"Uh, hi," I said, my nerves not showing, "Thank you all for coming."

I was standing to one side of All Might's desk, the Symbol of Peace seated behind it. And standing between the desk and the door, showing varying degrees of confusion, anticipation, and worry, were Ami, Ochako, Mikoto, and Yaoyorozu-san. It was Thursday, after class let out. At lunch I had sent them each a text (I had the numbers of all of the core members of the study group), asking them to meet me here, and not tell anyone.

"Sure," Ochako said brightly. Though her smile flickered.

"Of course," Ami nodded nervously.

"Sure," Mikoto also said, though there was an edge to her voice, "But what's going on?"

Yaoyorozu didn't say anything, but her frown seemed to indicate she agreed with the electrokinetic.

"Yesterday," I answered, "You two asked if you could join in our training. That is, me, Tsu, and Cassandra, but also my Mom, and sometimes All Might-sensei."

Ochako's eyes widened, but the other three studied me more closely.

"Well, I wanted to ask if the four of you were interested in joining us," I continued, but quickly held up my hand to forestall them answering.

"Before you say anything, please let me finish. This training, it works for me, and four other people, which is why I am asking all four of you. But it is also a secret. Before you say yes, I have to ask you to promise not to tell anyone outside of the nine of us about this."

"Then..." Yaoyorozu's frown deepened.

"It's not anything illegal or amoral," I said, remembering her comment the first day of the study group, "That's part of why I wanted it you to come here. So All Might could vouch for me."

"It is true," he agreed loudly, "I have been a party to Izuku's training method. And I can guarantee that it is entirely above board. If definitely unusual."

"Then why is it such a secret?" Mikoto asked suspiciously.

"Well," I considered, "If I told you my wifi password, there wouldn't be anything wrong with me having one or sharing it with my friends. But if you told a bunch of people, one of them might waste our bandwidth. Or worse, share it with someone else who would misuse it."

She did that combination nod and shrug, indicating her understanding.

"But even if it is legal," I told them, "It isn't entirely safe. We haven't had any major injuries yet. But we have all had at least some bumps and scrapes. Except my mom. There is always a chance someone could get really hurt."

"We could get hurt in class," Ami pointed out.

"Yeah, we are all studying to be Heroes," Ochako agreed.

"If we were risk averse, we would not be at UA," Yaoyorozu smiled for the first time. And Mikoto smirked confidently.

"Still, you should all think about this," I advised them, "Consider it tonight, if you are willing to keep this secret and undergo risky training. And if you decide you are interested, we can meet up tomorrow, and I'll tell you the rest. And give you a sample of it. D... does that sound good to all of you?"

"If you do wish to join in," All Might announced, "You can return here school tomorrow. And please change into your costumes first, to save on time."

The girls all started to leave. Except Ami. She stepped close, and gave me a determined look. It was both strangely fierce, given what I knew of her, and endearingly cute.

"Izuku-kun," she said, "I don't need to think on it. I wanted to be stronger. I know I need that to become a Hero, and I decided to do that. And like I said, I want to get to know you, and Tsuyu-chan and Cain-san better. Even if it is only you, that is still good."

Then she whispered something I didn't catch. She bowed, and turned back to the others. The other three girls were giving her looks I couldn't quite read.


"What do you think it is?" Momo asked Mikoto, though it was obvious the question was also directed at herself. Ami and Ochako had already split off, traveling in different directions. But Misaka and Yaoyorozu rode the same train, at least as far as the Doromundo Kass station.

"What is what?" the shorter girl countered, "Do you mean Ami's crush?"

"No, this training," Momo shook her head, "secret training for Midoriya-kun plus four."

"Honestly," Mikoto answered, "I was thinking maybe a VR system. He mentioned his dad is a computer scientist, so maybe he got his son some experimental tech."

"But then why would we need our costumes?" Momo argued.

"Familiarity?" Mikoto shrugged, Then added, "Do you have a better theory?"

"I was thinking maybe they were going out as Vigilantes," the black-haired lady said, "And that the numbers limit was both so we would be harder to catch, and would have more direct experience. But I don't want to think that All Might would lie to us."

"Well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow," Mikoto got in the last word, almost daring her classmate to back out.


I wasn't surprised when all four of them chose to come. And all of them were already in their costumes, meaning they probably didn't come to decline. I was also in costume, and had brought a book, which sat on All Might's desk. My Christmas present from my dad, though it hadn't arrived until February. It was another programming textbook, this one about SQL. But it was also a skill book, so I could put it to use here.

"We're all here," Mikoto said, "We all want in."

"And you promise to keep it secret?" I prompted, "To not talk to it with anyone who doesn't already know. Which would be the four of you, me, All Might, my Mom, Tsuyu, and Cassandra?"

"I promise," Yaoyorozu-san said firmly.

"Of course," Ochako agreed. Ami nodded.

"Yes, yes," Mikoto sounded annoyed, "We'll keep your secret."

"Okay," I sighed in relief, "In that case, I decided it will be fastest to give you a quick, trial run. Party Disband. Party Invite: Mizuno Ami, Misaka Mikoto, Uraraka Ochako, Yaoyorozu Momo."

They each reacted with varying levels of shock, when the pop up windows appeared in front of them. All Might looked amused, though he couldn't see the interface now that he was temporarily out of my party.

"Please press 'Accept'," he told them before I could. But it was probably more reassuring, coming from him. They all did; Mikoto aggressively, Yaoyorozu-san and Ami cautiously. And Ochako just hit the button. And, me, I put my hand on the book.

"Create Reflective Dungeon."


The book's dungeon was pretty shallow, only forty total enemies. The terrain made it look like we were inside a computer, and the enemies were all insects, albeit insects with smooth black armor, highlighted by glowing lines of either aggressive red or sickly green. The regular enemies were mantises and beetles, while the mid boss was a dragonfly. They were all about the same size as us, and only dropped cash. And their levels were only 12 or 13. The boss was a wasp the size of a small truck, and it was level 15. It also dropped a taser.

As we went through the Dungeon, I explained about my power, and the parts they had access to while in the party. I told them about how we fought enemies in Dungeons, to both improve our skills normal, and to level up.

At the start of the Dungeon, Ochako and Ami were both level 11, and they increased to level 14. Mikoto had gone from level 15 to level 17. Since the first time I Analyzed her, Yaoyorozu-san had increased to level 17. Inside the book, she and I each gained one level.

When we exited the Dungeon, I was a bit surprised. Firstly, because All Might had brought a small table into his office and five folding chairs. He had moved the book to the table, so we reappeared around it. Secondly, because my Mom had arrived while we were in the Dungeon. She was sitting in one of the normal chairs next to All Might's desk, and they were talking.

"Welcome back," All Might greeted us, bright and loud but also slightly worried, "How did it go?"

"I think it went good," I told him, "The enemies weren't that tough, and Ami and Ochako managed to close the gap a bit. Everyone seemed to take it well."

"'Take it well' he says," Mikoto grimaced.

"Even after experiencing it, it does seem a bit incredible," Yaoyorozu agreed.

"It was amazing," Ochako said, "Though the giant bugs were a bit creepy."

"I never imagined," Ami said softly.

"And what is the status of the skill book?" All Might asked.

"Analyze."

[Structured Query Concepts I
A textbook explaining SQL code and design concepts.
Durability: 39/40
Quality: 2/7
Rank: +
Rank Bonus:
Additional skill (Mathematics, Advanced)]

"It went up five ranks like expected," I told him, "And it looks like it will also improve one of my math skills, too."

"Can we see it?" Ami asked, fascinated.

I touched the book again.

[This book contains the skills SQL Coding, Database Design, and Mathematics, Advanced. Learning them will consume the book. Proceed with learning these skills?
(Accept) (Decline)]

I let them all look at the prompt, though Ami was the most interested. Then I hit 'Accept', and the book disintegrated. That got a bit more of their attention.

[Skill book used.
Mathematics, Advanced skill improved (lvl 5).
Skill SQL Coding (lvl 1) unlocked.
Skill Database Design (lvl 1) unlocked.]

Ami also looked at that screen. Then she sighed.

