DISCLAIMER: I don't own Boku No Hero Academia. Not the manga, not the anime, not the gadgets. I only own my characters created for this story.

HOW TO READ:

"Speaking."

"Kami / All Might / Kurogiri voice."

'Thinking.'

"SHOUTING!"

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THE CARDS COLLECTOR

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CHAPTER 1: DRAW YOUR CARD, IZUKU!

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[Musutafu, Japan]

"Idiot...how can he suggest something like jumping from a building?" grumbled a young boy with dark green hair, wiping his face from tears with one arm while he held a burned notebook against his chest with the other "Why can not he leave me alone? My dream is not stupid!"

Looking ahead, his bright green eyes noticed a dark underpass that would shorten the path to his house. Without even thinking about it, the young boy took it as he had done many in the past, continuing to think about what had happened a few minutes before at school.

"Yet I had already decided when my mother also lost hope about me..." he suddenly raised his head, clenching a fist in front of him with a determined look "I decided not to care about what anyone says!" but then his face darkened again and the boy seemed to lose all his energy "Ten years have passed since then and I'm still at the same point..."

When he was at the end of the underpass, the boy suddenly closed his eyes because of a sudden flash of light, attributing the cause to the sun, but when he reopened them, they almost fell out of their sockets, because in front of him there wasn't the usual group of houses that he was used to seeing.

There was absolutely nothing in front of him.

Above him, the sky was blue and bright with the presence of some clouds that moved placidly but there was nothing around him. Looking down with shocked eyes, he almost screamed at seeing his reflection as if he were walking on a mirror.

"W-Wha...?! Whe-Where am I?!" he looked around again, trying to find something, anything!

"Calm down, Midoriya Izuku. Everything's fine."

That soothing female voice had the opposite effect on the boy, especially because whoever had spoken was right behind him, making the green-haired boy jump for the fright before falling to the ground. Looking up to find out who had spoken, Izuku had no trouble seeing a woman standing a few feet away from him.

She was tall, with a slender body covered mostly by a long white dress with golden hems and a hood pulled down over her face, which didn't prevent him from seeing the golden bandages over her eyes. With a smile on her lips, she walked towards Izuku barefoot and held out a hand "Here, let me help you."

Izuku stared at her uncertainly but above all still afraid of what was happening. However, something in the back of his mind urged him to accept that woman's help, so he gently grabbed her hand and she helped him get up. The boy then took a step back muttering a quick "Thank you" before looking back at the face of the woman, who was still smiling.

"E-Err...w-who are y-you?" asked Izuku trying to master all his courage.

The woman giggled at him before gesturing to her right "Why don't we accommodate first?"

Looking at his left, Izuku was completely shocked to see two white leather couches placed one in front of the other with a small coffee table between them. Where the hell did they come out of? When he saw the woman approach the couches, Izuku was quick to follow before sitting down in front of her with an uncertain look, trying to occupy as little space as possible.

Noting that detail, she giggled again "Try to relax, Izuku. I want to help you." her smile widened slightly "To answer your previous question, I am the goddess of this world, but you probably know me as Kami."

His heart stopped suddenly. His eyes and his mouth were wide open and his mind was completely blank. For several seconds Izuku stood like that but then his mind came back to work. More or less.

"K-K-K-KAMI?! B-But...?! H-H-How?! Y-You...!"

"Izuku." she raised a hand with the smile still on her face "Take a deep breath and calm down. Would you like a cup of chamomile to calm your nerves?"

Looking at the table, Izuku noticed that there was a steaming cup right in front of him. Taking the cup with trembling hands, he tried to drink a few sips and managed not to spill the chamomile, while the woman waited patiently with the hands crossed on her lap. After several minutes, the boy seemed to calm down even though his eyes were anything but calm.

"Now, as I said, I am the goddess of this world but you humans have given me different names depending on your religions." she said with a tone of voice that Izuku would have expected from a teacher ready for a lesson "My Father created me billions of years ago and instructed me to monitor this planet to follow its evolution."

"F-F-Father?!"

"Why, of course. He's the one above everything. He has created thousands of universes and still creates them." explained Kami with a smile "Whenever a planet is ready to host life, he assigns a deity to that world so that it doesn't die. We deities are the reason why life evolves over the years, even though we actually only give it a little help. In my case I have only helped your race on two occasions. The first time was when I lit the fuse for the beginning of your evolution, while the second was when I gave life to the Quirks."

Again, Izuku was speechless. Kami was the origin of Quirks? Izuku wasn't a very religious person and had always thought that science would give an answer to one of the most important dilemmas of humanity, but after many decades they had not yet been able to find out how the advent of the first newborn with a Quirk had been possible. Some argued that it was a virus, others said that the reason was an unknown mutagen while others...

A giggle interrupted his disjointed mumbling that practically all his peers found creepy. Looking back at Kami, Izuku blushed when he realized what he had done "S-S-Sorry! I-It's just...!"

"Worry not, Izuku." said Kami with a smile "It's just a part of you, there's nothing wrong with it."

"T-Thank you..." after a couple of seconds, he asked "H-H-How did y-you create t-the Q-Quirks?"

"Simple. I decided it. We deities can influence the evolution of a species as we see fit, even influencing the entire planet. Yet despite our powers, our Father has placed limitations on what we can and can not do. One of these concerns the obligation to leave most events to fate, without being able to intervene." she explained with a calm voice "An example would be the extinction of the dinosaurs. I couldn't prevent it despite being capable of it because it was destined to happen. We can't stop wars, not directly at least, we can't resurrect those who have died and we can't even kill a fly, despite having divine powers. All we can do is help in the evolution of species. When I made the Quirks appear, I did it because humans had reached their pinnacle of evolution. For a long time I hoped that humanity would evolve so as to reach higher levels, achieved only by some geniuses of the past but unfortunately in the end there was no progress." a globe of light materialized in front of her, showing fragments of the past to Izuku "Thanks to my intervention, many wars have ceased but as you know, the birth of the Quirks led to the appearance of heroes and villains."

"U-Uh...y-you h-have created a-all Quirks?"

"No, I have simply 'added' an evolutionary factor in your genes. All the Quirks of the past, present and future are the fruits of your evolution. It's like when you roll a snowball down a mountain. As it rolls, it will acquire speed and more snow. We deities are those who roll the ball at the beginning, but then its path is decided by fate." said Kami showing him the famous Luminescent Baby before many other Quirks "Unfortunately we can't directly influence every single living being, all we can do is hope that evolution will happen for everyone, but as I could see for myself, it's never like that."

"W-What do y-you mean?" asked Izuku, listening to the story with interest despite being still shocked.

"When I started the evolution of the human race, many primates began to evolve, starting to walk on two legs and using primitive tools, but unfortunately this evolution didn't happen for everyone. What today are simple apes are the descendants of those primates that haven't evolved like all the others. Yes, they evolved in different ways but they never got to the point of becoming like the rest of the humans." explained the woman showing Izuku images dating back to the first human beings before changing them, showing images of today and among them he saw a picture of himself, much to his confusion "As you probably would have guessed, people without a Quirk, commonly called Quirkless, are those who failed to reach the next stage of evolution and unfortunately this event is purely coincidental. You, and the rest of the twenty percent of humanity that doesn't posses a Quirk, are practically a step below all others in terms of evolution."

