"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!"

"SOMEONE PLEASE, AVENGE MEEEE!"

"ISN'T THERE ANY JUSTICE!?"

"MY LORD! WHY HAVE YOU ABANDONED US?!"

"ANYONE! SAVE ME!"


In a realm devoid of light, made completely of a green mist, there were screams. Screams that completely encompassed the void. Whatever this place was, it was vast, and those that screamed from beyond the mist were numerous. It seemed as if everyone inside this place was screaming out of rage, out of sorrow…angered that they were wronged.

…Everyone except for the newest arrival…a sleeping boy with green hair and freckles. How could he be? He wasn't in any state of consciousness. He'd died in pain, but that was over now. He was at peace…

…But nothing good can last, can it?

"GAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Deku's eyes shot open, his last moments of life replaying in his mind. He'd been burned alive while his so-called friend laughed at him…but that was at school, and he wasn't in pain now. Looking around, he could see that he was in what looked like some sort of astral plane. There certainly wasn't any other way to describe it. It was dark; the only other color was what appeared to be a ghastly green version of the Northern Lights.

Am I…dead?

It was the only reasonable idea he could come up with. Sure, it was a far-fetched idea-believing that he'd died and…woken up in some state of being-but what else could be happening. Izuku knew with absolute certainty that he'd been at school. He also thought-no, he knew…that Kacch-no, that Bakugou had used an attack that was too strong, subsequently burning him. While he obviously couldn't examine his body when engulfed in flames, he could see himself now, and it didn't look like he had any noticeable burns. Even Recovery Girl couldn't pull that off, but assuming that he'd been transported to a hospital or another medical facility to someone with an even stronger healing quirk, that still left one question that could not be answered: why was he floating in a void? Surely this was not a side effect of a healing quirk, so then…that bastard, Bakugou, must've killed him. He'd taken Deku's life out of spite and malice, neither of which were justifiable reasons to kill someone!

But, even still, there was one question that Izuku Midoriya didn't know the answer to.

If I died, then am I…in the afterlife?

Yes.

"Huh? Who's there!?" Izuku had heard a disembodied voice respond to his own question, one that he surely didn't speak aloud. So then, who was it that somehow responded to him?

"I'm warning you, if you don't show yourself, I'll-GAH!" Izuku tried to threaten the voice, but his own voice got caught in his throat when a blinding light spontaneously manifested into existence before him.

"Izuku Midoriya. You have lived your entire life serving others, whether by choice…or by force. In the name of the Lord, whose Son you've been doing your best to imitate, even if you were unaware, I offer you a choice: Heaven, in all of its glory, will welcome you."

"H-huh…?" Izuku was far too shocked to properly respond or even consider the statement. "I'm…worthy of Heaven…?"

"Worthy? No. All humans have sinned in their lives, and thus, they've lost their perfection, which is needed to get into Heaven. But…because of this, the Lord sent his Son, His only Son, to die on behalf of humanity. Therefore, anyone who follows the Son is considered perfect in the eyes of God."

Deku had calmed down enough now to properly listen to what this voice was saying, and something pretty major stuck out to him. "W-Wait! But I'm not a Christian! I've only heard the Bible in elementary school!" As appealing as Heaven sounded, Izuku didn't want to get there only to find out that he needed to be a life-long Christian and then get sent to Hell. Fortunately for him, however, this voice wasn't concerned about that.

"You misunderstand, Izuku. Heaven is not necessarily concerned with you saying that you follow Jesus, but that you showed the fruit of the Spirit."

"Huh? You really don't care that I'm not a Christian? Actually, who are you? If you're telling me I can go to Heaven, then I'd think you were an angel, but I'd like to see your physical form, if possible."

"You're correct, Izuku." Suddenly, the light began dying down, revealing a humanoid-looking man donned in armor, with white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. His most striking feature, however, was the pair of wings protruding from his back. To those that have read the stories of Lucifer, and of the other Spectres, you will surely know this existence. Yes, this person is-

"I am the archangel, Michael. Now then, do you wish to ascend to Heaven?"

"Woah, an archangel! That's…a lot to think about. If I really died, then…" There was so much that he could not do now. He had left his mom and All Might behind, his dream of becoming a Pro was cut short abruptly, and Bakugou…would most likely get away with killing him. Even if UA expelled him, the law was much kinder to a minor. At worst, he'd be banned from being a Pro Hero, but was that really enough of a punishment? Izuku had spent his whole life being tormented by that guy, and all he got for killing him was the equivalent of a slap on the wrist in terms of punishment. With a quirk like Bakugou's, being a hero was not the only thing he could do. He'd probably still be relatively successful, even with murder under his belt! It wasn't fair! Katsuki Bakugou was an abhorrent sinner who sullied the Lord's work, so why was he allowed to continue with that? Why was it that his victims were never avenged?

And it isn't just me! He's been assaulting and belittling people even since he was a child, I was just the worst case. And none of the adults ever did anything about it. Not our teachers, not his parents…and now, UA's failed me…They were utterly useless in dispensing true justice, because they never cared about it. They just cared about the students who could grow up to keep the status quo, and now…we weak, powerless members of society will remain unavenged, while they all continue. Mom will probably die from shock and grief, and All Might will probably be devastated, but even the number 1 Hero has his limits, and he can't operate outside of the law. In the end, nothing will change. My death was nothing more than a traumatic incident for my classmates to get over, and to further prove that Bakugou is the strongest.

