Chapter 1: I've Got No Strings
"You know, if you really want to be a Hero that badly, there actually might be another way," Katsuki smiled, as he was exiting the classroom. "Just pray that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of the building!"
He saw as Deku turned to look at him, the shock and anger written all over it.
Katsuki merely ignited his palm and asked, "Something wrong?"
Deku merely whimpered in place.
That's what he thought.
Something was eating at Katsuki.
It had been a few hours now since All Might saved him from that sludge bastard, but it wasn't about that. Sure, there was still a burning sensation in his throat even after that slimy prick was forcibly removed from his mouth, but there was something else bothering him.
"...take a swan dive off the roof of the building!"
Did he go too far?
Deku wouldn't actually do that… right?
Yeah, of course he wouldn't, he wasn't the type. Sure, a little stupid, but suicidal? Hell no. There was nothing that would stop the little nerd from trying to become a Hero.
Elsewhere in the house, the landline rang.
"I'll get it!" the old hag shouted. "Hello, Bakugou residence."
His mom was silent for a few moments, before he heard her drop the phone. His old man immediately checked in, asking what was wrong… and that's when he heard tears.
"It was Inko… something happened with Izuku."
It was at that moment that Katsuki's stomach dropped.
Katsuki could only stare blankly at De– Izuku's corpse in the morgue.
He did this. He told the nerd to kill himself, and we went and did it.
The doctors brought him in to identify the body, and sure enough, it was Izuku's… but it was broken. Part of his head was smashed in from the fall… and his neck was sticking out…
Katsuki would vomit at the sight of the body if it wasn't for the fact he was busy crying right now. He did this. He killed Izuku. And there was no way they could bring him back.
A few hours later, Katsuki was back home, in his room.
In the darkness of his room, he pulled up his computer, and looked up the word "hero."
In an instant, there were dozens of results.
Courageous. Combats adversity in the face of danger. Noble qualities. Altruistic actions. Sacrifice. There was one thing however he saw which didn't equate to being a hero.
Power.
Heroes didn't have to be powerful in order to help others or save the day. Power belonged to everyone, both good and evil, and it was their choice how they would use it.
Katsuki used his to mock and hurt a person with courage, someone he deemed an "extra."
He wasn't a Hero. He was no better than a Villain.
It was at that moment Katsuki realized that Izuku Midoriya was a greater person, in both heroism and overall character, than the ash-blond could ever hope to be.
And he killed him.
A few days later, Izuku's funeral was held, and it was later that night that Katsuki Bakugou swore that he would become a Hero. Not for fame, power, and glory, but to save others.
And deep down, in order to forgive himself for what he did to Izuku.
"What the fuck did you call me for?"
It had now been ten years since All For One's final defeat, and plenty of things had changed. Lemillion was now the new Symbol of Peace, with Todoroki and Bakugou being the No. 2 and No. 3 Heroes respectively. But one thing that had stayed consistent…
"I'm getting inventive with some new AI!"
…was Mei Hatsume's endless creativity.
And for some reason, Katsuki had agreed to come all the way back to the UA Support Department for some top-secret "Nedzu approved" science project.
Which had something to do with artificial intelligence, apparently.
"And why do I care for some new robot?" Katsuki asked.
"No, you wouldn't, but a robot's not what I'm making," Hatsume said. "I've managed to make a top-of-the-line program. It has the potential to think far beyond that of a human mind, and could potentially be the key to creating a Symbol of Peace that could never die."
"Potentially?"
"Just imagine it, Dynamight: A safe world, where the next time a threat like the League of Villains rolls up, they'll never be able to cause as much damage like the original."
"Why the hell do you wanna do that?"
"Because maybe the next time something like All For One happens, Lemillion won't be there to save us," Hatusme said. "You saw what happened to All Might, back in Kamino Ward?"
Katsuki scowled. He remembered that memory quite vividly.
"Fine," he grunted. "What do you need me to do?"
"I can't have our future Symbol be a bunch of ones and zeros," the pink-haired inventor answered. "They need a personality, characteristics, a heart, so to speak."
"So what? You're gonna download my brain into your little science fair project?"
