Chapter Text
Izuku winced in pain, but forced himself to hold his fists up in a defensive position. “I-I’m not l-letting you h-hurt them!”
The older boy glared down at him, cracking his knuckles angrily. “Back off, pipsqueak. There’s no way you can stop me from showing that loser his place.”
Izuku’s determination didn’t waver. “I c-can’t call m-myself a future h-hero if I d-didn’t step in!”
The older boy shrugged. “Your funeral.”
There was a flash of pain, and then everything went dark.
Momo hummed, licking her finger and turning the page. “Interesting. So a screen contains a multitude of lights, which can each shine one of three colors. The colors combine into many different colors which, when all put together, creates images.”
Mother poked her head into Momo’s reading room. “Darling, are you feeling alright? The nurse told me that you haven’t been out of your room very much recently.
Momo glanced up and sent Mother a reassuring smile. “Just learning, Mother! Everything is so fascinating! I have to know!”
Mother hummed. “Well, just be sure to eat. I don’t want you wasting away because you were too busy reading, alright?”
Momo nodded, before turning back to her book.
Katsuki grunted as he stared down at the bastard covered in burns and bruises. “C’mon, you were talking hot shit just a second ago! Where’s all that confidence, huh?! Or did you really get your ass laid out by a six-year-old?!”
The unconscious teenager didn’t respond, and Katsuki grunted again, before turning on his heel and walking over to the nearby kid laying on his back by the fence. He leaned down and started quickly slapping the other boy’s cheeks. “Oi, Deku! C’mon, wake up, you idiot!”
Deku’s eyes shot open, and he bolted upright. “I won’t let you hurt them!”
Katsuki scoffed, smacking Deku upside the back of the head like the old hag would do to him. “Keep up, nerd. I beat up this dick while you were taking a nap over here.”
Deku sniffed, his eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry, Kacchan! I promise, I tried to do something this time! But they were so much bigger and stronger than me!”
Katsuki huffed warmly. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it a dozen times. You really need to get some exercise, Deku. You can’t be a hero if you’re a fucking twig!”
Deku winced and rubbed at his neck. “I… I tried to sign up at the gym near our house. Really, I did! But the lady at the desk said they didn’t serve Quirkless people…”
Katsuki clicked his tongue in annoyance. “That fucking sucks. How’re you gonna save anyone if you can’t even get stronger? That does it, I’m getting you some exercise shit for your birthday.”
Deku started waving his hands nervously. “Ah, no, Kacchan, you don’t need to waste your allowance on me! I promise, I’ll find a way to get stronger myself, don’t waste your time with me!”
Katsuki smacked Deku again. “It’s not a waste of time or money, idiot! I can’t be saving your ass all the damn time, so it’d be more of a waste if I didn’t help you get stronger!”
Inko glanced up as the front door creaked open, and she gasped as Izuku and Katsuki walked in, covered in bruises. “My goodness! What happened to you two?!”
Izuku sniffed. “There was a high schooler at the park picking on Tsubasa-kun, so I tried to get him to stop, but then he started hitting me…”
Katsuki grunted. “I had to step in and kick the guy’s butt so that Deku wouldn’t die. Again. I’m half-convinced to stick by his side all the time so that he doesn’t keep trying to fight people he knows are out of his league.”
Izuku huffed. “C’mon, Kacchan, you know I can’t help it! Whenever I see someone in trouble, I have to help!”
Inko sighed, all too familiar with the antics of her son and honorary nephew. “And while that’s a very nice attitude for a hero to have, it’s a little dangerous for a six-year-old who can barely lift a gallon of milk.”
Izuku pouted. “It’s not my fault the gym won’t take Quirkless people!”
Inko hummed, before patting her son on the head. “Well, after I get you all cleaned up, let’s see what we can do about finding somewhere better, alright?”
Izuku’s eyes lit up, and he shot towards the bathroom, gibbering excitedly. Katsuki chuckled, before following after his honorary brother at a more reasonable pace. Inko giggled to herself at her son’s excitement, before glancing at Katsuki’s hand. It was still there - that odd marking on the back of his right hand. It had appeared out of nowhere on the blonde’s fourth birthday, at the same time his Quirk manifested. The doctors had no idea what it meant, or if it even meant anything at all. As far as they could tell, it was nothing more than an oddly-shaped birthmark that appeared far later than usual. Though, “odd” was an understatement - it wasn’t often that a birthmark was a perfect equilateral triangle with lines connecting the midpoints of the sides.
What was even more odd was that Izuku had an identical marking on the back of his own right hand.
Shiru glanced back at the door to Momo’s study. Her daughter had been much more bookish than usual as of late. While she normally would’ve been happy about that fact, Shiru was concerned that this mental change coincided with a physical one. For whatever reason, a couple of weeks ago, a strange marking appeared on the back of Momo’s right hand - an equilateral triangle with lines connecting the midpoints of the sides. Ever since, Momo had been spending more and more time reading, tearing through the mansion’s expansive library.
Shiru was concerned that, perhaps, someone had used some kind of Quirk on her daughter to fish for information. She had asked the head of security for the mansion, who had reviewed the tapes and reported that nobody out of the ordinary was present when the mark appeared. Still, there was no rational explanation that Shiru could think of, even with her own Quirk allowing her to memorize entire libraries of information.
Still, there was always the chance that she was unconsciously overlooking certain possibilities. She needed to consult someone who she was certain was without any biases whatsoever when it came to theorizing.
“I wonder if Principal Nedzu still owes me a favor…”
Nedzu hummed curiously, poring over the snapshot that the Yaoyorozu matriarch had sent him. Supposedly, this strange symbol had appeared on her daughter’s hand two weeks prior, and the girl had since been devouring any book she could find for knowledge. Shiru-san was concerned that young Momo might be under the influence of some sort of Quirk, and the woman had already exhausted her own avenues.
Nedzu loved a challenge.
