Izuku did not sleep well, his dreams filled with memories of his mom and the love shared between them.
Suddenly, he was woken up by the sound of loud knocking on his door.
"Hey Midoriya! Wake up. The captain wants to talk to you." Kendo said loudly on the other side of Izuku's room door.
Waking up, Izuku rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slowly got out of the small bed. A little disoriented, it took a second for Izuku to remember where he was.
"Good morning Harbinger!" Artemis said enthusiastically.
Yawning widely, Izuku went over to the small sink and splashed some water on his face. "Mornin Artemis."
Finally feeling awake, Izuku opened the door to see that Kendo was still standing outside waiting for him. She was dressed in the same outfit as before, and Izuku wondered if she had multiple sets of the same jumpsuit or if she just wore the same one every day.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were waiting for me." Izuku mumbled awkwardly as he avoided meeting the cute girl's eyes.
Kendo responded with a light laugh. "It's no problem Midoriya. I just figured I would show you where Captain Shimura wanted to talk."
Following Kendo over to the elevator platform, Izuku arched an eyebrow curiously. "I thought we were just going to talk in the meeting room again?"
Riding the elevator down to the second level with Izuku, Kendo shook her head. "Nope, the captain wanted to test something out."
Confused, but still curious, Izuku followed Kendo down the main hallway and to a mechanical sliding door. Pressing a button on the wall, Kendo opened the door and gestured for Izuku to step inside. Walking into the room, Izuku was shocked to see that the room was filled with alien artifacts. The walls were full of shelves and racks holding alien objects of all sizes, and several large tables were home to artifacts that ranged in size from small and delicate to large and bulky. All throughout the lab were pieces of advanced science technology that Izuku had no idea as to what their purpose was. In the back of the lab was a large work table surrounded by machines and absolutely overflowing with alien artifacts. Sitting in a rolling chair behind the table was the girl known as Reiko Yanagi. Wearing the same lab coat scientist outfit from the previous day, Reiko appeared to be in the middle of a conversation with Captain Shimura who stood next to her.
"Aha! The man of the hour!" Captain Shimura said with a smile as she spotted Izuku. "Come over here Midoriya, we need your help."
Stepping around machines and piles of clutter, Izuku made his way over to the desk and awkwardly stood in front of it.
"Umm...w-what do y-you need help w-with?" Izuku said nervously. "I d-don't know if I can be of much h-help, I don't know anything a-about this alien stuff."
Captain Shimura snorted in amusement. "Looks like the next thing we need to work on is your confidence." Turning to Yanagi, Captain Shimura gave her a quick nod. "Alright Yanagi. What did you need to do again?"
Standing up from her chair, Yanagi brushed a lock of her silver hair out of her face before picking up a bulky device that looked like a metallic brick with all sorts of screens, buttons, and sensors on it.
"I just wanted to scan him for alien energy signatures." Yanagi explained as she angled the device towards Izuku. "Normally, traces of alien energy are undetectable by all scanning devices. However, I made this scanner specifically to pick up on the unique signature of the alien energy."
Stepping closer to Izuku, Yanagi focused her eyes on the screens in her hand. "All you have to do is stand still Midoriya."
Nodding in understanding, Izuku stood as still as he could as Yanagi turned her scanner on. Holding his breath, Izuku waited for something to happen.
But the scanner stayed silent.
"Uh...is it working?" Captain Shimura asked bluntly.
Obviously frustrated, Yanagi nodded and began fiddling with her scanner. "It is. But I don't understand why it isn't picking up anything. The sensors are so sensitive it can detect alien energy that is millions of years old! I was positive that he would be positively radiating alien energy. I don't understand!"
As Yanagi mumbled to herself and continued to fiddle with her device, Artemis suddenly spoke up.
"I apologize Harbinger, but one of the safeguards I put in place was to prevent any of your energy from leaking out." Artemis explained. "Specifically so that the Enemy would not be able to detect you. The only way someone will detect your energy is if you are actively using your powers."
"Is there a way I can safely use my powers here?" Izuku silently muttered.
"Yes there is." Artemis said happily. "Simply focus on manifesting the energy in the palm of your hand. If you need a tangible shape, simply imagine a ball of energy taking shape in your hand."
Nodding in understanding, Izuku stepped forward and extended his open hand towards the scanner.
"Umm...Midoriya, what are you doing?" Captain Shimura asked curiously.
Furrowing his brow in concentration, Izuku did not reply. Focusing on manifesting the energy as Artemis had said, Izuku imagined the floodgates opening and power flowing into his hand.
Immediately, there was a spark of electric-blue energy, causing Yanagi's scanner to beep loudly.
"It works!" Yanagi said in relief. "I told you it could detect it. Now just…"
The young scientist's words trailed off into amazed silence as she finally noticed what was happening.
Focusing as hard as he could, Izuku poured even more energy into his hand. Immediately a small sphere of crackling energy manifested in his hand, causing the scanner to begin to beep rapidly in alarm.