"Wishing you could do that, too?" Mikoto teased her gently.

"I don't know," the bluette admitted, "It does seem much easier. But I also like reading."

"So if you can only have four other people in your party," Yaoyorozu said, "That means we will need to set up some sort of schedule and rotation for training. But I suppose we can consider that later. For today, I am not sure about the rest of you, but I could use a meal, and some time to question the nature of reality."

"Actually," I countered her, "There is one more thing we need to discuss, and one more thing we need to do."

"Two more things to discuss," Mom added, "Though I can wait until you are done, Izuku."

"Right, I guess I should introduce you," I realized, "Everyone, this is my Mom. Though I guess Ami, you have already met her. Mom, this is Yaoyorozu Momo, Misaka Mikoto, and Uraraka Ochako."

"I already know who Yaoyorozu-chan is," Mom admitted, "But it is nice to meet all of you, and to see you again, Mizuno-chan. Thank you all for being friends with Izuku."

"Midoriya," Yaoyorozu-san seemed to realize something, "You are the one who designed my costume. I didn't make the connection between Midoriya-san and Midoriya-kun."

"Yes," Mom nodded, "and I wanted to take the chance to talk to you and Mizuno-chan about how you are finding your costumes. Especially since it looks like the company took some liberties with the original specifications."

She was frowning and looking at Ami's chest as she said that.

"But after you are done, Izuku," she waved attention back to me.

"Right," I got nervous, wondering how they would react, "Okay, do the first thing is... I have to admit, I didn't reach out to the four of you for entirely altruistic reasons."

"What do you mean?" Mikoto's eyes narrowed.

"I told you about quests," I reminded them, "Well, on Wednesday, I received one. To clear a certain dungeon, but without Tsu, Mom, or anyone else who was in my party at the time."

"So that is the reason you asked us?" Yaoyorozu looked hesitant, "And now that we finished the dungeon..."

"That skill book wasn't the dungeon," I told her, "The dungeon is me."

That shocked them.

"That first study group," Ami remembered, "You said you were fighting in a dungeon in All Might."

"And that wasn't the only reason," I continued after nodding, "I got the quest after Ami and Ochako asked if they could start training with us. And after Tsu and the others said they were okay with it. So I had already decided to invite you two. The quest made me realize that maybe I should go a little further, and yes, gave me an incentive to do so. I offered the spot to Mikoto because she is also already my friend."

Then I looked directly at the black-haired girl and explained, "Yaoyorozu-san, I asked you because I thought it was only fair that the last person was a member of the study group. And to be honest, I felt that you would be more likely to keep the secret than Hagakure-san or even Kyoka. And your Quirk would be useful. But also, because I thought I wasn't as close with you as I am with them, and I thought this would be a chance for us to become better friends."

"Momo," she said.

"Hmm?" I grunted in confusion.

"Please, call me Momo, Izuku-kun," she elaborated, "Like Ochako, I know that my family name is a mouthful. And anyone who trusts me enough to let me literally into his soul, well, he can call me by my given name."

"Well, I guess if she's okay with it, I can forgive you too," Mikoto smirked, "But I wonder, why didn't you just take your main party in and clear most of your Dungeon? With All Might's help, it would have been easy, and then we could have just gone in and done clean up?"

"We did think of that," I chuckled weakly, "Right after I got the quest, actually."


Spoiler: Why don't we just go into your Reflective Dungeon. We could get a feel for it, and see who might be the best to invite. I expect you will still want to include Uraraka and Mizuno, but you may find Todoroki or Tokoyami would make things easier.

I considered the text in our group chat, but another message came across before I could respond.

Froppy: With All Might's help, we could just clear it all but the last Boss. Then you and the new party would only have one fight.

Symbol^Peace: That sounds like a good plan. And it will give you some wiggle room to find a new group.

IzukuM: #Spoiler, I think I should probably stick with the members of the study group. It is only fair, since they have been trying to figure out how we are getting better so fast. Plus, Mikoto was my friend before we started at UA, so I want to invite her, too.

IzukuM: But yes, that is a good idea.


Tsu and Cassandra had joined us in All Might's office, after Ami and the others left to consider my offer. Mom was waiting at her job, rather than take the bus here.

I considered it with a frown. How would I start my own Reflective Dungeon. I always touched the item, or shook All Might's hand. Should I hold my own hand? Well, we were teleporting inside me. And there was only one right pose for teleporting, so I would try that first.

I raised my left hand, placing my pointer and middle fingers against my forehead, and curling the other two and my thumb into a partial fist.

"Create Reflective Dungeon."

[WARNING Reflective Dungeon 'Izuku Midoriya' is currently designated for the Quest 'A New Fantastic Point of View'. Current party configuration does not meet quest requirements. If you proceed, the Quest 'A New Fantastic Point of View' will be cancelled and the rewards forfeited. Proceed?
(Accept) (Decline)]


"I guess it's not that easy to game the system," I concluded, "Pun intended."

"Good to know," the electrokinetic said.

"So what was the other thing we needed to do?" Ami asked me.

I opened my inventory, and dumped all of the cash I had collected onto the table. Then the taser.

"Count and divvy the loot," I smiled lightly.

"Wait, this is really real," Ochako's mouth glistened in the corner.

"Mom gave the money from the first dungeon to the police," I said, "They returned it, so it isn't stolen or counterfeit."

"I also had my share tested," All Might added, "after we went through the first pencil. I don't know where it comes from either, but it is completely legitimate Japanese legal tender. Except, I suppose the American dollars that one enemy dropped. They were still real, just not Japanese."

Ochako, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table from me, climbed up and onto it and grabbed my hands. Her right pupil as glowing ¥ and her left pupil a flashing 金.

"Izuku, would you ma..." she trailed off, realizing where she was and how everyone was staring at her. She released me, and clamber back into her seat.

"sorry," she said meekly.

"What was that all about?" Mikoto asked.

"I... I'm not a good person like you guys. I'm not here, not trying to become a Hero, because I want to help people."

Ochako looked deeply ashamed by her admission. Mikoto looked ready to say something, but Mom had crossed the room, and touched her shoulder to stop her.

"My parents run a small construction company," Ochako told us, "And well, things have been tough for a while. I offered to join the company, to help. Use my power to help them transport materials cheaper. To save money on machinery and manpower. But my father, he thinks I didn't really want to. And maybe he is right. I want to help my family. But working in construction? I'm not sure. So, when I heard that Heroes can make a lot of money... I thought, if I could become a famous pro, I could advertise for our company. Or just make money on merchandise to support them. And then when I saw this; two million, eight hundred fourteen thousand, six hundred yen..."

We all looked at the pile of money. I was wondering if it was a guess or if she had really counted it that fast. I suspected everyone else was thinking roughly the same thing.

"... for about two hours work. I thought about two years ago, when my parents almost went bankrupt. And I went a bit crazy. But I want to do this, make money and support my family on my own. Not ride on Izuku's coattails."

"It's not wrong to want to have a stable life, and support your family," Mom comforted her, "I had similar thoughts, when I found out about the money from Izuku's Dungeons. I had stayed in a loveless marriage for years, to make sure Izuku had a good life. I was... I am willing to use his power as a backup if my job goes badly. But I am working hard so that doesn't happen."

"There are worse reasons to be a Hero," Ami said softly, "Trying to impress someone, trying to feel superior. There are Heroes who want money and fame for themselves. And even worse, the ones who just do it so they can hurt villains."

"I don't think you're a bad person, Ochako," Momo said, "And you can have half of my share. I would probably just spend it on myself."

Mikoto nodded. But Ochako shook her head.

"No, like I said, I'm going to pull my own weight..." Ochako paused and smiled in self-deprecation, "Well, as much as that can be said when we're using Izuku's crazy power."

"Hey, we all signed up for this training," Mikoto countered, "And give the possibilities it opens up, we could all say the same thing. But also have no right to complain."

"Okay," Mom clapped her hands, "You three double check Uraraka-chan's counts and divide up the money. Mizuno-chan, Yaoyorozu-chan, how are your costumes? How is the fit? Any new ideas for upgrades? Or design changes?"

Mom looked at Ami's chest again as she asked the last question.

