Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

    Izuku had always wanted to be a hero. From the moment his young mind had discovered the shining beacons of the super-powered society he lived in, heroes and quirks were all he could ever think about. He would often stay up at night, theorizing for hours on end about what his quirk would be, when it came in. He would be a hero with his best friend, and they would save everyone together with their amazing quirks! Anyone who knew Izuku could tell the young boy had the purest heart of any hero hopeful of their day and age. He had the drive, as so many children before and alongside him, as well as the boundless courage and empathy to take on the challenges of hero work; all he lacked, for the time being, was a quirk. One that would compliment his kind and pure nature.

    But fate was rarely kind to those of pure heart.

    The label of “quirkless” soon shackled the poor boy, seeming to drag him further and further from his dreams. He saw the pitying looks of the adults around him, and soon knew what the scorn and mockery of his peers was like. The only comfort Izuku had was in his mother, who never, not once, cried or looked down upon her boy. It was as though she expected this outcome for her boy, and looked at Izuku with such kindness and love, even as he cried into her chest, begging the universe for another chance. For a quirk that would let him be a hero just like All Might… just like Kacchan.

    Later on in life, Izuku would remember his mother’s words to him on that day... the darkest day of his life.

    “Not all men are created equal, Izuku… but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Katsuki is strong, and his quirk makes it easy for him to show his strength. Even then, sweetie, strength is subjective… You are so, so, so strong. You have no idea how important you are… how important you will be. You will have to work harder to be as fit as your peers, understand… But your strength? Your strength is with your mind and your tenacity. You are so smart Izuku… your father and I are so proud of you. Never forget that. We love you so much. You will be a hero one day.”

    And so, life moved on for Izuku. He trained his body and his mind to make up for the lack of a quirk. He found that knowledge came easily to him, as well as strategy. There was so much information to learn and Izuku craved it all. If it weren’t for the active discrimination within his schools, Izuku knew he’d be the top of his class. Izuku trained for years, honing his skills as best he could, knowing he would have to work far harder than anyone else. His life, though rocky and uncertain, was looking optimistically bright, completely unaware of his one growing powers.

    That was until the day Izuku Midoriya died.

    Izuku was barely paying attention to the classroom around him. It wasn’t like he even needed to pay attention; he already knew what they were being taught… and of course the fact his teachers didn’t like how his intelligence put their “star pupils” at risk didn’t help his drive to pay attention either. It was just another boring day of insults, belittlement, being singled out and all those wonderful things Izuku hated being subjected to.

    And yet, day after day, he smiled. He held his chin high, meeting the glares of everyone around him, if only for the sake of showing them he wouldn’t back down. He wouldn’t let them walk all over him, beating him into submission. He suppressed the scowl that was itching to cross his face as his teacher “casually mentioned” that Izuku was also going to be trying for U.A. He met the gaze of every other student who sent a glare his way, including Bakugo, his once friend… his Kacchan.

    Izuku hadn’t called him that in almost nine years now… part of him did miss his old friend… but the rest of him knew that the kids they were had grown up.Izuku had to shake those thoughts out of his head in order to focus on not focusing in class… he could get passing grades, but nothing too high or he’d get in trouble for “cheating” again… god he just wanted to get out of Aldera and start over… if only he could’ve started that consultation practice he’d thought of a while ago… then mom wouldn’t have to work all those shifts and they could move him out of thast stupid junior high…

    “Oi, Deku!”

    Bakugou’s voice cut through Izuku’s thoughts after what seemed like forever… looked like class let out finally. Izuku blinked up at the explosive boy, putting on his best bored expression.

    “Aside from the fact you know my name is Midoriya, what do you want Bakugou?“

    Izuku idly wondered if Bakugou could set off his explosive sweat with just his gaze, given how heated the other boy’s glare was now as he shoved Izuku against the wall, his palm forcing small explosions into the smaller boy’s shoulder.

    “Listen here runt. I’m the only one from this shitty school to get into U.A, got it?! I’m the natural born hero here and you’re just a pebble to be crushed under my boot. Don’t know where you keep getting the fucking idea you’re equal to me, but fucking get it out of your head before I fucking kill you.”

    Izuku hummed in a half-hearted acknowledgement, already trying to move away from the other boy. Now he needed to patch up his shoulder and uniform before his mom saw… At least, those were his thoughts before he felt something being ripped from his hands.

    The analysis journal.

    His Dad’s journal.

    Izuku stopped dead in his tracks, turning slowly to face the boy who had taken his most prized possession, an air of icy cold forming all around the room, which neither seemed to notice as Bakugou grinned, his hands sparking with his quirk as Izuku watched the book go up in flames and out the open window.

    “Better yet, Deku: Do us all a favor and take a swan dive off the roof… maybe you can even pray for a quirk in the next life.”

    Izuku couldn’t breathe as he looked on in horror, his carefully crafted mask shattering. The journal… that had been his father’s journal once. He gave it to Izuku to continue… to learn from… he trusted him with it … now…

    Izuku had felt anger before, but this was new. This was vile. This was burning as he felt his palms itching, almost as if they were begging him to start a fight with Bakugou… as if he could simply draw a blade from thin air and attack. This wasn’t anger… this was Rage. Then, the rage turned to confusion as the confident grin on Bakugou’s face turned into surprise and shock.

    “What the hell Deku?”

