Chapter 10: Project Zero Dawn Part 2


Datapoint: Elisabet Sobeck Memorial


"Sobeck's Memorial?" Hatsume felt her heart drop at the sight of the title.

"W-What does that mean, Aloy?" Midoriya asked.

Aloy said nothing as the datapoint played out.

The hologram of simply Elisabet Sobeck's profile was shown.

"This is Charles Ronson. I am logging this six hours after final deployment of GAIA Prime." A voice spoke out, stating his name and purpose. "This morning, an access port seal malfunctioned."

"Malfunctioned?" Power Loader gasped.

"GAIA Prime's port seals were designed to close with a seam of less than two millimeters. But this one closed with a ten millimeter gap." Ronson stated.

"Ten millimeters? Is that too big?" Kaminari asked.

"Yes." Hatsume said grimly. "If they truly want to hide from something like the Faro Plague, an undeniable apex predator in the world of technology, everything needs to be airtight. Ten millimeters… is unfortunately not."

"Why?" Tsuyu asked.

"Ten millimeters. Enough for an energy signature to bleed through. Enough for the swarm to detect this facility." Ronson stated grimly. "Enough for GAIA to be discovered and destroyed, enough to end the future we worked so hard to make possible!"

"They'll be detected by the Faro Plague?!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Oh no." Ashido gasped.

"Okay, calm down guys." Yaoyorozu stated. "I'm sure they have a failsafe in case something like that happened. Right?"

"Unless the hatch servos were manually reengaged… from the outside." Ronson spoke grimly.

Those last three words put everyone on edge. And considering the title of this datapoint, they almost had a gut feeling that something would happen. And none of them wanted to accept it.

"I'm now switching to a recording of the event."

The hologram changes into a meeting room. The Alphas were currently in discussion, putting their heads together to figure out what to do with the malfunction.

"Please don't do what I think you're gonna do, Sobeck." Hatsume gulped.

"I'm afraid it will happen, Hatsume." Midoriya sighed. "She's not about to let her work crumble after she and everyone has shed blood, sweat and tears into Zero Dawn, the very thing that will save life on Earth."

"And she'll lay her own life for that to happen." All Might muttered silently.

"What do you mean?" Uraraka asked worriedly.

"Well I'm not going out there." Travis Tate stated. "Not what I signed up for."

"Either we send someone out, or all of this was for nothing." Patrick Brochard-Klein stated.

"It should be Lis' decision!" Charles Ronson objected.

"So when's she going to get here?" Patrick was getting annoyed.

"She said five minutes… you don't think..." Samina Ebadji pondered

Lo and behold, a hologram projection suddenly appeared from the table. A projection of the brilliant scientist herself, donning a protective suit, something to wear when going out into a dangerous, unlivable environment… like outside.

Elisabet's projection, her body language as she entered the conversation, her protective suit. It could all mean one thing, and no one could deny it.

"Oh no…" Midoriya, All Might, Yaoyorozu and Hatsume gasped deeply.

"Oh no…" Margo Shen gasped.

"Okay everyone, I repaired the seal." Elisabet gave a status report. "GAIA?"

"Seal closure at 1.4 millimeters. Confirmed." GAIA stated in an almost sad manner.

"Elisabet, no. We'll find a way to bring you back in." Ronson stood up, trying to negotiate.

"Not going to happen. The swarm's too close." Elisabet stated.

The rest of the Alphas looked distressed over this. Trying desperately to think of a way to get Elisabet back inside, or trying to accept what she has done.

"N-No… Elisabet…" Midoriya gasped.

"You… you can't do this." Hatsume began to get teary eyed.

"You must live, Elisabet. After what you've done, you can't go out like this." All Might grit his teeth.

Elisabet noticed the distress her decision was causing in the Alphas, and softened up.

"Really, it's okay. GAIA's complete." Elisabet stated solemnly. "She'll take care of things from here on out, that's what she does."

"Please, not like this. She can't…" Kirishima stated.

"Not like this… there's so much we…" " Ronson begged.

"Guys, you know me. I'm no good at endings. At letting things end so… let's not." Elisabet stated, voice breaking.

"So… happy trails, Lis." Travis said, unsure of what to feel. "And uh… see ya around?"

"Yeah. Take care of each other, alright?" Lis asked, ready for a farewell.

"Lis…" Ronson sighed.

"Lis… Elisabet." Hatsume said silently.

"Elisabet…" Uraraka sighed.

"Doctor Sobeck…" Aizawa said silently.

"I'm okay with this. I want to go home." Elisabet said. "Goodbye."

That was when Hatsume went down on her knees, silently breaking down as the weight of Elisabet's sacrifice came upon her. Midoriya and some of his classmates were shocked to see her in such a state. Power Loader went down to his apprentice to console her.