"No," the bluette said, "It is fine. I was a bit annoyed at first, but the extra water storage has come in handy."

"I have noticed the zipper on my left upper arm tends to get stuck," Momo said.

"Yao... Momo, can I ask you something?" I prompted.

"I don't mind," she said.

"I'm curious about your helmet," I said, "Lots of Heroes don't wear them, or try to make sure they don't hide their faces. That makes it easier to trust them since you can see their face, and makes it harder for Villains to impersonate them."

"And it's better for marketing," Ochako said, tapping her own, more transparent headgear.

"Right," I agreed, "So why is your helmet so heavy and concealing? Is it just defensive?"

"No," she answered. She turned the helmet towards me, letting me look inside.

"The helmet does two things for me," Momo explained, "First, it has four compartments that each store a protein shake. By hitting one of the buttons on the side, the straw extends to my mouth. That way I can replenish my reserves on the go. Also, the visor has a complex HUD. It can show both design schematics and molecular blueprints. To help me remember more complex things, or giving me the plans if I suddenly need to make something I'm not familiar with."

Mom, meanwhile, had moved over to Momo and was checking the fastener that ended over her bicep.

"So," I called for their attention, "The quest to clear my own dungeon only gave me five days. Time runs out Monday at about 6:15 PM. And since I don't know how large the dungeon will be, I was hoping we could start early tomorrow? If it is like that book, we can probably clear it in the morning. But if it is anything like All Might's dungeon, it may take both days. Hopefully not any longer."

They nodded, then Ochako took on a thoughtful expression.

"What is All Might's dungeon like?" she queried, "If you don't mind me asking?"

"Of course not," our teacher boomed, "So far, it has been limited to the campus of LAU. And the entrance message said there are 240 total enemies, including two bosses and seven mid bosses..."


[Dungeon Entry - Izuku Midoriya
Mooks: 97/97
Mid-bosses: 2/2 (unspawned)
Bosses: 1/1 (unspawned)]

"This is a school?" Momo half said, half asked.

"Aldera," Ami confirmed.

"Expect it's not," I added looking around.

"You seem to mean that in more than the obvious way," Mikoto noted.

"The style matches," I explained, "But there is no intersection like this. The only room at the end of a hall like that, is the music room."

"But the hall would be much longer," Ami picked up for me, "and we would be able to see the racetrack out those windows."

"So it is probably a random labyrinth type dungeon," Mikoto showed off her gaming knowledge, "with sections based on your middle school."

"Because that was a dramatic and dangerous time for you," Ochako said. Then when the other girls looked at her, quickly added, "Sorry."

"No, you are probably right," I agreed. Then, "Ki Detection."

I took a second to process what I sensed, then told them, "It's not as good as an actual map, but since I can tell where the enemies are, it should help."

Momo unzipped the panel over her right bicep, and created a ball of thick, white string and a number of nails.

"The Theseus method, then?" she suggested. Ami and I both nodded. Momo tied one nail around the end of the thread, and then handed it to Mikoto. Who, in turn, shot it into the wall as an anchor.

"I'm pretty sure I get the idea," Ochako said, "But what's a Theseus?"


I wasn't sure what to think of my dungeon. Like All Might's, the enemies were shadowy versions of my past antagonists. Well, with one notable exception so far, someone I definitely expected but hadn't seen yet.. Long-fingers and Kacchan's other cronies. Other bullies who were not affiliated with them. One of my former neighbors who had always looked down on me and mom, and her dog that always chased me. There was also the moss villain, whose attack had forced Aldera to cancel a field trip in my first year.

Killing the dopplegangers left me conflicted. I never wanted to hurt the physically. Except the time outside the arcade. And the mooks weren't real. Yet it was somewhat satisfying.

[Mid boss has spawned]

After we killed the first twenty-nine mooks, a new alert appeared.

"Do you sense the mid boss?" Mikoto asked. I refocused my Energy, reaching out again.

"Yes. He seems to be back in the second gymnasium we found," I reported.

"Should we go back fight him?" Ochako asked.

"It is probably a good idea," Ami said, "Rather than waiting until we are more tired, or risking that the boss will move around, and he might attack us from behind when we are already engaged."

The rest of us nodded, and so we turned back. Between Ami's memory and Momo's thread, it only took a few minutes to get back to the gym. I could sense the stronger Ki behind the doors I didn't remember closing. I had a strong suspicion of what we were going to find.

I stood in front of the doors, ready to tank. Mikoto and Ami had hold of the handles with their respective powers, ready to push the doors in. And Momo and Ochako stood behind me, ready to follow me in.

"Three... two..." Mikoto counted down. Then they opened it.

"DEKU!" a familiar voice roared, even before I was through the door.

He was in the Aldera summer uniform. He seemed shorter than I remember. But that was probably just because I was a little taller. No, he was the same. In fact, he was more like the real thing than any of the other opponents we had faced so far. Full-colored and sharp, focused expression. The others were like shadows, but if I hadn't known better, I would have thought it was really him.

Bakugou Katsuki. My friend, exactly as he had been when I saw him in school, the day he was murdered.

"I'm gonna kill you, you shitty nerd!"

I flinched. I couldn't help it. Even though it had been a little over a year, it was a response to a decade of conditioning.

"It's okay, Izuku-kun," Ami's voice was gentle, but her expression was more stern than I had ever seen it before, "I will take care of this."

She stepped in front of the rest of us, even as a pair of small explosions propelled Kacchan forward. She pointed her right hand at him, and a jet of water intercepted him. It wrapped around his head and shoulders, forming a solid ball of water. His legs jerked forward as the momentum of his upper half was abruptly stopped. She could have suffocated him, or enveloped him completely. But she instead left his nose and mouth free. Ami would later tell me she was worried that seeing him engulfed and unable to breath would dredge up bad memories of the news coverage, mostly for me but also for her. But that wasn't the only reason.

"Do you recognize me Bakugou-san?" she asked, taking another step forward, "Construct that you are, do you know?"

"Brain bitch," he snarled.

"That's what you called me," she said, "But you can see now, that despite the rumors you spread and believed, my Quirk was never what let me beat you."

He put his hands next to the water holding him, and triggered his explosive power. Some of the liquid boiled off. Some of it was blasted away. Enough for him to break free.

"You're not better than me. Not you, not Deku, not anyone," he shouted as he charged her, "I'll kill you both."

Ami's eyes narrowed. She raised both her hands.

"Arrogant. Deluded. Self-righteous. Cruel. Aggressive. Impulsive. BULLY!"

With each word, a water bullet cannoned at Kacchan. After the first one sent him careening, he tried to counter. But his explosions only weakened the attacks. He couldn't stop them. And by the last word, the mid boss was crouching on the floor, panting in pain.

"You were never better than me," she told him coldly, "And neither one of us is as good as Izuku-kun."

Then she hit him with a column of water, blasting him across the gym. Into a support beam. The mid boss crumpled to the floor, and disintegrated. Ami exhaled harshly. She turned back to us with a sheepish expression.

"Well," she said, "that was cathartic."

I silently agreed.

"Hey, Ochako," Mikoto whispered loudly, "Remind me never to piss her off. And if I do, to apologize quickly and sincerely."

"Oh, I would never have done that to the real Bakugou," Ami countered quickly and nervously, "The things he did was mean and wrong. But they weren't technically illegal, and certainly weren't worth killing for."

"But if you hated him so much," Ochako remembered what we had mentioned in passing, and my Mom had reminded her of yesterday, "Then why did you go to his funeral?"

"While I hated him, and probably always will" Ami agreed, "I also respected the work he put in to his studies. And felt bad for his parents. But mostly, I was just there to support Izuku. Though I didn't get a chance to talk to you."

When she directed that last part at me, I thought she might be blushing. But it was hard to tell through her blue tinted visor.

"Well," I changed the subject, even as I pulled in the cash... and were those smoke grenades... that Kacchan had dropped, "Should we take a break and have an early lunch?"

"That sounds good," Ami said, "Even though he was weaker than I might have expected, he still boiled off almost thirty percent of my reserves. I could use a recharge."

"I agree," Momo added, "We are making good time, all the more reason not to press to hard."

