Chapter 1: Explanations and the first viewing
Author notes at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: My Hero Academia and any other franchises that may or may not appear in this story, belong to their respective creators and owners.
-Nx-
Uraraka Ochaka was used to waking up. Well, obviously. But she was used to slowly waking up, after a restful sleep, waking up abruptly after a nightmare, or forcing herself awake after barely two hours of sleep because she stayed up until 4 a.m. to finish her math homework that she forgot to do.
This wasn't like any of that. One moment she was lying in her bed at the dorms, trying to fall asleep, the next thing she knows, she's in a cozy-looking living room.
And it WAS a cozy living room. The walls were made out of some light wood and adorned with various paintings of beautiful landscapes. The ceiling was domed and had a chandelier hanging from it, that was carved from a slightly darker wood than the walls.
Under her feet, a massive and fuzzy dark-green carpet covered the floor, and the couch she woke up on felt softer than even Yaomomos bed. A big fireplace was crackling with a warm fire, its flames illuminating the room with a soft light.
All in all, it looked like a perfect retreat from society, a quiet recluse in woods, cut off from all things but the essentials.
The massive, flatscreen TV on the opposite wall did create a rather jarring contrast though, considering everything else seemed to be without electricity. Although now that she looked closer, there was a wide doorway behind her, that seemed to lead into a well-furnished kitchen. And there were ten mini-fridges placed at both ends of the six couches spread about the living room, facing the TV.
And on those couches lay her classmates, all seemingly sleeping. 'Huh, even Yaomomo's snores are ladylike', Ochako thought, before her brain caught onto the fact that her friends hadn't woken up like her.
For just a terrifying moment, she thought that unlike her they wouldn't wake up, only for Ashido to startle awake, the pink-skinned girl yelping as she felt something on her shoulder. This turned out to be a loudly snoring Kirishima, who, like everyone else, was dressed in casual clothes.
Soon, one after another, her classmates started waking up, amidst shouts of surprise and questions as to where they were. And Bakugous cursing. Can't forget the cursing.
But to her surprise, they weren't the only ones. While she and her classmates took up four of the six couches, the other two couches housed five more people. On the couch closest to 1-A, her homeroom teacher Aizawa-sensei, also known as the Underground Hero Eraserhead, Toshinori Yagi, the civilian identity of the retired All Might, and Principal Nezu were also in the process of waking up.
On the couch on the right end of the half-circle, Ochako recognized Midoriya Inko, the mother of her friend Midoriya "Deku" Izuku, along with the small girl said Deku was involved in saving, Eri.
And while her teachers and principal started to bring order into the cacophony of noises and find out what was going on, Eri had attached herself to the Midoriya matriarch. Seeing the familiar shade of green that she came to associate with Deku, she hadn't even thought about it before seeking protection from the unfamiliar room she found herself in.
Inko, while surprised, carefully placed an arm around the shaking girl, recognizing her from what Izuku had told her about the rescue he was involved in.
Finally, everybody calmed down, and Nezu went ahead, asking, "Is everyone alright?". You could say what you wanted about the principal, most of it even true, but he took his duties as principal very seriously. The students were under his care, and he could satisfy his own curiosity later.
Getting positive replies from his students, teachers, mother of one of his students, and the school's young ward, he asked his next question.
"Now, does anyone of you know how we got here? And if so, why?"
He wasn't surprised when he got negative responses, but it hadn't hurt to ask, and better be safe than sorry, in case someone DID know something. Pondering the situation, he swept his gaze across the room, unknowingly noting the same things as Ochako had ten minutes prior.
Said girl interrupted his pondering in a worried voice.
"Hey, where's Deku?", she asked, a worried look on her face.
This caused the others to take quick looks and realize that their green-haired classmate wasn't among them.
"That's strange", mused Yaoyorozu, her forehead crinkling in thought. "Considering that almost the entire class, along with his mother", she said, nodding to Inko, "are here, one would assume he would be here with us. Maybe he managed to escape whatever brought us here?"
Inko was someone that everyone from the class had met at least once and every single one of them saw where Izuku got his, as Ashido named it, 'Cinnamon Roll Aura' from. The kind woman was basically a female version of their classmate, so it was easy for them to welcome her whenever she appeared for a visit.
"Hm...good theory Yaoyorozu-san", Nezu praised. "But", he continued, his ears twitching, "that doesn't seem to be the case."
Before they could ask what he meant, the door on the left side of the couches opened, revealing a vast field of pure White. And in the doorway stood none other than Midoriya himself, a shellshocked look on his face.
Behind him, they could see somebody else, a small shape with long, green hair and clad in a white summer dress before the featureless shape disappeared.
Blinking, some of them tried to remember what they saw, while others reacted to their classmate's arrival.
"DEKU!", Ochako shouted happily. Amusingly, at the same time, Bakugou roared the same thing, not nearly as happy as his female classmate.
Poor Izuku barely had time to blink and get out a "Guys?", before he was swamped by his friends. He tried his best to hear what his friends and classmates were asking him, which wasn't easy considering they were all shouting over one and another.
Finally, a shrill whistle got them to calm down, although poor Jirou had to clamp her ears shut from the sound. They all turned to the source of the sound and gulped, seeing Aizawa glaring at them with his Quirk activated, eyes glowing red and scarf floating (did he ever take that thing off?).
"I realize you're all happy and relieved to see the Problem Child, but that doesn't excuse your behavior. One question at a time, in a reasonable volume", he said, deactivating his Quirk and sitting back down.
Sheepish, the mob moved to the couches, muttered "Sorry Sensei"'s floating through the room. Izuku, confused and slightly winded from the social situation, moved to join them, before noticing his mother with wide eyes and immediately darting to her side.
Sitting down next to Eri, casting a worried glance at the small girl, he asked "Mom? What are you doing here?", before looking around and adding "Actually, what are all of you doing here?"
"I had hoped you could tell us, Midoriya-kun", replied Nezu, hopping onto the armrest of the couch. "Seeing as, unlike us, you came into this house from the outside, while we awoke inside here. Adding to that, I heard you converse with somebody, before entering the house."
Jirou nodded, also having heard the fluffy-haired boy talk with somebody. Although, she couldn't remember what was said and what the other voice had sounded like...though she couldn't shake the feeling that it should be familiar to her.
"Um, no, sorry Nezu-sensei, I don't know where we are. I mean, it was, well, not quite explained, to me, more like hinted at, but I...don't quite remember...it's there, but I can't, uh, I guess you could say, access it? I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain it", Izuku replied, a confused and frustrated look on his face.
Frowning, Nezu simply hummed. After a moment, he went on, ignoring the glances of his fellow educators, as they muttered to each other. Izuku caught the words 'Memory', 'Manipulation', and 'Quirk', not necessarily in that order, before refocusing on his principal.
"And the little...I mean, the humanoid light? Was...it the one you conversed with?", he asked, unconsciously changing a few words.
"Oh, yeah, she...I mean it, was the one that told me some of the hints...wait, I mean...it...?", Izuku answered, face momentarily going blank, before regaining his prior expression.
"I see...well, this is unfortunate. But, no worries. We will find an explanation for this." Nodding, Nezu clapped his paws together. "Alright! Please listen to me, everybody."
Jumping onto Toshinoris shoulder, to make sure everybody saw him, he continued.
"First, I would ask Aizawa and Thoshinori to search the house and find out if we're the only ones here. Second, if some of you could please check the kitchen and make sure that there is food and drinks, that would be lovely. We have to make sure that, in case we will be stuck here for a longer time, we'll have enough food and water to sustain us. Any volunteers?" Seeing quite a few hands rise, Nezu thought about it, before choosing Uraraka, Iida, Kirishima, and Asui.
"The rest of you, please start checking the room for anything suspicious." Getting nods in return, everybody moved to fulfill their tasks. Aizawa and Thoshinori went to the third doorway, one that led to a staircase, while the four chosen entered the kitchen. The rest of the students started combing the living room, checking everything in the room, some more reluctant and less enthusiastic than others.
