Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All characters and locations are owned by Kohei Horikoshi.
Everyone gasped as they felt themselves being unexpectedly teleported away into a plain encased by darkness. When they landed, many collapsed to their knees due to being taken by surprise while only the seasoned pros and some battle-hardened students were on their feet and in their signature fighting stances. They looked around, roving their eyes from left to right, to try and get a sense of where they were and who forcefully ripped them away from their daily lives. Aizawa Shouta, Eraserhead, scanned his students for any possible injuries with a tense grip on his capture weapon. There seemed to be more than just his students there though, it looked like Class 1-B had joined the fray with Sekijirou Kan, Vlad-King, and a few odd students from different courses and grades scattered here and there.
Suddenly there was a burst of bright angelic light before them, as a figure emerged from the darkness like a holy savior. Few wondered if it was an angel, another girl with green vines for hair fell to her knees crying out for her lord and savior, atheists and Satanists cringed away from them –not believing that their faith was disproven while the rest stared in awe. The light faded gradually, revealing the being –which was nondescript as it had no gender identifying qualities –but they were beautiful in every which way. Soft heart-shaped face surrounded by a thick head of curly white hair that flowed down their back. Their skin was pale with the eyes being a silver mercury color and small plump pink lips. The figure wore a white outfit lined with silver and black stitching which showed no evidence of the being of the male or female gender. The students and their teachers gazed in wonder at the being when suddenly…their mouth opened and many voices combined in one spoke the words that cemented their fate.
"Welcome…to the Arcade."
Aizawa Shouta has been a teacher for a long time and in that long time, he has expelled dozens of hero hopefuls without a second thought. It was a safety measure, of course, as most of them wouldn't have lasted very long in the industry and he was doing them a favor in the long run. Not that they could see it at that time. However, this year's Class 1-A sometimes makes him regret having not expelled the whole lot of them if only to spare them the horror of facing villains as first-year students in their first practice rescue operation. But they were tough and they survived their first encounter with villains even if that thought made him grit his teeth in frustration. With the sports festival over and the approaching internships, Shouta was given some reprieve from the stress of any villains –not all but some. Iida's brother, Ingenium, being almost killed by the Hero Killer, Stain, was a kick to the gut as Tensei was a personal friend of his. It doesn't help that Tenya was taking his internship with the hero Manual in Hosu where the Hero Killer's playground seemed to be this time. He'd have to keep an eye on Iida during his internship, just in case he gets any bright ideas –like avenging his brother.
His thought process was interrupted when a bright beam of light encased his form, whisking him away from the teacher's lounge in U.A with a couple of other teachers as well, the yelps from the others near him supported his reasoning. Across the U.A campus, dozens of students were being yanked from their classes and friends while the rest of the world froze in time.
Midoriya Izuku was normally a stuttering mess when it came to people and a support beam in tough situations yet when he was alone…he was calm. Maybe it was the sudden influx of attention from everyone around that caused him to flail his arms about and hide, or the being in the line of Kacchan's sight that made him cower and shrink into himself. But when Izuku was alone, in his room surrounded by all the things that inspire him, he felt confident and self-assured.
So when he was forcefully yanked from his safe space, he was a bit off the kilter so to say, which actually meant that he was a complete mess before he analyzed the situation carefully. Knowing that many others were in the same situation, caught off-guard and vulnerable, he straightened himself out and prepared himself. After all, he needs to protect these friends of his who became so precious to him.
"Welcome…to the Arcade."
Most of Class 1-A were on their guard, ready to fight for their lives even if it meant facing villains once again like in the first week of school. But that encounter meant that they knew they needed to be ready for the inevitably of the League of Villains transporting them and attacking once more. The other students stared at them with a slight amount of respect for the immediate response in their rather unfortunate situation while some people scoffed, turning their heads away and towards the being looking down on them.
The being seemed to be amused at the actions if the small quirk of their lips were an indication before a quiet giggle erupted from them. They covered their mouth to try to stifle the noise with no success which did not ease the tense students and teachers.
"I'm so sorry but to see humans still attempt to fight even knowing they are so obviously outmatched is quite amusing."
