Ten Times The Hero

by Hornets88

Izuku Midoriya is about to give up on his dreams of heroism when a teenager clad in a green jacket and a man claiming to be a professor break into his room in broad daylight. Ben Tennyson and Professor Paradox have travelled to the My Hero universe in order to find a worthy successor to wield the Omnitrix once Ben passes... and they firmly believe Izuku is worthy to inherit it.

20. Redemption In Death Part 2

CHAPTER TWENTY: TEN TIMES THE HERO

REDEMPTION IN DEATH PART 2

---

FOUR MONTHS UNTIL ARMAGEDDON

…

This was, by far, the biggest adrenaline rush Tenya Iida had experienced thus far into his adolescent life. If not that, then it certainly was the most intense. Never had he ran with such haste– such desperation evident in his stride. His teacher, the space hero, Thirteen, was rapidly fading in his arms– and that was only half the problem. As if he didn't feel enough like a traitor to his fellow classmen for leaving them behind, their survival also depended on how fast he arrives at UA's campus to sound the alert. With a situation so dire, he was determined not to squander this crucial moment in time.

The skin around his calves was beginning to burn from excessive quirk use, but he stomached the pain: He had no right allowing such a petty grievance to excuse him from slowing down. The exhaust pipes were scalding hot due to constantly shooting blue-hot flames. Thighs tingling, chest heaving unabatedly, with sweat soaking to the bone, the brother of Ingenium adamantly refused to be withered.

A ray of hope burst to life in his heart when saw at the end of the asphalt road– the pristine gates leading onto UA's campus! It had to be less than a mile away! Thirteen was going to make it! Suddenly, it felt as though the weight in his arms doubled. He was reminded that he had a destination, and when presented with that image, it caused the briefest of stutters.

A minute hiccup.

That was all it took to catch him off guard.

His previously cracked glasses were violently ejected from his head as an orange blur collided with his side, tripping him and throwing them both from the center of the road sprawling towards the grassline. Skidding and scratching the paint off his armor, Iida harshly scraped his face on the jagged dark pavement. Rolling a couple dozen times, he came to an aggressive stop. His motor functions were temporarily disabled by paralytic shock.

The teacher he swore that he would protect was launched further than him. Her puffy costume– in tatters. Fear drowned his senses as he realized a horrifying truth: 'She's completely vulnerable! I have to get to her before–!'

–He flinched when their assailant allowed themselves to be visible. Thunderstruck, by the similarities it bore to Midoriya's Slipstream transformation, their was definitely a touch of nomu sprinkled into the mix. This design accentuated a feral– almost rabid– configuration. He was sure of this, even with his hazy vision.

Their fingers twitched sporadically, upper arms limp, or at the very least, extremely weak in comparison to the rest of it's body. The upper torso lacked the padding provided by connective tissues, giving him the frontal view of their ribcage whenever it exhaled. It's scrawny underbite was overshadowed by their hunchback. Lilac brain matter glistened nauseatingly in the afternoon sunlight– and it hadn't a care in the world as flies began to swarm along its wrinkled surface.

The Nomufied Slipstream lurched forward like a zombie, jaw unhinged and claws extended. Iida prided himself on his speed– given that it was best attribute. But this thing, well, whatever this abomination was– it was faster than a train. Faster than a speeding bullet. Realistically, he understood that he had no chance. So he placed his trust in the spirit of heroism, and pleaded to the celestial bodies above that no matter what happens next– ensure Thirteen lives another day.

Without his helmet, the grisly scrape on his cheek was easily split into three clean slices, making him hiss under his breath. Dizzied by the rampant circles the Nomufied Slipstream was sprinting around him, he found the air quickly evacuating from his lungs, as it was pulled into a vortex sown from a storm of chaining kicks and punches. His armor had been reduced to scrap metal. His eyelids were heavy, but he was stubborn still– even on the brink of death– going quietly was never an option.

"Where… am I?" Thirteen gradually regained consciousness, though she was tempered by omnidirectional pain.

Head full of cotton, she managed to steady herself long enough to make sense of her surroundings. A combination of guilt and shame robbed her of any common sense once she saw the assault happening to her student. Terrified for his life, the space hero drug herself to a standing position.

"Don't worry, Iida!" She shouted him some reassurance.

He vomited acidic blood as the Nomufied Slipstream ceased its battery on him– gyrating and sprinting at terminal velocity towards the space hero. Before the strangled scream could escape his throat– the deed was done. Four, deep gashes had been stabbed in her abdomen. As the pro hero collapsed, Iida charged. It zipped to the area just behind him, folding his arms and tucking them in as a police offer does to a convicted felon– speeding them directly in the path of a treeline.

He couldn't know the exact amount of trees the Nomufied Slipstream ran him through, but what he did know was that the initial slam broke his collar bone and several ribs. The secondary impact instantly fractured the trunk and hurtled him as if he were a skipping stone bounding across a pond, where eventually his spine connected with the base of another tree.

Splayed out uncomfortably among a collection of lateral roots, Iida curled inwards. His head was throbbing after sustaining so many hits in quick succession. Red trickled from the corners of his mouth.

Again, Iida refused to die.

'Not in a manner as shameful as this!'

His legs were numb– no doubt bruised to mighty hell. Detesting the opposite notion, his tenacious spirit wouldn't rest until he faced his assailant.

"Do your worst!" Gritting his visibly bloodied teeth, he thought of his family.

His waning heart trembled at the mental image he crafted of his brother, Tensei. Delirious tears spilled over his slashed cheeks, as he wept, under the belief that his end was imminent. Like swallowing a molten ball of magma, he yelled in defiance:

"I WILL NOT SURRENDER!"

An inexplicable force yanked the nomu backwards– away from him.

It was Thirteen!

She leaned against a tree for balance, cradling her bleeding midsection with one arm and channeling blackhole through the other. The fingertips of her gloves popped open, creating a roaring vacuum of tremendous intensity. Naturally, the nomu, realizing it was trapped, attempted to sprint in the contrasting direction. Iida was equally relieved and horrified to find that the speedster was caught in limbo: Running so fast that it remained stationary. Try as it might, it couldn't break free of the space hero's stubborn hold.

Most people would've been buried underneath the mountains of dirt, sticks and stones– but not Thirteen. Everything the Nomufied Slipstream kicked into the air was engulfed by the compression vacuums of her fingertips. Its legs pumped in frenzied motions– heels shredding the grass like butter in hopes of finding improved traction.

"You may be fast… but you aren't faster… than a blackHOLE!" Thirteen grunted as she amplified her quirk's effects.

He shuddered, sighting the pit the monster had created in record time. Although, it wouldn't be laid to rest in this grave. Thirteen was relentlessly tugging them like they were the wheel at the end of a yo-yo. Within a meter of Thirteen– the Nomufied Slipstream's arms became parallel to the ground. As the suction power reached a certain threshold, it finally lost its footing. Having such close proximity to the blackholes ripped the flesh and skin from its crumbling skeleton as it was dissolved into pure nothingness within the span of a mere second– another gruesome visual that would forever stain his mind.

The nozzles on Thirteen's gloves seal shut.

"I win." She huffed victoriously.

Her legs gave out.

Utilizing a laden burst of hysterical strength, he limped through the path of disemboweled trees to where his teacher laid in the soft grass, crashing to his knees beside her. Wincing at the severity of his own injuries, he chose to tend to her wounds. A fact that was not lost on the space hero.

"Sensei! Sensei, I'm here! You're going to be," He desperately applied pressure to her squelching abdomen, "You're going to be alright!"

"Iida…" She wheezed, voice suddenly hoarse.

Her gloved palm catches the side of his face. Despite the rough coarseness of the fabric, he finds it doesn't irritate him. Her touch is gentle– soothing his frantic state. Iida had never experienced a death in the family before– his great grandparents were still alive and well intertwined with his own life. As an aspiring hero, his duty was to prevent this exact thing from happening.

She was losing a lot of blood.

"Don't blame yourself…" she winced, and paused to swallow, "You were very brave."

"No! I should've- I could've done more–!"

"–You can't… save everyone in this job."

It was a reality he wasn't willing to accept.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this…you're still… so young…"

"I'm supposed to be a hero like my brother– like you! I failed you! I failed you both!" He sniffled.

"I don't have much longer… listen to me."

"Iida."

His throat constricted profoundly as he came to terms with what her last words would be. Her movements displayed her fragility. The cracked glass of her space helm allowed a sliver of light to be cast horizontally across the exposed portions of her face. He found it fitting they shone beautifully– like twinkling stars.

"...You need… to leave me–"

"–I'm not leaving you, sensei."

"All Might… he's the… only one… who… can…save…" Her eyelid fluttered.

"Thirteen? Thirteen!?" He desperately shook the woman's shoulders.

"...Them." She spoke her final breath.

"Please! STAY WITH ME!" Iida cried.

Her body was motionless. The roar of rushing blood in his ears was deafening, drowning out the ambient sound of the world. Wracked by guilt and grief, Tenya Iida cursed the heavens for not granting him his one request… but as the old saying goes… if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?

…

"So… what do you say?" All Might clapped his palms together, as if he finished a sales pitch.

Across from him, situated on the opposite side of his bamboo desk was Mirio Togata, the star pupil of his ex-sidekick, Sir Nighteye.

"You ever had a fever dream? Because thats what this feels like right now."

Despite the disagreements they had about his choice to continue hero work following his cataclysmic clash with All For One, Toshinori had made sure to keep in contact with his old partner. The man's quirk, (Foresight), allowed him to see into people's futures. Per his request, Nighteye swore to never to use it on him without his consent.

Perhaps it was the sheer extent of the damage done– the plethora of mortal injuries, and the worry that came with them, but Nighteye's opinion of him had seemingly shifted overnight. Contrasting his previous rationale, he was now adamant that Toshinori needed to retire for his own good. Which threw him for a loop, because it was his idolism for Toshinori initially that brought their alliance together in the first place. They had a good thing going, and whatever caused Nighteye to draw a line between them in the sand, Toshinori was deadset on figuring it out.

With his constant prodding, Nighteye finally confessed: He used foresight on him while he was in a medically induced coma. Toshinori couldn't stay mad at his sidekick for long though, not after what he told him what he saw in his vision.

If he didn't stop now– if he didn't retire– then a horrible demise awaited him.

Toshinori had never known Nighteye's predictions to be false and he trusted his old partner's judgement, but to expect him to do what?

Sit back idly and watch as evil continued to ravage and infest their world?

He lamely shook his head at the notion. Sure, in a different timeline maybe Toshinori would've taken Nighteye's advice and gone into retirement early. What if he'd stuck to his gut that day and entrusted One For All to Midoriya? Ironically, thats probably the pretense that Nighteye's quirk worked under: Human nature. Toshinori had never known Nighteye's predictions to be false… which meant this whole time, he was operating under the knowledge that if he didn't stop this, his brutal death was inevitable. It also proved that his mind had been made up since the day he left that hospital.

Even while his body failed him, Toshinori had no plans of slowing down or taking it easy. His image as the symbol of peace had to remain pristine– unblemished. Because people need hope. He wanted children to be able to go to sleep at night without fearing what the next day holds.

When Nighteye accepted that Toshinori was too stubborn to quit, he sought another, more, youthful solution to their conundrum: A successor. Someone he could entrust his power to in the case he's slain prematurely. Except Toshinori had prayed that he never would have to pass it on. Crime rates had steadily declined each and every year since Toshinori had begun his career as a pro in the States. Last fall, that trend was challenged when villain activity surged throughout Japan. The Sludge Villain Incident seemed to mark this turning point (Yes, he did find it curious that the two boys involved were in his class and apparently HATED each other's guts). Lately, he worried that the power he spent the past three decades cultivating may be too much for any ordinary person to handle.

"It does sound cool! I could jump from any height and be totally unharmed!" Togata laughed at his own mistake.

"Oh, wait a sec, I can already do that!"

'He sure catches on fast.' Toshinori thought sarcastically.

'Oh, Who am I kidding? To judge him for something so minor? I'm not someone revered for their intellect– I command respect due to my actions and forthcoming attitude… If I am any part equal a man as I am part hero, then I must amend Young Togata that same respect.'

He wasn't oblivious to Nighteye subtly pushing him to give this boy a chance. It must've been pride, but for a tradition he considered to be sacred– he felt that the selection process needed to be personal to some degree. Regardless, the time he was able to spend in his hero form was lessening with each passing day. The clock was ticking closer and closer to zero, and he was growing desperate.

"This seems like a pretty big deal!" He scratched his head.

"In fact, it's such a big deal, I find it hard to believe I'm your first choice! Are you sure you haven't considered anyone else?"

"Young Togata, I am telling you about One For All because I trust your judgement– and so does Sir Nighteye. He thinks very highly of you, by the way."

The boy squinted at him with his simple, ovular eyes.

"You sure there isn't anyone else you haven't popped the question to?" He reiterated.

All Might backtracked a little.

"O-Ok. You got me. Admittedly, over the years– there have been a few individuals who have stood out to me."

"These individuals? Who are they? Tell me about them." He folded a leg over his lap similar to how a therapist does in the presence of a client.

"Uh, lets see here," He rubbed his temples, "The first person I ever considered was a pro hero called Seer. Though, you probably don't know much about him. He retired a decade ago and his career was relatively short. You should've seen him in his prime, kid," and laughing lightly, he added, "I thought I was obsessed with this job, but Seer? He was addicted to it." He leaned forward slightly for dramatic effect.

This tactic appeared to work, as Togata mimicked his posture.

"Yeah, he doesn't ring a bell." Togata confirmed his lack of knowledge. "How'd you meet him?"

His brows creased together at the recollection of memories.

"Ran into him while I was visiting my buddy David Shield on I-Island. That had to be… what? Twelve years back? Time really does fly." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, he impressed me so much, that I briefly envisioned the possibility of passing my quirk on to someone else. I hadn't done that before– not before him."

"I am sensing a big, "butt," is in order here."

"But, for all his virtues and strategical prowess, it was like he was wound up on the inside?" He made grasping motions.

"I mean, one nudge in the wrong direction? Who knows what he would've been capable of? And there were issues that he had with the system. Given, they were valid complaints. The approach he took to trying to absolve them– that is what scared me off in the end. Because saving people, even without believing in heroism, is still an undeniably noble thing to do." He shook his head, dissastifised by the explanation.

He finished by coughing into his handkerchief.

Folding it neatly, he continued: "The first hero that I physically proposed my quirk to, was Kamui Woods."

"Oh, I know that guy! But I don't see him punching hard enough to change the weather, which means… he turned you away?" The opposing blonde's brows wiggled curiously.

"His reason was that he didn't want to be the person responsible for 'ruining All Might's career.' He thought that it would reflect negatively on him if anyone were to unravel our connection." He waved his hand in dismissal.

"Lame."

"Ridiculous, I know." Toshinori agreed.

"Most recently, I considered giving my quirk to young Midoriya of class 1-A."

"Hey! He'd be a pretty good successor!"

"Yes, and unfortunately, him and I don't seem to be on very good terms at the moment. I doubt he would accept anything I have to offer."

"What, really? How come?"

"Its a long story."

When Togata didn't seemed perturbed by this, he reaffirmed his stance.

"It's a long, complicated, story."

"OK. Thats fine. I guess, if you're going to trust me with this top secret stuff, then I should be honest with you too. I don't really want One For All."

