Hey, everyone! Been a while since my last update of the stories but not as long as before, right? Getting back into writing is both hard and fun.
Happy to present you all with a new story while I am working on reviving the Phantom Lantern fic.
Hope you will enjoy this!
Cover Art: SecretScrapV2
Chapter 1: Glorious Purpose.
He stood among the ruins, burning wreckage of their ship. His brother was captured, his newfound might rendered impotent by the restraints.
He should have run. This was not his fight. This was not his role to play.
He was Loki Laufeyson, the God of Mischief.
The Liar. The Betrayer. The Failure.
Nobody would expect better from him. Run and hide away behind his illusions. Let Thor and his mortal friends do what they did best and save the day. They were protagonists of this story, not him,
And yet, instead of running, Loki turned to his second best talent after illusions.
He talked.
"If I might interject," He smiled his most disarming smile even as every cell in his body decried his stupidity. "If you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that area."
The Titan was not amused, bringing up his past failure. A bitter reminder of what kind of man he was back then. What kind of man, Loki feared, he still was deep down inside.
Neither Titan nor his Children saw a threat in the conniving little God. By the looks of it, he barely registered on their minds, a pesky little afterthought. That meant that he could still run away and not be pursued. He was being dismissed. Overlooked. Underestimated.
And perhaps this would be their undoing.
"Almighty Thanos," he spoke with the sweetest of voices. "I, Loki, prince of Asgard-"
He casts a quick glance at Thor. The captured hero looks at him with the emotions that Loki cannot quite figure. And in the sole eye of his brother, the God of Mischief recognizes the same light he saw in their All-Father's eye.
"Odinson..."
He never truly felt like one. He barely felt like an Asgardian.
Until today.
Until this moment.
"The rightful king of the Jotunheim... God of Mischief..." the familiar weight of his dagger felt comforting in his hand. Enough to make him believe that he had a chance. "do hereby pledge to you... my undying fidelity."
Enough for the God of Lies to deceive himself into hoping.
The Asgardian steel does not reach the flesh of the Titan. And before he can conjure a stronger weapon or a spell, the monster holds him by the neck. There is no hatred in the monster's grasp or eyes. There is only cold that sends chills even down his Jotun bones.
He should beg for his life. Promise whatever the Titan wishes to hear. For what good was pride for a corpse?
And yet, he cannot bring himelf to.
He was already dead.
"You... will never be... a god..."
And in that moment, Loki sees something behind the cold eyes of the Titan. It is so brief and so small that the God of Mischief doubts anyone but him can see it. But it is undeniably there. The rage and shame. At himself more than anyone else. The feeling all to familiar to Loki.
He wishes to laugh but he couldn't even breathe.
There is a whisper of a crack.
"No resurrections this time."
M
A boy lurched out of bed and gasped for air. Sweat dripping onto his covers, the boy reached for his neck. As his fingers touched soft and woundless flesh, he released a breath he didn't realise he was holding.
It was fine. Of course, his neck was fine. As was the rest of him.
"Just another dream," the boy muttered as he got out of bed. "Nothing more."
Izuku Midoriya briefly stared in his reflection as he washed the remnants of sleep out of his face. It was, without a doubt, his own face in the reflection. One that he had for all fifteen years of his life. One that he would continue to have for the rest of it, too.
It was, undeniably, his own face whatever doubts he may have briefly felt.
"I really need to stop staying up so late."
A quick breakfast and a morning kiss to mom before he left, the boy followed his usual routine, letting the motions of body and mind wash away whatever remained of the nightmare. By the time he entered the classroom, it all had disappeared into a fog.
Just a dream. Nothing but a dream.
"Good morning, Midoriya!"
He pushed the grim thoughts away and put on his best smile. Such a simple yet disarming gesture.
"Morning, guys."
The atmosphere in the class was, as always, nice and quiet. With almost twenty minutes to spare before their classes began, Izuku allowed the casual conversations distract him from his worries. Ever since he could remember, it was always easy for him to carry and direct the conversation. He never said too much or too little, keeping the conversaion alive without overtaking it.
