his speed as Tenya shot forwards, holding his foe around the middle in the process, as they headed towards the empty rural area the race trap took them through.
Tenya came to a stop with a skid, using his momentum to send A-Train flying backwards to smash through a wall. The Supe stumbled back to his feet before fixing his heated gaze on Tenya. As the youth turned to leave and continue the race, A-Train was suddenly next to him, grabbing his shoulder and whisking him around to deliver a powerful backhand which similarly sent Tenya smashing against the front of a building. As Tenya wobbled on his feet after landing, A-Train ran over, grabbed him by the forehead and repeatedly based the back of his head into the wall. Tenya's armoured head helped soaked up the worse of the impacts and he jumped up a little to plant his feet on the wall and push forwards. A-Train stumbled backwards whilst still holding Tenya's head but with the latter's new space, he was able to knock away A-Train's hands and punch him. Before A-Train could recover, Tenya was suddenly running around him, and shot in three different times to punch him in the face. The third one caused A-Train to fall and roll back to his feet, only to be barged into from behind by his foe. Once again, A-Train rolled back to his feet as he fell, just in time to clothesline Tenya as he darted at him again. As Tenya was laid on his back, A-Train grabbed a hold of his ankle and shot into another run.
Leaving behind the urban area, A-Train dragged Tenya along the road behind him as he ran, the student bumping and grinding against the ground. However, he proved to be made of stern stuff, weathering the ordeal until his helmet was knocked loose. Before it could bounce away, Tenya grabbed it and threw it at A-Train; thanks to his strength and the helmet's streamline air-resistance, it was able to hit A-Train in the back of the head, making him stumble and lose his grip on Tenya's leg, as well as some to a stop. He gingerly touched the back of his head and saw blood on his fingers, making him wince. Fortunately, his accelerated healing was able to start patching up the damage so he turned his attention of Tenya, who had picked himself up. With a rev of his engines, Tenya launched himself into the air and threw a kick at A-Train, who caught the leg, turned, and tossed Tenya way before boosting forwards into him as he returned to his feet. Tenya dug his feet into the ground, slowly bringing A-Train's charge to a halt with a hold on his shoulders, before using the propulsion of his engines to drive his knee into A-Train's gut three times. A-Train folded over in agony, coughing up bile as Tenya watched.
Tenya: Perhaps we should try to get this race back on track and simply run, rather than-
His mufflers suddenly spluttered and stalled, drawing his attention away. And A-Train took advantage of that to shot back up and shove Tenya in the chest hard enough to send him flying backwards and before he even hit the ground, the Seven's Speedster dashed forwards, jumped up and drove his feet into Tenya's chest; thus smashing him into the ground and his momentum dragging him across the ground. After using Tenya as an impromptu sliding board, A-Train then used him as a jumping point, continuing to run after landing and leaving Tenya spluttering from both the damage and dust cloud. He rolled over and pushed himself up.
Tenya: Come on Recipro Extend!
His mufflers rumbled and were able to overcome the stall-out and in the next moment, he had boosted forwards fast enough to catch up to A-Train in a second, tackling him from behind. A-Train yelled before his chest made contact with the ground, him grinding across the ground with his grabber still holding onto him. When he came to a stop, Tenya rolled off him and got back to his feet, fists raised and ready to continue fighting. A-Train was less ready to engage again, as his suit has been nearly torn off, along with his chest's skin.
A-Train: Ah...shit!
Tenya: Watch your mouth! Swearing is not an acceptable social conduct.
A-Train looked up at Tenya, who had raised his arm in a pre-karate chop stance, with first incredibility and then rage.
A-Train: Oh trust me, my language is going to be the least of your worries!
Out of a pouch, he drew out a vial of Compound V, injecting it into his arm.
Tenya: Wait, is that a-
A-Train was suddenly standing in front of him, and he grabbed him by the throat. As Tenya clutched at A-Train's arm and gargled as he watched A-Train's chest wounds heal up. He was able to free his throat, but not before A-Train had driven his fist repeatedly into his gut, and swiped out with a punch. A-Train, with his perception enhanced, ducked beneath it before driving a fist into Tenya's side. This was followed up by darting punches that cracked across Tenya's face and chest, the youth too slow to react against them. He attempted a downwards strike with his hands locked together, but A-Train caught it before suddenly spinning around to to hurl Tenya away, in the direction of their race course. He ran after him, slapping him across the face as he was stretched out and flying, and A-Train twisted around as a result. A-Train then grabbed him by the face as he turned over and smashed him against the ground as he continued running.
A-Train: Don't. Get. In front. Of. The. A-Train!
As a finishing touch, he tossed Tenya upwards. Tenya ended up smashing into a large overhanging sign, which featured advertisement for their very race, before falling back down to Earth, landing in a crumpled bloodied heap and he staggered back to his feet. He saw A-Train continuing onwards towards the finish line area and gritted his teeth.
Tenya: His sort cannot be allowed to win! Ever!
His boots activated, spraying his heated mufflers with coolant and his engines revved. With a yell that increased in volume, he activated his Recipro Turbo, blasting forwards.
A-Train neared the end of the race, a smile spreading over his face as he did. But it faded as he heard Tenya's yell, and how it got louder and louder.
A-Train: Are you shitting me!?
Tenya barrelled past him before he could react, the resulting shockwave smashing into A-Train's back and launching him forwards to crash. He looked up just in time to see Tenya cross the finish line and his jaw dropped. His head, already unstable thanks to Compound V, became full of roars and screams.
Announcer: And Tenya Iida, AKA Ingenium, wins the 45 thousand meter run! And in record time too! I dare say we've found the new fastest man-
The Seven's Speedster, faster than anyone could see, shot forwards Tenya and lunged for him, mouth open in a frenzied scream and he hands outstretched. This was when Tenya, having been tensing his whole body up after crossing and coming to a stop, allowed the remaining power still in his engines to fully whir and allow him to spin around in a high-powered kick. A-Train was torn in half when the attack made contact, both his halves going in opposite directions as his blood splattered out across the ground.
Announcer:...alive...what the fuck!
As Tenya panted in exhaustion, steam rising from his mufflers, the screen monitor overhead and lining the bleachers from support structures broadcasted the slowed down climax of the battle.
KO!
Outcome[]
Boomstick: I've just realized; we probably should have saved this for Death Race.
Wiz: Both A-Train and Tenya were indeed champions of speed in their worlds, making this a naturally fast paced battle. No pun meant. But in the category of speed, only one could reign supreme.
Boomstick: Let's get this out of the way and tell you lot who was faster. A-Train demonstrated he could go just over the official speed of sound limit, whilst Tenya could close a distance at Mach 6.
Wiz: Now, it is highly likely that A-Train was much faster, or had been at his prime, which is what we would have allowed in this dual. Homelander has been able to move at Mach 2, and even Mach 4, which A-Train might have been able to outpace, hence his moniker of the Faster Man Alive in the world of the Seven. With this leeway, he might be able to outpace Tenya's showing of Mach 6. But at the same time, and in a much more concrete hypothesis, Tenya could also outperform Mach 6, considering he has spent a large amount of time improving himself and reaching new levels of speed.
