Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku had hoped for a normal day.

Or at least, as normal as a day could be at the top hero school in the nation.

It wasn't that he dislikes meeting not one but eight heroes, watching all his classmates' Quirks in action during the Quirk Apprehension Test, and even doing that thrilling hero-villian battle simulation, but it gets overwhelming at times. 

But of course, nothing is normal at UA High School. The gargantuan crowd of reporters clamoring and swarming the grounds in front of the school is proof of that.

“What is happening?” Izuku yells, trying to be heard over the noise as he and Uraraka attempt in vain to push through the crowd. Unfortunately, the response that his new friend shouts back is lost in the din, and soon they're separated as the brunette is pulled to one side by an overeager reporter.

This won’t do, Izuku realizes in dismay. There's no way I'm getting through this. I have to find another way in- there’s no use trying to push my way through.

With that, he heads back the way he'd come, back towards the gate- 

Or, at least, the place where the gate is supposed to be.

That's when it strikes him. 

Where’s the gate? 

In the place of the once-towering gate that used to surround the school, there's nothing but a huge ring of dust. Not even a single piece remains.

Izuku's heart drops in his chest, and dread fills him as he thinks of what kind of person would want to get answers so badly that they’d do this to the gate. Who would do this? Why?

Wonder about that later. Perhaps Aizawa-sensei will know the answer.

Indignantly, he pulls off his UA jacket and stuffs it into his bag, putting on a sweater that he’d carried with him in the hope that if he doesn’t seem like a student, he might have an easier time getting to the doors. Then he slips around the perimeter of the school and back onto the road, walking until he sees fewer people. Then he walks back toward the building. It really is a lot easier when people don’t think he’s a UA student.  

He sees another small group of people standing a short distance from the rest of the crowd. As he passes them, he hears a snippet of conversation. “-the school is big, but here’s a map.”

Are they trying to break into UA? he wonders, slowing down to listen in.

“Make sure to get the schedule, of course,” the same man is saying. “That’s the most important thing. And get a copy of the first-year quirks. But mainly the schedule.”

They’re planning to get something from UA… but for what? Izuku doesn’t listen anymore, instead rushing toward the building, his mind reeling. 

I’m going to be late, though. I’d better hurry. 

As he finally makes it into class, Aizawa-sensei just waves at him to sit down. It seems like he’s already heard about the media blocking the entrance, so Izuku isn’t reprimanded by either his teacher or Iida like he usually would be. 

“Quiet down," his teacher says, looking even more exhausted than he had the previous day. "Today, you’re picking class representatives." 

“So normal!” Ashido squeals. Izuku doesn’t blame her- their first day had been anything but normal, especially with All Might’s crazy battle simulation in heroics class.

“I don’t care how you do it. Just get it done by the end of the class.” With that, Aizawa slips into his sleeping bag and it zips up from the inside. 

Instantly, the class is in uproar, each person trying to get attention and campaign for themself. 

Aizawa pokes his head back out of the sleeping bag. “And don’t wake me up.”

For all of one second, Izuku's classmates are quiet. Then their noise level is skyrocketing once again.

“Pick me!” Aoyama shouts. "I'm the perfect person for the job!"  

“No, me!” Ashido counters, jumping onto a desk in one swift motion that has Izuku marveling. She's echoed by nearly the entire remainder of the class. 

Surprisingly, none of the people Izuku would actually consider voting for are actually actively campaigning for themselves. Iida is on his feet, looking like he wants to somehow get the class to quiet down and have a democratic debate. Yaoyorozu remains in her seat, hands folded neatly on the table, watching everyone else shout. 

Speaking of which... 

Izuku bangs his fists on the desk to get everyone’s attention. The noise is somehow louder than his rowdy classmates' clamoring, and it gets their attention.

“Why don’t we vote?”  

“But everybody will try to vote for themselves!” Sero counters. 

“Then the person with the most votes will be the best candidate!” Iida realises, nodding approvingly. “Excellent idea, Midoriya!”

“I, too, think we should put it to a vote,” Yaoyorozu states calmly. 

"Man, why didn't I think of that?" Kirishima exclaims. "That's a great way to pick our class rep!"

“It’s decided, then,” Uraraka agrees. 

“Put down your vote on a piece of paper, and I will come to collect them in a few minutes,” Iida declares, taking charge. Izuku hurriedly pulls out a blank piece of paper from his backpack and stares at it. Who should I pick? Iida, or Yaoyorozu? Iida would be a good option, although he would be a bit strict; Yaoyorozu would be good too- she scored so high on our diagnostic tests and she’s shown that she has a strategic mind. 

He scribbles down “Iida” on the piece of paper and folds it, then looks around to see that Uraraka has already decided, and so has Kirishima, and Kaminari too. Soon, the rest of the class also have some kind of folded paper on their desks.

“Now I will tally up the votes,” Iida declares formally after collecting the papers. A few minutes later, the tallies are done. Izuku looks up at the board, and his jaw drops in surprise. At the very top is his name, and next to it is the number 5. 

Did I misread it??? He blinks and rubs his eyes, but his name is still written neatly at the top. 

Below it is 'Yaoyorozu' beside the number 3. Iida also has three votes. Then, interestingly, Kacchan got two votes. 

“I- I’m class president?” Izuku asks in shock. 

Uraraka nods, beaming at him. “Good job, Deku-kun!” 

Then, the bell rings and they all rush to lunch. 

At lunch, Uraraka shares how she voted for him, Iida expresses disappointment on not being elected but congratulates him, and then they eat in silence. Suddenly, though, there’s a loud alarm blaring, and everything becomes a wild stampede as the three of them are pushed along the hallway. 

“What's happening?” Izuku yells for the second time that day. “Is it the media again?” He tries to push his way to one of the windows lining the wall, and it’s confirmed. “It is the media! Don’t be scared!” Somehow, miraculously, he joins back up with Uraraka and Iida, who have managed to stay together up until this point. “It’s the media!” he tells them. “We have to tell everyone!” 

But no one will listen- everybody is so busy panicking, and Izuku is just hoping that they can get back to their classrooms without being utterly crushed when an idea comes to him. “Uraraka! Float Iida above everyone so he can get their attention!” He looks to them for confirmation. 

Uraraka touches her fingers to Iida's back. Suddenly he’s floating up, and then he powers on his engines and slams into the wall with a deafening BANG.

That looked like it hurt. 

Abruptly, everyone stops to look for the source of the sudden noise. 

“Everybody! It’s okay!” Iida yells, waving his arms wildly. “It’s simply the media!” 

There’s murmuring as people question it, shifting to the windows to confirm it, then it finally sinks in and Izuku no longer feels like he’s being crushed.

He releases a sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

Then he realizes how familiar it had felt. Seconds later, he realizes why. 

The media break-in in the morning. The man. The schedule. 

I have to warn somebody. 

He rushes back to class. The hallways are starting to clear up now, so it’s easier. 

He bursts through the door, panting. “Aizawa-sensei!” 

His teacher looks up. “Yes?” 

“I saw- I- this morning, when trying to get through the horde of reporters and into the school, I saw a group of people standing off to the side in a secluded spot and they were plotting to get into the school. I think the media-break-in was intentional, a cover for them to get in. They said something about getting a schedule and the first years’ quirk list.” 

