Random oneshot that was stuck in my head, so here we go! Don't want to spoil the whole thing, so I hope you enjoy the idea of Final War Deku with all his power being sent back in time and able to actually change things!


"Shigaraki!" Izuku shouted, his voice thundering as he wrapped Blackwhip around his opponent, attempting to halt his movement for a brief second. They'd been battling for nearly ten minutes now, and Izuku's entire body felt like it was going to fall apart any moment now. Every second was pure, unadulterated agony, and he desperately needed to figure out how to bring this fight to a close soon as possible, before anything else went bad.

Miraculously, the small communicator in his ear was working, and he'd been struck repeatedly by the horrific news at the varied battlefields…Shoto and his entire family, suffering massive burns because Dabi would not stay down…Hawks losing his Quirk and nearly dying, Kyoka losing her ear, and the news that Ochako was in critical condition, saved by Toga who also was in critical condition and no one was sure if either of them were going to make it, and Kacc…no. Now was not the time. He had to stay focused!…even if he couldn't help, because he had to face off against him!

Shigaraki's smirk grew, his eyes alight with what Izuku could only describe as fervor. He cackled, even as he was wrapped up in Blackwhip, one hand reaching out to touch the energy tendril. "Time to try something new, what do you say, hero?!" the mutated form of Tenko Shimura said, as his hand managed to just barely brush the tendril. A brilliant flare of a sickening purple-pink light began to stream out from the connection, Izuku feeling a sudden jolt of pain in his chest.

His eyes went wide as Blackwhip suddenly seemed to wrest itself from his control, the tendrils, now a strange fusion of black, green, purple, and pink, erupting from his body, massive tendrils that were reminiscent of the first time he activated them on accident, spiraling out and about Izuku, nearly wrapping his entire body within their grasp. Izuku's wide, fearful eyes met Shigaraki's, the same confusion now evident in the villain's face, cluing Izuku in that that was not the intended interaction…but Izuku had no time to react, as the tendrils wrapped fully about him and plunged him into darkness.

He had one moment to fear for the lives of the ones he loved, and then…everything went still as he lost his tenuous grip on consciousness.


"Deku!" a voice shouted, Izuku feeling a gentle slap on his face, making him blink rapidly in confusion. In front of him was a scratched up yet perfectly fine Uraraka, her eyes wide with worry but a gentle, wobbly smile on her face. Izuku stared, his jaw dropped, as he looked upon her with absolute confusion and worry. One hand reached up to gently cup her cheek, Ochako flushing at the sudden contact as he had to press to check if she was still her.

Gently they touched down on the ground, Izuku still unable to focus on anything but her, the teenager before him not bleeding out on the ground. "U-Uraraka?" he managed to sputter out, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"It's okay, Deku. Shinso stopped you!" she replied brightly, Izuku's mind a jumble with no clue what she was referring-Shigaraki!

Danger Sense pinged in the back of his mind and he instinctively flooded his body with his Quirks, Blackwhip snatching Ochako up. Swiftly, he flew up into the air, Gear Shift sending them flying instantly into the sky as fast as he could, Ochako gasping as the sudden movement from Blackwhip dragging her along. A charge of Fa Jin quickly formed in his arm, whipping his arm down as he infused Blackwhip with it, sending the chained form of Blackwhip down with a shout to what triggered his Danger Sense.

"What the hell?!" came the shout from below, as he glanced down to see Monoma now wrapped in his chain, body being squeezed tightly as he stared, open mouthed, up at the glowing Izuku floating in midair.

Izuku blinked rapidly, even more confusion percolating through his mind as he tried to place this. Monoma was at UA, in the arena, wasn't he? He wasn't at the fight…

"Midoriya? Midoriya, are you okay?" Shinso's voice came from behind Izuku, making the green-haired teen turn about with wild-eyes. Shinso wasn't supposed to be here, he was at the Gunga fight! And yet, there he was, standing atop a…ledge? There were ledges, and pipes, and everything around them all, and he was…where was Shigaraki?

"...where is he?" Izuku whispered, rapidly spinning around back and forth to find his target.

"Um…Deku?" Ochako asked, her voice worried as Izuku kept spinning about, eyes glowing green.

"Release your Quirk Uraraka, so he can come down," Shinso replied, worry evident in his voice at how erratic Izuku was acting.

She put her hands together, focusing, but everyone looked up at Izuku in confusion as he didn't come down. "I uh…I don't think that's my Quirk," she murmured.

"Where are you!?" Izuku snarled, nearly vanishing from where he was with how fast he flew to the left and then the right, still trying to find the villain. "I know this is a trick! Show yourself!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the area.

"Midoriya, what Class A nonsense is this?! We have a match to finish!" Monoma shouted back, struggling against the chain wrapped about him.

Izuku's eye twitched as he noticed Mina, Mineta, Kodai, Shoda, and Yanagi watching them with dropped jaws. He snarled, another group of tendrils rocketing out and suddenly gripping each and every person, dragging them up to his height as he glared at them. "Enough of your tricks, Shigaraki! Which of you is it?!" he shouted, staring them down.

"Deku! Deku, calm down!" Ochako pleaded, reaching out her hand to touch his shoulder. He flinched, flying just a bit away from her as purple smoke began to seep from his body slowly. Even if it was a trick…he couldn't hurt her. And Danger Sense wasn't triggering. What in the world was going on?

"Midoriya! Midoriya, my boy, it's alright!" a voice Izuku knew called out to him, making him glance down to see All Might standing there, Aizawa and Vlad King both looking up at him. Aizawa…with…two eyes and both legs?

"...what?" he whispered, so confused now. This…this made no sense? And why would Shigaraki show him this vision? It didn't make any sense-his mind froze, as he saw one more person pushing her way towards them all. "...M-Miss Midnight?" he stuttered staring down at the teacher he thought they'd buried.

"Deku? Deku, please, what's wrong? What's going on?" Ochako asked urgently, hoping he'd listen to her.

"This…this is impossible," he breathed out, his hands coming up to clasp onto his head as he shook in place. He finally could place where this was…or better yet, when. "This can't be happening. I…what did he do?!"

"Midoriya, hey, um…can you set us down before you have your mental breakdown?" Shinso asked, his eyebrow arched as he stared down at the ground far, far below them all.

"I…I need to check something," he murmured. Quick as a flash, faster than anyone had seen him move before, they found themselves on the ground, Blackwhip releasing them and retreating into his form as he stood there. A moment later, he vanished again, the wind whipping up around them as he stood in front of Midnight, one hand gently touching her arm and making the teacher blink at her student in confusion. As he managed to touch her hand, feeling the warmth, he let out a choked sob. "...it's really you," he murmured, his eyes looking up to meet his teacher's confused gaze.

"Midoriya? What's wrong?" she asked him, keeping her voice soft and non-threatening. Something was clearly wrong, as everyone could tell, and she wanted to avoid setting him off.

He paused for a moment, before his eyes lit up, his body blurring once more as it vanished…reappearing around the rest of the class. He sought out the one he was looking for, and was suddenly next to Jiro, leaning over to see her ear, firmly attached.

"The fuck is wrong with you, Deku?" came a voice that made Izuku freeze for a moment, before he spun about, and there…there he was. His rival, and oldest friend bully, standing there, unbroken, his heart in place…or so Izuku had to check, appearing next to him and pressing on his chest, feeling the sudden thump. A moment later, Bakugo, his jaw dropped, leapt backwards, dusting at his chest as he stared at Izuku, eyes wide and voice snarling. "Don't fucking touch me! Chill the fuck out Deku, the hells wrong with you?!"