Add in some flattery or a well-placed joke and Izuku found himself in the unique position of being well-liked by almost all of his peers. He would never brag about that, of course. Arrogance was poison to one's reputation.
"Oi, Deku, when are you going to stop kissing asses and get in your seat already?!"
Bakugou Katsuki - Kacchan - was that one complicated relationship everyone had in their life at some point. They grew up together but had been growing distant ever since the blonde awakened his Quirk while Izuku hadn't. They were hardly friends. But they were not enemies either.
"Morning to you too, Kacchan."
Bakugou gave him a roll of his eyes as Izuku continued to smile. Letting it drop would be a sign of weakness. A drop of blood in shark-infested waters that was the junior high school.
"I told you to stop calling me that!"
Their classmates giggled, enjoying the little routine performance by the two. Less voluntary on Bakugou's part, though. The boy's temper was all pure him, without a hint of pretense.
"Alright, settle down, everyone," Yurui-san said as he entered the class. "Now, everyone, take these forms and fill them out. Remember, these don't have to be your final choices but it is important that we know your future plans to help you."
Unsurprisingly, the class didn't just quietly fill in and submit the forms. Instead, they shared and talked and laughed and boasted. There was no secret what every kid in the class wanted to be in the future. And their homeroom teacher was not one to discipline the class too much, letting the student discuss their plans among each other.
Izuku looked at his own sheet of paper, quietly filled in his top three choices and handed it in. Right at the same time as Bakugou. The two shared a brief look, that ended with the blonde scowling and him smiling before both returned to their seats.
Soon, everyone elese followed the suit and handed in their forms.
"Now then, I want to remind you all that it is important to take this year ahead of you seriously. The schools you go to will help you prepare for your future career paths," the man smiled, his hand holding onto the papers all too carelessly. "But then again, why bother? You all want to be heroes, don't you?"
The papers flew up in the air as the class exploded with cheers. A small part of Izukuy enjoyed the little bit of theatrics from the teacher even if he couldn't place the exact reason why. Almost everyone showed off their Quirks, no doubt excited at the idea of using them in the future.
"Hey, teach! Don't lump me together with these extras!" a certain blonde shouted from his seat, smugly enjoying the glares thrown his way. Bakugou wouldn't be Bakugou if he didn't remind everyone what he thought of them, after all. "Unlike them, I got the Quirk that is not shit!"
"Unlike your attitude!" one brave soul jeered the joy of their classmates.
"Say that again, Eyeball Bitch!"
The bald boy's eyes snapped back inside his skull as he hid away from the boy's glare.
"Alright, alright, everyone," their teacher tried to remind them they were still in class. "Now then, Bakugou, you chose to apply to U.A., right? That is quite the goal you set for yourself."
Instantly, the angry jeers and protests were replaced with uncertain murmurs and whispers. Some even gave the boy pitying looks since it was the one and only school he applied for. U.A. High was the top hero school in the entite country and they set quite the high bar for acceptance.
Equipped with latest tech and staffed with the active Pros, U.A. High boasted the impressive list of alumni, many of which went on to be the current top Heroes of the country. In the environment like this school, the lucky few that got in would have their entire future secured.
"You sure you don't want to apply to other places just in case?"
"Who do you think I am, teach?" Bakugou scoffed, seemingly offended at the very idea of going anywhere else. "I already aced the mock exams, so the real thing is going to be a fucking cakewalk! I am going to get in U.A. and carve my name into the history books of Heroes! Even All Might will have no choice but acknowledge me!"
The boy laughed, dumping on everyone else's hopes of making it. Izuku rolled his eyes, unsure why he had to be so loud about it. Just like his brother once upon a time, the boy was clearly too full of himself.
... wait.
Brother? What was he-
"Oh, Midoriya, you are applying there, too, right?"
The brief moment of confusion was sweeped away and forgotten as the teacher looked through his form. A Quirkless kid applying to U.A.? With a Quirk, it was a pipe dream. Without one? It was just delusional.
All eyes turned towards him. Some worried and some intrigued. And Bakugou's glare could have killed him if he had laser eyes for a Quirk instead of Explosion.