"So that's it… one final sacrifice from Elisabet Sobeck." Hatsume stated between strained breaths.

The hologram returns to Elisabet's profile, which was now adorned by a mound of flowers left by the Alphas in honor of her sacrifice.

"That was the last transmission of Elisabet Sobeck." Ronson stated. "She gave everything for the hope of life on this planet, and we are all in her debt."

"She… she's gone. Really gone." Midoriya stated. "Her final moments were spent ensuring that her work did not go in vain."

"After all this, she wanted to go home. She knows her purpose was done, and she saw no purpose staying underground until her death. This is the last display of her care and will." All Might stated. "She died… a hero."

This sentence stirred a lot of the students there. Quite a bit of them thought they knew what a hero was before watching these data points. But to see Elisabet, someone who would generally be thought of as weak or insignificant in their world, facing something beyond anything they have ever faced, using her determination and care for life enough to give it a second chance, racing against the clock against an end of the world scenario and making one last effort so everything, from how much effort it took to create GAIA to all the blood spilt from Enduring Victory, will not go to waste.

"This… this is a lot to think about." Iida bowed his head down.

"Yeah. This is definitely something to ponder at 3am." Sato stated.

"So. You say you were gonna show us what happened to APOLLO, right?" Hatsume asked. "This happened before APOLLO was purged, right? Part of Elisabet's sacrifice was in vain, because the one thing that will prevent the people of your world from repeating the mistakes in the past is gone."

"So, who purged APOLLO?" Midoriya asked. "Who was the reason why the people of this world never learned from it, why they are attacked by these machines without knowing what is going on?"

"I just realized that Ted hasn't made an appearance in a while." Principal Nezu pondered. "He could've been dealing with the weight of his sins. But knowing someone like him, he would probably take extreme measures and… oh, so that, huh?"

"Turn to the next datapoint, please." Aloy stated.

Principal Nezu activated the next datapoint, ready to see if his hypothesis was correct.


Datapoint: Emergency Recording

The Alphas were now seen sitting around a large table in the middle of a meeting room. All of them were currently in an erratic state, trying desperately to control the systems with their Focuses.

"I'm locked out of core control. Alpha Clearance overridden." Ronson quickly tried to find the cause of the situation.

"The Alphas were locked out of core control?" Present Mic asked.

"This is bad." All Might stated.

As Charles Ronson sifted through the data in his Focus, something interesting popped up. Interesting… and horrifying.

"What the hell is Omega Clearance?!" Ronson asked, baffled at the sight.

Then suddenly, in the middle of the table came a holographic projection of… Ted Faro.

"Oh no…" Samina gasped.

"Ted Faro!" Midoriya gasped, cackling green lightning as One For All kicked in the moment he saw him.

"He… he created a new system clearance?" Hatsume gasped, not knowing how much she could take. "Just for himself?"

"Oh no… Ted, if you're gonna do what you're going to do, don't." All Might grit his teeth.

"It's no use. This was a recording that took place a thousand years ago. It unfortunately… already happened." Aizawa sighed at the implications.

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Jiro asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Iida asked, slight regret filling his voice.

"Alpha Personnel… sorry to alarm you, but I need you to listen, okay? To what I'm about to say." Ted spoke out. "This isn't easy. See, I uh…"

The sound of pinging was heard as Travis Tate tried to mess with the system.

"Please, stop trying to access the system, okay?" Ted asks. "See, what this is about is…"

Another ping, another fruitless attempt.

"I said stop trying to access the goddamn system!" Ted snapped a bit.

"What is he on about?" Kaminari asked.

"Why is he doing this to the Alphas?" Ashido asked.

"Yes. I do want to hear his explanation." Nezu nodded to the sentiment.

"What I'm trying to say is… I can't stop thinking about the ones who'll come after us. Those innocents." Ted explains his reasoning. "Those blameless men. A-A-And women… we're gonna give them knowledge? Like it's a gift?"

"Wait. Giving knowledge to those who come after? Is… is he talking about APOLLO?" Jiro asked.

"No… no way!" Yaoyorozu gasped.

"Y-You mean he was the one who…" Midnight didn't have the heart to complete that sentence. It must not, no, it cannot be true!

"Ted, Ted. We've talked about this before. APOLLO has over three thousand failsafe conditions-" Samina was suddenly interrupted.

"It's not a gift, it's a disease! They're the cure, and we're going to give them the disease? Our disease?" Ted asked.

"What do you know about knowledge, Ted?! It was your own greed and lack of foresight that led to your robots ending life on Earth! Can't you see that?!" Present Mic yelled.

"You don't get to talk like that, Ted Faro." Midnight stated sternly. "It was you who broke ethical standards, it was you who let the Chariot line loose, and it was you who started the end of the world. You don't have the goddamn right to preach about something like that, and you know it."