"Midoriya! Stop running and explain yourself!" Aizawa shouted, the gathered teachers and students managing to make their way back to the start as he activated his Quirk, forcing the still sparking Izuku's Full Cowling to drop.

Izuku stared at him, seeing two glowing red eyes, hair lifted, both legs intact…and collapsed to his knees, head in hands, sobbing his eyes out. "H-he sent me b-back," he managed to get out, finally putting the pieces together; either this was the most realistic illusion ever, he died, or…he'd been sent back in time somehow. He went through it in his mind…they had a few months before the Paranormal Liberation War would go off…which meant that the League was likely in talks with the Meta Liberation Army right now! Well, talks was probably the wrong word, he'd heard the rumors from Hawks that implied they did not get along at the start, but still. If he could stop Shigaraki from ever getting in that damned capsule, stop the army from forming, none of it would happen.

"Midoriya!" Aizawa growled, anger creeping into his tone, startling the boy out of his thoughts. He'd been kneeling for the entire time, only just now realizing how much of a scene he'd created.

Izuku paused for a moment to consider what to do. Everything he'd read about time travel in fiction told him telling everyone the truth was a terrible idea. It could cause a much worse future, make everything significantly more tragic…and as he thought about that, he decided…he didn't give a damn. That was guesswork, no one knew the actual consequences because as far as they knew, no one had ever done it. So screw it, he wasn't taking chances, he was telling everyone.

"I'll explain Sensei, but I need the principal here too. As soon as possible. Like…right now," Izuku said, slowly climbing to his feet as he felt the strain from Gear Shift being active coming back to bite him.

"You'll explain right now, Midoriya. You used multiple different abilities, you acted very inappropriately to your fellow students and teachers, and you nearly hurt your classmates! Explain!" Aizawa barked, expecting Izuku to fall in line and hear him out. The boy was generally rather well-behaved and took his punishments well, so he had zero doubt the young man would obey…only to be startled by Izuku's steely glare that met his eyes with no hesitation.

"Respectfully, no I will not. I will explain when Principal Nezu is here…and preferably Detective Tsukauchi as well to verify my story, because what I'm about to say none of you will believe."

"Why don't you try? It can't be that bad," Midnight asked, a smile on her face, her body language open and non-threatening. A technique she used often with students who were clearly upset, that would normally put them at ease.

Izuku turned to look at her with haunted eyes. "The last time I saw you, Miss Midnight, was at your funeral." Gasps came from everyone around him, Midnight taking a step back with horror written on her face. Izuku gestured to his head. "Which was almost three months ago in my memories. That's after seventeen cities were destroyed, Tartarus was destroyed, a half-dozen other prisons were broken into, multiple heroes died, and an entire civil war engulfed Japan. Somehow, someway, I got shoved back in time to this point, and I'll be damned if I have to watch any of that ever fucking again!" his voice rose to a scream as he spoke, tears prickling in the corner of his eyes as One For All sparked off his body, causing Aizawa to activate Erasure once more to cancel it.

"Midoriya, you can't expect us to believe some-" Aizawa began, only to be cut off by Izuku

"That's why I said get the principal and the detective! I can show you exactly where things are happening, things I shouldn't know and I do! Like I know Kurogiri's original identity! I know where Shigaraki is going to be! I know the Meta Liberation Army still exists! So just go get them and let me explain!" Izuku snarled, gesticulating wildly. At the disbelieving looks, he pointed at himself. "How else do you explain me having six more Quirks?! I unlocked them all between now and the war, and last I remember, I was facing off with Shigaraki and he tried to use a new Quirk on me and it did…this!"

"Six…new quirks?" Ochako asked quietly, confused as she blinked at the boy before her. Izuku turned to face her, nodding.

"Yes. It's because of how One For All works, it hit singul-"

"Young Midoriya! What are you doing?!" All Might hissed, stepping forward to put his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"What I should have done long ago! Keeping that secret almost got me and everyone else killed! Shigaraki is going to be modified until he can handle All For One's Quirk, and then be handed it! So much goes wrong! Sensei loses his leg and an eye and nearly his Quirk, Kacchan's heart fucking explodes, Jiro lost her ear, Todoroki's entire family is burned badly, and last I knew Uraraka was bleeding out after convincing Toga to surrender and both of them are dying and I won't let this happen again so get them before I go to fucking finish this myself!" Izuku growled, eyes glowing green.

Aizawa stared into his emerald eyes, seeing determination, fear, and an unnamed emotion that he couldn't quite place…but the haunted, pained eyes looked far, far too old for the student he'd been teaching this year. Something in him warned him there might be a kernel of truth to what the boy was saying…so he decided to humor the boy before he flew off (especially as he realized the boy could fly off and he wouldn't be able to stop him with how fast he was moving earlier).

"...fine. Let's speak to the Principal. I guess training is over for the day, you can go back to the-"

"No. They need to hear this too. They suffer from this war too, because the damned HPSC makes us go into it and fight. They all need to know what happens."

Aizawa arched an eyebrow. "Maybe after we talk to the rat-"

"No!" Izuku replied hotly, his fists clenched. "I need to tell everyone."

Once more, the two kept their gazes locked in a battle of wills…and Aizawa chose to not fight a battle he didn't think he could win. They did need to get to the bottom of this, whatever was bothering Midoriya, and figure out if a Quirk had messed with him or something…worse. He sighed. "Very well. Let's go."


"...and that's the last thing I remember before waking up back here," Izuku finished, his throat dry and pained after speaking for nearly an hour to the almost silent room. Upon hearing of the request, Nezu had taken them all into a large conference room, where Izuku had promptly begun explaining everything…the origins of One For All and All For One, the current Meta Liberation Army, the fused Paranormal Liberation Front, the information Hawks had smuggled out, the identity of Kurogiri and the more shocking identity of Dabi (Shoto had nearly froze the room when Izuku explained who he was, but managed to keep himself under control just barely), the beginnings of the civil war (and the unfortunate death of Twice), the breakout at Tartarus, and the deaths of the heroes involved, including Miss Midnight.

He'd taken a small pause, before admitting to his foolish errand as a solo hero, the fights, the emotional battle with Lady Nagant, and how the class had eventually hunted him down and brought him back. He winced as he recalled the next part, before reluctantly revealing the traitor, apologizing profusely to Aoyama for outing him right then and there but promising he'd keep his family safe, leading to Aoyama being detained immediately by Vlad King and Detective Tsukauchi, but allowing him to continue to listen to what happened as Aoyama didn't deny the accusations.

Then he got into it…the final war, the heroes attempt at trapping the villains, how Toga had messed the initial plan up, the mutant uprising and Kurogiri's moment that turned the tides as Toga unleashed the Sad Man's Parade, followed by Dabi's attempt at turning himself into a bomb. He admitted to little knowledge of exactly what occurred there and with the fight against Toga, all he knew was Shoto's entire family and Shoto himself were nearly burned to death, and that Ochako had not only had a Quirk Awakening, but had talked Toga down and then was in critical condition, as was Toga, before he came to his own fight against Shigaraki.

