Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Recovery is a spiral, not a circle. You may return to the same patterns, but you will break free." —Eris Morn

Katsuki Bakugo stalked up the front steps of UA, trying to hide the growing anxiety from the coming exam.

His heart thumped against his chest constantly like a war drum, roaring with anticipation and anger that betrayed his slumped and lax posture.

His eyes flicked over the crowd, barely acknowledging the people he refused to accept as competition. They were nothing but extras, and they would remain that even after the exam.

As his brief survey of the crowd ended, one person in particular made the war drum that was his heartbeat pause, and he felt his entire body freeze.

A splash of green hair amongst the crowd of brown and black caused his movement to stutter before he pushed his way through the crowd a few steps forward to get a better look. As he peered past the people surrounding him, he was met with confirmation.

He walked with an unfamiliar grace, his posture somewhere between perfectly relaxed and ready to pounce. He has small scars on his face, interrupting the splash of freckles on his face with thin little white marks from past injuries. His previously bushy green hair was tamed, the sides of his head shaved down and the top trimmed to a shorter length in an undercut. Bakugo could grapple with the new haircut and the scars, but that wasn't what brought him to a standstill. 

His eyes never stayed one color. Even in the brief moment that Bakugo was staring at him, his irises shifting from an all-consuming void to the colors showcased from a dying star. Something wasn't right about those eyes, and even just glancing at them set off alarms in Bakugo's head.

The man kept walking and Bakugo lost sight of him. 

The pressure in Bakugo's chest was released and he could finally breathe.

'The rumors were true. Deku is back...but there's no way that was shitty Deku. That person...didn't feel human.'

<>

Shinso Hitoshi considered themselves a calm and reasonable person.

Even then, they couldn't help but feel a little anxious as Present Mic described the mechanical enemies they would have to defeat to earn their points during the practical exam.

They wanted to become a hero more than anything, but it seems like the world would always try to get in the way.

A distraction prevented Shinso from spiralling further into an anxiety attack, presented by the person sitting next to them muttering outloud.

Shinso looked up to their left, and finally noticed their green haired neighbor talking to something that clearly wasn't there a minute ago.

It was a tiny floating...robot? It was comprised of a bunch of triangle and diamond shaped metal pieces floating around a spherical center with a black and blue lens in the center, representing what appeared to be an eye. 

The two were muttering to each other quietly and Shinso could only catch bits and pieces of the conversation.

"...just like the Vex..."

"...try not to go overboard Guardian."

"Don't worry about it Lagann."

Shinso quickly tuned back into Present Mic to avoid being caught eavesdropping at it seemed their conversation was ending. Even as he tried to pay attention, something about their conversation wouldn't leave his mind. What were the Vex? Why did the robot call the green haired person a Guardian?

Their racing mind was forced to ignore those thoughts as the students were ushered outside to the buses that would transport them to their designated testing sites. The anxiety of the exam returned full force as Shinso boarded the bus.

How would they ever get points with a quirk like theirs?

<>

As Tenya Iida finished stretching, he peered over the crowd in front of him as he waited for the exam to start. He couldn't help but stare at one examinee on particular.

The person stood around 5'5, but felt larger than that. Their presence was...intimidating? It was an emotion that was almost impossible to convey. Scary, comforting, intimidating, and welcoming all at once as they talked quietly to the floating robot in front of them. They were talking loud enough for Tenya to hear without much strain.

"Lagann, what weapons do you suggest for the exam?" The green haired individual asked the robot, as they hopped in place briefly to warm themselves up.

The robot teetered in the air a little, tilting to the side as it pondered the question. The bright blue eye in the center blinked slightly before answering. "Guardian, SUROS requests you make a scene. I suggest the same. It is an exam after all, and the people here don't know what you're capable of."

The student nodded and cracked a little smile. "Flashy but efficient. Understood. Give me the Fortissimo-11, Death's Razor, and...the Sunshot."

The robot, presumably named Lagann, floated a little higher in what seemed to be excitement. Their blue eye flickered a little bit and a flash of light occurred causing everyone to take a few steps back from the green haired person.

In front of their eyes, three weapons had materialized, seemingly as requested by the 'Guardian'. On his back was a large and very sharp black sword. In one hand they held a long and intimidating black shotgun with the word 'SUROS' inscribed on it in odd flowing font. In the other hand, was the most intimidating gun that Tenya had ever seen. it was long and golden, with an odd revolving chamber filled with holes. The entire handgun was covered in burn marks and seemed hot to the touch before it had ever been fired. The student took the time to arrange and holster the weapons on their body as Lagann chimed in. 

"Interesting assortment you've chosen. I didn't think you'd use an Exotic for something like these. And even then, the Sunshot?" The ghost called out, the tone in its voice clearly playful.

The student smiled at the ghost as they began walking a little closer to the doors that were going to open. "Had an odd feeling. Better prepared than not."

The entire exchange had shocked Tenya, and he had his hand up and was fully prepared to scold the individual on bringing guns to a school exam, but a loud buzzer interrupted their thought process.

"BEGIN!" Present Mic shouted with glee over the intercom as the large doors swung open, revealing the mock city. Even from the entrance, dozens of one and two pointers could be seen through the opening as they waited for their prey. 

Without a moment to spare, the mysterious student shot forward with blinding speed. Bursts of light emerged from their feet as they dashed forward, clearing dozens of feet with each step as they sprung into the city. In one swift motion, four one pointers and a two pointer were filled with holes from a shotgun.

The student stopped to count their points, before nodding to themselves and dashing deeper into the city and out of view. The sight caused all the students to pause for a moment, before they sprinted into the city. 

Iida dashed forward, his quirk allowing him to get ahead of the pack. If that's who he was competing with, then he needed to get into the city and claim his own points before they were all gone.

<>

Eijiro Kirishima felt fairly confident about the exam so far.

As he punched through another one pointer with his hardened fist, he could feel a twinge of pain in his wrist. He lost track of the time so far, but he was fairly confident in his abilities and that was all that mattered.

The one-pointer folded like cardboard against his hardening, and the two pointers took a few hits until they fell but he could still manage to get through them. 

Although, after all of the fighting his own stamina was wearing thin. The hardening was harder to keep up now, and punching through the robots took a lot out of him. He hunched down, hands on his knees as he tried to slow his breathing so he could keep going. A screech of metal and the quiet whir of motors behind him caused him to swing around, his breath catching in his throat as he looked up.

A three-pointer stood over him, with two large rocket launchers mounted on its shoulders aimed directly at him.

His heart began to race as he realized the threat he was confronted by. His hardening could barely handle the punches of a one pointer right now, it would never hold up to whatever explosives the school had equipped this robot with.

Before he could even begin to grapple with the thought of his defeat, a bright green flash came from his right.

The three-point robot was suddenly strung up in the air, all parts being restricted by bright green strings that appeared out of thin air. The robot struggled against the restraints in a futile effort as it couldn't even move.

Kirishima turned to his right, and saw another student walk up. He was armed to the teeth and his hand was extended out towards the robot, his palm dancing with the same bright green strands that held the robot in place. His eyes shown a bright sickly green color that matched the energy he was manipulating.

"Uh...hey! Thanks for the save!" Kirishima said nervously as he scratched the back of his neck. If it weren't for this examinee helping him out, he likely wouldn't have been able to continue the exam.

The student turned to him briefly, a tiny smile etching itself onto his face.

"No problem, man." He said quietly, as he flicked his palm forward.

A bright green needle made of the same energy shot forward at blinding speeds, embedding itself into the robot and causing it to explode into fire and green energy. The energy warped itself into some odd needle shaped that hounded the student, wrapping itself around them and wriggling in the air around him. 

With no time to waste, the mysterious student dashed off and left Kirishima in a haze of confusion.

What kind of quirk did that?

<>

Shinso was definitely not calm and reasonable right now.

They were on the verge of vomiting from the amount of running around and dodging they had been doing. Their punches couldn't even dent the metal of the one pointers, and they hadn't even tried the two pointers.

Sitting in the darkness of an alleyway positioned away from the bulk of the robots, they were on the verge of tears as they realized they wouldn't be able to get a single point in the exam. Their dreams of being a hero were so far out of reach and they could do nothing to get any closer. The sound of footsteps shook them out of their thoughts.

Standing above them was the person from before, the green haired person who had spent half of the briefing talking to their floating robot.

"You seem like you need some help." The person commented with their hand stretched out. Their eyes were shining a bright blue color, churning with energy that felt like staring directly into a raging storm.

Shinso took their hand gently and was pulled to their feet. "I- I can't get a single point. My quirk isn't good for this kind of thing." Shinso stammered out, tears welling in their eyes as they confessed to this random stranger.

The stranger nodded, and tilted their head to the side for a moment as they asked a question. "Why are you taking this exam if your quirk isn't good for combat?" 

Shinso's eyes hardened a little, emotion running through their voice as they spoke. "I want to be a hero. More than anything in this world. I want to save the people who don't think they deserve to be saved." Shinso choked out, their throat tightened with emotion as they rasped out their aspirations to this completely random person.

The green haired man nodded with a smile and pushed something into Shinso's hands. It was a purple handgun, small and compact but heavier than Shinso would have thought. "Be careful with this. It will tear through any of the robot's armor with one shot. You only have about 30 bullets, so make it count. Only shoot when you know you will absolutely hit them."

With that, the stranger began walking out of the alley. Shinso thanked them profusely as they walked away, shifting the sidearm in their hands as they watched the back of the student go farther away. "Wait! How will I get it back to you?" Shinso called out to the man.

The stranger replied without looking back. "It'll be gone by the end of the exam!" They called back joyfully as they leaped towards a three pointer in the street.

Lightning arced from their hands, wrapping around the villain bot and its body flew into the air briefly before disintegrating. The lightning arced from the three pointer to a one pointer nearby, and into a two pointer farther down. 

Shinso watched in awe as the stranger carved destruction wherever he went, but quickly slapped themselves to refocus. They had an opportunity to get points now, and they weren't going to waste it.

<>

Tenya Iida stared in horror as the zero pointer emerged from the ground. The giant robot rose several stories above the tallest structures in the mock city and gripped the roofs of nearby buildings to peer down at the fleeing examinees. Rubble began falling down causing more chaos as smaller one and two pointers chased after the sprinting students. 

As Iida turned to run, a figure dashed past him. It was the same guy from the beginning of the exam with the guns and the robots. Tenya stared blankly as the man dashed forward towards the danger.

With unbelievable agility, the student weaved past a dozen robots and falling rubble to reach a large piece of building that had fallen. Reaching down, he lifted up the beach with relative ease and pulled someone out from underneath the debris. The brown haired girl he had retrieved looked up in awe at the man. Tenya watched with shock as he picked the injured girl up, and dashed towards him.

The man placed the girl in front of Tenya, and looked up at him.

"Watch her for a moment, will you? Need to take care of something." The 'Guardian' smiled gently and turned around and walked towards the rushing robots and the approaching zero pointer. 

The green haired student reached behind and grabbed something holstered on his lower back. Pulling it from the sheath, he revealed the intimidating hand cannon that Tenya saw materialize earlier. The robot Lagann had called it the... 'Sunshot'?

The Guardian took aim, gun pointed forward with one arm as he looked lazily down the sights. He trained the gun on a nearby one pointer that was rushing forward, following by a dozen or so other villain robots.

He pulled the trigger and a star was born.

The chamber of the hand cannon lit up, fire blasting from the holes in it that were clearly meant to alleviate the pressure of the bullet. The length of the barrel heated up and caused the metal to burn a bright red as the shot ripped out of the gun. It was like a miniature sun was shot from the gun, and it impacted the one pointer, and the entire chassis of the robot collapsed and melted on itself, before exploding.

The light of the explosion reached another villain bot nearby, causing it to glow with the same energy before exploding. Within a second, the chain reaction had been ignited on the road and the entire street was engulfed with light as the villain bots exploded in a chain reaction that went right to the zero pointer.

The body of the zero pointer began to glow with the same cosmic starlight before it succumbed to the wrath of the Sunshot.

As the fires died down the student walked back up to Tenya, ignorant to all the shocked stares from the other examinees. He knelt down in front of the injured girl with a gentle smile on his face.

"Hi. Are you alright?" He asked, his words spoken with a kindness that couldn't be faked.

The girl stuttered, unable to speak properly after the display of power. "Uh, not badly. I think my ankle might be sprained or something, but it isn't that bad!" 

The boy nodded, and opened his mouth to speak before he was interrupted by a loud buzzer.

"The exam is now over!" The voice of Present Mic rang out of the intercom, the city shaking a little with the sheer volume of his voice.

"Please make your way to the exits! You are now free to go home! Your results will be mailed to you within a week! Anybody who is injured may wait for Recovery Girl to reach you!" Present Mic continued to rant over the speakers about all the information the students needed to know.

Tenya returned his attention to the girl in front of him and noticed quickly that in the quick span of the announcement, the mysterious 'Guardian' had already walked away. He looked around frantically to catch a glimpse of the man again. 

He saw him briefly, as the man was walking towards the exit. He was talking to the robot Lagann again, who floated over his palm. As he exited, the weapons on his body disappeared, dematerializing in the same burst of light from the beginning of the exam.

Tenya looked down and met the eyes of the girl who had been saved, both speechless still from the events that had been taking place. 

As Recovery Girl approached both of them, Tenya was still staring out at the street where the zero pointer had been.

The entire street was ripped apart and melted. The buildings and stone had been reduced to liquid form and still churned with the heat left over from the attack. It was as if someone had dropped a star in the center of the mock city and it had vanished just as quickly as it had come. 

Tenya struggled to even make coherent thoughts after the display he had witnessed. 

The same thoughts Tenya was plagued with were effecting many of the examinees who had interacted with the 'Guardian' over the course of the exam.

Who was the Guardian?

Chapter Text

"Many followed him when he left—if not with their feet, then with their hearts."  - Boots of the Exile 

Aizawa Shouta couldn't help but feel on edge.

It was a feeling ingrained in his bones now, a constant low level of anxiety etched into his soul from years of fighting villains in the underground. The itch in the back of the skull, the sixth sense that something somewhere was going wrong. Today, he couldn't help but feel the anticipation gripping his shoulders and weighing him down a little more than normal.

He had been helping with the cleaning of Exam Site D, a menial task involving picking up debris left by students or anything else that could be done. His job was interrupted by an urgent email from the principal of UA himself, Nedzu. The email requested his presence in the principal's office as soon as possible and stressed the importance of being timely.

The contents of the email couldn't help but pique the curiosity of Aizawa, and as he walked through the halls to reach the office his mind wandered.

The email was short and written with what seemed to be a serious tone, one that was rare for Nedzu to be using. The email was also only addressed to Aizawa, unlike the other meeting notices which always were addressed to the full staff. 

Something was happening, and the itch in the back of Aizawa's skull only reaffirmed it.

Upon reaching the office, Aizawa didn't bother knocking and simply swung the door open without a word. Sitting at his desk, Nedzu peered over the steam rising from the cup of tea raised to his lips, the principal's face as content as always. Aizawa couldn't help but notice an odd emotion reflecting in his eyes, one that Aizawa couldn't place. A short cough from the another occupant of the room drew Aizawa's attention away from his boss.

In one of the two chairs placed in front of the large desk sat a tall gaunt man. Aizawa struggled to describe the man as anything but a walking corpse. His arms and legs seemed more akin to chopsticks than functional limbs, and his cheeks were sunken in with hollow eyes. His long and fluffy blonde hair was the only thing that seemed normal about him, with two larger partitions of hair coming down and framing his sharp face. 

As Aizawa briefly looked over the man while moving to sit down, his breath couldn't help but catch in his throat for a second as he passed over the brilliant blue eyes of the man next to him, something in his soul recognizing them but dismissing it.

Aizawa sat down, demeanor as stoic as ever as he turned to look towards the principal.

"You wanted me for something?" He grunted out, looking expectantly towards Nedzu.

The same strange emotion twinkled in Nedzu's eyes and without a word he slid a folder across the desk towards Aizawa.

With a tense body, Aizawa reached out and opened the folder, the first paper showing a student application. In the top left of the sheet showed the photo of the student alongside his name and identification number. The hero examined the paper for a few moments, before looking up towards Nedzu.

"Examinee #492, Izuku Midoriya?" The underground hero asked, returning to looking over the sheet.

Nedzu nodded excitedly, "Mhm! I assume you remember him from the exam?"

Aizawa took a few moments to remember the cameras he had been assigned to watch. He remembered watching the boy hand a firearm to another student, before using lightning to tear apart all the robots on the streets. It had been an impressive display, if not excessive and dangerous. 

"I do. He has some kind of electricity quirk right? He also had a few weapons on him, I didn't get to see him use them but I assume he was trained." Aizawa muttered, combing through more of the papers. He found the kids written exam among the papers and began flicking through it.

"Not quite." The man next to him muttered, rubbing his hand on his chin in thought. Aizawa looked up at the unintroduced stranger with blank eyes, as the man realized he might have been rude.

"Ah! I apologize, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yagi Toshinori, a pleasure to meet you." The blonde man smiled as he introduced myself. The man's smile caused another twinge of recognition in the underground hero, something he couldn't place but chose to ignore. If he was with Nedzu, then he was fine to ignore for now.

Aizawa returned back to the papers, and briefly looked up at Nedzu. "What did he mean, not quite? His quirk isn't electricity based?" Aizawa looked towards the mouse, who was clearly scheming in his brain.

The principal chuckled lightly and hit a button on a remote that turned on a screen in front of them. The display showed several different recordings from over the course of the exam. The footage showcased Izuku Midoriya over the course of the exam using several different abilities. The lightning Aizawa had already seen, some kind of green strings, and the explosions from his gun were only some of the things captured by the camera.

The hero stared over the footage, analyzing it as best as he could. The confusion never left him, even as he looked down at the application sheet.

Scanning the personal information for the Quirk Registry, he found Izuku's quirk listed simply as 'Ghost'. The description in the registry listed it as an emitter type quirk, which allowed to user to create a floating companion that allowed them to channel energy. Simple and nondescriptive. If Aizawa was looking for red flags, everything he found was bright crimson.

Aizawa placed the folder back on the desk and met the eyes of the principal. Nedzu clearly found something entertaining here, and Aizawa wasn't one to play games.

"Okay. This kid has a really weird quirk. My concern is his usage of that gun he had. He handled that shotgun like he had been born with it. That is something usually seen in hardened war veterans, not 14-year-old boys. Where did he learn how to use that, and where did he get it?" Aizawa asked, questions firing out towards the principal who seemed to be eating it up.

"All good questions Aizawa. It is very odd that Midoriya seemed to have that level of combat experience, something in modern times only seen in the best heroes." The principal chimed in, before sipping his tea. The laxness of the principal was starting to grate on Aizawa's nerves. He was clearly trying to lead Aizawa into some conclusion. 

The teacup was placed down now, finally empty as Nedzu placed his hands on the desk.

"Izuku Midoriya was 13 years old when he was attending Aldera Junior High. His classmates described him as quiet and harmless, largely one to be forgotten. On February 23rd, Midoriya left the school after classes had ended and never arrived home that day." The mouse spoke with a serious in his voice as he told the story, looking at both of the men in the room.

He hopped off his chair as he began to walk off the room, continuing the story. 

"Suddenly, a full year later on the same date, Izuku Midoriya arrived back at his home to be greeted by his mother, who had almost given up hope of finding him. Midoriya was several inches taller, covered in scars, and acted very unlike the Midoriya that his mother described him as." Nedzu continued, looking out the window of his office before being interrupted by a knock at the door.

All the men in the room turned to look as the door opened, and a fairly plain and tired man walked in. His brown hair was tousled, and the combination of his unshaven face and eyebags showed how tired he was.

"Hello Detective Tsukauchi!" Nedzu chirped out with a wave to the man.

The detective nodded. "Hello everyone." The man stated as he pulled a chair from the side of the room and took a seat next to the other men. Aizawa nodded briefly at Tsukauchi, having worked with the man before. With all the information that was being told, and the presence of the detective, Aizawa couldn't help but feel a headache forming.

"Where was I? Ah, right! When brought to the police station to close the missing persons case, Izuku Midoriya was questioned by none other than our very own Detective Tsukauchi." Nedzu chimed in, and motioned towards the detective to finish the story for him.

The detective sighed and turned to Aizawa while recounting his side of the story.

 "As Nedzu said, it was fairly routine. I figured he was just some kid with an overbearing mother who wanted to get out of the house and couldn't handle it for long, but I couldn't help but feel something was off. I asked him the routine questions on where he had been, if there was a villain involved, if there was any danger and all that." Tsukauchi rambled briefly, before his eyes hardened a little.

