Heroes of Light

by Silverbits

Shadows of the Past, Light of the Future Reboot! When shadows threaten to take over the world, and all seemed lost a new hero appears out of nowhere and chases away the darkness. Izuku Midoriya wants to follow this hero, feeling a strange connection to her and her power. Little did he know that he'd become part of something bigger.

8. When it Falls

When it Falls

"Izuku?"

Izuku took out an earphone and looked down at Eri. "Hey, is everything okay?"

She nodded. "Can I have some more pancakes?"

"Of course!"

Izuku mumbled to himself as he put more batter into the pan. He couldn't sleep, and decided the best thing to do was make pancakes. It was fine, everyone was about to wake up anyway. He was just planning ahead.

It had been a day since the initial catastrophe, and so far everything had only gotten worse. More people were killed by the creatures, or disappeared overnight without a trace. The chasms had gotten bigger as well, swallowing up more buildings and leaving people with less shelter.

It was a nightmare.

He clenched his fists as he watched the batter cook. Everything was falling apart so fast it made his head spin. People were out there dying, helpless against the Heartless. Yet here he was, making pancakes. Hiding in his own home like a coward.

"Izuku, you're on fire again…"

Izuku looked up then glanced down at his arms. He took a deep breath and pulled his magic back. Once they were gone Izuku flipped the pancake and leaned against the counter.

"Are you okay?" Eri asked, standing beside him and taking his hand. "You look really tired."

Izuku laughed lightly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. But you look tired too Eri, are you sure you got enough sleep?"

She nodded and leaned against him.

"She can always take a nap, those never hurt you know." Mogma passed them by to put his dishes in the sink before looking at Izuku. "You could use one too Kupo, you look exhausted."

Izuku was well aware of the bags beneath his eyes, though he'd rather not have them pointed out.

"I've got school Mogma, I can't exactly go back to sleep."

"Oh, but you could. You could go right back to sleep and not worry about anything." They said as they walked past them.

"And that is what we call bad advice." Kogi shook their head and walked away. "Don't take it!"

Izuku rolled his eyes and served Eri, before turning to his own plate and eating what he could. He couldn't keep a lot of food down, but he supposed something was better than nothing.

Master would want you to take care of yourself…

Izuku gripped the fork tightly, scowling at himself when he felt ice begin to creep over his hand.

Would she even approve of how I'm handling everything? Yesterday was a disaster! You couldn't even keep it together for a day. You're an embarrassment.

Thoughts of Master Aqua plagued him through the night, part of the reason he got up so early. It terrified him to think about it, whether she was alive and struggling to survive through what else might be in the darkness. Or if she's…

He slapped himself and forced down the rest of his food. He didn't need to be thinking like that. It was fine, everything was fine. His Master was still out there somewhere, she's still fighting against the darkness, she's doing everything she can. She's still alive, he refuses to believe otherwise.

"You going to get ready, Kupo?"

"Yeah, still gotta keep up appearances and all that." He muttered, putting his dishes in the sink. He'd try to get to that when he got home after school, unless someone else took care of it. Which they might.

He pat Eri on the head before hurrying upstairs. He greeted a few Moogles as he headed up, letting them know there were pancakes in the microwave. They thanked him as he passed.

Izuku went into his room and shut the door, then hurriedly put on his uniform. It wasn't as straighted as he'd like it to be, but he was more concerned with getting the tie on. No matter what he tried it would always end up bunched up. It was frustrating. He even looked up a tutorial.

He was brought back to the moment where his Master tried to fix his tie. How she failed just as badly. It was something they were going to look into, they were supposed to figure it out together. Maybe if he had asked his mom she could have shown him, she probably knew how. He had faint memories of his mother lightly scolding the faceless stranger that was his father, how she'd pull him aside and fix his tie. Sometimes laughing at his own attempts. He remembered once how he promised to give him extra dessert that night if he distracted his mom long enough so he could slip away.

Izuku blinked and felt a few tears run down his face. He sniffed and wiped them away.

No! It's too early for this. You can't fall apart now, you already did! Keep it together.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. He was fine, he was perfectly fine. He didn't get to be sad and weepy when everyone else needed to be upset.

It was just another day. He was fine.

Izuku pressed a hand to his chest where he felt the Wayfinder resting. He was okay.

He took a moment to fuss with his hair and grab his bag before stepping out of the room. It was almost time to leave, he didn't need to be late. Izuku was sure Mr. Aizawa was already less than pleased with him, being late wasn't going to help his case.