"Exit Dungeon," I proclaimed.

We returned to All Might's office. We chose to meet here again rather than go through the process of checking out our costumes. Mom and All Might were also there waiting, for another experiment.

[Izuku Midoriya Dungeon Progress!
Defeated 20 enemies: +1 Affinity
Defeated mid-boss: Attribute Balancing]

"So what happened?" I asked them excitedly, ignoring the prompt for the moment.

"The four young ladies disappeared like usual," All Might answered, "However you, young Midoriya, did not."

"I didn't?" I prompted in surprise.

"No," Mom shook her head and looked slightly worried, "You just stayed frozen, sitting in that pose. And on top of that, you were translucent. I prodded your shoulder, and you were still solid, even if you didn't look it. But it looked like you were a ghost or a cheap hologram."

"That's strange," I said thoughtfully, "Maybe since we were inside my dungeon, I still had to be out here. But because I was inside the dungeon, I couldn't be out here? I guess that wouldn't happen if we went into someone without that person being a member of the party..."

"Before we discuss that," Momo said with a hint of embarrassment, "Could we order lunch first? I need to replenish."

All Might smiled and picked up the phone, "Lunch Rush, could you bring up the pizzas early? My students are taking their break now, and they are hungry."


We ate and rested while telling Mom and All Might about the inside of my dungeon. Mom cringed when we told her Kacchan was the first mid boss, but I told her I was fine.

Then I finally acknowledged the alert. Glancing at All Might, but also thinking about my own power and future, I assigned my new Affinity to the 'Telekinesis Skill Set', which covered all the skills from TK Basic, TK Intermediate, and Tactile TK, plus the Microkinesis, Megakinesis, and TK Advanced Talents I didn't have yet. It was a lot of skills, and would help me qualify for the more advanced TK and also Psibiology Talents, many of which required a certain total of skill levels in other TK skills. I was thinking my second Affinity would either go to Telepathy Skill Set or Clairvoyance Skill Set. I might have qualified for Psybiology, Basic, but I wanted the Intermediate level. And that required TP Intermediate, which in turn needed 50 levels of TP skills. TK Intermediate had also needed 50 levels in TK skills, but I was well past that point when I had purchased it on impulse after our first trip into All Might's dungeon.

While I was considering all that, the other members of my party were going through their list of Talents. We had each gained one more level, with Ami gaining a second one. I didn't know if that was because she had already been closer to level 15 than Ochako, or if she had received some sort of bonus for soloing Kacchan. Or both, I guess. Either way they all had at least one Talent point open, and they discussed with themselves, and Mom and All Might, what they should buy. The general consensus was to focus on Talents related to their Quirks. Which ended with each of them buying the second level of their Quirk, and Ami and Momo choosing to save their second Talent point, since they didn't qualify for the third level of their Quirk, yet.

After returning, it didn't take us long to clear out the next twenty nine mooks, resulting in the second mid boss spawning. Tracking his power led us to a hall we hadn't been down before, which ended in an EXIT door. Looking out the windows we could see the baseball diamond. But that was not where we found ourselves when we stepped outside.

We were on a beach, looking out over the ocean. But a depressing beach, covered with trash. And not just like food wrappers, but old appliances, industrial crates, and even an abandoned SUV. It wasn't even a smattering of garbage either, but piles taller than Momo.

"Dagobah Beach," Ami said sadly, "I remember coming here when I was young. Then trash started washing ashore, and people starting dumping things they didn't want to pay to have hauled away or recycled..."

She trailed off as she saw him.

"Analyze." I said softly, not quite believing what I was seeing.

[Name: Izuku 'Deku' Midoriya (c)
Another you, another path.
Level: 25
Health: 950/950
Stamina: 833/780
Psions: 540/520]

"It's another Izuku?" Ochako blinked. She looked at me. Then at the copy boss. Then back at me.

He wasn't quite the same. He was a bit bulkier than I was. Especially in the shoulders and biceps. His costume was different. It had the same green, but some sort of brackets one his sides for ornamentation, instead of the chevrons mine had. It was looser on him. And it was a bit disjointed. Red shoes and matching belt and pouches. Black knee and elbow pads. Whitish gloves with blue highlights, and pauldrons of almost the same color. What looked like a metal air filter in front of his neck and a hood hanging behind.

The other me... 'Deku', I suppose, looked around at the beach. His expression was melancholy to begin with, but grew sadder with each pile of trash. Sadder, and a bit annoyed.

"Do we have to fight?" I asked carefully, taking a step closer. His eyes locked on me angrily. Then he glanced at Ochako and Momo, and his expression softened.

"It seems like this place pisses you off," Mikoto noted, "Almost like it's personal."

"What if we cleaned it up?" I asked Deku. He looked at me sternly.

"It took me ten months, working almost everyday," he said. Then he slumped, and added, "it was only one or two hours after school most days. But longer on weekends and vacations. Sure, it took me one whole day to move that washer out to the curb.."

"Though that was really early on," he said defensively, "And you only have just over two days for your quest."

"Drive 2," I said. I picked up said washer with one hand, and a water heater sitting next to it with the other. I carried them over to the road at a brisk jog. I set them next to the door we had come out, now just sort of sitting on the sidewalk. Then I rejoined Deku and the rest of my party. It took me thirty seconds at most.

[Dungeon Quest Alert
A Gentler Path
Clean all the trash off the replica Dagobah Municipal Beach Park.
Rewards:
Mid boss bypass
Special party member bonus (equalizer)
Failure Penalties:
Mid boss attacks.
Time Limit: 5 hours
(Accept) (Decline)]

Five of us meant 2 months of his work, each. I had just done more than he had claimed in a fraction of the time. But there was really no way to calculate how quickly he improved, and thus what his average time would have been. It seemed like it might be doable. But it wasn't just me. I looked at my party, silently asking their opinion.

"I would rather not fight you," Ami said.

"Yes, this seems better," Ochako agreed.

"I'm curious what that bonus is," Mikoto said hungrily.

"If we fail," Momo offered a counterpoint, "We will probably be tired when the other Izuku attacks. That said, I would also prefer to avoid fighting. And I do have volunteer experience."

"Okay, then, if we are all in agreement?" I asked, my finger hovering over the 'Accept' button.

"Let's do it!" Ochako shouted, jumping with her fist raised. Fortunately, this wasn't much of a shock, so this time I didn't accidentally hit the button. But the others nodded, so I pressed it intentionally. There was a pop of displaced air, as dumpster appeared next to the water heater.

At the same time, the five hour timer started counting down.

Ochako, Ami, and Mikoto teamed up to do most of the heavy lifting. Zero Gravity made the junk weightless, and then either Electromaster or Ice Water whisked it over to the dumpster. Anything we put in there just vanished, leaving it empty for the next discarded appliance.

At the same time, Momo and I worked on the smaller stuff. She created a large sifter with her power. And also a couple of rakes for later. I would telekinetically lift a pile of sand into the sifter, and then we shook it until all the sand was gone, leaving only the trash. I would then run it over to the dumpster. And as we worked, we talked.

"So you have done something like this before?" I asked in response to her last statement.

"Not exactly like this," she admitted, "But my parents' company regularly organizes volunteer events. Reading to and playing with children abandoned because of their Quirks. Handing out food and blankets to victims of Villain attacks. But never a clean-up like this."

"That's really good," I told her brightly, "We should do something like that in the real world. It seems like a shame if the real beach is like this. Maybe we could organize it at school. After all, being a Hero isn't just about fighting. Doing our civic duty is also important."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," the tall girl looked very excited, "It would be wonderful to spend more time with everyone."

"This might not mean much coming from a Todai graduate," Mikoto added, "But you really are a sheltered princess, huh, Momo?"

"Well, I never thought I was a princess," Momo blushed, "However, it is true I haven't had many chances to make friends my own age in the past, so I might be a little overeager."

"I didn't have many friends, either," I reassured her, "Tsuyu was my first real friend, and Mikoto was my second."

"I was somewhat isolated in the past as well," Ami added.

"I had a few friends," Mikoto said, "And one pest. But nothing like this."

