A ripple had passed through the seas of people that walked the streets. They had previously ebbed and flowed to their own currents, carried along by jobs and dates and deliveries, but a rogue wave had suddenly pushed through, pulling them along. Everyone stopped what they were doing and drew their cell phones and tablets, or rushed to store-side displays.

Izuku Midoryia was no sailor, but he knew what troubled waters looked like.

This is it, he thought. Now to find out whatever it is.

When he had arrived here, with everyone else, he had been frightened at first. That was a reasonable response, he assured himself, and certainly forgivable. The Grand Combat was disorienting and unpredictable. But as time passed, he realized that this place was not a prison, but an opportunity. Here, he could finally see if he could be a hero on his own. No laws to hold him back, and only his own wits and strength to save him. It was a test, and Izuku intended to pass.

He walked towards a group of pedestrians crowded around an electronics store. The plasma-screen TVs were all tuned to the same station.

"... unclear at this time what the goals of the terrorists are, or why they are holding these hostages," said the disembodied voice of a newscaster. "We will continue to report with any updates as this story develops. Again, terrorists have taken control of the Regent building, and have informed the authorities that if their demands are not met, they will execute fifty hostages."

The images on the screen showed a large brownstone building, just shy of a skyscraper, surrounded by police vehicles. A few helicopter shots showed dark figures, bristling with what he assumed were assault weapons, moving within the windows.

A hostage situation. Well, at least I can't say I'm going in blind.

Izuku stepped back from the crowd, pulling his jacket's gray hood further down over his face. He stepped into a quiet alley, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

When he opened his eyes, the alley had been replaced by a vast, black expanse, featureless except for a child standing a short distance away from him. The darkness at her feet fluctuated, rocking back and forth over her ill-fitting sneakers like a black liquid. She held a toy spacecraft in her hands and was toying with a hatch on its dorsal surface.

"Hey, it worked," said Izuku.

"You called," replied the girl, removing an action figure from the spacecraft. She turned over the little spaceman in her hands, not really looking at it. "I heard you."

"Yeah. I think this will be really useful for us in the future if we can communicate like this. But stuff is starting to happen out there. Our opponents are in the Regent building. Can you guide me there?"

The girl set down the toy and pulled a city map from her oversized coat's pocket. She perused it for a moment, then nodded towards him.

"All right. Thanks, Eleven."

The void disappeared, and Izuku found himself back in the alley. He fished his walkie-talkie from his jacket and moved back onto the street, where the civilians were already becoming more agitated.

"Straight ahead," crackled Eleven's voice, audible though the walkie-talkie had no batteries.

"Got it," he replied. He took a measured breath and summoned the power of his Quirk, which radiated out into every muscle fiber in his body. He knelt down and launched forwards, throwing himself up to bounce off of the walls of the buildings lining the street. With enough measured force in each push of his legs, he sailed from one row of buildings to the other, avoiding the crowds below.

"Left," said Eleven as he approached the next intersection. Izuku doubled the strength of his jump as he landed on the right-side building and catapulted across the road.

"Thanks," he grunted as he leaped forwards.

I can't afford to lose any time. I'll need all of it to deal with the terrorists.

He bounded ahead, determined to get it right this time.

A crouching figure lowered his tactical binoculars, watching the boy race towards his destination. He stuffed the heavy optics back into his combat pack and turned towards his waiting transport helicopter, which began to spool its engines up as he clambered aboard. He settled down into the copilot's seat, pulled on his helmet, and turned on the built-in headset.

"This is Tombstone One. We've got company. Heading back now. Kodiak, I think you're going to like this one."

The helicopter lurched into the air, pointing its nose directly towards the Regent building.

"I'll be looking forward to getting acquainted," came the reply. "Kodiak out."

"Right," said Eleven, and Izuku banked right, sailing into an open square. The Regent building looked like it might have been a city hall since it had a grand marble staircase leading down from the entrance, and a tall, bronze statue that resembled the Master of Games out in front of that. Izuku couldn't help but roll his eyes at the narcissism, but there was an almost goofy charm to it.

I guess it would be funnier if there weren't hostages, he thought.