Aizawa’s eyes widen, but otherwise his demeanor is calm. “Thank you for informing me, Midoriya, we will reschedule tomorrow then. Let me tell the staff.”

Relieved, Izuku exits the classroom and heads to art. 

The next day, Aizawa-sensei is called out of the room as they are discussing hero costumes. When he comes back, he announces that he has news. 

“Apparently, a bunch of villains are currently trapped inside the Unforseen Simulation Joint, having planned to launch an attack on us there. Fortunately, due to a tip-off from Midoriya-” 

At this point everybody turns to look at him.

“-who overheard them plotting and told me, so your teachers and I changed the schedule," Aizawa-sensei continues. 

Kirishima is the first to break the silence: “So… what does that mean?” 

“Well, for one, that means a lot less trauma, because there wasn’t a villain attack in the first week of school. And if we do happen to see these villains again, at least we have more chance to prepare." 

“Yay!” Ashido whoops. “Midoriya, you’re the best!”

Izuku blushes under all the attention. “It was just on accident.” 

“Thanks anyways!” Denki agrees. “I don’t like trauma.”

“Tch. I would have defeated them all anyways.” 

“However, the villains escaped, because they had someone with a warp quirk. Only some minor villains were left behind.”

“What did they want? Did you find out?” Izuku asks anxiously.

“No, unfortunately not, but I’m sure we’ll have another chance.”

“That sounds… concerning.”

“Consider it a lesson in information gathering. Keep a lookout, and be vigilant.” 

“Yes, Sensei!” The class chorused. 

Chapter Text

As they stand in the station, preparing to depart for their respective internships, watching the trains and waiting for their own, Izuku notices that something's wrong with Iida. 

He looks solemn and forlorn, and his tight smile is wholly different from the genuine and encouraging beam usually upon his face. He walks over to where his friend was, tapping the taller boy on the shoulder. 

“Iida?” 

“Yes, Midoriya?”  

He debates whether to be direct and ask about his brother. But he decides that won’t be the best course of action- Iida might just clam up and refuse to talk. 

“I’m here for you,” he just says eventually. “If you need anything, you can talk to me.”

“Thank you, Midoriya,” Iida says stiffly. 

“Can I hug you?” 

“Yes, you may.”

Izuku pulls his friend into a hug, rubbing circles on the taller boy's back the way his mother used to do. Iida wraps an arm around Izuku, but the motion is forced- just like his smile. I wish I could do more, Izuku thinks regretfully. I wish I knew what to do for him. I just hope he doesn’t seek out the Hero Killer and try to get revenge. 

“Have a good time in Hosu with Manual,” he says. “Just stay safe.” He meets Iida's eyes, though the other boy looks away after a second, avoiding his gaze. "Please." 

“I will,” Iida promises, heading toward his train. Izuku waves, and Iida waves back.

At the end of the first day of his internship, when Gran Torino finally gives Izuku a much-needed break from sparring practice, Izuku looks up Stain. After a few hours of research, at a time when he's probably supposed to be in bed, he starts a new notebook- “Vigilantes and Villains”- and his first entry is about Stain. As it turns out, the internet is a wonderful (if possibly unreliable) source, and Izuku is able collect copious amounts of information about his fighting style and (possible) quirk, a vigilante that might be linked to Stain, and he even discovers the Hero Killer’s motive- “cleansing society of fakes who do not deserve the title of ‘Hero’."

All of this Izuku records in his new notebook; it fills four back-to-back pages. Then, as an afterthought, he notes that Stain would be more effective in achieving his goal if he made that very goal clear and released reports on why a specific hero didn’t deserve their title. 

Then Izuku flips the notebook shut and heads to an alleyway to train, even though he really should be in bed by now. 

Gran Torino teaches him useful things, like how to channel his quirk without breaking his bones every time. But they mostly train together, just the two of them, until the third day, where the hero takes Izuku out to Hosu for a patrol. At first, Izuku’s excited- maybe he’ll even see Iida! 

And then everything goes sideways- literally. Their train is smashed off the rails by a creature with eyes and a protruding brain, followed by a hero in pursuit. Gran Torino immediately takes off after it as well, leaving Izuku with the frightened passengers. 

But he can’t stay put. Maybe I can help!  

And with that thought, he activates One For All, grabs his bag, and jumps off the train, heading toward the city. As he passes a partially collapsed building, he spots a familiar-looking hero and pauses. That’s Manual! Iida’s internship hero! 

He stops. “Manual?” 

The hero tilts his head, then recognition seems to flash in his eyes. “Do you know where Iida is?” 

Iida? Several thoughts flash through Izuku’s mind at once.

This is Hosu…

I ida’s brother was attacked…

Iida loves his brother…

Ingenium was attacked here- 

Ingenium was attacked here. Why else would Iida intern with Manual, if not to come seek revenge? 

He wouldn’t… right? 

But there is a possibility, and it’s very, very real, and Izuku has to stop his friend. 

I have to find him. I can’t let something bad happen to him. 

“Sorry, Manual,” he shouts to the hero. “I need to go. I know where Iida is.’’ 

Manual yells back a response, but Izuku is already running away, Full Cowl activated once again. 

All the research that he’d done over the past day cycles through his mind. Everything about Stain’s fighting style, his attack pattern, his quirk. Izuku knows that his notebook is in his bag, but he can’t stop to grab it. If he stops, he might lose precious time. 

Stain tends to strike in alleyways. 

He slows down, looking into each alleyway that he passes, hoping that Stain isn’t here tonight, but of course he can’t be that lucky. He spots a flash of blue and silver, and slows down to check. Sure enough, it is Iida, talking with the Hero Killer. Behind them, on the ground, is Pro Hero Native, who is not moving, for some reason. Instantly, Izuku’s brain switches into analysis mode subconsciously. 

It must have something to do with his quirk. Maybe paralysis? Or maybe Native is dead- or unconscious-

He stores that thought away, focusing on the task at hand. He has to drag Iida out before it’s too late. 

Izuku sneaks closer to the alleyway, watching as Stain draws a curved knife. No!

Izuku’s body moves on its own. In one fluid motion he rushes forward, grabbing onto Iida’s arm, then takes hold of Native’s limp body and runs . Dimly, he can register Iida trying to stop him, trying to wrench his arm out of Izuku’s iron grip, but he just pushes on, pushing his Full Cowl up one percentage point despite the strain. Izuku runs and runs, away from that alleyway. Finally, when he judges they’re a safe distance away and Stain definitely isn’t following them, Izuku stops and lets go of Iida. 

“Midoriya!” Iida shouts angrily. “Don’t meddle in things you don’t know! I had to get revenge for my brother– don’t you know Stain’s the one who hurt him?” 

“Iida,” Izuku says, lowering Native to the ground gently, “meddling in things when people need help is the essence of being a hero. You shouldn’t get revenge- it’s unheroic to be motivated by such things!”

“But-” 

Izuku cuts him off. “You could’ve almost gotten killed by doing that. What use would that have had?”

Iida tries to speak, but Izuku cuts him off once again. “And you left Native there, focusing on your own motive instead of saving the person in need. I know that your brother was hurt, but getting yourself killed by facing off against an enemy you’re not strong enough for, that isn’t the right thing to do. We don’t need Stain to have two other victims.?” 