"I didn't intend on using my lie detecting quirk, but every answer he gave me came up false." He said briefly, letting it sink in.

"He claimed he didn't know where he went. It was a lie. He claimed there were no villains involved, and it was another lie. He claimed he was never in danger, and that was once again a lie." Tsukauchi pondered, before turning back to Nedzu.

"And here's the real big one Aizawa! Izuku Midoriya was Quirkless before he disappeared." Nedzu stated, jumping back onto his chair and looking at the men in the room.

Aizawa paused for a few moments, taking in all the information that had been dumped on him.

"That's...a lot." Aizawa muttered, before continuing. "What are you getting at Nedzu?"

Nedzu and Tsukauchi both met eyes, before turning to the other man in the room who had been quiet the entire time. Toshinori Yagi looked back at Aizawa, before standing up.

"I suppose it's time you learn about one of the most well-kept secrets in the entire world." Toshinori stated grimly, his eyes glowing slightly.

Within the blink of an eye, it was as if Toshinori Yagi had left the room and a demigod had appeared in his place.

The shining symbol of peace stood in front of Aizawa, who tried to keep himself composed from the sudden shock. All the defining features were there, he just wasn't able to place them with the shocking state Toshinori had been in. 

"My civilian identity is Toshinori Yagi, but I suppose you know me as All Might." The number one hero stated, his smile almost as bright as the sun itself.

"Now Aizawa, have you ever heard of the name All for One?"

<>

Izuku Midoriya allowed himself to fall onto his bed, body aching from the exertion of the exam. He let out a pained groan as he stretched out on his sheets like a cat.

Lagann shimmered into existence with a brief flash of blue light, letting out a small chuckle. "That bad huh?" The ghost commented, looking down at his lightbearer.

Izuku only let out another groan in response, before sitting back up.

"Didn't think that the Sunshot would take that much out of me. Still not used to using the Light in this world." He commented, allowing himself to hunch over on the side of his bed. He took the time to look around his childhood room, eyes scanning over the posters covering every inch of the walls.

Lagann bobbed up and down in affirmation. "Yeah, back in the other world exotics and weapons used the ambient light in the air to power themselves. But now that we are somewhere the Traveler can't reach..." The ghost droned off, not wanting to get into the absence of the traveler.

Izuku sighed, the can of worms had already been opened. "Yeah...It's nice to be home again. But even then..." Izuku spoke quietly, not wanting to say the words.

"You miss the Traveler." Lagann finished the sentence for him, understanding the complicated feelings of their guardian.

"I miss a lot of things." Izuku interjected. "I miss Shaxx, Saladin, Saint-14, Ikora, Zavala..."

"Cayde." Lagann interrupted again, staring expectantly at Izuku who clearly didn't want to think about lost lights.

Izuku looked at the ground and nodded. "Yeah...Cayde."

"You did everything you could have done for that world, guardian. You saved them from their threats even though you didn't belong there. You fought for everyone and did your best." Lagann reasoned, floating closer to look Izuku in the eye.

"I did. Even then, it feels wrong to be back here. I feel like I should be back there, helping rebuild. Caiatl needed with her warring people, Osiris needed a friend, Ikora needs...someone." Izuku muttered, wishing he could be anywhere but home.

"It isn't like you chose to come back. Whatever brought you there in the first place was uncontrollable, but you did more than anyone could have hoped for. You saved the universe countless times. Who could have stopped Crota? You took down Oryx for light's sake, nobody could have done that!" Lagann ranted passionately, trying to drive some sense into the brain of his guardian.

Izuku rolled his eyes, before raising his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine! I'll stop thinking about it. I just miss being able to draw on the Traveler's light constantly, and not have to wait until my own recharges."

"Now that, my guardian, is a reasonable thing to complain about. Try to lay off the exotics during training and don't go around placing down Well of Radiance everytime you're in a fight, don't need you dying from exhaustion." Lagann chimed in, playfully floating around Izuku's head.

Izuku chuckled a little as he laid back down on his bed. "Yeah yeah, I get it. It'd be easier to just fight with my hands, I probably shouldn't have even used the guns during the exam."

"We'll see how they felt about it when we get your results, right?" 

<>

"So...you're telling me that you think this kid is the second coming of the worst villain in history?" Aizawa stated quietly, staring blankly at All Might and Nedzu.

All Might and Nedzu shared a brief look before answering.

"Not exactly...I just believe it is a possibility that they are involved somehow." All Might stated nervously, hand on the back of his neck.

"It seems to line up fairly well. Midoriya vanished for a year with no trace, and returns with what appears to be multiple quirks, numerous weapons, and combat experience rivaling professional heroes." Nedzu explained, looking over the sheets in the folder. He picked one up delicately.

"This would be Izuku Midoriya's written exam. He achieved near perfect marks on the math sections and displayed an exceptional understanding of physics. Although there were some significant concerns." The principal thumbed through the pages before taking a look at one page in particular.

"Midoriya showcased a complete understanding of theoretical physics, but some of the writings he made were almost incomprehensible. He seemed to be describing physics concepts that either do not exist, or that we haven't discovered yet. Alongside that, his understanding of both Japanese and world history are mediocre at best, Half of the history questions either describe things that haven't happened or are completely fictional. He displays complete understanding of both English and Russian, something that was never described by his mother when filing the missing person's report a year ago." Nedzu explains, his speech getting faster and faster as he got more excited.

"How did you get his language proficiency from an entrance exam that doesn't have a language portion...?" Aizawa questioned quietly but he was promptly ignored by Nedzu.

"In conclusion!" Nedzu exclaimed, taking a pause for dramatic effect.

The mouse leans forward and places his hands on the desk, staring at all the men in the eye before continuing.

"As of right now, Izuku Midoriya is an anomaly that could pose a significant danger to UA, if not researched further." Nedzu stated, a feral grin on his face.

"We will be inviting him to the school within the next few days for a follow up interview. Then, we will determine how much of a threat he is, and if he is truly an agent of All for One."

Aizawa couldn't help but wince as he could feel the headache forming from the itch in his skull.

<>

Chapter Text

“The Line Between Light And Dark Is So Very Thin. Do You Know Which Side You’re On?” - Uldren Sov

Inko Midoriya was conflicted.

Nobody could fault her for those feelings she supposed. She knows that she should be over the moon right now, given the fact that a miracle had happened.

Her only son had returned home after being missing for a full year.

Don't get her wrong, she was most definitely happy. Overjoyed wouldn't begin to describe the feeling that overcame her when she opened the front door three days ago, expecting a delivery only to be met with the ragged sight of her son. He had scars on his face, bags under his eyes, and he was wearing some odd flowy clothing made of an odd material. She couldn't move a muscle, her first assumption being that he was a cruel trick being played on her by her own haunted mind. The smile that formed on his face at the sight of her was enough to break her out of her stupor.

He fell asleep on the couch with her only an hour after he had returned. She tried to get any information out of her but he either dodged the questions or gave a vague answer to almost everything she asked. He had showed her Lagann as well, the little floating robot that he introduced as his quirk. None of that mattered to her though.

She spent hours watching him sleep on that couch. It felt like days had passed as she counted every freckle on his face, watched his chest rise and fall with every short breath he took, just to keep reaffirming that her son was alive and home.

Nobody could say she wasn't happy that he was home.

Even then, she couldn't shake away the ache in her heart over what her son had become in his absence.

He tried to hide it all from her, but a mother would always see through a child's facade.

He couldn't hide the scars on his face, the haunted look in his eyes, the way he surveyed a room every time he stepped into it.

She would be completely ignorant if she didn't hear him startle awake every night, haunted by something or someone in his dreams. She would be lying if she said she didn't see him walk to the bathroom, covered in sweat every morning with bags under his eyes.

The day after he had returned home, she dropped a plate on the ground while making dinner. A normal slip of the hand when she wasn't paying attention. When the sound of the plate shattering had echoed through the kitchen, Izuku had swung around the corner with a rifle aimed directly at the source of the noise. She ignored that too, and apologized for the mistake. 

It seemed like Izuku himself had been trying to forget.

Something had changed Izuku when he was gone. Her son had become strong somehow, standing taller and more confident than ever when he was around other people. 

Inko saw what others couldn't. Yes, her son had returned home after a long and agonizing year of waiting for him.

Deep down, Inko knew that not all of her son had returned home. Wherever her beloved son had been, he had left his innocence there as well.

Izuku had come to the kitchen, mentioning briefly that he was heading out for a meeting involving school. She said goodbye to him and wished him luck, kissing him on the cheek as he left the house.

Inko knew that no matter what her son had gone through, despite his insistence on not telling her what had happened, she would always be there for him.

While her son might not be the same as when he had disappeared, she would still love Izuku no matter the circumstances.

<>

"It's probably the gun thing." Lagann joked, floating around Izuku's head as they walked down the street.

The pair were on their way to the campus of UA High School, a visit prompted by a very official email sent by the automated UA email account.

The email itself briefly detailed a 'Post-Examination Follow Up Interview', something that Izuku had never heard of but dismissed it as something added during his time...across the pond.

Izuku sighed at the jest from his ghost, eyes forward as he saw the towering buildings of UA approaching in the distance.

"I don't think it was the guns...maybe." Izuku trailed off, admitting sheepishly. "I probably should have cleared them beforehand but whatever. I suppose we deal with the repercussions now."

Izuku neared the gate of UA, taking a moment to take it all in. He remembered the reverence he placed in this institution when he was younger. The foundry for all great heroes, including the greatest hero to ever exist. He could feel the emotions stir in him a little, long forgotten after his extended vacation throughout the Sol system and beyond it.

The campus of UA was still a sight to behold, with its tall buildings that seemed to scrape the sky and glitter in the sunlight. Izuku would have looked for a little longer, if he hadn't heard the muffled sound of footsteps and the small beep from his ghost. Something had pinged on Lagann's radar for one of the first times since he had arrived back to his Earth. Things only registered on the radar if they posed a suitable threat to his safety.

Swiveling around, Izuku was met with the sight of a disheveled tall man. He stood about half a foot taller than Izuku, with the bags practically carved into his facial features. He had scruff on his face and shaggy black hair that framed his face. Izuku's eyes darted over the man, immediately recognizing the capture weapon and the iconic yellow eyewear around his neck.

Before he had a chance to speak, the man already walked past him.

"You're Izuku Midoriya, correct? Follow me." The pro hero Eraserhead muttered as he walked past him, already several feet ahead before Izuku's brain caught up.

Izuku and Lagann looked at each other briefly, before the lightbearer started speedwalking to catch up.

The walk to the principal's office was quiet and tense. Eraserhead didn't seem to be in much of a mood to talk, and Izuku could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

Upon arrival, Eraserhead swung the door open without knocking, and took his place in the corner of the room. 

Izuku took a seat in front of the principal's desk and met his eyes for the first time.

Nezu's eyes spoke stories to Izuku before he even was able to open his mouth. Nezu had kindness in his eyes, but it was like a diamond surrounded by mud. This was a man willing to sacrifice anything for what he wanted. 

He had met a lot of people like that before. Nezu had the same eyes as many of the people he met before.

In this particular moment, the look Nezu had reminded Izuku of the Savathûn, who had been wearing the disguise of his dear friend Osiris. Nothing but sharp wit aimed to achieve a goal.

Izuku steeled himself, sitting up straight in his chair as he realized this conversation would be very different from what he assumed.

Nezu grinned at Izuku, an expression that was all teeth and little joy.

"Hello Midoriya, it is wonderful to finally meet you! We looked over your performance during the exam and were interested in speaking further with you." The mouse spoke, the joy in his voice betraying the emotions swirling in his beady eyes.

Izuku took a moment to look between Eraserhead and Nezu before answering. "Pleasure to be here." He said briefly, eyes flicking around the room quickly before leaning back into his chair. His posture was still tense, but he trained his eyes on the principal. "If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me why you were interested in talking?" 

Nezu's smile widened a little, before he motioned to Aizawa with his hand. "Before we continue, I hope you don't mind if these two stay in the room for our conversation? They will be an important part of it a little later." Nezu stated, his eyes glinting with some undecipherable emotion.

Izuku opened his mouth to answer, before his brain caught up to what the principal had said. "...Two?" He asked quietly, before getting interrupted by a beeping from Lagann.

"Izuku, behind you." Lagann whisper shouted quietly, shock evident in his voice.

Izuku turned sharply in his chair, only to be met with a face full of bright cloth. He turned his gaze upwards and shock ran through his body as he gazed at the wide smile of the symbol of peace.

The imposing figure of the number one hero stood right behind Midoriya's chair, unnoticed by Izuku's keen senses or Lagann's high tech radar. The man's laughter echoed through the room like the roar of thunder in a storm.

"Yes, young Midoriya! Why don't we have a chat?"

<>

Chapter Text

"This is our new beginning. The maps are blank. The rules are gone. All we know is we must become more than what we were. This small corner of the cosmos is the only place that is forever ours... and the universe watches us with envious eyes." - Ikora Rey

Izuku wasn't entirely sure what to think anymore.

His eyes followed All Might as he walked from the door to a spot next to Nezu's desk, flanked by a man who Izuku recognized after a few seconds. Alongside All Might was Detective Tsukauchi, the man who interviewed him at the police station. This realization only served to further confuse Izuku.

What was this interview about? Clearly, it wasn't about the school anymore.

Nezu's smile grew sharper as he met Izuku's eyes once more.

"Midoriya, I assume you know All Might. You've also met Detective Tsukauchi here, from what I've heard." The mouse spoke, his smile all teeth and little mirth.

Izuku ignored what seemed like venom in the principal's tone. Nezu was clearly enjoying whatever plot he had in mind, and Izuku had been through too much to back down from the challenge. He had heard of Nezu's intelligence, the principal had been outsmarting the HPC for years now and was known for what is likely the highest IQ score amongst all the heroes in the world. Even then, Nezu was a far cry from the people Izuku had stood against in the past. He didn't have the cunning of Savathûn the Hive Goddess, the computing capabilities of the warmind Rasputin, or the infinite simulations of the Vex.

Izuku took it all in stride and remembered where he had come from, and who he carried with him now. Cayde-6 had showed him how to be sly but kind, Ikora had shown him how to question everything and to win battles with intelligence alone, and Zavala had shown him how to never falter in the face of adversity. This was clearly some kind of ambush planned by Nezu, and Izuku wasn't one to back down.

The guardian grinned back, his smile matching Nezu's. "I'm familiar with both of them." Izuku responded, his tone calm and relaxed. If Nezu wanted to play mind games, Izuku would definitely play.

Nezu motioned towards Tsukauchi. "Detective Tsukauchi has a lie detecting quirk, and he is here to just settle a few...misconceptions and concerns for us today. Is that fine with you?"

Izuku took a moment to think before he nodded. "Fine by me." He said simply, his smile still plastered to his face.

Nezu's smile seemed to only grow as he pulled a folder of papers out from his desk. He seemed to be all about theatrics, deliberately shuffling through the papers one by one to try and draw a reaction from Izuku. Nezu was clearly having fun with this.

"Here we are. Now, let us start with the simple questions. You used two different firearms during the course of the entrance exam and gave a third to another examinee. Would those weapons happen to be registered?" Nezu asked, pushing forwards two printed pictures. The images showed Izuku using the Sunshot, the Fortissimo-11, and the unnamed handgun he had handed to the purple haired examinee.

The boy made a little show of looking over the pictures, and he hummed a little as his eyes scanned over the images. "No sir, they aren't. I have only recently been in a position where I could get them registered and it would be a very long process as I have...a lot of firearms."

The mouse's eyes glinted in response to the new information, and he jumped at the chance. "You have a lot of them, you say? I could only assume that they are all of similar strength to the gun you used to destroy the zero pointer, would that be correct?"

Izuku tilted his head, before nodding in confirmation. "Some of them, yes. The Sunshot is one of the stronger ones I own, but most are comparable to normal firearms."

Nezu brought his teacup to his mouth and took a long sip before continuing. "On that note, may I ask where you got these firearms? Would I be correct in assuming that you got them during your disappearance?"

Izuku leaned back a little, realizing Nezu was trying to back him into a corner. "You would assume correctly." 

The principal perked up a little at the response, and placed his cup down. "Where did you acquire these weapons? These are military-grade weapons, if not beyond that."

"I made them myself, with some help of course." Izuku responded, his tone joyful. He was being extra careful to be honest during this examination, given the presence of a human lie detector. In truth, he did make the majority of his weapons. Izuku had entire days spent in the Last City forced into the workshop by Banshee-44, the most skilled gunsmith left on Earth. The exo craftsman was a slave driver, and after countless times of Izuku returning from missions with broken or malfunctioning firearms it was only a matter of time before he forced the green haired guardian to learn how to make and maintain his own weapons.

Nezu briefly turned to Tsukauchi for confirmation, who simply nodded quietly. The mouse turned back to Izuku and continued. "Well, if you are so proficient in making these weapons, why did you not apply for the support course? We could use someone with your level of ingenuity. Power Loader was foaming at the mouth when he saw your Sunshot in action."

The green haired boy responded without a moment of hesitation. "I applied for the hero course because I want to be a hero. Saving people has always been what I wanted to do." Izuku's mask began to slip a little, letting go of the cunning facade for a moment as his childhood aspirations bubbled up.

All Might quickly turned to Tsukauchi after hearing that claim, waiting for the detective to confirm it with his quirk. Tsukauchi paused for a moment, seemingly confused. "That was the truth." The detective said quietly as he glanced at All Might.

All the men in the room paused for a moment, before Nezu coughed and returned his attention to Izuku. "Well Midoriya...I suppose there is only a few more questions. Your quirk is listed as 'Ghost' in the registry. Before you disappeared, you were quirkless and here you are with one of the more powerful quirks I have seen in any examination. Tell me about it." 

Izuku paused for a moment, picking his words carefully. "My powers come from my 'ghost', a robot companion named Lagann. We both share a power source that we call 'light', which can manifest itself in different ways. Electricity, fire, and darkness are a few of the ways it can manifest, abilities we call Arc, Solar, and Void abilities. I use the light to empower myself and heal others, while Lagann can use the light to summon weapons and armor that we create, as well as scan areas or objects for in depth analysis." 

Nezu jotted down the information he was told, before looking up from his paper. "The manifestations you mentioned, that did not include the green energy you showcased during the exam, correct?"

Izuku nodded. "We call it Strand. It's not exactly a manifestation of Light, but it is used in the same way. I also have another manifestation called Stasis, which is more or less a version of the same Strand power but in the form of ice."

Nezu nodded briefly, jotting it all down. "I will add this to your file. With that, that seems to be-"

All Might stepped forward, placing his hands on the desk as he leaned forward to meet Izuku's eyes. The heroes face was stern, and his face seemed tight. His bright blue eyes were glowing with some strong emotion, but it wasn't anger. Izuku couldn't decipher why All Might was so tense, but it still put him on edge seeing the hero like this.

"Does the name All for One mean anything to you?" All Might asked, his voice quiet and restrained. All Might held eye contact as he waited for an answer.

Izuku paused, and his voice stuttered from the sheer tension that All Might exuded. "N-no. Never heard of it before."

All Might turned to Tsukauchi for confirmation, as the detective shook his head no.

The symbol of peace nodded and stepped back next to Tsukauchi, nodded at Nezu to continue.

A little bit of tension seemed to leave everybody in the room except Izuku, who had clearly noticed the shift in the room. At this point, he was beyond confused but rolled with it.

Nezu returned the papers to the folder and pushed them into a drawer in his desk, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Alright Midoriya. That would seem to wrap it up, I suppose. You will be getting your test results within a few days in the mail. I thank you for your cooperation in this, and I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you."

Izuku stood and nodded, his eyes scanning over all the men in the room before he left. "Thank you for your consideration." Izuku stated, before he bowed and exited the office.

The men waited for a few seconds as Tsukauchi walked to the door and closed it. They stood in silence for a moment, before Tsukauchi spoke. 

"He didn't lie once during the conversation according to my quirk. Which either means that we have a 14-year-old who can lie better than some of the best villains in the world, or he is alright."  Tsukauchi spoke out, breaking the silence in the room.

"His hero aspirations and the confirmation that he doesn't know All for One, that means the kid is clear, right?" All Might asked, his voice a little nervous.

Nezu nodded, jumping off his chair. "Which means there is a solid chance that All for One is still dead, like we believed. Midoriya just seems to have an odd quirk and a mysterious background, but no connections to villains."

The air in the room lost all of its tension, but there was still one person with concerns.

