Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona Series.

Chapter 2

"What's going on?!"

If Izuku had thought through things a bit more logically, he might have assumed this was all but a dream. In which case, he could also assume it was a nightmare. But everything around him felt too real. Izuku couldn't remember a time when his mind had been so clear during a dream.

Izuku had spent enough time studying Heroes and Villains to rationalize his predicament a dozen different ways, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to acknowledge any of them.

*BANG*

"Quiet, inmate!" Izuku jumped in fright as the bars he gripped were suddenly struck. Looking for the source, Izuku found a pair of small girls, twins, standing in front of his cell. Both wore identical uniforms, velvet-collared blue shirts with black ties and thigh-length pleated shorts. The girls both shared platinum blonde hair and golden eyes. While they both wore an eyepatch over one eye, they each wore it on a different side.

Their hair was also styled differently. The one who struck the bars having two buns on each side of her head while the other had a long braid running straight down her back. The twin to his right obviously held the baton that struck his cell, while the twin to his left carried a clipboard. Upon closer inspection, he also noticed that their hats had English letters on them. The girl with the baton had "X-R-M-N" embroidered on the front of her hat, while the girl with the clipboard had "O-Y-O-O" on hers.

"All will be explained in due time, prisoner. Allow our master to continue," the twin on his left said, her voice stoic when compared to the her sister. "The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are correct to assume that this is a dream."

"Speaking of our master, stand up straight!" The rude twin ordered, glaring from the side as she turned her back to Izuku. "Show some respect!"

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance," The long-nosed man said before Izuku could ask any of the many questions that were currently forming in his head. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. My name is Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."

Izuku gulped as he heard the strange man's name, nodding slowly in acceptance. It was probably one of the few things since this dream started that wasn't terribly confusing.

"S-so if this is some kind of dream, but also real… why am I here?"

"I summoned you to speak of important matters," Igor answered cryptically, glancing around the room. "Still, this is quite a surprise. This room is designed to reflect the state of your heart. To think a prison would appear as such."

Igor chuckled, glancing back at Izuku. "You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate. To be born Quirkless in a world full of wonderful powers, I would say that this idea applies quite well to you."

Izuku couldn't help but flinch at the mention of his nonexistent powers. It seems that even here, in some dream or nightmare, either it be, he would be reminded of such.

"In the near future, make no mistake that ruin awaits you," Now this drew Izuku's attention back to the subject at hand.

"R-ruin? What do you mean by that...?" Izuku asked, unsure what he was supposed to do with such a vague promise of doom.

"Exactly what you might think: the end to everything. But worry not, prisoner. We shall provide you with the means of avoiding this fate," Igor declared, waving his hand around as he spoke. "To avoid this fate, you must be 'rehabilitated'. Rehabilitated toward freedom. That is your only means of avoiding ruin… Do you have the resolve to face the distortion of this world?"

"W-w-wait a moment, I'm still confused!" Izuku exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him. "I mean, of course I want to avoid ruin! But nothing you're saying is-"

"Good, then. Allow me to observe your path to rehabilitation," Igor interrupted without a care as Izuku slumped against the bars.

He completely avoided my questions…

The boy's gaze then turned to the twins from before, both standing at attention in front of him.

"Ah, forgive me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."

"Hmph. Try and struggle all you like! Though you don't look very tough," Caroline taunted with a small smirk, but Izuku couldn't find the strength to refute her.

"We wardens are here to protect the inmates. We are also your collaborators," Justine spoke up this time, her voice carrying the same amount of stoicism as before. "That is, if you remain obedient. Though you don't look the type to rebel."

"I get the feeling you're both making fun of me…" Izuku grumbled, leaning on the bars for support.

"I will explain their roles at another occasion," Igor said, tapping his desk with his fingers. "Now, then, It seems the night is waning. It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…"

With a wave of his hand, the sound of a bell began to echo through the circular prison. Izuku's eyes darted around to find the source.

"Time is up. Hurry and return to sleep, inmate," Caroline ordered with a glare.

"W-wait, though! I still have so many questions!" Izuku cried out, reaching forward and gripping the steel bars. Not a moment later did his body suddenly slacken, his eyelids getting heavier with each passing moment. "I want to… know what's…"

He didn't have the chance to finish his sentence before sleep finally took him.

As he slowly peeled his eyes open, Izuku surveyed his surroundings once more as he sat back up, sighing in relief as he recognized the attic of Cafe Leblanc.

What a strange dream… but it felt so real. And I remember it all so clearly… but I still can't make heads or tails of anything they were saying.