As Izuku continued this downward spiral, he failed to notice that Michael was clearly aware of his want to avenge himself, and he'd forgotten about what Michael had first said to him.

"Izuku, you clearly do not wish to ascend," Michael stated.

"Huh?" Izuku looked up, taking a moment to process the angel's words. "W-wait! I just haven't decided yet! I'm still thinking about my past life!"

"You misunderstand. I did not finish saying what I came here for. Yes, you are capable of ascending to Heaven now, but there is another option for you. As I said, you have a choice: You're free to go to Heaven, but if you wish…you will be able to deliver divine justice onto the evils of the world."

"Deliver justice? What does that mean? How can I do anything when I'm dead?..Wait, are you saying that you'll bring me back to life!?" Izuku was thrilled at the concept of getting to live again; who wouldn't be? He could finally reveal all the evil that Bakugou had committed, ensuring that he'd be permanently banned from getting his hero license. He wasn't worthy of such a title, after all.

"Not quite," Michael responded, surprising Deku. "You won't be alone when you go back."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Tell me, Izuku. Have you ever heard of the 'wrath of God?'"

"W-well, I've heard that you should fear the wrath of God from some religious people." Indeed, religious groups-especially Judeo-Christian themed ones-where extremely abundant in Japan, often stopping people in the streets to preach the supposed "true message of God." In reality, however, they just closed people off from the Lord's love and forgiveness with their purely apocalyptic messages and shaming of other cults.

"I see," Michael said. "Then allow me to enlighten you. I'm sure you're aware of the flood?" Getting a positive nod from Izuku, Michael continued. "Good. Then allow me to tell you the condensed history of that event. In the beginning, God created 'it.' It, in this context, means everything that was to exist. So powerful was the Presence of God, that even His aspects had their own identities, namely His mercy, known as Radiant, and His wrath, known as Eclipso. However, shortly after creation, my brother Lucifer rebelled against our Creator, and damned both himself, and his followers, in addition to spreading evil to humanity. So potent was this evil, that God's wrath, Eclipso, could not stand it, and tried to wipe you humans out by flooding the planet. God intervened, and humanity continued on, but Eclipso was stripped of his position. Instead, a demon that repented after the rebellion was granted the title of God's vengeance, but he also fell prey to his hatred of evil. Not wanting history to repeat itself, the Presence decided to teach His vengeance mercy, and thus decreed that vengeance was to be bound by a human host. Thus, the divine entity known as the Spectre came to be, whose mission was to travel around the world, seeking out those that had willingly committed evil against others, and punishing them. Many have been bonded to the Spectre Force, and now, I offer you the choice to be his next host." Michael held out his hands, and a different type of green mist formed between them. This green energy felt…alive…and angry. So angry was it, that anyone alive would surely perish in its presence. Truly, this could only be considered as divine anger.

"…"

Izuku Midoriya could not respond, for he was still wrapping his head around what Michael said. The Biblical flood had actually happened, because the wrath of God couldn't tolerate evil, and so he'd been stripped of his power and replaced…And Izuku could fill in the role of his replacement if he wanted to. But did he? Could he be the moral compass for God's vengeance against evil, and keep the Spectre Force from destroying everything? More importantly, was he sure he wanted to return? He had the chance to go to Heaven. And what would happen if he returned? It was highly likely that his death was at least seen by Bakugou…maybe by the others, too, since they were watching from the observation room. But…above all else…Izuku Midoriya wanted…to help people. And that included himself. If he had a divine force with him, he could avenge himself, make Bakugou pay for what he did. And if he was able to continue on at UA, a hero license would make him legally allowed to act, so he wouldn't even have any trouble with the law. Not to mention, he could see his mom and new friends again. So really, the choice was quite simple.

"I accept. I want to be the host for the Lord's vengeance against evil! If he ever forgets his compassion, then I'll remind him, and become a Hero!" His resolve was firm, and even if the explanation seemed shaky, it was willed by the Writer, so it will come to pass.

Michael certainly did not doubt young Midoriya's resolve, and so, the next Spectre was born. "But first, I should tell you that, while you will be resurrected, you will be effectively immortal, in the sense that you will not age. The path of vengeance is a lonely one, after all, and you may find yourself going centuries without anyone by your side. Do you still wish to enact vengeance?"

"…It was only just recently that I made any friends, so I doubt I'll mind the loneliness," Izuku said quietly. "Not to mention, the people I help will more than make up for it!"

"So be it, then." Accepting his answer, Michael thrust his hands forward, and the primal Spectre Force began filling itself through every pore on Izuku's body, suffocating him with the flames of revenge.

"AAAARGHHHHH!" The process was painful, but he'd already accepted whatever price he had to pay to receive such an awesome power…And, it was nothing…compared to his death. Thus, the Spectre was born anew, into a world where Heroism was a profession, and villainy was sometimes forced onto a person from birth. But the status quo…was about to change, regardless of whether the people wanted it to or not.


"HHHHK!"

"Sis, are you okay!?" Izuku Midoriya reached out to inspect his little Sister, who began hyperventilating when he explained how he died and what happened afterwards.