"That doesn't change the fact that he has seemingly military grade training, equipment, and experience. That's not something you can gain within one year of vanishing off the face of the planet." Aizawa spoke for the first time this meeting, pushing himself off of the wall and walking towards the door.

The men watched Aizawa as he walked, something new in his posture as he went for the door.

Aizawa turned to Nezu as he opened the door, his dark eyes glinting as he cracked a feral smile. 

"I want Midoriya in Class 1-A."

<>

Kyudai Garaki paced the dusty and dimly lit laboratory, on the verge of hyperventilation. 

He gnawed at his fingertips, waves of anxiety and anger rolling off of him as he stalked up and down the rows of the room, passing by large tanks filled with growing embryos and genetically altered corpses. 

"How dare they..." The scientist seethed, his voice leaking with venom and hatred as he walked up to the largest tank in the room. Suspended in a bright purple liquid, there was a massive body. With dark purple skin covered in surgical scars and bulging muscles, the body itself was grotesque. The monster had an exposed brain, which throbbed slowly in time with the electric pulses being sent through the liquid of the tank.

Garaki looked upon the monstrosity with eyes full of adoration and love, but his anger couldn't be ignored. He grabbed a scapel off of a nearby table and threw it to the floor, his tantrum only growing with time.

"Those bastards...!" The doctor growled out, clenching his hands into fists. "They come to my master at the eleventh hour of our plan. MY PLAN!" He screamed to the empty room, his only audience being the unconscious beasts in stasis.

"Offering us a deal...offering us power...? As if they think we are weak. The nerve of them..." The doctor huffs, slowly cooling down.

The doctor gazes into the tank at his masterpiece, before turning to the new addition to his laboratory, a gift granted by the strangers Sensei had made a deal with.

Placed next to the liquid tank, was a small container. It was a pale beige color and had glowing sickly green lines wrapping around it. It shimmered with some otherworldly power that the doctor knew he could not fathom despite his rage wanting to dismiss it.

"Sensei asks that I incorporate this into my creation...It shall be done." The doctor grumbled as he prepared his tools.

"They called this...Hive technology? Let us see what we can create today, my dear Nomu."

<>

Chapter Text

"The most powerful force in the universe is purpose: to exist for a reason greater than oneself. That is what it means to stand before the Iron Temple." - Iron Lord Saladin Forge

"With a score of 94 villain points, and 60 rescue points, it is my honor to accept you into UA High School's hero course! Welcome, to your hero academia!"

The voice booms out of the disk placed on the kitchen table, the mother and son duo watching the projected screen intently as All Might flashes a bright smile. The blonde man was nothing if not dramatic, having now wrapped up the almost 5-minute message in the most theatrical way possible. The number one hero gives a thumbs up, before the projected screen fizzles out and the audio goes quiet.

Inko Midoriya turns to her son, tears already welling up in her eyes as she looks for her son's reaction.

Izuku sat at the table, a small smile placed on his face as he turns to his mother. "Not bad, huh?" The teen titled his head a little, his reaction a little muted.

Inko couldn't hold back her emotions as she tackled her son, sobbing in his arms as she realized he had accomplished the dream he had been holding close to his heart, the dream that she could never help him achieve.

<>

"What's going on in that head of yours, Guardian?" Lagann shimmered into existence a few feet away from Izuku, the boy now sitting in his room after a long night of tears from his mother.

Izuku sat down at his desk, leaning far back into his chair as he stared at the ceiling of the dimly lit room. The lightbearer had a tired look on his face, letting the weariness seep onto his face now that they were alone.

"I...I know I should be happy. I am...I think so, at least." Izuku started before Lagann floated towards one of the hero posters plastered to the wall. It depicted the scene of All Might standing in a burning city, hands on his hips as he laughed in front of a villain.

"It doesn't feel like you thought it would." Lagann finished the thought for his friend, still looking at the posters on the wall.

Izuku nodded and pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees and resting his chin on them.

"It's just...we've been through so much already. Fighting the Hive gods, SIVA in Russia, The Red War...becoming an Iron Lord." Izuku rambled, the pride in his voice swelling at the last few words.

Lagann chuckled and floated towards his guardian.

"You really loved learning about the Iron Lords, didn't you?" Lagann began floating around Izuku's desk, taking the time to look at the old dusty figurines he kept there.

A smile wormed its way onto Izuku's weary face without effort.

"They are everything I want to be. Saladin showed me what heroes are really supposed to act like. Being an Iron Lord wasn't an occupation or a title taken by force. It was an ideal. They were some of the first to take the Light and use it to fight for peace." Izuku spoke with reverence, his eyes practically glowing with excitement.

Lagann bobbed up and down in response.

"And coming back to your own Earth...how did that make you feel about the heroes here?" Lagann spoke, leading Izuku to his own realization.

Izuku nodded sadly and sunk back into his chair, slightly defeated.

"The heroes here...a lot of them go directly against what I learned being a hero was. A lot of them don't act like the Lords, Wolves, and Guardians I learned from and fought beside." Izuku spoke grimly, eyes now trained on the same poster Lagann had been looking at.

"Now I suppose it's your turn to make them into heroes." Lagann spoke clearly, trying to rouse Izuku from his mood.

The teen didn't respond, only raising his eyebrow at his ghost.

Lagann chuckled and continued. "Now that you've learned all these things from the Vanguard, the Lords and the Wolves...hell even the Eliksni! You can teach people here what it means to truly be a hero. To go out and save people, to inspire people, to fight for peace tooth and nail just like the Iron Wolves you fought beside." The ghost ranted, growing more and more passionate.

Izuku chuckled, and he playfully pushed his ghost away as he moved to stand from the desk chair. "I suppose you're right, Lagann." Izuku muttered, having a hard time tearing his eyes away from the All Might poster.

"Hell yeah I'm right!" The ghost yelled, his voice rising as he bobbed up and down next to Izuku. "Do you remember what you were like when we met? Look at you now!"

Izuku chuckled, and tilted his head as he thought back to their first meeting.

<>

Izuku Midoriya was a nobody.

The thirteen year old boy brushed the soot off of his tattered school uniform, looking down at the starburst burns imprinted in the rough fabric of his school jacket.

He had no tears left to shed as he walked wearily down the sidewalk, his breathing erratic and shallow after more than thirty minutes of running.

His devoted bully Katsuki Bakugo had seen it fit that as soon as school had let out, they would play the classic game of 'Hunt the Deku'. 

Izuku almost tripped over his shoes as he began to look around, unfamiliar with the part of town that he had decided to run into. He knew he was far from his home, but he wasn't sure how far. 

The streets seemed a little dirtier than they were in his neighborhood, and they seemed a little emptier as well. Izuku passed under an underpass, trying to look for any street signs or landmarks he could use to find his location.

The scraping of shoes on the pavement caught his attention but he wasn't fast enough to react before an arm snaked its way around and neck and a hand placed itself over his mouth.

Suddenly Izuku was choking, air unable to enter his lungs as a large muscular arm constricted his airways, and the hand over his mouth began to glow.

The man who was assaulting him let out a wheezing laugh, and Izuku struggled as hard as he could to escape the grasp of the unknown stranger.

"Kekeke...You chose the wrong place to go kid!" The man hissed in his ear, the glow of his hand getting brighter with each passing moment.

"You're gonna be another test dummy for my quirk...The quirk doctors said it was some kind of teleportation quirk, but I can't pick where the teleported things go! Completely random!" The clearly deranged man began to cackle as Izuku struggled even more.

The hand on his mouth was now blinding, circling with a baby blue aura that rivaled the sun in brightness.

"One thing I'm sure of though...anything that gets teleported doesn't survive!" The villain let out a shrill laugh, and Izuku was barely able to process the information before the light reached its peak, and he felt the light surround him.

...

....

...

With the quiet whirling of robotics, the shifting of trash, and the falling of rusted scraps,

Izuku Midoriya was reborn in a flash of paracausal light and falling metal.

The green haired teen pushed himself out of a mountain of trash and rusted metal, gasping for air as his lungs filled with air for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

His body was cut and damaged, scarred and torn from the tomb of metal he had been buried in.

Unable to speak, he reached his hands out towards the sun as he looked at the sky for the first time, and he looked down at his wounds as they miraculously closed within seconds.

Izuku stood bathed in the rays of the sun, standing on top of a mountain of scrap overlooking the dead and snowy plains of Old Russia. His eyes darted around, unable to process what he was seeing and feeling as the blood evaporated off of him as his skin took on a faint glow.

"Guardian...? Guardian! Eyes up!" A masculine robotic voice chimed in, interrupting Izuku's growing panic.

Izuku whipped his head around, stuttering and almost falling off the pile in his fright.

A small robot floated up in front of him. It's body was small and pale white, made up of sharp edges and dull corners that made an odd cube shape. It's one bright blue eye was seemingly blinking, as if the robot itself couldn't believe what it was seeing.

"You don't know how long I've been looking for you...but I'm glad I've found you. No time, we have to move now." The robot excitedly flew down the hill, leaving Izuku behind as he scurried down.

"Wh-where am I? Where is the villain? Who are you?" Izuku stuttered out, his voice hoarse as he tried to get his words out.

The robot kept going forward, unwavering. "I am a ghost. Technically, your ghost now. You've been dead for a long time now, so you won't understand a lot of the things you'll see. Stick with me and we'll be fine though!" The robot tried to reassure him.

The tiny robot failed. 

Izuku was stumbling as he tried to keep up with the robot, following him into what seemed like a massive, abandoned factory. The urgency of the robot and the grim and haunted look of the facility only further served to make Izuku spiral.

"Dead? There's no way I died, you can't bring someone back from the dead, not even with quirks!" The boy stammered out, scrambling up the rusty stairs of the building to keep up with the ghost.

The ghost paused for a moment, before resuming his aggressive floating. "I'm...not sure what a quirk is. Don't have that in any database I have downloaded. Suppose I'll look more later. But yeah, you died. As your ghost, it's my job to resurrect you whenever you die so we can keep fighting."

Izuku scrambled as the ghost paused in front of a large crate. The walls seemed to now echo with chattering and the far away sound of clinking footsteps. 

"Fighting? What do you mean fighting?" Izuku cried out, standing in front of the ghost now eye to eye.

The ghost seemed to bob up and down excitedly. "It is my job to make you into a Guardian! You'll use the power of the Light, the power I resurrected you with and the power that you now have flowing inside of you, to help keep peace across the entire Sol system!"

Izuku was stunned at the statement and struggled to keep his mouth closed. "...Like a hero?" Izuku struggled to get the words out, remembering how everybody in his life had rejected his dreams of heroism and instilled in him how useless he was.

The ghost nodded. "Like a hero!" 

Izuku closed his mouth and stood a little straighter, his body still shaking with fear. "How?"

The ghost let out a little whoop and flew around Izuku's head a few times, before pausing above the crate. He motioned downward and shined his light on the top, revealing an old Russian assault rifle, left by the former occupants of the building.

"First things first, pick this up. We have company and I don't think they'll let us go free. Time for your first lesson in combat."

<>

Shaking himself from his reminiscing, Izuku laid down on his bed. Lagann floated around his head and looked down at his lightbearer as the green haired teen let out a deep sigh.

"They'd all be proud of me for doing this. Following my old dream." Izuku muttered quietly.

"Saladin especially. He'd say something like, 'Yes, Lord Guardian! I am so proud that you carry the banner of the Iron Lords in your heart, no matter what universe you're in!', or something cheesy like that." Lagann stated proudly, deepening his voice in a horrible impression of Saladin.

Izuku couldn't help the laughter that erupted out of him, the sound echoing in his room as his body shook.

The two calmed down after a while and sunk into a quiet conversation about their old friends and teachers back at the Last City.

Izuku's home was nothing like where he had trained. It wasn't full of the combat he had become accustomed to, or the people he had grown to love. Hell, he died alongside most of those Guardians, and they always got right back up and charged into battle like nothing had happened.

It was unnerving here, not being in a constant battle or having some mission or task to accomplish. It was weird not having to constantly worry about time travelling robots or abyssal monsters hunting them down. It felt hollow without the constant warmth of the Traveler's light. Nothing here felt like home, but Izuku supposed he would just have to carry his home with him.

Thankfully, this world didn't have worm gods or Hive deities always trying to hunt him down and devour him. UA would be nothing compared to the Eliksni territory wars or the Black Pyramid fights. The things he had to worry about most here were Math exams, not bloodthirsty Emperor's watching him die for sport. 

Izuku let out a final sigh, and allowed himself to drift into a peaceful sleep.

Maybe, they'd be alright.

<>

Chapter Text

"I am Taken. My guiding shadow has become formless, my directive is gone. I know I have one; I cannot remember what it was." - Keksis, the Betrayed 

Inko wiped the away the tear trails that had been left on her face, her eyes still red and puffy from almost thirty minutes straight of crying.

The woman couldn't help it as she looked at her son in his UA uniform, the thing he had wanted for so long.

His tie was lopsided and tied a little too short and he looked awkward in it, but it was the best thing she had ever seen. Inko had already taken 4 pictures in different parts of the house, just to make sure she'd remember.

She placed her arms on his arms, patting the sleeves of the jacket that seemed tight on him. Her son had muscle now, she noted quietly. The measurements for his uniform had been sent in, but she realized she had used the measurements from before he had disappeared. 

Her son looked a little disheveled and uncomfortable, his mouth forming a tight smile as it was obvious the formal clothing was not his style. Even then, he was still smiling a little, and that's all Inko cared about.

"You have everything, right? Handkerchief, books, your bookbag, wallet right? Do you have-" Inko rambled on, her anxiety for her son seeping out into the room.

Izuku gently placed a hand on his mother's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it mom. I got everything." He said quietly, his smile growing a little less tight as he reassured her.

Inko paused for a moment, staring at her sons face. Her eyes traced over his smile, the freckles that splattered his face, and as her eyes ran over the white scars that marked up his features she broke out into tears again.

"My son is all grown up." She choked out in between sobs as Izuku pulled her into a loose hug.

They held each other for a few moments, Inko pulling him deep into a bear hug as if he would vanish into thin air. Izuku simply let her, looking down at his mom with a small smile.

"I have to go now mom. I love you." He muttered to her quietly, squeezing her gently before letting go.

As Inko watched her son walk out of the door for his first day in high school, she couldn't help but remember the young innocent boy he had been.

He was a light in every room he walked into, mouth always open with another rant prepared about every subject possible.

Izuku was quiet now, pensive and almost completely silent at all times. He walked around like a specter, barely making a sound with his footsteps and only raising his voice when he woke up screaming.

Inko couldn't tear her eyes away from his back as he left.

At least this time when he left, her son would come home.

<>

Izuku wasn't big on feelings.

War and constant combat would do that to pretty much anybody. He had become too familiar with anxiety only coming from combat, worrying constantly about the Guardians he fought alongside or the people he was saving.

He wasn't used to anxiety coming from going to the first day of school.

As he walked through the halls of UA, his eyes passed over the plaques placed next the doors, counting down as he looked for classroom 1-A.

He could feel the tingling in his stomach, something he hadn't felt for a long time as he pondered about what would happen. 

Who would his classmates be? Who was his teacher? Would he get along with everyone? It's been a while since he had really had any...normal friends. He didn't think the Vanguard or Saladin would count. They were mentors to him, not exactly best friends. Lord Shaxx, or the Drifter maybe?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he paused in front of the door to the classroom. He noted briefly that it was tall, easily tall enough to fit a fully grown Cabal or Vex Minotaur inside with ease.

His hand hovered over the handle, steeling himself as he shook the anxiety out of his system. He had toppled thrones and slain gods. He was an Iron Lord! He could handle whatever school could throw at him.

With that thought ingrained in his mind, he opened the door and took the first step to his new life.

Within the classroom, there was a plethora of different people but two people in particular were being loud and arguing. A tall blue haired boy with glasses was loudly ordering around a blonde boy with spiky hair. The two were on the verge of a shouting match as the blue haired boy stood in front of a desk.

"Get your feet off this desk immediately! Show some respect to the students who attended this school before us!" The boy with glasses ordered, Izuku briefly recognized him from the entrance exam as the boy who he had given the girl to.

"Maybe you should take this desk and shove it up your ass!" Bakugo Katsuki shouted in response, cackling as his feral grin grew wider. Izuku's heart dropped a little at the realization that Bakugo was in the same class as him.

Maybe Izuku couldn't handle whatever this school decided to throw at him.

As the door closed behind Izuku, the sound made a few people turn to look at the newcomer. Within seconds, the blue haired boy was in front of Izuku.

"Hello. I remember you from the exam, you were the boy who divined the true nature of the examination and the one who acted with true heroism in mind!" The teen said in a rapid fire manner, not giving Izuku a chance to speak as he continued on.

"My name is Iida Tenya from Somei Private Academy. I hope we can get along during our time here at the prestigious UA Academy!" Iida finished, bowing a little as he addressed Izuku.

Izuku nodded briefly before introducing himself. "Midoriya Izuku. Pleasure to meet you." The boy spoke briefly, before another voice shouted out.

"You're that boy who saved me during the exam!" A high-pitched voice echoed in the room, causing Izuku and Iida to turn around.

The round faced girl from the exam popped up in front of the two, her smile threatening to split her face.

"You went all, woosh! BAM! Ka-PLOOOOM!" She mimed out the execution of the zero pointer with sound effects. Izuku stared blankly at her as she exaggerated the fight, trying not to crack a smile as Lagann was cackling in their neural link.

"I suppose that could definitely describe what happened?" Izuku stated, a small grin forming on his face.

"You're Midoriya Izuku right? I heard from Present Mi-" She started before a cough cut them off.

All of the students turned to face the cause of the sound, which had been a bright yellow sleeping bag on the floor next to a podium.

Inside the bag was a man, whose disheveled appearance and permanent eyebags Izuku could recognize anywhere at this point.

Eraserhead emerged from his bag, and looked towards the class with empty eyes that matched his mood.

"You all took 8 seconds to quiet down. Too long, wouldn't last in the field." He briefly stated before reaching into the sleeping bag. He pulled out a blue uniform with white stripes and red accents.

"You'll be changing into your gym uniforms. We are skipping orientation today, I've got something planned instead. Head to the locker rooms now." He said with finality, staring at the students blankly as they all stood in place.

He raised an eyebrow, showing he was completely serious. "Get to it now. You're all too slow." 

As the students churned out of the classroom and to the locker rooms, Aizawa grunted as Izuku passed by him. "A word, Midoriya." The teacher stated quietly.

Izuku nodded and stayed behind as all the students left. With the two alone in the room now, Aizawa walked over to his desk and procured a stack of papers.

"You're not allowed to use any weaponry until it gets officially certified and licensed through the proper channels. This is a stack of forms, fill them out for each weapon you intend on using, and be sure to be thorough. We don't play around with this kind of thing, not when there are lives on the line. You'll have to stick with just using your quirk to fight for now." Aizawa stated, maintaining eye contact with Izuku to be sure.

The teen nodded, putting the forms in his backpack before turning back to his teacher. "Anything else sir?" 

Aizawa shook his head, and started making his way out of the room. "Head to the locker room and get changed quickly." 

The teacher smiled as he looked back at Izuku, resting his hand on the doorframe.

"It's time for a quirk examination test."

<>

"How does it feel, Tomura?"

The voice crackled out from the outdated speakers inside of the TV, the screen only displaying static in the empty bar.

A lanky man sat at one of the stools placed in front of the bar, resting his elbows on the scratched wooden surface as he stared at his hands. The man had pastel blue hair, which was greasy and shrouded his face with its length. His skin was dry and clearly bleeding in various places he had been scratching at. His eyes were covered by his hair, but his undereye bags were ever present on his face like they had been carved there.

His red eyes glinted with sick fascination as all his attention was trained on his hands.

In between his hands floated a ball of black energy, teeming with white highlights as it churned in place. Tomura Shigaraki's hands were coated in the same energy, fizzling as he tried to control and bend it to his will.

The ball sputtered and faded from existence as the man dropped his arms, now hunched over the bar as he huffed with exertion.

He rested for a moment, before sitting back up and addressing the television.

"Sensei...this power is beyond anything I've seen before. It's...hard to control. This feels like some kind of endgame DLC stuff." The young adult spoke excitedly, his hoarse voice teeming with happiness as he spoke.

"Take your time mastering it, Tomura. This is a gift from our new friends. Keep it and make it your own. This will help you achieve your goal." The voice of All for One came from the speakers.

"Yes Sensei." Shigaraki muttered, biting his lip as he attempted to bend the power to his will again. He formed the ball of energy in his hands and moved the ball towards a nearby glass. 

A ripping noise echoed through the air as what seemed like a small portal opened up. 