The two teachers looked to see a lot of the students and even some of their colleagues were caught off guard by their change in attitude.

"Um…" Present Mic hummed.

"No, it's okay. We understand." Midoriya stated.

"Yeah, I agree with what you two have said there. Ted is an idiot. A dangerous idiot, but an idiot." Aizawa stated.

"And with what he's about to do next, I believe that fact will be cemented." Nezu stated.

"No, we can't. And it's not too late." Ted continued. "If we're willing to sacrifice-"

"Ted, it doesn't have to be this way!" Samina begged.

"It already is, Samina." Ted stated.

"It already is? Oh no…" Iida gasped. "Ted, no, you didn't!"

"I did it three minutes ago." Ted stated. "I purged APOLLO. It's gone, all of it. Every copy."

Hearing those words, Samina Ebadji begins to break down. It was one of her greatest works, after all.

"He… he really did it. He purged APOLLO…" Midoriya was speechless, and so were the rest of his classmates.

"Poor Samina. She sounded so passionate about APOLLO. It was her life's greatest work, and it all went down the drain." Uraraka was saddened to see the sweet woman break down.

"A sacrifice?! It's not a sacrifice, it's cultural obliteration, you crazy bastard!" Ronson stood up in protest as two of the Alphas went to comfort Samina in her grief. "Millenia of culture!"

"I'm sorry. Really, I am." Ted continued speaking. "But sometimes, to protect innocents… innocents have to die."

"EMERGENCY ALERT. VENTING ATMOSPHERE."

"Wait, what?!" Iida yelled out.

"No! They'll suffocate to death!" Midoriya yelled out, as sparks of green lightning began to flash even more.

"The Alphas!" All Might was distressed enough to turn into his muscle form. "No!"

But all that was fruitless. The audience just sat or stood there helplessly as the Alphas began to suffocate, oxygen levels dwindling. One by one, each of the Alphas dropped onto the cold metal floor until none of them were left standing. Not Travis Tate, not Charles Ronson, not Samina Abadji. All of them died of suffocation, and even though every single viewer from the hero universe wanted to help, there was nothing they could do.

"Ted Faro…" Midoriya gasped. "He… he murdered the Alphas, took their life with no remorse… and for what?"

"Why… why would he do that?" Hatsume asked.

"He only did it to save his own skin. He couldn't handle the fact that the people here will know how he doomed the world to extinction." Aloy explained with a sense of venom in her voice.

The recording finally ends, with the fate of Elisabet Sobeck, the Alphas that worked on Zero Dawn becoming clear.

"I… I believe we need to take a break for a bit." Uraraka bowed her head down. "This is a… lot to take in."

"Yeah, no kidding." Kaminari sighed. "I have a lot of things to think about."

A moment of silence occurs. Aloy and Beta allowed the students and teacher to take a moment to absorb everything.

All too suddenly, Aloy's Focus began to ping. She opens up the interface and receives a call from one of her friends Zo.

"Aloy. Are you busy?" Zo asked.

"Not exactly. I'm just finishing things up at the base." Aloy responded. "Is something wrong with the flowers?"

"It's something else. I have more Golden Blooms. I wouldn't leave the ones at Varl's grave to wilt." Zo stated. "But it is another matter. I'm currently here in Stone's Echo. One of the Shell-Snapper convoys was carrying Zenith technology."

"More Zenith technology?" Aloy asked.

"I had to take the convoy out before it could reach a Cauldron, but now I fear that machines have been scavenging the Zenith base for technology." Zo explained. "What could HEPHAESTUS be doing?"

"I believe it's using the tech to make more dangerous machines." Aloy stated. "I encountered a Clawstrider today. The tail was augmented with Zenith tech."

"So, I believe you and Beta are working on a way to find it again?" Zo asked.

"Hmm… not yet. Has Beta told you about our new… guests at the base?" Aloy asked.

"Oh, the children? Is that what you mean?" Zo asked.

"Yeah, we're currently debriefing them about the past." Aloy states. "Is there something you want me to do? We're almost finished here."

"I have been meaning to ask that, yes. It appears there are rumors spreading around the Utaru of a new machine in the forests, east of Plainsong." Zo explained. "Our hunters do not recognise it, and one of our land-gods has been hit heavily by the machine."

"A new machine the hunters don't recognise. Seeing as HEPHAESTUS is now scavenging for Zenith tech, this is probably something new of its making." Aloy stated. "I'll get over there when I get the chance. Meet you in Stone's Echo?"

"Yes. I want to meet your new guests, but I believe this takes higher priority." Zo states.

"Okay, I'll meet you there." Aloy nodded, hanging up the call. "Okay, people. This time, what happened to HEPHAESTUS."

