"Last minute snacks, humans! Once I'm done, I will close shop!"
There was a line on the Mobile cart as the teens lined up for more snacks. Once their orders were made, they were told to sit down on their chairs. Dark pulled out a cold cola and gave it to Chibi. Chibi skipped happily and handed the drink to Sleppt, who was coming back from giving Katsuki his Hell Fire Drink.
Not long afterward, Dark pulled some oranges and started slicing them on a cutting board. A few minutes later, two cups of orange juice were ready.
"Order up!"
One of the orange juices disappeared in a puff of smoke and appeared in Bola's open hand. Chibi took the other orange juice and walked to Tenya, who remained seated on his chair. The tall teen was surprised but accepted it.
"Thank you."
Chibi perked up and went back to the mobile cart.
It was chaos, but Dark wasn't deterred. Izuku, who had just ordered his snack, was walking to his chair. Ochako was in front of him, and both of them were murmuring. Eventually, the line dwindled, and now the teens were waiting in their seats.
Aizawa was not happy that the conversation had to be postponed, but at least he had some liquor to ease his annoyance and headache. It was strong liquor, so he had to be careful not to drink it all in one gulp.
Otherwise, he wouldn't function properly, as tempting as it may be.
Eventually, everyone had their snacks, and Dark was cleaning up the mobile door. "Now that everyone is satisfied, I will close the cart and start making lunch in the kitchen after I check out how my main project is working out."
Sleppt then began to get up, "I must go as well. I have to check on something." He tipped his hat, "But you have my bell if you ever run into a situation, now, and I bid you all a good rest of your day." With that, the man dressed in blue sank to the floor, cola still in hand, oddly enough.
Aizawa sighed but stood up and looked at his class, "Does everyone have everything they need?" He gave them a look that said to say yes.
He didn't hesitate to start the awaited conversation when everyone gave their affirmatives. "Where should we begin?" He asked again.
It was silent at first, everyone looking at each other uncertainly.
That silence was brought to an end as one Denki Kaminari spoke up, "Well, I'm not sure where to begin on the other Midoriya's visions…..but that giant villain…." He felt this word spoke enough
Nezu hummed thoughtfully as he stood up from his chair and raised a paw. The other paw had a thermos with a new batch of tea, "Why yes, that is an interesting and quite frightening showing we had."
"What was that thing?" Asked Mina, shivering a little as she remembered the horrifying villain.
"That thing is known as a Darkside," Dark said as she locked the doors, gaining everyone's attention. "A dreadful creature of darkness it is."
Aizawa scowled, "Can you tell us more information?" He demanded.
Dark snorted, "If I wanted to, I would have told you already." She waved them off, "You humans and Chimera figure it out on your own."
Aizawa was not impressed and shot her a menacing glare, which didn't really do anything.
"I've seen worse." She said bluntly. "Work on that glare, and maybe you may scare off my inferior cousin breed, the Salamander."
Dark walked away before putting the metal glove in front of her. The metal glove then springs out of its housing with a loud click. A few of them jumped as Dark raised the glove and-
RIIIIIP
… ripped open a rift.
Everyone stared as Astrid walked through the rift and disappeared.
"Young Chibi, let's go too. I'll drop you off to Lord Kai while I make lunch." Dark as she picked up Chibi and placed her on her shoulders. As she walked to the rift, she gave everyone one last bit of info: "Since you have an interest in the Darkside, I will only tell you this; the Darkside is not human. So it's not a villain with a quirk." She crossed the rift, and it closed behind her.
Everyone processed what just happened as well as Dark's words.
"Five minutes, people!" Called out Bola, having finished his drink without taking off his helmet. He smashed his glass with a clap of his hands, the fragments floating for a second before blinking out of existence.
Aizawa let out an irritated sigh. They wasted enough time as it is.
Nezu coughed, getting everyone's attention, "Now then, children, let us talk about this Darkside-"
"What the fuck did she mean that thing wasn't someone using a quirk?!" Yelled Denki before getting smacked by Katsuki.
"Calm down, Dunce Face." Grunted Katsuki.
"Ow!"
"We're wasting enough time." Aizawa glared, "So we must use this time wisely."
"Yes, sensei!"
Izuku pulled out his notebook, which was called Shattered Memories Volume I, and drew the Darkside. The image of it was brief, but he hopefully managed to get most details right.
Fumikage was the next to raise a valid point of interest, "Can we also discuss how that Midoriya knows mystical arts?"
Nezu chuckled, "I was about to comment on it. It seems that version of Midoriya knows what we can understand as magic, even if the specifics are not clear." He pulled his notepad and revised something, "It seems to be simple elemental manipulation and manifestation, at least for now, and it has certainly proved useful for him. That raises questions, was his magic passed to him along with his weapon? Taught? Is it something he already had inherent to him?" He directed his queries to their host.
Bola pointed dramatically at the principal, "Yes!"
Some of the audience deadpanned at him, but Nezu only nodded, "I see."
Aizawa shot him a questioning glance, "Care to share?"
"Not at all." The unidentified animal preened, "All options are valid, and in a way, all of them apply to that Midoriya."
Hanta did a double take, "Wait, so Bola meme-ing was actually a real answer?" He traded a look with Denki, and both sprung up and kowtowed to the armored man, "Teach us your ways!"
Bola snorted, "Kiddos, you're both a thousand years too early to know the sacred arts of the chaos gremlins."
Izuku raised his hand, getting the host's attention, "Hum, a question. What types of magic exist?"
Bola stared flatly at him, something impressive considering how he was using a helmet, "Boy, there are more forms of magic than stars in the sky, grains of sand on a beach, and memes on the internet. There are countless ways to make a fireball, each weirder than the other." He threw his arms up.
Everybody let that sink in for a moment, getting awed in various measures. Izuku quickly noted his words before closing the scope of his question, "Sorry, I want to know what types of magic that other me know, just to have an idea." Not because he wanted to know how much of a leg up he had over Izuku, no sir.
Bola knew what the kid was thinking, but it was relevant information, so he decided to humor him a little, "For now, that bunny knows the base level of elemental magic and the good ol' Keyblade shenanigans. The latter falls in the weird category of 'it just works that is reserved for more free types of magic that function on their own arbitrary rules that are followed arbitrarily."
Momo was slightly confused, "How does that work?"
Bola cackled, "It just works!"
Toru snorted, "You walked right into that one." She giggled.
Momo merely signed.
"Now, if you're all done, then let's…." Bola trailed off, looking at one of the windows, "Is that-? It is!" He fiddled with something on his balcony and then pulled a sniper rifle wholly made of silver. The armored man took aim at something past the window and fired, the shot startling the audience, but then a shrill cry afterward hurt all their heads and shook the theater.
"Get off my yard!" Bola shook his hand at the window angrily. He put the rifle back down and huffed, "I swear, the nerve of some people."
"What was that?!" Mina asked, half in fear, half in panic.
"An Amygdala." The armored man's answer came with an air of disdain.
"And what the heck is that?!"
"Remember how I said Nothing was filled with things, and most of them weren't nearly as nice as me? Yeah, that's one of the eldritch horrors crawling around here." He shook his head and sighed, "Don't worry about it. Back to the show."
"But-"
"Back to the show!" He snapped his fingers, and the screen started playing.
[Play: Kingdom Hearts - Another Side [Project Destati: Awakening]]
"Seven pure lights,"
"Hearts untouched by darkness,"
"They are known as the Princesses of Heart."
[Ȩ̸̮̩̝͎̪͝ǹ̷̮̞̄́̇͒̍͝͝d̴̯̮̱̙͍͙̀̋͐̃͑͌̔͐ ̶̰̼̠̻̗̲̇͑̎͠M̴̛͕̏̔̽̕ų̵̻͓̰͙̏̔̿́̿͊̎̑ş̸͎̳̯̝̍̂͆i̸̯̻̤͉̫̜̅͌̓͝c̸̣̟̥̮̈̊̐̽̓̕͘͠ͅ]
Everyone felt a shiver down their spine at the man's dark aura. Aizawa's hair rose with red eyes gleaming threateningly at the brown hooded figure. Toshinori likewise narrowed his eyes at the villain who taunted his successor's counterpart.
The brown-cloaked figure who was in a strange yet scary-looking room was taunting Izuku. The Izuku on-screen unsurprisingly was enraged at the man's words.
Ejiro blinked in surprise, "Wow, that villain has such a deep voice."
Katsuki smacked him upside the head. "That sounded fucking stupid coming out of your mouth; weird hair!"
"Are we going to ignore what that creep was taunting Midoriya with?" Asked Kyoka as one of her ear jacks was pointing at the man.
Izuku drew the scene on screen on one page and wrote the stranger's words on the other page. The cloaked figure had question marks on top.
"Seven pure lights, Princesses of Heart," He muttered thoughtfully, "What does he mean?"
Nezu likewise wrote down all the info the small scene gave them, "That is an interesting question, Midoriya, but it is best for us to wait for more answers. We cannot do much with so little information."
Everyone reluctantly agreed. They were tired of the small information they'd obtained and the confusion that came with it.
"Izuku honey, are you okay?" Inko's voice brought Izuku back to reality, "Another one?"
He nodded, "Yeah, but that one was a lot clearer. I'm gonna note it down." Getting up from the table where they were having dinner, Izuku made his way to his room to grab a notebook.
Seeing this, a few of them couldn't help but chuckle—a classic Izuku characteristic was enough to ease the tension. Izuku was blushing a little while scratching the back of his head, but he couldn't hold back his own amusement.
Making a quick entry about the vision, he stared at the words. He didn't know why, but the name 'Princess of Heart' made his heart ache like he should know it, like there was something really important about it. Shaking his head, Izuku made his way back to the table.
"Something wrong?"
"What?"
"You're making that face you do when something is wrong, sweetie."
Izuku scratched his head. He was really that obvious, "It's just that, in the last vision, there was this name I think I should know, but I only draw blanks whenever I think about it."
Inko felt sympathy for her other son.
Ochako felt too, "Aw, poor Deku."
"I-it's not really me…." Muttered Izuku.
"It must be the nerves; you took the exam yesterday, after all. Why don't you go for a walk after you finish eating? It'll help clear your mind a little." Inko offered, from what her son told her about the exam, that he knew how to protect himself.
Katsuki snorted, "Bet the nerd gets into trouble."
"Kacchan!"
"Don't start it, Deku! You can go buy groceries without running on a villain!"
Izuku was about to protest, but then he remembered how he had run into Gentle Criminal just the day before trying to buy another rope for their concert and promptly shut up.
"You're right. I promise I'll be back before it gets too late," Izuku said, standing up from his seat.
Denki snorted, "Bet something happens."
Hanta grinned in amusement, "No way I'm taking that bet! I'm not losing my allowance betting against him."
"Guys!" Whined Izuku, much to the amusement of everyone.
"Okay, but put a coat on, mister! It's getting cold," Inko said, using her concerned mother's voice.
"Okay, okay, I will," It's super effective.
"It's super effective." Grinned Denki.
Kyoka jabbed him in the ears, to his dismay.
"Ow!"
After dinner, Izuku changed into a dark green hoodie, black trousers, and crossed belts with his red shoes. Saying goodbye to his mother, he leaves the house. Maybe a walk really would take his mind off the strange visions and mysterious name.
Shoto blinked, tilting his head, "Huh, I thought you only had All Might-themed hoodies."
"I do have other clothes." Izuku's pouting was met with most of the others' blank stares.
"Like the 't-shirt' t-shirt?" Izuku couldn't hold Mina's stare for more than a second. "Thought so." The girl snorted.
On the street, Izuku walks without any clear direction, letting his legs carry him. Putting his hood up (his mother was right, it was cold), he let his mind wander. He thought about the exam, his new friends, the first time he used One For All, and the drawbacks (read broken bones). All Might is still not contacting him. But principally, the flashbacks he was having didn't make sense. They weren't in order, pieces were missing, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but think he was forgetting certain people.
Katsuki looked at the screen. "It seems the nerd's brain is more messed up than we thought."
Ejiro decided to chime in with a toothy grin. "Well, brain scrambled or not, he's just like the Midoriya we all know!"
Izuku wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.
Izuku was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized he was in the middle of the city, and it was almost Ten P.M. The street was starting to get deserted. Deciding to head back, he turned around, making his way back.
Mina saw a prime moment for teasing, so she went with it and let out a fake gasp, "Midoriya! How could you lie to your poor mother like that?!"
Izuku looked at her in shock. "W-what?! B-but that's not-?!"
Suddenly, a tiny figure runs out from a side alley and bumps into Izuku's leg. Looking down, he saw the figure was a little girl, no older than six. She had white hair and red eyes, a pale yellow horn on the right side of her head, and was wearing a ragged white dress.
Eri looked at the screen in interest. However, she had a grim expression when she saw herself wearing that dress with bandages on the screen.
It…wasn't a pleasant memory.
Izuku's eyes widened, "That's Eri!"
Ejiro practically almost jumped from his seat. "Wait, how is she there?!"
Izuku kneeled down, "Hey, you okay?" He gently takes her hands, helping her stand. Izuku sees the bandages covering her limbs, but what draws his attention is the fear in her eyes, "Hey, calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. Where are your parents? I can help you find them." Still kneeling on her level, he places his hands on her shoulders and gives her a kind smile.
Inko felt her heart shattered at the terror-stricken expression Eri had, not to mention how unkept she looked.
Eri herself just clung to Izuku, not wanting to retrieve the bad memories. But at the same time, seeing this other Izuku meet her reminded her of that day—when she met Deku, and he promised her he would return.
Izuku, taking notice of Eri's fearful expression, held her tighter.
The girl stared at him. Little by little, her panicked expression started to calm down. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a figure exiting the same alley.
Ochako then realized something as her eyes widened in fear, and she whipped her head to the side "Deku!"
Izuku, confused by her sudden outburst, "W-what?! What is it, Uraraka?!"
Ochako was surprised he didn't remember "Deku…..Don't you remember what happened the day you met Eri, how Nighteye told us what happened!"
At first, Izuku was dumbfounded, still not sure what she meant. "The day I met Eri? What about-" his mind ran blank as the day flashed before his eyes. His eyes grew wide as he was filled with dread, "You don't mean…!"
A few of their classmates were confused. Though Ejiro, Tsuyu, and the teachers knew what Ochako was talking about, the grimness on their faces said everything.
"Eri come back," They said, wearing a white cloak and some type of bird mask. Their voice made the girl start to tremble, Izuku noticed it, and he slowly stood, placing himself in front of the girl.
Eri was also shaking in fear at the sight of one of Overhaul's men. She buried her face in Izuku's shoulder while Izuku held her close, unwilling to let go of her. His hold on her tightened very protectively.
Almost everyone was creeped out. Inko looked as though she went as white as a sheet, having no tolerance like the rest of the heroes or heroes-in-training.
"Who the heck is this?" Asked Katsuki bluntly, pushing down his unease.
Izuku swallowed, "T-that's… That's one of Overhaul's men. That's-!"
"Chronostasis," Ejiro said grimly.
"Who are you?" Izuku asked. He didn't like the man. Something felt very off about him. If he had to describe it, Izuku would say that the masked man was up to no good. There is a darkness coming off the man in waves. If the girl went to him, Izuku had no doubt there would be consequences.
"I'm her father. What are you doing with her?" The man said, committing to the facade. He motions for Eri to come to him, "Eri, let's go."
"Bullshit!" Yelled Katsuki, with Ejiro trying to quiet him down.
Inko was too frozen in fear to reprimand the ash-haired blond.
Izuku, while some of his stiffness was gone as he held onto Eri, still kept his focus on the screen. "Overhaul doesn't seem to be around, but this is still risky!" He gulped, praying his other self doesn't get himself killed.
Eri grabbed Izuku's legs, trying to hide behind him. Izuku felt his heart burn at the fear in her eyes, trembling in her small form. This wasn't a child running away from a parent for a silly reason. Eri was terrified of the man in front of her.
"He's going to do something stupid," Katsuki said bluntly.
"Kacchan!"
"You know I'm right, nerd! He has that same stupid look on his face before doing something stupid!" He snarked.
Ochako couldn't help but giggle, "Well, he isn't wrong."
Izuku slumped in defeat, not her too.
"But I disagree with him. Your face is kinda cute when it gets intense like that, so don't worry."
Cue on a blushing, flustered Izuku. Then a similar Ochako when she realized what she said.
Izuku glared; in a green flash, his Keyblade manifested in his hand, seemingly on its own "She doesn't want to go with you. Get lost!"
Izuku's blush died down, and he slumped.
His counterpart was going to do something stupid.