"Yes," Izuku said with a smile. He enjoyed the confusion and curiosity hanging in the air for good two minutes before he added with a laugh, "Business Course. I think of becoming a hero manager in the future."
The answer was good enough for the curious and concerned looks. General and Business Courses were the programs almost entirely removed from any hero work. The Business Course handled administrative work, marketing, legal and other tasks that heroes needed to function as businesses.
But nothing anywhere near the frontline heroics. Nothing that could harm a Quirkless little him.
"I see," the teacher smiled, no doubt worried about a Quirkless kid dreaming of U.A. "Alright then, now I am going to take these forms and write the schedule when each of you could come for further consultations. You are free to use the remaining time of the class for self-study."
As the teacher left them to "self-study", the class broke into the usual groups. Everyone was eager to discuss where they wished to go. And, as always, Izuku made sure to keep everyone's hopes and spirits up with a kind smile and sweet words.
"I am sure you will get into this school, they would have to be crazy not to accept you!"
"Your Quirk is amazing, I can't wait to see you become a hero!"
"Hey, when you are rich and famous, don't go forgetting me, alright?"
He smiled as more and more of his classmates gathered around him, all drawn in by his welcoming nature and reassuring words. Everyone shared their hopes and their doubts, their defenses lowered to the point they were willing to share everything with him.
He lent them his ears and his smile. He pushed the ugly feeling of unease further down into the pits of stomach and smiled through the sudden discomfort. He was fine. Everything was fine.
As it always would be.
M
Ever since he was old enough to understand it, Katsuki knew that he was strong. His Quirk developed almost right as he turned four and came already at the level above his peers. No painful drawbacks and no misunderstandings about the way his power worked.
Soon, the other kids started flocking to him like moths to the flame. It all started innocent at first but it wasn't long before the boy realised that they only saw him for his Quirk. It wasn't long before he found himself kicking an ass of some older kid because one of his 'friends' begged him to.
And so, before he even turned ten, Katsuki learned that how to tell liars on a glance. He had, after all, grown up right next to the greatest liar of all.
"So, uh, what's the deal with you and Midoriya?" sidekick one asked, reaching for the pack of cigarettes he was stupid enough to bringt to school. "He insulted you or something?"
It all started when Deku turned four and didn't awaken his Quirk. He could see how much it troubled him. But instead of crying or complaning, he put on that annoying smile of his and never took it off. As if a switch was flipped inside, something changed about the green-haired weirdo.
Deku was polite and nice to everyone and anyone around himself. He smiled and joked with others, worming his way into every group in their class from year to year. If you asked anyone at school what they thought of him, they all would only say good and nice things about him.
But Katsuki saw that there was something behind it all.
His smile never quite reached his eyes. His sweet and kind words always felt far too good to not have been rehearsed beforehand. And despite all his popularity, nobody ever seemed to know much about Deku. Nothing that he hadn't told everyone else. Deku was close to and with everyone in their class.
But nobody was close to him.
"I just hate his guts."
He could still remember the day he confronted Deku after their latest game of heroes and villains. Once again, Deku was the one to play the villain and he accepted it with the same smile that even then felt fake.
Katsuki tried to beat the truth out of the boy. He didn't care if he would get scolded by dad or punished by mom. He had to know what the hell was wrong with Deku and why he just kept smiling as he did. But no matter how much he punched and kicked him, the boy refused to reveal his secret.
And so, Katsuki gave up on Deku.
The blonde had his own life to live. He would graduate on top of U.A. and take the world of heroes by the storm. He had no time to think of side characters like Deku and whatever mess he had in that head of his.
Let the liar live his fake life with that fake smile shining to the world.
See if he cared.
M
"Bye, guys! See you tomorrow!"
Izuku waved his classmates off with a smile before he looked at the skyline. The warm colours of the sunset were a treat to the eye as he revelled in just how peaceful it was. For some reason, he always found himself enjoying the feeling of the sun on his skin.
He checked his phone for the messages from different classmates. Invites to the arcades and movies, just regular chatting and all your usual teenage nonsense. A normal teenage life. What more could he possibly ask for?