Izuku walked out of his room, pausing to look at the closed door of his Master's bedroom. Empty, cold, quiet. Untouched.

He couldn't help himself imagining that she was in there, fast asleep. That she just came home from a long night and wanted to rest. She would have apologized for not seeing Izuku off, but he would understand. She would have asked if he had everything before going to bed, but not before putting Eri back to sleep and cleaning up the kitchen.

"I have everything." He mumbled, as if hearing her ask. "Backpack, phone, charger." He pulled out the necklace. "And my good luck charm. I've got it."

He tucked the charm into his shirt and pressed a hand to his eyes. "Everyone is fed, and I'll do dishes when I get back. I'll have a good day...and I'll stay safe. I promise."

A harsh ache filled his chest, imagining her smile and her ruffling his hair.

Izuku hurried down the stairs and straightened his bag, stepping around a few Moogles as they walked by.

"You heading out, Kupo?"

"Yeah." He walked over to Eri who got up from her seat. He kneeled down and hugged her as tight as he could. "I'm heading out, and I'll text you when I get to the school. Have a good day okay?"

Eri held on tightly. "I will. Please be careful."

"Don't worry, I will. I promise." He patted her back. "I'll be back, I promise."

She nodded and clung to him a little while longer. That fear sat heavy inside of her, the fear of him not coming back, of losing him just like she lost Aqua. That kind of uncertainty was terrifying...but she trusted him. He hadn't broken a promise, and knowing him he never would. He'd be back.

Izuku stood up when Eri finally let him go, looking down at her with a smile.

"I'll see you later Eri."

"See you later…"

He walked over to the entrance, slowly moving the covered out of the way before looking back at everyone. "Make sure it's secured when I leave. We don't want anything getting in here okay?"

"Will do Kupo!"

"Be careful!"

"See you after school Kupo!"

Izuku nodded and slipped out, hurriedly putting the cover back where it was before. He could hear small footsteps from the otherside, the Moogles were already on it. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself before making his way out. Get to school, and stay safe.

As he walked out into the streets, it felt like he had been smacked in the face. Despite it being daytime, the sky was still dark. Swirling with dark clouds and obscuring the sun, hardly any light in the sky. It was dark enough that even most of the street lights were still on, offering small safe havens from the darkness around. The streets were dead, the chasms from the day before were even wider. No living soul could be seen, save for the occasional hero.

Izuku swallowed down whatever fear he had and began to run, something told him he wasn't safe. He was out in the open and unprotected, so he had to keep moving. If he didn't…

He shuddered, and turned a corner, sprinting down the street. He relied on the route he took the day before to get there, granted it was a little more treacherous this time. There was less ground to walk on, and more gaping holes in the ground that could swallow him up. He couldn't space out this time, there wasn't going to be anyone to save him this time around.

He grunted as he jumped over some debris before continuing his run. He still had a lot of ground to cover.

He hardly saw anyone as he ran, maybe a few faces poking out of the windows before quickly disappearing. There was no one on the streets save for an occasional civilian rushing to get inside.

There has to be a safe zone somewhere...somewhere people can take shelter. At least I hope so…

Izuku came to a stop as he reached what he thought was a safe spot. He needed to catch his breath and get his bearings again. He ended up taking a few random turns since his route from before was changed.

"If I'm on this street, then I should be able to go down this way and get to the school...it can't all be cut off can it?" He mumbled to himself. "This road might be a small detour, but I should be able to get there…" He looked down at his phone.

"I'm gonna be late…but as long as I get there it'll be okay." He pocketed his phone and was about to start running when something made him freeze. A pit of dread appeared in his gut, sending chills racing up and down his spine. The faint wind that had been blowing was suddenly gone, leaving him in the petrifying silence.

He swallowed back the bile that crept up his throat and began to look around. He knew this feeling, he knew it too well. He was in danger. Something was out there, watching him and waiting. If he didn't run now then his chances were slim, but if he ran the wrong way then he was done for.

Izuku shuddered when he heard something skittering behind him, claws scraping against the asphalt and concrete. Low hisses and chitters that only one kind of creature could make.

Izuku steeled himself as he slowly turned around, paling when he saw a large group of Heartless behind him. More appeared, seeping from the ground and taking form, watching him with their beady yellow eyes.

There was a moment of stillness before all hell broke loose.

One of them hissed loudly and Izuku reacted. With fear fuelling him, he created a large wave of flames and sent it towards the Heartless. He spun around and sprinted down the street, well aware of the horde coming after him. He couldn't bring himself to look over his shoulder to see just how many were coming after him, so he just ran. As fast as he could.

