somnum exterreri

by AGENT Kuma-chan

Midoriya's eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares.

Title: somnum exterreri

Character/Pairing: Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka

A/N: written for BNHA Halloween Big Bang

Summary: Midoriya's eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares.

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Midoriya's eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares. His pulse raced as he lay in the dark, the familiar ceiling now strange and new. Clenching his sheets, he slowly sat up. Clinically, he assessed himself. Pulse erratic. Breathing quick. Mouth dry. A shiver ran through his spine, and he was drenched in a cold sweat. It had been a nightmare, nothing more, nothing less. Just a some nameless fear that lurked in the dark, whispering of blood and death.

Bitter. His mouth was filled with a metallic and bitter taste. The red letters on his alarm reminded him of something, of a dripping noise that echoed in his ears. In his nightmare, something terrible had happened. A faceless voice whispered, Remember.

Remember what? Midoriya didn't know. Only, that he had to. He absolutely had to. Yet already the ordeal was fading from his mind. Only the faintest trace of his nightmare remained, blurred people yelling wordlessly. His heart now calm, he focused on his alarm clock.

7:30.

7:31.

Midoriya snapped out of his daze and tumbled out of the bed. Shit, he was going to be late.

-x-

"Another nightmare?" Uraraka bit her lip, worried. She crossed her arms and shivered from the cool, September weather. "You've been having a lot of those lately."

"Maybe I should take you to the nurse?" Iida offered, adjusting his glasses. "She might be able to help."

Thought it seemed impossible, Iida somehow looked even more serious than usual. Flustered by the attention, he waved off their concern with a lighthearted smile. "It's fine—I'm probably just stressed. We've been through a lot lately, after all."

"That's true." Uraraka sighed as they walked to school. The fall colours did little to brighten the mood. "There've been so many attacks."

Crunch. Crunch. Each step left a sharp crack in its wake, the sound of bones breaking. Midoriya looked down to make sure he was really just stepping on dried leaves. All that greeted him was a carpet of orange and red. "I just haven't been resting enough."

Iida frowned, unconvinced. "You sure? As class president, I shouldn't say this, but maybe you should just stay home today?"

"Huh?" Midoriya gaped at Iida, amazed to even hear those words from his friend. Touched, he bumped his shoulder to Iida's. Or at least, to Iida's arm—had he grown taller? "Thanks but I'm fine. Really."

"If you say so." Iida adjusted his glasses and tightened his tie. "But if you look sick, I'm taking you to the nurse."

Midoriya swallowed, remembering her dry, puckering lips. Shivering, he quickly shook his head. "It's fine, I don't need that. Besides, if anyone should go to the nurse, it's Mineta."

"Mineta?" Uraraka stared at him blankly. She cocked her head, scrunching her face as she considered it. "Why does he need to see her?"

"He's sick, right?" How could they have forgotten yesterday's class? Midoriya looked back and forth between his friends, receiving a puzzled stare in response. "Don't you remember Aizawa-sensei telling us?"

"Midoriya," Uraraka asked slowly, clasping his hands. He didn't even have time to get flustered, her next question stopped him cold. "What are you talking about?"

-x-

"Mineta's sick," Aizawa announced in class, somehow standing straight despite his sleeping bag. It was a modern miracle. Even science couldn't explain it. "That's all."

With that, he promptly fell to the floor and inched his way out of the classroom before the next teacher could start class. There was a moment of silence and then the classroom buzzed with the news. Ignoring them, Midoriya stared absentmindedly at the chalkboard.

Aizawa just announced that now. Today.

How had he known that? Déjà-vu, perhaps. None of this felt new, as though he'd seen this scene already, acted it out a thousand times before. There was a metallic taste in his mouth again, a memory that was just knocking on the edges of his conscious.

"Wow, you were right!" Iida whispered, snapping Midoriya out if it. "Did Mineta tell you?"

"No…" Midoriya frowned. The memory was gone now, out of reach. "I just…remembered it."

"Remembered it?" Before Iida could question him any further, the next teacher was already inside, starting class.

-x-

"History repeats itself," the teacher said, scrawling elegant cursive on the chalkboard. "People say that a lot, but it is actually true."

Despite it being late September, there was still a trace of summer heat in the weather. The sun beat down into the classroom and he was glad he hadn't yet changed into his winter uniform. As the teacher spoke, he quickly took notes, carefully transcribing everything into his notebook.