    Izuku frowned in confusion as he followed the other boy’s line of sight…. He wasn’t looking directly at Izuku’s face now, but rather his empty hands… at least, they had been empty a moment ago.

    Instead, in his hand was a still forming sword, encompassed by golden light. Izuku dropped it out of instinctual fear, waiting for it to clatter to the ground… only to watch it dissolve into light and out of sight. The room was silent as the two boys stared at where the sword had been.

    What was that? A quirk? But it couldn’t have been a quirk! No one in the school has a quirk that summons weapons… was it a villian? But why wouldn’t they be holding the weapon? What was that light how did it-

    “Deku.”

    Izuku froze mid-rant at Bakugou’s growling warning. He knew Bakugou hated it when he did that… not like he could help it anyways, but still..

    Neither teen knew what to do as they stared at each other, frozen in place… if that was a quirk, and there was no other possible source of that weapon… then that had to mean that it was… he wasn’t… he had-

    “A quirk… you can summon fucking weapons..”

    The sentence sat between them. It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact… Izuku had a quirk that presented itself very, very, very late… Izuku had read a few articles suggesting that quirkless individuals could maifest quirks under extreme conditions, or that perhaps there were some quirks that had ultra specific requirements for manifestation…Had Izuku’s manifested under his rage?

    “I-...”

    There were no words. Izuku wanted to talk, to explain, to try and understand … but nothing came… after all this time… all this pain , and Izuku had a quirk the entire time? He worried for a moment Bakugou would try to lash out at him and probably kill him- but either the presence of the weapon itself or the fact he had seen real, true rage turn to confusion to tell the blonde that Izuku hadn't understood what happened.. and a small, distant part of him twisted in disgust, wondering if his own words had triggered something to activate the quirk.. still, it was hard to tell.. and Bakugou was smart enough to not want to get stabbed, so he spoke curtly- the rage bitten back..for now.

    “Tch… better fucking train it Deku… then maybe, just maybe you won’t have to fucking die.”

    Izuku watched as the other turned around and just… left without another word. Izuku wanted to call after him, wanted an explanation. He wanted to scream or punch something… that itching coming back to his hands but he pushed it away this time… Izuku wanted to cry. After all this time… he lost so much because of this…In the silence, as reality set in, along with the still stinging pain of his shoulder, Izuku had to wonder… was his quirk activated because Bakugou told him to-

    No. No no no no no. Izuku was not going to think about that. He had to get downstairs. He had to find his journal. Hopefully no other emotionally draining revelations happened today.

    Making his way down, Izuku found the journal… singed, burned in a few places but salvageable… at least it missed the koi pond by a few feet. Picking it up numbly, Izuku began the long trek home...maybe he’d stop by that hero merch shop on the way home… see if there was any Eraserhead merch… they were usually pretty good about getting underground or older hero merch in their shop… and of course, they actually let him shop in peace… Hana-san had actually thrown a few bigoted people out of the shop on the occation they’d harras Izuku. It was about a half-hour detour from his normal way home, but it was in a pretty well patrolled area, so Izuku was never worried. He did send a quick text to his mother to let her know he was heading that direction and he’d be late home, as well as letting her know something had happened and he needed to talk to her about it when they had the time. Her response had been immediate and understanding; she even asked if they needed to call the dojo and excuse Izuku from the lessons tomorrow… damn Izuku loved his mother. The familiar, soft voice of Hana-san met Izuku as he entered the shop.

    “Ah, there’s my favorite customer! How’s school been ZuZu?”

    Izuku put on a tired smile for her as he waved.

    “Mostly the usual. Can’t get above a B or i’ll get marks on my record. Can’t participate too much or I’m cheating and I can’t talk or else i’m being a distraction. How’s business been?”

    Hana pursed her lips a little as she sighed, shooing away a customer who had completed their transaction, pulling up Izuku’s usual chair at the edge of the counter for him.

    “Honestly ZuZu… let me be your cousin and sue their asses. It’s not cool, just cause everyone else has a quirk… most of whom aren’t hot shit anyways.”

    Izuku laughed a little and shook his head.

    “You know why I can’t let you do that Hana… I'm going to prove them wrong anyways, quirklessness is a dying issue for most of society and that’s perjury. I’m not putting you in jail because of me.”

    “You’re no fun sometimes… Can I at least beat them up?”

    “No! Regardless of reasoning, that’s assault and a considerably worse crime!”

    “C’moonnn ZuZuu! Let me do something!”

    Izuku rolled his eyes at the over-dramatic woman in front of him… Hana was a good person. She knew what it was like, for him… at least, what it could be like, if his mother wasn’t the saint of a woman she always was. She saw him as a little brother, of sorts… she’d had a brother, long ago… he’d been quirkless too, before their family was attacked and he disappeared.

“Well… I might have something you can help with… only if you’re okay with it though! I know your quirk’s limitations are pretty strict and I don’t want you to hurt yourself or anything and i really, really wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t important to me and I-”

    “Izuku!”

    Izuku took a breath as Hana cut through his rant.

    “S-Sorry… Uh, one of the boys destroyed my stuff again.. Normally i’d just get something new or fix it myself but…”

    Izuku trailed off as he pulled out the journal, watching as Hana’s demeanor changed immediately.

    “I see what you mean… tell you what; if you can part with it for a weekend, i’ll have it good as new… i’ll even bug my old man into coming down and talking about his quirk with you.”

