A/N: Hello everyone! How're you surviving today?! :D Here's another update! We've finally hit USJ! WOOOO! *Listening to Zelda OST as I type this* XD At any rate, it's shorter than the last chapter, but I'm not overly experienced with fight scenes. So I apologize if it's confusing.

I've been so happy with the fanart you guys have been sending me! OMT It's amazing and makes me squeeeeee~~ (Seriously, just ask my Group Chat members on Telegram, they can attest to that). If you've got some, and you'd like me to link/post it in a relevant chapter, e-mail me at aizawa ^_^

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new Eraserhead goggles in the mail~ I'm so excited! Yo! Any Bnha cosplayers in Riverside County, CA? Cuz I need cosplayer friends! TAT If you're there, we need to meet up after quarantine is done, yeah?

Shoutout! Who here knows/likes that French anime, Code Lyoko?! That shit was my CHILDHOOD, and I'm going to eventually write a crossover of BnHA with that. Check it out, guys! It's pretty awesome. Oh, and if you want to cry, I recommend the anime Erin. Watched it years ago, and I remember sobbing like a baby inconsolably for an hour.

I hope everyone's staying safe with Corona out there—I heard that there's about 11 cases in the town I live, and 18 cases in the town I work (yeah, still working both jobs. oof). So wish me luck. (Even if I get sick, I'll do my best to update).

Now, I'm off to eat at 8Pm for the first time today. Whooo~~~ *Didn't get up till noon anyhow*


Izuku woke up the morning of the USJ field trip a jittery mess. Yesterday had been a disaster, and now the teachers were sure to watch him with an even sharper eye. He understood that they were concerned, and that this wasn't actually a setback in his hero career, but it was bound to be nothing short of annoying. Especially with what was going to happen today.

Yamada-sensei had caught him after he'd left Aizawa-sensei the other day. He'd been curious as to why Izuku had used his first name and he'd mentally scrambled for a believable excuse.

"You don't have to answer it now, if you don't want to, I'm just curious." He'd said, waving off his paranoia. "If it makes you more comfortable, Little Listener, you can call me Hizashi outside of class." He'd grinned as he said it, and Izuku wasn't sure if he was grateful or heartbroken. Grateful, because this made it infinitely easier on him if he slipped up, and he was getting closer to one of the only older brother figures he'd ever known… but heartbroken because it wasn't his Zashi. This Hizashi wasn't his Zashi, and he never could be. And that thought made him almost break down right there. He was also a little angry, because 'Little Listener' was Zashi's nickname for him. Nobody else could call him that. Nobody—not even his younger self.

Thank goodness he'd spent a decade with Shouta learning how to handle his emotions.

Last night, he'd gone out on patrol as Viridian for the first since school began. He hadn't wanted to obtain any questionable injuries, and it felt good to be back out there, patrolling the streets in the dead of night. He was glad that Recovery Girl hadn't taken off his shirt, or she would've seen all his scars. And Izuku honestly didn't know how he'd go about explaining that away. Or the fact that he had a nasty cut on his side with home done stitches (which was now healed due to her Quirk).

Patrol was amazing, though, and taking out his added frustrations on any villains he came across also helped a ton. He'd even run into Eraserhead during his patrol. The man had been overly relieved to see him.

"You've been gone for nearly a week." He'd accused. "And you're supposed to patrol with me."

"Yeah, I've been out of town for a little bit. What, couldn't handle things without me?" He teased. "How are the kiddies?"

"A handful."

"Any favorites?"

"I don't play favorites." He grunted.

"So there is one that's caught your eye." Viridian's eyes gleamed.

"I do have a Problem Child this year." He admitted, and Izuku's heart clenched.

"You'll know he trusts you when he calls you 'Problem Child'."

But he didn't call me Problem Child… not to my face. I'm getting closer, but… I may not even have to tell him, if all goes well tomorrow.

"You seem distracted." Aizawa noted.

"I'm worried about you." Viridian started slowly. "I've come across some… concerning intel. I believe someone's planning an attack on U.A." He couldn't prevent the USJ Incident—it was his best chance for killing Shigaraki—but he might be able to help keep Shouta from getting too injured. He noted how the man stiffened at the information. "Please. Shouta, be careful. Wear extra equipment, bring extra weapons, something. Like I said before, I don't want you to die. I enjoy your company."

"I'll be careful." He promised, and Izuku could tell… this wasn't the kind of 'I promise' that was made half-heartedly. It made him relax a little bit.

They'd parted ways not too long after that, and Izuku had gone straight to bed.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to dwell on yesterday. He'd woken up a few hours earlier than expected due to the nightmares—memories—that had haunted his dreams last night. He felt exhausted.

"Coffee should do me some good." He smiled softly as he scribbled down a note for Keigo, should he decide to stop by, and left his humble abode. He'd taken to putting a Fatgum hoodie on over his school uniform so nobody stopped or targeted him on the streets. U.A. students were surprisingly popular, and Izuku didn't like dealing with the awed stares and 'do your best' well wishes from people that would only sneer if they knew he was Quirkless.

He heard a bit of a commotion down the street, and vigilante instinct kicked in. He dashed into a dimly lit alley and ducked behind a dumpster as he quickly donned his Viridian outfit—something he carried with him at all times in a hidden compartment of his backpack.

He wasted no time in running towards the yell he'd heard. It led him to a convenience store. A villain held a cashier at gunpoint, and Viridian internally cursed. He hated hostage situations.

Let's see. One armed man, Quirk unknown. One hostage—technically the entire store could be… whatever. Okay, think. What's the best way to go about this?

Viridian noticed a young boy—likely around ten—hiding in one of the isles. He was holding a can of beans with a determined gleam in his eye. Viridian silently made his way over to the kid.