As he turned a corner Izuku sent off another wave of panicked flames, these ones larger than the last. He heard a few hisses and screeches, he could practically feel their rage towards him as they barreled after him.

Just keep running, just keep running!

Izuku looked up to see he was almost there, he was getting close to the roads that were next to the UA School grounds. Izuku couldn't help but feel a pang of worry, if the Heartless didn't back off and followed him to the school, then he'd be putting so many people in danger. They didn't care if its a safe ground, they had their sights set on him and they weren't going to stop until they had him.

Is this what happened with Master? Was she chased down too? Hunted down until they finally caught her?

Izuku faltered and nearly tripped over himself, barely staying on his feet. He scrambled forward and ran towards the gates. He looked around in panic, looking for someone to save him, to help him. There was no way he could take all these Heartless on his own, was there?

Izuku froze in front of the gates and turned around, watching the swarm race towards him. His hands shook as he raised them, intense flames burning at his hands as panic overwhelmed him.

The Heartless were right on top of him when a few of his flames shot out and devoured a few, but it wasn't enough. He could see their claws reaching out for him when a painful ache appeared in his chest, a harsh tug that almost sent him into overdrive. Before he could react with another blast of magic he felt someone grab the back of his shirt and pull him back.

"Detroit...Smash!" All Might shouted as he threw a punch at the horde of Heartless. They all went flying and scattered in his presence. A few pausing to hiss at him before disappearing into the shadows.

Izuku panted, looking up to see none other than the Number 1 Hero right in front of him. If he hadn't been shaken he probably would have started gushing.

"That was a close one now wasn't it?" All Might looked down at the shaking student. "Those creatures are getting rather bold now aren't they?"

Izuku wordlessly nodded and slowly got to his feet. "Th-Th-Thank you sir…" He stammered. "That was...way too close…"

"Are you alright?" All Might looked down at him. "You're shaking quite a bit."

Izuku waved his hands around. "N-No I'm okay, thank you All Might!" He stepped back. "Just a little sp-spooked…I thought those things were gonna…" He trailed off, staring at the empty street before shaking his head.

"Really, I can't thank you enough." Izuku looked up at his other childhood hero, just a small spark of happiness ringing through his chest. Momentarily, before fading out, and burning low.

"It's no problem Young...I know your name from somewhere." All Might hummed as he scratched his chin. "Midoriya, correct? You placed first in the Entrance Exams."

Izuku made a strangled noise as he blushed. He covered his face and turned away towards the gates. "U-Uh, yes sir…" Izuku mumbled, a few sparks of lightning zapping around him.

"It's rather late, you should get to class Young Midoriya." All Might patted his back. "Please be careful on your way there, don't want you getting hurt now."

"R-Right! Thank you!" Izuku nodded and hurried off. He was just saved by All Might...again. That was what, two times now?

He probably doesn't remember me from the Slime Villain incident...or the Heartless one. Of course he wouldn't he's All Might!

Izuku shook his head and rushed through the mostly empty halls. There were a few stragglers like him, late and rushing to get to class. By the time he got to his classroom Izuku was certain that Aizawa was going to kill him. This was the second day in a row he was late, he was pretty sure there was a penalty for something like that.

He saw a few students peeking out from the classrooms, a few side glances from the teachers in the rooms. He pretended not to notice as he rushed to his own class, Mr. Aizawa was going to kill him!

Izuku nearly fell over as he turned a corner and ran up some stairs. He only stopped running when he made it to the door. Still closed, but he could hear talking from inside. Mr. Aizawa probably started the lesson already, yeah he was definitely going to kill Izuku.

Izuku took a moment to catch his breath and straighten out his uniform as best he could before knocking the door and opening it. All the noise stopped as everyone turned to look at him.

"U-Uh, hi…" He mumbled, his face bright red.

"Oh, so you're still kicking." Katsuki was the first one to break the silence.

"Bakugo!" Someone scolded him.

Ochako and Iida looked relieved to see him and quickly waved him over. Meanwhile Aizawa stared at him before sighing.

"Running pretty late there Midoriya." He huffed. "Take a seat so we can get on with the lesson." He looked back at his book before writing on the board again. Izuku swore he heard a quiet 'thank god' from under his breath.

Izuku sat down, and didn't miss the glare Katsuki gave him as he passed by. He could practically feel the rage radiating off of him. Izuku tried to focus on the board, and ignore the nausea building up from the dark aura of the boy in front of him. It was fine, he just had to stay out of the way.