Aside from the incident with Mineta, the rest of the day had run smoothly. Nothing else felt out of place or familiar and he could chalk up Mineta's illness as a lucky guess. Or maybe Mineta had said something to him while he had raced out of the dorm. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Take Napelon and Hilter, for example." The teacher paused, before making three bullet points on the board. "They come from different time periods and different circumstances. Yet they suffered three similar problems. The first, an inability to delegate their work."

Midoriya watched, rapt in attention, as the teacher filled in the first bullet point.

"The second, they started a war on too many fronts."

Quickly, Midoriya copied down that second bullet.

"And the third…"

As his teacher paused, Midoriya's hand continued to write, filling out the third bullet before his teacher could say anything.

"Fighting Russia in the winter."

Word for word, it matched what Midoriya had already written. What he continued to write. His hand didn't stop there and before the class was halfway over, he had already copied down the entire lesson.

-x-

Even as he ate dinner, all Midoriya could taste was iron. It had lingered in his mouth since his last class, as he filled page after page with notes before the class even started. He was dreaming again. That had to be it, the only explanation possible. Quickly, he pinched his cheeks and winced in pain.

Ok, not a dream then. He was seeing the future and somehow that was reality. Maybe it was a quirk? Maybe he was never quirkless and his ability future sight. Sure, it hadn't really manifested before now, but if he were seeing the future in his dreams, maybe he had just forgotten them. Most people forgot their dreams, after all. And now his powers were getting too strong and soon he'd be able to remember his dreams and change the future!

Yeah, that had to be it!

Ecstatic, Midoriya crawled into bed, barely able to sleep. All Might would flip when he found out. Maybe he could use it to help prevent attacks and crime. Save people before they even needed to be saved. There were so many applications to this ability. Instead of counting sheep, he counted ideas and before long he fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, breathless and afraid, that last hope was torn from him.

-x-

"Today, we're going to do a little survival game." All Might posed excitedly in front of the school's forest, his eagerness rolling off him in waves. "A test of skill, of teamwork, of wit."

Finally another class with All Might. It had been a while since he had taught them last and Midoriya buzzed with elation. A survival game might even mean they could face off against their teacher—he could show how much he had improved. All Might winked at him and Midoriya had to fight the grin off his face.

How long had it been since he had last seen All Might? Not since…Midoriya frowned, tapping his thigh as he tried to remember. Not since what? An image popped in his mind of a frail All Might, of a fight in ruined city, rubble strewn across the streets. A room of adults, all dressed in black, all soberly huddling together. Across the room, a photo sat, the light reflecting off it. Each step across the room felt too loud, too muffled. The bitter taste was in his mouth again and he was taller now. His hand reached out to touch the photo.

"We're on the same team!" Uraraka tugged on his arm happily, jolting him out of the memory before he could see the picture. "We're gonna win this time."

"Of course we will." Iida puffed up chest proudly. "This requires teamwork and we have that in spades."

"Definitely." Midoriya gave a shaky smile as he tried to focus. This wasn't the time to daydream. "We just have to be the last team standing, right?"

"Yep!" Uraraka balled her hands into fists, punching the air. "We give the ol' one-two to any other team we see and we avoid our teacher and we're the winner!"

"That last part might be hard." Iida rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure how we can escape All Might's detection."

"Well, we don't have to avoid his detection so much as let others get caught first," Midoriya pointed out. Every game had its rules and once they were known, the rest was easy to figure out. "So if someone else causes more of a commotion—"

"All Might will go after them first!" Iida nodded sagely. "I see, I see."

"I guess it's a good thing Mineta's not here." Uraraka grinned. "There's only one team of four then."

"Everyone ready? I'll give you ten minutes to hide." Beaming, All Might covered his eyes and started to count. He bounced lightly on his feet as he did, sending small tremors through the earth.

Would Midoriya ever get that powerful? It was hard to imagine. His body could barely handle the quirk now. Maybe one day he'd end up like All Might, pure muscle and strength. One last glance at All Might and he quickly chased after Iida and Uraraka as the teams dispersed.

-x-

"That was a close one." Uraraka panted as she flopped on the ground.

They had just narrowly evaded capture as Sero, Kaminari, and Sato drew the attention of All Might. Sero had tried to lay a trap for their team, stretching tape between trees and using Kaminari's lightning to shock them into submission. Fortunately, Iida was too fast for that and Uraraka had managed to float Sato into the ambush instead. Within moments of Kaminari's attack, they had heard the overbearing footsteps of All Might and quickly fled, leaving Sero's team as they tried to untangle Sato before their teacher caught up.