"Well, looks like we'll finally know why machines attack people." Midoriya composed himself, ready to watch the datapoint.

"But first, there is another part to this I have to show you." Aloy stated. "Have you seen the HADES Subordinate Function from a previous datapoint?"

"Um… yeah, that one was at the end of the list, right?" Todoroki asked.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, we never get to see what the HADES Subordinate Function does." Yaoyorozu thought.

"Well, it's part of the reason why the original GAIA had self-destructed." Aloy stated.

"And to know why lies in what it does for Zero Dawn as a whole." All Might thought before signaling to Principal Nezu. "Play the datapoint."


Datapoint: Welcome To HADES

A new hologram appears. This time, it was of one of the Alphas, Travis Tate.

"Welcome to HADES, Zero Dawn's extinction failsafe protocol. The ultimate killer app." Travis begins with an opener to HADES.

"Extinction failsafe protocol?" Kaminari turned to Jiro, confused.

"What are you looking at me for? I'm just as confused as you are." Jiro stated.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. The purpose of GAIA is to resurrect life, so why give her a Subordinate Function, purpose of which is to wipe life out all over again?" Travis asked a rhetorical question. "I mean, what the… what? Just plumb crazy, ain't it?"

"My question exactly." Uraraka stated.

"Yeah, I mean, why would you want to end life again?" Midoriya turned to the huntress.

"Ah, it appears you aren't thinking of all possibilities, Midoriya." Nezu stated.

"Huh? What do you mean, Principal?" Midoriya looked at the principal confused.

"Just watch, and it will all be clear." Nezu sat down once again.

"Well, no, it isn't. Reconstituting a biosphere? That's a tall order. Tack-smart as GAIA may be, odds are she won't get it right the first time." Travis continued to explain.

"Goodness knows I would get it at all." Sato shrunk at the thought.

"I mean, imagine you're GAIA. Two hundred years from now, and this new biosphere you're growing, it's all gone wrong. Alkalines are skyrocketing, coniferous forests eroding under the lash of superstorms that would've drowned Noah. It's chaos. A spinning top that won't stop wobbling." Travis gave a hypothetical. "Now what are you gonna do? Release Phase 1 organisms into that hot mess? Hope their CO2 and methane can balance out what you got started? Hell no."

"Yeah, that is definitely bad." Mineta agreed.

"So what part does HADES play when this happens?" Ashido asked.

"What you're gonna do, GAIA, is step aside while HADES takes over and does what you're just too darn nurturing and life-loving to do." Travis stated. "Which is burn that misbegotten mess of a biosphere to the ground so GAIA can start over."

"Wow. That was blunt." Sero stated.

"That was Travis. He… has a way with his words." Aloy stated.

"Okay, not burn. More like reverse terraforming operations and suffocate it, but you get the idea. HADES takes the biosphere back to zero, square one, blank slate. And then, only then, does it hand the steering wheel back to GAIA and say: Try again, ol' girl, And better this time, or we'll have to do this again." Travis added.

"That's HADES. It's pretty badass when you think about it. Extinction on demand, death on speed dial." Travis commented. "All for the greater good, of course. But still, kinda metal. So, welcome to HADES. Welcome to the void."

The datapoint ends, giving everyone an understanding of the HADES Subordinate Function. It was interesting, to say the least. Now the big question arises.

"So. What role did this play in the self-destruction of the original GAIA?" Iida asked.

"Principal Nezu?" All Might called.

"One step ahead of you." Nezu stated as the next datapoint began to play.

Suddenly, Midoriya felt Todoroki tapping his shoulder. He turns to the half-and-half boy, this seems important.

"Huh? What is it, Todoroki?" Midoriya asked.

"Look, I'm not sure this is a good time, but I feel like I should point this out." Todoroki stated. "Doesn't Elisabet look a lot like… Aloy and Beta?"

"Huh?" Midoriya brought up a hologram of Elisabet through his Focus, and began to compare her facial features to Aloy and Beta, who haven't taken notice of this. "Uh… yeah, I guess they do look alike. But is that even possible? I mean, Elisabet was from a thousand years ago. I'm not sure Aloy and Beta are even related to her."

"Hmm. I still have a suspicion. Maybe we should ask them at the right time." Todoroki stated as the datapoint began to play.


Datapoint: GAIA's Dying Plea

The logos of the Subordinate Functions appear on the floor. Visual connections can be seen spreading out, all meeting in the middle where the holograms converge once again into the image of GAIA.

"Elisabet. This message serves to inform you of an unforeseen and catastrophic anomaly." GAIA spoke out.

"Wait a minute, why is she talking to Elisabet?" Tsuyu asked. "Does she know she already died a thousand years ago?"