"Hey, kid. You up?" Izuku turned to the stairs leading to his room, watching as Sojiro climbed to the top of the stairwell. His outfit had changed little, only ditching the apron for a white blazer and sporting a white trilby with a red-white-and-blue hat band. "Oh, good. Make sure to wash up. We're going to be leaving soon to introduce ourselves to the school staff. Now, your new school will be in the Aoyama district. You'll have to take the train and route transfers are a pain. So for today, and today only, I'll drive you up there."

"I-I see… thank you, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded, pulling his blanket off of his feet and kicking them over the bed.

"Yeah. Just get downstairs and wash your face, at least. Then we can go," Sojiro said before turning around and stomping down the steps. "Sheesh… only women are usually allowed in my passenger seat…" Izuku heard him mutter, the green-haired teen could laugh weakly in response.

He swallowed some of the spit that gathered in his mouth and sighed yet again, looking at the wall in thought.

Maybe all of that was just a dream... I've been having a lot of stress, right? Yeah, that's it...

The drive to Shujin wasn't long, though Izuku guessed that was probably because they had left before traffic had really started to build up. Izuku took a moment to stare up at the intimidating building, which resembled a prison more than a school.

It was made of dull, gray cement and parts of the building protruded outward around the stone steps leading inside, forming an inverted "U". A black, minimalist clock hung above and to the right of the door while a stone fence wrapped around the entirety of the school and was lined with green shrubbery.

The only way in or out was through the front gate, which was made of black cast iron shaped into concentric circles with numerous gaps in between the lines. All of the circles were split in half along the hinge of the gate. Warnings against bad behavior like smoking and loitering hung on the gate along with reminders to be in class before 8:00 a.m.

"Alright, looks like we're here," Sojiro stated, stopping in his pace and glancing back at Izuku. "Now, look. Try not to say anything unnecessary in there. Just do your best to stay out of trouble."

"O-of course. I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded meekly, Sojiro releasing a heavy sigh as he rubbed his face.

"I'm still having trouble picturing you as a delinquent with a record…" Sojiro muttered to himself. "But yes, I'd like for you to avoid that. I'm not going to act like I know you well enough to care what happens to you, but I'd hate to be chewed out by your mom if something does."

Izuku nodded in understanding, knowing that the two had met only yesterday. If anything, Izuku just appreciated the fact that Sojiro didn't completely write him off from the get go. He was getting a lot of that nowadays.

It didn't take long for the two to find their way to the principal's office, the two easily making their way through the halls and following the directory. The layout of the school was surprisingly straightforward. It wouldn't take long for Izuku to gain his bearings. Izuku and Sojiro were then greeted by two adults, one an incredibly portly bald man in a brown suit, and the other a woman most likely in her late twenties.

She wore a yellow and white striped shirt and a simple jean skirt. Her hair was wavy and she wore a tired expression on her face as she greeted them.

The one thing both adults had in common was that they both glared at Izuku as if they were trying to bore holes through him. Their gazes made him nervous, breaking eye contact as he struggled to keep his jitteriness hidden. He couldn't get over being treated like a criminal no matter how many times he experienced it.

"Did you have something for me to sign?" Sojiro asked, skipping over the pleasantries and just wanting to get things over with.

"Why, yes. Please, just fill out some of these forms and we'll be done here," The fat man explained, pushing several papers forward for Sojiro to look at. The nameplate on the table revealed his name to be Kobayakawa.

The coffee shop owner nodded, leaning forward and taking a pen to look over the papers. The plump man quickly shifted his gaze over to Izuku, his expression hardening once again.

"Just so we're clear, if you cause any trouble, you will be expelled."

"Y-yes sir…" Izuku muttered, stiffening up as he gave a numb nod.

"Honestly, I hesitated to accept someone with your record, but there were some… circumstances on our side," Kobayakawa huffed, reaching across the table and grabbing a few papers. "You did excel academically in middle school. That's not an indicator you're a good student, but at least you'll be able to pass your classes here."

"I-I'll try not to be a nuisance to anyone," Izuku once again nodded, this time giving an apologetic bow. He couldn't see it, but the female teacher seemed to soften her gaze at the sight of him. Izuku didn't know it, but his meekness made him good at getting others to sympathize with him.

Then again, growing up with someone like Katsuki Bakugou probably helped.

"This is Sadayo Kawakami. She is a second-year homeroom teacher. She will not be in charge of your class, but she was available to help introduce you to our schoo," Kobayakawa explained, motioning to the female teacher next to him.

"Welcome to Shujin Academy," Kawakami sighed, her voice hiding little of her apathy and resignation. "Please read the school handbook and follow the rules. If you end up messing up, I won't be able to help you and neither will any of your other teachers."

