Chapter Text
Izuku held his stance while facing the strangers with his friends' faces.
It occurred to him he wasn’t transformed, and he didn’t know if these not-friends were packing quirks.
Several people were asking him what was wrong, one blonde in particular narrowed his eyes back at him.
“What the fuck is your deal Deku?”
“Shut the hell up!” Izuku snapped back, and everyone visibly reeled back. “You don’t get to call me that- no one gets to call me that!”
Even Bakugou had conceded after Izuku nearly ripped his head off about it.
Like hell he was letting this copycat do it.
“Now answer me- the games over I’m already clued in so where am I and who the fuck are you!?!”
They all shared looks and Izuku waited ‘til most eyes were off of him before glancing around the room.
Without hesitation he dove out of the nearest window, glass shattering and catching his hands and arms which he’d brought up to cover his face.
There was screaming behind him as he rolled to his feet and started running.
It certainly looked like UA, the terrain was familiar as he began sprinting to the nearest wall to get out of here.
But UA didn’t have anything out here but outdoor training grounds and running paths for the other courses phys-ed classes.
“Izuku!” Roaar shouted, flying alongside him. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know!” He shouted, jumping down a small dropoff and skidding. He could hear people following him. “They look like my friends- but wrong?”
Roaar’s eyes widened and she stopped.
“What- Roaar?!” He yelled, following her as she flew back the way they came. “Come back!”
Izuku followed her to find her looking at a Not-Toshinori and a few other not-teachers and students clearly looking for them.
“Roaar!” Izuku reached out to grab his kwami. “Get back here!”
“Young Midoriya, what's wrong?” The blonde asked, looking between the teen and kwami. “Your classmates said you jumped out a window and what on earth is that?!”
“You don’t know me,” the kwami stared at him, it wasn’t a question.
“Of course you wouldn’t know, the real Toshinori would recognize her, he’s known her for as long as he’s known me!” Izuku laughed maniacally. “Now someone better start answering questions before I blast this place to kingdom come, you hear me?!”
“Izuku, think about it.” Roaar floated over to him. “Fiver was investigating the timelines closest to ours. There are so many different things that could happen but only a few ever take hold. It’s the rabbit’s job to oversee them and keep their branches from crashing into others. That’s why there is only ever one rabbit for a timeline at any given moment!”
He thought about what she was implying, “You have two of the same things in one world-”
“They either fuse or vanish.” Roaar nodded. “These people are the real thing, just not-”
“Not mine…” Izuku slackened his stance as a weight crashed onto him. “I’m in the wrong timeline.”
+x+
Midoriya had calmed down, eyes growing distant though unlike usual, he hadn’t said anything. The only sound that left his mouth was the occasional humm or single strangled note.
The magenta-toy- thing had followed them as they herded the greenette to Recovery Girl to figure out what was wrong with him.
Because- alternate timelines? Really?
“I guess it makes sense-” Young Kaminari had voiced, trying to turn the tone more humorous. “I mean, no way Midoriya would ever yell at Bakugou like that right?”
Midoriya was very hesitant to touch anyone or anything. If anyone got to close he’d jump back like he was about to be burned.
It was uncomfortable.
Recovery Girl ran a few tests, all the ones she could without touching the teen at least, and there was no evidence of him being currently injured outside of the cuts he’d gotten from his escape attempt. Which he also refused to let be healed and insisted on cleaning and wrapping himself.
Key word being current, at Midoriya had doubled the number of scars on his body, including one runnin from his jaw up past his mouth.
He wasn’t talking to any of them, only the magenta thing.
The conclusion would be that this was the cause of his panic. But she seemed entirely docile, and insisted Midoriya trust them.
When one person tried to lock her out of a room, the thing– Roaar she called herself, just phased through like the door wasn’t there.
The teen didn’t really react to anything or anyone until Togata thought to bring Eri in to see him, whose eyes widened to the size of saucers at the sight of his blood soaked sleeves and the tweezers sitting on bloodied gauze pads.
“Oh!” Izuku jolted like he’d been shocked. “Eri! You’re here!”
“Are you okay?” She asked quietly, padding over to see for herself what had caused the damage and wrinkling her nose at the small pile of glass in a petri dish.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He shook his head and tied off the last bandage. “Are you okay?”
“Yes?” She looked at him like he was something foreign. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I guess I just didn’t know if they had gotten you.” Izuku said, before mumbling in english. “What have I been doing here?”
He tossed the bloody gauze into the trash and kneeled down. “I’m sorry, I guess you haven’t met me yet, not me me I mean, no one here has. Sorry that’s confusing, well- actually maybe it isn’t, the Eri where I’m from talks like that all the time. I blame Togata, not my Mirio or yours though, he's only just started, but older Togata. Sorry I’m losing the thread here.”