First and foremost - the result of a Quirk? Most likely not - after a quick perusal of the Quirk registry database, not one seemed to match the described effect on the six-year-old girl. The next most likely event was brainwashing, but he quickly ruled that out as well. The symbol didn’t belong to any cult that Nedzu was aware of, and most instances of brainwashing with these effects usually targeted specific information. Not the near-infinite range of topics young Momo was taking in on a regular basis. Well, if not that, then what about…?
After fifteen minutes and several cups of tea, Nedzu was forced to accept the truth - he had no solutions that fit the bill perfectly.
Suddenly, the mammal sat upright in his office chair. “Unless…”
He quickly hit a button on his desk that locked down his office, before tapping away at his keyboard and accessing his private files. A few clicks of the mouse brought him to a folder on the many ancient ruins spaced around Japan. These ruins all dated from around the same time period, and yet seemingly belonged to a myriad of cultures, based on the imagery lining the outer walls. Most surprising was how intact they were, and the fact that neither technology nor Quirks had managed to pierce through to the inner corridors.
Nedzu brought up an image of the closest ruin, located in the forest near the mountain agency of the Wild Wild Pussycats. His excitement grew as he scanned the photograph of the front doors, noticing that it seemed to feature the same symbol as the one on young Momo’s hand. A triangle divided into four equal pieces. Though, the symbol on the ruins’ doors also sat above an odd shape that seemed to depict some kind of bird that didn’t match any known modern species.
“How interesting.”
All for One hummed to himself as he approached the massive stone doors, his hands in his pockets. “Oh, my. Normally, I’d avoid the Tottori Sand Dunes like the plague, but with this ruin present, my curiosity outweighs my distaste.”
He placed one hand on the doors, and there was a flash of golden light, sending him stumbling back several paces. All for One stared down at the extended hand, as though it had betrayed him in some manner. Garaki glanced back at the centuries-old supervillain, his worry etched into his face. “My lord? Are you alright?”
“...This is no ordinary ruin. My collection of durability Quirks should be able to keep me rooted in place, even under the greatest impacts. Something is unnatural about this place, able to circumvent the power of hundreds of Quirks.”
Garaki frowned. “What do you suggest we do, my lord?”
All for One huffed. “Leave it. For now. This will warrant further study, but as things stand, I must make preparations for the eighth holder.”
Garaki bowed his head. “As you wish, sir.”
As the two vanished through a cloud of black sludge, a mysterious figure rose out of the sands by the doors, surrounded by ethereal turquoise flames. “How interesting. A mortal man, imbued with the same evil as the Calamity. We may have reason to be wary.”
Izuku’s eyes widened in fear, and he opened his mouth to scream, but the sludge suddenly started pouring in, cutting off his breath. Shit! What do I do, what do I do?!
The villain chuckled, “Hey, stop squirming, kid! Just let it happen, your brain’s gonna shut off from lack of oxygen in just 45 seconds! Gotta say, you’re my hero right now.”
Izuku’s eyes widened even further. No! I can’t let this happen! I promised Katsuki that I’d join him at the beach for practice today! Suddenly, a detail flashed into his mind. Wait a sec. His body is fluid sludge, but his eyes are still solid! And if I remember correctly…
He quickly removed his right hand from the sludge by his mouth and stuck it into his pocket, grabbing his pen. He swung up and backwards, and the sludge guy screeched as the point jabbed into his right eye. “GAH! Why, you little-”
The sludge started pouring in even faster, and Izuku cursed internally. Shit! I was sure that would help! It only made him angrier! Black spots started appearing in his vision, and his breathing became labored. Damn, I can’t die here! Not now! I can’t die… without becoming a hero!
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light shone from the back of his right hand. The sludge villain hissed in pain, and the slime was forcibly ejected from Izuku’s mouth. Izuku fell to the ground, coughing and panting heavily. The manhole cover shot up, and a large figure jumped out from the sewers. “MY APOLOGIES, YOUNG MAN! THE SEWER SYSTEM WAS MUCH HARDER TO NAVIGATE THAN I THOUGHT! BUT DO NOT FEAR! FOR I AM HERE!”
The sludge guy cursed under his breath and shifted towards the end of the underpass. “Damn it! I can’t get caught now!”
The sludge shot forward, but the massive figure cocked its right fist. “TEXAS SMASH!”
The slime was blown away, save for a small clump surrounding the eyes. It writhed around on the ground, and the figure strode forward quickly, ripping the eyes apart and stuffing each one into an empty soda bottle. As Izuku coughed out what felt like the last of the sludge, a massive hand entered his vision. “ARE YOU ALRIGHT THERE, YOUNG MAN?”
Izuku glanced up, and he gasped. “A-A-All Might?!”
Indeed, there was the Number One Hero in all his glory, wearing casual clothing and holding a plastic grocery bag. “INDEED! I HAPPENED TO BE OUT ON A GROCERY RUN WHEN THIS VILLAIN STARTED CAUSING TROUBLE! BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME! ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT?”
Izuku turned away and coughed again, smacking his fist against his chest a couple times. “Yeah, I… I think I’m alright. Most of the sludge got out of my lungs when you blew him away. You… you got him, right?”
“OF COURSE, YOUNG MAN! REST ASSURED, THIS CRIMINAL HAS BEEN SAFELY CONTAINED!”
As Izuku got to his feet, he suddenly remembered who he was talking to and quickly rifled around in his bag. “Hang on a sec! Before you go, could you sign something for me? I’m a huge fan of yours!”
He pulled out the tattered second half of Analysis Notebook #13 and held it out to the hero, who chuckled deeply. “WHY, OF COURSE! A HERO ALWAYS HAS TIME FOR HIS FANS!” All Might flipped through the notebook, stopping on the entry about Mount Lady. “HMM. A FAN OF ALL HEROES, I SEE. THIS ART IS QUITE GOOD, I MUST SAY! NOW, I’M ASHAMED TO ASK SOMETHING OF YOU, BUT DO YOU HAVE A PEN ON HAND?”
Izuku blinked, before glancing down at the pen still clutched in his right hand. It was still covered in residual slime, and Izuku held back a gag. “Uh, give me a second. I don’t think you’ll want to use this one.” He rifled around in his bag again, before pulling out one of his spare pens and holding it out to the man. “Here!”