    Izuku suppressed the urge to bounce in his seat as he nodded enthusiastically.

    “Thank you so much Hana! Oh my god you are a lifesaver! ”

    Hana just smiled and shook her head.

    “It’s no worries Kid… you are my favorite customer after all! And hey, while i got you here, there’s actually something i thought you’d be interested in!”

    Izuku tilted his head curiously.

    “Is it Eraserhead merch? I know his agency is pretty notorious for tracking down all mass-marketing attempts, even though he’s pretty lean on those smaller businesses who do it on commission…”

    Hana smiled and shook her head.

    “Nah, his boyfriend came and confiscated em just before ya got here… i’ll mail the next batch to ya though and collect payment later.. This one, actually, is of a hero who didn’t quite make it to debut… he worked pretty close with Eraser though!”

    An unnamed, debuted hero. One who’s merch never got to make it to market. Izuku could’ve died right then and there.

    “Well??? Show me!!”

    Hana only chuckled as she straightened herself out, almost about to speak before a loud explosion cut her off. One that sounded very, very close by. Outside the door was some sort of mass...  green sludge if Izuku had to guess. There were heroes following closely… and there was someone being held in the moving mass… ash blonde hair and a scowl Izuku would recognize anywhere.

    Bakugou.

    The door had shattered with the force of a new explosion, causing Izuku to hit the deck and Hana to jump over the counter, trying to grab Izuku to haul him to safety. But the mass reached out, through the now-broken door, almost like a hand, and grabbed Hana.

    “ No more playin round! Call off the attack dogs or the kid and woman get it!”

    Even their voice sounded like liquid, the teeth grinning wildly as Bakugou set off more explosions in a panic, Hana looking around in pure terror, trying to scream against the sludge covering her mouth.

    Bakugou and Hana.

    Hanna and Bakugou.

    Kacchan and Hana.

    Kacchan .

    Hana.

    Izuku’s hands were itching again. He didn’t stop them. The weapon was now in his hand fully as he ran through the door, his body moving before his mind could comprehend what he was doing. He was acting on pure instinct alone. He didn’t want to hurt either Hana or Kacchan. He had to focus on getting the liquid away from their mouths and noses. He had to let them breathe. He barely registered the shouts of the heroes behind him, telling him to get out of there and to run. It was nothing compared to the blood roaring in his ears, the pounding of his heart as he swung downwards with his weapon. It wasn’t a sword this time… he had no idea how he’d gotten ahold of a bo staff but he didn’t care. He swung relentlessly, growling in anger, wanting to be as imposing as possible so the villain would let them go . There was a hand posing through the sludge, sparking for a moment before the pain of an explosion hit Izuku. It didn’t even matter to him as he kept going, grinning as the two people in the sludge took a particularly deep breath as he landed a hit on one of the eyes, causing it to reel back in pain. He had to keep fighting, had to keep them breathing until the idiots behind him did their damn job. Izuku could feel the blood falling out of him, his heartbeat slowing but he pressed on. He had to … until, he couldn’t.

    He felt himself be pulled away by a massive hand, vaugle registering the all too familiar and booming voice of the Hero he looked up to the most. His vision was giving out, Hana’s panicked form blurring beside him as another figure began to take shape, hovering above him on… was that a horse with wings? Huh… she kind of looked like Hana too… their smiles were the same as his voice croaked out.

    “Who…. are...you…?”

    The woman bent down to take Izuku’s slightly open hand as his other clenched tighter around his weapon.

    “I’m a friend, Izuku… let me take you home.”

    It was getting harder to concentrate. His ears were ringing still, his heart still slowing.

    “Home…. Where…?”

    “The home of all heroes who die valiantly in battle… Home to Valhalla.”

Chapter Text

    For some reason, Izuku thought it’d be cold when he woke up. Confusion tickled at the edge of his mind at the thought. Why would it be cold? The apartment was always warm, if anything, in the morning… he was warm now, in fact! Soft bedding all around him and the methodic ticking of the nearby clock… It was peaceful. Maybe it was a sign that today would be a good day! He could sleep in for the day, bring some lunch to his mother… even check on Hana and the shop!

    Wait.

    Hana .

    Izuku bolted out of bed in a panic, eyes wide and full of primal fear as adrenaline came rushing back into him. Hana and Kacch- Bakugou were in trouble! They still needed to breathe! His hands were itching again and Izuku couldn’t bring himself to fight it away; he had to protect them. The heroes weren’t doing anything and they were losing time!

    “Whoa there! Take it easy champ! It’s safe; everyone’s safe.”

    A voice. A new voice. A voice attached to a hand that was reaching out and holding Izuku’s shoulder. Safe. Everything was safe. He could breathe.

    “There you go kid. Big breaths… quite the scare you gave ‘em, being so young and all.”

    Izuku turned slowly to look at the rest of the body that accompanied the voice. It was a man; standard build, lean arms, handsome face, dirty blonde hair. Accents of red, yellow and blonde throughout. Scars. Burns maybe? No…. too isolated…. Acidic burns, maybe; clothes were too casual to be a hero, almost like he just got out of bed.

    What does being young have to do with anything? Was it because I got in the way of the heroes? That doesn’t make sense though; why would I be here instead of a hospital? Where is “here” anyways? Whas this guy a hero? No, too casual. The police? Casual again. Off duty maybe? Oh mom is gonna be so worried.