He casually walked the usual and well-known road back home when a couple of kids rushed past him with cries of joy and disbelief. He turned away from the phone to see one of the heroes, surrounded by fans. A small smile spread across his lips as he remembered when he too would run towards the hero if only for the chance to receive their autograph.
And yet, today and many times before, he simply continued on with his walk.
He couldn't remember when or why he stopped dreaming of being a hero. He didn't stop liking them, of course. They were still heroes, after all. But some time in the past, he woke up only to find himself content with his dream remaining just that.
Perhaps, he grew up earlier than he wished to. But was it really such a bad thing?
He had so much more than so many were given. He had a home with warm bed and hot meal. Two loving parents. Kind and welcoming classmates. His grades were good enough, too, so he could very well find a job that would help him provide for himself. Was it really that much worse than flying around the city in tights and capes?
"Well, hello there~"
The voice came from above and as Izuku looked up, he was met with two burning red eyes. His mouth opened wide but no scream came out as the green slime dropped down from the ceiling and wrapped itself around his mouth.
The sickening and rotting smell made his eyes sting with tears as the boy desperately clawed at the green sludge that was wrapping itself around his body. But his fingers could only sink and pass through the mass of green as the villain chuckled at his pitiful attempts.
"Stop struggling!" the man hissed in his ear as the portion of sludge around his neck tightened into a vicious grip. "I just wanna borrow your body for a bit, kid. Long as you play along, you aint' gonna get hurt, hehehe."
With the threat made loud and clear, Izuku found his body completely enveloped by the villain's form. He could feel tendrils of sludge wrap around his limbs and grow stronger. Did he perhaps need another human to serve as scaffolding of sorts?
"Haaaa~ Been a while since I had a young body like yours to work with," the villain cackled as he tested the agility and strength of the limbs. Izuku had no idea how strong the villain was in his base form. But if the satisfied whistle the villain let out when their combined fist made a dent in the wall was any indication, he clearly liked what he had. "You are actually stronger than you look, brat. Some kind of strength-enhancement Quirk?"
Izuku stood silent even as he wondered what the villain meant.
"How about we see how our little partnership holds in the field, eh?" Izuku tried to scream out his protests but the sludge covering his mouth and throat kept him words a muffled and pitiful sound. "Knew you would love it, hahahaha!"
They emerged from the tunnel with the villain laughing his head off. With his body serving as the 'skeleton', Izuku was under complete control of the villain as he attacked the nearby shops. People fled from them screaming and crying and all Izuku could do was helplessly watch.
Is this what it felt like when I came to Earth?
Izuku shook his head, frustrated and confused by the voice that he recognized and yet didn't. Not now. No more voices. No more weird dreams and memories. He had no time for those, right now! He had to fight these. He had to fight!
"Stop right there!" Izuku recognized the man as Kamui Woods. "Sludge, you are wanted for aggravated assault and robbery. All done with the use of a Quirk. Surrender before any more people get hurt."
"Awww, but I just started!" the villain grinned, his mouth forming a sick and sadistich grin over Izuku's own. "You heroes really should have let me have the money I took this morning! Now this kid is going to help me make all that money back... with interest!"
Izuku fought to keep his hands down but to no avail. The villain laughed as two strems of his disgusting flesh shot forth towards Kamui Woods. The hero extended sharp branches from his arms before breaking them off into makeshift blades. Cutting through one blast of sludge after another, the hero was getting closer and closer to them.
"Not so fast~" Izuku cried out in shock as his body was shot forth right into the attack by Kamui. The hero cursed under his breath as he dropped his weapons lest he hurt an innocent kid. Which was exactly what Sludge wanted. "Got ya~!"
The stinking flesh formed back around Izuku in a blink of an eye and his arm was puppetered into a fist as he smashed it into Kamui's helmet. And again. And again!
"Shtpp!" Izuku screamed into the gag. "Wu wll kll hmm!"
"That's the idea, kid!"
Another punch and another crack is formed. Another hit and the hero's body seems so much weaker and smaller. But what scared Izuku the most was not the idea of a hero killed by his hand... But how familiar that feeling was.
No matter how hard I try, I will never wash off the blood on my hands.