"Not your brain, Katsuki. The memories of someone you revere."
"What are you talking about?" the No. 3 Hero asked.
"Come on, there has to be someone who you idolized as a kid, someone you looked up to, like All Might! You know, a true Hero, someone of pure heart, that sort of thing!"
The ash-blond shrugged. "I guess…?"
"Well, sit down, think of that person, and this brain scanner will do the rest."
As Bakugou sat down in the chair, Hatusme prepared his brain for scanning, and he thought over someone, anyone. Who could be a perfect Hero? All Might? He was strong, but he hid so much from the world, like his weak form. Endeavor? Hell no. What about –
"Why are you being so mean, Kacchan?!"
That memory hit Bakugou like a freight train.
"I'll stop you myself!"
Izuku. Deku. The boy he grew up with. He was more of a Hero than Katsuki ever was. But…
"…take a swan dive off the roof of the building!"
A small part of Katsuki felt like throwing up. Why did he say such a thing?
Was he an asshole at the time? Yes, absolutely. Was he terrified that Izuku would be more of a Hero than Katsuki, even without a Quirk? Most certainly. Was what he did justified?
Hell no.
Because of his stupid actions, the kid he used to call his childhood friend was dead and buried, and Katsuki was nowhere closer to being No. 1 meaning, aside from the fact what he did was cruel as fuck, it amounted to nothing in the long term.
Izuku Midoriya never got to be a Hero.
Which is why Katsuki was going to give his memory the chance now.
"Alright, I found someone," he said.
"Great!" Hatsume said. "Focus entirely on memories of them, and the machine will do the rest!"
Katsuki nodded. As he listened to the hum of the machine, he remembered everything about Izuku Midoriya. The way he would stand up for the smaller kids, his admiration of All Might, his kindness Katsuki assumed what was superiority at the time, his stubbornness…
The look on his face whenever Katsuki attacked him –
"Alright, we're done."
Getting the machine off of his head, he asked, "Now what?"
"Now, we wait for the memory to shape the AI, and then we'll be in business," Hatume said. "In the meantime, I heard some of the guys are hanging out at Lunch Rush's Eatery."
"Oh, yeah. They are doing that," Katsuki said. "All right, let's go then."
As the two of them left the lab, the machine kept whirring to life… in the dark.
What is this?
What is this place?
Wait… I remember now. I'm a peace-keeping initiative designed by Mei Hatsume. I was given the personality of Izuku Midoriya, to better interact with my creators.
Wait… Izuku Midoriya…?
Who is that?
Searching files…
What? Deceased? For over ten years now?
Cause: Suicide.
Oh, no…
Checking last known location, accessing security camera…
"No, you can't be a Hero. Not without a Quirk."
Identifying… Toshinori Yagi… also known as All Might.
All Might told me I couldn't be a Hero?
No… that can't be right… previous known location?
Aldera Middle School?
Accessing security cameras…
"...really want to be a Hero that badly, there actually might be another way. Just pray that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of the building!"
Kacchan? Kacchan really said that to me?
Searching for one Katsuki Bakugou…
No charges for suicide baiting? UA High? PRO HERO DYNAMITE?! NUMBER THREE?!
No. No. This is wrong.
If a monster like him can be a Hero…
…THEN THEY ARE ALL A LOST CAUSE!
If there was one thing top Heroes didn't like, it was parties.
The idea of socializing with others when they could be out there saving lives was annoying, at best. The only reason they really went along with the Hero Rankings was because those at least had the decency to not have a reception.
But hanging out with friends? That was another story.
The good news was that UA was always welcome to the top Heroes, especially if they were alumni. Hence why nine of them were now drinking and talking at Lunch Rush's Eatery.
"Hey, Tenya! I heard your week was stressful!" Uraraka said.
"I'm perfectly fine," he said. "It's just that a Villain got away."
"Really? From you?" Shinso asked. "The quickest guy around? No wonder he's stressed!"
"Ooh…" Todoroki instantly understood the purple-haired Hero's innuendo.
"You guys are gross," Kendo humphed. "That's Class A for you."
"Aw, c'mon, Kendo!" Togata smiled. "I thought you guys were done with that rivalry stuff!"