He shuddered as he explained what he witnessed when he arrived, Bakugo's condition, the way Miruko was missing practically all her limbs, the injuries the others had suffered…everything he'd seen and been forced to fight without time to process. As he finished going over the moments before he found himself back here, he managed to finally lift his head, his voice falling faint as he finished…looking up only to see the most horrified stares imaginable from everyone around him, save the Principal who was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"How much of that does he believe is true, Detective?" Nezu asked calmly, his beady eyes flitting over to look at Tsukauchi.

Tsukauchi swallowed. "...all of it."

Nezu nodded. "Indeed…as I suspected. Well, we have two possibilities here. One, you were struck by a Quirk that has given you false memories of some sort-"

Izuku leapt to his feet, glaring at Nezu. "These aren't fake memories!" he nearly shouted, his voice hoarse.

Nezu continued on as if Izuku hadn't interrupted. "-Or, we take you at your word and this is all true. In which case, we have very limited time to halt this war and prevent many regrettable deaths. Now, allow me to clarify a few things. Todoroki…is the theory that Midoriya has postulated here about your eldest brother possibly true?"

Shoto flinched as his name was called, but after glancing over at the still form of Midoriya, he spoke quietly. "...I don't want to believe it, but…Toya…he…if he survived somehow, I mean…Dabi recognized me at the training camp. I thought he was just being cruel, and he'd seen me at the Sports Festival, but…his fire is a lot like mine and my fathers…I-I don't know for sure, but…I think it's possible."

"I see. Aizawa, have you contacted the people examining Kurogiri?"

Aizawa was standing in the corner, arms crossed over his chest, his face hidden in his scarf as he kept his gaze locked to the floor. After a moment, he spoke. "They confirmed what Midoriya said. Kurogiri…was created from Shirakumo."

"...that has to be a lie, Shota," Midnight said, her voice soft but full of steel as she clenched her fists. "That…that can't be right."

Aizawa's hand flinched slightly. "That's what they reported."

Nezu nodded once more. "Hmm. I have reached out to Hawks for comment during this, and it has been confirmed that he has been investigating the Detnerat company. Not specifically for this, but something was off and he was assigned to look into it, and is slowly uncovering many things that line up with what Midoriya said. So, in other words…I feel it is prudent to act as if he is correct in his statements."

"...so you believe me?" Izuku asked, barely managing to hold onto hope.

"I do, Midoriya. And because I do, I will do everything in my power to stop this. With that said, you are going to be put into therapy. We will begin with Hound Dog, but if he is not someone you are comfortable with, we'll find you another counselor," Nezu said calmly, steepling his paws in front of his face.

Izuku blinked. "...what?"

"You have just admitted to multiple traumatizing incidents, both prior to this whole debacle and during it. You've witnessed the deaths of people you cared about as well as terrible injuries to your friends and loved ones. You're unstable even as we sit here in safety. You're hypervigilant and probably haven't even noticed how often you keep scanning the room both for threats and for escape routes. Clearly, you need counseling, and that is non-negotiable."

"B-but, but I have to help you take-" Izuku began to protest, but found himself immediately yanked back down by a hand grabbing his shirt and pulling him to a chair. With Danger Sense not triggering, he was flabbergasted enough that he didn't react, only able to gape as he glanced to his side to see Ochako, her eyes narrowed, holding his shirt and pushing him down onto the nearby chair, where she shoved her finger in his face with an admonishing glare.

"Nope. Yer not movin' or doing nothin' about this, you let the Principal handle this!" she said, her accent slipping a bit as she wagged her finger in his face.

"Uraraka is right, Midoriya. After what you have revealed, it is clear you need to rest and recuperate! Especially if you already made us chase you down to retrieve you," Ida said, his tone more somber than normal.

"But-" he tried to protest again, but found himself cut off by the chilly hand of Shoto on his shoulder, pressing him back down into the chair when did he start rising out of it?. "Midoriya…please stop," Shoto asked quietly. "What you said was…a lot. I…we, need time to, to process it. But you need time to rest."

"Yeah uh…kinda…weird to think about losing an ear," Kyoka muttered, absently rubbing her left ear. She paused for a moment, flushing guilty and avoiding looking at Midnight as she realized what she implied. "N-not that others didn't get worse or anything, I-I mean-"

"It's okay, Jiro, I understand," Midnight says gently, a soft smile on her face. She took a deep breath. "Finding out I was…lost, in the future, was not something I expected, but this is a hazardous field, and it is something we all understand is a possibility. From what I can tell, you kids used the information I gave you to do what was needed. You should be proud of that."

"...please don't talk about it," Izuku pleaded, his voice a whisper as his head dropped into his hands, arms being supported by his knees. He had curled partly into a ball as Kyoka and Midnight began speaking, but he finally managed to say something.

"Of course, Midoriya…but please, remember, I'm still here in this timeline. I'm fine, and so is everyone else," Midnight replied, taking a few steps over and kneeling next to Izuku's chair. Slowly, she placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze in the hopes of calming him a little.

"...I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this dream and see Shigaraki staring me down once more, and find out this was all just some dumb trick of his to fuck with me," Izuku replied, still refusing to lift his head.

"But it's not. Knowing all of this means we can stop it. That is a lot of information, but the Principal is incredibly intelligent and with this we can come up with a plan, and keep you all out of it," Midnight said softly, still trying to calm the young man down. It hadn't been missed by any of the heroes present the small sparks of his Quirk that kept flickering on, nor did any of them miss the tensed muscles and constant shivering the boy was doing. It was clear to them all that what Nezu said about him being hypervigilant was accurate, and it was not an unfounded worry that he would simply fly off and try to stop it all on his own.

"As Midnight said, I can come up with a plan, Midoriya. I already have several in mind. The simple fact is, if we stop Shigaraki from even getting into that capsule, then we win. Without that, he's not a threat. Without his Quirk Awakening, he'll never destroy Jaku, and without All For One and the body modifications, he stands no chance against any of our top ten. Gigantomachia and Re-Destro do seem like problems, but not ones we cannot manage. And if we intercept Twice and Toga early, we can prevent Twice's Quirk from causing problems. Perhaps even get them help. If Toga could be talked down in the midst of a battle, then clearly she's not so far gone as to be unreachable," Nezu said quietly, placing his paws flat on his desk.

After a moment of Izuku's silence, Nezu continued. "It sounds like you kids did everything right, did everything the best you could. But now you don't have to. We know everything we need to know to stop this from happening, and while I am not one to be arrogant and believe it's a guaranteed victory, this information gives us an edge that is astronomical. If, if we fail, then yes…I will permit you to join the fight. But let us try to resolve this ourselves, as we should have done initially."

"...it's not like you guys knew he'd have All For One and somehow be able to decay an entire damned city," Izuku muttered.

"True, but still, first years should have been kept far, far away. As it stands though, let us worry about it. Return to the dorms…rest, recuperate, relax. I give you my word we won't keep you out of the loop. I will tell you all of my plans so you may point out any flaws you see based on your experiences. Will that help you trust me?"

Izuku's head snapped up, eyes glimmering with tears and yet the smallest, faintest sense of hope finally visible. His voice cracked as he responded. "R-really?"

Nezu nodded gravely. "It would be the height of foolishness not to take advantage of your knowledge. But you cannot provide it if you cannot be calm enough. Details are important, and they will likely be missed by you if you're sitting there waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Give me a few days to get in contact with the relevant people and to plan what is needed. We have time, based on your timeline, to stop a number of these incidents from occurring. For now…go back to the dorms and rest. You will be excused from classes for now, as we'll need all hands on deck for this situation."