Iida looks like he’s been smacked. “I- no. You’re right, Midoriya.” He hangs his head, looking down in shame. “My actions have brought myself shame. I did not act in a heroic way, and I almost cost two people their lives. Almost even three, because you came to find me, too.”

Izuku rubs Iida’s back, realizing that maybe he was a bit harsh. At least, though, he was able to get through to his friend. He doesn’t want to see Iida throw away everything for an attempt at revenge. 

“Thank you, Midoriya.” Iida turns to him and bows formally. Then, they turn to Native, who is now moving. 

“Native, are you okay?” Izuku asks the man on the ground. “We need to get a medic. He got stabbed by-”

“I’m fine,” the Pro Hero insists. “Really. I’ve had way worse—save your medics for the civilians.” 

“But- are you sure?” Izuku asks, reluctant to do as the Pro says. Native just nods. Suddenly, Gran Torino lands in front of them, fists on his hips and yellow cape streaming behind him, looking intimidating despite his short stature. “I told you to stay on that train!” 

“But people needed help!” Izuku argues. “I couldn’t just stand there!” 

Gran Torino seems to notice Native for the first time. “What is he doing here?” 

“Midoriya saved him- and me- from the Hero Killer,” Iida cuts in. 

Gran Torino turns his gaze back to Izuku. “Reckless brat.”  

Izuku braces himself for a kick, but it never happens. 

“Are you hurt?” his mentor asks. 

He shakes his head mutely. 

“Good. Then if you insist on helping, you all have permission to use your quirks. I did bring you here to fight villains and get experience, after all.”

Gran Torino speeds away, muttering something about “stupid reckless teenagers just like Toshinori.”

Chapter Text

The day after they return from their internships, Izuku is pulled aside during lunch. 

“IZUKU!” All Might booms, and then in a much softer tone, “would you like to come eat lunch with me?” 

Beside Izuku, Uraraka giggles. “He’s like a teenager with a crush.”

At this, Iida immediately starts scolding her. “Uraraka! Do not speak of your teachers that way!” he says, chopping the air fervently with his arm to accompany his statements. 

Izuku only hesitates for a moment, looking over at them, then back at All Might. Is there really any decision to be made? All Might wants to eat with me! Of course I’ll say yes!  

“Sure, All Might,” he says to the hero. “Sorry, I’ll eat with you tomorrow,” he tells his friends. Uraraka and Iida nod understandingly and he follows All Might away. 

His mentor leads him to a side room, presumably his office (agh oh my gosh I get to go into ALL MIGHT’S OFFICE! his inner fanboy goes wild), and holds the door open for Izuku. Izuku doesn’t know what to expect when he walks in, but seeing Aizawa-sensei, Nedzu, Gran Torino, and some stranger in a trench coat sitting in a circle, is something he would never have been able to guess. 

“Uh…” He blinks once, twice, trying to figure out why he's here. 

“Young Midoriya, I have told you much about One For All, but there is one part I have not told you,” All Might begins. 

“And-” Izuku gestures to the gathered adults. 

The stranger introduces himself. “I am Detective Tsukachi, a friend and colleague of All Might.” 

“They already know all that you know, and some more,” All Might tells Izuku. “But I thought they should be present for this discussion.” 

That sounded really ominous. Izuku takes an apprehensive breath. “Okay,” he replies, unsure what else to say. 

“Have a seat, my boy.” 

Izuku obediently takes a seat, placing his school bag on the ground, and All Might begins to speak about the history of One For All. 

He tells a tale of two brothers who lived in the time when quirkless people outnumbered the quirked, and of how one was deemed quirkless and one had the power to take and give quirks. 

He tells of the first brother, the one who had the power to give and take quirks, and of his desire for power. He tells of how he took quirks from those who didn’t want them and gave quirks to those who wanted them. He tells of his descent into villainy as he built himself a powerful underground empire with an army of quirked, loyal followers.

He tells of the second brother, the supposedly quirkless one, who was too weak to stop his brother on his own but left behind a legacy, and then delves into the story of each person who had held the quirk One For All before Izuku. 

He tells the story of a mentor and a student, just like Izuku and All Might, and he tells the story of a lifelong friendship with two brave heroes, only one of whom are still alive. 

He tells of the fight that killed Nana Shimura. 

He tells them of a fight that claimed several of his internal organs, but left him alive.

He tells them about a villain group, the League of Villains, which, he speculated, had been formed by All For One and his protege.

Everything becomes clearer and clearer.

When he’s done, All Might takes a deep breath and lets them process all this. 

Finally, Aizawa-sensei is the first to speak, and he does so in his usual pragmatic, logic-driven way. 

“The League of Villains is the first and foremost threat right now. As of this moment, it seems like they’re doing all of All For One’s dirty work for him. Of course, we should take out All For One, too, but from what Yagi’s told us, the League should be easier to defeat than a two hundred year old supervillain with an entire arsenal of quirks, including what might be an invincibility quirk.“ 

“He’s not invincible,” All Might cuts in quickly. “I proved that. My mentor certainly proved that.” His voice tremors slightly. It’s obvious that Nana Shimura was more than All Might’s mentor—they were true friends, and All Might seems deeply troubled by her loss. “However,” he continues after a respectful pause, “it seems like All For One has learned that, since he’s created the League of Villains, not to mention he’s building himself that little super-army of Nomu.” 

“Okay. Let’s focus on the League of Villains, though,” Aizawa-sensei says. “If they attacked Hosu and released those Nomu, then they must be powerful, but at least they’re nowhere near All For One’s level.” 

“They probably do have all of All For One’s resources behind them,” All Might answers. “And it seems that the Nomu all have multiple quirks.” 

“How is that possible? Unless… they were bioengineered,” Izuku hesitantly begins. “Or All For One had something to do with it. Probably both. He can give and take quirks, so he’d force quirks on them and then get them to obey him somehow. The only thing he’d have to do is alter the quirk factor so the body accepts the quirk.” 

Nedzu cackles. “What an analytical mind. Already thinking like a pro hero--actually, that’s better than some pro heroes.” 

“No, Nedzu, you’re not going to corrupt the boy,” Aizawa-sensei says quickly. 

Nedzu raises an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m going to corrupt him? I’m simply planning to… say, how about just teach him about a few things in life?”  

“No, you’re going to teach him world domination,” Aizawa-sensei replies as Izuku glances back and forth at them with wide eyes. “Besides, Yagi’s already claimed him for adoption.” 

“Wait, what?” Izuku and All Might interject at the same time. 

Gran Torino smirks knowingly as Aizawa-sensei lets out a long-suffering sigh that makes it clear he would rather be stealing borrowing the coffee pot and drinking all the coffee despite its scalding temperatures rather than trying to convince Nedzu not to corrupt a child. 

“Back to the topic!” the principal says cheerily. 

“Midoriya raises a good point, though,” Aizawa-sensei says. “If All For One somehow bioengineered Nomu and gave multiple quirks to them, then that would explain a lot of things. It makes sense.” 

“But the Nomu that we found alive were unresponsive and didn’t even seem to resist capture. In fact, it seems like once they carried out a certain set of orders, they had to wait for more and would just sit there until orders were given,” Detective Tsukachi interjects. 

“Perhaps they were controlled by a quirk?” All Might suggests. 