All Might took the pen and quickly scrawled out a signature on the page, before handing both items back to Izuku. “THERE YOU GO, YOUNG MAN! NOW, BEFORE I TAKE OFF, ARE YOU CERTAIN THAT YOU’LL BE ALRIGHT? YOUR RIGHT HAND LOOKS… PECULIAR.”
Izuku glanced at his hand, eyes widening when he saw that the back of it was shining with a golden light. He quickly stuffed it in his pocket and lied, “Um, it’s, uh, related to my Quirk! Honestly, I feel fine! You don’t need to worry about me!”
All Might frowned for a couple awkward seconds, before grinning again. “WELL, IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN I MUST BE OFF! THESE BOTTLES WILL ONLY CONTAIN THIS VILLAIN FOR SO LONG, AND I MUST BE HANDING HIM OFF TO THE POLICE!”
With that, the hero leaped away, a gust of wind blowing away the residual clumps of slime lining the underpass. Izuku stared at the sky, before pulling his hand out of his pocket and staring at the glowing symbol on the back of it. For years, he’d had that strange marking there, but this was the first time it had really done anything aside from existing. As he stared, the glow dimmed. Now, the lines of the marking were glowing a soft gold, and the triangle in the bottom right was also glowing. The top and bottom right triangles had a softer, less opaque glow, and the one in the middle was as blank as before.
“...What is this?”
Katsuki grunted, taking a sip from the can of soda that he’d grabbed from a nearby vending machine. “Where the hell is Deku? He promised to be here by now.”
Fingers scoffed from behind him. “Betcha he ran home like the damn coward he is.”
Katsuki glared back at the other boy. “Deku’s a lot of things, but he isn’t one to break promises.”
Fingers raised his hands in surrender and backed off. “Whoa, geez, alright, chill. So he’s running late, big whoop. We can probably do shit without the loser, anyways.”
Katsuki grunted, crushing the can in his grip and scorching it with an explosion. “If you wanna go off and do shit, fine. But I’m gonna wait for Deku.” He tossed the remains of the soda can into a nearby bin, because while he might’ve been an asshole, he wasn’t a fucking litterer, dammit.
Fingers suddenly glanced up and frowned. “Hey, what’s that?”
Katsuki glanced up, humming as he noticed what looked like two soda bottles falling out of the sky. As they fell, he made out what looked like green sludge inside of them. “Ugh, gross. Who the hell carries around swamp water in two-liter bottles?” The bottles hit the ground, and the lids popped off, clearly not having been screwed on tight. The sludge oozed out, before suddenly surging across the ground unnaturally. Katsuki’s eyes narrowed, and he backed up a couple paces, curling his fingers into claws. “The fuck is this?”
The slime surged upwards, and Katsuki made out two greenish eyes above a mouth of mismatched teeth. “Curse that hero. But he made the mistake of thinking he had me contained.” The eyes swiveled down to stare at Katsuki, and the fucker grinned. “Hey, you’re not a bad-looking skinsuit, kid. Certainly better than that other one I ran into. Man, I wish I could pay him back for stabbing my eye with that pen.”
Katsuki popped an explosion in his right hand as a warning. “Don’t try me, sewer-breath.”
The guy’s eyes widened. “Hey, that’s a pretty nifty Quirk you got there! Perfect for keeping the cops off my tail! C’mere!”
Izuku hummed to himself as he walked down the street, trying to transcribe his notes into the new notebook he’d purchased at the convenience store. “Could’ve done without that sludge villain trying to possess me or whatever, but I guess I just can’t have a peaceful day.” The sound of an explosion caught his attention, and he glanced up to see a crowd forming nearby. “What’s that? Another villain fight?”
He ran over to the crowd, noticing that Backdraft was holding the crowd back with a stream of water. Death Arms, Slugger, Airjet, and Kamui Woods were all standing nearby, seemingly doing nothing. As Izuku got closer, one of the bystanders shouted, “Aren’t you gonna do anything?!”
Kamui Woods responded, “We can’t get close because he’s firing off those blasts! None of our Quirks are suited to this, we’ve gotta wait for a hero with a better Quirk to arrive!”
Blasts? Izuku cautiously pushed through the crowd, eventually getting to the front. He stared across the devastated area and gasped, recognizing the sludge villain that had attacked him earlier. He got free? But All Might said he was contained! Wait a minute, if he could make explosions, why didn’t he do that when he was trying to possess me?
The sludge thrashed around, and another explosion tore through the area. The force of the blast pushed back the slime a bit, and Izuku’s heart leapt into his throat as he recognized the head of blond hair currently writhing around in the sludge. “Katsuki!”
Without thinking, he jumped over Backdraft’s barrier and shot forward, ignoring the cries of the heroes behind him. As he approached, the sludge villain turned and cackled. “Man, what are the odds?! Here I am, thinking about how I’d like to get back at you for what you did earlier, and then you show up to get in my way again! Well, too bad for you, but this kid’s got a great Quirk! How about you have a taste of it?!”
The sludge forced Katsuki’s hand up at Izuku, and he immediately ducked to the side, just as an explosion tore through the air where he’d been standing. Izuku kept running forward, several thoughts running through his head at the same time. Backdraft is forced to put out the fires every time Katsuki’s Quirk goes off, which keeps him from attacking the villain directly. Kamui would get burned by the explosions, Airjet’s bursts would get counteracted, Death Arms only knows close combat, and Slugger - well, Slugger’s never been all that great. The main problem here is Katsuki. He’s trying to force the sludge off of him with explosions, but they’re hurting more than they’re helping. If anyone’s gonna do anything, Katsuki needs to get free.
Katsuki forced his head up and to the side, and his eyes widened. “Deku! The fuck are you doing here?! Get out, you can’t beat this guy!”
Izuku’s eyes narrowed, and the symbol on the back of his right hand glowed brighter. “I’m not leaving without you!”