It was fine.

-.-

Izuku managed to get through the lesson with little to no issue. There were a few times where he had slipped away mentally, his thoughts turning to his Master, Eri, his mother, the Moogles, the Heartless. The worry would eat away at him, letting some magic slip out before he snapped back to reality and forced himself to calm down.

He got no scoldings, and wasn't called out for his little slip ups. Which meant he was doing better, keeping it under wraps. There were a few times Katsuki kicked him, or stomped on his foot whenever he deemed the temperature too cold or too hot.

When the bell rang for lunch everyone had gotten up to leave, Katsuki shoved Izuku back before he could get very far.

"Bakugo, behave!" Aizawa glared at him. "All of you, go get lunch. You have Heroics after, so be sure to eat well."

Everyone looked at each other excitedly and began to chatter amongst themselves. Finally the class they were all waiting for, something to look forward to! After everything that happened it would be nice to let off a little steam.

After Katsuki stomped out of the room, Iida and Ochako made their way over to him.

"Midoriya! Good to see you, we were worried when you hadn't shown up yet." Iida said.

"Yeah, we thought something happened to you. But we're glad that you're okay." Ochako smiled. "For a second I thought you were gonna get scolded for being late, glad that didn't happen though."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. Me too…" He muttered, walking towards the door. "I'm glad you guys are okay too, I-"

"Midoriya." Aizawa stopped him. "Stay back for a bit, I need to have a word with you."

Izuku paled as the others grimaced.

"Guess you weren't able to get out of that scolding." Ochako whispered.

"We'll save you a seat Midoriya." Iida nodded before following the rest of the students out of class. Aizawa waited until they were gone before he closed the door and turned to Izuku.

He didn't say anything at first, instead looking the nervous, fidgeting student up and down before letting out a sigh. "Good to see you're still in one piece Midoriya."

Izuku stared at him before nodding. "R-Right…"

"Are you doing better today?"

"Yes sir, a lot better thank you." He answered. "I uh...I'm sorry about yesterday. I should have kept it together, I know I caused a lot of trouble. I'm really sorry about that." He looked away.

"It's fine." He shook his head. "There was little damage done, so you're fine. We recognized that you were in distress, it's not like you meant to do that."

"Still though, I should have kept it together. I know everyone else is stressed, and they didn't freak out, not like I did anyway…"

Aizawa stared at Izuku before sighing. "Midoriya, you're not in trouble. This is a difficult time, so I understand that a few misfires with Quirks is going to happen. You weren't the only one who panicked yesterday, so don't beat yourself up about it. Like I said before, we have counselors, and if this is putting a real strain on your ability to function, then go see one. But that isn't exactly what I want to talk about."

Izuku peeked up. "I-It isn't?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm more interested in continuing the conversation from yesterday. About your Quirk." He folded his arms.

Oh no!

Izuku looked away and scratched at his face. "I uh...it didn't react to your erasure Quirk, right?"

"Right."

"Uh…"

Oh crap how am I gonna get out of this one?!

"I uh, I'm not really sure to be honest." Izuku admitted. "I think it might be some...some kind of genetic mutation I think?" He stepped back. "I've only had my Quirk for a little while, not even a year yet, and I don't know too much about it. Uh...b-back in the beginning when it reacted to every little thing I tried to use Quirk Suppressants but they didn't do much so…"

"You tried to use Suppressants?" Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

"T-They were prescribed!" Izuku defended himself, hoping this lie could carry through. He did not need to tell his homeroom teacher he could use magic. He was certain he'd either call the looney bin or get angry in some way. It would certainly sound ridiculous.

"And they didn't work?"

Izuku shook his head.

Aizawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That would have been a nice addition to your file." He muttered.

Izuku backed up towards the door. "Yeah, but I've got it under control now Mr. Aizawa…" He reached for the door handle, he just wanted to leave. "I-I have a few outbursts but i-it's fine! I'm getting better...uh, if that's all you wanted to talk about then…"

"No, that isn't all I wanted to talk about. The circumstances surrounding your Quirk are strange, but that's only one thing I wanted to address with you. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about, is your living situation."

Izuku felt a harsh chill go through him. His eyes darted up to meet Aizawa's. Did he know? Did he know his mother was gone, did he somehow figure it out? Was he going to force Izuku to stay at UA? Could he do that, was that legal? But what about Eri, how would he get around that?!

"I stopped by yesterday to talk to your mother, since she still hasn't responded to the emails sent by UA. Whether we have permission or not to move you into the Emergency Dorms. When I went over there, I was surprised to find the house empty, no car, no lights, no answer when I knocked on the door. Even if your mother was away, I would assume you would have at least heard me knocking."

