Before we start, I want to respond to a review from a guest named Ironchef13 directly. Unfortunately, any fic can be left unfinished and dead in the water, and, unfortunately, this happened to a fic you like. The issue with finishing unfinished fics is that the pacing and spirit of a fic done by different writers would be too noticeable, and I never found much interest in Generator Rex. I'm sure someone out there can adopt the story and write it beautifully, but it won't be me.
Of those who don't know, the story is called Alpha by Fire Wolf 2132.
One more thing: this story's rating might change later on. There is a conversation at the end of this chapter that might...resonate with some people negatively. I'm not too sure. If you feel it, you're free to message me privately. If you can't read the last part of this chapter, please don't force yourself to finish it. I'll have a better warning when a future chapter is coming up.
Hell would be too pleasant of a word to describe the training that Deku put his students through.
On the first day, Deku made the two young heroes get up from their spots on the ground and work on moving in their suits. They spent ten minutes getting to their feet, and that was when the Symbol of Peace changed it up. They had to walk from the halfway point in the gym to the end, give Deku a high-five, and walk back to tag in their partner.
In 30 minutes, Midoriya and Bakugo managed to complete their task three times before packing it up and leaving. Deku packed up their suits in the act of mercy and put them away, but only for that time. The two young heroes shuffled back to their dorms, where they collapsed in their rooms, exhausted.
And so, for four times a week, Midoriya and Bakugo would find themselves at Deku's mercy. It took two weeks for them to get used to the suits, and once they did, they did their warmups in them. They walked just fine, but running was another story. Once they were through running and doing their warmups and stretches, Deku would have them begin their combat training.
The first was kickboxing. Getting the two heroes to throw structured punches and kicks without exaggerating their moves proved to be complicated. Midoriya almost threw out his back, winding up a roundhouse kick because "I've always done that without an issue."
That earned him a chop on the head.
Bakugo's jabs and crosses were open-palmed like he was firing an explosion off. When he was asked why he was doing that, the explosive young hero flipped Deku off and kept working on it.
He also got a chop to the head.
Once they were through the basics, which took a week and a half, Deku put more form into their combat by practicing with the suits. One of them would hold a foam shield or hand-held targets while the other would strike as instructed. They got the general forms down without an issue, save for Bakugo almost throwing 60 kgs at Midoriya's head.
60 kg became 75 kg after one incident.
When the training was complete, they moved on to the basics in other martial arts forms. Judo allowed them to get the feeling of throwing their weight around and using their opponent's energy against them. While no punches were thrown, the two young heroes found themselves flying around the training field by their opponents.
Bakugo found himself seething whenever Midoriya gained the upper hand during some fights. It got worse when he started winning their sparring matches.
Eventually, the month came to a close, and while neither of them cared to admit it, they each gained more strength than if they trained alone. As a result, their sessions changed times throughout the month, eventually landing them the final time slot of the day: 6:00. This meant that on more than one occasion, a 1-hour training session lasted for close to 2.
One night, Deku clapped loudly, interrupting their training. "Water break!" He called out.
The two young heroes stopped their shadowboxing session and groaned. "Thank you, sir!" They both called out.
Snipe lost the equivalent of $20 to Deku when Bakugo started going "Yes sir!" and "Thank you, sir!"
They both grabbed their water bottles and downed the ice-cold beverage. "Excellent work, you two. You're progressing faster than I anticipated," Deku complimented them.
"See, I can train harder than this nerd, even with the extra weight!" Bakugo yelled as he gulped down some ice.
"You're not carrying 320 kgs, Kacchan," Midoriya remarked.
"Shut up!"
Deku smiled. "Anyway! The both of you should be proud of yourselves. So please keep what I've been teaching you to heart, alright?"
He turned to his younger self. "No more winding up attacks. Besides the fact that your enemies can see them coming and evade, one wrong move can severely injure you. A quick snap!" Deku demonstrated a quick jab that moved so fast that neither registered it until his fist came back. "Can hurt just as much as a wind-up attack."
"And you, Bakugo. Keeping a calm head can uncloud your thoughts, allowing you to think more straightforward than you thought possible. You're deadly in close-quarters combat. I've seen you tinker with your suit in the future, allowing you to store your sweat in the knuckles of your gloves. A jab and cross combo with nitroglycerin sweat underneath can produce low-power, high-stun attacks," Deku said.
"Wai-seriously? I can do that?" Bakugo asked with a smile on his face.