"ACK!" Toshinori coughed in surprise.

"What I mean is!" Togata sweated, "That I appreciate the offer— seriously, I do! I'm honored!" He phased through the seat of his cushioned chair.

He reappeared behind the comforting furniture, throwing soft jabs and pretending to spar against an invisible opponent.

"But this whole thing? You giving me this massive power boost? It sort of feels like cheating to me."

"Cheating!?" Toshinori shallow eyes followed him as he wheezed. "No! No, no its not– you've misunderstood!"

"I think I understand better than you think, All Might. You've placed a lot of faith into me, though I got this nagging feeling that its more based on Sir's word than your own." Togata's facial expression remained neutral.

"I'm not some stunning prodigy like Sir would have you believe. I'm just a guy who works hard to help people live the right way."

All Might sighed.

"Young Togata, you don't need to be a hero prodigy to receive my quirk. Nor am I looking for anyone in specific, 'just some guy,' to take over my mantle. I certainly am not asking you to be the next me. I want you to understand that."

Togata nodded to show he did.

"Tell me: Why you do call yourself Lemillion?"

"Because I want to save a million people."

"That's a lot of people who need saving? Are you sure you're up to that task?"

A confident smile overtook his features.

"I've been ready my whole life, all I needed was a legitimate reason to wear a majestic cape in public– without being made fun of!" He declared proudly, inserting a wink at the end.

"Then imagine how many lives are saved if you possess One For All? Why, we'd have to start calling you Lebillion!"

Togata laughed way too hard at that dad tier joke.

"You're a hard sell, All Might, but I got to admit, you have a convincing argument."

"Its perfectly fine if you want to think it over some more, maybe sleep on it–"

"–Let's do it!"

"UH… Great! Do… you want to do this right now? Some other time? Its up to you, of course!" He honestly didn't think they would get this far.

"Whats the process like? Is it instantaneous? Or is it an 'I go to bed and wake up in the morning– big change!' type of thing…?" Togata pondered.

Process? Big change? What is he…

Toshinori facepalmed as he realized his mistake: He never actually explained how One For All was transferred from one wielder to the next.

"My apologies– I should've explained this to you sooner!" Toshinori's cheeks burned from residual embarrassment.

"No prob, Bob! Take your time!" He eased the pros worries.

"This may seem like I'm pulling your leg here, but I am being entirely serious."

"Super serious? Got it."

"You have to eat my–"

–Hound Dog chose that precise moment to open the door without knocking first.

Toshinori reflexively shifted into his buff form, briefly coating him in a layer of steam.

"Hound Dog! May I ask what brings you to my office?" Toshinori hid his shameful face by looking out the window and leaning his weight on the sill, trying to act natural.

He wondered if the teacher came to scold him for not attending his scheduled class for this afternoon. Nezu granted him permission to stay on campus to discuss business with Young Togata, but that didn't mean he told anyone else that. Besides, he doubted they– much less Hound Dog– would care about that detail when he gave no warning beforehand.

"What's up, Hound Dog sensei?" Togata broke the tense silence.

"The USJ is being attacked by villains." The mutant growled.

"What!? How do you know this? Why isn't the school on lockdown!?"

"Because one of your students ran here from there."

"Which one?"

"Ingenium's brother, Tenya Iida."

"Is he alright?"

"I would tell you to go see for yourself, but you're needed elsewhere."

Toshinori immediately understood what the assignment was.

"Before you go… there is something else you should know."

Hound Dog hesitated before answering.

"Thirteen… she's dead."

Togata didn't say a word. He didn't have to– both men understood the teen well enough to know when he was mad.

"I'll go with you!"

"No! You are staying here on campus, where its safe!"

"She asked for you, All Might." Hound Dog stared him in dead in the eyes.

Toshinori gave a short, determined nod.

"These villains infiltrated the school with the goal of killing you. I suspect they wouldn't go through with it if they didn't think it was possible. So make sure to watch your back until the rest of us arrive."

"Thank you for the warning, Hound Dog. But whoever these bastards are– it won't make a difference. They are going to wish they never set foot in UA."

