Chapter 3

October 22, 2161

0600 Hours

It was a large room. An auditorium, he recalled. Beige colored walls that were more than nine meters high loomed over them all. The seats were hard, stiff plastic that practically forced him to sit up straight lest it dig into his back. The bright white lights in the ceiling seemed to make the room even more oppressive than it already was. The air was crisp and the longer he sat there unmoving the colder it seemed to get. Or maybe that was his own fear? He honestly believed himself dead when he first woke up, but he quickly figured out that wasn't the case.

Ghosts don't have physical bodies, therefore they can't feel anything and have no need to breathe. Yet Izuku was gasping for air upon awakening, with the sensation of pins and needles all along his body. A brisk check-up told him that he had a few cuts and bruises, though nothing else. He found it odd as he thought there should've been more damage considering the last thing he remembered was a building falling down around him. He took another glance at himself again, just to be sure, then he went back to staring at his shoes.

Izuku tried to think of anything else to focus on but the icy grip of pure terror was becoming too intense to ignore. How long had he been sitting there? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? An hour? When he and the other children were escorted in here they were ordered to stay absolutely quiet. But that'd felt so long ago. There was nothing in the room that he could use to judge the passing of time. No clocks, no windows, no announcements, or noises from the outside that he could listen for. Even the guards remained unwaveringly still, like they were carved from stone. The only thing he could watch for was the occasional shuffling or sniffling of the other children.

There had to be at least a hundred of them spread unevenly throughout the room. Izuku guessed that they were all around his age, with none of them looking more than ten years old. Other than that, he couldn't determine any major similarities that might help him understand why they'd been taken. They really were a diverse bunch. A variety of hair and skin colors that not even a rainbow could compete with, different heights and builds, some with mutant quirks while others that likely had emitter or transformation types. There might even be more Quirkless types like hi-

"Uh."

Izuku perks up. The whisper was so soft that he almost didn't hear it, but in a room this silent the person might as well have shouted at him. It was the girl sitting just a couple seats to his left. She was still facing forward but her head was tilted enough that he could look her in the eyes. They were silver and had oddly shaped pupils which seemed to shine in the company of her soft pink hair. She sat with a bit more composure than him but still had that look of unadulterated fear that he possessed too.

"You're mumbling," she says delicately, as if she expects to be punished.

"Oh, sorry," Izuku whispers back.

"It's okay, I just don't want you to get in trouble," she reassures him. That's new for Izuku. No one at his school ever worried for him. In fact, some students even laughed at his injuries or cheered his bullies on. It was strange, though… nice.

The silence continued for a few more seconds until Izuku decided to press on. "Do you… do you have any idea why we're, uh, here?"

She gives a slight shake of the head. "No. The last thing I remember before coming in here was… it - uh - I was…" she struggles to continue. Izuku can see her eyes starting to gloss up as whatever method they used to abduct her was obviously still fresh in her mind. He understood that. After all, he was certain that he'd died until a guard had shocked him awake with a stun baton. The events were still so visceral that he too began to tear up. He needed to do something.

"Hey- just wait. Don't- don't worry about it, uh," his mind starts racing, trying to think of what to say. "My name's Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku."

She takes a deep breath. "Fuwa Mawata," she says shakily.

"It'll be okay, Fuwa. We just- we just need to…" he pauses to collect his thoughts. What can they do? Well, nothing. But... "The heroes will be coming soon. All Might is probably on his way right now."

That seems to calm her down. In fact, if the body language of those around him is anything to go by then some of the other children have heard him too. He sees their shoulders slumping and a few of their fists are starting to unclench.

"All we need to do is stick together and wait," he tells them all. He receives a few nods before they all go quiet again. It's not long after that two people walk out of the door on the stage.

One is a brunette woman with shoulder length hair, a long white lab coat, and a datapad in her left hand. A frown is etched into her face and from the way she walks Izuku knows that she means business. Then there's the man to her left. He's tall, with broad shoulders, and a big bushy moustache. There was an air around him that screamed "if you mess with me, I will pulverize you". The two of them stop in front of the podium, share a nod with each other, and then begin.

"Good morning, candidates," the lady says. "I'm sure you're all confused and have questions. I ask that you remain patient: all will be explained shortly. My name is Catherine Halsey, and this is Franklin Mendez. We are here on behalf of the Hero Public Safety Commission."

Izuku blinked. Did they honestly think that he'd just fall for that? The Hero Commission revolves around working with heroes. They didn't go around abducting kids or threatening to stun them if they talked out loud. He heard someone to his right let out a scoff while another girl behind him muttered "yeah, right".

"You're all probably skeptical of that. I know I would be. But it's the truth, and we have something here to prove that to you." With a few taps on her datapad, the lights go dim while a hologram crackles to life. It features the seal of the HPSC, then transitions to the Director of the Hero Commission herself, Hamano Kenzo.

"Hello, candidates." Her voice has a weight to it. She's the picture-perfect example of professionalism, though she sounds like she's struggling to form her next words. "If you're watching this, then it means that you've already met Doctor Halsey and Chief Mendez. Please, listen to them. They'll be able to give you the details of the crisis that we find ourselves in. And what we need from you."

Izuku starts to feel a lump in his throat. They're… they're not lying, are they? What's going on?

"I won't lie, what we're asking from you will seem impossible. But I assure you that the only reason I've authorized this is because we don't have any other choice." She lets out a sigh, then motions to someone off screen. "Just know that you won't be alone. Not only will you have the support of the Commission, but of those around you as well. Good luck, candidates. We're all depending on you."