    Izuku watched the man raise an eyebrow as a small grin danced across his face.

    “Brother wasn’t kidding; you’ve got one Hel of a thinker on you. Even when you’re confused, you think logically… strategic, even. I’ve got a kid who’d love you, actually.”

    “I…. what…?”

    The man laughed a little and motioned to the side, where a table and some chairs were waiting… the room, Izuku realized, was something akin to a hotel.. A very fancy one, but a hotel nonetheless. Izuku could only follow the man, somewhat dumb, as they both sat down and the man took a deep breath.

    “Confusing, I know. Usually there’s a whole shebang when a newbie comes in, but given the… circumstances , the big man thought it’d be best to ease you into things… especially since your case is kind of a tricky one.”

    “My… case? Big man? What- what’s going on, uh… sir?”

    The man barked out a laugh as he waved his hand dismissively.

    “So formal. Relax, Kid and don’t worry; I’m here to explain. First things first; Name’s Loki… course, I guess you could call me Uncle or something, considering your old man is my brother and all.”

    An uncle… Izuku could process that. It was slightly strange considering Izuku rarely, if ever, saw his father since he moved to work overseas in America and neither he nor his mom had mentioned an uncle, but at least it wasn’t anything too outlandish.

    Mom probably couldn’t get off of work to help so she sent him here to watch me… that makes sense. But why would they never mention an uncle? Is it because of my quirk?

    “Still with me kid? Are you getting that?”

    Izuku nodded warily, fidgeting in his seat as the man, Loki, raised an eyebrow in what Izuku guessed was anticipation.

    “Y-yeah… an uncle. I can handle that. Isn’t Loki one of those Norse mythology names? The lying dude?”

    “And Mischief! I pride myself very much on causing a little chaos here and there! Although that does lead into point number two!”

    “Okaay…?”

    Loki grinned like a madman as he spoke on.

    “The gods are real. I am very much real… and you are a child of one of us; a halfblood, if you will.”

    Izuku couldn’t help the expression that crossed his face. An uncle was reasonable, but mythology? That was kind of… well, insane. Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but his phrasing seemed to get a little mixed up.

    “I beg your fuck?”

    Loki barked out a laugh, slapping his knee slightly as he continued to grin.

    “Loki, God of Lies, Mischief, Chaos and, according to brother dear, poptarts.”

    “Poptarts?”

    “Only the purple ones!”

    Izuku didn’t know if he had the mental wherewithal to debate with this madman… was he being held hostage or something? Was this a weird prank or some reality show his mother had put him on to teach him some kind of lesson?

    “Anyways, that’s only my shtick for our pantheon. The Greeks and Romans are fun in their own rights though, but we’re all real… we do tend to keep to our own areas and lanes… most of the time. Funny story actually, y’know that kid of mine i mentioned a while ago? Well he’s not really a kid now, being mortal and all, but he’s one of the few kids I actually had with one of the other Pantheons… I think it was Hypnos, was his father? Anyways, great kid. Good hero. Picked up my knack for ruses and was quite the  prankster, back when he was younger. Where were we again?”

    Izuku was blinking slowly… that was a lot.

    “Uh.. gods are real and I'm one of their kids…? Assuming one of the Norse, since you mentioned Greeks and Romans as ‘others’.”

    “Ah, right! Thanks! Anyways, yeah; There’s technically a whole ceremony thing about knowing your parents and then a big party celebrating your joining us here in the afterlife and since people die every day, it’s a pretty much constant party til the big fight happens… there’s just a little problem with your death. See kid… you can’t technically die… at least not anymore than you already have.”

    Izuku was confused at that. He had died. He felt himself die… the reality of the situation had set in a while ago, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

    “But… I did die.”

    “Exactly! You technically shouldn’t have! In fact, you’re sort of in a between state right now; here but not. Your mortal form is back on Midgard, being kept pumping by machines and medicine while your soul is here, as an einherjar. Which brings us to the next issue… since you can’t die, but your soul is bound as an einherjar to Valhalla… you’re effectively one of us. As long as you die in combat, your soul will return here, even when in the other realms. While here, you cannot die because of the protections of our realm.”

    “But… why? I-I’m sorry, uh, Uncle? - but that shouldn’t be possible… I’m just a useless Deku! I shouldn’t be here! I don’t even really understand what’s happening! I’m nothing special, honest!”

    Izuku watched as Loki’s eyes darkened for a moment, sending a ripple of fear through Izuku before the man’s eyes softened.

    “I know you honestly believe that to be the case, but you are very much wrong, Izuku. I'm very sorry you had to find all of this out this way, especially with your power developing when and how it did… but tell me something; you’re a smart kid. You always have been… Do you remember a time when you couldn’t dissect a hero or villain’s fight? When it seemed like you weren’t drawn into danger, if only to see and learn? Or perhaps, can you tell me why quirks fascinate you so much, and why it inspires so much fear into those around you?”

    Izuku opened his mouth as an instinct, ready to defend himself, that it was just a hobby, to explain away how creepy he was, how it was his fault for being so careless that he always ended up in dangerous situations! The words died in his throat as Loki looked at him expectantly… He was just going to restate what everyone else had always told him… everyone but his family… The empty realization weighed on Izuku’s shoulders as he choked out the three words he hated acknowledging.

    “I… don’t know.”