Izuku hit the ground between the marble staircase and the ring of police vehicles. Several sidearms were immediately drawn and Izuku immediately turned and raised his hands.

"Step away from the building," called an officer with a megaphone. "And identify yourself."

"My name is Izuku Midoriya. You don't have to worry about me. Or this. I'll take care of it."

"You'll take care of this?" called another officer, incredulous. "How are you going to hope to do that?! You're just one kid."

"That's right," Izuku admitted. "I am just one kid. But I've got hope in spades. And you will too..."

Izuku unzipped his jacket and let it fall to the ground, revealing his specially-designed hero costume, glittering green in the autumn sun.

"...Because I am here."

With a grin, Izuku blasted up into the air and crashed leg-first through a window on the second floor. It was definitely some kind of city hall, it was appointed too nicely to be an office building. The floors were more marble and oil paintings hung in ornate frames on nearly every wall. Izuku seemed to be in a partial corridor that opened into a common room a few steps ahead before turning back into a corridor.

"I'm in," he whispered. "But they might be tracking me now. This is where things are going to get difficult."

He didn't know if Eleven heard him, but he couldn't wait for a response. A soft ding from across the room prompted him to duck against the wall. The sliding doors of an elevator opened into the common room and heavy footsteps clattered out. Izuku peeked around the corner of the wall, holding his breath. There were three men, each in bulletproof vests and tactical gear over urban camouflage fatigues. Their faces were shrouded by balaclavas, and each one carried an assault rifle. They didn't look much like terrorists, by Izuku's estimation. These had to be soldiers.

"This is my stop," said one. "You two head down to the first floor. Remember, check in every minute. Killjoy says we need to be thorough."

Killjoy… I wonder who that is, thought Izuku. Their boss, no doubt. But I wonder if they have a Quirk, or something like it. Either way, these are just the small fry.

Izuku leaned back around the corner and continued holding his breath until he heard the elevator close. Carefully, he selected a piece of broken glass from the floor. He peeked around the wall once again and waited until the soldier turned away. He then hurled the glass down the corridor, where it shattered into yet smaller pieces. The sound of combat boots clomped nearer, and Izuku watched the soldier check down the hallway towards his glass decoy. He had just moments in which to act, but he knew he was fast enough. He channeled even more of his latent power into his legs and blasted off, reaching the soldier before he could even turn around. He swept a leg underneath the soldier, who toppled easily. As he fell, Izuku locked an arm around the soldier's neck and pressed a knee into his back, pinning him to the floor with his gun underneath his stomach.

"Answer me and I won't kill you. Where are the hostages?" Izuku hissed. The soldier, so disoriented by the blindingly fast attack, caved immediately.

"Top floor, in the lobby," he gasped.

"Thanks," said Izuku, who used his free hand to smack the soldier's head into the floor, knocking him unconscious.

"Did you hear that? They're on the top floor," Izuku said, hoping Eleven would hear.

"I can see them," whispered Eleven through the walkie-talkie. "There are three guards with them. Guns."

"Do you know a way I can get up there?"

"Can't see."

"Okay. Thank you. I'll find a way."

Izuku moved into the common room, eyeing the elevator suspiciously. It was a bad option- it would certainly get him straight to the top floor, but it would put all of the attention in the room on him, which wasn't safe for him or the hostages. Izuku walked further and found a stairwell entrance against the back wall, and a plan began to materialize in his head. He returned to the body of the soldier, and found another walkie-talkie on his belt.

"Hey, Eleven, I'm ditching our walkie-talkie. Can you use this one instead?"

"Yes," she whispered through the second device.

"Great. I've got an idea. You just stay safe. If I need your help-"

"You'll call."

Izuku smiled. "Yeah. We make a good team, Eleven."

There was no reply. Izuku knew better than to wait for Eleven to say much. He instead set to work on his plan, which he knew was time-sensitive. He pressed the elevator's call button, and hid back around the corner while he waited for it to arrive. When the elevator doors slid open again, he raced back and checked- empty. Perfect. He ducked inside and pressed 10, which seemed to be the highest numeral, although there was a button labeled "R" that he assumed was the roof. Before the door could close, Izuku darted out of the elevator and raced for the stairs, ascending the stairwell as fast as he could.