Maybe this was another thing he had over his counterpart? That he wasn't that stupid and suicidal?
Bola looked at the green bean and shook his head in exaggeration. Eventually, the boy will have the negativity beaten out of him. He perked up. That gave him an idea. He cackled silently in his perch as he rubbed his hands. This will be good.
Kyoka, having heard him laughing to himself, merely gave their host a wary eye. What is he thinking about this time?
The man narrowed his eyes, staring at the teen in front of him, "Are you trying to kidnap my daughter?" He slowly raised his hand for his back, reaching for something.
Izuku took his stance, making sure to cover Eri with his body, "Cut the act, she's afraid of you, so if you want her, you'll have to pass through me first!"
"Well, have it your way," Confirming the street was empty, the man pulled a gun he kept hidden, opening fire. Izuku, in his defensive stance, felt the bullets hitting the Keyblade.
There were pale faces. Inko especially looked as though her soul had left her body. "IZUKU!"
Izuku swallowed thickly, his eyes on himself on the screen.
Eri stared, terrified. The person she bumped into was now protecting her. He was kind to her, even when no one else was, even with her curse. She didn't want to see him die, and her grip tightened, causing Izuku to look at her, "Please, leave me. You'll die. Just go." She said, tears welling in her eyes. She didn't think she was worth all the trouble.
Izuku gritted his teeth, remembering how Eri ran back to Overhaul the first time they met so she could keep him and Mirio safe. Was that what was going to happen again? Would he just fail every time?
Izuku's eyes widened, but he gave her a gentle smile, "Nope, I have to save you because…." Heroes Rising glowed. Izuku opened his arms, and a shockwave formed, hitting the man, throwing him off balance and back into the alley, "That's what heroes do!"
"Yeah!" Was the collective shout of the students. All of them agreed wholeheartedly with the boy on screen. They wouldn't back down and give up when people's lives were on the line, not now, not ever.
Aizawa let out a tired sigh, "Problem, Child."
Toshinori shot him a look, "You can't say his heart isn't in the right place."
"The problem is that his head isn't."
Nezu disagreed, "You should look closer, Aizawa-kun."
The tired hero blinked questionably at Nezu, then focused back on the screen.
Pointing the tip of the blade to the ground in front of his enemy, Izuku released a Blizzard spell making a small ice wall, trapping the man in the alley. Scooping Eri in his left arm, Izuku ran, leaving the man behind.
Aizawa hated to be proven wrong, but he sure did now, "He pushed Chronostasis back so he could trap him and ran with Eri safely and without being tailed." The others heard his take on the screen's Midoriya's actions and only got more impressed.
Eijiro whistled, "I didn't like that he ran, but now I can see why. Focusing on rescuing Eri was the manly thing to do!"
Mezo manifested a mouth from one of his arms, "Not the words I would use, but I agree."
Eri, still clutching Izuku, watched in amazement as the other her on the screen was saved. That Eri was safe now, too, right? She wouldn't need to go back to him, right? She only noticed she was crying when Izuku started fretting over her.
Denki, true to himself, said just the right stupid thing to be told in a situation like that, "Run bitch, ruuuuuunnn!" Unfortunately, it earned him a slap on the back of the head by Katsuki and a jab by a disgruntled Kyoka.
"Too loud." She muttered with annoyance.
After some time and lots of curves, Izuku saw his neighborhood. Slowing down, he looked at the girl that was holding onto him like a lifeline, "Hey, it's okay now. We're safe."
The little girl looked around and noticed that they were somewhere else. The man was nowhere in sight. She looked at her savior, noticing his hood had fallen down, exposing his face. Meeting his eyes for the first time, Eri felt safe in the presence of someone else.
"Wait a sec!" Mashirao perked up, "That Midoriya had his hood up, so the villains don't know who he is!"
"Holy crap, Mamadoriya's mother instincts just saved Midori from a bunch of villains!" Mina's words made the green beans in question blush.
Inko fumbled with her hands, "I think fuzzing over every little thing paid off in the end."
"Hey, do you have somewhere to go?" Izuku was capable of connecting the dots. A little girl in bandages running from a villain was probably taken away from her family and didn't know how to get home. Something felt familiar about that, but she needed help, and he was here to help her.
"Wait, why did he think that Eri's situation rang a bell?" Tsuyu's question got an answer in the form of Bola's mad cackling.
"We should have expected that by now." Yuga had a point, even if some of his classmates still grumbled over it.
"No," Eri couldn't understand why this person helped her. In the end, he would get hurt, the bird people would find her, they always did, and then they'd kill him. She had to go, so why couldn't she? Why did her arms keep holding onto him?
More than one person in the audience had misty eyes at the girl's heart-breaking questions to herself.
Hanta, in an uncharacteristic display of grimness, leaned forward and let his head fall, "Hey, Kirishima. I know you guys can't say anything specific, but…how bad was it?"
Eijiro didn't even have to ask what he was talking about, and it was apparent Hanta meant how the Yakuza treated Eri. He didn't look away from the screen while answering, preventing the other from seeing his gritted teeth, "Eri is stronger than me."
That was as much of an answer as enough. The boy that boasted of being unbreakable admitted he wouldn't be able to endure what the girl had put in perspective for the others, just what terrors she faced.
Izuku had a death grip on his chair's arm with a hand while the other held Eri's, "Than all of us." He muttered.
"Well then, why don't you go home with me then? You can spend the night there, and tomorrow, we can get help to get you back to your family."
"I don't have…."
"What?"
"I don't have a family."
More than one person was crying by that point. Katsuki, always the voice of action, huffed, "We all know what you're going to do, damn Deku! Bring her home already!"
"Oh…" That was unfortunate, but that didn't mean he still couldn't help her. "Then you can stay with me and my family as long as you like, okay?"
The bomber leaned back, "Fucking called it." He made a distinct effort to ignore everyone in the theater staring at him.
Eijiro sniffed, manly tears freely falling down his face, "Bro, you do care!"
"Shut up!"
"You didn't deny it!" Perked up, Mina.
"Oh fuck you, Pinky!"
Eri shyly nodded, "Okay..."
"I don't think I told you my name, huh? I'm Midoriya Izuku."
"I'm Eri..."
"Nice to meet you, Eri" Izuku gave her his best smile, Eri tried to do the same, but she couldn't. The shadow looming over her heart wouldn't let her.
The students were reminded why they had had a concert the day before. They had helped Eri smile again. After all her pain, she was free to smile as much as she wanted.
Kyoka, the biggest reason that made their show happen, had a newfound resolve to be a hero and continue pursuing her passion for music; if she could help everyone burdened by pain to smile, even if only once, then it was more than worth it.
Izuku expected as much. The child's bright light was buried below great darkness. It felt wrong. While he carried Eri to his apartment, already in sight, he promised that he would free her heart. It'll take a lot of faith, trust, and work, but he felt it would be worth seeing this little girl smile.
"How curious." Nezu hummed, noting how the students were once more focused on him, "The screen had a visual aid to Midoriya's thoughts. At that moment, the camera cuts to a dark fog over a light, putting emphasis on it. I wonder why?" He looked up at Eight.
"I just find that seeing is believing. So what better way to do things than to show 'em?" He cackled at his cryptic words.
"Do you have to be so ominous all the time?" Koji shyly asked, only to receive more cackling, to the annoyance of nearly everyone.
After a short walk, they arrived at the Midoriya residence.
"Mom, I'm home!" Izuku called out, closing the door behind him.
Denki snorted, "Yeah, a few hours later, after encountering a villain and saving a little girl." He teased.
His punishment was Katsuki smacking him and Kyoka jabbing his ear.
"OW! Too soon?" He grimaced.
"No shit." Kyoka snarked.
"Izuku! I was getting worried-" Inko froze, seeing the child in her son's arms. Various thoughts passed through her mind, but seeing the state of the girl's clothes and bandages, the only one left was that of a protective mother, "You have a lot to explain, mister, but now come here, take her to the bathroom while I grab some clean clothes."
"Mamadoriya for the win!" Shouted Mina, jumping out of her seat with her arms up wide. Inko blushed at the pink girl's nickname.
"Ashido!" Berated Aizawa, "Sit down and don't shout!"
Mina pouted at her teacher and did as told with her arms crossed on her chest. "Yes, sir…"
"Yo!" Bola called out, gaining their attention. "Exclamations of excitement are permitted as long as there's a valid reason, and Mamadoriya is always a valid reason, so she gets a pass."
The girl threw her arms up in victory, even if she did not say anything not to gather more of her teacher's ire. Aizawa, for his part, only grumbled under his breath. He wasn't in a position to argue with the owner of the theater.
The no-nonsense tone was enough to let Izuku know his mother's seriousness. With a quick nod, he carries the child, who is doing her best to hide in his chest, to the bathroom.
Placing Eri on the ground, Izuku finally gets a good look at the girl. Her battered dress is actually a hospital gown; the bandages on her limbs are dirty like they were reused, and fresh wounds dripped with blood below them—that shocked Izuku. Eri was probably in a lot of pain having to move with those. Izuku wouldn't let that continue. Standing up, Izuku took a step back. Eri's eyes locked on his figure, with curiosity and fear shining in them.
"That poor girl…." Tsuyu said with sympathy and empathy. A girl who is about her siblings' age should not suffer at all.
Izuku was likewise sad as his eyes softened at Eri's counterpart.
"Come on, you've seen it done a million times." Izuku thought of the visions of strangers with similar powers to himself. Although there was one specific instance he was focusing on, summoning his Keyblade, Izuku held it with two hands. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of Recovery Girl's quirk. With a sudden sense of freshness and renewal, the tip of the Keyblade glowed a soft green light, "Cure."
Eri is enveloped by green light. It's nothing like she has ever felt before.
The audience watched in awe as the Izuku on screen performed the spell. More than one person had stars in their eyes, seeing real magic being used.
Izuku winced internally. A way to heal himself and others would have been useful. Another advantage his counterpart had. "Wait, I thought you said the other me only knew elemental magic?" He turned to Bola.
"And Keyblade nonsense." He reminded the boy. "But Cure is a spell of Life affinity, so imagine grass, leaves, flowers, and all that nice and green stuff mixed together. It is, technically, an elemental spell."
Izuku noted that down, "I see. There's a different way to heal, and he's using the one his magic has access to."
Bola made a so-so gesture, "There's also Heal and all the Light-based stuff that counts, too, depending on who you ask."
Momo raised an eyebrow, "If we were to ask you?"
The man shrugged, "In my modest opinion, Light is too paracausal to fall under elemental stuff. I like to use the stuff because I can selectively comply with the laws of the universe in question."
The girl was afraid to ask more after how Bola casually admitted that he could simply choose to follow physics or not.
"Feeling better now, Eri?" Izuku asked, dismissing his weapon. He kneels down gently, holding her bandaged hands. He unwraps the old bandages, being sure to check each limb of the child. Scars still littered the little girl, but the most recent wounds had healed with no trouble."Here, better now."
Eri stares starstruck. What a wonderful power, there are no wounds, and the pain is all gone. It's a feeling she couldn't remember ever having. "Is that your power?"
"Huh? No, that's just some healing magic."
Aizawa sighed. There has been so much magic nonsense that it was giving him a migraine. He needed a drink. Unfortunately, he needed to wait, as getting drunk now wouldn't be a good idea.
Nezu rubbed his paws together and wondered how Recovery Girl would react to this healing magic. He snorted. He knew the answer to that.
"Magic?" Eri asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah, my Keyblade lets me use magic. It's different from quirks. While the power of quirks comes from our bodies, magic comes from the heart." Izuku places a hand over his chest, raising the other, letting tiny lights dance on it.
"That's a cute way of saying it." Ochako beamed.
Izuku merely sighed. "It's not me…."
"I know." Ochako said with a smile on her face, "But it does sound quite inspiring and like something you would say."
Tenya looked at his friend, "Indeed. While I am incapable of wrapping my head around this magic nonsense, I can admit that this version of you can inspire us the same way you can." Even Shoto hummed in agreement with Tenya's words.
Izuku's face turned red, but he couldn't help but to smile a little. "Thanks, guys"
Eri took a breath, a power so beautiful, she couldn't help but want to do it too. "Can I do magic too?" She desperately hoped that maybe there was more to her than her horrible curse.
Everyone felt their hearts squeeze at the girl's desperate look. Eri, thankfully not paying attention to her counterpart's condition, wondered if she could learn magic too.
Izuku smiled, "Of course, anyone can."
Eri perked up and paid attention to the screen.
"Can you teach me?"
Looking at those red eyes full of hope, Izuku felt his heart melting. Even then though he couldn't just say yes, he wasn't ready to teach-
"I name you Keyblade Masters."
"I told you, you passed with flying colors."
"It is now your duty as Masters to pass forward the legacy of the Keyblade."
"Keyblade Masters. Pass down the legacy of the Keyblade?" Echoed Izuku as he wrote that down. Nezu did the same in his notepad.
"Wait…" Denki trailed off, "Does that mean that Midoriya is a Keyblade Master?" He asked incredulously.
Katsuki rolled his eyes at him, "If you paid attention, Dunce Face, it was already mentioned many times how Deku is considered a Master."
Denki flinched and then slumped, "No need to be mean…."
"Stop being stupid then." He snorted.
"He isn't wrong, ya know," Kyoka smirked. "The day Bakugo starts treating us kindly is when you can get good grades without studying."
Katsuki flashed her a menacing glare while Denki groaned.
"So mean…"
"Izuku?" Eri said, shaking his arm. She wore a worried look. She was afraid she upset him.
Izuku shook his head, "Huh? Sorry, I spaced out a little, but yes, I can teach you."
Eri jumped, "Really?"
"Really, but it's a great responsibility," His finger moved towards himself and her. "For both of us."
"Respo...hum?"
"Well, it's important, I'll have to take care of you, and you'll have to work hard."
"You'll take care of me?" Eri couldn't understand why he would want to take care of her. She's cursed; she only would hurt him.
"If it weren't for the solemn moment, I would have said how cute this was," Ochako said softly.
Izuku nodded curtly, a faint blush on his face.
Izuku placed a hand on her head, "Of course, I will. If you accept, then I'll be your Master, so it will be my duty to take care of you." Izuku smiled at her, and she felt warmness in her heart. She could be with her savior, but before she could say anything, tears started to fall, and she hugged him.
Izuku's arms flew up, "Woah, Eri, calm down. You don't have to accept if you-"
There were a few snorts of amusement.
"Yes, please, don't leave me alone," Eri said between sobs. Izuku felt the pleading in her heart, the fear, the hurt, and the hope. How could he call himself a hero if he didn't save the little girl crying in his chest? Holding her shoulders, Izuku looked into her eyes.
Eri looked hopeful.
"Well then, from today on, I'm your Master, and I'll protect you, teach you, and always be by your side. It's a promise." Izuku offered Eri his pinky finger. She stared at it for a second before slowly raising her hand and enveloping his finger with hers. She didn't know why, but it felt right.
Many hearts melted at the adorable display. Those two were simply too pure.
Eri turned to Izuku, "Can you do magic too, Mr. Deku?"
Izuku began to stammer, trying to find the right words, not wanting to disappoint her. Thankfully, the stars were merciful.
"Don't worry, little Unicorn," Bola called out, getting her attention, "With my powers of awesomeness, you will learn magic!" He flicked his hands and sparkles shot out for dramatic effect.
Eri beamed, not noticing how Izuku let out a sigh of relief.
Inko is at the door, watching that beautiful moment (and taking some pictures). She had the impression that the story was a little more complicated than she first assumed but was certain that Izuku would keep the promise he had just made.
"A woman of priorities." Tsuyu nodded at Inko's stealthy picture-taking.
The woman blushed, but she would admit she would have done the same as her counterpart given the chance.
"Well, Izuku, while I give this little girl a bath, you're going to explain what happened," Inko said, starting the shower, at first the child didn't want to leave Izuku's side, but after reassuring her he would be at the other side of the door waiting for her she agreed.
Inko felt like she was back in the past. During the time when she had to help Izuku shower, Eri felt the same care that Izuku had for her from the woman. In the end, Eri looked like a different person, her white hair was shining, and she looked adorable in Izuku's old clothes, a simple green shirt that was a bit too big for her, and blue pants.
A lot of girls were gushing at the cuteness.
Leaving the bathroom, they are greeted by a delicious smell.
In the kitchen, Izuku is cooking, "Hey! I thought Eri may be hungry, so give me a second, and I'll finish it up for you."
"You can cook Midoriya?" Ejiro said with surprise.
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, I know by watching my mom cook, but she cooks better than me."
Inko had never felt more proud of her son. "Don't be too modest, Izuku. Your cooking skills have certainly improved over the years."