    Loki simply hummed.

    “Most halfbloods inherit some abilities from their parents. My boy, the one I talked about; he can only shapeshift like me to a degree, making himself unnoticeable in a crowd, and have a pretty decent tell on when someone is lying to him. You’re drawn to danger, to battle because it’s in your nature. Your abilities beg you to find the fight, to learn and come up with a winning strategy. Your analyses on those around you is a defense mechanism; finding ways to finish the fight before they ever begin. Mortals fear you because you can’t contain the wisdom that flows through you, and knowing you’re aware of their weaknesses and can make them less of a threat inspires fear in them. The full extent of your power isn’t known to us right now, but that’s okay. We have a plan. Your father will be in contact with your mother, and she’ll find people to help you when you return… for now, however, we need to get you settled into the Hotel side of Valhalla, and then we make your schedule.”

    “Schedule? for , uh, what, exactly?”

    “Training of course! You unlocked another facet of your abilities! See, ever since the dawn of time, the Pantheons have taken to following the flames of Civilizations, going and adapting with the times… ever since the dawn of quirks, Valhalla’s changes have been quite… interesting. For a good while, it was sort of a hotel, complete with deadly wall climbing activities, poisonous paintball and main dining areas… granted we still have that, but we made renovations for what the big man is calling “The Valhalla Hero Agency”. Kind of a lame name, but I think that’s just his humor... I’ll give you some time alone, I think, and then we’ll do the full tour and that whole shebang!”

Chapter Text

            Izuku was pretty fried mentally by the time Loki had returned to give him a tour of Valhalla- partially out of his anxiety and mostly because he was trying to cope with the fact he was dead. He had felt himself die and yet here he was, walking around a room that felt like it was designed specifically for him; it had a book shelf that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, a ladder and more hero memorabilia than he’d ever know what to do with, and yet somehow all placed exactly where and how he would have placed it. 

            He looked and felt like a lost puppy as he followed Loki out of the room and through the hotel; the building was massive, and full of lively characters who all seemed to either wave cheerfully, do a double take or, in at least one instance, look at the two with sheer terror and jump out a window saying something along the lines of “fuck that, there’s another one.” which Izuku wasn’t sure if he could call it concerning or comical… He didn’t know how long they had been walking either, but he was listening intently to Loki as he spoke.

            “All right kid, here’s the run down of the place: We offer roughly 540 leisure activities or classes, and outside of that we have over 300 individual gyms, training rooms and obstacle courses. A lot of people here were heroes when they died, so you’ll have no trouble finding someone to work with in those areas if you just ask- No one wants to lose their edge.. The big guy said you take classes, right? Dojos and community service… that’s good. It would’ve done you well to get in to U.A without dying, even… but now that you are dead, we need to adjust… Your strength, when you wake up, is going to be nearly ten fold of what it was prior, meaning you’ll need to learn restraint as well as how to harness your powers… You had a decent grasp for just unlocking them, but it needs to be better . You need to harness your emotions so you can just think of the weapon you want, when you want it… if you don’t you’ll kill some mortal and i know that’s not the kind of kid you are… are you following so far?”

            Izuku stopped as Loki turned around to face him, hands on his hips, looking expectantly.

            “Uuuh… lots of stuff to do here, lots of training and training partners, need to learn restraint in strength and to harness my abilities..?”

            Loki seemed pleased as he nodded firmly.

            “Atta boy… Now then, your old man wanted to talk to you, and your body needs about….” Loki looked down at a seemingly non-existant watch before speaking again, “a mortal week to recover enough for your einherjar to return… Don’t worry about that though, we’ll do it for you and you won’t feel a thing! Let’s see… am I missing anything else….?”

            Izuku was about to shake his head when a hand came down and smacked the god upside the head, a semi-familiar winged horse landing next to him.

            “You forgot to explain Valkyries again , Loki.. honestly it’s like you want me to keep hitting you upside the head…”

            Izuku’s eyes widened as the woman in armour came into focus- she was pretty and young. Her hair was dark and up in a half-bun, her face looking scarily like Hana’s.. But she turned and looked at Izuku with a smile, one that felt familiar, in a way.

            “Sorry about that! He’s a bit of an airhead sometimes… Odin sent me to come get you, since i’ll be your Valkyrie… Izuku, right?”

            Izuku nodded slowly, trying to not laugh as Loki sulked away, making mocking noises about the woman. She reached out her hand and Izuku took it instinctively, letting her pull him onto her winged horse. 

            “Ya see, traditionally Valkyries are ‘handmaidens to Odin’ but honestly, most of us are assigned a hero to watch over and guide.. I asked to be yours… you’ve got the spirit, and I like that… your tenacity, it reminds me of my student, Yagi.”

            Izuku listened curiously as the horse took off, looking back at the woman as she spoke.

            “Were…were you a hero, miss?”

            The woman laughed a bit and nodded, tilting the reigns slightly to veer into a left hallway.

            “Yes, yes I was… but enough of this for now, Izuku.. There will be time later.”

            Izuku blinked in surprise as she hopped off the horse, having not registered that they’d arrived.

            “But- I… can I at least know your name?”

            The woman laughed as she knocked on the large door before them.

            “Course you can kid.. Nana. Nana Shimura… now go on, he’s waiting for you.”

