kinda mad that this site doesnt allow multiple spaces in a row. screwed up the last line. i crossposted this fic somewhere else so if you want to find the proper version just search this name, it's similar but with slight word difference.

One thing is for sure, Revenge wasn't lying when they talked. It's been a while since he's looked at a map of Japan, all the text always made Denji feel like his skull was gonna crack open, which right now would genuinely split his head in two because this map had to be the result of someone fucking with him. Like why the fuck is there just a giant hole labeled 'Villain Incident' just a couple of miles outside the city, and why are the dates so screwed up?

Tossing his head back in frustration and groaning loudly, Denji sighed. "Fucking 2197? The hell?"

"Shhh!"

Popping his eyes open as if Denji just realized he was in a library, he blew out air and said, "Shit, sorry granny."

Seeing the librarian's death glare, something which he would later swear he actually felt burning into his skull, Denji shifted away slowly and hid away in between the many bookshelves of the library as the poor woman muttered something about disrespectful brats. Not his fault that it got quiet when he said that!

Alright, whatever. He survived this long through sheer…what did Ak– Kishibe call it? Right! Stubbornness or something. Remembering the boring ass instructions from those Public Safety training videos he had to watch could help… Though he could do without that weird black and white heart-shaped mascot.

Step 1: Find or call for backup!

Yeah, no.

Step 2: Assess the current situation and memorize the location!

Right. Well if Denji read the map correctly, then when he woke up he must have been on the Takoba Beach shoreline, which apparently faces east. Far from Tokyo, then. He'd have to go back there if Power is still there. If. If Power is there. Just how long does it take for devils to return..? It must take a while if Revenge bothered to set all this up. Shit, does it even work the same way here? Not a single devil has come his way and every devil he met wanted a piece of his heart. Is… something driving them away from here?

Step 3: Start killing those pieces of shit bastard devils! Good luck hunting!

He was pretty sure the tapes didn't swear as much as his memories say they did. Maybe Denji got the wrong tapes back then, oh well. But… unless he wanted to go through with his suspicion of that bag of bones being the Librarian Devil, killing everything he thinks is a devil is a terrible idea. It's not like he can start getting paid to kill devils when there's none around. Maybe he could join the Public Safety of this world and get sent to different cities… and get some new clothes while he's at it.

Swiping one of the maps and stuffing it in the pockets of his gaudy shorts he left the library, careful to avoid the burning gaze of the lady again. Idly twirling his pullcord through his shirt Denji took a quick left outside the library in no particular direction while still reviewing the map for the 5th time in a row. It was only after his third round of circling back and forth around the library's surrounding alleyways muttering and flipping the map in various angles did someone notice the lost teen.

"Oy, fuck off and make yourself busy."

Denji looked up from the map with his eyelids halfway down in annoyance, "I'm busy reading my map, asshole."

The suited scruffy-looking man sighed and stood up as he said, "Beat it, kid. You don't wanna busy yourself with us. Go watch the fucking student matches or something."

Standing up straight, Denji finally gave his full attention to the man, correction: men. Considering the three previously conversing fellow suited men behind him are now glaring daggers at Denji. Giving a groan, he stuffed his map in his pockets and retorted, "I'm lost, and unless you're about to give me trouble, I won't be bothering any of ya."

Before his eyes reached down to the ground again, he spotted an open briefcase of syringes. Fuck.

"Shit, he saw the prototypes." The briefcase was shut instantly and the man eyed up Denji's clothes and sighed. "Sorry kid, can't risk an All Might fanboy blabbing about this."

"...You yakuza are all the fucking same."

Three things happened at once. First, the original thug's left arm cracked open and immediately shot out pellets of sharpened bone toward Denji's chest. Second, one of the other thugs that were guarding the briefcase leaped forward with serrated claws aimed directly at Denji's jugular.

Third, Denji revved his chainsaw.

His forearms ripped apart, and only a smile appeared on Denji's face.

The midair thug had no time to react as a sudden chainsaw sheared through both of his arms past his elbows, leaving behind a trail of sinking blood and severed forearms in the air as the man sailed through the air into the solid concrete wall.

The man who shot Denji didn't even have enough time to blink at the sudden brutality as a kick with enough force to shatter his sternum and pulverize his ribcage rocketed his body along with two of his unlucky friends into the fire escape behind them with a loud bang.

Chainsaw Man's transformation finished just as the fight ended, the maw of the devil closing down over Denji's face, with just the last standing human shakingly staring at the devil-man. Thankfully, the devil only stared forward at the three bodies of the yakuza, ignoring the two fresh bullet holes given to him by the aforementioned survivor.

"W-what the hell?"

As if Denji just realized he was there, the burning yellow eyes on the devil's face slowly shifted toward the only unharmed criminal.

The devil glared chainsaws at the man, before dropping its shoulders in exasperation and rasping out, "Beat it."

The man didn't need further permission, dropping the gun and booking it down the alley as fast as his body allowed.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrRrrrrRrrrr…

The growl of Denji's chainsaws faded as the last of their inertia carried them to stillness, slackening his blades. He looked to his left, then to his right. His right saw lost its definite shape and liquified, dripping down as his arm snapped back into place with a sickening crunch. Grabbing one of the slashed off arms on the ground, raising it above his head, and opening his jaw, Denji squeezed the body part hard. Thick pieces of viscera and flesh dripped onto his outstretched mouth in loud squelches, one swallow later, he felt his body stitch together.

"Well I'd be damned, you're one terrifying kid."

