Witches and Warlock Heroes

Chapter 1

(No POV)

It was just a normal day for the students of UA and especially the hero course. "So our mission is to follow the directions of these nerds? Why should we do what they say?" Bakugo rants while looking at a few of the support course students that were in the battle ground.

Aizawa's eyes flashed to silence Bakugo before explaining. "It is true that we as heroes need to think and act for ourselves in the field. But sometimes we need guidance from outside sources. Especially in situations we may not be the best for." Midnight steps up and notes that she and Aizawa wouldn't be the best in situations involving disasters, given their quirks work better on people.

"So this training is to help us understand how to operate with outside guides?" Izuku questioned with a tilt of his head. At the teachers affirmative, he started to consider the concepts and applications more. 'Especially since I do have a variety of way's my quirk can work. But too much force and I could end up destroying things or getting someone killed.' Izuku thinks to himself. But the thinking was slightly aloud.

All Might chuckled at his actions before clapping and speaking to the students. "You will be paired up and then set with a handler to investigate certain areas. The trouble involved will vary from group to group. So be ready for anything!" All Might said, first in his buffed up state then shrunk down to normal.

Bakugo grumbled at being "saddled with extras" as he saw it, but with a grumble he went along for the matter. Namely as he and Kirishima were sent down with a girl named Furasu Maina. She had a nervous look on her face as she glanced between the pair but nodded behind them.

A taller boy named Togimato Shindo was in a team with Jiro Kyoka and Yayorozu Momo, Todoroki Shoto was set with Uraraka Ochaco and a support course girl named Masunaga Chifuyu, and a small boy named Yanado Kosei was teamed with Ashido Mina and Kodai Yui and so on. With their various teams set, each of the groups moved into the battlegrounds for their training.

"So any idea on what the mission is supposed to be?" Izuku asked Hatsume Mei with a skeptical look. The girl had her usual grin before saying, "yeah I don't know for sure. Maybe it'll be something like a bomb threat?" Upon saying that his partner for the training, "Tsunotori Pony, face faulted. "That would have been nice to know sooner!" she shouted in English.

It turned out their challenge was nothing quite that dangerous (but Bakugo's was and he couldn't use his explosions for fear of setting off the bomb) they just had to make their way through an underground section that appeared collapsed to save a person in trouble. Mei gave Pony a remote camera and then put together a slap dash hand pump with some patched-up firehoses to pull some excess water from the tunnel.

"All right Midoriya! You know what to do!" Mei shouted while giving the boy a thumbs up and he charged up his quirk to get started. Pumping up and down to pull some of the water out. Pony meanwhile launched her horns and used them to propel herself down the tunnel. With Mei monitoring on the camera for where she should turn or go to investigate.

It takes about ten minutes, but she guides Pony well enough, and they find the hidden citizen trapped in the tunnels. They get the dummy out much faster though. It was needed because the hoses popped and Izuku eventually tired himself out. "I thought for sure I had more endurance." Izuku said while leaning on the pump and Pony flew through the underground.

Finally rushing out at the last moment and saying, "job cleared!" Mei's smile is still wide while Izuku gives her a shaky grin and a thumbs up before rolling off the pump. They are then sent a message on their phones that announces they completed the training and they should head back. "Huh. Thought there would be more to this mission." Izuku says while they made their way back.

Mei shrugged before commenting that it was only the first time they'd be working together. "I mean you and me work off and on as is~! Given I keep making your gear," she says with a laugh. Pony raises an eyebrow at that and was about to ask what she getting at.

Only for a circle of light to open up beneath the trio. They were all questioning what was going on as the light enveloped them. Until they were suddenly falling into some sort of abyss. While all around them, circles, runes, Latin phrases, and creatures were flying by them. The falling stopped and the trio found themselves in an alley.

"Ow that hurt. What was that? Some kind of teleportation quirk? Or maybe a device? Hatsume?" Izuku asked while sitting up and looking for the support course girl. He was surprised though when a few things looked off. Namely, Mei was not wearing the clothes she had been when they started the training. Then again, neither was he.