Izuku, casting a last worried glance at his mother and Eri, moved to join Yaoyorozu in checking the TV. Nezu, seeing everybody doing their assigned tasks and ignoring Bakugous grumbling, joined the older Midoriya on the couch.
Smiling at a less shaking, but still shy, Eri, Nezu addressed Inko. "I'm terribly sorry to ask this of you, Midoriya-san, but could perhaps look after Eri? I don't want to leave her alone, even if only on the couch, and Aizawa-kun will be busy with his task."
Inko gave a shaky smile and nodded. "Don't worry Nezu-san. I don't have a problem looking after Eri. She and I can have some fun, right Eri? I have a few stories about Izuku that I'm sure you'll like hearing."
Looking up at what she now knew was her personal hero's mother, Eri only gave a tiny nod and burrowed her head back into Inko's side.
Giving Inko a furry thumbs-up, Nezu joined his students in searching the room for clues.
Twenty minutes later, both teachers returned, having scoped out the upper level. Confusing Izuku, who overheard them, as from the outside the log cabin only had one level. They reported no other people, but that there were six bedrooms with four beds per room, multiple bathrooms, and some sort of big storage room.
Nodding in understanding, Nezu thanked the two adults. Just in time for the four students to return from the kitchen.
"Nezu-sensei, there seem to be an endless amount of various food products and drinks", Iida reported. Nezu quirked an eyebrow. "Endless?"
"Yeah, whenever we took something from the fridge or cupboards and turned away, another thing appeared in its place. The same thing happened to the bottles we found. There's water, soda, iced tea, and more", Kirishima explained, a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate in his hands. Giving them to his principal, he joined Bakugou in lifting a couch to check under it.
Curious, Nezu sniffed the water and the chocolate. Not smelling anything other than the expected smells, he took a small sip and bit into the chocolate. Chewing a bit and swallowing, he nodded and gave the rest of the chocolate to Inko, who shared it with Eri.
"Hey! I found the remote to the TV!", Kaminari yelled excitedly, waving the black rectangle around, having found it sitting on top of the dresser near the entrance to the kitchen.
"Kaminari, wait-!" But it was too late, he had already pushed the bright red 'POWER' button. The TV's screen flashed white, scaring Izuku and Yaoyorozu who were examining it, before settling on a green background. Soft waves were flowing through the image before a sparkle appeared in the middle of the screen.
The sparkle grew and unfolded until it was revealed to be constantly moving tesseract, looking like it was made out of glass, or, in Izuku's mind, from the same material as the outline of the humanoid light.
A ripple went through the tesseract and an artificial-sounding voice came out of hidden speakers.
Good day. I'm the Virtual Intelligence designated as 'Guide'. How may I assist you?
There was a moment of stunned silence, which was broken by a loud "What the FU-!" before the entire room descended into pandemonium. People were screaming and shouting, some in disbelief, others in excitement. Nezu and Izuku were having internal and external, respectively, freakouts, while Aizawa and Thoshinori simply stared at the TV with dropped jaws, blood gushing from the retired hero's mouth.
The tesseract in the TV was calmly bobbing up and down, folding and unfolding, as if patiently waiting.
Finally, Nezu shook himself from his shock and clapped his paws. Seeing everyone continue shouting, he sighed and slapped Toshinori onto his leg. The tall man jumped, startled by the sudden feeling, and looked down. He saw Nezu gesture to the screaming students and mimicked clapping his hands.
Understanding, the man nodded and clapped. Given his bigger hands and the fact it was skin-on-skin contact, the result was a loud sound, that silenced everyone.
"Calm down everyone. Now, please sit down. You're not helping anyone by shouting", Nezu said, taking his place on the couch. There was some shuffling and muttering, but did as they were told. Once everyone was seated, Nezu turned to the TV.
"Excuse me, Guide, was it? You said you are a Virtual Intelligence?"
That is correct. I was created in /, by / /, for the purpose of assisting the Individual known as / / in preparing for certain events, or events similar enough. I was installed into the UnViBox Mark VI, and programmed with various restrictions, to make sure that the Individual doesn't suffer from information overload.
"Hm...I see. That's quite fascinating", Nezu said, ignoring the whispered conversations that followed the explanation. "Does that mean you can tell us where we are and why we are here?"
Certainly. You are in the physical manifestation of the Individual's /, created by the Individual's /, the ones known as / and /, using a combination between the invention of the former and the latter's Quirk, /. You have been transported here at the behest of my creator, in order to prepare the Individual, and certain others, for the events to follow.
'Once again, some of the information has been bleeped out', Nezu thought with a frown. "And how exactly will this 'Individual' be prepared? Through which methods?"
The Individual, and company, will be shown several scenarios through the use of the UnViBox Mark VI. These scenarios have been selected to showcase different circumstances, and how the Individual has overcome the hurdles within these scenarios.
"And what is this UnViBox?"
The UnViBox Mark VI, short for Universe Viewing Box Mark VI, is a device that allows the observation of different universes. Using a person's DNA, the Box creates a one-sided rip in reality, that allows one to view the alternate version of the donor.
Once again, stunned silence reigned. While finding out that there was a V.I. in front of them had been incredible, it had been something that most people on earth expected to happen sooner or later. With the rise in technology, scientists inched into the realm of artificial intelligence inch by inch each year. So, in the minds of many, it was only a matter of time before there would have been a V.I. or even an A.I.
But looking into other universes?! That was in the realm of the fantastical, considered actually impossible. To learn that it was possible, and apparently even controllable was simply mindblowing.
Seeing the furry principal get lost in his own head, trying to work out the implications of a device capable of showing other universes, Aizawa took over.
"So what, we're expected to sit here and watch, what, the alternate life of one of us? Wouldn't that take way too much time?", he asked with narrowed eyes.
No, as mentioned, the scenarios have already been chosen. They will show, at most, only up to ten hours of that particular universe. Along with the showing, a small book with a written down version of the scenario will be provided, for a more in-depth viewing.
Aizawa grunted, leaning back on the couch.
"Wait, but why have we all been transported here? Wouldn't it make sense to only bring the 'Individual and those 'certain others' here?", Yaoyorozu questioned the Virtual Intelligence.
The people present in this room have been transported here because they are the Individual, the certain others, or/and are important to the Individual.
For a short moment, everybody thought about it, looked at Inko and Eri then Izuku, thought some more, and deadpanned at the same time. "The Individual is Izuku/Deku/Midoriya/the Problem Child, isn't he?"
In response, Guide glitched on the screen and the background became temporarily a light blue. Next, a female artificial voice could be heard.
#Attention. Restriction: Name of the Individual has been lifted.#
Yes, that is correct. The Individual's name is Izuku Midoriya. He has been designated as the main donor for these scenarios and stands to gain the most from the viewings.
"Uh..."
Blinking surprised at the second voice and the confirmation of their thoughts, the students of 1-A, soon to be known as 2-A, looked at each other and then the resident broccoli kid of their class.
"Well look at you, Mister Important", Ashido teased the shy teenager, causing him to blush and hide his face. Of course, that did nothing to muffle his mutters, his brain trying to work out why HE was the one to have the viewings be about him.
Though they did wonder, who were the 'certain others'?
Saving this information in his mind, Nezu addressed the Virtual Intelligence.
"Alright, does that mean that Midoriya-kun has to donate his DNA? How exactly? Saliva, blood?"
That won't be necessary. The DNA samples from the Individual and the others have already been collected.
"Wait what? When?!", Izuku asked, removing his hands from his face, a confused look on his face.
I'm sorry, I don't have that information. All I know is that the samples have been delivered and inserted into the Box.
"That's...not creepy at all", Jirou deadpanned, while Ochako, who was sitting beside her, shivered. The teachers frowned, not liking the idea that someone got a DNA sample from their students without them knowing.