He jumped forward, pulling out the sludge-covered pen from earlier. He landed on Katsuki’s head and stabbed the pen into the villain’s non-bleeding eye. The sludge villain screeched and reared back, unintentionally retracting some of the sludge covering Katsuki’s chest. Izuku hopped back and landed on the ground, digging his hands into the slime and grabbing Katsuki’s arms. The blonde’s right hand shined with a golden light, and he was forcibly ejected from the slime as electricity coursed through it. Immediately, Backdraft shot away from the crowd, trapping the villain’s eyes in a ball of water. The crowd started cheering, and Death Arms walked up, clapping Izuku on the shoulder. “Not bad, kid. In the future, though, try leaving things to the professionals, alright?”
Izuku glared at the hero and shrugged his hand off. “If the professionals would do their damn jobs, then I would. Clearly, none of you were going to do anything, and somebody had to step in. My suggestion would be to give yourself some kind of ranged attack.”
Death Arms blustered, “We were waiting-”
Izuku interrupted, “You couldn’t wait. The villain was forcing himself into the hostage’s mouth and suffocating them. The guy attacked me before, so I can say with complete certainty that Katsuki only had a minute to live when he was first attacked. If I hadn’t acted, he would be dead and the villain would’ve been able to puppet his corpse without any issues. Waiting was not an option. Do better.”
He stormed off, dragging Katsuki by the arm. Once they were away from the heroes and the flashing cameras, Izuku gently patted Katsuki’s cheek a couple times. “Hey. Kat. You with me?”
Katsuki’s eyes fluttered open, before shooting wide as his cheeks bulged. Izuku quickly stepped to the side just before Katsuki started coughing up chunks of slime. Izuku gently patted his friend’s back as he emptied his lungs. “Ugh. God, that… that was fucking awful. The dude reeked of sewer sludge.”
Izuku grunted. “Considering he crawled out of a manhole when I first saw him, I’m not surprised.”
Katsuki glanced back at Izuku. “He… attacked you earlier?”
Izuku nodded. “In the underpass on the way to the convenience store. All Might showed up and blasted him with a Texas Smash. Supposedly, he ‘contained’ the guy in a couple of soda bottles.”
Katsuki scoffed. “Apparently not. The bottles holding the fucker fell into the alley where I was waiting for you. Guess now I know why you were late, huh?”
Izuku hummed. “Guess so.”
Katsuki glanced at Izuku’s right hand, where the symbol was shining brightly. “The fuck is that?”
Izuku grunted. “You know that marking I used to have on my right hand? The one identical to yours? When I got attacked and was about to pass out from oxygen deprivation, it flashed and forced the guy off of me.” He pointed at Katsuki’s right hand, which was also glowing. “The same thing happened to you when I was trying to pull you out.”
Katsuki looked at the back of his right hand, before glancing back at Izuku’s marking. “There’s a difference. On yours, the bottom-right triangle is glowing the brightest. On mine, it’s the top one.”
Izuku frowned and peered at his friend’s hand. Sure enough, the topmost triangle in Katsuki’s mark had the most opaque glow. “On both of ours, the bottom-left one is dimmer, and the center one is entirely clear. Makes me wonder if there’s a third person somewhere with the same marking that’d have the bottom-left one.”
Momo sneezed, wiping at her nose before returning to her book. “Strange. I don’t think anyone’s gotten sick in the house recently enough for me to contract anything.” She scratched at the back of her right hand. “And what is this itch that won’t go away?”
Nedzu glanced up from the files on his desk as his computer pinged. His ears drew back as he recognized the specific tune that had been used. He quickly hit the button to lock down his office, before opening the update notification. On his screen, video footage played from a camera mounted in the forest outside of Musutafu, overlooking one of the ancient ruins that the mammal was keeping tabs on. His attention was drawn to the front doors, where the once-dark symbol containing the divided triangle was now glowing with a soft golden light. “How interesting…”
In the footage, a squirrel scurried across the ground, coming close to the doors. There was a burst of golden light, and the squirrel dashed away from the ruins. As Nedzu watched, an ethereal turquoise flame emerged from the doors, growing and taking on the form of a young girl with pointed ears, wearing a small green tunic. The girl spoke to herself, and Nedzu’s ears twitched as he failed to decipher the language used. “Intriguing. A spirit of a long-dead civilization, guarding an ancient temple, speaking in a language lost to time.”
Suddenly, the spirit turned its head to face the camera, and Nedzu froze, somehow feeling its gaze pierce through the screen and into his very soul. The girl spoke, this time in Japanese, “I know not if you are friend or foe. But know that only the chosen hero may open these doors.”
The feed cut to static, and Nedzu hummed to himself, shutting off the monitor and rubbing at his chin. “The mystery deepens further. I wonder, who might this ‘chosen hero’ be?”
TEN MONTHS LATER
Izuku glanced up at the massive building in front of him, feeling the anxiety wash over him. “Kind of intimidating, isn’t it?”
Katsuki grunted and shoulder his bag. “Whatever. Let’s just get moving.”
Together, they headed inside, following the signs to the testing hall for the written exam. Katsuki went inside immediately, but Izuku was halted by a clone of Ectoplasm outside the doors. “I apologize, but all gear must be left with a proctor during the written exam. It will be returned to you before the practical exam.”
Izuku nodded in understanding and removed the scabbard from his back, holding it out to the hero before heading into the exam hall. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
Momo hummed to herself as she read through her acceptance letter. “Good, I made it in. Oh, and Todoroki-kun was admitted as well? A pleasant surprise, to be sure. I was certain that the boy with the wind Quirk had a better performance. Ah, well.”
Mother poked her head into Momo’s study. “Well? What were the results?”
Momo lifted her head and beamed. “I got in, Mother! I will be in class 1-A alongside Todoroki-kun!”
Mother smiled softly. “That’s wonderful, dear. Oh, by the way, I’ve noticed that you’ve taken to rubbing at your right hand lately. Is everything alright with that?”
Momo’s smile wavered. “It’s fine, Mother. Just an itch. I’m certain I’ll be able to put it aside once classes begin.”