Shigaraki looked in, and saw nothing but darkness, void, empty a̶b̷y̷s̷s h̸̵̷u̸̷̸n̶̷̴g̶̸̶e̸̸̸r̶̴̸ Ş̴̛͔̲̰͌̋̔̐Ṯ̶̯̈́̓̈́̀E̵͒͘ͅĄ̴̦͚̗̿̐̃L̵̼̗͍͙̱̃̃̂ D̴̨̘̬̅͒́̔͝Ȩ̶̘͍̞̪̦̈́͑̑̃̔͜͠V̴̭͍͚͍̮̂͂̽̊̊Ȯ̷̳̤̍͆̌̚͝U̵̘̠̮̣̜̓̈̈́͋̈́̚͝R̵̭͈͔͐͌̏̊͗ C̵͚̫̙̭̣̒͊͝O̵̢̻̜̫͠N̸͈͔̰͒̽̚Ŝ̵͇͙͕̻̘̀̀Ư̷͇̑͘M̸̘̂̋͊́͗È̴̛͉͌̎ T̷̗̱̲̥̿͊͘A̷͕͂K̶̢̹̼̄Ẽ̶̛̥͗̉͊ T̷̡͍̙̭͒̍̍A̷̻̩̐͘Ķ̴͎̼̹̏̇͑E̶͎̔͝ T̴̗̉̓̌̓̓̃̉́̋̌̆A̷̲͙͖̭̞̥͒̈́̇͆̉K̸͎̤̝̘͍̝̗̳̎̍̾̌͒̄̑̐͑͘̕͜E̶̝̅̋͂̅̃́̂͑̽̾̇͌̚͜ T̴͍͉̼̘̯̩̬́̅̏̄A̴̢̬̹̭̓́͝K̷͚̮̎Ě̵̗̌͐̾̊-

The man pulled himself back from the lightless void, his head spinning as he centered himself. His red eyes shone with glee as he looked down at the glass he had touched. 

The cup now shone with an unholy light, the colors of the glass had been inverted into a black sheen and it shimmered with a pale white light. It was as if the cup had been inverted entirely and was now both cold to the touch and burning hot. It was a paradox and seemed to betray reality itself with its existence. It hurt his eyes just looking at it, as if his own brain couldn't comprehend what it was seeing and rejected its presence. Shigaraki couldn't help the smile that threatened to split his face as he pondered on the idea of him using this ability on a person.

"What did you call this power again, Sensei?" Shigaraki asked with an emotion almost akin to reverence. This was something he had never seen before, nothing like any of the quirks Sensei had acquired over his long life. He spoke in low tones, as if talking any louder would scare the power away.

Sensei let out a deep laugh before answering.

"Ahh, Tomura. This is the power of the Taken."

<>

Chapter Text

"It said, I shall be an engine to make your desire hegemon over your conditions. It said, WIELD ME, AND USE ME TO TEST YOUR FOE." - Whisper of the Worm

Izuku brushed the wrinkles out of the gym uniform as he walked towards the rest of the class, the students gathered around a stone circle in the ground where Aizawa stood.

The teacher swept his gaze over the class, his eyes silencing the few conversations that had been happening. The students could tell that he was serious, even if they had just met him.

The disheveled man tossed an odd-looking softball into the air, letting it float up and begin to arc down before he snatched it out of the air.

"We're starting off simple today." Aizawa spoke, his voice monotone as always.

He began to walk, moving past the line of students so they could all see him while he spoke.

"Today, we'll be doing a quirk examination. I believe the school system will forever be flawed, given they don't let you use your quirks as part of the typical gym tests mandated by the government. Today, we'll be doing one of those same tests with the additions of your quirks."

Muted conversations broke out after that announcement, but one voice spoke a little louder than the rest.

"Wow! This seems like it'll be fun! We get to use our quirks!" A pink skinned girl spoke out to somebody next to her. Aizawa's eyes flicked towards her and the air seemed to get heavy.

"Fun you say?" The teachers face split open with a horrifying grin, an expression that didn't seem natural on the face of the stoic teacher.

"Fine. The person who places last in the overall scores of the test will be expelled. Have fun." The teacher finished.

The class tensed up, and murmurs erupted between the students. Izuku himself nodded at the new condition added to the tests.

He was a guardian, he had to be the best. It was natural, he understood the situation completely. If heroes weren't up to par, people died. This was just part of preparation.

Izuku perked up as Aizawa pointed him out. 

"Midoriya. You earned first place in the entrance exam. What was your ball throw in middle school?" The teacher asked, tossing the ball with his other hand.

Izuku pondered for a moment, trying to think back and being unable to fully recall. "Uh...Not sure. Maybe around 40 meters?" 

Aizawa nodded and held the ball out. "Get in the circle and do whatever you want without leaving. Just get the ball as far as possible."

Izuku stepped forward and noted all of the eyes on him as he got into the circle. He took a moment to ponder his options, before his eyes began to glow a sickly green color. The air around him shifted and bent in unnatural ways as green strings formed into existence. With his free hand he swiped across the strings, the motion causing them to resonate with an unnatural musical tone before he placed his hand on the ball. The green energy wrapped around the ball, encasing it in a cradle before he began to swing his arm around.

The string extended, forming into a long cable that allowed him to swing the ball around at high speeds. Using his makeshift slingshot, he spun around a few times before letting it fly, the toss causing a large gust of wind to impact the area.

The students stumbled back a little, not expecting the impact from the throw. They paused for a moment, all looking to Aizawa who was staring at a tablet in his hands. A beeping noise let them all know the score had been recorded. He flipped the screen around, showing the score of 903.05 meters.

The line of teens began to stir, with a few people talking or clapping their hands in response to the attempt. An explosion interrupted any discussion as Bakugo Katsuki launched out of the crowd.

"DEKU YOU USELESS IDIO-" Bakugo screamed, before being wrapped in a long grey cloth. His momentum was stopped completely and he stumbled to stand as his arms were pinned to his sides. His explosions sputtered out as he turned to Aizawa, whose eyes were shining a brilliant red. His quirk erased and momentum now stopped, the capture weapon fell off him as Aizawa let him go.

"Get back in line Bakugo. Don't make me use my quirk anymore." Aizawa seethed, reaching up to deposit drops into his now dry eyes.

In shock, Bakugo grumbled and shifted back into line. The people around him took a few steps away, clearly aware of his rage and propensity for violence.

Izuku walked back into the line and prepared himself for the rest of the apprehension test.

<>

Mineta Minoru was loving UA already.

He was training to be a hero now! That meant he could constantly be surrounded by hot and cool girls all the time! Currently Mineta was sitting on the sidelines, and the rest of the class was currently doing the 100-meter dash.

Mineta had ensured he could get a front row seat, just so he could watch all the girls make their attempts. 

His mouth was drooling at the thought of Momo Yaoyorozu making her attempt, or maybe that Uraraka girl running up the track. All that movement, he practically shook at the thought.

He noticed one of the girls next to him was paying close attention to the tests, and less attention to her own surroundings. He remembered her introducing herself to other people earlier, her name was Tsuyu Asui.

Mineta also noticed that she was particularly attractive.

He didn't think she mind if he just reached out a little and touched her behind, he could claim it was an accident and get off scot-free.

As Mineta reached his hand out slowly, his mouth began to water and as he got ever so closer-

Something was horribly wrong.

Mineta's hand stopped moving, along with his entire body as he felt some foreign emotion rip through his body. Something was stopping him as his blood chilled and his body began to shake involuntarily.

'Oh', Mineta noted in his mind, 'This is fear.'

Some animalistic part of his brain was screaming. He was being hunted. There was something out there that wanted him dead and he needed to do whatever possible to leave now.

Something hard pressed itself into the middle of his back. Even through his shirt, he could feel that it was cylindrical and cold. So cold that it threatened to drain all the heat from his body as whispers began to weave themselves in his mind.

Mineta panicked quietly as the whispers grew louder and louder, speaking in unknown languages with impossible tones and pitches. He felt like he was going insane before a quiet voice cut through it all.

"What do you think you were doing?" The person behind him spoke with absolute venom in their tone, pressing the object deeper into his back.

Mineta turned his head slowly, realizing that it was Midoriya Izuku behind him. He looked down at the object, recognizing it as some twisted attempt at a gun.

It was a large sniper rifle held in one hand. It was all-black and seemed normal until you looked at the long barrel. As Mineta's eyes drifted up the barrel that was aimed at his back, he noticed as the black metal shifted into an ethereal blue color, thorns and twisted spikes emerge from the end of the barrel as the opening shined bright with a sickly blue and white aura.

The sight of the gun almost made him sick as parts of his brain realized that this was something that should not be. His eyes flicked back up and met Midoriya's eyes and the feeling only got worse.

The teen's eyes glinted with a bright green light, his pupils sharpening into slits as he looked down at Mineta. Mineta's brain couldn't process what he was seeing or feeling, but he knew he needed it to end.

"N-nothing! Absolutely nothing! I promise I won't do anything!" The purple boy pleaded quietly, clasping his hands in a desperate attempt to spare himself.

Midoriya paused, and he let the power drop from his eyes. With a flick of his hands, he dismissed Whisper of the Worm, allowing the sniper rifle to transmat back into his vault. He leaned down, keeping his face only inches away from Mineta's as he ensured they held eye contact.

"Never again." The guardian hissed out, Mineta only able to nod frantically in response.

Izuku stood to his full height again and shifted through the crowd, not wanting to stand near Mineta any longer.

Mineta shook in place even after Izuku had left, unable to shake the feeling of the barrel against his back and the whispers in his mind.

There was no way that Izuku Midoriya was human.

<>

Midoriya stood amongst the rest of the students, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Aizawa to finish tallying the results.

The teacher grunted and moved in front of the class. He pressed a button on his tablet, causing the device to emit a projection of the full results from the exam.

In first place, Izuku Midoriya noted his name was at the top. His eyes scanned the rest briefly, seeing the runner ups being Momo Yaoyorozu and Shoto Todoroki. He filed those names away, making sure to remember to find out who they were later.

As the rest of the class did, Izuku made sure to see who got last place, smiling at the fact that it was none other than Mineta Minoru.

The short boy couldn't even bother to let out a cry, still somewhat paralyzed from Izuku's display earlier.

Aizawa ambled his way past the line and spoke one last time before the class ended.

"It was a lie. Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, the tests will only get more intense." The teacher chuckled as he walked past, heading back inside.

The class let out a collective sigh of relief and began talking amongst themselves. A few headed back to the locker rooms to change, while the others formed groups and began to introduce themselves.

Izuku shot one last glare at Mineta, who had just barely escaped the wrath of both himself and Aizawa. The boy immediately scurried off back towards the school.

"Hey, Midoriya right? You were awesome today!" A shrill voice drew Izuku's attention, causing him to turn around.

He was met with the sight of both Uraraka and Tenya, who he recognized from their own respective feats in the exam. He let out a small smile before talking.

"You were too. You beat my score in the ball throw, right? Didn't think a score of infinity was possible." The green haired teen spoke quietly.

Lagann suddenly emerged out of thin air and decided to interject himself into the conversation.

"You have an anti-gravity quirk, right? That's so cool!" The ghost practically shouted, drawing attention to himself.

Uraraka and Tenya stepped back a little at the sudden appearance of the robot.

Izuku used his hand to playfully swat at Lagann, and explained himself before any questions could be asked.

"This is Lagann, sorry about him. He's part of my quirk, where I get my abilities from." He explained briefly, hoping they wouldn't ask any questions beyond that.

"I see." Tenya spoke, before bowing at the hips. "It is a pleasure to meet a sentient quirk such as yourself, Lagann. I hope we will get along."

Uraraka began to play around a little with Lagann. "So cool..." She spoke in awe at she poked at the robot.

The trio began to walk back towards the school, falling into a casual conversation.

"You know, I know this great ramen place a few blocks from here, I was wondering if we could..." Uraraka spoke, the three of them drifting into conversation and making plans for after school.

Izuku smiled a little, and wondered if this was what it felt like to be a normal teenager.

It had been so long since he had friends or things to do that didn't involve combat. His whole life was centered around fighting and dying.

He figured he'd like the peace that UA would bring to his life.

<>

Izuku slammed his head into his desk, the sound resonating throughout his entire bedroom.

He thought Aizawa had been exaggerating earlier when he said they needed a form for EVERY weapon he owned.

Each application was more than three pages, requesting extensive detail on ballistic power, modifications, and blueprints that all needed to be submitted to UA before they could even be brought out in a firing range legally.

Even then, it stated that the forms would likely take a month at least to be processed and accepted!

Izuku could feel the principal in his head right now, laughing at the task he had given the teen.

The guardian wouldn't be able to use one of his firearms for months, only able to make use of his hand-to-hand combat and his Light. The thought made his heart hurt.

A guardian wasn't a guardian without their guns. The belief in their weapons is what made them so strong, able to topple gods from their thrones and twist their power into more weapons to be used.

He lifted his head up, determined to try and get a good chunk of the forms done. He wanted to be able to use his weapons freely again, and even though the forms were horribly painful he would get it done.

Izuku could feel the pain in his heart as he grabbed another form and began to fill it out.

He didn't know what he did to deserve this, but it was clear Nezu wanted to make his life difficult.

As he put the pencil to the paper the tip snapped upon contact, causing Izuku to drop it onto his desk. He paused for a moment, watching the tip roll off the paper and onto the floor.

Izuku slammed his head into the desk again.

<>

Chapter Text

"What I wouldn't give to fight again beyond the walls...I would tear out a Vex heart with my teeth, I would sear the Cabal with my burning light, challenge the Kells to personal combat and scatter them. I- I've been watching too many Crucible matches." - Shaxx

Izuku was tired.

He sunk into the worn leather seats of the spaceship as it soared over the barren wastelands of Old Russia, allowing the weariness etched into his bones to consume him.

He had just fought for six straight hours to retrieve this ship, all because of a hunch from Lagann.

The ghost in question phased into reality in front of him, and decided to chime in.

"Eyes open guardian. Only a few more seconds until all that work was worth it!" The ghost stated cheerily, his unwavering optimism failing to move Izuku.

The autopilot took a drastic upward turn, piercing the ship through a large layer of thick storm clouds. The spacecraft rumbled briefly as it went through the turbulent air before emerging on the other side, taking the breath out of Izuku.

Above the cloud layer was a massive tower. It pierced through the skies and seemed to reach into heaven with its sheer height. The entire tower was lit up more than any place Izuku had seen since arriving in this place. The tower stood as a testament to human resilience, proving that even through the darkest days humanity would still survive and push onward. It was a beautiful thing to witness, but that wasn't what stunned Izuku. Resting above the tower was a massive white sphere, the object floating in the air unaided by any structures.

Izuku's breath caught in his throat at the sight, remembering the stories that Lagann had told him about this world over the course of the past few hours.

"That, my guardian..." Lagann whispered, "That is the Traveler. The source of our Light."

<>

Izuku sat in his desk in Class 1A, barely being in the seat for a second before his Lagann's radar lit up.

"Fast moving object coming at at 11 o' clock, guardian." Lagann chimed in.

Izuku's head whipped up just in time to hear a booming voice announce itself. 

"I AM..." The voice shouted, and all of the students perked up as their heard the signature deep voice of one of their idols.

"COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" All Might shouted as he threw the door open.

The symbol of peace entered the room in costume, his cape fluttering gently behind him as he took his place at the podium.

The class erupted in murmurs and quiet conversation, everyone amazed by his appearance and talking about how cool he looked in his costume.

Izuku smiled a little bit as Uraraka kept slapping his arm, unable to control her excitement. He could even see Tenya trying to control himself, shaking a little with excitement at the reveal of their Heroics teacher.

"No time to waste now, students!" The hero boomed out, slamming a card onto the front of the podium. "We are doing...Indoor Battle Training!"

With his exclamation the lockers on the walls hissed with the release of pressure and clicked, revealing their costumes were now unlocked and opened.

"Your locker corresponds to your seat number. Head over now to collect your costume and change in the locker rooms! We'll be meeting at Training Grounds B!" 

All Might had stirred up the full class, many of whom ran directly to their costumes to check them up. Izuku laughed a little as he watched his two friends sprint up to the lockers in the wall to see the costumes they requested.

A cough from behind him caused Izuku to turn around, being met with the face of none other than All Might himself.

"Young Midoriya." The number one hero started, his voice quieter now,

"Two things. You didn't request a hero costume, is there a reason for this?" All Might asked, his tone not accusing or hostile like it had been during their previous meeting.

"Yes sir. My quirk allows me to summon my own armor. Didn't see a need to waste resources when I have my own armor already." Izuku replied, looking up at the hero in front of him.

The symbol of peace nodded, seemingly liking the answer. "Second, you are aware that you are not allowed to use your weapons in any training exercises including this one, correct? I don't want there to be any confusion or incidents, so I wished to clarify."

The man seemed to be nervous about the idea of Izuku using his weapons. The green haired teen figured it was probably because he never said where he was trained, or the guns themselves were a little frightening compared to normal weaponry.

Izuku nodded in reassurance. "Absolutely. I haven't even been able to submit the forms I have completed, so none of them will be used."

All Might smiled, his tense aura fading a little from the response.

"All right! Let's head out to Training Grounds B now!" The hero yelled, striking a small pose before speeding out of the room.

Izuku chuckled a little and followed after him.

...

....

...

As the class gathered in front of All Might, they all took the time to admire the costumes of their classmates.

Uraraka jumped around Tenya, trying to get a look at all of the angles of his armor.

"Iida, I can't believe you went with a full suit of armor! This is so cool!" She gushed, poking at the metal he was encased in.

She paused for a moment as she realized they were missing one person. The girl spun around, peering through the crowd to find the green haired teen she had become friends within the past day. She perked up, noticing a flash of green hair coming from the tunnel that led inside.

Izuku emerged from the tunnel, his costume attracting some glances. His boots were completely black, with white accents tracing their reinforced surface. The top of his boots went up to his knees, fading into black combat pants. His pants were held up by a belt covered in empty holsters and empty ammo pouches, showing that he wasn't armed today.

The teen wore a tight black tank top that was underneath a large black coat that went down to his knees. His clothing seemed casual, but it was obvious that it was reinforced. His clothing shimmered in the sunlight, the cloth teeming with Light energy. On his left arm there was a metal band clasped to his bicep, projecting a bright white hologram of two snakes eating each other tails.

"Wow Izuku...you look so cool! Like some kinda cyberpunk wizard!" Uraraka exclaimed, jumping up a little at her friend's outfit.

"Thanks Uraraka. This outfit isn't anything crazy, I just picked something light because I didn't think I'd need much armor today." Izuku explained to her.

The bubbly girl pointed to the hologram floating over his arm, the detailed image of two snakes flickering lightly.

"Is there any meaning behind those snakes, or is it just because they look cool? Because they do look really cool..." Uraraka asked, stars in her eyes as she jumped around Izuku while staring at every detail of his outfit.

Izuku's subconsciously winced, hours and hours of Gambit matches coming back to the front of his mind from the reminder. He looked down at his arm, staring at the symbol that the Drifter used for his games. Gambit was the worst thing he ever played, only indulging in it because the Drifter was a dear friend.

"Uh...a friend made it. Thought it looked cool." He muttered to her as the lesson began.

"All right class!" The hero shouted, any conversations in the crowd going silent as he drew their attention.

"Today we'll be taking part in indoor battle trials." The man started, clearly reading from notecards he had written before class.

He described in light detail what they would be doing, showcasing the fake bomb that would be place in the building to be hid by the 'villain' team. 

"We'll be drawing your teammates from this box at random. Any questions?" All Might finally paused for questions, huffing lightly as he had gone through his entire monologue without a break. He seemed a little nervous, the stress of being a first-time teacher finally getting to him.

Without fail, Tenya raised his stiff arm high in the air.

"Sir, wouldn't it be beneficial to pick our teammates? This would ensure synergy during the matches, correct?" The blue haired teen spoke up, his back completely rigid and his body unmoving as he spoke. Izuku chuckled as he couldn't tell if the stiffness was from his uptight nature or the suit of armor he was encased in.

"We don't always get to pick who we work alongside in the field, young Iida. It is whoever happens to be there, that is the nature of hero work. You have to be able to work alongside anyone to save everyone." All Might explained, his nerves seeming to fade as he finally got to talk about hero work that wasn't in the classroom.

Izuku nodded alongside the rest of the class. He remembered times when he had to work alongside guardians he never knew. Eris Morn, the Exo Stranger, even other guardians who were insufferable.

The class all stepped up to draw their lots, Izuku being one of the last to do so. He held up the assigned letter, and before he could even look around he felt a tap on his shoulder.

