Chapter 6

June 3, 2163

2258 Hours

Lights out had already been called almost an hour ago. Everyone was supposed to be fast asleep, getting their rest for another day of brutal training tomorrow. Camp Kashyyyk should've been at ease, with instructors quietly preparing the next day's drills and guards calmly patrolling the perimeter. And yet...

"You're still awake, huh?" Mei whispered to him. Izuku let out a frustrated sigh. Had he been muttering again? He was sure that he'd been absolutely silent. There was no need to keep anyone else awake. Mei immediately picked up on the vexation radiating from him. "Hey, it's alright. It's not just you that's wired up. Look."

Izuku leaned up in his bed and scanned the other bunks. Another sigh escaped his lips, though this one was more melancholy than exasperated. At least half of the candidates were wide awake. From one to another, he locked eyes with Reiko, Camie, Shikkui, Keiichi, and a dozen more. There was no doubt in his mind that they were all thinking about the same thing.

The Sky Egg Bombing.

Doctor Halsey was never one to shy away from the gritty details. In her mind, she probably thought it was a waste of time to dance around such visceral subjects. Why keep it secret when they're going to be experiencing it their entire lives? And honestly? Izuku appreciated it. That kind of information was necessary to instill in him and his friends the danger that was present. Hearing it still hits like a truck though.

Bioengineered monsters breed in a lab that could self-destruct with enough force to cripple the structure of a skyscraper and regenerate in seconds. Captain Celebrity, dozens of pro heroes, and even the aid of unknown vigilantes weren't enough. Had All Might not shown up, the tower would've collapsed and killed thousands. Not just the six and a half thousand that were in the Sky Egg itself, but all the people in the surrounding area. The building was massive; more than five hundred meters in height. If that thing had come tumbling down into the sprawling city around it, well… Izuku shuddered.

And then Jai-006 spoke up. His words still rang though Izuku's mind now.

Guess we better get our butts in gear. After all, All Might's probably pushing his limits by now, right?

The villains of the world were evolving, and their only defense - All Might - was fast approaching his involuntary end. The current heroes of society weren't enough. Despite the efforts of schools like UA and Shiketsu, they just couldn't compare. Japan- no, the world needed the Spartans to be at their absolute best.

"Izuku," Mei called out. He shifted around to see what was going on. "Crisis or not, Mendez-sensei won't be cutting us any slack. We need to get some sleep."

"How? How are we supposed to just - just go to bed when there's so much at stake?"

"Because that's not our fight yet."

Izuku could admit that he probably looked a little dumb right then, just staring at her.

"What?"

"Yeah, All Might won't be around forever. But he's still here now. And so are all the other pro heroes. They've held the line this long, they can hold it for just a little longer. Besides, if we were to go out there right now, what could we contribute? Nothing. We'd just get in the way."

Brutal. But straight to the point. That made Izuku relax. Leave it to Mei to deliver a healthy dose of reality check. She kept going, this time raising her voice enough so that others near them could hear.

"Don't you worry. We'll be out there soon enough, kicking butt and showing the world that there's a new Symbol of Peace to keep them safe. We just gotta make sure that we're at our best so that when we do get there, we can save the day. Just eat your greens, get your sleep, and do what Mendez-sensei tells us to."

She was right. Right now, the absolute best needed to get their rest. They wouldn't be able to train at their most optimal selves if they were sleep deprived. A few of the others seemed to pick up on their conversation as they started to settle down. A hesitant smile formed on his face as he made himself comfortable.

"Thanks, Mei."

A yawn escaped her as she laid back down. "No problem. I'm just that good."

Izuku was slightly startled when a scoff sounded from the bed above him. Then he remembered that Hitoshi was still struggling with insomnia. "Yeah, good at putting people to sleep."

Mei shot up and stared at Hitoshi's bundled up form with eyes that could burn Endeavor himself. The bunk above her came to life.

"Mei, don't murder him. It'll be too loud," said Will.

She grumbled quietly before laying back down again. Izuku could only silently laugh at the ordeal. There wasn't a person in all of human history that he'd rather be put on a team with. These were his friends.

Tonight, they'd get some much deserved rest. Then tomorrow, and every day after that, they'd train like hell.

June 5, 2163

0500 Hours

Halsey waited patiently as the call was connecting. The door was locked, she'd swept the room several times over for bugs, and in addition to the sound dampening walls, she'd installed her own precautions to ensure that no one would be eavesdropping.

A soft click announced the successful connection, and the large screen in the room came to life. On it, there was a middle aged man with light brown hair.

"Ah, Doctor Halsey! It's been too long. How do you do?" He asked.

"Quite well, Doctor Shield. And you?" She replied professionally. She'd set this meeting up weeks ago to ensure that she'd catch Doctor Shield at the best possible time. It was always tricky, working around the ever shifting time zones of I-Island.

"Please, Doctor, we've been over this before. Just call me David. For how I'm doing? Well… I've been better," he answered honestly. There was a weathered appearance to him now. One that wasn't present when she'd seen him just a few years ago. She had a very good hypothesis as to why.

