The black sedan hobbled on two flat tires over the broken road. The hood hissed with smoke that blew out of the engine bay with the frame rocking like a ship in chopped waters.

Izuku wrestled with the steering wheel with his shoulders bumping into the girl who sat in the passenger seat. The car rumbled at the speed of a snail through the downtown street towards the bridge by the waterfront park to the school's island. On the sidewalk, some pedestrians stared and others took photos.

With the Drivers side completely naked for all to see, Izuku kept his head down with sparks screeching out of the flat left front now grinding its wheels on the concrete. The car jostled while rounding a corner before confronting the base of the bridge to International Island.

Right as the grill rolled onto the surface of the bridge, the nose caught the concrete and splintered off the car. A loud crunch broke from the destroyed body with a deafening pop erupting from the engine. The hood of the car spewed out flames, and the vehicle refused to go further.

"I think this is as far as we can go," Izuku said to Lynn in the next seat. "We can walk the bridge."

Lynn took off her seatbelt and kicked out the door. The portal fell off the hinge and collapsed onto the ground. She walked out into the bridge with Izuku who accompanied her. Some tourists at the park snapped photos of the burning vehicle while the other two left it at the base of the bridge. They started to trudge up the bridge past a line of construction vehicles and dump trucks preparing the school. Part of her was slightly perturbed that she was almost run over by a car. However, she was also quite thrilled at the fact that it was Deku that had crashed into her. She was sure that she could use this to her advantage.

"So, again, I'm sorry for almost running you over," Izuku said. "I forgot that I actually don't know much about driving a car till I rented it out."

Lynn smiled and twirled a strand of her hair. "Oh, it's okay. I honestly wanted to show off in front of Jason, so I was waiting for the opportunity."

"So that's your quirk," Izuku said. "Some super strength."

"No, it's bone density," Lynn said. "I can make my bones really strong and dense or really light and fluid. It's pretty useful for cheerleading. And stopping Pro-Heroes who don't know how to drive."

Izuku's face flushed red. He rubbed his cheek and averted his gaze from the girl. "Again, sorry. I've just been very distracted lately."

"I just can't believe you're actually here," Lynn said. "Teaching at this new school. Here in Detroit. I applied just a few days ago. I mean, I don't wanna ask you for anything special, even if you almost ran me over-."

"No, it's okay," Izuku said. "I will…I'll take an extra close look at your application. I don't make the final call, but I'm sure I can influence the board. For both you and your friend."

Lynn sighed and gazed out over the side of the cobblestone bridge. The water in the large lake rushed past with a clear crystal sparkle for the bright summer day.

"He doesn't wanna go," she said. "He's gonna get in this car his grandparents are giving him and driving away."

Izuku glanced at Lynn who had a dejected expression on her face. "But isn't he your age?"

"Yup."

"He can't abandon school to drive around in a car," Izuku said. "I'm sure social services or his parents at least would-."

"His parents don't care," Lynn said. "And the City isn't gonna care either. Honestly, I'm probably the only person that does."

"Oh," Izuku said. "You two are close."

"We grew up together," Lynn said. "But around sixth grade, his parents lost their jobs. They had to move away. Not far, but away from my school district. And then…I don't know. They fell off the wagon. And Jason started caring less and less. He just kinda thinks of himself as some sort of…background character."

"An extra," Izuku said. A flash of Kacchan's face evaporated before his eyes.

Lynn chuckled when they got to the summit of the bridge. "Yeah, an extra. There's only so much I can do, y'know? He's not like the guys at my school where all you gotta do is wink and smile at them. So…how do I save him?"

The pair sauntered down the other side of the bridge. Izuku gave a solemn look at the girl who kept her gaze down to her shoes. She hugged herself with a brisk breeze flowing through her blonde hair. He thought back to the past few years and all of the actions he took to help his friends out of tough situations. He stepped closer to Lynn and narrowed the gap between them. She was already a bit tall for her age almost up to his shoulders.

