Deku - Into the Multiverse

by DarkenRaichu

While testing one of the powers awakened inside One for All, Teleport, Izuku finds himself in an unfamiliar world. It's the beginning of a journey that will make him face the many facets of a Multiverse he never knew existed.

34. Chapter 33: Sparring

"Rotate! Acid! Strength Enhancement x4!" Alien King shouted happily as his limbs bulged under his skin under the pressure of four different Enhancement Quirks, covered in Acid and begun to spin at high speed like drills. His whole body tore like an acid drill through the main door of the building, his dark pink skin shining under the purple substance. Covered in it, Alien King stood up, appearing like a demon from hell, his horns dripping the acid slowly on the ground below, fumes opening.

"Where is Rikiya?" He asked one of the guards. The PLF member took a step back in fright, but he didn't let him go. With another Quirk he quickly extended his limb like a snake, dragging him back. He scanned him. A simple Fire Quirk, the ability to turn his lower body in a fire tornado and move with it. What was that Hero that could do the same with sand… Snatch, right? "I asked a question."

"For the PLF!" The grunt shouted, as flames engulfed his lower body. The Acid covering most of Mitsuhide's body just absorbed the heat, and he sighed.

"That's fine, I can find him myself. Now take a nap." He slammed him into the ground. Not enough to kill him, but definitely had knocked him unconscious.

"Not taking his Quirk?" Muscular asked, entering through the massive hole in the gate with a PLF member in each hand, probably guards that had decided to stand in his path. There was a reason if the man was an asset Acid King had recruited personally back in his own world.

"Nah, I'm not greedy. Also I hardly need another propulsion Quirk."

Muscular just launched both men away before looking around in time to see a series of gatling guns sprout from the walls and start to fire at full blast. His muscles grew and cocooned him, protecting his body, while Alien King just used a veil of Acid to dissolve them all. "Boring." He thought, "I hope we didn't come around in a day where everyone is out."

"That's not going to be an issue." A new voice replied. The man that walked up the stairs had a tall, thin body, red hair above a growing forehead and a long, pointy nose, like a hawk.

"Rikiya. Or should I say Re-Destro?"

"I'll have you know that I don't appreciate people bursting through my front door."

"I didn't burst through it. Your door just made me the favor of stopping to exist. Things tend to do that when I touch them." The response was given calmly, but Muscular burst out laughing.

"A powerful Acid Quirk you have there."

"Powerful enough to melt some stress." Alien King replied, and he saw the frown form on Re-Destro's face. It was one thing to know where the PLF was, since with so many members it was theoretically possible for one of them to let it slip, but they were still loyal to him. Mitsuhide knew that none of them would ever reveal the Quirk of their previous leader voluntarily, at least if they were anything like the ones in his old world.

Redestro's eye marks appeared, forming the shape he had inherited from Destro himself, and Rikiya studied him. "You know my power and you still try to face the PLF head-on. Why?"

"My name is Alien King. I'm the heir of All for One." The man's reply had Redestro turn bright red out of rage. 'Interesting…'

"You dare claim our leader's heritage? Even now that he is undergoing the final procedures to become the next All for One, you think you can just waltz in here and take his title?" Rikiya gritted his teeth, and Alien King smiled.

'Loyal to a fault to the man that defeated you, that never changes, uh?' He grinned, "So, you are the first line of defense? Or maybe…" He dashed forward and grabbed his arm, splitting it cleanly in half. The man shouted before dissolving into mud. "Figures. So they still have Twice around, good."

"So, we doing this or what?" Muscular asked. Mitsuhide nodded, "They won't have that many fighters, but let's remember to be nice and kill as few as possible. It won't make for a good show otherwise." And with that he jumped down the stairs the clone had come from.

His acid covered feet were leaving behind the mark of his shoes as he descended. Everything he wore was made to resist his acid, so he moved forward as he encountered the first line of defense, a small army of twice clones. His Acid grew in size, covering his body from head to toe for several layers, and then he set the external part on fire with a Fire Quirk. Keeping up the input of fresh acid to prevent his shell from disappearing, he dashed in, the Twice clones dissolving into mud either when they touched his Acid or when they were set on fire. More were coughing and suffocating because of the fumes of the liquid burning.

"Always fun to use the Wicked Man." He mumbled with a sly smile as his technique mowed through them. A few strugglers were destroyed by Muscular, but he could tell the muscle-bound murderer was keeping away now. Smart enough to recognize the risks of breathing in burning Acid, good for him.