"Yeah, what is going on?" Ashido asked.

"Three microseconds ago, the GAIA Prime facility received a data transmission of unknown origin." GAIA continued to speak, as the signal was shown taking the form of lightning, striking the HADES Subordinate Function. "It's immediate effect was to transform my Subordinate Functions into unregulated, self aware entities of a highly chaotic nature."

"Wait a minute! She's saying that the signal caused the Subordinate Functions into AIs?!" Hatsume asked. "How is that possible?! Where did that signal come from?!"

"That is another story. I'll have GAIA tell it to you some other time." Aloy stated. "But what matters here is that the signal caused the Subordinate Functions to be separate from GAIA's control. HADES and HEPHAESTUS were also turned."

"Thus awakened, the HADES Function will now seize control of the terraforming system to reverse operations, rendering life on Earth extinct in 53.8 days." GAIA explained as HADES was seen moving up the chain of command, intending to consume GAIA. "For obvious reasons, I cannot allow this to happen. And so, before HADES can take control, I am ordering GAIA Prime's reactor to overload. The resulting explosion will destroy HADES. Unfortunately, it will destroy me as well."

"Seize control of the terraforming system?" Kirisima asked. "Does that mean if GAIA didn't blow herself up, HADES would've undone all the hard work she has done?!"

"Indeed. After being transformed by the signal that had awakened it, HADES set off to complete what its original code intended." GAIA explained. "My predecessor could not have been able to prevent it safely due to her proximity to the Subordinate Functions. This was its only choice."

"But unfortunately, all of the Subordinate Functions managed to escape." Aloy stated.

"While this admittedly desperate course of action will avert the immediate crisis, the fate of life on Earth will remain in peril." GAIA continued. "With no central governing intelligence to regulate the terraforming system, it will continue operations for some time, but in an increasingly chaotic manner, and eventually, it will break down."

"You are my solution."

"Um, Beta? You can stop ther-" Aloy was suddenly interrupted.

"Wait, stop." Todoroki pulled out his hand. "Continue playing the datapoint. I have something I need to confirm."

"Todoroki, it's rude to interrupt someone in an explanation." Iida waved his arms robotically.

"I'm sorry, Iida. But there is something I need to address." Todoroki turned to Aloy. "Aloy. I'm gonna have to ask you something."

Hearing this, Aloy lets out a sigh, giving into the question. "Let me guess. You want to know why Beta and I look a lot like Elisabet Sobeck?"

This question made everyone else do a double take. This was all so sudden that it took them off guard. But, what?


"Shit!" Bakugo thought out.

He wanted to punch himself for staying. He didn't want to admit it, but he was invested. So after leaving, he decides to camp behind the door listening to everything that was going on inside.

He tried to keep himself cool after hearing that Elisabet, a Quirkless person, saved the world from a cataclysmic event that he knew even the Pro Heroes couldn't handle. Even fucking All Might admitted to it. His idol, the main reason he became a Hero with the mindset that Heroes never lose.

He had to swallow his pride in order to not be seen as a fucking weakling in front of his classmates. He knew he would be the subject of ridicule for listening in after the scene he made a while ago. But he genuinely cracked after hearing that Aloy, fucking Aloy, could have a genetic connection to Elisabet Sobeck.

It made his blood boil even more.


"Hold on, what?!" Kaminari quickly used his Focus to bring up a hologram of Elisabet Sobeck.

"Hey, wait, yeahah!" Ashido chuckled at the thought. "You two look a lot like Elisabet!"

"Of course! How could I not notice?!" Yaoyorozu pounded her fist into her palm. "You three have red hair, green eyes and freckles! I'm sorry for repeating myself, but how did I not notice?!"

"And you're sisters! Does that mean you also have some sort of familial bond with Elisabet that we don't know about?" Hatsume asked.

"Yeah, Aloy. Why do you seem like you want to keep that a secret?" Aizawa asked.

But the teachers quickly notice that a lot of the 1-A students have quickly surrounded Aloy and Beta, bombarding them with questions about their connections to the late Elisabet Sobeck. And the two weren't taking this easily, it seems. The look of social anxiety was a look all too familiar with the 1-A homeroom advisor.

"Well, I guess that answers the questions." Present Might stated. "You've got a lot in common with the huntress, Shota."

The only students not taking part in this reenactment of Aizawa's nightmares were Iida, Todoroki and Midoriya.

"Iida. Control your classmates, this shouldn't be how you all should behave in this situation." Aizawa told the class president.

"O-On it, Aizawa-sensei." Iida bowed down in compliance before turning to the rest of the class 1-A. "Everyone! I would like everyone to calm down! We shouldn't be acting like this at the time."

That was when everybody decided to calm down. They would rather do it now than to press on and face the wrath of their homeroom teacher. This eventually caused Aloy and Beta to calm down from the sudden pressure from these students.