"No, no, no! I'm not okay, and neither was that! I…I…why didn't you-!?" Whatever her question might have been, it was cut off.

"Sister," Izuku said abruptly. "Calm. Down. You're not vengeance. You're mercy."

"I know…it's just…"

"I understand. But don't worry, the story gets better around the time of my first Sports Festival."

"…" She was silent.

"I'm going to continue the story now, so I'd advise you to pay attention if you don't want to miss anything."

And so he would, but I, the Writer, should point out that some of these sequences are my version of events, because Izuku wasn't always there for them. Take, for instance, the next scenes.


"Gasp…sob…Uhugh!'

Every single student in class 1-A had seen it: the charred corpse of one of their classmates. Not only that, but they'd seen the killer, who was also a classmate of theirs.

All Might was quite possibly the most devastated-seeing as he bore a lot of responsibility in not stopping the fight earlier-but he still had a job to do.

"Everyone, since this was unexpected, you're to return to your homeroom. I'll…deal with the aftermath."

Most of them were unable to do anything aside from numbly follow his orders, but a certain dual-haired student was able to note that he was clearly forcing the words out of his mouth. Not that Shoto could blame him. This was a horrific incident, one that will tarnish UA's history forever. The mental trauma alone that these kids would go through…Not to mention, he still had to decide what to do with Bakugou.

About a minute later, All Might was inside the building…that his successor died in. There were so many things eating away at him during his arrival: the guilt of failing his master and Gran Torino, the guilt of leaving the world without a symbol of peace to replace him when he died, and most of all…

"Sniff…Sob…! All Might…why?" Uraraka, with tears streaking down from her puffy red eyes, asked an unspecific answer that All Might could not respond to.

"This…to have this happen, I…I didn't do anything. I couldn't save the person in danger…AGAIN!" Iida punched his hand into the wall, causing severe damage to his fingers. He didn't care about them in the slightest.

"Hah…Haugh…" Quite possibly the worst of the three, however, was Bakugou. He hadn't even responded since he saw what he did. He just collapsed onto the ground, shaking. In a brief moment of concern for his still-living students, All Might worried that the boy might've been experiencing a shock-induced seizure…but he had no idea what to do. And besides, he needed to tend to…the corpse.

"Hegh!" All Might wanted to vomit and cry simultaneously at the sight of…him. His student and protege, Izuku Midoriya-or what was left of him, anyway-was just lying there, smoke still rising off of him. He looked so in pain, as if he was still suffering, even in death. A thought that wasn't technically wrong, because he wasn't satisfied with his end. But…they'd come to know that soon enough…

In any case, All Might had brought a white blanket to cover him, which he swiftly wrapped around the boy while picking him up.

"You three should head back with the others. I'll take care of the body."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Just wait until I come back." Seeing that none of them were moving, All Might couldn't think of anything other than just leaving them there and coming back to them later. But before he could walk back the way he came, Iida stood up.

"SIR! I understand it might not follow protocol…but please…" His request went unsaid, but it was silently understood, as All Might nodded in response.

"Sob…I'm going, too," Uraraka said as she got up.

Both All Might and Iida nodded, but Iida noticed something that had gone overlooked.

"What should we do about…?" He looked down at Bakugou, who hadn't shown any signs of being aware of what was going on around him.

"…I don't know. This has never happened before, but if he's not responding now, then…I'll come back for him…after we notify the principal."

Uraraka didn't have the mental strength to respond to All Might, but Iida was able to nod his head in response. So, the three people that Izuku was closest to in his life-barring his mother, who no one had even thought about yet-began walking back to the main building, no one noticing the heat emanating from his body rising instead of cooling…nor did they think of Bakugou, who was still on the ground.


Unfathomable despair slipped throughout the halls of UA. So potent was this feeling, that classes were interrupted as the teachers went outside to investigate the feeling that was permeating throughout the school. What they discovered as the source of this despair…was a group of students.

"Hey, what're you all doing back here so…early!?" The Pro Hero, Vlad King, along with the other teachers such as Ectoplasm, Present Mic, and Snipe, were curious as to why class 1-A was coming back earlier than expected. But…

"…What happened to them?" Present Mic asked aloud.

For the students…were crying, their heads hanging down. Such a sight was downright pitiable. Whatever had happened clearly left them shaken and disturbed.

"Don't tell me Aizawa expelled all of them?" Snipe questioned.

"Hah, serves them right!" This response came from one of the boys in class 1-B who'd overheard the conversation, a sentiment shared by a small number of the other students. How wrong he was.

"No, they were with All Might today," Ectoplasm responded.

"Hey, are you all okay?" Mic asked them, but all the teachers were ignored as the class silently and robotically kept going through the halls.

What is going on? No one knew the answer to that…

Until All Might came back a few minutes later, flanked by two more students…and holding something that had a distinct humanoid shape, covered in a white sheet.

"…My God…"

The teachers, as well as the few students who could see the outside of their classroom properly, all experienced a state of pure shock…except for the ones that didn't register the situation.

"Sigh…What's all the-? GHK!" Eraserhead, having just emerged from the teacher's lounge, nearly screamed in shock when he understood what he saw.

"All Might…who is that?"

