Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The War nears. The Front prepares themselves for battle, while most Heroes are only barely aware of the rising threat.

If, perhaps, they were to be informed of their dark future… would things change? Would they be able to save themselves? Their world, their lives? Could they stand against the tidal wave that approached?

Moreover, if these Villains knew what horror their actions wrought, would they change? Or would they immerse themselves deeper in their convictions, snarling and snapping at anything that challenged them? Grow stronger and more dangerous for the knowledge?

Welcome to Facility Theta. Where time is nothing and everything, and all questions are eventually answered.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

[ EXPERIMENT ZERO: REPORT #001 ]

Experiment Zero is the first recorded use of Facility Theta in an official capacity. As one of the Association’s greatest assets, Facility Theta must, as a matter of course, be calibrated and tested extensively before it can be permitted for use in other Association projects. 

This first experiment will serve to clearly illustrate the main functions of Facility Theta, such as how its primary future-viewing capabilities may be used to manipulate timelines and allow the Association easy access to several branches that separate from the primary nexus without wasting excessive energy.

As well as that, the experiment will shed much-needed light on how humanity would respond and react to future-sight as a common ability, and whether the knowledge would benefit their futures for better or worse.

It is important to note that Experiment Zero is the control group. As such, every single moment in the experiment will be heavily documented and analyzed. Additionally, in order to understand the results of Experiment Zero and their significance, some background information is necessary.

[ Preliminary Knowledge ]

For those in the Association yet unaware, Facility Theta is an extraversal space with the capabilities of ‘watching’ any point in time in any universe. Currently, the Facility is only qualified to watch primary nexus universes, but work is underway to allow viewings in alternative universal branches. The purpose of this Facility is to allow easy and simple future sight, but it has yet to be fully integrated into the Association’s assets. These experiments seek to change that fact.

Facility Theta’s ‘viewings’ are unique, in that they provide a perfect and unbiased view into the events of the future, or even the past if needed. As an extraversal space, time is obviously largely irrelevant to the Facility’s running.

The viewings used in Experiment Zero, as well as the participants, come from Universe Alpha-Tau-Kappa 4102-7070, primary nexus branch. Within the Association, this universe is often referred to as the ‘Hero Academia’ Universe (HAU), due to its main characteristics as well as its importance as a nexus branch.

As a nexus universe, the HAU is in itself a branch of the Root-10 Universe Alpha Zero. As a result, many of the usual characteristics of Alpha offshoots are present; homo sapiens as the main species with Earth as their main planet. Followingly, these reports will use language and terminology commonly seen in Alpha offshoot universes. Brush up if needed.

A basic history of the HAU may be found below for those uninformed. If the origins of the HAU is a known topic to the reader, this section may be safely ignored. 

[ Preliminary Knowledge: History of the Hero Academia Universe ]

Universe Alpha-Tau-Kappa 4102-7070 diverged from Universe Alpha-Zero early in the Earth year AN-2048, following a mutation in the DNA of a male infant human in Qing Qing, China. The mutation led to the child’s inherent bioluminescence being magnified by several thousand degrees, allowing him to glow brightly at all times.

Curiously, after this event, the rest of his generation followed the same pattern. Nearly seventy percent of his generation developed their own powers. By Association classifications, these powers ranged from Class-F to Class-D level in the first generation, negatively skewed by population. By the sixth generation and later singularity event, they ranged between Class-H and Class-C. Common powers include weak strength enhancement, physical mutations granting the features of a variety of animals, and emotion-based abilities.

(The Association has not authorized the construction of any research facilities at any point in time within this universe. However, several theories on the divergence point still exist, usually regarding solar flares or undetected cosmic radiation events with massive affected zones that encompassed the entirety of Earth.)

These abilities soon came to be known as ‘Quirks’, and came with many physiological differences that separated this generation from their predecessors. Soon enough, scientists of the era declared that humanity had evolved.

Those with Quirks, usually known as the ‘Quirked’, were said to be of the species Homo Sapiens Magna, an evolved subspecies stemming from Homo Sapiens Sapiens, soon to be known as the ‘Quirkless’. 