"Don't do it, kid." He warned quietly, making the boy startle. His eyes were wide as he took in the vigilante. "I don't want you to get hurt—guns are dangerous." He winked at the boy. "But you already knew that, huh. I saw what you were aiming to do—thank you. But I'll take care of it, yeah? Just stay safe." He waited for the boy to nod before he grabbed a bag of flour and casually walked up to the register. "Excuse me, I'd like to purchase this."

The villain, cashier, and another teenaged customer stared at him incredulously.

"You think you're real funny, kid?!" The robber snarled. "Just 'cause you've got on some fancy Halloween costume?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Viridian tilted his head. He mentally cursed as he realized he forgot to activate his voice changer. He still sounded like a kid.

Oh well, this could work in his favor.

"P-please, just take the money." The cashier removed the entire drawer from the register and dumped it into the bag of the robber.

"No. I want the safe, too."

"I-I can't! It's on a time-lock! Even if I knew the code, it wouldn't open at this hour!" He pleaded.

"You're really starting to piss me o—"

"Sir, are you in line?" Viridian continued on, drawing attention back to himself again. "I mean, some of us have other places to be, you know. Not everyone has the luxury of standing around and doing nothing." He said with a smirk as the robber finally got fed up enough with Izuku to train the gun on him.

"What'd you say, punk?!"

Perfect.

Before anyone could say anything, Viridian punched the open bag of flour, creating an impromptu smokescreen as he grappled the gun away from the robber, just as a shot fired out.

He winced when he felt it hit his arm, but better him than a civilian. Not twenty seconds later, the guy was out cold.

"Well, that's probably not the best way to start out the morning." Viridian muttered to himself, turning the voice changer back on. He turned to the cashier and civilian. "You guys okay?"

They did a doubletake at the voice, before the civilian's eyes widened.

"You're Viridian! That new hero everyone's talking about online!" He grinned. "C-can I have your autograph?!"

"M-my wha?"

"Oh yeah! I've heard people talking about you! Thank you so much for saving us!" The cashier grinned. This was weird. People were treating him like a hero. Even in his original timeline, people were never this happy to see him.

"Uh… sure?" He took the notebook the civilian had and scribbled down his signature in a daze.

"Thank you!" He bowed. "I'll treasure it forever!" Viridian had a sense of déjà vu.

"Freeze! Police!" Someone shouted as the cops stormed the building.

"Masa~!" He grinned, turning to face one of his favorite people.

"Viridian, why are you always at the scene of trouble?"

"I just happened to need a couple of things. Is grocery shopping illegal, now?"

"Somehow, I doubt you shop in your vigilante uniform." He stared dryly.

"Um… sir?" A kid, no older than ten, stepped out from one of the isles. He was looking at Viridian.

"You okay, kid?"

"Y-yeah…" He looked down for a moment. "I was wondering… Um… c-can…"

"Go on, it's okay." He had a feeling he knew what this kid was going to ask. He eyed Eraserhead leaning against a wall—Masa must've called him in.

"I've admired you for a while." The kid started, looking at his shoes. "E-ever since you started popping up online, and… and… I wanna be a hero. Like you!" The words made Izuku's heart nearly stop in his chest. Someone called him a hero. He swore he saw Masa and Eraser smirking. "But… nobody thinks I can."

Viridian waited patiently for the kid to continue as the other cops took statements and secured the robber. He was having minor flashbacks to the rooftop with All Might.

"Can a Quirkless nobody like me become a hero like you?!"

Viridian couldn't stop the intake of breath as the room stilled. This kid was just like him. The kid looked down again, discouraged. Izuku had never met another Quirkless child.

"I-I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have—"

"What's your name, kid?" Viridian cut him off. He'd be damned if he was going to be the same as All Might. He was not going to crush this kid's dreams. He was not going to create another him.

"Y-Yasu."

"Yasu-kun." He started, and the boy looked up at him as he crouched before him. "Being a hero is not easy. It's dangerous, especially without a Quirk." The kid's eyes started to fill with tears. "But!" He cut off what he was sure were negative thoughts. "With enough hard work and dedication… then yes. You can become a hero." He grinned and the kid's eyes widened in awe.

"Y-You really mean it?!"

"Of course. Quirkless is not worthless. I'm not a hypocrite, you know." He winked at the kid. "I'm Quirkless, too."

Later on, he'd realize that the civilian he'd saved earlier had recorded the entire thing on his phone. The video of the mysterious vigilante/hero Viridian admitting he was Quirkless would take the internet by storm.

Several thousand people around the world would become inspired by Viridian, and set out to make a better life for themselves.

He missed the awed and mildly terrified glances from the cashier and the older civilian. The kid looked at him like he just hung the sun in the sky. "If I can do it, so can you, Yasu." He ruffled the kid's hair, and was met with a shining smile. "Never give up on your dreams. And always strive to help others."

"HAI!"

He watched the kid as he left, herded off to be checked over by the medics—something Viridian was keeping an eye on. Time knew how many times he was a victim of malpractice because of his Quirkless status. After Yasu had left, Eraserhead glared at Viridian. "You're hurt. Again."

"Ha?" Viridian looked down at his arm, which had been shot. "Oh yeah." Naomasa facepalmed.

"You're incorrigible. How do you forget that you got shot?"

"No running off this time!" Eraserhead scowled, and Viridian put his hands up in surrender.

"Fine! Fine. I'll let you take me to a hospital or whatever. But the mask stays on. And so does the shirt."

"If that's what it takes to get you proper medical treatment, then so be it." Naomasa sighed.

"Okay, then let's go." Viridian sighed. I'd better not be late to school for this.