With another Quirk, he undid the fire and entered the main hall. Gigantomachia was sitting in a corner, and that gave him pause for a moment, but the giant didn't move. 'If they can wake him up, even I will have to get serious.' He thought, 'So lets get done before it comes to that.'

He rushed toward another group of Twice clones, dissolving them before stopping in the center of the room. "Your clones won't be enough!" He shouted, smirking "Come on, Paranormal Liberation Front, send something better or let me talk with your boss!"

"Fair enough." A voice replied, and the air grew cold. Mitsuhide's smile grew wide as Geten entered the room, surrounded by floating ice. The sound from the walls proved the pipes were exploding as ice tore its way through. "I don't know what you want from Redestro and Shigaraki, and I don't know who you are, but you are going to die now."

"Nice." Alien King rushed forward, his punch growing in size until it was taller than the dark pink man. Big Hands wasn't a really useful Quirk, but it was flashy, and that's why he had stolen it. The maul came down on the PLF commander, sending him flying back, before Alien King switched to a combination of enhancement, spring-like limbs and rivets. His arm turned into an abomination of a limb, and he punched. Geten coughed as the shield of ice he had hastily put together failed to stop his fist.

"What… What are you?" He asked, as a spear of ice emerged from the wall and flew toward Alien King. The man lazily stopped it with a rivet, watching it crack.

"Just someone that wants to talk with your higher-ups."

"Odd way of showing it." Geten replied.

"I figured making an impression was important. Would hate to not be taken seriously!" He turned around, and his fist grew smaller before bursting into flames, dissolving Geten's ice back into water.

"You are. Now die!" The ice-user grinned as the ground burst open, ice from the pipes turning into spikes that pierced through Alien King's skin and bones. At the same time, the ice he had melted turned back into solid, a third spike that hit his back.

"No, I don't think I will." The man replied, shocking Geten as his acid burst out, the water boiling and turning into gas. "Sulfuric Acid. Makes the water boil."

"How are you still alive?! I stabbed you!"

"Yes, but you didn't go deep enough." He replied, tapping his chest, and Geten's eyes grew wide as the wounds started to close, "It was a good move though, I give you that."

Before Geten could ask what he meant with 'deep enough', another punch decked him in the face, knocking him to the ground, then Alien King stepped on his head, locking him on the ground. "Enough!" He shouted, and Muscular, who had been busy stopping the small fries from getting in their way, stopped, save from destroying any clone that moved in, "Redestro, I know you are here. I don't know if Trumpet, Skeptic and the members of the League are as well, but whoever is leading the circus better show up, or I'm melting him."

"Fuck you!" Geten shouted, and more spikes burst from the ground and the walls, to stab Alien King. However, he leisurely stopped them with his Acid, watching them sizzle away. Geten screamed as a few droplets of the liquid fell on his skin.

"Oh shit, sorry," Alien King said mockingly, before he aimed at the closest wall and launched the ice covering him to it in a stream, dissolving it completely, "But as you can see my control can be a bit lacking. I wouldn't want you to dissolve on me."

Geten growled, and seemed to prepare for another attack, but before he could, a new voice interjected. "Geten, it's enough." The man that spoke walked forward, and once more Mitsuhide was face to face with Rikiya. This time though, he was fairly sure he was dealing with the real one. "You are an interesting fellow."

"Thank you, I get that a lot." He replied, deciding to not bring up quite yet the fact his own version of Redestro had said the exact same thing to him before. "Still, I'm not here to fight."

"Really? You could have fooled me."

"I needed to leave an impression to be taken seriously." He replied, "You wouldn't believe me if I just walked in with a smile and explained you everything."

Rikiya's eyebrow raised slightly, "Explain now."

"You might want to sit down." He replied, "I have quite the story to tell you."

-x-

Izuku opened his eyes, stretching his back before standing up, washing his face in the bathroom attached to the foreign room and dressing himself. He checked his phone quickly, before picking up the bracelet. The screen lighted up.

"Good morning mister Izuku!" Epsi trilled. Izuku smiled back.

"Good morning Epsi. How are you?"

"I'm up and ready, sir!"

"I told you, just call me Deku."

"I'm up and ready, mister Deku!" The AI replied with a smile. Izuku chuckled. It had been two days since they had first met, and Izuku was starting to know her better. Epsi was a diligent and enthusiastic girl, and even if, being closed behind a screen, she might have appeared like nothing more than an artificial object, Izuku understood that in reality she was as human as him.

Or as human as Izzzuku, who burst out of his head, imitating him in stretching his back. Izuku wondered if he needed to or if it was just an habit of parroting human behavior. "Alright Izuku, we have a good day ahead of us, since you decided to take up the offer. You are gonna be pretty tired at the end of the day."