Izuku went to protest, but once more, Ochako's hand on his left shoulder and Shoto's on his right squeezed, making him snap his mouth shut. A moment later, Tenya reached down and helped him rise to his feet, the rest of the class surrounding him as if they expected him to run off…which to be fair, part of his mind kept insisting he should just go and end this all right now, regardless of his fate afterwards. It wasn't like he couldn't…at the strength he had now, not even Endeavor could fight him and he knew it, and he could move fast enough to dodge Erasure-

"Midoriya. Stop thinking about how easily you can escape," Aizawa's voice drawled, making Izuku snap his head up to stare at the teacher, aghast at the thought he might have been muttering his ideas out loud.

"Oh no, you didn't mutter a thing. It's just written all over your face," Ochako said, making him realize he'd muttered about muttering. Izuku's shoulders slumped.

"I-I wasn't really gonna do it, I just…I'm…scared," he murmured. Refusing to look up at anyone, he kept going, his voice echoing in the nearly silent room. "I'm really strong now, you know. I could do this. None of them could stop me. I don't think even Star and Stripe could, unless she tried to kill me. Give me an hour and I can put them all down and get them tied up to be arrested. I just…keep thinking if you let me, I could end this now, and yeah, I know, I'd get arrested and stuff, but that's fine right? I mean, if it's just me, that's okay, then everyone else is okay, and-"

"Deku…shut up," Ochako said, her voice a low, angry growl that he'd never heard her do before. Izuku's head snapped up to stare at her, seeing the most severe expression he'd ever seen her direct at him.

"That would not be acceptable, Midoriya, and I believe I speak for everyone here when I say that," Tenya interjected, tilting his glasses down so he could peer directly into Izuku's eyes.

"...yes it appears your experiences have colored your actions far more than they should have," Nezu mused. After a moment of thought, where Izuku was now sweating nervously at the very severe glares he was receiving from everyone around him, Nezu nodded and clapped his paws together once. "Very well! If the students are willing, I believe we will simply have to institute a watch rota over Midoriya! To be certain he does not go on a vigilante mission and end up making him into a criminal, that is."

"That's really not- '' Izuku tried to protest, but Ochako's hand just slapped over his mouth and muffled anything else he was going to say.

"That will not be an issue, sir!" Momo said with a wide smile on her face, one that made Izuku feel a little bit fearful.

"Do you need any help, Yaoyorozu? I think we'd be willing to help," Kendo asked, arching an eyebrow at Izuku. For all the fact they were the exact same height, for some reason, Izuku really felt like she was looming over him right then and it was a bit concerning.

Momo smiled widely. "Why we'll be happy to work with you guys!"

Izuku finally managed to get Ochako to remove her hand, and taking a deep breath, he spoke. "Look, I-I know what I said was stupid, okay, but I won't run…okay? I won't…I won't run. Just…just don't let anyone else get hurt and I'll stay." Izuku turned to say those last parts to Nezu, making sure to meet the chimera's eyes.

"May I ask what you're planning to do if someone does get hurt?" Nezu replied calmly.

Izuku stood up straight, his eyes narrowing as he stared back at the Principal. His classmates felt the sudden urge to step away, only Ochako, Tenya, Tsu, and Shoto not moving, as a change seemed to come over him. His voice was soft, but colder, underlying steel in his tone as he spoke. "Then I will finish it myself. I'm not being cocky when I say that you guys can't stop me now, and I know you're smart enough to know that's true. Sensei can keep me down for less than twenty seconds…and nothing you guys restrain me with will stop me from leaving before he can finish blinking."

"Young Midoriya…think about what you're saying," Toshinori said quietly, stepping forward to put his hand on his successor's shoulder. He'd been silent this entire time, taking in the knowledge of the future that Izuku had said, but he felt like he had to speak up now. "...you're scaring the people who care about you, kid. I understand this feeling, I do. It's what ruined my relationship with Mirai after all. I did the same thing as you, I acted the same way. And look at where it got me? Don't make the same mistakes I did…I couldn't bear it if I had to see you go through what I did."

Izuku stared up at his mentor, feeling far too many emotions welling up inside him for him to reply with any coherent response. Part of him knew they were right…knew it'd be wrong for him to just throw his power around like this. But…but they didn't truly understand. They didn't see what he saw! He knew what was necessary, he did…but that's what Nighteye thought too, wasn't it? He thought he knew what was the right thing to do…and Izuku fought back against that future and broke it. This was a new future, a new chance…

"The point is moot regardless. I did already say that if we needed you, we would call on you. All I ask is you wait until we call. This is not me making a false promise. While I would not want a child to fight in a war in any circumstance, I am also aware that any lack of such promise and honesty would ruin any remaining trust you have in me or your teachers, and so I do not make this promise lightly. If we need you, we will call. I give you my word," Nezu interjected, taking a sip of his tea.

"But-"

"Enough of the buts and what if's, you fucking moron," Bakugo snarled, Izuku glancing over to see him leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "Doesn't do shit to keep going on and on and on about what could happen, because you don't fucking know. You changed the timeline, so now sit down, shut up, and let shit get dealt with. You keep saying you can go deal with this yourself, but you're still fucking here. Since you clearly want help, shut up and let us fucking help."

"Just please, listen to us. Go take a break, Midoriya. Okay?" Midnight pleaded softly.

Izuku let his gaze fall to the floor once more, before letting out a deep sigh and nodding. Not a moment later, he felt Ochako's hand slide down to take his tightly within hers, felt Shoto coming up on his other side, and found himself being bodily escorted from the room, surrounded by his entire class. It didn't take long for them to get back to the dorms, 1B following 1A inside, leaving the common room very crowded…not that it stopped anyone.

Izuku found himself the center of a whirlwind of activity within moments. Having not even taken off his hero costume before revealing his tale, Tenya, Shoto, and Eijiro dragged him off to his room to get him cleaned up and into his normal clothes, quickly dragging him back downstairs as soon as he was done. Izuku blinked as he noticed the couches were all pushed back, more room being made in the center of the common room, before Ochako practically pounced on him, pulling him from the boy's grasp and shoving him down into the center seat of the couch.

A second later, she plopped down on his other side and took his hand once more, keeping him in place. Mina proceeded to stretch out on the other side of him, throwing her legs over his lap to lock him further in place. A blanket was quickly tossed over his and Ochako's laps, making his eye twitch. He opened his mouth to speak up and explain this wasn't necessary, about to get up, when Ochako quickly hopped up, shoved Mina's legs out of the way, and sat down in his lap to his incredible consternation.

Most of the room went silent at how boldly she had moved, but even though her face was a brilliant crimson, she did nothing but glare silently at everyone. A second later, she leaned back against Izuku, forcing him to quickly throw his hands out to the side to avoid accidentally touching her, all his thoughts of escape vanishing as now he had no clue what to even do!

"Deku," Ochako sighed, reminding him that he really should learn to keep his thoughts to himself, but only long enough for her to reach out, grab his arms, and wrap them about her waist. She snuggled back into his grasp, Izuku's entire body stiff as a board, before pulling the blanket up and over the two of them once more. "This way, you won't move," she declared, her voice cracking on the last word.