Some of the boys stared at the figure in awe, especially Mineta Minoru who drooled at the figure in front of them like it was a piece of meat. Jirou Kyoka blushed a pretty red before looking away from the being, only to come face-to-face with Yaoyoruzu Momo who caused a more intense blush to appear. She turned to face the floor while twirling her earphone jack around her index finger.
The being staring at them intently causing many students to shiver at the attention. Their eyes swerved to the right towards a student which a green bush for hair, who stepped forward, a question on his lips before he understood was he was doing.
"What are you?"
It wasn't the question many expected to hear, not even the boy himself expected it if his expression were something to go by. The androgynous being gazed down at him in consideration before moving closer while decreasing in size, but their voice stayed the same haunting echo that vibrated the plain they resided in.
"Midoriya Izuku. It seems even my present does not faze your curiosity and protectiveness." The being said with a small smile on their lips, as they glided and giggled, like a woodland fairy towards Izuku.
"You are such a good creation, diverse and changing yet unchanging in what matters the most."
The being said while slowly cupping his face gently, like he was a piece of glass in their hands or maybe something precious to them. A distance wail could be heard from Mineta whined about how 'Midoriya was stealing the hot babe' was widely ignored by everyone present. They let go while still staring at Izuku before shooting back up, above the rest of them with a beaming smile stretched across their lips.
"The answer to your question is that I don't know."
Many eyes widened in shock and disbelief which, the being looked on in satisfaction at being able to gain such delicious reactions from them. Then…the whispers and objections started, asking where they were and why they were here with little fanfare. Few shouted that the being was Kami (God), an angel or the devil wearing the skin of a holy being which spiraled into a chorus of shouting and cursing.
"Are you male or female?"
The question echoed as everyone waited for an answer in the tense silence, especially boys like Mineta and Kaminari. It was the most unimportant and useless question that anyone could ask yet the students seemed to be begging for an answer. The eager atmosphere almost prompted the being to keep the answer to themselves before resigning to their fate.
"Out of all the questions you could ask as deity...that's what you really want to know…"
The being said with an exasperated tone and a tired look etched onto their face. They muttered something about 'every time' and 'they don't even ask for my name' before looking at the eager and waiting faces with a cute pout before smirking evilly.
"I have no gender and by that, I mean that I have no genitals. Nothing. Because genitals are for reproductive purposes and I...ugh...don't need to reproduce."
Many faces dropped in disappointment while others looked at the being with intrigue on the faces.
"It's not like any of you had a chance anyway. Humans do nothing for me." With that said, the being immaturely stuck their tongue out at them, mocking them.
Exclamations of surprises and distress echoed across the abyss, many teenagers bemoaning the sudden change of sexuality, while others looked at the being with a concerning amount of longing. The teachers stared at the embarrassments that were their students with blank expressions. Shouta threw his hands up with a 'done' expression while Yamada Hizashi, Present Mic, looked on with amusement. Kan had nothing to say and just covered his face with the palms of his hands while Kayama Nemuri, Midnight, who was beside him, shouted about the 'youthfulness of teenagers' and how she misses it. A loud vibrating clap washed over them, causing everyone to snap their heads in the direction of the being, who stared at them just as amused as before.
"Alrighty, now that we have everyone's attention. Let's get started."
A ring attached to a string dropped from…somewhere…which was then yanked down by the being, bringing with it a large white sheet of material.
"My 'name' as you call it, is Exceed –a being that governs the multiverse."
They stopped, letting that fact sink in before chaos erupted from everyone, as the implications of such a statement rippled throughout each person.
"She transported us to another world!"
"Oui…but as far as I'm aware we are not an isekai anime."
"Dude…what the hell are you talking about?"
Sero stared at Aoyama incredulously while Mineta, who was beside him, drooled over the many alternate dimension hot babes that would never be his.
The theory of the multiverse was real then what did it mean for them. Knowing that there were other universes out there besides their own was dumbfounding, to say the least, and some even questioned their own existence. A cough rang across the blank plain from the principal of U.A, Nedzu.
"I'm sure this…being has a reason for telling us but we need to be patient and listen to what they are going to say before making any decisions."
Their attention shifted back to the being, the questions on the tongue held back but their eyes gave them away –filled with so much curiosity and wonder.