Chapter Text

            Izuku decided he liked Nana- she reminded him a lot of Hana, both in looks and attitude. She was funny, kind and caring… she had a motherly air about her that reminded him of his mother too.. As the winged horse continued through the twisting halls that seemed almost endless Izuku could see more and more familiar faces- heroes of the past and some more high-profile vigilanties even.. He couldn’t help but stare, barley keeping himself quiet as his mind raced, those who noticed him looking merely giving a weary smile and nod before going on their ways. Izuku wasn’t sure how much time passed before the horse stopped, Nana dismounting before helping him down, giving him a warm smile as she spoke.

            “How are you holding up kid? I know this is a lot- probably more for you than it was for me or some of us other heroes… we were at least regular old mortals.”

            Izuku looked up at her as she spoke, a bit taken aback by her words. His first instinct was to brush everything off and tell her he was fine.. But one look so similar to his own mothers had him second guessing himself as he exhaled slowly and his shoulders slumped.

            “I.. i’m scared. Worried, confused… angry..? I.. i’m angry at those heroes.. There were so many options to get them out, even without a ‘suitable quirk’! They could have attacked the more solid parts of the villain.. They could’ve tried to pull them out.. Anything but stand around and do nothing.. I’m so…so angry at them! The lives they put at risk.. The danger Hana and Bakugou were in… and they did nothing.. A-and i’m worried about Hana.. one of Bakugou’s explosions damaged her shop.. Her livelihood! A-and… and i’m confused about this… ‘power’ Lo-.. U-Uncle mentioned… Was it about the weapon? Why did it show itself now of all times? Why now?”

            Izuku didn’t even care he was rambling now, trying to keep himself from crying in frustration as he spoke, clenching his fists as Nana just stood and listened.. Once he was done, she gently put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him into a hug, running her fingers gently through his hair as she rubbed his back, slowly and gently calming him down… despite dying a heroic death, and despite having so much courage and bravery… he was still a young boy. Once she sensed he was calm enough, she pulled away slowly and spoke to him calmly.

            “You’re right.. There was a lot that could have been done without you getting involved.. But what you did gave those two enough time to survive. You saved them Izuku- never forget that. As for why now.. From what i’ve seen and heard- most halfbloods aren’t like mortals- their powers are always there- undetectable by human medicine or science. You do have power, but it won’t read as a “quirk” to them.. Now though- you’re entering adolescence.. Nearing adulthood more and more- because of that, your godly powers are awakening more. The older you get. The more danger your blood will attract- so your power develops more and more to help protect you from that danger…but you won’t be alone in this, okay? You have me, your mother, your father and others who will come to aid you.”

            Izuku took in the information silently, taking a breath and nodding along quietly before he exhaled slowly, using some of the calming techniques he normally used for his anxiety. After a moment he looked up at her and nodded again.

            “I..i’m ready now.. Thank you..”

            Nana just smiled and ruffled his hair as she turned and opened the door they were standing at- not even bothering knocking as she led Izuku inside.. The interior was massive, but familiar in a sense.. It reminded Izuku of the office of a hero department- like the one he had gone to in elementary school as part of a field trip.. And sitting at a desk was a familiar face- one so much like his own. The single-eyed man looking up from the papers on his desk before a small smile graced his face as he spoke, though soft it still echoed all around the room.

            “Hello Izuku.. How are you feeling, son?”

            He stood as he spoke, moving out from behind the desk as Izuku looked towards him, quiet for a moment before he felt the guilt clawing at him.

            “Dad i.. I-i’m so sorry.. I-i wasn’t looking and Bakugou took it and i tried to get it back but he wouldn’t a-and then he.. And i.. I-i’m sorry dad. I’m so sorry, please don’t be mad.”

            Izuku didn’t even see the man move before he felt himself getting wrapped in a hug, the strong arms holding him close as Izuku shook in his distress.

            “I do not blame you for what happened, Izuku. Know that and know this- you are my son; my pride and joy.. It has been many years since I found myself with a half-blood child, and you are everything I could hope for and more. I know you took great care of our journal, and you will still take care of it. Everything will be alright- no one here is angry at you.”

            Izuku looked up at his father with wide eyes as he held onto him before he hid his face in the man’s chest again, letting himself be just a child in need of his father’s warmth. He still felt terrible at letting the book get burned badly, but knowing his father wasn’t angry did help… after a minute he relaxed enough to step back, taking another breath before speaking.

            “So, um… O-Odin..? And.. norse mythology.. And.. all of .. this..? What exactly is happening and, um… if you’re a god or something.. How did you meet mom..?”

            Izuku watched the man (god?) actually chuckle at that as he motioned for Izuku to follow him and sit down, which he did so without question, noticing how Nana was following as well, standing to the side like she was expecting this conversation. 

            “Well that is a rather.. Broad question.. To start- yes Izuku, the stories are real, as are the gods. I am a god, as is Loki, who i sent to be there with you as you woke up.. I would have been there myself if I had not been at work ensuring things are set in place for you. To be more specific in what is happening, and what has happened.. When that.. boy damaged the one item connecting us, you awoke a new aspect of your abilities- a channel of magic, if you will. It is driven by your rage and will, summoning any weapon you need or desire in the moment.. In that moment, your anger was so great and intense that your body reacted as if you were heading into battle- and it gave you a weapon accordingly. Then again, when you faced that villain, as the mortals say these days.. You were driven by the need to protect and defend- and your power worked accordingly once again.. The issues came when you began to die.. Being a halfblood- my son specifically.. You should not have perished. I have dominion over death, especially those involving battle.. But your mortal soul was caught between your awakening powers and your mortality.. And so Nana thought it best to bring you here- given your heroic actions and the weapon in your hands.. Because of this, and your powers being realized.. You’ve in essence become immortal.. When on earth, you will grow as any mortal would- but dying in any realm would have no hold over you.. At worst, you would return here for your body to heal.”