"This is Tombstone Four," said a female voice on the walkie-talkie. "Hostages still secure. We've found the doctor and we're prepping him for transit."

"This is Ninth floor. All clear here."

"Eighth floor clear."

"Floor seven, clear."

"Six is clear."

"Five clear."

"Four is clear."

"Third floor is clear."

"Ground floor is- where's two? We've lost two," a soldier said frantically. "Everybody, check your exits and entrances."

Izuku had just reached the tenth flight of stairs when the revelation was made. A heavy steel door stood between him and the tenth floor. He pressed his ear against it and waited for a faint ding. Quietly, he swung open the door. The tenth floor was arranged differently, with a large, ornately furnished lobby space surrounded by wide windows and a single office against the south wall. The elevator was on the north wall, presumably to give the office's owner a straight shot when heading in to work. The stairwell, on the other hand, was nestled in the east corner of the room, closer to the office than anything. The lobby held eight large leather sofas arranged in an octagonal pattern, between which a group of civilians cowered. Izuku had a full view of the elevator, and of the three soldiers that all had trained their weapons on it. The guards were equipped differently than the ones he had seen below- one toted a heavier machine gun, another a more compact personal defense weapon, and the third carried some assault rifle variation Izuku wasn't familiar with. None of them wore masks, so Izuku could discern their features plainly. The soldier with the smaller weapon was a woman- perhaps Tombstone Four. While their backs were turned, Izuku dashed into the office's open door, ducking below the Venetian blinds that obscured the windows.

The elevator door opened, and Tombstone Four moved towards it, her weapon held to her shoulder, ready to fire. She looked inside.

"It's empty," she called.

"Aw, shit," said the one with the assault rifle. He unclipped a walkie-talkie of his own from his tactical vest. "This is Tombstone Three. Elevator just showed up with no passenger."

"Goddammit," said the soldier with the machine gun, turning back towards the stairwell. He hustled across the room and kicked the door open, disappearing from Izuku's line of sight.

They said they found a doctor and were 'prepping him for transit.' But I don't see them moving anyone around here. They couldn't have used the elevator, and I didn't see anyone on the stairwell. So how did they move him, and where could he be?

From the blinds, Izuku scanned the room again. In the far corner of the north wall was a nondescript door, set into the brilliant marble walls subtly. Only the frame indicated that it was anything more than a section of wall.

A secret exit, or entrance? It has to be. It's the only explanation. But it's across the room. Even if I run as fast as I can, one of the guards will see me, and I'll be putting myself and the hostages in danger. If I need to get to the roof to find the doctor- whoever he is- then I need to clear this room first. That means taking out these guards without getting the hostages hurt.

Izuku dashed out of the office, back towards the stairwell. The door was still open, allowing him to slip through quietly.

"There you are, you Kermit-lookin' mother," swore someone below him, and Izuku jumped towards the other side of the stairwell as a spray of bullets peppered the landing he had just occupied. Looking down, Izuku spotted the machine-gun soldier snarling up at him from two flights down.

He must have been heading down the stairs to check if I was coming up them. He probably doesn't have a good counter for my Quirk, but the positioning here puts me at a disadvantage. If I run down the steps, he can lead my movements and hit me easily. If I jump down towards him, I'll be completely exposed in the air. This is bad.

"Come on," the soldier screamed, firing another controlled burst. Izuku dodged again, settling back near the stairwell entrance. He knew the other soldiers would enter the door behind him in seconds.

Think. How can I attack him while staying in cover?

A solution presented itself to Izuku. He gathered his power, feeling his inner strength surge through his body like electricity. One For All was a massively powerful Quirk, but Izuku had found that its most useful applications were its most restrained. He risked another jump across the stairwell, this time aiming for the section one flight above the machine gun soldier. Another burst of bullets followed, and Izuku felt something hot scrape his left leg- he would have to check on the injury later. Right now, he had to act. With a carefully-measured amount of force, Izuku swung a leg down onto the ninth-floor landing, shattering the concrete. Heavy chunks rained down on the soldier, burying him before he could run. Izuku bounced off the wall and back onto the intact portion of the stairs.