"This plain you are in right now is called The Arcade, a playroom of sorts –a pocket dimension where time is frozen so you don't have to worry about everyone else outside of this place. They are blissfully frozen and unaware of this event taking place."
"This was not what I asked for when I prayed for a red room..." Kayama muttered with a small pout on her lips.
A few students could be seen letting out exhales of breath in relief at the confirmation that their loved ones would be safe while others stared at the being with narrowed eyes.
"Frozen in time implies that we're going to be here for a while."
The one to comment that was Shouta, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, who was straightened out of his stance, giving him a relaxed and lazy look yet remained completely aware of the being and his surroundings. Exceed clapped in delight at the statement as if Shouta was a child getting a question correct in class which caused a slew of grumbling and curses to fall from his mouth.
"Shouta! Not when the kids are around." The comment from Present Mic ended with an 'omff-ed' as he was roughly elbowed by Eraserhead.
Exceed ignored the pair with a small smile as if she knew everything about them and their relationship before praising Shouta once again.
"Very good Aizawa Shouta! Yes, everyone here in this room will be confined in this pocket space, for a while, but worry not you will not age because time does not pass in here."
That did not ease the worries of everyone gathered here and unrest ran down the spines of everyone present in the room.
They were going to be stuck here? How long? Why were they being confined in this place?
Some students collapsed into panic attacks across, falling to their knees and shaking uncontrollably while their friends and classmates around them tried to help. The shrieking cries and screams of them caused the more stable students to panic. At the situation, they were in? At being helpless to comfort their friends? They didn't know but it wasn't pleasant in the slightest.
"QUIET!" The shout from Kan, the Class 1-B homeroom teacher, caught the students off-guard which quieted their panicked thoughts allowing them to calm down significantly.
"Everyone needs to calm down and think clearly. You are hero students. You need to be able to keep your head on straight and make the best of your situation." Shouta stated seriously in his gruff voice, calming reassuring his students right away.
"Yes, students! Our situation may seem dire right now but all is not lost. We will overcome this challenge." The dog-mouse-bear(?) that was their principal squeaked from Shouta's shoulder.
The students took deep calming breaths and centered themselves, agreeing with their teachers and knowing that panicking was not going to solve their problems. They were training to be heroes, they need to keep their composure in tough situations and know how to analyze the circumstances properly to find the best way to survive.
"A very good teacher as always Aizawa Shouta."
The being praised Shouta once again while looking roving their eyes up and down his figure with a smirk on their face. Shouta felt a shiver crawl down his spine, similar to bugs running rampant across his body, which made him feel extremely self-conscious so he turned to the side which allowed Exceed to get full-view access to the backside of him. The being let out a hum of approval before facing the hero hopefuls once again -only to see that some of the students giving them a deadpanned stare. there clearly just witnessed their teacher being eye-banged.
"Now…there is no need to panic, little pro-heroes and herolings…"
Exceed stated a little panicky at being caught so outright by teenagers of all things. A distant comment about how 'they were fine, and that they couldn't say the same for Exceed' was heard but skilfully ignored by the being.
"I am just here to address you of sorts and to answer your immediate questions before the main event."
Exceed dismissed everything that happened previously and continued on with the introduction. Shouta grunted in agreement, not wanting to have to deal with that again. The other teachers watched the being with suspicious eyes, knowing there was more to Exceed. Nedzu was practically frothing at the mouth at the implications of what Exceed has discussed so far and with High Specs running wild, he was having the time of his life.
'Now if I only had some tea!'
Although the comment was spoken in his mind, the teachers shivered for no reason whatsoever and felt an impending amount of danger.
"Turn your pretty little heads in the direction on the screen, please. I have to discuss the outline of the multiverse first before we get on to the reason that you are here. I'm going to use an analogy to describe the multiverse in its entirety. Does anyone need me to explain what an analogy is?"
The patient question was met with silence as students turned to face each other, to see if anyone was lost on what the word meant before a pink-skinned arm slowly rose into the air. Students glanced at the girl with their eyebrows raised which caused her normally rosy pink skin to darken a couple of shades more.
"Can you please explain?" Ashido Mina asked as politely as she could which was out of the norm for the exuberant teenager.