…

~~~ELEVEN YEARS AGO~~~

Hans Luechi had officially struck rock bottom.

Before he discovered his passion for journalism back in high school, he didn't have a clue as to what he wanted to do with his life. Social circles enjoyed his presence for his charismatic attitude in tandem with his quirk, Plastic Surgeon, which allowed him to alter his own appearance in any way he wanted, so long as he had flesh to spare. Even though he fit in pretty much everywhere, it felt as if something still eluded him.

It was ambition.

That he could be described as a jack of all trades, yet a master of none– in a world where everybody grew up with superpowers– Luechi was beside himself. What did he have to offer? This sense of not being good enough was further compounded by his parents– who influenced his acting career the moment his quirk manifested.

The problem, he realized– was that he didn't want to tell fake stories.

Experiencing such an epiphany, Hans Luechi strived from then on to be the messenger of truth. He would devote himself entirely to investigative journalism. His parents were not happy about this reversal in conduct. Disappointed their son wasn't complying to their demands, they booted him out of the house on his eighteenth birthday. Since then, he's been forced to live off the minimal income provided by advertising revenue on his web show: Luechi's Lair. His studio (A decorated, largely empty storage unit down a block from their local convenience store), is where he often filmed himself and occasionally slept. Prior to uploading footage to the internet he prayed to All Might, that the algorithm didn't fuck him over this time.

The manager of the storage facility kicking him off the premises was the final domino to fall– metaphorically speaking. His channel was sinking due to copyright claims from people who were upset about his truth hunter's content. They were scared of being "cancelled," so they attempted to save face by sicking lawyers on him. It was a cheap tactic– but it worked. Because Luechi was a small-time, microcelebrity, and he was up against major corporations who spat on people like him daily without a care.

He was a man with nothing left to lose– which is how he found himself at the venue of the Hero Billboard Chart JP, taking place in Kamino Ward as per tradition. Security had tossed him twice already and he wasn't eager to have the cops called on him. That would be more embarrassing than being caught by a hero, ironic as that sounded.

His old but high quality camera was destroyed when an argument with his ex-girlfriend got heated. By that he means she screamed at him to stop what he was doing to focus on things that were quote-on-quote, important. Whatever that means. He then tried explaining to her that his dreams of starting a news channel was important and that the purpose of its existence would be to inform the public of real situations accurately. His cellphone and the clothes he wore were the only items he had to his name. To make a video go viral and save his dying career– this would have to do.

The plan had been to sneak inside the waiting room unnoticed at the southern wing of the building, and hopefully manage to strike up a conversation or possibly even a get a documented interview with one of the top ten pro heroes in Japan.

Surprise, surprise! He failed spectacularly!

So here he was, trying to salvage the shattered remnants of his so-called dreams, by turning the camera on himself and pressing record on his phone's touch screen, he spoke what he knew and truly felt. A swan song.

"For the past three decades, the annual Hero Billboard Chart has been one of the most widely broadcasted events throughout all of Japan. For comparison, the only thing that has it beat in total views and ratings, is the UA Sports Festival. Now, initially, this demonstration was a ploy by the government meant to rally support and build trust in pro heroes. It worked to varying degrees. Skeptics weren't too thrilled about the prospect of ordinary people obtaining licenses for quirk usage in a field as potentially lethal as law enforcement. While most agreed that these concerns were well founded and justified, the ranking system eventually transcended its original purpose– inadvertently tapping into a market so lucrative… that they never looked back.

By targeting young and impressionable children, they successfully influenced, or rather, they brainwashed entire generations to follow in their idols footsteps without question. The amount of heroes in Japan has risen exponentially in the last fifteen years, in part thanks to this predatory business model.

Numerous other countries, including the United States, would adopt this practice into their political schemes, creating their own variations of the show to promote patriotic and propagandic properties alike.

When the media discovered exactly how much they were making from this– and the outrage was palpable– many were quick to label it as dirty money. If they were truly serving the people like they so graciously advertised, then it would be logical to assume that assisting the local community and donating to a nonprofit organization would be in their best interest. So the question became: What were they doing with those profits?

Fearing investigation, the patrons of the Hero Billboard Chart JP program devised a backup security measure. Their solution was the HPSC (Hero Public Safety Commission). On the surface, the HPSC was intended to maintain healthy public relations between pro heroes and the broader society. Underneath their polished exterior, recruits (The heroes), active and new– are held liable under contract to perform certain duties that are mutually beneficial to both parties involved. In exchange for signing over the rights to their likeness, the HPSC ensures they will be compensated with several alternative methods of income; Endorsements, sponsorship deals… merchandising… and… commercials…?" Luechi's rant about the state of hero society settled down as he registered the scarlet costume design marching past him.

The eye test confirmed that it was Seer: Currently ranked number ten pro hero in all of Japan! And he was by himself! Out in the open! No lines or ogling fans! No cameras or snobbish reporters trying to break free of mediocrity!

It was just the two of them!

Alone!

Together!

This was his chance!

"EXCUSE ME! Excuse me! Seer! May I borrow five minutes of your time to answer some questions!?" Luechi tripped over his own feet.

The pro hero in question checked over his shoulder, and if the aspiring reporter noticed his exasperated demeanor he likely would've taken the hint that he didn't want to be bothered.

"I'm busy."

"I know, I know– but do you think you could do a guy a favor?"

When Seer ignored him to walk to the opposite direction, Luechi got desperate.

"OK! Four minutes!"

He didn't stop.

"A haggler eh!? You can have my exclusive deal: Three and a half minute interview!"

He reached inside his utility belt, extracting a set of keys.

"Two minutes! Please, Mr. Seer– I'm begging you!"

"I'm already late for my patrol because of this ridiculous event."

A motorcycle drove itself and parked along the street corner.

That tickled Luechi's curiosity enough that it made him quit floundering outright.

"Ridiculous? What do you mean by that?" He maneuvered to stand between him and his motorcycle.

"I don't need to explain myself. Step aside, please."

"OK, you know what? You're right! You don't need to tell me anything! Not at least until I introduce myself: My name is Hans Luechi!" He puffed his chest out and extended his hand as to appear more inviting.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise…" Seer physically picked him up like he was a traffic cone and set him to the side so he could get to his ride.

"Listen, Seer, pal, I got everything riding on this; My parents kicked me out, I'm unemployed and my now ex-girlfriend just made it very clear she wants nothing to do with me anymore and I don't even know where I'm going to sleep tonight!" Luechi flung his arms into the air defeatedly.

"Three minutes. I will never bother you again." He was practicing begging at this point.

"You believe interviewing me is going to solve all your problems?"

"Probably not. I thought if I could get an interview with any member of the top ten I might be able to go viral and save my brand."

"You're broke." He deduced.

"No!" He instinctively denied it.

"I mean, yes. Yes I have no money." He admitted, and to prove this, he folded his pants pockets inside out.

"I suppose I can always pay you in lint?"

"Why did you try and lie to me just then?"

Seer paused as he got himself situated on the motorcycle seat. He looked around as if he were thinking, 'is anyone else seeing this?' he gave a sigh.

"You want me to be honest?"

"If I thought you were going to lie to me I wouldn't have bothered asking."

"Most professional heroes won't bother with a nobody like me. When I tell them I'm independent they lose interest and make up an excuse to leave so they can talk to somebody who is likely to garner them more attention with their platform. I guess those huge paychecks aren't enough incentive. Maybe if I were a household name, they'd finally reconsider what I had to say?" He mused, lip curling in anger.

Seer took a long moment to inhale and upon exhaling he said:

"OK. I'll do the interview."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Five minutes was what you wanted, right?" He shut the engine off.

"I don't know what to say… Thank you."

He flimsily raised his phone, prepared to film.

"First question: When did you discover that your quirk was special?"

"I was four years, five months and twelve days old when my quirk manifested."

'That's a little specific.'

"I was young at the time– no, younger," He clarified, "And even then, I understood what I could do– what I was capable of– was a power not to be trifled with aimlessly."

"That makes perfect sense when you can literally see other people's futures."

A mute nod.

'It's like talking to a brick wall.'

"Before your selection was made official to the public, were you aware that you are the first and only underground hero to ever be recognized as a member of the top ten?"

"I am."

"What do you attribute to your success?"

"My parents, first and foremost– they taught me how to fight my own battles, so that I may fight them on the behalf of others. I trained rigorously to achieve maximum fitness and combat ability."

"Many believe you are punching above your weight? What do you have to say about that?"

"I always finish the mission, regardless of threat level."

"Have you ever considered hiring a sidekick to take some of the workload off your shoulders? You fly solo and have managed to beat out all your competitors!"

"I do not consider this a competition, I want to make that very clear. As for sidekicks, I have no plans to hire any: They would only slow me down."

"This is the last question: What drove you to become a pro hero? I know I can think a few things I could do with a quirk like yours!"

"When I was working to obtain my license at the academy, I lost a friend due to my inability to act. I've never forgiven myself. So I made a promise to his family– and to myself– that I would never allow another villain to leave my sight again. That's why I have to go."

Luechi frowned as he revved the engine of his motorcycle.

"A present from David Shield." He answered the question before he even thought to ask it.

He presented Luechi with a laminated business card.

"If you need any big stories, call that number. I'll fill you in."

Luechi was genuinely touched by the gesture of kindness.

"Wow! Thank you! I-I don't know what to even say?"

"If I may offer some additional advice?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, sure– what is it?"

"You ask good questions– tough questions. However, the way you present them feels very scripted: Try being more fluid with your delivery."

"Fluid? Like water?"

"Hmm, I am thinking something more along of lines of… pizzazz?" He made jazz hands.

"Pizzazz? Uh, okay man, I'll give it a shot."

The hero offered him one last thumbs up before zooming away on his motorbike.

'Maybe I was the bland one all along.' Luechi thought dismally.

…

The Conflagration Zone simulated an urban environment in the midst of an uncontrolled blaze. Soot stained buildings customized the skyline, decorated by various pipes funneling torrents of flames. Embers sparkled in the smog infested air.

Jiro backed away from the encroaching villain boss, where eventually she bumped shoulders with Izuku. This engaged their synchronous eye contact, and both teens refused to look away. She shuddered at how his hands gently held her elbows protectively. The position they were in was rather compromising, the punk teen had to admit.

She also couldn't find it in herself to give a single hoot.

"Did that Nomufied Slipstream hurt you?" Izuku cut to the chase.

"I'm nauseous, but surprisingly fine. Just got a little dust on my jacket. Although I am curious about why it looked like Slipstream. Among others…?"

"...There were more? Like my aliens?"

She gawked at him incredulously.

"I- I thought you would've figured that out by now!?"

"I mean I assumed that was the case! I was hoping it wouldn't be though! Aoyama and I fought an Atleantean clone in the Flood Zone– you?"

"Iron Jaw– Mountain Zone, by the way."

The nomu reflecting his alien attributes was unnerving, to say the least. Whoever made them must also work for Shigaraki. They certainly didn't prioritize neatness.

"It would be unwise to ignore me." Shirai's thick voice cut through the soot ridden air like a fine blade.

"Pretty easy to ignore a nobody like you." Jiro spat venomously.

"Well, that certainly makes blending into crowds easier." He snarked back, lip curling bitterly.

Izuku didn't recall the man having a lisp upon their first confrontation. He was certain of this because he had made note of that fact. How, despite the severe facial burn spanning over half his face (Lips included– making his charred teeth and gums visible)– he somehow managed to speak so effortlessly. He shouldn't have been able to enunciate each word perfectly. This time, it appeared he had lost his verbal edge– or perhaps, this edge had been worn blunt from abuse. Surgical lines overlapped the surface of his unburnt skin, suggesting he's had multiple operations since their last encounter.

"Green?" Jiro prodded him for an solution.

He gulped. "I- I don't know? D-d-does he think he can take us?"

"You're no fun, Midoriya." Shirai pushed. "You think I haven't trained for this moment too?"

Izuku sweat at the possible implication of that statement.

"OK!" Jiro applauded him sarcastically.

"We get it! You like to monologue! Can we skip to the part where you reveal to us what your master plan is? First, you kidnap me, then you bring me here with Green following me? Don't tell me this is your sick version of a rematch!? What!? Getting your ass kicked one time wasn't enough so you came running back for seconds!? Hey, if you like being bossed around by people twenty years younger than you, be my guest!" She declared animatedly,

"I remembered you having ears– not a mouth. A loud and obnoxious one at that." The scarred man growled.

She scoffed at him in disgust.

"I'm sorry, but a new costume isn't going to break the tie. Not that there ever was one. And I don't see a gun– or maybe– OH!" Suddenly gasping as if she witnessed the parting of the red sea, a pompous grin adorned her features.

"You're hiding a stick of C-4 up your arse?"

Shirai stopped approaching them to register what Jiro said. Izuku was in the same boat, as he attempted to rationalize what that information meant. Her super hearing was strong enough to detect even the smallest of vibrations miles away from the source. It stood to reason she could sense something beeping a dime's worth of distance from them.

"Do you really ha– ?"

"–OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE C-4 IN MY ASS! DO YOU TAKE ME FOR AN IMBECILE!?" Shirai bellowed angrily, fists shaking, a prominent vein visible on his forehead.

"Hahaha! You- you really th-thought–!" Jiro cackled hysterically, clutching her stomach.

"Keep laughing." The villain boss growled with animosity.

Izuku's face lit up in pained recognition.

"That's why I thought you looked so familiar. Your distinct voice– I'm positive about it now! That costume isn't new– you're the hero of a brighter tomorrow: Seer!"

"Ohhh, so that's what the big 'S' stands for?" Jiro flicked a tear from her eye.

"Silly me, I thought it stood for Stupid?"

Izuku may have been slightly envious of Jiro's ability to insult people on command.

"You…" He continued, disbelief evident in his tone, "...You were a good man. You went to UA! You rescued people! You inspired them! You inspired me!"

'̷̨̬̮̝̎̌̍̕N̵̪̤̫̜̣̱̆̓͑e̶̫͘v̷̗̑ë̵̮́r̶̖̗̭̃ ̶̢͉͒̊́̅͑̍m̵̼̞͋̓̀̆͊̀e̴͎̠͕̊̂̾͒̓e̸̖̾̂̌t̷̨̢̛̬͕̯͌͌̕ͅ ̶̥͕̜͓̆̈́͑y̴̮̬̌͋̒̇o̷̻̣͐̉ͅũ̵̜̊ŗ̷̺͈͔͚͍̅̆͊̚ ̴̦̠̙͔͊̀̾͊́ͅḫ̴͇̗͂ĕ̷̺̅̓r̸̘͓̖͎̋͜ͅǒ̵̧͕͋̂͑̓̓ê̶͍̪̣̤̞͔̐̓̌̈͠s̸̩̭̲̜̎̌̈̇.̶͕͎̌̉̋̓̃'̴͍̘̙͓̳̽͒ Eon mocked him in the depths of his subconscious.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you kid, but reality is a harsh mistress."

Izuku kept on shaking his head, disturbed by what he was experiencing.

"Seer retired almost a decade ago… Is this what you were doing all this time? The only underground hero to ever make it into the top ten! A villain!? Why the turn!? Was a hero's life not fulfilling enough for you!?"

"It wasn't." He answered forcefully, causing the masked teen to jolt.

"I've always fought to resolve injustice! When I discovered my status as a hero meant nothing to the populace– I adapted– I changed my methods! Endeavor shouldn't have the luxury of walking free while good people still die."

"This injustice you speak of? Endeavor burning down your home? That's terrible, but that doesn't rationalize any of this! To resort to threatening innocent lives!? You can always find a new home!"

"My family WAS my home!" Shirai raised his voice.

Both teen's blood ran cold.

"My wife and son are both DEAD! To what LIFE am I supposed to attend now!?"

"Not this. Anything but this." Izuku shook his head sadly.

"You're doing all of this to get back at Endeavor? By taking your revenge out on his son!?" Jiro was visibly disgusted.

"What if it is? Does my reasoning alter the severity of the crime? I'm aware consequences await me if I am to be apprehended. I saw it fitting to ensure I wouldn't be around long enough for those consequences to take full effect."