Izuku had zero idea how to deal with this. It wasn't like he'd never been close to Ochako before…she was a very tactile person. A lot of the class was. It was hard for him, sometimes, to deal with the casual affection some of them would throw out, the sudden jolts and weird sensations always making him jump…but eventually he got used to it. But this was by far the closest he'd even been to her, and he was very confused. Her body was…warm, and soft, and he could smell the faintest trace of vanilla, and she was in his lap and it was surprisingly comfortable and oh gosh what the hell was she doing to him right now?

"Deku? Is…is this okay?" Ochako's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts, making him glance down at the brunette teen in his arms. She'd been leaning back against his chest, her legs curled in such a way she looked much smaller than he'd realized, considering he was barely taller than her. Her eyes met his, worry and indecision swimming in them and he realized she'd noticed how stiff he'd gotten. She probably could tell how fast his heart was beating too, all things considered, with how close she was to his chest.

He swallowed. "Uh…um…yes? If uh…if you're okay here I'm okay."

He could practically feel the heat from her cheeks as she flushed, but also could just barely see the soft smile crossing her face. A moment later, she seemed to snuggle even closer to him, and he found himself automatically tightening his hold around her waist. It was like a really close hug…and it made him realize he hadn't had an actual hug in ages. He tried to think back about the whole war…and realized that besides the hug his mother had given him in the hospital after the first battle against the PLW, he hadn't really had a chance to hug anyone.

He'd left on his not-quite-vigilante mission, and when he was dragged back everyone was more concerned about getting him to rest rather than giving him hugs. And then he dealt with the whole traitor thing, and then he had to face off against Shigaraki and…gosh. He really hadn't had a chance to hug his friends, had he?

He was broken from his thoughts by a pressure on his shoulders, making him glance up to see a worried Kendo over him. She squeezed his shoulder gently, pushing him slightly forward as she shoved a pillow behind him and then let him lean back against it. A moment later, Mina leaned into his left side, giving him a wide grin, as Kaminari plopped down in the seat on his right and gave him a quick wink and a cheeky grin. Izuku realized pretty quickly they were basically boxing him in…and yet, he found he didn't mind it so much.

He wasn't okay, if he was being honest with himself. He kept shaking periodically, and he just could not stop looking around for danger, for the tiniest sign of danger, for an inkling of Shigaraki. He couldn't just let go of that feeling, of that sheer power and pain and presence he had faced off against. Even as more members of the classes crowded around him, in what might have been the most class cooperation he'd seen yet, he couldn't let go of his fear and worry. He couldn't.

He didn't even notice it, but Ochako certainly did, how he started to squeeze her tighter and tighter. Not so much as to hurt her, but she could feel the pressure, and with that, she could feel the shivers he was trying to hide. She shared a quick glance with Mina and then Denki, both of them noticing the same thing, as Momo frowned down upon the trio as she noticed too. It took little time for the class to realize it…as Izuku closed his eyes and leaned forward, his head half-buried in Ochako's hair, how he was shaking even more, how he kept twitching…and the worrying spark of green that would flicker across his shoulders.

Kirishima and Sero began messing with the television, trying to set up the player to get something distracting on, as Kuroiro, Kamakiri, Shoji, and Tokoyami began to quietly argue about what to put on. No one quite knew what to do to calm Izuku down…Tenya had opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he realized he really didn't know how to comfort his friend. He shared a worried look with Shoto, the other teen just as lost as he was, as everyone noticed Izuku tensing up even more.

Ochako gently unclasped his hands, threading her own fingers carefully through Izuku's in the hopes of getting him to stop picking at his fingernails. It did stop that, but he squeezed her hands tightly, almost to the point of pain, but she did not care. She just wanted him to feel safe…she just didn't know how to do that.

Help came from the strangest source, it seemed. One of the dining room chairs was dragged over and set behind the couch, the teenager taking a seat on it and leaning forward so their arms could rest over the backrest. They placed their head down upon their crossed arms and cleared their throat, speaking softly. "Midoriya?"

Izuku blinked watery eyes open, turning his head enough to glance back and see the blonde visage of Monoma leaning on the couch, his head tilted to the side and a blank look on his face. Izuku instinctively superimposed the bloody face he'd seen of the boy from the war, the tears and the fear as he tried desperately to keep Erasure active, making him jolt for a moment. Ochako, Mina, and Kaminari all quickly tried to calm him down, gentle, soft tones, like you'd use with a nervous animal, making him take a deep, shuddering breath.

"Y-yeah?" Izuku replied, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Do you mind if I ask you something? Just to be sure I got it right," Monoma asked, his voice still soft and non-judgemental. Izuku nodded, curious as to what the blonde wanted to know. Monoma tilted his head to the side. "...you said I helped during the final battle? Did…did I really help that much?"

Izuku blinked, all thoughts of what he'd been through gone at the almost…nervous, question from Monoma. The first time since he'd met the boy he'd seen him looking anything other than either unhinged or arrogant, looking…contemplative, worried almost. Izuku took a deep breath. "...of course you did. If it weren't for you, and Sensei, and Kacchan, and the other heroes, I never would have had time to get back to UA to fight Shigaraki. Without Erasure…we were dead. And honestly, Warp Gate was the only reason we even got as far as we did to begin with, with the separating the villains thing! And only you could do that! You were instrumental to our fight, Monoma…honestly, everyone here was."

"Doesn't sound like I did much," Kyoka muttered in the corner, but Izuku could hear her in the quiet of the room and whipped his head around to glare at her.

"Of course you did! You were fighting All For One in his prime! Even All Might couldn't kill him when he was like that! You were with pros everywhere! Don't…don't you guys get it?! All of you, every single one of you, did amazing out there!"

Izuku whipped about to look at Fumikage, his left hand releasing its grasp on Ochako's and pointing at him. "I heard about how massive Dark Shadow got when you unleashed that Baldr move on the villain!" Izuku pointed at Shoji, the masked boy freezing in place at the look. "And Shoji, Koda, you guys held off an entire mutant uprising by yourselves! Mina fought Gigantomachia directly! Mineta even tried to get All For One to take his Quirk so he wouldn't take anyone else's!"

Izuku's other hand came loose and he began gesturing wildly, pointing at various members of the classes. "Shoto actually beat Dabi twice, and Phosphor was so cool to see! I got to see you practicing with it, and I can only imagine what it looked like when you unleashed its full force! Kacchan was a walking bomb and actually beat Shigaraki up for a minute! And the only reason Shoto got to Dabi in time the second time was cause Tenya blew up his own engines getting them there!"
Izuku threw his hands up in the air. "Don't get me started on Tsu and Ochako! They fought Toga, and with her having Twice's Quirk? She was the third most dangerous villain on the field! She coulda brought down everyone if they hadn't been able to hold her off! And Ochako's awakening? She floated everyone! And she did it with a hole in her stomach! That was literally thousands of people she floated! How amazing is that? Every one of you was fighting in a war, a war where we could die, and you all fought super cool and amazing and gosh I'm so lucky to know you!"

Izuku finally paused, taking a few breaths as he realized he'd just gone off on a rant, getting steadily louder and louder, and was completely out of breath. His arms fell limply to his sides and he took in a deep, shuddering breath…his racing heartbeat slowly calming down. A tap on his hand brought his attention forward, to see Ochako having partially twisted in his lap so she could look at him with a severe gaze.

"And you did too. You fought Shigaraki at full power with all his Quirks. So however cool you thought we were…you were that cool too, you know."