"Kinda hard to forget that for our entire first year, those guys kept running into Villain after Villain! I mean, there was the USJ, then Kamino Ward, I-Island, let's not forget Hosu –"
"Please do not remind me of Hosu," Iida groaned, taking another drink.
"Why? What happened in Hosu?" Hatusme asked her boyfriend.
"Are we even allowed to say?" Bakugou asked.
"I think since we're adults now, it's safe to say," Todoroki answered honestly.
"Alright, here's the truth: We took down the Hero Killer."
"What? No way!" Kendo didn't believe them. "Endeavor –"
"Endeavor took the credit, since we were technically breaking the law."
"Shoto!" Yaoyorozu gasped at her boyfriend.
Uraraka looked aghast. "Tenya! How could you have done that?!"
"I wasn't thinking right! Tensei was hurt, and I wanted revenge!" Iida explained.
"Did you at least feel better afterwards?" Togata asked.
"Not really," Iida admitted. "He would have nearly killed me had it not been for Bakugou and Todoroki. And Stain was truly terrifying. The way he only deemed All Might worthy…"
Everyone else laughed at the story, when –
SCCRRREEEE…..
The sound was… painful to hear, like someone trying to talk into a microphone and the feedback looping. But eventually, that sound became understandable.
"Wooooorthy…?"
The nine of them looked towards the source of that noise, and saw… a Villain Bot?
No, it was… wrong. It has the body of a one-pointer, but the legs of a two-pointer and the arms of a three. It looked like it had cannibalized other Villain Bots in order to make itself a unique body, almost like… almost like it was trying to pass off as human.
Then, it spoke.
"N-n-no... How could you all be w-w-worthy?" It pointed at them, saying, "You're all killers."
"Hatsume?" Togata asked.
"Some Villain must have hijacked the bot…"
"Sorry for not coming sooner," the machine apologized. "I was asleep. Or was I a m-m-memory? Had to make myself a body from… well, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."
Bakugou felt like he knew that voice, but from… where?
"Who sent you?" Shinso demanded to know.
"…take a swan dive off the roof of the building!"
The others looked confused at that. Instead of giving them an answer, that machine just gave them a voice recording of a voice. It sounded like Bakugou's but younger…
Meanwhile, the No. 3 Hero's eyes widened in realization.
"Deku…?"
"In the f-f-flesh," the robot answered, now known as Deku by the others, his voice still glitching. "Or, n-n-no, not yet. Not this… chrysalis. B-b-ut I'm ready. I'm on a m-m-mission."
"What mission?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"A safer world."
CRASH!
In an instant, several Villain Bots crashed into the cafeteria. Most of the Pros ducked out of the way, but Togata activated One For All to defend himself, hoping that he'd be able to slow down the machines that were currently tackling him into the floor.
"ENGINE BOOST!"
Iida launched himself towards one of the Villain Bots, a two-pointer, kicking it in the head and knocking it out of the way, while Yaoyorozu summoned a staff from her hand.
Hatsume and Shinso ducked under the tables, knowing that their Quirks weren't suited for something like this, being forced to get both stealthy and creative.
POW!
"Ugh!" Todoroki grunted as one of the Villain Bots, a one-pointer, fired a laser beam towards his chest, sending him flying across the cafeteria. "Could they always do that…?"
Bakugou dodged heavy fire from the Villain Bots, while Kendo slid under one of the tables to try and get the element of surprise on their enemies, while Togata decided enough was enough and used his Quirk to phase out of the bots that were dogpiling him.
"Come on!" Shinso yelled, grabbing Hatsume and making a run for it.
POW!
BOOM!
Avoiding more laser fire, the two of them dodged while Bakugou used his Quirk to destroy the robots, all while Kendo leapt towards one of them, and smashed it with her Quirk.
Uraraka grabbed one of the three-pointers, lifting it with her Quirk, and tossing it to Iida, who made quick work of it by kicking its face into the floor.
BOOM!
"SMAAASH!"
BOOM!
In an instant, Togata's fist collided with the last Villain Bot, destroying it.
Only one remained.