"I know." Deku replied with a smile, and left the room followed by the other two, walking up the stairs and reaching the floor where the gym was located. Sitting on the mat here was Izuku the Green Scar, with his beard freshly shortened if the length difference was any indication. He seemed to like to keep a stubble but not much more.

"Good morning Deku." He said, standing up as he noticed him entering, "You will have an audience today."

Izuku raised an eyebrow, before looking to the left when the Green Scar glanced that way. Ojiro, Todoroki and Melissa – the younger one called Lissa – were sitting there on a bench. Before his eyes, he saw the bench grow longer as Izzzuku 'sat' on the illusion with a smug grin on his face. "Wouldn't want to miss this." He commented. Watching him sit, Izuku noticed he was actually quite short, barely passing Ojiro's shoulder, although there was nothing saying he couldn't change his own height with illusions.

"And you two?"

"I want to watch All for Deku get punched in the face." Todoroki replied flatly, as Izzzuku and Ojiro both burst into laughter. Melissa instead pouted, fixing her glasses.

"That's not very nice."

"All for Deku isn't very nice, and while he isn't him, this will still be cathartic."

The Green Scar shook his head. "I think you might be disappointed, but we will see. Here, put this on." He said, launching something round similar to a pin to Izuku. The teen stared at it. It was a pin, or at least something that he had to attach to his clothes.

"Where?"

"Anywhere you want, so long as it's not in the way. If you usually wear a shirt under your Hero costume, you probably want to pin it there." Izuku nodded, pinning it to his shirt for now, and the Green Scar nodded. "Good. Now press it."

Izuku nodded. His finger pressed lightly the center of the golden pin, and then there was a weird mechanical sound before a light surrounded Izuku's body, dimming fast until he couldn't even see it anymore. However, when he tried to touch his face with a finger, he realized there was sort of a buffer between his finger and his skin, even if barely perceivable.

"That's the suit you will wear while you explore the Multiverse, under your clothes. It's magic, as far as I know, made by a certain Richard Satro, another founding member of the League."

"So is this like… I don't know, magic armor?"

"Right, you know about magic. Good, I don't need to explain. No, Melissa – Mel that is, she should usually be doing this but she got busy and asked me to – was adamant in fact that I explain to you that this suit doesn't protect you from any physical harm. It's there to protect you from toxins, viruses and the like, so you don't die on landing in worlds like the AIverse, but it can't handle more than a light touch. If I punched you right now, you would feel the full blunt of it."

"I don't need to test that."

"You kinda do, I want to see what's your level." The Green Scar replied, "But I won't be your training partner today."

"Who then?"

"Lissa. And Him." He said pointing at the door. Everyone turned to look at a mop of green hair spying from the said of the door. There was a light yelp before the head disappeared behind the wall. "I know you are there Dekiru, come out."

There was a sigh, and the teen emerged from behind the door. Almost identical to Izuku, safe for slightly longer hair and a few centimeters of height in Deku's favor, Dekiru just waved awkwardly. "Uhm… Hi?" He looked uncertain, so Deku decided to just smile back in the most reassuring way he could.

"Dekiru and you are going to spar, then you are going to do the same with Lissa. Then all three of you will take me on at once."

"Sure but… Why?"

"As I said, I – or rather Mel – want to make sure of how strong you are. It's mostly important for Epsi. We need to know how much stress the bracelet will have to endure, so they can change the glass for an even more reinforced one if it's necessary. It shouldn't but you never know. Also, she is going to monitor your heart rate, blood pressure and everything else, so she can know what your usual parameters are."

"In short, you are basically making him go through a stress test."

"Yes, and also to see how well you two work together. Don't worry about going ham, everything in this gym can be replaced."

Izuku looked around. He had noticed that this section of the floor was awfully empty. He knew the other rooms had the machines, but this one only had wooden wall bars and balls and ropes in various corners of the rooms, plus a few weights and the benches. It seemed this side was more of a sparring gym. He nodded to the older Izuku, who gestured to Dekiru. "Alright, first bout starting. Quirk usage is free by the way, as is magic. In fact, consider One for All mandatory. Do not use Teleport though."

Izuku nodded and activated Full Cowling, starting at eight percent. That was how much he had used against Bakugo during their fight after Kamino, and it seemed a good starting point to fight in a spar. "Are you ready?" He asked. Dekiru nodded, as he picked up a long wooden staff from the wall. Izuku raised an eyebrow, wondering if Dekiru was after all some sort of weapon fighter, but to his surprise the boy squeezed the staff and it seemed to disappear, while his skin covered in wood. By the time it was completely gone, both his hands up to his elbows were covered in wood.