Eraserhead stayed with them on the way to said hospital, and while the staff wasn't happy about him keeping his shirt and mask on, they listened to Naomasa when he insisted it was okay.

Viridian couldn't help but look around in interest.

"You act like you've never been in a hospital before." Eraserhead raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't really been in one since I was pronounced Quirkless at four." He admitted, and Naomasa discreetly popped some headache medication.

"Right, so you need an entirely new medical file. Awesome."

"Not my fault. I've tried going to the hospital before, but they turned me away because I was Quirkless." He mentioned offhandedly.

"They… what?" Masa stared at him in shock, as did Eraserhead.

"What? It's normal for someone like me." He blinked. Did they not know that? "Am… am I the first Quirkless person you've met or something?"

"You're the first Quirkless friend we've had." Naomasa explained. "And that is not okay." He gritted out.

"It was years ago—no worries." He waved it away. Luckily, Eraser seemed to pick up on his quiet cue.

"Out of curiosity…" Eraser started. "Why are you so protective of your identity?"

"I mean, I actually plan to do stuff with my civilian persona." Viridian admitted.

"Other than become a hero?"

"If you knew my identity, that'd make everything infinitely more complicated, and I honestly have no intentions of giving you that kind of migraine. Plus, you wouldn't let me do half the shit I do. I get away with a lot more with my two identities separate."

"That just makes us even more curious." Naomasa sighed.

"Look, I promise I'll tell you someday, but for now…"

"Do we know your civilian persona?" Eraserhead asked.

"Hmmm…. To answer or be vague?"

"In other words, yes we do." Naomasa pinched the bridge of his nose, and Eraser looked like he wanted to bash his head against a wall. Again.

"Someone we know, who's likely around his mid-thirties…"

"I'm standing right here." Viridian crossed his arms, only for the nurse that was treating him to slap said arm. "Ow!" He glared at her.

"Don't move." She glared.

"Stop laughing, Eraser." He glared at the pro.

"I'm not laughing." He deadpanned.

"You're laughing on the inside."

"You really are." Naomasa agreed.

Internally, he smirked. Maybe… "All right… I'll give you two a hint." He grinned, and their attention was instantly on him. "Eraser… you see my civilian persona quite often, actually. At least once a week." He chuckled, knowing that there were several cafés that the man frequented on a weekly basis. He'd likely jump to that conclusion.

Eraserhead's eyes widened at this new piece of information, and Viridian laughed. "Good luck figuring it out, though."

"Give me a bit of time, and I'll find you." Eraser promised.

"Care to bet on it?" Viridian grinned. "I'll do all your paperwork for the year if you can figure out my civilian persona on your own—before I reveal it to you. Same for you, Masa."

"And if we can't?" Eraser frowned.

"Then you have to let me continue doing exactly what I've been doing—vigilante work and all—regardless of who I am." He smirked.

"That confident, huh?" Naomasa chuckled.

"I'm more worried about the fact that you think we'll stop you from doing this stuff if we knew who you were under that mask." Eraser frowned.

"A year of no paperwork~" Viridian sang. "I'll even buy all your coffee for the year, too."

"Fine." Eraserhead caved.

"Deal." Naomasa nodded along, as well. Viridian laughed.

"Why do I feel like we're going to regret this?" Naomasa asked.

Thirty minutes later showed Viridian walking out of that hospital with the detective and hero by his side. "I'M FREE!" He cried out happily.

"You're such a kid." Masa shook his head fondly.

"I'll always be a kid at heart." Viridian grinned back.

"I need to get to school before I'm late." Eraserhead realized, and Viridian's stomach did backflips. He couldn't be late, either. Especially with this new deal on the table.

"I should get going, too." He smirked. "See ya~"

With that, he dashed off. Once he was in a secure location, he switched into his school uniform again, tossing his hoodie back on. He winced as his arm throbbed. Shiiiiiit. If Aizawa sees that, how the hell am I going to explain it away?! He blinked. What if I let Shigaraki partially disintegrate it? He blinked. It could work… I mean, with disintegration on the table, then who would notice a little gunshot wound?

Oh, but then if Eraser and Masa wanna see how the gunshot would is healing, and I show them a disintegration scar that they know Izuku got…

Izuku snapped out of his thought as he abruptly looked up and realized that he was at the gates to U.A. He blinked. "I must've been really out of it." He muttered to himself. The jitters were starting to come back, as he became abruptly aware of just how vital today was to the survival of the world.

Scars wouldn't matter. He just had to kill Shigaraki—that was all he needed to do. Bets be damned. As long as Shigaraki was dead, the world would continue to survive.

The crowd of reporters definitely put him on edge. Izuku loathed crowds, and tried to avoid them as much as possible. He took a deep breath and entered his stealth mode, essentially erasing his presence.

He noticed a hooded figure in the bushes nearby, and his heart leapt into his throat. He immediately let his eyes roam over towards the press again, pretending that he didn't see the small form of a young man who would later destroy the entire world.

It took every bit of self-control he had to not sneak up behind the unsuspecting psychopath and murder him then and there. Stick to the plan. You can only get away with murder if it's at USJ… You have to do this, Izuku. For them. You must.

He prayed to whatever deity pitied him enough to listen that he wouldn't regret passing up this opportunity. He ignored the tiny voice in the back of his head that promised that he would regret it.

He snuck by the press without anyone noticing him, and dropped his stealth mode only once he was inside the gates. He noticed Aizawa-sensei raise an eyebrow.

"I'm okay, sensei. I just don't like crowds." He shuddered a bit, remembering how the Nomu would tear through the early riots that had formed. The people who thought that coming together in a massive mob would bring a stop to the atrocities that kept multiplying around them.

"Come on, kid." Aizawa gently patted his shoulder to ground him to now. "Let's get ready for class. Do you have the permission slip?"