"I-I'm sorry to burden you, Kawakami-sensei. Please take care of me," Izuku bowed once more. The brunette teacher could only raise a brow before glancing over at Kobayakawa.

"Are you… sure this is the kid with a criminal record? He looks like he could barely hurt a fly." Sojiro could barely stifle a chuckle as Izuku felt sweat running down his neck out of embarrassment.

"Looks can be deceiving, Kawakami-san. Do your best to keep an eye on him while you can," the fat principal asserted, straightening out his jacket before turning back to Izuku and Sojiro.

"That will be all for today. You will officially begin school starting tomorrow," He then turned to the coffee shop owner specifically, "Sakura-san, please keep an eye on him. We don't want him causing trouble outside of school as well."

"Well, I'll be sure to remind him once we get back," Sojiro sighed in exasperation.

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I'll guide you to your classroom," Kawakami explained further. "Other than that, you're free to go."

"Thank you for your time," Sojiro politely nodded to the two instructors, turning around and motioning for Izuku to follow. The meek teen offered a deep bow to both Kobayakawa and Kawakami before leaving and rushing out after his current guardian. Kawakami waited a for the two to leave before releasing a heavy sigh, turning to the fat principal.

"I know I said I wanted overtime work, but I didn't imagine this…," The female teacher groaned, rubbing her arm in annoyance. "Was this really the only thing you could have me do?"

"It was a last minute transfer. The first-year classes are always packed and I couldn't find anyone else for his first day," Kobayakawa admitted, giving a somewhat sympathetic look to Kawakami. "Just endure it a little longer and you will be paid for the time. Just keep an eye on him. I know he might look a bit meek, but remember that he has a criminal record for assault. It would be best for you to be careful around him."

"Right… I'll keep that in mind," Kawakami nodded with a sigh, resigning herself to the idea. "What's his Quirk, anyway?"

"Oh, about that. He's Quirkless," Kobayakawa answered. The brunette teacher blinked in disbelief.

"W-wait, how did a Quirkless kid get a record for assault?"

Sojiro and Izuku walked in silence until they reached the main entrance, the coffee shop owner releasing a heavy sigh.

"To think that even the staff would treat you like a nuisance. I guess school never changes, even in this day and age…"

He glanced back at Izuku, who looked like a kicked puppy as tears threatened to leak at the corner of his eyes.

Sojiro could understand how hard it was for the meek kid to be labeled a criminal, especially by adults who were supposed to support and guide him to adulthood.

"Come on. Let's get out of here before traffic hits, hopefully."

"Y-yes, Sakura-san…" Izuku muttered in agreement, his eyes still cast to the ground. Sojiro was tempted to say something, but decided that nothing he could say would console him. Not to mention he was trying to remain distant from the boy to be his disciplinarian. He already broke character the first time around. So they walked to the car in silence.

They didn't exchange a word until they hit the main streets of Shibuya, where they immediately ran into one of Tokyo's infamous traffic jams. The cars only had just enough room to inch along their current lane and there was no way for them to switch to a local road from their current position.

"Damn it, this traffic is going nowhere!" Sojiro cursed in irritation, glancing at Izuku sternly. "You're taking the train, starting tomorrow."

"Wh-what do you think caused this?" Izuku muttered curiously, gazing across the line of cars before them.

"Who knows. We are in Shibuya, after all. It's probably just another traffic jam. Though from what I hear, those random psychotic breakdowns are probably behind it, too. A lot of problems all around," Sojiro sighed, leaning on his free hand in boredom as he barely needed to move the car. "And of course, the obvious answer would probably be-"

"Look, it's All Might!"

Izuku and Sojiro froze at the announcement, most likely from a driver in another car. Without warning, Izuku threw his door open and waded into traffic.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Sojiro protested, his eyes wide at his ward's sudden impulsiveness.

His protests fell on deaf ears as Izuku continued to run ahead. Izuku's eyes had a spark the barista had never seen from him at the mere mention of the Number One Hero. Several other people had done the same, most of them hoping to catch a glimpse of the Symbol of Peace. The coffee shop owner groaned tiredly as he stepped out himself. Even if he was in the middle of a crowded street, most of the other drivers had done the same. He might as well get a show while he waited.

"Th-there he is!" Izuku pointed out, Sojiro following his line of sight. Jumping through the air was indeed All Might. He wore his classic blue and red spandex, his cape billowing in the air behind him. Under his arm there was some overly large and slightly deformed man, most likely due to his Quirk, beaten unconscious. Lifting his head somewhat, Sojiro could hear the boisterous laughter of the number one hero echoing through the air.