"You don't exactly have the moral high ground here." Jiro bit back.

"I refuse to fall without knowing I did something to fix this madness! To enlighten the open-minded of the amount of destruction and death Endeavor has left in his wake! Because it doesn't end with my family! No, he is responsible for hundreds of innocent lives being lost! Banished to the flames!"

"Guess that's something you two have in common." It was Izuku who spoke this time.

"Don't ever compare me to that swine! People worship the ground that monster walks on!"

"What if you succeeded?"

Shirai uttered nothing.

"What if we all died that day? You'd be no better than him!" He meant what he said.

"Green, I think we should dip." Jiro tugged on his sleeve.

"I mean, there is nothing keeping us here, is there? Its just a a guy in a costume– what can he really do to us?"

"Either you face me now, or your friends all PERISH!" Shirai stated vehemently.

"You're bluffing!" Izuku challenged immediately.

"Maybe I am, maybe I am not. But are you willing to gamble Jiro's life away so easily, Midoriya?" Shirai focus was solely on him now.

"Maybe, that Slipstream Nomu is standing around the corner… just out of sight." He smiled as his threat visibly put the punk rocker on edge.

"Nice try, but if it were, she would've sensed it."

"So confident in your answers…" Shirai sighed sullenly, folding his arms behind his back.

"And I was told you had taken two steps forward and three steps back."

'What does he mean by that?'

"You haven't been acquainted with the nomu for very long, yet, you act as if you know everything about them. Tell me, were you aware that nomu don't have a pulse?"

Izuku's lack of response told him otherwise.

"...At least, not a consistent pulse." He continued.

"They are cadaver's whose bodies were twisted and brutalized– held together by stitches and strings. They do not think, they merely listen– siphons of their master's indomitable will." He informed them, shrugging.

"Then again– if I am bluffing, your classmates are already dead."

"Whatever mind games you have in store for us, drop em."

"I could've killed you ten times over and yet… I didn't." His grimace was that of malice. "Instead I chose to frolic in the moment. I opted for the easy shot." His posture indicated he was directing his voice at Jiro.

"It felt… out of character for me." His tone indicated regret.

"I focused on that sensation, and eventually I discovered the reason as to why that was. Midoriya… you are someone who doesn't adhere to the bonds of time and space."

"Eh?"

"I tamper with fate, but you, Midoriya," He shook his head forlornly, "Fate bows to your whim." The villain boss turned his back on them, gazing out at the Confragration Zone.

"Destiny often finds a way of leading you on the path you took trying to avoid it. I would know that better than most."

"You're delusional– and a psychopath." Izuku remarked, gulping silently.

"You deny it, but deep inside I know you're burning up. What results of this conflict today… decides what becomes of our universe– and all others."

"Are you hearing this? He's totally fucking lost his marbles!" Jiro whispered to him over her shoulder.

Shirai clawed the side of an oxidized car frame and heaved it in their direction like one does an American football. Both teens dove in opposite directions.

"He has super strength now!?" Jiro blew an annoying strand of hair out of her face, readjusting the tune on her guitar.

"It can't be…"

"Green, I hate to be the barer of bad news, but now would be the time to transform!"

"You're one of them… you're a nomu." Izuku was appalled by the revelation.

"As sharp as ever." The villain boss snarked.

Jiro trying to make sense of the situation, interjected her opinion.

"He said nomu were dead, right? Well he isn't dead, Green. He has a pulse… as faint as it is."

"He isn't dead… but he is dying." Izuku wasn't sure how he was able to make that deduction, though if he had to guess, it must've been related to the Omnitrix somehow.

Izuku unlocked the central dial on the watch, illuminating his masked face in emerald holographic light. He slapped a hand over the alien's silhouette. Before the lingering transformative glow had fully dissipated, Iron Jaw could be seen charging the villain boss head-on. Like a matador does a bull, Shirai expertly twirled to avoid being impaled by the alien's massive horn. He then delivered an empowered kick into the juggernaut's spine, launching him across the street where he collided with a gas line, resulting in a volatile explosion.

"GREEN!" Jiro yelped at the piercing wave of sound, drawing the attention of the villain boss.

While she knew he wasn't dead, she also didn't appreciate seeing her best friend get blown up.

The punk rocker readied her steel guitar pick as he bolted for her position. Her sonic projections covered a decent amount of air space. Shirai casually displayed his acrobatic capability, evading any direct hits from Heartbreak.

When he entered grabbing distance, Jiro swung the guitar like a mace, cracking him across the face. Barely flinching, Shirai's hands scratched her neck, snagging her studded choker and snapping the thin material. He ripped the guitar from her hands– which also made her fall, as she had the instrument strapped over her shoulder. He made sure to display how easy it was for him to snap her guitar liker a twig. Depositing the pieces at his feet, he reached down to shovel a handful of her jacket collar.

Angling her jacks to stab the ground, she utilized her cords' tensile strength to wrench herself from his grip– and simultaneously slipping free of her purple jacket. His stomps splintered the concrete slab she'd previously been standing on. One direct hit from this guy meant she was dead or close to it.

She feared taking a costly misstep, so she looked at their surroundings, searching for something that could give her any tactical advantage. Her answer– a protruding sign fastened high up on the side of a corner building. When her adversary was in close enough proximity, she directed a jack skyward and blasted the sign off its hinges.

At the last possible second she dove for safety.

Jiro gawked as he caught the aluminum piece with a calculated hand. He whipped the dismembered sign towards her like a lethal frisbee. Another sonic blast caused it to shatter into several jagged pieces– the majority of the shards missing her, though a few did still manage to pelt their intended target.

"Ah! Motherfucker!" She gasped in surprised pain when the reflective metal sunk into her unprotected forearm– another lodging itself in her thigh.

Cursing, she extracted the sharp piece from her leg, inhaling as she limped onto the main road. Eventually, she gave up and stopped to lean her weight against the pole of the traffic light. Subtly, she concealed the metal shard behind her back.

"I must commend you, Jiro. Even when severely outmatched, you don't run with your tail tucked between your legs."

"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you." She glared at him defiantly.

"Now if only you'd learn to have some respect!" He backhanded her face for good measure, then roughly bashed her against a fire hydrant.

Dizzy from whiplash, the punk rocker attempted to crawl for an alleyway, leaving behind bloodied handprints. when a boot stomped on her wrist, making her gasp. Rolling onto her side to gaze up at the villain boss, she commanded her jacks to attack his visor. The dark tinted lenses were ejected from his face, exposing his left eye that was seething red with molten hatred.

"Insolent child—!" He leaned down to grab hold of her.

"FUCK YOU!" She screamed, puncturing the scarred man's jugular with the metal shard.

Shirai gurgled at the introduction of foreign metal in his throat. Standing at his full height, he removed it, apparently not the slightest bit disturbed blood was spurting from his wound. That's when she realized the wound was sealing itself back together… almost like he had regeneration…

"Super strength… and a healing factor… you still holding out on me?"

The crater of billowing fire where Izuku was crouched, extinguished in an instant as he fired a laser. The energized particles traveled in a crescent formation, cutting the wind and sawing the pavement. Shirai let go of Jiro to dodge the blast, regathering his balance with a half twist flip, a maneuver that left him vulnerable to her sonic projections. The force of the vibrations shoved him against a cement wall, cracking it. Taking advantage of his subdued state, Izuku rammed full speed into his side, breaking through the unstable barrier with a rumbling crash.

This sent Shirai sprawling on his back amidst the cloudy debris. With Iron Jaw's intimidating visage looming overhead, he coughed in defiance. Pedaling on his elbows to create distance between them, Izuku squinted. He stamped his aluminum sole on Shirai's chest to halt his escape.

"I guessed you would survive that. Your quirk allows you to see precisely ten seconds into someone else's future. If you had used it on Jiro, she wouldn't have hit you with her sonic blast. The question is why? Why leave yourself open to attack like that?"

"All the information you have ever read about me is what I chose to disclose to the public." Shirai rested his gloved hands on the alien's foot.

"Regardless– it's still two against one," Izuku countered, "You can call it quits now and this will all be over soon. We can get you the help you need for your condition. I promise."

"I have no doubt you're being sincere… and that sickens me!" His body burst into blue flames.

"What the–!?"

A tightly condensed ball of fire detonated against his chest, propelling the Oryctini backwards in a trail of smoke and ash. He rolled multiple times before arriving at a complete stop. The punk rocker went to check on her groaning friend, glaring at the hole in the side of the building where the villain boss was currently walking under.

"Stay away from him!"

Posture exhibiting his malicious intent, Jiro's heart-rate spiked when he returned his focus to her. Where as before her quirk's sound vibrations threw him off balance, now he hardly reacted. As if he'd been pretending to be affected by them this whole time. As he readied another fire attack, Jiro stood between Green and the flames meant to maim him.

"If you must insist." Shirai narrowed the angle of his index finger, firing an incandescent bullet.

She gasped when Izuku spun them around, tanking the brunt of the searing flames. His embrace was gentle despite the ginormous power residing within his arms. Once the attack ceased, he turned to glare at the scarred man, stygian body smoking.

"If you try to hurt her again, I will make you regret it." Izuku growled menacingly through his metallic maw.

"As if you'd be able to stop me." Shirai mocked him, flexing his smoldering, charred digits.

Green took full advantage of the petty squabble: Bulldozing the villain boss through three city blocks, finishing him off with a laser blast to the chest that sent him flying sideways onto a railway track. Following the path of destruction they'd woven into the flammable environment, Jiro briefly had to rest her throbbing leg so she could catch her breath.

Thankfully, UA had enough sense to not implement a functioning bullet train– as the transportive machines available were all either without wheels or flaming shells of their former selves. Attention to detail aside, Jiro had foregone her wrecked guitar parts, stretching her jacks in anticipation of a surprise attack– or really any curveball the villain boss might have up his singed sleeves. Watching from afar– Green duking it out with Shirai– it looked like a ten year old was trying to get a hit in on a world-renowned martial artist. That wasn't meant to be an insult to her friend's combat ability, but this was night and day.

Shirai was a professionally trained fighter, and he had experience in the field. Not to say Green couldn't hold his own, he definitely could, but his style of throwing hands was slightly barbaric if she were being honest. That was the closeted inner All Might fanboy influencing him. His rampant punches were met with fluid jukes and graceful parries. His horn lasers rarely hindered Shirai to the degree they hoped. Which was more aggravating considering the dimensions of the laser inherently made it difficult to dodge when aimed correctly.

Jiro ducked as a caboose flipped above her, barreling into the side of an underpass sending a shrapnel cloud of rock outwards– and repeating this action as a beetle alien abided by that same route. The Earth shook where he landed, pulverizing the crumbling infrastructure of the central column. The elevated section of road creaked ominously before the entire structure collapsed, burying the alien boy.

Fanning the dust from her face so she wouldn't inhale anymore crappy air into her lungs, Jiro went straight to digging. Adrenaline energized her as she realized her friend wasn't emerging from the heap of scrap. If he transformed back to human while inside then he'd be crushed to death!

"Green! C'mon! We need you out here! I- I need you!" Tears puddled in the corners of her eyes.

A terrified shiver ran down her spine as she felt Shirai's voice on her neck, followed by his brutish hands lightly clasping her shoulders. It was brief, but he concentrated a miniscule amount of cremation onto his fingertips, eroding away parts of her leather vest, and burning her skin. The hiss she emitted was confirmation that his nonverbal threat had been heard.

"Without my eye, I wouldn't have been able to use my quirk. How about I return the favor?"

She gasped in surprise, when he readjusted his grip to the base of her earlobes.

Only until he began to pull at them, did she understand what he intended to do.

"Oh, God no!"

"Begging for me to spare you? What happened to all that confidence? All that spunk you showed me earlier?" He mocked her arrogantly, grin feral.

Taking pleasure in watching her visibly squirm under him, he continued:

"Power makes us who we are, Jiro. I wonder if you'd still choose to be a hero if you were missing these?" He yanked her ears again, laughing cruelly as she screamed.

"But that wouldn't be fair? Would it, Jiro? My sight may not be 40/40 anymore, but thanks to your restraint, I was able to plan ahead for this, exact, moment."

"Wh-what does that mean?" She abashed how her voice quivered.

The mass of scattered concrete bits and blocks shifted as the blunt edge of Iron Jaw's horn surfaced. Relief flooded over the punk rocker when Izuku pulled himself free. His posture exhibited utter exhaustion. He gnashed his jaws contemptuously, at the sight of Shirai

His thumbs trailed over her cheeks, smearing her face paint. Moving to her eyelids, the grimy texture of his fingers hovered above her corneas. He forgot all about his previous fatigue.

"What are you doing!?" Izuku increased his intensity upon hearing Jiro whimper.

"You're too late, Midoriya. Jiro is about to receive her just and fair punishment."

Izuku would never forget that bloodcurdling scream.

Shirai's thumbs dug into her eyes, crushing them into a pulped slop of red and purple. When he was done, he extracted his fingers from her head, and shoved her catatonic form onto the heated asphalt. Watching his best friend wail in agony amplified his rage to infinity.

The static contained by his ear drums was deafening– roaring from the inside-out.

'̶͙͎͕̟͚̐̾͊̋̕͝D̵̡̨̛̳̻͔̞̟̝̫͐̿͝Ĕ̵̬̮̺͕̼̠̅̿̕Ş̴͍͕̗͎͇͌T̶̻̝̰͑̂̇̽͒̈̈̍͐R̶̳͚͍͔̅̌͑̈́͐̓̌͘Ȯ̸̧̱͙͖͔͍͙̤̅̇͊̿Y̵̧̡̫̫̽̽̏̀̀̈͝͠ ̴̡͖̘̙̹̭̪͆ͅȞ̷̟̘̭͈̰̳̲͉͉͖͇̐́I̷̛̖̠̜̙͔̝̎̈́̈̄̃͒̄͋͠M̷̬̽̓͌́͋̾̉̇̉̕!̸͈̣̔̌͝'̵̥̫͓̭̬̰̠̱̭̄̄̏͒̕͜͠ͅ

"Fine... I'll grant you the death you wish for!" He declared, blitzing Shirai like a bionic battering ram.

The Oryctini's arms locked Shirai's waist in a vice– forcing him to absorb a multitude of brick walls. Being invincible meant that he was akin to a god rampaging amidst a world of cardboard. Managing to spring free, Shirai pointed his finger to the sky, conjuring a spinning sphere of fire. The orb expanded rapidly, giving it the appearance of a sun as the heat ripples obscured the oncoming tracks. Shirai gave no indication to show that this was hurting him– despite his costume being ripped and scorched, and the flesh of his finger boiling to reveal bone.

"Why do villains like you think they owe it to the world to inflict your suffering on others! What did we do to deserve your anger!?"

Iron Jaw shoveled the leftover rubble into his throat, charging up his horn laser. Typically, the denser the material, the stronger the blast. Though quantity over quality is what Izuku had to work with in this particular scenario. The natural warm hue of the Conflagration Zone was transmuted to a cold blue. The temperature shot up, the previously warm environment now sweltered like the interior of a furnace. The tip of the fireball shredded parts of the ceiling.

"What happened to all that talk!? What happened to taking it on the chin!? Did you ever believe anything you preached!? Because if you did, you wouldn't be doing this!"

The mega fireball crushed the surrounding buildings, melting material that wasn't carbonized immediately. Iron Jaw launched a laser at the combustion bomb. The energy was swallowed whole by the incendiary asteroid, diffusing into cyan.

"BUUUHHHRNN!" Shirai poured unrelenting might into his ultimate attack.

"Grrr!" Unlocking the hinges of his jaw, he breathed inwards.

It hurt about as much one would expect inhaling fire to feel. Smoke billowing from his maw, he sent out a pyrokinetically fused laser to derail the sun bomb. A semi-lunar shape, the laser kept along its path before it struck the origin of the blue flames: Shirai.

With the sun bombs trajectory altered, it was instead sent careening off to the side, where it detonated on the eastern end of the Conflagration Zone in a disastrous, sizzling shockwave.

Leaving no delay, Iron Jaw found himself in the midst of another brawl with the villain boss. Shoving him against a pillar he incapacitated him with consecutive punches to the gut and face. Shirai wove under the haymakers and attempted to gain an advantageous position by flipping over the alien's shoulder. This proved a costly mistake, as Izuku was ready.

Charging his horn, he rocked his head from side to side– amputating Shirai's arm and leg. Off balance, the villain boss rolled haphazardly down the steps, tanking several consecutive lasers strikes.

"Jiro is blind because of you. She'll never be able to see her parents faces again– because of you!"