Instead of her usual tank top and coveralls, she had a tattered shirt on under overalls. Though that still did little to cover her bust as the shirt was clearly being strained. Izuku meanwhile was no longer wearing his hero costume or gear. Instead, well. "I look like those ancient photo's of newspaper boys!" he exclaimed while looking at his pants, shoes, shirt and jacket combination. With a flat cap on top of his head.

Pony though was in a sun dress, and she no longer had her hooves or horns. Which made it uncomfortable for the girl given she had no shoes on and stepped on some trash in the alley. She cried a little before Izuku hurried over and caught her. Cursing before picking her up bridal style to try and patch her feet somewhat. Mei herself tearing off her sleeves to help patch up Pony's feet.

Once they were done, Izuku was gently pulling Pony along as the two of them and Mei were walking through New York City. But not one they had seen on the news. "This city looks like it should be the 1930s or 40s!" Pony said while wincing at the pain in her feet.

Mei herself no longer had eyes that let her zoom in on points and Izuku could no longer feel the presence of his own quirk. "What is going on?" Izuku thought aloud while looking up at a sign. One showing a young woman wearing engine like structures on her legs. Noting about signing up or joining the war effort and hopes that more "witches" would join.

"So, they call this country the United States of Liberion? And there's some war happening on the other side of the world?" Izuku asked Pony while resting her feet and gathering themselves. The girl nodded and said, "yeah. They also seem to speak and understand a lot more languages compared to ours. Like that donut vendor over there started speaking perfect Japanese! I still can't speak that."

The girl was pouting at this while Izuku let out a sigh. Suddenly, said donut vendor caught their attention. "Hey there little missy. Your feet are looking pretty rough. Guessing you lost your shoes, right?" Pony blushed and looked down while bringing up her feet. He man gave a big laugh before telling his son Ryan to take a little money and pick up some sturdy shoes at a shop nearby.

Pony tries to say he didn't need to do that, but the man wouldn't have it. "We should be helping each other out in these times. I know that's why my girl Joe left." The teens look up at him at that before Pony asked what he meant. "My daughter is a witch. And they're the best hope we've got for beating the Neuroi. Not like it'll be easy though. Damn aliens have taken over most of Europe, half of Asia, parts of Africa and a bunch of those islands south of Fuso."

When Ryan returned with the shoes, Pony was still blushing but thanked the boy all the same. The shoes weren't perfect, but they'd keep Pony's feet from getting cut or similar. "Huh. Not sure about the ladies given they might have magic potential, but I might have an idea for you son if you want to help the war effort. And make a bit of money," the vendor said while looking to Izuku.

He noted that there were plenty of scrapyards and the like that would be needing able bodies. "You can't really help out in the war otherwise after all. Not until you're 18." This statement makes Izuku freeze slightly. But he passed it off before thanking the man and looking down sadly. Asking where the yards in question were.

He looked at the girls and asked if they wanted to see what they could do, but neither of them seemed ready to leave Izuku's side. "Things are weird as is Midoriya. It's probably better we stick together." Mei said without her usual smile. With that, the group headed up north towards a place mentioned that was breaking down even old "strikers".

Once there, the group noticed there was no one really working in the yard. The sign out front said they were open, but no one was there to meet them. The group made their way in and looked around at all the old hardware and cars that were either half taken apart or not even really scrapped. They suddenly heard a crash, sparks flying, and what sounded like a small explosion happening in a hanger.

They ran over and saw a boy, possibly a year younger than Izuku and the rest, coughing and using a fire extinguisher on some sort of machine. "Great. Another failure," he said before turning to address the group at his door. He was of African descent based upon his skin tone and hair. He sighed before asking if they were there to drop off scrap or something else.

"Wow! Thise baby looks awesome!" Mei shouted before running up to the machine in question. It looked a bit like a robot or some kind of armor possibly. The boy grumbled before asking who they were. "Uh sorry. She really likes machines. Can build some impressive ones if given materials and opportunities." Izuku says before introducing himself and the others with him.