He stood back up, smiled, and walked out the door.
“He’s processing.” Roaar told them both, and followed him out.
+x+
Izuku found a cluster of people in the hall, all talking in hushed voices.
“Deku!” Uraraka ran over to him and Izuku felt his smile fall into a grimace as he leaned away. She reeled at the depression. “What happened? Are you feeling better?”
“No, not yet but I will, after I skin a rabbit that is.” The last bit he said under his breath. He saw that most of the people he recognized, teachers and students alike were all looking at him. “Okay so- I’m not Izuku Midoriya, not your’s at least. He might be with my people, not sure but probably. Really sorry about this, I am gonna kill Fiver for this mess.”
He looked at this world's Togata, “I don’t blame you though.”
He let Roaar rest on his shoulder.
“Put simply, In the world I’m from things are different, evidently very different if some of you don’t know who or what Roaar is. I’m gonna get to work trying to flag down my team to set this right.” He stepped past them- or tried to.
Mr. Aizawa stopped him, “No so fast. You’ve got something wrong with your head Midoriya.”
“What else is new?” Izuku asked, side stepping the other worlds version of his teacher.
A familiar gray wrap stopped him and Izuku grunted and stilled.
“We’re gonna get you help but it'd be better if you didn’t fight us on this!” He continued and Izuku sighed.
“Ya know, I really hope my world is more welcoming. Though I guess all the important people would have more insight.” He said, shifting his weight and launching his teacher forward who wasn’t expecting the move, with grace that he could tell shocked the room, Izuku slid free of the capture weapon like it was barely there. “Huh, I guess your Izuku doesn't know how to do that?”
He strode forward again to get space, though it was obvious the collective ground was preparing to stop him.
“You taught me that, not you but my you. Look- how about I prove it?” He glanced at the kwami on his shoulder who purred and nodded. “Roaar, Stripes on.”
There was a visible reaction as his transformation sparked.
“Go ahead, cancel my quirk.” He offered to Aizawa who was standing steady and weapon ready again.
Clearly too curious to not, the eyes flashed red and hair rose up.
Izuku let his power flow to the tips of his fingers. “Outbreak-” He pressed his pointer finger to a door sign and the plastic warped and exploded, thankfully not hitting anyone. “See, no quirk. Can’t do that here I assume? So anyway, I’ll come find you after I call for Fiver. I gotta let him know his execution date and all.”
+x+
Izuku had quickly scaled the building, sitting on the edge with his feet kicking as he retrieved his bolas and opened it.
“Okay- better call Lis first, she’ll gather the troops.” He dialed his oldest friend and waited. He let it ring far past when he’d normally bother as his heart sank.
When it was clear that no one would pick up, he tried to call Fiver directly. Surely the miraculous that got him into this mess would be able to reach him here?
It rang and rang, but no answer. When the voicemail option finally called out, Izuku left a message.
He called again, maybe Mirio wasn’t transformed and couldn’t pick up? Fluff would be able to tell him and now he would answer, right?
Voicemail.
He didn't leave a message, just called again.
Voicemail.
His heart rate spiked as he repeated his message, this time more urgent.
“Please-” He felt his hands shake, “Please pick up.”
Voicemail.
He stopped and called his Mom, first as Kitsune-ame, then her cell.
Voicemail. Error.
Toshinori.
Error.
He tried every member of his team. Leaving messages, they started informative but slowly devolved as he felt tears bubble up in his eyes.
He called Fiver again, repeating the same thing over and over.
He laughed when he realized he’d placed a hundred calls.
He called Fiver one more time.
+x+
“Lis, It’s me. Something went wrong in the burrow and I got misplaced. Go strangle Fiver for me, but don’t kill him. He’s still gotta come get me and then I’m gonna ring his neck. Feel free to tell him I said that.”
“Fiver, the burrow dropped me in the wrong world, this one doesn’t seem to have miraculous. I’m waiting in this world’s UA, you should probably go see if their Midoriya is in our world. Hurry, this place freaks me out, and I need to murder you for this soon.”
“Mirio, pick up! That blast knocked me into a different timeline and it’s kinda hard to kill you from here. I think you may have gotten this world’s me, so better find him before he does something I would absolutely do. I’m waiting here at their UA, call me back or just come get me, I’m not picky about which.”
“Hey Mom, there was an accident in the burrow and-”
“Mom, I’m in the wrong world, I’m okay but I’d like to come back-”
“Toshi, Fiver and I were testing the rabbit and I got lost-”
“Oto-hime, I’m kind of in the wrong timeline right now- you're in charge of the other temps while I’m gone, Fiver and Buckrider should be trying to get me back.”