Physiologically, the two had multiple differences: the Quirked had lost their vestigial organs and body parts such as the appendix, their tertiary molars or wisdom teeth, no longer showed signs of an unconnected vomeronasal organ, and only had one joint in their fifth toes.

However, despite the physiological differences, the two subspecies were largely the same genetically and were able to crossbreed. The only genetic difference lay in the Quirk Factor, a newly appearing gene within the Quirked that carried the information regarding the Quirk they possessed. Lack of this gene was recessive, which meant that crossbreeding between the two subspecies would in most cases result in a Quirked individual being born. This individual would possess the usual physiological differences of the Quirked, as well as any Mutations saved within the Quirk Factor. However, in rare cases, the recessive nature would lead to children between the two species being Quirkless, lacking the Quirk Factor entirely as well as any mutations.

With the rise of Quirked individuals, there was much upheaval. At first, the Quirkless outnumbered the Quirked by a great degree. This led to the Quirked being reviled and even hunted for their strong and unusual powers that threatened the Quirkless.

Some of the Quirked fought back against the discrimination, and any who did so soon came to be known as a ‘Villain’. However, as the percentage of Quirked increased, many decided that these Villains were no longer fighting for rights but instead for power. This led to the creation of the ‘Hero’ as a government occupation, filled by a Quirked person who fought crime and Villains. The Japanese government were the first to do so as well as the first to bring peace back to their war-torn and rioting country. In the years after, Japan led the rest of the world in their endeavours for peace between the Quirked and the Quirkless, and beyond.

Approximately two-hundred years after the speciation event, these Heroes and Villains were a common sight. The Quirked now occupied slightly more than eighty percent of the population with the Quirkless as little more than a shrinking minority.

(Of course, there was much more nuance involved, but this is a basic history. Yet with this knowledge in hand, the rest of the report should make a tad more sense.)

(Additionally, it is important to be aware that the HAU is heavily monitored for its incredible potential as a nexus universe which is the main reason it was chosen for Facility Theta’s control experiment. The Association has identified almost two-hundred-forty-thousand universes branching off this nexus, each one unique and accessible. 

In a world with infinite universes and branches, the number does seem low, but to have all these universes known and monitored is a great achievement indeed. The stories of most of these universes can be found in the Association Archive.)

Now, the report must continue onwards to the events of Experiment Zero itself. 

This moment, some fifth of a millennia after the ‘Birth of Quirks’, was only months prior to a War that would shake the world to its core. It had many key players, mostly Japanese, that were both Heroes and Villains. If the timeline had continued on the same as the nexus universe, innumerable lives would have been affected for the worse.

And so Facility Theta entered the stage.

Utilizing the transversal teleportation technology on-board, the Facility was able to ‘invite’ a number of people to participate in Experiment Zero. By showing them a viewing, not of the War itself but of its aftermath, the Facility hoped to see how the new branch would break off from the nexus and develop. 

The Facility recommends that the reader use the Association Archive and study the available and annotated personal history of the HAU, specifically the story of Midoriya Izuku – articles 1 through 358 (on-going) will ensure the best understanding of what exactly the experiment shows as well as its results, though articles 306 through 334 should suffice in limited time.

The participants of Experiment Zero were extracted from the HAU in the short interval between articles 242 and 243. Assuming knowledge of the HAU, this point was the day before the turn of the year, two days prior to Midoriya Izuku joining his classmates at the ‘Endeavour Agency’.

These participants were then shown the events of articles 306 through 334 in an unbiased light, before being returned to their home universe. Their reactions and future actions were carefully watched and noted – see Report #007 for remarks. With as little outside influence as possible, this control group would mark the tone for the rest of Facility Theta’s experiments, and determine whether Facility Theta is fit for action.

It is now up to the Association to determine whether Facility Theta should continue operations or not. But we ask that you first read our reports in their entirety.

The control group in Experiment Zero were, for the most part, drawn from the two main factions in the HAU; Heroes and Villains. Any participant not officially a member of either faction was closely connected to a member of a faction, or overall important to the future of the universe.

A complete list of participants may be found below. Please read over it to ensure all participants are known to you, and use the Association databases regarding the HAU to determine the identities of those you are unaware of.