"It's…" All Might looked away from Aizawa's emotionless gaze. He couldn't bear the truth, but there was no room for deceit here. "It's young Midoriya."

"Gasp!" There were so many things he wanted to add after that gasp, but the students of his homeroom were still there, so instead, he held his tongue.

"Students, go back to class 1-A. If any of you are hurt, head over to Recovery Girl," he said, addressing said homeroom. They had barely enough mental clarity to understand and follow his instruction, slowly making their way into the classroom located nearby. Once all the students-except for Iida and Uraraka, who refused to leave Izuku's corpse-were inside, Aizawa and the other teacher closed the doors.


"Now then, please inform us all as to what happened, to the best of your ability." As soon as Nezu was made aware of the situation, he issued a school wide lockdown, where the students were to stay in the classrooms while the teachers were all inside the lounge, with Izuku's body being uncovered on the coffee table. Iida and Uraraka were more of a hindrance than anything else at this point, so Midnight had put them to sleep. They were then transported to Recovery Girl to rest. Everyone had extreme reactions to the covered body, but the actual state that Izuku was in left many of the teachers vomiting. Only the depowered All Might and Aizawa were able to resist the urge, but this was really pushing their limits. The actual scenario itself, however, was too graphic for anyone to properly comprehend. This had never happened before, and most of the people-teachers and students alike-who knew what was going on were half-assuming this to be an elaborate dream or hallucination.

"Well, we were having our training exercise, as scheduled…And young Midoriya…got paired against Bakugou. I-"

"Wait." Aizawa interrupted him, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "I didn't think about it, but I'm certain I didn't see Bakugou earlier with the rest of class 1-A. Where is he now?"

"…I'm getting to that. As you can probably guess, Bakugou was paired with Iida, and Midoriya with Uraraka. As soon as the match started, Bakugou left Iida to take care of the bomb, racing off to find young Midoriya. From what I understand, they both have a bad history with each other." At this, the other teachers' faces suddenly turned very dark. They were praying that All Might wasn't about to say that-

"In any case, Bakugou attacked them as soon as he found them. Young Midoriya, wanting to face off against his…rival…had Uraraka head off to search for the bomb while he dealt with Bakugou."

The teachers were beginning to paint a horrifying picture of what happened, but the one most concerned was Aizawa.

Can he really be that negligent? Could All Might, of all people, really allow something like this to happen on his watch? His rage was focused solely on All Might. Not on Izuku, who couldn't control his power, nor on Bakugou, who certainly…caused this scenario, but on the one who let it happen.

"The rest of us were watching from the observation room, and the fight seemed pretty one-sided. Bakugou was attacking Midoriya in an obscenely aggressive manner, but Midoriya was holding his own. And then…" All Might looked at Power Loader, the person who'd designed the costumes. "I'm sure you know how his costume was designed."

"Well, yeah. I made some gauntlets to store up his sweat for-My God, please tell me you're not about to say what I think you're-!" He was cut off when All Might nodded his head, confirming everyone's worst fears. They knew what Bakugou's quirk was, and if Power Loader's brief response was any indication, then they knew exactly what happened.

"I'm sure you've all figured it out by now, but…Bakugou unleashed one of the gauntlets at young Midoriya…and he couldn't escape from it…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Christ Almighty…"

"…" All Might hung his head down low. He could barely face them throughout his whole explanation, only maintaining eye contact because the alternative was bearing witness to his greatest failure: the boy right in front of him.

None of the other teachers were capable of responding; they were all just staring into a distant void that didn't exist, lost in their own haze of denial, anger, grief, sorrow, and guilt. They certainly weren't going to say any more for now…

"Where is he!?"

Except for-

"Huh?" All Might lifted his head up as he met the gaze of something he would consider an agent of divine wrath, which was inaccurate, but he had no way of knowing…at the time.

"Where. Is. Bakugou!" Aizawa demanded, his quirk making him look downright threatening to everyone in the room.

"…He's still inside the…crime scene. He wasn't responding, just shaking violently on the floor when I got there. I should probably-" He attempted to stand up while speaking, but he was cut off…by a fist connecting with the side of his face.

"YOU IDIOT!" Aizawa shouted. "WHY? WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THE FIGHT!? WERE YOU HONESTLY THAT BLIND?"

"…I thought it…important that Midoriya overcome his self-doubt by facing Bakugou," All Might responded, but this only served to make Aizawa even more furious.

"You thought it 'important?' What could possibly have compelled you to think that!?" His tone was void of emotion, sending chills down their spine. No one had ever seen him like this before. But then again, they'd never lost a student due to their own negligence before. They were all handling it differently, but they all felt the same guilt and despair.

"…" All Might didn't look him in the eye. He couldn't, not without revealing One for All.

"You know what? I honestly don't care. Go get Bakugou, now! Before he dies from a shock-induced seizure, and we have to close the God-damn school!"

But before anyone could react to that statement, an overwhelming heat filled the room.

"Gah! What the Hell is-?"

That heat…came from the lone corpse in the room.

"Something's happening with Midoriya!" Snipe shouted, causing all the teachers to try to grab the body. But before they could-

BOOM!

The body erupted into a pillar of green flames, knocking them all to the ground.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS-!?" Present Mic screamed out profanities while staring at the corpse that had just spontaneously combusted, but before he could, they all heard it.