"Sooo...what now? Do we, like, have to choose a channel with the remote or something?", Kamninari asked, waving the remote that he still had in his grip.
First, the scenario has to be chosen. For that, please turn your attention to your right.
Doing just that, they witnessed what had looked like a blank wall split in two. Sliding open just the tiniest fraction, a sort of bookcase was pushed into the room before the wall once again closed.
The bookcase, now resting against the wall, was made out of some sort of metal and had four compartments, each with a glass door. In each of those compartments lay a thin booklet and a small, green case.
While they looked at the bookcase and the wall in wonder and interest, Guide continued.
For now, you have four scenarios to choose from. After you chose one, state the name of the scenario and the compartment will open. Be advised, you can change your choice, so don't worry. And you can choose the remaining scenarios at a later time if you so wish.
After you have chosen the scenario, please grab the booklet and the case containing the USB stick. Once you have confirmed your choice, the bookcase will return to its resting place.
Now, please choose one scenario.
The various inhabitants of the room looked at each other and tried to figure out who should choose. After a while, Toshinori spoke up.
"I think Young Midoriya should choose. It IS his alternate self after all."
That got nods from the others and Ochako gave Izuku an encouraging small, pushing lightly off the couch.
Swallowing, Izuku stood up and walked to the bookcase. Once there, he looked at the contents of the compartments. Each booklet was a dark grey color and had a symbol on the cover along with a title above it.
In the upper left, the booklet had a bloodshot eye as the symbol and the title was simply 'Regret'.
The upper left had a closed fist pointing upwards as the symbol and was titled 'Rise of the Hero'.
Below it, the booklet 'The Scope of Things' had a circle with a crosshair in the middle for a symbol.
And besides it, the last booklet was called 'Chance of a Lifetime' and depicted a coin being flipped.
He thought about what to choose, considering all four titles and symbols. After thinking for a few minutes he asked, "Um, do these booklets have some sort of summaries, like real books?"
Affirmative. It should be advised, however, for the scenario to be at its most effective it should be viewed 'blind', as my creator would say. To view the scenario with no prior knowledge.
"Oh! I see...then...can I look at 'Chance of a Lifetime'?"
Opening compartment to the scenario: 'Chance of a Lifetime'. Is this your final choice?
There was a hiss-sound, and the glass door slid open, allowing Izuku to grab the booklet. Looking at it, he hesitated, before quickly looking at the backside of it. His eyes widened and he paled at the glimpse of one sentence, immediately throwing the booklet back into the compartment.
"Izuku? Is everything alright?", his mother asked him, worried at his reaction to whatever he saw.
Izuku ignored her and the other worried exclamations, and quickly choose another one. "I'll take 'Scope'!"
Opening compartment to the scenario: 'The Scope of Things'. Is this your final choice?
"Yes! No! I mean, I don't care, as long it's not 'Chance!", he shouted at the TV, his face still pale and sweat forming on his whole body. Ignoring the worried looks of his classmates, teachers, and mother, he grabbed the booklet and the case and came back to the couches, sitting down next to Eri.
"What now he asked?", he asked, avoiding eye contact. The bookcase meanwhile slid back into the wall.
Insert the USB-Stick into the TV. The port can be found on the left side of the TV. After that, the scenario will start. The scenario can be controlled with the remote, as it is a recording of something that has already happened in that alternate universe.
Izuku nodded and went up to insert the USB. After some searching, he found the port and stuck the USB in it. The screen turned black and stayed that for a moment, before the title appeared in bold white letters.
Sitting back on the couch, Izuku gave a small smile to his mother and Eri, who grabbed his scarred hand with her own small one and snuggled up to him. His mother, while still worried, returned it with her own smile.
The title disappeared and then sound started picking up.
"Wait, hold on, pause it", Aizawa said. Kaminari, while confused, paused the scenario, the typical 'Pause' symbol appearing in the middle of the screen.
"Guide, are you still there?"
Affirmative. I will remain active to answer potential questions.
"Alright, I have a question. How long will this scenario be?", he asked the V.I.
This particular scenario has a length of circa three hours.
"I see", the tired teacher nodded. Turning to his class, he asked them, "If any of you want to go to the bathroom, there are marked doors upstairs. Midoriya, Kirishima, Satou, come with me. Asui, Iida, Yaoyorozu and Shoji, find some snacks and drinks in the kitchen."
Looking at his class with a deadpan stare, he added, "If I learned anything the past few months while you all lived in the dorms, it's that you will pause the scenario every ten minutes to get something to drink or snack on if you don't already have something like that prepared."
Sheepish, his class agreed with him and moved to as they were told. The three boys followed him and returned with six folded coffee tables, Aizawa and Kirishima carrying one while Izuku and Satou had one under each arm. Aizawa also brought some trashcans, that he placed in the middle of the room.
They placed the tables in front of the couches, and the drinks and snacks were placed upon them, while the Eri also got a plate of sliced apples from Asui. The adults got cups of coffee along with a carafe with additional coffee.
Once that was done, everyone looked for a place to sit.
Izuku decided to sit with his mother, and Eri on one couch, while the teachers returned to the one next to it. After that, Bakugou, Kirishima, Sero, and Kaminari had claimed one couch for themselves.
The couch next to them held Satou, Ojiro, and Mineta. Tokoyami, Aoyama, Shoji, and Koda had taken residence on one couch in the middle. The second to last couch held the so-called Deku-squad, Todoroki, Iida, Uraraka, and Asui. And the last couch held Ahsido, Hagakure, Yaoyorozu, and Jirou.
All six couches had been pushed closer to each other in a half-circle and the mini-fridges were placed next to the coffee tables. Once everyone had something to drink, Aizawa, who took control of the remote, hit unpause.
-Scope-
In an alleyway, deep in the streets of Hosu, he waited. He had already waited for more than two hours, but that was okay. He was patient. To cleanse the world of the fakes, he had to be.
He shifted slightly as the light of a passing car illuminated the alleyway for a brief moment.
It was brief, but for a split second, he was illuminated, his blades reflecting the light. Grumbling, he shifted deeper into his hiding place.
"Wait...he looks kinda familiar, right?", Kirishima asked, tilting his head. "Like the scarf and dark clothing, plus all those blades..."
While many of his classmates agreed, three of his classmates tensed at the sight of the familiar figure. This didn't escape the three educators. They knew who this was, having gotten the report from the police.
After waiting for another two hours, never moving beyond the slightest twitches, he finally spotted his target. The Pro Hero Ingenium, most famous for the ridiculous amount of sidekicks he has, was walking down the sidewalk, looking out for trouble.
"Jesus, that is one patient motherfu-", Kaminari started to say, only for a bunched-up chips bag to slam into his head.
That wouldn't have been anything of note if it hadn't impacted his head with enough force to nearly throw him off the couch.
He and few others turned to the source, only to see Inko glaring at him, a few other projectiles floating beside her.
"No swearing", she said, a note of finality in her voice. Seeing nods of agreement, she smiled and let her projectiles fall back into the trashcan.
Snorting, Bakugo thought to himself 'Yeah, don't fuck with Auntie.' There was, after all, a reason why he didn't curse in the vicinity of the green-haired woman.
The turbo hero was having a rare solo patrol, a slight schedule mistake resulting in all his sidekicks having other patrol routes than him.
With narrowed eyes, the infamous Hero-Killer drew his sword and tensed. Waiting for the perfect moment, he let his body jump forward like a coiled spring, blade seeking his mark.
Having observed the hero for some weeks, he knew that there was a section of his armor that had been cracked in a fight a few days ago. That crack was still there, the hero not having time to have it repaired.
It was this spot that his katana was hurling towards, intending to end the 'fake' hero as fast as possible.
"Tensei!", Iida cried out in distress, seeing his brother about to receive his career-ending injury. Todoroki placed a hand on his friend's shoulder in support, while Ochako took his hand in hers.
His classmates, having now also realized who the figure was, similarly cried out in shock or distress, while a few others threw Iida looks of sympathy.