"Uhm, I'm sorry in advance if I hurt you." He replied, as his body started to crackle with electricity "I just couldn't think of anything less painful to use to cover my fist. The weights are made of metal, that would just make it worse."

"Break his legs!" Todoroki cheered from the bench.

"Who are you talking to?" Izzzuku asked.

"I'm not picky." The ice-and-fire user replied with a rare smirk. Deku really hoped that he was just joking. Ojiro raised a thumb up, and Melissa just cheered for Izuku, picking both and neither side, whether she realized or not.

"Begin!" The Green Scar shouted, and Izuku charged forward, his first kick blocked by Dekiru's arm. He watched wood chip off his arm, revealing skin beneath. 'So he just covers himself.' He decided, moving back to dodge a fist and then hitting with another kick. Dekiru gasped as he was slammed back against some of the wall bars… who quickly begun to disappear as they were absorbed into his body, turning him into a giant wooden doll. The teen rushed forward, bringing up an uppercut that Deku barely blocked. It was like getting hit by a wooden mace, which wasn't nice, even when you had One for All. His fingers had gone numb just now, to block the impact, and Dekiru didn't stop, raining a series of punches on him.

Luckily for Izuku, he knew Kirishima, and had trained with him enough to be able to handle a Quirk like this. He answered with a kick to enlarge the distance between them then moved in for two more, forcing Dekiru back even more. It was still painful to hit the wood with his kicks, especially since he was wearing a pair of normal tennis shoes rather than his metal ones, but he could handle that much with One for All. Epsi informed him that he should try to cause more damage, and Izuku nodded, kicking it up to fifteen percent. Suddenly Dekiru lost him. The Fusion user's body shone bright green as he activated his own One for All on his whole body, using Full Cowling for the first time, Izuku realized. His following kick still broke the wood, but the arm beneath managed to handle the impact.

'How much does he have?' He wondered, 'Fifteen? Twenty? More?' Izuku wondered, turning around on his feet before a punch from the wooden Hero-in-training could hit him, but the follow up punch actually sent him back, hitting him straight in his open chest. Midoriya stood back up before another fist impacted with his jaw, but responded with a kick himself. Dekiru staggered back, and Deku didn't miss the moment, grabbing him with Blackwhip. The other Izuku gasped in surprise but could not set himself free. After a long moment, he raised his hand.

"I give up." He said calmly.

Izuku nodded, letting him go. The Green Scar nodded, "That was a good bout. You had a bit of an advantage though."

"Yes, Dekiru couldn't turn into anything more dangerous. I take you need a larger quantity of material to do that?"

"I-I… Yes, yeah. It takes my same mass to turn completely, and I didn't want to absorb the walls, that wouldn't be a good idea. I don't know if the building would remain structurally stable." As he said so, he released his Quirk, and Izuku watched as the wood he had absorbed recoalesced out of his body in a mass of sticks and planks. That was such an interesting Quirk, he really wanted to ask more questions about it. Could Dekiru absorb any material? Could he have absorbed Blackwhip? And what about living things? Animals and humans, were they possible? Logically, humans at least should have been, if it worked on the same logic as Overhaul's Quirk, which he had witnessed firsthand…

"Ahem…" The sound of the Green Scar clearing his throat dragged Izuku out of his thinking and back to the sparring, as he noticed Dekiru had switched up with an excited Melissa, who had removed her glasses – and probably slipped on some contact lenses, if Izuku had to guess – and was now ready to square up against him.

"Alright! I always wanted to do this Izuku. No hard feelings either way, right?"

"O-Of course!" Izuku nodded awkwardly, but then watched in awe as blue lightning rushed around Lissa's body, matching his green ones. 'I really would love to know what causes the color shift…' He thought, but decided to not pursue that as the Green Scar gave the go.

-x-

Izuku the Green Scar had spent most of his life fighting. In his thirty years away from home (and excluding the three hundred years spent stuck in a crystal, courtesy of the Magic Council), he had fought on the side of a princess and then against the monstrous queen she had become. From monsters to giant magic knights built specifically to fight on par with him – and yes, the parallels when he had seen All for One try the same thing with his Noumus against All Might had not been lost to him – Izuku could safely say that his experience with battles had been enough to last a lifetime.

Which was why he hated to admit he was utterly bored by the spars he was watching. Not that he wasn't interested in the idea of seeing other One for All in action, but there really wasn't much to watch. They were training exercises, and barring any major upset, they were going to never be a fight on the level he was used to. It had been a problem in school too, but at least there he had a reason to train.