Izuku blushed.
"I can't believe you can cook." Mina said enviously, "I would burn rice if I had a rice cooker!" A few of her classmates laughed.
"Same!" Ejiro, Denki, and Hanta admitted.
"My family has top tear chefs prepare our meals." Momo admitted, causing Ochako to freeze at the reminder of Momo's luxurious life, "But I had a few cutlery lessons from them out of curiosity, and I will admit, it is much more difficult than I calculated. But now I can make Otoro without problems."
"What is your life?!" Ochako fainted on her chair.
"Uraraka!" Yelled her friends.
"Why did Ms. Uravity faint?" Asked Eri with a tilted head.
She gained no response as Tenya and Izuku tried to wake up the unconscious brunette and console her. Shoto awkwardly watched, having no idea what to do.
Inko starred; she would never have considered her son proficient in culinary arts. "Wow, Izuku, when did you learn how to cook?"
Izuku wore a look on his face, he couldn't clearly remember where or who had taught him, but something told him that they were a friend. However, he distinctly remembers a dream about a rat who could cook. "A friend taught me." Izuku put a bow of Katsudon on the table, "Here, Eri, dig in!"
A few classmates looked envious and ate their snacks, which Dark had made earlier to fulfill the hunger they held.
They couldn't wait for lunch.
Eri is already salivating from the smell. Seeing the steaming bowl made her stomach rumble. With the green light given, she's seated at the table and eating with her hands.
"Hey, Eri, use the utensils." Izuku's only answer is a tilt of the head and bloated cheeks, "You don't know how to use them or what they are, right?"
Eri shook her head.
"Ribbit." Tsuyu looked sad at the girl.
Almost everyone looked sad.
"Okay, then I'll teach you how to eat with them," Izuku sighed, seated at Eri's side, taking the utensils and showing her how to use them.
"You are such a big brother Midori!" Tease Mina.
Izuku blushed while Eri looked thoughtful.
After a couple of tries, Eri got the hang of it, with some little mishaps along the way. Inko looked at that familiar scene, remembering when she was helping the boy after finding him. That's when she realizes she was forgetting something.
"Izuku, I think it's time for that explanation."
After a quick retelling of the events, Inko was equal parts proud and worried.
"Izuku, that was dangerous!"
Inko shook her head. Why does her baby jump headfirst into danger? It seems he does this in different universes, and it is worrisome.
"I know, mom, but I had to do something, don't worry, I don't think that was the first time someone shot at me."
"WHAT?!"
"WHAT?!" Cried Inko at the same time as her counterpart at the words that came out of the other Izuku's mouth. A few people jumped at the hysterical Inko's shout while Bola cackled in amusement.
"Geez, Midoriya, you're just casually mentioning you were shot." Chuckled Rikido.
A few of their classmates laughed while his friends gave him a look. The teachers had their reactions, from the done-with-life Aizawa and the cackling Nezu. Toshinori wasn't sure how to feel and merely scratched the back of his neck.
Izuku sighed but didn't say anything. Not since he knew that people shot him a few times, but at least he actually thought it through before it left his mouth, unlike his counterpart. He seemed as though he had put himself under the bus.
That was a positive, right?
Bola hummed, still chuckling, "I should've recorded your reactions." He said lowly, but Kyoka still heard him and shot him an unamused look.
Which drove Bola to another bout of cackles.
"Okay, I shouldn't have said that," Izuku said, the weight of the words catching up to him.
Katsuki snorted. "No shit."
A few students were laughing loudly while Aizawa grumbled under his breath. Inko herself was trying to calm down her heart.
Izuku just didn't know how to react and instead scratched the back of his head while blushing slightly. Eri just tilted her head in confusion.
What did the other Deku mean? Was he shot before?
"We will talk about this later. Now we have to decide what to do with Eri." This is especially important. This little girl needs help.
Everyone agreed.
"I'll take care of her," Izuku's reply was instantaneous. He made a promise, after all.
"Midoriya, while I admire your dedication, it is wise if you tell the police!" Tenya said as he chopped his hands.
"It's not really me…." Izuku sighed.
"But you would still do it," Shoto said bluntly.
Izuku slumped, unable to deny it.
"Izuku, this is serious. You can't just simply say that we should go to the police."
Tenya gestured to the screen, "See!"
"Mom, I said I'll take care of her, and I will. I gave my word as a Keyblade Master."
"A what?" Inko knew about the matters related to the Keyblade, or at least what Izuku had told her, and even though it was a little hard to believe, the way his eyes sparkled when they talked showed he was being honest. Whenever he spoke about his visions and dreams, there was almost something about the way he talked about them that told her they might just be accurate, but that's ridiculous. Gummi ships? Anthropomorphic dogs and ducks? Magic? It's all too unbelievable. Izuku never indicated that her skepticism bothered him; he didn't really seem to care. But this was the first time she heard something about him being a Master, whatever that meant.
"A Keyblade Master, the point where a wielder is ready to pass on the legacy of the Keyblade and teach the new wielders."
Izuku and Nezu wrote that down while everyone else stared at the screen with disbelief and bewilderment.
"So you're telling me you can pass it to others?" Quirks don't pass on to each other, "That someone passed it to you?"
"Why did you pass the Keyblade to me?"
"That day on the beach, I felt the light in your heart, so I decided to follow mine and give you the chance to follow yours."
"Haha, thanks, Aqua."
"Izuku, are you okay?" The worry in his mother's voice brought Izuku's attention back to reality, tears escaping his eyes.
Shoto perked up a bit. "This Aqua person and the other Izuku seem to be close in a certain way."
Ochako chimed in, "Yeah, it's like while they don't seem to know each other on the same level, they have a certain bond."
Katsuki gave a look towards the screen. "Well, she passed on that Keyblade to the nerd, so maybe it's like teacher and student."
"Aqua."
"What? Honey, you had another one?" Inko asked, worried. They seem to be happening more frequently as of late it seemed.
"More frequent?" Mouthed Izuku.
"Yes, Aqua was telling me why she gave me the Keyblade. She said that it was the chance that I needed to follow my dreams. She believed in me." Izuku's absentminded response almost brought Inko to shed tears, too, how she regretted the words she said to him that night, how she regretted being the first to give up on him. "Even if these visions and dreams aren't real, the feelings I get from them are. Which makes them just as real as any memory I have."
Inko shed tears as she heard her son's counterpart say those words. It felt like a stab to the heart when she listened to how a random woman had believed her son more than herself. She regretted her words that night and how she easily gave up on him. She was just happy her baby forgave her.
Izuku wasn't sure how to feel. It wasn't pleasant to revisit that particular memory lane, especially since his mom on screen looked as though she was going to cry. One glance at his mother, she was in the same state.
Shoto tilted his head as he paid attention, while Katsuki looked away, not wanting to pay attention to this anymore. He gritted his teeth as he tried to stomp the gripping feeling in his gut.
Izuku turned to Inko with a determined, teary stare, "Mom, I want to give Eri a chance. I want to give her the hope she needs." Izuku brings both teary eyes to rest on the little girl who stopped eating and was curious about why the two green hairs were crying.
"That's so sweet!" Ochako felt teary eyes as she witnessed this particular scene.
The others were tearing up as well at the scene of the boy.
Katsuki simply glanced at the screen before giving a tch and looked away once more, but even he couldn't deny the warm feeling he felt.
Izuku couldn't help as he felt a lone tear roll down his face. Despite how he felt and the current feelings of his counterpart, he couldn't help but smile at the scene.
That's what made Inko understand where all of this was coming from. Izuku may not be blood-related to her, but he is her son, and about to make the same choice she made on that beach all those years ago.
The reminder that the mother and son duo on screen weren't related made the Midoriyas uncomfortable. Everyone, thankfully, was respectful and didn't mention it.
But it still was something they had to get used to.
Inko gave a soft laugh, drying her tears, "Well, I can't be mad at you that way," standing up, "But I can't just leave all the responsibility for you either, so WE are going to take care of Eri." The motherly smile on her face was enough to make the children at the table feel the love radiating from her.
"Two four six eight! Give me an M-A-M-A-D-O-R-I-Y-A!" Shouted Bola, who somehow put on a football team mascot outfit on top of his armor with pompoms in hand. He made ridiculous cheerleading motions while shaking his booty. "And what does that stand for?! Mamadoriya!" He shook the pompoms, then did the worm in the air, somehow.
Inko blushed with embarrassment but couldn't stop her own chuckles. A few other teens, Mina especially, cheered or laughed at Bola.
Aizawa looked as though he had swallowed a lemon. Toshinori couldn't help but to snort at his colleague's suffering, gaining a glare from the man. Nezu himself was chuckling at the hilarity of it all.
"Now it's getting late, and I won't leave my children with a bad night of sleep. You two are going to bed, and we will talk about this Master business tomorrow," Inko pointed toward Izuku. "And you are going to explain the 'I don't think it's the first time I got shot' thing." Izuku had the decency to look sheepish. He REALLY shouldn't have said that.
There were snorts of amusement.
Inko turned towards Eri, "Now, Eri, with whom would you like to sleep?" Inko already knew the answer, seeing Eri hug Izuku, asking to stay with him. While her son panicked a little, she took the opportunity to get some pictures of her children. HER CHILDREN, Inko never thought she could have children, but these little lights found a way into her life.
Seeing this caused the little girl to look to her side and look at the mother of her hero. Then she turned to Izuku and turned back to the screen.
The other version of Mr. Deku's mom thought her kids.
She didn't understand much at all, and Mr. Deku being adopted confused her. However, did that mean she was adopted, too?
That this version of Mr. Deku's mom was her mom and that was her brother?
…..Huh, that sounded really nice.
She would like that…a lot.
Unbeknownst to her, Izuku was looking at her, gauging her reactions with curiosity and concern before he looked back at the screen.
After cleaning the table, Izuku helped Eri get ready for bed. He's still unsure about them sharing his room. But the puppy eyes of both her and his mother are enough to make him agree.
After a slightly embarrassing tour of his room, Izuku tucked Eri into his bed.
There were snorts of amusement while Izuku covered his blushing face with his hands. Inko herself smiled fondly.
"Classic nerd." Snorted Katsuki, "Always a fanboy, even in another universe."
"You are such a fanboy, Midoriya." Teased Hanta.
"Nah, man, he's the fanboy!" Laughed Denki. That remark brought more bout of laughter to Izuku's mortification.
Toshinori chuckled, remembering seeing his successor's room when he came to the Midoriya's residence to talk about the dorms.
Izuku was too mortified to notice, though, as he heard his friend chuckling, all he could do was let out an embarrassed groan.
"Sweet dreams Eri. If you need anything, you just have to call. I'll be sleeping on the ground, so you don't have to get up if you need me."
When Izuku was about to turn off the lights, Eri held him, "NO! Please don't leave. The bird people will come"
Izuku bit his lip, uncertain how this would go.
"Bird people? You're talking about that guy in the alley?" Eri nodded. She finally escaped, she was with people who were nice to her, and just the thought of going back was enough to make her cry.
"Hey, Eri, I promised that I would protect you, and I always keep my promises, so don't worry. If the bird people come, I won't let them take you."
"But you can't always be with me" Eri knew that was impossible, but just thinking about being alone in the dark, of Izuku leaving her, tears started to fall.
"Ya know, she does have a point." Shrugged Denki.
"Yeah, I mean, I would protect her all my life if I could." Agreed, Ejiro, "But I can't always be there." He slumped, "What kind of man am I?"
"We are but mere humans bound by our mortal limitations," Fumikage said solemnly.
Mina glanced at the bird mutant of their class, "No need to go all emo on us."
"Yeah." Toru agreed with her bestie.
"Yeah, relax, Mr. Emperor of darkness," Denki said teasingly, making a few of his classmates chuckle.
"Don't call me that!" Fumikage snapped with gritted teeth. He was internally thankful that his black feathers hid the redness of his face. Dark Shadow couldn't help but cackle at his host's embarrassment at the accursed nickname, which made Fumi scowl. "Dark Shadow!" He rebuked.
"Back on track; this is the reason Midoriya should've told the police." Pipped in Tenya as he chopped his hands. "He can't always protect her!"
"Bro, wasn't it obvious that she was clinging onto Midoriya?" Pointed out Ejiro. "Even if Midoriya did call the police, Eri wouldn't have let go."
Tenya opened his mouth to resort but paused as he thought about it. While the part of him disagreed and wanted to point out it was the right thing to warn the authorities, something told him it was better off to leave it like that.
The class rep could do nothing but grumble and remain silent.
Izuku hugged the girl, "I can, our hearts are connected, so I'll always be with you." Actions were better than words in a situation like this, so still hugging Eri, Izuku lay on the bed and held her. "So don't worry because no matter how far away we are from each other, I'll protect you."
Ochako and most of the girls couldn't help but gush at the cuteness while Izuku looked away in embarrassment.
Eri tilted her head.
Listening to his words and his heart, Eri relaxed, and not long after she was asleep, Izuku smiled, letting unconsciousness take him.
Izuku is falling, drifting in the dark, when a light shines in the distance. Slowly Izuku opens his eyes and sees the pure light. The moment is short-lived; darkness flowed, shooting out, trying to swallow the light.
Izuku hears the cry for help, and his body moves.
Summoning his Keyblade, he points ahead—a Keyhole forms in the void. Heroes Rising glows. A beam of light shoots out from the tip, hitting the Keyhole.
The void cracks and shatters, leaving colorful patterns forming and dancing. Izuku dived in, becoming a ray of light, like a shooting star, crossing the sky.
…
"...what just happened?" Mashirao summed up the audience's general thoughts perfectly.
Everyone was bewildered at what they saw.
"The Sleeping Worlds?"
"You can use your Keyblades to open the path to them. There, you will prove that you have the Mark of Mastery."
"Sleeping worlds…" Izuku muttered as he wrote that down.
"What the heck is the Mark of Mystery?" Toru slumped as she felt her brain hurt at the new nonsense.
"Don't ask me. I'm the wrong guy to ask," Denki said as there were sparks on his head.
Izuku wrote that down, "Well, he did mention the Keyblade, so maybe that's the answer?"
Katsuki scoffed. "Nerd."
"Huh, where am I?" Izuku found himself in a dark tunnel, pipes and wires littering the place. The air gave a heavy feeling.
There were feelings of dread building up in everyone. Eri especially hid her face on Izuku's shoulder, feeling safe as the green-haired teen held her close.
"W-where am I? I mean him?" Izuku asked quietly.
"NO!"
Everyone jumped at Eri's sudden shout. She was in danger!
[Play: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance -The Nightmare ]
Izuku jumped. That was Eri's voice! He dashed, looking around, searching for the source of the sound. Taking a turn, he found Eri at the end of the corridor, pressed against a wall, while a dark figure loomed over her.
"Who the hell is that?" Asked Katsuki, his voice filled with barely contained anger, hands letting out small crackles of explosions.
"I don't know, it's too dark," Izuku narrowed his eyes, looking ready to spring himself to the screen, never mind the fact that this was a projection, "But they're obviously up to no good!"
Before Izuku could fully register the scene, his body moved, jumping on the wall. The moment his feet met concrete, his body was covered in a bright aura.
Flowmotion, his mind remembered. The energy, the freedom, the flow. In a second, he covered the distance between them.
"Get away from her!" Izuku shouted, striking the being. His Keyblade manifested, descending with the speed and power of a meteor. The figure dissipated, turning into a cloud of dark smoke.
[End Music]
"Go, Midori!" Shouted Mina.
There were shouts of agreement and encouragement. Izuku's lips twitched while Eri cheered at the onscreen Izuku.
"Was that One For All?" Aizawa asked All Might, but Bola was the one that answered.
"Nope! That's Flowmotion. It's a neat little magic that controls kinetic energy and vectors." The man saw that everyone was looking at him and decided to explain more, "When that bunny kicked the wall, the energy of the impact was converted, that was that aura you saw, so the impact didn't have any strength to it because all the energy was used for that flight."
"Fascinating!" Nezu noted the explanation down and made some quick observations about the phrasing Eight used, "That magic can completely negate the damage an impact can cause and be used to redirect movement without leverage."
Izuku was also making his own theories, "That also means that as long as there is a charge, the other me could constantly be in movement without tiring, as he's not actually exerting any force to move."
"Yup. As long as you keep in the flow, building up charge as you use it, you can keep Flowmotion going forever, at least in theory." Bola started to list in his hands, "It can also do some cool stuff, like overcharging an attack with the energy, or completely changing your vector of movement to jump in mid-air, or make a complete brake from a hundred to zero."
