Aldrea Junior High School.

Izuku let out a deep sigh as stared at the gates to his old school. "In hindsight, I should have seen this coming."

Ren walked up next to him, but he looked…different.

His outfit had completely changed. Now he wore a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat, with gold accents, cinched black pants, brown-black heeled boots, and pair of red gloves.

Over his face was a white domino mask, with some black designs on it.

"What happened to your clothes?" Izuku stared at him in shock.

"It's a cognitive realm. With a strong enough will, you can do things you can't in reality, including changing your clothes." Ren gave him a devilish grin. "I look good don't I?"

"I mean, yeah!" Izuku admitted, getting over his shock and taking the time to admire Ren's outfit, much to the man's delight. "It looks like a hero costume."

"It basically is. After all, I'm about to dive headfirst into danger, fighting off evil to save someone. Isn't that basicly what a hero does?" Ren pointed out.

"Well, you're not wrong." Izuku agreed, before looking at the gate, and felt anxiety flood him once more. "So, do we just go in?"

"Are you ready?" Ren asked him. "Because once we go in there, the fighting is going to begin."

"Um, how do I fight." Izuku looked down at himself. He didn't go through an outfit change like Ren, he was still wearing his Ageis Cloak. And he didn't feel any stronger. "You said it was about willpower but…"

"It's not something you just feel at the start. You have to summon it." Ren took a step back. "Watch. Persona!"

Suddenly, a pillar of black flames erupted from behind him, and from it came what Izuku could only describe as some kind of fallen angel.

It was about three times the size of a normal person, with a very thin, slender body, and long arms and legs.

From head to toe, it was covered in red in black, with some white ruffles It wore a very tall top hot, on top of a black mask with long horns that pointed forward, and the mask also seemed to be its face, as it didn't seem to have ahead. It wore a very eighteenth-century themed suit, with a popped collar, and some stitched heart designs on the shoulders, and of course those white ruffles on its chest. It also had VERY sharp heels. They were more like daggers attached to its boots.

Lastly, it had huge black wings coming out of its back, with feathers loosely attached to them.

Overall it was a very intimidating creature, so much so that Izuku took a step back from Ren and the beast while staring at them in awe.

"This is Arsene. He is what I call a Persona." Ren explained. "Essentially, it takes your will and forms it into a solid being to fight by your side, and empower you. Which allows you to fight back here."

"Interesting. I wonder why it works like that?" Izuku said, his mind filled with theories once more.

"Probably because I read too much Jojo's." Ren shrugged.

"Oh… guess that makes sense," Izuku responded. "So…how do I summon one?"

"Well…you'll figure it out," Ren said, unsummoning Arsene. "I'd like to be less vague, but let's just say, it's something you need to do without someone holding your hand. It's a part of the process."

"Alright…then I guess we should go in now," Izuku said, looking back at the gate unassuradly. On the other side, he could see people in his school uniform, but he couldn't see their faces."So how do we get-"

Before Izuku could even finish his question, the gates swung open.

"Your a student here remember? Or at least you were." Ren told him. "Of course, you're allowed in."

Izuku walked towards the school, stopping just before he passed the gate completely, with Ren right beside him.

He took a deep breath, and he stepped onto school grounds.

And at that moment, everything changed.

The gates slammed closed at an absurd speed, the metal doors slamming together so hard the sound resonated through the whole school.

DING DONG! Rang the school's bell.

All the faceless students suddenly turned their heads towards him, and grins grew where there once wasn't even a mouth, and they all began laughing. Laughing at him.

Now Izuku really felt like he was back at middle school.

The feeling of dread grew stronger within him, as he started to sweat, and his heart rate increased a little.

None of it's real. You're not a student here anymore. Izuku reminded himself, as he and Ren walked down the main path.

"You know, this isn't the first time I've gone through this exact situation," Ren told him. "Schools are breeding grounds for this kind of trauma. I would know. This isn't dissimilar to my own school experience."

Izuku nodded. He knew that of course. It's one of the many reasons he didn't entertain the notion of the kids going to a public school, and instead choose to school them privately. "S-so what do we do now?"