"I don't think anyone's ever had a friend like this before," Ochako said, glancing at my doppelganger nervously.

"Not what I meant," Mikoto chuckled, "but that, too. No, I meant that most of my friends at Todai were more distant. Like they put me on a pedestal. Except Kuroko."

She said that last part very quietly and shuddered. It didn't seem like the others heard her, so I let it go.

"If you do try to organize a clean-up event," Momo returned to the original subject, as the other three drifted away to deal with full size delivery van that they had uncovered, "Let me know. I will be happy to help set it up and participate."

"I'll do that," I told her.


It only took us just over four hours to finish. 'Deku' faced us with a pleased expression.

"Thank you," he told us.

"This is sort of a representation of my soul," I said, "It only makes sense I'd want to keep it clean."

We both chuckled weakly, and scratched the backs of our respective heads. The girls all gave us their respective styles of grins, and the mid boss me faded away.

[Quest 'A Gentler Path' complete.
Mid boss 'defeated'.
Party scrolls awarded.]

This time, The Gamer didn't just leave the quest waiting on that screen for me to accept it. Instead, it triggered as 'Deku' vanished, leaving behind four scrolls.

"So that's what it meant by 'equalizer'," I noted, as I picked up the scrolls and handed them to each of my other party members.

"What's that mean?" Mikoto prompted sharply, looking at the scroll dubiously.

"What is this?" Ami asked, holding the scroll gingerly.

"Those are skill scrolls," I explained, "It acts like a skill book, but only for one specific person who got it as a drop or quest reward in a Reflective Dungeon. I think. We haven't seen them anywhere else, and the flavor text seems to support that."

Though this time the scrolls' descriptions didn't have the complaint about the rules being broken. Did that mean I counted as a skill book? I guess I did give them access to their Skills tab and the ability to mystically improve and even learn new skills...

"The last time we went into All Might's dungeon, Mom, Tsu, Cassandra, and All Might each got one of those" I continued, the ladies unaware of my inner monologue, "So it seems like The Gamer wants you to have that skill, too."

"What skill?" Ochako prompted.

"Physical Resistance," I said.

"Truly?" Momo looked at the scroll like it was made of gold. I nodded quickly and sincerely.

"I should warn you, using a skill book is mildly unpleas..."

"Ouch."

I was cut off by Mikoto as she grimaced from using the scroll.

"Yes, that," I said in an understanding tone.


We were all tired after the clean-up. But we managed to clear another twenty of the bully mooks. Then we decided to call it a night.

"The remaining nineteen enemies will not be an issue," Momo reasoned, "but we want to be at our best for the boss fight. I may not be as familiar with games as the rest of you, but I highly doubt we will be able to talk our way out of that fight."

"Who do you think it will be?" Ochako asked, a blend of excited and nervous, "Maybe All Might?"

"I hope not," Mikoto grimaced, "More like the Zero Pointer. That was the last boss before Izuku got into UA."

"That would make sense," Ami agreed, "I was thinking perhaps another instance of Bakugou-kun. But this time with the ability to summon minions."

"You just want to wail on him again," Mikoto smirked at the bluette.

"Actually, I wanted Izuku-kun to have a turn," Ami admitted, blushing.

[Izuku Midoriya Dungeon Progress!
Defeated 40 enemies: +1 Affinity
Defeated 60 enemies: +1 Affinity
Defeated 80 enemies: +1 Affinity
Defeated mid-boss: Attribute Balancing]

I assigned the Affinities to Telepathy, Clairvoyance, and 'Ki Arts'. Then, after promising to meet up again in All Might's office Sunday morning (though a bit later in the morning than we had met up today), Mom and I went home.

"What was your dungeon like, Izuku?" Mom asked softly, once we were on the train.

"Aldera," I said simply, "It looks like Aldera, and was full of bullies. Plus a version of me that I think represented a different way I could have spent my Talents and Skills. What about you? What did you and All Might talk about all day?"

"Costumes," she said, sounding a bit evasive, "And what it is like for him, teaching. And a bit about you, and The Gamer, and if we ever considered going into my dungeon..."


After I finished the last mook, we got the message that the boss had spawned. I did a Ki scan. Then I frowned.

"What is it, Izuku-kun?" Ami asked.

"I thought we had covered the entire maze," I answered, "But it feels like the boss is above us."

"Secret passage?" Mikoto suggested.

"Or a new path opened up," Ochako added.

"But that isn't all," Momo studied me. Which wasn't really fair, since we couldn't see her face.

"No, it isn't," I confirmed, "This feeling. The boss is strong. But not only that, it feels spread out. Like maybe it is a larger sized boss."

"There's no way to know until we see it," Ochako said. She was trying to be energetic, but it was easy to see she was a bit shaken by my announcement.

"It's not like we are going to give up now, right?" Mikoto pressed the point.

"Then let us get as close to being under the boss as we can," Momo agreed, "And then see if we can find a way up."

"If nothing else, maybe Mikoto or Izuku can blast a hole in the roof," Ochako joked.

Ami just listened, her lips pursed in thought.

We backtracked our steps, following the string. And it didn't take long to see something that had definitely no been there before. Stairs. In the same Aldera style as the rest of the dungeon. Leading up. At the top was the door leading up out onto the roof. Aldera, like most real schools and unlike most anime schools, did not allow students up there, so I didn't know what to expect. But it was a stereotypical broad, flat, tiled roof with a link fence around it.

We tapped the door open to get a look at the boss, hoping we wouldn't be noticed.

The 'Deku' doppelganger was waiting for us, though this time I saw he had metal plates on the front of his sneakers. Besides that he looked at his partner apprehensively.

And with him was Kacchan. But unlike the Bakugou Katsuki, age 14, Aldera uniform Ami had fought, this one appeared to be about our age. He was a few centimeters taller, and like my copy, a bit more ripped. And he he had on some sort of costume. He had a black and orange shirt, and black pants with a green belt and garters. His face was partially covered by an explosion patterned domino mask and an explosion patterned pair of fins out of the back of his neck for some reason. He also had a metal neck brace, and heavy boots with metal kneecaps. Finally, he had a bulbous, grenade-like device on each of his wrists.

"Analyze."

[Name: Izuku 'Deku' Midoriya (c)
Another you, another path.
Level: 22
Health: 860/860
Stamina: 678/690
Psions: 460/460]

[Name: Katsuki '' Bakugou (c)
What could have been.
Level: 22
Health: 923/924
Stamina: 650/650
Ki: 550/575]

"So for a strategy," I began, my voice catching a bit, "How would all of you feel about beating me up? Not me, me. The boss me."

"Izuku, you are my friend," Mikoto laid a comforting hand on my arm, "But I'm still more than a little angry about the whole 'will I make it in, oops, no, I stole the top spot' thing. So I will have no trouble blasting that copy."

"It's not really you," Ochako said nervously, "I guess that means I can fight it."

Ami looked even more unsure.

"What are you thinking?" Momo queried.

"Well, I'm thinking that unless that is some unexpectedly crazy version of him, I know what Ka... Bakugou-kun can do. And what he will do, which is attack me immediately. But I also know his powers, and how he normally fights. So I think I can handle him. Plus, like Ami said, I kind of want to. But the other me, we don't know what he can do. Is he similar to me? A pure telekinesis build? Pure ki? Or even a telepathy build? He looks like he might be a pure physical build, but we can't count on that. That's why I'm thinking this. I will take on the Bakugou half of the boss. The three of you take on 'Deku', but carefully. And Ami hangs back to provide support for the rest of us."

"Since her water can be used both to attack and block," Momo nodded, "And for the uncertain copy of you, numbers and the variety of our powers should help overcome that. It's a solid plan."

The other three ladies all indicated they were in. So after giving Momo a second to generate a titanium combat knife and buckler duo, we stepped onto the roof.

"What the fuck is this?!" Bakugou roared before anyone else could react, "Two Dekus? And that one brought Ponytail and Round Face with him? And who are these other extras? Dammit!"

Then with a pair of predicted explosion, he jetted straight at me.

"Drive 4. Asgard Smash!"