You all failed me. A disembodied voice spoke out to them, through their own minds.

"Who's there!?" All Might demanded. Whoever was desecrating Midoriya's corpse would not go unpunished!

Punished? Another, deeper voice, or perhaps the same person as before, spoke out. It sounded simultaneously amused and annoyed at something. What do you know of punishment? You just sat there and watched it happen! All of you had ample opportunity to evaluate the students and see Bakugou for who he really is, but you didn't! And I had to pay for it! No more!

"Is…that…Midoriya…?"

Such a question was sheltered in the minds of everyone, but they could not logically accept it. Ghosts weren't real, and even if they were, surely, Midoriya's spirit would not have this much power…no, surely, a ghost wouldn't desecrate it's own body. This must be…a villain!

"Show yourself, villain!" All Might, having been angry enough to reclaim his muscular form, demanded the identity of the perpetrator.

You all continue your shameful charade, pretending to enact justice and protect the weak. But you are not allies of justice! If you were, this innocent boy would not be dead! So now we have come. In the name of our Lord, we shall enact vengeance on this generation of sinners, so that another tragedy like this one shall not occur. Pray to whatever pagan gods you foolishly believe will protect you, and have your eyes opened when the truth is revealed. This generation will experience true entrance. So says, The Spectre!

With that, the body seemingly exploded into smoke, and the heat dissipated. The teachers, meanwhile, were shook to their very cores.

"What…the FUCK…was that?" Present Mic asked, before realizing that he might need to change his clothes.

"A damn vigilante, one who just destroyed Izuku Midoriya's corpse!" All Might growled, trying his best not to scream. "And I'll find him, and bring him to justice!"

All Might's words straight-up scared the other teachers, though, so Nezu sought to calm them down.

"Well, then. Let's look at the facts, shall we?" Nezu said, gaining everyone's attention. "While this…Spectre…has desecrated a student's corpse, we won't get anywhere acting on blind impulses, so let's review what we know. This individual was able to cause Izuku Midoriya's body to spontaneously combust and explode, most definitely to get our attention and signify his goal, though I fail to understand why someone who claims to want vengeance on behalf of other people would desecrate an innocent person's body. But, we'll find that out when we catch him. In addition, he spoke directly into our minds and was able to make us hear him and the voice of Izuku Midoriya. On its own, it seems like he has two powerful quirks: telepathy and pyrokinesis."

"…" The teachers were all shocked at such a powerful person infiltrating their school. And two long-range quirks? Just who was this Spectre?

"But…I believe we're overlooking one crucial piece of information," Nezu continued.

"Huh?" The teachers were unsure as to what he was referring to.

"It's simple," Aizawa responded, gaining the lounge's undivided attention. "This Spectre…referred to himself as 'we,' implying that he has an accomplice. In other words, we aren't dealing with one abnormal vigilante, but with two people acting as one, which means we just need to get one and have him tell us where the other one is."

Such knowledge was relieving to the teachers, who thought that one person had managed to infiltrate UA and was about to go on a crusade against both the heroes and villains. But if it was a duo acting as one person, then they were more likely to catch one of them.

But…

"Wait. Even if that is the case, the fact that they hijacked our minds and destroyed young Midoriya's body indicates that they must be somewhere nearby. I doubt that either quirk could work unless in close proximity to the target."

"You're right," Nezu said. "Now, we need only deduce their hiding spot!"

"…GHK!" Aizawa suddenly froze up, causing the others to look at him in worry.

"Eraser? What's wrong?" Present Mic asked.

"If vigilantes wanting vengeance for Midoriya were here, who would they go after?"

"I'd assume they'd want the murderer-! Bakugou!"

They'd all been so caught up in figuring out where these villains were, that they completely forgot about the discussion they were having beforehand.

"LET'S GO!"

They all raced out to the battle center in search of Bakugou.


"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! A villain has infiltrated the premises. Please remain in your classrooms until further notice." The electronic alarm system rang throughout the entirety of the school, scaring the students-with the exception of those too traumatized to feel anything. The same applied to Katsuki Bakugou, who'd been unresponsive ever since he saw what he did.

It's not…IT'S NOT MY FAULT! I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW POWERFUL THE GAUNTLETS WOULD BE,! IT'S THE DAMN DESIGNERS FAULT!..It's not my…fault…

For the past half hour, he'd been trying to rationalize it, trying to not see himself as the murderer he really was. But…reality is unavoidable. And he was going to face the consequences of his lifetime of sin.

He heard someone walk up to him, but he paid them no mind. He just wanted to be left alone, to stop feeling…So, mustering up what little strength he'd gained back, he attempted to tell the person that'd come for him to leave.

"Hey, leave-"

Katsuki Bakugou.

But he was abruptly interrupted…by a menacing voice that spoke directly into his mind. It wasn't telepathy, which could be distinguished from one's self. It was like a voice coming from inside his own mind, as if it were free to enter his mentality at its leisure. Indeed, The Spectre could enter into a person's minds ape at will, though the difficulty differed with each person. For Katsuki Bakugou, who was close to losing himself, there was no hurdle to overcome, his mind was unguarded.

Immediately, Bakugou jumped up and primed himself for an attack. This wasn't a teacher, this was-!