Izuku stood there, looking at her with pain in his eyes "I...I see..."

"Many of my brothers and sisters have done like me at some point...one of them has influenced the planet assigned to him, thus creating a new energy that some humans have used to become more than just humans, giving life to magic. In that world, magic isn't accessible to everyone and only fifteen percent of people can hope to become a mage." she continued with a sad smile "Yet another has done something quite common and has created sub-divinities that could interact with humans, obviously with more limited powers, and eventually his actions gave life to chakra, a natural energy used by the people of the his planet to accomplish incredible feats." whenever she spoke, the images changed, showing Izuku worlds and people different from those he was used to "One of my favorite sisters has even created special fruits capable of giving incredible powers to those who eat them, in a world covered for the most part of water."

The green-haired boy nodded slowly. Everything that was happening was incredible, he couldn't deny it. He had just discovered that Kami was real, that she had created the Quirks and that there were so many planets out there, all different from his own...yet the fact that Izuku had discovered that he hadn't evolved like everyone else had hit him hard.

"However...in the different planets I have observed as life on Earth progresses, I have rarely seen such a level of hatred, indifference and derision towards those who aren't like everyone else." continued Kami with a frown "Just because you are Quirkless doesn't mean that others have the right to insult and laugh at you. Compared to many of my brothers and sisters, I have a personality very similar to that of a mother and I always try to help my children when they are in trouble. Every day I look carefully at all those who are Quirkless like you, and believe me when I tell you that you are among those who suffer the most. And that brings us to the reason why I decided to bring you here."

Izuku looked up again, his interest captured by those words since that was one of the questions for which he hoped to receive an answer.

"As I said, our Father has decided many rules that we must follow but in the end he is not cruel and is able to let go if for once we do not follow them to the end. We must let events unfold according to fate. The fact that you were born Quirkless shows that I haven't intervened in any way in your birth. We can't directly influence every single living being, but I think that for one person in seven and a half billion nobody will have anything to say." Kami showed him a warm smile before opening her left hand, creating a small white orb "Despite everything that has happened to you in life, you have always tried to reach your dream and this is something that few people have. And that's why I decided to use my 'free pass' with my Father by giving you a Quirk created by me."

For the second time, his heart stopped. There he was, in front of Kami herself and she had just told him that she wanted to give him a Quirk created by her. If his mind hadn't been busy making him remember how to breathe, it would have exploded at that precise moment.

"A Q-Quirk?! F-F-For me?!"

"Yes, a unique Quirk and I will explain how to use it as soon as you have decided whether to accept it or not." said Kami with a nod, confusing the young boy. Why should he not accept it? Having a Quirk has always been his greatest desire (after wanting to be a hero of course). Noticing his confusion, she showed him a sad smile "This Quirk could forever change the way you see the world, Izuku. I don't mean it with malice, but right now you have a naive vision of the world, where there are only black and white and you can not see what's in between. I have watched you since you were born and I am sure that if you accept this Quirk, your life will change forever."

Izuku looked at her with a new sense of insecurity. Change his life forever? Well it was still a Quirk created by the goddess of the world and certainly not something simple to understand. Izuku had always wanted a Quirk and now he could get one but he didn't know what that Quirk was about, besides the fact that the words of the goddess were cryptic in many ways.

Looking at the white globe first and then at the goddess, Izuku said "I've a-always wanted a Q-Quirk to become a h-hero. Until today I d-didn't think I could get o-one because a-all Quirks show up at t-the age of four...and that's w-why I can not refuse. I don't k-know what w-will change in m-my life but I don't want to give up t-the only chance I have to become a hero a-and save people!"

She smiled at his words, though it was a sad smile, and reached out to him "Then accept this Quirk and become my champion."

Izuku arched an eyebrow, confused by that word "C-Champion?"

"Yes, it's the term used to indicate the person who has received the favor of a deity. Each deity can have only one champion and, before you worry, being my champion will not change anything for you. You will not be forced to perform deeds for me or to address other samples." explained Kami with a calm voice.

He nodded slowly before stretching his hand and touching the white orb that shattered instantly. Soon after, Izuku was enveloped in a strong white glow that vanished within a few seconds and when he looked at his body to notice changes, he saw none.

'So...not a Mutant-type Quirk...?' thought Izuku before looking at the woman who was now sporting a warm smile.

"From your reaction I imagine you expected a physical change. Desolate in informing you that yours is not just a simple Mutant-type Quirk, in fact, your Quirk could be excluded from the three known categories as it could be included in all three." said Kami with a giggle "You now own a unique Quirk that can not be copied or stolen. Its name is 'Cards Collector'."

"Cards Collector...?" repeated Izuku with a strange feeling in the chest.

"Yes, it is a complex Quirk with many uses but that could help you in any situation." with a quick snap of her fingers, dozens of luminous cards materialized in the air in front of Izuku. Some of them were showing weapons, other food, but also Quirks, clothes and much more. With another snap the cards shattered into luminous fragments and the woman pointed to the table, where a knife had appeared "Now I will explain the multiple uses of your Quirk. First of all, take that knife and think about turning it into a card."

Izuku picked up the knife but then didn't know how to proceed "U-Uh...how-?"

"Simply, think of turning it into a card. Your mind is strong and will play an important role in the use of your Quirk."

Izuku nodded slowly before closing his eyes. Doing as requested, he merely thought that the knife would turn into one of the cards he had seen a few seconds before and, when he felt the object change, he opened his eyes, staring with his mouth wide open at the card that he was clutching between his fingers.

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Kitchen Knife (Common Quality)

Weapon Card

Value: 1500 ¥

Description: A simple kitchen knife with a wooden handle. The blade is sharp and resistant and can cut several known foods, but also materials such as cloth and rubber.

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"W-Wow..." breathed Izuku reading the description of the card.

"That is the first ability of your Quirk. You can turn objects into cards so you can always have them with you. Of course you can also turn them from cards to objects when you have to use them." explained Kami with a smile "This ability can be used with inanimate objects, including food and clothing, but you can't use it on living beings or objects larger than yourself. Moreover, as you have noted, every single object has a 'name', a 'quality', a 'type', a 'value' and a 'description'. The first one is self explanatory, the second indicates the quality of that object, the third is the type of card, the fourth indicates the monetary value of that object while the fifth point may vary depending on the object, for example, a card related to food will explain the advantages of consuming that food."

"U-Um..." Izuku slowly raised his hand to ask something.

Seeing his embarrassed face, Kami giggled "Yes, Izuku?"

"What w-would be t-the types a-and qualities?"

"There are six different qualities: Poor, Common, Uncommon, Excellent, Perfect and Masterpiece. The objects with the first three qualities are the easiest to find, as the vast majority of everyday objects fall into these three categories. For the other three, however, you have to be luckier to get an item that has one of those qualities, as only experts or those who really commit can create such objects." said Kami with her calm voice "For the types let's just say that there are many, too many to be numbered. It all depends on the object you've turned into a card. It can be a weapon, a dress, a food, a medicine, and so on."

"I-I see...t-thank you f-for explaining it t-to me."