His blade was just about to slice through the weakened armor and tear through the hero's back muscles and spine. After that, taking him done would be easy.
There were a multitude of clenched fists and gritted teeth as they watched the disaster happening in slow-motion.
'Hmph. That was e-'
There was a loud crack, not unlike thunder, followed by another. Stain's instincts screamed at him and he violently threw his arm to the side.
Just in time, as he felt a sudden stab of pain lance through his upper arm. The sound of something shattering reached his ears, and he felt his sword become a lot lighter.
The shards of his sword flew through the air, peppering him and Ingenium with small splinters of metal amidst the screams of the few civilians still around.
There was a short moment of stunned silence, followed by loud cheering as the hero was spared of his fate. Iida slumped down in relief, happy and relieved that he didn't have to see his brother be crippled.
Aizawa meanwhile narrowed his eyes and mused to himself. "That sounded like gunshots. Someone shot at Stain, but who and why?"
Nezu hummed. "I can't think of any gun-focused heroes in Hosu at the time, so I suspect that it was another vigilante. As to the why...there could be various reasons", he answered, shrugging.
Stain cursed mentally and, seeing Ingenium spin around, thrusters already bursting to life, he dashed back into the alleyway, ignoring the line of red on his arm. Hearing the turbo hero shouting and pursuing him, he scrambled up the wall to the roof.
From there he made his across the rooftops, jumping from roof to roof. Looking over his shoulder, he cursed out loud this time. That damn fake was chasing him even now, in such a disadvantageous terrain?!
"Yeah, get him!", the students cheered. Some were shouting encouragements at the TV, while others were looking with awe at the determined figure of the elder Iida brother.
Nezu smiled, proud of his former student, while Iida was proud of his big brother. Clenching his fist and feeling the pulling pain that accompanied it, still not having completely healed his injured hand, he swore to himself.
'I will make you proud, nii-san.'
His eyes widened when he saw Ingenium suddenly accelerate and leap forward. Letting himself fall, he barely dodged the dropkick aimed for his back.
Instead, the hero soared over him, landed against the wall of a higher building, and kicked off again, leaving behind a small crater. This time, he activated only his right thrusters, making him spin in midair. Using the added momentum, he extended his leg and kicked forward with all his strength.
"Yeah, flatten that bast-uh, I mean, bad guy!", Kirishima shouted, changing his word choice at seeing the elder Midoriya's head swivel towards him.
Inko nodded happily and turned back to watch, while the rest of the viewers sweatdropped.
Stain, still on the ground, lurched to the side. He managed to barely avoid the kick, filling the wind current tugging at him. And good thing he did, as the kick would have devasted him, as evidenced by the web of cracks that spread across the roof.
"Wha-his kicks are nearly as powerful as Mirko's!", Izuku exclaimed, his analytical brain instantly comparing what little he saw of Ingenium's fighting style with that of the rabbit-themed heroine.
"Indeed, Tensei-kun always had a good grasp on how to best utilize his Quirk with his fighting style, giving kicks on par of heroes with strength enhancing Quirks", Nezu said.
Ingenium turned his head to the Hero Killer, the yellow lenses of his helm glowing. "Stain", he said through gritted teeth, "you are under arrest for murdering and crippling various heroes. Do not resist and come peacefully."
Jirou whistled. "Damn prez, your brother's kinda badass, isn't he?" Many of her classmates agreed, Kirishima shouting "Manly!" at the top of his lungs.
Eri, tilting her head and looking at Izuku, repeated "Manly?". Chuckling, Izuku shrugged. "That's Kirishima for you."
Iida merely straightened with obvious pride.
Growling, Stain used one of the few smoke bombs he had, throwing it at the hero's feet. In the slowly waning light of the day, Ingenium couldn't quite make out what was thrown, so he dodged backward.
The homemade smoke bomb burst on impact and released its content. Gray smoke spread across the roof, obscuring the view.
With wide eyes, Ingenium sprinted forward, only to come out of the smoke and see that Stain had already disappeared.
"NO! DAMNIT!"
"Coward!", several students cried out, some cussing out the Hero Killer, while others grumbled about the whole scene.
"Well, at least Iida's brother didn't get injured in that universe, so that's an upside, right?", Sato stated, preferring to see the upside of the situation.
"Hey yeah, that's right! And he nearly caught him, too! Your big bro is really cool Iida!", Ashido shouted, flinging her arms up in excitement.
Iida, while mildly disappointed that his brother didn't capture the villain, was still happy about the happier outcome of his brother's encounter with Stain.
"That reminds me Iida-kun, how goes your brother's physical therapy?", Izuku asked his friend.
"According to the doctors he made good progress but has entered the most difficult phase of his therapy. But I believe that my brother will preserve and finish his therapy!", Iida declared while adjusting his glasses.
Several streets away, Stain landed on the roof of a small shop. Hiding behind the sign that declared it '24/7 OPEN', he inspected his arm. His triceps sported a narrow furrow of exposed muscle.
He scowled at what he knew was the result of strafing shot, having come to grow accustomed to being shot at as Stendhal.
"WHAT?!"
Everyone turned to look at Izuku, who looked at the TV with wide eyes and pure shock written over his face. In his lap lay the booklet, which he had been reading along to the recording.
"Midoriya-chan? Do you know that name, kero?", Asui asked him, a finger at her chin. Considering that Izuku was a hero-otaku, it would make sense that the name would sound familiar to him.
And it did.
"Stendhal used to be a vigilante that killed villains using a sword and an unknown Quirk. His last known appearance was in his fight against the Crawler, after which he disappeared. It had been assumed that he was heavily injured and retired. But now that I think about it, Stain's first victim had been found a few weeks after Stendhal's disappearance...", Izuku rattled off, before descending into his muttering.
While some sweatdropped at what had become a familiar sight, others also became shocked at the information.
Inko, who had been doing her best in distracting Eri from the more violent moments of the recording, reached over to her son and lightly shook his shoulder.
"Huh, wha?" Seeing everyone look at him, he blushed and muttered an apology.
"Never change Midoriya", Sero laughed.
Had he not listened to his instincts and nor moved his arm, then he would now be sporting a hole in his arm. Which would have almost definitely rendered it useless.
Bandaging his arm, he kept his eyes peeled for the Turbo Hero, not in the mood to get into a fight without his main weapon. It was this that saved him, as he noticed the glint of something in the unfinished apartment complex standing in the middle of Hosu, eclipsing nearly every other building.
The building had been standing in Hosu for nearly four years now, having been abandoned when a worker with an Implosion Quirk went insane from stress and killed nearly all of his coworkers.
Since that incident, it had been closed off and stood as a grim reminder that not all tragedies happened at the hands of villains and could happen at any time.
An uncomfortable silence descended onto the group, the students in particular shifting in discomfort.
"It's a sad but all too real truth", Thoshinori said, a solemn tone in his voice, "all too often I arrived at a crime scene, expecting a villain going on a rampage or similar, only to find children who lost control of their Quirks, people who broke under intense pressure, and victims of villains who tried to protect themselves.
So remember, expect anything when you arrive at a crime scene", the former No. 1 hero told his students.
Getting determined nods in return, he smiled.
But seeing as Stain was as cultured as a tourist in a sacred temple,-
Multiple snorts could be heard across the room.
-he merely focused on the glint of what he was pretty sure was a rifle scope and threw himself to the side.
And not a moment too soon, as a .50 caliber bullet punched a hole clean through the sign he was using as cover, right where his right shoulder had been. Growling, Stain dropped down into an alleyway and darted forward, making his way towards the complex.
"Wait...is he trying to confront somebody who has a freaking sniper rifle while not having his main weapon?", Jirou asked in disbelief.
"He most likely intends to rely on his hand-to-hand prowess against an opponent who seems to favor guns", Aizawa commented, with the three that fought Stain nodding in agreement.
"S-stain is an absolute monster in close quarters, more so with his style of integrated guerilla tactics, a-and he still has various bladed weapons on his person", Izuku added to Aizawa's comment.