The cauterized stumps where his arm and leg were severed had fully regenerated. Shirai's normally placid face creased in confusion, as if his forewarning quirk was failing. Dodging another blast–

" –Your problem with heroes is they aren't held accountable!? Well, here I am: Holding you accountable! But I guess you aren't a really a hero– not anymore!"

This is how Izuku discovered the small plated device located at the base of Shirai's neck.

"They'll forget about you. All that you did. What you supposedly accomplished. But I know what they never will– I got to see your true face. Years will pass, and when that last set of eyes gazes across that screen, your image will fade."

As Jellytronic, he dispersed himself into pure voltage to evade obliteration by incineration. Concentrating, he electrocuted the command module welded onto the man's vertebra prominens bone. The trail of electricity crisscrossed from the neighboring powerlines. While suspended in midair, an organic nervous system was crafted using nearby conduits. With a crackle resembling thunder, the physical body of the amphibious alien manifested.

"Your mission and prophesized fate of the universe: Meaningless!"

The Amperi phased through Shirai's torso, zapping his internals. Superheating the gray surface of the command module, its atomic structure became warped– the atomic nuclei destabilizing. His torso exploded into sapphire flames– forcing Izuku to retreat to safety.

When the fire dissipated, Shirai seemed disoriented. The burnt portions of his skin were healing at a significantly slower rate than before. Izuku paid this no mind.

"Slipstream!" His cells adapted to bolster his Citrikayah form.

"How do you shout those ridiculous names and not feel embarrassed?"

"Now, I'm going to do to you what I should've done a year ago!" He vanished in a blur.

"Can't counter my moves if you aren't fast enough to react to them!" He reappeared smacking his knee cap on the villain bosses jaw.

"You're beyond redemption!" Pent up rage swelling inside of him, Izuku unleashed his strongest attack.

"ONE MILLION PUNCHES!"

After thirty seconds, his super move concluded. The amount of hits Shirai sustained converted his physique into a mass of broken flesh. Skull deformed, arms bent backward from trying to absorb the contact. Dark fluid dribbled from his exposed gums that lacked teeth. His eye– the functioning one– was swollen over with puss. His regeneration– unable able to keep up.

Breathing rapidly, Izuku gazed at his shaky hands, appalled by the thick blood covering them.

"End me… finish… the mission…" Shirai pleaded for his death.

'̴̗̂H̵̼͆ě̴̞'̸̫́s̷̺̀ ̸̪̔r̴̜̔ì̷̞g̶͙̈h̶͔̋t̸̰͘ ̶̠͐ẏ̷̪ô̶͈u̸̝̎ ̶̞͑k̸͚̓n̷͖͑ő̶̻w̴̯͠.̵̜͋'̸͍̏ Eon instigated.

Slipstream stepped forward, cocking his fist back. He froze as a smaller hand rested itself on his shoulder blade. He recognized the shape of those slender fingers.

"Jiro? How did you–!?" He spun on her disbelievingly, in awe of her mental fortitude.

"–My quirk makes it so I hear better, remember?" She supplied, poking his blue cheek with her jack.

"Tracking you both down was a piece of cake." She offered him a half smile.

"I'm glad you're here, and uh, you should probably plug your ears so–"

"–Why? So you can kill him?" She snapped accusingly.

He swallowed guiltily.

"If I don't… he'll escape somehow! This is the right thing to do." He shook with anger as he said this.

"That's the difference between heroes and villains: Just because its the right thing to do– doesn't mean its the easier of the two! Whatever you're planning on doing– this isn't the right way! I know you know that, Green! And I know this isn't you!" She stood her ground.

"If I let him go, he's going to hurt more people!" He countered.

"Maybe… but if you're certain this is what needs to be done, then tell me to my gaping, bloody face exactly what it is you intend to do!"

Izuku bit his tongue, as Jiro's conflicting words struck his psyche.

Wait.

What was he doing?

Was he seriously considering murder?

With Eon, it was debatable on whether or not he should've killed him, but now faced with the choice to take a life or preserve it… Was he really struggling with this?

Jiro, how he loved her– she was always spot on when it came to decisions like these. Because she was correct– this wasn't him. Eon took advantage of his rage and used it to influence his actions, directing him towards a path of no return.

"You're right. I'm sorry… can you ever forgive me?"

"Green…" She sighed exasperatedly.

"If I could see you, I'd slap the shit out of you… and yes. I forgive you. Now that we're done screwing around here, lets… go help our classmates…" She wobbled back and forth dangerously.

He swiftly caught Jiro as she passed out, sparing a final glance at the beaten villain boss.

"So much for a brighter tomorrow…"

…

"K-Kevin?" Kaminari's voice quivered.

The reality of the situation came crashing down atop his shoulders as he cradled his friend's mortally wounded corpse. Fixated on Kevin's unblinking eyes, he thought of the humanity. What right did these people have? Thinking they could just waltz into a hero school and murder children as they pleased?

His lip curled.

He didn't know Kevin for very long but that didn't change the fact he was willing to sacrifice his own life to spare his. This raised questions about Kaminari's own dedication towards heroism. Would he have done the same for Kevin? That thought alone caused him to spiral further.

Kevin was young, hardly much older than Kaminari himself. Maybe he was held back a year at some point? What will his parents think when they heard the news? What if he had a sibling? Or multiple!? What were they supposed to tell them!? That his opportunity to live a fulfilling life had been stolen from him by these villains!?

That wasn't acceptable.

Shiozaki clamped a hand over own mouth when she saw the state Kevin was in.

Her reaction was mirrored by several of their classmates– some avoided the gory sight. Todoroki was silent– not unusual for him– but for the manner in which he did it. Uncertainty laced his features. His breathing turned shallow– and his eyes– never left the injury site. If the ever stoic Todoroki was shaken– then he imagined the rest of them weren't fairing much better.

"COME ON!" Kaminari screamed, as hot tears sprang from his eyelids.

Resting Kevin gently in the water, electricity crackled from his fingertips, he prepared the most powerful lightning blast he's ever created. Kaminari's brain may have still been short circuiting from using one of his strongest attacks prior in the Landslide Zone. He was surprised that he hadn't gone stupid mode but he assumed it was only a matter of time. The ice wall Todoroki had summoned to block them off from that monstrosity was losing stability at a rapid pace.

Shigaraki was going to pay for what he'd done.

The frozen barrier shattered and displaced in a radial cube pattern.

Nomu watched them from afar, looking as lifeless as the boy it had so savagely torn into.

"Do whatever you can to restrain it!" Todoroki raised his voice, shivering from the amount of frost coating his skin.

"I'm gonna fry it's brains to mush!" Kaminari shed his jacket.

"You need to wait for us to subdue it first!"

"Like hell I'm waiting! I'm not sitting back so I can watch another one of my classmates— my friends— DIE because of me!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Todoroki scolded him.

Mineta, scared out of his mind, sent forth a barrage of purple balls towards Nomu's location. His scalp was bleeding from quirk overuse. It made light work of Terraquake earlier, so it made sense why the suction had no effect. Shiozaki's vines snapped from tension as she reeled them back to herself uselessly. Tokoyami stepped to the plate next, followed closely by Shoji and Yaoyorozu. Dark Shadow swelled to full strength in the darkness provided by the USJ, shrieking as it rampaged towards the monster. Nomu cocked its arm back and then punched once– the impact creating a flash so intense that the sentient quirk was instantly dispelled.

"Dark Shadow?" Tokoyami cradled his quirk's withering body– swirls in place of its eyes.

Yaoyorozu reloaded her bazooka and fired.

The rocket propelled ammunition was caught in-between Nomu's teeth as it detonated. When the flame and smoke cleared, 1-A was treated to the grizzly sight of a backwards facing head, jaw agape at an unnatural angle. Already, the sizzling flesh was sowing itself back together, displaying Nomu's impressive regenerative ability.

Shoji concentrated, sprouting enamel spikes from his hands to wield like dual blades. Sero unwound tape from his elbows, flinging it outwards in hopes of entangling Nomu.

Nomu let the tape wrap around its arm so it could yank Sero like he was attached to a bungee cord. It slammed his helmet with its palm, and threw him to the ground, claws encircling his leg. It proceeded to use Sero like a mace and struck Shoji just as he was preparing to lunge.

Todoroki used the distraction to get close and freeze Nomu solid from the inside out. Asui delivered a decisive kick to the frozen monster's midsection. The cold induced brittleness made it so the contact fractured Nomu's body in different pieces. Ashido rushed over to melt the regenerating parts.

Kaminari did a quick headcount, panicking as he realized Shigaraki had disappeared. Mr. Aizawa hadn't moved– still tied to that same tree. That's how he discovered the villain was creeping up behind Todoroki, poised to go in for the kill while he was distracted by dealing with Nomu.

"NO!" Kaminari tackled the villain without thinking.

Shigaraki growled at the added weight yet he still managed to slug the scrawny teen and pin him to the flooded floor– breaking his nose with a vicious headbutt.

"GL-HICK!" Kaminari choked and gasped as salt water entered his lungs in the midst of their struggle.

"DIE ALREADY!" Shigaraki's wild, frenzied glare was visible from behind his hand mask.

"Fuck OFF!" Kaminari spat, further enraging the villain.

A metal fist slammed into the villain's cheek hard enough to make him fly and tumble a moderate distance away. The saviors hand also extended to pull him back up onto his feet. That shit eating grin almost brought a tear to his eye.

Almost.

"Kevin!? You're alive!?" Kaminari was dumbfounded.

"Only on the outside!"

Shigaraki was furious– his mask was gone.

"Impossible! You should be dead! How'd you cheat!? HOW!?"

"Right before Nomu hit me, I absorbed some of that regeneration quirk its got! And I'll say, it works like a dream!" His voice got progressively deeper.

"What are you!?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Kevin hunched as his body underwent a drastic mutation.

His muscles expanded, tearing through his costume like paper. The ridge of his brow condensed, giving way to a hardened carapace. His facial structure elongated to give him a transitional snout. His reinvigorated smile showed off his knife-like teeth.

"I'm Kevin Eleven! And I'm the baddest guy there is!" He flexed, posing his bolstered muscles.

Spitting out a tooth, Shigaraki pointed at him.

"That one, NOMU! Make sure you rip him in half this time for good measure!"

'These villain types are so easy to piss off!'

Ashido's quirk proved useless as despite her ramping up the acidity– Nomu simply regenerated faster than she could burn through it. Koda ushered her to back away– even opting to pick up a slowed Todoroki. The monstrosity had sown itself back together again.

Now possessing some of Nomu's strength as his own, Kevin was able to evade its onslaught in real time as they traded blows.

"Guys!" Ashido called for the attention of her classmates.

"It's Midoriya and Jiro!"

Midoriya was beat up, but not quite to the degree they were expecting– he mostly just looked pissed off.

As for Jiro resting in his arms– she was in bad shape. She was missing her jacket, headphones and guitar. He angled her head as if to hide her face from any prying eyes.

"Is she…?" Ashido's brows creased together concernedly, biting her lower lip.

"...No, but its really bad." He uttered darkly.

Immediately they could tell this wasn't anything like the Midoriya they were used to.

Kevin stumbled out of a crater in the wall, when the doors to the USJ burst open, filtering in the natural light from outside.

"STUDENTS, DO NOT HAVE FEAR IN YOUR HEARTS ANY LONGER! BECAUSE I AM HERE!" He wasn't smiling.

Kirishima cheered.

However, taking a glance in the villain's direction told a different story: He was calm and collected. Content… bordering on giddiness. Those were not the emotions Kevin would associate with a villain who basically just lost. He knew something was up– the question being what trick did he have up his sleeve– and why was he so confident as if everything was still going according to plan?

"Finally, the man of the hour has arrived!"

"SILENCE, WRETCHED VILLAIN!" All Might thundered.

"Nomu! This is what you were made for!"

"DO YOUR WORST! THERES NO TOY OF YOURS I CAN'T BREAK!"

"This is no ordinary action figure, All Might! He was designed to kill you! With his shock absorption, he can easily take everything you've got and dishes it back even stronger!" Shigaraki licked his chapped lips.

"SHOCK ABSORPTION YOU SAY!? THANKS FOR THE TIP!"

Class 1-A were designated spectators to the climactic battle taking place in the center of the USJ. The punches moving as such a rate the wind pressure dispelled the water like a storm at sea.

"I'LL JUST HAVE TO SURPASS MY LIMITS! TO GO FURTHER BEYOND THAT!" Steam billowed from his shoulders and neck, signifying his limit was near. Eyes gleaming like quasars, he prepared his finishing move.

"DETROIT… SMAAASH!" The uppercut sent Nomu hurtling into the dome– and thanks to the protective paneling on the dome, it rebounded back towards Earth.

The enormous gust pushed several students onto their backs, and with the extra weight nestled in-between in his arms, Izuku lost his balance. Instinctively he curled around Jiro, the cost of doing so was cracking his occipital bone on a jagged rock. The impact hurtled his body into a state of unconsciousness.

When Jiro rolled away from his arms, Ashido was the first person to see the wound Midoriya had been trying to conceal from their view: A pair of gushing eye sockets.

…

This had to be one of the most powerful, malign creatures Kevin has ever fought. Apart from Ben, Vilgax was the only brute he clashed with that surpassed him in terms of raw strength. Shigaraki said Nomu was created to kill All Might, and with the hassle this thing was turning out to be– he could see why he'd think that. The symbol of peace, was throwing smashes just as fast as he was tanking them in the face. Super endurance or no– that still had to hurt. Kevin took a few hits himself every now and then (Casually brushing them off, of course), but it was obvious Nomu prioritized All Might above everything else.

This meant Kevin was able to wail on Nomu as much as he wanted– which was a lot. It was kind of personal now– after watching someone– much less something– rip the heart out of your chest like its an Indiana Jones movie– one may be understandably irate. And brother, he was furious.

As ironic as it sounded, the Osmosian Halfling had learned early on his life how to adjust his super strength around regular people. It was a necessity. If he wanted to coexist among his peers, then he had to ensure a simple pat on the back wouldn't dislocate their shoulder. It sucked– and he'd been doing this for so long that he now restrained himself subconsciously. A nature he ingrained into his behavior. The only times these walls came down were when he was strictly alone; In his garage, a wrench in his hand, working on his car. Kidding– but its true. He'd thoroughly enjoy seeing a Tetramand attempt to unfasten a bolt he's tightened.

This disruption was the kind of mental blockage that prevented him from going as hard as knew he could be. What if he slipped up? He could lift several tons of metal above his head and toss it around like a beach ball. That doesn't bode well for anyone else if he gets too carried away here. He had a worming suspicion that Shigaraki must've rigged the place with explosives– and for him to be so confident was demoralizing.

That had to be his endgame. Nomu was fighting an uphill battle, he and All Might were too much for any opponent to face on their own. His 'master,' was busy keeping Mr. Aizawa as hostage, whilst trying to appear threatening to make his classmates back off.

"This ones for you, Levin!" All Might's kick pitched Nomu towards him with animated velocity.

Striking out no longer an option, Kevin absorbed the deformed steel guardrails that used to surround the fountain– coating his previously established mutated form in a satin gray armor. He morphed his arm into a club and swung with exerted brutality. The crunching hit cracked Nomu across the upper atmosphere of the dome.

"Homerun!" He grinned like an idiot.

'I've always wanted to say that!'

"Hey All Might, you see that? Wait, where did you… go…?" His jaw dropped.

'He jumped to meet him at the apex!? I know I'm strong but holy shit! This dude is whole different beast!'

The symbol of peace used a Detroit Smash to alter his trajectory. The explosion in air pressure caused the crown of the USJ to pop open like a soda bottle that had been shaken up one too many times. Banging into Nomu, he enacted the next step in his combo by throwing the monster back towards the ground. As if the concrete tiling had become liquefied, the solid material rippled and uprooted from the kinetic energy imposed on it. All Might landed on its midsection, adding to the vibrational anomaly.

"Kids, you must escape before this whole place comes down! I'll save Eraser Head and stop these villains!"

"Fat chance! I've got a score to settle with these posers!" Even though he said it with confidence, Kevin was aware that his mutation was close to being done.

"This is personal now!" Kaminari encircled his hands in golden electricity.

"This isn't time to ar-GHK!" He gasped as sharp claws dug into his side, scraping and drawing copious amounts of blood and flesh.

Using his pain as a distraction, Nomu belted the number one hero away so far he crashed through the Downpour Zone. Having an intense mental debate on where his priorities lied, Todoroki nodded at him, signaling they would hold the monster off until he came back with a symbol of peace on his shoulders.

…