"Well first, we should probably get ready to deal with the shadows following us," Ren said, glancing behind him.

Izuku turned his head and saw three shadow students walking up behind him.

"Hey Deku!" Said one of the students. "You just gonna walk past us? Who told you that you could just walk past us without saying hello?"

Suddenly, pillars of darkness erupted from the ground, circling the two of them, and when the darkness subsided, there were more grinning students, now surrounding them. About eight in front of them, and eight behind him.

The shadows started closing in on them, and Ren took a fighting stance, summoning a knife and pistole with that same dark energy he summoned Arsene with, and then going back to back with Izuku. "You take the half on your side. I'll take the ones on mine."

"B-but I don't know how to fight here yet?!" Izuku pointed out.

"As I said, you'll figure it out," Ren said, before running towards his opponents.

One of the students tried to punch him, but Ren jumped up into the air, avoiding the blow, and shooting down at the shadow with his pistol.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Three bullets rained down into the shadow, two in each shoulder, and one in the foot, leaving holes in the shadow that emitted darkness. Although notably, it didn't die.

Ren landed behind the group of shadows and started unloading his clip into all of them, as they charged at him.

Another took a swing at him, but Ren ducked under the attack and stabbed it in the chest, staggering it, but running the knife through his side, and then spinning around getting a couple feet away and then shooting it in the head.

"Aghhh." The shadow, groaned, as it fell to the ground, and finally died. Its body fading to nothing.

Ren blew away the smoke coming out of his gun's barrel and then turned to face the rest of the shadows. "One down, seven to go."

Meanwhile, Izuku was not having such a good time.

One of the shadows charged at Izuku and got ready to punch him in the face.

Izuku deflected the punch, using what little martial arts skills he'd picked up from Ojiro, and tried to counter punch him in the head.

Only for the shadow to tank the attack, with seemingly no damage done to him.

Izuku's eyes widened, and the shadow laughed again.

"Heh. So useless!" The shadow said, before punching Izuku in the gut.

"Agh!" Izuku sputtered, as the blow knocked the wind out of him, and sent him flying back, rolling across the ground.

Ugh. Why…why did that hurt so much? Izuku wondered as he tried to pull himself up. I have the Ageis Cloak that shouldn't…right. This isn't reality. This isn't the real Ageis Cloak, and they aren't real, normal people. The cloak won't save me. I have to summon the will to fight!

Izuku got back up and faced the eight shadows. He tried to summon his willpower. Steel himself to fight back…but nothing happened.

One of the shadows dashed at him, and grabbed his arm, before throwing him over to the others.

Izuku grunted in pain as he hit the ground, but it was far from over, as one of the shadows picked him up, and held him by his arms. Locking him in place.

The greenette tried to struggle out of the hold, but to no avail. "Ah! Let me go!"

All of them just laughed, as the other shadows closed in on him.

"Did puny Deku really think he could fight back?" Said one in front of him, before it punched him in the stomach.

"Ahhhhhh!" Izuku cried out in pain.

"You'll always be a defenseless loser!" Said one to his left, before punching him in the cheek.

"Gah!"

"There's no point in you existing!" Said another one to his right, before punching him the opposite cheek.

"AGHHH!"

The shadows continued to beat on him.

Meanwhile, Ren finished shooting another shadow dead, while another shadow student ran up behind him. "Arsene!"

In a pillar of flame, Arsene appeared behind him and knocked the shadow back with its claw, before snapping its finger and shooting out a small flame at the shadow.

The flame hit the shadow, and then it burst into a giant flaming pillar, incinerating the shadow in black fire.

With those two shadows dead, Ren turned to Izuku and saw he was doing poorly. "Is this it? Is this the limit of you're resolve?"

I…I can't. Izuku thought as he received another blow to the face. I want to fight back but I don't know what I'm doing! It's just like before. Nothing's changed.

"Hmph. Is this the example you want to set for your children?" Ren asked coldly, as he shot an approaching shadow in the head. "Is this how you want them to see you? All you're children want you to be happy. And these people are standing in you're way. Are you going to let them take the happiness you've strived to give them?"