Focus. He had to focus. He had to before-
"Get back!"
Izuku's body was grabbed from behind and thrown to the side. He recognized Death Arms, another hero, as he helped his colleague get back on his feet before turning towards him. Death Arms was strong but his Quirk was still physical and wouldn't fare too well against the Sludge Villain. Unless Izuku managed to do something about the villain using his body.
He just had to focus. Stiffen his whole body and hold on until they managed to defeat him.
"I know what you are trying to do, kid," the villain growled. "You think stiffening your body can do shit to me? Please!"
Izuku cried out in pain as his arms were physically yanked away from the sides. He could feel tendrils wrap and squeeze his limbs into the pose he wanted them to be in.
The two heroes surrounded him for the pincer attack.
To the sound of the villain laughing, the men moved. Death Arms raised his hand and swung down, his enormous fist meeting the pavement as Sludge commanded his body to jump back... right into the cage of wood formed by Kamui. Spikes of wood pierced the surrounding sludge from all sides, growing small branches to cut into it further.
"Good work, Kamui! Hold him there while I rescue the hostage!"
Izuku's heart soared at the thought the nightmare coming to an end. Just a few more seconds and he would be free!
"No! No, no, no!" The villain roared in defiance as his tendrils struggled to hold onto Izuku. "I won't let you get my fresh meatsuit that easily!"
The pain shot through Izuku's entire body as the new tendrils of dirt and slime formed around his throat and limbs. Seeing the binding around the boy's neck made Death Arms hesitate for the precious few seconds. And then, Izuku's pained screams from having his limbs broken tore through the air.
"Something is wrong..." Kamui cried out from behind, feeling his cage grow weak and brittle. "Death Arms, get back! The cage won't hol-!"
With a deafening crash, the wood shattered like glass around the Sludge-enveloped Izuku. Even the villain himself was surprised by the sudden burst of strength. But he was not going to complain for such lucky break.
"Round two, you assholes!"
As the three men fought with the villain using Izuku's body as his skeleton and a human shield, the boy could only watch the entire thing unfold. The heroes didn'r risk causing him harm while villain had no such qualms.
I can't fight it. There was nothing he could do.
They rushed at Kamui, absorbing shards of his wood into the fist and swinging it down like a mace. The hero dodged and moved to counterattack only to find himself once again nearly stabbing the innocent kid. With sadistic glee, the villain landing a vicious punch at the hero's jaw, knocking him out.
Never could. He was always weak. So pathetic and useless. A coward and a liar.
With a feral grin, the villain guided Izuku's body into another attack on a hero. This time, it was Death Arms.
Dodging and slipping past every punch, the two eventually ended up on top of the man. With enough push, they forced him down and grabbed his head before smashing it into the pavement.
This was just his destiny. To bring nothing but ruin and misery to those around him.
"I was planning to exchange this brat' body for one of you pros, but you know what? I think I will keep it! This body is just divine!"
With a cheer, Sludge prepared to crack the hero's skull against the ground. Izuku cried as he fought to keep his hands still. The time slowed down to a crawl as he realised just how little he could do. This was it. He was going to kill two heroes.
Just let it happen.
Someone else will save us.
... no.
No. No! NO!
"The hell?" Sludge growled in shock as his meat suit's body shook with resistance. He was sure to have broken the brat's spirit by now. "You think you can just power through me? You honestly believe you-"
An unseen force pushed his tendrils off the boy's mouth, shocking the villain even further. Free to breathe and free to speak, the boy wasted no time as he cried out a booming 'Shut up!'.
"You think you can get away from me now, brat? I will break you this time for sure!"
Izuku tore at and kicked at the tendrils as they continued to try and take over his body. A momentary triumph was not to last past the moment of miracle. He would be taken over, broken down and used to hurt people.
It's all I ever did.
All I ever was good for.
Izuku, still struggling to break away from the villain, could only shout in frustration, "And who are you? Why do I hear your voice?"
I am you.
What you once were.
What you will be.
What I prevented you from becoming.