"You're welcome." smiled Kami before turning serious "Now, the second way you can use your Quirk is what will allow you to become stronger. The ability to obtain the Quirks or the abilities of the opponents you will defeat."

Izuku's jaw nearly fell to the ground "W-What?!"

"With this Quirk, every time you defeat an opponent, you will get a prize that will make you stronger." continued Kami before snapping her fingers and in a single instant, the table between them vanished into thin air and a person appeared in its place. A person that Izuku recognized instantly.

"K-Kamui Woods?!"

"Calm down, Izuku. He is not the real one. It's just an illusion created by me to make you understand how your Quirk works." said Kami raising a hand to reassure him "Now please, touch him. Even with a finger if you want."

Izuku remained uncertain about what to do, but in the end he touched with a finger Kamui Woods' chest and the pro-hero crumpled to the ground without a sound. Before Izuku could break out with a long series of apologies, he felt like a very slight shock in his mind and three bright cards appeared in the air in front of him, over Kamui Woods' body.

Izuku slowly began to read the descriptions of the cards and his eyes grew bigger and bigger.

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"Combat Knowledge"

Passive Card

Description: Despite being a very young pro-hero, Kamui Woods has learned to fight in different ways to win his battles. Obtaining this card guarantees the user to obtain the same combat knowledge of Kamui Woods.

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'I...I can learn everything he knows about how to fight?!'

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"Combat Memories"

Passive Card

Description: Despite being a very young pro-hero, Kamui Woods has fought many battles and defeated a large number of opponents. Obtaining this card guarantees the user to obtain the memories of those battles.

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'So with this card I could relive all the battles fought by Kamui Woods like the one against the Red Knight three months ago?!' thought Izuku with incredulous eyes, however, despite those two options being incredible from his point of view, the third card was about to make his heart explode.

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"Quirk: Arbor"

Transformation Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows the user to generate and control wood from any part of the body. The user can use this Quirk for restraining enemies and rescuing. It can also be used to move around in mid-air.

Since it is a wood-based Quirk, it is ineffective against flame or explosion-based attacks.

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'B-But this is K-Kamui Woods' Quirk...oh Kami...!'

"Yes, Izuku?"

He jerked his head up, looking at her with confused eyes.

Kami giggled again "I can hear your thoughts, Izuku." she showed an amused smile when his cheeks turned completely red "As I said, since you have defeated your opponent you can get a prize, which means one of these cards. Before you decide on your prize, know that, from every single opponent, you can only get one card. No matter how many times you defeat him or her, you can only take one card. Of course, after defeating someone you can also refuse to get a prize. The chance to get a prize from that particular opponent will re-appear after you have defeated him or her again."

"S-So...if...if I choose his Q-Quirk..."

"You'll get it, a copy of it of course, but you'll never be able to obtain his combat knowledge or his combat memories." nodded Kami with a serious face "In order to get this choice you must defeat your opponent. Even the final blow is enough but you have to be the one to score it and organized fights, plus sparring fights, will not give results. They must be real fights. Now please, choose a card."

Izuku didn't hesitate this time and touched the card with Kamui Woods' Quirk, while the other two shattered in fragments of light. As with the knife, he found himself with the card in his hand.

"Now repeat what you did with the knife. Being an active card, you will have to use it like this every time you want to use this Quirk, while a passive card will only need to be activated once."

As requested, Izuku activated the card that shattered like the others, but this time he felt an incredible surge of power passing through his body, as if he had just drank a cup of black coffee to wake up in the morning. With a shaky look, he looked at his hands and a huge smile formed on his face when he saw them slowly becoming wooden but remaining articulated as simple hands.

However, his happiness was short-lived when, trying to grow a bush from his hands, he created dozens of large roots that began to grow in all directions without control.

A quick snap of her fingers and, thanks to Kami, the roots were gone with his Quirk.

"W-What...what j-just-?!"

"Izuku, calm down." said Kami now with a little smile on her face "You simply lost control. You must know that getting a card will not get you an immediate control on that power. You weren't born with Kamui Woods' Quirk, so you don't know how to use it. If you had chosen the 'Combat Knowledge' card, you wouldn't have been able to repeat many of his moves because your body is not up to the task. If you really want to use your new Quirk to the fullest, you'll have to train like never before whenever you gain new powers or abilities. By the way, if you do not want to use a Quirk anymore, repeat what you did with the knife and the Quirk will become a card again."

Izuku looked at his hands for a few seconds and then nodded but Kami noticed his uncertain expression. Evidently he hadn't expected to lose control so easily.

"Now, about the last things I will tell you about your Quirk. If you want to know what cards you have, just say 'Deck' and all the cards will materialize in front of you, also only you can see the cards when you call them that way. However, they will become visible to those around you whenever you use them directly or when you turn something into a card." explained Kami before adding "There are other little secrets about your new Quirk but I'm sure that with your mind you will be able to understand what they are."

Just as Izuku was about to ask her a question, he found himself floating in a void space, surrounded by hundreds of cards moving in all directions at high speed and he could not read any of them.

"Izuku, this is my last gift for you." said the voice of Kami around you "That knife and Kamui Woods' Quirk were just examples. All the cards you see around you are Quirks. Fate will guide your hand. Now, choose three cards."

Izuku started looking around in panic. How could he simply choose three cards and hope to get some useful Quirks? His mind began to work on the infinite possibilities inherent in the different Quirks he could catch but in the end he realized he had no way to predict which Quirk he would draw, so he touched three random cards that stopped abruptly while all the others vanished into the nothing. A few moments later, the three chosen cards floated in front of Izuku so as to allow him to read them.

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"Quirk: Spring Limbs"

Transformation Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows the user to transform their limbs into large springs. The user can use this Quirk to cover great distances and to hit opponents from greater distance and with more speed and power.

Since the springs are made of metal, this Quirk is disadvantaged against magnetic and electric-based attacks.

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'This could be useful...the springs could boost my jumps and I could catch someone who is running away from me...'

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"Quirk: Thermal Vision"

Mutant Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows allows the user to see all traces of heat in the surroundings, in addition, the eyes of those who use it become orange.

Like many other Mutant-type Quirks, this Quirk can not be activated and deactivated on command, so during the day it is inadvisable to use it without proper precautions.

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'This is...good but if I decide to use it during the day I would risk becoming blind because of the sunlight...'

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"Quirk: Clone"

Emitter Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows allows the user to a perfect Quirkless clone. The clone will behave exactly like the original but will also execute the orders given by its creator. Unlike many other types of clone-like Quirks, this clone needs to eat and sleep like any human being. At the time of death, the clone will vanish without a trace.

There can only be a clone at a time and its creator can decide to "kill" it with a mental command.

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'A...a clone?' Izuku looked in awe at the card 'This could be even more useful than the first card! But first I need to understand many things about my new Quirk.'

"Now that you have chosen, it is time for you to return to your world. Good luck Izuku, you'll need it." said Kami with her warm voice and, in a flash of light, Izuku found himself just at the exit of the underpass.

Izuku stood still for a few moments, looking around with evident confusion and anxiety on his face.

"I...I'm back?" he wondered looking at his hands "Was...was that just a dream...?"

At that moment, a shadow appeared behind him as a hoarse voice hissed "A medium-sized body...to hide in...!"