[ Preliminary Knowledge: List of Participants in Experiment Zero ]

The list is ordered by species, relative importance, then factions.

Species - Chimaera:

• Relative Importance - A-Class:

• Faction - Hero: Nedzu, alias: Mr. Principal

Species - Homo Sapiens Magna:

• Relative Importance - S-Class: 

• • Faction - Villain: Shimura Tenko, alias: Shigaraki Tomura | Todoroki Touya, alias: Dabi | Bubaigawara Jin, alias: Twice | Garaki Kyudai, alias: Ujiko Daruma

• • Faction - Hero: Todoroki Enji, alias: Endeavour | Torino Sorahiko, alias: Gran Torino | Aizawa Shouta, alias: Eraserhead 

• • Faction - Hero Student: Bakugou Katsuki, alias: Dyna-Might | Todoroki Shouto

• Relative Importance - A-Class:

• • Faction - Villain: Yotsubashi Rikiya, alias: Re-Destro | Toga Himiko | Iguchi Shuichi, alias: Spinner | Sako Atsuhiro, alias: Mister Compress

• • Faction - Hero: Keigo Takami, alias: Hawks | Hakamada Tsunagu, alias: Best Jeanist | Kayama Nemuri, alias: Midnight | Yamada Hizashi, alias: Present Mic | Shuzenji Chiyo, alias: Recovery Girl

• • Faction - Hero Student: Uraraka Ochako, alias: Uravity | Iida Tenya, alias: Ingenium | Asui Tsuyu, alias: Froppy | Yaoyorozu Momo, alias: Creati | Kirishima Eijirou, alias: Red Riot | Kaminari Denki, alias: Chargebolt | Jirou Kyouka, alias: Earphone Jack | Tokoyami Fumikage, alias: Tsukoyomi

• Relative Importance - B-Class:

• • Faction - Villain: Hanabata Koku, alias: Trumpet | Tomoyasu Chikazoku, alias: Skeptic | Geten

• • Faction - Hero: Usagiyama Rumi, alias: Miruko | Kamihara Shinya, alias: Edgeshot | Nishiya Shinji, alias: Kamui Woods | Takeyama Yu, alias: Mount Lady | Ishiyama Ken, alias: Cementoss | Honenuki Ekuto, alias: Ectoplasm | Maijima Higari, alias: Power Loader | Kal Kassidy, alias: Snipe

• • Faction - Hero Student: Ojiro Mashirao, alias: Tailman | Shouji Mezou, alias: Tentacole | Ashido Mina, alias: Pinky | Sero Hanta, alias: Cellophane | Sato Rikido, alias: Sugarman | Kouda Kouji, alias: Anima | Hagakure Tooru, alias: Invisible Girl | Mineta Minoru, alias: Grape-Juice

• • Faction - Police: Tsukauchi Naomasa

Species - Homo Sapiens Sapiens:

• Relative Importance - S-Class: 

• • Faction - Hero: Yagi Toshinori, alias: All Might

• • Faction - Hero Student: Midoriya Izuku, alias: Deku

• Relative Importance - A-Class: 

• • Faction - Hero Student/Villain: Aoyama Yuuga, alias: Can’t Stop Twinkling

(The levels of Relative Importance illustrate exactly how important each individual is to the overall world and to the future. E-Class characters, none of which are currently present in the experiment, could feasibly be removed from the world at whole and result in a branch that follows the nexus closely enough that only an Association Divergence Research Team would be able to determine the difference between them. S-Class individuals are absolutely necessary, and the removal of one would result in a timeline so vastly different that the nexus could almost appear to be completely unrelated at first glance.)

Additionally, Report #002 will elucidate on the choices in participants invited to Facility Theta. Facility Theta’s overseer ensures that there were no secret participants in this experiment, not at all. Any evidence to the contrary is to be ignored.

And with that, all preliminary knowledge has been imparted. Anything else can be determined during the experiment itself. For further inquiries into the HAU, please use the Association database or contact Facility Theta’s Overseer AI.

What follows now are carefully extracted personal and impersonal accounts of the opening hours of Experiment Zero.

Once again, welcome to Facility Theta. 

We hope you enjoy your stay.