The soft, playful tickling of grass blades on Izuku's exposed skin coaxed him from of his slumber. His eyelids fluttered open, inviting him to a sky baring the same hue as freshly made honey, patterned by swashing rays of cirrus clouds. He sat up, energized by the sun's warmth. Rolling hills of verdant green stretched across the horizon. Bizarrely bulbous, segmented plants which lacked extensive branches, decorated the landscape. The girth and shape of their trunks reminded him of the baobab trees native to Madagascar– the kind he'd seen in nature documentaries.

He found himself mesmerized by how the grass swayed in perfect cohesion with the wind. This place– it held a certain calmness to it. No voice in his head to mock him. No super villain seeking to purge the world of impurity.

It was quiet.

A brief instance of respite would soon be interrupted by the distinct chopping of helicopter blades. Performing a doubletake as it was something far more threatening than a simple rotorcraft, he scurried up the hill to reach some semblance of a high ground. He gave a short yelp when it swiftly descended, hovering a short distance in front of him.

"Cyclonado?" Izuku shook his head in disbelief, he had to be dreaming.

The towering alien that resembled an Earth sea turtle appeared just as he would if Izuku himself had transformed; Emerald green eyes with an Omnitrix badge centered on his chest.

"That is what you call me, isn't it?" He mused thoughtfully, landing on the grass gently. "I am a little biased towards Terraspin, and I was fond of Turbuloise and Super-Shell. Though I must admit, Cyclonado is beginning to grow on me." A kindly smile stretched along his beaked snout.

"Galapagus was the name given to me at birth– but I don't have any particular preference. Please, refer to me as anything you like."

"OK then, Galapagus? This place is lovely, but where are we?" He gestured to everything– reasoning if this were a nightmare Eon would've shown his stupid face already.

"Oh god! My friends are in serious danger! I- I need to protect them from Nomu!" His voice was laden with stress.

His anxiety meter struck record levels when he reached for his wrist– feeling a noticeable lack of an Omnitrix on it.

"Ah! Where is it!?" He flailed his arm about uselessly, searching in the grass wildly as if it the device sprouted legs and ran away.

"I assure you, Midoriya, there is no need to worry. You will be back with your friends shortly. This place is a projected memory of mine– of the world my people once inhabited: Aldabra."

Izuku couldn't mask his curiosity after that information.

"You said this was a memory? Where is everyone?"

"Please, walk with me, Midoriya." He insisted delicately.

"Uh, sure?" Izuku obliged.

He couldn't identify when the transition occurred, but soon hundreds of other Geochelone Aerio's appeared, strewn about the planets surface. Where as Izuku had difficulties walking as Cyclonado, Galapagus' trot– his waddle– was likely practiced. Kevin explained to him how the Omnitrix has an evolutionary feature that allows users to quickly adapt to their new biology. Maybe this implied his species flew before they learned how to walk?

"The earliest ancestors of my people concluded that conquest wasn't worth it– not when the average lifespan for our species was the equivalent to a thousand Earth years. Alternatively, they sought to govern themselves in a pacifist society, unmarred by conflict– of violence. There was no need for for prisons, as we did not believe in restricting others freedom. No need of currency, as luxuries were available to those who desired them. Not even laws to instruct someone else how to behave. We used the precious gifts bestowed upon us to enjoy life to the fullest extent."

"From that description, Aldabra seems like a paradise."

"It was… and it was beautiful." The voluminous alien said somberly.

Despite giving him no inclination to think otherwise thus far, Izuku was still afraid to ask…

"...You keep using the past tense?" They came to a gradual stop at a spacious valley with a dazzling cascading river.

"Disaster struck."

The scene shifted, showing that Aldabra's soil had been dried of its moisture and vitality. All that was left were barren, brown dunes of dirt with rampant dust clouds circling overhead. A tractor beam struck the planet's surface like an atomic javelin. Once the dust settled, a cloaked silhouette made themselves visible from within the smoke, and he subconsciously found himself grabbing at his own wrist again. Galapagus's flipper rested on his shoulder.

"He cannot hurt you here. This is merely a memory of mine." He reminded him.

A man emerged from the chaos unscathed, spinning a uniquely carved spear in his hands.

"Aggregor."

Upon witnessing Aggregor leech the life from one of Galapagus's people, Izuku felt as if he'd just discovered a terrible truth.

"He's an Osmosian."

'Like Kevin.'

"Before this tragedy, my people didn't know what fear was." Galapagus tacked on sadly.

"With no idea as to how to defend themselves, they fell victim to Aggregor's army."

"Why?"

"Aggregor seeked to claim what he deemed to be the ultimate prize. However, his plan consisted of many roadblocks, and to help him reach his goal, he took captive five different alien species, including myself."

"He was going to try and absorb all of your powers, wasn't he?"

"You are correct, my friend. Though fret not, this story has a happy ending! We were rescued by Azmuth, and Aggregor was turned over to the Plumbers, so now the whole galaxy is safe from his tyranny."

"Oh! That-thats really good to hear! Actually, wow! Finally, some good news for a change!" He chuckled in synch with the turtle alien.

"What did you do when you got back?"

"Hmm?" Galapagus raised a flipper to his lip.

"Like, when Azmuth returned you to your home worlds?"

Apparently, Azmuth was responsible for much more than just the creation of the Omnitrix.

"I don't have any memory past the moment I offered Azmuth a DNA sample. None of us do."

Galapagus held a flipper to his snout in a hushing manner, and presented to him an ardent magenta flower in his other. Suspecting he had permission to do so, Izuku cupped his palms together to catch the blooming plant. He noted the bioluminescent stamen– how they wiggled in response to being caressed.

"It's pulsing?" He peaked at the alien in his peripheral vision.

"The Mana Lily is reacting to your life energy by mimicking your heartbeat through its petals."

"Woah…"

"This flower, and many others like it, were integral to the history of my people for millennia. Azmuth theorized that it was our steady diet of the Mana Lily is what granted us our powers. They weren't native to Aldabra, not initially. They originated from a planet known as Anodyne."

Izuku nodded along with the info dump, focus still on the flower.

"You know, it looks a lot like a White Hibiscus."

"I assume that is a flower native to your home world? Earth?"

"Uh, yeah…"

If he concentrated, he could feel the energy the plant emitted.

"Isn't it wondrous? How two beings can be so similar, yet so different?"

"That is pretty cool." He agreed.

"The DNA you use to transform into us is based on a sample that was collected by Azmuth personally."

"The creator of the Omnitrix?"

Galapagus smiled dopily.

"Hopefully you will get to meet him sometime."

"So what about Azmuth? Why are you mentioning him now?"

"There was something that he did not anticipate while designing the Omnitrix. You see, Midoriya, the beauty of life is that no two grass blades are the exact same. The tree of evolution wills it so diversity spreads to the furthest corners of our universe. As there is only one of you Midoriya, there is only one of I. Yes, it is possible to separate genes and isolate them, but at its very core there lies something that can never be destroyed– something that all living beings possess."

"I'm stumped? What is it?"

"A soul."

"So, does that mean when I get injured as an alien, for example– I skin my knee– that hurts you too?"

Galapagus shook his head.

"We do not share the same physical pain."

"Oh, that's a relief."

"I am aware you are quite the tenacious fellow though."

"Thanks." Izuku blushed in spite of himself.

A cloaked time walker rose above the horizon. They remained at a fixed distance– unmoving. Staring– directly at Izuku.

"Why is Eon in your memories?"

"He is not my memory." Galapagus rebuked him. "You have already let him in once. That means it'll be easier for him to break through the next time an opportunity like that comes around. From now on, you will have to exercise restraint in how you conduct yourself."

"So don't get mad again. Got it."

"There is one more thing I would like to discuss with you, Midoriya."

"Sure, what is it?"

"You haven't transformed into me since that day– why is that?"

Izuku knew what he was referring to– because it was true.

"I'm scared to transform into you again." He admitted, feeling shame after having an entire discussion with said alien. "I don't want to make the same mistake as last time."

"I understand how you feel, nonetheless, if you allow fear to control you– you will never learn how to fly again. There is a saying my people had: May the wind always be at your shell."

…

The humidity was drastically higher inside the Downpour Zone, the descent through the warped framework reminding Kevin of the perilous conditions his classmates must've been facing right about now. He picked up his pace, doing his best to not slip on the slick asphalt. It didn't take much detective work to gather that All Might was located at the rainbow's end of these cratered buildings.

That's how he found him… laying flat on his stomach in a ditch steaming like freshly prepared corn on the cobb. He sent a relieved, 'thank you!' above, and amidst Kevin's rapid shaking, the man stirred. Groaning in pain, he slowly twisted over onto his side. In addition to the dozens of pebbles tumbling from his skeletal frame, a set of grizzly claw marks were carved into his side.

"Dude, that thing hit you way harder than I thought it did."

"Levin…?" The hero devolved into a coughing fit once he recognized who it was that came to his aid.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop moving so much! Take it easy!" Kevin lightly chided.

"I've got…! Nothing left…" Admitting this destroyed him, as even his voice lost its depth and spatial presence, transitioning to a frail crackling.

'Wait, is he going to…?'

"You are NOT dying on me!"

"Levin, I–"

"–I won't forgive you! EVER! I swear on the Null Vo-OW!"

Kevin yelped in surprise when the pro hero chopped his forehead.

"Please, allow me to finish my sentences." All Might chastised.

"I know this looks like a fatal flesh wound– and for most people it is– but I'm not most people. I've survived worse than this. I'll make it." He reassured the panicking teen.

Kevin noticed he was utilizing specialized breathing techniques.

"Nomu is stronger than any foe I've fought since…" He clapped a bloodied hand on Kevin's shoulder– gaze piercing– teeth gnashing, "The torch I carry… it must be passed on. The flame must stay lit. Levin, take my power… to save them!"'

He instantly deemed it pointless to try and explain to the bleeding man the adverse effects of him absorbing something beyond his normal limit. If he didn't silence this nagging thought in his subconscious now, then he knew he'd regret never asking. If All Might didn't make it through today…

"...How do you know you can trust me?"

"Is, I believe you're a good person? Enough of a reason?"

"We've known each other for a week and half– tops."

"When young Midoriya and Bakugou were ready to tear each other's throats out," All Might switched tactics, "When you saw the argument was escalating past the point of no return– it was you who forced me to act."

"That's because you were busy hacking up a lung!"

"Regardless of the situation… my responsibility to keep you children safe– that falls on me. I should've intervened sooner. I didn't. I should've been here sooner, too. I wasn't. Look around you– you see where that's gotten us?" He chuckled wetly.

"It all- it all falls on me." The blonde man wheezed.

Kevin wasn't going to persuade him otherwise because he seemed adamant in his opinion. He assisted the hero in sitting up, offering his shoulder for support.

"The last time I took this much power, I hurt a lot of people I care about. I did things I wished I never thought of. Ever since then, I try to make up for it, ya know? But no matter how much I do, it feels like… it won't ever be enough."

"Don't you see it, Levin? The title of a hero is just that– a title. Do you think I chose this path because I wanted to be a hero? Kid, I chose to be who I am because I wanted to help people. I wanted to make the world a safer place for people to live. Free of fear, war, and hate. Professional heroism allowed me to share my strength with everyone– to be who I was meant to be: A symbol of peace. Levin, this is the burden– no– the honor– I carry on my shoulders.

The fact you recognize your mistakes and wrongdoings– that you are hesitant– it speaks volumes about your character– about how far you've come. You strive for atonement, and that is an admirable trait to have. You're situation may be unorthodox, but that doesn't make you less worthy than anyone else. Do you understand?"

Why is that everyone saw potential in him, yet he failed to see that himself? It was rare occurrence for Kevin to be left speechless. He had developed a tolerance to Gwen's usual pep talks, so to hear words of encouragement from someone other than her? It was honestly cathartic.

"...I understand, and thank you. Not many people are willing to put their faith in me."

"You earned that respect, my boy."

Kevin slipped his hand atop the man's deltoid. He waited for the familiar pulsing sensation that accompanied his absorption. Was something inside of All Might repelling him? Why couldn't he feel a quirk like he did with Nomu?

"One For All cannot be stolen." The pro dragged himself to his feet, ignoring the other's protests.

"It can only be given." The hero extended his hand towards him, and Kevin subconsciously peered over at his right– at the dented mechanical instrument intended to mimic his standard flesh.

A pang of sadness hit him square in the chest, as he thought of his two best friends. Ben's compassion changed his life forever, and Kevin's shallow revenge arc had proven he was motivated by obsession more than having an actual purpose. When you're a wanted fugitive by an intergalactic police force, maintaining a decent self-image isn't high on the list of priorities. He was lucky, too– most wouldn't take the time to get to know a person whom they considered their arch nemesis.

How many other people were out there, waiting just like he had? Waiting for that helping hand? How many never got that second chance like him?

"Is their evil in your heart?"

"What? Is their evil in my…?" He paused at the question.

That Ben even chose to listen, rather than instantly booting him back to the Null Void, showed Kevin there was indeed a part of the Omnitrix wielder that was holding out for his lost friend. Guaranteed, nobody else in the universe would've had second thoughts about calling the Plumbers on his ass. But not Ben Tennyson, oh no– Ben always sought to aid by diplomatic means first– and if things got heated, then he'd fly into action and resolve the conflict.

Unshakeable conviction combined with an ungodly lack of fear in regards to anything or anyone that can or would definitely kill him– is what made the legendary Ben 10 so terrifying to his enemies. This is also a reminder that sane people do not, in fact, go looking for planet-busting aliens to fight because they were bored. Word to the wise, try to avoid advertising your established tyrannical empire that enslaves innocents unless you want an adolescent boy from a little blue planet called Earth to come knocking on your doorstep. Because if Ben truly wanted you wiped, then you'd already be dead.

Given their history, imagining they had started as friends– is what made Ben's unmasking as the time traveling mouth breather, Eon, easier to digest. Obviously, Kevin didn't like feeling that way, however it did offer some sense of solace. If the circumstances were right— everyone is capable of being a monster.

That's giving more credit to Ben's own growth as an individual, rather than Kevin's though. To be fair, Ben had matured significantly in that five year gap between meetings. And him?

He stayed a ruthless, head-cracking criminal, making his profit off lowlifes. Apart from escaping the Null Void and returning to Earth, he hadn't changed that much. He adapted to his situation: Swiping illegal alien tech, then selling it on the black market was risky business, no matter how you sliced it. It was kind of inevitable that he and the Tennyson's would cross paths again, the only surprising part about it was that it didn't happen sooner.

This past year had given Kevin the opportunity to turn his life around.

He wasn't that same, starving kid he was in that abandoned arcade five years ago, draining those freeloading machines for every spare penny they had– just so he could eat real food. Well, about as real as a NYC hot dog could get. Point being, desperation and loneliness controlled the majority of his decisions.

His metamorphosis from a villain into a hero?

Why, that had to be his most impressive feat of all.

He thought he found his purpose with the Tennyson's, and yeah, he wished things could go back to the way they were.

'If you can't change the past, then live for the moment… because fearing an uncertain future is infinitely worse than choosing to do nothing about it!'

Hell, this wasn't even his world, but god damnit he was going to defend it like it was his! Because that's what HEROES DO! The training wheels were officially coming off!

He reclarified his stance. "...No. That part of me was buried long ago– I just didn't realize until now."

All Might nodded to show he approved.

"Then its settled."

The handshake is what solidified the deal, as the physical contact treated him to a sudden transportive vision. In place of where All Might stood, was a towering golden spirit. Encompassing them were miles upon miles of desolate snowy wasteland. The rampant storm protested as the spirit presented to him a small bundle of fire. Reaching to accept it, he discovered that his own body was dissolving into a similar gaseous state, consisting of a gray shadowy texture.

Cupping the flame delicately in his palm, he placed it over his heart. Closing his eyes in concentration, he invited the warmth to gradually spread through him. In doing so, he was imbued with the combined righteous fury of several generations. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Kevin Levin was reborn.