The teen turned around, only to be met with a bird head. Izuku had seen the teen in the class, but never talked to him.

The bird headed teen looked down at Izuku's assigned letter and flashed his own. 

"It would appear fate has paired us together. My name is Fumikage Tokoyami. A pleasure." The teen bowed lightly to Izuku.

The boy had what appeared to be a raven's head, and he wore an eccentric dark cape over his entire body. The cape parted, and a creature made of shadows emerged from the darkness.

"Hiya! I'm Dark Shadow! Nice to meet you!" The creature spoke, as Tokoyami seemed a little disgruntled by its appearance as it got up in Izuku's face to shake his hand.

Izuku chuckled lightly and shook the shadow creature's hand.

"Please forgive him. Dark Shadow is my quirk, and if you couldn't tell he is sentient as well as a part of me."

Before Izuku could get a chance, his own companion decided to show up. In a brief flash of blue light, Lagann decided to make his own appearance.

"Hi Dark Shadow! Nice to meet you, I'm Lagann!" The robot floated in front of the creature, who immediately got excited at the prospect of another sentient quirk. The two drifted off to the side and began to avidly talk on their own.

Tokoyami's expression was unreadable as he watched the two converse. He turned back to Izuku, beak slightly open in shock.

"You...you have a sentient quirk as well?" The hero student asked in awe.

Izuku shrugged his shoulders, looking at Lagann. "It would appear so."

Tokoyami's face curled into a small smile.

"Alright! Our first match will be...Team B versus Team D!" All Might called out, drawing all of their attention to himself.

Tokoyami looked around. "We are Team B, so that means Team D is..." 

Izuku's green eyes were met by burning red ones, Bakugo meeting his glance with a full on glare.

Bakugo stood beside Iida, practically foaming at the mouth for the chance to fight Midoriya.

"Team D will be the villains in this exercise. Young Bakugo and Young Iida, please enter the building! You have five minutes to prepare before Team B may enter the building. The rest of you, follow me to the observation room!" All Might exclaimed before leading the class to the surveillance room. Before he left, he handed all the students ear pieces they could use to communicate during the exercise.

Bakugo shot Midoriya one last searing look before they went inside the building, leaving Tokoyami and Midoriya to themselves outside.

They turned to each other and briefly began discussing a plan.

"Do you have any ideas, Midoriya?" Tokoyami asked, reeling Dark Shadow back in so he could listen as well.

"Mmm..." Midoriya hummed quietly, trying to remember what Bakugo was like. So much had happened between their last real talk, and it was hard for him to remember specifics about his childhood bully.

"Bakugo is likely to go after me first. He'll probably drop everything just for the chance to try and get me, so do you think you can take Iida?" 

Tokoyami nodded apprehensively. "I believe if it came down to it, I could defeat him in combat. You will draw Bakugo's attention, correct?" 

Izuku noted the teen seemed oddly scared of fighting Bakugo. "I will do my best."

They fell into a comfortable silence, Izuku checking his armor while Tokoyami stared at him.

Izuku met his gaze and raised his eyebrow slightly. "Something wrong?" 

Tokoyami opened his mouth but didn't speak for a moment.

"You have darkness in you, Midoriya." The bird spoke quickly, as if he was afraid to say it.

Before he could respond the buzzer rang, signifying the start of the match.

The two darted for the entrance, entering the building through the front door quickly. Almost immediately, rage filled screams and the sound of stomping footsteps could be heard echoing off the stone walls, getting closer and closer with every second.

Tokoyami and Midoriya turned to each other and nodded. "I'll take care of him. Do your best." Izuku spoke quietly to his teammate. Izuku stopped in the hallway as Tokoyami sprinted in the opposite direction.

Izuku widened his stance as the explosions grew closer and closer. His eyes shifted from their typical soft green color into a light lavender color, the air growing a little colder with each second.

Bakugo swung around the corner, baring his teeth as he launched himself off the wall with an explosion. 

"DEKUUU!!!" The explosive boy roared out, swing his right fist towards Izuku's face as he flew forward.

Izuku ducked under the swing without hesitation and grabbed Bakugo's wrist. Using the boy's momentum against him, he slammed him directly into the stone wall of the hallway.

Hairline cracks exploded across the wall, the blonde boy bouncing off of the wall with a sharp release of breath. With the air knocked out of him, Bakugo hit the floor hard and wheezed, his lungs gasping for air.

Izuku stood over the teen who now struggled to get to his feet. Bakugo snarled, desperately trying to stand and put Izuku in his place.

"Useless fucking-" Bakugo coughed out, interrupted in his insult when Izuku kicked him directly in the chest. The force of the kick sent Bakugo straight through the wall he had just been thrown against, sending him flying into a different room.

<>

An arrow flew from afar, sparking with lightning as it landed in the throat of an armored woman. She fell to her knees, giving a thumbs up before she fell face first and died on the spot. A small robot flew out of nowhere and began to shine a light on her body.

The man who shot the arrow jumped up with joy, proclaiming his amazing aim to the whole world before he got blasted with a bright red laser beam, the heat from the blast disintegrating him on the spot. His ghost appeared from thin air, cackling at the stupidity of his guardian as he began to resurrect him.

Izuku stood next to Lord Shaxx, eyes wide in horror at the atrocities he was witnessing.

Lord Shaxx was a tall man, standing at around 6'5. He wore white and orange armor, heavily littered with scars in the metal from bullets and claws alike. His pauldrons were large and covered with fur from some unidentifiable alien creature. His horned helmet was covered in chipped paint and scars, with a stub on the side of his head where Izuku guessed the other horn used to be. Izuku had learned briefly that he was a former Warlord, one of the original people to be granted light. Shaxx came from a time of uncontrolled battle and relentless chaos and was one of the foundational leaders who stepped up and trained people to fight for peace.

When Izuku had entered the Tower, Shaxx was one of the first to greet him, immediately pointing him out as a newbie and wrapping his massive arm around his shoulders.

"This my new friend...is the Crucible!" The armored titan screamed to the green haired teen, who seemed like he was on the verge of vomiting.

"This is what guardians do for fun...?" Izuku stammered out, feeling like his knees were about to give out. "You kill each other for fun?"

"Well, it isn't all for fun. These are war games to...y'know...prepare you for war. They just happen to be very fun." Shaxx shrugged.

Lagann floated into Izuku's field of vision. "Remember our first lesson of combat guardian? All those Fallen?"

Izuku flicked his eyes away from the carnage occurring on the battlefield, turning his attention to his ghost. "Yeah...?"

Lagann floated forward, his one robotic eye looking over the Crucible. "This is where you'll really learn combat! Amongst your fellow guardians, there is no better place to learn how to wield your light properly!"

Izuku paused for a moment, before turning and emptying his stomach onto the floor of the observation deck.

Shaxx and Lagann shared a look before both sighed and shook their heads.

<>

Bakugo went into a coughing fit on the floor as Izuku stepped through the hole he had made with the other teen. He pulled the capture tape out of his pocket and prepared it as he walked towards Bakugo.

"Deku..." Bakugo coughed out, standing once more.

"Stop calling me that." Izuku stared at his childhood bully. There was no malice in any of his actions, Izuku was simply fighting against an enemy right now.

He truly had no hatred in his heart for Bakugo. Izuku had gone through so much that Bakugo's bullying felt like ancient history to him. He barely remembered why he was hated so much.

"How...how did you get a fucking quirk? You were useless! You were nothing!" Bakugo desperately cried out, anger and desperation filling his voice.

Izuku paused for a moment, listening to the words of his former bully.

"This is a control thing? You're mad that I'm strong...because you wanted to be above me?" Izuku questioned slowly, trying to make sense of it. 

If that's all this was about, then maybe Bakugo wasn't as smart as he used to think he was.

"I didn't want to be above you; I am above you!" Bakugo snarled out, the gauntlet on his wrist hissing as it began to glow a soft orange light.

"I'll show you how worthless you are, Deku!" He raised his arm and pointed the gauntlet right at Midoriya, hand on the pin.

"This holds all the built up sweat from wearing it and releases it in one attack! If you think you're so high and mighty...prove it now!" He screamed, pulling the pin.

"Young Bakugo, no!" All Might's voice echoed out from their earpieces.

Izuku could feel the heat buildup from several feet away, watching in what seemed like slow motion as the spark ignited inside of the gauntlet and caused a chain reaction.

The guardian's eyes shifted into a deeper lavender color, growing into a pale blueish purple color. Without thinking of it, Izuku's face grew completely stoic as he raised his hand.

Reaching deep, he felt all of his emotions die under the weight of the power he dragged out. 

Chill, frost, frozen, ice, cold, deep, abyss, FREEZE, ABSOLUTE ZERO, ENTROPY-

In his hand, an orb of Stasis energy formed as he sent it flying toward the ignited gauntlet. As the grenade hit his arm, it exploded into a bright flash of blue light.

It was as if entropy itself had taken over, causing the gauntlet to experience its own isolated heat death. Bakugo fell to the ground, half from the shock of his attack being stopped and half from the new weight added to his arm.

The arm with the ignited gauntlet was now covered in a massive pillar of dark blue ice. His entire arm was encased, including the hand that had pulled the trigger. 

He sat on the floor in confusion, stuttering as he failed to find words. Izuku walked over quietly and wrapped the capture tape around his unfrozen arm.

"B-...Bakugo has been captured...!?" All Might exclaimed after a few moments of silence, seemingly processing what had happened.

It took a few seconds for All Might to make another announcement. "Young Iida has been captured as well! The heroes have won the exercise!"

Izuku nodded and turned to Bakugo before walking out. He snapped his fingers causing the ice to crack and fall apart, freeing Bakugo from his frozen prison.

"If that is all it takes to get you mad Bakugo, you need to grow up. Petty feelings like that get people killed in the field." Izuku spoke quietly, making eye contact with him to drill it in.

Bakugo saw it again in his childhood friend's eyes. That same feeling, that the Izuku he knew was far gone. 

Izuku's eyes looked tired. His expression showed years of loss and agony that didn't make sense. How could he have that look on his face?

Bakugo wouldn't get an answer to his questions as Izuku turned and walked out.

<>

Shaxx couldn't keep his jaw from dropping as he stood in the observation deck of the Crucible.

He had stopped announcing kills long ago, unable to work his mouth properly as the things he was seeing weren't properly lining up with what he believed to be true.

When new lightbearers came to the Crucible, it usually took them a month or so to get a good kill off and become a good team member. Most guardians who ran matches in the Crucible were very experienced and used it as stress relief from their harder missions.

It was hard to believe that the new guardian had only spent a few hours in the Crucible and was performing like this.

As the next kill was registered, Shaxx briefly realized he had to continue announcing. Yet he couldn't, not before this fight was over.

He watched in awe as Izuku went toe to toe with a Void Hunter.

The hunter dodged and weaved around the rain of bullets Izuku had put forth like one would expect from an experienced hunter, but that wasn't the surprise.

The green haired guardian was doing the same, evading and enduring the hail of lead like a veteran. Eventually the hunter grew tired of the back and forth, leaping a dozen feet into the air.

The light around them seemed to vanish with a ghastly cry as the void encompassed them. They reached into the empty space of the universe and warped it in their desired image.

The hunter, now shrouded in the darkness of the universe, willed a bow made of spectral light into existence. The bow seemed hungry, devouring all the light around it and looking for more to consume.

The hunter took aim, pulling the drawstring back as an arrow made of the same all-consuming light formed. The string was let loose, sending the powerful arrow directly at Izuku.

The new guardian stood there for a moment in awe, covered in bullet wounds and nagging injuries, before he smiled. 

He finally understood what Shaxx was talking about.

His smile was the brightest thing in the Crucible, even as Izuku exploded into flames. The boy raised his hands and with a shout, he was consumed by fire.

Wings of flame formed from his back as his hair was encompassed by a crown made of light, his robes lighting up with sparks as he leaped up into the air.

Izuku's eyes were full of stars as he met the arrow halfway, a sword made of starlight forging itself in his hands.

The arrow was cleaved in two and snuffed out from the power of Izuku's light. The hunter nocked another arrow but was never able to fire it before Izuku swung his sword again.

It was as if a supernova had been released from his sword, the blast hitting the hunter and disintegrating them on the spot. Izuku fell to the ground, his ultimate attack ending as the light he had gathered was used up.

Shaxx sat in awe after witnessing one of the best 'Daybreak' supers he had ever seen. Shaxx briefly noted to thank Lagann for teaching him that, as he grabbed the microphone to continue announcing.

"YYEESS! Enemies can't kill if they're dead! Go get 'em Guardian!" Shaxx shouted over the microphone as Izuku unholstered his gun again, the dead guardians all reviving now as he prepared for another round.

Shaxx feared that he had made a monster by introducing Izuku to the Crucible.

<>

Chapter Text

"In the shadow of the Light, our universe is a beautiful, terrible place. Where I once saw miracles, now I see monsters. Someone has to. We have to. That's what a Guardian does."

- Vanguard Commander Zavala

On the next morning, Class 1A was buzzing with excitement.

With their last two days having been a stressful quirk apprehension test, and an actual combat trial held by the number one hero, it was no surprise that they were antsy to see what the day would bring.

The door to the classroom slid open, the students flying to their seats at the sound.

Aizawa peered into the room, the only sight being all of his students sitting rigid in their chairs. He let out a small noise of approval, moving to his podium with someone walking in behind him.

Izuku looked up from his desk, eyes trained on the new face in the classroom.

She was around his height, maybe an inch or so taller than him. She had long blonde hair that went down to the middle of her back, and her smile was the brightest thing in the room. Her bright blue eyes peered from behind oval shaped glasses, flicking over the class and briefly inspecting each face as she stood next to Aizawa.

Izuku also briefly noted, she had muscle. The girl was ripped, even through the school uniform he could clearly see the outline of her biceps.

"She's strong. Really strong." Lagann pinged him through the neural connection, deciding it was important to chime in.

Izuku let out a small noise of confirmation, still staring at her. Aizawa rose his hand as he stood in front of the class.

"Three announcements to make for homeroom. Pay attention so I don't have to say them twice." He grumbled, directing all attention back to himself.

"I've watched all the footage from your battle trials yesterday. I'll be sending all comments to you individually later today, so be on the lookout for those." The teacher spoke, his eyes lingering on Bakugo a little longer than everybody else.

Bakugo let out a small noise of dismissal, his head turning to look out the window.

Aizawa rolled his eyes lightly, and continued. "Second, before homeroom is done we have some important business to take care of..."

The teacher trailed off, leaving the students leaning forward in anticipation. They began to mutter to each other, wondering how serious this was going to be.

Uraraka prodded Izuku lightly and whisper shouted. "Do you think it'll be another combat trial? Ooh, maybe an outdoor battle trial..?" 

Izuku shrugged, both Izuku and Lagann fixed on the new girl in the class.

"We are electing a class president and a vice president. I don't care how you do it, just get it done before Present Mic starts class." Aizawa grumbled, draining all the anticipation out of the classroom.

"Something that normal..." The students muttered, but the excitement grew a little with the announcement.

"Something so normal but so important for a classroom! We must treat it with the same respect that we treat our hero studies!" Iida almost shouted, his arm swinging in a robotic manner as he drilled in the severity of the situation.

The students began to talk excitedly, people trying to get votes before they had even started. Aizawa ignited his quirk, his eyes flashing red as the students all went quiet.

Aizawa sighed as he pulled his eyedrops out, grumbling about problem children as he deposited them in his eyes. "We aren't done yet, one more announcement and then you can all fend for yourselves."

The teacher then gestured briefly to the girl next to him, whose smile only grew wider.

"Third, we have a new student today. She's a late entry but be sure to treat her like everyone else." Aizawa nodded at her, gesturing for her to introduce herself.

The girl excitedly waved to the full class, before jumping a little as she remembered that she should be bowing. The blonde woman bent at the waist and introduced herself.

"Hello everyone! My name is Melissa Shield, and I hope we will get along well!"

<>

Outside of UA, reporters gathered around the entrance to the school campus. They flocked with cameras and microphones, all crowded against the closed UA barrier.

"This is tyrannical!" A female reporter shouted, banging on the steel wall in her anger.

"If the number one hero is teaching here, we deserve to know!" Another reporter cried out, gripping his microphone angrily.

They had been ignored by the staff for the past hour, having the UA barrier activated when they had tried to gain access.

The reporter let out a sigh, she had been here for a while with no response from the staff. All her emails had been ignored and having the wall erected in her face was enough for her to want to give up for the day.

Maybe they'd have luck tomorrow, she thought sadly.

As she turned to leave, a hooded figure pushed through the crowd of reporters and cameramen. He walked slowly and deliberately, the reporter noticed.

Nothing was significant or noticeable about him, she noted. He wore baggy clothes, all pale and fading colors. She couldn't discern any facial features or anything as she saw him walk up to the wall.

He rose his hand and placed it against the steel, the air suddenly getting a little colder.

<>

"The winner with 5 votes is....Midoriya!" Iida called out, shuffling through the papers.

The teen looked up, his face blank with shock as he remembered that they had been voting.

When he had submitted his vote, he had honestly just put down Iida. He seemed like the best candidate for the position, given he was taking it the most seriously. Unlike the rest of the class, Izuku hadn't even tried to rally votes for himself.

He wasn't a big fan of leading people anymore.

"And the vice president is...Yaoyorozu!" Iida called out again, checking the tally marks he had put down. The girl in question stood up, and bowed to everybody in thanks.

A groan sounded out from behind Aizawa's desk, the man in question sitting up in his sleeping bag. "Finally done? You make too much noise..."

"I...." Izuku started, trying to find the words. "Why did you guys vote for me? We hardly know each other..." 

The students looked at each other briefly, before Tokoyami decided to speak up first.

"You handle yourself well in stressful situations. During the battle trial yesterday, you didn't break your composure once even while under the threat of a massive explosion." The bird headed boy spoke, Dark Shadow nodding along with him.

Uraraka jumped up, eager to chime in. "You got first place in the entrance exam, not even counting that you saved me! You always help people when you can."

Across the room, Kirishima nodded along. "Yeah, me too!" The spiky haired boy pumped his fist up. "So manly!"

The murmurs amongst the class all confirmed the same sentiment, Izuku leaning back in his chair and sighing. 

"Yeah...alright." The hero student nodded, the class erupting in cheers as the quiet boy agreed.

...

....

...

Izuku was glad to be out of English class, even if he was fluent in it from his time at the Tower.

Just because he knew it didn't mean he liked doing reading comprehension quizzes.  The lightbearer sat down at one of the empty lunch tables, placing his tray of food in front of him.

Before he got a chance to even put his backpack down, another person slid their trays down next to him. 

And another tray, and another, and another...

Izuku looked up, noticing that half his class had decided to sit with him at lunch. They didn't say a word, as if looking for his approval.

He sighed and nodded, taking his seat as his classmates happily sat down and made conversation.

Uraraka and Iida were on each side of him, with other students like Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, and Tokoyami taking a spot at the long table.

The students fell into casual conversation, Izuku picking at his rice as he listened to the other people talk. 

As Uraraka and Iida were discussing their families, Izuku noticed briefly that the new girl was standing and looking for a spot. She hadn't really talked during the classes they had during the day, but Izuku had noticed her taking notes diligently.

He pondered going up to her and asking her to sit down with them, but his thought was interrupted.

The cafeteria lit up red, alarms blaring and lights flashing crimson as the speakers crackled to life with a robotic voice.

"Level 3 Security Breach, please make your way-" 

The voice was drowned out by the frantic screaming of students as the cafeteria fell into an uproar. Students shoved each other to try and fight for a spot through the exit, a small and narrow opening compared to the flood of people trying to get through it.

The people at his table jumped to their feet, before getting shoved against the wall from the sheer volume of people. Momo had her face pressed against the window, and a quick glance outside allowed her to understand the situation.

The vice president began to shout something to her classmates, but Izuku couldn't listen as a bright red mark pinged on his radar. A chill went up his spine as he felt a phantom pain, the memory of a massive sword digging into his stomach.

Lagann shuddered as he felt the same sensation, Izuku's blood running cold in his veins.

It felt like Oryx was nearby.

Memories of the Taken King spurred Izuku into action, his body moving on instinct alone as he put his foot on the seat and jumped into the air. As he soared over the crowd, his eyes flashed purple as he channeled the Void through his light. His clenched his fist and activated his Blink ability. Izuku vanished mid-air in a burst of light, reappearing in the empty hallway outside of the crowded room.

His stomach churned as he stumbled from the landing. He never got good at using Void Warlock abilities, Blink least of them all. 