The coffee shop owner couldn't stop the smirk from edging at the corner of his mouth. He would never admit it, but even a hardened cynic like him was happy to see All Might in action. He wasn't a huge fan, but it was hard not to admire the so-called World's Greatest Hero.

But Izuku was grinning like a kid in a candy store, his glittering green eyes hiding no small amount of his admiration.

"S-so cool… I actually got to see him… He looks even cooler in person..."

"Careful, kid. You'll drool at this rate," Sojiro pointed out with a small chuckle, glancing at Izuku from the side. Despite taking notice of Sojiro this time, Izuku smile would not fade as he gazed at his guardian. "Didn't realize you were such a huge All Might fan. Though maybe it's normal for kids your age to look up to that guy."

"Of course! All Might is amazing in every sense of the word!" Izuku declared without hesitation, looking back to the sky to watch as the hero continued to jump from building to building, his figure slowly shrinking in the distance.

"Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be a Hero just like… just like…" Izuku's grin finally began to disappear, his shoulders and pupils falling as he spoke. Harsh reality quickly evaporated what was left of his energetic stupor.

"Oh… right…"

Sojiro couldn't stop the sympathetic frown from spreading down his lips. Until now, Izuku had been meek, stammering mess. But after seeing the Symbol of Peace, he had almost become a completely different person. It surprised Sojiro more than anything that a feeble kid like Izuku wanted to be a hero, but it was obvious how passionate he was about the idea. Sojiro didn't say it, but he was well aware of Izuku's Quirklessness.

He wasn't sure if he should admire the boy's tenacity up to this point or if or be dumbstruck at his stupidity for wanting to become a Hero without a Quirk. But no matter what he thought, that dream was completely shattered now. Having missed his chance to attend a Hero School like U.A. and gaining a criminal record, Izuku's chances of becoming a Pro were practically nil. It was almost like he'd been forced to play a game that had been rigged against him from the start.

"Come on, kid. Let's go home," Sojiro finally spoke up again, his voice softer than usual. Izuku didn't bother looking at Sojiro, just offering a slow nod before returning to the car in silence.

Poor kid.

The moment Izuku and Sojiro arrived at Leblanc, Izuku returned to his room without a sound. Sojiro had deigned to leave him alone, wordlessly looking around his shop and checking for any problems. The traffic had been backed up for miles and the day was practically over already, so there was no reason for the shopkeeper to open up.

The green-haired teen pulled the box of his belongings out from underneath the workbench, flipping open the top and peeking inside. Having spent most of the previous day cleaning, Izuku missed the chance to take a look inside before. As he expected, his mother had packed his All Might memorabilia for him. The first thing he spotted being a rolled up poster. Next to it were articles of folded clothing as well as his weights for training. He knew he could do little without a Quirk, Izuku had been training his body as hard as he could in preparation for the U.A. Entrance Exam.

Izuku first pulled out the poster, but kept it rolled up as he set it aside. He then moved to the weights, pulling them out and walking back to the right front corner of his room and setting them down. He glanced around the room, trying to come up with other ways to to work out with the resources he had. He spotted the chair in the corner of the room before looking up at the ceiling. There was a low-hanging beam to the left of the workbench.

"Pull-ups would be pretty good for working out…" He muttered to himself, walking over to the chair and pulling it directly below the beam. Before he could proceed any further, Izuku heard footsteps climbing the stairs, glancing over to see Sojiro enter his room.

"Hey. I forgot to give this to you earlier, but…" Sojiro began as he reached into his pocket. As he looked up at Izuku though, he immediately froze and felt his jaw slacken. "Holy shit, kid… You're not thinking of…"

"Eh?" Izuku blinked in confusion at first, glancing at the beam and the chair before immediately putting two and two together.

"N-n-no, Sakura-san! N-nothing like that, I swear! I-I just figured that I could use the beam to work out! I-I often work out every day for about two hours or so!" He yelped, furiously waving his arms in the air in hopes of alleviating Sojiro's concern.

The coffee shop owner wasn't wholly convinced, his gaze obviously worried before glancing around his room. Seeing the weights on the ground though, Sojiro decided that Izuku might be telling the truth.

"Alright, alright, kid. I believe you. Just… try not to hurt yourself while you're working out," He sighed, reaching in his pocket again and pulling out a small notebook.

"I need to give you this. It's a diary. Since you're on probation, I have to report your daily activities. That's a pretty big hassle, so I want you to just write it all down in that diary for me."

"A-ah, I see. I'll be sure to do that…" Izuku nodded, just relieved that Sojiro didn't think he was trying to kill himself now.