Izuku was still asleep when his skin started glowing, so he felt confident saying he’d had a bad morning. Relatively. Some people probably had it worse.

Falling off his bed with his blankets wrapped around his legs, he stopped himself from slamming into the ground with outstretched hands, before staring down at his bare and glowing arms in shock. 

Could it be? An-Another Quirk?! Blackwhip just revealed itself! There was no way, right? 

He watched blearily as the white-blue light slowly grew outwards from his palms, stretching over his skin and rolling over his scars. An interesting sensation. It didn’t feel like anything like his two Quirks did, he mused, head still spinning from the rude awakening. Which meant…

He shot to his feet, suddenly wide awake.

Which, obviously, meant it was someone else’s Quirk doing this! 

Kicking his blankets off his feet, Izuku slammed the door to his dorm open and rushed outside. The light had already spread enough to nearly envelop him! It was crawling over his chest now, spreading downwards far too fast for his liking. Aizawa-sensei, he had to get to Aizawa-sensei-

Down the hall, Tokoyami stared back at him with gleaming feathers all over his head. The very same light pierced outwards from his pyjamas, setting the hallway awash in an unnatural blue glow.

“...You too?” the raven boy asked, seeming unduly tired and uninterested. “Is this a vile attack in the pitch of night, or is this just some other student misusing their Quirk?

Izuku stared blankly, before turning and scanning the rest of the hallway. More of the same light creeped onto the carpet from Aoyama and Mineta’s rooms. “I, uh-” He interrupted himself, cursing under his breath as the light covering his skin started tingling painfully. Tokoyami, too, clutched his head.

If it was an attack, it seemed relatively tame, Izuku thought. Barely a sting. He could fight through this for sure. All he needed to do was get to a teacher and inform them.

Of course, half a moment later his body quite simply disappeared into the light. The same happened to Tokoyami… as well as every other person in the dorms. 

And also Eraserhead. And All Might. And Midnight and Present Mic. And Hawks, and Endeavour, and Best Jeanist. And The Lurkers. And Gran Torino. And, well, a fair amount of people, really. An absurd amount of people, if we were being honest. It was slightly worrying how many Heroes were suddenly taken. 

Some cursed uselessly at the air, trying to slap at the light to get it to go away. Others ran, hoping to get out of range of the mysterious Quirk. Many didn’t notice until it was too late, asleep or otherwise occupied. It took the Heroes like a plague.

But then… why would just Heroes be swallowed by the maws of this invisible monster alone?

The Villains suffered the same fate.

“So.” Ujiko gazed at him. “You want power.”

The Doctor extended a hand. In the darkness of the room, he glowed with an unnatural light – likely from the bright computer screen behind him. Behind his desk, rusted shutters shone weakly, alluringly. “I can give you power. Immense power.” He closed it, suddenly leaning forward. The gleam in his glasses was blinding. “The question remains. Can you do what it takes? Can you handle it?”

Shigaraki glared. “I’ve done all you asked. Gigantomachia is tamed. Your little experiment, Nine or whatever, is dead.” He took a step forward, his fingers tensing. “Give. It.”

Beneath his bushy mustache, the Doctor smiled. His hand pushed a button, the shutters on the window behind him rising creakily. “Finally. Let’s begin.” he chuckled, the room visible through the glass more reminiscent of a torture chamber than anything else.

The demon prince responded with his own manic grin, the light stretching across his visage and warping it to something somehow even more monstrous. 

The two were enveloped by the light before they noticed the numb pain, their subordinates quickly following suit.

All of the ringleaders of the upcoming war soon succumbed to the same inexplicable light; Dabi, Toga, Twice, Mister Compress, Spinner, the members of the original Liberation Army, all answering the call with curses on their tongues. 

And from a sterile cell in the depths of hell, an old man accepted his own invitation calmly.

They awoke slowly.

Their worlds would not miss them.

Time would patiently wait for their return.

They accepted their invitations, but did they have any other choice?

“Welcome to Facility Theta.”

The voice reverberated through their very beings, seeming to rattle their souls to their cores.

Everyone remained standing where they’d awakened, many of their hearts beating near out of their chests. Moments ago, some were vigilant and long awake, yet now it felt as if they had been roused from the deepest of slumbers.