“But if they were bioengineered, then All For One likely implemented some kind of system,” Nedzu counters. 

Izuku raises his hand slightly, not wanting to interrupt the discussion but simultaneously having something to say. 

“Yes, Midoriya?” Aizawa-sensei asks. 

“Hold on,” Izuku begins hesitantly. If his idea is correct, then theoretically it could make life a lot easier. “You said earlier that the League of Villains and various Nomus are doing All For One’s dirty work for him… and I understand that it would be easier to take them down individually…”

He trails off for a moment, collecting his thoughts. 

“But if All For One is the one controlling the Nomus and the League, then it would be a lot more efficient to take him down.”

Detective Tsukachi starts to say something, but Aizawa cuts him off, leaning forward with an interested expression. “And how do you propose we do that?” 

“If you can erase his quirk, then maybe we could defeat him while he doesn’t have all those powers in his arsenal.” Izuku takes a deep breath, then forges ahead before he has time to doubt himself. “You’ve already shown that your quirk works on One For All by erasing my quirk on the first day of school, so theoretically it should work on its counterpart, All For One.” 

His homeroom teacher’s eyes widen but his face gives away no other emotion, so Izuku can’t tell whether he likes the idea or not. A few moments later, though, he gets his answer. 

“That is… an interesting theory that I’d like to test.” 

“Indeed. We should definitely consider it,” Nedzu agrees, and Izuku’s heart swells with pride at the thought that they like his idea. 

“See how smart he is?” The principal asks. “Aren’t you going to let me-” 

“No,” the four other adults chorus together. 

Nedzu looks curiously at Izuku. “Tell me, Izuku, what made you think of this?” 

Izuku flushes. “I… I’ve… I’ve been recording observations about people’s quirks for as long as I can remember… I guess it’s about time I came up with a good idea and put all that analysis to use…” 

Aizawa-sensei suddenly frowns. 

“You’ve been doing analysis by yourself for years? And what do you mean, ‘it’s about time I came up with a good idea and put all that analysis to use’?” 

“We-well, sometimes when people heard that I did analysis, they said to find something useful to do and not waste my time,'' Izuku stammers, doing his best to downplay it. It doesn’t seem to work. 

“There is nothing wrong with having hobbies,” Aizawa-sensei retorts indignantly. Izuku stares, mouth open as he registers the fact that this is the first time he’s seen his teacher show such emotion. Aizawa-sensei never gets worked up about anything , but somehow he’s getting worked up on Izuku’s behalf. He’s not done, either. “And not all of them have to come out with something. I, personally, do many things in my free time that aren’t practical, but allow me to relax.” After a pause, he adds, “it’s logical to have something you enjoy, as long as you enjoy it.”

Gran Torino cuts in. “Analysis is a valuable skill, even if you don’t use it commercially. It can sharpen your brain and keep your mind healthy, so you don’t become an old guy like me. Recently, I’ve even started doing some analysis, too.” 

“Oh,” Izuku responds, not sure what to make of the sudden support his teachers are giving him. He needs to think it over. “Thanks, then. Glad I could help.” 

“Why don’t I-” starts Nedzu, but whatever he’s going to say is cut off by Aizawa-sensei. 

“Why don’t we give Midoriya some more chances to do analysis in the future, so he can better develop his skill?” 

Nedzu hesitates momentarily, then nods. 

Detective Tsukachi chooses that moment to re-enter the discussion. “However, we need another plan, since we don’t know how soon we can put this plan into action, or if it’ll work for sure.” 

This seems to be the general opinion, as everybody, including Izuku, nods; after all, for a supervillain like All For One, he knows that they can’t just accept the first plausible solution that comes their way—he’d rather have three backup plans. Nevertheless, he’s pleased that the adults think of his idea as a plan. 

“So how many Nomu were there?” Aizawa-sensei questions. “How many did you find? And is there any way to stop him from making even more if he really is the one behind them?”

“They’re ridiculously overpowered,” Gran Torino agrees. “Even many of the top-25 heroes who were in Hosu struggled with them.” 

Detective Tsukachi’s brows furrow. “We found… maybe twenty or so?”  

“How’d they get there? I don’t think it would be easy to transport so many of them, even if they were being controlled by an obedience quirk,” Aizawa-sensei said, expressing the thought that Izuku also had. 

“Maybe… All For One possessed a transportation quirk too? A warp quirk, or something like that?” All Might ventures. 

That sentence pricks something at the back of Izuku’s memory. “A warp quirk…” 

All heads turn to him. “What?” 

“Didn’t…” He starts talking tentatively, hesitantly. “It’s a stretch, but didn’t the villains at USJ also have a warp quirk among them?” 

Aizawa-sensei answers his question immediately. “Yes.” 

Gran Torino speaks up. “Are you saying that the villains who attacked Hosu might be the same as the ones who tried to attack us?” 

“It’s not that far of a stretch,” Detective Tsukachi muses. 

“We shouldn’t assume they’re the same based on a hypothesis we have,” Aizawa-sensei counters, “but it’s a logical possibility.” 

“This is worse than we thought,” All Might murmurs worriedly.

“So we have a two-hundred-year-old supervillain leading a group that’s trying to attack/kill All Might and subsequently targeting my first-year homeroom class too, and they have a bunch of bioengineered super-powered-monsters under their control,” Aizawa summarizes. “Did I miss anything?” 

“Well,” All Might starts, “when you put it that way, it sounds slightly—actually, no. You’re completely right.”

“Honestly, though, that basically summarizes it,” Detective Tsukachi says. 

“Either way it’s bad,” Gran Torino agrees. 

Aizawa-sensei then changes the subject. “Do we have any information about the possible members of the League?” 

“Not as of right now,” Tsukachi replies. “We’re still combing through the security footage, but Hosu was chaotic . There’s quite a lot to go through.” 

“Speaking of security footage, why don’t we watch some of the videos online?” Nedzu suggests. “At least we can see how the Nomus behave and see if we can glean some information from them.” 

Izuku obligingly pulls out his notebook and a pencil from his backpack and waits for someone else’s confirmation.

“Okay,” All Might agrees, turning to the monitor in front of him and typing into the search bar “Hosu”. There’s no need to type in any more--the first thing that comes up is a news article about the ‘mysterious inhuman creatures attacking Hosu’. He moves to click on the first one, but Nedzu shakes his head. 

“Not that one, I’ve already seen that one.” The next three are turned down in a similar fashion, but on the fifth one, Nedzu finally nods his head. 

They watch the video in silence, captivated and shocked by the horror that had happened in Hosu that night. It’s only halfway through the video that Izuku remembers what he’s supposed to be doing: observing the fighting styles and weaknesses of the Nomus. And as if a switch has been flipped, his mind switches into analysis mode and he begins to write. 

So their motions seem very standardized. Despite the different quirks that they use, they all move in a specific way--it’s as if they’re brainless. I mean, that makes sense, though, with our theory of them being brainwashed somehow. And most of them have big protruding brains; that might be a result of the quirks getting forced on them. Hold on- wait- if the quirks got forced on them, how could they have survived without some kind of biological alteration? 

Horror dawns on Izuku as he comes up with a new theory, this one even more gruesome and detestable than before… and even more likely…  Are those corpses? Reanimated? 

