Chapter Text
Izuku gasped in pain as he lay on the ground in the fetal position. A kick to his back made him whimper as the people around him laughed.
“The fuck are you still doing here?” One of the bullies jeered. “You aren't welcome here. A nobody like you should know their place.”
Another bully spit a wad of mucus at Izuku. “You think just because you are smart you are better than us?”
“N-no…I never-” Izuku’s weak pleading was interrupted by another kick to the gut.
“Shut the fuck up dickwad.” A third bully cackled. “People with no talent like you should just die.”
Izuku hated this routine, but he did not have many other options. He just had to let the bullies beat him up and wait for them to get bored. That usually got him a few days of peace before they came back again ready for another round of abuse.
It was definitely not the university life he had been dreaming of.
Finally, the leader of the bullies stood up from where she had been sitting nearby. “Nothing but a pussy as usual.” She said with contempt. “This isn't the place for you Izuku. We aren't kids anymore. It's time for you to accept that you will never be anything more than a background character. The sooner you accept it and leave, the better your life will be.”
Izuku knew he shouldn't say anything. He knew he should just stay quiet and let the bullies leave.
But he just couldn't help himself.
“What is wrong with me wanting to help?” Izuku mumbled. “We grew up wanting to be heroes together…why wont you just leave me alone, Katsumi?”
Katsumi Bakugo, Izuku’s former childhood friend, stared down at him with a blank expression.
“Because your face pisses me off.” She said without a hint of remorse. “Now shut up and clench your teeth.”
As a rain of fists descended on him, Izuku braced himself for the new round of pain he had earned himself.
Izuku opened the door to his dorm room and sighed tiredly as he gingerly touched his split lip. Dropping his dirty bookbag on the ground, Izuku grabbed a remote off a nearby shelf and turned on a small television sitting in the corner of the tiny room. Walking over to his minifridge, Izuku pulled out a frozen bag of peas and gently held it against the bruises on his face as a news reporter talked in the background.
“-earlier today a level three hellgate opened downtown. Luckily, a squad from the Blue Lotus Guild was nearby and quickly closed it before any monsters had the chance to escape and cause any damage. This was the third hellgate opening this week, leading the Public Safety Administration to increase the threat level from one to two. In other news…”
Izuku ignored the rest of the news report, retrieving his laptop from his bed and turning it on as he sat down at his desk.
Hellgates were interdimensional portals that randomly appeared all over the world. Whenever they opened, horrific monsters of all shapes and sizes rushed out to cause as much chaos and destruction as they could. It had been over three hundred years since the first hellgate appeared, and society had slowly adapted over time as humanity learned how to combat them.
Opening his half-finished report, Izuku unenthusiastically began to type. After five minutes of staring at the rows of words, Izuku gave up and opened the web browser. Immediately going to one of his bookmarked pages, Izuku watched as endless rows of videos appeared before him. Clicking on one that caught his eye, Izuku watched as a man wearing casual clothes studded with armor plates clobbered a car-sized insectoid monster with a massive war-hammer. As the video ended, Izuku already had another ready to go. This one featured a handsome elf skewering a snarling werewolf on the end of his spear, then igniting the monster with a blazing fireball from his outstretched hand.
As Izuku queued another video, he sighed wistfully as his mind began to wander. His whole life he had dreamed of fighting monsters and saving the day like the people in the videos, but fate had decided he would never get the chance.
The first hellgates were symptoms of something now referred to as The Great Shattering. In the year 2000 AD, earth underwent a nearly apocalyptic event that changed the course of history forever. For unknown reasons, Earth’s dimension collided with two others, shattering the barriers separating the three. This shattering of the dimensional walls led to the discovery of a whole new form of energy.
Magic.
The Great Shattering was the start of a whole new era of advancement for humanity. Not technologically, but magically. With magic quickly becoming commonplace, humanity focused on not just learning, but mastering this strange new energy. In the present day, 97% of humans had magic running through their veins. Some were more magically gifted than others, and these select few were highly valued in all fields.
Scrolling through videos, Izuku ignored the clips of an upcoming idol group that had exploded in popularity. It was an all-girl group, featuring two humans, one elf, and a cat-girl. While their songs were catchy, Izuku was not interested in them enough to buy any of their merchandise. Closing a pop-up ad about cheap pills that could double your magic power overnight, Izuku soldiered on.
The two neighboring dimensions earth now had access to were populated by races previously only mentioned in fantasy and stories.
Elves and Beastmen.
Surprisingly, the two races were almost exactly as they were portrayed in human media. Elves were beautiful and graceful, considerably talented in all forms of magic, and were nigh immortal in terms of lifespan. While elves were generally gracious and respectful, some of them tended to be quite haughty and arrogant if you got on their bad side. Beastmen were far more varied in terms of appearance. They ranged from hulking brutes like the lions and oxen, to lithe acrobats like rabbits and cheetahs. Every beastman was physically stronger than most humans and elves, but not as adept in terms of magical ability. Beastmen also tended to be much more upfront and honest in terms of personality, but if you managed to befriend one they would be your friend for life.