            “The man took a breath, though he didn’t need to do so really.. It was more to let Izuku process everything before he spoke again.

            “I will do deceive you, Izuku- your powers are growing still, and we do not know how strong you will get- you have a keen sense of wisdom and battle and now.. Now you can channel your emotion into weaponry.. Your magic will grow as well, as I sense it within you.. You will need to learn a great deal now- not just how to fight with weapons you summon, but to use magic and what runes accompany the power with it.. and , of course.. Restraint to ensure you do not needlessly harm others… as for how i met your mother, well..”

            Odin actually found himself blushing as he looked down, a fond smile on his face as he spoke.

            “It had been some time since i visited Midgard, and your ‘heroes’ had been long since on the rise- many making their way here to Valhalla.. I had gone, disguised as a mortal to one of the ranking ceremonies, and I found myself drawn to an interview room, with reporters asking questions and clamoring for information.. And that was when I saw her- she only had a minute perhaps to get something to write with.. But the questions she fired off.. The thirst for knowledge and the desire to get the truth out of the hero before her.. It was like nothing i’d witnessed before.. And just when I thought perhaps she had all she needed she struck like a viper- catching the man in his own lies, using his own words against him.. I was awestruck by her, even as he had security escort her out.. I followed her instead of remaining.. She was so sharp and knew there was more to me than met the eye.. It was around the fourth time I met her that she told me my disguise needed work and that was when I realized why she drew me in even more so than I thought.. Your mother, bless her, has the peculiar ability to see beyond the Mist.. she sees the world as it is, rather than through the fog that protects the minds of other mortals from seeing life as it is.. She saw me for who I was, and knew.. From there it is history.”

            The fondness in the one-eyed man’s voice mad Izuku smile as he listened.. He knew, of course, that his mother used to be a reporter and investigator before she stopped to be a teacher herself.. But this was the first time he was hearing how they had met.

            “She.. knew..?”

            Odin nodded with a smile as he spoke again.

            “Of course we couldn’t let mortals know the truth, so we made some.. Tasteful deceptions- Hisashi being my name for one.. And the quirk i supposedly had. But that is neither here nor there! Now, our course of action will go like this- your mother has been working with a select few heroes to cover your current condition.. To the public, you manifested a quirk very, very late and the stress of it has you in a medically induced coma until your body recovers enough to not send you into immediate shock. Once you return to your mortal form, your schedule will be altered.. You will no longer be schooled at.. That place .”

            Odin didn’t even call Aldera by it’s name, his eye flashing with anger and disgust at even having to allude to it.

            “Instead, a trusted individual will tutor you personally- he himself is a half-blood in a sense, though a bit more.. Unconventional, let’s say.. A son of Ratatoskr, actually.. Then, you will learn swordsmanship and armed combat from another hero- a son of Tyr… and with him, you will have another teacher to ensure you learn restraint .. When you sleep, your mind will bring you back here, to Valhalla.. You can ask any of the heroes here for aid in training or sparring- not needing to hold back.. But you will work with me to learn magic. Do you have any questions, Izuku?”

            Izuku stared in shock for a moment before he spoke carefully.

            “Why, um.. Why all of this effort? N-not that i don’t mind! I’m just.. Confused a bit..? And why do i feel like there’s more to this than you’re telling me..

            “You want to be a hero, do you not? Becoming a hero needs training and diligence! I would not be a good father if i don’t ensure you have every chance to succeed, would i? As for if there is more or not..”

            Odin smiled slyly- it almost looked like a manic grin for a moment as the man spoke.

            “Let me just say that the son of Ratataskr is one after my own heart in the sense he values education.. And he will not allow the sins of that place to go unpunished.. He and your mother are going to burn it to the ground and grind any ashes to dust.. Metaphorically speaking, of course.. But no need to worry yourself over that! For now, you must rest! Please, Izuku… do not worry yourself with this- we have known a day like this might come some day, so we have been ready for some time.. Now all we must do is ensure you have everything you need to succeed.

Chapter Text

    Shouta Aizawa should have known something was up when he heard the news about that villain attack and his hostages.. He should have known something was up when the kid who’d gotten himself involved went into a coma.. And he absolutely should have known when the boy’s mother showed up at U.A to talk to Nezu, accompanied by a suspiciously familiar man with a single eye.. But he was busy expelling his students and keeping the ones he legally couldn’t expel alive long enough to understand their heritage and survive on their own.

    It was the only reason he was surprised when, a week after the incident with the sludge villain he found himself called to Nezu’s office to a meeting. He looked so tired by the time he entered the room, even though he always looked tired thanks to his father.. He sighed as he sat down, looking over the people with him- the woman and who he assumed to be her husband, Nezu and…

    “Sir Nighteye- i didn’t know you’d be here.”

    He looked to the hero as the thin man waved his hand and spoke, his eyes darting over the room as well.