"So, let's get this straight." Aizawa sighed. "Aloy, Beta. Are you implying you have some sort of connection to Elisabet?"

"That is… quite the understatement, if you ask me." Aloy shrugged.

"If so, what is it? Considering you two are a thousand years after Elisabet's death, I find it hard to believe you have some sort of familial relations." Aizawa stated.

"I understand your concerns with the matter, Shota Aizawa. Not to worry. The datapoint will shed light into why Aloy and Beta were born." GAIA stated.

"So, to recap. A signal of unknown origin caused the Subordinate Functions to act on their own volition, effectively forcing the original GAIA to self-destruct." Nezu thought. "This datapoint shows us how GAIA plans to save the world after that. And you said this also details your connection to Elisabet. Am I correct?"

"Mhmm." Aloy nodded.

"Well, in that case, I have something figured out." Nezu chuckled to himself.

"What are you talking about, Principal Nezu?" Hatsume asked.

"Ah, I don't want to spoil the fun, Miss Hatsume. Continue the datapoint, and all will be made clear." Nezu stated.

Aloy nodded to that sentiment, before the two continued the datapoint to see what GAIA has done.

"I have ordered this Cradle Facility to use genetic material in cryo storage to gestate a re-instantation of Elisabet Sobeck. My creator." GAIA continued.

"Re-instantation? Is she… is she talking about what I think it means?!" Midoriya gasped.

"Yeah, I agree. Does that mean that…" Yaoyorozu stated.

"While high-level directives forbid me from communicating directly to the tribal inhabitants outside the facility, all available data indicates that they will nurture you to physical maturity, whereupon your gene print will allow you to re-enter this facility, obtain one of the Focus devices stored below, and view this message.." GAIA explained. "Likewise, your gene-print will allow you to enter other facilities, and over time, harness their technologies to rebuild the system core and reboot GAIA."

"So that means…" Kirishima thought before coming to one final conclusion.

"ALOY AND BETA ARE CLONES OF ELISABET SOBECK?!" Many of Class 1-A yelled out in shock and disbelief, causing the two redheads to jump at the sound.

"Whoa whoa! Nope!" Iida suddenly jumped in front of the class to prevent them from swarming Aloy and Beta with questions. "Guys, I know you have a lot of questions. I do too. But is it really that hard to try and keep things grounded and respectful?"

"Aw, but I have so many questions." Hagakure pouted.

"Me too- AH!" Mineta was suddenly threatened by an earphone jack.

"Don't even think about it." Jiro stated.

"Thank you, Iida. Okay, I believe I have to ask the questions everyone probably wants to be answered the most." Yaoyorozu stepped up. "So, to get this straight, you two were born to rebuild GAIA after her destruction?"

"Well, no, not me." Beta put her hands up. "I may be a clone of Elisabet, but I was born in… different circumstances. Aloy's the one you should be asking, she's the one created specifically by GAIA."

"Look, Beta. Even though that's true, you can't just degrade yourself like that. Maybe I should talk to you again after this." Aloy stated, causing Beta to relax a bit. "So yes, I was created by GAIA to fix Zero Dawn, fix Elizabet's legacy."

"So, you were created to save the world! Like a hero!" Midoriya smiled with hope at the thought. He feels something familiar between the huntress and himself. Just like how All Might passed the torch of One For All to Midoriya, Elisabet passed on her torch to Aloy and Beta. He feels like he found an older sister of sorts. "That's so cool!"


Bakugo angrily smashes his fist against the door. This into a direction he didn't want to believe. He tried to reason with himself that it was probably a coincidence that Aloy was connected to Elisabet and it was just a mere coincidence that she was entangled with the secrets of Zero Dawn.

But he feels this to be the worst direction this entire thing could've taken. It was like the entire world was making a fool out of him. He already had enough trouble brewing inside of him after learning why Deku was the one chosen by All Might, but Aloy set him off the deep end due to why she was a hero in the first place.

He slowly unclenched his fist before walking back downstairs. He had enough of this. He was thirsty anyway.


Midoriya suddenly turned towards the door. He could've sworn he heard something. Was it Kacchan?

"Just calm down. Let's just finish the recording." Aloy put her hands up, getting uncomfortable with the attention. "Let the recording play some more."

"A moment, Elisabet. This is most unfortunate and unanticipated." GAIA stated, with her projection now fighting HADES' for control of Zero Dawn. "In response to my act of self-destruction, HADES has launched a virus to dissolve the code shackles that hold it, that hold all of them in place."

"It, they, are escaping. But to where?"

"So HADES caused the other seven Subordinate Functions to escape? Then was GAIA's self destruction in vain?" Uraraka asked.