As Mel had explained, each of the three spars were meant to measure Izuku's reactions to different situations: an opponent he had an advantage on, an opponent he had the same experience as, and an opponent he was outclassed by.

The first spar with Dekiru had served the first goal: given Dekiru's lack of control over the secondary Quirks inside One for All, the fact he could only use a limited amount of materials in the room, and Izuku's slightly superior experience with One for All, it wasn't surprising Deku had won. Not that the other kid was a bad fighter, but the match was rigged against him from the start. And he had probably realized, since he had given up the moment he had been captured with Blackwhip.

Now it was Melissa Shield's turn. Lissa was a little more experienced, but she was the closest comparison they had to Izuku's current power. From the little he knew about her, she hadn't trained to be a fighter until something had happened and she had inherited One for All. He had his suspicions, but Melissa had never told him, and he wasn't about to pry in her story if she didn't want to. Heavens knew he did not want anyone snooping into certain parts of his life. Still, when Melissa Shield showed a weird attachment to Izuku and mentioned I-Island with a sad expression you didn't need to be a genius to know something had gone wrong there.

The spar between the two was an animated affair. Melissa focused on punches, using her abilities to the full extent, blocking and dodging Izuku's kicks, and she also used often Blackwhip to pull smaller tricks. Unbalancing Izuku with a quick hit to his pivoting leg, blocking a punch with a sudden burst, or even once blinding him by making it suddenly sprout out of a punch that didn't connect, catching him off guard. Izuku, on the other hand, approached Blackwhip more like a finishing tool and protective gear, using it to either try to capture Lissa and end the bout or to cover his arms to lower the damage they would receive. This latter use was rather clever. 'Should have thought of that back then, would have saved me some trouble."

In the end, Lissa had to resort to a second Quirk. A flash of light burst from her eyes, a Quirk the Green Scar didn't have in his own arsenal, blinding Izuku for a second, and she went in for the finishing blow… only for Izuku to duck under it. 'Oh my, Danger Sense too? I don't see any other option.'

Izuku gasped, blinking to recover enough eyesight, only to narrowly dodge another punch and answer with a kick. Melissa gasped as the foot hit her gut squarely, and before she could recover Blackwhip entangled her. She sighed and had to tap out. "That was a great spar Izuku!" She said excitedly as the kid gently put her down, rubbing his eyes and apologizing for that last attack.

The Green Scar frowned. While Deku had indeed landed a good blow, Lissa hadn't tried all her tricks. He knew she couldn't use Teleport, of course, but her Blackwhip could have repelled Izuku's, allowing her to come back into the fight. 'Then again, this is a spar, not everyone is Komori 'I'll fill your lungs with mushrooms' level of insane.' Either that or, he reasoned noticing the looks Lissa was giving Deku, there was another reason for her to not want to fight to the bitter end with Izuku. He hid his smile behind a well-trained stoic expression – that he had inherited from Aizawa, if his friends were to be believed – and walked up to them.

"Take five, then the three of you fight me."

Izuku nodded, and the Green Scar started to stretch. 'I really hope this place isn't fragile, Mel.'

Deku took a deep breath as him, Lissa and Dekiru returned to the mat, to face the so-called Green Scar. The older man had taken up his fighting stance, with one foot and one arm readied forward. He watched as Dekiru absorbed wood once more, Lissa prepared herself with a giggle, and then readied himself as well.

'Three versus one. Seems a bit unfair.' He thought, thinking back to his other experience when training in the Multiverse. Izo was stronger, yes, but that had been a duel, and Izuku had been unfamiliar with magic. If they fought now, and with the other two to help, they would have probably won.

"Begin!" Izzzuku, who had taken his role as the ref, shouted.

The room exploded into mist, their sight suddenly becoming impaired. They couldn't see each other, let alone the Green Scar. "What's this!" Lissa shouted, somewhere to his left.

"It's Smoke Screen!" Izuku replied, "Another One for All Quirk!"

"Oh, that is so unfair!" The girl commented, before a shout from Dekiru to their right came in, accompanied by the sound of cracking wood. Izuku turned in that direction in time to see the towering figure of the other Izuku come into view, still partially hidden by the smoke as he brought a fist down to his face.

It was only the ringing feeling in his head that allowed Izuku to block the punch by crossing his arm, and he was still taken off his feet and sent flying backward, hitting the wall with a loud crash. He stood back up rolling to the side, correctly predicting that the Green Scar would follow up with another punch and watching as the ground cracked under the fist he brought down on him.