"So many applications!" Izuku fully descended in a mumbling fit after that, coming up with ways Flowmotion could be used in heroics.
"Eri, are you okay?" Izuku kneeled in front of the little girl, noticing that her clothes were different. She was wearing a long-sleeved red dress with pastel-colored floral patterns, a heart emblem in the chest area, black leggings, and little red shoes like Izuku's.
"So cute!" squealed Mina, with Toru following, making a few people wince and hold their ears.
Kyoka, in particular, looked sour, "Yeah, thanks for busting up my ears, guys." She said with concealed anger.
Mina stuck her tongue at her, and it was unknown what Toru was doing. Though a few suspected she was doing the same.
Looking at himself, Izuku realized he was wearing new clothes too. Even his physical features looked a bit different. Instead of the buff muscles, he earned during his many months cleaning the beach. He had lean muscles and tanner skin. He wore a black shirt with green lines crossing the chest and converging in a circle in the back. In the center of the circle is a Dream Eater symbol, dark green baggy pants, and his iconic red shoes and crossed belts.
Everyone paused as they finally had the chance to look at Izuku's new look. He was skinnier, and the tan certainly looked good on him. Though what caught a few students off guard was the symbol on Izuku's shirt.
"A Dream Eater symbol?" Izuku asked out loud.
"A what?" Asked Denki.
"A Dream Eater, a creature beyond our understanding," Momo said.
Izuku nodded and gestured to his friends and Eri, "Yeah, there are various types of them. We met a Toximander. They go by the name Komo."
"And we met an Iceguin Ace named Nam," Kyoka said flatly.
"Do they eat dreams or something?" Asked Denki, scratching his head in confusion.
Kyoka crunched up her nose, "Eh, kinda? Kinda difficult to explain."
"Soooo…are we just going to ignore the fact that this Midoriya's fashion is top tier compared to our Midoriya?" Mina teased.
Izuku groaned while agreements were going all around. Why were they against his clothes? What had they done? "My fashion sense is not that bad!"
Mezo then chimed in, "Though if that's the symbol for dream eaters, then why does Midoriya have it on his clothes?"
"I have no idea!" Mina said brightly, gaining a few flat stares. "But at least it looks cool! We should change your entire wardrobe Midori!"
Izuku just sighed dejectedly. "No thanks."
"Your loss!"
"It really isn't." Muttered Izuku.
Eri hugged her savior, "Izuku! You came, the bird people took me again, but you came!" He came for her again. While her mind knew something was wrong, the relief was too much for her to care about.
"Eri, calm down." He placed his hands on her shoulders. Things didn't feel right. He didn't think they really were in the real world anymore. Something in the back of his mind just told him that none of this was truly 'real,' "They can't hurt you."
Everyone felt their hearts shatter at Eri's desperation and fear. Eri herself clutched Izuku but kept her eyes on the screen.
"But now we're here, and they'll hurt us. We have to run." Eri sobbed in Izuku's chest, trying to push him, making him run away from her nightmares.
"No, Eri, they didn't. It's only a dream."
"A dream?" The girl asked, confused while looking up at him. "Are you a dream too?"
"No...well, more or less, I felt that you needed help, so I dived into your dream. I'm a Dream Eater now." That sounded right, and he remembered a few dreams about colorful creatures and sleeping worlds.
It was the words that made the other him that made him stop writing down in his notebook, "Wait…." Izuku then proceeded to do a double take. "He dived into Eri's dream?!"
Katsuki couldn't hold it back. "How the fuck…?"
Surprisingly the one to ask was Denki, "Is it some sort of quirk?!"
Yuga then chimed in, "I'm afraid not, mon ami. If you remember correctly, it was speculated that the Midoriya of this universe is quirkless." He made a pose as an aura of sparkles was around him, "Just like our Midoriya."
"What the hell?!"
"Was it also magic, then?" Fumikage questioned.
"Yo!" Called out Bola. "If you watch, you'll find out!"
"Dream Eater? Why do you eat dreams? What do they taste like?" Eri tilted her head, the safety and warmth lessening her fear.
Denki chuckled, "At least I'm not the only one that asked."
Kyoka rolled her eyes.
Izuku laughed at the cuteness and innocent questions. But the moment is cut short by a noise coming from the end of the hallway. In a second, Izuku is standing in front of Eri, looking alert and ready for a fight. In a dark part of the tunnel, a small figure slowly made its way to them.
Everyone was tense.
"Shit, is that guy back?" Denki asked.
"God, I hope not," Ejiro said.
Izuku, seeing the form of the figure, felt a sense of familiarity. In the little moment of distraction, the figure rushed at Izuku; before he could react, it tackled him to the ground…
"IZUKU/MIDORIYA/DEKU!"
Izuku jumped at everyone's shouts.
…and started to nuzzle him. Getting a look at it, Izuku saw a rotund figure with white wool and yellow horns curved in discs. It looked like a sheep, but none that he had ever seen before, but he got the feeling that he knew this one all too well.
Everyone looked stupidly at the screen.
….what the hell just happened?
Izuku meanwhile snapped out of his daze and drew the little sheep on his notebook.
[Play: Kingdom Hearts II OST - Yen Sid's Tower]
"In the Sleeping Worlds, you will encounter two types of Dream Eaters."
"Nightmares, beings of darkness that devour good dreams."
"And merciful Spirits, that will help you in your journey."
[End Music]
"Sleeping worlds?" Almost everyone echoed.
"Yeah," Izuku scratched the back of his head, "Komo explained to our group about Dream Eaters and the world they come from.
"So did Nam," Mashirou admitted.
"They're the Spirit Dream Eaters," Shoto said.
"And their job is to protect children from those evil Dream Eaters known as Nightmares." Said Ochako, Eri nodding in agreement.
"And those Nightmares Dream Eaters relish giving children nightmares that they make sure they never wake up," Kyoka said flatly, making a few of her classmates unnerved.
"WHAT?!"
"But they are usually stopped by the Spirit Dream Eaters," Mezo said, bringing a wave of relief to everyone.
"Shit Jirou, don't scare us like that!" Ejiro shouted, "It wasn't manly at all!"
"I'm a girl," Kyoka said curtly, shooting daggers at Ejiro.
"Manliness has nothing to do with gender!" Defended Ejiro, despite a few of his classmates giving him weird looks.
"Shut up, Weird Hair!" Snapped Katsuki, smacking the redhead upside the head, to his dismay. "You're only digging yourself into a bigger hole!"
"Like you're the one to talk." Muttered Mashirou under his breath.
"What was that?!"
"Back on track," Momo pipped in, stopping an argument before it began. "Apparently, they come from a land far beyond ours, known as the Dream Realm. Supposedly there is a ruler there too."
"Wait, really?" Asked Izuku in surprise, "I didn't know that!"
"Yeah, apparently, they weren't nice either," Kyoka said as she leaned back on her chair with her arms behind her.
"Really?"
"Yeah, which is why Komo and Nam left their home in the first place."
"Huh," Izuku wrote that down on Komo's page. "Is there anything else Nam told you?"
"Not really." Kyoka tilted her head, "Actually, Bola apparently 'threw a bread' on their last boss." She turned to the balcony, "Care to explain that?"
The armored man shrugged, "I took a page from Death's book and threw a bread at Dream after a long rant that could be summed as a 'stop being an emo' to really drive my point home. After that, we got to a consensus, and I offered Nam and Komo a job here."
"Forget that I asked." Kyoka got a headache just from trying to follow that weird explanation.
That's it! That's why he had the feeling that he knew this creature, "Cotton?! Is that you?!" Yes, he remembered the good spirits that helped him during that time.
"Cotton?" Mouthed Momo, remembering the ice statue from Nam's Model Room.
She still didn't understand what they meant by an embodiment of chaos.
Cotton gave a happy cry, pushing his face against Izuku, the wool ticking him, "Woah, easy there, that's a little too much," Izuku said between laughs.
"You know, it's kind of heartwarming to see Izuku treat the sheep like a lost pet as it nuzzles against him," Koda, of all people, quietly voiced.
Eri eyed the little Dream Eater with interest.
Standing up, Izuku saw that Eri was staring at them weirdly, "Oh, Eri come here. I want you to meet my friend," Eri slowly walked toward them, Izuku held her hand and presented his companion.
"Eri, this is Cotton. He's a Dream Eater, and he helped me a lot...at least, I think he did. The visions of these parts are still a little scrubbed." Izuku entered a mumbling fit.
Izuku naturally wrote all this down while a few others looked amused at the onscreen Izuku's muttering fit.
"It's a good thing we have subtitles; otherwise, we would have no idea what he's saying," Teased Denki.
Izuku froze and then flushed with embarrassment.
While Eri looked at him, talking a mile a minute, Cotton approached her rubbing his wool on her legs. The girl jumped a little from the sudden contact. Looking down, she saw the happy face of the Tama Sheep.
Curiosity took the best of her; tentatively, Eri stretched her hand to Cotton's head, hesitating one second before starting to pet it. The wool was so soft, nothing like anything she had ever felt before. The wool felt even better than the pats and Izuku's soft hands. They even gave her the feeling of happiness and hope.
Eri felt jealous that her other self is touching the little sheep. She wondered how the sheep's wool would feel.
Izuku came back from the rabbit hole that was his mind, seeing the adorable moment. Smiling, he almost felt guilty for breaking the peaceful scene, "It's good to see you're getting along so well, but we have to go."
"Go where?" Eri asked, where could they go in a dream? She didn't want to leave the room. The bad man was gone, so what more is there to be done?
"Back home, remember this is a dream, and a bad one at that, so it's better for you to wake up, right?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot they were in a dream," Denki said offhandedly.
"How can you forget?!" Demanded Tenya as he chopped his hands.
"Aw, c'mon, class rep!" Denki said with a sheepish grin, "After the whole thing with the sheep, I forgot they were inside a nightmare."
Katsuki scoffed, "Yeah, because you're stupid, Dunce Face."
"Don't be cruel, Bakugo!"
Eri nodded. The faster they got away from here, the better, she thought while looking at the oppressive tunnel.
"Well then, let's get going." Izuku held Eri's hand and started to walk, Cotton following at their side, jumping its little sheep jumps.
"So cute!" Everyone thought.
[Play: Kingdom Hearts 3D OST: Hand to Hand]
After a couple of minutes of wandering through the hallways of the place, Izuku was sure it was some type of underground tunnel; the three arrived in an open space. It was a fork in the road. It wouldn't be a problem if not for the creatures occupying it. Red crows with purple beaks littered the place.
Eri tensed at the crow Nightmares.
"What are those things?" Asked Minoru, shivering a little.
"Nightmares," Bola waved off the fear the kiddos were creating, "I call them Scare Crows."
"Scarecrows?" Asked Kyoka with the flattest face and unimpressed tone, "That's what you call them?"
Bola cackled, "I know! It's both clever and stupid, and I love it!" He blew a DJ airhorn which caused everyone, especially Kyoka, to wince and cover their ears.
Aizawa's eye twitched.
"Nightmares!" Izuku summoned his Keyblade, and he turned towards the spirit, "Cotton take care of Eri. I'll handle them!"
The Nightmares, seeing the attacker, scattered, circling Izuku. He counted twelve, not the worst odds, at least in his book. Waiting for an opening, Izuku focused on the moment the Nightmares would attack.
Aizawa shook his head, "Letting yourself be surrounded like that is not a good idea, Problem Child."
All Might understood the man's reasoning, but he also pointed out in defense of his successor, "Not always. That way, the enemies are focused on him and not on Eri. I use that tactic myself when dealing with groups of villains to avoid them targeting civilians."
"The difference is that you can easily get out of an encirclement."
Nezu chuckled, "And what makes you think that Midoriya can't? With his Flowmotion, he can escape any time he wants."
Inko, who had been going into an anxiety fit, breathed easier remembering that version of her son wasn't in as much danger as he seemed.
The creatures, tired of waiting, closed the circle, trying to peck the young hero. Izuku took action, rushing ahead. He dodged the incoming attack and escaped the siege, jumping at the wall; he activated Flowmotion, jumping again, almost reaching the ceiling. He charged the power of his aura into his Keyblade and swung it down, diving to the ground. The attack was strong enough to create a shockwave, sending the Nightmares flying.
"Point and case." Nezu chuckled as he took a sip of tea.
Aizawa sighed but nodded.
Four are defeated; with the strike bursting in a cloud of dark smoke, the others get up and charge again. Izuku rushes to the side, doing his best to dodge the attacks of the crows. He stopped abruptly and got into a defensive stance, letting the last two birds crash in his Keyblade, taking the attacks. Izuku took advantage of the opening. Spinning his body, he batted the crows, sending them crashing into the wall, where they burst into dark clouds.
"Good block, bro!" Eijiro grinned, getting hyped with the fight.
"That's not me, but thanks anyway." Izuku shrugged, knowing pointing out the fact wouldn't change anything.
"Hey, both of you know how to dodge great!" Mina pointed at the screen, "And have some nice moves. Those birds literally exploded from how hard that hit was!"
"Half down, Half to go!" Izuku taunted the remaining Nightmares. Almost all of them took the bait, charging at him, but one turned to the side where Eri watched, amazed behind Cotton. The lone crow charged at them. Eri noticed it too late; before the bird could even get near her, Cotton lunged, throwing his horns like saws with a flick of his head.
"Eri!" A good part of the audience shouted, the girl in question frozen in her chair.
"Go, Cotton, go!" Denki cheered for the sheep, seeing the Dream Eater was trying to protect Eri.
"His horns came off!" Koji was the most surprised by that. He knew rams used their horns as weapons, but that was not what anyone was expecting.
The strike sent the crow to the ground. Cotton, recovering his horns, dashed at the downed enemy, jumping and rolling like a ball; the Tama Sheep flattened the Nightmare, dispelling it.
"Ha! Good one!" Hanta grinned, trading a high-five with Eijiro, "Spirits one, Nightmares zero!"
[End Music]
Izuku, sliced the last Nightmare that he decided to name Scare Crow, sees the end of the Dream Eater battle. Dismissing his Keyblade, Izuku walked back to them, "That was a nice workout, finally getting better at the whole 'fight to survive thing." Izuku laughed while putting his arms behind his head, Cotton giving a victorious cry, while Eri looked at them starstruck, her mind full of childish wonder.
"Wait, so that Midoriya came up with the name?" Momo asked Bola, who only shrugged back.
"Why are you extras surprised? Deku names his super moves after All Might's." Katsuki rolled his eyes at the rest of the class for being stupid and at Deku's bad naming sense.
Tsuyu tilted her head, "The super moves name makes sense if you stop thinking how he has the same power as All Might."
"Don't change the fact that his naming sense is bad." Toru giggled, doubly so, when Izuku shrunk into his seat in embarrassment.
"You're coming along just fine," A voice said from behind them.
Everyone jumped at the familiar voice, though what was creepy was that Izuku onscreen didn't even open his mouth.
Izuku jumped, quickly pushing Eri behind him. Izuku turned towards the voice, prepared to fight. Only to be greeted by a familiar figure.
"It's the other Deku!" Shouted Ochako as she pointed at the other doppelganger of her friend. She then realized that her words weren't very specific, "Uh, the other, other Deku!"
"Like that's any help." Teased Mina.
Katsuki groaned, "Great. Now we're going to deal with three Dekus!"
For one, Izuku couldn't help but agree with his childhood friend. This was becoming too much of a headache. Is this how Aizawa-sensei feels?
Eri tilted her head. Did this mean there were three Mr. Dekus?
"You! You are that look-alike from those dreams!" Izuku is surprised. He saw the carbon copy on the pillar with the glass image.
The lookalike didn't appreciate the description, "Hey, you can't call yourself a lookalike," He said, waving his hands around.
There were so many snorts of amusement.
"Yeah, Midoriya, no need to throw insults at yourself." Hanta teased the green-haired boy.
Izuku just let out a long-suffering sigh.
"Stop that! I'm me, and you are you!" Those dreams always had this Izuku there, but they often felt like two completely different people. This one is confident and even had some amazing friends while he was just himself.
"Nope, I'm you, the piece of you that remembers."
"This is getting annoying." Grunted Aizawa. "When are we going to get straight answers?"
Bola cackled, to Aizawa's annoyance.
"Now, now, Aizawa," Hummed Nezu, his notepad at hand, "Where would the fun be if it were too easy?"
The insomniac teacher merely let out a grumble and gave the principal the stink eye. Toshinori wasn't happy about it either, but he had more patience than his colleague. He only hoped that nothing bad would happen to his successor's counterpart.
With the students…
"When are we going to get straight answers?" Moaned Denki as he rubbed his temples.