"What?! But I taught you this in English, little listener!"
Present Mic shouted in shock while staring at his student with a look of a kicked puppy, making her cringe guiltily at his exclamation. It wasn't her fault, she got bored easily and it was a morning lesson. She was hardly awake to eat a proper breakfast and that was food. What could be better than food?!
"I stopped paying attention after good morning."
She stated sheepishly with an awkward smile on her face while she rubbed the back of her head nervously. Present Mic whined at the disrespect and complained about 'how his listeners don't appreciate him at all which was rudely cut off when Shouta briefly elbowed him in the stomach again to get him to shut up.
"Well…an analogy is a comparison of one thing to another which is typically used for the purpose of explanation and clarification. I'm going to use a tree for mine because it's the easiest one and you'll be able to follow it."
With a well-responded explanation given to the students, everyone started to relax slightly at the calming voice of the being in front of them. Nedzu was struck with the most appealing idea when Shouta shook the shoulder he was sitting on and mumbled about 'how he couldn't hire an unknown deity to teach at U.A'. Suddenly a picture of a giant tree appeared on the screen, startling some students who relaxed a bit too much while some students gasped in wonder.
"The multiverse is like a tree –from the roots to the trunk to the branches and the leaves. You see, the trunk represents this reality where all things began and diverge. The branches represent the multiple universes that exist in this reality while the leaves on each branch represent the alternate universe and timelines of that branch of the universe. This specific universe is just one in an infinite number of 'branches' (universes), with its own leaves (alternate paths)."
The explanation washed over everyone present in the dimensional plain while the principal's eyes were shining in delight and curiosity. Izuku's hand rose from his small group of friends at the frontline of everyone which caused Exceed to clap in delight. She always got the fun questions from him in every universe.
"Then which universe are we in?" Izuku asked with wide eyes that reminded his friends of a child.
"Ohhhh…you always ask the fun questions Midoriya Izuku. Can you guess it on your own though?"
Exceed seemed to be particularly fond of the green-haired bush, which made two boys from Class 1-A and 1-B scoff at the boy, especially when the muttering started. People turned their heads towards him in curiosity and annoyance at his muttering, wondering what he was talking about.
"You said…that this 'specific' universe which indicates that this one is important as compared to the other alternate universes and timelines so that means that this was the main branch before you called us here. We were the main branch which all the other alternates diverge from."
Izuku deduced sufficiently while looking at…Exceed, waiting for his answer to be accepted or denied. They squealed in delight and zipped across the 'sky' at the answer before spinning in a circle while flying straight up. It was enchanting to stay the least, like a fairy from one of those fantasy novels.
"Correct! You were part of the main timeline however, I disturbed that timeline by bringing you all here causing it to split off into its own separate branch and leaves. Across all these universes from the main branch to alternate, Midoriya Izuku, you remain my favorite human."
Exceed stated boldly at Izuku causing him to turn a stunning shade of red, taking on the look of a particularly red strawberry with his hair acting as the leaves, while his arms flailed about as he tried to hide away from the prying eyes. Bakugou Katsuki scoffed at his display and the blatant favoritism of that…thing floating in the sky while another blond looked on with pride as his successor was talked about with such positivity.
"Why would you disturb our timeline like that? Aren't there going to be consequences?"
Kendo Itsuka, the class representative from Class 1-B, boldly asked Exceed as she strode to the frontline of the students with her hands on her hips. The being stared at the girl with a smirk on their face –they liked the bold ones very much. With Kendo at the frontlines, bravely asking questions without a hint of fear, this allowed many students to nod their heads and voice in agreement with her while they looked to Exceed for the answers.
"Not really, the timeline that I took you from is currently far ahead of you which means that it was your future and you were taken from the past. That future is set in stone and nothing is going to change that. I just plucked you out of a certain point in time that is a between two major arcs and brought you here which created this new branch allowing you to create a new future for yourselves." Exceed explained which caused several questions to arise from that explanation.
"So we were from the past of the main timeline?" Another student from class B called out.
"Essentially…yes. But now that I split that timeline you are allowed to create a new future for this timeline."
Kaminari Denki groaned at the overload of time sciences that was bombarding his brain. He strangely felt like he was going to short-circuit without using his quirk for once. He didn't need more school in another world of all things –he gets enough in his own world.