"Holy shit." Captain Shimura said quietly in amazement.
As the ball of energy in Izuku's hand slowly grew larger, Yanagi's scanner began practically screaming in alarm. Suddenly the lights around the room began to flicker as a low rumble filled the ship.
"Midoriya…" Kendo said nervously. "I think you can stop now..."
But Izuku did not respond. He had become entranced by the orb of energy in his hand, his mind reveling in the feeling of absolute power.
As the lights began to flicker even more, the rumbling grew in intensity causing alarms to begin to blare all around the ship. To make things even more confusing, several of the nearby alien artifacts began to glow and float in the air as they fed off the energy radiating from Izuku's hand.
Suddenly there was a buzz of the ship intercom and Slick's nervous voice could be heard from nearby speakers. "Uhh Cap? I dunno what you're doing down there but frankly I am about shit myself. The ship's sensors are reporting a growing time-space anomaly in the lab, and if it keeps getting bigger we might end up with a miniature black hole!"
Nodding in understanding, Captain Shimura stepped forward towards Izuku.
"Midoriya, knock it off!" She commanded loudly.
But Izuku did hear her, for his mind was going blank due to the sheer magnitude of otherworldly power he held in his hand.
In brief flashes, Izuku began to have visions. Planets being formed by ghostly beings as big as the sun. Stars going supernova and wiping out trillions of lives in an instant. Nebulas of indescribable beauty glowing like rainbow oceans in the void. Strange aliens prostrating themselves in front of continent-sized temples as their very blood boiled underneath their skin.
It was simply intoxicating.
"-inger! Harbinger please stop!" Artemis' voice cut through the visions like an angelic clarion call breaking through the fog. "Harbinger, you are putting everyone in danger!"
Finally realizing what was happening, Izuku frantically struggled to stop the endless flow of energy feeding itself into the blazing orb in his hand.
After what felt like an eternity of struggle, the ball of energy vanished with a small pop.
Falling to his knees, Izuku heaved in a gasp of air as sweat poured down his face. Immediately the flickering lights and rumbling stopped. Moments later the ship alarms went silent as well, and seconds after that the many floating alien artifacts fell to the floor with a loud clatter.
A few seconds later, the silence was broken by Captain Shimura's hearty laugh.
"Hot damn Midoriya!" The black-haired woman said enthusiastically. "Looks like you have something way better than a quirk if you ask me. Though we should probably practice some self control a little bit. Can't have you tearing the very fabric of reality apart on a daily basis."
Out of breath and feeling nauseous, Izuku could only nod in agreement as he tried to get the room to stop spinning.
"That was amazing!" Yanagi exclaimed joyously. "I got so much data from that! This will advance my research by years, no, decades even!"
Kneeling down, Yanagi suddenly gave Izuku a warm hug. "Thank you so much Midoriya!" She said loudly. "I will be counting on you for assistance on my future experiments!"
Flustered and confused, Izuku could only nod silently as Yanagi rushed back to her desk and connected her scanner to a large data terminal. Slowly getting to his feet, Izuku stared at the floor in shame.
"S-s-sorry captain…" Izuku said quietly. "I d-don't know what c-c-came over me. I a-apologize for putting everyone i-in danger."
Izuku was surprised however, when Captain Shimura gave him a hearty slap on the back and a smile.
"Don't sweat it Midoriya." The female captain said in a carefree manner. "I am assuming you still haven't quite mastered whatever your powers are yet. Just think of yourself as a late-blooming quirk user. It will just take some time to fine tune your control."
Izuku went to protest and apologize even more, but stopped when his legs buckled and he began to fall to the floor. However, before he hit the ground a pair of giant hands gently caught him and carefully stood him back up. Looking over, Izuku was surprised to see Kendo's hands return to their normal size as she smiled warmly at him.
"It's not your fault Midoriya. Accidents happen." Kendo said gently. "Let's get you back to your room okay? It looks like you need some rest after all that."
Izuku was about to apologize profusely but was cut off as Captain Shimura spoke loudly.
"Good idea Kendo." The tall woman said approvingly. "Help Midoriya get back to his room and then come back here to talk to me."
Nodding the affirmative, Kendo quickly slung one of Izuku's arms over her shoulder and gently guided him out of the lab. Blushing bright red and trying to ignore how nice Kendo smelled, Izuku spoke quietly.
"S-s-sorry…"
"You really need to stop apologizing for everything." Kendo said with a giggle. "We are teammates, and teammates help each other out. So stop worrying and help me get you back to your room, or do you want me to carry you on my back?" She said teasingly.
Blushing even more, Izuku shook his head and quickly separated himself from Kendo. Standing on his own, albeit on wobbly legs, Izuku walked to the elevator platform and pressed the button to ascend. Less than a minute later, Izuku was back in his cramped room and on his bed.
Staring up at the metal ceiling, Izuku sighed tiredly.