…

When Kevin took off running after All Might, Todoroki was left with the responsibility of slowing down Nomu until they got back; Putting up ice walls and pillars to obstruct its advance. Quirk exhaustion was taking effect, as the durability of his frozen constructs was dampened by the salt water mixture lapping at their knee caps. Judging by how badly he was shivering, he was on the verge of succumbing to hypothermia.

Todoroki was flipped in the opposite direction, the kinetic energy alone would've broken his neck if the liquid hadn't been there to cushion his fall. Nomu stepped on his shin, shattering the bone. Accepting what was to come, he quit his struggle.

"WASSUP UGLY!?"

As if Nomu had completely forgotten about the son of Endeavor, it rapidly rotated and swung with the intent to exterminate the sudden intruder.

"You're tough, I'll give you that!"

Todoroki might've been hallucinating, but Kevin looked to be grinning madly.

"...But not even a missing heart was enough to stop me!"

Calling forth One For All, erratic scarlet patterns rippled across the surface of his skin. As if a hundred million bolts of lightning struck him at once, Kevin was filled with incalculable levels of energy– referenced by the black electricity arcing from his torso and limbs. His muscles tightened, the closely knit fibers thrumming with power. The ground beneath his legs cracked due to the gravitational strain.

Noticeably, Kevin's fist didn't actually make direct contact with Nomu.

Instead, the simple motion of throwing a punch was enough to pressurize the air and launch it forward like an atmospheric battering ram. A gaping hole was blown clean through Nomu's chest, the titanic impact followed by a miniature sonic boom. The summit of the Mountain Zone ruptured in a hail of rocks to indicate the distance his jab travelled after striking the monster. The flood waters were whisked away by an unscripted tsunami wave. They crashed along the debris ridden coastline of the separate zones.

This transpired in less than three seconds.

Nomu was unfazed by the loss of crucial organs, resuming its onslaught the moment its feet reconnected with the Earth. Ignoring the soreness in his left arm, Kevin opted for his robotic right. They had the same idea, as their knuckles made contact– shredding the metal into inoperable circuitry.

To outside observers, such as Kaminari– the fight between Kevin and Nomu could be compared to sped up camera footage. Because they were moving so fast, he couldn't keep track of who was winning.

Clenching his broken hand, bleeding and bruised purple from the inability to confine such vast power, Kevin cranked an empowered uppercut into the monstrosities lower jaw. The hit rocketed Nomu out through the spotlight in the dome. The monsters constant flailing displaced the cloud cover as it sailed among them, blinking out of view.

"Yeah, GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" Kevin laughed boisterously, entire body vibrating with pain.

"How could this happen!? HOW!?" Shigaraki screeched petulantly, pulling his hair at the roots.

"If I were you, I'd consider throwing in the towel! I whooped your prized creation's ass with one arm!"

"Pathetic." Shigaraki hissed. "Do you think you've won!?"

He refrained from making another witty retort as the manic villain readjusted his grip on Mr. Aizawa.

"I think you're willing to make a deal."

He knew he was walking on eggshells here.

"Give us back King Tut… and we give you freedom."

When a bewildered Yaoyorozu turned to glare at him for that suggestion, he offered a subtle wink to show that he wasn't serious. The heiress caught onto this detail, and assisted by complimenting his plan.

"That is more than fair. The crimes you've committed today alone would result in a life sentence. Maybe taking this deal won't prevent you from being captured further down the line but it's better to have a running start than not."

Shigaraki sneered in disgust.

"Isn't that what you want? For us to let you go?" Kaminari crossed his arms. "In case you haven't been paying attention— it's eighteen to one."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

Shigaraki snapped his fingers, revealing that rows of Nomufied Shadeshifter's were prowling the perimeter of the central plaza. There had to be close to forty of them. The heiress deflated, perhaps coming to terms with how her bazooka was now woefully inadequate.

"There's too many…"

"Fuck." Kevin bit the inner wall of his cheek.

The boost that One For All has given him was astounding but he was spent. His left arm had gone stark numb. Without Nomu to absorb, he couldn't regenerate from these injuries.

…

The process of regaining cognizance was awful. That dream of the beautiful Aldabra, and him getting to know his transformation, Galapagus, was far too specific to be something he merely imagined while he'd been knocked out. Any theories he developed beforehand about the Omnitrix were effectively thrown in the mental recycle bin.

Izuku never shied away from his emotions (Jiro being the exception). Despite living in a world filled with quirks, he did consider himself to be scientifically minded. What he means by that is usual happenings can be explained in a rational sequence of events. From that evidence gathering we can calculate that, if similar conditions arose again, then its possible to infer how a moment takes place. That knowledge has benefited humanity for centuries.

If souls were real– if they couldn't be destroyed within the very blueprints of the DNA itself… then was this- did this count as irrefutable evidence that an afterlife does, in fact, exist? The immaterial aspect of someone has to go somewhere after they die. It was only logical.

Right?

A frail hand interlinked with his.

"Green, are you- are you up?" Jiro rasped softy beside him.

Her jacks were constantly flinching in response to environmental stimuli.

"Jiro?" He whispered back, trying not to startle her.

Tilting his throbbing head revoked the harsh migraine that had been slowly creeping up on him ever since this morning. She had gauze bandages skillfully tied around her head– to cover where her eyes used to be. It was a gesture he was sure Jiro appreciated, too.

"Friends! Midoriya– he is awake!" They heard Aoyama shouting from above them.

"Green if we don't… you know…?" Her lips pulled taut in an agonized grimace.

Knowing that he was responsible for this… It broke him. A tear rolled across his grime smeared cheek when he heard her sniffle. She didn't deserve this.

"...If we don't make it?" He guessed.

"Yeah." Her voice was small.

"Jiro, I swear, come hell or high water, I am never turning my back on you."

"I-I don't deserve you, Green." She inhaled, chest rattling with deep sobs.

"Trust me when I say the feeling is mutual."

Leaning forward, he became aware of the mindless creatures stalking their movements. For the time being, they seemed to be keeping their distance. Their restlessness was evident in their body language; Tails flicking about hostilely, needle like canines protruding in their drooling mouths. A few had already slithered past the collective camp, and were currently being warded off by Ashido's acid, Aoyama's navel lasers.

Not too far from where he and Jiro were lying, a group of their classmates were discussing the situation.

"Why are they being so cautious, ribbit? Its not like we can defend ourselves if they all attacked at once." Asui pointed out.

Izuku noticed this too, and to test his idea, he visibly brandished the Omnitrix– and observed the nomufied alien's reaction. They recoiled at the presence of the wrist watch, hissing when he unlocked the dial. A glance in Shigaraki's direction helped to confer this as true: Bellowing commands at the top of his lungs meanwhile they stayed oblivious.

"I AM YOUR MASTER! YOU LISTEN TO ME! I AM COMMANDING YOU TO KILL THEM NOW!" The villain screamed shrilly.

"Taking structural instability into account, rising water levels, and a converging army of Nomufied Shadeshifters…" Izuku counted the following scenarios internally.

"...Thirteen thousand meters, compacted within a one hundred fifty meter radius… Guaranteed possibility of picking up fatal debris… Yes, yes I can negate that…" He spoke as if he finished a separate thought in the middle of his muttering.

Kevin, equally as bruised and missing his robotic hand, asked him what the plan was. The initial surprise faded as he found every single one of his classmates looking to him. Even the students who made their dislike of him clear from the first day. Setting his jaw in a hard line, he accepted his role as improvised leader.

Because none of those frivolous things mattered anymore when lives were at stake.

"Gather towards the center of the plaza! Jump in the fountain if you have to– !"

"There's not enough room–!" Hagakure complained.

"Then make room! All of you!" He made a rounding up motion with his finger.

"Keep your heads tucked, hold onto one another, and whatever you do, do NOT let go!"

"What about you!?" Shiozaki clasped her hands together concernedly.

"You're not going to attempt to fight them by yourself?" Yaoyorozu was shocked by his vindication.

He entered a death stare competition with Shigaraki.

"Who said anything about fighting?"

The army of nomufied aliens raced forward. Their camouflage ability adding to the quirked chaos. Todoroki, now slightly warmer from having people huddled in close proximity to him, forged an ice barricade— an igloo— to protect them.

"I'm putting an end to this!" Izuku struck the Omnitrix, causing a superfluous aura to coil around him.

His rib cage expanded, vents opening on his chest, allowing for air to pass through his lymphatic system unobstructed. The same phenomena took place on his back, where his vertebrae extended, stretching his flesh as it merged with a harder surface– a shell. His limbs sprouted from the intermediate shell axle, lime green flippers, to improve aerodynamic flow.

"CYCLONADO!" Izuku's battle cry echoed.

"He- He did the name thing!" Kevin gasped like an excited fanboy.

Levitating, he fused both his legs together, creating a third fan blade to further propel himself along towards his intended destination. His limbs spun so fast they incurred the stroboscopic effect. The resulting vortex sucked in any salt water particles that he accidentally displaced across the facility earlier as Meltdown. They'd be forced to swim if the flooding had continued.

'You will never learn fly again, if you allow fear to dictate your actions.'

Spectators from within the eye of the maelstrom were in awe of how much raw elemental control the turtle alien possessed. Buildings crumbled, the toppled ruins used as ammo to desecrate the enemies in plentiful numbers. Any stragglers were swept up by a category F5 tornado. Rising atmospheric pressures inside the dome funneled these reptilian creatures through the hole in the USJ roof, denying Shigaraki of all the leverage he had.

Cyclonado landed a few meters across from said villain. He tapped the badge on his chest, molding to fit the dimensions of Magnetician.

"Who needs an army when you got this guy on your team!?" Sero laughed while rubbing the welt on his forehead, Kirishima mirroring him.

"This isn't how this was supposed to go!" Shigaraki shrieked rabidly, fingers twitching sporadically with the need to strangle something.

"Surrender, Shiggy. You have nowhere left to run." Izuku thought using the nickname may better urge him to listen.

"Please." He tried again.

The ill man scratched his neck, crimson hatred permeating his being.

"You think the whole world revolves around you… you think, just because you call yourself a hero, that people like us have to listen to you? Agree with you? Are we supposed to coddle you? Tell you, everything is going to be OK, even though your fuck ups are always being pinned on someone else!? Oh, my apologies! You're so noble and virtuous, here is a medal and the key to the city!" His sarcastic tone was laced with venom.

"We don't go around murdering people for fun." Izuku glared.

"Replace fun with necessary." The pale villain smiled savagely.

"At least I don't go around acting like someone I'm not!"

"What kind of logic is that?"

"Sheep!" Shigaraki spit.

"That's what you all are! Sheep! You've been brainwashed into thinking heroes are exempt from committing sin like the rest of us! What size ego must they have to believe they are closer to being perfect than they are flawed!? When you're status is determined at birth!? You don't have a say! We don't have a choice! Nobody does! So you tell me, HERO!? Where is the logic in any of that!?"

"I bet you're a villain because you don't have the balls it takes to be a hero." Kaminari said ruthlessly.

"That's funny, I seem to remember you in particular, frozen with fear, pissing yourself right before Nomu was going to squash you like a bug! You would've been dead too, if it hadn't been for a sniveling classmate of yours stepping in to take the hit– literally!" Shigaraki wheezed with menacing laughter.

"Laugh it up! We'll see who's scared when I–!"

–A pincer halted the blonde's approach.

"What is it?" Kaminari jawed at the magnetic alien.

"You've only proven my point." They both redirected their focus back onto a smug Shigaraki.

"Ego is the folly of mankind, don't you know that? And, I, am the Excalibur, that will chop this, putrid, unjust, self-absorbed thing called hero society, down. I won't stop until I have destroyed everything you love! None of you have the slightest idea, of what's to come!"

"What's with all the crazy talk?" Ashido looked appalled by what she was hearing.

"You could've left when you had the chance! I don't forgive people easily. I will exact revenge for the humiliation you have brought me on this day!"

The red veins in his eyes were pulsing.

"I am going to slaughter every single last one of you with my bare hands…" The unkempt rage was oozing with every annunciation he made.

"...Starting with your teacher!"

BANG!

A bullet lodged into his hand as he lunged for Aizawa. Izuku was relieved to find that the entirety of UA's pro hero staff had answered the call; Nezu, Power Loader, Ectoplasm, Hound Dog, Midnight, Cementoss, Snipe, Present Mic– everyone was here!

"What in tarnation do you think yer' goin!" A western accent belonging to the pro hero Snipe hollered, spinning duel revolvers around his index fingers.

Understanding he was screwed if he stayed, Shigaraki whistled. A Nomufied Shadeshifter materialized a short distance away. It crawled to its master, bowing its head in a form of respect. As if there were an invisible saddle, the pale villain hopped on the creatures back. His parting words: "The clock is ticking."

They lost sight of him in mere seconds after that.

"WOOF! Where is All Might!?" Hound Dog barked.

"He was in the Downpour Zone last I saw him!" Kevin answered immediately.

"Don't worry about him though, he's fine, just resting?" He shrugged, unsure if he had to cover for the man or not.

Cementoss liquidated and solidified a ramp to connect the main entrance and the central plaza. Shoji hoisted a woozy Aizawa over his shoulder, carrying Mineta on his other. Izuku was about to do the same for Jiro when he saw her being carried to safety by multiple ectoplasm clones. Confident she was out of harm's way, he made sure to do a headcount to ensure everyone was safe.

'I think we all made it: Iida and Thirteen must be at UA.'

—An ominous groan reminded them of USJ's impending demise. Portions of the emergency paneling started to break off.

"We have to get out of here!" Kaminari stated the obvious.

One of the four primary support beams snapped, the giant slab of steel casting a pitch black shadow on the floor. Protecting his teachers and classmates from being flattened, Izuku sent forth a magnetic deflection field. This alien was durable, no doubt about that– but he wasn't as durable as, say, an Iron Jaw– or a Meltdown containment suit. The problem was that not all of the raining rubble was composed of metal.

"GO! I CAN HOLD IT! DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!" He shouted reassurances to his classmates– his friends.

The weight pressing on his shoulders increased, slowing his ascent drastically. His feet cracked and sluggishly sunk into the gravel, exemplifying the force he was repelling. Stars fluttered about in his vision, secluded nausea hindering the steps he took. He made it halfway up Cementoss' ramp before the ordorless stench of mercury filled his nasal passages.

'I can't give up! I have to save everyone! I have to! I HAVE TO!' He chanted to himself mentally.

'As long as they are OK, its worth every… drop…' The metallic liquid spilt from the edge of his mouth.

That was the only thing that mattered to Izuku in this moment. So desperate was he, to prove he was a hero– so eager to show that he belonged, that he fought through the pain that stifled him.

At the main entrance, their teachers and several paramedic units were waiting to pull them out. Jiro, Kirishima, and Mr. Aizawa were among the first to be evacuated– given the extent of their wounds. Mineta, Kevin and Sato (With a dazed Kurogiri taped onto his back), were next, accompanied by Shoji, Asui, Sero, and Hagakure.

Tokoyami's cheek was swollen, and his beak– crooked and grossly bloodied. He traversed the final step on his lonesome. The raven headed boy was perceptibly distraught. In his arms, the sentient quirk, Dark Shadow, laid limp and motionless.

A panting Yaoyorozu was pulled along by Shiozaki, who was in turn, tugged along faster by a red-faced Koda. Kaminari, Aoyama, and Ashido would close the gap between them. That left one student in the Danger Zone: Shoto Todoroki.

Yes, that is what he was calling it in his head.

The heterochromatic teen was limping, and rather badly at that. It appeared as though no significant weight could be placed on his left ankle. Needless to say, this hindered his pace. If he hadn't refused Ashido's offer for help, he wouldn't be in this situation.

"Huh, must be a pride thing." She remarked.

Just as Izuku thought they were both going to make it, the Omnitrix decided to do something its never done before: It timed out.

So what happened to the hundred metric tons of hulking metal he was keeping at bay as Magnetician? The simple answer?

G

R

A

V

I

T

Y.