The boy just says his name is Eddy Davis. "Now are you here to buy scrap or something else?" he says tersely. Pony shakes her head before saying they wanted to work. "And maybe learn more about what's going on in Europe?" Eddy looked at her funny and was about to ask how she didn't know about the Neuroi War, when Mei interrupted with ideas on ways to improve his armor.

Eddy was wide eyed at all of Mei's ideas and suggestions and asked if she really could help him improve his machine. "Well I'm not sure what its for, but it does look like it could use a bit of love to finish fixing it! And I know just how to do it!" Mei says before looking for some tools to get started.

The other two in the room were unsure about their situation. At least until a man came in. He was obviously Eddy's brother and suggested that they could help him with some of the scrap. Gesturing with his stump of an arm and introducing himself as Oliver.

Upon seeing their wide-eyed reactions to his arm, Oliver gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah. Lost it during the war. I came out better than most infantry men against the Neuroi and their beams though. Let alone what happened to Benjy." Oliver looked down at that. Something Izuku caught on and questioned between moving metal around the yard.

The man sighed before noting that their only sister had been a witch. "She signed up to fight when she was thirteen and her magic and familiar came in. I had already signed up myself so I was hoping we'd both come out okay. Maybe me being put in the back and far away from the miasma though things let out, and her not having potential. Turned out she did have a lot of potential and I was needed on the frontlines."

He described his sister as possessing an "inherent magic" that granted her eyes to see the weaknesses of the Neuroi. Their cores and other weak points. Not to mention having the capability to see things happening in slow motion. "Didn't stop her from getting shot down over Pas de Calais though." Oliver said while looking at one of the engine units that was sitting in a kind of shrine or memorial. With a picture of Benjamina Davis above the units.

Izuku and Pony teared up hearing the whole story and what both brothers were left with in the wake of the injuries and death. "Mom had invested in this scrapyard before she died, so we were given the place to run. Business would be better if Eddy wouldn't keep putting scrap and money into that project of his." Oliver said with a sigh.

Mei had also asked what the armor was over the days working with the boy on his project. Both noting that the machine was a way to try and improve the survival rates of anyone on the battlefield. "A normal pilot has a one in one hundred chance of surviving. And it's just as bad or worse for infantry. So, I want to try and bridge some of the gaps for average soldiers compared to witches with this. If we can get the magic circuit working and a power source maybe it would work. Your ideas have been a big help with that Mei." Eddy said after the teens had been living and working at the scrapyard for a week.

The invention nut gave him a big smile and said she was glad to help. "And I might be able to help you make something for your brother! I could make him a good hand that he can actually use!" Mei said with a big smile on her face. The younger boy blushed a little before asking what she meant and was shocked by the designs that she made.

With her help, the armor was slimmed down without compromising the structure and strength of the unit. At the same time, she was able to make better power transfer cables to stabilize output in the machine. With Izuku being used as a guinea pig to see if it would actually move and operate. And only getting a few….. dozen shocks that left his hair sticking out straight for a day.

The big issue though was that the machine still needed a generator or similar power source. And Mei couldn't make anything from their world to bridge the gap and make it more functional. "The hardware in this world is….. it's advanced in a weird way and not one I can make sense of." Mei explained to Izuku and Pony while the group were relaxing in their rooms after a day of work.

She mentioned that the world was over three hundred years in the past from what she knew, so she couldn't just make any of the energy cells or similar batteries that could power impressive tech in their old world. "At the same time, even if I could I don't know how long or well they'd last in prolonged combat."

A breakthrough though would occur in the strangest way. A knock was heard at the window to Eddy's workshop. He went over and saw that a bald eagle was flying just outside. "Again? Why do you keep coming back? It's not like the stuff I give you is that good," the boy said before getting a few slices of ham from an ice box he had in the shop.

At the same time, Izuku and Pony had noticed some strange animals that didn't seem to be afraid of all the noises coming from the scrapyard. Pony noticing, of all things, a Clydesdale horse that seemed a bit wild and yet curious. Izuku meanwhile had seen a very quick animal running around the bushes and trees.