That was when Lissa and Dekiru came in from behind and the other side respectively, appearing from the smoke screen, the girl using Blackwhip to try and stop his movement while Dekiru focused on hitting him with a metallic fist. Judging by the color, he had absorbed one of the weights.

The Green Scar didn't so much move as blur. He grabbed Dekiru's wrist and, using him as a makeshift wooden club brought him around to impact against Lissa. The two were sent back but Izuku had used that time to stand up and kick him with full force… only to see the kick get blocked with little effort.

And that was when it settled in. Izuku had fought a number of One for All users at this point. All for Deku, from their brief encounter, seemed to only use it as a tool, without much care to control it. Izo, who used it through his magic sword, had the physical strength and some magic, but lacked the Quirks and in any case was merely borrowing power. He was a swordsman first, so brawling wasn't his style. Dekiru and Lissa were both close to his experience.

The Green Scar, however, was around the age of All Might in his prime, and had spent decades learning how to use One for All. No, he was probably stronger than All Might, if the chain of predecessors had been the same.

All this reasoning took barely a second, but it felt like years as the back of his head rang desperately while the Green Scar swoop his legs with a quick motion and then came in with another kick. Izuku gasped as he was sent against the world.

"He is too strong." Epsi commented, "I've concluded, Mister Deku, that you three are going to be defeated."

"Any suggestion?"

"Well, in the Multiverse, I would suggest to escape through Teleport, but here that is not the case. And if you can't escape that way, your most prudent choice would be to flee."

"And in a spar?"

"Uhm… He broke your coordination with the fog and is dominant in physical combat. If you want to win, you should regroup."

Izuku nodded, and rushed forward with his One for All at maximum output. He did wonder for a moment what Ojiro and Shoto could see in this fog, but then Danger Sense rang as a fist barely missed him. He jumped back, dodging by rolling on the ground and quickly recovering back on his feet, and stopped as he saw Lissa and Dekiru slumped on the floor, the Green Scar towering over them.

"Plan B Epsi?"

"Flee."

"Plan C?"

"… Beg for mercy."

Izuku gulped as the fist came down.

There was no mercy.

-x-

Itsumi sighed, sitting on a chair in the corridor of the lower floor. 'They are probably having fun right now…' She thought glumly.

"So, are you sure of this?" Zuzu-9-Delta asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I… Yes, I think it's a good idea. Did Beta tell you everything?"

"We share our memories to make sure we can run both facilities properly, so I'm aware of everything she experiences and vice versa. It's odd sometimes, but it's necessary."

Itsumi nodded. That was good to know, since it meant that telling Delta something meant telling Beta too. She wondered how their individuality came about if they shared the same experiences and started from the same base AI. Perhaps there was some difference in how they perceived the memories, or maybe… 'Oh my god I'm pulling an Izuku.' She shook her head, refocusing on the door in front of her, which finally opened.

"Come in." The person inside said, and Itsumi took a deep breath before walking in.

Mariah's office was small, but well kept. She had a desk with a pc and a small printing machine, a bookshelf and a few chairs, plus some small paintings and framed pictures to make the place look more homely. Given she was the only League member that worked only from there, it made sense her office was the best decorated.

Itsumi looked at the wall, where among other pictures there was one that caught her attention. It was a large one depicting ten people smiling at the camera. Isaac was in the center, with Mariah to his right. They were both a few years younger, and Mariah had her hair cut short rather than kept in the bun she had today. Looking at the others, she recognized Uraraka, standing on a cane and smiling brightly, Mel, grinning widely next to another version of Izuku, and a few other people she had never met. One of them was another version of Togata, if she had to guess. The blonde hair were a strong hint.

"It's a nice picture, isn't it?" Mariah asked from the chair, noticing where her eyes were going. Itsumi turned to her, and felt a shiver down her spine. To her, Mariah was scary, there was no other way to explain it. And she had figured out why.

"Well, yes."

"That one was taken the day we founded the League, after we bought this building. We decided to go in another world to take it, just because it seemed fitting for the League for All to take a picture in a neutral world." Her smile was soft as her eyes trailed from face to face, even though there was a twinge of sadness. She took a moment, then turned to Itsumi, "So, what brings you here, Itsumi?"

"I… I think I know what your Quirk is."

"I inherited my grandmother's Vine. That's a simple thing to notice."

"And you also have All for One."

