[Kazashi McCoy]

A lot had happened since the last time her and Mochi was on patrol. In her own life, she had become a mother, her and Chuck had moved into a house that he had built out in the countryside with some help, they were parents now, something she was still getting used to, but was impossibly happy about, practically couldn't stop smiling!

Even though they were out on the job, it didn't stop her and Mochi from getting some walking and talking in, they were great at multitasking like this, had done so for years. Then someone buzzed in, a voice coming through the static. ''Is this Apparel?'' The man on the other line asked. ''Yeah, Apparel, on patrol in Shibuya, what's up?'' She heard a sigh of relief, ''you're closest to the chaos, I need you step in there's an attack taking place in the southern square.''

''An attack?'' She looked over at Mochi and nodded for her to follow her as she began walking a little faster. ''A villain, ya been able ta identify them?''

''Well, that's the problem... It isn't a villain. It's Pretender.'' She stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at Mochi. ''Momo, he says that yer attackin' the square up ahead.'' She looked a mix of bewildered and horrified. Was it a copycat quirk? Mochi couldn't be attacking innocent civilians, she was a hero! And besides, she was right here next to her, it didn't make any sense. ''There's more of them, they-'' His voice cut out, replaced by static, they didn't have the time to stand around and wait for another call. ''Let's go, Momo. Sounds like a clonin' or transformation quirk or somethin'.''

Once they arrived at the square there was hardly any people around anymore, just ruins and dust clouds. ''Did everyone manage ta escape?'' There weren't even bodies on the ground, it was unusual, what was their enemy after? It wasn't until someone emerged from a nearby dust cloud that she started connecting the dots. Were they lured here?

''Mochi Ogawa, also known as Pretender.'' The woman that had emerged was made entirely of some kind of metal, she didn't appear robotic in any way and most alarmingly, she was the splitting image of Mochi in her hero suit. ''Kazashi McCoy, also known as Apparel.'' Metal Mochi assumed a fighting stance, raising her fists. ''You are threats, you are both to be exterminated by my hands.''

mochi

[mochi]

Patrolling with Kaz always put Mochi in a good mood, and especially when Kaz herself was in such good spirits. She couldn't help but be proud of how far Kaz had come, and in no small part at all thanks to Chuck. Between how happy her best friends were in their relationship, and how happy she herself was in her own with Futaba, she couldn't even dream of things turning out better than they had.

Peering this way and that while she chatted, the call caught her attention and the blonde was quick to nod back as she picked up her own pace. Scooting a bit closer to Kaz while they walked so she could eavesdrop on the call, even though she'd be told what was up in a second anyways, she let out a big "Ehh?!?" at her hero name being identified as the attacker. Briefly stopping she patted at her own chest, a quick little gesture to help confirm Empty Vessel wasn't missing and was settled in right where she always stored it. "It's definitely not me or also me so-" She started to puff her cheeks out in an objecting pout, only to stop at the clone or transformation Quirk possibility.

Just like that she popped back out of pouting and into determined focus as she hurried along. "Whoever it is, they're messing with my name!"

When she got there, she glanced around and murmured back a quick "Looks like it, that's good." in brief relief. That meant she could be focused on whoever it was trying to mess with her! Some kind of look alike? Someone that just really liked her hero name and wanted it for themselves? Or maybe some kind of creepy fan? Of all the things she was considering, a doppleganger made of metal stepping out and talking in such a not-Mochi way had her throwing a finger out in accusation and declaring: "Robo-chi!" But then she noticed they really didn't look all that robotic at all, finger dropping a bit as she trailed off and side-eyed Kaz "Eh... well..." before shrugging it off as the copy got ready to fight. Settling into her own ready stance, she amended her previous moniker with a better one: "Meta-chi! What's the big idea, huh?"

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

Yeah, messing with her hero name was an understatement. A hero turning on civilians and attacking them? If they didn't clear up the confusion. ''Yeah! Meta-chi, what do ya want?'' She was quick to adopt the nickname that Mochi had come up with on the fly. That's the kind of thing a ride or die best friend did. ''I don't have to explain anything to you.'' The metal in Meta-chi's hands began to shift, outfitting her with two metal knives. ''I have strict orders to dispatch of you. I intend to see them through.'' Seemed like talking wasn't going to get them very far. ''Momo, Ah think it's a trap. No civilians, but she made a big ruckus, don't ya think she was hopin' we came this way?''