One down, two to go.

He raced back up to the tenth floor and crossed back into the lobby, and immediately found himself staring into the barrel of Tombstone Three's rifle.

"Got him," the soldier yelped.

"Good job, Pac," called Tombstone Four, crossing the room towards them. "Move him over here with the hostages. Kodiak's nearly ready to leave."

"What's the matter, kid? Not fast enough to dodge a bullet point-blank?" asked Tombstone Three, or Pac, who circled around Izuku and prodded him forward with the barrel of the assault rifle. Izuku moved, placing his hands behind his head.

"What happened to Irish?" asked Tombstone Four.

"Kid must have gotten him on the stairs. Sounds like something broke."

"Damn. Don't let that rifle off of him, then. We don't want to end up like that."

"So-lid copy, Hannah," grunted Pac. "Sit down like everybody else," he instructed.

Izuku cursed himself internally. If only I had thought a step further ahead, I wouldn't have wasted any time on the stairs. But this isn't over yet.

"Eleven," he whispered. "Eleven."

"It's the tenth floor, dumbass," hissed Pac.

Out of the corner of Izuku's eye, he saw it: the wall below the window of the office bulged and split like a blister, quietly gurgling as stringy strands of flesh parted around the small form of a little girl. Hannah had circled back to the other side of the hostages, and Pac was certainly staying focused on Izuku. The boy closed his eyes. Two heavy thuds followed, accented by the clattering of dropped firearms.

"Deku," Eleven replied.

Izuku opened his eyes, and the soldiers had crumpled onto the floor. The hostages began to stir quietly. Eleven grimaced, holding a hand in the direction of Pac and Hannah. A trickle of blood ran down her upper lip from her nose.

"Are they dead?" asked Izuku.

Eleven shook her head. "Asleep."

"Good. I owe you one, but I can't pay it back now. I need to get to the roof. Can you help the hostages get out of here? The stairs are broken, and there are other soldiers in the building."

"I know a way," she said.

"All right. And thanks again."

Izuku realized that Eleven's "way" probably involved her creepy nightmare dimension, but as far as he understood, it was only harmful if people stayed in it for too long, or if they encountered any hostile wildlife. It wasn't pretty, but it would work, and that was all he needed. That left this mysterious doctor and whoever Kodiak was to him. He raced to the mystery door and gave it a solid kick, shattering the heavy marble easily. Within, a small, bare room housed only a metal stepladder leading upwards. Izuku scrambled up the ladder, and smacked the hatch at the top open. Cold air rushed past his hands, and he could hear the whirling blades of a helicopter. He pulled himself through. In front of him was the helicopter, clearly some military model, with side-mounted miniguns. Stencilled onto the tail was the word "KILLJOY." A large bald man in a black suit was hoisting another man, clearly unconscious, into the helicopter. The other man didn't look like the doctors Izuku always pictured in his head, but he knew appearances weren't everything. But between the helicopter and the hatch was another figure- a girl about his age. She wore a long coat, which danced in the wind in time with her long blonde hair. The clothes she was wearing beneath the coat didn't look very seasonal, comprised of skin-tight athletic apparel. She didn't exactly cut an intimidating figure, but again Izuku knew not to trust first appearances.

"There you are," she said, smiling. "So you're the one who cut through Tombstone? Impressive. Or, maybe, not so impressive, given those powers of yours. I'm Rachel, by the way. And you?"

"You can call me Deku. I'm here to stop you," said Izuku, balling his fists and summoning the strength of One For All.

"Right, right. I take it you're some kind of superhero?"

"That's right."

"Do you look at every situation you're in, and try to figure out the best way to help people?"

Izuku found it very odd that she was killing time, especially since the helicopter didn't seem to be going anywhere. What was the point of all of the questions if she wasn't going to use them as a distraction?

"Yeah, I try to. That's what a hero should do."