Popup: In The Boys comics, there is a Super which attacks with electricity or lightning, which a member of the Boys avoided; A-Train could logically be faster than this feat. In My Hero Academia, Tenya took Shoto by surprise with his speed, who scales to the electricity dodging Black Shadow. Even though these estimates yield similar results, Tenya's other advantages would let him overcome this.
Boomstick: Like how he ripped out his old mufflers to grow new ones, and his various bursts. Which, by the way, whilst they have their pitfalls, aren't as damaging as A-Train's abuse of Compound V, which is outright life-threatening and cognition hampering. In comparison, Tenya is a very smart egg, who's quick to learn and strategize in battle, unlike A-Train, who's rather non-versatile and not-too-smart.
Wiz: And, regardless of who was faster, A-Train couldn't really outmuscle Tenya. Smashing Kimiko through concrete was impressive and all, but Tenya was able to kick down a large steel door with 134 times that power (Therefir). Whilst both could naturally use their speeds and weight to deal a large amount of kinetic damage, Tenya is the only one of them wearing armour, which easily adds to the weight behind his impacts and lets him take them from A-Train.
Popup: A-Train was able to pull five trains behind himself, although the task was clearly a strenuous one, requiring a harness. It is possible for real-life people to achieve similar feats, so a superhuman's strength is not necessarily required.
Boomstick: And also lets him cool down his mufflers for his highest level of speeds.
Wiz: Something else to also note is that, whilst A-Train is longer lived than Tenya and has been in the heroics business much longer, that is a very quote-on-quote statement. He would have certainly trained but if he's been in real fights instead of just races is a bit unclear. In addition, Tenya is at least a decade his junior, and younger athletes are exactly the kind older ones will struggle against, like A-Train. Befitting a matchup themed around speed, this analysis was fairly quick to get through thanks to Tenya's clear advantages in speed, strength and intelligence.
Boomstick: A-Train may have had a tenure in the Seven, but Iida had a Tenya-ure for his role as Ingenium, and boy did he Train for it.
Wiz: The winner is Tenya Iida.
Next Time[]
Red VS Blue
Skylanders
Trivia[]
- The connection between A-Train and Tenya Iida is that they are both blue-clad speedster heroes who were glasses and who operate in worlds where being a superhero is a professional occupation, and thus they are determined to keep/reach these positions. Both have inherited their positions from past speedsters (Mister Marathon and the previous Ingenium respectively) and have trained with the help of their older brothers. Both have also done things described as unheroic (A-Train smuggles Compound V to create supe-terrorists and Tenya sought revenge against Stain), have desired retribution against superhero killers (Hughie Campbell and Stain) and have sought revenge for their brother's cripplers (A-Train against Blue Hawk and Iida against Stain). Coincidentally, both their names are themed after machines used for travel and both empower themselves through harmful means; A-Train takes Compound V whilst Tenya rips out his own organic mufflers.
- This battle could have been in 2D
- The original music for this battle would have been called 'Compound Engine', referring to A-Train's use of Compound V and Tenya's Quirk
| A-Train vs Ingenium | |
|---|---|
| Season | 1 |
| Season Episode | 6 |
| Air date | 7/25/23 |
| Written by | Salty Gibus |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous [Dabi vs Noob Saibot] |
Next [Bane vs Frank Horrigan] |
It's time to kick things up a notch! This Death Battle features A-Train from The Boys and Tenya Iida from My Hero Academia.
Description[]
The Boys vs My Hero Academia! Speed's an important factor in heroism, but those that are fast may not always be the most incorruptible heroes out there. Can A-Train outpace Ingenium, or will Ingenium finally stop the A-Train?
Interlude[]
[(Now Playing: Wiz and Boomstick - Death Battle)]
Boomstick: The Flash, Quicksilver, literally any two legged hedgehog you can find. For as long as there's been people punching out bad guys, there's been the speedster that solvers things fast!
Wiz: But sometimes, heroes can find themselves on the thin line between heroism and villiany. Like A-Train, the fastest man alive from The Boys.
Boosmtick: Or Tenya Iida, the newest inheritor of the Ingenium title from My Hero Academia. He's Wiz and i'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armors, and skills to find out who would win a DEATH BATTLE.
A-Train dashes into DEATH BATTLE![]
[(Now Playing: Message from the Stars - The Boys)]
Wiz: Imagine, if you will, a world where heroism is commonplace. Where you could look out your window and see a person with powers helping the common man.
Boomstick: Well wonder no more! Thanks to totally-not-shady Vought International, that dream's a reality!
Wiz: It's home to hundreds of super-powered heroes who want nothing more than to help others, shining stars of hope and justice who will do anything to save the day.
Boomstick: And of course, who else is more righteous than the Seven? Vought's most famous group of supes, they're the strongest, the fastest, and the kindest people you'll ever know.
Wiz: ...
Boomstick: ...
[(Now Playing: Start the Race - The Boys)]
Both: Pfft-HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Boomstick: Okay, okay, that was a good one Wiz. I totally thought you were gonna flub it for a sec.
Wiz: Of course I wouldn't. Comedy's merely tragedy plus timing, and this company is just ripe with tragedy.
Boomstick: More like shitiness and scandals, amirite?
Wiz: That's right, Boomstick. And if we're being perfectly honest, this analysis right here? It's going to be the most cathartic in my life.
Boomstick: Right. Anyways, welcome to the world of The Boys, where unlike what they'd want you to think, it's not all peaches and rainbows. Honestly, it's probably the worst place you wanna stay in.
Wiz: And The Seven are probably the worst offenders of this, being the the Ginyu Force to Vought's Frieza.
Boomstick: That's...actually a perfect way of explaining it, huh. But anyways, while none of them are as outright shitty as Homelander, they're no saints. Just take the A-Train himself for example!
Information[]
- Hero Name: A-Train
- Name: Reginald Franklin
- Height: 6'0" (184cm)
- Weight: 185lbs (83.9kg)
- Age: 35
- Likes: Winning, Being the Fastest, Running
- Dislikes: Being Upstaged, The Deep, Happy Couples
- 'Fastest fucking man alive', in his own words
Boomstick: Yyyyep. That's the guy we're working with.
Wiz: Right. But first, to understand the kind of person we're dealing with, we need to look into his backstory. Born in 1987, Reginald Franklin grew up surprisingly poor.
Boomstick: His old man kicked the bucket long ago, and his mother's constantly working to pay for them, so his older bro had to take up the parenting duties. And I thought my home life was hard.
Wiz: Right. But that all began to change as he started to develop super speed, a shocking ability that seemed to have come out of nowhere!
Boomstick: Thankfully, his bro was there to help teach him how to control these powers. I mean, it'd be pretty shitty if he were to run into someone at the speeds he was going, ain't that right? OH WAIT!
Wiz: Right, right, we'll get there soon, Boomstick. But first, A-Train's speed.
Boomstick: Oh yeah, right, what actually makes him super! Well, looking at his race against fellow hero Shockwave, we can see that he can run up to Mach 1 in speed! And yeah, maybe he was using a bit of a boost to get there, but it's apparently close enough with his usual speed that no one saw much of a jump.
Wiz: That said, even with this intense speed, which he uses to mess with other, slower fighters before they can even react, a speed blitz made manifest, he knew he couldn't keep that speed up forever. Someday, there was going to be someone who could outspeed him.
Boomstick: So he just said 'fuck that shit', and started doping himself up on a little something called 'Compound V'.