"And who the Hell are you supposed to be, huh!?"

In front of him was an incredibly tall, pale man, so pale that you'd consider him lacking life entirely, which was completely accurate. Adorned on him was…wait, was that…? Could it be…?

"…Deku…?"

This person-no, this…being…staring at him with cold, lifeless green orbs for eyes…was wearing a cloak-like outfit. But what was really haunting…was the hood that was near-identical to Izuku Midoriya's Hero outfit, obstructing his face. Aside from the green color scheme, it was the only marker signifying their relation…but Bakugou could feel it in his very soul.

"Yes" The Spectre, the embodiment of God's vengeance upon evil, gave him the shortest possible answer…because long-winded conversations are pointless here, only useful for obstructing one from diligence in this scenario.

Bakugou's face went from mystified to stricken with horror. "H-how…?"

"In the land beyond the living, all is possible." The Spectre began to levitate as his cloak swirled around him. But before he could do anything-

"TEXAS SMASH!" Faster than the frail limits of humans-but not fast enough to surprise The Spectre-All Might had punched the divine spirit in the back, in the hopes of knocking it out in one shot and saving his student from this damn Villain.

But The Spectre will not be jobbing in this continuity, and everyone present, ranging from All Might and Bakugou, to the teachers who had arrived right behind them, could only watch in horror as the being calling itself The Spectre didn't even looked fazed, He just turned around, looking at the so-called educators.

"You would dare intervene? Who are you to defy justice?" The Spectre spoke out loud for the first time, confirming their suspicions that this was the flame-quirk wielder that had desecrated Izuku's body.

"TCH!" All Might just gritted his teeth. Who was this guy? Not even All for One was unfazed by a punch from All Might! "You won't get away with your crimes, Villain! Destroying young Midoriya's body, invading the school, and trying to capture young Bakugou! It is you who will be brought to justice, Spectre!"

"..." If All Might was attempting to intimidate The Spectre, then he'd failed. There was no possibility of beating the vengeance of God, not without something of comparable power. But the teachers of UA had no way of knowing that, so they clung on to their vain hopes of defeating what they thought was a mutant-type Villain. And if they couldn't beat him with strength, they'd just have to bluff their way out of this situation.

"You'd do well to surrender," Eraserhead said. "We've already found your partner. If you come willingly, we can work out a plea deal." It was a lie, of course, but considering that All Might had been ineffective and "erase" wasn't doing anything to this guy, they had to take their chances. The last resort would be Midnight's quirk.

"Your lies do nothing to appease my wrath. You have no leverage over The Spectre. The Spectre is an avenger of the innocent, and justice...SHALL BE SERVED!" He screamed that last part with so much force that it knocked everyone away and shook the entire building-no, it shook the entire campus.


Elsewhere, the students of class 1-A were waiting in their homeroom, terrified. The entire school was on lockdown from the Villains that had broken in, and all any of the students could do was wait.

"Ghr!..Damnit! We can't just sit here!" A redhead by the name of Kirishima had finally reached his limit. We just saw a classmate suffer critical injuries, and the first thing we do is sit back and let a Villain run around campus. Is that what a hero would do!?"
"I know how you feel, but we can't le-can't let our emotions cloud our judgement. We have to trust in the teachers to capture the Villains," a black-haired girl named Yaoyorozu spoke up.

"Yeah, we can't take on Villains! They broke into UA! Do you understand how strong they have to be to do that?" a purple-"haired" boy named Mineta screamed, tears flowing down his face. "We just saw a kid die, do you really wanna add to that number!?"
"..."

When Kirishima had made his proposal, of course, some students had wanted to go along with it, whether it be for some sense of atonement to Midoriya, or because they genuinely wanted to stop the Villains. But Mineta had a point. If they just rushed into a battlefield with no plan, they'd certainly have more of their class join Midoriya. But…

"...Even so, we can't just rely on the Heroes to save us every time we get in trouble. We thought that just an hour ago, and look how it turned out." This response came from a boy with red and white hair, along with a scar of his face. While typically stoic and cold, this was due to his own history with his father, the number 2 Hero. While he had no faith in the number 2 Hero, he idolized the number 1 Hero, All Might. But Shoto Todoroki's faith in All Might diminished a bit after the training battle. Of course, All Might wasn't at fault entirely-it was an accident. But Shoto came to the realization that you should always have yourself to count on.

"..." None of the opposers could respond, but no one could definitely agree on which action was the better one to take. Some half of the class wasn't even listening, just barely staying conscious amid all the sorrow, grief, and shock they felt.

But-

"He's right! How could we call ourselves heroes if we just stand ideally by and let our teachers risk their lives while we do nothing in return? Is that what Deku would do!?"

"She's right! What kind of second-rate vigilantes are we aspiring to be while we just sit here in wait!?
Heads turned towards the door, where the source of the voices were revealed. They were-

"Uraraka? And Iida?"
Yes, the duo who'd woken up and left immediately after Recovery Girl had informed them of the situation, Uraraka and Iida, had returned to class 1-A.

"Recovery Girl told us what was going on," Uraraka explained. "And we couldn't just let a villain run amok, so we ran back here to get all of you."

"E-even if the 18 of us go, what the Hell can we do against a villain that broke into UA?" Mineta demanded.