From the looks on the adults’ faces, it seems like most of them have just come to similar conclusions. Everyone seems shocked and in disbelief, except for Nedzu, who had probably just wanted them to figure it out themselves, and except for Aizawa, stoic as always. But even then, Izuku can see a hint of emotion on his homeroom teacher’s face. 

All Might sounds choked as he speaks, breaking the silence. “Were they corpses?” 

“That’s what it seems,” Nedzu replies with controlled anger in his voice. “It looks like All For One experimented on people and manipulated them into becoming his little minions, his powerful controlled army.” 

Oh, right, didn’t Nedzu get experimented on? Izuku suddenly realizes. It makes sense that he’d be mad about this, then. 

“Continue the video, please,” Nedzu says. 

Izuku glances at the screen, reaching over to press play , but when he gets closer, he notices that the video has been paused on a particularly disturbing frame, and for a moment, it almost feels like he is in Hosu all over again. There had been one Nomu that he’d just barely gotten to in time. It had nearly injured a person, a civilian, and had already been diving toward them when Izuku attacked. 

He shudders, and it seems that Aizawa-sensei doesn’t miss it. 

“Nedzu, Yagi, Tsukachi, Torino, I think that’s enough for one day,” his teacher cuts in. “Midoriya should go back to lunch now. He hasn’t eaten anything in the time we’ve been sitting here.” 

All Might looks slightly surprised, but doesn’t say anything. Meanwhile, Nedzu nods. “Yes, sure.” 

As All Might closes the video, another headline pops up, simultaneously catching Izuku’s attention and reminding him of the other big thing that happened that night in Hosu. 

Oh, yeah, the Hero Killer. 

“ Stain Makes A Bold Statement; Declares That He Will No Longer Attack To Kill:” 

“Wha- what happened to Stain?” Izuku asks. Should I have reported my encounter with him? 

This time Aizawa-sensei answers. “Somehow, last night he decided that his mission of ‘cleansing the world’ is not being helped by killing false heroes. His statement–which none of us know how he gave to the police without being caught– was only released a few hours ago, yet it has the hero world in uproar. Not to mention he’s also released dossiers with loads of information discrediting and defaming certain heroes, and now we’ve got to deal with the outcome.” 

Somehow, Aizawa-sensei’s words sound oddly familiar… 

Wait, isn’t that what I wrote in my notebook entry on Stain? Could he have read it? I did lose my notebook on the night of Hosu, so… 

He covers his face. Did I cause this mess? And is it really a mess? Am I the reason Stain might not kill heroes anymore? It’s a stretch, but it's also a possibility.

“Midoriya?” 

“That… that might have been my fault,” Izuku squeaks.

Nedzu folds his paws together, an interested expression spreading over his face. “Enlighten us.” 

That day, Izuku ends up leaving the office with one more personal teacher and one less analysis notebook.

Chapter Text

Five months after their internships, the school year has come to an end, and they’ve all passed their final exams, with the exception of Sero, Ashido, and Kaminari. Now, Class 1-A at summer camp, which, apparently, is in a remote place in the woods where there is absolutely no cell service. 

But the important thing is that they’re being taught by the Wild, Wild Pussycats, one of Izuku’s favorite hero teams. 

The work is grueling, and the Pussycats  push them to their very limits—Izuku’s entire body has constantly been burning in protest since the class set foot in the camp—and even Aizawa-sensei admitted that some of the exercises they’re given are things that even Pros struggle with, but Izuku supposes that’s the point. UA isn’t one of the top hero schools in Japan for no reason.
Along with the exertion and strain, however, Izuku can also feel the improvement. He has never felt so in shape, not even when he was training for the U.A. exams.  

Besides, he knows that all this is necessary, because his class keeps almost getting attacked by villains. They need to be prepared for anything.

(He just never expects all the preparation to be put to use so soon.)

Of course, there’s also the strange orphaned boy who lives with the Pussycats. Izuku doesn’t blame him for hating heroes, not after hearing why, but he wishes he could properly talk to the boy. He wishes he could show Kota that heroes choose to step up so that others don’t have to.

Izuku might have been a bit too aggressive, though, when he tracked down Kota in his secret hideout and brought him dinner and talked to him, because he hasn’t seen the boy ever since.

On their third day of the training camp, after dinner, the Pussycats have them go out in the woods in pairs to “test their courage.” 

“We’re going to pair you up with a person from your class,” Ragdoll says. “We choose the teams.” 

Excited whispers erupt from the assembled students, though there are a few mixed-in grumbles about pre-selected teams. 

“In this game, half of you go out into the woods to be the ‘scarers’. The Class 1-B teams will do that first, and they’ll be situated at various points in the woods. 1-A, on the other hand, will enter the woods in pairs. You may all use your quirks, but only to scare them—you may not physically harm the other team.” 

“Ooh,” someone whispers. Izuku’s not sure who it is. 

“Pixiebob has the teams set up already,” Ragdoll continues. Attention shifts to Pixiebob, who is standing next to a large whiteboard, which she flips over to reveal the teams. Izuku searches the list for his name, and finally finds it next to… Uraraka. He scans the rest of the list and sees Tokoyami with Shouji, Jiro with Kaminari, Bakugou with Kirishima.

These are people we’ve already worked with, or people we’re already familiar with.  Shouldn’t we work with people we don’t usually get paired with?

Izuku hesitates for a minute, debating whether to voice his thoughts. On one hand, the Pussycats are Pro Heroes, and he doesn’t want to contradict their judgement. But on the other hand, they probably don’t know the class well (not that well, at least), so they don’t know who’s already been partnered up with who before. 

After a moment of indecision, he raises a hand and Ragdoll spots him immediately. “Yes?” she asks, pointing at him. 

“Uh, I’ve noticed that a lot of these teams are made of people who usually work together, and maybe we should try to make teams with people who don’t usually do that? So we can get a chance to see how all of us complement each other?” He phrases it all as a question.

“Hmm,” Pixiebob muses. “That makes sense. In that case, then, I’ll just call out the teams randomly!” 

Izuku nods, and Pixiebob clears her throat. “Yaoyorozu and Aoyama, Shouji and Midoriya, Sero and Kaminari, Tokoyami and Bakugou…” 

Izuku ends up being the third to go. Before him are Tokoyami and Kacchan, who go first, and then Yaoyorozu and Aoyama. As he waits for his turn, Izuku shifts from foot-to-foot, apprehensive. 

When it’s finally his turn, Izuku and Shouji walk in. Each step is tense; they don’t know what to expect. Everything feels a little eerie. Although that may just be because it’s the Test of Courage and his classmates can pop out at him at any second. 

Yes, he knows it’s just an exercise, but something about the dark forest, the silence, and the occasional screams of fright that make it too real. 

It’s just his classmates, though. Nothing else. 

Or at least, that’s what he thinks, until he sees blue fire in the distance. 

His first thought: it’s Todoroki. But Todoroki doesn’t know how to make blue flames. His fire’s not that advanced yet. 

His second thought: maybe one of the 1-B kids can produce fire— I’m not as familiar with their quirks. But he shoots that down just as quickly. 

His third thought: are we really getting attacked by villains this time?  

Izuku nudges his partner. “What’s that?” he asks, pointing and hoping he’s wrong. But Shouji’s words only confirm his fears.

“Blue… fire...? I don’t think we have classmates who can produce blue fire, right?”