Time seemed to slow down as Izuku turned to the origin of the voice, looking with shocked eyes at the mass of sludge that was about to attack him. His mind went into overdrive trying to process all the information while his subconscious mind drew upon the power he had just received and a card appeared with a flash in his left hand.

When the sludge villain threw himself on the young boy in front of him, he was confused to feel only the asphalt beneath him and no body. Looking around quickly, his confusion increased even more when a shadow passed over his eyes and, looking up, he was shocked to see Izuku at least fifty meters high with his legs, from knees to ankles, turned into black metal springs.

On the other hand, Izuku was as shocked as he was. Then, when his mind could understand what had happened, the purest exaltation took hold of him but vanished almost immediately and fear took its place.

"T-TOO HIGH!" screamed Izuku before falling toward the ground "NO! NO! NO! I'LL DIE! I'LL DIE!"

The sludge's mouth twisted into a strange grin as his entire body expanded to prepare to capture Izuku "You surprised me kid, but thank you for showing me your Quirk! With legs like that I will be able to escape from him in no time!"

"Vain words, villain!" shouted a deep male voice, scaring the sludge villain who quickly looked toward the underpass just to see a manhole being thrown into the air by a fist.

"Why?" a huge muscular figure came out of the drains, with the right fist ready to strike "Because I'm here!"

"Shit! You again?!" the sludge, having completely forgotten Izuku despite his desperate screams, tried to retreat but the blond man in front of him didn't give him the time and with his right fist, he hit the air in front of him while screaming "TEXAS SMASH!"

A powerful shock wave was generated by his fist, striking the sludge villain and destroying him, scattering parts of his body all around, but at the same time the shock wave also reached Izuku, now close to crashing to the ground, hurling the boy away from the street. When the man straightened his back again, he looked around "Mh...I could swear I heard someone scream when-HOLY COW!"

There, a few meters away, there was Izuku hanging upside down from a tree with his legs tangled in the middle of several branches and his head a few inches from the asphalt. Going quickly to the young boy, the man lifted him slightly to give him light pats on the cheeks "Kid? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

"S-Springs...h-high...v-v-villain..." groaned Izuku with unfocused eyes before shacking his head, looking at the man in front of him "A-A-ALL M-MIGHT?!"

"You're fine! That's good! Apologies for getting you caught up in my villain hunt!" said All Might while posing with one hand, using the other to sustain Izuku.

'All Might! He's here! Right here in front of me and he's talking to me and-!' Izuku's thoughts were interrupted when he realized that All Might was holding him up with one hand on his back and a strange feeling of unease pervaded his legs "U-um...A-All Might...what happened?"

"Oh well you see...I used my Texas Smash to defeat the villain but I didn't see you so my shock wave hit you too and it ended up in this way." explained All Might before lifting Izuku a bit more, allowing him to see... "MY LEGS?!"

"Yes, those are your legs and I'm terribly sorry! Such mistakes are not in my style! Let me help you get free!" nodded All Might without losing his smile before placing Izuku on the ground. After that, he began to remove Izuku's legs from the tree, asking him from time to time to try pulling to get free. It took half an hour but at the end Izuku was finally free, albeit with his legs now a few meters long and piled up in front of him.

"Um...what n-now?" asked Izuku looking up at his idol who merely raised an eyebrow.

"What? You don't know how to rewind your legs?"

"W-Well...I...uh...I'm a late b-bloomer a-and I got m-my Quirk only a few w-weeks ago so I'm still not used t-to it." said Izuku coming up with the first lie in his mind. He didn't like the idea of lying to his idol, but he couldn't even tell him that he had just received that Quirk thanks to Kami herself.

"Ah! I see! Well, try to concentrate. If yours is a Transformation-type Quirk, imagine simply to return as you were before." explained All Might with a nod.

Izuku closed his eyes and tried to do as suggested by All Might, starting to think of his legs as they were before turning into springs. Feeling a sound of approval from the pro-hero at his side, Izuku opened his eyes and saw that his legs were back as before, much to his great relief.

"Nicely done, kid. Now it's time to capture the villain!" said All Might looking back at the underpass just to see that the villain was gone 'This can't be true...'

Looking in the same direction, Izuku understood what had shocked the pro-hero 'The sludge villain is gone?! He must have recovered while All Might was helping me! Now he will probably be looking for someone else to attack! We must do something!'

Looking around, Izuku searched for traces of the enemy without succeeding but then realized that he possessed something that might have helped them to find the villain. Looking towards All Might, he saw that the pro-hero was giving him his back, so he concentrated and the card 'Quirk: Thermal Vision' appeared in his hand.

'I know I should not use it during the day but there is no other choice.' thought Izuku before activating the card. His eyes burned as soon as the Quirk was activated but Izuku managed to ignore the pain in his head to concentrate on the surroundings. Amid that immensity of warm colors, from white to red, his eyes immediately identified something anomalous: a trail on the ground of a cold color similar to blue.

'His body isn't warm! We can follow that!' thought the boy before pointing at the side-street "That way!" All Might looked at him, widening his eyes in surprise when he saw the orange eyes of Izuku "He w-went that w-way!"

"Kid, you have two Quirk?" asked All Might picking up Izuku before placing him on his back. Normally his code of conduct would never allow him to bring a civilian with him, but that was an emergency and that sludge villain could be anywhere now.

"Y-Yes, this was the f-first one but I s-shouldn't use it during the day. It's called T-Thermal Vision!" explained Izuku, ignoring the fact that he was on the back of his favorite hero. The pain in his eyes was causing him a throbbing headache and he could barely speak without stopping. They had to hurry!

"Very well, kid! Show me the way!" shouted All Might before sprinting in the direction pointed by Izuku. Thanks to his incredible speed, All Might was able to found the villain after only five minutes "There he is!"

Taking advantage of his position, Izuku brought a hand behind his back and deactivated the card 'Quirk: Thermal Vision', which faded into particles of light, returning to his Deck. Looking ahead, he saw that the sludge villain was about to attack a student with a black uniform and pink hair.

"Watch out!"

Hearing his voice, she turned to see who had screamed but all she saw was a wall of greenish sludge that lunged at her. Izuku shouted again but All Might saw a black blur darting to the sky and he didn't even have to look to know that it was the young girl and that the sludge had only tasted the asphalt, again.

"Hold on, kid!" shouted All Might bringing his right fist back "TEXAS SMASH!"

This time Izuku managed not to be thrown off by the shock wave and could observe the results of All Might's attack, with the sludge that was splattered against the walls of the houses around them. Fortunately, there were no other people nearby.

"W-Wow..." Izuku could only look in awe as All Might placed him on the ground before taking out two bottles of soda from his shopping bag.

"Now that the villain has been defeated (again), it's time to capture him!"

Izuku nodded quickly before a certain detail came back to his mind "W-Wait! What about the girl?!"

"What about me?" asked a female voice behind him, scaring the shit out of Izuku who fell on his butt upon turning toward the source of the voice. Looking up, he saw the calm face of the young girl with her eyes covered by a pair of glasses. After a brief silence, she asked "You are the one who screamed at me, right?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Well then..." she bowed in front of him "Thank you for that, and thank you too for saving me, All Might."