Mother hummed worriedly. “Well, if it persists, I’m certain that Recovery Girl will be more than willing to take a look at it. Alright?”
Momo nodded. “Of course, Mother.”
Izuku stared up at the massive door labeled 1-A. He took a deep breath, before steeling his resolve and sliding it open. He was immediately hit with the sound of yelling. “I must insist that you remove your feet from the desk! It is disrespectful to the school faculty and everyone that was involved in its creation!”
Katsuki grunted, slumped in his seat and his feet kicked up on the desk. “Shut up, four-eyes. This is way more comfortable, and it’s not bothering anyone else, so fuck off.”
Izuku grunted in agreement and walked towards his own desk, conveniently located right behind the blonde. “It’s true. Katsuki’s the oldest in our year, so the desks in junior high weren’t designed for someone as tall as him. He’s used to putting his legs up so that they aren’t cramped.”
The blue-haired guy from the entrance exam started chopping his hand even faster, only to pause when the door slid open and Momo walked in, yawning with a hand over her mouth. “Honestly, Iida-kun, you really need to loosen up. Imagine what Tensei-san would say if he found you were hounding your classmates about the rules on the first day. At least let them get comfortable in the course, first.”
The boy, apparently named Iida, sighed. “I suppose you are right, Yaoyorozu-chan.” He stood up straight and held a hand out to Katsuki. “Perhaps we started off on the wrong foot! My name is Iida Tenya! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”
Katsuki grunted and accepted the handshake, not moving an inch from where he was sitting. “Bakugou Katsuki. Likewise, I guess.”
Iida paused, glancing at the glowing symbol on the back of Katsuki’s hand. He glanced back at Momo, and his eyes locked onto her own right hand, glowing with the mark of the Triforce. “Yaoyorozu-chan, your mark. It is glowing. Why is it glowing? And why does he have the same mark?”
Momo sighed. “It’s a long story. And something that the principal would like to keep under wraps, if possible. I’m sorry, but this is something that I can’t even tell you about.”
Iida nodded. “I understand completely. I shall simply treat this as though it is a classified case. Tensei has had enough of them that I should be able to keep myself from pressing.”
Momo smiled softly. “That’s good to hear.”
Izuku coughed and held out his right hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you too, Iida-kun. My name is Midoriya Izuku. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
Iida accepted the handshake, eyes flicking to the Triforce of Courage on the back of Izuku’s hand. Before he said anything, the blue-haired teen shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts, then nodded and moved to greet some of the others that were filtering into the classroom. Izuku’s eyes widened as he saw the brunette girl from the entrance exam walk in the door. Her eyes met his, and she smiled weakly, hurrying over to his desk. “Hey. I never got to thank you properly for what you did during the entrance exam, huh?”
Izuku huffed. “No need. I was just doing what any hero should have.”
She grinned and rubbed at the back of her neck. “Well, yeah, but you were the only other person who stopped to help, even at the cost of getting more villain points. Though, with the rescue points being a thing, I guess it didn’t really hurt your score all that much, huh?”
Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but a voice from by the door announced, “If you’re only here to socialize, get out. The hero course isn’t something you can take lightly.” All conversation ceased, and everyone turned towards the bright yellow sleeping bag that was sitting in the doorway. It sat upright and unzipped, before falling to the floor to reveal a man wearing a black jumpsuit and a gray scarf. “My name is Aizawa Shouta. I’ll be your homeroom teacher this year.” He reached into his sleeping bag and pulled out a bunch of gym uniforms, tossing them onto the podium. “Get changed and get outside to the training field. Don’t waste my time.”
Tomura grunted as Kurogiri warped into the bar. “Well?”
The bartender sighed. “The school is heavily defended. Getting in to steal a teacher’s schedule would set off all manner of alarms.”
Tomura hummed and scratched at his neck. “So we need to get someone to taunt the heroes and draw their aggro away from our little sidequest.” He grinned. “You think those NPCs got the notification that All Might got a class change?”
Izuku and Katsuki took the lead, already knowing the route to the workshops due to having an in. As they approached the iron double doors, Izuku ducked behind Katsuki as the blonde held his palms out in a clearly practiced movement. Before any of the others could say anything, there was a loud BOOM, and the doors slammed open, smoke billowing out from the workshop. Loud cackling could be heard, and a different voice proclaimed, “Hatsume! Hold off on the explosions, or I’ll be forced to ban you from the lab!”
A girl’s voice whined, “But sir, they’re a part of my creative process! You can’t make an omelet without blowing up a few eggs!”
Izuku calmly dusted himself off and called out, “Meiday, listen to him. The explosions are disrupting your classmates’ work. You wouldn’t want them interrupting your babies, so don’t interrupt theirs.”
As the smoke cleared, Hatsume Mei jogged up to Izuku and Katsuki with a grin. “Heya, Greenie! Hey, Blondie!” She glanced over at the others, who were standing by in confusion. “Brought your class, huh? Do they need some quality babies?”
Iida balked, but Izuku merely chuckled. “They’re just here to get acquainted with the Support department. Though, two of ‘em need major costume overhauls. You wanna handle one of them?”
Mei beamed and whirled to face Power Loader. “Sir, can I?!”
The man sighed, gripping a bottle of sake in his hand. “Only if they consent to whatever changes you make.”
Aizawa-sensei grunted. “Alright. Yaoyorozu, you work with Hatsume on making your new costume. I’d rather have Maijima work on Hagakure’s outfit, since his experience is needed a lot more for that one.”
Momo stepped forward uncertainly, holding her costume case. “Izuku-kun, you know this girl?”
Izuku nodded. “Katsuki and I met Mei around the time of the sludge villain attack. You know how we cleaned Dagobah Beach? Well, her mom runs the nearby scrap shop, and we took the electronics from the beach to there so Mei had some scrap to practice her inventing before UA. She’s the one who made the sword I used during the entrance exam.”
Uraraka brightened. “Well, I gotta thank you, Hatsume! That sword practically saved my life!”
Mei grinned. “I give my customers only the best! That reminds me - Greenie, I noticed that the sword in your costume isn’t the one I made! Where’d you find the new one?”