"I don't know what I'm doing anymore." He said sadly. "I wish mom was here to tell me what to do."
"Harbinger, if you need direction then I recommend you set a concrete goal to work towards." Artemis suggested. "It could be something as simple as learning a new skill, or something more long term like completing the journey that has been given to you."
Frowning, Izuku rolled over and stared at the wall. "What even is the goal of this journey you keep talking about?" He asked honestly.
"Why nothing other than the enlightenment of humanity and bringing back the Creators." Artemis said proudly. "A seemingly impossible task for anyone else, but more than achievable for you."
Finally the enormity of what Artemis was talking about hit Izuku, and for almost a minute he simply sat in stunned silence.
"And you really think I can do all that?" Izuku asked incredulously. "I am just a kid from nowhere! I don't even know how to use these powers you gave me yet!"
For the very first time, Artemis laughed in amusement.
"But that is what the journey is all about." Artemis said sagely. "Learning to use your powers, travelling the galaxy, making friends and allies, the journey encompasses all of that and more. Do not be afraid, for fate has led you to me. Together we will bring balance back to this galaxy and set humanity on the path to true enlightenment."
Hearing Artemis talk so passionately about this supposedly amazing journey, Izuku could not help but feel a little excited.
"So...where do I start?" Izuku asked.
Artemis paused for a second, clearly thinking the question over.
"First we need to find the key of the Creators." Artemis suddenly announced. "That will be our first main objective. Without the key we will not be able to access the realm of the Creators. However, to find the key we need a map."
Izuku gave the wall a confused look. "Umm...I am pretty sure the captain has plenty of galactic maps we could look at."
"We are not looking for just any old map." Artemis scoffed. "We need a map forged by the Creators themselves. As luck would have it, there is something on this very ship that can help us. A sort of compass for lack of a better word. Go back to the lab, I saw a compass amongst the artifacts the strange girl had collected."
Nodding in understanding, Izuku got out of his bed and made his way back down to the lab. Hesitantly entering the lab, Izuku was not surprised to see Yanagi still inputting data into her terminal.
"Hello Midoriya." Yanagi said without looking up. "Do you need assistance with anything? If you are still feeling unwell I can provide some medicine that should help."
"Oh...um...thanks but I feel fine." Izuku said awkwardly. "Umm...I just wanted to find something, and it should be in here somewhere."
Her curiosity obviously piqued, Yanagi stood up and looked at Izuku with excited eyes.
"Are you saying you actually know what the purpose of these artifacts are?!" She whispered in disbelief.
Izuku shrugged. "Sort of. Just one of them."
Looking around, Izuku spotted the artifact in question. A small metal cube with intricate designs adorning its surface. Walking over and picking it up, Izuku poked it experimentally as Reiko watched with obvious anticipation.
"Harbinger, to activate the compass you need to simply charge it. A single spark of your powers should suffice." Artemis said helpfully.
Nodding silently, Izuku held the surprisingly lightweight cube in his hand and closed his eyes. Making sure to be as careful as possible, Izuku forced a single spark of energy into his hand.
Immediately, the intricate designs on the cube began to glow a bright blue. Moments later, the cube unfolded like an intricate origami flower to reveal what looked like a small pearl sitting on a beautifully crafted miniature altar.
Peeking over Izuku's shoulder, Yanagi gazed at the pearl in awe.
"It's...beautiful…" The young scientist said dreamily. "It's like...I can't take...my eyes off it…"
"Harbinger, just be aware that some artifacts might have unknown effects on others." Artemis said cautiously. "Please take the pearl and hold it firmly."
Doing as Artemis instructed, Izuku gingerly extracted the pearl from its altar and then held it in his hand. Immediately, a fleeting vision flashed across Izuku's eyes. A star system, a planet, a jungle, an underground temple, the images ingrained themselves into Izuku's brain like someone directly downloading coordinates into his gray matter.
"I know where to go." Izuku said in disbelief.
"Then that is our next destination." Artemis said proudly. "I suggest you inform the captain."
Nodding excitedly, Izuku opened his hand to realize the pearl had disintegrated into a tiny pile of ash, its purpose seemingly fulfilled.
Appearing to break out of her daze, Yanagi immediately grabbed a small vial and scooped the ash out of Izuku's hand.
"Amazing! It is like some sort of bio-engineered hard drive!" Yanagi said as she practically vibrated in excitement. "Thank you so much for allowing me to witness such an amazing event!"
Nodding awkwardly, Izuku gave Yanagi a silent wave before leaving the lab.
However, just as he was leaving the lab Izuku ran into something.
Recoiling slightly, Izuku looked up to see the frowning visage of Tetsutetsu staring back at him.
"Yo." The heavily muscled teen growled. "We need to talk."
Gulping nervously, Izuku wondered just what kind of trouble he was in.
-A/N-
Comments and reviews are always appreciated! They help keep me motivated and give me ideas for future chapters!
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
TheSandwichGhost