"Yep." Izuku answered, pulling out the signed paper. Aizawa inspected it for a moment before nodding.

"All right, then."

Homeroom was relatively quiet. Somehow, Izuku got elected as Class Rep, and he wanted nothing to do with that job. "No." He said, surprising the others.

"What? Why not?" Yaoyorozu asked, perplexed. Izuku honestly had no idea how he'd gotten this position anyhow. He wouldn't exactly call himself likable, and he'd hardly interacted with his classmates.

"Because I don't want it. I don't do well with crowds, and leadership is not my forte. It's also too much work." He leaned back in his seat. "Why not have Iida do it?" He suggested.

"I appreciate the recommendation, but surely you can see how much being the class representative will help your hero career?"

"I'm planning to go into Underground Heroics. I don't really care what people think of me." Izuku answered easily, enjoying the slight jolt that came from the 'sleeping' Aizawa in the corner.

"You mean you're going into the same field as sensei?" Uraraka asked.

"Yep. If I'm going to be the first Quirkless Hero, then I need to take every advantage I can get. I won't be able to win easily in long, drawn-out fights. But smaller, faster fights where I can have the element of surprise? Those are more my speed. As long as I'm helping people, that's all I care about. I don't need recognition."

"Is that why your hero costume is so plain?" Ashido asked.

"It's practical." Izuku argued with a mildly offended glare. He liked his costume. Luckily, it was fireproof so it wasn't damaged in the scuffle the other day. The only reason his leg had been burned so badly was because the fabric had been pushed up at some point during the fight, exposing his leg to the flames. Ow.

After said homeroom, classes continued on as usual. Izuku did notice that the teachers kept a much closer eye on him (as he'd suspected they would), which was simultaneously annoying and heartwarming. At least he knew they cared.

His free period was actually after lunch today, but he wasn't expecting to have to go to Hound Dog, what with the commotion that would unfold during the lunchtime fiasco. And besides, he was expecting his new schedule from Nezu here shortly. He was honestly looking forward to the private lessons with the principal.

Lunch wasn't supposed to be a big affair, but Izuku knew it would be. He sat by the window, tense and ready for the alarm when it would go off. This would also give him a damn good view of the front gate, which was still whole and still in lockdown mode from when the reporters triggered it earlier.

He faintly noticed a few of his classmates sit down at his table, but he didn't bother to acknowledge them. He didn't know why they were sitting with an antisocial asshole like him, but it didn't matter anyways. He eyed the clock. Less than a minute, now. They were chatting about something that Izuku didn't bother to pay attention to.

Five… four… three…

"Midoriya? Are you okay?" Iida tried asking.

Two… Izuku grabbed his phone and zoomed in on the door, pressing record. If anyone asked, he was just making a… what was it? Tiktok? Of the door in lockdown mode.

"I think he's just tired from yesterday." Uraraka smiled softly.

"Yeah, I hear Recovery Girl's Quirk can really tire you out." Kirishima noted.

One… Izuku watched as the door of U.A. disintegrated, inviting the press inside. The grin of a man in a hoodie was caught on camera before he turned around and left. Shigaraki Tomura.

He left? But then how did they get the… rec…ords? His eyes widened in horrified realization. There's a mole. This is a distraction to allow them to reach the records…

"I wonder if—" Asui was cut off when the alarm abruptly sounded, shrieking through the school. An automated voice was explaining that there was a breach and all students should calmly evacuate to the bunkers.

"Midoriya! We have to go!" Iida pulled Izuku out of his seat. He flinched when Iida touched him, but nodded along.

"It's a panic, though. We can't just rush in there." Izuku stopped them, ignoring how every instinct in him wanted to hide and get away from the loud noise because something that loud would attract every Nomu in a fifty-mile radius. "Someone's going to get hurt… Look." Izuku pointed out the window. "It's only the press."

Iida's eyes went wide as he took in Izuku's words. With a smirk, Izuku let him go and use Uraraka's Quirk to calm down the student body. Asui watched Izuku with a sidelong look.

"You played him, Midoriya."

"So? He'll be a good class rep. And nobody's hurt from the stampede, so it's a win-win." He shrugged; ignoring the appraising look the girl was giving him.

"We should head out too. Also, call me Tsu, kero."

"All right, Tsu. Call me Izu" He smiled as they followed the rest of their classmates.

After everything had calmed down and everyone was back in class, Izuku was going to show Aizawa the video. Unfortunately, he didn't get the opportunity. He attempted to stay back and talk to him, but Iida shooed him out and onto the bus (now as the official class rep).

The bus ride was nerve wracking, but Izuku made himself stay calm. His nerves were still a little shot from the alarm earlier, and knowing what was to come didn't make things any easier. He fingered the extra items he'd snuck into school. In one pocket was his probably illegal stash of a small amount of putty-like explosive. And in the other was his definitely illegal set of modified fireworks.

Well, the heavily modified fireworks were illegal at school, but he had a damn good reason to bring it with him. He knew what was going to happen, and he'd done his research.

He'd broken into U.A. a couple of nights ago (which was really freaking hard, because he couldn't use his Student ID, because Nezu had an automated system that recorded who entered school grounds and at what time) and scouted out the outside of USJ, being careful not to trigger any sensors or be caught on any cameras. He'd created these fireworks with the express purpose of being able to break through the glass dome of the building.

"All right, we're here." Aizawa-sensei said, and herded everyone off the bus.

"Aizawa-sensei?" Izuku spoke up quietly, finally having the chance to speak to him alone.

"Midoriya? Are you sure you're okay for today?"

"Hai, sensei. I just… I think someone other than the press was part of that break-in earlier." He sighed. "I caught the door disintegrating on my phone's camera, and the person who did it didn't even come inside."