"Not a problem, young citizen!" said All Might after drinking both soda bottles "Buuuurp! Now, I can use them!" and in a matter of seconds, he managed to put the whole sludge villain inside the bottles, then stuffing them into the pockets of his trousers. Looking back at the two students, his smile seemed to grow even bigger "Thank you for your precious help, kid! Without you I would never have been able to find this villain and from what I heard before reaching him, it seems that he can take possession of other people's bodies and use their Quirks! If he managed to assault this young girl, he would have used her Quirk to escape even farther!"

Izuku looked at her with confused eyes "W-What about your Quirk?"

"Oh so you didn't notice? She can jump really high!" said All Might with a nod "That's how she avoided the villain!"

"Really?!"

"Yes." the girl showed a little shy smile "My Quirk is 'Leap' and allow me to perform very high jumps, also as long as I jump using a solid and stable surface, I don't have to worry about landing because my Quirk acts as a cushion when activated."

"Wow! That's really useful! With a Quirk like that you could easy reach people in danger inside a building and..."

All Might and the pink-haired girl inched away from Izuku as he kept muttering under his breath. A somewhat disturbing vision...

"Anyway! I must bring this villain to the authorities!" said All Might "You may ask her for some help, kid! I hope that you'll learn how to use your Quirk in the best way possible!" and with that, he took an incredible leap, quickly vanishing from their sight.

After a few seconds, the young girl looked at Izuku "What did he mean by that?"

"Ah...w-well...you see...I'm a late bloomer and my Quirk is s-similar to yours but I don't know how to c-control it well and before that villain fled because I had ended up in an uncomfortable situation..." explained Izuku looking away "A-Anyway I'm Izuku Midoriya, n-nice to meet you!"

She looked at him for a second before smiling "Kazuho Haneyama. So, what's your Quirk?"

"Um...I think it would be better i-if I showed it to you..." said Izuku before concentrating on his legs and, thankfully, they turned again into black springs from the knees to the ankles "I don't think it's a g-good idea to use it here t-though..."

"Yeah...you're probably right." said Kazuho looking at his legs "Being a Transformation-type Quirk is easier that the situation gets out of hand, especially if you're a beginner. I could give you a hand...but I don't have much free time with school. Is it okay if we exchange phone numbers?"

"U-Uh?! Y-Yeah! S-Sure!" nodded Izuku picking up his cellphone.

After the exchange, Kazuho walked away while waving at him "Bye Midoriya! See you soon!" and just like All Might she jumped up, vanishing behind some houses and leaving Izuku alone in the middle of the road. Izuku, on the other hand, stood still for quite some time while his mind finally understood the severity of what happened in barely an hour.

He had met Kami, the one who had given life to the Quirks and who had given him a Quirk created by herself.

He had met his idol, All Might, and had seen him defeating a villain twice, as well as helping him find the villain again.

Lastly, he had met a girl, had talked to said girl and had even exchanged phone numbers with her.

When even the last piece of information had found its place in his mind, Izuku did the only thing possible.

He fainted.


[Midoriya's Apartment]

It took two hours to Izuku to recover, plus another thirty minutes to get home. By now the sun was setting and his mother, Inko Midoriya, was certainly worried about him since he hadn't called her, thanks to the fact that his cellphone's battery had died while he was unconscious. Slowly opening the door of his apartment, he didn't have the time to take a step that he was engulfed in a bear hug by his mother, who was already crying desperately.

"IZUKU! Where were you?! Why didn't you call me?! What happened?! Are you OK?! Why didn't you answer the phone?!" cried Inko while shacking her son like a madwoman.

"M-Mom...! C-Can't...breathe...!"

Upon hearing his words, she released him while keeping her hands on his shoulder "Izuku...I was so worried for you! Where were you?!"

"Mom...calm down. I'll explain everything, okay?" Izuku then walked toward a couch in the living room, before sitting down with his mother. Fortunately, before arriving home, he had thought of a good fake story to calm her down "While I was coming home from school, there was a villain attack not far away and I went to see which heroes were on the scene..." Inko gave him a reproachful look but said nothing, allowing him to continue "The situation got worse b-but then All Might arrived and he defeated the villain! He then stayed there talking to a large group of journalists and I stayed to see if I could get an a-autograph." he picked up his cellphone "I hadn't put it in charge yesterday and before I knew it was completely dead...I'm sorry for making you worry."

His mother looked at him carefully for a few seconds, making a few drops of sweat run down his forehead, but she finally sighed with a small smile on her lips "I guess that with All Might there a few meters away, you will have completely lost the sense of time...I'm glad you're fine, honey. Now go and get changed while I prepare dinner."

Izuku nodded before heading for his room. Closing the door behind him, the young boy let out the longest sigh of his life before lying on the bed, his face pressed against the pillow. Remaining firm in that position for several minutes, he thought back to everything that had happened during the day...and he still couldn't believe it. Well, there was only one way to understand if he had imagined everything.

Turning on his back, Izuku stared at the ceiling for a moment before whispering "Deck." and, as if by magic, four cards began to float in front of his face.

Wait...four cards?

Widening his eyes in surprise, Izuku quickly looked at his cards and, while the first three were the Quirks he had chosen, the fourth card caught him off guard but a big smile formed on his face as soon as he saw what it was.

[] [] []

Divine Costume (Masterpiece Quality)

Costume Card (Clothing Card)

Value: Incalculable

Description: A costume created with divine powers. This costume is light and resistant, it also adapts to the user's body, changing shape if necessary. If damaged, this costume will return as new once turned into a card (the time required to return to the initial state changes depending on the damage suffered). The mask automatically changes the user's voice, making it more deep and distorted.

[] [] []

Mentally thanking Kami, Izuku wiped his face with one arm to wipe off the tears that threatened to come out and stood in the middle of the room. Holding the 'Divine Costume' card between two fingers, he concentrated to activate it and his entire body was enveloped in a flash of golden light. A few moments later, Izuku went to his closet and opened it to look in the mirror. What he saw left him speechless.

A pair of black metal boots covered his feet while wide trousers of the same color with emerald green details reached his waist, where a thick black rope served as a belt. The chest was protected by a piece of black armor with the kanji for 'Champion' in the center, written in emerald green, combined with a tight black shirt and metal armguards on the forearms, black with emerald green edges. Large spaulders were placed on his shoulders and connected to a hooded cloak that fell on his back. The last element that made up his costume was a completely white mask that looked like made of wood with two thin eye holes and emerald green details such as eyebrows and the kanji for 'Fate' in the middle of the forehead.

Izuku admired himself in the mirror for several minutes without saying a word and, after yet another turn on himself, he couldn't contain the joy and began to sob, trying to make the least noise possible while the costume returned to be a simple card. Just when the card faded into particles of light, his mother opened his bedroom door.

"Izuku! Dinner is...Izuku?" she looked at him with a worried face "Are you...crying?"

"U-Uh?!" he tried in vain to hide the tears, wiping his face with the sleeve of his uniform "N-No! I was just-!"

"Izuku." the firm voice of his mother made him stop. She walked in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder "Tell me, is everything all right? And I mean really."

The young boy stared at her with eyes still red but eventually his mind came up with a believable excuse, or so he hoped "I...I couldn't get All Might autograph...and he was right there..."