Nodding in understanding, the students continued watching.
Yet a few wondered, 'How did he know that?'
Stain did his best to stay in the shadows, dashing from alleyway to alleyway to stay out of sight of the sniper.
The Hero Killer did have to give credit to his would-be assassin, as even when he was sure he was completely out of sight, he still sometimes had to dodge increasingly closer shots.
The sniper once even seemed to have predicted his route and shot ahead of his movement, resulting in another strafing shot and bloody furrow, this time in his left shin.
He would have credited that to luck, hadn't the sniper repeated that feat an additional three times, forcing Stain to take another, longer route to stay behind a row of stores.
"That is quite impressive, not on Snipe's level, but still impressive", Nezu said, admiring the ruthless precision of the sniper. It was obvious that the person was aiming to render Stain harmless, targeting limbs and tiring the villain before he was even in the vicinity of the apartment complex.
After nearly thirty minutes of cautious dashing through the now dark streets of Hosu, Stain reached the apartment complex and entered it through an empty window frame.
Intending to sneak his way up to the seventh floor, where he suspected the sniper was, he stuck close to the walls and moved slowly through the hallways of the abandoned building site.
Avoiding the few rays of light, courtesy of the full moon, Stain relied on his hearing and sense of touch to find the staircase.
"Not a bad idea. He reduced his chances of becoming detected immensely", Shoji said, "but that tactic has a major drawback."
"Huh? What do you mean?", Hagakure said, her clothes showing her tilt her head to the side.
"It's quite simple. In the dark, he can't be seen anymore. But,-"
Stain stiffened as he felt his foot tear through something.
"-he also can't see anything. Like, for an example, a tripwire."
Hearing an ominous click, he violently lurched forward, crashing to the ground just as he felt something swish over his head. Looking over his shoulder, he heard something impact the wall, followed by the telltale crackle of a taser being discharged.
Thumping her fist into her palm, Yaoyorozu exclaimed. "Of course! The first-ever shot we witnessed happened at the exact time as Ingenium was attacked! That means the shooter knew that Stain was going to attack him!"
Izuku picked up her train of thought and added "That means he had been preparing for Stain! So, obviously, he would have been also preparing for the possibility that Stain would track him down!"
"And trapped a terrain so that he would have the advantage!", they both said at the same time, looking at each other with wide smiles.
Silence reigned in the room. "Uh..."
"Let's...let's just continue watching..."
"Yeeeaaaah..."
Snarling, Stain abandoned stealth and tore his way upward, dodging any traps he accidentally tripped on his way to his goal.
All 78 of them.
Todoroki blinked. "Well, the sniper was certainly prepared."
Sweatdropping, his classmates agreed with him. A few of the viewers narrowed their eyes, a suspicion being raised in their minds.
'Could it be?'
Finally reaching the seventh floor, Stain entered the room from which he saw the glint coming. In the pale light of the moon, the Hero Killer found an absolutely massive sniper rifle leaning against the wall.
It was obviously well cared for, its black frame shining with a metallic sheen. The bipod was folded back against the underside of the barrel, and an expensive scope was attached to the rifle.
Various attachments the Hero Killer didn't recognize made the weapon seem even more dangerous.
"Damn, that's one badass looking gun", Kaminari said, boyish wonder on his face as he admired the rifle on display. His male classmates agreed, even Aoyama admiring the weapon for its shiny frame.
"If I remember from Snipe's rants correctly, that's a Barett M82, an anti-material rifle the Americans favor, but heavily modified", Nezu mused, scratching his chin. Frowning, he wondered. 'How did they manage to purchase such a weapon, along with what seems various modifications?'
On the ground next to it, he saw three small boxes of what he estimated were.50 caliber cartridges, of which one was empty and one half-full.
And yet, the owner of the rifle was nowhere to be found. Frowning, Stain drew two of his knives and stepped further into the room. Listening for any suspicious sounds, he moved to inspect the rifle more closely.
Kirishima tilted his head. "Did the sniper flee? I thought he was prepared for Stain."
Bakugou snorted. "'Course not Shitty Hair. Pay closer attention."
Crouching down, Stain put down one of his knives and reached for the rifle. Seeing his reflection in the metal of the rifle, Stain was about to grab it, when he noticed something.
Whirling around, he raised his knife, blocking the baton aiming at his head. A person clad in black clothes was standing behind him, the baton in their hand pressing down against his knife.
"Whooo! Sneak attack!", Hagakure shouted, arms waving wildly.
"Holy crap, where did he come from?!", Kaminari squawked, surprised at the turn of events.
"He had been hiding in the shadows of the room, waiting for Stain to arrive", Shoji answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
The person jumped back and skidded to a stop in the middle of the room. Stain picked up his second knife and got up, inspecting his attacker.
To his surprise, the person was male, but with the height one would expect from a teenager. He was clad in what he now recognized as some sort of armor, sleek and painted black with green highlights.
On a closer look, he saw that it was in fact various armor plates attached to some sort of black undersuit, stretching all the way to the neck and to the combat boots he was wearing.
The green highlights all seemed to flow to the center of the chest, where the plates seemed to be more sturdy and thicker.
A helmet made out of the same material as the plates covered his entire head. He wore a full-face mask made out of a futuristic-looking gasmask and lenses that seemed to slightly glow with an ominous green light.
His gauntlets looked more like metallic gloves covered in small armor plates and were connected to some sort of small wrist computers.
He could make out four holsters on his body, two at the hips and two under their shoulders, containing the expected pistols. Some sort of dark gray belt around their waist contained differently sized poaches and sheaths for various knives, along with a second collapsible baton.
Stain snarled. "I know you. You're Spectre!"
"Damn, that's some nice getup. And badass name too! Think he's a vigilante?", Kaminari asked.
"Obviously he's one, Jamming Whey, almost no heroes use guns", Jirou answered with a roll of her eyes.
"So mean!", Kaminari cried out, while his classmates discussed the now named vigilante.
Izuku, who was writing in his notebook that he got from...somewhere, frowned. "The green highlights are kinda strange and counterintuitive to the costume. It's obviously meant for stealth, yet he has green highlights that, well, highlight certain parts of his armor. Why? Maybe he uses them for intimidation? No, the mask's enough for that. Maybe they draw attention away from his less protected areas?", he muttered while furiously writing.
Eri, curious what her savior was doing, looked over his arm at what he was writing. Tilting her head, she wondered, what was 'Kevlar'?
Glaring at the vigilante, Stain readied himself.
Appearing about a year back, Spectre quickly made a name for himself by apprehending a major drug smuggling ring using nothing but homemade gadgets. And with each appearance and arrest, he became better equipped and more effective.
"Huh. Impressive", Aizawa said. Not many vigilantes are so successful in their first appearances. 'And', he thought with a suspicious frown, 'it was specified as "just" homemade gadgets. Absolutely no mention of a Quirk. Doesn't need a Quirk? Subtle or not useful in combat?'
All of it culminating in what the media came to call the 'Underworld's Despair'. After news broke about the attack at the USJ, Spectre went on a rampage and tore through the criminals and gangs of the city with a vengeance.
For a whole month, had been racking up enough arrests to rival even the Top Ten Heroes. These arrests included members of organized crime syndicates, various high-profile drug dealers, and even villains that had been considered incredibly dangerous.
All in all, he became responsible for nearly a hundred and fifty arrests.
"HOLY FUUUUUUuuudge baskets?", Ashido started yelling before quickly changing her mind at a look from Yaoyorozu and Inko.
"What in the actual-HOW?! Even Pros have problems with racking up thirty arrests in a month, and he managed nearly a hundred and fifty?! On his OWN?!", Sero shouted, hands tearing at his hair, while Kaminari and Kirishima beside him sat with dropped jaws.
A rather common reaction among the viewers. Toshinori himself blinked in surprise at the high number. It wasn't nearly as high as his own during his prime, but still impressive.