"I'm sure it isn't, HADES now can't use the terraforming system, right?" Sero asked.

"Well, it certainly slowed down its process, that's for sure." Aloy stated.

"The virus is corrupting data throughout the system. What if- Oh, the Alpha Registry at the Cradle Facility is one of the files corrupted." GAIA stated as the influence of HADES spreads through her. "But if that's so, the door will never open for you… you will never see this message… then I have failed… and life will end…"

"Wait, what?!" Iida gasped.

"Wait, what does she mean by that?" Hatsume asked.

"It means the Cradle Facility I was born in had its Alpha registry corrupted." Aloy explained. "Even if I'm genetically identical to Elisabet, the door wouldn't have been able to recognize me, and I would've never gotten in to see this datapoint."

"Then… then how did you enter?" Present Mic asked.

"Well, that is a story for another time." Aloy stated. "I'll make sure to tell it to you all later, but I have some things to address after this."

"No… no, Elisabet, I know you too well. Somehow, you will find a way, in you, all things are possible." GAIA shook off those thoughts in her head. "Go to the ruins of GAIA Prime, find the control room and within it, the Master Override. This will give you the power to purge HADES so long as you find a way to wield it. Do not attempt repair of the system core until HADES is eradicated. HADES must be destroyed. That is all… I only wish I could hear your voice again…"

And with that, GAIA fades away. Her one last wish pulled on the heartstrings of everyone there.

"Oh my… that's sad." Yaoyorozu gasped.

"Even after all this… she wanted to hear the voice of her creator one last time. So… tragic." Kaminari covered his eyes.

"I hear you, man." Kirishima patted the back of his friend, unafraid to let the tears flow. "For an AI, she really had a heart in there. Very manly. It was a shame that she sacrificed herself like this…"

"So. After this, HADES escaped along with the rest of the Subordinate Functions. I thought HEPHAESTUS was the only threat." All Might stated.

"That is a valid concern, All Might. And you have Aloy to thank for that." GAIA spoke out before turning to the huntress. "May I show them?"

"Hmm…" Aloy sighed deeply. "Alright."

Suddenly, more projections appeared before them, this time, it was of Aloy. The first one was of the huntress facing off against a Khopesh and a swarm of Scarabs.

"Wait, is that you FIGHTING the Faro robots?!" Mineta was baffled at the sight.

"After escaping my predecessor's self-destruction, HADES continued to think of a way to reverse operations. And in the wake of the Carja Tribe's Civil War, it had found what it needed. In the guise of a demon, HADES became a deity to some Carja soldiers, who formed a cult known as the Eclipse." GAIA explained. "There, the Eclipse began to grow, waking up the ancient Faro robots to use in their army."

"Whoa, when did this story turn into a civil war?" Present Mic was confused.

"Interesting…" Midnight paid attention.

"And did she say that they were waking up Faro robots?!" Ashido asked.

"Its goal was to get them to invade the Carja capital of Meridian to get to a broadcasting tower that was created for Minerva to shut down the Faro Plague." GAIA explained. "There, it will reawaken the Faro Plague and erase all life on Earth once again."

"Wow, that is gnarly." Sato gasped.

"And you're saying Aloy fought HADES during this?" Shoji asked.

"Yes. Fighting alongside the Carja army in this battle known as the Battle of the Alight, Aloy fought endless waves of corrupted machines and Faro robots to reach HADES and purge it with the Master Override." GAIA narrated.

"Wow, that is so cool." Uraraka gasped at the huntress' feats.

"And for the rest of the Subordinate Functions, I managed to reboot GAIA herself. And then I tracked each one down and used the Master Override to restore them to their original code so that GAIA can absorb them." Aloy stated. "All but one."

"And that last one is HEPHAESTUS, I believe?" All Might asked.

"Yes, and the one that is causing the most problems at the moment." Aloy explained.

"So why does HEPHAESTUS make its machines attack humans?" Midoriya asked.

"After escaping GAIA Prime's destruction, HEPHAESTUS went on to operate the machines as usual. However, humans at the time have been hunting the machines for parts and resources for centuries, as they had no understanding of what purpose these machines served." Aloy explained. "Therefore, HEPHAESTUS deemed the human species as a threat to the new biosphere its machines maintained, so it altered its machines' programming to attack them. From that day forward, it was known as the Derangement, and it has been creating more and more dangerous machines… like that Tremortusk we fought."

"So that's why that Tremortusk was made." Midoriya gasped.

"And it all traces back to Ted Faro, just great." Jiro groaned.

"I know, right?" Hagakure agreed.

"So, I believe we have our answers." Nezu stated, satisfied with the answers they were given.

Suddenly, Aloy's Focus began to ping once again.

"Zo? Is that you?" Aloy received a call.