"Y'know, I used to think it was so easy to save people," Izuku said. "Well, maybe not easy. But simple. Stop the building from falling. Put out the fire. Rescue the cat. But I think the most important way to save someone is a lot more difficult. And sometimes…you come across people that don't really want saving. I wish I could force them, but I can't. All you can do is just let them know that you'll be here for them. When they need you."

Lynn drew in a deep breath. She relaxed and loosened her muscles down the cobblestone bridge to the island.

"Okay," Lynn said. "Did you come up with that? It was a pretty good speech."

Izuku smiled and flashed his teeth at her. "Nope. A student taught me that."

At the base of the bridge, a guard post sat right by a giant golden gate. The surface of the portal was filled in and obtuse, so it was more like a protective wall that kept the gaze of tourists or onlookers blocked from seeing inside. The guard dressed in a periwinkle uniform, stepped out and blocked the front of the gate.

"Excuse you," The guard said. "Are you Izuku...Nidoriya?"

"Uh, it's Midoriya, but yes," Izuku said.

The guard conjured up a clipboard out of nowhere and held up a magnifying glass to the paper. He examined it with a stong expression before combing his eyes over the pair before him.

"And who is this little girl? She's not on my list!"

Izuku patted Lynn on the shoulder. "Oh, this is…a future student of mine. I just met her outside, so I thought I'd just give her a quick little t-."

"She's not on the list," The Guard said. "If you're not on the list, then get the hell out of here!"

"But she is a potential student."

"Yeah? And I'm a potential supermodel. No list, no in!"

Lynn, however, smiled and saddled up next to Izuku. As the two argued back and forth, she had a feeling she was going to be in good hands.

"Okay, but she's with me," Izuku said. "I think it's okay."

"No list, no enter," The guard screamed. "Comprende?"

"What is going on here?"

A flume of wind brushed over the dirt on the pathway. In front of the gates, a pair of black boots landed just inches away from the guard. In his typical yellow jacket, Hawks lowered his wings and pulled up the golden visor over his eyes onto the top of his head.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Lynn shrieked. As level headed as she thought of herself, she was not above fangirling over one of the most suave and smooth Pro-Heroes in the world. "It's Hawks!"

"Keigo," Izuku said. "Can you tell this guard we are fine."

Hawks nodded at the guard. "It's fine."

The Guard flashed his long clipboard. "But he's not in the list of visitors!"

"I decide the list of visitors," Hawks said. "After all, I am the Principal."

Both Izuku and Lynn gasped. Lynn, however, had a wide grin on her face with her eyes practically flashing hearts at Hawks. "You mean you get to be our Principal!"

"Are you serious?" Izuku said.

"Well, the person who was going to be your principal had to take some time off. Something about being torn apart by some Lisa girl," Keigo said. "So for the first couple of months, I will be the one that is in control of this school."

"But you don't know how to run a school!"

"I know as much as any other public school principal, I imagine," Hawks said. "Besides, as long as your here, I can be taught the ropes. I'll just glide for a few months, and we'll be good. I also get to be close to the school to…keep tabs on our project." Keigo said.

"Oh, right," Izuku said. "Yes, that will be helpful."

"And who are you, miss?" Hawks smiled at the girl next to Izuku.

Lynn skipped to Hawks and grabbed his hand. She shook it with the vigor of an earthquake which made Hawks grit his teeth at her strict grip. "I'm Merlyn Taylor, but you can call me Lynn. I've followed you for years online. I was here when you came over with the WHA to take down the weird group that hated people with quirks and now you're gonna be here at my school!" Lynn giggled.

"That's great," Hawks said. "Though, I'd prefer to get through the school year with all of my appendages intact."

Lynn stopped and noticed her grip crushing Hawk's hand. She deactivated her quirk and released the density in her hand's bones to shrink back to normal status. "Sorry. Still getting used to it."

"No big. So, without further ado," Hawks said. "Would you two like an early look at the facility?"