"The Hell?" Bakugou complained as the ball of Ki slammed into his chest. But even though his HP dropped by 33, he didn't stop or even slow. His posture was the same as always, telegraphing a leading right. But, no, he was playing it up too much. He wanted me to think his first blow would be a right cross. He had something else in mind. I wondered if someone else had exploited that tendency of his.

His right hand did shoot forward. But when I swung my arm up to block his punch, he loosened his fist and double tapped his palm. Out of the nozzle over his wrist, a cloud of fire bloomed.

[-15 Health, -10 Energy]

I had tweaked the alerts to also show how much Energy TK Armor consumed in reducing the damage I took.

The explosion stopped Bakugou. Then he pointed his left hand down and to the side. The next, smaller explosion rotated his body, and he launched a knee at my face. He seemed surprised when I caught it on my arm and forced him back, only losing a little Energy in the process. Then I buried my fist deep in his gut, comboing the punch into a...

"Hogwarts Smash!" as I had renamed my Broadway Smash. The Telekinetic Attack used him instead of a rock or knife. He was too heavy to be an effective projectile, at least with my current abilities. So he didn't go flying, but was sent tumbling, his face scraping on the tiles.

'Deku' was fairing a bit better. He was noticeably faster and stronger than me, some sort of reddish energy crackling over his body. My party members were holding their own. Mikoto had joined Momo, and was using a sword made out of vibrating iron sand. Neither of them had been able to connect yet, but their blades were keeping him on his toes. Though that was also literally true because at some point Ochako had tagged him. Without gravity, he was having trouble getting a good purchase. Even so, the only reason he hadn't been able to knock out at least one of Momo or Mikoto, was that Ami was focusing solely on them for the time being. He smashed her water bullets, but was forced to pay attention to them, or be knocked off balance and give one of the melee attackers an opening.

"What the fuck are you?" Bakugou demanded, regaining his feet, "You look and sound like Deku, but you don't fight like him. What's with all this Street Fighter shit?"

He was fighting better than I remembered. So was the other me. But neither of them held a candle to Cassandra or Ojiro-san. Even Tsu and I, and now Momo from what I had seen since Friday, were far more skilled than they were. But they seemed to have more practical experience. Which made sense since they were both higher level than any of us.

And I was even less sure of 'Deku's' build.

Bakugou launched into a series of punches and kicks, each one paired with a small explosion. The bursts were not meant to seriously hurt me. Instead he wanted minor burns and battery, and mostly to limit my movement.

Then he dropped both hands down. Twin blasts launched him up like a rocket. He knee slam me face... rattling my brain a bit. If my health had been any lower, that probably would have broken my nose.

I grabbed his leg before he could sail past me. I turned into a shoulder throw, but because he was airborne and I was swinging him at basically full extension, it wasn't quite as gentle as I wanted. His head smacked the tiles hard.

He rolled over, and pointed one of grenades at me.

"DIE, shitty nerd!"

BOOM! BANG!

He reached up for the pin. I braced myself, and started to form a TK Rampart between us. But before he could fire, I heard a different loud sound, namely a sonic boom. Then the device exploded, the nitroglycerin inside triggered by the impact.

I spared a glance for the other fight, and a nod for Mikoto. 'Deku' was currently engulfed by one of Momo's smoke bombs. He also was no longer weightless. Momo had switched to a staff, after her dagger and also a hatchet had been broken. The steel pole rested against to crook of her arm as she unzipped the panel over her stomach. She created a pair of flashbangs, and tossed them into the cloud. She then zipped shut and resumed her fighting stance.

It seemed Bakugou's grenades bracers were designed to be safer than their shape implied. They didn't produce any shrapnel. And the underside was reinforced so his wrist was blown off. But his face, upper arm, and hand were all scorched.

"Damn it, you biri biri bitch!" he shouted, "Stay out of my fight, you damn extra."

"Right back at you," she snarled, "Izuku, stop holding back and finish this idiot, so you can help us over here."

Then she grabbed her weapon with both hands. My double shot out of the smoke, and Mikoto barely avoided getting hit by blocking. 'Deku' stopped short, so he didn't lose a finger or two to the sword-shaped vibrating cloud of iron. Even with him hesitating, the force of the blow caused the particles to heavily distort and pushed Mikoto away.

I considered Mikoto's words. Was I holding back?

"Is that right, Deku?" Bakugou's voice was low, dark, and oddly calm, "Are you holding back?"

Part of me, a big part, wanted to apologize. It had been drilled, even beaten into, until it was almost instinctual. To kowtow to Kacchan, especially when he got so livid he didn't seem angry anymore.

Part of me wanted to explain. To tell him Gondor Smash probably wouldn't hurt him any more than Asgard Smash. And that layering Ki Reinforcement would hurt me, too.

Part of me wanted to tell him off, that it wasn't his business and he couldn't call me Deku anymore.

NO.

[You resisted your old fears. Determination +1]

[Congratulations!
Determination has reached 'Peak Human' tier. Please select a bonus Talent.

Nerves of Steel
Fear resistance from Gamer's Mind is upgrade to Fear Immunity.

Focus: Ki Projection
Improves Efficiency for Ki Projection and derived skills.

Focus: Ki Regeneration
Improves Efficiency for Ki Regeneration and derived skills.]

Bakugou was twitching, so I didn't have time to think or Analyze them. And if I just let the window wait, I might accidentally press one. So I hit the panel for Focus: Ki Regeneration, even as I brought my arms up.

"Double Gondor Smash!" I swung down a pair of knife hands in an X, sending off arcs of sharpened Ki. Then I immediately punched out, declaring, "Asgard Smash!"

"YOU WERE, YOU BASTARD!" Bakugou roared. He unleashed a giant explosion from his surviving bracer. It completely engulfed my three attacks. And continued on, hitting me.

[-90 Health, -60 Energy]

The blast threw me into fence around the roof. The combination of the two hits took a huge chunk of my health, and if not for my TK Armor's defense, it probably would have dropped me below half Health.

But at the same time, it looked like I was wrong. While the explosion had destroyed my Asgard Smash, the concentrated edges of the Gondor Smashes had cut though his attack. And deep into his chest. Bakugou was bleeding heavily, but he still had between twenty-five and thirty percent of his HP left.

"I wasn't," I drew myself up, "I just honestly didn't think that would work any better."

"Heh, heh," he panted, "I don't know what you are, you shitty nerd. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE TO YOU AGAIN!"

He rocketed forward again. But without his grenade, he was limited to weaker, sputtering bursts with his right hand. He was moving slower, and off balance.

"I never beat you before, Bakugou," I told him, "And what am I? I'm the one who will fulfill both of our dreams."

I timed it out, and stepped in.

"And I'm sorry, Kacchan," I said, "But that means I have to beat the you here before me now, to do it."

I threw an uppercut, not at his chin, but at his throat. There was a sickening crunch. He was still moving forward, and crashed into me. Except it was solely momentum, and I wasn't knocked down. I set him gently aside.

"Damnit, Deku," he wheezed weakly. Then he vanished in a small explosion, leaving behind a stack of bills and a small, ruby-like gem.

"Analyze."

[Medium Fire Jewel]

Once again I received the nondescript alert. And sure enough, the instant I touched it, it vanished. I dropped the money into my inventory with the rest, and turned to the other fight.

"Umm," I said tentatively, not wanting to insult or annoy them, "Mikoto, you complained about me, but despite the initial plan, it has been all four of you focusing on this guy, and he's in better shape than Bakugou was when you told me to stop holding back..."

"We haven't been focusing on him," she shot back sharply, "Since we've been keeping half an eye on you."

"We were worried you would not be able to go through with fighting Bakugou-kun's copy," Ami added softly.

"Plus, this guy's a lot faster and stronger than you are," Ochako added.

"Well, it looks like you have a plan ready," I noted. 'Deku' frowned.

"What?" he asked.

"Since you are a reflection of my soul, please take this lesson back with you," I told me kindly, "Because I know it is a mistake I make, too, despite knowing better. People never think to look up and rarely remember to look down."

His eyes widened, and his gaze shifted skyward. Floating above him was a cloud of metal shards. The remains of Momo's various weapons he had broken or disarmed her of during the fight. Made weightless by Ochako. Who clapped her hands together.