Inko pursed her lips, unaware of the lie, and hugged him again "Oh Izuku! Don't worry, you'll meet him again!"

"Y-Yes, I hope s-so..." sniffed Izuku before shaking his head "I'm o-okay now, dinner is ready, isn't it?"

"Ah yes, come on. I prepared your favorite dish. Katsudon!" smiled Inko before walking toward the kitchen. Izuku stood there for a second before taking a deep breath and following her.

Later, after a hearty dinner and a relaxing shower, Izuku went back to the center of his room, taking deep breaths. Finally, he looked around to check what he had prepared.

'New notebooks for notes on my Quirk? Check. Precious, delicate and rare gadgets from All Might hidden to avoid incidents? Check. I can start with the first test!' thought Izuku with an excited smile but just then, his cellphone began to ring. Confused by the sudden noise, since nobody ever called him so late (in addition to the fact that only his mother had the number of his cellphone before today), Izuku took the phone and was surprised to see that it was Kazuho, the girl who he had met that afternoon.

Accepting the call, he put the device near his ear "H-Hello?"

"Hello Midoriya. I hope I didn't call while you were going to sleep." said Kazuho with a calm voice.

"N-No no! I...I'm still awake. I u-usually go to sleep a-around midnight." replied Izuku trying to keep his voice low so as not to attract his mother's attention.

"Oh that's good! In that case, I just remembered that tomorrow is Saturday, so there is no school. I wanted to know if it was all right for you to meet me in a certain place to understand something more about your Quirk."

Izuku's cheeks suddenly turned pink, but quickly shaking his head, he drove away any thoughts unrelated to his Quirk from his mind "S-Sure! I'd l-love to! Do you already have a p-place in mind?"

"Would you be able to reach the Naruhata area tomorrow morning?"

Izuku remained silent for a few seconds, thinking of all the train that departed from the station near his home "Yes, I should arrive a-around nine in the morning, i-is that okay?"

"Sounds good! I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight!" and with those words, she ended the call.

Izuku stood there, looking at the wall in front of him 'I...I talked with a girl...again!'

Shaking his head to be able to concentrate again, Izuku took a deep breath and turned his legs into springs, noting how familiar it was. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't yet canceled the effect of that card after using it the first time to escape the sludge villain, yet he didn't feel any kind of weariness. Perhaps because he hadn't actually activated the Spring Limbs Quirk for all that time but only on a couple of occasions? Thinking this was a good question, Izuku hastened to write it in a notebook, along with the fact that he could walk perfectly even with his legs transformed into springs, before proceeding with the first test.

Raising his left leg, he tried to spread the spring with a simple mental command, but nothing happened. Scratching his chin, he then tried to move his leg to the right and left but the spring remained contracted without stretching an inch.

'So no mental commands, it has the consistency of a real spring but it is more rigid...' thought Izuku writing on the notebook 'And yet today they stretched several meters and were very flabby...'

He then tried to make a small jump right there but the springs had no effect other than to soften his landing slightly when his feet touched the floor again. Noting that detail too, Izuku tried to jump again but the result was the same. Looking at his legs, Izuku then realized something. Those were still his legs albeit with a different shape and the muscles of the human body were very stiff, especially when a person was tense. With that detail in mind, Izuku raised his leg again and tried to relax his muscles.

A small smile formed on his lips when he saw the spring stretch slightly, with his foot that began to sway placidly to the right and left.

'Therefore in a state of calm and relaxation, the springs become less rigid. When that villain attacked me I instinctively reacted and with the adrenaline in my body I can't even say how I managed to jump so high...' thought Izuku while focusing on his leg to rewind the spring 'I wonder if I could use them like whips...'

The young boy continued to write in his notebook for several minutes, doing some small tests such as trying to turn his entire leg into a spring (which gave a positive result but in those conditions it was almost impossible to walk). Placing his pen on the desk, he stood up and raised his right arm.

'According to what was written on the card, I can also turn my arms into springs.' and just like that, his arm, from the elbow to the wrist, turned into a black metal spring. He then tried to perform tests similar to the previous ones before moving on to something more challenging. Placing an empty can on a shelf, he positioned himself on the other side of the room and bent his arm back.

'Test One for the Spring Grasp.'

As if wanting to throw a punch, Izuku aimed at the can and, much to his joy, his arm stretched out with the hand open to grab the can, but his joy was short-lived when his hand crushed the can against the wall, making him wince because of sudden impact. Pulling his arm back, he managed to rewind the spring before looking at his hand on which there were small bleeding cuts caused by the can.

'Too much strength and I didn't withdraw the arm in time. Even if I had grabbed the can my hand would have crashed into the wall...' after writing that information in his notebook, Izuku went out of his room to get some patches and work gloves left in his father's closet. After having treated his hand, far from the worried look of his mother, Izuku put on his gloves with a trembling but determined smile.

'As they say: No pain, no gain.' turning his forearm into a spring again, Izuku placed another can on the shelf 'Test Two for the Spring Grasp!'


[Naruhata Area (the following morning)]

"Uh...Midoriya?"

Izuku raised the head, showing his dark circles and his eyes completely devoid of life "Y-Yes...Haneyama?"

"Are you fine...? You look...tired." said the girl with a little sweatdrop.

"O-Oh I'm fine! I simply slept little. I did some tests during the n-night with m-my Quirk." explained Izuku while scratching the back of his head "A-Anyway! Where are we going?"

Kazuho shook her head murmuring a low "Boys..." before walking away "Follow me, we need to reach a certain place."

Izuku nodded quickly before following her down the street. After a short walk and some chat exchanged just to not pass all the time in silence, Izuku found himself in front of the entrance to a rubbish dump but, at a second glance, he saw that the huge space in front of him was full of old and ruined blankets, pillows and mattresses.

"What is this place?" asked Izuku looking around.

"Pillows, mattresses, blankets and the like are accumulated here before they are taken away from the garbage collection but they are pretty lazy guys so this place is never empty. A lot of people come here to practice when they have a Quirk similar to ours." explained Kazuho looking around.

"And that's why you're here today, aren't you?" asked an old male voice behind them.

Turning quickly, Izuku saw that it was a gray-haired elderly man with black eyes and what looked like wrinkled dragon wings on his back, wearing a tank top and white trousers. The man smiled at him "It's been a while, Izuku-kun. How have you been?"

Izuku looked at him with a raised eyebrow "U-Uh...do I know you...?"

The old man chuckled at that "I guess you don't remember me. I am Tsubasa's grandfather, when you were little you played together with him before he started behaving like a fool..."

"O-Oh! Komachi-san! I-It's been a while!" Izuku bowed in front of the man "I'm sorry for not recognizing you!"

"Don't sweat it. It's not a big deal." Komachi smiled again "If you are here with Kazuho-chan it means that you have a Quirk in the end, correct?"

"Y-Yes, late bloomer..."

"Midoriya, you know him?" asked Kazuho with a raised eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah, when I was three I used to play with his grandson." explained Izuku before asking "What about you?"

"Oh, when I was training with my Quirk I met him and he gave me some tips on how to use it." said the girl with a little smile.