Izuku waved his hand dismissively. “Later. Right now, Momo needs a new costume.”
Mei hummed. “First-name basis already? How’d that happen?” She glanced over at Momo, and her eyes fell on the glowing symbol of the Triforce of Wisdom. “Ah. Nifty. Anyhoo!” She made grabbing motions towards the costume case in Momo’s hands. “Gimme! I wanna see what we’re working with over here!”
Lunch was a quiet affair, concern for their teachers mixed with apprehension and curiosity over the field trip for Foundational Heroics. As they reconvened in the classroom, the bell rang, and Aizawa-sensei walked in, dragging his sleeping bag behind him. “Alright. You already know the deal. Get changed into your PE uniforms or hero costumes, whichever one you want. The bus leaves at 1:30 sharp, so be there on time.”
As it turned out, only Hagakure ended up wearing her PE uniform. When asked, she said, “Power Loader and Katsuki’s dad are still working on my new costume. Also, Bakugou-san expressly forbade me from wearing my old ‘costume’, so I’m kinda stuck with the gym uniform for now.”
Katsuki grunted as they loaded up onto the waiting bus. “Yeah, that’s Dad for you. Fashion is really the only thing that can get his blood boiling.”
Izuku snorted. “Unlike your mom, whose blood is constantly at 99 degrees Celsius.”
Katsuki chuckled. “I mean, you’re not wrong.”
Kaminari leaned forward, a grin on his face. “Oh? Bakugou’s talking about his mom? What’s she like? Is she hot?”
Mineta tutted as the bus started rolling. “Oh, you poor simpleton. Hotness is subjective. A beautiful woman to some can be a vile hag to others. Of course, there are those blessed few that cannot be seen as anything other than gorgeous.” He sighed, a blush coming over his face. “Like that utter dreamboat, Mount Lady. Ah, what a lovely rear that goddess has graced this country with.”
Katsuki gagged. “Ugh, fuck no! Now you’ve got me thinking about my stupid cousin! God, she was so pretentious when she got her hero license. Rubbing it in my face that she became a hero before I could…”
Mineta gaped at the blonde, eyes wide. “You’re kidding! That hot piece of ass is your cousin?! Where the hell is the family resemblance?!”
Katsuki huffed. “Watch yourself, dick-for-brains. She may be an asshat, but she’s still my goddamn cousin and a fucking pro hero.”
Momo frowned. “Wait, Mount Lady’s debut was the same day as the sludge villain attack, yes? I can’t imagine that went over well.”
Katsuki grunted, a hint of regret in his tone. “Kinda hate that I basically made her look incompetent on her first day. One of many dick moves I’ve made in my life.”
Shigaraki scowled. “Alright then, roll an intimidation check. Nomu! Grab him!”
Its exposed brain twitched, and the large black creature vanished. Izuku swore and dove to the side, just as the beast appeared in front of where he’d been standing, its arms swinging out in a bear hug. Its eyes rolled in its sockets to stare at him, before its gaze shifted to the Master Sword. The blade hummed and glowed with divine light, and Izuku swore under his breath. “What the hell even are you?”
Shigaraki cackled, spreading his arms wide. “Nomu’s our patented cheat code - equipped with multiple Quirks, the anti-Symbol of Peace! He’s a super-tough punching bag that punches back!”
Izuku’s eyes narrowed. It’s more than that. The strain of multiple Quirks would make the body tear itself apart. The only reason this thing is holding together is because of the Malice pumping through its veins.
Nomu slowly walked forward, arms repositioning for another grab. Izuku’s eyes narrowed, and he darted forward. There was a loud, wet noise, and Izuku slid across the ground on the other side of the beast, its left arm severed. Nomu glanced over at where its left shoulder ended in a stump. The veins twitched, and new tissue and bone began regrowing into a new arm. Izuku could just barely make out the telltale glow of Malice emanating from the monster’s chest. The Master Sword hummed louder, the magenta blood on its blade turning red. The severed arm twitched, then shriveled within seconds, robbed of the Malice holding it together.
Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed. “The hell? What did your sword do to Nomu’s arm? Swords shouldn’t do that! Is it enchanted?!”
Izuku leveled his blade at Nomu, and its eyes focused on the light coming off of the sword. “It may be a mindless puppet, but there’s a fragment of consciousness in there. And that fragment knows that my blade is poison to it.”
“Tch.” Shigaraki glanced sidelong at where Katsuki and Momo were still glaring at him. “Alright, another intimidation check. Nomu! Grab her!”
Nomu took a hesitant step away from Izuku, before stepping to the side and vanishing. Momo swept her right arm out, and the Triforce of Wisdom pulsed. Nomu appeared in front of her, arms swinging forward in another bear hug. However, its attempt was blocked by a crystalline shield that formed around her. Katsuki’s fist glowed with purple energy, and his fist slammed into the monster’s chest, sending it sliding back several meters, its feet digging trenches in the ground.
Shigaraki gaped. “What?! Impossible! Nomu’s Quirks should let it absorb 100% of All Might’s strength! How could a brat like you deliver that much knockback with a single punch?!”
Katsuki scowled. “Really? One single thing not going according to your plan, and you fall apart like a damn Jenga tower. If anyone’s the brat here, it’s you.”
Shigaraki scowled back. “Alright. If I’m not going to get any answers from you three, then I’ll just have to kill you.”
Kurogiri shifted nervously. “Shigaraki Tomura, I must-”
Shigaraki rounded on the misty villain. “Kurogiri, shut up! Sensei said that we could kill ‘em once we got as much information as we could! They’re not giving out any more intel, so I’m killing them!”
Katsuki chuckled. “Good luck with that.”
Shigaraki screeched, “Nomu! Kill the blond one!”
Before the monster could even move, Izuku shot forward, grabbing the handle of the Master Sword with both hands and plunging it into Nomu’s chest. It screeched in pain as the blade stabbed through its skin, the point coming out on the other side with its heart impaled on it. “You’re not killing anyone. A monster like you must be destroyed.”