"I see… come with me after class, and we'll show Nezu." With that, he beckoned Izuku to follow him over to the rest of the class.

They walked inside, and while the others were jittery with excitement, Izuku felt nearly sick with nerves. He would willingly admit that Shigaraki terrified the shit out of him. But he also knew that he had to kill the man.

This wouldn't be Izuku's first kill. His first kill had been accidental, while he'd still been trying to understand the whole vigilante thing. It was honestly something that still kept him up at night sometimes, even if it had been a villain. And that hadn't been his only kill, either—not by a long shot.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, ignoring Aizawa and Thirteen's watchful and concerned gaze.

It wouldn't matter, now, anyways, if they saw something wrong. He felt it a moment before it happened. Thirteen had just finished their speech, and Izuku felt guilty that he'd been too distracted to pay any mind to it.

Then the lights flickered—must be the signal jammer that Shou had told him about—cutting off Aizawa-sensei. Izuku had his sword in his hands a moment later, his body falling into a very natural fighting position.

The fountain flickered as a familiar—to him—purple portal tore open the fabric of space, allowing a horde of villains to pour through.

A head of light blue hair and a face covered by a dismembered hand appeared, red eye glowing with malice. Izuku shivered hard, biting back a growl.

In his mind's eye, he saw Shouta's last moments. His face crumbling beneath that very same hand. Nemuri vanishing with a startled scream into the void of that same portal, never to be seen again.

Izuku felt hot anger well up inside of him, right alongside the sickening fear. Shigaraki Tomura—the destroyer.

"Thirteen! Protect the students!" Aizawa's voice called out, and Iida tugged Izuku away.

The physical contact snapped him out of his haze, and he nodded his thanks. Thirteen shot him a concerned glance, but said nothing. There was no time, anyways.

In the original timeline, Asui, who'd been sent to the Shipwreck zone alone, had died. Izuku had promised Shouta that he'd prevent as many deaths from the Cursed Class 1–A as he could. He intended to at least keep this promise, since he failed his promise to Zashi.

This in mind, he stuck close to Asui as Kurogiri blocked their exit. Izuku clenched his fists. Kurogiri was second on his kill list. He's the reason Nemuri…

Before he could get too caught up in his anger, the ground beneath him vanished. He latched on to Asui, ensuring his arrival at the Shipwreck Zone, but only realized belatedly that Kirishima had also latched on to him. What?! But he was supposed to go to the Ruins Zone with Bakugo!

He managed to angle himself when he hit the water to minimize damage. Fortunately, it wasn't his first time being dropped from a good height into a large body of water, so he quickly released a small amount of air and followed the bubbles.

He noticed a guy with a Shark Quirk swimming up towards him, his fang-filled maw open wide to bite Izuku in half. Izuku raised his sword, ready to plunge it up into the guy's brain. Okay, so maybe he was a little too used to killing by this point in his life. Whatever, it was legal right now.

A moment later, a thick something wrapped around his midsection and pulled him up onto the boat. Asui hopped up a moment later, Kirishima in tow.

"You okay, Izu?" She asked as Kirishima coughed a bit.

"Yeah, thanks to you." He sent her a smile.

"This is bad…" Kirishima swallowed. "We're surrounded by actual villains."

"It'll be okay." Izuku reassured them.

"How can you be so damn calm?! These are actual fucking Villains!" He snapped back, before meekly apologizing. "S-sorry. I'm just…"

"It's okay to be on edge, Kero." Asui reassured the red head. "Though you're awfully calm, kero." She turned to Izuku.

"I wouldn't exactly call this my first encounter with villains." Izuku answered after a moment. He looked at the two frazzled and high-strung students. "It's okay." He repeated, voice low and calm. He looked them both in the eye. "I'll protect you."

Something flashed in Kirishima's eye, and he calmed significantly. Even Asui looked calmer.

"I have a plan." Izuku smirked as he pulled out a small bit of the explosive putty.

"What is that?" Asui eyed it carefully.

"The closest thing I could get to C-4. Thought it might be useful for heroics."

"You brought an explosive to school?!" Kirishima gawked.

"Shh! We just need to throw it in the middle of them without them realizing it. It'll float, and blow them unconscious." Izuku explained.

"Or kill them, kero…" Asui looked uneasy.

"I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens." Izuku stated, though Asui didn't look overly relieved at that.

"I don't think we have much of a choice, here." Kirishima swallowed as their situation really started to set in. "So you just need to get that in the middle without them realizing it?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome. Leave it to me." Kirishima grinned as he grabbed the offered putty. "My Quirk will protect me from the explosion, even if it makes me sink."

"Be careful." Izuku warned.

"Always."

Izuku and Asui then started distracting the villains while Kirishima quietly slid off the boat and under the water. His red hair was unfortunately eye-catching, so he'd have to stay under. Izuku wasn't used to working with people, and didn't know if Kirishima would actually hold up his side of the plan.

Turned out, he worried for nothing. The kid had an amazing lung capacity, and managed to get in the middle of the villains before letting go of the putty, which promptly floated to the surface. Izuku saw the small grayish substance bobbing in the water amidst the villains as Kirishima snuck back onto the boat.

Izuku grinned. Now it was the fun part. "Now, we need to throw something there…" He held up a heavy looking ball that he'd found on the boat. "Be ready to cover your ears—this could be loud. I haven't tested it before."

"You're sure this'll work, kero?" Asui asked, as the ship gave an ominous creaking sound. The villains were getting impatient, and Izuku knew it wouldn't be long before they launched an attack of their own.

"It has to." Izuku steeled himself and threw it right into the middle of the group. "I won't let you die." Almost instantaneously, the explosives went off—setting off one another in a massive chain reaction.