Deku nodded. "It was kinda funny when you showed it off the first time. I've never seen Ochaco flip anyone over her shoulder that fast," he said.
Bakugo shrugged. "As long as I tested it out on her, I call that a win."
Deku smirked. "Anyway, you guys have been doing great. Based on your progress, I'd say you'll fulfill the basic learning objective before the next term starts," he said. "And I think you guys would want a rematch with me soon."
"That is exactly what I've been thinking," Bakugo said. "You ain't returning to the future until your face meets the dirt!"
"Charming..."
Midoriya chuckled while Bakugo glared at the Symbol of Peace. "Oi, Deku. You going to ask him?"
"I was about to. Thanks, Kacchan," Midoriya said.
Deku raised a brow. "Ask me what?" He turned to his younger self.
Midoriya sighed. "Well...we were hoping that you could...chaperone a mini field trip on Saturday."
Deku raised a brow at Bakugo. "When did you decide this?" He asked the explosive young hero.
Bakugo shrugged. "I just heard about it earlier today. Ask the nerd," he said.
The Symbol of Peace turned to his younger self. "Same question."
Midoriya looked away. "Um...since Sunday," he said.
"And...you just now decided to tell me this? Where are you planning to go?" He asked.
"Just the Tower...the area around the Tower."
"The Tow-"
Deku's eyes widened. "T-The Tower? In Minato?"
"Uh...yes?" Midoriya reiterated.
Deku felt his heart stop for a second. He clenched his fist, crushing the water bottle he had just gotten. "Whose idea was it to go to Minato?" He asked in a calm voice.
"Uh..." Midoriya eyed his rival, who only shrugged. "It was a group decision. I think it was Kirishima who suggested it. Or maybe it was Yaoyorozu."
Deku sighed. He shook his hand and grabbed a towel. "You guys are done for the day. Put away the gear and head on out."
Midoriya and Bakugo eyed each other. "Deku? What's going on?" Bakugo asked.
"Nothing. Just do as I asked."
The two young heroes eyed each other and set their water bottles down. Deku didn't face them as they slipped their jackets off, exposing them to the cool summer air. They changed into their gym sweats and placed their weighted clothes into their boxes. They carefully lifted the boxes and returned them to their spots on the provided table.
They left the gym with the Symbol slowly following them. The trio walked in silence, a stark contrast to the previous training sessions. As they walked, Deku found himself imagining the Tokyo Tower with a massive dent in its spire. He also could remember the observation deck housing two broken and headless Nomu.
Deku shook the image out of his mind. He sighed and eventually made it to the dorm house. They walked in to be hit with the smell of roast beef and buttery bread. Midoriya had to shove his fist into his mouth to stop himself from drooling. He didn't have to look over at his rival to know he was doing the same thing.
Thankfully, the food wasn't ready yet. Iida walked out of the kitchen with a towel in hand. "Ah, you're done early! How was training?" He asked.
"Tiring," Midoriya answered. "Food smells great!"
Iida smiled and nodded. "Dinner will be ready soon. Go wash up before getting comfortable. Tonight is movie night!" He declared.
Midoriya smiled as he made his way upstairs. Deku sighed and looked over to see Yaoyorozu checking on the TV. "Yaoyorozu!"
The Class Rep jumped in place and looked over. "As soon as you're done with that, meet me outside. We need to go over some things."
Yaoyorozu stood straight. "I'm available now." She turned to Sero. "Get the movie ready."
Sero nodded while the Class Rep followed Deku out the door. Uraraka turned to Mina with raised brows while the acid queen shrugged. "Maybe he'll be our chaperone?" She guessed.
"Deku would've just said yes," Uraraka said.
When Yaoyorozu exited the building, Midoriya and Bakugo returned from their rooms and made their way to the showers. Sato, who was helping with dinner, leaned over. "Hey, is Deku okay? He doesn't look too good," he said.
"Don't know. Don't care," Bakugo said. "I'm taking a shower. Don't start eating without me!"
"Perish the thought," Uraraka muttered as he walked away.
With the door closed behind her, Yaoyorozu looked up at the Symbol of Peace. Deku had his arms crossed as he glared at the mini forest. "So...you suggested Tokyo for a class vacation?" He asked her.
Yaoyorozu stood straight. "It was a group decision, but yes. The Tokyo Tower and surrounding areas," she said with a smile on her face.