He had just a split second to duck for cover, and it was by pure luck that he wasn't smashed to bits. The collision aggravated his concussed state, and the dust filtering in his lungs wasn't improving conditions either. Coughing, he checked the Omnitrix. The hourglass symbol was flashing a red ring.

"What's… this… s'posed mean?"

'̵͍͑I̵̓͜t̶̄͜ ̵͓̓m̶̡͋e̴̤̍ȧ̷̦ṉ̸̽ś̵̪ ̷̖̾ẏ̵̪ơ̷͉u̶̩͛r̴̫͆ ̸̥͛a̵̬͌b̷̬̅o̴̟̚ū̸̗t̷͍̀ ̸̪͒t̴͔̂o̵̢̒ ̴̨̔d̷͔̓i̷̺̔é̷̪,̶̘̂ ̵̩̽ñ̴̩ö̴̦́t̵̖͗ ̷͚̀ė̴̙v̸̼̓e̶͕̾n̶̮͋ ̶̫̏t̸̫̓ĥ̴̥e̶̒͜ ̴̲̏O̶͉͑m̷̬̊n̵͚̉i̵̘̍t̶̛̰r̵͖̕í̷͎x̴̫̆ ̷̮͘c̸̪̕ā̴̬n̴̬̎ ̴͓͝s̵͎͂a̶̖̋ṿ̵̌ẻ̷͈ ̵̜̂y̵͙̑ȍ̸̼ú̶̦ ̵̎ͅf̵͇͂ṟ̵͑o̶̞͛m̸̬̀ ̷̦̈́a̸̖͘ ̶̳̔b̴͙́r̵̩̅a̷̻͑ī̶̭n̸̘̽ ̴͔̾a̴͉͒ṇ̶̑e̴̘̓u̸̙̕r̷̞̕y̸̦͐ṣ̶̒m̷͖̎.̸̥̀'̷̫̀

"Oh…"

He could vaguely hear Eon sighing.

'̵̧͌N̵̩͊o̸̦͌ ̴͓̕w̶͈͝ö̵̪n̴͉̕ḋ̷̹e̸̥̅r̴̦̀ ̸̯͋y̸͎̆ő̶̧u̶͔̔ ̸̻̎c̸̣̀ã̸̠n̵͙͗'̶̡͐ṯ̴̃ ̷̟̌d̸͉̈́o̵̫͂ ̶̦̄a̷̝̓n̵̼̚y̵̜̒t̵͖͋h̶̞͑ĩ̶͚ǹ̴͖g̸̳̑ ̴͉̇r̵̯͆ì̴͚g̸̻͋h̸̘̉t̴̞̿.̴̱̾ ̸͉͊L̸̗̔o̵̝͆o̷̅͜k̶̨̐,̴̣͝ ̶̬̂ị̷̊f̴̱̓ ̸͚̔ỳ̵̡o̵͘ͅǔ̵̪ ̶̮̅w̴͉̌e̷̬̒r̵̾ͅe̶̝͝ ̶̠̄p̸͓̐l̶͚̓å̶̘n̸̦̽n̴͖̐i̶͇̿n̴̟̆g̷̫͝ ̵̠̍o̷͖̐n̴̫̉ ̸͇́s̷̥̈́a̴̰̿c̶̡͒ŕ̶̜i̷̫̔f̴̲͆i̴͂ͅc̷̣͘ì̸̹ņ̸̓g̵͕̾ ̷̲̈́y̴͘͜ơ̴͓ǘ̸̩r̶̭͐ș̴̒e̶̱͑l̶͍̆ḟ̸͚,̷͉̂ ̶̗͆t̸̼̋ḩ̸̑e̴̘͘ ̵̹̂l̵̝͝ȇ̸̜ä̴̧́s̵̹͘t̸̹̐ ̷̫̂y̶̝̑ȍ̸̧u̶̻̚ ̵̙̀ć̶̮o̶͖͑u̶̪͐l̴͇͝ḓ̶͝ ̵͍͗d̷̠͝o̸̲̚ ̸͙̿i̷̼͛š̶̜ ̸̹̓g̶̭̓i̵̤̇ṿ̴͐e̸̹̐ ̴͓͐m̷͈͋e̶̳͘ ̶̱̄c̸̣͘o̷͍̔n̴̅͜ṭ̶̓r̴̯̒ǒ̷̗l̴̩͂:̶̢͋ ̶̮͋A̶̼̽l̵̮͂l̸̟̔o̷͈̐ẁ̴̖ ̶̜́m̷̺͛ĕ̴̲ ̷̢̈́ť̵͜ȏ̵͍ ̸̥̾ẖ̵͛ạ̵̊n̸͚̿ḓ̶̾ĺ̶̘e̷̖͋ ̸̛̬t̴̪̀h̴̬͊ȇ̶͕ ̶̧͠m̶̡̛é̸͙ś̷̤ṣ̴̉ ̴̢́ỵ̴̏o̸͎͑u̷̠͊ ̷̣̎s̶͓͒o̵̩̊ ̷̬̚ǵ̶͉r̷̪̎ä̵̜́č̷̡ĩ̸̥ö̷̻́u̸̲̇s̵͎̓l̴͉̆ẙ̵̳ ̵̻̐c̸̻̽r̶̤͑e̶̝̓ȧ̸͕t̷̫̀ȅ̷̼ḏ̸͊.̸̡͠'̷̙̒

"You're delusional if you think I'm ever giving you control again. Not after what you made me do to Shirai."

'̶̤̎I̸̮̐ ̴̡̐h̸̯̉i̸̺͠g̵̨͂ḩ̵͠ḽ̶̛y̴̗͝ ̶͔͝d̵̹̉o̸͘ͅu̵̧̅b̸̖̆t̵͜͠ ̴̳̂t̵̲̾h̷͎̽a̸̩̒t̵̰͗.̸̡̅ ̸̄͜Ỳ̴̥o̸͕͠ů̷̹ ̷͓̕õ̵̻ñ̷̗l̵̘̏ỹ̷̬ ̵̲͒ĺ̵̩a̷̼͋s̷̜͊t̶͔̎é̷̞d̷̻̓ ̷̞̔t̷̳͗h̴͐͜i̶̳̕s̴͍̾ ̷͕̒l̸̫̎ọ̸̅n̶̼̏g̷̰͒ ̸̙̀b̶̧̿e̷̖̕c̵̺͐a̵͖͝ů̸̖s̴̨̚e̸̢̔ ̴́͜o̷̰͝f̶̮͝ ̷̧͘m̶͈͐ẻ̷̜,̷̜͋ ̸̹̕r̴̯͊ẽ̶̡m̴̯̕e̷̺͑m̶̼͘b̸̘̋e̵̻͛r̷͜͝?̸͇͐ ̷̡͐Ḧ̴̩́ḙ̵̋y̴̳͌!̷͎͐ ̵̢̈A̶̖̒r̶̯͐e̵̲͂ ̴̰̀y̴̎ͅò̶͓ü̴̧ ̵̩̑e̶̜͑v̸̫́e̷̳̽n̷͙͂ ̸͚̌ḻ̸̓i̵̝̍s̸̻̔ẗ̶̲́ě̶͔n̵̪̔î̸͎ń̶̠ḡ̵͈ ̷̱̎ț̴̕ó̵͜ ̴̟̽m̵̩̔e̸͓͒!̸͍͑?̸̰̐'̸̹͛

"Sorry, what was that?"

'̷̠̓W̷̯̏e̵̛͜'̵͈̊r̶̹͌ê̶͍ ̵̩́d̸̛̹o̸̜̽ö̴̗́m̵̨̍ě̵̳ď̵ͅ!̶̜̇'̷͔̏

Swallowing the bulb of fear lodged in his throat, he crawled beneath the unstable wreckage. He burnt and cut his fingers on the twisted wiring and shredded scarp metal. The folding framework of the USJ swelled with the rise of uninhibited flames– a byproduct of the Conflagration Zone.

"TODOROKI!" He called out to his classmates several times, praying that he survived and somehow he'd be able to hear him amidst the commotion.

A tiny pebble bounced off his thigh, urging Izuku's eyes to trail the direction from which it came, leading them towards a concrete girder. They widened upon spotting the white sleeve waving at him.

"Todoroki!"

"Midoriya…"

"Where are you hurt!?"

"I can't… feel… below my waist."

This was bad.

"Hang, ON!" He released a feral scream as he attempted to lift the dense column.

He tried lifting with his legs, tackling from different angles– nothing worked. It didn't budge an inch. Desperation was kicking in at max velocity.

"Everything… is going to be OK!" Sweat slickened his grip.

"Its not worth it… Midoriya…" They regarded one another during the struggle.

"Leave me. Save yourself. You were a far greater hero than I ever was."

Listening to Todoroki– knowing that he would rather trade his own soul than have another be taken too soon? His classmate deserved the chance to be the author of his own destiny.

"Don't say that! I'm not… giving up!" Adrenaline fueled his spontaneous burst of hysterical strength.

As the girder shifted thanks to his efforts, Todoroki was able to squeeze himself past the cage of misshapen rebar.

"You'll be crushed the second you let go of that!" He pointed out.

"MOVE, DAMNIT!" He grit his teeth.

Todoroki's mouth snapped shut, as he accepted that Izuku was too stubborn to be reasoned with, he crawled forward on his stomach. The initial stages of hypothermia lingered in him still, despite the rancid heat prickling at their skin.

Izuku's arms were quaking from the strain.

Once he was sure his classmate was in the clear, his energy reserves fizzled. His legs gave, burying Izuku at the base of a fragmented mountain. Thinking he was responsible for the death of his classmate, Todoroki laid on his side, unblinking– in shock.

"Midoriya sacrificed himself for me?"

Why would he do that?

"–Shoto Todoroki." White leather boots crunched the gravel beside his head.

"If you're going… to kill me… then get it over with." He exhaled mist.

"Son of Endeavor…your blood… runs through me…"

…

Nokan Shisho gazed down at his hands– fascinated by how the blackened flesh flaked off and scattered itself in the wind. He contemplated what these hands meant to him. These were the hands that spent hours playing in the sandbox as a child– the same pair that dug his dead friend out from underneath a collapsed building. Ironically, he was waiting to meet that same exact fate.

These were the hands that cradled a baby boy he helped bring into this world– the same pair that gouged the eyes out of an innocent girl who aimed to make that place better for people to live in. A philosophy he once followed religiously.

These were the hands that placed tens of thousands of criminals in cuffs for the betterment of society. They were the same pair that hijacked a train, shot a man– and then a teenage boy all in an attempt to commit mass suicide.

"What… have I… become?" A tearful stream spilt from his decaying eyelid.

That's not what these hands were meant for.

"What… have I… done?" He cried because his family– they would hate him if they knew.

No.

Hate isn't strong enough a word to describe how they'd see him.

Deep, deeply buried in the furthest reaches of his fractured psyche, a single grain of truth had remained for over decade: That Atera and Taino dying in that apartment fire, had been an accident. But his pride– his ego– couldn't accept that. He was unable to face the reality that it wasn't Endeavor's intent to kill his family.

He was a professional hero, too.

Of course it hadn't been on purpose. His hellfire quirk was naturally volatile and dangerous, and for as much effort he placed into training it in the pursuit of excellence– of surpassing All Might– he was also capable of making mistakes. Egregious mistakes.

Like the mistake that cost Nokan his wife and son.

He thought of their faces.

Had Endeavor even apologized?

Wait, he remembered it now!

Yes, Endeavor did give him an apology, his delivery was…

It was sincere– even expressing remorse.

But Nokan– he was furious.

He remembered how he'd been so furious that he attacked Endeavor in the middle of the courtroom. When the bandages covering the fresh scar tissue on the right half of his face came undone, it exposed his hideous burn to the denizens of the judicial council. How he had screamed, 'I HATE YOU!' Over and over again. When they sided against him, displaying sympathy towards Endeavor's story, he hadn't been able to cope with it.

A pity vote.

It drove him mad.

Perhaps it unsettled them to see one hero trying to revoke another's license– to happily destroy his reputation– over one poignant, crucial error. Something that is unavoidable in their field of work. Endeavor was the number two hero in all of Japan, and maintained that rank for an unprecedented amount of time: An achievement difficult to scoff at.

If he'd chosen to go to sleep earlier the night before…

If he hadn't stayed in bed that morning for an extra two minutes…

There were hundreds of occurrences that impacted the final result, and it just so happened that Nokan was the bizarre victim of circumstance and coincidence. Instead of taking that at frontal value, like he should've– he lashed out at the flame hero, targeting him as the source of his grief. He lost sight of what he wanted– of what he fought for:

A brighter tomorrow.

"Todoroki!"

From the sturdy archway he was standing under, he could see Midoriya desperately trying to help his classmate escape the collapse. A hopeless task, given the fact he wasn't transformed. The act of bravery, stunning as it was, forced him to stare into the abyss.

It wasn't his future he'd been trying to protect.

Against all odds, Midoriya managed to pull his fellow classmen from the wreckage.

'My littler brother is in that class… His name is Shoto.'

That's right... He had promised Dabi he wouldn't hurt his family. But, if his last name was Todoroki… It felt as though a hammer bludgeoned his gut, as his organs were beginning to fail. His heart stuttered, knees locking.

Dabi and Shoto Todoroki were brothers.

Endeavor was their father.

His own son plotted against him– wanted to murder him.

'Why does Endeavor get to have a family if I can't?' It was that exact ponderance that confirmed in his mind that he was no better than that man he labeled a monster.

He blasted the USJ wall with a pillar of blue flame, melting it through like a lava chamber, and deposited a bewildered Shoto on the grass outside. Willingly, he turned heel and ran back inside. His selfish version of justice is what guided him along this immoral path– that fueled him with sinister energy. He remolded to fit the worst possible variation of himself: A mere pawn for a malevolent overlord.

A monster– a nomu.

And that was the small, ugly, grain of truth, washing up on shore. Because if he was capable of this amount of apathy– this level of spineless, cold-blooded instinct, then was he ever truly a hero? Were his ideals meaningless? What other atrocities was Shirai capable of committing?

Nokan didn't agree with the politics that came with the hero scene– never had. It created distractions that shouldn't be there in the first place, and it undermined the core values and ethics of said career path. The most damning misuse had to be the ranking system.

How could a man resolve eight thousand cases in one year, single-handedly, and there still be crime rampant in the area? How could a man break the record for resolved cases in a year and be ranked tenth?

Is it because the guy standing at the number one spot smiled more?

Nokan had used his Forewarning as an instrument to abuse his altruistic philosophy. Because if you could look into another person's life six months from now, and warn them about a cancer diagnosis– wouldn't you?

Being a pro hero meant he had a license to do that to everybody he met. That thrill– the giddiness and pure joy of simply knowing he improved someone else's life drastically with a mere few sentences and friendly pat on the shoulder?

It was intoxicating.

He analogized himself to Charon, the ferryman of Hades. In Greek mythos, he carried the lost souls across the Acheron and Styx rivers– which separated the worlds of the living and the deceased. The souls buried without coins were unable to pay the fee to pass, and thus were stuck to wander the riverbanks for a hundred years before they were allowed to cross.

Except Seer didn't require a fee to allow someone entrance into an improved version of life.

"When they can't see your face…"

There is always a choice to be made.

"...They forget your name. The loop… dies with me."

…

Izuku wondered if this is what it felt like to be on the inside of a coffin: No room to stretch his arms or bend his legs and total darkness. He was stuck in a fetal position, compressed beneath a dozen layers of limestone and iron. The fires starved the area of any breathable oxygen. Teetering on the brink of unconsciousness, he thought of the people who supported his dream and instilled the confidence in him to keep going.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I can't hold on anymore. I hope–!" He wept.

'–I hope I made you proud!'

"Midoriya… must LIVE!"

The suffocating weight on top of him disappeared, as Shirai heaved the material upwards effortlessly. Lacking the energy required to fight, Izuku would promptly be folded over the man's shoulder like a teddy bear. He had about a million questions, but there was only one he cared to ask.

"Why?"

He had to know.

"True… strength…Midoriya…have… did what… I… could not…" There were cracks forming on the villain bosses skin, as he prodded the area of his chest where his heart was beating.

"Never… lost… heart…" Shirai slurred, if it wasn't obvious before that his body was actively tearing itself apart– he went ahead and finished the mission.

"Had to… tell you…" His red iris shone brilliantly.

"She… is proud…"

'She? He doesn't mean–!?'

Shirai tossed him into the outstretched arms of Power Loader. It seemed the excavation hero was the first person to locate them, as he was by his lonesome searching for survivors. Before Izuku was able to properly conceive what was happening, the tunnel entrance had caved in. The barricade symbolized the villain's end– and the vow he failed to uphold.

He pleaded breathlessly with his teacher to go back for Shirai.

"Some people don't want to be saved, kid! And we aren't home free yet!" He grunted in exertion.

The constant beeping of the Omnitix drowned out all the his other senses. His memory following the tragic event was clouded by static fog. Vaguely, he registered a doctor flashing a light in his eye. Nurses frantically rushed about, fetching the required tools, whilst Izuku prayed the past year was nothing more than a terrible nightmare.

He dreamt of his mother's katsudon.

…

He used to make an effort to keep himself neatly groomed. Nowadays, he lacked the energy to pick up a razor. If asked, he wouldn't deny that he enjoyed stroking his lightly stubbled chin. That explained why Naomasa Tsukauchi hadn't shaved in over a month.

Until they started an official investigation, questions were the only thing the detective had readily available to him. Scanning the ruins of the USJ, he brandished a pair of binoculars. A magnified view told much of the same story: The protective panels of the dome had either been ejected far away from the facility or were deeply embedded inside. What remained of the framework was now oxidized– and wires hung from them like lethal cobwebs. The cracks zigzagging across the surface of the asphalt, indicated immense amounts of seismic activity. First responders told them they had witnessed lava as well.

All Might was powerful, but Tsukauchi knew he would never endanger his students like that— not for any villain.

"Jesus, Blue, are we sure they all made it out of there? It looks like somebody dropped a nuke on this place." Sansa spoke up from behind him.

Turning to face his partner, he filled him in: "Besides the student from 1-A who was suspended for the week, and the exception of Thirteen and a few low rate thugs– both teachers and the nineteen students involved are safe and accounted for."

"Thank god." The cat man gave a sigh of relief.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing kids in this job."

"Yeah… but that's the world we live in, sadly."

"Always the optimist, never the cynic." His partner meowed mockingly.

"I'm only optimistic about things I know to be true. I direct my cynicism towards those who deserve it: Like villains. Besides, if I was an optimist like you, then neither of us would be here." Tsukauchi rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to walk the perimeter." He decided, pushing the binoculars into his partner's feline arms.

"That's a lot of ground to cover? How about we take different sides? Meet in the middle?"

"How about, instead of doing that, you go talk to the captain of the evidence team and see if they've found anything noteworthy."

Sansa frowned, unsatisfied with the direct order.

"Anything noteworthy? Like what? This was obviously a coordinated attack. All Might survived– Shigaraki's master plan failed? Once the interrogations start, we'll be kicking down doors in no time."

"An operation of this magnitude couldn't have been pulled off by just any ring of common criminals. The person responsible is definitely in cahoots with a larger organization." Tsukauchi shook his head stubbornly.

Sansa scoffed. "The douche-collars at the HPSC: What do they got to say about this?"

"The HPSC has agreed to aid us in the investigation."

Sansa groaned inwardly at having to do work.

"Fine. You win. I'll go see if the evidence team has found anything, so don't get lost out there OK? I don't wanna have to drag your ass back to the squad car again."

The partners shared a mirthful chuckle, before heading their separate ways.

To gain a better vantage point, Tsukauchi scaled the warped rock using the exposed rebar jutting from the outer wall. Navigating atop the rubble, he was able to infer how the zones had imploded and intermixed. He rubbed his chin, contemplating how much it cost to make this place– much less repair it.

That's when he noticed the broad figure donning a trench coat rummaging amongst the heap of debris. Running through a mental checklist of names, he concluded there wasn't anyone in his squadron who stood at that height. Taking matters into his own hands, he followed this mystery person to see if you he could figure out what they were scavenging for.

"Hey! This is a restricted area!" He shouted authoritatively.

Stopping, they rotated slowly as to not alarm the detective any further.

"What are you doing down here!?"

There face was concealed by a white flannel cloth; No holes for eyes, a nose, or even a mouth.

"What are you doing down here!?" He repeated, in case they didn't understand him the first time.

When they didn't respond, he reached into his pocket for his radio. The mystery person interpreted this action differently, abandoning the peaceful option in favor of sprinting directly at him, losing their black fedora in the process. As they neared, the audible hum of the war-worn USJ faded.

"FREEZE!" The yell was sequestered from his lungs as a sharp sting jolted his lower abdominals.

He inspected the damage, and saw four talons impaling his diaphragm. Understanding this was his last stand, Tsukauchi shakily dragged the standard pistol from his coat pocket. Aiming it for the blank mask, he fired twice– gasping as their beastly hand snuffed the bullet chamber and swatted the weapon away from his grasp. Splayed flat on his back, drowsy from blood loss, the ambient sounds of the world returned. Weakly, he tugged at his police radio, pressing the button to talk.

"Sansa… villain… in the area… send… reinforcements…" He choked on his final breath, arm falling limp, communication device tumbling to the ground.

"Tsukauchi? Copy? Did you say there's a villain? Where are you? Tsukauchi, do you copy!?"

He always had a hunch he'd die on the job.

---

TEN TIMES THE HERO WILL RETURN

---

Author's Notes:

1. Happy one year anniversary! This story is officially over a year old!

2. Do you guys prefer longer or shorter chapters? LMK.