Mariah nodded, "Yes, I supposed it could happen. Some Vestiges have stronger reactions to All for One. I did notice you and Izuku seemed far more afraid of me then would be normal." She raised an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"

"If someone admitted they have All for One before, I would have probably just attacked them. However… After hearing about Izuku, another version of my father, existing as evil, I think I can at least accept there can be a good All for One user out there." She shook her head, "I can't believe I just said that."

"And I can't believe that in all those worlds All for One is the villain. It's always a surprise to me, no matter how many times I hear the story." Mariah looked at her, studying the teenager, and Itsumi wondered if she was using some Quirk to do it. It was hard not to wonder what arsenal she could be hiding. "What is it you want, Itsumi?"

Itsumi took a deep breath. That was it. "I… want to train with you."

"Why?"

"I…" Itsumi looked down, to the floor, "I am a wielder of One for All. You know that in my world, One for All can be split in pieces. I have one of those pieces, and for a long time I wondered if I really deserved it. I still kind of do, but Izuku has at least calmed that feeling down. And so I wonder… Can I be a better heir of One for All? With our world in danger, I need to grow stronger. I need to be strong enough to face All for One."

"Face All for One alone?"

"Not alone, if I can avoid it, but at least… At least I should be able to stand with Izuku and the others. It's my world too, and the worlds of my friend. My parents, including my mother who now has a giant target on her back. They gave me One for All in hopes that I could inherit it in a world at peace, but even if that was the reason, now that the peace has been shattered I have to do my part." She clenched her fist, "I am not going to let them destroy what my parents built."

Mariah smiled, "I see. But why me? If becoming a One for All user is what you need, Iz… The Green Scar would be a better candidate, or Mel."

"It's true but… It has to be you. I need to know if I can stand up at all against All for One. And if I want to do that…"

"What better way than to be trained by All for One. Yes, I can see the logic." She said, before staying silent for a bit, considering her request, Itsumi hoped, or considering how to best refuse, Itsumi feared.

Instead, Mariah sighed, "I admire your reasons. For what is worth from an All for One user, I think you were the right person to inherit that piece of One for All. Your drive is genuine, and you strive to do good. You would have probably inherited it anyway at some point. Very well."

"You will?!"

"Two times at week, maybe three if I can find the time. I can let you try some new combinations and give my input. I only ask one thing in return."

"What is it?"

"Don't rush in to fight All for One."

"His name is Alien King actually." Itsumi corrected, but Mariah just made an amused chuckle and continued.

"Whatever the name, it's an order. You will fight him when you are ready. You won't step foot into a battlefield from your world, until I say you can. Is that acceptable?"

"What if Izuku comes back with his allies, or Todoroki and Ojiro find more?"

"Don't be silly. Even with my help, it will take them time and effort to find enough people. There are only so many people that are willing to risk their lives for an entirely different universe, and I don't disagree with the sentiment. It's not cowardice, is setting priorities. Even the bravest, strongest, smartest hero can't save everyone." She replied, and Itsumi blinked.

"I'm sorry. That's right, yes, but did you say your… help?"

"Me and Isaac disagree on a lot of things. If he thinks I'm going to ignore a threat like this All for Deku and his 'companions' just because he is contained he is wrong. I have a couple friends that will agree with me." She extended a hand, "I'll train you, Itsumi, and I'll help you find others that will fight with you against those enemies of yours. I hope that's what you wanted."

Beaming, Itsumi shook her hand, managing to fight off the feeling of dread One for All was sending her way.

"Lesson number one, never trust an All for One user if you are a One for All user." She commented, and her vines ensnared her hand and arm. Itsumi gasped and pushed back, but Mariah chuckled quietly, without any ill intention in her eyes. "Relax, it was just a jest. Your expression was priceless. Although, it's true you should keep your eyes open. All for One can't steal One for All normally, at least if your Quirks work like mine, but that only means they will do anything to fight the only weakness of a power like ours."

"I… I see." Itsumi answered, her heart still pounding in her chest.

"Well then, let's go. I believe your friend's training should be about done, I do believe we can use the gym next."

Itsumi nodded and followed the woman. She couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the right thing. She could only hope that was only One for All talking. As they went up with the elevator, she couldn't help but wonder what Mariah would teach her. So she wasn't mentally prepared to seeing the entire floor covered in a smokey mist as they walked in.

"What the…"

Mariah sighed, "Izuku, what did we say about using Smokescreen indoors!" She shouted instead.

"I'm opening the windows! Sorry, I forgot in the excitement." Answered the voice of the Green Scar. As he did, the wind outside pushed out the mass of smoke, leaving behind a room that still smelled of it… and Izuku, Melissa and… Izuku slumped on the floor, groaning.

"What the…"

"Oh thank god it's over…" Melissa whimpered.