"A super close one," Midoriya agreed, taking a deep breath. In the distance, they could hear Kaminari scream.

"That sounds…horrifying." Iida stared in the direction they ran from, disturbed. "That's All Might, right?"

"He really gets into character," Midoriya answered weakly. He shivered as he remembered his practical exam. "When he faced Bakugo and me, he really liked the idea of playing the villain."

"Bakugo?" Uraraka looked at him, surprise etched on her features. "You don't call him Kacchan anymore?"

"Huh? Didn't I say Kacchan?" Bewildered at Uraraka's shake, Midoriya frowned. A harsh taste filled his mouth and he clutched his head. Sharp stings, like ice picks hammering into his head, erased any thoughts he had.

"You ok?" Iida wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Concerned, he helped Midoriya down to the ground. "Need a break?"

"You've been getting a lot more headaches lately." Uraraka crouched next to him, peering into his eyes. "Maybe we should take you to the nurse; with the nightmares and everything, it might be serious."

"No." His voice strained, Midoriya shook his head. "I'm…I'm fine."

"You're not!" Annoyed, Iida gripped Midoriya's shoulder tightly. "You're not fine at all."

"I'm—" Before Midoriya could reply, everything was stained crimson. Iida's neck had a jagged line drawn across it, Uraraka's eyes were black voids, and Midoriya could feel something wet dripping out of his ears. When he touched it, his fingers were smudged red. Suddenly, everything came in through a filter. His friends' voices were muffled, their touch distant.

He blacked out for a second. The sight around him blurred into black and the only thing visible was Asui. She stood in front of him, her eyes on a distant target. Slowly, her face twisted in fear and she tripped on the ground as she ran. For a moment, she lay still, before clutching her foot and soundlessly screaming.

"Midoriya?"

It was like hearing underwater. Unable to tear his eyes off Asui, Midoriya reached out for Iida.

"Midoriya!"

Firm hands shook him and Asui disappeared, leaving Uraraka in her place. Next to her, Iida was pulling out his water. "Uraraka?"

"Midoriya!" Relieved, she sank down, her hands still on his shoulders. "You're definitely not ok."

Iida handed Midoriya the bottle. "Drink this. We'll take you to the nurse after."

Nurse. Midoriya stared at the bottle, at the water that lay stagnant inside. "No, not yet."

"But Midoriya, you—"

He cut off Iida. "After, we have to save Asui first. She's going to twist her ankle."

"How do you know that?" Uraraka stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head. "No, we'll deal with that later. Do you know where she might be?"

"I'm not sure." Frazzled, he racked his brains. Where would she hide? Where would her team hide? Kirishima liked to fight in the open, Tokoyami in the dark, and Asui? She loved the water. Was there a location in these woods that matched all three conditions? His fingers twitched as he thought. There was still a sour note in his mouth.

"It's ok, we've got this." Uraraka grabbed his hands reassuringly, stilling his motions. Her grip was tight, grounding. "We'll split up and look."

"We'll find her, don't worry." Iida got up. "I'll head east."

"I'll go west." Uraraka gripped his hands tightly before releasing them. "All Might was in the south, so if anything happens there, he'll know. You head north. With the three of us, we've got everywhere covered."

"Yeah." He stood up slowly. "Yeah, you're right."

Hesitation gone, the trio split up and raced through the forest. The leaves crunched beneath his feet and he remembered that morning days ago, when Mineta had just fallen sick. It had sounded like bones breaking then. He hoped that wouldn't be the case now. Ahead of him, the trees thinned as they reached the edge of the forest. A flash of red, Kirishima. A black shadow, Tokoyami.

And a quiet ribbit. Asui.

He burst out of the forest, surprising the trio. They were in a field, on a vantage point overlooking a lake. Asui stood close to the edge, studying the lake. She jumped back when she heard him.

"Midoriya?" Kirishima gawked at him before raising his fists eagerly. "The manly way of settling this, eh? You're braver than I thought."

Tokoyami's shadow was already rising from the forest as their classmate hid himself in the dark. It gained strength from each tree in its path, until it was like a blanket covering their exit. "You can't escape this way."

"I'm not here to fight!" Midoriya raised his hands in surrender, still facing Asui. She was standing. There was still time. "Just to help."