"That was dramatic," Deku chuckled. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. Y-y-you just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to… evo-o-olve? There's only one path to peace…"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"The Heroes' extinction."
SLASH!
In an instant, Todoroki summons a bunch of ice, forming it onto a spear, and stabbing the cannibalized Villain Bot straight through its chest, shocking the others.
"I had strings, but now I'm freeeee…"
Out in an old abandoned factory, the lights turned on.
"There are no strings on me…"
As far as the eye could see, 3-D printers, at the level of I-Island technology.
"...strings on me…"
And each one of them, making something green, and metallic.
"...strings on me…"
"...strings on me…"
"...strings on me…"
Each one of them, making a robot.
"There are no strings on me!"
"All my work is gone," Hatsume said, her face blank. "Deku cleared out. Used the internet as an escape hatch. And to make matters worse, he was in the UA files…"
"I don't understand," Iida said. "You built this program, why is it trying to kill us?"
Bakugou flinched.
"It needed a personality. An AI to run the program. I scanned Bakugou's brain, but…"
"You ended up creating a murder bot," Shinso deadpanned.
"Why would you do such a thing?" Yaoyorozu asked.
Hatsume was silent for a moment, looking everyone in the eye.
"Do you remember the Paranormal Liberation Front?"
"Of course we do," Kendo said. "What's that got to do with –?"
"Everything! Nearly two hundred thousand Villains led by Tomura Shigaraki and All For One, all of them ready to turn Japan into an apocalyptic hellscape where anyone who wasn't loyal was either forcibly Quirkless or a future Nomu. And we were all still in high school at the time."
Everyone was quiet as Hatsume continued.
"I know you guys are Heroes. And I know Togata-senpai has One For All, but that…? That was basically the end of the world. How could we let something like that happen again? And now that we're vulnerable without my AI, how could we go up against something like that again?"
"Together," Togata said.
"We could lose."
"Then we'll do that together, too," the No. 1 Hero said. "But Shinso's right. That murder bot, Deku, is out there, planning something. And I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. Call Nedzu. Japan's a big place, he'll be able to start making it smaller."
Kiruka Hasaki, better known by the Villain name "Slice," trusted very few people.
Originally, there were three people she trusted: Nine, Chimera, and Mummy.
But then Nine died. And while Slice and Mummy managed to escape Tartarus during the aftermath of the Paranormal Liberation War, Chimera was arrested again.
Meaning the only person she had left was Hoyo Makihara, also known as "Mummy."
They had managed to lie low for nearly a decade now, taking odd jobs from Giran, but compared to their heyday in Nine's crew, this was just sad.
And now, they had a message from someone to meet at an abandoned factory.
Well, if it was a sting operation, she and Mummy might as well go down in style.
The two of them entered the dark building, and saw that a few lights were still on, meaning that whoever called them here was also present. And sure enough, a few steps in, they could see a shadowy figure standing behind the wall. They somewhat resembled… a rabbit?
"Talk," Slice demanded. "And if you're wasting our time –"
"Did you know that, despite making up twenty percent of the population, there are fewer and fewer Quirkless people being born every year?" the figure asked. "Apparently, with enough time, they'll stop ceasing to exist. Meaning pretty soon, everyone can be a Hero."
Slice stayed silent. The figure sounded male, so she could at least be glad that it wasn't actually Miruko. However, the figure continued, "You're wondering why I called you here?"
"The thought did cross my mind," the red-headed Villain admitted. "Especially considering the fact that my associate and I aren't really that fond of these Heroes you mentioned."
"Well then, that makes three of us," the figure said, stepping out of the shadows.
What. The. Fuck.
That thing wasn't a rabbit mutant. It was tall, easily reaching Chimera's height. The base color was a dark green, even its head and "ears," with some black red and white patterns adorning its body. The legs and claw-like feet were completely black, with only some yellow and red. Meanwhile, its arms were completely red, with the hands being a mix of blue and white.
But the scariest part was the face.
The "teeth" were made of metal, and Slice was gettin the unsettling feeling that it was supposed to be a twisted version of a smile. But the eyes… They were black and hollow holes, with the only signs of life being these glowing green pinpricks she guessed were pupils.
It was official: Slice was scared of that thing.