"Then you probably know that we're trying to kidnap this doctor against his will. He's very important to someone, so we're taking him to that someone. And you've also figured out that you need to stop us from doing that in order to succeed this round, in addition to saving the hostages."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that I've placed a sniper on the building just across the block," she said, pointing towards Izuku. He looked down, and a tiny red dot glowed on the center of his costume. "That's Tombstone One. If you try to grab the doctor, you get sniped. If you go back down and help the hostages, we get away. You've already lost."

Izuku did his own calculations. The sniper was an unknown variable- it would make sense to eliminate it first. But in the time it would take him to reach the sniper, the helicopter would leave. He could attempt to get into close proximity with Rachel, to prevent the sniper from firing, but the helicopter could still fly away without her. He considered allowing the helicopter to make some headway and then using a high-powered jump to catch up with it after disabling the sniper, but the helicopter could simply evade him and climb higher.

"Thought about it? Yeah, it doesn't look good for you," said Rachel. "My advice is, pick a loss and take it."

"I can't let that happen. I have to be the best hero I can be. That means saving everyone. I was given this power for a reason."

"Wow, you really do sound like a superhero," Rachel remarked. "But how do you plan on saving everyone? It doesn't add up."

"It doesn't have to," said Izuku, realizing what he had to do. "Because I can go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"

Izuku gathered his strength and threw the strongest punch he could without taking a step. Unlike his full-powered smashes, it didn't create a massive cyclone, but it did create enough of a gust to lift the helicopter off of its skids prematurely. The pilot, evidently unprepared for this, tried to correct, but tilting backward caused the tail to lurch towards Izuku, briefly blocking the laser sight. Izuku knew the window he had created would not last long. He blasted away from the ground, sailing upwards until he saw the building that the sniper must have occupied. He carefully controlled his descent, opening his arms to give himself a little more airtime. He pulled the middle finger of his left underneath his thumb and flicked it outwards, performing a miniaturized Delaware smash, pushing him ever so slightly forwards. He saw the sniper lying down on the roof, and took aim with an outstretched foot. The roof gave way beneath the force of Izuku's impact, and the sniper collapsed downward with it. Izuku had wanted to avoid fatalities, but Rachel's plan had forced his hand, or, more accurately, his foot. He didn't have the time to dwell on it- he had a helicopter to get back to. He rocketed back out of the ruined building and back towards the Regent. As he neared the top of his jump's arc, he saw the helicopter begin to lift off in earnest. When he hit the roof, the helicopter was already fifty feet away from the building, but the screaming pain of multiple hard impacts to his legs was beginning to build. He had to brace himself for a moment, but he had forgotten one of the most unknown variables.

"Not bad," growled Rachel, clotheslining him off his feet. Izuku fell onto his back and the girl stepped onto his chest, pinning him. She tossed her coat aside, and Izuku noticed that her arms looked unusually large. In fact, her entire body looked larger. Her athletic top split down the arm, revealing shaggy brown fur. Her entire body was expanding, being replaced by what looked like some sort of animal.

I guess I found Kodiak, Izuku realized.

"I guesh you're pretty good at thish shuperhero shtuff," she said through a mouth that was filling with large fangs and a larger tongue. "But that'sh not enouggghrrr."

She swung a swollen arm down at him and heavy claws raked across his face. She was getting heavier, and her foot was now more of a paw. He had to do something to break free, or she would maul him like the bear she was becoming. He tried to push himself up with his legs, but a bolt of pain raced through them. He instead smacked the roof with his left elbow, the force rolling him out from underneath Rachel and sending the nearly-fully-formed bear tumbling. Izuku scrambled to his feet and darted towards the dazed bear, landing a solid punch on the underside of her jaw. The bear sprawled backward, groaning loudly.

That's quite a right hook you've got, said a voice that sounded just like Rachel's, but seemed to exist directly inside of Izuku's head.

"There's more where that came from," Izuku grunted.

Maybe, said the bear, rolling onto its hindlimbs. As it stood up, the fur began to recede, and the creature's snout began to press inwards into a human face once more. "But I don't think you can shtill grab the doctor."

"If… If I go grab your sniper's gun, I can shoot the helicopter down."

"And the doctor dies," said Rachel as sportswear once again materialized over her now-human body. "When are you going to learn how to quit?"