"You're too gentle with me, Kazuho-chan. I only suggested one or two things." smiled Komachi before turning to Izuku "Now I guess I can do the same with you, if you want. At least I can remedy at how my grandson behaved years ago."

"It wasn't y-your fault!" said Izuku but Komachi shook his head.

"Neither I nor my son have done anything to prevent it and this makes us equally responsible." he then showed a little smile "At least let me help you with your Quirk. It could be fun after all."

"O-Okay then...I'll be in your care."

A few minutes later, the three were in the middle of that dump, with Kazuho sitting on a pile of pillows while Izuku and Komachi were standing opposite each other.

"Now then, show me your Quirk." said the old man with the arms behind his back.

Nodding at him, Izuku quickly turned his legs and forearms into springs, allowing them to see his Quirk while was in that state.

"Interesting. From what I remember your parents didn't have a Quirk like that. You are a rare case, without any doubt." said Komachi with a smile "Do you already know how to use it?"

Izuku nodded again before throwing a spring-punch to his right. The spring of his arm stretched out for several meters and with his hand he managed to grab a cushion before rewinding the spring. He then repeated the action a few times to show what he had learned of his Quirk, explaining some of his tests in the meantime.

"Your mother was right, you're a little genius." said Komachi with a chuckle after seeing Izuku's flushed face "Now, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't use your legs. Do you have a problem with those?"

"Y-Yes, I can't r-really control them..." said Izuku looking at the ground.

"Well, I think that I can help with that." said the old man "Try to jump."

Izuku looked at him for a second before jumping on the spot, obtaining the same result as the previous night but this time, from the sideline, Kazuho asked "What was that...?"

"U-Uh? A...a jump?"

"No, it was not. You jumped wrong." said the girl before walking toward him "You have springs instead of legs. You have to exploit them. My Quirk allows me to make incredible leaps and the same can do yours. If you don't compress a spring, you will not get any results."

"What Kazuho-chan is trying to say..." added Komachi with a smile "...is that you need to use those springs. Try again, but this time using them."

Slightly confused by their words, Izuku again tried to jump, crouching on the ground and this time he felt a strange sensation as the springs of his legs were compressed slowly. Releasing all the energy accumulated in the springs, he jumped up and in an instant he felt the air lash his face. When he opened his eyes to see if it had worked, Izuku saw that he was at least thirty meters above the ground with the springs of his legs still extended. His mind seemed to react to that detail and, almost unconsciously, he made a small movement with his legs, rewinding both springs.

A cry of joy echoed in the air but before Izuku could bask in that feeling, gravity seemed to remember him and he was dragged down, crashing into a pile of mattresses.

On the sidelines, Komachi chuckled a bit "Looks like this test was a success. Can you go help him? Or by chance do you have to go to one of your live events?"

Kazuho side-glared at him before running toward Izuku "Are you alright?"

Izuku turned on his back, showing a goofy smile "Y-Yeah! T-That was incredible!"

"I can understand. The first time with my Quirk was the same." she smiled back at him before looking at her cellphone "Well there is still time. Do you want to try again?"

"Sure!"

Izuku continued to practice for several hours under the watchful eye of Kazuho and Komachi, who occasionally gave him advice on how to best use his Quirk and, around lunchtime, Izuku was able to jump and land without a problem. Of course he was still not able to do continuous jumps and the stress that the springs exerted on his body wasn't light but Komachi had told him that over time he would no longer have problems like that.

"It's time for me to go. If you need something, just call me." said Kazuho looking again at her cellphone before leaping away while shouting "Have a good day, Midoriya!"

Izuku waved at her before looking back a Komachi "Is there any problem if I continue to practice?"

The old man shook his head "You can train as much as you want, Izuku-kun. However it would be better to go for lunch before starting over. Come on, my treat."

"Are you sure?" asked Izuku with uncertainty but the man was already moving away.

"Of course I am! Now come, there's a fantastic ramen stand here!"

Soon after, the two sat in front of some steaming bowls of ramen, intent on eating with gusto. When the bowls were almost empty, Izuku turned to the old man "Uh...I didn't ask before but...how is Tsubasa?"

Komachi sighed "I'd like to know...he disappeared three years ago..."

Izuku's eyes widened in shock and horror "W-What?!"

"Apparently he was coming home from school when he disappeared. The police found only his schoolbag and even the pro-heroes couldn't find any trace." explained Komachi before sipping the soup of the ramen "My son looked alone for him for months but without success, while his wife fell into depression after discovering it. After three years it seems that they have accepted his disappearance but they are no longer as before and have moved elsewhere to forget."

"I...I'm sorry for your loss..."

"After all you have suffered also because of my grandson...you are really a good boy. I still do not understand why Tsubasa started bullying you." said Komachi with a small frown "Oh well...when I see him again, I'll ask him."

Izuku remained silent. It was clear that Komachi thought he could find his grandson and hadn't yet given up. Driving away those thoughts from his head, Izuku finished his ramen before leaving the restaurant with Komachi, who put a hand on his shoulder.

"Before starting again with your training, it would be better if you took a walk to digest well. I advise you to go in that direction, there are a lot of shops and something could catch your attention." said Komachi with a chuckle before walking away, leaving Izuku alone.

Not knowing what to do, Izuku decided to follow Komachi's advice and went in the direction indicated. After a few minutes, while he was busy observing the windows of some shops, he began to hear a song sung by a female voice and for some strange reason, that voice seemed extremely familiar to him. Walking towards the origin of the voice, Izuku soon came across a small crowd and all the people were looking upwards.

Following their line of vision, Izuku was surprised to see a girl with pink hair tied in pig-tails and blue eyes intent on singing while jumping from one lamp to another as if gravity had no effect on her. A slight redness formed on his cheeks as soon as he focused on the captivating dress worn by the girl, which hid very little of her body since it was a succubus themed one-piece black leotard with a heart-shaped opening in the center of the chest, a super-miniskirt with three hearts on the belt, knee-high boots, and elbow length gloves.

Taking another leap, she passed over their heads clutching a microphone while the music came from a small stereo attached to her wrist. Landing on a street lamp not far away, the song came to an end and the crowd applauded the girl who performed a theatrical bow before greeting everyone and jumping on the roof of a building, disappearing from their sight.

Izuku stood still as the crowd dispersed. His mind was working at incredible speed to help him realize that he knew that girl, only that he couldn't believe it. A few seconds later, he remembered Komachi's words and that was the deciding factor to get him started running to the rubbish dump where he had trained during the morning.

Sitting there while waiting for him, Izuku found Komachi, who had a small grin on his lips "Judging by your face I can deduce that you have seen something interesting. Am I right?"

"I saw a girl singing while jumping among the street lamps and...and...!"

"Pop Step."

"U-Uh?" Izuku looked at him with confused eyes.

"Her name is Pop Step, a local (self-proclaimed) freelance idol." explained Komachi without losing his grin "But I guess you know her by another name."

Izuku gulped before nodding "She's Haneyama...right?"

"Correct. Pop Step's alter ego was created about a year ago." chuckled the old man looking at the sky "Those were good times."

"B-But why? She risks a lot! Probably she doesn't have a permission to use her Quirk in public! The police could arrest her!" said Izuku with a panicked voice, looking around just to be sure that they were alone.