The sound was deafening, and water—some of it red—rained down upon them. Asui and Kirishima had closed their eyes with the sound, but Izuku kept his eyes and ears as open as he could to survey for survivors or danger.

After a long silent moment—and damn that silence was hard on him—he finally deemed the enemies incapacitated or dead. There were a few limbs floating in the water, and he really didn't want these two kids to see that.

He gently put a hand on Asui and Kirishima's shoulders. "It's just me." He reassured them, while blocking their view. They would still see red in the water, but nothing more. "Let's go. They're taken care of, we've survived."

"T-there's so much red…" Kirishima went to look around Izuku, but he stopped him.

"You don't want to look." Izuku argued, physically turning the boy around to face the other direction. "We need to go. I take full responsibility for this."

"All right, kero." Asui looked a little pale and very uncomfortable, but she didn't try to look. Eventually, the three made it passed the carnage in the water—the two without looking—and slowly made their way towards the square.

Of course, Asui and Kirishima weren't about to leave him alone, much to his annoyance. He wanted them to just go off to safety by the stairs, but either way, they had to circle around the plaza where Aizawa was fighting.

Izuku had known that Shouta got hurt pretty badly during the USJ incident. That he'd been touch and go for a little bit, and almost didn't make it.

He hadn't been prepared to see a Nomu smash his skull into the pavement, though. Izuku went still, fighting his instinct of protection, as he knew running out to help him would only put Asui and Kirishima in danger. The two students watched on in horror as blood flew through the air, and yellow goggles fell to the ground, broken.

The Nomu snapped Aizawa's arms like they were twigs, and Izuku almost ran out at the all too familiar sound of his brother crying out in pain. He stilled himself, though. Don't attack. Get the students to safety.

Izuku did react when Shigaraki lunged for Asui. He leapt out of the water and met him halfway, stopping him from putting the other two in danger. He allowed those five fingers to brush his left cheek for the briefest of moments, wincing at the familiar bite of disintegration. He smirked.

Now it was self-defense.

Now, he could legally kill this bastard. His mental gears switched from defend to attack.

He noticed Aizawa was still awake, trying to make sense of his environment through his concussion. Izuku pulled out his sai and tried impaling Shigaraki, only succeeding in piercing his shoulder (which was still massively satisfying). He managed to twist it before pulling it back out, causing the man-child to grunt in pain.

"NOMU!" He cried out, jumping back.

Izuku's smirk widened, grateful for his previous encounters with the White Nomu, who were a fair bit faster than the Dark Nomu. He swiftly dodged the blow that would've surely flattened him. The monster kept coming, though, and Izuku smoothly dodged.

He was gearing up to attack, when Kurogiri formed a small portal under his left foot, throwing him off-balance. The Nomu punched him, sending him flying into the fountain with a mighty crash. He didn't waste time with the pain, though. If anything, it only made him sharper. He was used to fighting injured. This was familiar.

He grinned through bloodied teeth as he charged the Nomu through the settling dust. He dodged a punch, and rolled behind the Dark Nomu before scaling the back of the beast in an old familiar pattern. With a well-practiced motion, he thrust his sai deeply into the creature's brain and twisted, the two prongs making quick work of the beast's exposed cranium.

Killing Nomu was a well-practiced activity for him. He'd killed hundreds of them before. This was a prototype—one of Sensei's Nomu. It was infinitely easier than what he had been used to (which was good, because his smaller, younger self wasn't as fast as his older self). Shigaraki's Nomu tended to be specialized. Sensei's Nomu were rounded—jacks of all trades, so to speak. They had speed, strength, and self-healing.

Shigaraki made a Nomu for each category, allowing them to excel in that particular trait. White Nomu, for example, were insanely fast, but not very strong. Dark Nomu were ridiculously strong, but not overly fast. It was give and take, but if you ran into more than one type, you were screwed six ways to hell.

With a horrifying ear-piercing screech, the creature fell forwards and lay still. The original Nomu were a lot more tame… He noted. Obedient, they couldn't think for themselves or adapt to a battle on their own. That was good to know.

Shigaraki stared at him wide-eyed; his expression mirrored by a flabbergasted Kurogiri, Asui, Kirishima, and Aizawa. Nobody dared speak, but Izuku used their stupor to his advantage as he pulled the homemade flare from his bag. Luckily, he'd kept it in waterproof packaging. It was small, about the size of a book, but it packed one hell of a punch.

"Forgive me for breaking the school rules, Sensei." He smirked as he lit it, sending it through the weakest point of the glass dome. "But backup should be here shortly." He laughed as the glass rained down upon them. The angered and disbelieving glare set into Shigaraki's face would surely give him nightmares, but the adrenaline in his system right now helped quell the fear. He flashed the man a peace sign, before dusting the glass and rubble off his person far too casually as he got to his feet.

"Who are you, brat?! You're not just some NPC… Are you a boss? A hack?" Shigaraki glared. Gamer talk? Okay, he could handle that.

"Hate to break it to you, Shigaraki, but I'm Player 2, and I refuse to let you win." He glared back, grip on his sai tightening. "Player 2 with several cheats and expensive upgrades." He tacked on, enjoying the look of rage that flew across the man's face. As much as this man terrified him, he'd rather that anger be turned on him than anyone else. If he could get this guy to see Izuku as his main target, then maybe the other kids and teachers would be safe. If only for a little while.

That was insurance for if he failed, here. If he didn't manage to kill Shigaraki, he wanted the man to want to come after Izuku.

I can't botch this. I have to kill him. I can't lose.

"We'll see about that." Shigaraki glared. "I'm Shigaraki Tomura. But you already seem to know that." His eyes narrowed. "What's your name, Player Two?"