"That's not what a hero does," Izuku spat, drawing his arms into a fighting stance.

"Then I guess heroes are doomed to die trying," countered Rachel, rushing towards him. Izuku swung, and the punch connected, his fist digging into her gut. She doubled over.

"Nice one," she winced. Izuku felt her hand brush against his, and he was suddenly overcome with a sense of calm. His mind clouded, and he stumbled backward.

"What did… you do… to me?"

"I wasn't sure I understood all of this superhero stuff," she gasped, getting her breath back. Through the haze, Izuku swore that her voice sounded deeper. "So I figured I would… get to know you better."

Izuku fell onto his rear, finding himself suddenly unable to stand. Everything seemed so peaceful, but he could feel his heart racing in terror. Rachel crouched down in front of him, and Izuku watched entranced as freckles popped into being on her cheeks. Her hair began to shorten and darken in color, and she seemed to grow just a little taller.

She leaned in closer, her face looking less and less like her own every moment. Izuku thought he recognized it before, having seen it in a bathroom mirror frequently.

"You look surprised. Don't tell me you thought the only thing I could turn into was a bear," she laughed, except Izuku was fairly certain Rachel wasn't a she anymore. The being crouching in front of him seemed to be… himself.

Izuku-Rachel looked down at his hands, flexed his muscles, and watched as the veins began to glow with One for All's energy. He made a fist and grinned as the flesh turned nearly translucent against the power within.

"Now, what was that you said? Plus Ultra?"

Izuku could only whimper out a weak protest before he felt Izuku-Rachel's fist blast into his body, throwing him from the rooftop and down ten stories. He tumbled in the air, unable to control his flight, and landed face-first on the marble steps.

No, no no no no. This can't be happening. The way she said- no, this can't be real.

He heard the smack of feet hitting the ground nearby, followed by the sharp crack of broken stone.

"Hooo, this hurts like hell," laughed Izuku-Rachel, drawing closer. "But you really do pack a punch. I think… I think I broke my arm." He swallowed hard. He was hurting badly. He didn't know how to control One for All properly. The haze in Izuku's head began to dissipate, replaced by the foggy beginnings of another plan. He painfully pushed himself back up to his feet.

"Is… that all… you've got?" he wheezed.

Come on. Take the bait.

"No way," winced Izuku-Rachel. "In fact, I think I'm only getting started. This body… it's wasted on you."

He wound up for a left hook with his remaining functional arm. The limb nearly turned white-hot as it raced towards the real Izuku, who waited until the smash nearly connected to channel power into his legs and dash aside. It was excruciating on his wounded legs, but he didn't take the hit. Instead, Izuku-Rachel's attack went wide, the punch hurtling a hurricane down the street that bowled the police vehicles end-over-end. The muscles in the arm, raging with power, popped free from their moorings and lacerated the skin, blood splattering everywhere.

"Aaargh!" Izuku-Rachel screamed, attempting to cradle the fresh wounds with his other arm, only to remember that his other arm was equally damaged. "What's happening?"

"I thought that body was wasted on me," Izuku smiled under his bruises. "Maybe you're not trying hard enough?"

"I'll kill you," he screamed, flinging himself towards the real Izuku with startling speed, and enough power to powder the marble upon which he stood. Using his comparatively-uninjured arms, Izuku jabbed at his doppelganger, knocking him out of the air. He flopped to the ground, all four of his limbs destroyed.

"That's not what a hero would do," smiled Izuku. He looked up over the building at the receding helicopter. He knew there was no way he could catch it. The entrance to the Regent building opened, and the hostages poured out, followed by a bloody-nosed Eleven.

"You did it," Izuku exclaimed.

"We," Eleven corrected.

"I guess," said the young hero, whose guess was confirmed by their sinking into the ground. Izuku and Eleven reappeared in the vast training hall, surrounded by other warriors. Some offered some congratulations, but others were preoccupied by other conversations. This Grand Combat had been going on so long that the battles were no longer a spectacle, simply a part of the daily routine. As Izuku took Eleven's hand and guided her from the crowd, he wondered how the rest of the fighters couldn't see the tournament for the opportunity it was. Eventually, they reached their destination, as far from the swarms of rambunctious warriors as they could get. The training room seemed to extend outwards in every direction as far as anyone cared to travel, so all it took to create a quiet spot was enough determination to keep walking for a few minutes. Their designated spot was a cafeteria-style table, like many of the others, but due to the training hall's odd mechanics, it was completely alone. At the table sat their leader.