"It's always hard to see a close friend hurt so badly. But for All Might specifically? I can't imagine the pain you feel."

David tried - unsuccessfully - to act confused. "All Might? What are you talking about?"

"I know he contacted you just the other day, and that you talked for an extensive amount of time. Four and a half hours, to be precise. He told you all about his latest injury, about how he's losing his strength."

"Jesus, Catherine, have you been spying on me!"

"Actually, we've been spying on All Might," Halsey answered. This was the tricky part. David always had a close, tight-knit friendship with All Might; but recently that friendship had become borderline worship. He practically viewed the Number One Hero as a savior of mankind. If she wanted to gain his support, she'd have to thread the needle here. "Though I admit that I've also taken an interest in your past."

"Oh, for the love of- you've got ten seconds to explain yourself before I hang up and call Toshinori."

"When the world's Symbol of Peace falls in the next couple of years - and trust me, he will fall - absolute hell and anarchy will follow suit. Criminal rates will skyrocket and people will lose that sense of safety and security that we've been taking for granted. Of course, you already know this."

David looked like he'd just witnessed his own death. His face had become ashen and his eyes were wide. It seemed like he'd forgotten to breathe as he was still as a statue. Halsey took that as her cue to continue.

"The world will experience a time of darkness not seen since the arrival of quirks. That is, unless you help me."

David's chest started up. Slowly, but evenly. "What do you mean?"

Halsey relaxed just a little. She'd got him hooked.

"I can't tell you all of the specifics right now. We're trying to keep it under wraps as best we can. However, I know for certain that you can benefit us immensely. Because of that, I'll elaborate a bit."

David was now fully invested. He was completely fixated on her every word.

"We've made great strides in creating a new generation of heroes. They'll be better in every way conceivable. Stronger, faster, smarter, better trained, well equipped, more organized, and most importantly… they're whole-heartedly dedicated."

David sat back in his chair; doubt etched into his features. "It's a nice sentiment, Catherine, but you can't compete with Toshinori. I mean- ha! I mean have you seen what he's done! He carried the Sky Egg to safety all while he was missing his stomach and a lung! The strength. That conviction!"

She'd need to watch herself here. It looked like David might be slipping into a pit. "You seem to be under the assumption that we're replacing All Might. We're not. And honestly David, it might be for the best that we don't make another one of him."

His eyes shot back to her with both frustration and confusion. "What? What are you talking about! Do you know how much better the world would be with just another All Might? Or ten? Or a hundred! We'd actually be living in a world free of violence!"

Shit, backpedal. "I'm sorry, it seems that I wasn't clear. The world absolutely would be better off with more people like him. But that's the thing. There weren't others like him, and so he thought he had to carry the whole world on his own shoulders. He never stopped to let others help him with the weight. You know I'm right David. He's out there right now, killing himself to save just one more person. If he'd just stop and get some aid, he could probably keep going for thirty more years."

Unlikely, but Halsey wasn't going to say that right now. She needed David's cooperation. And it seemed like she was going to get it as a small smile overtook his face.

"It's true, I guess. He always rushed into things without waiting for help. Hell, his entire career and he only ever had one sidekick! Ugh." His hands came up to massage his forehead. "I should've done more. I should've made something to help him. Something that would've stopped that hit, or made him fast enough to dodge it, or…"

She allowed him a moment. She wasn't lying earlier. She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling. But Halsey knew she could help him direct it towards something more positive. "You can do something, David. Maybe not for All Might, but that shouldn't be your focus now anyway. Even if you did save him, he'd have to retire sometime. And what happens after that? It's like I said, we need a new generation. We need heroes who will carry on the torch after we've passed, and who will help carry it on long after that."

David seemed to be coming around. Even over the screen, she could make out the beginnings of a fire in his eyes. She had just the thing to turn that flame into an inferno. "All Might showed us that there's more to being a hero than swinging your fists and shouting exciting names. It's time we took that lesson and applied it to our future."

David's entire demeanor changed as the last word rang out. His earlier despair was gone, and in its place was a ferocity that could intimidate a pack of lions. "What can I do to help?"

Finally, progress. "It's well known that you've designed every single one of All Might's uniforms. A monumental effort considering that some of the greatest armor ever forged actually hinders his abilities."

"Well, that's an understatement if I've ever heard one. Ugh, and those were just the ones that made it out of the planning phase. I lost track of just how many proposals were shelved or outright scrapped."

"Oh, I'm well aware of your previous ideas," Halsey said cryptically. She leaned forward. "In fact, there's one idea in particular that you came up with that's captured my attention. A suit of armor that only the worthy could wield."

Realization dawned on David's face right before Halsey turned to the meat of the conversation. "Tell me everything about Project: MJOLNIR."

Author's Note: Bit of a shorter chapter this time. Trying to set the stage and other stuff like that. Next chapter next Wednesday.