Lynn hopped up and down while clapping her hands together. She grabbed Izuku's arm and lugged him over. He cried out with his red shoes digging through the dirt leading up to the golden gates. Izuku plastered on an uncomfortable smile, the pain of the grip erased by the enthusiasm shared by his future student.

Maybe they won't be as crazy as my last class, Izuku said. This could actually be an enjoyable time for all of us. Maybe…maybe I can save the day again.

At the base of the gate, Hawks nodded at the guard. The man in uniform narrowed his eyes at the two intruding upon his gate, but he decided it was best to acquiesce to Hawks. He went back inside his guard shack and pressed a red button.

The gates lurched backwards and opened up. The bright shine reflected the sunlight down to Izuku, and he shielded his eyes from the white canvas that erupted from the metallic gates.

The entire world turned white, then the light disintegrated as the gates opened entirely to reveal-.

Paradise.

At least, that's what it looked to the golden retriever who stood perched at the precipice of the school grounds.

A long dirt path cut through a massive grass-coated courtyard flanked by cherry blossoms that waved next to either side of the path. Beyond the blossoms were tall oak trees that coated the entire meadow and were already housing robins and blue jays that glided above the sea of new students and parents seeing of their children. About a hundred yards from the campus wall was a marble fountain with a small facsimile of the Statue Of Liberty. From the top of its torch spat out a jet of crystalline water that splattered into the marble basin that swam in a circle with an immaculate shine from the blazing sun above. Most of the meadow was shaded from the trees save for a wide clearing at the corner of the front courtyard area for recreation.

Beyond the fountain were gold-coated steps that led to nothing short of a castle. A decadent, rich golden building that rose up to a top floor that narrowed into a spire of a star that blinked yellow with a powerful light within its confines. The opaque glass windows on each room of the building reflected light and was unseeable from outdoors. However, the gold brick that made up the school ran backwards towards the other side of the campus all the way to the back wall that stop about fifty yards away from the shoreline of the island.

Merle Lawson was speechless at just how beautiful the atrium was in the new school. It was better than any of the brochures he read back in Texas. The stark sheen off the marble steps made his eyes water from the blinding shine.

"I reckon this is the place for us," Merle said. "Right, Sam?"

By his brown cowboy boots, a puffy German Shepherd barked with a happy wag of his tail. Sam the Dog twirled around Merle in an excited dance as the tall boy gasped in awe at the news helicopters that circled above the makeshift forest in the front walking path. Behind him and past the gates, the parking lot and the main bridge to Detroit were packed with news vehicles and parents dropping off students. Residents of the city, even those without students, walked to the main entrance of the school to catch a glimpse of the beauty that sparkles on Thai island off the waterfront of Downtown Detroit.

"I guess we should head up to the auditorium, right boy?"

Sam, somehow knowing exactly where to go, barked his approval and hustled towards the golden doors that towered over the entire courtyard. Merle followed through the crowd of ostentatious students and reports wearing pantsuits and shouting over microphones the historic occasion. Merle noticed, based off his cowboy hat and his courderoy vest, that he was already a bit out of place for this neck of the woods. However, he shook off those insecure feelings and marched for the front entrance. There was nothing that he and Sam could not handle.

The pressed onward to the school. Their course was smooth and true until the dog ran right through the legs of a poor, unsuspecting boy whose head was buried in a map just a few feet in front of the water fountain.

"Wah!" Leon cried it in a reserved, but unmanly way. He toppled over the edge of the fountain and flailed his arms to regain balance. Sadly, Merle had not noticed the shorter boy and ran after Sam. His elbow clipped Leon's chest which caused him to lose whatever balance he had regained. This impact caused Leon to fall backwards instead away from the fountain. Right into the unforgiving dirt path that would no doubt ruin his clothes (his nicest zip-up cotton jacket with grey pants) and any hole at a decent first impression.