"You might be on probation, but there aren't any special restrictions on what you can do. Aside from following the law, of course," Sojiro explained, crossing his arms in front of him. "Like I said before, don't go messing with anything downstairs. If you do I'll kick you out in a heartbeat."

While he didn't think Izuku was the type to mess around, his shop was one of the most important things to him. There was no harm in making that crystal clear.

"Anyways, that's about it. I'm going to head home now and start dinner," Izuku opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he heard Sojiro's phone buzz. The shopkeeper reached in and pulled out his cell, a small smirk tugging at his lips before answering.

"Hey… Don't worry, I'll be over soon… I know, the usual, right?" He chuckled, paying no mind to Izuku's growing curiosity. "Got it, I'll be sure to grab some… see you soon, alright?"

With that, he hung up and stuffed the phone away, clearing his throat and looking back up at his ward. "Well, that's my signal to take off. By the way, I left you a plate of curry wrapped up if you're hungry. I noticed you didn't eat the one before, but I'm guessing you were just beat from cleaning up all day. Give it a taste, it might surprise you."

"A-ah, right. I'll be sure to have some tonight. Sorry for wasting the previous plate," Izuku apologized. He was actually famished now that he thought about it. He hadn't eaten a thing in two days because of how hectic things had been. He would definitely devour the plate once he was done working out.

"Don't worry about it. Considering it's house special, you'll have plenty of other chances to try it," Sojiro chuckled before turning around. "Alright, see you in the morning," He bid farewell, descending down the stairs.

Izuku returned to his workout, setting the chair under the beam so he could reach it before going over to his storage box and changing out of his school uniform and into a tank top and aqua sweatpants.

He started his usual routine with sit-ups and push-ups before moving on to pull-ups. His muscles tensed and tightened as he exercised. It had been well over a week since his last real workout due to all the events that transpired. It was nice to be able to get back in routine.

"Eleven… twelve…" Izuku counted with each pull-up, sweat already glistening off of his skin. His muscles strained with each pull-up, but he wouldn't give up. He had to get stronger so that he could…

Oh… right…

Izuku seemed to be a glutton for punishment, having reminded himself for the umpteenth time about his current situation. Still, he continued to train. He wasn't going to give up hope. There had to be a way for him to achieve his goal. There had to be a way...

Just give it up, Deku! A Quirkless loser can't be a Hero! Forget whatever that idiot ever told you!

Izuku felt his grip slipping, fingers struggling to keep him suspended in the air. His strength waned for a moment, but Izuku held as best he could before attempting another rep.

Did you think you were being some kind of Hero? You shouldn't stick your nose in adult business, kid. Now you'll never be a Hero!

Izuku finally lost his grip, grunting in pain as his ass hit the chair and knocked it aside, hitting the floor with no less force. Izuku rubbed his rear in pain and bit his lip in frustration as tears began to stream down his face once again.

No matter how many times he told himself to endure, things never changed.

He couldn't push his way through this situation like his bullying or his classes. Neither of those things had stolen his chance of achieving his dream.

It was like being told he was Quirkless again for the first time. He couldn't keep fooling himself.

He will never be a Hero.

*ring ring*

It took a moment for Izuku to realize the phone was ringing. With a slow bat of his eyes, Izuku finally picked himself up off the ground, ignoring the stinging tears that streaked down his cheeks. He reached into his pocket and checked his phone, though realized it wasn't his own that was ringing.

"It's coming from downstairs…," he muttered, his movements numb as he walked forward and down the steps. A yellow rotary phone was ringing away on the counter of the bar, the receiver hopping up each time the bell tolled. Izuku wondered who could possibly be calling the cafe at this time, but decided to just answer and find out.

"... Hello?" Izuku slowly answered, unsure if it was okay for him to do so in Sojiro's shop.

"Yo, it's me."

Izuku blinked. "S-Sakura-san?"

"Yeah. Sorry to interrupt you if you were working out, but I need a small favor. Could you flip the open sign to closed for me? I forgot to do it on my way out."

"S-sure, Sakura-san. I don't mind," Izuku glanced at the sign through the shop entrance.

"Thanks. I got so caught up in work that I forgot. Just flip it and that's all."

"Understood, Sakura-san."

"... you alright kid? You sound pretty beat."

Izuku blinked after hearing that, surprised that Sojiro was able to pick up on his distress at all. "I-I'm fine, Sakura-san. Thank you for asking."

"... Alright, if you say so. Just try to get some rest. I know it's been a long day." With that, Sojiro hung up. Izuku stood there for a moment before sighing, setting the phone back into the receiver.