It was necessary to get out of the cafeteria though, and he briefly looked at Lagann's radar, seeing the red ping still there. 

The guardian sprinted down the hallway, practically flying as he headed towards the mark.

"There's no way, do you think..." Lagann trailed off, flying next to him. Neither wanted to say a word about it until they saw whoever it was.

There was no way that the Taken were here, but the scent of decay in the air and the blood frozen in Izuku's veins told him otherwise.

The pair reached their destination, an assuming door to what seemed to be a teacher's lounge. Izuku steeled himself, throwing the door open and stepping in with fire in his eyes.

The lounge was empty. An old torn couch, desks and seats all empty with not a single soul in the room. The reading on the radar was gone, and Izuku was left alone in the empty teacher's lounge.

<>

After the security breach had died down, Melissa stood in an empty classroom.

She leaned against a desk, briefly looking at the text message on her phone. This was the room he had told her to wait in, and it seemed he would be a little late.

The door opened quietly and in stepped a frail man with similar bright blonde hair.

Melissa leaped up, tackling the tall lanky man with a hug. "Uncle Might!" The girl shouted out, grinning happily as the man buffed up before catching her. He swung her around in a circle, before putting her down.

"Sheesh, Melissa! Did you put on some more muscle since the last time we trained? It's only been two weeks!" The number one hero proclaimed, playing around and pretending that she was heavy.

The girl chuckled and flexed her arms a little, her biceps bulging and looking like they were carved from stone. "I continued with your training plan, even after it was supposed to be over! Like you said, putting on more muscle will always help!" 

All Might nodded. "So Melissa, are you alright? I'm sure that incident earlier was pretty scary. Even I was spooked, although it seems like it was just a false alarm."

The blonde nodded happily. "Perfect! I was pretty worried though, they said somebody breached the UA barrier?" She asked, tilting her head as she looked at the hero.

With a grim sigh, All Might nodded. In a puff of smoke, he returned to his small form and leaned up against a desk next to Melissa.

"Somebody used a quirk to break the barrier down. It was nothing like I've ever seen before, pretty destructive too." The man spoke with apprehension in his voice.

"It was as if the wall itself had vanished, leaving a gaping hole in the barrier and this weird glowing black substance." All Might shuddered thinking about it.

The man pushed himself off the desk, smiling wide now.

"Enough of that though! How about you tell me how your training with One For All is going?"

<>

Izuku could only watch helplessly as Crota's sword impaled his last teammate, the female Exo turning her head to him in her last moments.

She tried to open her mouth, her voicebox crackling as the sickly green flames consumed the sword and melted her into a pool of plastic and metal.

"KATANA!" Izuku cried out, his voice cracking with sorrow. Katana-4 had been one of the guardians he always called on for hard missions. They were good friends, and she was one of the older guardians who had helped him learn how to lead. After the hard-fought defeat of Atheon in the Vault of Glass, she had treated him to ice cream.

Izuku's grip on the sword in his hand tightened, praying she would revive soon, as he slashed through more Hive that were threatening to overwhelm him.

The other four guardians had gone missing during this fight, their communicators going dark with no signals from their ghosts. Izuku prayed there was simply interference from Hive magic, and not what the obvious assumption would have been. A spark of light drew Izuku's attention as he cut down the last Hive knight around him.

Her ghost appeared over her remains, light sparking as it desperately attempted to revive her. Crota pulled his sword back, but watched in sadistic joy as the Thralls approached.

The horde of mindless beasts surrounded the ghost, one of the zombies grabbing onto it as they got closer and closer.

Tears welled in Izuku's eyes as he watched the beasts surround the Ghost, hands clawing and teeth gnashing as they pulled it to pieces.

He let out a pained sob as he watched the Light exit the ghost, flying into the air and vanishing. The guardian fell to his knees, sobs racking his body.

This wasn't his first time leading a Fireteam, everyone involved knew Crota would be a formidable foe but they had all trusted him to lead them to victory.

Izuku was left alone in the Throne World of Crota, the God-Knight now walking over to him as he knelt on the ground.

"Foolish Guardian..."  A voice ripped through Izuku's head, sounding as quiet as a child's whisper and as loud as the screams of thousands as it threatened to tear his mind apart.

A massive hand swept through the air, backhanding Izuku to the ground and shattering his helmet. 

Crota walked forward, the Hive Prince standing at around 15 feet tall as he peered down at uncovered face of the Guardian.

"No matter how many you bring..." The deity stabbed his sword next to the downed guardian, only putting it close enough so the fires could sear his skin. Izuku crawled backwards, desperately trying to get away.

"They will all fall! For I am Crota, Eater of Hope. Prince of Annihilation, and Light-Destroyer!" Crota screamed in Izuku's mind, the guardian beginning to bleed from his eyes as the mental assault from the god-prince grew stonger.

Izuku couldn't even beg for mercy, his voice trapped in his throat and his body shook too much to do anything. 

He slowly came to the acceptance that he would die here. Afterall, he didn't have the strength to save his fireteam, why should he continue living if they were dead?

Izuku's hand loosened on the blade, letting it fall to the ground. 

It was over. He had failed.

"On your feet Guardian! Now!" A robotic voice called out to Izuku.

Lagann floated in front of Izuku's face, the shattered glass of Izuku's helmet allowing them to make direct eye contact.

Izuku barely stirred, the light having already left his eyes. Lagann realized his guardian had completely given up, but that didn't mean he had to.

"GET UP IZUKU!" The ghost shouted now, Crota walking slowly towards the pair with his sword raised.

"You are a Guardian! Savior of the Sol System! You ripped the heart out of the Black Guardian, You defeated the Sol Progeny!" The ghost continued ranting, trying to get Izuku's fighting spirit back. His blue robotic eye flicked back and forth between Izuku and Crota, making sure the knight wasn't getting too close.

Izuku stirred gently, his hand subconsciously clenching a little.

"It was you who defeated Atheon! You killed a time manipulating robot god!" Lagann continued, anxiety seeping into his voice as Crota got closer. "You are a lightbearer! If you gave up now, it would waste the sacrifices of all who came before you! Everyone who died to get you here!"

Izuku got on one knee, his knuckles turning white as he tightened his fists. He began to rise.

"Now fight! Fight for them all!" Lagann shouted, vanishing back into their neural connection as Crota stood in front of Izuku.

"Your false immortality makes you weak, Guardian." Crota's twisted voice echoed in Izuku's mind. "You are mortals grasping at the scraps of gods. Now fall and join your friends."

Crota swung his sword down, aiming to sever Izuku's head from his body. The guardian's head rose and he met the knight's eyes within the last few seconds.

When Crota met Izuku's gaze, he was met with the sight of dying stars. Crota briefly remembered that the universe was brought about by those dying stars, the apocalyptic detonation of a star creating the foundations of the plane they lived in.

Crota's sword was met by one made of stellar flame, Izuku rising from his knees and pushing the blade back into a stalemate.

A crown of starlight formed on Izuku's head as wings made of dawn formed out of his back. A pained smile made it's way to his face, and his eyes shone with primal rage.

Their blades pushed against each other for a moment before an explosion rang out, pushing the two away from each other. Izuku slid backwards, never breaking eye contact with the God-Knight.

The sword made of fire pointed at Hive god now, Izuku's grin widening as the wings made of fire spread wider.

The boy was surrounded by a halo of starlight, his power lighting up the dark throne world as the black stone around him began to melt from the heat.

Izuku smile widened as he remembered the memories he had shared with his fireteam, aiming his blade at the deity who was responsible for their deaths.

Tears dripped down his face as he thought of his friends, both happiness for their lives and anger for their deaths filling his mind.

He wouldn't let their losses go to waste.

"Come, Worldbreaker! Let me show you what this false immortality is capable of!"

...

....

...

Izuku shot awake, falling out of his bed with sweat pouring off of his body.

His heart was racing and his lungs desperately heaved for air as he tried to calm himself down.

The boy left his room and went straight for the bathroom. He leaned his body on the sink, turning the water on and making sure not to look at the mirror.

He knew whatever he saw in the mirror wouldn't make him feel any better.

His gaze was directed down at his hands, and he knew what he saw wasn't there. It didn't help that pushing his hands under the water and scrubbing them would never get rid of the blood he knew was on them.

He took a few minutes in the bathroom, letting the sound of running water distract him from his memories of Crota.

"I can't think about them now...I have to get ready for school." Izuku muttered, turning off the water and heading back to his room.

As he changed his clothes for the day, he couldn't get them out of his mind. The good people that had fought alongside him, the people that died so he could live.

Why today, of all days? 

He figured it was because of the new position that had been given to him. 

Class President, he mused in his mind.

At least people won't die on my watch. Not this time.

...

....

...

Izuku was a little later to class then normal, and made his way to his seat right before Aizawa walked in.

The green haired teen took his seat as the teacher got in front of the podium. The class silenced themselves immediately, and turned to face their teacher with excitement in their eyes. Every day at UA was something new, and they were all happy to see what today would bring.

Aizawa reached under his podium and pulled out a note card.

Rescue Training.

"Today will be a little different. Grab your costumes, we're heading out to the USJ." Aizawa explained, the class all standing to grab their costumes from the lockers.

As they all talked excitedly about what the day would bring, Izuku took a deep breath and attempted to calm his nerves.

The melting body of Katana-4 flashed in his mind as he stood to grab his things.

He couldn't shake the feeling he had from this morning.

Chapter Text

"In my world the stars never shone. The worm never bred in our flesh...We lived for a day. Our teeth were too short. We were hungry for things we could not eat."

- Oryx, the Taken King

Melissa was shining with excitement.

It was only the second day she was at UA, and they were already going to a super cool training session!

The girl was practically vibrating with excitement, clenching her fists and smiling as she sat on the cushioned seat of the bus.

"Melissa, kero?" A raspy voice called from across the bus. Looking up, Melissa was met with the blank face of a classmate. She seemed like she had a heteromorphic quirk, one that gave her the features of a frog. She was a cute girl on the shorter side, with a wide mouth and inquisitive green eyes.

"Hi! What's up...." Melissa trailed off, not knowing her classmates name yet.

The frog girl nodded at her in understanding. "My name is Asui, but you can call me Tsu. I don't like formalities."

Melissa's smile got wider, and she nodded.

"I just wanted to say that I really like your costume. I think it looks really good." Tsuyu commented.

Melissa blushed a little as her smile got even wider. "Thank you so much! I made it myself actually, I do support work with my dad."

The blonde girl looked down at her own costume, taking the time to admire the gear she put so much work into creating.

Melissa drew a lot of inspiration from many heroes while making her costume, both ancient and modern heroes. The girl wore bright red knee-high boots, capped off at the knee with gold painted metal guards. The knee guards jutted out but weren't sharpened to a point. The boots seemed to be made of a thick red banded material, wrapping around her limbs like vines.

She wore dark blue spandex on her legs, decorated with red lines accenting her legs all the way up to her golden belt. 

On her upper body she wore a bright red chest guard, made of thick lines of the same heavy-duty material found on the boots. Her entire torso and arms were wrapped in the same bands of material. The material seemed to expand outward from the center of her chest, where the symbol at the center of her costume lay. Shining brightly in the center was the electric blue design of a lightning bolt, coming down from a cloud and branching downward. From her shoulders, a dark blue cape draped down over the seat she was sitting on. The hem of the cape was decorated with golden Lichtenburg scars, following the lightning theme that her symbol showed.

Many of the costumes in the class seemed almost decorative. Yaoyorozu's costume was little more than thin clothing, and Kirishima's clothing was more of a lack of costume than a costume. Melissa's stood out, with the thick material on her torso and legs looking like thick bands of dark red muscle fiber more than cloth. 

"You made it yourself, kero? That's really cool." Tsuyu croaked out. 

Melissa nodded happily. "My quirk tends to hurt me if I use it too much, so I made support gear that would help with that. Originally, all I had was a gauntlet but over the past couple months I was able to make this suit."

Melissa motioned to the thick red bands of material that covered her torso and legs. The dark red material seemed to shimmer with blue electricity.

Tsuyu nodded, and before she could continue talking the bus came to a halt.

Aizawa stood up from the front of the bus, turning around to face the class. As the door to the bus opened, he nodded to the class briefly.

"Try not to trample each other, get out slowly."

<>

Aizawa was already annoyed before they got to the USJ. The old itch in the back of his skull had been bothering him since he woke up.

He stood back as Thirteen lectured the class on quirk safety, absentmindedly listening as he looked over the class. It was just him and the space hero, but All Might should have been here for this lesson.

The blond buffoon decided to use up all of his hours fighting random two-bit villains on the way to work, and now the number one hero was forced into relaxing in the teachers' lounge for the rest of the day.

'Does that oaf even deserve to be on the staff? I'm not even sure if he has a teaching license, not even mentioning the experience to teach a horde of problem children...'

Aizawa huffed quietly, his headache growing with every second. They had based half the lesson plan today on All Might explaining his rescue experience to the kids while demonstrating. Now Aizawa had to make it all up as they went.

'I suppose between Thirteen and I, we could manage to make this lesson at least give them something...'

His head began to pound as a ripping sound tore through the USJ. With a rush of air and a pop, there was now a dark purple mist resting at the fountain in the center of the building.

The hero paused for a moment, before the reality of the situation hit him. He grabbed his capture weapon from his shoulders with one hand and dropped his goggles in front of his eyes with the other.

His lesson plans flew out at window as he realized this was the real deal.

<>

Izuku flinched as his radar lit up crimson.

Lagann shimmered into existence without a moment to waste, the ghost desperately trying to count them all as villains poured out of the portal.

"100....150...186 villains." Lagann stuttered out, his shining blue eye flicking over the plaza. 

Izuku's hand clenched, a kneejerk reaction that he quashed immediately. His hand fell to his side as he realized he was about to transmat one of his guns into his hands. 

He felt the steady thump of his heart in his chest, getting louder and louder like a war drum beating in his chest. His skin began to run cold with sweat and his core burned a little hotter as his Light steadied itself.

His war-torn body knew that battle was approaching.

In the center of the USJ, the last people to exit the portal were the most notable. 

A tall lanky man ambled forward, his pale blue hair draped around his shoulders. He wore a tight black V-neck shirt, and black sweatpants. On his feet were bright red shoes, but those remained the least eye-catching part of his outfit. Covering his body were pale disembodied hands, placed around the length of his arms and two perched on his shoulders. One rested directly over his face, attached by two cords that led to two more hands wrapped around his neck.

He peered through the fingers over his face, his calm red eyes peeking around the plaza as if he was looking for somebody in particular.

Behind him stood a mountain of a man, his skin a dark purple color littered surgery scars with sutures connecting them all over his body like constellations. The monster had a yellow beaked jaw placed underneath an exposed brain with deranged wild eyes peering at the students. He wore large pants that bulged around his massive leg muscles, capped off by metal knee guards shaped like skulls.

"Hmm...doesn't seem like he is here..." The blue haired man hissed out, his voice sounding like he hadn't drank water in days. 

Izuku's teachers stepped in front of the students, placing their bodies between the children and the plaza.

"Kurogiri, seperate the kids." The lanky man snapped, the purple mist moving forward and condensing into what appeared to be a man made of purple fog.

"As you wish, Shigaraki." The mist man stated, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Izuku's radar blared in his head, and the teen swung around to see that Kurogiri was now in the center of the students.

Yellow eyes formed in the dark cloud, peering down at the hero students with what seemed like restrained joy.

"Forgive me for this, but I need you all to scatter and die now." The man said calmly, his mist expanding outward.

The students didn't have time to react, lacking the combat experience or the skills to evade the cloud. Many fell into the portals made by his body, screaming loudly as they vanished into darkness.

Izuku did not lack the experience.

With a burst of light from his feet, he jumped over the encroaching void and hovered in the air. He could only watch helplessly as only a fourth of his class was left above the platform, the rest being unaccounted for.

As the mist receded, Izuku touched back down. He did a brief headcount, noting that there were only a handful left. 

"Stay back! Thirteen, protect the students!" Aizawa called out, using his capture weapon to wrap onto the rails at the sides of the staircase. He yanked hard, sending himself flying down into the plaza at a high speed.

Izuku watched as the posture of his teacher shifted. Aizawa had been the one standing beside them, but it was Eraserhead that was now falling into the massive group of villains.

The green haired teen took a step forward slowly, his instincts screaming at him to help his teacher fight off the horde of villains. A scream from one of his classmates draws his attention.

Within the few moments he had been looking at Aizawa, Thirteen now lay face down on the ground with their suit ripped open. Their insulated protective suit now exposed their inner body, rendering them unconscious from the assault.

Kurogiri sneered at them briefly, standing over their teacher's body. 

"A pitiful effort, but one expected from a hero." The warper chuckled, turning to face the hero students.

"Now, I suppose I shall have to dispose of the rest of you myself."

<>

Koji Kouda was horrified.

He sprinted through the mock city, his body getting pummeled by the raindrops as he desperately tried not to slip. The voices echoed from behind him, maniacal screams and hollers as the villains chased him down. 

The boy was shaking as he ran, unable to think of anything that he could do except flee. His quirk was useless here. If there were any animals, they wouldn't be able to hear him over the sound of the rain and the simulated thunder.

The Downpour Zone was not a good place to be for him, he realized briefly, before he slipped on the slick asphalt.

Kouda hit the ground hard, scraping his rough skin against the wet surface of the road. He desperately tried to scramble to his feet as the voices got closer and closer, hearing the footsteps behind him.

He turned around at the last minute, seeing a villain over him. The criminal had a sword for his arm, the long blade raised over his head triumphantly as he swung it down.

Kouda stared helplessly at the villain, closing his eyes as the weapon came down over his head.

A lightning bolt came down from the sky, cleaving the simulated clouds apart and slamming down on the asphalt. With a crackle of lightning, Melissa Shield stood in front of Kouda, her foot slammed down on the villain who had been attempting to kill him.

The criminal was unconscious, his body leaving in imprint in the asphalt as he had been put an inch into the floor.

The woman stood confidently, a smile on her face as she turned over her shoulder. Her cape billowed behind her, showing the same symbol emblazoned on her chest.

Her light blue eyes were shining brilliantly, her body crackling with an aura of cerulean blue electricity. She stood with a confidence unknown to Kouda, a stance that he could only compare to All Might.

No lightning could be brighter than the smile she flashed Kouda as she looked back at him.

"Don't worry! I've got you!"

<>

Aizawa desperately wished he got more sleep last night.

The underground hero whipped around in the air, doing a full 360 degree turn before slamming the top of his foot into another criminal's head. The kick sent the villain sprawling to the ground, adding another unconscious body to the many who were already subjected to a nonconsensual naptime.

A slow clap echoed out from behind Aizawa, the hero now turning to see the lanky blue haired man now staring at him.

"Wow Eraserhead. You really are cool." Shigaraki rasped out, his eyes gleaming with joy.

The villain stopped clapping, raising a hand to the monster next to him. 

"Nomu. Go play with our hero friend." Shigaraki hissed, venom leaking out of his voice.

Aizawa didn't have a moment to react as the hulking monster vanished from his spot with impossible speeds.

The hero paused for a moment, looking around for the beast for a giant hand appeared in front of his face.

Massive fingers wrapped around his skull, picking him up like it was nothing before it drove him headfirst into the stone tiles of the plaza.

<>

Melissa leapt through the air, lightning arcing off of her body as she soared over the Flood Zone.

She had hit almost all of the zones now, save for the shipwreck that she now was falling towards.

Her eyes flicked around the zone, noting all of the villains in the water as she reared her fist back.

She felt One for All build up inside of her, an uncontrollable and unfathomable well of energy that demanded to be let out. It was as if Melissa was in the eye of a storm, clouds roaring and lightning screaming to be heard. She would help it be heard.

With a roar of her own, Melissa threw a punch towards the pool of water 20 feet below her.

"Detroit Smash!" She screamed, the wind pressure from her punch impacting the water and practically blowing up the pool. She pushed herself through the air as the water exploded with pressure, landing briefly on the ship. She grabbed her two classmates that were on the ship and jumped off without hesitation, aiming for the shoreline.

Within a second, her classmates went from the surface of the boat to the edge of the lake they were stranded on. Tsuyu looked around in amazement before looking at their savior, while Mineta simply keeled over and began to vomit from the experience.

"You saved us, kero?" Tsuyu murmured quietly, staring up at Melissa with awe in her eyes.

Melissa turned back to the pool, watching the unconscious and incapacitated villains float on the surface of the rough waters.

"Don't mention it Tsu, it's what heroes are supposed to do!" Melissa smiled at the frog girl.