"For once, I agree with you, Jamming-Yay. This is getting annoying." Kyoka said.
Izuku tilted his head, "Remember what?" Did something happen to him? Did it have something to do with those dreams and visions?
"Everything. What do you think the visions are about? They're the memories in your heart, of the life and the people you hold dear."
"But I don't remember these people! And the visions don't make sense! Who are those people with you on the beach all the time?! No matter how hard I try, I can't remember them!" Izuku almost felt like he would cry. His chest hurt so much, "And that one boy, why do I miss him so much? Why do I miss a person I've never met? Even if I don't remember, it shouldn't hurt so much. Their names, not even their faces, but I know they're your friends!"
The viewers watched in solemn silence as the Izuku on-screen poured his heart out, venting what he felt for everyone to hear.
"Oh, Izuku." Inko sniffed. Her son always bottled up too much, and it always only gave him grief in the end.
The other Izuku gave a soft sigh and shook his head, "You know that's not true. They're your friends too. Being on this side of the conversation isn't fun." He muttered to himself. Looking into his clueless self's eyes, he sighed again before smiling, "Well, I think I can give you a little tip. It starts with an S."
"What does that mean-?" Izuku's question was interrupted by the screen glitching out for a second before returning to clear clarity.
"Sorry, Kairi, but I can't tell you."
"Please, Izuku, I remember you and Riku, but don't matter how hard I try, I can't remember him."
"Well, I think I can give you a little tip. It starts with an S."
Everyone blinked at the girl. She had long red hair and blue eyes and was wearing a pink dress. In fact., they had no idea who this girl was, but she looked desperate and pleaded to the Izuku on screen.
But while her face was clear, what really caught them off guard was Izuku's current state. He wore a black coat that looked like it was made of leather. His worn face gave the vibes of someone tired. He looked frustrated until his expression softened at the girl. He was still tired, but a soft smile graced his face as he lifted one finger and gave the girl the tip, whatever it meant.
This Izuku said her name was Kairi. And there were no glitches interrupting them this time. They finally had a name to give her. It was evident that this girl was somehow related to the earlier glitches.
"Kairi…" Izuku tested her name on his tongue as he wrote that name and drew the girl on the screen.
"Wah, she's so pretty!" Mina gushed, her hands cupping her cheeks.
"She reminds me of you, Uraraka. Ribbit." Tsuyu said, looking thoughtful at the girl.
"Huh?" The brown-haired girl was caught off guard.
"Change her color to brown, and she looks like you," Minoru said. He was tempted to say something pervy, but a shiver down his spine made him quiet and glanced around the room. He couldn't help but feel as though he was being watched.
Ochako blinked and paid more attention to Kairi's form. She couldn't help but realize how similar they were, "You're right…."
It was intriguing, but the sudden unpleasant feeling in her gut wasn't really helping.
Meanwhile, Toshinori looked concerned as he took notice of his successor's counterpart's state. "He looks like he's about to collapse."
"He looks as tired as me," Aizawa faintly commented, and the comparison wasn't positive in anyone's books.
Inko, likewise, was worried at her baby, "Oh Izuku, what had you been doing that you neglected to care for yourself?"
Nezu hummed as he wrote some notes down, flipped the page, and wrote down again, "That is rather problematic. But when you pay attention, Midoriya gave us a hint, someone with an 'S' in their name. This Kairi mentions a him that she couldn't remember despite her best efforts. So obviously, they are talking about a young man."
"You think someone with a memory-wipe quirk is responsible?" Toshinori asked.
"I doubt it." Nezu said, "Remember, they have magic at their disposal, so quirks are unlikely."
"So someone used magic to erase the memories of someone dear to the other problem child on other people," Aizawa said flatly, still unable to process this magic nonsense. "But this doesn't give us many answers. Just more questions and headaches."
When this is over, he will demand for strong alcohol because this shit is enough for his own headache and upcoming migraine.
Toshinori hummed. He looked thoughtful, "Do you perhaps believe that this person is also responsible for the other young Midoriya's memory loss?"
Nezu hummed and tapped his pencil on the notepad, "It is a possibility."
Back with the students…
Eri blinked in confusion, "Why is Mr. Deku wearing a black coat? Is he cold?"
There were a lot of snorts.
"I don't think so…" Shoto hummed thoughtfully as he glanced at the paused screen, "They're on a beach, and it looks like it was in the middle of summer."
"Not to mention that coat looks rather strange on Midoriya. It doesn't suit him at all." Mina pipped in, "I'm starting to question the other Midori's fashion taste now."
Izuku sighed in frustration, "Can we please stop talking about my fashion sense?"
"Lack of fashion sense." Mina grinned teasingly at him, "But fine, I'll stop for now."
Izuku did not look comforted by the emphasis she had on now.
"Glad to help you remember a little more, but now you should go." The other Izuku pointed to a way on the fork in the road, "Follow that path, and it should get you two out of this place."
Izuku turned to look at the indicated path. When he looked back, the other him was gone. "That sure is annoying," Izuku sighed, looking down at Eri. "Well, let's go, Eri. The faster we get out, the faster we get away from all the crazy."
Katsuki rolled his eyes, "Now a disappearance trick for a shitty horror movie. What's next, a cliffhanger when the villain shows up?"
His only response was Bola breaking down in a poorly contained fit of laughter.
"Izuku, who was that?"
"Honestly? I don't know."
"He looks like you."
"Yeah, weird, huh?"
Eri's reply was a soft nod.
"At least I'm not the only one experiencing that." Izuku huffed, still trying to come to terms with watching him but at the same time not him. That sounded weird just thinking about it.
Toru giggled, "I can appreciate someone that makes fun of themselves, but seeing Eri agreeing like that is just so funny!" The little girl in the audience tilted her head in confusion, which only made the Toru laugh more.
Eri remained confused. Why was she laughing?
Not wasting any more time, they turned, entering the corridor. Following it leads them on a path without further dangers. By the end, a simple wooden door stands before them.
"I think this is it." Izuku walked to the door, giving Eri one last look to see if she was okay. The little girl nodded back, and Izuku took that as confirmation. Opening the door, the two entered a small room. It was dark, and Izuku could feel something weighing on his chest.
For whatever reason, there was something heavy weighing on their chests. The heroes and Toshinori looked as though they were going to jump in. Their shoulders were tense as their eyes narrowed at the black room on the screen.
"Oh, man…" Denki had a strained smile, "Why do I have a feeling something bad is going to happen?"
"Don't jinx us, man!" Hanta cried.
"Yeah, I don't want to wet myself at the thought of a scary monster!" Minoru shivered.
Hanta moaned and facepalmed, "You jinxed us."
Kyoka rolled her eyes at the stupidity. "Idiots."
"Eri..." The figure of a man came from the dark, his features hidden by the shadows. "Don't you think that's enough? You're mingling with the sick." The figure gave another step, and darkness surged. Izuku is sent flying against the wall, Cotton rolling by his side.
Eri tensed at the dark voice and then covered her face on Izuku's chest. Izuku responded by holding her close.
Everyone shivered at the mysterious man's voice. But Izuku, Ochako, Tsuyu, Ejiro, and Aizawa, recognize that voice. It was a little dark and distorted, but it was all the same.
Eri remained frozen in place. She's shaking, her eyes full of fear.
Eri shivered but felt safe and comforted by Mr. Deku's strong hands. Izuku's hold tightened to assure her that she was safe.
"It's alright, Eri, I am here," Izuku said softly.
Eri's shoulders relaxed, if only by a little.
"You're throwing away the chance I gave you of using your rotten curse for something useful after all these years and all the hurt you've caused, ANDTHIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!" The figure is in front of Eri, looming over her. The closeness made the details clear, the red tranche coat the shade of blood, the white surgical gloves, the black bird mask hiding his mouth and nose, and the piercing yellow eyes.
Despite not being there themselves, seeing the monster version of Overhaul caused everyone to tense up, some even going into a stance ready to fight.
Izuku instinctively held Eri closer as the monster spoke.
"Holy shit!" Yelped Denki.
"Who's that?!" Mina yelped.
"I don't know, man, but he threw Midoriya and that small sheep off like it was nothing!" Hanta said, pointing at the screen.
Minoru looked as though he was going to soil himself.
"Who cares who that fucker is!" Katsuki barked as his hands threateningly crackled small explosions, "What matters is that the other Deku needs to kill that bastard!"
Thankfully Inko was frozen as she stared at the monster on screen in horror.
Ejiro, with a serious face, nodded in agreement. "Bakubro is right! The other Midoriya needs to protect Eri from Overhaul!"
Eri, despite being scared, stared at the screen.
"If that's how you behave, then you have to be punished." The figure oozed darkness, slowly changing. Growing bigger, the coat became a red feathered body, the mask turning into a beak, the stitches deformed into a crazed smile, and the gloves stretched into claws. The yellow eyes stayed the same, piercing into the girl's heart.
Eri didn't want to watch anymore. She quickly hid in the freckled boy's chest, shaking, barely able to sit still and calm herself down.
Izuku held her as close as possible, trying to comfort her as he stared down. "It's ok, Eri. I'm right here."
The little girl's heart is silently screaming, praying for help. A call that is answered, the heart of a hero, connected to others, pushed against the darkness.
The giant Nightmare raised its clawed hand for a strike. Eri was frozen in fear; closing her eyes, she waited for her end.
"Shit, man!" Cursed Ejiro.
Everyone was yelling shouts of worry, and some of them looked afraid.
Izuku tensed, looking ready to jump into the screen.
BANG!
The loud noise started everyone and even caused Eri to look up and see what was happening.
Izuku, with a burst of Flowmotion, dashed to her in time to block the attack. Using all his strength, Izuku held his Keyblade, pushing against the Nightmare.
"Go, Midoriya!" Shouted Ejiro and Denki.
Everyone felt the relief course through, but that didn't mean they could relax just yet. Even then, they weren't worried. Otherworldly or not, Izuku always pulls through.
"All this time, you waited for a hero to save you…." One For All burned, its energy merging with the aura of Flowmotion, making it a green color, lightning arcs dancing over it.
Even Katsukiwas getting excited. "Come on, Deku! Kick that thing's ass!"
Izuku turned his attention towards the frozen girl, "But you don't have to wait anymore because I'LL BE YOUR HERO!" In a single push, Izuku sent the Nightmare flying back, destroying a wall.
Then Eri felt those emotions all over again.
Back when saved her.
Back when she became her hero.
With a smile and his eyes burning with determination, Izuku turned to Eri. "So don't fear. I am here!"
The screen went dark, and the students collectively revolted.
"You're fucking kidding me!" Katsuki's anger reached a point where it physically manifested as tiny explosions in his hands. When he complained about bad troupes earlier, he didn't think it would actually happen.
"It can't end like that!" Toru sprung up with her arms going up and down rapidly.
"Chillax kids, the next episode is gonna start in a few." Bola tried to placate them, to no avail.
"No way in hell we're waiting fifteen minutes for the next one! Do something, Deku! You have the damn controller!" Katsuki snapped at Izuku, which brought attention to the boy who was mashing all the buttons like crazy.
"C'mon, c'mon! There has to be some secret skip or something!" The plastic groaned under Izuku's relentless assault.
Bola gave an exaggerated sigh, "Fine! There's a code to skip the intersection, but it's different for each episode, so no trying to binge stuff!"
"Fine! Just tell me this one!" Izuku didn't know when he stood up, but now he was on his feet and almost breaking the controller in his grip.
Bola shot him a look, then glanced at Eri, who was frozen in fear, and let out a resigned exhale, "Up, up. Down, down. Left, right. Left, right. Circle, Cross, Start." He barely finished speaking, and Izuku was already smashing the buttons.
The countdown on the screen stopped, then the clock shattered into tiny fragments, and a "press start" message appeared.
Izuku barely sat down before pressing it.
[Play: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - All For One]
Nearly everyone tensed or grimaced at the name of the song. The music itself was decent, but the name brought so many unpleasant memories.
Many unpleasant thoughts.
Izuku bolted from his spot towards the ominous figure, this unknown being who had caused this little girl's suffering. The Nightmare posed to attack, but at the last second, Izuku placed himself between Eri and the Nightmare. Raising his Keyblade above his head, he blocked the blow, his knees bucking against the weight of the attack.
The earlier unpleasantness was put aside as the students witnessed the other Izuku prepare himself against the monster Overhaul.
"Go, Midori!"
"Stop that bastard!"
"You can do it, Deku!"
Eri was looking at the screen with wide eyes.
Izuku felt the power of One For All burn in his veins. They glow bright red, the energy bleeds into his magic, the aura of Flowmotion overflows with it, becoming the color green, and lightning arcs form from the sheer amount of energy, jumping all over his body in discharge.
Eri stared up in awe, watching the lightning dance around Izuku's body as he glowed green. It was kinda pretty.
Yuga chimes in, "I must say the lightning and green glow is pulled off well by our resident danger magnet."
Izuku just let out a sigh. No point in trying to deny it or sulk over it. Even then, he was curious. That looked like Full Cowling, but it was One For All mixing with Flowmotion, was that how the other him would use the quirk?
The Nightmare is sent flying, crashing into a wall and caving it, the force from the impact sending cracks spider-webbing through it.
"Get wrecked," Denki said with a grin, unable to resist.
At that moment, Izuku felt the whole word slow down, the power filling him. He turned to Eri, smiling a brilliant smile, the smile of a hero. He proclaimed to the whole world, lifting his Keyblade towards the sky, "Have no fear. I am here!"
There were cheers of agreement, all while Toshi couldn't help but smile. Another world or not, it was nice to hear his successor say his trademark motto.
The words reached Eri's heart. The smile that saved her dispelled the shadow of fear which terrorized her for so long. It filled her with hope. She is finally safe because there is someone there who would put their entire being to protect her. Even if this battle was only a dream, Eri had no doubt Izuku would fight just as hard in the waking world.
Izuku motioned to Eri, never taking his eyes off the downed Nightmare, "Cotton, I'm trusting you to keep Eri safe. I'm gonna teach this overgrown scarecrow some manners."
There were snorts at the stupid nickname the Izuku onscreen gave the Overhaul monster.
"Way to bring the mood, Midoriya." Hanta teased.
Izuku just sighed.
He could feel the air rumbling with every step he took, and he tightened his grip on his Keyblade in preparation for a counterattack.
The Nightmare, which Izuku started to call Overhaven, got up, roaring at him. Izuku didn't even flinch and wasn't willing to let fear cloud his heart. The power of One For All overcharged his body, giving the teen courage and strength to face the whole world with a smile. Giving into fear is easy. Smiling in the face of adversity is harder.
"Overhaven, really?" Kyoka groaned, "Will every name you come up with be a pun?" She shot Izuku with an unimpressed look.
"It's not me!" Izuku didn't mention how he didn't find the name that bad.
All Might nodded at the other Izuku's take on One For All, the idea resounding with the ideas imparted by his own predecessor.
The combatants are locked in a stare-down. Neither was willing to make the first move, but neither was ready to give an inch. Cotton ushes Eri away towards a pillar, where she is out of harm's way but can still see the upcoming battle.
"Someone give that sheep a medal." Hanta would clap if the tension did not reach the point you could cut it with a knife.
Momo was getting even more confused by what the message on Cotton's statue in Nam's study meant. The sheep had only proved to be reliable until now.
As if hearing her thoughts, Bola snorted. The girl shot him a glance, to which the armored man only shook his head and waved at the screen, probably meaning another "watch and find out" by it.
Within a second, the combatants' dash at each other, and the Nightmare, using his reach to his advantage, tries to batter Izuku with a claw. The young hero sees the strike coming, bending his knees. He jumps above the strike, pulling his arm back. He punches the creature with the handle of his Keyblade.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
Denki struck a pose with his hand on his chest, and another is reaching out to the screen "Izuku Midoriya….All Might fanboy even in the heat of battle."
"Ouch! Getting punched by Midoriya isn't fun, even when he doesn't use a chunk of metal for more oomph." Rikido grimaced, then remembered who, or better said what, he was punching, "Forget I said anything. Please do it again."
The attack hits the creature's face with the force of a truck, sending it once again smashing into the wall. The Overhaven roars in a rage, sinking his claws into the wall. It rippled like the surface of the water. The cement changed form, becoming sharp spikes, shooting toward Izuku.
"Get wre-" Denki was about to shout again, seeing the monster crashing on the wall one more time, only to stop when it counterattacked.
"Stop jinxing it, man!" Eijiro palmed his face.
The boy kicked the air, and he dashed forward. At the last second, Izuku started to swing his Keyblade, destroying the spikes.
The students cheered, awed by the other Izuku's move.
