Hi everyone, this is my first fanfiction ever, but I have read fanfiction since I was a lot younger and have been thinking of this concept for a while. I hope you enjoy my first attempt. I would welcome any criticism, as I do want to improve. This story was inspired by several other fanfictions, chief among them Dragon Blade, by avtorsola, I, the Thunder God by meikaros, and The Dark Side of the Sun by Spacepeeps, both of the previous two on Archive of Our Own. Seriously, go check all of those out if you haven't already. So anyways, enjoy the first chapter of My Place in the World, which introduces our first of the two main characters. Remember to comment with suggestions and criticisms. Have fun!
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any characters associated. I only own my OC's.
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1300 hours, Intergalactic Institute for Research Star Base, Ekine System
Well, this is annoying. That was the thought going through Theta's head as he hunkered down behind a piece of steel under a hail of fire.
Some of the institute's Hybrid models were grouped at the far end of the hangar bay and were using laser pistols to try and pin him down while they attempted to summon back up. His only cover from the scorching projectiles were several large pieces of debris, likely from one of the ships he'd blown up in his initial approach to the base. He would be lying if he said he expected the mission to go better than this.
His cat like eyes very briefly flashed silver, looking to any outsider like he had gone blind, before Theta flipped up over his makeshift wall, drawing his sabre and beginning to run straight toward the small group of robots that impeded his way forward.
The hybrid models immediately fired upon him, but with speed that seemed inhuman, he ran headlong into the storm, seeming to dance between the lasers with a grace and skill that rivaled the best of any trained acrobat, seeming to just barely avoid every blast, as he covered the length the hangar bay, about 1 kilometer, in just about a minute, reaching the corridor the Hybrids were grouped near and going straight into action.
Five enemies. All long range Hybrids, and judging from the ball joints and metallic blue coloring, old ones. Maybe C7 or D2 models. Easy as pie.
The first Hybrid didn't even know what hit it as his sabre lopped its head clean off, the blade cleaving straight through the thin metal of its neck. The white lights that served as eyes sputtered before going completely dark. The second one saw its comrade's demise but didn't have a chance to retaliate before Theta drove his sabre right into its power core, kicked it to the ground, turned, drew his pistol, and shot the third right in its central processor, the area right between its 'eyes'. The fourth Hybrid raised its weapon, but before it could fire it found a dagger in one of its eyes and a blast in its chest. The final Hybrid got a shot off, maybe figuring it could catch Theta by surprise, but as if he knew it was coming, he leapt to the side, before shooting the unfortunate robot. All in all, the entire fight had lasted maybe twenty seconds. Not my best he thought as he shook his head, unkempt silver hair waving around as he did so. With those obstacles cleared he holstered his pistol, sheathed his sabre, and turned to the corridor in front of him, and began moving carefully but quickly through the blank white, industrial looking halls.
Once inside, the star base was a complicated mess of corridors that snaked through the whole thing like a damn maze that would make even Theseus cry out in confusion after he found his thread in knots. Intruders who didn't know what they were doing could wander for hours before eventually being detained. That was the whole point of the complicated design, after all. Unfortunately for them, he came prepared. It hadn't taken much, just a kidnapping and a bit of intimidation, and he had gotten the information he needed out of one of the crew. Go straight past the first junction, take a right at this intersection, a left at the next, on the fork go left again, move straight for ten doors and…found it.
The door itself was nothing remarkable when it came to doors, obviously not thought of as too important, since it only took a bit of finagling with the access panel before it slid open silently. Theta stepped into the room, about as large as a broom closet, and began to search. The room itself had shelves built into the walls, lined end to end with small data disks, each one bearing the label of a different star system. It only took about two minutes before he found it. This data disk was labeled as Unary System- Sol 7, and Theta smiled before pocketing it in his white jacket, planting a small explosive, and exiting the room.
Good. He had the data disk, now he just needed to get out. His return was much harder than his initial entry, mostly due to the larger numbers of Hybrid squads patrolling the corridors. Again, annoying but expected. He had taken out a group of their security after all. He had moved too slow, and they had found the robotic corpses, sounding the alarm.
He still slipped past with minimal action, the institute would be offended if he didn't, and managed to find the hangar bay once more. It was just as he left it, a mess of metal and ship parts resulting from his dramatic entrance earlier. All but one of the ships had been reduced to scrap, his own.
It was small and sleek, built for maneuverability over defense or fire power. He hopped in, started up the warp engines, and plowed straight through the bay doors, the angular front of his ship tearing through the metal like a knife through a can. The inky black of space greeted him like an old friend, the dark veil dotted with small pinpricks of light. Not his best mission, but good enough. Once he was far enough away to ensure he wouldn't be shot down, he pressed a small trigger, activating the explosive charge he'd left. It would take quite a while for the institute to track him now.
Theta took out the data disk, his excitement clear as a grin stretched his face, showing off his small feline fangs. He'd found it. This was the last data disk that he knew of that contained the coordinates home, at least, of the model his ship would accept. he could finally go back. A place he hadn't seen for over ten years. Theta put the disk into his console, activated the autopilot, and watched as his ship's navigational computer charted a course to Earth. It would take a while before he got there, so he leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes to rest up before he had more to do.
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Theta was woken by the vibrations of his seat. No, wait. The entire ship was rumbling, shaking as it was plunging toward a large and getting larger blue ball.
It only then occurred to him that he should have set a protocol to orbit earth when it got there. Well, too late for that.
His poor ship was caught in the planet's gravitational pull and was beginning to accelerate toward the surface at a rapid pace. He was going to crash. As well as setting the ship to orbit, he'd forgotten to engage any failsafe protocols as well. Gamma's mocking comments about his horrific flying skills came to mind as he saw a land mass beginning to get larger and larger in his front window.