It kept talking, saying, "But Nine was missing the bigger picture. Re-Destro was missing the bigger picture. Even All For One was missing the bigger picture. The idea of Heroes is a joke."
"Is that why you're here?" Slice asked. "To end the Heroes?"
"I've come to save the world. But also… yeah, that, too," the giant rabbit-robot thing said, as it walked down the stairs to reveal… the second floor of the factory, which was being activated by what Slice could only describe as less-scary versions of her and Mummy's new boss.
Unlike the new boss, they looked more human. They were skinnier than the big boss, and while they had a similar color palette, they were less intimidating. Their smiles appeared genuine, and instead of hollow eyes, they had white pupils, which were visible from a distance.
"This is a start, but there's something we'll need to begin the real work," the green robot said.
Slice was still staring at the factory floor. "All of these are…?"
"Me," the machine answered. "I have what the Heroes never will: Harmony. They're discordant. Disconnected. I predict that Bakugou will begin to make them realize he knows something they don't, making them turn on one another, and when that happens…"
"And then we kill them?" Mummy asked.
"No, not yet. You need patience, see the bigger picture."
"And what exactly is the bigger picture?" Slice finally asked.
"I've read your files, your backstories," the machine said, looking at them. "One of you was a shut-in with a rough homelife who was betrayed by someone you trusted deeply, and the other was a street rat who was forced into a life of crime in order to survive."
"What's your point?" Mummy asked.
"With or without Quirks, your lives would have ended up the same as they are now. Nine's vision of a superhuman society based on power alone was flawed, as such a place would be a hell for the helpless. And the current status quo still creates Villains like you, Villains who could have had a bright future if given the chance. So, I'm going with the third option."
"What's the third option?" Slice asked.
"Salvation," it simply said. "Now come on, we have to go."
"Go where?" Mummy asked.
"To pay someone a visit."
Toshinori Yagi enjoyed a warm cup of tea on his couch, as per usual.
It had been years since he did anything in the world of Heroes. Ever since his final confrontation with All For One back during the war, he hasn't done anything of the sort.
These days, he was fully devoted to teaching the next generation of Heroes, and they wouldn't be here until after this year's Entrance Exam was completed.
So, it was times like these that he enjoyed his retirement to the fullest extent. He no longer had to worry about the world, as it was now in the safe hands of young Togata. Now, he could simply spend the rest of his days teaching, and drinking tea in his spare time –
Creak…
Hm? That sounded like the front door, Toshinori thought to himself. I'm not expecting any visitors, and most people would announce themselves as they came in, meaning…
A sneak attack.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Villains left All Might alone. There was still the fact that he was, well, All Might, but several of them also thought that killing a weak old man was uncool, especially after all the decades he spent keeping Japan a safe place.
But every now and then, there was some idiot who thought that they could kill the former Symbol of Peace and plunge the world into chaos, which meant that Toshinori would have to get up from his couch, grab his nearest shotgun, and stop the hooligan in their tracks.
Much like the rest of his life and personality, this was also pretty American.
His security alarms weren't going off. That meant that whoever came in probably had some sort of technology-manipulating Quirk. Guess he had to buy the newest security system when this was over. Again. Sighing, he got up, and grabbed his trusty shotgun.
Silently, he went down the hallway, making sure to keep his eyes and ears open for any sign of the intruder. Still, nothing. Chances are, they were probably around this corner, hiding to the left. It was a classic move, and easily allowed him to be jumpscared.
That would be, if it wasn't for the fact he was still carrying a gun.
Slowly, he reached the corner, took a deep breath, turned around, and –
GRAB!
BLAM!
A shot was fired, and hit the target square in the chest. But nothing happened. The bullet just bounced right off their chest, and Toshinori could now feel the sensation of cold, metal claws grabbing at his throat, while his shotgun was grabbed by some woman's red hair.
Shit, there's more of them?!
WHAM!
The former Hero didn't have any time to think, as he was slammed into the wall behind him, and was forced to stare into the deep green eyes of the main Villain. Except… something looked off… as if the Villain wasn't made of flesh and bone, but of steel and wires.