"Izuku, please cover the northwest quadrant," Ami requested quickly. I conjured a Telekinetic Rampart at her requested angle behind 'Deku'. She created a water wall to the southwest. That left him only one way to go. East, towards us and the densest part of the cloud of raining steel, copper, and titanium.

Unable to evade it, the boss looked up. His hands began to flash, punching the shards, to shatter them. Knocking others away with the shockwaves. Despite that, some of the fragments hit him, and his HP chipped down.

Ochako was right, even with both my enhancement powers and Ki Reinforcement devoted to only Strength or Quickness, he would have been well above me. And it didn't seem like he was going all out.

Once the rain of metal ended, he faced us. There was a nasty cut on his left cheek, and the chest and arms of his costume were cut to ribbons, the skin underneath less damaged but still bloody. He looked angry. But I just gave him a sad smile and pointed down. His anger changed mostly to resignation, and he looked at his feet.

The majority of Ami's water reserves had been used during the fight. Plus, I think Momo might have contributed some, too. The result was that the entire roof was covered in a three centimeter deep puddle. Except, thanks to Ice Water, for five bone dry ovals. One around the feet of each party member. And on top of just the water, he was now surrounded by a scrapyard of conductive material.

Mikoto dropped to one knee and placed the first two fingers of each hand just above the water. Current shot out. With barely any interference from Electromaster, it arced towards him. 'Deku's' body went rigid as millions of volts flowed through him. He teeth clenched so hard I was surprised they didn't crack. A high, groaning whine escaped his lips, almost like a whistling kettle.

Three seconds later, Mikoto broke off. She stood again, exhaling harshly. A quick check showed that her Psions were almost entirely spent. She might have one or two more attacks left, but nothing of that magnitude.

Their combo had dropped 'Deku' down to a quarter of his starting Health, but he definitely wasn't done. Instead, he gave us a look of renewed determination.

"Full Cowling, Fifty Percent!" he announced. The red-purple lines on his body both spread and grew brighter. Then he moved.

"Ki Reinforcement, Endurance and Quickness," I barked.

He was so much faster than before I didn't think I would be able to tracking him without the boost to my speed. And I split it with endurance, hoping that would keep the merged Ki and Psionics from hurting me too badly.

[-1 Health]

I wouldn't be able to fight him physically, but I could at least keep up with him. Still, jerking my neck and torso around was hurting.

I also noticed that the same appeared true. 'Full Cowling' was draining both Psions and Stamina from 'Deku', so I couldn't be sure what kind of power it was. Whatever it was, it hurt him slightly every time he moved. He must have been hoping to take us out, before he defeated himself.

As fast as he was, there was still a latency of brain to muscles, and my Telekinesis was basically instant. When he stopped circling, and moved in to attack, I conjured another Rampart, this one in his path. 'Deku' smashed through it like glass, barely slowing down. But slow he did. That gave Momo a chance to throw a pellet of some sort in his path. I was expecting an alkali metal or something else that would explode. Instead, whatever it was caused a rather extreme endothermic reaction. There was spray of mist, and the boss's next step landed on smooth and solid ice. His foot slid forward, dropping him into a painful splits on the four meter circle of ice now covering the ground around him. I heard a sharp crack I thought might have been one of his bones. Instead, it was from the ice itself. Hundreds of small needles of ice broke off from the main mass, and flew up. Impaling him. Making him look like an instruction model for acupuncture. Only these needles went deeper. He shivered, but was also bleeding profusely.

'Deku' tried to stand, but between his injuries, and Ami returning the ice to its flattest and slickest, he couldn't. I stepped closer, a ball of ki forming in my hand. Mikoto did the same. She held up one of her discs, and Ochako tapped it.

"You are going to becoming the number one Hero?" he asked me, smiling.

"That's the plan," I said humbly, "With a little help from my friends."

He nodded. And we reduced his HP to 0.


[Izuku Midoriya Dungeon Complete!
Defeated 100 enemies: +1 Affinity
Defeated boss: Bonus Random Talent
Level I cleared: Bonus Random Talent]

The other me dropped some more money and a [Medium Light Jewel]. After exiting and splitting the money, the five of us, plus All Might, took a break and ate lunch. To wait for Mom, Tsu, and Cassandra. The three of them had also come to campus, wanting to see the results of clearing my Dungeon, and of the quest that had led to the second party.

"So what was the boss?" Tsu asked as soon as she entered All Might's office.

"It was a strange version of Izuku," Ochako told them, "and a villain version of the Bakugou Katsuki who was the mid-boss."

"Actually," I said sheepishly, "I think that was what Kacchan would have been like if he had... had made it into UA."

Ami nodded, and Mom looked thoughtful.

"So then," All Might boomed, "It appears the rewards for defeating the boss and clearing the first level are both random Talents."

"Let's see what you get," Ochako said anxiously.

I hit the window, and then assigned my fifth affinity to Intuition, since that was tied to my psychic abilities.

[Congratulations!
Boss defeated in your Reflective Dungeon. Please select a bonus Talent.

Query Expert
Improves Efficiency for SQL Coding.

Focus: Ki Projection
Improves Efficiency for Ki Projection and derived skills.]

"That's easy," I picked the second one.

"It is interesting that you only had two choices," Tsu noted, "When I had three."

"Actually," I remembered I hadn't told them, "I also hit 50 Determination fighting Bakugou, and that gave me three options. I took Ki Regeneration focus, since it applies to Ki Healing, too. But the Ki Projection one was also offered."

The next window for the Level I clear also only offered me two skills. I took 'Sidestep' over 'Tough as Nails', but it was a difficult choice. In the end, I decided Mom was right, and improving my dodging ability was better.

"Now for the big one," Mikoto smirked, "The quest that got us four into this."

[Quest 'A New Fantastic Point of View' complete. Claim the rewards?
(Accept) (Decline)]

[Bonus Talents received.
'Party Leader II' unlocked.
'Inventory III' unlocked.
'Reflective Dungeon II' unlocked.
'Guild Master I' unlocked.]

"Whoa."

I didn't clearly catch which lady said that, I was so engrossed in the list of Gamer talents.

Party Leader II was simple enough. I could add a sixth person to my party (I immediately added Tsu to test), and members of my party gained 5% more combat XP. Also, the party could talk telepathically. But it was an all or nothing, like shouting. If we used Party Chat, everyone in the party would hear it.

Inventory III was slightly more complicated. It added one more column, increasing my box to 3 by 6. It also added a wallet function, so money didn't take up a grid slot and I could see exactly how much I had stored. And finally, it added equipping of party members. I flipped over to the party tab, and sure enough, each party member's information now had a paper doll next to it, like mine on the Inventory tab. Fortunately, they equipment displays also had those side arrows to collapse them. Which I quickly did without looking at what they all they were wearing.

Reflective Dungeon II got a bit more of a reaction. It said that we could now delve into the second level of a dungeon, of there was one. But more importantly...

"Time Dilation?" I gaped at it. Ami looked similarly struck.

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Momo asked.

"When my party enters a Dungeon," I switched to the System tab, called up the manual, and summarized, "I can choose to have time pass normally, or at double the normal rate. So two hours in a Dungeon would only be one hour in the real world. And we still age at the normal rate..."

"I know there are some Quirks that effect time," Ami said, awed, "But they are extremely rare and powerful, and give physicists migraines and nightmares. Now you have a power that can simultaneously alter the flow of time and leave it alone?"

"May it is just our perception of time?" I suggested, "Increasing our movement and thinking speeds, without actually changing our cellular mitosis rate?"

"Maybe? But then how would the accelerate metab..."

"Forget the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for a minute, eggheads," Mikoto ordered, "What's up with this guild?"

There was a new tab on my menu, 'Guild'.

"It might be a bit faster to show you," I decided, "Guild Invite: Midoriya Inko, Asui Tsuyu, Cain Cassandra, All Might, Mizuno Ami, Misaka Mikoto, Uraraka Ochako, Yaoyorozu Momo."

The eight screens popped up, and they all hit accept.

"Well now," All Might rumbled.