"You did well out there," he said, still absorbed by a book he had opened over his right knee.

"We lost the doctor, though," Izuku admitted.

"I know," their leader replied, closing his book and setting it on the table behind him. "But you saved the hostages. Using your powers to avoid the guards like that was very brave of you, Eleven."

The girl nodded, and Izuku swore he saw just a hint of pride flash through her blank expression.

"And if you hadn't held off Killjoy Incorporated, Midoriya, their fighters could have attacked Eleven. I would call this a victory."

"You're right," said Izuku, seeing his logic. "But what about what Rachel said? About picking losses? How should a hero respond to that?"

Their leader rose up from his seat, walked a few steps closer, and knelt down to look Izuku in the eye. He was huge, but his oversized features were belied by a calm, albeit inhuman face. His eyes suggested a sort of wisdom that Izuku knew to be burning in the titan's soul, but they also betrayed a weariness that Izuku could only guess was there. In a way, that tiredness reminded him of All Might.

"No matter how powerful you are, you'll always have limits. Everyone does. There are times when a hero will reach those limits, and they must make a choice about who they can save with their power. That's a burden every hero must bear: that they will never be strong enough to save everyone."

"I understand," said Izuku, committing the lesson to memory. Their leader placed a huge fist against Izuku's chest.

"You have a strong heart, Midoriya. I trust that when you reach your limits, you'll make the right choices."

"Thank you, sir."

"That kind of formality isn't neccesary here, you know. It's not like I hold any kind of rank over you."

"I suppose that's true," Izuku concluded. "Then thank you, Thanos."

Their leader smiled, and waved them off, letting them go find their teammates. He had some reading to do.

Rachel grit her teeth and forged ahead through the crowd. Other fighters knew better to get in the way of Killjoy Incorporated agents, and parted to let them through. She was flanked by Forty-Seven, who carried the doctor over his shoulder with ease. Forty-Seven wasn't really the personable type, but Rachel had to admit he was extremely good at what he did, namely extractions, abductions, and assassinations. All Rachel could think about was that kid, Deku. Rachel loved a good fight, but defeats were considerably less enjoyable. They had technically won by extracting the doctor, but it didn't feel like a win. She clenched her own fist as she walked, and it did not fill with that untamable, cascading power.

I got ahead of myself. I'm not used to morphing supers like that. They've all got their own quirks, and I can't count on that. Still, he looked so shaken… I wonder if he's seen somebody morph like that before.

They reached the location of their client, who was seated at a table, engaged in conversation with a teenaged boy.

"Someone ordered a doctor?" she said, loud enough to interrupt their discussion. Forty-Seven tossed the man down, and the doctor slid across the floor, groaning.

"You Killjoy people are the real thing, huh?" said their client, adjusting his business suit as he walked over to shake Rachel's hand. She took it, and for a moment considered what fun it would be to acquire him and suddenly wield his influence and intellect. She decided to pass on it for the moment, and simply returned his firm handshake.

"I think the results speak for themselves," she replied.

"Ugh… uh, Tony? Is that you?" said the results, stirring on the floor.

"Bruce, how are you doing?" said the client, bending down to lift the doctor to his feet.

"Uh, I've been… better," said Bruce, squinting in the light. "Did… did you do this? Did you get these people to drug me?"

"Let's not get bogged down with the little details, Bruce. You're here."

"I know I'm here," the doctor countered. "I just don't know how… you're here."

"As far as I can tell, there's four of us. Me, you, Peter over there-" the teenaged boy waved. "And… a big, purple problem."

"Tony, you don't mean…"

Rachel cleared her throat. "Um. I don't want to interrupt the reunion, but… you promised us something in return?"

"Of course, of course. Rachel, how would you like to be an Avenger?"

Rachel looked down at her hand again, remembering that power.

"When would I start?"