Tsuyu covered her eyes briefly, almost blinded by the sheer joy that the blonde girl brought with her smile.

"Guys...we have a problem." Mineta stated, a few feet away from them. He was closer to the plaza and pointed towards the center of the USJ.

<>

Shigaraki watched with glee as Eraserhead got his face slammed into the floor once more.

Blood was pooling around the hero's body, his face dripping with the liquid and covering his eyes. The hero was barely unconscious now, incapacitated from the sheer strength of Garaki's creation.

His amusement was interrupted by a familiar ripping sound, Kurogiri appearing out of a portal next to him.

The warper seemed worse for wear, dark blue ice covering the right side of his corporeal body, his eyes seeming a little more dull.

"My apologies, Shigaraki. One of the students has gotten away, and one is proving to be more difficult to deal with than I imagined." The man practically whimpered, the ice cracking off of his body and causing him pain.

Shigaraki growled at the teleporter. "What do you mean, got away?"

"One of the students had a speed quirk, engines on his legs. The students made an opening in the building and let him out. B-but Shigaraki, the student up there-"

A grunt of effort drew Shigaraki's attention, drawing his attention towards the massive staircase. A student with green hair leaped off of the top of the staircase, soaring dozens of feet into the air before he landed a few meters away from the villains.

The teen hit the ground with no effort, his gaze meeting Shigaraki's immediately. His eyes were shining with light and his body was tense with anger.

"Let my teacher go." Midoriya stated, his voice promising nothing but pain.

Shigaraki turned briefly to look at Kurogiri, who nodded at the silent question.

So,  this was the brat that gave Kurogiri trouble?

Shigaraki pondered for a moment, before nodding happily.

"Fine, Nomu!" He called out to the beast, whose movement stilled completely. "Let go of this boy's teacher."

The monster dropped Aizawa's head, letting it bounce off the floor as it stood up to its full height. 

"Now, show this kid what his teacher is missing out on. I have some eavesdroppers to attend to." Shigaraki stated happily, as the Nomu turned to face Izuku.

The blue haired villain turned his gaze to the shoreline of the Flood Zone, the three students who had been hiding now realizing they were caught.

Before they could even move a muscle Shigaraki darted forward, his body glowing briefly with unholy light that empowered his muscles. As he moved in front of them, his eyes traced over all of them, deciding which would be a good choice for his new experiment.

At the speed he now moved at, the students moved in what looked like slow motion. The blonde girl desperately reached out trying to stop him, a futile attempt as she couldn't even approach the power he had.

She was strong though, the villain noted, a good subject to test out the limits of his new experiment.

Shigaraki moved himself in front of the frog girl, deciding she would make the best guinea pig. He placed his hand over the green haired girls face, allowing his fingers to wrap over skull. His palm lay flat against her forehead, and he reached deep inside of his soul.

A dark hazy energy gathered around his outstretched hand and began to encompass the girl in front of him. The blonde girl could only watch in horror as events beyond her comprehension were taking place.

Shigaraki let out a laugh as the energy blasted back the two other students, sending them sprawling meters away. He had finally done it! His first living experiment!

Tsuyu Asui was now Taken.

<>

Aizawa could barely move, staring in horror as the Nomu turned its attention toward his student.

Izuku was caught off guard as the Nomu appeared in front of him in a burst of speed, reaching its massive arm out and gripping the boy's arm.

Even from dozens of feet away, the hero could hear the creaking and crunching of Izuku's bones.

Without a moment to waste, the Nomu tightened its grip and picked Izuku up like a ragdoll. It swung him around in the air a few times as if he was a toy, before throwing him directly at the staircase.

Izuku's body hit the stairs with a sickening crunch, embedding into the concrete with the force he had been thrown with.

Aizawa felt his stomach drop as he watched the boy arc through the air, bouncing off of the staircase he had impacted and falling to the ground below him.

The teen lay on the ground, all of his limbs bent at unnatural angles. The blood began to pool around his body as it rested on the ground, showing no signs of movement.

His blood ran cold as he realized his student was dead.

Aizawa desperately tried to move, struggling against his injuries and his own body as he tried to force himself up.

A student had died because he hadn't been able to stop the villains. He needed to get up and stop them so no more could follow the same path.

A beeping drew the hero's attention as Lagann materialized over Izuku's body.

His heart ached as he watched his students quirk float over his body, both confused and sorrowful.

His quirk wouldn't be able to come out if he was dead, that means Izuku is still alive. All his quirk can do is watch Izuku suffer.

Aizawa desperately tried to get himself up as Lagann began to speak.

"Oh Guardian...It's been a while, hasn't it?" The robot spoke, sending Aizawa into a hazy confusion.

The hero couldn't tell if the pain from his own injuries was making him hallucinate, or if this was actually happening. He watched as the ghost expanded a little, the pieces of its shell floating away from its eye as the robot began to scan the dead body of its owner.

"Alright Izuku..." The ghost muttered quietly, the light it was emitting getting brighter.

"Now...rise Guardian."

With a flash of light, Aizawa could only watch stunned as Izuku's body rose into the air.

His limbs bent back into place with sharp jerks, the wounds that had been carved into his body closed quickly with soft flashes of paracausal light from Lagann's eye.

The body was now perfectly healed, floating in the air suspended by the glow from the ghost.

Izuku's eyes opened, revealing bright blue irises.

He hit the ground, his body crackling with electricity as he bared his teeth in a wordless roar. His hands rose to the sky, lightning gathering around his hands before he brought them together, pushing both of his palms out towards the Nomu.

He channeled it for a moment, lightning pooling into his veins and his palms as he charged the Chaos Reach, the Arc Warlock's favored super.

The smell of ozone filled the USJ for a moment, as Izuku unleashed the full wrath of a storm towards the beast that had killed him. The ball of plasma that had been pooling in his palms was released, expanding and expelling a beam of pure light unto the Nomu.

The monster reached its hands out, stepping forward and trying to fight against the attack as its skin was burnt away. Muscle fibers and organs were reduced to ash as even bone fell to the sheer strength of the attack, reducing the Nomu into nothing.

Aizawa could only watch with his jaw dropped as the display of power that his student had showcased.

He had just come back from the dead and released a blast that could disintegrate somebody. He had eradicated the Nomu with zero hesitation.

The hero briefly wondered if Izuku had died and a soldier had returned in his stead.

Izuku let his hands fall to his sides, the lightning fading away as he took several deep breaths.

Lagann floated in front of its guardian, examining him for any wounds. 

"You alright Guardian? Been a while since you died..." He whispered quietly to his lightbearer, who clearly had seen better days.

Izuku's face showed no emotion, his eyes dull and his posture showing nothing but exhaustion.

He had hoped that since coming back, he wouldn't have had to die again.

"I'm fine Lagann, let's just go check on Aiz-" Izuku started, before he was interrupted by a beeping noise.

The guardian stopped and turned to his ghost. "What was that?" He asked, wondering if he had said something.

The ghost turned, puzzled. "Wasn't me."

Izuku paused as he heard it once more.

Beep beep...beep.

The noise echoed again, Izuku noted as he heard it clearly behind him.

It sounded like...Lagann. Or like any other ghost he had been around.

Izuku's mind raced as he came to the conclusion, turning around to where the Nomu had been.

Floating over where the abomination had been disintegrated was a small robot. It was shelled in beige chitin, green glowing lines tracing the shell it was housed in. It had one glowing blue eye that was shining light down on the ground with intense determination.

Within a moment, a flash of light briefly blinded Izuku and Lagann.

As they got over the blindness, the two were met with a horrifying sight.

The Nomu rose once more, the ghost floating over its shoulder beeping happily.

The boy's face was blank as he stared down the Nomu and the robot over its shoulder. 

His eyes shone with weariness as he stood to his full height again, his posture growing rigid and seeming more like a soldier than a hero student.

"The Nomu is a fucking lightbearer."

<>

Chapter Text

"I AM THE WAR YOU CRAVE. PURPOSE ETERNAL. A LEGACY IN BLOOD.
WHEN YOU DRAW BLADES, YOU DRAW ME." - Xivu Arath, Hive God of War

Kirishima carried the broken body of his teacher up the stairs of the plaza, trying his hardest to keep the bile in his throat from forcing its way out.

He was trying his hardest to ignore most of what was happening, doing what he had to do without perceiving the world around him.

For a brief moment he thinks that if he took the time to look around him, he wouldn't be able to get up the next step.

He focused hard on the material of the steps he climbed up, eyes trained on the painted limestone as he tried to ignore the blood of his teacher staining deep into the red fabric of the costume.

He focused on the sound of his footsteps on the stone floor and the encouraging shouts of his classmates, trying to ignore the sound of the carnage happening in the plaza.

The bone rattling shockwaves from explosions and the echoing of rending flesh and gnashing bone resounded from the center of the USJ, Kirishima desperately climbing over the top of the steps to get away. At the top he was met with the rest of his classmates, seeing that almost the full class was back in one place.

Uraraka and Mina both jumped forward and relieved him of the weight of his unconscious teacher, placing the man on the ground and immediately starting first aid. The class collectively winced as they saw the amount of blood leaking from their teacher's face. Kirishima grimly tried to identify if there was simply a rock stuck in his skin or if that was a piece of bone sticking out.

Another shockwave drew his attention away from his battered teacher, a distraction that the teen happily welcomed. Kirishima turned towards the center of the USJ and finally looked at the fight that was taking place in the center.

The USJ's main plaza was reduced to rubble, a twisted battlefield of shattered stone and burning rubble as the two waged war. Izuku and the Nomu had been making full use of the complete area of the simulation joint, their battle spanning over the entire building in the short time they had fought. The two combatants stood across from each other, baring their teeth in blood lusted snarls.

Kirishima idly wondered if either of these fighters was human.

The Nomu stood tall in the rubble, it's expression unchanged since the moment it arrived at the UA. A beaked jaw spread wide in a mindless smile, unchanging despite the condition of his body. Kirishima could see torn skin and burnt flesh healing, the Nomu's body weaving muscle and bone back into place as it heaved to catch its breath. The beast was sputtering, letting out inhuman noises from its maw as it stared down his classmate. 

The beast got a running start, each footstep hitting the ground and shattering as it got faster and faster. As the abomination picked up speed, lightning began to arc over its body as it ripped through the air, giving it the appearance of a shooting star. As it seemed to prepare an attack, it got interrupted by something slamming into its chest, spearing right through it. A rusted piece of iron bloomed from it's center, the twisted metal making it harder to get out.

The Nomu came to a stop, gripping at the implement it was now impaled on as it howled in pain. Kirishima and the other students of Class 1A watched in morbid fascination at the brutal fight, the red-haired student opening his mouth slowly.

"Was that a stop sign?"

Izuku stands with his arm still outstretched, anger evident on his face. The teen stepped forward, venom dripping from his voice as he spoke.

"Preparing a Seismic Strike? Maybe even a Thundercrash? You make me sick." The lightbearer growled, baring his teeth at the Nomu.

"Using Titan abilities as if you earned them!" Izuku dashed forward and slammed his foot into the end of the stop sign, driving it further into the Nomu's flesh. A strangled snarl came from the monster as it staggered back.

"You have no right!" The guardian roared, memories flashing back to the likes of Zavala, Shaxx, Saint-14. While Izuku was a devout Warlock with a burning rivalry with Titans and Hunters alike, he had nothing but respect for his comrades.

To see this rogue lightbearer, a monstrosity of artificial flesh and stolen light, use the abilities designed by his dear friends...

It made his blood boil and something in his heart howl.

The green haired teen closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he steeled himself. Izuku Midoriya took a step back from the battlefield, and the Guardian took a step forward.

He shouldered all of the weight he bore, turning his burdens to strength as he carried them all in his fists. He would make things right, starting with the eradication of this false lightbearer.

His armor shimmered in a bright glow, shifting into his preferred outfit as his heartbeat louder and louder in his chest. Replacing the dull jacket he wore once, fabric shimmering with stardust emerged in its place. The Starfire Protocol robes fit snugly on Izuku, the warm threads lighting up on his chest and raising the temperature of the air around him.

Izuku looked to the Nomu with a wicked smile on his face and fire burning brightly in his eyes. He stepped forward, slamming his fist into the chest of the beast and sending it flying in a burst of celestial fire. 

"You want to play at being a guardian, huh?"

As the Nomu tumbled on the ground coming to a stop several meters away, the Guardian let out an hollow laugh. 

"Fine by me! You came here to kill a couple students, maybe even a few heroes?" The lightbearer yelled, ignoring all pretenses of being normal now.

He reached his arm out, palm facing the sky as the telltale light of a weapon appearing flashed in his hand. The light faded, revealing a sleek black grenade launcher. Izuku snapped it open, sliding in a cylindrical cartridge that shone with unholy light. The Witherhoard rested in his hands, and Izuku's face split into a wild grin.

He snapped the breach shut, the weapon hissing as it loaded the Taken grenade.

"You face an Iron Lord now." He spoke, walking forward as the world lit up, fire emerging from each footstep.

Izuku leapt into battle now, a deluge of fire grenades and toxic light emerging from his hands and gun as he waged battle against the Nomu. A nudge drew Kirishima from his sick fascination with the battle occurring in the plaza.

The red-haired teen turned to see Yaoyorozu standing next to him, concern etched on her face.

"Almost everyone is accounted for, except two. Iida is still gone, but we can't find Melissa or Tsuyu. Have you seen either of them?"

<>

Melissa rose to her feet on shaky legs, her body betraying her as something deeper than fear rattled her to her core.

The blonde girl watched as the black fog dissipated, leaving a twisted caricature of her classmate in its place.

Tsuyu Asui was bathed in negative light, her appearance inverted as if all the light surrounding her body had been devoured by Shigaraki's touch. She stood deathly still for a few moments, the only sound heard being Shigaraki's deranged laughter.

"What did you do to her?" Melissa practically whispered. She knew logically that she should not be scared. 

She had just taken on a ridiculous number of villains by herself. She was trained by the number one hero, a little palette shift shouldn't be much cause for concern, although she was very worried about her classmate.

This was different though. The fear she felt wasn't logical. Something deep in her mind, some primal remnant of human instinct screamed at her that this should not be.

"Her will is not her own." Shigaraki whispered back like a giddy child, savoring the moment.

Tsuyu began to stir, and Melissa really wished she hadn't. Mineta let out a squeak of fear as the girl made her move.

The girl's head snapped to the side, turning to face Shigaraki in an uncanny jerk of movement.

Each movement was a fast twitch, her body twisting in impossible manners as she stared down the young villain. She didn't move further, the girl waited for Shigaraki to command her as she twitched, eyes flicking about in random directions.

Melissa desperately tried to calm herself, lightning randomly sparking from her body as her emotions ran wild. She didn't know what was going on, she wasn't sure if she wanted to, and she really wanted to be home right now.

The girl had made a promise though. A promise to her mentor, to save everyone she could with a smile on her face. She wasn't too sure about that right now though.

Shigaraki took a few steps back, Kurogiri warping into existence right next to him. The blue haired villain pointed his finger at Tsuyu, letting his smile widen even further on his face. 

"All right. End them." He commanded.

Tsuyu's face jerked up, haunted eyes boring holes into Melissa. Deep in her irises, Melissa saw hatred and love, health and blight, coldness and warmth, p̸e̸a̶c̷e̷ ̴a̶n̴d̶ ̸w̴a̴r̴, g̵̨̢̊̌i̶̧̺̐v̸͎̕ḛ̸̮͒n̴͈̏̾ͅ ̶͈̬̐å̵̪̮͂n̴̰͖̉̽d̴̨͆-̴̜̄

Her deranged insight was interrupted by a strong kick in her stomach, sending the girl flying backwards into the downpour zone.

Melissa flew through the air like a ragdoll, her body slamming into the wall of one of the mock office buildings. The stone wall crumbled under the force she had been hit with, sending the girl tumbling onto the upper story of the building. Her rolling stopped as she hit the wall of a cubicle, her momentum stopped completely. She stumbled to her feet, and took in her surroundings.

She was in the middle of rows of cubicles, all empty with weak attempts at office decorations. These buildings were meant to simulate real office buildings for hero training, so they were made to look the part.

Melissa couldn't help but feel the irony as she looked towards the cubicle that had stopped her. Plastered onto the wall was a poster of a cat hanging from a branch, the words 'Hang In There!' in white text at the top.

The sound of cracking concrete roused her from her thoughts, the girl whipping around to see the cause. The gaping hole in the side of the building where she had flown through was now occupied, Tsuyu Asui standing at the edge staring at her. She jerked forward, her movements getting progressively more haunting with each passing moment.

Melissa steeled herself. She bent her knees as she stepped back, falling into a fighting stance with fists clenched high. Her aura sparked to life as she felt the storm of One for All rage inside of her. If she could knock Tsuyu out, they could probably help undo whatever Shigaraki had done to her whenever this was all over

A shaky smile formed on Melissa's face as the twisted form of her new friend ambled forward.

"Don't worry Tsu...I'll save you!"

<>

The Nomu pulled itself out of the the destroyed side of the Mountain Zone, pushing boulders off of its battered body.

Muscles screamed and strained as it pulled itself out of the crater it had formed. Fiber and skin knit together over bloodied bone, slower than the last few times as its regeneration was pushed to its limit. The constant damage from the fight as well as the toxic matter-devouring effect of the Witherhoard were taking their toll on the body of the Nomu.

The mindless creature pushed itself to its feet. It's desire to follow through on its master's commands drove it to keep getting back up, pushing by both Quirk regeneration and the healing power of the Light given by its ghost.

As it got to its feet, it was put back down by a hail of bullets. Projectiles rained down on the beast like a storm, flesh torn asunder by the might of lead. The Nomu's body was filled with so many holes that it simply fell to the ground in pieces, the Hive Ghost appearing and frantically trying to put its charge back together before the monster got too close.

Footsteps drew the attention of the Ghost, the tiny robot looking up frantically to see the beast it was afraid of.

He stepped over the crest of the mountain, a smoking gun in one hand and a grenade made of fire in the other.

The Guardian stared down at the Hive Ghost with a mix of emotions, the Ghost's sensors lit up completely red. His radar sensed danger from every direction.

There was no escape from him.

"I have some questions for you, traitor." The Young Wolf spoke, teeth glinting as he hissed out his words. His eyes shone with destruction and his tongue spoke of oblivion.

The Ghost knew who he was. His master told him tales of the risen, one single lightbearer who had been the end of so many entities greater than it.

His master told tales of shattered Hive ghosts and gods rended from reality and warped into weapons for his usage. Tales that all ended in the death of whoever stood in front of the monster.

He didn't know that the monster would be here, at the USJ. 

He frantically sped up his revival of his Nomu as the footsteps grew closer.

He hoped that he would live to tell his master of this.

...

....

...

Another shockwave rippled across the Downpour Zone, Melissa gritting her teeth as pain blossomed across her body.

She slid back on the asphalt, tearing up the ground as she slowed herself. The Full Armor was meant to handle One For All at a consistent output of about 30%, but she had been pushing 45% this entire fight. Melissa swore she could feel the shoulder joints begin to tear a little after that last punch.

She got back into her fighting stance, a sixth sense telling her that the fight was far from over. Through the wall of rain put up by the weather simulation, she saw a black and white blur dart behind a building.

The two had been fighting for a few minutes now, but Melissa truly believed it had been hours. 

'At least three broken ribs, my collarbone might be broken...' The girl tried to catalogue her injuries, waiting for the next encounter. She swung her arm a little, wincing at a sharp pain.

'...maybe a shoulder injury.' She thought, her musing interrupted by another flash of black.

Tsuyu dashed from behind a nearby building at speeds that forced Melissa up to 45% again, the blonde girl throwing up a cross arm block to take the hit. The force of the frog girl's kick flashed behind Melissa, the entire street ripping apart from the pressure.

'Damn it!'  She winced under the pressure, feeling the strain in her body amplify. She knew she had to end this now, practically hearing All Might in her head.

The thought brought her back to her training.

<>

Melissa scrunched her nose at the smell of the warehouse, the pungent odor of sweat and stale air practically punching her in the face.

She stepped forward through the dark building, her heeled shoes scraping against the pale concrete as she walked towards the center.

Illuminated by one large light, Yagi Toshinori stood in the center of an elevated platform. It was a large square, surrounded by three red ropes that emerged from each corner.

"Good morning, Young Melissa!" The hero boomed. He was in his hero form, shifting his weight between his feet as he bounced in the center of the boxing ring.

Melissa greeted him, pulling herself onto the platform and under the ropes.