    “When you get an invitation for a meeting like this, you tend to come.. I take it you aren’t fully aware of this meeting’s purpose either?”

    Aizawa nodded curtly, glancing around before Nezu spoke, clapping his paws together.

    “Well then allow me to explain! I know you have been quite busy with your classes, Aizawa- so allow me to give you a refresher!”

    Aizawa’s eyes narrowed at the animal, his gaze almost bearing down into the mammal’s own beady eyes before the principal smiled.

    “About a week ago, there was an unfortunate incident involving a young half-blood; one who was previously unaware of his true parentage, the signs of power taking non-physical means until that very day.. And today he is meant to wake from the medical coma he was placed in.. this meeting is to discuss his new training and schooling! I myself shall take over his schooling, with his father’s blessings.. Now he needs to harness his power and learn restraint! For that, I have asked both you- son of Loki and Hypnos and you, Son of Tyr, to help! He will need a strong support system and i have personally picked both of you as demigods who have lived to adulthood to mentor him! Any questions?”

    Aizawa narrowed his eyes as Nezu spoke- of course the moronic kid who got involved in a villain fight would be like them.. The hero gossip he’d heard had said something about a latent quirk.. Now he knew that was Nezu’s doing.. Information distribution and covering things were his forte after all..

    “What domain are they in?”

    This time the man who was with the mother spoke, his voice shocking Aizawa into recognition, his blood turning cold… now he knew why he was missing an eye too..

    “ I am over the domain of war, battle, death, wisdom and magic. My son should not have become a soul within Valhalla, but he has.. Now he must return to the mortal world with the strength anew and his power growing by the day. Now i will ask this directly, son of Loki- will you help my son?”

    Shouta Aizawa turned to the man- no, to the disguise within the room and nodded slightly, hoping to hide his fear as he spoke- one wrong move and he would have earned himself the ire of the All Father himself… now he understood the secrecy of it all, and why both he and Nighteye were there..

    “Yes, i will. What do i need to teach him?”

    The answer was blunt and to the point as Odin spoke.

    “How to lie. Or misdirect. The earliest manifestation of how power was his mind- the wisdom to find battles and dissect them for knowledge- to take apart an opponent before the fight ever began.. It manifested as muttering, and it has unnerved many mortals. You must work with him to lie about the source of his power- to call it a quirk rather than his innate power.. I know you have more power than you give to yourself- your mind is your sharpest weapon and you are adept in using the Mist. teach him this..please.”

    The ‘please’ was added in after the woman, who was starting to earn Shouta’s utter respect and trust, had swatted the shoulder of Odin, clearing her throat pointedly. She offered the heroes a smile as she spoke.

    “I apologize on his behalf- he is still not used to asking for help whenever he needs it. You see my boy, Izuku, he has wanted to be a hero for as long as he’s been alive. The illusion of a quirk will give him that last edge he’s needed.. As a mother, i ask you to help my son be the hero i know he can be.”

    It was Nighteye’s turn to speak, raising a hand gently to show a mock surrender as he smiled gently.

    “It would be my honor- not just for the All Father, but for your sake as well ma’am. Am i correct in assuming my role will be to teach him armed combat? I have seen the recording of his fight- Weapon Materialization is a rare power to manifest, and he will need quite the training to handle it.. Tell me, if i may ask, what kind of hero does he wish to be?”

    The woman smiled at his words, seeming to relax a little as she spoke.

    “he ‘s always wished to be like All Might… I know you two had some form of falling out, so I would never ask you to contact him for anything like this- i just ask you help my son.. Please, Sir Nighteye.”

    The hero nodded calmly and smiled as he spoke.

    “It is nothing ma’am, really.. My own student is entering his final year of heroics here and a different hero is taking him under his wing for his final year before his official debut, so my time will be far more free than before. If his taste in heroes is as good as mine, we will get along quite well!”

    Nezu smiled widely as he nodded and clapped his paws together again.

    “Wonderful, wonderful! There is one other thing i called you for, Aizawa!”

    The man raised a brow as he looked at the mammal.

    “And whats that, sir?”

    “It’s time we call a War Meeting! There’s a school that simply must not be allowed to stand a moment longer! I’ve already contacted our dear detective friend and asked him to begin an investigation!”

    “A war meeting? Don’t we reserve those for students?”

    “He is a student! My student now! And i simply shall not tolerate such actions against my student! Now then, do you feel we should bite the head first or the roots? There is a boy who simply must face consequences, but he is only the top of the issue.. The school of his is quite an issue! What do you think, Aizawa?”

    The hero in question shuddered at the question and the manic gleam in Nezu’s eyes- it was easy to forget he too was a half-blood like himself and Nighteye… he was also probably the only child of the damn squirrel in existence.. Ever.. and he thrived on causing chaos and toppling problems like this..

    “Lets… let’s start at the roots- you can cut the top and the tree will still grow unless its culled at the source.”

    Nezu smiled widely as he spoke, shaking in excitement.

    “Wonderful! Now then, Miss Midoriya, you are welcome to bring Izuku here to U.A for recovery Girl to look after once he is awake- and please be assured we shall handle things on our end, All Father.”

    The god disguised as a man nodded and took a breath before speaking.

    “I have left the halls of Valhalla long enough today i feel… but know this- once that place is but ash- I wish to have a say in the punishment of that boy. He said horrible, inexcusable things to my son.. And i will not see it go unpunished.”