Chapter Text
It was a normal day at U.A. The classroom of Class 1-A was starting to fill with students—some still half-asleep, others chatting excitedly with each other. Izuku Midoriya had just walked through the door when a familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Deku!” Uraraka called out, hurrying over to him.
Several classmates looked up at the shout. Uraraka stopped right in front of him, frowning and holding her phone in her hand.
“Oh, hey Uraraka,” he greeted her with a soft smile. “Is something wrong?”
Before she could answer, Todoroki walked up with a firm step, cutting her off.
“Haven’t you seen the news?”
Izuku blinked in confusion. He looked around—many of his classmates were absorbed in their phones. Even Iida and Asui, usually focused in class, were silently sharing a screen.
“There was a blackout at my house last night,” he explained, scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile. “I haven’t seen anything... What happened?”
Uraraka ran to her seat, rummaged through her backpack, and came back with her phone unlocked. Her face was tense as she began to read:
> “Last night, during her patrol, Pro Hero Mirko detected suspicious movement in an abandoned building. Thinking it was vandals, she went in to investigate. Just as she was about to leave, she saw a small figure running down a hallway. As she approached, she found a dirty, frightened child. He was screaming that they couldn’t leave, that there were more kids inside. Alarmed, Mirko called for backup. Best Jeanist and Death Arms arrived shortly after. Together, they discovered an underground bunker. Inside, they found thirty-seven boys and girls in alarming conditions…”
Uraraka turned off the screen.
“That was last night.”
Silence fell over the group for a moment. Even Kaminari stopped joking. Deku swallowed hard, shaken.
“That’s... horrible,” he whispered. “Are the kids okay?”
“There’s not much information yet,” Todoroki murmured. “But everyone’s wondering how so many could go missing without anyone noticing.”
“And why now…?” Deku began to say, but was interrupted.
“To your seats,” ordered Mr. Aizawa, appearing in the doorway with his usual tired expression.
Class began, and the rest of the day passed normally... at least on the surface. But Deku couldn’t stop thinking about what he had heard. Something about that story wouldn’t let him rest.
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The Midoriya Household
Izuku was about to leave his room when he heard a familiar voice in the living room.
“All Might?” he whispered in surprise. He went to greet him, but his mentor raised a hand, gently stopping him.
“Izuku, could you wait a moment? We need to speak with your mother in private,” he said seriously—something rare for him.
Izuku frowned and stayed in the hallway, listening from the slightly open door.
“Are you sure my son is involved?” Inko asked tensely, her hands clenched on her lap.
“We don’t know for certain yet, Mrs. Midoriya,” All Might replied, his face grim. “But that’s why the trip is necessary. The letter you received contains all the details. Your son is a key piece—though we don’t yet know why.”
“Alright,” she said after a long silence. “But if you find out Izuku has nothing to do with this, I want him brought back immediately.”
“You have my word,” All Might said firmly. “I will protect your son.”
“I hope so, Mr. All Might… I really do,” Inko repeated, lowering her gaze.
On the other side of the door, Izuku held his breath.
Involved? What letter? What trip?
He didn’t understand any of it. His mind was a whirlwind of questions—but something deep inside already knew:
his life was about to change.