Compound V[]
- Created during WW2
- Origin of powers
- Strains the body on use
- Boosts powers to a high degree
Wiz: Compound V, which most of the public doesn't even know about, is the origin of any super's powers. It was actually originally crafted in World War 2 by the Nazis, to enhance their soldiers ala Captain America.
Boomstick: Yep, they were gonna create Super Nazis! But those plans kinda fell through when the war ended, so Vought thought it'd be a smart idea to mass-produce the stuff for their own needs.
Wiz: However, they couldn't just inject it in a normal man and call it a day, as it was highly dangerous. So instead, they would inject it into children and babies, as they had a mysterious resistance to the adverse effects of the serum.
Boomstick: That's right, all those supes you trusted were just drugged up babies! Talk about edgy.
Wiz: And if he needs a boost, A-Train can double-up on the Compound V in his system, which drastically improves his powers. Whilst he doesn't have a clearly defined limit with that boost, we can see what that limit could look like by comparing him to someone with far more Compound V, Homelander.
Boomstick: Yep, we're looking at ol' stars and laser eyes over here. Looking at this time he managed to pull someone away from a bomb jacket explosion, we can look at the kind of explosives used and how far he was from it to determine how fast he had to be going. Judging by the caliber and stuff, i'd say he'd have to be moving at just about Mach 10 to make it in time.
Wiz: Of course, this is a lowball, since A-Train clearly isn't keeping up with Homelander when he's serious.
Boomstick: Still, that's pretty huge, a whole x10 boost to his abilities! And his durability should scale, otherwise he'd be running himself into paste whenever he goes at these speeds.
Wiz: However, he’s far from infalliable, even like this.
Weaknesses[]
- Strain could risk heart attack
- Cognitive abilities weaken when on Compound V
- Compound V dose doesn’t last forever
- Reactions aren't boosted with Compound V
- Narrow-minded
Boomstick: Well no duh! Even besides the fact that he's risking his life every time he uses Compound V, the stuff could actually worsen his powers once it's finished running its' course.
Wiz: Right. Beyond that, he also seems to get...well, less thoughtful when using Compound V, to put it lightly.
Boomstick: Yeah, the stuff ain't the best for your mental, least if you wanna be able to think as good as you do. It makes ya dumber, in a sense.
Wiz: Alongside that, his reactions aren't actually boosted when his speed is, meaning that while it can keep him from splattering if he runs into something, it also is the reason he can't just dodge out of the way.
Boomstick: Oh yeah, he's also just a massive narc, who always wants to prove he's the fastest one in the room. So he might not be thinking all too logically if he's facing off against someone who's just as fast, if not faster than him.
Wiz: Eventually, all of this abuse of Compound V would catch up with him, leaving him crippled after a heart attack and eventually losing his spot in The Seven, the one thing he coveted the most.
Boomstick: But hey, turns out this split from the gang was what he needed. Without all those other narcissists fueling his faults, he'd actually start learning what empathy and sympathy are! ...I mean, kinda, but still.
Wiz: But even after all of this, there's still one thing A-Train focuses on above all else: being, in his own words, the 'fastest fucking man alive'. And absolutely no one will keep him from upholding that desire.
Iida goes turbo in DEATH BATTLE![]
[(Now Playing: Battle 3 - My Hero One's Justice)]
Wiz: Tell me, in a world where heroism is as much of a job as it is a choice to do good for the common man, what would you do if you were born to the world's greatest lineage of heroes?
Boomstick: Personally, i'd be lording it all over the place. I mean, just imagine all the street cred you'd be able to get!
Wiz: Well that's...not the choice that one Tenya Iida made. Instead, he would seek to live up to the legacy of his family, and more importantly, his older brother Tensei Iida, also known as the Turbo Hero Ingenium.
Information[]
- Hero Name: Ingenium
- Name: Tenya Iida
- Height: 5'10" (179cm)
- Weight: ???
- Age: 16
- Likes: Studying, Training, Helping Others
- Dislikes: Deceit, Villainy, Mockery of those Close
- Doesn't actually need glasses, wears them for a minor improvement in eyesight.
Boomstick: Y'know, what's with anime characters with weird hair colors? Like, does it just come with the brand?
Wiz: Born into the Ida-Ten line of heroes, Tenya is a studious and hard-working person who admires heroes, like most people who live in Japan.
Boomstick: He's also pretty dang stubborn, which came in perfect for Heroics, cause he wasn't getting into the job easy. Hell, he'd have to go through this special high school for heroes just to have a shot at getting the title.
Wiz: As such, he would train both his mind and body, studying and working out to prepare himself for the entrance exam.
Boomstick: He's the best of both worlds, nerd and jock! A...Nerock! Wait, no...an Njock.
Wiz: ...right, well, to actually achieve his goal of being accepted into UA, Iida would also put time into practicing with his Quirk, a genetic superpower that manifests before or around 4 years old.
Engine[]
- Mutation-Class Quirk
- Passed down family line
- Boosts speed massively
- Orange juice increases efficiency
- Special techniques to boost speed
- Can regenerate pipes better than before
Boomstick: Oh shoot, you're getting to his Quirk already? Aight, i'll get back in 4, getting a beer.
Wiz: Now, Iida's Quirk is actually quite interesting, at least when compared to other Quirks we've covered on this show so far. Specifically, its' class of Quirk.
The noises of a board being pulled down from the ceiling.
Wiz: See, Quirks come in three types. Like Emmiter, which are Quirks that have an immediate effect that doesn't change the user's appearance. All of the Quirks we've covered so far fall into this category, from One for All, Half-Cold Half-Hot, and even Blueflame from last episode.
The noise of a pointer is heard.
Wiz: Next is Transformation, which are Quirks that transform the user upon use. Quirks like Himiko Toga's Transform, the Pro Hero Ryukyu's Dragon, or even Red Riot's Hardening all fall under this category.
The pointer once again sounds.
Wiz: And finally, we have the Mutation class of Quirks, ones that are a permanent change on the user's body, possibly with their own abilities. Quirks like Froppy's Frog, Gran Torino's Jet, or even Comicman's...Comic, all are examples of this. Ahem...and Iida's own Engine Quirk falls under this very category, being a set of engines and exhaust pipes that originate from his calves.
Boomstick: Hey Wiz, i'm back--wait, did you seriously bring that board out? Dude, you know they can't see that, right?
Wiz: Hey, it helps me visualize all of the information!
Boostick: Yeah yeah, whatever you say Wiz. Hey, viewer, just know I drew a little butt in the corner of it.
Wiz: Wait, when did you-!?
Boomstick: Aaaaanyways, Iida's Quirk is all about speed, cause he can activate those engines in his calves with just a thought to go at some insane speeds.
Wiz: Specifically, his engines are powered through his own energy, with how well they work depending on how pure the drinks that Iida has drunken. Drinks like carbonated soda actually worsen them, while purer ones like orange juice makes them work better than normal.
Boomstick: Hmm...wonder if I could make an engine that runs on beer. Well, either way, Iida's also got some great techniques to boost that speed of his, like Recipro Burst, which is kinda like a turbo boot that also increases his reaction speed.
Wiz: He's actually learned how to master this technique in particular, allowing himself to increase the longevity of the move through Recipro Extend.