"So he really is using Flowmotion along with One For All." The Izuku in the theater quickly noted down, having compromised his theory.
"My man is just dicing through all those spikes!" Eijiro fist-pumped. He knew Izuku could punch a concrete wall down with no problem, but doing it to spikes being flung at you at high speed was a completely different story.
Spinning his weapon in his hand, Izuku made a trust attack, the speed of his short flight carrying him and adding to the momentum of the hit.
"Now that's just flexing!" Mina's burst of laughter that accompanied her words made others chuckle too.
"A ten for style," Yuga added with a sparkling wink.
Izuku's lips twitched a little.
The Nightmare didn't have time to react; the hit caused his body to burst through the wall. The monster landed loudly against the ground. Izuku saw they were now in an open chamber with pipes and lights hanging from the ceiling.
"I was going to say something, but I think I'll just shut up." Denki decided that being happy for his friend's counterpart was enough, and he didn't need to risk jinxing it again.
Katsuki shot him a look and raised an eyebrow, "Huh, would you look at that? Pikachu can actually learn."
"That's just mean," Denki whined.
Aizawa saw the open space and grimaced, "Problem Child may be in trouble."
Inko, who was doing her best not to faint from all the violence on the screen, turned to him, "Why's that?"
Nezu was the one to respond, "The walls are much farther apart now, which will make using his greatest tool, his Flowmotion, harder."
All Might saw another point of anxiety for them, "Not only that, but as Overhaul could use the floor as a weapon, I bet that thing can too."
"Meaning it has the advantage now." Aizawa finished.
Inko grasped the arms of her chair tightly, begging Izuku could pull through.
The Overhaven got up and opened his arms, slamming them into the ground, making a pillar shoot under the monster, giving it a higher ground.
Izuku thought that the monster was trying to retreat, but then the room started trembling, more pillars rose, and the Nightmare moved from one to the other. Izuku did his best to follow the movements of his enemy, but the second he lost contact, that's when the monster lunged at him.
"IZUKU/DEKU/MIDORIYA!" Everyone shouted.
Izuku's eyes went wide while Toshinori's arms gripped the armrest of his seat.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the claws closing up on him. Izuku tried to force his body to dodge. When the end was almost upon the young hero, a flash of light hit his eyes, and the sound of thunder reached his ears.
Everyone jumped at the unexpected clash of lightning and the loud noise of thunder.
"What the hell just happened?!" Blurted out Denki.
The Overhaven is tackled in the air by a purple and green figure launched against a pillar. Izuku's eyes are fixed on the figure, a horse-like Dream Eater. He had a purple body and a green mane in the shape of lightning bolts.
Eri stared at the screen now with stars in her eyes "Unicorn!"
"Omigosh!" Mina squealed, her hands cupping her cheeks. "Unicorns exist?!"
Tenya was sputtering, "I-it shouldn't be possible!"
"Just like magic!" Toru countered the class rep with a hint of bitterness and envy.
"It's another Dream Eater." Momo pointed out.
Denki then pointed out something, "But why does he have an electric-like mane? Does he control electricity or something?"
"Kinda obvious there," Kyoka said dryly.
"So mean!"
Izuku's lips couldn't help but be pulled into a smile, the familiar Electricorn seemingly returning it. Its name came to his head, "It's good to see you again, Tesla," He picked himself up, having been thrown off balance. "So what about we show this sack of feathers that your lighting isn't just for show!"
Izuku began to write down the name of the Dream Eater. "An Electricorn, so it shot the lightning magic!" As he finished, he began sketching the Dream Eater in his notebook.
Denki was sobbing with envy, "Aw man! First, the other Midoriya, and now the unicorn! Please tell me they can at least help me!"
Bola glanced at the teen before cackling madly.
Denki sulked.
Tesla gave a cry making the air crack with electricity. Izuku jumped on his back, and the power of One For All washed over the Dream Eater, the combined electric aura of the two making the lights overhead flicker.
Izuku dropped his pencil with wide eyes and a slack jaw.
Toshinori coughed up blood at the sight before him, nearly falling out of his seat.
Katsuki said what the other two were clearly thinking "What the hell?!"
Bola fell behind his perch, and all everyone could see was him kicking the air as his cackles were heard all over the theater.
Izuku could only stare at where the theater master was. "I-I-I- h-how- One-one-one For…."
Toshinori grabbed the collar of his suit, "Th-this doesn't I-I don't," the man was sweating profusely, trying to figure out what was going on here. He wasn't expecting this at all.
"Wow, Midori and All Might are broken." Snarked Mina with a teasing smile. "Never thought I'd see the day!"
"Ashido!" Tenya berated.
"Deku?" Ochako shook her friend, who remained unresponsive. Having no choice, she did the only thing she could do.
SMACK!
She slapped him, a red handprint on his cheek as Izuku was sent to the ceiling. Thankfully that pulled him out of his stupor.
"U-Uraraka?!" He yelped, holding his sore cheek.
"Sorry!" Ochako apologized as she released her quirk, and Izuku slowly returned to his seat, holding his cheek.
While Izuku faced worse, his friend knew how to pack a punch. Or a slap in this case.
"I-it's alright!" He turned his attention to the paused screen, "But…how?"
Katsuki then looked up at the man, who was laughing up a storm. "The hell, Rock Head?! How is that unicorn using One For All?! You can't just share a quirk, and I know damn well One For All can't be taken!"
The man stopped laughing and began to calm down, "Hehe, watch and find out!"
Katsuki scowled.
Tesla stood in his rear legs, giving a war cry before dashing against their enemy. The Overhaven got up and jumped back to the top of the pillar, but Tesla followed, his hooves cracking the pillars as he gave chase.
"WOW!" Came the voices of some of the students.
Izuku, despite being shocked and confused about what he witnessed, was scribbling this down like a madman. So much so, smoke was coming out of his notebook as he wrote at a fast pace. Ochako and Shoto blinked in confusion.
"How is he doing that?"
Izuku took the opportunity to fire some bolts of magic at the Nightmare, pointing his Keyblade at the monster. He shot his aura in bolts that made the Overhaven cry in pain with every hit.
"One fried chicken coming right up!" Izuku and Tesla stopped on one pillar, focusing their magic together. Izuku raised Heroes Rising, "Thundaga!" A massive bolt of lightning fell, hitting the Nightmare, the attack so powerful the pillar the monster stood on shattered, sending it toward the ground.
"Holy shit!" Forget being jealous; Denki was awestruck by the display.
Fumikage hummed, "So that is a third-tier spell. Most impressive."
Izuku dismounted the Dream Eater, "That will teach birdy not to play with electricity," he laughed, but it was cut short when Overhaven got up from the pile of rubble, letting out a roar. With it, Scare Crows started to pop up, flying at them.
There were snorts at the witty banter the Izuku on screen did to the Overhaven.
"Damn, Midoriya, you're spitting fire!" Teased Hanta.
Izuku scratched the back of his head, blushing lightly in embarrassment. But he couldn't deny the amusement building up.
All the while, he was experiencing an unpleasant feeling that was trying to swallow him up. He tried to stomp on it.
The charge was interrupted by another roar, a stream of fire following it, taking down some enemies. Izuku looked at the source of the fire, a Ryu Dragon Dream Eater. Its body was green and white with bright red spikes in the tail, and its feet only had one claw, the wings and beak being yellow.
"Another Dream Eater?!" Shouted Toru with a high-pitched voice that made many wince.
"It's a dragon, too," Mashirao added with a curious glance.
"It's so cute!" Mina Squealed.
Kyoka wasn't impressed, "Really? Dragon Dragon? Who comes up with these stupid names?"
Bola cackled, "Well, it certainly ain't me! But I love 'em!"
"Could've fooled us." Muttered Kyoka as she sank to her seat with an annoyed expression, her arms crossed on her chest.
Izuku drew a new page with the Ryu Dragon Dream Eater and wrote whatever information the screen gave, which wasn't much, really. It made him wonder how many types of Dream Eaters were there.
He'll ask Komo later.
Another name made its way into Izuku's mind, "I was wondering when you would join the party, Shiryu!" Izuku motioned to attack. Having little worries about the new additions, he felt as if he had known these Dream Eaters for a long time, his heart swelling with joy at the sight of them. These creatures, whoever they were, were the best allies in this battle.
"So this is Shiryu." Momo thought. "The description said he was the sane one of the Dream Eaters, but I still don't understand."
The surviving Nightmares were closing in at that point, attempting another charge, "Hey Tesla, why don't you deal with the bird problem on the ground while me and Shiryu finish things up here?" Izuku tilted his head to the boss, who was again on its feet. Tesla nodded and jumped down.
Shiryu landed on the pillar now that there was open space. Izuku felt a sense of deja vu. Looking over his shoulder to his companion, he smirked, "Back to back?"
Shiryu tilted his head as if saying, 'do you need to ask?' The two dropped into position, and what followed was a scene from an action movie. The two strike the aggressors from the air in synchrony, a dance of slashes and strikes, punches and kicks, switching with claws, orange flames, and green lighting flying.
Izuku could feel the stab of jealousy building up, but even he couldn't help but feel in awe at what he was witnessing. But the gut-wrenching feeling of envy and self-worth was too much for him to enjoy it.
The MOVEMENT,
TheTEAMWORK,
The POWER,
It was like everything he lacked… his other self had.
It…it just wasn't fair…
"Deku? Are you alright?" Ochako asked her friend, noting his downtrodden behavior.
Izuku snapped out and smiled at her, but Ochako could tell how false the smile was, "I-I'm fine, Uraraka."
She didn't believe him. The rest of his friends were also giving him concerned looks, but Izuku either ignored them or was oblivious to them.
Izuku wasn't really paying it any mind as he looked at the screen, eyes unreadable. "What makes us so different….. why are you the version of me I want to be?"
His hand tightened on the armrest as a lone tear unintentionally fell out of his eye—something which did not go unnoticed.
Bola had a pair of binoculars as he watched the tear fall. He tsked. Time for the special secret motion at once! He pulled a post-it note, scribbled something on it, folded it into a mini paper airplane, and launched it out of a window.
In no time at all, the only ones standing were the green duo. Izuku smiled at his friend, "Now let's go help Tesla before he gets all the fun!" The boy and Dream Eater jumped off the platform, free-falling through the air. They saw the Electricorn at a standstill with the Overhaven, The two attacking and retreating without gaining ground.
Hanta snorted, "Only the other Midoriya would find something as dangerous as this as fun."
There were a few snorts of giggles, but Izuku's eyes were covered in shadow. Too lost on the screen to pay attention. Other than his friends' worried gazes, no one seemed to notice his suffering.
Eri looked at Izuku worryingly. Why was he so sad?
Izuku crossed the air, aiming directly at his enemy. He made an overhead swing, taking the Nightmare by surprise. Shiryu followed with a breath of flames, lighting the monster's feathers on fire.
Shoto blinked in silent awe. That fire was almost as intense as his father's.
Tesla uses the opening to charge an electric attack, sending a bolt from his horn and scoring a direct hit on the creature's chest.
Izuku charged, and the Dream Eaters followed his lead. They started a barrage of attacks, working like a well-oiled machine. Hits are dealt at a fast pace, and blows are blocked and countered. The three companions were in the middle of the dance of the daring, and that was a dance they knew by heart.
"Way to bust some moves, Midoriya!" Shouted Hanta, most of his classmates cheering in agreement.
Izuku, however, remained silent, eyes never leaving the screen. His hands were trembling on the armrest, which didn't soothe his friends at all.
In a last combined strike, the Nightmare is sent skidding back, "Let's end this, guys!" Izuku holds his Keyblade with two hands, the Dream Eaters standing by his sides. The three glowed, Tesla and Shiryu turning into an orb of lightning and fire, respectively, the two converging on the tip of Heroes Rising, "Plazma Burst!"
The fused orb shoots an energy beam, hitting the Overhaven, carrying it off the ground, smashing it through the remaining pillars, and ending in the wall, where it blows into a dome of light.
"That was so goddamn anime!" Hanta half cheered, half laughed.
A few of his classmates laughed in agreement.
Izuku covered his eyes to prevent himself from getting blinded. When the light of the attack died out, Tesla and Shiryu reappeared in a flash of light. Izuku moved his hand away, and the Overhaven was gone. The Overhaven was defeated. Slinging his keyblade over his shoulder, he looked over to his friends, who gave victorious cries in return.
"They did it!" Ejiro was crying manly tears, "Midoriya defeated the Overhaven Nightmare Monster like a true man!"
"That's kind of a mouthful." Hanta grinned with amusement.
The entire class was cheering at the victory on screen. Aizawa was groaning at the noise and wanted nothing more but to curl up in his sleeping bag and sleep. Kyoka was covering her ears, but it was fruitless as she could still pick up all the noise.
Mina and Toru were cheering and jumping while holding each other in glee. "The unicorn is saved!"
Eri blushed in embarrassment, but she couldn't help to smile again. Izuku, despite the jumble of emotions happening inside of him, couldn't help but smile a little. No matter how much inadequate he felt, Eri was safe. No matter what dimension.
[End Music]
Looking back to the hole in the wall he came from, Izuku saw Eri. She had a look of amazement in her eyes, the same look he had every time he saw a hero. Walking to her, Cotton approached the other Dream Eaters, greeting each other.
Eri's eyes are glued on Izuku's shining figure, the green lighting arcs dancing at every step. He kneeled in front of her, petting her head softly, the energy he was emanating tickling her, "See, Eri, you have nothing to fear," Izuku's smile was even brighter, "So let's go home."
Eri's eyes sparkled at the Izuku on screen. It reminded her so much when Mr. Deku saved her from Overhaul.
"Now that's a smile!" Mina said as she gestured to the Izuku on screen.
Whatever positive emotion Izuku had, it all went down the drain.
Eri nodded, the overwhelming pressure that weighed her heart fading. She felt her eyelashes get heavy. Izuku held her in his arms, and she fell asleep with a last wave to the Dream Eaters.
There was a lot of cooing from the girls at the cute scene.
Giving one last look to his friends, Izuku nodded, the goodbyes he received being the last thing he saw.
[Play: Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory OST - Always on My Mind]
Izuku floated in the dark. Opening his eyes, he saw a mass of darkness covering something in front of him.
"What is that?" Mezo asked with narrowed eyes.
"I do not know," Momo said lowly. "But it does look rather unpleasant."
"And scary." Shivered Denki
Kyoka narrowed her eyes, "This depressing shit doesn't really fit this music…." She muttered. "What's up with that?"
Summoning his Keyblade with a flick of his wrist, he pointed ahead, the aura flowing through it, shooting out, flying through the void like a thunderbolt crossing a stormy sky. It dispelled the darkness, revealing what was buried—a pillar with a glass image of Eri, with red surroundings. Eri was seated in the middle, looking at the distance as if watching the setting sun. She wore the same clothes from the dream, with the addition of two dark green belts crossed in an X. That made Izuku couldn't help but be a little embarrassed, and it was obvious where she got that fashion choice from.
"Wow!"
Everyone was gaping at the giant glass pillar of Eri as Izuku's Keyblade managed to get rid of the darkness. Meanwhile, the girl in question had stars in her eyes. She had a glass pillar like Mr. Deku.
Even Izuku was surprised, but his lips twitched a little. Seeing Eri in that glass plane was truly something that brought an unfamiliar warmth to his heart.
Momo herself was awed, "That artwork is truly majestic!"
"But that does mean that everyone has a glass pillar?" Asked Kyoka. "Cause Midoriya had one, remember?"
"Fuck, I hope not." Muttered Katsuki. He didn't want something as stupid as that.
Bola was no help either as he cackled under his breath.
It glows with a warm light that washes over Izuku. While his sight is filled with white, he hears a soft voice.
"Thank you for saving me and for giving me hope."
And cue on more gushing from the girls. Little Eri shrunk a little on her seat, her face red with embarrassment. But even then, the one-horned had a smile on her face as she watched the screen with bright eyes.
Izuku couldn't even drown the growing warmth the scene gave. It was a nice little relief, honestly.
The Other Izuku is standing on the pillar with Izuku's image, looking at the blank disks. The top one starts to glow, and an image of Eri appears on it.
Everyone jumped at the unexpected light and blinked in surprise when Eri's image appeared on Izuku's glass pillar.
"What just happened?" Mashirao asked while looking at Yuga.
Yuga posed and winked at him while sparkles oozed off him, "Magic!"
Mashirao wasn't sure what to make of this. "Okay?"
"I mean, he isn't wrong. Magic is a thing there." Hanta shrugged.
The tail mutant just sighed dubiously, "I guess. I still can't wrap my head over this."
"Nor I." Muttered Aizawa, rubbing his aching temples.