"Who are you talking to, brat?" the villain laughed. "Did I choke you for too long and damaged your brain?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Izuku answered to the voice, ignoring the villain's taunts. "But whoever you are, you need to help me!"
You don't want my help.
"Nobody is coming to help you so stop fighting me!"
"Yes, I do!" Izuku shouted as the sludge continued to cover his body. "I don't care who I was! I refuse to become a tool to villainy!"
This is what I deserve.
I am responsible for all of this.
I deserve to die for what I have done.
"And you are going to take me down with you, then?"
... There is no other way.
"There is!" Izuku cried out in desperation, his whole body now enveloped. He could hear the villain talk in detail how he was going to break him down. Limb by limb, bone by bone. "There is always a way! As long as you are fighting! As long as you keep fighting, you can find the damn way!"
I can't fight. Not anymore.
I don't deserve to.
I have done too much to ever make up for it.
"Then I will make up for all the bad in your place! Whoever you were - whoever we were - I will redeem our name!"
"You are really crazy," Sludge smirked. "Don't worry, I will put your body to good use once your mind is shatter-"
You can't.
I will show you why.
"W-What the- The hell is going o-?!"
His eyes burst with lights of emerald and gold as the unseen force pushed the Sludge off and away from him. His body floating in air, the boy's mouth opened in a silent scream as the memories of life forgotten flooded Izuku's mind.
His life as Loki Laufeyson, the God of Mischief.
From the moment he woke up at the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf to his death at the hands of the Mad Titan. He didn't just see the battles and adventures, failures and misfortunes. Every moment of his life as Loki, Izuku relived once again.
He saw and lived through his rise the title of the God of Mischief. A title he both loathed and cherished for it was the proof of being a God and a reminder of just what the Asgardians thought of him.
He saw and lived through the battles and raids. Where his cunning and trickery were seen as weakness and cowardice. Where his resentment for his brother grew with each passing day.
He saw and lived through his attempt at taking what he once believed he deserved. Manipulating his brother and All-Father all in an attempt to prove that he too was worthy of love. Only to end up as the villain everyone always expected him to become.
He saw and died in his last attempt at doing the right thing. All for the chance of slaying the Mad Titan. All in vain as his throat was crushed and his body fell limp. A God proven no less threatening to the Titan than a roach.
Centuries of experiences burned through the teen's mind in a second and Izuku found himself panting on the ground, his vision blurry and chest heavy. He saw all the thing he had done in his past life. All the damage he dealt out in frustration and anger.
Do you still believe you can redeem our name?
Do you still wish to take on such a burden?
He had so much more than so many were given.
He had a home with warm bed and hot meal. Two loving parents. Kind and welcoming classmates.
He could lead a normal life. Go to a good school, find a well-paying job, meet a nice girl, have a beautiful kid.
Was it really his responsibility to make up for something done by his past self? To try and redeem the name of the man who hurt and deceived so many? Why risk his life and his future?
Because it was what he wanted to do.
Because, deep down, Izuku knew that it was what he truly wanted.
"I do."
He didn't want to life a life pretending to be someone he was not. After so many years of moving as if surrounded by the fog, he could finally see what he truly desired. He was tired of playing the kid who was happy with who he was.
He wanted to become someone he could be happy with being.
Then you are now burdened with this glorious purpose.
To redeem our name.
To become the hero You and I failed to be in the past.
And to prove Yourself and I wrong.
The soft emerald and gold light formed around Izuku as he accepted his glorious purpose. The voice faded away into the void as the two became one. No more voices and mixed memories or dreams. For Izuku and Loki were once again whole.
Izuku looked at his reflection in the glass of the nearby store. It was the outfit that reminded him of who he once was. And yet it was different. Something that felt like a breath of fresh air after years spent under the ground.
A second chance at glory.
"Well, well, well," Sludge clapped sarcastically. His body was now covering that of Death Arms, the man unconscious and incapable to resist. "I have no idea where you pulled these clothes out but a wardrobe change will not help you!"
The villain rushed at him, fists raised to crush anyone they met. The moment of panic was squashed and thrown away. He was not a Quirkless kid. He was a warrior and a fighter. He would not fall to a third-rate villain.
Not when he remembered some of his old tricks.