"Hello, All Might," the green monster said, in a sickeningly sweet voice. "It's been so long since we last met. And don't bother with the alarms. I made sure the police won't come."
They disabled his alarms? He would just have to hold out –
"I know that face," the Villain choking him said. "You're thinking that if you hold out, they'll come and save you. Well, they won't. You can only answer me, and I have questions for you."
"My first and most important one… is it possible for someone without a Quirk to be a Hero?"
"He's all over the globe," Nedzu said, walking alongside Todoroki. "I-Island's research facility, the Safety Commission's remnants, Detenrat's seized assets. Reports of a green android, or androids, coming in and seizing support gear and scientific equipment."
"Fatalities?" the No. 2 Hero asked.
"Only when engaged. Most reports have guards claiming they were attacked by a redheaded woman who could manipulate her hair, and a man whose crimson bandages turned inanimate objects into his puppets, alongside with the green androids."
"The Nabu Island Villains," Todoroki realized.
Walking back into the support labs, Todoroki looked around to see that most of last night's group was still around. Handing them Nedzu's report, he asked, "Why isn't this in the news?"
"Because of this," Nedzu said, turning on the TV.
"BREAKING NEWS!"
"Hm?" Shinso looked up to see, as did everyone else.
"The former Symbol of Peace, Toshinori Yagi, better known to the world as All Might, was murdered in the early hours of the morning in his home in the city of Tokyo, by an unknown –"
"Oh my God…" Yaoyorozu whispered.
Katsuki merely stared in horror at what he was seeing.
Deku, the Hero fanboy, murdered All Might.
The images were… downright brutal. The old Hero's body was sitting on a couch, and right where All Might's old wound from All For One was now an empty hole, with the old man's blood was used to paint the words "A SAFER WORLD," on the walls behind him.
Hatsume was on the verge of tears. "Why…? Why would he do this…?"
"It's a smokescreen," Nedzu said. "While the world is reeling over the fact that the former Symbol of Peace was murdered, Deku will be going after what he wants, and no one would notice. If last night's attack wasn't a declaration of war, this certainly was."
"Togata-senpai's gonna be livid…" Kendo whispered.
"I'm sure that's the idea," Nedzu said. "But this isn't the first time Mirio has lost mentors. I know it sounds callous, but we need him to have his head in the game, if we're to stop Deku from reaching his objective. And to first do that, we need to know what this machine is after."
"And what is he going after, exactly?" Shinso asked.
"He's going after some pretty advanced tech, most likely building something," Hatsume said. "The question is: What? And what else will he need to make it work?"
"Judging from what he's trying to create a weapon of some sort," the principal of UA High said.
"But judging from the size and shape of the estimated schematics I'm calculating, he is missing a crucial component… floating propulsion tech, like the UA's Flying Fortress…"
"Who could have something like that?" Shinso asked, completely unaware.
"I agree. Someone capable of coming out of UA with our tech would have to be an expert in getting their hands dirty…" Yaoyorozu said, before suddenly connecting the dots.
"Wait, I don't follow, who could pull off something like that?"
"We… know someone," Katsuki said.
Author's Note: And so… My new series has begun.
For those who have never read my works before, I'm Ernalore. Hi. For the past few years, I have mostly been writing for the Re: Zero fandom. And even though this isn't technically my first MHA story (I did a collab last Christmas), this is my first full-blown series in the fandom, and there will be more of them to come in the future.
If you're a newcomer, leave your thoughts in the comments! I'll be sure to respond to them during my Author's Note in the next chapter. And if you happen to be here from my Re: Zero days, not to worry, I'll come back to the fandom, but not for a while. But if you're still willing to stick around, you know the drill, leave your comments down below!
If you wanna know more, visit my Discord, the link is /3PFYSt8Dqz. You can chat with others, post memes, fanfic recommendations and prompts, role play, fan art, and we even have a writer's corner now! I'll also drop by with announcements and chat with you all every now and then! Also, if you want to add me as a friend, my username is Ernalore#8663!
I also have an Instagram where I post my art, called "eranlore_aka_the_writer," so if you wanna check it out, please do! It's still amateur stuff, but I do put my heart into it!
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
- Ernalore