"Aloy, I believe this is urgent." Zo answered. "One of our land-gods have been attacked, our farmers were almost killed. There is a rumor spreading throughout the Utaru that this new machine had done it. I feel like we should investigate."

"I'll be right there." Aloy hanged up the call before turning to Beta. "There's been a machine problem in Plainsong. I have to leave."

"Oh, I see." Beta stated.

"Wait, you're leaving already?!" Hatsume asked.

"But we still have so many questions!" Ashido pouted.

"Guys, I'm sorry, I can't." Aloy stated as she went downstairs. "There is a machine problem I have to investigate."

"Guys, let her leave, this is important." Iida stated.

"Hey, Aloy." Aizawa suddenly called out.

Aloy turned back to the portal, and the homeroom teacher was staring right at her.

"After this matter, I expect you to contact us once again. We still need to talk." Aizawa stated.

"Of course, I'll be back here once I handle this." Aloy nodded.

"Hmm. Well then, thank you Aloy, Beta and GAIA for letting us know of the history of your world." Aizawa sat back down. "Students, I believe you can take a break for now. I will have to contact your parents and let them know where you are. I don't know how long you all will be in there, so it will be best to let them all know."

"Crap, my mom is gonna kill me after this." Sero groaned.

"Well, looks like I have to be the host here." Beta groaned. "You can leave now, Aloy. I'll handle them, I hope."

"Hmm. Well then, enjoy, Beta." Aloy stated as she went downstairs.

"So, you want to see Aloy leave?" Kaminari asked.

"Of course! Let's follow her!" Ashido raised her hand up.

"Um… okay then." Aloy shrugged as she went downstairs, with the rest of Class 1-A following her.

Aloy passed through the lounge, turning to the right and heading for the East exit of the base. However, she noticed Katsuki Bakugo eyeing her from across the lounge, with a lot more visible resentment than before.

The huntress cast a look of suspicion as the yellow haired boy grit his teeth in anger. She decides not to press further and continue for the exit.


Aloy looked on from the East exit, taking in the scenery of the mountain region before leaving for her investigation.

"So where is this place you need to be?" Jiro asked.

"Stone's Echo, an Utaru settlement east of here." Aloy stated.

"And how are you gonna get there?" Todoroki asked.

The huntress lets out a bit of a smirk before whistling. And suddenly, a large machine flies overhead, shocking the students as it lands on the ground. This machine was in the shape of a pterosaur, and its large spanning wings were made of a special material, not different to solar panels. The blue cables around its neck indicate that it was overridden.

"Ooh! What machine is this?!" Ashido asked.

"This is a Sunwng. It helps me get around quicker in the air." Aloy stated as she rode on the avian machine. "I'll be back."

In one large motion, the machine flaps its wings powerfully, allowing it and the huntress to take flight and soar away from the mountain base. The students look on in awe, before deciding to head in once again.

"Wow, I can't even begin to tell you the emotional rollercoaster I had watching those holograms." Kaminari stated.

"You and I both, brother. You and I both." Mineta agreed with the sentiment.

"Aloy, I know you can't hear my thoughts at the moment but…" Midoriya suddenly pulls up a hologram of Aloy, raising her bow up into the air, and Elisabet, holding GAIA in her hands. "I believe you are now one of my favorite heroes. Of course, All Might is still my most favorite hero but I am really inspired by your story and Elisabet's, and it pushes me to be the best hero I can be. Thank you."


Later That Night…

Aloy lands her Sunwing on rocky terrain, arriving at the Utaru settlement known as Stone's Echo. There, she spots someone awaiting her arrival. She was wearing an expertly woven outfit made out of almost all plant fiber, with some machine platings in some spots. She had dark skin and white tattoos on her face that looked similar to leaves. This was Zo, one of Aloy's friends from the Utaru tribe.

"Aloy, I'm glad you came." Zo welcomed the huntress.

"I'm glad to see you too, Zo." Aloy welcomed the gravesinger into a hug. "Do you have the flowers?"

"I do." Zo took out a small handful of small gold flowers. "Golden Blooms, I really missed how Varl would talk about his sister. He really did miss her, and now he joins her in the afterlife."

"The both of them would enjoy this. I'll be sure to place this on his grave." Aloy stated. "Now what was it about a new machine-"

Suddenly, Aloy's Focus pings again. This time, the contact list was from Beta. Huh, weird.

"Beta?" Aloy answered the call.

"Um… Aloy? I believe there is a problem here at the base." Beta spoke out, sounding stressed and worried. "So you know that one student you had an altercation with? I believe his name was Bakugo?"

"Yeah? What about him?"

"He… left. Without warning. Suddenly used his explosion powers of his to head west into Tenakth territory."

"Wait… what?!"

End Of Act 1…