Izuku nods. “Vil-” 

And that’s when the gas reaches them. Pink, intoxicating gas that swirls around them, stinging his exposed skin and makes Izuku feel dizzy. 

It’s poisonous, he realizes, head whirling. 

Shouji’s already running, and Izuku takes off after the eight-armed boy. “I thought this was a secluded location!” he pants. Can’t we get any peace? Our rescue training was canceled because of villains, my internship was ruined by villains, and now our training camp is attacked by villains, too? 

He remembers something Aizawa-sensei told them after Hosu: “eyewitnesses reported a group of villains controlling the Nomu. Remember what I told you the first time: keep a lookout; be vigilant.”

Could these be the same villains who attacked us the last two times? 

Unfortunately, it is very possible…

These are really persistent villains. Why?

Lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t pay attention to where he’s going and almost crashes into another person. Hurriedly he begins to apologize: “Ah! I’m sorry, I didn’t look where I was going and I didn’t-”

He looks up. “Oh, Yaoyorozu.” 

“Midoriya! Shouji!” Yaoyorozu exclaims. “Have you seen the fires?” 

Shouji and Izuku nod in tandem. “And there’s some strange-smelling gas back there as well,” Shouji adds, pointing to the direction they came from. 

“Perhaps it’s a villain attack?” Yaoyorozu asks, and Izuku isn’t sure how she’s so calm. Izuku’s freaking out, and so is Aoyama. He’s pretty sure Shouji is also freaking out, but he can’t tell with the mask on his face.  

“Yeah, definitely,” he agrees. 

“I‘ll make some gas masks for you,” Yaoyorozu offers. 

“Yes please.” Two seconds later gas masks are popping out of her belly, and Izuku and Shouji each graciously accept one. “Thanks.” 

“We should also probably stick together,” Shouji suggests, sounding far calmer than Izuku feels. He’s suddenly very glad to have the eight-armed boy with him. 

“Do you know where Aizawa-sensei is?” Izuku asks. 

“Probably back on the cliff,” Shouji answers. “It’s too far away to run and get help.” 

“Besides, he’s probably seen the blue flames already,” Izuku adds. “Yaoyorozu could create something that flies over to him if we wanted to send a message, but that’s about it.” After a moment of thought, he says, “but we should probably let him know to stop sending in teams, just in case.” 

Yaoyorozu concentrates for a second, and then in a flurry of pink sparks, a drone pops out from her arm and flies off. 

“What do we do?” Aoyama, Yaoyorozu’s partner, speaks up for the first time. 

“Stick together,” Shouji suggests. 

Izuku nods. “And try to locate the others. Yaomomo, can you make more gas masks?” 

“We should probably try to find the villain who’s making the gas first,” the black-haired girl responds. “I can’t make that many masks.” 

“Good idea,” Izuku agrees. 

They put on their masks and head back in the direction that Shouji and Izuku came from. The more they walk, the thicker the gas gets. We must be getting closer, Izuku thinks. 

He’s right. They reach a point where the gas seems to be swirling around a central point, a villain. 

“Heroes,” he greets them. Immediately, the four of then shift into battle stances. 

“Clever of you to go for me first. You know, you could have gone for any of my friends, but you must have deemed me oh-so-important.” 

Oh, this is monologuing. Ignore it. Don’t get distracted. 

“I can sense every movement you make, you know,” the villain continues. “You’re just wasting your time on me. And sooner or later, your gas masks will stop working and you won’t be able to breathe.” 

Wait, maybe I shouldn’t ignore this. This is actually interesting, useful information, if it’s true.

That makes Izuku realize two things: they really need to end this fight quickly, and the villain is also wearing a gas mask. 

Shouji lunges forward experimentally, but suddenly, he recoils as he’s hit with something– a bullet , Izuku realizes. 

He begins to retreat, and his friends follow him.

“His quirk doesn’t have very many offensive capabilities since we’ve got gas masks,” he tells his friends once they’re out of the villain’s range of hearing. “He can sense our movements, but that’s about it.” 

Yaoyorozu’s eyes widen, and she nods, obviously thinking. “So he relies on his gun?” She finally asks. 

“Yeah, probably,” Izuku answers. “Which is useful to him because it keeps us at a distance.” 

“That’s a problem,” Shouji murmurs. “None of us have anything that can defend against guns, except--” 

“My armor,” Aoyama breathes. It’s so quiet that they barely hear it. “I’m the only one with armor, and besides, I have a long-range quirk.” 

Izuku nods, though he’s not sure Aoyama can see it. “Perfect. After all, we need to end this fight quickly because--” Another bullet comes their way and the gas gets thicker as the villain moves towards tham. 

“Our gas masks won’t work much longer!” Yaoyorozu completes the sentence for him. 

“But neither will his!” Aoyama adds. “He can’t be immune to his own gas, or else he wouldn’t need a mask of his own, so-” 

Another bullet. From within the swirling gas comes the taunting voice of the villain. “You’re not the ones I want, so I could spare you if you didn’t attack me!”

“He’s trying to end this fight!” Aoyama finishes. 

“Aoyama, now! Aim low!” Izuku shouts, hoping that they can just knock out the villain without hurting him too badly.

Many things happen in the blink of an eye: several bullets come at them, Aoyama fires his laser, and then- 

The pink and purple swirls of gas slowly clear, revealing a fallen figure no taller than Izuku. They can’t tell what he looks like, because he’s wearing a gas mask that covers his whole face, but his figure looks almost … childish. Or at most, that of a teenager.  

“He’s really young,” Izuku whispers in shock, as he wonders something. “Why- How- Why do you think he turned to villainy?” He’s at a loss for words; though he knew that some people became villains early on because of their circumstances, he hadn’t expected someone this young.

“Bullied for his quirk, probably,” Shouji says. “And I bet he felt like he had no other choice.”

“Kids don’t just- just turn to villainy, though,” Izuku protests. “What’s so-” 

“So… wrong with society?” asks Yaoyorozu, the usually composed girl looking shaken and uneasy. “The problems are worse than we thought.”  

No, they’re not. I was bullied for years because of my lack of quirk. People–adults and kids alike–said horrible things to me. If that’s not a testament to how much society needs fixing, I don’t know what is.

In an alternate universe, Izuku thinks, perhaps he could’ve been a hero instead. Maybe he can still have a bright future. Maybe he still could be. 

He feels a pang of guilt. I hope we didn’t hurt him too badly. But at least, now that he’s been subdued, we can take him into a rehabilitation and reintegration program.

With one last look at the child, Izuku turns away. “One down, lots more to go,” he says. “We’d better find Kacchan and Tokoyami, then get back to the clearing with the heroes.” He’s trying to use logic, trying to shove all other thoughts out of his head. But one makes its way to the surface:
What about Kota? A civilian in a battle scene. 

He gasps. “You know what? You guys go ahead,” he tells the rest of his friends. “I need to find somebody else first. I’ll meet you back with the heroes. With a hurried apology to his friends, Izuku turns around and races back toward the cliffs where he hopes the Pussycats and Aizawa-sensei still are. 

Chapter Text

“Where’s Kota?” Izuku pants. “Is he safe?” Though the run back to the cliff has barely winded him, it's still slightly harder to speak than usual. 