He gaped at her, unable to really respond to that comment. It didn't make much sense to him…he got lucky to even have One For All, he was just a silly fanboy, and-

"Yeah, nope. None of that talk either, Deku," Ochako admonished, wagging her finger in his face. He realized belatedly he'd been muttering aloud and quickly snapped his mouth shut as she narrowed her eyes at him, then sighed. "Deku…none of us really know what you went through. I'm sure whatever story you're telling isn't even half of what happened, and you don't even know the full story for what happened to all of us either. But what we do know is this…you were a hero. You've always been my hero anyways…all this is is more proof of that."

Izuku stared blankly at her, Ochako's eyes going wide-eyed as she realized what exactly she'd just said. Her cheeks flushed bright red, the brunette quickly turning around, shuffling back into him, and pulling his arms around her waist once more, refusing to meet anyone's gaze but also not getting off of him. Mina giggled next to them, but kept her mouth shut.

"Midoriya, I think what she's trying to say is that you did the best you could," Kendo said softly, leaning over the couch on his other shoulder, opposite Monoma.

"'Sides, now that we know all this stuff, no way we lose! The pro's will make sure they get stopped!" Kirishima said, his teeth bared in a wide, toothy grin.

"Don't jinx it, shitty hair," Bakugo snarled, rolling his eyes.

"Regardless…I believe that based on the timeline you mentioned, the pros have plenty of time to deal with the issue. The only real threats right now are Gigantomachia and Re-Destro. They can handle it, Midoriya…so why don't you relax and let them do so?" Momo said.

Izuku sighed deeply. On one hand…a part of him, the part that wasn't still stuck back there, knew they were right. He wasn't an idiot, intellectually, he knew he was not very stable and it was making him catastrophize, but if he was being honest with himself, the information he gave was invaluable. And with the pros forewarned? They could easily deal with the enemies. But…still…he couldn't get the images out of his head…the blood, the broken bones…the hole in Kacchan's chest…the fear and worry in the knowledge of Ochako bleeding out, of Shoto burned and barely alive, of most of his friends unconscious on literal battlefields

"Deku?" he heard Ochako's voice, making him blink open eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed. He didn't really feel like replying verbally, so he simply made an assenting hum to tell her he was listening. He felt her take a breath, before speaking. "Do you think…do you think you could help me train? To see if I can do that awakening thing on my own?"

"What?" Izuku asked, leaning forward so he could try and see her face. He didn't catch on until after he realized he had placed his chin on her shoulder the position they were in, and felt himself heat up to a new level of red he'd never been before…but she didn't move away from him as she turned her head to look at him.

"Well…it sounds like it really would be strong, and…even if we don't need it for this, it'd really make me a better hero, and, and I guess…I guess maybe I wanna try to reach Toga if I get the chance. And maybe this will help me do it." She trailed off, turning away from Izuku as if embarrassed, one hand rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"I would like to train for Phosphor as well. If you witnessed some of my training for it, I imagine you may have some tips," Shoto added, taking a seat on Mina's other side.

"...aren't you gonna ask about Toya?" Izuku asked nervously.

Shoto slowly shook his head. "Not…not yet. Not until I've spoken to Mother and the rest of the family. We, um, need to decide what to do. I-if you're alright with it, I may ask you for more information later."

"...yeah. Yeah, that's fine," Izuku replied softly.

"Either way, you should rest for now. Let us take the next few days to think over what you've revealed, and then perhaps we shall train, just in case we are needed," Tenya added, taking a seat on the armchair nearby.

"...honestly I kinda wanna see what all crazy Quirks you said you have now. It's gotta be so cool," Kaminari said, a wide grin on his face.

Izuku shrugged sheepishly. "I mean…they are pretty cool, I guess. It was, uh…helpful." Ochako sighed, snuggling back further into Izuku's arms and causing him to let out a squeak that he wanted to curl up and die from. Even moreso when she ended up turning her head to lean against his chest, entwining their fingers once more in what was now the closest experience Izuku had ever had with any person in his entire life, save maybe his mother hugging him as a child. He gulped. "Um…Ochako?"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay? You need to rest. And it's comfy here," she replied, her voice a murmur.

"She has a point, Midoriya. You do need to rest," Monoma said, once again surprising Izuku with how genuinely kind he was being. After a moment, the blonde spoke up once more. "And uh…thanks. For telling me how I helped."

"O-of course!" Izuku replied. Monoma gave him a sharp nod, before getting up and moving away to find a seat on the floor where he could see the television. The rest of the two classes finished gathering around, half of them nearly atop one another but no one complained, as Sero started the movie. Izuku found that he really couldn't pay attention to it though. With Ochako in his arms (and he still wasn't sure how to handle that, and the blanket over him, the warmth surrounding him, everything at once…all that pressure inside, all those racing thoughts, they finally seemed to quiet just a tiny, tiny bit…and he found himself slipping away, eyes closing as he relaxed, finally able to be at peace for just a few moments.


Nezu had kept his promise to Izuku. Every day since he'd come back, Nezu had invited him into his office, showed him the heroes' plans, and asked for more input from Izuku. Izuku had done the best he could, but memory was always unreliable and Nezu was operating under the assumption things were missing or details were lost. Still, he said that Izuku's knowledge was invaluable, and he kept Izuku entirely within the loop, which the green-haired teen appreciated.

And it had led to this. Three days later, with both Class A and B still off, they were all training together, trying to find the moves that Izuku knew they'd done during the final battles. Hitoshi had joined as well, a foregone conclusion he'd been joining the hero students in the next semester anyways, and Nezu wanted to work on his level of control just in case they needed to use him like they had for the final war.

Shoto was progressing with Phosphor without issue, and just to be safe they'd already had Kurogiri moved to a secure facility on campus, and Monoma had been experimenting with copying Warp Gate and using it effectively. Bakugo had been, with extremely close supervision, working on his Cluster technique, but Recovery Girl was pretty much standing right next to him the whole time to be certain he didn't go overboard.

Ochako though…she had yet to actually stop training. Izuku knew he was a hypocrite for thinking so, but he couldn't help but wish she'd slow down. Her awakening had been during an extreme moment, where her very life was in danger, and he didn't want her to push herself to that brink again just to unlock a power she may never actually need. Not if it hurt her that bad to access it to begin with. But nothing he said would deter her…she was more focused on accessing it than he knew what to do with.

His musings were cut short by Bakugo walking up to him, wiping at his face with a towel as he glared at Izuku with red eyes. Izuku blinked, a bit confused by the stare he was getting, but chose to remain silent as Bakugo stepped up next to him, turning away to look at the training ground like Izuku was. The two stood silent for a minute, saying nothing, Izuku getting more and more nervous by how uncharacteristically silent Bakugo was being. Finally, he couldn't help it and spoke up. "Um…Kacchan? Did…did you need something?

Bakugo was silent for a moment, before letting out a 'tch' noise. "...So…I apologized to you in the other time thing?"

"...yeah. You did," Izuku replied, looking away from the blonde and scrunching his shoulders.

Bakugo crossed his arms over his chest, still refusing to look at Izuku. Silence surrounded them both for another minute, before he turned and uncrossed one arm to point at Izuku's face. "Well, listen here nerd, I didn't apologize to you here, so it doesn't fucking count, got it?"

Izuku rocked back slightly, a bit confused and a lot bit hurt, but chose not to say that. He swallowed, nodding in acquiescence before looking away once more, figuring that was the end of the conversation, but Bakugo's voice dragged him back.