"You must know that she doesn't like to follow the rules. This is why this secret identity was created, in order to escape from the rules and to be able to express herself. You will have noticed how she behaves differently when she wears her costume." chuckled Komachi looking back at the young boy "In addition, the police have better things to do than trying to arrest a girl who simply jumps and sings. Among other things, she also has a lot of fans, you should watch some of her videos on the web."

"Y-You're not against this?"

"Of course not. I helped her!" said Komachi without missing a beat "She was shy at first and was ashamed to use her real face, so I suggested she create a costume and a secret identity and that's how Pop Step was born. She's a good girl in the end and everyone deserves a way to have fun."

"I...I see..." Izuku looked at the ground for a moment before asking "Why did you tell me to go in that direction if you knew I was going to see Hane-err...Pop Step?"

"Because before today I was the only one who knew about her secret identity and she needs at least one friend who can keep up with her. These old bones now can not keep up with you young people." said Komachi with a low chuckle "I don't know how she will react, but I am sure that eventually you two will become good friends. Now, ready for resume you training?"

Izuku remained silent for a few seconds before shaking his head and lightly slapping his cheeks.

"Yes!"


[Naruhata Area (the following morning)]

"Good morning, Midoriya." said Kazuho with a little smile as Izuku walked toward her.

"G-Good morning, Haneyama."

"It seems you've slept a little longer, but you seem distracted. Everything fine?" asked Kazuho tilting her head since Izuku wasn't looking at her. In the short time she had spent with him, Kazuho had realized that he was a very shy boy, but at that moment he seemed too shy. Instead of answering, Izuku pulled out his cellphone and showed her a small video.

A video taken from the last Pop Step live event.

Her cheeks immediately became red and Izuku wondered if she didn't have a speed based Quirk too, since in a second she just grabbed him by the sweatshirt before dragging him into an alley with incredible speed.

"How?! How did you find out my secret?!" shouted Kazuho with her face showing a mixture of panic and fear.

"K-Komachi-san told me to take a w-walk yesterday, a-and I saw you during your l-live event!" explained Izuku, who was a bit scared of her.

Kazuho growled while clenching her fist "That old fart! I'm going to snap his wings!" she then sighed before looking at him "So...what are you going to do?"

"U-Uh...? What are you talking a-about?"

"You know that I'm Pop Step and while I'm not a villain, I'm still an illegal for the police. Are you going to tell them?"

"N-No! I wasn't going to do that!" said Izuku raising his hands "Y-You're not doing anything bad and you helped me yesterday, b-besides you're also...brave..."

Kazuho tilted her head to the side, visibly confused "Brave...? What do you mean?"

"W-Well...Komachi-san explained to me why you do it and...you're brave to d-do it despite it's n-not approved by the police or the g-government." mumbled Izuku looking away with a veil of pink on his cheeks "T-There are not many people who would d-dare to do it..."

"I...uh...t-thanks...I guess..." said Kazuho before looking away "But let me be clear! I thank you only because you didn't tell anyone! Tell someone and I'll hurt you! Is it clear?!"

"Y-Yes!" squealed Izuku, again scared of her.

"Good, now let's move. That old fossil is waiting for us." said the pink-haired girl already walking away from him, with Izuku who hastened to join her. A few minutes later, the two were back in front of the rubbish dump and Komachi was already there waiting for them, sitting on a pile of blankets.

"Good morning Izuku-kun, Kazuho-chan." said the old man with a smile "How are you doing?"

"You old fart! This was your doing!" shouted Kazuho with a vein popping out on her forehead as Izuku looked at her with incredulous eyes.

'She's really different now that she no longer has to pretend to be shy...'

"I have no idea what you're talking about." said Komachi without losing his smile "I'm too old to plan anything."

Kazuho narrowed her eyes before sighing "Well...it can't be helped. I only hope this will not become a habit. But in the meantime...Midoriya!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Coming here I thought of your Quirk and I must say that it is very similar to mine even if it has several differences."

"U-Uh...?"

"So I thought of a way to use it to the fullest while making you gain some experience!"

"W-What...?"

"And so, starting tomorrow..." she put her hands on his shoulders and Izuku felt a shiver down his back after seeing the light reflected in her glasses as she showed him a strange grin "You will accompany me during my live events!"

Izuku remained silent, trying to understand what the girl in front of him had just said. After almost a minute, his mind came out with only one possible answer...

"...eh?"


TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 2: MEET THE NICE GUY!


Here we are with a new fic! I couldn't help myself! I had to write this! The initial idea was to create a MHA / The Gamer fic, but then I thought that there are already fics like that so I wanted to change a bit the concept and this is the result! I hope you enjoy the idea!

I must warn you that this story will cripple the chronology of My Hero Academia events. In the canon, Izuku spent ten months training with All Might, while here he'll pass those ten months in the company of our dear vigilantes out of the spin off "VigilanteMy Hero Academia: Illegals"!

Since it is not specified when the spin off is set, I can modify some things and therefore we will see the two manga mixed up.

Ah, I almost forgot. For the costume of Izuku, think of Twisted Fate from League of Legends, his Blood-Moon skin but with different colors, while for the "Quirk: Spring Limbs", think of the Bane Bane no Mi, the Devil Fruit from One Piece (the one used by Bellamy).

Also, Tsubasa is the kid with the wings that you can see when Izuku was four. Komachi is just an OC created by me.

That's all for now! See you next chapter!


IZUKU MIDORIYA

Quirk: Cards Collector

Known effects: Izuku can transform different objects (clothes, weapons, food, etc ...) into cards that then vanish and he can reuse them when needed. Objects must not be bigger than him and he can not transform living beings into cards. When Izuku defeats an opponent, he can choose a card that represents an aspect of the opponent (Quirk, knowledge in combat, etc...) and get what represents that card. The opponent does not have to lose on purpose and organized fights are not valid for the activation of the Quirk.

Current cards in Izuku's Deck:

"Quirk: Spring Limbs"

Transformation Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows the user to transform their limbs into large springs. The user can use this Quirk to cover great distances and to hit opponents from greater distance and with more speed and power.

Since the springs are made of metal, this Quirk is disadvantaged against magnetic and electric-based attacks.

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"Quirk: Thermal Vision"

Mutant Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows allows the user to see all traces of heat in the surroundings, in addition, the eyes of those who use it become orange.

Like many other Mutant-type Quirks, this Quirk can not be activated and deactivated on command, so during the day it is inadvisable to use it without proper precautions.

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"Quirk: Clone"

Emitter Type

Active Card

Description: This Quirk allows allows the user to a perfect Quirkless clone. The clone will behave exactly like the original but will also execute the orders given by its creator. Unlike many other types of clone-like Quirks, this clone needs to eat and sleep like any human being. At the time of death, the clone will vanish without a trace.

There can only be a clone at a time and its creator can decide to "kill" it with a mental command.

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Divine Costume (Masterpiece Quality)

Costume Card (Clothing Card)

Value: Incalculable

Description: A costume created with divine powers. This costume is light and resistant, it also adapts to the user's body, changing shape if necessary. If damaged, this costume will return as new once turned into a card (the time required to return to the initial state changes depending on the damage suffered). The mask automatically changes the user's voice, making it more deep and distorted.