“I am the Overseer AI of this Facility.” Quiet, unassuming, powerful, emotionless. The voice was vaguely male, tone low and gruff. And it was impossibly gentle as it echoed throughout their hearts and souls, impossibly real . No one spoke, the absolute power of the voice rooting them in place. It was a terrible voice to wake up to. “I am in charge of watching you and your progress in this experiment.”

Some, the braver and sturdier of the lot, were able by then to move in the face of the voice. If only their necks, turning their eyes to stare at the massive room they were suddenly trapped in.

Somehow colourful and bleak both, the room was a massive theatre built in the style of the old Greeks. Grooved marble pillars adorned the walls with soft red curtains flowing in an invisible breeze between, indentations telling stories of worlds long dead half hidden beneath. They never seemed to sit still, somehow always changing and shifting were that not wholly impossible.

Semicircular stalls expanded outwards and upwards from the stage they were all stood upon, an immense black screen humming ominously at their backs. Each level was carpeted in arrays of couches and armchairs in a variety of styles, from rickety old chairs to pink loveseats to veritable thrones. At the top of the staircases placed on either end of the stalls, out-of-place neon signs designated the rooms leading out of the theatre as bathrooms, while long rows of tables in between the rooms were covered in unclear and distant dishes.

A second gallery hung above the stage, some dazily noticed, darkened and seemingly empty. A deathly aura emanated from within, just as impossible as the voice itself.

Next, those scanning the room looked towards their many or their few companions.

There was a clear divide between the crowd here. Dozens of people stood cramped and facing the stalls on the right half of the stage, a large swath of polished wood flooring separating them from a small group of just as stunned and disbelieving folk on their left.

The voice, despite its attempts at kindness, was a tad too impossible to breathe in and believe.

“You may notice enemies to your right or left.” The voice was clearly and vaguely amused now. Some thought it was, at least. Others didn’t. “The theatre room is bisected by a simple temporal barrier for the time being. Attempting to cross it may be painful, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Who - Who are you?” The first to speak was a tall and thin man, his head framed in a shock of golden hair. None other than the infamous Yagi Toshinori. All Might himself. “Why have you brought us here?” His voice was level and fearless. No one else dared speak.

The room seemed to hum as mechanics whirred within the walls. “Error – I may have been unclear previously. I am the Overseer AI in charge of Facility Theta. Facility Theta is an extraversal space designed to manipulate the future. An overseer is someone who supervises others. An AI is an-”

Somewhere in the crowd of Heroes, a grizzled detective’s face slowly slackened further and further with every word. ‘Either this person’s entirely insane… ’ He stared around at the group of Heroes summoned here alongside him and the S-Class Villains standing not twenty feet away and just as confused, all of them incredibly powerful. ‘…or he’s telling the truth about this. ’

“Future.” At the same moment, a scratchy voice, strangely cool and confident, interrupted the voice. He said the single word with such disdain that most people flinched. “Can’t expect us to actually believe or care about that, can you?” Most people agreed with the Villain, Heroes or not. Until he stepped forward, trodding across the stage towards the Heroes’ side.

Who cared why he was suddenly brought here? The targets of his destruction were at hand, only footsteps away. All Might, standing oh so proud. The green brat, looking as ready for a fight as ever.

Unsurprisingly, that side of the room quickly fell into defensive stances at Shigaraki’s approach, jostling about as they jumped into action and waited for the S-Class Villain to attack. The veteran pros had already noted the twenty-odd teenagers behind them and moved to create a protective wall. The voice hummed again, seemingly interested in how this would play out.

Shigaraki paused at the centre of the stage, stretching a hand forward. When it slowed to a crawl and then a full stop, he frowned. “Temporal barrier,” the Doctor in the Villain’s crowd muttered low enough that none heard. “That’s… that’s impossible. A Quirk?”

“Simple stasis technology.” The voice responded. Was it laughing? None could tell. “You should be able to extract your hand now, Shigaraki Tomura, but I don’t recommend you do it again. I won’t tolerate any fighting between you ‘Heroes’ and ‘Villains’.” The quotations around the words were clear as day.