In the end, it all came down to the fact that they were useless against someone who had the power to break into UA, and at most they would be liabilities.

"...Maybe so," Iida began, "but I think we can all agree on one thing."

"And what the Hell is that!?"
"We all left Midoriya to fend for himself...and we left Bakugou in the same position."
"..." Not a single person could reject that statement as true, but…they could reject the guilt they would feel for doing it.

"Are you a fucking moron!?" Mineta screamed. "That guy kill-he-he did that to Midoriya, and you want to save him!?"
Yet again, the class of 1-A was divided on an issue, and yet again, they were at a standstill. Was Bakugou worth saving, now that he'd killed another student? They weren't sure.

"...Grr! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ALL!" It was Uraraka who screamed this time, scaring the entire class. She just didn't seem like the type to scream. What had caused this?
"You all act like Bakugou is just some genocidal maniac, but not one of you actually checked on him! When he saw what he'd done, do you know how he responded!? He collapsed to the floor and went catatonic! I wouldn't be surprised if he's experiencing a shock-induced seizure, and you all just immediately turned your backs on him!? You call yourselves heroes!?..Actually, why am I surprised? You're the same pathetic cowards who left me to die in the entrance exams. Everyone but Deku…" She trailed off, her face pointing downward and tears leaking from her eyes.

Not one single person in class 1-A could muster up a response, not even Mineta.

Suddenly, Yaoyorozu stood up.

"She's right, not a single one of us deserves to be called a Hero. But...even still, I can't just leave a fellow classmate on his own, regardless of our personal biases. If you all want to stay here, then so be it, but I'm going with them!" she declared.

"...I'm going, yoo," Kirishima said. "You guys are gonna need someone to protect you, and that's what my quirk does best!"
Todoroki stepped forward. "I'll go, as well. I don't have any qualms leaving a murderer to die, but...that isn't what a Hero would do, so I'll save him."
"I'm going, too, ribbit."
"Yeah, me too!"
"I should think it stylish to travel in a group, monsieur."

"If Kirishima's going, I might as well go, too!"

"YEAH!" All of class 1-A had joined together to search for Bakugou, even Mineta, and they immediately ran out into the halls.


"HCH!..My God...so powerful! Just who is this man?" All Might and all of the teachers were casually knocked down...by The Spectre screaming. The fuck were they dealing with?
"Groan...Midnight, use your-"

"NO!"
Eraserhead began to speak up, but he was cut off...by Bakugou. The kid looked like he'd seen better days-his mask was torn to shreds and the gauntlets were dented and on the ground-but, somehow, he was still standing.

"Tch! Bakugou, stand down! That Villain is-!" Eraser tried telling him to get away, but he was cut off again.
"SHUT UP!" Turning around to face his teacher, Aizawa could see it in Bakugou's eyes: Utter rage and resignation...Bakugou was going to let The Spectre kill him.

"NO!" Aizawa tried getting up and lunging at him, but before he could-

"IZUKU!"

"..."

Bakugou had shouted the name of his victim, a name that he hadn't said in years, instead opting for a degrading nickname. Any teachers that were still conscious were most certainly very confused, but they wouldn't stay that way for long.

"It's you, isn't it?" Facing The Spectre, Bakugou inferred his identity, much to the...differing emotions of the teachers. Was he insane? Or just deranged from his grief?

"Yes. It's me, Kacchan." The Spectre replied with an answer that most would assume to be lies...most, except for two people.

Wait, that hood...It can't be! The Pro Hero, Power Loader, had designed all the costumes for the hero course,..and he recognized a part of The Spectre's cloak as nearly identical to the costume of one Izuku Midoriya.

He...He has to be lying! How can this-? And then Toshinori Yagi noticed the same thing: their hoods were the same. Could it really be…?
The answer was yes. But they just couldn't accept it as reality.

"You came back to get revenge on me, right?" Bakugou asked. "Then do it. I know I deserve it."
"Yes, you do...for so many things, you deserve to die."
THAT snapped the teachers back to reality.

"WAIT!" All Might yelled, temporarily getting The Spectre's attention. "If you really are young Midoriya come back from the grave...then please, I implore you. Take me in his stead! It is I who have failed you! Young Bakugou is innocent!"
"...Innocent?" The Spectre questioned. "You do not seem to understand what an 'innocent' person is, Toshinori Yagi. Allow me to show you the sin this boy carries."

The Spectre raised his arm, causing Midnight to start tearing off her clothing to activate her quirk. But before the Spectre could "be affected" (read: snort the stuff and go unfazed if he wanted to, because none of these so-called supers could hurt him without a holy weapon, so just breathing it in wouldn't do a thing), he'd forcibly separated the consciousnesses of everyone present...including the students of class 1-A, who'd got there just in time to see Bakugou's declaration and subsequently freeze up in disbelief. They all collapsed to the ground, unconscious.


"Stop it, Kacchan!"
"...Ugh, where am I?" This was the collective question that rang out in the minds of everyone…except for two people.

"…Yeah, this is where it all began, isn't it? I understand, but please, don't blame them for my evil."

"…We shall see what they deserve."

"What the Hell just happened!?" Minerva asked, alerting the teachers to their presence.

"What the Hell-? Young Midoriya! What are they doing here?"