Clicking on a specific video, Izuku sighed wistfully as he watched a purple-haired girl with elf ears conjure a bow of lightning. In front of her was a twenty-foot tall beast, an amalgamation of snapping jaws and stone-like skin that howled like a feral berserker. As the monster charged towards her, the archer fearlessly stood her ground and drew the string of her crackling bow back. Right before the monster was about to crush her, the elf released a single shot with a boom like a thunderclap. In a flash of light the monster was blown apart, the only remaining evidence of its existence being its smoldering legs.
That was what he wanted to be. A fearless protector of the weak and innocent.
Yet he couldn't even stand up to his bullies, let alone summon a single spark of magic.
Realizing two hours had passed in the blink of an eye, Izuku turned off his laptop and got ready for bed. While his classes did not start early, Izuku had learned that the best way to avoid the bullies was to get to the classroom early and hang out there. At least then the bullying would be restricted to simple insults and harassment.
The next morning, Izuku woke up as usual and quickly prepared himself for the day. Slapping on a few bandages and cleaning off the trash that had been dumped on his bookbag, Izuku left his dorm room and began the trek to his first class.
Halfway to his destination, Izuku felt his stomach grumble loudly. Usually he skipped breakfast, but today seemed to be one of those days where his stomach objected to the normal routine. Making a slight detour, he stopped at a nearby convenience store to pick up a breakfast sandwich. Food now in hand, Izuku resumed his walk to the classroom.
Coming to a stop at the edge of a busy street, Izuku let out a slight sigh of relief as he spotted the roof of his destination only a block away. All he needed to do was wait for the crosswalk light to change, then he was less than a minute away from his destination. As the crowd waiting to cross the street grew, Izuku suddenly heard voices that made his blood run cold.
Looking over his shoulder, Izuku spotted Katsumi and her gang of cronies walking down the street towards him. It seemed that they hadn't spotted him yet since he was mostly obscured by the crowd, but Izuku knew that all it would take was a single glance for them to spot him. Shrinking down slightly in an attempt to hide his bushy green hair, Izuku frantically prayed for the light to change.
Just as Katsumi and her gang were about to reach the edge of the crowd, Izuku felt a strange sensation wash over him. All of the hair on his body stood on end, and the faint smell of sulfur permeated the air. Suddenly realizing what was happening, Izuku straightened up to warn everyone. Only to realize he was too late.
In the middle of the street, a tear in reality formed. Widening to become large enough for a car to fit through, the hellgate materialized with a muted boom. The surrounding area was bathed in a hellish red light, and moments later a single hideous monster emerged.
Panic immediately engulfed the area, but it was already too late. As pedestrians flooded the street in a terrified stampede the monster let out a bellowing roar and began its rampage.
The monster itself appeared to be some sort of combination of lizard and crustacean. Four stumpy legs carried a bloated body covered in scales, and three arms ending in razor sharp pincers complimented a head covered in eye stalks. Its gaping mouth was filled with rows upon rows of shark-like teeth, and a long tongue covered in serrated spikes wiggled in the air disgustingly.
With speed that did not fit such a large body, the monster pounced on a nearby car. Peeling off the roof like it was made of paper, the monster skewered the screaming driver and passenger with its claws before greedily slurping them up.
As the monster continued to devour the closest humans, Izuku found himself being swept up in the panicking crowd. Almost losing his footing, Izuku managed to duck behind a nearby food cart as the stampede thundered by. Feeling himself begin to hyperventilate, Izuku’s mind went blank as terror overtook him.
He knew he should be trying to escape, he knew he should be utilizing any of the survival tips the safety administration constantly broadcast, he knew he should be doing anything but cowering like a little kid.
But he couldn't.
The screams of the dying and the triumphant roars of the monster felt like they were bouncing around in his head. The horrible imagery of people dying right in front of him felt like it was constantly on repeat. It was all too much, and the overwhelmed Izuku could do nothing but curl up into a ball and whimper in fear.
But just as Izuku had accepted the fact he would die a horrible death, the sound of a defiant yell broke through his mental fog.
“COME AT ME YOU UGLY FUCK!!”
In a small part of his brain, Izuku recognized the voice. That small detail drove away the terror for a few seconds, allowing Izuku to get up and peek around the edge of the food cart.
In the middle of the street, Katsumi stood facing the monster. Her hands glowing with barely contained explosive energy as her clothes fluttered slightly in the wind.
Pausing in the middle of feasting on a chubby office worker, the monster turned around to face Katsumi with what could only be described as curiosity.