Shigaraki quickly removed his hand, crimson eyes glaring at his knuckles before they turned upwards to glare murderously at the assembled Heroes.

“What the fuck is going on.” That was Bakugou, his words accompanied by small crackles of explosions. Of course. Midoriya squirmed, viridian lighting crawling across his skin from where he had been prepared for a massive fight. One For All seemed… empty, for some reason. “Come out and face us, you fuckin’ Villain!”

“Not a Villain,” the voice responded quickly. “Artificial Intelligence. Sentient, of course, but not a Villain. In fact, without a Quirk I cannot even be classified as such.”

“Ah.” Tsukauchi somehow managed to croak out. Some eyes snapped to him – he didn’t particularly care. “Alright then.”

The man behind this voice could be delusional. Could just be thinking he’s an AI. Tsukauchi would hold onto that possibility, else otherwise he’d likely scream. For a while.

SIlence reigned amongst the room for a long moment. Willfully ignoring the impossible statements, Midoriya looked around quickly, counting the people being protected by the Pros – himself and all his classmates, Recovery Girl, and the Detective. Gran Torino too, and wasn’t it awesome to see him again. He only wished it were in better circumstances. And… Nedzu?

The principal’s ears were downturned, his teeth bared and claws out. He stood behind Tsukauchi’s stupefied form, looking more ready for a fight than any of the students present.

Noting the detective’s disbelief and ignoring the slightly terrifying visage of the principal, Midoriya decided the voice was probably not lying.

Hm. An AI. 

He really wasn’t in the mood for this. “Well, why are we actually here, then?”

“A good question, Midoriya Izuku.” the voice praised. His hackles raised. “The answer is simple. You and the rest of your companions have been gathered as part of an experiment.”

“An experiment.” Nedzu growled suddenly, voice lower and angrier than anyone present had ever heard it before. “Really, now?”

“Yes.” The voice was now toneless, but the man sounded nearly kind. “It’s humane, worry not. Your students and friends will be safe.”

“As if I’d believe you.” the chimera snarled. It was frankly terrifying, and to some, possibly more so than the voice was. “Who are you really!”

“Have I not answered that already?” the voice mused. “I am the AI in charge of Facility Theta.”

“Then what in the hell is Facility Theta?” Nedzu spoke through gritted teeth as he swiped a paw angrily, sharp claws whizzing through the air towards the ceiling. “And none of that drivel you said before!”

Midoriya inched away from the enraged principal as sneakily as he could.

“Hm. That is normally classified information, but considering the nature of the experiment, I suppose I can inform you.” There was a pause in his speech, then a soft affirmative beep. “Perfect. Alright then, Facility Theta. Where to start, where to start…”

“From why we’re here!” Okay, everyone was slowly moving away from Nedzu now, including the VIllains opposite the stage. Kirishima covertly dragged a determinedly unafraid Kacchan away by his sleeve, Recovery Girl plodding behind the pair.

“Ah, yes, yes. This group has been brought together to witness the future of your world. That, quite simply, is the purpose of Facility Theta. To see into the future so that you may change it.”

Nedzu opened his mouth, and promptly shut it.

“I may be called the Overseer of Facility Theta, but I am the only being contained within. As a result, I am completely in charge of any experiments and tests. And for my control group, I have chosen to investigate the effects of future sight on none other than your universe. It is rife with problems and issues and secrets, after all. So, after you have watched a sufficient amount of your futures and understood how they came to be, I will return you to the exact moment I took you. From there, I will monitor how you proceed and gather important information, so that I may present it to my creators.”

Woodenly, everyone turned to Tsukauchi, who was a peculiar shade of grey. “Truth. All of it.” he choked out, before sitting down on the ground.

Midoriya wanted to sit down too, and also maybe go back to sleep.

The voice hummed, and this time, the amusement was quite clear. “If that’s all, perhaps we may begin?”

“Begin.” Recovery Girl responded first. Her voice was bone- tired. “Be- oh, fuck it all, I’m pretty sure I’m still dreaming.”

“ Reco very Girl,” Kirishima choked, the closest student to her.