"Was our future bad?"
The question came from Mineta Minoru of all people as he pondered Exceed's explanations which showed that even though he's a perverted prick at heart, he was still in the top ten for grades in class.
"Humans perception of bad is quite different from mine as I don't have to deal with your petty struggles but from what I know and how you humans react…yes. It was quite bad."
The admittance caused many students to gasp in fright and look at one another and the teachers for support. The teachers themselves looked a bit lost at what to do which did not calm the students' fright. Nedzu looked off in the distance as he calculated the probability of the numerous futures that could happen from the point of time that they left and how many resulted in bad futures.
"So what?! You fucking took pity on us, such weak humans, and tried to save us or some shit. You said yourself that you don't give a crapshit about our fucking problems so what's your reason for fucking bringing us here?"
As eloquently put as ever from class A's resident time bomb, the words falling from his mouth made sense although they were littered with curses and anger.
"I don't actually…care that is. I just wanted to see what kind of future you would create if given the chance to do it yourself without something influencing you of course."
Exceed admitted with a shrug and another beaming smile which caused some students to cover their eyes from the light while Tokoyami from class A commented on 'the light that hides away the darkness of one's soul'.
"My job here today is to show you snapshots of your future and the alternate universes and timelines. Most of you stay consistent with some few outliers once or twice from what I know so you don't have to worry."
"Stay consistent in what?" the question was posed by Sero Hanta from class A.
"Basically…in your personalities, goals, aspirations, and lives really. The few outliers are when you deviate from those like someone dies unexpectedly or you chose a different job like you know…not being a hero."
Izuku cupped his chin as he began muttering at the different futures and outliers that affected him and came to the conclusion that he would be part of the most that stay consistent. However, before he could tell his friends, Uraraka and Iida, Exceed floated towards him with narrowed eyes and stated loudly before everyone…
"You, Midoriya Izuku, are the only outlier in your universe with no way to predict your actions and the consequences of your actions."
At that several things happened at once, Katsuki exploded in rage at Deku being in the spotlight when he was just a weak wannabe hero. Monoma Neito exclaimed rudely about how Class 1-A was cheap and hogged all the attention. Izuku's brain malfunctioned as he tried to think of himself as an outlier. Shouta gazed at his student with a tired expression on his face while grumbling about him being a problem child. Nedzu's eyes twinkled maliciously at Midoriya as the probability of predicting this student's actions become harder to understand. While one Yagi Toshinori looked at his successor with scrunched eyebrows as he found it hard to see him as anything other than a hero.
'Why Deku of all people? Am I that easy to predict?'
'It's always class 1-A. They always take center stage, leaving us in the background like we're the backup or the sidekicks.'
'Why…me? I've always wanted to be a hero and never anything else. What changed? Why did I change my goals –my dreams?'
'Problem child has the capacity to do more. His determination to be a hero is astounding but there's his brilliance in academics placing him in the top five and his analysis twas also top-notch. But what makes him an outlier to the extent of not being able to predict.'
'Looks like I found a new puzzle to solve.'
'Young Midoriya can't be that hard to predict. He's always wanted to be a hero, he's said so himself. What changed his dream?'
"Now that, that's out of the way. Time to start the show!"
And with the snap of their fingers, an eye-searing white light encased them all before they could do anything to stop it. The feeling of being yanked what not there like before, reasoning that they weren't being transported to another place. Everyone's eyes were kept firmly shut to protect themselves from the glare of the light when it faded just as quickly as it came. Slowly everyone slid their eyes open, only to find that their surroundings had changed. Instead of the darkness that consumed them before, the place now looked remarkably like a movie theatre. With the giant screen and the soft squishy chairs placed in front of it. Towards the back of the gigantic room, the walls were lined with doors, leading to somewhere, while tables with food and drinks were on either side of the room. Everyone stared at each other in confusion as to what to do when the voice of Exceed permeated the room.
"You will watch the universes here and learn. The bathrooms and showers are at the back while the doors lead to rooms for everyone which is separated by boys and girls."
Mineta could be heard letting out a disappointed whine, like a dog that was denied their toy, which caused many of the girls to glare at him with disdain and disgust.