For a second, Izuku was absolutely bewildered at Katsumi’s actions. However, movement in the distance caught his attention. Several pedestrians that had been trapped in an alley were quickly sneaking away while the monster’s back was turned, and Izuku realized that Katsumi had purposefully drawn the monster's attention for that exact reason.
“CHEW ON THIS YOU FAT PIECE OF SHIT!!”
Katsumi roared defiantly as she charged the monster, quickly closing the distance before leaping up and discharging two fistfuls of explosive energy directly into the monster’s face.
But before the smoke had even cleared, Katsumi was sent flying backwards by a backhand swipe of one of the monster’s pincers.
Bouncing several times, Katsumi rolled to a stop as the unharmed monster let out a bestial roar of anger. Picking herself up, the now bloodied Katsumi cradled a broken arm as she spat out a tooth.
“You ain't stopping me just yet fugly.” Katsumi said cockily as she raised a fist. “Let's dance.”
Izuku watched in horror as the monster charged Katsumi. She may be talented, and she may have an above average magical aptitude, but Izuku knew Katsumi had no chance of beating the monster. The only thing she was doing was preventing the monster from killing anyone else, and keeping it occupied until professional heroes arrived.
Watching his bully bravely fight a losing battle, Izuku gripped the edge of the cart tightly. Katsumi may be a jerk, but she didn't deserve to die like this. As much as Izuku hated to admit it, Katsumi had much more to give to society than he did. She was strong and talented, and after she got proper training and equipment she was surely going to be one of the best heroes around.
Standing up on shaky legs, Izuku looked around for any way he could help. Katsumi was already injured, and it was only a matter of time before the monster overpowered her. She didn't have much time remaining, and if Izuku didn't do anything to help she was going to die very soon.
Spotting the half-eaten corpse of a nearby policeman, Izuku saw the dead man’s pistol laying on the ground a few feet away. As the battle between human and monster continued nearby, Izuku stumbled over and picked up the gun with trembling hands.
Quickly analyzing the scene, Izuku quickly came to a conclusion. Merely distracting the monster was not going to do anything, he needed some way to stop it immediately. The sinister glow of the hellgate caught Izuku’s eye, and he had an idea. While hellgates were used by monsters as entrances to the human world, they were also exits. Izuku remembered seeing several clips online of injured monsters fleeing heroes and escaping back into the hellgate, never to be seen again. He needed to get the monster go back into the hellgate, and there was only one way that would work
What he was doing was stupid. Beyond stupid. But deep down Izuku knew why he was doing it. This was his chance to help. To do something meaningful with his life. If he didnt do anything, he knew he would regret his inaction for the rest of his life.
It was his chance to be a hero.
Stumbling over to the hellgate, Izuku stood right at the edge of the infernal portal. People had gone into hellgates before, but nobody had ever returned. Whatever was on the other side was a guaranteed death sentence.
Turning around, Izuku tried to take a calming breath. He felt like he was going to throw up, and it was taking all of his mental strength to not cry like a baby. His hands shook uncontrollably, and he could barely keep his legs from collapsing underneath him.
But it was now or never, and he had to try.
At the other end of the street, Katsumi had been backed into a corner. Her broken arm hung limply, and her casual clothes had been ripped in a dozen places to reveal deep gashes in her skin. One eye was caked in dried blood, and her unruly blonde hair was stained with streaks of red. Swaying unsteadily on her feet, she weakly raised her one good fist in defiance.
“Just…wait…fugly…” She panted. “Im…not…done…yet.”
A shot suddenly rang out, and a single bullet pinged against the side of the monster’s head.
Both the monster and Katsumi turned to look in the direction the bullet had come from, only to see Izuku standing in front of the hellgate with a pistol in his hands.
“Izuku?” Katsumi whispered in disbelief.
Holding the pistol tightly with both hands, Izuku fired another shot. Honestly, he was amazed he had hit the monster at all. The gun was shaking so much in his hands that he had been afraid he might hit Katsumi by accident.
By sheer luck, the second bullet hit one of the monster’s tiny insectoid eyes. Reeling back in pain, the monster howled in agony as purple blood dripped down its face.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IZUKU?!?!” Katsumi screamed in panic.
Katsumi completely forgotten, the enraged monster charged Izuku like a scale-covered truck.
“NO!” Katsumi screamed as she tripped and fell to the ground, her good hand reaching out to Izuku desperately.
Dropping the gun, Izuku looked into Katsumi’s eyes as the howling monster barreled towards him.
“Looks like you wont have to see my face anymore.” Izuku said with a sad smile.
Waiting long enough to guarantee that the monster’s charge would send it careening back into the hellgate, Izuku stepped backwards into the portal. Katsumi’s anguished screams echoing in his ears the entire time.