Boomstick: And then there's the big guns, like Recipro Turbo, where he puts nearly all of his power into a boost that lasts 10 minutes, or even Maxiumum Speed, which is just him hitting the gas and flooring it without even trying to run!
Wiz: He uses these techniques alongside his naturally durable legs, going for kicking attacks or passing strikes to wear down a foe before going for a decisive blow.
Boomstick: Y'know, why DON'T most speedsters use their legs for fighting? It'd totally be more effective than their fists. I mean, they're built like mini-tanks!
Wiz: And if he's in need of an upgrade, Tenya can pull out his own exhausts, which will eventually regenerate into stronger, more efficient ones.
Boomstick: Wait, doesn't that hurt?
Wiz: Unfathomably so. Yet, despite all of this, Tenya would keep looking up to his brother as the one to be, not shaken from his admiration.
Boomstick: Aaaand then Tensei got crippled by this crazy guy with a blade. Oops.
Wiz: Driven into a rage by this assault, Iida would go to hunt down the hero killer with the intent of avenging his older brother and earning the name of Ingenium...
Boomstick: Only to get completely TROUNCED! He had to get help from former combatants Izuku and Shoto just to not die.
Wiz: But in doing so, he'd learn how he didn't have to carry his problems on his shoulders, and in turn, showed off his greatest feat, being able to keep up with his fellow classmates in the fight against the Hero Killer.
Boomstick: And this is probably his best source of scaling and feats in the entire series! Using Recipro Burst, he managed to parry a strike from Stain before it could stab Shoto, which if i'm not mistaken, puts him at somewhere at Mach 7. Heck, it actually tracks, since Izuku managed a similar feat in Full Cowling 5%, which was the percent he fought Stain with.
Wiz: Izuku also managed a feat later down the line with that same percent, destroying a metal pillar with a single kick. Going by the size of it compared to Izuku, alongside the impact, should round it out to 26.7 Tons of TNT from a single kick.
Boomstick: Hot DAMN that's one powerful kick! And Iida should scale, since Izuku's base strength isn't boosted that much between that feat and this one.
Wiz: However, just being strong and fast doesn't cover the fact that Iida also has his faults.
Weaknesses[]
- Overheating
- Quirk Exhaustion
- Carbonated Soda
- Pipes Can Be Pulled
- Tunnel Vision
- Lack of Handling
Boomstick: Yeah, while Iida's pretty dang fast, his engines can't always keep up, and if he pushes 'em too hard, they can overheat. Shoot, if he pushes them beyond that, they'll just straight up melt!
Wiz: Alongside most Quirk Users, he can also suffer from Quirk Exhaustion, which is a special form of exhaustion that originates from overusing your Quirk. Although usually his engines go out faster than he can exhaust it, so this one in particular doesn't come up often.
Boomstick: And of course, Soda's a big no-no for him. Something i'll be avoiding when I make that beer engine!
Wiz: Right...totally. But beyond that, foes can also rip out his pipes if they get the chance, greatly crippling Iida's speed and leg strength in the process, especially thanks to how the regeneration has to take a long amount of time.
Boomstick: It doesn't help the guy has a major case of tunnel vision when he fights. And those higher speeds come at a cost, cause he can't really make any sharp turns on his own, he's gotta leap off something like a wall to do that.
Wiz: However, those flaws wouldn't hold him back from achieving his dreams. No, in spite of them, he would bring himself back from the brink, becoming the very hero he aspired to be in the first place. Someone who could lead those that are lost to a brighter future, just like his brother before him. He had truly earned the mantle of the Turbo Hero, Ingenium.
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Pre-Death Battle/Poll[]
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set! We've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH RACE!!!
- Poll Results - Total (18)
- A-Train: 44%
- Tenya Iida: 56%
Death Battle[]
Location: New York City, Charity Marathon[]
[(Now Playing: Celebration of Speed - Death Battle Fanon)]
It was a bright and sunny day in New York, the sun shining down on the streets and buildings of the bustling city. Crowds were forming on the sidewalks and streets, surrounding what seemed to be an event taking place in the middle of one of these streets as heart-pumping music blared from the nearby speakers. Zooming in, we could see two figures standing at the end of the crowd, putting on some accessories together.
One of these figures was an ever-familiar presence to the streets of New York, a black man wearing a skin-tight suit with darker accents, and the letter A etched onto the chest section. It was none other than the A-Train himself, putting on his signature goggles before giving some nearby cameramen a smirk and finger guns. "Heh, this race was a perfect idea. Really gotta thank my manager." he claimed to himself, before he heard a voice call over to him.
"Hello, A-Train sir!" would be said, turning the runner's gaze to a less familiar face to the streets of New York. A teenager with dark blue hair and glasses, he wore a white suit of white armor with prop exhausts wrapping around his stomach to under his armpits, framed like fancy exhausts on a car, golden exhausts on his calves revealing his true method of transportation.
This was Tenya Iida, aka the Turbo Hero Ingenium.
"I just wanted to thank you for extending this offer out to me." the Japanese hero would claim, a genuine smile on his face as he stepped over to the American one. "I know that The Seven can be quite busy, being such high-ranking heroes as yourselves, so i'm very grateful that you wanted to host this race with me. Especially for such a noble cause!" he then...well, thanked.
A-Train would smile back in turn, before responding with a flippant "No problem, man.", before then frowning in thought. "Shame about Tensei though." he admitted, something that actually surprised Iida. He supposed it made sense, however. After all, his older brother was a renowned hero before the incident, and it wasn't exactly hard to gain info on the incident.
A slightly more strained smile was on Iida's face as he began to respond. "Thank you for your condolences. It wasn't easy after-" he started, only for A-Train to wave a hand. "Oh, nah. It's just bad that I never got the chance to make him eat my dust." the blue-wearing hero corrected himself. "But I guess you'll do." he then claimed, leaving Tenya in shock. How could he be so callous!?
The armored hero's face would soon twitch into an agitated frown, taking offense to the sheer disrespect that A-Train had shown. Raising a hand, he immediately began to chop it in the air. "How dare you! That disrespect is unbecoming of a hero, especially to an ally!" Tenya cried, only for Reginald to roll his eyes behind his goggles. Before the argument could spark further, however...
"Alright, and the race is a-bout to start! Racers, at your marks!"
The voice of a certain announcer filled the air, distracting the two from their fight. Ah, right...they still had a race to get through. A-Train would smirk at the sound, stepping over to the starting line first. "Let's put your money where your mouth is." he then claimed. Back to Iida, his gaze stayed narrowed at his temporary rival, before he would put his helmet on and step on over to the starting line. Both would get into sprinting stances, with the Turbo Hero taking a brief moment to glance back at A-Train is suspicion.
"Ready..."
A-Train pressed down, eyes on the road. He would prove himself here...
"Set..."
Iida turned back to the street, taking a deep breath as his engines flared.
"GO!"[]
[(Now Playing: Mad Obstacle Course - My Hero Academia)]
Both racers suddenly blasted from their positions, leaving streaks of blue and white as they began to rush down the street! People on both sides cheered in excitement as both A-Train and Ingenium passed, their afterimages and the blur of their bodies all that could be made out for the briefest moments as they raced through! Trackers on their suits lit up their positions on a large jumbotron that was on the side of a building, helping those without super speed to see their positions.