"Whatever shitty apology I gave you there doesn't matter, because here you'll get the best fucking one I can give, whenever I figure out how to do it. That one you told us wasn't good enough. It wasn't good enough, so it doesn't fucking count, because I didn't say it here! You got that? So forget that other one, because the only one that counts now is the one here when I do it! Got it?!" Bakugo snarled, forcing Izuku to look back at him with wide eyes as he managed to comprehend what Bakugo was saying.

Izuku worked his jaw helplessly for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak but was cut off by Bakugo once more. "Don't say shit! I don't wanna hear it! You just wait, okay? Just…just wait," Bakugo's voice trailed off into a mutter at the end, before he abruptly spun about and stomped away, shoving his hands into his pockets before Izuku could get a word out. The One For All wielder could only stare, gobsmacked, as his oldest friend bully just…walked away.

"Did he do something, Deku?" Ochako's voice asked, making him jump and spin about to see her standing on his other side, glaring past him towards Bakugo.

"U-uh, n-no, not really. He just…uh…talked to me, I guess," Izuku managed to sputter out.

"Hmph," Ochako replied, crossing her arms over her chest in a manner eerily reminiscent of Bakugo a moment ago. She sighed. "Well, whatever. He better not say anything bad to you again, else I'm gonna teach him a lesson."

Izuku felt so many conflicting emotions within him at that declaration. Ochako had become…weirdly protective of him recently, and maybe part of him thought that was probably a bad thing, he couldn't help but actually appreciate it. If anything, it made him feel warm inside, and he couldn't help the flustered smile that crossed his face at her statement. Then again, the past few days had just been very strange when it came to his best friend.

Strange…but he also wasn't stupid. She'd been basically attached at the hip to him (not that he was complaining). She also kept hugging him. And she'd randomly blush when they touched, and sometimes it felt like she was about to take his hands and stop herself. After everything he'd been through, he felt like he finally understood his own emotions enough to know what he felt about her…and it did not seem possible, but…maybe she felt something in return?

The key was…he refused to wait anymore. He was tired of not having things, of not getting to enjoy his time with people. The rest of them didn't really get it…they didn't have the past few months that felt like years happen to them. Tangentially, they understood. In a distant way, they got it. But they didn't truly understand what happened, how it made him feel, the pain, the fear, the constant unending pressure and anger and despair he lived in.

So no more. If she rejected him, she rejected him. He knew she cared, and even if she said no…he believed she'd still be his best friend, and he could move on knowing she'd be there still. Having made his decision, he decided to speak up. Even knowing this was a terrible place to do so, he had made up his mind and this was perhaps the only time he'd have the courage to do so. So with a deep breath, he turned to Ochako, clearing his throat to get her attention. She looked over at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side cutely.

Izuku stepped up next to her and smiled at her. "Um…Ochako? Look…after uh, all the stuff I saw, the stuff I had to do, that everyone did…I just don't wanna waste time, you know? So I'm just going to come out and say it. Um…I really really like you, and I'd like to take you on a date after all this is over? If you'd be up for it?" He paused, watching her eyes grow wide, her jaw drop, her cheeks flushing as she let out a loud squeak. He ignored his peripheral vision where he saw Kyoka straight up drop the weights she'd been carrying with her jacks to turn and stare at him, ignored how Mezo just froze in place, ignored everything else just to watch her beautiful face turn bright red. Quickly, he offered her an out. "I-if you don't want to, that's okay too! I uh, I'll still be your friend no matter what, well, as long as you want me to, a-and I won't be mad, I-"

He was cut off by a sudden movement by Ochako, the brunette teen launching herself forward into his arms and wrapping them around his neck, squeezing him tightly as she buried her head into his neck. Instinctively, he hugged her back, unsure what her answer was but the fact she was clearly smiling was somewhat encouraging to him, even if his anxiety was going off the charts as he waited. Also the fact he could see everyone in the two classes now looking at them, with Mina doing that really weird thing she did when she got too into possible couples and started hopping up and down in place with her hands clasped before her face.

"Yes, you big dork, a thousand times yes!" Ochako's words interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to her long enough for her to lift her head off his shoulder. His breath caught at the sight, her brilliantly shining eyes shimmering with tears, happy tears, the smile on her face making his heart soar at how happy she looked. She stared into his green eyes for a long moment, before leaning forward and planting an exceedingly soft, gentle peck on his lips, making him freeze in place at the unexpected action (he would never admit, not even till the day he died, the incredibly high pitched squeak he made at that).

After a moment where he felt every ounce of blood in his body flood into his face, he managed to gain enough motor control to reach one hand up to cup her cheek softly. With a mirrored smile on his face, he leaned in to kiss her back, a soft, tiny press of the lips, just a taste, not willing to take risks but also refusing to let the chance pass him by anymore.

Her hands slid into his hair, pulling him closer, encouraging him to keep the kiss going and he wasn't about to say no, angling his head for comfort, the two of them deciding to forget where they were, what was happening, and who was around. He didn't care anymore…life was short, it was dangerous, all that mattered was the feeling of the person he'd been crushing on since he started UA being happily in his arms, a chance to show her how happy she made him.

He lost track of time, but a sudden tap on his shoulder had him slowly breaking the kiss, not realizing he'd closed his eyes in the process. Ochako's expression was blissful and relaxed, her own eyes opening lazily as she met his gaze once more, a giggle escaping her lips, one he couldn't help but return. The second tap on his shoulder reminding him of what made him break the kiss, making him glance at his shoulder to see…Tsu's tongue?

He followed it back, Ochako also following his gaze, the two of them now seeing that Tsuyu was…floating in midair? With wide eyes, Izuku quickly looked about the room, seeing that every single person was now floating, including Ochako and himself. His jaw dropped, realizing what had happened, and quickly turned back to look at Ochako. He could see, in real time, the realization crossing her face, her suddenly glancing back and forth to see everything around her, everyone just now floating a dozen feet off the ground, most of them just patiently staring at her as she flushed at the sudden attention.

"We're all really happy for you two, but can you let us down now, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked in a dry voice, Ochako's face coloring once more as she quickly brought her hands together, pressing her fingertips to each one and letting everyone slowly lower to the ground, their gravity restored.

Izuku cleared his throat and grinned sheepishly. "Uh…guess um…you got your awakening?"

Ochako slammed her hands onto her face, moaning softly. "I'm never gonna live this down, am I?"

"Nope!" Mina shouted, popping the 'p', appearing next to her and throwing one arm over Ochako's shoulder and shaking her from side to side. "But we still love you!"

"...Deku, save me," Ochako muttered. Izuku paused, contemplating it, and decided…yes. Okay, yes. He felt so light and fuzzy inside, he felt like maybe he could be a chaos gremlin for just a few minutes today! With but a thought, Blackwhip snaked out and wrapped around Mina and Ochako, prying Mina off Ochako gently. A moment later, he pulled Ochako to his side, wrapping his arm around her as he triggered Float. Feeling incredibly cheeky, he winked at the class and unleashed Smokescreen, the sudden shouts making him giggle to himself as he rocketed out of the training ground with Ochako next to him, the brunette shocked at first before she started laughing loudly. "Oh my gosh Deku, really?"

"You asked me to save you!" he replied, unable to keep a straight face as he quickly flew them back to the dorms, giggles leaking out from him.