"The Tower...in Minato?"
"That's right."
"Near Marunouchi?"
Yaoyorozu raised a single brow. "Um...yes?"
Deku sighed. "The financial district where I defeated Tomura Shigaraki and destroyed the Paranormal Liberation Front?"
Yaoyorozu nodded silently before her eyes widened. "Oh...oh no..."
Deku turned to her and nodded slowly. "From your reaction, it's safe to say that you didn't know that Minato is where the majority of the battle was fought. So it sounds like it was an honest mistake," he said.
"YES! I-I mean, yes, it was. I'm so sorry!"
Deku sighed and shook his head. "Look, I'll be your chaperone for Saturday. We can borrow the school's mini-bus so that transportation won't be an issue. But that means I'm expecting you and everyone training tomorrow to put their backs into it. I'm expecting you and Ojiro tomorrow morning at 10, and you have mastered the forms I assigned for you," he said.
Yaoyorozu smiled and bowed. "Of course. Is that all?"
Deku narrowed his eyes. "Don't scare me like that again. I'm overlooking this close jab at my past because it's obvious you didn't know. Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence. I'm sure you know what three times is, right?"
"Yes, I know," Yaoyorozu looked down with a slight blush. "It won't happen again."
Deku nodded. "Now, get inside and eat. I'm sure the boys are done with their shower by now."
The Class Rep nodded and turned to the door. "Are you coming in?" She asked.
"In a bit. It feels nice out here," he said.
Yaoyorozu walked back into the building, leaving the Symbol of Peace outside. He pulled out his phone and read the hero alerts he got. He swiped past them and opened up his voicemail box. He scrolled through some of them before landing on one from Uravity. This was months ago, and the message was short. Deku's finger hovered over the message, but he growled as he did. His thumb twitched as it stayed in place.
"Don't be torturing yourself, Izuku. You already know who you're fighting for..." a woman's voice said in his head.
"I was supposed to protect her, Nana. Every time I hear this message, it reminds me of my failure and what I need to do to rectify it," Deku said.
"You're fueling the fires of revenge, Izuku. Remember what happened last time you let those flames grow out of control," Nana warned.
Deku nodded. He locked and pocketed his phone. "It's not a time I like remembering..."
"Neither do I, but it happened. Fight for justice, but do it right. Control your heart," the Seventh User advised.
"I will. Thank you, Master Shimura."
The Symbol of Peace looked out onto the darkening world. A gentle breeze blew through the campus, hitting Deku in the face. He smiled and walked into the building.
Meanwhile, in the future...
Uravity's office at the Toshinori Hero Agency was unlike Deku's and Creati's. Her partner desk had several astronomical instruments, including a model telescope, an orrery, and three large star maps with post-its all over them. The ceiling was painted to look like the night sky, with several constellations clearly visible. There was a small Thirteen figurine on her desk with their thumb raised.
The anti-gravity hero sat at her desk inside the agency. In front of her was a small tablet with the screen lit up. Across from her were the rest of the original strike team, including Pinky, Mei Hatsume, and Abigail Winters. There were also the former top heroes Hawks, Best Jeanist, and The Lurkers (Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady). Creati had the hard drive she was working to crack open in her hands.
Uravity eyed the landline telephone in the middle of her desk. "Mandalay? You got a secure connection?" She asked.
"All clear, here," she responded.
"Shouto, you too?"
"I'm not using a payphone..."
"Mirko?"
"What's up, doc?"
Abigail chuckled, earning an eye roll and a smirk from Uravity. "Perfect, so we're ready. Remember to relay the information given to your allies as soon as possible. We must coordinate these raids to avoid losing the element of surprise," she said.
"Let's not waste a minute of this shit! Lay it down!"
Uravity sat straight. "Creati, you're up."
The Everything Hero nodded. "We cracked the hard drives thanks to Abigail Winter's codebreaker program. Someone inside the Discord Organization has been taking extensive notes of the Chaos King's dealings. There are massive files filled to the brim with the names of local and federal officials on his payroll. While the Chaos King hasn't touched the Prime Minister's office, many departments within the parliament are compromised," she reported. "That also includes the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Columbia, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and a few countries in North Africa."
"Shit...he's going that far?"
"That's the result of six years of hard work!" Dynamight boomed. "This bastard has been reaching far..."
"And getting bolder with each operation. I helped some of the local heroes with a gun-running operation. We confiscated several tons of Q-Series rifles and pistols this past weekend," Shouto reported.