"And they're OFF! It's looking neck to neck right now, but Ingenium looks to be taking the lead!" The announcer cried, and for both speedsters, that was accurate. Tenya, even in that heavy-looking set of armor, would actually begin to take the lead.
"What the hell? How's this kid keeping up!?" A-Train would wonder, a look of surprise on his face as he noticed the white-wearing hero pulling ahead. With Ingenium's advantage in raw speed creating a sizable gap between the two, they would begin to reach the first obstacle of their course.
"The racers are already coming up to our first challenge of the race, the Winding Road of Heroism!" the announcer sounded out, which was a far grander name than the actual challenge deserved; being just a simple winding road of cones, with fans taking advantage of the technically closer viewing area by standing on the very edges. There were even a few happy couples taking videos of the race!
Ingenium reached it first, but he knew he couldn't just blitz on through--they'd specifically designed it to challenge their handling, there wasn't a straight shot that wouldn't involve them hitting a cone, or worse, a civilian! So instead, he'd cool it on his engines, the flares on them dying down he skidded to a stop! Then, he'd turn and start running a little slower through the rest of the course, to a speed that others could actually make out easily.
A-Train, however, wasn't so easily swayed, especially as he saw that Iida had purposely slowed himself down. "This is my chance! Gotta get ahead." the member of The Seven would realize, smirking to himself at Iida's apparent folly before leaning forwards and pushing himself harder. "Can't stop the A-Train!" he cried, becoming a near invisible blur.
And ran straight through multiple people, causing blood, bone, and viscera to all fly, alongside broken phones and ripped clothes.
Ingenium, who had nearly reached the end of the section, would flinch as a sonic boom went off right next to him, defeaning him from how strong it was! Managing to uncover his ears, it took him a second before his hearing returned to him. As it did, however...screams had replaced the cheers just moments ago, people starting to panic for some reason. Still getting his bearings again after that little surprise, Iida looked around in confusion, before looking behind himself...and seeing a trail of gore right beside him.
Iida's eyes widened in shock from behind his mask, taking a step back in horror. What...what happened!? He turned his head in the direction that the trail seemed to lead, where A-Train was currently running, some red mixed into his blue streak.
Was...was A-Train the one responsible for this heinous crime!?
Iida briefly tensed, before his sense returned to his mind, and he remembered the public around him, all panicked and terrified. Swiftly, he turned back towards them, raising a hand to hold their attention. "ATTENTION, EVERYONE!" his voice boomed over the roaring crowd, calling for them to look at him. "YOU NEED EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY, MOVE CALMLY TO THE NEAREST SHELTER!" he would then order them, the freaked public too scared of what happened to refute him.
Turning back towards where A-Train had ran, Iida's engines once more flared to life. "I'll handle this miscreant." he then growled, before with a sudden burst, he was running where the trail led him!
A-Train was having a heck of a time up ahead, shaking off some of the blood that had clung to his costume. No one was near his level, just how it was supposed to be. At least, before he heard the tell-tale sound of engines flared, and that same aggressively passionate voice from before. "HALT!" Ingenium shouted, already making up for the lost distance.
Reginald would simply laugh, before then crying "You won't take my lead that fast!", which caused the eyes under Iida's helmet to furrow with fury. "Do you not know what you've done!?" the white-wearing hero asked, to which A-Train would roll his eyes under his goggles. "Yeah, take a shortc-" he started, looking behind himself...only to see Iida in the air behind him, trying to dive kick him in the back!
FIGHT![]
[(Now Playing: Compound Engine - Death Battle Fanon Track)]
Luckily for A-Train, he'd step it up a gear, getting out of the way just in time as Iida landed. But he wasn't safe for long, as Iida's engines flared up once again. "Tourque Overdrive, Recipro Burst!" he shouted, before he blasted forwards, faster than before! His legs looked to be blazing as he caught up to the A-Train once again, who looked back at Iida with an annoyed grimace.
"The hell was that for, man!?" he asked, to which Ingenium replied "You killed multiple innocent civilians! Do you not have any guilt over that!?" with a clearly exasperated and agitated tone. In turn, A-Train would scoff. "Chill, man, no one'll even know it was me!" he shouted back, before narrowly blocking a punch.
"THAT'S what you're worried about?!" Ingenium shouted, leaning into the punch, managing to at least break A-Train's guard before the supe darted out of the way. "I'm placing you under arrest, A-Train!" Tenya declared, his focus set upon his now opposing speedster.
However, before they could continue the racing fight, the announcer would blare once again. "Already past the first stretch, it looks like both our heroes are making it to the second obstacle; the Rugged Slopes!" would sound out, alerting the two to the obstacle they were they racing towards. A long stretch of road that was full or propped-up platforms, angled towards the middle of the road and with noticeable gaps.
Both speedsters knew they couldn't just stop before hitting it, so instead, they'd leap onto the platforms, beginning to hop across them. Trails of white and blue followed their paths, showing which way they were going. The white trail kept attempting to intercept the blue one on almost each jump, only for the blue one to dodge out of the way just in time, never quite connecting that hit.
Actually keeping up with the fight, A-Train and Iida were locked in a battle of cat and mouse, with Iida unleashing sweeping swipes with his legs that A-Train was forced to duck, dodge, or parry around, with a few managing to make light contact. They were practically fighting in the air just as much as on the ground, the platforms barely even an obstacle at this point.
Finally, A-Train would focus on actually counter attacking, throwing a wild haymaker that missed Ingenium as they reached the end. "Seriously, the hell's the big deal? We're both heroes, why all the hate!?" he'd claim, before reaching the last panel. He heard the sound of engines revving again, glancing behind himself to see where they were.
"You're no hero..."
Suddenly, Iida came from the side, spinning around as he unleashed a hurricane of a kick to strike A-Train's head! Thankfully, Reginald managed to duck, all while Iida screamed out.
"JUST A VILLAIN!"
Ingenium flew over A-Train's head, spinning around for a second before landing in a three-point stance, looking forwards to see A-Train already running yet again. He growled under his mask, before he once again unleashed a Recipro Burst to chase after him.
VROOM![]
Dashing down the road with the roar of their sheer speed, both heroes would start striking at the other with raw speed. A punch was sent, only for a return strike to hit the thrower, which then chained into a shoulder bash that nearly sent one of the heroes careening into the filtering out crowd.
However, Iida course-corrected just in time, digging a foot in the ground before he sharply twisted around and rocketed back at A-Train! With yet another sweeping kick strike, he tried to strike true, only for A-Train to suddenly veer away at the last second and leave Ingenium without much choice but to disengage his engines for a moment.
Unfortunately, that's just what A-Train wanted, as before the Japanese Hero could react, he felt a hand grasping tightly onto the back of his helmet. "This is where talking shit gets you, twerp!" A-Train claimed, far more annoyed now. He had just about enough of this annoyance.
Beginning to charge down the road once again, A-Train would press Iida's face against the pavement, sparks flying from the force and the metal of the mask grinding against concrete. Going as fast as they could, neither even heard the announcer as he tried to keep the image of a race building up. "O-oh, uh...looks like they're getting halfway through already! They're already hurtling to our next obstacle, the Hurdles!"