"Izuku." They stared at one another in silence for a moment before they were off. Izuku sacrificed one sai to Shigaraki's left hand as he quickly dropped the now useless hilt and punched the man in the gut, even as Shigaraki placed a hand on his shoulder.

Izuku spun away, clenching his jaw as his shoulder partially disintegrated. He gritted his teeth as he ran back into combat with the man. He somehow managed to avoid any disintegrating hits as the two clashed, trading blows and bruises and kicks for what felt like forever.

"Your level is higher than I thought." Shigaraki panted lightly, Izuku was in a similar state, his other sai had been thrown halfway across the square. His sword had followed suit not too long after, now stuck in the ground near Aizawa.

"I told you. I've got cheats." He teased. "Plus, I've done some serious level-crunching. And I read the guide-book." Anything to piss this guy off. Make him have eyes only for Izuku. An angry enemy is one that makes mistakes.

"You really are a cheater." He glared. "I hate players like you."

"What, like you aren't a cheater, too, Tomura? That Nomu of yours was a hack if I've ever seen one."

"Fair enough." Shigaraki grinned.

"Oh, and I'm a PKer, too." Izuku warned in a low dangerous tone, as he brought out a knife, and Shigaraki laughed.

"Are you really threatening to kill me? Aren't you planning to become a hero?" He laughed, dodging Izuku's swipe to his jugular, the hand on his face flew off, and Shigaraki's enraged expression became clear as day for Izuku.

Izuku glared at him with one of his own. For a moment, he saw the man who murdered his family. The man who disintegrated children and left helpless infants laying next to their half decayed mothers to starve to death. The man that would destroy the world. Izuku saw red.

"I am going to be a hero." Izuku promised. "By ending you, Shigaraki Tomura."

Shigaraki stiffened at the sheer amount of Killing Intent that Izuku gave off. That gave Izuku the opportunity he'd been waiting for.

Just as the doors flew open with a mighty bang… as the teachers came upon the scene of one coworker laying in a pool of blood surrounded by worried students and one student fighting a rather nasty looking villain…

Izuku buried the hilt of a knife in Shigaraki's gut and twisted. He knew instantly that he'd missed the vital organs—the man had moved at the last minute. In a moment of instinct, he brought up his hidden blade from his sleeve and slashed just to the right of his own ear, hitting Shigaraki's palm and nearly severing a finger. Damnit! So close!

"You really do want me dead." He stared at Izuku for a moment like he was a new and interesting puzzle. Then he grinned, reaching out a hand to disintegrate some other part of Izuku, as the time traveling vigilante readied himself for another chance to kill this bastard.

A gunshot—Snipe, more than likely—rang through the air as Shigaraki's shoulder was hit, causing the man to stumble back. Izuku was stopped from chasing after him when Cementoss built up a wall around him and the other students, protecting them from the villains. Izuku almost sent the teacher a fierce glare. Almost.

He watched, helpless, as Shigaraki made his escape with Kurogiri.

"Izuku…" Shigaraki spoke with one foot in the portal. "Next time, one of our health bars will hit zero. And it won't be me." Then, he was gone. At least I got him to focus his attention on me for the time being.

Izuku was angry and fiercely disappointed. This was their best shot, and he fucking blew it, like a goddamned idiot.

"You okay, Little Listener?" Hizas—Yamada-sensei made his way towards him. "You're hurt pretty bad."

"I…" He swallowed down his disappointment. He wanted his Zashi. Not this… this… fake. Because that's what he felt like, to Izuku. A fake. A pretender. Because it wasn't his Hizashi. It wasn't his Shouta. These people weren't his family… but they sounded the same… they looked so similar, and they shared the same names… but…

"It's not them." He whispered, fighting back the tears. And I can't even apologize.

"Come again?" Yamada was looking at him in concern.

"Hey, Sensei… Is everyone alive? Did I at least get that part right?"

Yamada looked at him with confusion and no small amount of worry. "Everyone is alive. Shouta's alive, and so are all your classmates." He confirmed, and Izuku felt himself relax a bit.

"At least I kept that promise."

"Come on, Midoriya. Let's get your injuries taken care of." He carefully scooped Izuku up into a bridal style hold, mindful of his wounds. Izuku didn't honestly care, at that point.

"I guess I should get that taken care of." He winced as his hand brushed the side of his face. His shoulder hurt, too, now that he thought about it. With a heavy sigh, he rested his aching head against Hizashi's chest, letting the familiar sound of his heartbeat lull him to sleep.


Yamada Hizashi hadn't known what to expect when he saw fireworks of all things, go up from the USJ building. While fireworks weren't allowed on campus for obvious reasons, a few defenses around the school had flares built in as a failsafe in case the electronic alarms failed. That was why nearly every teacher's podium had a view of the sky, and even the Teacher's Lounge could see it.

And while this wasn't a flare, fireworks could also work in a pinch. He couldn't take the chance that someone really needed help. He had to go, classes be damned. He knew he wasn't the only teacher who'd think that way. This was a Hero School, after all.

So it was to no one's surprise (except, perhaps, the students) when classes were abruptly abandoned and teachers ran out towards the source. Even All Might knew something was up, and came with them.

Nezu kept an all-terrain vehicle (it was more like a small tank, in Hizashi's humble opinion) by the school for a reason just like this. So all the teachers piled into it. Even All Might—on Nezu's insistence—saved his Hero Time for whenever they reached the place.

Hizashi had been the first to spot Iida running towards them in a panic, and that alone set alarm bells ringing. "Sensei!" He called desperately. "Villain Attack at USJ! Please hurry!"

Whatever they'd expected, it was not this. A Villain Attack on the first year Heroics Class 1–A? Shouta's class… His heart tightened in his chest as they all drove faster.