“Shush, child.” She looked around the room. “Ah, whatever. Sure, why not. Let’s begin:”

“Did - am I going insane, or did he say our universe?” Kaminari asked faintly. He sounded like he was only one more reveal away from fainting.

“Nope. Definitely heard that.” Jirou responded, a hand to her forehead. Midoriya grimaced – he wondered if the voice affected her moreso than the rest. “What the absolute hell.”

“Just a moment now. First, let’s set some rules.” The voice was steel now. “I will remind you all one last time. No physical fighting. Not even attempts at it. Insult each other, scream and belittle, do as you like. I expect no camaraderie between the two factions in this theatre. But still, while you are in my Facility, you will not cause any harm to one another.”

Endeavour grunted angrily. “Fall back,” he commanded the line of Heroes, before slowly walking backwards towards the students. The others followed him, each step careful as they retreated from the sneering Villain.

“All Might,” Midoriya breathed once the Heroes had finally crossed the room. Even without One For All, he’d wasted not a moment before jumping in to protect his students like the rest of the teachers. Endeavour, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Miruko, and Gran Torino were the only non-Yuuei faculty he could see in the line-up. Oh, wait, no – the Lurkers Hero team was here as well. Weird. “I’m so glad you’re here. We - I don’t know what’s going on.”

All Might huffed, turning to look fully at them. His eyes softened as he looked over at the assembled students. “I don’t think anyone does, my boy. Just… relax for the time being. You all already know that you’re not supposed to fight, but this is a strange situation. Be prepared for anything.”

Eraserhead immediately groaned under his breath, about to say something, but he was interrupted by none other than the voice, his tone amused.

“Didn’t I just say not to fight, Yagi Toshinori? And here you are, telling them to be ready to fight.” The voice… rolled its eyes. Quite clearly. “Have a little more respect.”

All Might looked sufficiently admonished, which was a rather strange look on the lofty man. Midoriya, meanwhile, pondered how a voice rolled its eyes.

“Now then, I will allow no more distractions. The viewing begins now.” it said, with a tone speaking of complete finality.

They all looked around the room, waiting for something to happen. And the strange theatre they were in did not change, nor did anything new arrive.

“Uh…” Hawks, surprisingly, said from his position, unsurprisingly, in the air, “hey, voice person – first off, what’re we supposed to be doing, and second, uh, do you have a name?”

The room filled with unnaturally loud whirring, the walls shaking minutely. “Error: no formal designation.” He coughed quietly. “I suppose you can call me Theta?”

Izuku noted the hesitance. It was… important, he felt.

Theta continued, “And as for the viewing, just pick a seat and wait. Once you’re all in place, I’ll start the videos.” He paused, a pondering aura seeming to envelop the room. “Oh, and if you’d like anything, just ask for it. A pillow or a blanket or food or anything – quietly, if you want, I’ll still hear it. I see that some of you are still in your work costumes. They must be somewhat uncomfortable. Just ask for civilian clothes and head up to the bathrooms at the back of the room if you’d like to change.”

As if testing this, several of the Heroes who were out night-patrolling hesitantly muttered out soft words. And as if Theta was waiting for them, baskets of soft clothes appeared next to their feet with soft pops . It wasn’t hard to see that they were all to the style of the asker and perfectly fitted. It was more than a little creepy.

“Now then, make it quick! We need to settle in. This will be a long journey indeed!”

No one so much as breathed.

“How long do you mean.” Endeavour said, seemingly enraged beneath the calm surface. His ever-present facial flames shook somewhat. Across the room, one of the unknown VIllains - a young man with light blue hair dressed in a thick parka - shouted at the same time, “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

Theta hummed. “Well, as long as I want, really. You don’t have any choice in the matter. Now sit down.”

The Heroes exchanged glances, before Nedzu sighed. “Listen to him. Change if you need to, but make it fast. Students, stay as far on  the left side of the theatre as you can. Pros, in between them and the Villains.” he ordered, taking charge. He had to protect his students, no matter what. It was his duty.

Across the room, Shigaraki hissed under his breath at the expectant looks sent his way. “Fine, whatever. Just… pick a damn seat.” Stalking off the stage and up the staircase, he chose a gaudy scarlet armchair fit for a royal palace, haphazardly placed halfway up the stalls.