And it was true--but just like the obstacles before, A-Train didn't even try to actually do the obstacle. Instead, he lifted up Ingenium's head, pushing it forwards as they rocketed towards the hurdles in question. Before he could even try to struggle out of A-Train's grip, he was being used as a battering ram, smashing head first into each and every hurdle in their way.
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!![]
Each hit caused Iida's head to snap back from the force, but his helmet thankfully protected his face from being messed up by the impacts. That was exactly the opposite of what A-Train wanted, causing the more reckless of the two to scowl. "Damnit, just die already!" he shouted, before looking forwards to see yet another set of hurdles.
Smirking like he just got a great idea, A-Train would rear his arm holding Ingenium back, before throwing him with a powerful force!
However, Iida managed to catch himself in time, planting his hand down on the ground as he nearly reached those hurdles. Then, he'd tuck in, before shooting his legs out forwards as he reached the hurdles, nimbly sliding under the first three of the set before he managed to unleash a burst from his engines, leaping over the fourth and landing on the fifth of the pack. With that, he'd leap off it in a display of both elegance and restraint.
A-Train simply barreled through the set beside them, blasting them apart in a shower of wood and metal that cut a few of the crowd who still hadn't escaped yet.
It wasn't long before Iida landed besides the running A-Train again, both speedsters dead-even now. Iida leaned in and sent A-Train stumbling with a shoulder check, before racing around and trying to catch him with a kick--which, while it did connect, wasn't yet strong enough to push A-Train down, the hero instead grabbing onto it and pushing it out of the way before they started racing once more.
"The hell do you even care, anyways?" A-Train asked, as both fighters analyzed the other for their next move. "This ain't even your country, it's not your problem!" he then elaborated, only to be met with an elbow that he barely managed to hold off. Ingenium stared back with a determined gaze from under his mask, before shouting back.
"Meddling when you don't have to, that's the meaning of being a hero!" he claimed, before the two started to struggle in the elbow attack.
"Billy!" a woman's voice suddenly cried out, causing Iida to perk his head and look back towards the track. It seemed like in the crowd's rush to escape, a kid wearing some A-Train merch had been pushed and fallen onto the road! It was too close for the mother to just reach over and get him back, and they were closing in...
"Hey, brat!" A rough shove from A-Train made Iida briefly stumble. "You started this, you don't just get to ignore it!" the supe claimed, too caught up to even notice the child they were about to hit.
"Damn it..I don't have time for this!" Iida shouted, before focusing on his engines. His engines briefly stalled, causing him to stumble further before he finally snapped to attention. "RECIPRO EXTEND!"
His engines suddenly roared even louder, as Iida's speed seemed to double, no, triple! It was like slow motion, how Iida zipped far ahead of A-Train. Then, drifting around to face the side, he'd intercept the path that A-Train was taking, scooping up the kid who had barely gotten up before leaping towards the sidewalk.
DASH![]
A-Train zipped past right as Iida's engines died down, the armored hero tucking in with the child and landing on his shoulder to keep them safe. A grunt of pain would escape him, which he quickly stifled before looking down at the kid he saved. They were shaking, a look of shock on their face.
Iida would help the kid back onto their feet, placing a hand on their shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked them, the child taking a second before giving a shaky nod. "Good." Ingenium sighed, before going to stand back up. "Make sure to stay safe, there are people who value you!" he'd then tell them, before looking towards where A-Train had ran and coincidentally missing the awed expression the kid held.
"I'll apprehend this villain." he then assured, before taking a running stance...and in the next second, he was blasting off again!
Back with A-Train, he'd be glancing back behind himself, seeing Ingenium already rapidly approaching again. With that determination and speed, it was actually starting to unnerve the speedster of New York. "Damn, this kid might actually...no! I am the fastest!" A-Train nearly admitted, instead reassuring himself of his place in the world as he turned forwards again. And just in time, too, as he was reaching the next checkpoint of the event.
"Alright folks, it looks like A-Train's taken the lead! He may not have it long, though, cause he'll be having to go against the Long Ju--h-hey, wait a second, what're those guys still doing on there!?" the announcer questioned, and for good reason, as a crew of construction workers were still working on filling this section of the race with sand. Looks like they hadn't got the message of the race had started.
A-Train, however, would get an idea as he closed in on them. A terrible, perfect idea.
Ingenium was following closer and closer, intent on striking A-Train down when he heard a noise come from in front. "H-hey bub, what're you--AAAAH!" a voice cried, going...up? Iida looked upwards to see what it was...only to see a construction worker arcing towards him, flailing in fear. Immediately responding on instinct, Iida would stop his engines once again, holding his arms out--and skidding backwards as the worker fell on him, managing to at least stay upright.
Setting the worker back on his feet, he'd look towards the Long Jump to see what had happened...only to spy A-Train zipping around, tossing terrified construction workers at him! At the last one being tossed, the blue-wearing speedster would put his hands on his hips. "See ya, brat!" he mockingly signed, before turning around and racing off again.
Crap! Ingenium knew that he had to stop A-Train...but he also couldn't let any civilians get hurt! He also knew he couldn't catch all of them, and even he wasn't fast enough to zip around and catch them. At least, not without something to leap off of...wait.
The armored hero looked to each side, remembering where he was. There were buildings on either side, of course! With a nod, Ingenium struck a stance...before blasting off to one side, leaping up and crouching onto the wall. Then, with a burst, he shot off of it, catching the first of the falling workers and placing them down as he landed on the wall of the building across the street.
"Just like Midoriya!"
With that, he rocketed off yet again, turning into a white streak as he bounced between buildings, catching each worker midair. After a few rebounds, he caught the last one, landing in the middle of the street this time as he set them down. "Call the police, tell them one of their heroes have gone rouge!" Ingenium advised, before then turning the way A-Train ran off.
Taking a second for his pipes to cool, he'd then blast off with another Recipro Extend, sand flying in his wake.
"Alright, that should have kept him busy..." A-Train noted as he ran, before he heard that familiar sound again...no. No, that couldn't be, right...? His gaze turned behind himself, only to see Iida catching up to him with an intimidating stare.
"HOLY SHI-"[]
Ingenium caught up with almost no problem, something that completely took A-Train by surprise. This entire time...was Iida just toying with him, speed-wise!? Completely taken aback, he'd shake his head, before trying to focus on another question to distract himself from his revelation.
"Why the hell are you so hellbent on arresting me, anyways!?" he asked, notably more off his game.
"Do you not remember all those innocent people you murdered!?" Ingenium asked back, his focus far more concrete.
"Who cares about them? They shouldn't have gotten in my way!" A-Train shouted right back, more-so over to talk over the wind ripping past them than any heat. "All that matters is showing you up!"
Iida's face contorted into anger behind his mask. So not only was A-Train callous to others' feelings, he was just as much to the lives he ended! He needed to give it all he got if he wanted to take take him down.
Before he could put his plan into action, however, A-Train struck a leg out, kicking Ingenium right in the ankle! Caught off-guard, Iida briefly stumbled...before his engines flared yet again, and he used the raw force to turn the near stumble into a flip kick that actually managed to strike true! A-Train wobbled back as Ingenium's boot scraped his face, giving him a harsh mark across it.