“Thankfully, yes,” Ragdoll replies. “He went off to sulk in his room after dinner, saying something about how even his ‘secret spot’ was taken over by annoying heroes.” 

Izuku breathes out a sigh of relief. “Good.” 

“We got your message,” Tiger says. “You and Shouji were the last group to go out.” 

“Okay." Izuku nods in relief. "And, uh-” he trails off. 

This time, it’s Aizawa-sensei who speaks. “Spit it out, problem child.” 

Izuku hesitates. “We... may or may not have taken down the guy who was producing the gas? With our quirks?” he squeaks. 

Aizawa-sensei lets out a sigh. “Of all my students, I hadn’t thought you’d be the one to turn to vigilantism.”

“Hey!” Izuku says indignantly. “It was just one time other than this one! Stain was about to kill Iida- I had to intervene! I only helped strategize this time!” 

“Though, given what I’ve seen of you, I should’ve expected this,” Aizawa-sensei continues, as if Izuku hadn’t said anything. "You’re not one to be held back by the laws." 

“I suppose we should give them permission to use their quirks, considering that the camp is under attack,” Ragdoll cuts in, redirecting the conversation. 

“Yes, good idea.” Aizawa-sensei agrees.

A moment later Izuku can hear Mandalay’s message: “All students now have permission to use their quirks. The camp is under attack. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. If possible, return to the dorms and seek shelter.” 

“Does anybody know how many villains there are?” Izuku asks, changing the subject.

“We’re not sure yet,” Aizawa-sensei replies. “So far, Ragdoll's marked three with Search: the one with blue flames, the source of the gas, whom you guys already took out, and Muscular.” 

That last name… it sends chills down Izuku’s spine. Isn’t that the villain who killed Kota’s parents? I did a little research on him. He’ll be difficult to beat, unless…

He now addresses his homeroom teacher. “Aizawa-sensei, Muscular relies mostly on his quirk and brute force,” he says, listing off things that he wrote down last night after his confrontation with Kota and subsequent aggressive internet investigation. “He’s already pretty strong without his quirk, but with his quirk, he’s almost impossible to defeat.”

Aizawa-sensei listens with rapt attention. 

“It would be extremely catastrophic if he were to start attacking us,” Izuku continues. “I have a plan, and I think it will work to defeat him, but I need your help.” 

It’s the first time in years that he’s spoken assertively to any adult, but Izuku’s running on adrenaline and the only thing occupying his mind is what will happen if Muscular begins attacking his classmates. He doesn’t have time to dwell over that fact right now. 

And then Aizawa-sensei inclines his head without hesitation, though there might be a hint of surprise. “All right.” 

“I need you to erase his quirk. I’ll use mine to defeat him; hopefully, without his super strength, I will be able to take him out. Otherwise, we stand close to no chance of walking away in one piece.” 

His teacher nods once again. “Where is he now?” he asks Ragdoll, turning toward the Pro Hero. 

“On the side of a cliff,” Ragdoll replies. “It’s near a cave and…” 

“I know where that is,” Izuku interjects. He doesn’t have time to fixate on the fact that he just interrupted a Pro Hero, either, because he knows that if they don’t get to Muscular in time, the villain can and probably will move somewhere else where he could cause a lot more damage. “I told Shouji, Yaoyorozu, and Aoyama to find Kacchan and Tokoyami and then come back here to meet you,” he adds. 

“I’ll take them back to the dorms,” Ragdoll reassures him. “You should go and find Muscular.” 

“Lead the way,” Aizawa-sensei says. 

Izuku nods and takes off without hesitation, trusting that his teacher will follow him. He leads them to Koda’s secret spot, feeling more and more thankful that he’d talked to the young boy. Imagine what would’ve happened if Muscular had found him here… 

He shivers at the thought before continuing to speak. “Muscular’s quirk allow him to make his muscle fiber bigger, to the point that they cannot be contained by his skin,” Izuku whispers to his teacher as they hide behind a large rock, watching Muscular stomp around. “Can you keep your quirk activated the whole time?” 

Their eyes meet, then Aizawa-sensei nods at him, pulls down his goggles, and quickly activates his quirk as Izuku charges toward the villain, green lightning encircling his body. 

His first punch takes Muscular by surprise, even knocking him back a few steps, but the villain quickly recovers and tries to activate his quirk. 

Thankfully, the keyword is “tries”. 

Muscular’s surprise as he discovers the absence of his quirk would be almost comical if not for the dire situation. Izuku uses that moment of surprise to charge again, this time powering his punch with 7%. But that, too, barely seems to have much effect on Muscular. 

Guess I’ll have to go for a higher percentage. 

Plus Ultra, right?

He quickly takes a moment to weigh the pros and cons before going for a 30% Detroit Smash, which knocks the villain into the cliff’s side, leaving Muscular scrambling to find his footing. Not letting his advantage slip away, Izuku lunges forward and kicks him with all his might, at the same time using a 50% One-For-All-powered punch. It seems to do the trick. 

Muscular’s body flies into the side of the cliff again so hard that it dislodges some rocks and knocks the villain out cold. Breathing a sigh of relief, Izuku turns to look at his teacher. 

“Good job,” Aizawa-sensei says from behind him, Quirk now deactivated. “Those goggles you recommended were a good idea.” 

Izuku beams. 

“But did you break anything?” 

He winces. “Just a few light fractures… nothing Recovery Girl can’t fix,” he replies. 

“Problem Child.” 

“Sorry!” 

“We should be getting back. See what else your classmates need.” 

They race back through the forest, searching for any sign of Izuku’s classmates. They’re halfway through the trail when Izuku realizes that the sign is not the light of Kacchan’s blasts, but rather, the darkness and screeching of Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow, which is the only thing that can’t be directly controlled. Kacchan wouldn’t do reckless things when he’s probably figured out that villains have attacked the camp. This in mind, Izuku suddenly changes course, heading to the source of the rustling and thumping and sudden screaming. 

It’s horrifying. 

There’s a villain that seems like it has extensions of its teeth jabbed into the ground, moving around and trying to skewer Kacchan. Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow is the only thing that keeps the teeth villain at bay, the sentient quirk matching the villain blow for blow but seemingly unaffected by any hits the villain does land. 

No wonder Kacchan didn’t use his Quirk, Izuku realizes. He could have tamed Dark Shadow with a few blasts, but that’s what’s keeping him alive.

The darkness has certainly provided a boost to Dark Shadow; they’re practically emanating power. There’s an overwhelming aura about them that Izuku has never felt before, not even when Tokoyami had trained in the cave the previous day. 

Tokoyami, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to be faring well. He stands to the side, hands pressed to his temples, and his face is scrunched up in concentration. Every now and then, he makes a yanking motion to keep Dark Shadow’s focus on the villain and not Kacchan or something else. When he notices Izuku and Aizawa, he turns and Izuku is able to see the beads of sweat visible on his face. His expression is a silent plea for help and Aizawa-sensei obviously notices it, immediately activating his Quirk on the villain. Dark Shadow, who happens to be in the line of sight, disappears as well. Tokoyami immediately sinks to the ground, sighing in obvious relief, his hands clutching at his head and his body heaving. 

As the villain's teeth shrink back to their normal size, he collapses with a thud, shrieking loudly and trying to re-activate his Quirk. Izuku’s suddenly reminded of something Nedzu said in one of their lessons. “It’s unfortunate how much people in this current society rely on their Quirks.” 