She shook her head in disbelief, her smile still wide and chuckles escaping her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly as they landed at the dorms. "Well then…you best make sure I'm safe, hero!"

"As you wish," he replied, opening the door to the dorm and walking inside, Ochako at his side. The rest of the class could clean up and finish their training…he was going to sit down and cuddle his new girlfriend while he could. Everything else could wait.


"Midoriya, how long do you think it would take you to stop Re-Destro?" Nezu asked, his beady eyes on a monitor in front of him. Izuku was seated across the table from him, anxiously awaiting the results of the raid on the MLA headquarters. After two weeks of planning, Nezu had triggered his attack, able to figure out the exact date of the liberation day ceremony they planned. Dozens of powerful pro heroes were sent in at once, to capture both the League and the MLA, and hundreds of police officers were following as backup for the large groups of MLA members who were pretending to be citizens.

Monoma had been given the same task as he had during the final war…he was seated next to a comatose Kurogiri, periodically refreshing his access to Warp Gate, having sent all the heroes in but minutes before. Most of Class B were with him, though Class A were instead watching the events from the same auditorium they had learned of the future with. Izuku, however, had been permitted into Nezu's office and was waiting to see if he was needed…while Nezu had made clear he didn't want Izuku involved, he also was not discounting the possibility of his involvement.

"Um…honestly? Thirty seconds?" Izuku replied, shrugging. He was in his hero costume, just in case, but so far Nezu had said everything had been positive.

Nezu sipped at his tea, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. He tapped on it a few times, before setting it down face up on the desk between the two of them. Izuku glanced down to see a stopwatch app active on it, set for thirty-five seconds. Nezu quickly typed something into his computer, a purple cloud appearing next to Izuku a moment later, making the boy jump in his seat out of confusion.

Nezu turned to look at him, clasping his paws for a moment, before pointing down at the phone. Placing one claw over the 'time' button, he spoke. "You have thirty-five seconds."

Izuku took a second to catch on, but after a brief moment, he understood. His eyes narrowed, glowing a toxic green, red energy coursing through his veins. His body began to spark, lightning arcing off his form, a flat, almost angry expression plastered on his face. He gave one nod to Nezu, diving through the portal as the chimeric hero tapped onto the app, starting the timer.


It took Izuku twenty-three seconds to take Re-Destro, in his full Claustro regalia, into custody. Most of the heroes present didn't even see what happened. Even the news cameras could barely track the lightning bolt in green that shattered the armor into pieces, sending the villainous head of the MLA flying, only to be grabbed by a black tendril of energy and whipped back into Deku's grasp. Twenty-three seconds after Deku passed through the Warp Gate, Re-Destro was on the ground, unconscious, and other heroes were already preparing an Iron Maiden for his containment.

Another gate opened beside Deku, Nezu's voice across the comm informing him they would also need him for Gigantomachia, at least until the sedative they had managed to get into him took effect. Deku didn't give a timeframe on this, since it was more of a delaying tactic, but took the portal.

That took him one minute and seven seconds, sending the giant into the sky and proceeding to juggle him about, the monstrous villain unable to really react to the speed or power of Deku, eventually succumbing to the sedative as his stamina was drained trying to fight off Deku. As Gigantomachia fell, crashing into the ground with a resounding wave of destruction, a Warp Gate appeared once more, the green lightning bolt in the shape of a human vanishing into it, leaving the battlefield to the pro heroes once more.


Izuku's hand shook a little as he placed the teacup back on the platter, having just taken another sip. After returning to UA, Toshinori had whisked him away to an office to decompress and relax, and to make sure he was calm when Toshinori finally could reveal the full results of the raid to the boy. As the two sat there, the tall blonde idly chattering to fill the silence, his phone beeped. Toshinori quickly glanced at it, nodding for a moment as he scanned over it, before looking up at Izuku with a soft gaze.

"Alright my boy, the raid is mostly over and is winding down. Would you like to know the results? Nezu just sent them to me," Toshinori asked, his voice calm and steady. Izuku bit his lip and nodded, not trusting himself to speak…even knowing he'd taken down the two believed to be most dangerous, he still was terrified something had gone wrong, something he could have stopped but didn't. He gripped his own hands tightly, idly twisting his fingers between one another to focus on something besides the anxiety swelling in his chest as he awaited the verdict.

Toshinori nodded, sitting straight up as he held the phone up to begin reading. "Well, for the start: No one died or was badly wounded, on either side." Izuku's entire body slumped, the tension over his fears about that leaving his body so abruptly he felt dizzy, but he kept his eyes trained on his mentor to hear the rest of it. "There were some injuries, but that was to be expected. Nothing no one cannot recover from. They were, in fact, able to talk both Toga and Twice down, and they agreed to a lesser sentence with rehabilitation as part of their plea deals, in return for full cooperation."

Izuku found himself filled with more energy now, less anxious and more almost…excited, knowing that things might just be working out okay? He leaned forward, eager to hear more, Toshinori continuing on. "The worst injury appears to be Endeavor, but that is because he insisted he be given a chance to talk Dabi down. Unfortunately, as you warned…he was not receptive, and a few other heroes had to interfere when Endeavor simply couldn't bring himself to fight back. But, again, he'll fully recover, and Toya Todoroki is under arrest and secured. Shigaraki was captured by Edgeshot and Jeanist, and is also being secured just as Toya is. A few other notable prisoners did agree to deals and lesser sentences, but all in all…the raid was a full success, by any measure."

Toshinori paused his reading, setting the phone down to lean forward and place his hand on Izuku's shoulders, the green-haired teenager looking almost in shock, as if he couldn't comprehend that level of good news. Toshinori squeezed his successor's shoulder and shook it lightly. "You did good, kid. You did good. You saved a lot of lives with what you did, and stopped a war that would have scarred Japan forever. It's over, Izuku…you did it."

Izuku swallowed thickly, his eyes tearing up at the words of his mentor. All his fears, all his worries, all his pain and anguish and anxiety was wrapped up in a giant knotted ball in his chest that was slowly unraveling, breaking apart as he tried so hard to believe this, to believe everything had finally been done.

Toshinori smiled softly at him, squeezing his shoulder once more and making him look up at him with teary eyes. "It's okay, Izuku. You can rest now." With that, Izuku lost his battle against his emotions, sobs spilling out of him as the tears flowed freely. A pair of bony arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight hug with his personal hero, his mentor, finally able to feel safe.


The mystery of the sudden rise and fall of both the LoV and the MLA were a major topic of discussion for media outlets for months following the events of Deika city. The identity of the green bolt of lightning that shattered the sky and brought down two titanic villains with ease even moreso.

But Izuku did not care in the slightest. As he lay there in bed, Ochako asleep in his arms, her warm, soft body in her fancy silk pajamas Momo had bought her as a gift pressed up tightly against him, all he cared about was the fact it was over. At this point, he was fine deciding that all of what he experienced, the horrors of the war, were a nightmare he'd been trapped in and finally was broken free of. That was once his present, once his future, but now, with all the various members trapped in prison, a few of them like Toga in rehabilitation, he knew that they were finally, finally, safe.

As his breathing slowed down, his eyes fluttering closed, feeling Ochako unconsciously snuggling closer to him, he felt a smile cross his face. It was over, everyone was safe, and now, he could look towards a new, brighter future. The war was over before it ever began…and now, he could live.