"Gh...you little-!" A-Train growled, before he raced back in to attack Iida back. They'd trade blows, but it wasn't long before it was Ingenium who was dominating the clash, releasing harsh punches, elbow strikes, and even another kick to wear down on A-Train's hasty defense.
"Would you look at that! A-Train and Ingenium are neck to neck again, and they're racing towards our final obstacle of the track, The Wall!" the announcer blared out once again, to the crowd that had thinned majorly since the start of the fight. Not out of boredom, no, but just self-preservation. Heck, the ones still around were practically cheering, with some calling for A-Train to win while others cheered for Ingenium's displays of heroism so far.
Said Wall, which the two were racing towards, was more like a shockingly tall ramp, focused on verticality as it went straight up.
Neither combatant stopped their fight as they approached, however. For A-Train, it was out of not even looking where he was going, while for Ingenium, who had noticed, it was due to a mixture of determination and an idea forming in his mind.
Both of them didn't even slow for a second as they ran up the ramp, exchanging one last set of blows as they reached the top...and thanks to their speed, blasted high into the air! A-Train tried to strike Iida down as they began to ascend, only for the hero to cross block it. Then, his pipes once again flared up, before he rocketed right past the blue speedster and sent him spinning.
"Recipro..."
Then, part-way through, Ida twisted forwards, curling slightly as he extended a leg out, his flames following his circular motion. A-Train wasn't able to get out of the way in time, as the Engine-quirked hero struck him in the chest with his foot. Before he knew it, he was suddenly plummeting to the ground like a missile!
"EXTEND!"
CRASH![]
Dust and rubble blasted out from just beyond The Wall as A-Train his the ground, quickly clearing to reveal the speedster bloody and battered, groaning in pain. Damn it...he couldn't even react to that! Squirming a little, he managed to get his eyes back open, looking up at where he had been smashed down from...
Just to see Ingenium rocketing towards the ground, aimed for him with a dive kick attack!
"Shit-!" A-Train barely had time to breath, forcing himself to roll to the side. Just in time too, as that's when Iida landed with a thunderous crash, deepening the crater that had been formed and tossing A-Train to the side. "One second off..." Iida muttered to himself, shifting his gaze to where the blue-wearing speedster had landed.
That intense glare, even if mostly hidden... Oh fuck this! A-Train thought, shakingly pushing himself up before he dug in his pocket for something. Maybe he still had...there! Quickly, he pulled out a syringe of sorts, filled with a glowing blue liquid. Ingenium's eyes widened when he spotted it, another similar substance coming to mind. "Trigger!?"
"Y'know, I might not be able to pull off those fancy moves of yours, or throw kicks out like that..." A-Train began to monologue, before a snarl of a grin warped onto his face. "But I am the fastest, fucking, man alive, and ain't no one taking that from me!" he'd then shout, before stabbing the needle right into his arm.
A-Train's smile sharpened as he felt the power of the serum course through his veins, his veins subtlety glowing an electric blur underneath his skin, all until the power reached his eyes, a spark of true blue going through them. "Aw yeah, ain't nothing stopping the A-Train!" he'd laugh out, before vanishing in a flash of blue.
"What the--where did he..?" Ingenium was shocked, taking a step back. He just vanished!
Before he could find him, however, a strike would suddenly catch him across the face, snapping Iida's head to the side. "Too slow!" Reginald taunted, before he zipped around and struck Iida again, staggering him back. Then again, and again, multiple attacks striking the armored hero from different angles! He couldn't even defend himself!
A punch to the chest knocked the wind out of him, while a sweep from behind buckled one of Iida's knees. A twin kick on his back forced the still struggling Iida forwards, and an uppercut only a quarter of a second later completely knocked off the upper half of Iida's helmet, and revealed his pained expression to the world!
Ingenium grunted from the attack, before his eyes snapped open. Trying to catch the suddenly blitzing speedster, Iida would try to swing his buckled leg in a wide kick. Surely, he'd be able to get just the hit he needed--
A-Train was already ducked under the leg, grabbing his ankle to keep him from swinging further.
He'd go to grab Iida's engines with his other hand, the rush of adrenaline and Compound X through his body completely covering any possible pain from grabbing the hot metal. "I'll take this." he claimed, before with a sharp yank...he pulled out the pipes! It was a rough movement, A-Train uncaring as Iida's face contorted into raw pain, and the back of his calves spilled blood onto the streets.
"AAAAAAAAGH!" Iida's cry of pain echoed through the city, paralyzed by pain. A-Train then let go of Iida, allowing him to crouch down and hold his crippled leg. He'd toss the ripped out pipes up a little before catching them, cheekily claiming "That's one less annoying thorn in my side." before then rearing back with it. "But just in case..."
He'd then swing the pipes with all the force he could muster, striking Iida straight across the face with a sharp thwack and sending him careening into The Wall. A sharp burn mark marred his face, only highlighting the pain he was in.
"A little advice, kid. When you step to the king...Don't." A-Train then tossed the pipes away like trash, before turning around and running off towards the finish line in sight. The final stretch as it was, all while Iida was pressed against the final obstacle in agony.
[(Now Playing: You Say Run - My Hero Academia)]
Yet, despite this sheer amount of pain that he was going through, he still wasn't giving up. He was still straining his body, shudders racing through him as he struggled to move. "Come...on...!" he grunted, his breaths harsh and labored. The still fine engine would spark with flames, but the other one strained and couldn't output anything anymore. Every time he tried, the fire from his engines would spark an intense pain in his calf that he just couldn't overcome.
No...no, he couldn't just give up! Flashes of memory flew back to Iida. Those innocent people that were completely pasted by A-Train's recklessness, that child that nearly shared their fate...even those workers that A-Train had thrown at him. If he gave up now, how many more lives would he take?!
"I...h-have to stop him..." Tenya growled, cursing himself. He wouldn't catch him, not like this. And yet...he was forcing himself to move regardless, struggling into a runner's stance. He was at his body's limit, but his will was still as strong as ever, if not more so. "I have...t-to..." he grunted out, as his engines began to grow with power, building up more and more.
Suddenly, he would focus his head forwards, the lights of his eyes shining. His engines, both the broken and normal ones, were at the apex of their charge.
"Go...BEYOND!"[]
[(Now Playing: Trinity - My Hero Academia)]
Suddenly, Iida's calves were expelling their exhaust at an insane rate, practically obscuring his legs and knees as he blasted forwards! "RECIPRO TURBO!" was cried, indicating the raw level of speed he was forcing himself to use.
A-Train, who was halfway towards the finish line, would take a second to look behind him. "Wha-" he started, only to be clocked across the face by a fist moving at ludicrous speeds! His head snapped forwards, the member of The Seven stumbling and nearly tripping over at that. "What the hell!?" he finished his question, feeling his cheek as he stopped to see what just struck him.
Skidding around to turn back at A-Train, Tenya Iida's face was wrought with both a barely held back scream of pain and a scowl as he stared down his less moral counterpart. That expression actually caused A-Train to back up for a second, shocked. How the hell was he still standing, let alone moving faster than before?
Before a sound could be shared between them, Iida was off again, the muffler that wasn't broken off starting to melt from overuse as he struck A-Train again.
"Jaywalking!"
A strike doubled A-Train over as he clutched his gut.
"Reckless Endangerment!"
A sweeping strike from behind completely threw A-Train off balance.
"Attempted Assault!"