"The food and drinks will be renewed every day to prevent anything from going spoiled."
This did not ease the tension that arose in the room since the change, it only increased as people realized that they might be locked away in here for a long time.
"I've been debating on whether I should charge you for my services today. You know like to take something precious from you or take your firstborn child as a fee…"
Bakugou let out a stray explosion which caused everyone around him to jump away as he looked around the room to try and locate that…thing so that he could kill it.
"We never fucking asked to be here! You fucking brought us here, dipshit! Why should we pay the price for your fucking entertainment?!" He snarled in defiance at Exceed who stayed quiet throughout his shouts of anger.
"I'm doing you a favor. All this information you're going to get for free is going to help you steer away from your disastrous future that you, foolish humans, bring about yourselves."
The quiet anger in the normally cheerful voice caused everyone to tense upon their guard. The shift in tone and the suddenly cold atmosphere was terrifying and reminded them, that they were in the presence of a being that could eviscerate them from this dimensional plain with no complaint. They really wanted to glare at Bakugou for ruining the calm atmosphere and for pissing off what was essentially a god.
"The only thing I want from you is to be…different. Don't come out of this experience the same. Change your way of thinking. Learn from this experience and create something new."
The voice mused while dishing out advice like it was Christmas. Were they being threatened, scolded, or advised and why did Exceed remain them of Aizawa-sensei when he was mad. Exceed continued to speak casually, the voice echoed and bounced off the walls, yet the tone was uninviting and indifferent.
"Oh…and what am I going to do with your precious things?! And your firstborns! As if I'm going to keep your spawns. I was trying to be dramatic people, you know like 'I'm gonna do something for you but only if you promise to give me your firstborn child as payment' like in those fairytales you humans like so much. My question is why you would agree to deals that result in using the life of your spawn as a bargaining chip. I know very well that most of you are fond of those creatures. But really…the human mind works in mysterious ways."
The shift in tone was like day and night and knocked many students off-balance, quite literally. It seemed to them that Exceed was either an unstable deity with an unholy amount of power or really knew how to manipulate any situation in the favor on top of being a mini-god. They didn't know which was worse.
"Anyway, enough of that…the rules of the Arcade are as follows:
1. The universes will play at random and will not be in order.
2. Anytime a significant number of people aren't paying attention, it will stop and only resume when everyone is looking at the screen.
3. For every ten universe watching intervals, there will an automatic stop of the universes to allow you to rest up and do whatever you humans do.
4. For every two universe watching intervals, there will be a short break to discuss what is happening and convene with each other.
4. The girls and boys must remain separated during nap time.
5. When this experience is over, you will not be able to speak about this to anyone else aside from yourselves and those in this room."
The last rule was reasonable at least but also frustrating. Not being able to talk about it to anyone outside of the people that were here yet it provided insurance that no one will be able to snitch on the events they were going to see.
"Urm…before you go,"
The reluctant call came from a girl in Class 1-B who raised her hand demurely while asking her question. Exceed just nodded towards the girl, giving her permission to continue to which she did.
"How long are we going to be stuck here?"
The question was a valid one and one that many berated themselves for not asking before. Exceed cupped her chin in thought as she considered her answer while looking at the class B-girl.
"Until each one of you knows what you what to know, I guess."
The answer prompted shouts from the students, as the uncertainty of staying in the Arcade increased, to which Exceed decidedly ignored. This caused more unease to breed amongst the students and even the students when the being suddenly turned their attention towards Bakugou, of all people.
"One last rule courtesy of boom boom boy there –No quirk usage at all in the Arcade."
After that, Exceed popped out of existence, essentially leaving The Arcade to the students and teachers while everyone wondered if the last rule was true which lead to everyone trying to use their quirks and failing at it. The sound of a dying whale could be heard as a Mineta tried to use his quirk only to realize that while he could 'pop-off', the balls couldn't grow back, leaving him with a huge bald spot on his head. Bakugou gulped calmly before looking at his right, willing his quirk to work for him as it always did. He flexed his hand in the preparation for the obvious explosion that would normally come, only to receive nothing.
Silence.
...
..
.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
That's practically all so far, I hope you liked it and enjoy what comes next.