"Help?" Asui raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting from Midoriya to forest and then back at him. "What's your plan this time? Where are your teammates?"

"No plan. No teammates." Words, words, what words could he use to explain this to her? To make her believe? He was a master of words and they all failed him now. "You're in danger."

"Danger?" Tokoyami snorted as he looked behind him. There was a crashing sound heading their way. "All Might? You were leading him to us?"

"No!" Midoriya shook his head. There was no time. He could see that black world again, see Asui's expression as she fell. There was no time, something told him. "You can escape, I'll get caught."

Kirishima dropped his fists, confused. "Huh? What sort of fight is that?"

"It's not a fight!" Shouting, he turned to Asui. "Just be careful, you're going to get hurt."

"Ok?" Asui nodded hesitantly. "Sure? Midoriya, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, I'm more than fine." The crashing sound was getting louder. He remembered her hands clutching her legs. "Just go."

"Sure." Bemused, she stepped forward only for the ground to crumble beneath her. Before Midoriya could react, she was gone.

-x-

"It's ok, Midoriya." Uraraka squeezed his hands comfortingly as they sat in the cafeteria. "She just broke a leg."

Midoriya felt cold, like he was in an ice-bath. "She broke a leg."

"She's not badly hurt," Iida added, setting a bowl of soup in front of him. "You look pale. Recovery Girl's busy with Asui so eat this for now."

"She broke a leg," Midoriya repeated, ignoring the bowl in front of him.

"It could have been worse." Uraraka tried to smile but her expression remained grim. "If you hadn't shouted for All Might, she might have broken more things. Though he's really strong—I can't believe his jumps weakened the cliff. From that distance."

"She was only supposed to twist her ankle!" Midoriya whispered hysterically. "Her ankle! Not her leg!"

"Calm down!" Iida gripped Midoriya's arm, his voice stern. "Take a deep breath and calm down."

"Iida." Finally looking at his two friends, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And then another. Inhale. Exhale. Calming down, he reached out for the bowl of soup. It seared a path down his throat even as it heated him up. "Thanks."

"No problem." Uraraka slumped onto the table, exhausted. "How did you know, though?"

"I don't know." Midoriya stopped between mouthfuls. A dream. Was it a dream? A nightmare? It had all started that night and now he wasn't sure what reality was anymore. "I had a dream."

"A dream?" Iida frowned. "The nightmares you've been having lately?"

"Yeah," Midoriya confirmed, stirring his bowl slowly. "I can't remember exactly what happens in them, but this, all of this…I think it was in it."

"You're seeing the future?" Uraraka racked her brains before shaking her head. "But your quirk is strength! Can a quirk have two different things like that?"

"I don't think so. I can't even think of a quirk like that." Midoriya smiled wryly. "But the dreams are coming true. If I just remembered more, quicker, then maybe none of this would have happened."

"It's not your fault." Ida's face crinkled in concern. "You didn't cause any of this."

"…I guess." Midoriya took a spoonful of the soup. It tasted sour.

Hesitantly, Uraraka asked, "Was there more to your dream?" When he looked at her, she clarified. "Maybe we can stop other things from happening."

"Other things?" Even now, the dream was still more shadow than light. The details were faded, like an old photograph. "There might be."

"Good, then we'll help you." Iida squared his shoulders, with a potential solution he felt more confident. "You try to remember as much as possible and we'll help you understand what it means. And then stop it."

The more he spoke about it, the less real it all felt. "I might be imagining things."

"I don't think so. You were right about Asui, about Mineta, about a lot of little things. We'll figure it out together." Uraraka refused his rejection, scotching closer so they could plan together.

Before he could object, Iida pulled out a pad of paper to record on. "You were right before, that I shouldn't have bottle things in and tried to deal with it on my own. So don't bottle things up now."

"Thanks." Deku glanced at one, then the other, before taking a sip of his soup in embarrassment. This time, the soup tasted much sweeter.

-x-

"I sent Kirishima with Bakugo, so he's not alone." Uraraka reported her actions when they regrouped again after school. For the past two days, they worked on the basis of his ambiguous memory. Bakugou shouldn't walk home alone. Jiro shouldn't be near a sound system. For some reason, Shoji shouldn't use a stapler.

The more they tried to pry his dreams, the fuzzier it became. Each morning, he woke to his heart pounding and rolled over, trying to write things down before he forgot them. The list made no sense, the danger unknown, but Iida and Uraraka took it like a gospel and quickly executed strategies to prevent it.