In surprise, Denji looked up. The face of the most stereotypical crime ring leader he'd ever seen stared back. A styled cut of short silver hair laid on his head with a slight smirk on his face, with an even slighter mustache and goatee. At the sight of Denji's saws beginning to whistle again, the suspicious man grinned a toothy smile and raised an assuring hand. "Relax, I dress the part, but I'm not a yakuza. Heard you were lost."

Looking around again, Denji's fangs grinded down on one another before his not-flesh helmet lost its shape as well with his one remaining saw-arm, sloughing off into nothingness down his face. "Yeah, I guess."

Dropping down the man rumbled through the knocked over debris, and grabbed the briefcase that started the whole ordeal. Patting it down the man looked around at the carnage before focusing on Denji and whistled, "Well, I know one thing for sure. You've got the eyes of both the yakuza and the hero association on you after this."

"What, you with the hero association? Gonna offer me a deal as a guard dog? Cuz I've done that shit before and it wasn't all that."

Taking out a cigarette and lighting it with– a fucking pistol, sure whatever– the man made a waving motion and snarked back, "Nah. I work in a whole different ballpark than either of em. We take in strays like you, those rejected by society. "

The burning desire to say no nearly left Denji's lips. Nearly. Seemingly looking off to nowhere, his eyes returned to the man and Denji asked, "Your group… Can they help me find people?"

A slight spark of curiosity flashed through his eyes before he nodded. "Sure can do. My organization attracts outcasts just like you. We get to borrow your talents, and we'll put some resources on your case."

Scratching the underside of his chin, Denji proceeded to pretend he had options. "Just answer some questions for me and I'll join ya."

The man nodded.

"You ever heard of Public Safety or Makima?"

"Can't say I have."

"Heard of any devils recently or someone calling themselves Power?"

The man blew out a puff of smoke and again shook his head.

"Kay. Will I get normal fucking clothes?"

The man paused for a second before throwing his head back in a mixed coughing fit and raucous laughter, only returning after a few seconds to return Denji's expectant stare. "Yeah, don't need to worry about that. We can burn them for you too if you want."

"I'll play along. Name's Denji."

Gripping Denji's hands fiercely without a hint of fear, the man responded. "Glad to have you on the team. Name's Giran."

It's a rarity that his tremors last so long. That was the first warning Sasaki Mirai had that something interfered with the earlier use of his quirk that day. Using them on average high school delinquents isn't exactly a good use of his foresight, but using them on a high school delinquent that witnesses report being dropped down through a door that appeared out of thin air and returned into thin air was the exact reason why every detective in the city cried when he decided to be a hero. But even so, his ironclad memory barely retained anything from the prophecy besides the utter carnage. Perhaps a hazardous memetic based quirk?

"You are far more a detective than a hero you know, why not do that?"

Taking off his glasses for a second, Sasaki carefully wiped every inch of the surface meticulously with his limited edition All Might microfiber. His subconscious always chided himself, but he was sure it was never so… direct. Wiping off the last speck of dust Sasaki returned his attention to the Sports Festival playing on one of the monitors to his right. Normally episodes from his favorite comedies would be blasted as he worked his paperwork, but he had been keen to see how well Toshinori's successor would live up to his expectations.

"I don't see your fascination with the guy, his ending's a riot, sure… but there are just so many better options out there."

Sasaki stood up. Was he losing it? Damnit, he should have known something was off when his foresight was so muddied and frantic and how absolutely wrong was with him after his vision. His hands were shaking. His quirk doesn't do that to him, a couple of weeks' worth of precognition simply isn't enough to take this much out of him. Was it that boy? Shit, did the league catch onto his snooping?

"I have got to say, I planned on staying where I was already. But this world is just too good not to, the future just repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats and REPEATS from where I'm from."

The stranger in his mind devolved into hysterical laughter after that insane comment, ignoring Sasaki's panic. He was barely able to stay standing, his sense of everything nearly slipped away. Blurs of movement circled around the edges of his vision and his quivering hands stopped responding to any commands of his own. Sweat dripped down onto the floor as Sasaki fell on his knee.

His shadow expanded as something stepped out from it behind him.

On the precipice of collapsing Sasaki felt as if the entire world was just shunted to the right, then to the left, then to the right ad infinitum. Every second that passed his sense of touch lagged behind, a microsecond too late, or an area too far left. Collecting his nerves again to finally find out what the hell was going on, Sasaki managed to spit out, "What… What the hell are you?"

A tall and vegetal thing stood in front of him. White and overgrown hair seeping from the top of its shoulders and the top of its neck only barely hid the glaring eye in its ripped open torso. The creature kneeled down and the gnarled false wooden mask that hid the true face of the entity opened its six grinning eyes at him.

"Why, don't be like that! We're in the same boat, you and I. Why don't you be my sidekick, we can be the future brothers!"

Sasaki's vision separated and then reformed as he stared into the face of the devil, only his unshakeable spirit stopped his psyche from cracking in half. Stabbing his nails deep enough into his palms to slice them open, he gritted his mouth and mustered up one final question between his panting, "Why… are you… here…?"

The eye in the Future's chest rattled and spun wildly in laughter before the zealous eyes of the future all focused dead centered on the near-unconscious hero. "Don't be all business, everyone needs a little fun once and a while. Cmon! How about we have fun! Say it with me now, the future rules! The future rules! The future rules! The future RULES! THE FUTURE RULES! TH E FUT UR E

R

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S!"