"Same with drugs. We got a shit-ton of Trigger and Instant-Villain vials here," Mirko said. "Do they know something we don't?"
"Maybe. The hard drive didn't reveal much about his final act, but there's good news. Whoever is leaving this information also left behind the location of a massive server farm in Japan," Creati said. "This facility could be the final nail on his coffin."
"Weapons shipments?" Mandalay asked.
"Maybe everything. Guns, drugs, Quirks...people," Uravity said. Her eyes darkened when she mentioned the trafficking operation. "This can be a virtual goldmine that can tip the scales in our favor."
"Right...and we have the full support of the police. We've cleared the local departments, right?"
"We have the local chiefs reassigning those who are on his payroll to a menial assignment. If the server farm pans out, then they'll be arrested," Creati said. "But for the most part, these raids will be legal."
"So, what's the play?" Mirko asked.
"Mirko: you're the closest to this farm. Assemble your teams and prepare for the raid. Shouto: the Q-Series guns you apprehended will be sought by the Discorders. Bunker down and repel any enemy assaults. If you have any gang members arrested, see if you can find the locations of their caches. The fewer Q-Series on the streets, the better."
"No problem."
"Mandalay: there is some reference to an acquired bunker in The Beast's Forest. Take a team and clear it out," Uravity said. "I've already sent the information to your tablet."
"We're on it."
"As for us, we have different assignments. Myself, Creati and Dynamight will be running interference against the Discorders in Fukuoka. The Lurkers will be disrupting a weapons distribution venue in Hosu. We have reports of Trigger storehouses found there, so you'll have backup," Uravity said. "Hawks: I need you on overwatch and assist where needed. We will be further south than the rest of you, so if the Discorders somehow call for backup, ruin their fun."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Best Jeanist: you're moving to assist Mirko with the server farm. Take a small team of heroes and sidekicks and get it done."
The Fiber Hero nodded. Uravity looked up at her comrades. "Ladies and gentlemen, we can end the Discorder Organization within a week. If we succeed, that will be hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars down the drain, and hundreds of government and judicial personnel will be powerless. In Japan, we have the expressed permission from the Prime Minister to carry out this operation," she announced.
"And we have to move quickly. While the Chaos King and Deku are still in the wind, we have to expect any of his lieutenants to re-organize the group and go underground. We can't afford to miss this chance," Creati said.
Abigail stepped forward. "For everyone going on the farm raid, I have a special program that will allow me to break through their firewalls and acquire what we need. Mirko: you need a team of three to go in and get that done," she said. "While we're doing that, I'll also disrupt communications so they can't call for backup or shut any other operations down. Once we have control of the facility, we need to make them think it's still operable."
"Sounds boring, but whatever. I owe the kid a favor," Mirko said.
"I know. Once everyone's in position, we'll move in," Uravity said. "Keep your comms on."
The heroes in the room stood up. "We'll be waiting for your signal," Edgeshot said before he and his team left the office.
Best Jeanist placed a hand on Dynamight's shoulder. "Keep a level head, Bakugo. A calm mind and sound resolve will strengthen the threads that bond us together," he said.
"You're fucking weird," the explosive hero said.
Best Jeanist left right after that. With Hawks leaving behind him, the room was empty, except for the strike team, Hatsume, and Abigail. Uravity noted that everyone hung up except for one last line. "Uravity, we need to talk real quick. Is the room empty?" Mandalay asked.
"No, but can we talk in a bit?"
"Sure. I'll be muted. Text me when you're done," she said before the line went quiet.
With that settled, the anti-gravity hero sighed. "How are things going in the time-travel department?" She asked the two scientists.
"Well...we have good news and bad news," Abigail said. "Which do you want?"
"The news that gets me closer to bringing back my fiance," Uravity said.
"Right...so, we've isolated where he is in time, and we've found records of a time machine popping up during your second year," Abigail said.
"So traveling in time is possible? Incredible..."
Abigail nodded. "Unfortunately, the Janus Stone you gave us opens portals to other universes. Technically, this happened within the same universe, so we can't go back with that," she said.
"Buuuuut, I have an idea. Do you guys remember Baby #442? The baby that accidentally sent you and Midoriya into another universe?" Hatsume asked.
"The accident that turned into the best 2 months of my life? Vaguely..." Uravity responded.