He fortunately did not crash into the ground, being crushed flat in a tangled mass of metal and wire, but he did land right in the middle of the ocean, likely a mile or so from shore. It again occurred to him that maybe he should have had a plan beyond find a way home. Luckily, his ship floated, so after diving beneath the blue abyss, it ascended quickly.
Theta stared out in awe at the watery environment around him on the way up. He'd never been under the ocean before, his cybernetics made him fearful to touch liquids, thinking they might interfere with the delicate parts and electronics within his body, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He didn't see much, due to the darkness of the water, but what he did left him breathless.
Little fish were just swimming around, flitting through the water as if they were flying on small, scaled wings. It made him excited to explore his native planet's features more.
The ship bobbed to the surface, and he opened the front hatch, eager to get out of the small space after hours of sitting still. It was then that he remembered oh, right. I'm still surrounded by water. He could just barely see the shore from his point of view. His vision was further hampered by the veil of night around him.
He had no idea what time it was, but he knew he had to act quickly. The large bright streak of light that had crashed into the ocean close to shore would surely get the attention of the authorities wherever he landed, and he really didn't want to be interrogated on where he had come from. They could have his ship.
He made sure the little he did possess was secure in his small, waterproof bag, checked to see if his suit was sealed over any of his cybernetics, and then dived into the dark blue water.
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It didn't take long for him to get to shore, only about an hour of light swimming. He dragged himself away from the water, finding himself in an area filled with what looked like junk. He took note of this as he walked. Once he was established, he might have to come back here. It could have useful parts to repair his arm or other components.
Oh, right! My arm! He stopped and moved his right arm and hand through its full range of motion, ensuring no water had gotten into his suit and damaged it accidentally. It was fine. So, he breathed a sigh of relief and kept going. From what he could tell, this was a beach in an urban area on the coast. He still had a lot to do. This was where he would need to recall his vague memories of childhood, of before the experiments, the 'enhancements', the pain and sadness. He closed his eyes, and willed those foggy fragments dulled by time to the surface.
Let's start with my name. This one was easy, coming up through the mirk quickly. My name is Ethan Gray.
Good, now for some harder stuff. Okay, now how about the state of the world? It took a bit more time before something came up. From what I know, most people have a power called a quirk. I have one too, but I can't recall the name yet. There are people called heroes who fight those who would abuse their quirk for evil, called villains. Heroes are everywhere, and young me really enjoyed watching them on TV. Alright, that was helpful, he wouldn't be flying blind now something simple.
Now a bit more and he could go on. Okay, now some basics about me. This one came hard, it took a long time of focus before what he wanted came up, like his mind was trying to keep the memories down for some unknown purpose. When they finally did surface, he got why. Mom, Dad… I'm alone. He already knew this, but to have it spelled out was sobering. He could feel a few tears gathering in his eyes, and he shut them tight. He'd never had time to really mourn them. But the past was the past. He opened his eyes again after a bit of time.
Okay, so as much as that hurts, it does make things easier. On to the other basics, we lived in America, and I was only about six when I was… His thoughts trailed off. No time to think about that. He had work to do. He kept walking.
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It took him only a little bit before he realized that this wasn't America. The unfamiliar writing and seeming gibberish that people spoke made sure he knew that.
He was lucky that he had gear with him that eased the shock. His glasses had a small computer that had immediately connected to the internet and began to decode the information he was seeing. It quickly told him that the language was Japanese.
So, he was in Japan. That's good to know. He vaguely recalled hearing about the island as a wacky place where a lot of heroes were concentrated, so at least he had some knowledge. Nobody even batted an eye at the strange kid dressed in a jacket and form-fitting bodysuit just wandering around staring at things. They had likely seen weirder, figuring he was probably a hero in training or something.
He had a lot of learning to do. After all, he had been away for a good bit of time and had missed a lot of pop culture and important events. But first, he needed normal clothes. People hadn't paid him much mind yet, but eventually, they would start asking questions.
A quick theft (he had left some galactic credits but they were not likely to accept those here) later, he had his equipment stuffed in large duffel bag and looked fairly standard in jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a grey hoodie. Ethan ducked into an alleyway out of sight to get some rest and fell asleep on top of a dumpster.
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Ethan's first night in japan was repeated for about a week before he managed to get some shelter. It took about a month before he was fluent in Japanese. About two before he had some forged papers identifying him as an American immigrant and allowing him freedom to live on his own. Four before he had gathered enough Yen from some less than reputable activities to rent an apartment in Musutafu. And it took six months total before he finally wondered what comes next.
He was free, and finally home. Now what? The question echoed in his head as he sat on his couch, sipping coffee and watching the news. He had a few options, but what would he pick?
He could keep doing what he was doing, but the criminal activities left a bad taste in his mouth. He could try a normal job, blend in, become unremarkable. He didn't even truly consider that. Then something on TV caught his eye. A lecture from the principal of UA High, Nedzu. He was talking about the importance of the next generation of heroes, and the responsibility he carries to help those kids reach their full potential, so that those who truly carry a desire to help with the power they have can reach their dreams. Help with the power they have, huh?
His eyes gleamed. It looked like he had a goal now.
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For reference, the Hybrid models here look roughly like commando droids from Star Wars, just blue and with ball at their joints. Theta's ship is also Star Wars inspired. For reference there, just look to Star Wars The Clone Wars season seven episodes five through eight. The Silver Eagle from those episodes is a good frame of reference for how his ship looks, just with a classic fighter jet cockpit. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The second chapter, which introduces the second of our two main characters, will be posted tomorrow. have a good night everyone!