Shigaraki went pale at the Malice coating the organ’s tissue. “Uh… Hearts aren’t supposed to be that color. Right, Kurogiri?”
The misty villain nodded weakly. “That is correct. What is that substance, and why is it in the Nomu?”
A sudden explosion incinerated the heart, and Izuku withdrew the Master Sword from the beast’s chest, letting it fall face-first onto the ground. It shriveled within seconds, the multiple Quirks in its body attacking each other and destroying the tissue. The blade pulsed, and the lingering blood was purged of its Malice. Izuku swiped the sword through the air, splattering the bricks and leaving the blade a spotless white. “So. Either your Sensei didn’t tell you everything, or not even he knows what he’s doing. And in either case, that’s a problem.”
Nedzu hummed. “Well, this is quite the pickle. All for One was already quite the threat on his own, but knowing that he may suddenly manifest the powers of Demise is far more concerning.”
All Might nodded grimly. “I suppose this is what you meant by your comment about wrapping a nuclear bomb in gold foil.”
Nedzu chuckled. “Indeed. So, the question now is, where do we go from here?”
Katsuki grunted. “Isn’t it obvious? We need as many advantages as we can get if we’re gonna take this fucker down. So we go loot those temples you’ve been keeping an eye on.”
Nedzu hummed thoughtfully, even as All Might and the detective glanced at each other in confusion. “A good idea. However, we must take into account how we will rationalize your little road trip to your class and the Hero Public Safety Commission. If the class representative, vice representative, and another seemingly random student just up and leave to run around Japan, it would undoubtedly raise questions.”
Izuku swore under his breath. “You have a point. And while the HPSC is definitely needed to help keep the peace, I don’t think I trust them to not go after godly power.”
All Might grunted. “A sound assessment, young Midoriya. I’ve been suspicious of some of their behaviors for a while now. Still, while I have some experience with PR, this is out of my league.”
Aizawa-sensei snapped his fingers. “The League. We can say that they’ll likely seek retaliation against class 1-A, seeing as three of the students dealt heavy damage to its leaders. We can also raise the technically true point that they’re after All Might.”
Nedzu clapped his paws together. “As such, we separate 1-A and All Might from the school to ensure the safety of the other students! Good thinking, Aizawa-kun!”
All Might frowned. “That still begs the question of how much we tell the rest of 1-A.”
Izuku grunted. “I say all of it. Remember, they’ve already seen that Katsuki, Momo and I have abilities that don’t fit with our Quirks. They’re going to have questions, and I did promise that we’d explain.”
Nedzu smiled. “That does seem the most prudent course of action. Keeping secrets from your classmates will only alienate you from them once the truth inevitably gets out.”
Class 1-A was given Friday and Monday off from school to recover from the USJ attack. Nedzu informed Izuku that he, All Might, and Eraserhead had spent the weekend going around to the families of 1-A’s students to inform them of the semester-long road trip. The mammal also advised Izuku that he should save the explanation for once the class was away from UA and safely off the grid.
Come Tuesday, the class showed up at UA early in the morning, along with their families. Oddly enough, Todoroki was only accompanied by a woman who seemed to be his older sister, and Endeavor was absent. Nedzu clapped his paws together, drawing their attention. “I’m glad to see that everyone read my email! Now, I must regret to inform you that, for the duration of this trip, you will need to go without your devices.” Kaminari groaned, but fell silent when the principal cleared his throat. “I know, going back to the days before the Internet seems like hell on Earth, but you must understand that this is for your own safety. Remember, the League is still a present threat, and could very well strike UA with zero advance warning. If you leave an online trail, they could just as easily ambush this trip. Away from UA’s defenses, you will have to rely on your chaperones and your own abilities for protection.”
Iida raised a hand. “Sir! How will we avoid the media discovering our location if we take one of UA’s charter buses?”
Nedzu chuckled. “Nobody said you’d be using the roads.” He clapped his paws together, and the ground rumbled. A seam split in the middle of the parking lot, opening a large square hole in the ground. A metal platform rose up, bearing a massive machine, shaped like a wide, flat cylinder with a cone set tangentially on the edge. “I’ve had this beauty in storage for years, but I never thought I’d see the day it was actually used. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your mobile home away from home, the Sky Conqueror!”
Kaminari’s jaw dropped. “It’s the fucking Millenium Falcon!”
Nedzu cackled, walking up to the base of the enormous vehicle. “I see you’re familiar with the classics, young man! Yes, I will admit that the Millenium Falcon was a large source of inspiration for the design of this airship, but rest assured that this is an original work.” He pulled out a remote and pressed a button, and a rectangular section of the side split apart, falling over to reveal a ramp leading inside. “Everyone aboard! We only have so much time to get you settled before you depart.”
Izuku shook his head and grabbed his bags, immediately starting towards the ramp. Katsuki and Momo were right behind him, followed by the rest of the class in short order. The families came next, and the two heroes brought up the rear. The interior of the ship was spacious, the ceiling sitting about ten feet above the floor. Short for an apartment building, but still plenty tall. The entrance opened into a hallway, which led into a small circular room ringed by doors. The center room was four meters in diameter, and had a circular hole in the middle of the floor that was two meters in diameter. There were 23 doors arranged around the edge, along with another hallway that led into a cockpit that was on the exterior of the ship.
Nedzu announced, “Each of you will have your own private rooms. As you can see, each door has a nameplate with its assigned resident’s name on it. You are allowed to put up posters and other decor, but the structure of the room has to stay the same. The rooms come equipped with beds, dressers, lighting, heating, air conditioning, a TV, and a few game systems, each of which are loaded with several single-player games. They’re also quite spacious, each one having approximately 230 square feet of space. The hole in the floor leads to a common room of sorts down below, which includes a fully-stocked kitchen and five single-person bathrooms. Also, there’s a pad underneath the hole that will extend upwards so that you can get back to your rooms.”
Aizawa-sensei grunted. “I doubt either of us have the knowledge to operate a vehicle of this size.”