“Bumblebee, we made a mistake with the miraculous and-”
“Piper, if you can hear this-”
“Mirio, where are you? Are you guys gonna come get me? I’d really like to know what the fuck is going on?”
“I’m lost Five- Mirio, I’m in the wrong timeline. Can you hear me? The wrong-”
“I’m waiting at this world's UA, come get me. Call me back, do something!”
“I’m lost, no one is picking up-”
“Mirio, call me!”
“Please come get me-”
“I’m lost.”
“Guys *sob* guys, I’m uh- I’m in the wrong world. I could really use a pick up, I’m here, waiting. *sniff* I really don’t want to be lost here. Please come find me.”
+x+
The sun had set when he’d sent the last message.
He sighed, not wanting to go back down, he let his transformation fall away and leaned backwards to lie flat on the roof, feet still dangling off the side.
Roaar looked at him sympathetically, nestling herself in his hand to encourage him to stroke her fur. Izuku did so, quietly laughing between his tears hitting the roof.
Maybe, if this had been intentional, if he’d been able to contact home, he might find the opportunity to explore this other world fun. But instead he felt very much like a guy trapped on an island in the middle of the ocean.
Because really- he was. Trapped that is.
He was surrounded by strangers and had no idea when anyone would come for him- if anyone was coming for him…
Instinct had him rolling away from the edge and into a crouch when he heard the door to the roof jostle and then click.
Uraraka, this world’s Uraraka at least, was peeking out looking nervous.
“Oh,” He relaxed marginally. “Hey. Did they send you up here to make me come down.”
“No,” She said quietly, apparently taking his reaction as permission to step onto the roof. “Well, they did send me up here, the class- my class, but not to make you come down.”
He snorted and sat back down, spinning to face out over the edge again.
“Do you guys still not believe me?” He asked, not looking at her.
“No, we’re kinda running off the assumption you’re telling the truth. As impossible as it sounds, it's the only answer anyone has come up with that makes a modicum of sense.” The brunette sat down a few feet from him. “If- if you are actually from a different world, did Deku ended up there?”
He grimaced again and shrugged, “I don’t know actually, I was brought here by accident. He could be in my timeline, or he could be in a totally different one. Or maybe he’s just sitting in the Burrow. But I do know as soon as my friends figure out I’m gone they won’t rest ‘til it’s set right. I’ll be out of your hair regardless though, I can’t stay here if no one is coming.”
“Why not?” She raised an eyebrow, “We don’t want you to just leave!”
Izuku looked at her confused, “Why not? We aren’t friends, that’s pretty obvious.”
Uraraka seemed taken aback, “Well- no the two of us aren’t friends but I’d-”
“No, your version of me .” The greenette clarified. “If you don’t get along with him I doubt any of you will be able to tolerate me.”
“Of course Deku is my friend!” She snapped, “He’s my best friend! Fuck, I probably owe him my life! What makes you think- what the hell-?”
Izuku narrowed his eyes at her, suspecting this had to be a trick because surely the other option is absurd. Sure weirder things had happened but that didn’t throw all logic out the window. “Then why do you call him Deku and not by his name?”
Uraraka’s eyebrows pinched together and her mouth opened slightly, a face he recognized as her trying to puzzle something out.
“That’s what I’ve always called him, it’s his nickname!” She insisted.
Izuku shook his head, “Yeah a nickname given to us, both of us, by our childhood tormentor! He must have told you what it meant? If not, Bakguou definitely did!”
She conceded that and nodded, she did remember what Izuku said the name meant.
“Useless, Defenseless Izuku, Nothing.” Izuku said, feeling anger rise through him and redden his face as he huffed, “Last I checked that’s not a friendly way to refer to someone.”
“He said- he told me to call him that on the first day of school. Right after he told us what it meant.” Uraraka explained, hoping to clarify it wasn’t just her being an ass. “I thought- I thought it was like Dekiru, ya know, “You can do it.””
The greenette narrowed his eyes again, “Then why didn’t you just call him Dekiru? If you knew the connotation was bad, then why use it?”
She didn’t have an answer for that, “He chose it as his hero name.”
Izuku wondered how different things must have been for this version of him; he couldn't even have enough self-respect to ask his friends not to call him a borderline slur.
Knowing that blaming Uraraka for another him’s bad choices was futile, instead he stuck out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Izuku Midoriya, but you can call me Pan.” He said and she shook it.
“Ochako Uraraka.”
With that settled, Izuku stood up and stretched, Roaar smiling from her spot under his chin.
“Right, better go talk to the adults, figure out what to do until Fiver calls me back.”
+x+
In another world,a group of people sat around a table, watching message after message pour into their phones.
“I’m Lost-” “Come Find Me- “ “Please-” “I’m Lost”
A boy with the same voice and near identical face sat curled up on the couch, listening to a family so unlike his own fall apart.