"You okay, Iida?" Midnight asked in concern, seeing his bright red face.

"I… I just left them there… They told me to get reinforcements, but… There's a warp villain that scattered everyone around the building." He shuddered. "And there were hundreds of them all over the courtyard! Aizawa-sensei jumped right in to subdue them, but…"

Hizashi's gut twisted uncomfortably. That was not Shouta's fighting style. The situation must've been truly desperate if he jumped into a massive unknown situation headfirst like that… He prayed his husband would be okay… he was going to chew him out for that stupid move later.

"It'll be okay, Iida-kun." Cementoss smiled reassuringly at him. "You did the right thing, coming to get us."

"How did you know to come find us, though?" Iida's brows furrowed. "There was something blocking the signals…"

"Someone sent up fireworks." Nezu explained. "I'm not sure how a student would've gotten a hold of them, or why they would've brought them to school, but I'm not going to question that right now."

Nobody wasted any time in jumping out of the vehicle the moment they arrived. Hizashi held back a wince when he saw Thirteen unconscious on the ground, several students surrounding them in worry.

But it was then that they could all see Midoriya fighting a villain with hands all over his body. His movements were fluid and practiced despite his obvious injuries.

It was somewhat entrancing to watch him fight—like a dancer. It was also unnerving to see a child move with the grace and surety that few pros could lay claim to. Like he'd been fighting villains all his life. It wasn't normal, and it made his concern spike for the kid.

The body of a monster was discarded not too far from them, and Hizashi couldn't help but wonder what had happened there.

Midoriya buried a knife into the villain's gut without flinching. He then swiftly brought up his right hand in a slashing motion, hitting the villain's palm as he tried attacking from an angle that Midoriya couldn't have possibly seen.

The two separated for a moment, talking. Then they tensed, ready to continue fighting.

Snipe didn't hesitate in shooting the villain's shoulder, giving Midoriya the space he needed to disengage and flee. Only the kid didn't. He tried to attack the villain again. Why?

This looked personal to Hizashi. Midoriya must've known this villain, to be attacking him so ruthlessly.

Hizashi's heart nearly stopped when he saw Shouta laying in a pool of blood not too far off. Or maybe the kid's just pissed about Shou… He looked over to the students to ask if he was alive, when Shouta himself sent him a glassy-eyed glare.

He let out a breath of relief. Shouta was alive.

He noticed Midoriya trembling. Cementoss had made a wall to separate him from the villains, so Hizashi made his way over.

"You okay, Little Listener?" Hizashi winced as he took in Midoriya's injuries. He could literally see the bone in his shoulder. "You're hurt pretty bad."

"I…" The kid swallowed thickly for a moment. His eyes looked far away, and Hizashi was afraid he'd fallen into one of those flashbacks Shouta had warned them about. "It's not them." He whispered, and Hizashi barely caught it.

"Come again?" Not them? Who's not them? Who's not who? He was very confused.

"Hey, Sensei… Is everyone alive? Did I at least get that part right?"

Hizashi felt his heart crack. This kid, even as injured as he was, was already acting like a seasoned pro, and it hurt to see. He wasn't even worried about himself. Get it right? What is he talking about? He filed away that part for later. "Everyone is alive. Shouta's alive, and so are all your classmates." He confirmed, and he saw the kid relax a bit.

"At least I kept that promise."

"Come on, Midoriya. Let's get your injuries taken care of." He carefully scooped Midoriya up into a bridal style hold, mindful of his wounds. The kid was way too light! Did he ever even eat?!

"I guess I should get that taken care of." He winced as his hand brushed the side of his face. Hizashi only noticed the blood in his dark hair when he rested his head against Hizashi's chest. The light reflected a little, and he brought up a hand. It came away red, and alarm bells went off.

"Hey, Little Listener." He gently tapped Midoriya's face. Nothing. "Shit."

"Is he all right?" Cementoss asked as he came over with Snipe.

"Kid's got a concussion, but he's already fallen asleep." Hizashi quickened his pace as he made his way outside to the ambulance.

Once he was loaded in the ambulance—Shouta's had already left—he shot Cementoss a look. "I'll head over to the hospital with Midoriya and Shouta. I'll keep you informed. Until then, please keep everyone under control."

"Right."

With that, the doors of the ambulance closed, and Hizashi listened to the familiar sound of the sirens as they headed to the hospital.


{Cult of Viridian Chat}

[GayAFanimeBoi is Online]

GayAFanimeBoi: … Did you hear about UA?

Noiscardily: Your brother's okay, right?

Barbieisawhore: Yeah, villains attacked it, right?! Is he okay? It was class 1–A, wasn't it?!

GayAFanimeBoi: Yeah, 1–A… that's my brother's class. He's fine, scared and shaken, but he wasn't hurt at all.

MoldiBroccli: Oh, thank Viridian!

TheCakeisaLie: Thank Viridian? Was he part of this fight and I just didn't know it?

MoldiBroccli: No, but since we're the Cult of Viridian, I am now acknowledging Viridian as my God. So instead of God, I'm going to say Viridian. :)

DragoninaDress: Hold up, wasn't Deku also in 1–A? Deku are you okay?

GayAFanimeBoi: Yeah, Deku's in my brother's class. He told me Deku was hurt really badly. He fought all these villains himself, it was so manly! But he got hurt really badly. He's in the hospital, last I heard.

Noiscardily: Holy shit… I hope he'll be okay.

Barbieisawhore: I'll keep an ear out on the cops side of things.

Ihavenoname: I may not know a lot that goes on, but I've got some ears in places. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

MoldiBroccli: Please be okay, Deku…

GayAFanimeBoi: I'm going to go. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something.

[GayAFanimeBoi has logged out]