After two weeks working (and getting Izuku some medical attention after a few failures) the armor was mostly ready for greater testing. "The problem is, we still can't make or have a decent power supply for this thing." Eddy complained while kicking the toe of the machine. Mei scratched her head and agreed. "Too bad we don't have some magic to work with. That supposed to be a major supply of power, right?" Mei noted with a look to the men.

Oliver nodded while getting used to the new limb Eddy and Mei had made for him. "Yeah. Most witches do exhaust their power by the time they turn twenty, but a familiar and witch's power can do a lot of things." Before any more talks could be had though, the knocking on the window was heard again. With Eddy grumbling once more at the eagle's arrival. It flying in and landed on his outstretched arm.

"Uh….. Eddy? What or who are you talking to?" Oliver asked in confusion. Mei also seemed confused by her partner's actions. He looked at the pair in confusion, as did Pony and Izuku. "You two don't see the impressive bald eagle on his arm?" Pony asked with some surprise. A surprise Izuku mirrored.

The stunned looks from Mei and Oliver told the pair they couldn't, and Eddy was just as confused. Suddenly, the eagle took off from the boy's arm and flew at his armor. The systems within lit up and power flowed through the suit. Coming from the back were a pair of impressive wings and a flash of yellow covering the helmet section as the back opened. Eddy was slack jawed at all of this as he slowly stepped forward. Slipping into the machine as it started showing more things to him. Including how to fly.

As the boy rocketed out of the workshop, the rest at the scrapyard followed. And then two more beasts appeared. The Clydesdale suddenly started running at Pony and just as it was about to run her over, it disappeared. Leaving her with a new tail from her backside and horse ears from her head. Izuku meanwhile was knocked to the ground by a creature that surprised him. It looked like a Hokaido wolf as it sat on his chest. Cocking it's head back and forth a few times.

And after Eddy had returned to the ground, the eagle left the machine and the wolf jumped in. With Izuku being beckoned to step in. And he suddenly had a speed he could only compare to when he would use his quirk. Not to mention dexterity and strength increases. Pony meanwhile discovered that she had greater strength than before. Oliver offhandedly commented that she could probably handle the biggest ordnance in the military by herself.

"So uh…. What now?" Pony asked with some trepidation as her tail and ears retracted. Eddy and Izuku shared looks with each other and then the animals that empowered them. The former of whom scratched his head before saying, "I uh…. I don't know. I didn't think for one; I'd get the armor done this way. And for two… I'm not sure if it's really possible to mass produce these."

Izuku nodded before saying, "yeah given what's happened it seems like we're a pretty rare type of people. But this might help witches who's magic is weakening as well." Oliver had shaken out of his shock enough to think a little about the matter. Letting out a sigh before saying, "I might have an idea. The general in charge of my unit during the few European invasion attempts and guided the evacuations in the Mediterranean. He gave several of us his card and number if we ever wanted some other work with the military."

In Central Carolina, a phone started ringing as a man was looking out from his office on the base for the 9th infantry division. "Hello. General Devers speaking," the man in question said with a bit of curiosity. "Ah Davis. Good to hear from you. Need some scrap sent your way? Or are you looking for….. Oh. Well now. That sounds like quite the interesting idea your brother and his friend have. And it might be just what we're looking for." General Joshua Devers said with a smile.

So just to lay it out, I'm going off the assumption that things are very, VERY different in the Strike Witches world compared to ours. Given how strange the USL is in comparison, that felt accurate. And with things such as witches and Neuroi, I'd be willing to believe that a number of the social matters are quite different too.

So moving on, I'll peek in on the others who I had dragged to this world if this gets some traction. I didn't list a number of names for no reason. And just to get it out there, Oliver, Benjamina, and Eddy are based on Benjamin O. Davis Jr. One of the best officers and aviators in this period. While Devers was known for adopting some various extremes of equipment and firepower during the war. So it wouldn't be out of place for his counterpart to be up for accepting the armor and heroes within it. Please review if you like this idea!