Leon cursed himself as a few people spies his descent onto the ground. Already his first day, and he was embarrassing himself in front of everyone. His mind went blank, hopelessly forgetful of the fact that his quirk may help him in this scenario. Instead, he only thought of the cold, hard dirt that he was about to fall onto in the courtyard along with the mocking faces that would laugh at him.

He fell, alright. Onto a pair of soft hands.

Above him, a smooth face belonging to a person with golden eyes beamed down on him. Leon's mouth was agape when his arms relaxed onto his chest. His heels dug into the ground, and he lay frozen within the person's arms. It was a boy around his age wearing a pristine ivory jacket and pants with, oddly enough, a yellow crop-top over part of his torso (which Leon personally felt defeated the purpose of the jacket, but he was no fashion expert he demurred). If one did not see Leon's fall, one would think there was a ballroom dance occurring between the two strangers.

Skylar, holding up the dazed boy, processed the strange situation. He had just caught this boy, and as he looked into the brightest, electric blue eyes he had ever seen, a quiet and even menacing smirk etched into his face.

Wow! He's, like, really cute! He thought. Then, he looked down at his shirt where a small name tag was pinned to his chest pocket. Leon, Class 1-A.

"Well, hello there, fellow classmate," Skylar said.

Leon, realizing his predicament, felt his cheeks emanate a dull sheen of blue. His body gave off an electric bolt that snapped at Skylar's fingers. He yelped and released Leon which caused the boy to plummet to the ground.

Slam! Leon groaned out and rolled back up to his feet. His silver hair, now disheveled, spiked over his face with his arms flailing about to regain his balance.

"Sorry," Leon said. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Excuse me," a blonde girl about his height popped up behind them. Leon spun on his heels and back up to Skylar in surprise. "Do you know the way to the auditorium? This map isn't very helpful."

Skyler saw the Class 1-A sign on this blonde girl's tight pink dress and smiled again. Wow, she's really cute, too! I hit the jackpot! Is my whole class this hot?

His hopes were dashed when he felt the shadow of a presence cover the sun from the top of his head. "I know. I bummed like two cigarettes just to afford the train over here."

Skylar turned towards the figure. Now, it was his turn to yelp. Behind him was a tall, lanky man hunched over in a thick black trench coat. His face was normal with yellow eyes twinkling at him. However, it was the imposing figure's hair that shocked him. Long, purple tendrils that wriggled around like the twitching heads of snakes. At the ends of each tendril, a pair of eyes that blinked on different individual occasions. It appeared they moved independent of the boy's own functions and surveyed the entire area around him. Some of them settled around his slumped shoulders that were covered by the black tee shirt of a punk band with ripped skinny jeans clung to his legs.

Skylar leapt back and upwards right into Leon's midsection. Without thought, Leon held out his arms and grabbed Skylar who wrapped an arm around his neck. The boy cradled in Leon's arms recoiled at the other man while Leon just stared in confusion.

"Oh, you're in the class, too," Lynn said. "I'm Lynn."

"Ivan," the boy said with a playful, even conniving tone. "By the way, you dropped your wallet."

One of the tendril reached over to Lynn. On top of the purple skin was a wallet balanced just above one of the eyes. Lynn clapped her hands in amusement and grabbed the wallet.

"Oh, my gosh, thanks," Lynn said. "I didn't even know it was gone!"

Ivan tucked the extra dollar bills he had in his back pocket further inside while he nodded at the girl. "No problem. All in a hero's day of work."

"Well, we should get going then," Lynn pocketed her wallet. For a second, she thought it weighed a tad lighter than before in her small hands, but she paid no further mind. She walked with Ivan to the school's entrance along with the sea of other students and parents trotting to the main building.

Meanwhile, Skylar realized he was still being held by Leon. Skylar brushed his proto-wings forward and uprighted himself. He planted his feet next to Leon and noticed he was just a hair shorter than the boy, although Leon still had a blank expression examining Skylar as if he were a bird passing in the sky above.