This time, a streak from A-Train's left smashed into him, a resounding crack heard as his shoulder on that side went limp.
"Possession of Drugs!"
A streak from his right spun into a thinner line, striking A-Train's elbow with enough force to bend it the other way.
"Resisting Arrest!"
This time, the blur came from the front, swinging forwards and launching melted steel into the speedster's face, causing him to scream in agony as his nerves finally caught up to the damage.
"Destruction of Property!"
While A-Train was distracted with the pain on his face, a slide attack caught the back of his knee, almost dusting it with he force and forcing A-Train to stagger onto his good leg.
"Use of Illegal Substances!"
That blur twisted around, turning into a blazing top that tore at A-Train's chest before launching past him.
"Second Degree Murder!"
This time, Iida came from behind, launching both his feet into A-Train's back before rocketing off of him, and flinging him towards the finish line as the Turbo Hero landed feet-first on The Wall.
Focusing all the energy he could into his engines, Iida made eye contact with the now horrified and agonized A-Train. But he felt no sympathy, watching as he helplessly careened away. No, he lost all of that when he showed his disregard for the lives of others. Instead, all Iida did was scowl deeper.
"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE ANOTHER LIFE!"
With that, Iida would rocket off The Wall, his surroundings transforming into a rainbow blur as he poured all he could into this. Multiple explosive booms trailed him as he broke barrier after sound barrier, his entire form seeming to split as he transitioned into his best approximation of a dive kick. "’’This’’ is for every good person you've killed!"
Time seemed to slow around both of them as Iida made contact...and in an eighth of a blink, Tenya seemed to have teleported past the helpless speedster...
KRA-BLAST!!![]
Only for A-Train's body to violently explode, revealing that Ingenium had blasted straight through him!
Finally, Iida's engines died out as he skidded to a stop, passing over the finish line and leaving a blue trail of flames in his wake. The onlookers who hadn't ran away would watch as the now blood-soaked, panting, barely conscious Iida struggled to stay standing. The lack of flames from his exhausts revealed that his output had cauterized the wound made from his missing muffler, and melted off his other muffler, leaving him with none to speak of.
Still, even with this, Iida would waveringly raise a fist. "D-don't...worry. You're..."
Iida's knees buckled as he collapsed, his consciousness fading.
"s...afe..."
KO![]
- Ending Screen A: Iida laying in a hospital bed, his body fully in a cast and his legs especially so. Izuku, Ochako, and Shoto are visiting him, with a trophy from the event sitting beside his bed.
- Ending Screen B: Endeavor and a group of heroes standing in front of Vought International, with representatives from the World Heroes' Association leading them.
Results[]
Boomstick: Well, I guess Iida didn't mention himself taking a life.
Wiz: This fight was actually far more debatable than we initially thought, although it was far less-so when looking at their base states.
Boomstick: Oh yeah, A-Train was outCLASSED by Iida at the start. Thanks to Iida being 7 times faster, Reggie wasn't gonna be landing any hits, and he's practically a wimp against people who can handle his speed.
Wiz: Iida was also far better trained, and for what little maneuverability he has when at his higher speeds, it's a far greater range of motion than Reginald could ever hope to have.
Boomstick: Plus, the guy's gotta build up to those speeds, while Iida's bursts are...well, bursts, giving him a way better initial dash as well. A-Train may have an insane acceleration, but Iida's at top-speed near-instantly.
Wiz: However, that doesn't mean A-Train was outclassed completely, as he had far greater experience to pull from in terms of fighting. And his dirty tactics could certainly keep Iida on his toes for a time.
Boomstick: And he could always just overclock himself with Compound V, which actually puts him 3 Mach levels above Iida.
Wiz: Right, A-Train could have worn at Ingenium until his engines went out, then gone in for a possible kill, or at least put Iida in a place where he couldn't fight back. However, there are 5 key flaws with this best strategy.
Boomstick: Yeah yeah, I was just playing devil's advocate. First up's the fact that even with the boost, A-Train would have to get through Iida's hero costume first, which he just doesn't have the tools to do, even at his speeds. That sucker's taken poundings before, and stays completely fine when he runs at basically any speed.
Wiz: Compound V also makes A-Train less focused and more reaction-based, which means that he likely wouldn't even think of such a strategy in the first place. That's not to mention how it gives him a similar limit to his speed, given how pushing himself too hard may send him into a heart attack that will leave him vulnerable and weaker than before.
Boomstick: There's also a matter of smarts. Basically, Iida's a pure genius while A-Train's more of the common man on that front. There's no way he wouldn't be able to catch on to what A-Train was doing and switch tactics, especially with the last nail in the coffin...
Wiz: Perception. See, Iida's brain works to boost his perception to the speeds he runs at, which gives him the ability to react to things just as fast as himself. Meanwhile, A-Train gains no such boost to his reaction time after using Compound V, which means that while he might be able to run at those speeds, he won't be able to make effective use of it.
Boomstick: In other words, even if A-Train had a chance, it's way too small to work. He'd have to rely on luck, which just doesn't fly here.
Wiz: A-Train was more experienced and had the means of overtaking Iida, but in the end, Ingenium's massive power and durability advantage, incredible speed, superior intelligence, protective armor, and more flexible reaction speeds give him a much easier time taking the 'world's fastest man' down.
Boomstick: Silver medal once again! Least he had a blast in this race, we can't mach that.
Wiz: Wow, that...actually wasn't half bad.
Boomstick: I know, quite Ingeni-ous if I say so myself.
Wiz: Ugh...the winner is Ingenium.
- Ingenium (Winner)
- + Faster (In base)
- + Stronger
- + More Durable
- + Better Armor
- + Smarter
- + Higher Pain Tolerance
- + Reactions Scale With Speed
- + More useful experience/better training
- + Greater acceleration
- = Similar levels of control
- = Similar limits on speed
- - Slower (Than Juiced-Up A-Train)
- - Naive
- A-Train (Loser)
- + Faster (Using Compound V)
- + Less Honorable
- + More Expansive Experience
- = Similar levels of control
- = Similar limits on speed
- - Slower (In Base)
- - Weaker
- - Less Durable
- - Dumber
- - Worse Reaction Time
- - Worse Experience/Training
- - Worse Acceleration
Next Time[]
Two burly figures step to eachother, the ominous green glow of the surrounding vats casting them as silhouettes. One with tubes racing up his body and planting into his neck, while the other was clad in metal armor from head-to-toe. Both would crack their knuckles, before they suddenly raced in, grappling against the other!
"Just like all the others...broken."/"Your ride's over, mutie. Time to die."
Bane vs Frank Horrigan
Trivia[]
- The connection between these combatants is that they're blue-outfitted speedsters in a world where heroes are basically super-celebrities. They've both also been corrupted by the darker side of their worlds, but while Iida managed to grow beyond it, A-Train succumbed to the darker side of it.
- The name of the battle soundtrack would be 'Compound Engine', in reference to both Compound V from The Boys and Iida's Quirk, Engine. It's also a reference to Compound Engines, which are engines with multiple chambers to better efficiently bring energy from fuel. The cover art would be of a vial of Compound V and Iida's glasses, both cracked and laying on rugged ground. The contents of the vial are spilling out, and even leaking onto the glasses.
- The battle would be 2D Sprite animated.