With nothing else to do, Izuku went outside and flipped the sign before heading to bed. He didn't bother to try and workout any more than he already had.

It was pointless to him, now.

Izuku lamely stomped down the stairs from his room. Normally the prospect of a new school would scare the daylights out of him, but so many emotions were swirling inside of him that he didn't have the energy to focus on any of them. He was sure he'd be a nervous wreck again once he arrived at school, but it felt like an afterthought at this point.

He looked himself over to see if he was wearing his new uniform properly as he reached the bottom of the steps. The uniform was a red-buttoned black blazer with Shujin's logo embroidered on a chest pocket over his left pectoral. He wore it over a white turtleneck with two black arrowheads pointing upward on the left side of the neck. The leggings were black plaid with burgundy bands that crisscrossed like the bars of a cage. They were held up with black suspenders that were hidden under the blazer. forgoed the black loafers for his favorite bright red sneakers with white treads. He doubted anyone would care for as long as he was wearing the rest of the uniform.

This wasn't the uniform he wanted to wear. But like most of the things in his life, his Quirklessness, his criminal record and his stupid, impossible dream, he didn't have much say in the matter.

"Hey. Heading out soon?" Izuku heard Sojiro, glancing to the side to see the shopkeep standing behind the counter with an apron on. Aside from the two of them, the shop was still empty. "You've got time, so take a seat. I'll feed you."

"Th-thank you," Izuku nodded, sitting at the bar. "Would you mind making me a cup of house blend as well? Black."

The request brought a smirk to Sojiro's face. "I have to say, didn't take you for a coffee drinker. You trying to impress me or something?"

"O-oh, nothing like that…" Izuku dismissed, waving his hands. "Back home, in the morning before I worked out, I usually had a cup of coffee. It steams up the body during a workout and makes you sweat a lot more. I think I'm just used to drinking it now."

"I see. Didn't realize you were such a hard fitness buff," Sojiro scoffed before nodding. "Alright, one house blend coming up. Here's your plate while you wait."

He placed a plate of curry and rice in front of Izuku, the green-haired teen blinking in surprise.

"Curry?"

"Like I said, it's the house special. Might seem a bit early for it, but give it a shot," Sojiro told him as he continued to prepare the coffee for him. Izuku hesitated, picking up his fork and gingerly holding it over his plate. It wasn't that he disliked curry, but it was a strange thing to have for breakfast.

Still, he didn't want to waste Sojiro's food again after missing his dinners twice now, so he dug in. Much to his surprise, the curry was far more flavorful than anything he was expecting. It was all kinds of sweet, savory, and spicy, but all of the flavors synchronized with each other rather than overwhelming one or the other. He remembered once that his mom told him she was trying to replicate a curry recipe belonging to a friend of hers. He guessed that it was this one.

"Th-this is… really good!" Izuku praised after swallowing his first bite. He then proceeded to shovel more into his mouth, now realizing how hungry he was after missing dinner for two nights in a row.

"Told you to try it when I made those plates before," Sojiro smirked proudly, placing a freshly brewed cup of coffee next to Izuku's plate. "Try it with the coffee. I think you'll like the combo."

Izuku did as he was told, quickly taking a sip from the house blend. Izuku was no coffee buff, having only drank what was convenient or cheap when he worked out before, but the blend was richer and more satisfying than anything he had at home. As Sojiro had said, the curry had somehow complimented the coffee in a way he didn't think was possible between such different items.

"Over eighty people were injured yesterday after a train was overturned as it approached the train station." Izuku paused in his meal when he heard the television, glancing up to the side to see a newscaster speaking, "It was originally suspected to be the work of an unknown Quirk, but it seems to just be another freak accident caused by the driver."

"So that's why traffic was so packed yesterday," Sojiro hummed aloud. "I thought it was whoever All Might was carrying off, but I guess that was a different issue. Careful on your way to the train station. The schedule might be messed up as well."

"Y-yes, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded before finishing off his plate and downing the coffee. He jumped off of his stool and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Thank you for breakfast. I'll be going now."

"Sure. Just be careful not to get lost, alright?" Sojiro nodded before turning his attention to his counter. Izuku nodded in agreement, taking off for his first day of school. It was easy to find his way to the subway station, but it was fairly crowded once he got on the train car.

Remembering the route Sojiro had given him, he transferred at Shibuya to hop on the Ginza Line toward Aoyama-Itchome, which would drop him close to Shujin Academy. He would still have to do a bit of walking, but it was nothing out of the ordinary.