"So," Skylar straightened out his white suit jacket and brushed off any errant pieces of lint or dust collected on it. "Shall we?"

"Oh. Okay," Leon said.

The two headed for the entrance. Skylar gave another glance at Leon who had his focus on the giant fountain outside the cavernous golden doors. Skylar smiled in approval at what he saw, and he could not wait to see what transpired this school year.

Down a winding staircase just off to the side of the main atrium, past the sandstone walls and immaculate marble steps, was a steel door. On the side of the door was a passcode which would allow a person inside.

The door slid open. Two electricians wiped their brows and lugged their tools out the room onto the staircase.

"I don't even know why they need this tech," One of them said. "Shouldn't these kids be learning math or something."

"Some new technology from Wright," the other added. "Might be for the support folks more than the heroes."

"Whatever. No kid is gonna understand all of it anyway," they started to trudge up the stairs.

"Do you understand it all?"

"Nah, but I don't understand much. Explains why I still live in Detroit."

As the two talked the day away up the stairs, the door closed. However, inside this room was a giant workshop filled with every support tool imaginable.

Rows of workbenches surrounded the perimeter of the gigantic area laden with impermeable acid-resistant charcoal flooring and beige walls. To the inside of the room aat experimentation stations with top-of-the-line beakers and analysis computers that sat dormant ready for the school year.

This was the support lab, and the rows of lab coats and protective wear ran from the emergency showers in the corner all the way to opposite wall which held a large computer screen that stretched above a control console.

All of the stations and computer screens were shut off. However, in the corner, was a strange platform with silver support beams that pointed at the center. A glass tube surrounded the platform, and a small desk with a cpu connected to a black screen sat next to it. Silent and unpowered.

Until….

A beep.

Then, another beep.

The CPU powered on. A green light turned on the modem with a blinking yellow light next to it underneath the word labeled "transmission." Then, the computer screen came to life. A creaking sound emitted from the monitor with the beeping increasing in volume.

The screen had a blinking cursor. The rest of the platform came to life with a white light beaming down from the ceiling inside the glass tube. On the screen, a message typed out onto the black:

Incoming Transmission. Location: Unknown. Arrival: Pending Permission.

Then, the last word was erased.

Permission Override Code Initiated. Arrival: Approved.

Date Of Transmission: Today.

Date of Approval: 03/26/1996.

Arrival in T-minus: Ten seconds.

The timer on the screen counted down.

The machine whirred with the lights blinking faster and faster. The light grew into a blinding star that erupted within the tube. The light swirled with a loud siren blaring throughout the entire room. The ground shook with the desk rocking back and forth.

Three.

Two.

One.

Beep.

Transmission complete.

The light evaporated into the grey darkness of the unlit room. Then, the computer shut off and the beeping from the CPU ceased. The shaking ceased, and the room was again as dormant as it was beforehand.

Except this time, there was a person in its midst.

Within the glass tube, a stunned young man stood pinstraight as the most decorated soldier. A tall man just above six feet, his emerald green eyes wandered like a drunken fly around the room in shock. His chestnut brown hair draped over his head with silver tips kissing the tops of his eyebrows that were arched in surprise at what he was witnessing.

The tube rose up with a hydraulic hiss. First his brown combat boots, then his cargo pants, then the tight black muscle shirt over his torso became exposed to the new environment. When given the chance, he ducked his head under the edge and stepped out onto the floor of the lab. His step was ginger, like he was concerned about sinking into the surface of this new landscape. However, his foot gained purchase, and he stepped out onto the new ground.

He pulled out a pistol from his pocket. A long barreled firearm that could launch .50 caliber bullets at the speed of sound. He gripped it by his chest and snaked through the rows of experiment tables. His heels rolled over the floor with his toes departing from the surface leaving hardly a single sound as he traversed through the strange room.

Then, another beep. This time, from the large device in his pocket.