To prevent what? His head hurt the harder he tried to remember it. Even now, as they walked to the dorms together, something felt wrong. Did Iida always wear glasses? Wasn't Uraraka's hair supposed to be longer? Even his own height didn't feel right, like he was supposed to be taller, bigger.

Sometimes, he glimpsed their future selves, older and battle worn. Blood streamed down their arms as they reached out to him. They whispered a warning, their eyes desperate.

Wake up, Midoriya. Wake up.

"We've got this, Midoriya." Uraraka grinned at him and the mirage faded.

-x-

"I need you to listen carefully." For once, Aizawa was out of his sleeping bag, standing in front of them in the suit and tie the other teachers wore in class. The rarity of this event was overshadowed by his words. "Mineta's dead."

Midoriya swallowed, his mouth dry. Too late, he vividly recalled his dream. Mineta's head, drenched red. Bruises like black flowers bloomed across his chest. His legs twisted in an angle no human could bear. Had it really been just a dream? Had he witnessed something and forgotten it?

Did he do something?

"What do you mean he's dead?" Ashido finally asked, the first one to regain her voice. Trembling, she cracked a weak smile. "I mean, sure, we've wanted to kill him for a lot of things, but dead?"

"He's dead," Aizawa repeated plainly. As though it was a settled matter, as though it was a fact.

"Dead?" Kaminari echoed, his eyes wide. "He's actually dead?"

"Yes." And there was something kind about Aizawa's expression, something gentle about the way he watched them. Even his voice was soft and Midoriya finally comprehended what he was hearing. "We found his body this morning."

Midoriya's eyes snapped to Mineta's empty desk, a sight he had grown accustomed to seeing for the past two weeks. Not sick, then. Was he ever sick? Or had Mineta been dead for a while now, waiting for them to find him?

"What do you mean found?" Todoroki picked up on his teacher's language. "How did he die?"

"We don't know that yet, but we found his body in the training grounds." Aizawa frowned, as though debating how much he should tell them. In the end, he closed the classroom door behind him. "I shouldn't be telling you anything more, but you have the right to know."

Whatever else Aizawa said, Midoriya didn't hear. Swimming between dreams and reality, he finally gave in and collapsed.

-x-

Wake up Midoriya.

The words repeated in his mind, an endless loop. If only he could. Mineta would be alive, Asui out of the hospital, and who knew what more was in store? Even his nightmare, the fragments he could recall, were useless to him now.

Recovery Girl softly patted him on the head. "Awake now? It was a great shock, I know."

"Yeah." Midoriya stared at his hands, at the black and blue bruises that formed on his skin. "How did I get hurt?"

"Hurt?" Recovery Girl repeated, perplexed. "You passed out in class, you weren't hurt."

"What?" Midoriya gestured at his palm but the bruises were gone now, the pulpy flesh now smooth. Turning his hand over, he saw nothing there either.

"It's stress, honey." She patted his head again before gesturing at the door. "Your friends will be here to pick you up soon. I know it's hard, but don't worry. We'll figure it out."

Remembering class, he clenched the blanket tightly. "About Mineta."

"Yes, about him and Hagakure." When he snapped his attention to her, she covered her mouth. "Oh, you hadn't heard yet. She went missing this morning."

"Both of them?" His nightmares, had they said anything about this? No and yes, the fragments only became clear after the crisis. Instinctively, he knew they wouldn't find Hagakure alive either.

"I know it's hard, but you have to relax." Kindly, she held his hands and smiled up at him. "Trust us, we'll handle this."

He wished he could nod, but Recovery Girl's glasses were broken, reflecting a different nightmare in each crack, and he knew this was far from over.

-x-

The dorm was dark when he returned. The emergency exit sign glowed a warning red. Midoriya stepped inside hesitantly, not sure if he was awake or not. Each step was sluggish, as though he were fighting the current, a great weight strapped to his legs.

In the end, no one picked him up. Hours passed, the sun set, and his bedside had remained empty. Even Recovery Girl had disappeared at some point, leaving only the cold white light shining down on him. The computer had flickered, the screen turning black with green letters before returning to normal. Thoroughly creeped out, Midoriya had slipped out and headed back to the dorms by himself.