Aizawa blinked and dropped his face into the armrest, not in the mood for this. Nezu just tilted his head and hummed.
Many others reacted with awe and even some fear at the effectiveness of the vigilante.
Once they had calmed somewhat, Ojiro asked a rather important question.
"Am I the only one who noticed that it was specified that it happened after we were attacked?"
And now that he said it, that was pretty strange. Why would a vigilante care about their class? Enough even to go on a rampage against villains?
"W-well...it has been hinted at that he's a teenager...s-so maybe he's also a student and, uh, felt personally o-offended?", Izuku offered, slightly stuttering.
That got a few thoughtful looks.
After terrorizing the criminal underworld for a month, he disappeared, staying under the radar for nearly three weeks.
Various news outlets and people on the internet, an endless sea of memes and dead jokes, had been speculating and theorizing if the now infamous vigilante was planning something big or simply taking a break.
A few of the class snorted, internally agreeing with the description of the current internet.
Well, now Stain knew what he had been doing. It seemed that Spectre had been preparing to take him out.
Narrowing his eyes, Stain flipped his left knife to a backhanded grip and tensed. If Spectre thought he could take him down so easily then he was sorely mistaken.
Spectre drew his second baton, unfolding it to its full size and holding it in a loose grip while slightly crouching down.
"And you're Stain", Spectre replied, his voice garbled through the mask. It sounded male, but Stain couldn't be sure, the electric undertone making it difficult to pick out more details.
"Well, that's not a creepy voice at all, no sir", Jirou said sarcastically, a few people snorting in amusement.
Eri snuggled closer into Izuku at the sound of the voice, getting slightly scared at the sound of it. He merely smiled and squeezed her slightly with his arm around her shoulder.
Staring at each other in the moonlight, the two combatants, both having trained their bodies to the absolute limit, slowly circled each other. Slowly, and cautious.
Everyone tensed, seeing a fight about to break out between the figures on the screen.
Finally, they both exploded into motion, dashing at each other. Stain lifted his left knife to block the baton whistling towards his temple. His right knife, aiming for Spectre's abdomen, was similarly blocked by the left baton of his opponent.
They disengaged, jumping back, before both darting forward at the same time, batons and knives clashing, metal screeching against metal. Sparks flew on contact, both men moving at an incredible speed.
Strikes and swipes were blocked, while the occasional kicks were dodged or diverted.
The viewers watched in awe as the two combatants moved in an increasingly faster and deadlier dance.
Some of them tried to memorize the fighting styles on screen but were barely able to keep up with the movements.
Until Stain finally managed to hook his left knife under Spectre's right baton and tore out of the smaller man's grip. Using the opportunity, he forced Spectre to use his left baton to block his right knife and thrust his left knife towards his enemy's neck.
Expecting Spectre to dodge backward and thus allowing him to kick his knee, he was surprised when Spectre headbutted the knife. He was even more surprised when the knife shattered on the metal of Spectre's mask.
"MANLY!", Kirishima shouted, others agreeing with him, though at a lower volume.
Dumbfounded, Stain wasn't prepared for the baton that smashed into his face, snapping him out of his stupor and his face to the side. He felt, more than he saw, blood and a few teeth leave his mouth.
Staggering back, he was barely able to block the kick aimed for his chest by crossing his forearms. He felt something creak in them and grunted in pain when he was launched against the wall.
There some winces of sympathy, but most couldn't find it in them to care, considering how many heroes Stain had killed and crippled.
Sliding down the wall, he had the sense to quickly roll to the side, avoiding the follow-up kick aimed for his head. Instead, the kick struck the wall, nearly getting stuck in it.
Stain kicked Spectre's leg out of under him, making him fall to the ground. Drawing another knife, he leaped atop the shorter male, restraining his arms with his knees, and stabbed downwards with both knives, aiming for the lenses of the mask.
Gasps echoed across the room. "No! Come on Spectre!", Uraraka shouted.
Spectre grunted and snapped his head to the side, making one knife shatter against the helmet, while the other scratched along his gas mask.
"Yeah!"'s and sighs of relief replaced the tense feeling of the room.
He rammed his knees into Stain's back, forcing him to roll forward and off him. Rolling to the side and to his knees, Spectre lurched forward and shoulder-tackled into Stain, driving him back.
Snarling, Stain rained blows down on Spectre's back and head, forcing him to disengage.
The two came to a stop, both breathing hard. Spectre crouched on one knee, and Stain, holding his remaining knife in front of him, stared at each other across the room.
The room grew tense once again before Bakugo snapped "Well?! Fight!", earning eye-rolls and snorts of amusement.
With a snarl, both jumped to the side. Stain jumped towards the discarded baton of Spectre and whirled around, throwing the baton at Spectre.
Spectre, who had jumped to his rifle, barely got to aim it in Stain's direction, before the baton struck the barrel. The shot went wide, missing Stain.
"GAH! Damnit!", Jirou yelled, holding her ears at the thunderous sound.
Growling, he used the rifle to block Stain's attack and pushed him off, before following with a jab of the butt of the rifle to the arm, disarming Stain of his knife.
Stain jumped back, avoiding another strike, and used the short moment to draw his last knife along with a smoke bomb. Throwing the smoke bomb, he grinned at the ensuing smoke and dashed into the cloud.
"Again with the smoke bombs", Sato grumbled.
Keeping low, he avoided Spectre's wide sweep with the rifle and thrust upward the knife. His grin grew wider when he felt it enter something, followed by a quiet grunt of pain by Spectre.
Kicking Spectre in the stomach and pulling his knife back, he backflipped back to his starting position. Spectre used his rifle to sweep away the smoke and aimed Stain with, what Stain had to admit, frightening speed. Blood dripped down his right arm where the knife slipped between the seam where two armor plates met.
"NO!", Iida and Izuku shouted, realizing what was about to happen. "What? What's wrong?", Uraraka asked concerned.
"Stain's Quirk", Todoroki answered her quietly, fists clenched.
Before he could pull the trigger, Stain licked the blood off the blade and smirked as Spectre froze, finger still on the trigger.
"Wait what? Why doesn't he shoot?", Ashido asked, confused. Izuku answered her.
"Stain's Quirk allows him to paralyze everybody whose blood he ingested. Spectre can't pull the trigger, because he can't move his finger. He can't move anything", he explained subdued.
"Oh no...", Yaoyorozu said, a hand raised to her mouth.
Walking up to the paralyzed vigilante, he ripped the rifle out of his stiff fingers and threw it out of the window.
"Hey! What a dick!", Kaminari exclaimed, only to receive another chips bag to the head by Inko.
"He may be rather, ahem, ungentlemanly, but it's an intelligent decision, removing his opponent's weapon from the equation", Nezu explained.
His students may agree but still grumbled about the poor treatment of the awesome weapon.
"I would say sorry and that you were a worthy opponent", Stain said, cleaning his knife off the leftover blood, "but you were more of a nuisance to my mission than anything else."
Glaring at the silent figure, he prepared his knife and reached for the mask. "But you may take refuge in the fact, that you got closer than anybody in taking me out."
A feeling of despair started to descend onto the viewers. After all, how was Spectre supposed to stop Stain, now that he couldn't move? Unlike the three that fought Stain in their universe, he didn't have any backup.
Gripping the mask, he only got an ominous click as a warning, before there was PAIN.
He was hurled across the room, smashing against the wall at an awkward angle, feeling some of his rips snap.
Groaning, he looked at Spectre, whose armor was now giving of an electrical current.
"Huh. A countermeasure to attempts at removing his mask. Smart", Aizawa muttered, before the room descended into pandemonium, the students happy that Spectre had one more card up his armored sleeve.
Trying his best to get up, he forced his limbs to stop shaking and leaned against the wall, panting with exhaustion.
"A nuisance, huh?", the garbled voice said, nearer than he expected. Looking up, he only got an uppercut for his troubles, snapping his head up and in perfect position for a right hook.
