Chapter Text
Nobody could have guessed that the end was only the start of a new beginning. Nobody, including the girl who was now seconds away from reaching the last chapter of her current life: You. It had been a fairly normal day; wake up, go to whatever few classes you had, eat lunch with your friends, and then go back to your room to study and start the cycle over again. It wasn’t an awful existence, though your life also hadn’t been the easiest. All in all, it was pretty standard.
Only a couple of months from now and you’d be graduating with your degree and starting your adult life, which thinking about it now made the distracted driver hurtling your way seem like a cruel joke. You had so much left to do, you were so close to really living your life and seeing your dreams become a reality. And yet, it was all about to be ripped away from you because of someone not paying enough attention to the road.
Time was almost frozen, and breathing hadn’t felt necessary while thousands- no, millions- of thoughts and images flashed through your mind. You wanted to cry, scream, run out of the way, but there just hadn’t been enough time to do anything. All you could do in the endless yet short last moments before the vehicle collided with your body was watch and mourn the loss of the rest of your life.
What had you done to deserve this?
At least the intense pain of your death had been fleeting, lasting only seconds before your final breath escaped from your body. You couldn’t hear anything, you couldn’t see anything, and you couldn’t feel anything, but your mind could so clearly envision the scene that it almost felt like you were merely laying on the ground, taking it all in. The sky was blue. Birds were singing. People were screaming. The sun was shining and warmth enveloped you.
Not even a minute later, you felt weightless. An inexplicably comforting feeling came over you in waves, but when you tried to move it became apparent that you had no physical form- all that was left of you was your consciousness. Terrified by the unrelenting and infinite blackness that shrouded you, but silenced by the same recurring tender feeling from before, all you could do was wait.
As you drifted, a voice spoke itself into existence.
“Welcome, child. Your life was a short one, but meaningful nonetheless. As is customary, you will be allowed to live out a singular wish of yours before you pass on. What is a life you’ve wished to lead? To be royalty, a celebrity? To wield magic?” It paused momentarily, as if awaiting your response.
You had no voice, how could you answer?
“You must have something you can think of. Do not be afraid of making a choice. It will all work out one way or another regardless.” It continued, pleasantly encouraging as it bounced around the void.
But what did that all mean? Passing on? After you lived this final life, would you cease to exist? Would you remember who you were?
“Always an overthinker, even in death. Yes, it is possible to preserve your memories. This might make things more interesting.” It chuckled. “And passing on is… Difficult to explain. There is no heaven nor hell in the afterlife, simply an elsewhere. It’s of no concern to you at the moment. Now, think. What is it that you long to be?”
Did you care anymore? Your old life was taken from you before you could live it. All you wanted to do was help people, bring justice to them. Heroes weren’t real, but you wanted to be your own version of one. Someone who brought good to the world in your own way. Your hard work was wasted. You had never even been able to live happily ever after with the love of your life. It seemed you were never even meant to.
“Now, now. Such thoughts aren’t productive. Everything you have done until now has helped to shape who you are to guide you in the passing. The longevity of your mortal life is dependent on how much time is needed to amount to your full potential, you just achieved this faster than most others. That is quite an accomplishment.” It sounded proud; you wanted to believe the voice and its kind words.
“You speak of love and heroism. These values are commendable, you are a fine soul. I believe something can be arranged… And based on your earthly interests there might just be a perfect place for you. Consider it done. We’ll meet again, child.”
No sooner had the voice finished its sentence before you were thrust forward into the emptiness towards a growing white light. It appeared out of nowhere and all at once. As the light became blinding, more questions filled your consciousness. Who would you be? Would you be reborn? Would you have to struggle all over again? Where were you going?
You barely had time to finish your last thought when the world burst into color in front of you. A car horn blared at you with ferocity from your right, as if time had simply continued where it left off. Stumbling to the other side of the road and within the safety of the sidewalk, you could feel your breath catch in your throat. You could smell the asphalt, taste the fragrant air, see your breath waft in front of you in wisps of smoke due to the chilly atmosphere, hear the scurrying of people… All of your senses crashed down on you at once. But instead of being overwhelming and frightening, it filled you with relief.
You were alive.
Had it all been a hallucination? Your own mind conjuring up an idea of what it might be like after you died? The pain had been so… Real.
Straightening up to take in your surroundings at last, you were struck with discontent. Nothing was familiar. You had started where you left off, but where you were now was not the dinky little college town you had grown accustomed to. No, where you found yourself in currently was a metropolis. Skyscrapers towered above, traffic blared on in a chorus of car horns, and colorful people swarmed the streets.
Really colorful people.
In fact, you've seen about a dozen people with animal-like qualities and rainbow-hued skin pass by you. Was that man purple? Yes, yes he was. This was not the world you knew. Where had you been transported? You had died. You were granted a wish by what you believed to be a form of god. And now you were here. Well shit, did you have a home? Money? A job? What were you supposed to-
Your phone vibrated in your pocket incessantly, interrupting your seemingly unending train of thoughts. Bringing the device- most certainly not the same phone you had before, but one you assumed was now your new phone- to your ear, you answered hesitantly.
“... Hello?”
“Yes, hello, hi. This is your guide. You will only hear from me this once, so you best listen carefully. Understood?” A perky and impatient voice prattled on to you.
Withdrawing from your spot in the center of traversing civilians to lean onto the side of a nearby building to evade the passing masses, you processed this new information before replying. “Yes, I understand.”
“Splendid! In short, despite the obvious alterations, the timeline here is unchanged. Your presence may impact this however, so be careful of how you proceed if you wish to maintain the amount of knowledge you contain about this world. Your personal information and a Q and A packet can be located in your living quarters, the location of which can be found in your cellular device. Things may seem oddly convenient at times, but remember, this is your wish! It won’t be a walk in the park, but your happiness is the end goal here.” They finally took a moment to breathe, a deep inhale crackling from the other line. “That’s about it. Any questions?”
Yes, too many to count, but one thing has been stuck in your mind. “Where exactly am I?”
“Well, my dear, that answer is quite simple. You’re in My Hero Academia.” A grin permeated their voice, as if they had been waiting to say that from the very start.
Did they mean the anime? Your second life, a life of endless possibilities and one to fulfill your deepest desires, had landed you in an anime? You had to be the absolute biggest nerd in existence. You could have been Ariana Grande. Or a member of a royal family. Anything.
But, you supposed you had mentioned wanting to be a hero. It was odd, but… You were definitely excited. Were you overpowered? Quirkless? What did you look like?
“I can practically hear you overthinking. They weren’t exaggerating about that at all, were they? Anywho, it’s best not to linger. Some of your questions are most likely answered in the packet. From here on out, you are on your own. Good luck!” And with a click, your only connection to life before now hung up on you.
It was terrifying, coming to that realization. You had no ties here, you knew no one. You wanted to know what alterations had been made. Scrolling through your phone to find your new home, you routed the GPS to navigate you in the right direction. They said your questions were most likely answered in the packet, right? It seemed the only direction to go was forward. To go home.