"Right, for all of you, you have access to the Stats, Skills, and Talents tabs, even when you aren't in my party. Also, I guess the Guild tab, if that wasn't obvious. But not the Party tab unless you are in the party, and verse vica. For me, I can invite a Guild member into my party, even if I don't have line of sight on them. There's also a Guild Chat, which is like Party Chat, but with the whole Guild. And it looks like I can have up to twelve people in the guild, including myself."

"Wha.. what's this?" Ochako exclaimed in disbelief, "One billion yen?"

"One billion?" I glanced down on the tab.

"Hmmm," Tsu mumbled.

Sure enough, there was a Guild Hall option. It would let me convert an item's Reflective Dungeon (but not a person's) into a Guild Hall. Then any member of the guild could jump to the Guild Hall from anywhere. But they could only exit to the real world location of the item itself. Plus, according to a quick glance at the manual, 'additional Guild Perks including Guild Hall upgrades may be unlocked for purchase when additional qualifications are met.' The downside was the Guild Hall cost, one billion yen. Plus the item had to be at least three levels deep and the first two had to be cleared.

So I probably wouldn't have that for a while. Even if I could find a dungeon that reliably dropped ten million yen, and that I could safely solo, I'd still have to clear one hundred of them.

\Who else are you going to invite,/ Cassandra asked, and Tsu translated for the others, \You still have three open slots./

Momo called up her window, and dropped some skill points into JSL. Ami, Mikoto, and Ochako followed suit.

'Wait, Cassandra,' I said silently, 'if we have Guild Chat, then...'

'I can talk to you?' she responded. Her current tone was cautious and anxious. But her mental voice was gentle and melodious. Then her face lit up, and she teared up a little.

'I can talk to you,' she said certainly, happily. Mom placed a hand on hers.

'As to your question, Cain-san,' Momo said, still in the Guild Chat, 'I would suggest inviting Kyoka.'

'I remember what you said on Friday,' Ami picked up, 'And I agree with what you said about Hagakure-san seeming talkative and flighty. Though I think she would not betray you. But I agree that Kyoka-chan can be trusted.'

'I'll think about, and try to talk to her some more.'

'I think we need to think of a name for the guild,' Tsu commented, pointing to the blank spot at the top of the tab.


Status Changes for Midoriya Izuku:
Level: 16 → 19
Max Health: 542 → 643
Max Energy: 831 → 1059

Attributes:
(S)trength: 45 → 48
(A)gility: 43 → 48
(E)ndurance: 47 → 49
(Q)uickness: 47 → 48
(W)it: 40 → 45
(I)ntuition: 42 → 45
(C)harisma: 27 → 30
(D)etermination: 49 → 56
(L)uck: 16 → 21

Unspent Points:
Attribute: 54 → 72
Skill: 24 → 33
Talent: 3 → 4

Skills:
Japanese Language (W/C): 21 → 22
Scientific Method (W/I): 12 → 13
Oral Hygiene (C): 20 → 21
Analyze (W) – Battle Scan: 42 → 44
Dodge (A/Q): 26 → 29
Chemistry, Basic (I): 11 → 12
Telekinesis (I/D): 31 → 34
Basic Karate (A): 37 → 38
Boxing (S): 29 → 31
Physical Resistance (E/D): 30 → 33
Running (Q/E) – Jet Set Run: 28 → 29
Climbing (S): 17 → 18
Acrobatics (A): 19 → 20
Ki Detection (D/I): 22 → 25
Ki Blast (D/W) LB: 16 → 18
Ki Slice (D/W) LB: 16 → 17
Ki Healing (D/E) LB: 19 → 20
Throwing (S/A): 7 → 10
Telekinetic Attack (I/A): 21 → 22
First Aid (W/A): 5 → 6
Mathematics, Advanced (W): 4 → 5
Tactile TK (I/D): 14 → 16
Telekinetic Armor (I/E): 19 → 22
Telekinetic Aura (I) LB: 26 → 29
Kung Fu Fundamentals (Q/E): 18 → 19
Wing Chun Quan (A/Q): 14 → 15
Tai Chi Quan (A/S): 14 → 16
JSL (W/A): 12 → 13
Telekinetic Rampart (I/E): 12 → 14
SQL Coding (W):
0 → 1
Database Design (W/I):
0 → 1

New Talents:
Focus: Ki Regeneration
Focus: Ki Blast
Sidestep
Party Leader II
Inventory III
Reflective Dungeon II
Guild Master I

Affinities:
Telekinesis 0 → 1
Telepathy
0 → 1
Clairvoyance
0 → 1
Ki Arts
0 → 1
Intuition
0 → 1


My Hero Playthrough Omake: Settings
"What the fuck are you?" Bakugou demanded, regaining his feet, "You look and sound like Deku, but you don't fight like him. What's with all this Street Fighter shit?"

"System," I mumbled quietly. Then scrolled to one of the settings I had ignored, and triggered it.

"What the [] are you doing?" Bakugou demanded. Then his face screwed up in confusion, and he shouted, "What the []? [] you, you [] nerd! What the [] did you do? I'll kill you!"


"Izuku, stop holding back and finish this idiot, so you can help us over here," Mikoto yelled at me.

After a moment's thought, I realized I was holding back, in the most crucial way possible.

"System," I announced.

"What the [] is it now?" Bakugou complained.

"Begin combat playlist on random shuffle," I instructed. My enemy's eyes widened as a burning guitar rift sounded out of thin air.

Up to outer space I will go. Latest trend to go with the flow...

Inspired by the music, I dove back in to kicking Bakugou's [].

Hmm, maybe I'll disable the profanity filter again after he's destroyed.


My Hero Playthrough Omake: The Other Side
I jerked upright in bed. It was only about ten minutes before my alarm would have gone off, so I got up anyway. It was Sunday, so no classes. I did a bit of freshening up, then went down to the kitchen and common room. I grabbed a bagel and some OJ, and set down on the couch to think. The rest of my classmates filed down in time. And when one arrived, I could help but stare at her. Which she noticed.

"Is there something on my face, Midoriya-kun?" she asked.

"No," I shook my head quickly and apologized, "Sorry, Yaoyorozu-san. I just... well do you know how to ride a motorcycle? Or have you ever mentioned wanting to?"

"I am interested," she said, confused, "But I don't think I've ever mentioned it. Why?"

"I just had a dream last night and you were in it..." I admitted, before thinking what I was saying.

"Tell us more," Mineta and Kaminari sidled up behind me.

"It wasn't like that," I protested, "We were fighting. Well, Kacchan and I were fighting Ochako, who was normal, some weird version of me who fought like a fighting game character, Sailor Mercury in her Eternal form with the weird shoulder bubbles, some lightning Quirk girl with brown hair... I feel like I should recognize her."

"What did she look like?" Todoroki unexpectedly asked.

"Short, light brown hair and matching eyes. She looked like a middle schooler, and had a skirt with shorts under it, a white blouse and a sweater vest over it. And she kept shooting arcade tokens at us."

"Misaka Mikoto," he said, "The female lead of the RailDex book series."

A lot of people turned to look at him oddly.

"My sister collected old books," he defended, "And I didn't have any other options as a child."

"Anyway," I spared him, "and the last one was you, Yaoyorozu. Except you had on a full biker's leathers and helmet."

"Then how did you know it was her?" Tsuyu-chan asked.

"Same height, same build, and same Quirk," I answered, "And she fought the same."

"How did I use my Quirk in neck to toe leather?" she asked.

"There were a lot of zippers," I explained, "You would unzip part to make an item, then zip it back up..."

"Shut up, Deku!" Kacchan roared, "Nobody cares about your shitty dreams."


'How did I have the same dream as that nerd?' Katsuki thought nervously, 'Am I starting to think like him. Or maybe just someone with a dream or telepathy Quirk is messing with me?'


Author's Notes: First, again, Omakes aren't canon to the story. Canon Izuku and Katsuki were not controlling the bosses in their dreams. Probably. But if they had, they would have interpreted Ami and Mikoto as their canon selves. And that would have taken place right after they moved into the dorm, before the Provisional Licensing Arc.

¥ is the symbol for Yen (Japanese currency)
is the kanji for money (kane)