"They were in the vicinity. Did you really think that they would sit quietly and wait like they did last time?"

"You idiots! You're all expelled!" Aizawa shouted. The faces of class 1-A immediately turned sour.

"We just wanted to help…We were just going to get Bakugou so he wouldn't be in danger," Uraraka said, though her voice was quiet.

"Even still, that was extremely reckless! Aizawa's punishment might be crossing a line, but I can completely understand where he's coming from!" Midnight exclaimed. "You just lost a classmate, did you really want to risk another!?"

"But…we'd be doing the same thing if we left him."

"!"

"Hm?"

The teachers were shocked at the accuracy of that statement, while The Spectre was pondering its implications. There was nothing in him except vengeance, but…were they wrong to want to save Bakugou? Isn't that what a hero does?

"…In any case, where are we, young Midor-?!"

But his-and everyone else's questions-were soon answered as they looked around…

"Oh, you really wanna play hero, Deku? What can you do without a quirk? Guess we'll just have to teach you a lesson!"

As the teachers and students looked around, they realized where they were: in the memories of Midoriya and Bakugou.

"How…?" Tenya, Shoto, Nezu, and Aizawa-the logical people here-immediately questioned how they could be in a memory. At least, they did until they actually realized what they were seeing.

Everyone could see it: Bakugou was attacking Midoriya for trying to be a hero. And it wasn't just the incident from when they were four, either. They were exposed to it all, sequentially, until just hours earlier, when Izuku died…

"Sniff, sniff!"

…And any room for doubt in their minds…was filled with the look of utter guilt and resignation on Bakugou's face.

They couldn't even begin to comprehend the sheer…unholiness this blonde child emanated. Who in God's name were they to deny Izuku Bakugou's life? Hell, if he demanded to torture his bully before killing him in a horrific manner…well, they all still felt that torture and murder were disgusting and cruel, but…could Izuku really be blamed for wanting that?

"Now that you've seen, I ask you again, Toshinori Yagi: Do you still believe this boy to be innocent?"

"…I cannot say…that you're wrath is unwarranted…or even unjustified, but-"

"No, it's not up to you to decide my guilt, All Might," Bakugou interrupted. "This-everything bad in Izuku's life is-no, it WAS because of me!" He forced himself to take responsibility by admitting that Izuku was dead, that this was his ghost that came back to haunt him. "And now," he said, turning to The Spectre, "it's time I paid for my mistakes. I know not to fight you-you're clearly stronger than All Might-but…before I go…even if it doesn't mean anything now…I'm sorry. For everything."

"…" The Spectre was stunned. Kacchan was apologizing for his past transgressions!? What in God's name was going on?

Wait…God…Izuku began flashing back to his conversation with Michael, when he said that Izuku was capable of going to Heaven because he followed Jesus through his actions. But…

Is this…really what a good person would do? He's finally apologized, he's seen the error of his ways…so how can I stop his growth right here!?

NO! A voice deep inside of Izuku's mind spoke out. Of course, he'd normally be weary of a foreign voice in his head, but this presence was not unfamiliar. After all, he'd been one with the voice for about an hour now.

Spectre!? What are you-?

You cannot allow him to live! He's destroyed the Lord's work…He killed you! Justice must be enacted on this pathetic excuse for a "man!" And you're just going to let him walk away.

I understand what you mean…but does God…really want us to kill him if he's truly repenting?

What?

I mean, we're supposed to enact His vengeance on the world, right?..But how can we truly call ourselves just if we kill someone…right as they're about to accept Him? I'm not religious or anything, but I…I can't call God good if He willingly encourages killing His creations that are turning to Him. Aren't Christians supposed to go to Heaven because Jesus went for them, not because they earned it. Answer me, Spectre! How are we any better than demons if we condemn someone whose willing to ask for forgiveness!?

"…"

"Hey, guys, what's happening?" Kaminari asked.

Everyone turned to see The Spectre-revealed to be Izuku Midoriya-was…

"AAARGHHHHHH! VENGEANCE MUST BE ENACTED! I FORGIVE YOU, KACCHAN!"

The Spectre…was morphing between his ghostly pale body…and his host's body.

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might screamed at seeing his student in pain. The other teachers were too terrified to react, while the students were either fainting or mimicking the teachers.

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM!" Izuku was screaming out in pain, desperately trying to keep his-no, their wrath from spilling out and killing Bakugou, but the strain was too much for him.

FLASH!

In a flash of light, the teachers and students found themselves back in the same hallway where Izuku had died.

THUMP

"DEKU!" Bakugou screamed out that name upon seeing Izuku. The boy had taken on his original form, his body and costume magically restored in perfect condition, and he'd celebrated this fact by headplanting to the ground from the immense mental warfare he'd just engaged in with The Spectre. But before he fainted completely, he smiled…because his childhood friend called him that derogatory nickname…with worry evident in his eyes.

And the remaining students and teachers-save for the powerless All Might, mortified Nezu, barely composed Aizawa, and crying Bakugou-promptly fainted from the mental trauma they'd just endured.


And that marks the end of chapter 2. I think this might be the longest chapter I've done yet. In all honesty, there was a lot of stuff going on, so I'm not sure if I did a good job with all the scenes, but…life goes on. Until next time! Adios!