"Don't use me as a club just because I'm made of wood…" The Izuku with longer hair – Dekiru, she remembered, grumbled on the ground.

"I'm more afraid of him than of the Multiverse now." Izuku – the Izuku she knew first, god this was confusing – commented as he stood up. To the side, Ojiro and Todoroki were commenting something about not really getting to see much, and Izzzuku, who apparently had seen what had happened, seemed to be having the time of his life.

"So did Mel's test achieve the intended result?" Mariah asked.

"The kid is skilled and is listening to Epsi, even when she can't help much. Remind me why she doesn't have a radar?"

"Not really useful enough to accept the space it would take to set it up. She does have an infrared camera though."

"She does?" The Green Scar asked.

"You do?!" Izuku gasped in surprise.

"Teheheh, uhm, I might have… kinda, sorta… forgot…" Epsi replied. Itsumi noticed Mariah glancing to Izzzuku for a moment and the serious expression on the dream creature, but she coughed loudly in her fist to regain everyone's attention.

"Anyway, that should do it for the physical. Next, Izuku, you can go meet Power Suit and Himiko to get some details on Epsi's gadgets. That way, next time you will know about the infrared even if she forgets."

Izuku nodded, looking at Itsumi. "So uh… Where did you disappear to? I thought you would be up here."

"Yeah sorry, I've already seen you beat yourself enough and I wanted to do something actually productive." She answered with a teasing grin. Izuku sighed.

"Alright. Hope it worked out." He said with a genuine smile, "And thank you for your help guys, really." He added, looking at the other teenagers, who just gave him a shrug and a few compliments on his own skills before standing up.

"What, no thanks for your instructor?" The Green Scar asked with a smug grin.

"Well, my instructor punched me in the face five times."

"Seven, but who's counting."

"You apparently." Lissa commented, earning a laugh from Izzzuku and a few others in the room.

Soon enough, the groups started leaving. Lissa and Dekiru went together away, since it seemed Lissa had taken up trying to warm Dekiru to the unfamiliar place, and Ojiro and Todoroki decided to go to gym, while Izzzuku followed Deku downstairs. The Green Scar was about to leave to, saying something about Zero needing to get his head out of his rear end if he was still angry about a teenage girl using the wrong nickname.

Which left Itsumi alone with Mariah.

"Well then, let's begin our first lesson." Mariah said, removing the suit to reveal the Hero suit underneath, a red, white and blue costume with an x-like cross in its center that was reminiscent of All Might and the UK flag. Itsumi had wondered if she was one, and apparently that was the case. "Come at me and show me what you have."

Itsumi gulped, and took her own stance. This was going to be a weird training.

(xx)

We didn't have a straight battle chapter in a long while, so boy was I happy to come back to it. Alas, the choreography for the Izuku fights was a bit reduced by the fact the space they had to spar was limited. Still, I squeezed something out of it.

Shout out time:

The Green Scar is from The Green Scar worldbuilding thread by Quantum 01 and the fanfic by Pro-Man;

Dekiru is from Dekiru the Fusion Hero by | OmegaInfinity | on ;

Speaking of which, do NOT take this fight as a straight power level setter where Green Scar Deku = Lissa Dekiru, that's far too reductive. The Green Scar is basically prime All Might here, but aside from him, Lissa had a chance to beat Deku and Dekiru was at a disadvantage, as the Green Scar himself remarks. I subscribe to the school of thought that the setting of the fights matters as much as the strength and skills of the fighters, so a spar in a gym isn't accurate at all.

That said... Yeah the Green Scar is very very strong. When I started working on introducing him, I knew I had to work with someone who is essentially as strong as All Might was. I do hope people will like what's in store for him.

Dekiru is a fun character. His power is actually a favorite of mine from the various "Deku has x power" fanfics (a very interesting genre that gave us other gems like Canary), so I hope we will get to see it getting a better chance to shine in different settings. If you are wondering, it isn't a mistake when I mention Dekiru having Full Cowling under his wooden arm, I will get to that. Just know that the characters don't necessarily come from the point in time their fic is at (something necessary given that otherwise I would have an hard time figuring out how they got to the Multiverse). Let's just say that Dekiru has quite an interesting history.

Figures the longest chapter in a while gets the longest A/N in a while, that's just sensible. Didn't even go much into Geten v Alien King or Itsumi's whole story. Just a thing, if you expected more people in Gunga, remember that in canon the Heroes attack during a PLF celebration because they want to capture every member at once. The villa isn't normally that full. I won't go into it, though, so hope this all was fun and see you all next chapter.