Well, isn’t that an understatement, Izuku thinks, leaping forward to swiftly knock out Toothy (he never said he was good at nicknames, okay???) with a hit to the neck. It’s good enough to have him completely out for four hours, but definitely not kill him. 

Izuku wastes no time in binding up the villain with the rope that Aizawa-sensei offers him, tying double knots for extra security, and when he’s done, he turns back to his classmates to find that Kacchan is grinning ferally. “Decent, Deku,” the blond says. “You’ve been holding out on me, huh?” 

This turns Izuku into a rambling mess as he tries to explain that these are skills he learned not long ago, after Nedzu’s suggestion at their last lesson. 

Tokoyami bows formally to Izuku, then to Aizawa-sensei. “Many thanks,” he says. “I know not whether I could have withheld the full might of the darkness. Any more and I might have been consumed by the night that dwells within all of us.” 

“I’m glad we could help,” Izuku replies. “But it was nothing, really.”

Then he realises that he just answered for Aizawa-sensei and he’s supposed to let adults answer first and- 

But Aizawa-sensei is nodding along. “Yes, but we have more pressing matters.” 

Kacchan and Tokoyami’s attention snap to the teacher. 

“This villain you fought was only one of numerous ones who have invaded our training camp. You may have noticed the pink gas a short while ago.” Aizawa-sensei speaks in the manner with which one would give classroom instructions on a regular day. “You are the last ones out in the forest. Join your classmates in your rooms once we arrive back at the complex.” 

“Those villains won’t stand a chance against us,” Kacchan declares, sparks popping from his hands. “We should fight, not run away!” 

The popping is silenced by a glare from Aizawa-sensei. “Bakugou, don’t be an idiot and reveal our position. We have no idea how many villains are here yet, and we don’t know where they are. Besides, these aren’t just low-level nobodies—one of them that I fought earlier, Muscular, killed Kota’s parents, who were Pros.” 

His words effectively silence Kacchan. Izuku knows that Kacchan used to track that particular villain with an intensity when they were children. At one point, Kacchan even thought he could beat Muscular. So the blond knows all too well how powerful the villain is. 

After a moment, Kacchan lets out a curse before conceding. “Fine.” 

Without another word, Aizawa-sensei turns on his heel, motioning for them to follow as he walks swiftly but soundlessly away. Tokoyami and Kacchan trail after him, and Izuku follows them from behind, wincing as the leaves crunch deafeningly beneath his red shoes. In the silent forest, every sound echoes thrice as loud as it would be. 

But at the same time, things are also too quiet— as if something lurks soundlessly  behind every corner, waiting to jump out and capture them. 

As Aizawa-sensei leans over to whisper something to Tokoyami, Izuku detects a breeze over his shoulder. It’s far too cold, too sudden, and too silent to simply be the wind, and it’s promptly followed by a feathery sensation on his back. He tries to open his mouth to warn the others or say something or do anything-

But his cry dies in his throat as he’s swept up in a swirl of azure, and everything feels so, so wrong-

And when he can finally make noise again, it echoes strangely, reverberating in the blue prison that he trapped in, and Izuku’s suddenly looking at Kacchan and Tokoyami and Aizawa-sensei from a completely different vantage point, as if a translucent film was placed over his eyes, causing everything to seem blurred and milky.

And then even that fades away as everything goes black.

To simply feel has a different feeling about it. Izuku’s senses all work—but everything is muted or warped or barely out of reach. 

Distantly, Izuku can detect a thumping that sounds a bit like someone’s footsteps, and somehow it’s as if he’s being tossed around in an arcade game, but it’s not as dizzying as he’d thought it’d be. 

It’s surprisingly quiet, or perhaps he just can’t hear properly. 

That thought is cut short by a series of explosions.

Or not. It seems that his hearing is as good as ever. 

The deafening booms are accompanied by heat that Izuku can feel through whatever he’s trapped in, as well as sudden shouts. He recognizes the voices of Kacchan, Aizawa-sensei, and Tokoyami, but there’s one that Izuku’s unfamiliar with. While his friends and teacher are concerned, panicked, frantic, the unfamiliar voice is taunting, almost mocking. 

“Wondering where your little friend went?” he hears.

Oh, they’re talking about me, Izuku registers. He’s oddly calm, or maybe his brain is just being addled by the effects of whatever quirk has been used on him. 

He feels himself being lifted into the air and suddenly, momentarily, he’s able to see his surroundings again—but then whoever’s holding him jumps into a tree, and then the ground and the leaves blur, everything racing by too quickly as his captor leaps from branch to branch and Aizawa-sensei, Tokoyami, and Kacchan follow in pursuit. 

Suddenly, Izuku is slipped back into his captor’s pocket, exchanged for something else that he only manages to get a quick glimpse of before he’s plunged into darkness again and the taunting starts again. It appears to be some kind of a marble with a milky blue that uncannily resembles the whatever substance Izuku’s been trapped within

Oh no no no no they’ve swapped me for a fake version of me , he realizes, and now my friends are going to be tricked and— 

Indeed, from the sounds of it, it seems like his classmates managed to snatch the fake whatever-it-is, because his captor is on the move again but the sounds of pursuit are gone—

No! I’m still here! 

Then he’s jolted by a sudden stop. It’s so abrupt that momentarily, Izuku dares to hope that he’s being rescued. Just as quickly as the thought strikes him, though, his fragile hope is crushed as he realizes that he’s still firmly in the hold of his captor. 

A size manipulation Quirk? Compression? What’s happened to me? 

At least his brain has begun processing things again.

He tries activating One For All, hoping to shatter his glassy prison and maybe restore himself to his normal size, but instead the signature emerald lightning ricochets across the shell of the orb that he’s in, and then he’s falling, falling, falling— it seems like the energy from One For All created something akin to an electric shock and made his captor drop him.

Oh. Not what I was expecting, but it worked, I suppose. 

Before he has time to panic about what will happen when he hits the forest floor, there’s a blinding flash. 

“Deku!” Kacchan shouts from somewhere behind the tangle of trees. 

As Izuku turns in the direction of his kidnapper, he realizes two things: he’s not dead, but he’s also still in marble form. 

“Oopsies!” singsongs the villain, and then Izuku is yanked backwards into his hand just as Kacchan, Aizawa-sensei, and Tokoyami come crashing through the trees. 

Kacchan spots the villain first. 

“ You. ” His voice is laced with deadly venom and the singular word is accompanied by a glare that Izuku recognizes. “ Give me back my friend or I’ll make you sorry you ever existed.”

“Can’t do that, sorry,” replies the villain, and then suddenly there are five more villains appearing beside him.

A swirl of indigo whooshes into existence. 

The villain takes a step back, the scenery changes, and Izuku can once again move normally. He tries to lash out, but his arms are bound behind his back. He attempts to activate One For All, but apparently the handcuffs are quirk-cancelling cuffs. 

As Kacchan lunges for him, hope and determination shining in his eyes, his arms outstretched, Izuku feels dread grip him because he knows that—powerful as Kacchan is—any rescue right now will only end in disaster.  

Don’t let them take you too— one person is enough!  

“Kacchan, please don’t come— I have a plan—” 

That’s all he can get out before the warp gate closes around him.