"So Uncle Might...why are we training here now? Was I-Island not good enough?" She spoke, her tone sounding a little downtrodden. She loved I-Island,getting to go home to her workshop and make new inventions every day after training.

This dusty warehouse in New York was a far departure from the conditions she was used to. Toshinori turned to her, his smile still etched onto his face.

"Well, Young Melissa." The hero started. "Your weight training and conditioning has been going exceptionally well, but we have one last part of your conditioning to account for!"

He reached into a duffel bag placed on the side of the ring, before he shoved it off onto the floor. He tossed her the contents he had grabbed.

Melissa reached up, grabbing the objects out of the air. She looked down in her hands, now staring at a pair of boxing gloves.

"You have a sharp mind Melissa, and the instincts to use it. Therefore, I'm going to teach you how to box." Toshinori finished with a smile, donning his own gloves.

"Boxing..." The girl muttered, thinking before she put on the gloves. The muscular girl jumped in place, mimicking what All Might was doing to warm up. The number one hero ran her through a few warm exercises as he continued to speak.

"I wanted this part of our training to be in New York City, the place that birthed some of history's greatest boxers as well as some of the best heroes." Toshinori spoke, reverence clear in his voice.

"Your fighting style is loosely based on boxing, right?" Melissa asked, thinking back to all the times she has seen him fight. The hero nods as they finished warming up.

"Yes, but I tend to let my strength do the talking, not my technique. I'd like you to focus more on the technique while you're using lower levels of One For All."

Melissa nods, checking the straps on her gloves. She trusted All Might's judgement when it came to training, so she would go along with it and see where it leads.

"Now, first thing. As I said, you have a sharp mind and the speed to keep up with those thoughts." The symbol of peace spoke, hitting his gloves together. He was significantly more serious, now in instructor mode.

"You lack the endurance though." Melissa's face fell a little at this, a weakness she was already well aware of. 

"We can remedy that pretty easily though?" The girl spoke in a hopeful tone, wincing slightly in anticipation of her mentor's answer.

"Of course!" All Might started, getting into a boxing stance. He held his gloves so high up that you couldn't see the lower half of his face. His elbows were tucked in, guardian his core, and it almost looked like he was biting on his gloves with how close they were to his face.

Melissa recognized the stance briefly from her studies in fighting styles, trying to pick which one she wanted to learn. It was called 'peak-a-boo' style, resembling the children's game with how it looked to the opponent.

"Just put your opponent down first!"

<>

Melissa grit her teeth and swallowed the blood filling her mouth. She was running dry, her stamina hitting its limit. She thought back to training with All Might, months of getting in the ring with him every day and perfecting her fighting style. 

The bright smile of her mentor when she finally got those boxing combinations down, the laughs they would have together after hard days of training.

Well...Plus Ultra, right?

Melissa clenched her fists, feeling the raging storm concealed in her body get stronger. She loosened the chains she had on One for All, allowing it to rise from 45% to 60% as she felt her body roar in agony. 

She roared back, bringing her fists up to her chin in an act of defiance against her own pained body. Her veins lit up a bright cerulean color, matching the lightning that sparked across her body.

Tsuyu had been thrown back from the cross arm block, but the Taken know nothing of giving up. She dug her feet into the street, kicking off of the ground as it exploded with the force. She flew directly toward Melissa again, moving like a missile through the storm.

'Go beyond...' Melissa intoned her mentor's motto, watching as her possessed classmate flew forward. Melissa blocked the kick with her forearms, the Full Armor shattering under the force of the attack. Her pale skin was bright red now, purple bruising forming in seconds as Tsuyu bounced off the impenetrable guard of the hero student.

Tsuyu flew back from the force, unable to move in mid-air as Melissa peeked over her guard. If Tsuyu was of sound mind, she would have seen the typhoon reflected in the girl's brilliant blue eyes. 

She had been waiting for this moment, a single second where Tsuyu was unable to use her powerful legs to dodge her attacks. A moment like this one.

'Plus Ultra.'

The girl dashed forward and dug her feet into the ground as she stood in front of the girl. The ground cracked as she swung her weight, throwing a devastating right hook into the Taken girl's side. Under her fist, she felt ribs bend and break. She wasn't done yet.

Using her momentum, she swung her body down and around, throwing a left hook into the opposite side of her body. She continued the combination, rolling with her punches as lightning struck with each blow.

Tsuyu could only let out a hollow croak as she was hit, unable to move as punches pinned her in the air from both sides. Lightning struck one last time, Melissa winding up her last punch. 

Her veins burned hot with plasma as her body screamed in agony, but Melissa's face widened into a smile.

"Tokyo....SMASH!" She dug deep, throwing one final right hook directly into the girl's chest. The punch split the air, a massive explosion occurring as the fist impacted her sternum.

Tsuyu flew back, ragdolling across the entire Downpour Zone before her body landed in a crater formed from the impact.

Melissa fell to one knee, her chest heaving up and down as the lightning faded from her body. The blonde girl kept her smile up, even as blood leaked from her mouth.

A bright light interrupted her serenity, her eyes looking up towards the top of the USJ.

She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her eyes of whatever object was obstructing her vision. She shook her head and sighed. She probably just took too many hits during that fight and lost too much blood. She was starting to hallucinate.

She swore she could see the sun rising inside of the USJ.

...

....

...

The Nomu stood in the center of the plaza, the Hive Ghost floating over it's shoulder. Their eyes were turned up to the ceiling. 

"...please save us Master." The ghost whispered in fear. 

Dozens of feet above the center of the plaza, Izuku was wreathed in starlight. The wings unfolded from his back; beautiful feathers formed of light emerging as the sword formed in his hand.

He wasted no time, diving downward and slamming the sword into the chest of the Nomu. In less than a second, the body was reduced to ash under the heat of a dying star.

 The Hive Ghost jerked back to avoid the fire, staring at the blade impaled on the ground in fear. A hand reached out and gripped his shell, and he was met with the face of the Guardian.

He took the time to memorize the face of the monster that the Hive told stories of green hair crowning a face splattered with dark freckles. The one thing the stories all got right was his eyes, irises full of stardust and glee while he was in combat.

The guardian had no happiness on his face as he held the Hive Ghost, his grip strength cracking the outer layers of the chitin encasing it.

"Tell me who your master is." The Wolf growled out, his voice echoing deep in the light of the Ghost.

The guardian's ghost Lagann shimmered into existence, watching with silent hatred.

"N-never. I could never betray them. They would both kill me in worse ways than you could ever imagine!" The Hive Ghost stammered out, declaring his allegience to his masters.

Something shifted in Izuku's eyes, rage burning brighter than ever. "...Both of them? There are two."

The Hive Ghost felt his light run cold, having divulged information to the enemy without even meaning to.

A chill swept across the USJ, something changing in the energy of the building. The Hive Ghost felt the eyes of his master on him, rage filled eyes staring from across the boundaries of multiple dimensions.

Something far greater than all of them combined was now watching.

"No-...No master please! I beg, I didn't mean to! I swear allegiance to you, now and forever! Plea-" The ghost pleaded and cried to the open air, wrenching itself from Izuku's grip. 

It tried to fly away, fleeing up the stairs of the plaza as it tried to escape the ever-present gaze of the master it had so horribly failed. Shigaraki hissed in displeasure as one of his gifts had abandoned them.

Izuku and Lagann both watched as the Hive Ghost froze in the middle of the air, sparking wildly before the fabric of reality split open.

A hole opened up in the universe, the Hive Ghost caught in its path. The robot let out one last futile scream before it was swallowed, crushed to pieces as it was warped.

Izuku let his hands fall, weapons disappearing back into transmat space as he and Lagann shared another glance.

They had no time to talk as another shockwave resounded across the USJ. Izuku's eyes flashed up, staring at the top of the stairs above the plaza as he steeled himself for another fight.

"It's fine now!" The words echoed across the USJ, the voice familiar to all of the students.

All Might stepped forward, ripping his tie off as the other teachers followed in behind him.

"Because I am here!"

Shigaraki and Kurogiri watched with obvious displeasure, the former on the verge of a tantrum.

"No...no no no NO!" The villain screamed.

"Kurogiri. Get us out of here, now!" Shigaraki ordered the warper, his hands immediately going to his own neck as he began to scratch.

The man turned his bright yellow eyes to his master, the mist flickering with uncertainty. "...And what of the Taken experiment? Shall I get her as well?"

The mention only served to make Shigaraki angrier.

"No! If she hasn't returned to me by now, it means she has been beaten." The villain concluded.

With a ripping noise, Kurogiri opened himself wider. Within a second, the two villains had left the building.

Izuku fell to one knee now that the threat was gone, on the verge of passing out from the excessive use of light. He had done too much, shown off too much in his rage and hubris. He sat in silence with Lagann, neither able to express what was going through their minds.

The USJ was left in complete silence, the heroes running towards the students massed at the top of the stairs. Many began to break into tears as the sounds of sirens tore through the air, the noises approaching the USJ.

<>

Chapter Text

"It gets better. You get used to the pain...It's a time for mourning our lost. Yet everyone is... smiling. People say I'm disturbing." - Eris Morn

Naomasa Tsukauchi ran a hand through his hair, sighing softly as weariness had nearly consumed his body.

A paper cup rested on the stainless-steel table; the dark brown liquid inside having lost its heat hours ago as the investigation continued on. Papers lay scattered across the table, blurry images and pixelated screenshots from what the cameras at the USJ could capture before they were disabled. 

The detective stood in the small room, standing over the table as he scanned the images for what felt like the hundredth time. He knew what he was seeing, praise the powers that be if the images weren't burnt into his brain by now, it was just hard to make sense of. A planned and coordinated attack on a group of high school students with the intent to kill the number one hero.

Tsukauchi couldn't help the shudder that ran through his body as his eyes flicked over the picture of the Nomu. He was almost happy that there was nothing left of it that they could recover for analysis.

He was happy for a distraction as he heard the door handle click open, raising his head and purposefully not looking forward. He wished to avoid the large one-way mirror on the opposite side of the room for as long as possible. 

Hizashi Yamada stepped into the room, his iconic blonde hair in a bun now that he was off duty. The detective noted that he had splotches of blood on his sleeves, as well as a completely slouched posture. Tsukauchi couldn't help the pang in his chest when he saw the hero's bloodshot eyes and faint tear trails on his face.

Tsukauchi winced lightly, his eyes shining with compassion for the hero. He cleared his throat and spoke with apprehension. "...how is he?"

"Critical condition. Recovery Girl says he'll live though. They're in the operating room as we speak." Yamada spoke, struggling to not let his voice crack. He didn't dare look down at the pictures on the table, all of his focus was on the mirror to the adjacent room. He hadn't looked away since he had walked in.

The detective sighed, feeling a little weight come off of his chest. He had only seen Aizawa briefly after the USJ incident, the mutilated body of the hero had left a lasting image in his head. "Glad to hear...did he say anything before he went in? I need everything I can get here." 

Yamada nodded briefly, eyes still trained on the other room. "...his story lined up with what the students said."

The pressure returned, Tsukauchi's headache growing in intensity now. He finally turned his eyes up to the mirror, allowing himself to look into the other room now.

Through the one-way mirror was an almost perfect replica of the room they were in now. Sitting at the steel table, Izuku Midoriya sat with his hands in quirk-suppressing handcuffs. He rested his arms on the table gently, the boy's face indecipherable. He hadn't been given a chance to change, his clothes covered in dirt and blood. Tsukauchi couldn't even tell what the original color of the robes were, since they were so deeply stained with dried blood.

"Has he said anything since he was brought in?" Yamada asked, his voice monotone and dry. Tsukauchi couldn't start to imagine how Yamada was feeling right now, he only hoped that the hero would give this kid a fair shot. 

"...nothing coherent. He occasionally talked to himself in some language...no language I've ever heard though. Didn't even sound real." The detective comments, shuffling the images back into a folder. He thought back to the muttering, no language he knew included...chitters, like bug noises. He picked up the folder and put it under his arm, taking a deep breath.

"Is All Might joining us for this?" He asked, biting the inside of his cheek now.

Yamada shook his head briefly, more sorrow flooding the man's features. 

"He wanted to tell Melissa the news himself. He figured she would take it best if it came from him."

Tsukauchi nodded grimly. He hadn't seen Aizawa's injured state much, but he had been there when they had...recovered Tsuyu. Melissa deserved to get the news from someone she trusted. He took one final deep breath, trying to get all the feelings out of his system.

"Fine then. Let's go find out how Midoriya Izuku is still alive."

<>

She could still feel it. 

The vibrations of ribs cracking under her fists, the snap of shattering bones.

The smell of burnt flesh from her lightning.

She felt numb, despite the adrenaline having worn off. She knew she was out of the fight now, capable of thinking clearly now.

Not blinded by childish ambition or the need for heroics.

She...wasn't sure of anything anymore.

A light touch drew her attention back to reality. A large but frail hand clasped onto her shoulder, bringing some warmth into her life. She felt her eyes refocus; vision still blurry from tears but capable of seeing the world around her now.

Melissa turned her watery eyes up to her mentor, her body shaking now as she met his bright blue eyes.

"...did I kill her?" She shook with every word, barely able to get the words out as she felt her throat close.

Toshinori Yagi drew her into a hug, the young girl immediately wrapping her arms around his thin body. He could feel her shaking, desperately trying not to burst out into tears.

"We aren't sure how she died Young Melissa...We still aren't fully aware of what Shigaraki did to her." He spoke quietly, resting his head on top of hers. As she pulled herself deeper into his body, his heart ached for his successor.

"...Tsu is dead because of me!" Sobs began to rack her body, her shaking gone violent as she began to wail. 

In her desperate attempt to save her classmate, she hadn't been worrying about the damage she could have done. She figured that if she could beat her in a fight, she could undo whatever possession Shigaraki had placed on her. She hadn't thought...

It was too late for regrets though.

As her sobs echoed in the room, Toshinori could do nothing but hold his student as she mourned.

<>

Izuku looked up as Tsukauchi dropped a folder down on the table in front of him. He idly noted that Present Mic was standing in the back of the room now seeming...unfocused. Tsukauchi cleared his throat, drawing Izuku's attention back to the detective.

"All of the stories line up the same, Midoriya. Not a single detail misplaced, so it's best if you just cooperate from here on out." The man spoke, face stoic and voice grim. Izuku felt his heart drop a little at the serious tone that this interaction had started off with.

He opened the folder, sliding one photo forward. In some of the worst pixelation Izuku had ever seen, stood a blurry image of the Nomu and the ghost that had bonded with it.

Izuku looked up, meeting the intense brown eyes of the detective. Despite the dark circles under his eyes and the weary posture he held up his body with, Izuku shuddered a little at the pressure coming from the man.

"Izuku Midoriya, according to testimonies from multiple of your classmates as well as your teacher, you engaged in combat with the villain called Nomu. According to every single testimony...you died."

The detective didn't break eye contact as he continued, maintaining the pressure on the teen in front of him. The teen also felt Present Mic's eyes on him now, matching the intensity of Tsukauchi.

"You died several times in fact, so many that your peers lost count as they watched you get killed. They also reported you killed the Nomu several times, and it came back just like you. As well as the fact that you both have...Ghost, your quirk is called?" He looked down at another file briefly to check his facts.

"Both you and the Nomu had a Ghost. During our last meeting you didn't lie to me, but I could tell you were withholding information. We figured that it was acceptable that you were not helping villains nor affiliated with them, but recent events have shown that we made the wrong call there. Now..."

Izuku gulped lightly as the man leaned forward, his full attention trained on the man in front of him. 

"You have some explaining to do."

<>

Dry cracked hands moved up to his neck, clutching desperately at the string of the necklace wrapped around his neck.

There were no words that could properly express what Shigaraki was feeling at this moment. He was enraged, chest burning with a roaring violent feeling as he toiled over the failed attack on the USJ. Beyond even that, there was a feeling he could not shake.

Shame.

Utter and complete shame at his failure, the plan he had cultivated so carefully on his own had been torn to pieces by only two high school kids. Untrained children who hadn't even been a thought in his mind during his planning stages. They were kids!

His hand hovered over the worn wood of the bar's counter, every part of his body telling him to slam his fingers down and destroy the bar. If he tore it all down, there would be nobody left to see his failures. Nobody left to judge him. 

The void called to him, begging him to use it against any and all in his path. His fingers began to glow with a sickly light as they got closer and closer to the table...

A gust of air from behind him drew him from his musings.

Stepping in from a portal devoid of light, a man entered the bar. His black suit was flawless and it's gorgeous fabric shimmered under the yellowed lights of the room. His massive frame drew all attention to him, and his perfect posture and elegant gait showcased perfect control and discipline. The defining feature of this man was the large black featureless mask clamped around his head, oxygen tubes laced around it leading to the front of the mask. 

Shigaraki jumped off of his seat, and immediately bowed to the man with complete reverence. "Sensei...how did the meeting go?" He asked, voice quiet and trying to hide the shakiness in his tone.

The man walked further in placing his hands on the counter. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, silent for a few moments.

"...our benefactor is not happy with you, Tomura." All for One spoke, his mask making his speech sound muffled and almost robotic. His body wasn't facing Tomura at all, simply facing the wall.

Shigaraki's hands clenched, nails digging into his palms and drawing blood. His body shook lightly as he tried to steel himself.

"He sees you unfit. He will not take back the power he has granted you, but there will be someone else in charge of the operations from now on."  The villain spoke, his own shame evident in his voice.

"...and about the student? The one who killed the Nomu?" Shigaraki asked, bloodlust leaking into his tone.

"That is not for you to question anymore, Tomura." All for One snapped, turning to face his student. "We are in no place to make demands or queries. You have already placed us on thin ice, let us not break the only thing holding us up."

Shigaraki's head went down, eyes averting to the floor. He bit his lip nervously, feeling the taste of iron blossom in his mouth.

He knew he had messed up. He would simply have to prove that he was still worth trusting, right?

"...our orders, Sensei?"

"We have been told to wait until after the Sports Festival. They wish to observe the student before we act."

Shigaraki nodded, feigning complacency. He doubted he could wait that long, even if Sensei told him not to.

He could feel it tremor, the string around his neck moved with every emotional fluctuation inside of him. He reached under his shirt gently and pulled the necklace into the palm of his hand.

Cold against the skin of his chest, the small stone tablet vibrated, no, resonated with him.

It stung him to his very core, striking a darkness inside of his heart that he never knew had been there. 

The tablet whispered secrets to him that he could never understand but desperately hoped to. It validated his feelings when nobody else would.

They simply didn't see his worth. They would know. They would all know how useful he could be.

<>

A ghost in a chitinous shell floated a few feet away from a massive silver structure, clicking and beeping quietly in thought. 

It rested in a massive room forged from lustrous metal, devoid of any natural structure or craftmanship. It was as if it had been willed into shape with no finesse or elegance, the room full of sharp edges and clunky structuring. In the center of the room, rested a massive throne forged from sharp points and twisted edges. The osmium metal that made up the entire room shimmered under the harsh white light of the Ascendant Realm.

The Hive Ghost moved closer to the throne, beeping lightly before speaking up.

"My lord...was it wise to leave the human with a piece of the Tablet of Ruin?"

Silence reigned over the room, an intense pressure falling as the person sitting in the throne turned their attention to the ghost.

"...are you questioning my decision, Immaru?"

The world seemed to quiver as he spoke, the Throne World rippling in response to it's creators emotions. Immaru immediately floated lower and averted its eye.

"N-no my lord. I simply wished to know the way forward. Your tactician wishes to know your plans to properly accommodate, t-that it all..."

The pressure lessened, and Immaru turned his eye up to face the throne again. The light coming from the sky was behind the throne now, casting the front of it into deep shadows. Even through these shadows, Immaru could see three green glowing eyes staring back at him. 

The Hive Ghost could feel his own worth being judged, not just by the glance but by the Throne World around him. It was as if he would be cut down as soon as the Sword Logic that governed this world decreed it.

"...that child will act as a catalyst. He will go against everything he is told; the tablet has already wormed its way into his soul."

The voice speaks, the osmium metal of the throne warping behind him with each word. The sharp edges of the throne seem to be twisting themselves into a shape, merging together.

"I wish to watch how these two interlopers react to it. Then we will strike, when the time is right."

The man stands now, standing well over two stories tall. Chitinous armor glints under the light of the Ascendant Realm as he plunges his hand into his throne, ripping it from the floor entirely. Immaru floats backwards a few feet, his shell shaking in fear.

"Kingslayer...Hivebane...Crota's End." He tests the words out on his tongue, before he chitters in disgust. The metal throne has warped itself into a massive sword, glowing a bright green in his hands now. 

"I look forward to breaking you once more."