Visualize the illusion. Let it grow. Let it breathe. Let your thoughts flow like a river.
The green mist surrounded the villain.
Let your imagination become your foe's reality.
"The hell?" Sludge growled as he found himself surrounded by numerous copies of the brat. He watched them produce knives and swords and spears and other sorts of weapons from thin air. "... You wouldn't dare attack me. Not when you risk hurting a hero in the process!"
"Heroes put their lives on the line," said the one without a weapon, his voice firm and sincere. "As long as you are captured and the man is not dead, injuries will matter little."
Sludge looked brat in the eye, searching for the sign of a lie. There is no way a kid his age would be so callous and cold-blooded.
"You are bluffing!"
"Am I?" He turned to his clones and commanded them, "Attack!"
Sludge's eyes widened in shock as he watched the copies attack him from all the sides. While his body would not be damaged as much as the hero's, being cut up and pierced through by multiple weapons without stop would render him immobile if not unconscious. Damn brat, he would remember this.
He jumped off the hero just in time as multiple blades pierced through the flesh and drew blood.
"No!" the boy cried out and rushed to the hero. "No, no, no! Please, somebody help!"
Sludge laughed in triumph, assured now that the kid would bear responsibility for killing a hero! Served him right for messing with someone like him! Now, all he needed to do was just slip into the gutter and towards freedom. As he fell down the drain and found himself in the familiar dark and dirt, the villain smiled to himself.
He might not have killed those heroes and the brat. But he still destroyed enough today to feel good about himself. And once he recovered, he would show that brat the real hell. He would break him. Torture him into insanity until the boy could only beg for the sweet release of death.
Yes...
It was only a matter of time until they met again.
M
"So, how are you feeling?"
"Embarrassed enough to die since the kid had to save my ass," Death Arms growled as the medic checked up on him. "But other than my pride and reputation, nothing important was hurt."
"Well, your face certainly doesn't look any worse," chuckled Mt. Lady.
"Bite me, newbie," the man scoffed as they watched Thirteen clean up the mess. "Still, to think that the kid would save the day and our asses, huh. Guess I better get back to training. Lest the city ends up relying on Mooch Lady over here."
"I will make sure to leave some of the bad guys for you, gramps," Mt. Lady stuck out her tongue at the man. "Speaking of the kid, where did he go?"
"The police took him," Kamui Woods answered, keeping the ice bag to his jaw. "With our testimonies, it is unlikely that he is in any trouble. But they still need to talk to him regarding the incident and... whatever he did to the villain."
All three then turned to the pile of sludge giggling in the sun. Barely more than a puddle and contained under the cheap aquarium, the villain was off in his own world with his eyes flowing green.
"I will break you..." giggled the villain. "I will find you and break you, hehehe..."
The three shivered at the sight of talking pile of dirt and garbage. Thankfully, it was soon picked up to be dropped off at the prison. According to the kid, the condition would wear off soon and the bastard would find himself in the specialized cell outside the city.
"What was his name again?"
"Midoriya Izuku," Death Arms said, having made a mental note to look the kid up later. "But I think he also called himself something else... Damn it, can't quite remember it for some reason..."
It was then that their colleague, Backdraft, joined their little party with an amused chuckle, "Was it 'Loki', by any chance?"
Yes, it was.
"How did you-?"
"One of my sidekicks was on the roof nearby to direct us to any people we might have missed," the rescue hero handed the trio his phone. "He saw quite the picture from above, alright."
In the picture, they could see the streets in the state of ruin. Shattered windows and walls, trash and debris everywhere. But anyone who looked at the picture would instead be drawn to the way they were organized instead. Bricks, branches and random street garbage was placed in a way that formed a single but no intriguing statement.
[LOKI IS BACK]
M
And thus begins the new story and the journey into mystery!
Originally, I planned to have Loki end up in BNHA and mentor Izuku... But I kind of already got that with Doc Ock in Superior Legacy. And so the ides was born to have the two combined into one.
What sort of mischief will Izuku bring now that he remembers who he was? And what adventures await him and the unlucky bastards that end up with him?
Only one way to find out!