The moment he arrived at Aoyama-Itchome, Izuku savored his first breath of fresh air after escaping the crowd of people. Glancing around, he searched for a sign indicating the path he needed to go. Glancing at his phone, he saw that he had little time to dawdle, school started in fifteen minutes. Turning toward his goal, Izuku jogged up the stairs of the subway exit, surveying his new surroundings. Before he could find the right street to walk down, a drop of water hit his nose.

"Wh-what?" He muttered, glancing up at the sky. He had seen that it was rather cloudy before, but didn't realize it was going to be raining that day. He'd totally forgotten to grab an umbrella before leaving.

"Aw, man…" He muttered as he ran to search for any shelter he could find as the rain picked up. He spotted an awning by one of the stores, lifting his bag over his head and sprinting for cover. Once he got under an awning, Izuku turned around to look out at the falling rain, sighing as he watched it come down even harder than before.

"I can't catch a break at all…" He muttered to himself. As he tried to plan his next move, he noticed a hooded girl quickly rushing under the awning next to him. Izuku nervously shuffled away from her on instinct. He had little experience speaking to girls his age. Most of them were usually too busy laughing at him for wanting to be a Hero or gossiping about how he was Quirkless to actually strike up a conversation.

The girl seemed to take little notice of him, turning her gaze out to the the falling rain as well. She reached up and pulled back her hoodie, revealing flowing, platinum blonde hair that was tied up in twin-tails on each side of her head. She definitely looked Japanese, but Izuku could tell from her striking blue eyes that there was a bit of a foreigner in her. She wore a Shujin blazer similar to his, but under it she wore a white sports hoodie with a blue and red vertical stripe going down the center. Her leggings were bright red instead of Shujin's standard black with tan, high-heeled boots in place of the expected dark loafers.

Izuku spent little time studying her, his shyness immediately kicking in as he stiffened up as if a rod had been shoved into his spine..

It's a-a girl! A really p-pretty girl! O-okay, Izuku, keep it together! Just stand here and don't look dumb! He mentally cried out, gulping as sweat started to bead down his head.

The girl didn't seem to acknowledge him at first, sighing as she looked out at the rain. After a moment she spared a glance at Izuku, the jumpy teen meeting her gaze for a moment before forcing out a greeting.

"U-uh… hi…" He managed to say, his voice nearly inaudible.

The girl didn't seem to notice how obviously flustered he was to be around her, merely offering a nod and a small smile.

"Hey," She greeted back before turning forward again.

Izuku felt his face turn redder than the lightbulb under Leblanc's awning, his heart pounding in his ears as he quickly turned away to hide his embarrassment.

Oh my gosh! Sh-she actually talked to me! I can't believe it~!

The two returned to silence afterwards. Izuku simply didn't have the courage to try and make any further conversation. He fumbled for his phone to distract himself, pulling it out to check his email. To his shock, the first app that appeared was the ghost app that he had deleted just the other day.

Again?

Before he could move the app back into the trash bin, he heard a car slow to a stop in front of them, glancing up to see a man roll down the window and peer out at them.

He had a long, square jaw, and thick, bushy eyebrows. His dark hair was curly and unkempt, protruding to the sides while his bangs were parted at the front of his face. He was dressed entirely in a blue-and-white tracksuit.

"Hello there. Need a ride?" he asked with a curt smile. "You're gonna be late."

Izuku soon realized that the man's eyes were focused on the girl next to him rather than the both of them, glancing sideways at the blonde to see her put on a smile.

"Sure, that'd be great," The girl agreed, walking forward and getting into the man's passenger seat. Izuku watched her get in, his expression falling slightly when he saw the girl frown and cast her eyes down.

Wh-what's wrong with her? Why is she getting in if she doesn't want to?

"Do you want a ride as well?" The man suddenly offered, Izuku switching his attention to the adult.

"N-no, thank you," Izuku shook his head. He wasn't sure why he rejected the offer, he chalked up to his own to his own nervousness. But something about this man didn't feel right.

"Suit yourself," The man shrugged before rolling up his window and driving off. Izuku watched them drive away, thoughts drifting back to the girl's frown. He didn't have long to think on it, as he heard someone else rushing past him. Izuku glanced to his left, watching as another teen slowed skidded against the ground and cursed. "Damn it! Screw that pervy teacher!"

Izuku didn't hear it, but a small tone sounded from his phone the moment the boy spoke.

This teen was a bit taller than Izuku, probably five-foot-nine. He had dyed his short, spiky hair blond. Similar to the girl from before, he wore his blazer over a yellow tee with a purple star design at the center instead of the expected turtleneck. Izuku found himself watching the newcomer curiously, though he regretted this when the punkish kid turned around, apparently noticing that Izuku had been watching him.

"Got somethin' to say?" the punk asked.