"I…" Izuku grit his teeth. And looked up at the shadows once more. My kids…what would they do if they saw me like this. So weak.

He could imagine it now. Kei and Eri with a horrified expressions on their faces. Kiba and Kioku looking on in rage. Fuku crying. All of them…they were so sad when he'd fallen ill.

I'm so pathetic. Izuku thought as he clenched his fist. Rage building up inside him. Rage at his own weakness. "Damn it. I can't let myself be weak anymore. I have too many people to look after for me to just be a doormat!"

"What are muting you loser." Said the shadow in front of him.

Izuku looked at the shadow, his eyes glowing green. "I need you, to GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Suddenly, Izuku's body exploded in a burst of green flame.

"Ahhhhhh!" All the shadows got knocked away, except for the one holding him.

As the flames died down, Izuku was revealed once more. He was still wearing the Ageis Cloak, but different. The black parts were now green, and the white boney parts were now black. His hood was up now, but instead of the blank darkness that was usually seen whenever the hood was up, two glowing green eyes were visible.

"Huh!?" The shadow holding him grunted in confusion, but suddenly another pillar of green flame appeared behind him.

This time, a figure emerged. A tall, hulking, figure, made of dark green fire and holding a club with sharpened stones jutting out of it.

"Get off me!" Izuku finally broke free of the shadow's grip, and the green figure then slammed its weapon down on the shadow, splitting it in two and killing it.

"Tch! Don't don't get cocky Deku!" Said one of the shadows, as they all started to get back up. "Just because you got a lucky hit, doesn't make you strong."

Izuku shook his head. "Weakness is not something I can afford anymore. The happiness of those close to me depends on me being strong enough to carry their burdens. So no matter, what."

"RAGHHHHHHH!" The figure behind him roared.

"I'll pretend to be strong! And smash everything that tries to hurt me or my kids!" Izuku shouted.

"Get him!" The shadows shouted, as all the shadows charged at him.

"Smash them all!" Izuku summoned a pair of brass knuckles around his fist. The flames around the figure behind him died down, revealing a colossal man, bigger than even All Might, with grey skin, and long black hair, wearing only four metal bands on his wrist and ankles, and a metal skirt. "Heracles!"

Heracles rushed forward at alarming speeds, and swiped his weapon at three of him, slicing clean through them and taking them out instantly.

Two of them tried to rush past Heracles to attack Izuku, but Heracles grabbed one of them by the head and crushed their skull.

The other one rushed at Izuku and tried to punch him, but Izuku caught the punch, and returned it, socking the shadow across the face.

And this time, it sends the shadow flying back and skidding across the ground.

Where Heracles then proceeded to stomp them to death.

Izuku looked at the last two shadows, who were cowering in fear.

"T-Teacher!" Shouted one of the shadows. "Teacher!"

Suddenly, the doors to the school burst open, and out came a faceless man, in a plain white shirt and plaid paints, wearing a black tie. "What's going on here?"

Izuku grit his teeth, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.

"Midoriya started attacking us for no reason!" The shadow students lied, their fearful expressions, turning into horrid grins.

The shadow teacher looked at Izuku. "The quirkless boy is starting trouble. Well-"

Suddenly, the teacher's body started to convulse, and change shape. It started to grow, becoming as tall as a small house, its teeth becoming sharp and jagged, as its hand turned into claws.

"-I think he needs to be punished!" The teacher said in a distorted nightmarish voice. "I'll put you in your place."

Izuku looked up at the monstrous teacher. He'd felt just as small as he did back then. Don't let it get to you Izuku. You can't afford to be that small ever again.

Ren came up beside him. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Izuku nodded, getting into a battle stance. "I'm good."

"You dare raise your hand against me!?" The teacher roared, shouting so loud, the force of his yell actually pushed Izuku and Ren back a bit, both to them needing to guard their faces. "Rahhh!"

The teacher crouched down, and lunged at them, moving at incredible speeds towards Izuku, with his hand outstretched.

"Heracles!" Izuku shouted, summoning the massive man in front of him, who stopped the Teacher where he stood, holding his hand open and keeping them from reaching Izuku.