"Good to see that no matter what happens, I can still help those in need," he turned around, "Don't you all think so, too?"
A group of eight figures stood behind him, silently watching a few with soft smiles.
"Who the hell are those fuckers?" Katsuki asked through the silence.
"I-I don't know…." Izuku muttered, pulling out his Quirk Analysis Volume XIII notebook and writing that down.
With the teachers…
Toshinori was as white as a sheet, and the adults were sure that he had stopped breathing. Something which wasn't exactly encouraging to someone who was severely wounded like Toshinori.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Aizawa raised an eyebrow at how strange the former number-one hero was acting. "Breathe before you kill yourself!"
Inko firmly shook the skeleton man, but Toshinori remained incapable of speaking and breathing. So she did something which was necessary, she smacked him. Not too hard, though.
Toshinori choked and coughed some blood. But thankfully, he sucked in a lot of air before coughing again.
"Please do not do this again, All Might," Nezu said to Toshinori, raising a paw. "You need to breathe, after all."
Toshinori merely grunted and rubbed his chest, where Inko smacked him. But his eyes trailed off to a familiar figure before the screen changed.
[End Music]
Izuku woke up with Eri shaking him. Slowly getting up, Izuku opened his eyes. He was still hugging Eri, and the green aura still covered him.
"Izuku, you're glowing," Eri said, clinging to the older boy.
"That's kinda obvious." Snorted Denki.
"Yeah, I am."
"Best reaction." Hanta chuckled while shaking his head.
The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. Izuku noticed that something was different about Eri. She showed happiness for the first time since Izuku brought her into his home. It was as if her heart was free from the shadow that held it for so long. Izuku promised silently that he would protect that happiness and never let the darkness take it ever again.
"Yeah, all it took was Midoriya to defeat a Nightmare monster." Denki teased.
Kyoka jabbed him for that, and at the same time, Katsuki smacked him upside the head.
"Ow! Again?!"
"Be smarter next time, Dunce Face," Katsuki grunted in annoyance.
"But I'm not wrong!"
"No, but you need to be more sensitive," Kyoka muttered.
"Okay, geez…"
Meanwhile, Eri was smiling at the scene while Izuku looked at the screen. He wanted to be happy that his other self managed to make the other Eri smile. He remembered when he and his classmates worked so hard to make her happy.
But, despite that warm light he managed to contain, it was drowned by something…. something unpleasant. Was it the opposite of light?
Because it fits perfectly.
The darkness in his chest drowned the light.
Bola shook his head at the obvious signs the boy was giving. Not much longer now.
The sound of laughter brought Inko to check on the kids, and she had a lot of surprises when opening the door. "IZUKU! Why are you glowing?!" Her outburst only made them laugh more. Seeing that there was no danger in it, Inko sighed in relief, "Okay, Eri come with me to freshen up. Izuku, tone down the light show for now."
There were a few giggles.
Inko's lips twitched in amusement.
"Yes, mom." Izuku put Eri on the ground, waving to her to go. The little girl, still giggling, waved back, walking with Inko out of the room. Izuku looked at his hands and arms, still glowing with One For All, "One For All fused with Flowmotion, so now it's something different," Izuku hummed to himself. He tilted his head from one side to the other and smiled at the feeling of energy coursing through his entire body. "What about... Full Cowling!"
"And that's how the other you came up with that name." Ochako commented, "Isn't it cool, Deku?!"
"Yeah… cool…." Izuku said with a monotone tone, not bothering to actually pay attention to what Ochako said.
His friends looked at each other with concern before looking at him. Izuku, however, looked emotionless on the screen.
He stood there for a few seconds before a thought made its way into his head, "But how do I turn it off?"
There was a round of laughter.
Izuku stood there for a few minutes before closing his eyes. He focused on seeing with his heart. The energy felt as if it was connected to the past users, them all working to give him strength. Their hearts and his were connected; surprisingly, this wasn't even their full power. Probably five percent of it in total, as he wasn't strong enough for the full power. Maybe someday, though, just not today.
Izuku gritted his teeth. In just a few days, his other self managed to discover what was wrong.
Focusing back on his task, Izuku tried to imagine a lock closing and cutting off the connection. Opening his eyes, he saw that the aura had died off, "Huh, not bad for the first time...that I didn't break any bones."
"Which is a relief…." Muttered Aizawa.
A shame Izuku didn't feel the same. All he was doing was revisiting that particular memory lane and comparing it to his other self.
Satisfied with his progress, Izuku got up, preparing himself for the day. After freshening up, he helped his mother in preparing breakfast, and she still couldn't help but be surprised by how good he was in the kitchen.
A few of their classmates were envious.
"Hey Deku, think you can cook for us one day?" Asked Denki.
"H-huh?!" Izuku snapped out of his self-pity and was caught off guard.
"I mean, if you can cook as good as your mom says, I'm interested!"
"So am I!" Mina pipped in.
Tenya scolded the two, "Midoriya doesn't need to force himself to cook for you!"
"I-it's fine, Iida." Stuttered Izuku, "And maybe? I never really thought about it…."
Ochako looked at him with a smile, "Well, if you ever do, tell me! I want to try your cooking!"
Izuku blushed but smiled.
Eri drooled a little as she remembered the candied apple Izuku gave her after the School Festival. It was delicious! She wondered what his other cooking tasted like…
Eri was drooling by the time the meal was ready. Sitting down, the family started to eat. After some time, Inko broke the silence, "So, Eri, you slept well?"
"Yeah! Izuku was in my dream, and he protected me from the bird monsters!" Eri replied between mouthfuls.
Inko smiled at the cute display, "That's good, Eri, but don't talk with your mouth full."
The interaction warmed Izuku's heart. Barely a day, and they already looked like a family.
Eri felt her heart flutter at the scene, and Izuku glanced at her reaction. He couldn't help but release a genuine smile.
"So, Izuku, why were you glowing?" Inko asked, both curious and concerned. Was his quirk acting up? She didn't know what to think about this strange late-blooming quirk.
Smile gone.
"Yeah, that's what we'd like to know." Hanta snarked. His smile was that of amusement.
"Well, I had a dream and learned some new tricks," Izuku said, honestly not thinking about how out there the truth really was.
Inko thought almost nothing about the declaration. Strange dreams were common with her son, "Okay, honey, we're going to buy Eri some new clothes, I want you to get ready to go out, but you'll have to tell me about this strange dream."
There were a few snorts.
After cleaning the table and washing the dishes, the small family left the house. After taking the train to the city's more populated area, they made their way to a clothing store.
Izuku was really glad for All Might's training. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to carry all the bags, his mother ended up going a little overboard with the shopping, but at least now Eri has all the necessary things.
"I feel your pain." Mezo hummed, remembering how he had to carry shopping bags from his female family members.
"Same." Mashirao groaned. He was lucky he was well-fit; otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted as long as he did.
Speaking of the little girl, she was looking at all the stores and people with eyes shining with curiosity, like a child that was discovering the world for the first time, as Izuku saw himself in the visions when he visited a new place.
There were many faces of sympathy and a quiet croak from Tsuyu.
"We should take the unicorn shopping after this," Mina said with conviction.
Many of the guys felt a sense of dread when the girls agreed.
Ending their little expedition, they returned home in time for lunch. After a special Katsudon, a reward for Izuku carrying everything the whole trip, Inko led Eri to the bathroom to take a shower and change into her new clothes.
Izuku decided to check his phone to kill time and saw some messages from his new friends.
Ochako: Hey, how are you two doing?
"Ooooh~?" Mina looked teasingly at Ochako, "What's this? Texting secrets~?"
Ochako blushed, already knowing what Mina was implying. And she was forever thankful that her friends were oblivious.
Tenya: I have been well. I hope the exam results do not stress you. I am optimistic we have succeeded.
Izuku thought about the exam after reading the message. With everything that happened, he ended up forgetting all about it, but his friends were probably worried about their scores. Resolving himself, he started typing.
"Classic Midoriya." Snorted Kyoka.
Izuku: How about we hang out today, get our heads off the exam, and relax a little?
Ochako: I'm in!
Tenya: I suppose we could, but we can not stay out too long, we still have classes tomorrow, and we can not let our education be jeopardized!
"You're too stiff, Iida." Mina said, "You need to relax and live a little!"
Tenya chopped his hands, "Our studies are not something to be jeopardized, Ashido! We need to be in top shape for our education!"
"Just saying…" Muttered Mina.
Izuku: Cool! Let's meet up at Dagoba Municipal Beach.
Tenya: That was not the beach that became an illegal dumping ground?
Izuku: It was until I cleaned it.
Ochako: You cleaned a WHOLE beach?!
"That's what I said!" Shouted Ochako, which made a few of her classmates' laugh.
Izuku: Yeah
Ochako: HOW?!
Izuku: Determination and hard work.
"I'll say!" Pipped in Hanta. "Midoriya goes more Plus Ultra than all of us!"
Ejiro let out manly tears, "I need to step up my game, man!"
Tenya: That is commendable. I will be glad to go and appreciate the results of your hard work.
Izuku: Kay! Meet you two there
Izuku put the phone down and thought about what to do on the beach when a sudden idea struck him. Getting up and going to the kitchen, he prepared a little surprise for his friends.
"What's the surprise?!" Whined Denki, utterly depressed that they didn't show what it was.
"It wouldn't be a surprise if you knew what it was!" Cackled Bola.
Denki pouted and sulked.
"Izuku!" Eri cried, running toward him with small end excited footsteps. Izuku turned to her, seeing her wearing a red dress with a green star in the middle and red shoes from the same brand as his, but what made Izuku's heart warm was the two dark green belts crossed in an X, like he started to use since he started his training. For some reason, he couldn't really tell. He felt like there was something familiar about this situation, something that made him proud of himself.
"So cute!" Everyone thought.
"She looks similar to when she was in her nightmare." Hummed Toshinori.
Tsuyu ribbited a chuckle, "She's using her belts like the other Midoriya and red shoes too. Looks like you have a fan." Her words made Izuku stutter.
He thought again how that wasn't him, but the memory of Kota with shoes just like his popped up in his mind and made him blush.
"You look amazing, Eri!" Izuku said, spinning her around.
"She sure does," Inko said, getting out of Izuku's bedroom. After the cute display in the morning, she will leave the two to share it (and hopefully get some adorable pictures of them).
Inko smiled softly while a few classmates laughed.
Izuku turned towards his mother, "Hey, mom, can I take Eri with me to the beach?" Izuku asked while carrying Eri in his arms, the little girl giving him a bear hug, or at least trying to.
"That isn't fair," Inko thought. "I can't say no when they are being that cute."
Inko blushed, but she agreed with her counterpart.
"I'll say!" Mina pipped in, "Mamadoriya is right! It should be illegal for you guys to be this cute!"
Eri tilted her head, "Why?"
Mina and Toru just laughed, which made the girl more confused.
"Okay, but don't stay out too late," She then pointed to him, "and you better not get shot at again, mister." Izuku gave an awkward laugh while scratching the back of his neck. He really shouldn't have said that. He didn't even think that it actually happened.
Katsuki snorted in amusement, "No shit."
"It was expected," Shoto said rather bluntly, which made everyone laugh, and Izuku sighed in exaggeration.
Taking his things, he sent a message to his friends saying he was already on the way. When he saw that someone else was online, making a sudden decision, he sent a message.
Izuku: Hey, Kacchan! Wanna hang out?
Kacchan: Why would I want to hang out with you, Deku?!
"Classic Bakugo." Snorted Denki.
"What was that, Dunce face?!"
Izuku: Because we're friends
Kacchan: ...
Kacchan: When and where?
"That was quick!" Laughed Mina while Katsuki seethed silently.
Izuku: Dagobah beach
Kacchan: The place you cleaned?
Izuku: Yup
Izuku: Wait, how do you know that?
"Yeah, how do you know that?" Mina asked with a shit-eating grin.
"Blow it out of your ass, Pinky!" Roared Katsuki, "I don't need to tell you everything!"
Kacchan: None of your damn business!
Kacchan: I'll meet you there
And with that, Katsuki went offline. Izuku just shrugged it off and headed out, giving Eri a piggyback ride when they got on the street.
There were a few gushes of cuteness, and Eri's lips twitched. She remembered when Mr. Deku gave her a piggyback ride. It felt nice.
Should she ask him to do it again?
"Where are we going, Izuku?" Eri asked, getting comfortable on Izuku's back. He looked at her from over his shoulder, "We are going to hang out with my friends."
"We are?" Eri asked, a little worried. The thought of having to talk to new people wasn't exactly the best in her mind.
Izuku noticed it and reassured her, "Hey, don't worry, Ochako and Tenya are really nice, and Kacchan is a good guy deep down. He just gets loud a bit sometimes."
"That's an understatement." Hanta snickered.
Katsuki's hands crackled with small explosions.
As if summoned by his name, the blonde bomber shouted after turning a corner and getting on the same street as them, and he wore cargo pants, boots, and a black muscle shirt, "Hey, Deku! What the hell are you thinking calling me to-who is the kid?"
Cue in the snorts and a seething Katsuki.
"Hi, Kacchan!" Izuku greeted his friend if the fact he came was any indication.
"Answer the goddamn question, Deku!" Katsuki shouted, albeit without his usual bite, while talking to others.
"Okay, okay, Kacchan, this is Eri," Izuku lifted Eri to emphasize the little girl. He turned his head to face her, "Eri, this is my friend Kacchan, don't let his angry face scare you. You get used to it after a while." Izuku laughed when Eri giggled too.
More giggles while Katsuki grits his teeth and shoot a glare at everyone. "All of you be fucking quiet!"
"Or what?" Teased Denki.
"Or else I will kill you after all this!"
Nearly everyone rolled their eyes, having been used to the blond's threats.
Katsuki, while annoyed, didn't respond with his usual swears, "Why are you carrying a kid, Deku?" He almost sounded worried, even if he would never admit it.
"Well, it's kinda a long story. I'll tell you on the way." Izuku started to walk with Katsuki, recounting the events of the day before, Eri sneaking glances at the blonde while he pretended not to notice.
"You got shot!" Kacchan shouted.
"Yeah, why is everyone so fixed in that part?" Izuku's answer was a punch upside the head by the blonde.
Snorts of amusement rang.
"I'm sorry, this is just too funny!"
"They keep bringing that up!"
"Well, he did say he was shot, so no way is it going to die down."
"Because you could have died, you fu-freaking idiot."
Everyone froze and looked at Katsuki as though he had grown another head.
"You censored yourself?" Ejiro said with disbelief.
That made Izuku pause; with an incredulous look, he turned to Katsuki, "You censored yourself?" Izuku asked as if someone had just told him that his father was All Might, the concept of Bakugo Katsuki not swearing felt blasphemous.
"Exactly!" Nearly everyone shouted.
"Fuck off!" Katsuki snarled.
Shoto pointedly looked aside at the DadMight part.
"There's a kid here. Even I'm not that bad." Katsuki felt annoyed by both the incredulous stare and the apparent disbelief. He could control his language. He just typically didn't want to. That was no need to look like he had just murdered someone. It was sort of bogus, but even he could read the room that if he upset Eri, then Izuku would get upset too.
"Well, who knew? Miracles do happen!" Izuku laughed while Katsuki glared at him. Eri tried to stiff her giggles.
"A shame that our Bakugo isn't like that." Snorted Hanta.
Katsuki gave off a menacing aura.
"So Auntie Inko adopted her?"
"Well yeah, she adopted me, so I think we are in the same boat." Izuku took a second to realize Katsuki had stopped walking. Turning around, he saw that he was standing still and staring at him.
And just like that, the amusing mood drops to an awkward silence. Inko and Izuku looked mildly uncomfortable, and no one could blame them.
"I almost forgot that Midoriya was adopted in that world…" Denki said softly.
As much as she wanted to, Kyoka decided against jabbing the blond boy. Just this once. Katsuki also stayed back, a little uncomfortable at the reminder with the other Midoriyas.
"What'd you mean you're adopted?" Katsuki spoke with a terrifying calmness. A chill crossed Izuku's spine as he had never seen the bomber so calm. And even then, he could feel the anger emanating from him.
Izuku felt the same chill in his spine.
Izuku decided to tell the truth. He wasn't ashamed of it. He actually felt proud to call Inko 'mom,' as she loves him. "Well, a couple of months ago, when I started to train to get into UA, my mom told me I was adopted. That whole thing of my dad working overseas was just not to make it obvious when people asked questions. She actually never got married or anything."
Inko felt uncomfortable just listening to how Hisashi never existed in that world. She remembered meeting the man in her teens and falling in love with him. Dates turned to marriage, and both of them had Izuku.