Izuku blinked as he finally realized he had been staring, now frantically waving his arms around. "N-n-no! I-I wasn't-"

"You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?" The blond interrupted, his eyes narrowing at Izuku.

"Wh-what? Wh-who is Kamoshida?" Izuku was now genuinely confused. Not only did he have no idea who the blond was referring to, but he had no idea what he would say about him.

The blond seemed equally perplexed by Izuku's response, stuffing his hands in his pockets as his expression softened.

"Wait, how do you not know who Kamoshida is? You go to Shujin, right?" The blond inquired, his questions more curious than accusatory this time.

"W-well, yeah, b-but I just started today," Izuku explained, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, I see. Kinda weird time to be transferring in though, don't you think?" The blond hummed, crossing his arms in thought. "You a first-year? You look a bit younger than me."

"Y-yeah, I'm first-year Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you," The green-haired teen gulped, offering a polite bow as he introduced himself.

"You're a pretty jumpy guy, huh?" The blond chuckled at Izuku's expense but offered a kinder smile than before. "The name's Ryuji Sakamoto. I'm a second-year, so I guess that makes me your senior."

"A-ah, I see. Please take care of me," Izuku nodded, bowing to his senior again. While Ryuji might have looked like a punk, he seemed nice enough after getting past his rough exterior.

Izuku's thoughts drifted back to Ryuji's previous words. "B-but what were you saying about a… pervy teacher...?"

"Yeah, that's right. That asshole, Kamoshida," Ryuji cursed, brow furrowing in annoyance as he glanced down the street. "He's the jerk who drove off earlier. You'll get to know that bastard soon enough, I'm sure. He's considered the 'star' of the school just because he got the volleyball team to the nationals. Asshole probably thinks he's some sort of king of the castle…"

Izuku missed another ping coming from his phone.

"You seem to have a history," Izuku noted, his words causing Ryuji to fidget somewhat.

"You… could say that…" Ryuji muttered in response as he pulled out his phone. His eyes widened in shock, clicking his tongue. "Ah, damn it! We've been yappin' too long, we're gonna be late to school!"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked before looking at the time on his phone, ignoring the ghost app that was still spread across his screen. "A-ah! You're right, we should get going!"

"If only my leg wasn't messed up, I'd get us there in no time…" Ryuji cursed to himself, not really speaking to Izuku when he said this. "Come on, this way! I know a shortcut through the back alley. The rain eased up, so it shouldn't be too bad."

"R-right! Thank you, Sakamoto-senpai!" Izuku nodded, the two stepping forward to go. The moment they both moved, they were both hit with a sudden wave of vertigo, migraines slamming into their heads out of nowhere. "Wh-what was that...?"

"Damn it, my friggin' head…" Ryuji cursed in annoyance, rubbing his forehead to try and ease the pain. "I knew I shouldn't have come to school today, damn it… come on…" He grumbled, deciding to power through the temporary pain. Izuku didn't bother to question their sudden migraines, despite the fact that they happened simultaneously.

Instead, he elected to follow after Ryuji, who took off running toward a nearby alleyway. The two sprinted through the narrow back alleys, more focused on making it on time than anything that might have changed around them. Neither of them noticed how the water would briefly levitate in the air after they ran through a puddle.

"Around here!" Ryuji announced to Izuku, making a quick turn that Izuku copied. The two soon came out of the alley, both coming to a full stop as they gazed at the structure that lay before them. Much to their shock, they both saw something that didn't come close to resembling their school.

"What the hell...?"

In place of the school was none other than a stone castle straight out of the history books. On the front gate, a sign read:

Shujin Academy

To be continued…

EDIT: Thanks goes to reppuzan for taking the time to go back on my previous chapters and clean them up nicely!

So yeah, I'm still writing this story obviously :P I would have liked to have written this chapter sooner considering the newness of the story, but I soon went on vacation shortly after writing the latest chapter of another one of my stories, so I didn't have the time to finish until I got back.

The story has now kicked off, and we're preparing to get into the real nitty gritty goodness. Thank you everyone for the support and reception I received on the first chapter, I appreciate it! The Infamous Man, writer of A Different Kind of Truth (a JoJo/Persona 4 Xover) was especially helpful in helping me work out some kinks and ideas for the future of this story, and I was quite happy that he was willing to give them. Speaking of, check out his crossover if you haven't yet, it's pretty amazing :)

Anyways, back on track, I hope you all liked the chapter! I know I'm setting up a big cliffhanger, but don't worry, we'll be getting deeper in very soon! Please leave a review, a favorite and a follow if it's not too much trouble. Thank you!