Ren jumped up and summoned Arsene, who proceeded to shoot out a dark energy blast right at the teacher's face.

"Raghhhh!" The teacher roared in pain, his head being pushed to the right.

Izuku ran over to the side, moving at superhuman speeds, getting right under the teacher's head, before jumping up and uppercutting the massive shadow.

"Gah! Why you little!" The teacher got up and took a few steps back, before raising its foot up, and stomping the ground so hard, it caused a small earthquake, destroying the front of the school and causing the ground to fracture.

Izuku jumped up, to avoid the attack, leaping higher humanly possible into the air.

Once the shockwave attack finished, Izuku and Ren landed in the destroyed yard.

Izuku summoned Heracles, who rushed at the Teacher and swung his weapon at the teacher's leg, cutting halfway through it.

"RAHHHHHH!" Heracles roared, as he kept pushing his weapon deeper into the leg, pushing it further and further through the appendage.

"Get off me!" The shadow shouted, raising its fist up to slam it down into Heracles.

"Not on my watch!" Ren said summoning Arsene behind him and unloading a crap ton of bullets, that were coated in Arsene's dark energy, right into the teacher's face.

"Gah!" The teacher covered its face with its hand to protect it from the bullet, which gave Izuku a chance to jump forward and punch its other hand away from Heracles.

"ROARRRRR!" Heracles used all his strength, and gave one great push, cleaving through the leg completely, and sending the teacher falling to the ground.

"Now! Let's finish him!" Ren shouted.

"Right!" Izuku agreed. "Heracles!"

The colossal man, leaped up, super high into the air, before kicking off the air, propelling itself downward at top speed, with its weapon aimed right at the teacher's head.

SLAM!

Heracles's attack connected, his weapon stabbing the teacher right in the face, hitting him so hard, that it forced the man deeper into the ground, creating a huge crater.

"Y-You're going…to the principal's office." The Teacher said before it began to fade away, into nothing.

Once the teacher was gone, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ok so now what-" Before Izuku could even finish his sentence, he was on his knees. The adrenaline was wearing off, and suddenly he was hit with a wave of exhaustion, so strong it was hard not to pass out here and now. "What?"

"It's a part of my quirk's drawback. The longer you're in here, the more exhausted you get." Ren told him, helping Izuku up, and putting one of his arms over his shoulder, to help him walk. "It's get's worse the more you exert yourself. Especially when you're new. Come, on let's get out of here."

"But…we didn't even make it to the school yet." Izuku protested, as Ren turned him around and walked him to the gate.

"That happens a lot. No one tends to make it very far on their first visit." Ren explained. "Don't worry. You did great."

Izuku didn't have the energy to object any further and allowed Ren to drag him outside of the schoolyard.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Izuku opened his eyes and instantly recognized that the exhaustion had not gone away. "Ohhhhh."

Ren got off the ground, doing a few stretches afterward. "Well, that was a very productive first session."

The young therapist offered Izuku a hand, and the teen accepted it, allowing Ren to pull him up.

"Doesn't feel like it," Izuku grunted, feeling phantom pains from all the hits he took in the cognitive realm.

"Healing the mind is not an easy process," Ren told him. "Far from it. It's hard, and sometimes it'll feel like you're not making much progress at all. My quirk doesn't change that. It just makes the process much faster. In exchange for being a lot more painful."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Izuku said. "I think I'll hold off, on having you do anything with the kids, until we clear a palace, and see the effects."

"Of course. That's perfectly understandable." Ren told him. "For now, you should take some time to rest."

"Alright. Thank you for your time." Izuku said, smiling at the man. "And, thank you for letting me feel strong. Like, physically."

"It was my pleasure," Ren said, flashing him a grin.

Ok, so that was the first therapy chapter.

As you can see, it's a pretty massive persona reference.

Now some of you are probably wondering about Heracles. Yes, that was also a Fate reference. I mixed a Persona reference and a Fate reference at the same time.

I felt Heracles fit Izuku pretty well. Heroic(ignoring all the terrible stuff that very ancient hero did) hated from birth for something he couldn't control(hated by Hera for being born), etc.

Anyway, please review and have a nice day.