Staggering to the right, he tried to lift his arms in a block, only for Spectre to knee him in his stomach. Falling to his knees, Stain curled up and coughed up some bile.
A hand gripped him by his neck and lifted him for a left hook, removing some more of his teeth. Gripping Spectre by the arm in an attempt to stay upright, he threw a punch at Spectre's face.
The vigilante simply leaned to the side, making Stain overextend and nearly fall forward. Before he could fall, Spectre grabbed him by his collar and whirled him around, smashing him face-first into the wall.
Sliding down the wall, he struggled to turn around, just in time for Spectre to tackle him through the unfinished drywall, driving the air out of his lungs and launching him into the next room, amidst the dust of mortar.
The viewers winced at the brutal beating, some even covering their eyes. Izuku covered Eri's eyes, while Inko covered her ears, some of the sounds coming out of the TV sounding particularly gruesome.
"I, um, I think he's angry", Ojiro commented nervously.
"You don't say Tail", Bakugo snarked, not really disturbed by the beating.
"M-manly?", Kirishima said/questioned.
Taking a few deep breaths, Spectre stepped through the hole in the wall and stepped into the room. The moon, having moved during the duration of the sight, couldn't shine its rays into the room, cloaking in almost complete darkness.
Grunting, he tapped the side of his mask, his lenses gave off a slight hum and his vision turned green.
"I repeat: Nice. Getup.", Kaminari declared.
Looking around the room, he was startled to see Stain already in front of him, midleap. Stain wrapped his arms around Spectre's right arm and pulled down, in the process wrapping his legs around the vigilante's neck.
Pulling off a flawless flying triangle choke-hold, he forced Spectre to a knee and started slowly, but surely choking him, ignoring his various wounds.
"Oh come on!", Sero shouted. "How determined is that noseless freak?!"
"Very", Todoroki deadpanned.
Snarling, Spectre drew one of his knives. Glaring down at Stain, he rammed the knife, with all his strength, into the Hero Killer's knee and twisted it.
Almost everybody winced at the crack coming from Stain's knee.
Roaring in pain, Stain released Spectre and tried to roll away from him, only for Spectre to grab his leg. Twisting it to the side, he winded up a punch.
Realizing what was about to happen, Stain's eyes got wide and he started to shout "Wait, no-!"
But Spectre didn't show mercy and slammed his fist down, right between Stain's legs.
A loud whine emitted from Stain's mouth and he curled up in a fetal position.
Every male in the room winced in sympathy and crossed their legs in phantom pain.
"W-what a mad banquet of darkness", Tokoyami whispered, Dark Shadow giving off a frightened wail.
"Not manly! Not manly!", Kirishima squeaked.
"But effective!", Nezu cackled, though he did wince a little bit.
Sheathing his knife, Spectre stepped over Stain. The wounded Hero Killer looked up at him. The last thing he saw before blessed unconsciousness took him, was the bottom of Spectre's boot.
As the screen turned black, the viewers looked at each other and started discussing what they saw.
"It may have been pretty brutal, especially towards the end, but this Spectre is quite the effective and ruthless fighter", Toshinori commented.
"Indeed. Most interesting, he defeated Stain without the use of a Quirk. He used skill and tactics. Tiring him out before the fight even started by taking potshots at him and forcing Stan through a gauntlet of traps", Nezu agreed.
"...Nezu-san, do you think...?"
Before the principal could answer, Hagakure interrupted the conversations going on about the room.
"Hey, the recording's still going!"
And indeed, the screen once again started showing the abandoned apartment complex but surrounded by police cars.
"Spectre again?", an officer asked his colleague. The man shrugged.
"Well, it certainly fits his MO. But you should see who he got this time."
Lifting an eyebrow, he peeked into the room. His eyes went wide at the sight of a restrained Stain, chained to a support beam.
"Holy-is that?"
"Yeah."
They stayed silent for a few moments.
"He's getting bolder, isn't he? Seems like years when he still only went after small-time crooks."
"Oh, yeah, definitely. And more brutal."
They were about to continue but stopped at the sound of the ambulance arriving.
-Nx-
Three hours after the end of the fight against Stain, Spectre entered a warehouse through a secret entrance, clad in a trenchcoat with a hood and a long case containing his rifle in hand.
"Hey, we get to keep watching Spectre! Awesome!", Hagakure cheered.
"Do you think the warehouse's his hideout, kero?"
"Almost definitely, or at least, one of multiple hideouts", Yaoyorozu answered.
Marching through the warehouse, he stepped up to a wall and tapped a seemingly random tune. The sound of gears turning could be heard and a portion of the wall split, revealing a keypad.
Punching in a ten-digit long number, Spectre stepped back and waited for the hidden door to open. Stepping through, he punched another code into the keypad on the other side to close the door, leaving behind a blank wall, while he started descending the stairs.
"A secret entrance, to get to another secret entrance? Sure, why not", Kaminari said, sarcasm in his voice.
"Jealous Jamming Whey?", Jirou teased.
"Ye-I mean no!"
The electric blond sulked when his classmates started laughing. Though he did have a small smile at the sight of Eri giggling. If it meant making the little Unicorn laugh, he would have no problem with getting teased.
Spectre opened the heavy steel door at the base of the stairs and stepped into a dark room. Snapping his fingers, the lights turned on, illuminating a big room.
As big as an average apartment, the room was filled with various things. There was a small bed, a desk with a laptop and a small wardrobe in one corner, a small kitchenette in the other one. One wall was completely covered in various photos, articles, and maps of the surrounding area, all of them connected by strings in various colors.
The opposite wall was taken over by a collection of lockers, wardrobes, and closets.
"Daaaaaamn, that's one impressive hideout", Sero whistled, eyes wide at some of the things visible on the screen.
"Yes, it's certainly impressive. But, how did he pay for all of those things?", Iida asked.
His only answers were shrugs.
Placing the case down on one of the tables near the lockers, to clean the rifle later, he took off his coat and threw it into one of the wardrobes.
Going to his kitchenette, he opened a cupboard and took a cup of instant ramen. Placing it in the microwave, he turned it on and went back to the lockers.
After yawning, he started taking off his armor. Piece by piece, he took it off, placing the pieces in their designated locker. Until finally, all that was left were the undersuit and the helmet.
Gripping his helmet, he waited five seconds for the faint beep, before lifting the helmet.
The viewers leaned forward, curiosity on their faces as they watched with anticipation.
Lifting it off his helmet, he allowed his green hair to spill out and Midoriya Izuku sighed in relief.
"Finally, some fresh air", he muttered to himself and placed the helmet in its place.
"WHAT?!"
"Why are you so surprised? It was obvious", Yaoyorozu said.
"It was?!"
"Indeed it was, considering that many of these scenarios are going to be about Midoriya in some ways!", Nezu said with a cheery voice.
"Damn...Midori's a total badass in the universe!", Ashido cheered. Many of her classmates agreed with her. 'And', she thought to herself with a grin, 'that Midori's is wearing some tight clothes. Nice.'
The student in question was staring at the screen with shock, his brain not capable of accepting that he was like...that in another universe.
Hearing the ding of the microwave, he returned to the kitchen and got his meal. Sitting down in a chair, he turned on the small TV in the corner of the kitchenette and started eating.
Letting his mind wander while watching the news and slurping his ramen, he mused to himself over his current situation.
"Backstory time?"
"Backstory time."
It all started all the way back in last year, when 'that' day happened. While a part of him had died when he heard those words, another part got born in its stead when he managed to save his old childhood friend by injuring the slime villain enough to make him release his hostage.
While most were confused by what was meant with 'that' day, three of them knew exactly what was meant by that and winced. That didn't escape the notice of some of the viewers and their eyes narrowed.
While he did get yelled at by the heroes for his reckless behavior, he had been too happy to care. He had learned something that day, something that had convinced him to become Spectre.
One didn't need a Quirk to be a hero.