The boy looked around. He saw nobody in sight and reached into his pocket. A giant cinderblock of a phone eased out of his pants. He pulled up the antenna and held up the tan brick to his hands. The weight was heavy with the surface cold on the ancient cellular device.

"Riley?" An older voiced croaked over the speaker. "Riley, can you copy?"

"I copy," Riley Garrick said. He continued to walk through the room and rake over the odd inventions and technology in the lab.

"Great. What do you see? We can't get a signal down there right now for the cameras?"

"It's a lab," Riley said. "Just like you all said."

"Very good," the voice said with static shainking into Riley's ear. "We're gonna get the signal in your eyes working soon. In the meantime, you'll have to report to us what you see."

"Copy," Riley said. He broke into a jog and arrived at the steel door leading to the staircase.

"Okay, the staircase should just be a push button to get out. Once you get there, head up the staircase and blend in. We already uploaded your info to the bursar's office, so when you need to sign in, you'll be assigned to your class."

"Understood," Riley said. He bopped the red button which caused another beep to echo from the speaker above. The steel door slid open to reveal the dark staircase.

"And Riley," the voice said. "Remember. Don't blow your cover. This mission could mean everything. For you. For us. For humanity. It might be our one chance. We're all counting on you."

"Understood," Riley said. Despite his calm, stoic demeanor, his heart was racing inside his chest with the velocity of a cheetah stalking prey.

"By the way, Riley," another voice said. One that was much more sly and lackadaisical. "How is the air in the future?"

Riley rolled his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and considered the scent.

"It smells like caramel."

"Alright, everyone," the voice said. "Write that down. The future smells like caramel."

Riley hit the button on the phone. The sound in the device powered down into silence. With some trepidation, he thrusted the brick back into his pocket. With a terse breath, muscled his legs forward over the precipice. Then, he trudged up the stairs. The sound of the main hall grew louder. Children and adults alike hummed with jabber and discussion melding into a loud buzz that echoed over the stone walls. It grew louder along with the light from the atrium that rose in tint with every step into the school.

Once he reached the top of the platform, he holstered his pistol on the strap from his thigh hidden in his cargo pants. He took another deep breath as a slit of light landed on his face from the gap in the door. His mission was one that could not be failed, and he knew that the survival of humanity was what rested between him and his home. His family. Himself.

The entire world.

With a quick huff, the time traveler known as Riley Garrick burst through the door and into the light of his new school.

Riley James Garrick - BlueJay019 (voiced by Crispin Freeman)

Ivan Xander - BigChokka (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal)

The Guard - Christoph Andretti (voiced by Keegan Michael-Key)

Merle Lawson - NickFoolery (voiced by Sam Elliot (I know he's almost 80 years old but I don't care lol))

Leon Wright - KaousuShin (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch)

Skylar Landsen - LevelNineCPU (voiced by Jeremy Jordan)

Merlynn "Lynn" Taylor - Half Blood In Hiding (voiced by Sydney Sweeney)

And that's all the people I have introduced so far I believe! Don't worry, many more where that came from.

The voice cast thing is just for fun. I think it's good to have an idea of what voice you hear when you see dialogue. Not at all realistic, but still fun! BTW, I changed Skylar's to Jeremy Jordan because he is actually a Broadway star and his voice fits. Let me know if any of you have any preferences.

Full disclosure, when you give me your characters, I have license to do basically whatever I want with them! I will try to keep the basics of the characters, but know that to fit the narrative, I may change certain things. If there is something truly awry with what I have changed, let me know and we can maybe discuss it. That said, I turned one of the characters I was given into a robot last go around, so don't worry I can be creative! ;)

Otherwise, tell me your thoughts! I know we ended on a bit of a bombshell but don't worry. Many more to come.

Any comments or ideas are more than welcome. And I am still open! Keep submitting! And join the DISCORD. Tell your parents to join as well!

And please review! I need at least 6-9 comments to post the next chapter which could be out very soon if you review!

Thank you. See you soon!