The hologram cuts out and the lights return to their previous brightness. Doctor Halsey clears her throat while stepping forward. "Seven months ago, two Pro Heroes came to the Commission with frightening information. A massive organization of villains have been forming for the past few decades..."

He felt queasy. Bile began to rise in his throat, forcing him to swallow hard lest he release the remaining contents of his stomach. The room was already oppressive enough but now it felt like the walls were closing in on him. Trying to consume him and leave no trace, just like these villains would do if they found him. The Doctor spared no detail in describing the threat. Half a million soldiers? International corporations? Traitor heroes? This was the kind of stuff he read in comic books or watched in movies. It wasn't supposed to happen in real life! He was near bursting when someone beat him to it.

"What about All Might?" A lanky purple-haired kid asked desperately. Some of the other kids nodded around him. "Where is he?"

The man - Mendez - scowled. "Did we say you could speak, candidate?" His voice was menacing, though there wasn't any venom to it. It seemed to be meant as a warning rather than a threat. Either way, the tired looking kid shrunk in on himself immediately. Doctor Halsey decided to address it.

"It is a fair question. You needn't worry about All Might's loyalty: he is a true hero, through and through," she said. Hope blossomed in Izuku's chest. Of course All Might wouldn't join these villains, he was the Symbol of Peace itself! His brief respite was shattered. "But he won't be around much longer. We estimate that he'll have to retire sometime in the next couple of years or so on account of his injuries."

Injuries? He thought. Izuku couldn't think of any indication of All Might having been so gravely affected that he'd have to retire in just a year. Actually, now that he thought about it, All Might's eyes did seem to darken a bit recently. But that could be written off as sleep loss. The Number One Hero hardly ever took breaks.

"It's not surprising that you haven't noticed, he's strong enough to push on without it affecting him in public. But they're there. It's only a matter of time until they begin to show." Her hands danced over the datapad causing a selection of holographic images to appear in the air. Izuku nearly gagged at the sight of his idol clutching his abdomen where blood flowed freely from. Other pictures were worse, as they showed parts of his intestines that were seemingly blown straight out of his body. Most of the images were shaky, as if they'd been taken from a handheld camera, whereas others were more defined. These higher quality ones were of All Might in the hospital with an assortment of medical machinery hooked up to tubes and wires that penetrated his body from head to toe. The Hero was an absolute wreck.

"Late last year, on December 22nd, All Might engaged a villain the likes of which the public has never seen: he was known as 'All For One'. His quirk allowed him to steal people's quirks then either give it to someone else, or use it for himself. It's believed that he accumulated more than several hundred quirks through his lifetime, and he grew to become immensely powerful because of that. This is the result of their battle."

Another slew of pictures materialized at her request. Izuku gathered that they were supposed to depict some sort of battlefield but it was more along the lines of a giant crater with smaller craters around the outskirts. That's when he noticed that the "outskirts" were the remnants of buildings and mountains. The damage seemed to extend for kilometers in all directions. How had he never heard of this before? How could a villain so powerful go unnoticed?

"All Might was successful in defeating All For One, but you now know what it cost. The world's Symbol of Peace cannot continue for much longer."

Dread permeated the entirety of his being. His fingers went numb while his shoulders all but sank like they'd turned to concrete. His eyes were watery and he could hear similar choked sobs from all around him. The greatest hero to have ever lived was soon to be no more. But just as quickly as their hope had vanished, the doctor was quick to restore it.

"And because of that, it's time for a new symbol to take his place."

Izuku looked up. He was floored by the insinuation of what she'd said. After all, who could replace All Might? He didn't get to be the Number One Hero in all Japan for nothing. He'd saved thousands of people, defeated the most terrifying villains, he'd practically negated entire natural disasters. But most of all, never once did his smile ever leave his face. He'd inspired the entire world. Who could compare to that kind of strength?

"Despite the turmoil we find ourselves in, there's still a chance for our future. You've been taken from your old lives for one important reason. You, all of you, have been selected to become the next generation of heroes."

A gasp escaped from the crowd of children. Izuku didn't know if it was him though he honestly couldn't care. Had he heard that right? Did someone just say that he could- no, would become a hero? He'd told that to himself hundreds of times before: that no matter what anyone said, he'd become a Pro. But to hear someone else reaffirm that, it- it just…

"With our guidance and technology, we will mold you into a new breed of guardians. You'll be faster, stronger, and smarter than any average Professional out there. But your most important asset is already present. Those around you might be strangers now, but soon enough you'll come to call each other family. You will put your trust in them, and there's in you. Rely on them. Your very lives depend on it."

Izuku could feel his heart pounding in his chest now. The corners of his eyes turned watery in anticipation of the coming Midoriya signature tears. He barely held them back so that he could take a glance at those others sitting beside him. Mawata met his eyes and despite her earlier, she gave him a fierce smile. The kid on his left - a boy with blue, rock-like skin - gave him a shy nod.

"No one here will lie to you. What you're about to endure will be borderline torturous; but from your pain you'll emerge as champions. Indomitable. Now, please follow Instructor Mendez and the others towards the airfield. They'll bring you to Camp Kashyyyk where you'll take your first step towards becoming heroes: Initiation."

Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, for all the support so far. I'm going to try and keep a consistent schedule of updating every Wednesday, but we'll see how it goes.