Wait... Hadn't they been told there was more than one?

Her lightning fast reflexes caught it, a long metal object flying directly for Mochi's temple, and while her friend could undoubtedly survive an attack like that she wasn't about to let her down. ''Look out!'' She turned her hand into a boxing glove and knocked the spear off course with a punch. Emerging from the side was, much to her horror, a metal version her. ''M-Meta-shi?!'' She exclaimed, pointing at her own clone. Was it a good name? She hella didn't know but Mochi would confirm either way, or come up with something better. Of the two of them, Mochi had the better naming sense. ''What the hell is goin' on.'' She grumbled, readying herself for what would be a two on two fight. ''Ah'll take me, ya take out ya, how's that sound?'' In a battle against their own clone, how could they lose?

''Pretender, eyes on me. Your death is imminent!'' There was a coldness to Meta-chi's voice and eyes that lacked any human emotion. Bringing her knives up, she charged at Mochi, immediately trying to plunge both knives into her neck.

mochi

[mochi]

The attitude from her metal impersonator put a scowl on Mochi's face, the blonde nodding in agreement with Kaz's suspicions about this being a trap of some kind. Right as she started to reply she caught a glint of something flying at her, Kaz intercepting and Meta-shi stepping into the fight. Flashing her friend an appreciative grin she chimed back "A meta-shi too?" while side-eying their opponents. It was too bad her secret technique probably wouldn't work here! "Sounds good."

At the same time the Mochi doppleganger rushed forward, Meta-shi was rearing one arm back and forming another spear to hurl at Kaz's head with a monotone "I will handle Apparel. Whoever finishes first, ambush the other." as if their targets couldn't hear them clear as day and quickly rushing towards Kaz regardless of it was blocked, dodged or deflected - intending to impale her with another spear as she closed the distance.

Mochi left that to Kaz though, fully confident she could handle it as she rushed towards her own opponent. One hand grabbing her knife and yanking it free of her sheathe, her other hand shifted and elongated into a big black monstrous claw. With a clang her knife caught on one of Meta-chi's blades and her claw wrapped around the other... or tried to. It was sharper than she thought and sliced right into palm and forearm and if it was at a different angle it would have sliced her hand or arm right off! But instead it lost momentum, getting caught up in the gooeyness of the shadow-goo hero, and Mochi and Meta-chi were stuck struggling against eachother for a moment in an attempt to shove the other off balance. "That really hurts." Mochi faux-complained, and then suddenly dropped all attempts at resistance, melting down into a shadow-like puddle on the ground and attempting to slip behind her opponent to try and catch her by surprise with an attack from behind. It was a trick that hadn't failed her yet!

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

Once they were finally engaged in combat, Meta-chi turned much more spiteful towards Mochi. Her expression was cold on the surface, but up close there was clear contempt in her eyes, almost as if to the metal clone Mochi wasn't even human, she was nothing more than a bug that needed to be squashed.

''Ya wanna go, ya cheap copy?'' Kaz scowled at her own clone, turning her entire body into a durable wetsuit and her right hand into a boxing glove, while turning her left hand into an umbrella hat to act as a buckler. Leading with the umbrella hat, she parried the spear out of the way and launched a punch towards Meta-shi's face. She thought she could tank her attacks no problem, she usually could since for anything to get through Kaz's quirk it'd have to be hella potent, but somehow she still felt a faint sting from the glancing blow. To make matters worse, whatever metal these freaks were made from, they were sturdy too. She definitely couldn't fight recklessly, not until she had found an opening anyway. Maybe Mochi had more luck?

Meta-chi scoffed as her knife started to get stuck in Mochi's monster arm. ''And here I was looking forward to cutting you down to size!'' She hissed, getting shoved off-balance, but recovering in a very effortless way as she shifted the metal knife into a small metal mallet. ''You're slow AND short!'' She spun around and bonked Mochi on the head as she tried to sneak up on her. Then she put a hand up to her own chest, staring daggers at Mochi. ''Empty Vessel!'' Where one might expect the metal copy to do exactly as Mochi's highly personal and complex quirk did, nothing happened.

Instead, Meta-chi followed it up with a roundhouse kick, trying to catch Mochi off guard.

mochi