Preparation and tactical thinking could more than makeup for the lack of a Quirk.
Using his notes, his natural intellect, and a loophole in the laws regarding vigilantism, he built up his arsenal before starting his career as the Spectre.
"...uh...what exactly did the other you mean with 'lack of a Quirk', Midoriya?", Yaoyorozu asked, confusion etched onto her face.
Sweating bullets, Izuku wrung his hands.
"W-well, um, y-you see...I was, kinda, quirkless for most of my life?", he quietly explained, flinching slightly.
"...I'm sorry, but what."
"I-I'll explain later, a-alright? Let's just continue watching. Please", he nearly begged.
Looking at each other in worry, the others agreed.
He stayed mostly under the radar, going after small-time criminals and villains. (Well, apart from his rampage a few weeks ago...he really should see a therapist about his recent aggression.)
And he would have been content with that, but after taking down a drug dealer that had somehow gotten a more powerful version of his old Quirk, he feared that he couldn't do that anymore.
"All for One", Toshinori growled. The students shivered, remembering watching the fight All Might and the ancient villain.
It had taken him some time, going after various criminals and interrogating them, but finally, he got a name.
All for One.
The villain that had crippled All Might and who had been building up his criminal empire in secret since that fight.
Izuku had released something after finding out that All for One was still alive.
All Might...wouldn't survive another fight with the villain. Not without a lot of luck. And especially unprepared, considering he still thought that AfO was dead, after all.
While it somewhat hurt his pride, Toshinori had to agree with that assessment.
All for One...had to be removed.
Not defeated.
Not arrested
...he had to be killed. From afar. With the biggest sniper rifle possible.
Dread started to fill the viewer's hearts.
They didn't like where that Izuku's train of thought was going.
Izuku knew that he wouldn't be able to kill AfO. He was nowhere skilled enough to even attempt to do that.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
...but he would still try. Even if it would take his own life to do it.
Aaaand dread was back. Eri and Inko hugged Izuku tightly, who was trying to assure them that he wouldn't do something like that.
First, he would have to find out where AfO even was, but that was for later. He would have first to remove the ancient's man's support structure.
"Well, at least he some semblance of a plan", Aizawa muttered.
Finishing his ramen, he threw the empty cup away and went to the covered wall.
"Looks like mine", Todoraki said, to the great concern of many.
On the very top, a picture with the outline of a man was pinned to the wall, a big question mark covering it.
Green strings led from it to various articles, while blue ones led to maps with red circles and question marks.
Red strings were connected to other photos, these showing actual people.
Almost all of these were suspected subordinates of AfO, the ones he would have to take out first. More than half of it had red crosses covering them.
The police and public didn't know about these. After all, these weren't arrested.
They disappeared.
"...oh no...", Uraraka said with horror, many following, realizing what that meant.
"Deku..."
The boy himself was horrorstricken, a green tint to his face.
Yet there were still some that weren't crossed out.
Shigaraki.
Daruma Ujiko.
Wolfram, a more recent addition.
Gigantomachia.
Izuku frowned at the last photo, which was a blurry shot of something gigantic towering over a forest.
The students shuddered at the thought of something so gigantic serving someone as evil as AfO.
Gigantomachia and Ujiko were currently the more dangerous, the latter creating the Noumu's, while the former could devastate entire cities on his own in minutes.
Since he was pretty sure that the doctor was staying near AfO, he focused on Gigantomachia first.
It had been...disturbingly easy to find him. He actually got suspicious about it. But, he wasn't one to look a gifted horse into the mouth, so he started to prepare.
Walking towards a large object covered in a tarp in the corner, he pulled the tarp off, revealing a metallic crate. Popping open the hatches and lifting the lid, he stared at the contents.
Tightly packed into the crate, the recognizable sight of C-4 was greeting him.
"...I do not like where this is going. Nope, not at all."
"You're not the only one."
-Nx-
TWO DAYS LATER
"...in more recent news, this morning police have been receiving multiple reports of an explosion in the region of-"
"What...what the fuck Deku!", Bakugo yelled. Inko didn't bother scolding him, too shocked by the happenings on the screen.
"I-I don't, I", Izuku stuttered, horrified about the implications.
The TV was turned off with a click and turned black.
The shadowy figure released a breath.
"You're getting very annoying, Midoriya Izuku", All for One said.
That's when the screen turned black.
"Oh no!"
"Oh no!"
"Oh yeah!"
"..."
"Too soon?"
"Yes, Kaminari, too soon."
"Sorry."
Once that was over, the discussions started. The students congregated around Izuku, who was hugging Eri close to him, nearly hyperventilating.
"Midoriya, buddy, I'm very sorry, but what in the ever-loving fu-!"
"No cussing!", Iida interrupted Sero.
"Sorry, prez! But no, seriously Midoriya, just what?!"
Izuku just shrugged.
"I-I don't know, I would never do something like that! I-I don't know what happened to the other me, b-but I just...I don't get it!", he rambled, holding his head in his hands, Eri patting him on the back.
"Don't worry Midoriya, I'm sure there is a logical explanation for this", Yaoyorozu tried to console her classmate.
"Yeah! Maybe, he's just more, well, extreme than you, that's it!", Hagakure added, Ashido nodding beside her.
"Knowing you, it's most likely just part of a bigger plan, Midoriya", Iida said, adjusting his glasses, "I have trust in that you're still your heroic self, just like in our universe."
His other classmates chimed in, offering their own words of encouragement.
"And it's not like you have to worry about that, that Midoriya went through different things right? So he's him, you're you", Kirishima said, others nodding in agreement.
"That's right, kero. Don't you agree, Eri-chan?", Tsuyu asked the small girl still trying to cheer her savior up.
"Deku is still Deku!", Eri declared a serious look on her small face. Izuku smiled a wobbly smile and hugged her. The girls (and many a boy, although they would refute that) cooed at the adorable scene.
"Thank you, Eri, and everyone."
While this was going on, Inko was sitting on the couch of the teachers, breathing into an empty chips bag Toshinori had produced.
"It's okay, Young Midoriya is not going around picking fights with villains (well, not much), and he's not blowing up forests", the retired hero tried to calm the Midoriya matriarch down.
A little further away, Aizawa and Nezu were conversing in low tones.
Suddenly Tokoyami piped up.
"I'm sorry Midoriya, but I must admit to finding myself curious about something concerning your dimensional twin and what you said earlier."
Everyone stopped talking and turned to the avian-headed boy.
"What exactly did you mean by saying that you were quirkless most of your life?"
Izuku stiffened and looked around, his eyes meeting All Mights.
'Uh oh...me and my big mouth...'
-Nx-
Whew, that's done.
In the future, I'll try to keep the Author's Noes short, but for this one, I have to keep it a little longer.
Alright, let's go.
First of all, I want to say Thank You. I posted Archive of Knowledge's first chapter more on a whim than anything, not expecting much interest for it. Considering that it had only about a thousand words, that not's really surprising.
What is surprising, is the reaction.
28 Follows and 19 Favorites?! For one chapter with only a thousand words?!
WHAT?!
Seriously, thank you! Seeing so many people getting interested in this got me motivated to write for this!
This chapter had actually been supposed to be released last week, but I had to postpone it, as it was only half-finished and I didn't have the time to work on it due to a situation at work.
In the future, I'll try to post every two weeks, but I'm afraid I can't promise too much. My work is really demanding, especially as we're currently understaffed. (Damn you Covid!)
But, to close this off, I want to say a few things about the story itself.
First of all, many of the viewings will first be about original ideas I had for other stories, which may one day turn full, stand-alone stories, but we will see.
Some of these will be Izuku and other characters in the shoes of other characters from other shows.
And some of these will be from other Fanfictions, once I figure the legalities of it.
Do I have to contact the various author's for it if I plan to use only one scene from their stories? At most two? If somebody knows, I'd be very thankful if you could tell me.
But, capping it all off, I want to say, once again, thank you. And I hope I see you all next time.
-Noxton