Nedzu chuckled. “Fret not, Aizawa-kun! The ship will largely fly itself - all you will need to do is input a destination using the computer installed in the cockpit. For now, I suggest that all of you get situated.”
All for One glanced up as he felt the static of Kurogiri’s Warp Gate. He activated his infrared vision Quirk, humming with curiosity as he recognized Tomura’s distinct body shape. “Did your attack on UA go well, Tomura?”
Tomura shook his head. “No. All Might wasn’t even there until the end, and the Nomu got taken out by some kid with a sword. But that’s not what I came here about.”
All for One frowned. “Oh?”
Tomura removed the hand from the back of his head, turning it over in his hands. “The brat… He stabbed the Nomu through the chest, and pushed its heart out on the other side. For some reason, it was covered in this weird, purple, gooey stuff. And when the heart got destroyed, the Nomu’s body suddenly shriveled up like a raisin.”
All for One paused. “...So this substance was responsible for the Nomu’s structural integrity, so to speak.”
Tomura took a step back. “...Sensei?”
All for One glanced at his right hand, feeling the hole in the palm tingle. “Normally, when a person has more than one Quirk, their body rapidly decays from the strain. I thought that Garaki’s alterations were what prevented it from happening, but this says otherwise.”
A sharp pain stabbed through his skull, and he leaned forward, clutching at his head and hissing. Tomura stepped forward, hand outstretched, but All for One waved him off. “No! I will handle this myself!”
A voice in his head rumbled, You will serve me. You will conquer this world in my name. You will claim the power of the gods for me.
All for One growled, “I serve no man. Man exists to serve me.”
The voice chuckled. How curious. Even without the influence of my Malice, a mortal aspires to the same goal as the king of demons.
All for One snarled, “I will never serve. All will kneel before me. Show yourself, and your death may be quick and painless.”
The being chuckled again. Sadly, I have no physical form. But you intrigue me, mortal. Perhaps we can come to an agreement. You seek power, yes? I can guide you to the greatest power known to man. Power that will destroy all who stand against you. Power that will subjugate and bend all to your will for eternity. We share a common desire.
All for One hummed. “Is that so? Why should I trust you?”
The voice rumbled, You wish to rule the world, to claim all of its power as your own. I desire the same. Together, we will be far stronger than either of us were at our peaks. If you accept, I shall grant you a taste of the fury I wielded in my prime - and an assistant who will guide you to the power we both seek.
All for One chuckled. “My, how interesting. Very well, then. If we are to be partners in this endeavor, we must know each other. I am known by many names, but my favorite is All for One.”
The voice hummed. Quaint. I am Demise, ancient king of demons and embodiment of evil from ages long past.
Power surged through All for One’s body, and he gasped as he lifted off the ground without any of his levitation Quirks. A tar-like substance erupted from his heart and covered his body in seconds, only to fade just as quickly. All for One opened his new eyes, glancing around the room and delighting in once more having the gift of sight. “What marvelous strength. This partnership should prove interesting.”
Tomura backed up a step, and All for One looked down at the boy. “...Sensei? You look weird. What the hell was that evolution cutscene?”
Kurogiri’s mist receded behind his bartender’s uniform, and the villain fell to one knee. “Sir. I see that your body and strength have returned to you.”
All for One flicked his fingers, conjuring a sheet of glass in midair. He stared at his reflection and ran a hand down his restored face, staring into his black sclera and glowing yellow irises. Malice oozed from his hands, absorbed into his skin before it could fall and stain the floor. He smiled, relishing in the wondrous form he had taken. “Indeed they have, Kurogiri. Indeed they have.”
Black smoke poured from the ground in a corner of the room. As All for One turned his attention to it, the smoke coalesced into a man, skin black as obsidian and eyes white as bone. “My lord. I must say, your new form is… ravishing.”
All for One chuckled. “You must be Ghirahim. I’m told you know of this power that we seek.”
The demon chuckled. “You give me too much credit, master. While I do not know the power’s exact location, I can say who will be a nuisance on the journey to find it. You must destroy a child wielding a blade imbued with the light of the gods.”
Tomura chuckled. “I know just which brat you’re talking about.”
All for One raised a hand. “Calm yourself, Tomura. While I am certain you are eager to claim revenge, you are too important of a piece to let roam free.” He turned to Ghirahim. “Go. Find this boy you speak of and cut him down.”
Ghirahim bowed, and his form shifted. His skin turned a dull gray, covered in a white jumpsuit and red cloak. The white mass on his head shifted and grew into white hair draped over the left side of his face. His eyes gained black irises and purple eyeshadow, and white gloves covered his hands and forearms. “By your command, my lord.”
The demon vanished in a burst of diamond-shaped particles. All for One chuckled at his underling’s ridiculous exit, before turning his attention back to his new form. “...This body and strength will take some time to adapt to.” He waved his hand, and a circular portal appeared, leading to a dimension of still water over a smooth ground under a bright blue sky. “Tomura, you and Kurogiri will lay low for the time being. When I have sufficiently adapted to this form, I shall return and announce my presence to the world.”
The president of the HPSC scowled. “And how are those students supposed to get their names out to the world through the Sports Festival if they’re gallivanting around the country? We need the public to know that capable new heroes will rise soon, especially with this League of Villains stirring up trouble.”
Nedzu hummed and sipped at his tea. “Well, I can assure you, Madame President, that the students of 1-A will be sufficiently introduced to several capable agencies around the country. Word of mouth will undoubtedly handle the rest.”
The woman huffed and stuck her hands in her pockets, glancing out the nearest window of the mammal’s office. “I just don’t like that those kids are out there without anyone able to properly care for them.”
Nedzu did his best impression of raising an eyebrow. “Really? You don’t think that Eraserhead and All Might can’t care for a group of twenty children by themselves? Do you doubt the number one hero? Or are you concerned about something else? Maybe the fact that the Commission cannot oversee these students? Does the lack of control irritate you, Madame President?”
The woman sent him a glare, and the various subtle hints in her expression told him everything he needed to know. He chuckled and sipped at his tea. “Ah, but who am I to say? Not a mind-reader, that’s for sure.”