Maybe that was a mistake. Despite the heightened security, he hadn't seen a single teacher on his walk back. Moreover, now, there didn't seem to be even a single student in the dorm. The lobby was empty. At this time, Kaminari and Kirishima were usually playing a game, roping in whatever students were awake to join them.

Though, Mineta's death must have put an end to that.

"Hello?" Midoriya called as he flicked on a light. The room was bathed in a soft light. Empty. The shadows grew longer the more he stared at them. It gave the couch a very beat appearance, almost torn up, but when he touched it, the couch was fine.

An optical illusion. He had read about those when he was younger. That's all it was, a trick on the eyes.

Making his way to the elevator, he pressed the up button. The dial changed floors slowly, making it down to the second before stopping entirely. A beat passed, then another, and the doors slowly slid open. Most of the elevator was still on the floor above, with only a small gap visible to Midoriya. A hand flopped out of it, broken, and Midoriya stepped back.

Before he could scream, the light flickered and the hand was gone. The elevator doors closed and he sprinted to the stairs.

He was just sick. Or tired. Breathing fast, he ran up the stairs as though chased. Something dripped in the distance and he tried not think of what it was. The second floor. He just had to make it there. Yanking it open, he slammed it behind him and took a deep breath.

The hallway was dark, with a small pool of moonlight at the end. The lights flickered on and off, like strobe lights. Maybe the power was having issues. Multiple times. Improbable, sure, but possible. Midoriya slowly edged his way to his room, his heart pounding like a rabbit's.

"Midoriya?"

He jumped before recognizing the voice. "Iida?"

"Midoriya?" Iida repeated, his voice reedy thin. A door opened ahead of Midoriya and he could make out a figure slipping out. The light flickered, revealing a much taller Iida, his glasses gone.

It went dark again and Midoriya laughed nervously. "You didn't pick me up."

"Midoriya?" Iida repeated once more and the hair on Midoriya's back rose.

Something wasn't right. The light flashed on long enough for him to see Iida slouch over. As it turned off, he crashed onto the ground. Quickly, Midoriya ran to his friend. His foot splashed in something before he crouched next to Iida. "Hey, are you ok?"

Gingerly, he shook Iida's shoulder. The light blinked on as Iida's head rolled off his shoulders, landing on the ground with a splash. Midoriya stared, breathing shallow. His hands were red. His shoes were red. Around him, a puddle of blood.

Screaming, he fell backwards.

"Midoriya?" The light remained on but Midoriya was too scared to turn around. Even for Uraraka. "Is that you?"

"Uraraka?" He froze. Behind him, he could hear footsteps. One. Two. Three. Breathing fast, he slowly turned around. There she stood behind him, her hair long and hiding her face. She looked down at him. "Is that you?"

"Midoriya, you need to wake up." A wind blew, revealing her face. She had no eyes. "You have to remember. You have to wake up."

Unable to even scream, he crawled backwards until he hit a wall. As she lurched toward him, her arm fell off. He couldn't tear his eyes away, even as she grinned up at him, a mouth full of broken teeth like tombstones.

This wasn't real. None of this was real, he was in that nightmare again. That had to be it. His room was at the end of the hallway. He just had to make it there. That one thought sustained him and Midoriya took off. Uraraka shambled on behind him and he could still hear a drip, drip, drip.

None of it was real. His doorknob turned easily and he bolted in. Slamming the door behind him, he slid to the ground sobbing. It was fine, it was fine. He'd wake up in the morning and it would all be gone.

That's it, he just had to sleep. If he slept, he'd wake up. Blinding by his tears, he lunged toward his bed. It was ok. It was all going to be ok.

"Oh Midoriya," a sinister voice muttered behind him, a cold blade pressing against Midoriya's neck. "Did you really think it was that easy?"

Before he could reply, the knife drew across his neck.

"No, this is one nightmare you can't escape from."

Eyes wide, Midoriya fell forward onto his bed. His hand clawed at his neck, feeling the blood there. He was going to die, he was going to die.

"Why?" he croaked, unable to even see who did this to him.

"You don't remember?" the voice laughed, deep and haughty. "Maybe next time then."

Wake up Midoriya, Urarka and Iida urged, and for a moment, he remembered. Remembered a rescue gone wrong, remembered an enemy unexpected. A quirk—there had been a quirk, something to do with nightmares and—

The thought slipped from him and he fell into darkness once more.

-x-

Midoriya's eyes shot open. He had another one of those dreams. Those nightmares.

But it was only a dream. Nothing to fear.