But then things went downhill, and they separated. She hasn't spoken to the man since the divorce, but at least he provided for them.
"You are not mad at her? At everyone that lied to you?" Katsuki was dead serious, and he knew that in Izuku's place, he would have blown up, literally.
Izuku pursed his lips. He loved his mother, and he would never be mad at her for something world-breaking like this.
That didn't mean he was comfortable about it, though.
Izuku gave him a look, clearly saying he didn't even think about getting mad. Fucking nerd. "No, it's not like it changes anything." Izuku gave a shrug and a smile. "Besides, I got to meet you, didn't I?"
Katsuki nodded as if satisfied with his answer, while Eri just watched the interaction, not understanding all of it.
Eri didn't understand either. And when she asked, everyone shot each other awkward looks and didn't say anything. Izuku looked rather strange, so she decided not to bother him.
Maybe Mr. Eraser knows?
The two boys resume their walk, finally arriving at the beach after a couple of minutes. There, two familiar figures were waiting,
"Izuku-kun! Here!" Ochako called him, waving her arm to catch his attention. She wore red knee-length shorts, a pink t-shirt, and light pink sneakers. At her side, Tenya, too, was waving. He wore blue jeans, a white button-up shirt, and dark blue running shoes.
"Ochako! Tenya! Good to see you again." Izuku ran at his friends, Katsuki right behind him, grumbling something under his breath.
"Hard to believe Bakugo is more friendly here." Remarked Rikido.
"I know, right?" Denki said.
Now with his friends, standing at the entrance of the beach, Izuku let Eri down and made some quick introductions pointing at each person, "Eri, these are Uraraka Ochako and Iida Tenya, guys, these are Eri and Kacchan."
"Oi! don't go telling them that stupid nickname!"
"Too late." Snorted Denki, and Katsuki smacked him.
"OW!"
"But Kacchan, you'll probably just give them some nicknames too. I know you're bad at remembering names. That's why you started calling me Deku" Izuku still remembered when the two were kids. Katsuki forgot his name all the time, and he started to call Izuku 'Deku' after trying to read his name for the first time. The nickname stuck, and after realizing it was easier than remembering names, Katsuki started to come up with one for every person he met.
"Well, you learn something every day," Hanta remarked.
"Shut up, Plain Face!" Katsuki snarled, a faint blush on his cheeks.
Katsuki huffed, "Whatever, the name is Bakugou Katsuki" Izuku just chuckled, amused. Tenya watched the interaction, deducting that both boys knew each other well, while Ochako just giggled alongside Eri.
Everyone was giggling while Katsuki flushed and looked away from the screen.
"It is a pleasure to meet you" Tenya bowed perfectly ninety degrees while Ochako just gave them a nod before saying, "I think we better go."
"Yeah, let's go. I want to show Eri the beach." Izuku grabbed Eri and walked to the sand, the sea breeze ruffling their hair.
Eri wondered what it was like to go to the beach.
One look at the one-horned girl and Mina had a fire in her eyes. The people around her scooted as far as possible from her.
After reaching halfway to the water, Izuku put Eri in the sand, "So? Do you like it?"
She did.
Eri was quiet for a moment, taking the view in, hearing the soft crash of waves, "It's like the land, the sea, and the sky are meeting."
Momo's eyes shot up, "That was something I never took notice of…." She muttered to herself. "That's a good assonance."
"There's just something special about beaches, hum?"
"Yes, it is as if the land, the sea, and the sky are meeting."
"Huh, never thought you had a poetic side S̵͚͒̕ọ̸̱͐͋r̷̛̼͎͆ą̶̮͑͑."
No one jumped, already having gotten used to the glitches. That doesn't change the annoyance or exasperation everyone was expressing.
"Ugh, another damn glitch." Katsuki was done with this shit.
"But that is a good assonance." Hanta smiled at the glitched teen. He glanced at Eri, who was sitting next to Izuku. Did this mean she was interested in poetry?
"Izuku," Eri's voice brought Izuku back to reality. He saw the worried faces of his friends, "Sorry guys, I think I spaced out a little." He scratched the back of his neck.
"You sure you are okay, Izuku-kun?"
"Yeah, good enough to do THIS!" Izuku said while mockingly punching Katsuki's arm, "You are it!" Turning around, Izuku bolted out of the reach of the blonde, running along the sand while laughing.
Katsuki wouldn't let Deku simply get away with it. With a shout, he chased after the green-haired teen.
"Well, look it here!" Mina said, looking at the blond bomber with a shit-eating grin while everyone was laughing, "Best friends in another world!"
"Stuff it, Pinky!" Katsuki gritted his teeth at her.
"Aw c'mon, Bakugo," Mina pouted. "At least you can admit they have a better relationship than you!"
"Fuck you!" Katsuki snarled, stomping on the feeling of having his gut churning.
"Just saying…" Muttered Mina.
Izuku felt a churn in his heart as he tightened his hold on the armrest, his knuckles turning white. How is it that their relationship with Kacchan started the same, and the other him easily befriended the blond?
Ochako and Tenya watched, surprised by that, but the sound of Eri's laughs made them smile too, "Your brother and his friend are quite lively."
The girl jumped after hearing Tenya talking to her, but looking at the kind boy, she nodded. And then what he said registered for her, her brother, was that what they are now? The idea of being family with the boy who saved her made her smile, another thing she could not do if it weren't for Izuku.
"So, what do you think?" Everyone turned back to look at Bola, only to do a double take. Sitting on the rail of the balcony was Eri, the same Eri on the screen.
Izuku's eyes shot to the chair beside his, seeing that Eri was still there, also looking at the balcony in shock. That could only mean that it was the other Eri.
The little girl kicked her legs back and forth, "I'll give it a nine."
Bola huffed, "Everyone's a critic these days. Why's that?"
"Because I remember Izuku being a lot cooler!" The girl giggled.
Bola waved his hand lazily, "That's just you being biased." That earned him a pout. He leaned closer, "I need a favor. Can you…" Bola brought a hand up and whispered something they couldn't catch, not even those with sensory quirks.
The other Eri nodded back with a smile, "Sure!" She jumped back on the balcony, quickly scurrying away.
Mina jumped on her chair, "What was that?!" She pointed her finger at him.
Bola pointed his finger back, "You'll find out later!"
"We better!" She pointed another finger.
Bola and Mina kept pointing at each other for another minute, ending up with them both laughing and Mina sitting back down.
"Wha-?" Izuku was about to ask when Bola shushed him and snapped his finger, making the screen unpause.
"Better pay attention if you don't want to miss the rest!" He cackled as the audience turned back, not willing to miss any possible clue that may randomly pop up (as it was the norm until now). Some still shot Bola glares.
The boy in question ran for his life, laughing all the while. The sea breeze on his face and the rush of the run made his heart feel warm. He missed this, even if not being sure exactly what it was, friends? The beach? The feeling of being happy and sharing it with others? He didn't know, but it didn't matter at that moment, because he was delighted.
After some hours, the sun was already setting. The five friends were sitting on the wall at the edge of the sand, watching the sunset.
"I almost forgot!" Izuku said with a jump, startling the others. Izuku then pulled light blue popsicles from...somewhere, "The day is not complete without Sea-Salt Ice Cream!"
…
"What's Sea-Salt Ice Cream?" Denki asked with confusion.
Everyone around them had question marks and turned to Bola for an explanation. They just hope he wouldn't do his classic creepy cackles.
Bola responded, "A delicious sweet delicacy that made many mouths water. No one has been able to discover how it was made." He paused for a dramatic effect.
"Does that mean we'll never have Sea-Salt Ice Cream?!" Cried Denki.
A few other students looked disappointed.
"Fear not, Children!" Bola said with a heroic voice, topping it with a heroic pose that made a few of them snicker, "For our resident chef has discovered the recipe! And she confirmed that after a certain event occurs…." Bola trailed off, "Well, that is up for you to find out!" He cackled.
A few people sighed or slumped.
Denki looked hopeful, "Does this mean there will be ice cream?"
Bola merely cackled.
He passed one to everyone, the others still questioned where he kept them. After everyone got their ice cream, they bit it, "SALTY!" They screamed, not expecting it. After a second, a sweet taste replaced it, the contrast making it even better.
There were a few chuckles.
"Not the type of reaction I was expecting," Mashirao said, with Mezo grunting in agreement.
"At least it's a good reaction," Denki said.
"Hmmm, this is actually pretty enjoyable. Where did you buy them, Izuku-san?" Tenya asked. Izuku got him to start calling him by his first name after a lot of convincing (and a little help from Eri's puppy dog eyes).
Izuku took a bite from his ice cream, "I made them."
"Of course he did." Muttered Katsuki, looking bored, and done.
"No need to be mean, bro." Ejiro sighed.
"Since when can you make ice cream, Deku?" Katsuki was having a lot of surprises that day, from finding out that his friend is adopted to his crazy rescue of the girl currently in Izuku's lap enjoying her ice cream, and now figuring that clumsy Deku actually made some damn good ice cream, even if he wouldn't admit it.
"At least that other you is more kind than you." Hanta grinned.
Katsuki had a giant tick mark on his head as he growled dangerously, "Want to say that again, Soy Sause?!
"I would rather live, thank you."
"Huh? I don't know-"
"The day is not complete without Sea-Salt Ice Cream!"
"You don't think you're exaggerating a little, Axel?"
"If you are going to complain, then you don't get any."
"Hey! I wasn't complaining, Roxas, Xion, back me up here!"
"Sorry, but you are on your own, haha."
Shoto blinked in bewilderment when he saw the tall red-haired man. Despite the teardrops this Axel fellow had on his eyes, it almost seemed as though he was related to him. Did this mean his father had another secret love child?
Bola chuckled at the Todoroki, already having an idea what the teen was thinking.
"Wonder where we can get Sea-Salt Ice Cream…." Denki uttered thoughtfully, looking envious at the cold treat in the red-haired man's hand.
Kyoka shot him a look, "That's what you're thinking about?" She asked in disbelief, "Not the fact Midoriya is talking to those people who are wearing the same coat?!"
Denki shrugged helplessly while Kyoka groaned.
Tsuyu put a finger on his chin and tilted her head, "It is interesting that Midoriya is hanging out with these people. Ribbit."
"Deku called them Axel, Roxas, and Xion." Ochako chimed in.
"Did Midoriya join a gang?!" Tenya looked aghast at the thought, "What has that Midoriya been doing?!"
Izuku's lips twitched a little, and despite the jumble of emotions, he wrote the scene in his Shattered Memories Volume I notebook.
"I don't think that's the case." Tsuyu hummed.
With the teachers…
Aizawa narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "What the hell is the problem child doing?"
Inko looked scandalized and feared the worst, "Has my baby joined a gang?!"
"Doubtful," Nezu said as he kept his eyes on the paused screen.
Again Izuku saw a vision of people that made his heartache. Why did it hurt so much to see someone he's never met? Or did they meet? These questions only made his heart ache more.
"Oh, Izuku…" Inko whimpered. She always despised seeing her baby suffer.
"Izuku," That made Izuku focus on the present. Katsuki's hand was on his shoulder, and he was making an expression that could even be called concerned. But the thing that really stood out was that he used his name for the first time in years.
"Yeah."
"You're crying," Izuku realized that a single tear was running down his face, he normally cried a lot, but that single tear felt different. It was lonely, full of sadness and longing.
"Poor Deku…" Ochako looked sorrowful for her friend on screen.
"I agree…" Tenya said softly, "I despise the thought of having to witness my friend suffer. No matter what universe they're on."
Shoto nodded in agreement.
Eri looked at Izuku, whose lips twitched a little. She hugged him, which caught the boy off guard, "I hate seeing you sad…." She said softly, her voice a little muffled as she buried her face in his side.
Izuku sucked in a shaky breath, "Thank you, Eri…."
Eri hugged him tighter.
All his friends were looking at him, faces full of worry. That took some of the weight in his heart. At that moment, he knew that they were true friends, that they would always be at his side, and with that clarity, he decided to open his heart to them.
"I'm okay. It is just that… I've been having these weird thoughts lately."
"And that's the end, people!" Bola shouted from his perch, "No more freebies, which means that you need to wait for fifteen minutes! Go on and do whatever you need to do!"
There were a few complaints, but everyone got off their seats to stretch their legs. A few had gone straight to the bathroom while a few others were walking around and talking to each other.
"Man, that was awesome!" Denki said with a grin.
"I know, right?!" Mina chirped, "It's a wonder if our Midori can pull out moves like that! And maybe have a better wardrobe change!"
"Not happening!" Snorted Katsuki, utterly amused despite the sneer on his face, "The nerd loves his shitty simple clothes."
"You don't know until you try~."
"Fuck you, Pinky! The old hag tried, and she failed."
"You call your mother a hag?" Ejiro blinked in bewilderment.
"Shut up, Weird Hair!"
While everyone was talking about the episode they saw, Izuku was trembling a little as he heard everyone talk about him. His other self was just too perfect compared to him. His fighting techniques, his abilities to use magic….
…the ability to use One For All without shattering his bones…
…just…why?
Why was it that no matter how much he tries…there's another version of himself who is better than him?
…why is it that despite his efforts…he could never reach that level of perfection…?
…the perfection which his other self did with minimal effort in such a short time…
…and the apparent better fashion sense…
…
"Deku, are you alright?" Ochako, being a good friend, decided to check on him.
"Yes." Tenya was chopping his hands, but clearly, he had a concerned face, "We've noticed that you've been off." Shoto hummed in agreement, his face flat, but obviously, he worried for the green-haired teen.
They knew that Izuku hadn't been himself lately, and they wanted nothing more but to help him. It honestly warmed Izuku's heart. He loved his friends, but the negative emotions were just too strong at the moment.
…besides, fake it till you make it right…?
"Y-yeah…j-jus-just need to go to the bathroom…."
Izuku needed some time alone, and the boy's bathroom seemed private enough once the boys left.
"Mr. Deku?" Eri tilted her head in confusion and worry, "Why are you so sad?"
Izuku wanted to curse himself, but he managed to smile at her, "I'm not sad, Eri…." I'm just jealous of my other self, who is much better than me. "I just need to go to the bathroom."
Yeah. And when he's certain he's alone, Izuku will cry a river (nay, a geyser) if only to relieve himself a little from these emotions. He didn't want anyone to see him at his weakest. He just hopes he's quiet enough for no one to notice.
Eri still looked worried, but Izuku simply walked past her. There was a rock in his throat, and he felt ready to collapse, but Izuku swallowed. He tried to swallow the tightening feeling in his chest but couldn't.
By that moment, a small paper airplane had landed in Bola's hand. Bola opened it and read the message on it before cackling under his breath and rubbing his hands together. "Time for the main event!"
Just as Izuku was halfway to the bathroom, Bola superhero landed right in front of him, scaring the daylights out of the boy when his armor let out a sickening CRUNCH!
"Oof! That really hurts the knees." The man rubbed his strained joints, "Ouch." He perked back up, turned to Izuku, grabbed him by the scruff of his uniform, and started to drag him away without hesitation.
"W-wait, what are you doing?!" Izuku yelped as he flailed about like a fish.
"No time to explain, so don't ask!" Bola ran out of the room. The rest of the audience was too stunned by his antics to try to stop him, "We'll be back later!" He shouted over his shoulder.
"W-where are we going?!"
"What part of don't ask-" Bola sighed, "Kid, I'll be level with you. You have what we in the industry like to call 'da big sad,' and that's not why I brought you here." He turned a corner, flinging Izuku over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "But don't worry, my dear bunny, I know just the thing to help you get over it."
Izuku flinched, half from hitting the rock armor and a half from how Bola had noticed his sour mood, "I'm fine." He muttered.
"No, you're not. Kiddo, it's okay not to be okay, but you can't expect not to get help from the people that care. Isn't meddling in other people's business what being a hero is all about?" Bola shot back, taking another turn and sighting their destination at the end of the hallway.
His kidnapped passenger bit his tongue. Was he being a hypocrite? More than one time, he completely disregarded how other people tried to push him away to help, so what right he had to say no? Maybe…maybe he should talk with his friends.
Before he could say anything, they reached the last door in the corridor. Bola kicked it open and threw Izuku inside, "Have fun!" He slammed the door closed.
"Ouch." Izuku shook his head, sitting up and rubbing his back, "He could have just put me down…."
"Yeah, but that's just not his style." A voice came from behind Izuku, his voice. The boy slowly turned, and sure enough, behind him was the very person he had been watching.
The other Izuku, with his crossed belts, green hoodie, and bright smile, offered him a hand.
"Want some help?"