Dabi and Toga nervously – though they hid it well – sat on the plush couch at Shigaraki’s left on the same level. Meanwhile, Mister Compress, Twice, and Spinner settled into a grey sectional one level beneath Shigaraki’s armchair. Close enough to speak to one another - better than if they’d all occupied the same level, though seas of empty couches surrounded them. Still, this way they seemed more numerous than they actually were.

Re-Destro had tried to sit next to Shigaraki, but was eventually relegated to below even Spinner’s couch. His three lieutenants followed his peculiar tripod wheelchair as it near-tumbled back down the staircase. 

All in all, the Villains were able to use three of the dozen levels. Like this, it was clear how outnumbered they were, especially when they saw how many the Heroes had taken. Though even they had used perhaps six levels of the twelve – it was clear this ‘Facility Theta’ was meant to hold hundreds, not the paltry amount present.

Slowly and hesitantly, the Heroes settled into their seats. Many went up to the neon bathrooms to change, clutching the impossible clothes to their chests. Those filtered back in as the others bickered over the seating arrangements.

Tsukauchi quickly sat next to Yagi, who was sitting as uncomfortably close to the Villains and barrier as he could be. He didn’t hesitate to do the same – after all, Toshi was his closest friend. Gran Torino, unsurprisingly, accompanied them, dragging a harsh wooden chair over to their sofa. 

Endeavour, not one to be outdone, did the same as All Might but a few levels above, glowering at the League the whole while. But in his haste, he’d sat down in a two-seater, and was not soon after accompanied by Hawks. The fiery man didn’t look too happy about that.

The rest of the Heroes milled about, settling down with a clear divide between them, the Villains, and the students. Eraserhead sat down in the space between the Heroes and students, staring blankly at his class as he waited for them to sit as well. His coworkers settled into seats around him for the most part.

Midoriya quickly sat down on a long and comfortable couch near the top, in between Iida and Todoroki. Uraraka and Tsu were on the same level but on a loveseat to their left, while the massive sofa one level below theirs was occupied by Bakugou and most of his friends. To Bakugou’s right, with some empty couches in between, were the Lurkers team, looking mightily out-of-place.

Kouda and Sato took the large couch right under Bakugou’s, while Shouji, Tokoyami, and Aoyama shot off towards the largest sectional, just one level below that one. Hagakure dragged Ojiro to a sofa on the same level, though closer to the wall. Endeavour and Hawks were in the centre of this level, feet away from the barrier.

Everyone else took one of the armchairs scattered between the Heroes’ sofas, like Yaoyorozu, or sat down on a cushion they’d summoned, like Mineta.

“Is that all of you?” Theta asked after a long few minutes, though he knew the answer. Some people took an unnecessary amount of time in the bathrooms. He hummed. “Maybe I should’ve decreased the sample size for the control group. Hm - a note for next time. In any case, let’s begin.”

The soft yellow lights in the room suddenly dimmed, every surface somehow darkening to pitch black. The room stiffened, though no-one made so much as a squeak. Except Aoyama, but everyone magnanimously ignored it.

“Now that we have finally come to the start of our journey, it’s time for some exposition.” Theta’s grin was evident in his voice. “So… this story takes place about four months in the future. It’s currently late December if I’m not wrong, and what you see will occur in April.”

“Just four months,” Aizawa murmured unthinkingly.

"I expected a few decades," Hizashi grumbled to him.

“Yeah. It seems… low.”

“Exactly!” Theta said almost excitedly, making the men grimace. “You will see the effect that only a few month’s events can have on the entire world.”

“Alright,” All Might said. His voice was soft, yet nearly as powerful as Theta’s. “Fine. Four months. But how will we see this future? Through someone’s eyes?” Like - Like Sir Nighteye’s ability. Or was this different? There was the slightest waver in his voice, audible only to Midoriya, Tsukauchi, and Gran Torino. “Or-”

Theta didn’t need to speak for everyone to hear their grin. “Not exactly through his eyes. But there is only one person whose life will show you the true extent of the future. We will be following the journey of none other than one Midoriya Izuku.”