"Well...when I fired it the first time, it did arrive in the universe you were in, opening a pathway to that realm. But, when I recalled it, it returned 2 months before it was even built, causing you guys to tumble down the pathway it created," the pink-haired tinkerer explained. "That's why you reappeared in Paris and not...I'd say a dystopian universe where we're all villains or something."
"Okay..."
"Ever since that incident, I've been scratching my head, trying to figure out why that happened. The return coordinates worked fine, and the ball returned, but not at the right point in time. With the Janus Stone, though, I think I have it figured out. Abi and I will need to run some experiments first, but..."
Creati raised a brow. "But what?"
Abigail tapped Hatsume on the shoulder. "Are you guys aware that, technically, we are never in the same place twice? In the grand scheme of things, we're literally falling through space at an incredible speed, and we're none the wiser," she asked them.
"Get to the point!" Dynamight bellowed.
"Well...our universe may not be in the same place it was. As Hatsume said, we need to run tests to prove that by sending something out into the multiverse to monitor our place. If that theory holds, then we need to figure out a way to go back safely and return without any snafus."
Uravity eyed her teammates and Pinky. "Okay...that's actually something to think about," she said. "Once this operation is over with, can you guys get to work on it?"
"Aye aye!" Hatsume said with a salute.
Uravity nodded. "We'll get going now. I think Mandalay has been on hold for too long," Abigail said.
Creati and Pinky nodded. "Meet us outside, alright?"
"Yeah. See you in a bit," Uravity said.
The girls all left the office, leaving Dynamight still sitting across from the anti-gravity hero. He sighed heavily before standing. "I have a bad feeling..." he said.
"About the mission?" Uravity asked.
He shook his head. "Mandalay. Just...let me know what you guys talked about. I can't shake this feeling in my gut that something's wrong," he said.
Uravity nodded. Dynamight left the room without another word and shut the door. The anti-gravity hero sighed and sent a text to Mandalay. A minute later, the call resumed. "You there?" She asked.
"Yeah. You alone?"
"Just sent Bakugo out the door. What's going on? Is it the mission?"
"No. It's Eri."
The hairs on Uravity's neck stood straight. "What happened? Did she-?"
"No, no, she didn't. We went through the reports that you and Deku made with the police. Something wasn't adding up, so I did a little more digging."
"Okay?"
"According to the first report, Eri was reported missing after not showing up to the outreach center where Pinky and Red Riot worked, right?"
"Yes, she was supposed to arrive at 4:00, but she never did. She wasn't picking up her phone, either."
"Right. Anyway, the report says that she was found five hours later, wandering the industrial district outside Musutafu's city limits with tattered clothes. Besides her noticeably shaking, there were no physical injuries on her, right?"
"That's right. We took her to a doctor, and that's when we found out that her Quirk was stolen," Uravity said.
"Did they check for anything else? And possible hidden injuries?"
"They did but found nothing. We asked her what happened, but she had no memory of the past five hours. Deku figured out that someone in the Discorders must've used a Q-Series rifle to steal her power," she said. "Mandalay? What's going on?"
"Hold on. I'm looking at another report filed a few days later. Apparently, Eri suffered a psychotic breakdown during a training exercise a few weeks before Deku disappeared. Cementoss reported that she didn't let any of the guys get close to her by screaming and throwing punches, right?"
"Right. It took Deku a few days to get close to her again," she said.
"I see...She only talked about these feelings she had, mainly terror. She couldn't say specifics, but she felt like she was suffocating around them. Every hand that reached out to her scared her. She dove into a corner when Tiger came into the main office where she was hanging out," Mandalay reported. "They got concerned, so they got someone to come by and talk to her."
Uravity didn't say anything. "Ochaco...I'm concerned. I'm afraid that something extreme happened, and Eri's mind was wiped. She's showing signs of that when we try to piece together her memory. As soon as you find Deku and the Chaos King, I need to sit down with the both of you. We might also need something to keep him calm or restrained."
"What do you mean?" Uravity asked.
"I'm afraid...that if this is what I think this is, then Deku might actually kill the Chaos King," Mandalay said. "The both of you might."
Uravity gripped her desk. The two spoke for another minute before the line got disconnected, leaving the anti-gravity hero with the conversation running through her head. She stood up, walked around her desk, and exited the office without a word spoken.
I'm not entirely sure, but I think I'll need to change the rating or give a trigger warning in advance before I write the chapter that explores what the conversation was.