Izuku shifted a bit. "Well, I-I didn't go to my house after I left the school…"

Tell some of the truth.

"I actually went to a friend's house to stay the night. They were a little farther, but it was a more or less of a straight shot to their house compared to getting to mine…but since more of the roads collapsed last night it took me a little longer to get here today to yeah…"

"And what about your mother?" Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Midoriya, if you're lacking a guardian then you need to tell me. UA will take custody of you, and you can be moved to a safer place. It is illogical to keep making these dangerous runs back and forth every day just because you don't want to tell us-"

"She's alive!" Izuku shouted, flames flaring out for a moment. He glared at his teacher for a moment before gasping and putting his flames out. "I-I'm sorry Mr. Aizawa, t-that was uncalled for."

"Yes, it was." He eyed Izuku.

"I'm sorry…" He apologized again. "It's...m-my mom, she's alive. She is s-she works as a nurse at a c-clinic and since this whole thing went down she's k-kinda been bouncing around safe areas." Izuku shuddered and rubbed at his eyes. "Her phone is probably dead, so she's a l-little hard to reach."

"A nurse?" He asked. "I see...do you know what area she's at now?"

"N-No…" Izuku admitted. "But she was close to one of the danger zones, I-I know that much at least. She's probably helping as best she can…"

Izuku made himself look Aizawa in the eye as he said this, trying to keep himself from crying. He wished that was the truth, he wished it so badly. That she was safe and sound, somewhere out there fretting over a patient, worried sick over her own son as well.

He can only imagine how scared she might have been when the hospital was swallowed up. She was probably trying to make the patients feel at ease, and the other nurses too. She probably knew what was coming once it started, that she would never see Izuku again. She probably cried at that thought, hoping he'd be okay and not...the mess he is right now.

Aizawa sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Do you think your mother would want you to move into the UA Dorms, for your own safety?" He asked.

Izuku shrugged. "I-If I'm going to be honest sir, I don't know…" The lies tasted so bitter on his tongue, but he knew it was the only way to keep everyone together. "I mean our area is safe, so she's probably okay with me staying at the house…"

"But the trip to get here is dangerous, and only growing more and more dangerous every day." Aizawa argued, noting the way Izuku flinched at that. "Something to consider Midoriya."

Izuku watched him turn away. "You're dismissed Midoriya, go eat something before lunch is over."

Izuku stared at him for a while longer before slowly turning around and opening the door. Before he walked out, Aizawa spoke up again.

"One more thing."

Izuku paused, and looked over his shoulder.

"Per the clause in the message we sent out to parents, and given how much time has passed, if your mother doesn't respond by the day's end then UA will be taking emergency custody of you."

Izuku paled. "B-But Mr. Aizawa, I-"

"This is for your own safety Midoriya!" He activated his Quirk and turned to face Izuku. "We've lost enough students, and we are supposed to prevent any more losses. If you have an issue you can speak to me about it after class. Understood?" He was firm, glaring at Izuku with no signs of wavering.

Izuku shut his mouth and backed up, he had no power here. He couldn't argue with him, not here, not like this. He flinched as he felt ice begin to creep up his arms.

But Eri…the Moogles…

He slowly nodded, and watched his teacher deactivate his Quirk.

"Good. We've talked about this long enough, go eat something." He huffed. "I'm sure your friends are waiting for you."

Izuku turned around without a word and walked off hurriedly, nearly bumping into a tall blonde man.

"O-Oh, sorry!" He apologized before running down the hall. For a moment he considered looking over his shoulder, he thought the man looked familiar for some reason. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head and made his way over to the lunch room.

He didn't need to think about that right now, right now he was more concerned over the impending doom that was losing Eri and the Moogles. He couldn't do it, there was no way. He wouldn't survive losing them, they wouldn't survive losing him.

There was no way they'd make an exception for Eri and the Moogles, would they? No, they probably wouldn't, they only cared about the students. Not to mention that once it got out Eri wasn't technically his sister, and was technically under Master Aqua's care, a vigilante, they'd all be in trouble.

What could he do? Should he come clean? Would they forgive his involvement with a criminal? Would they allow Eri and the Moogles in? Would he still be a student of UA? Would he be arrested?

The fear left a heavy feeling in his stomach, coupled with the bitter taste in his mouth, and the icy feeling spreading through his body, he wanted to vomit. He was pretty sure he would if the world didn't stop spinning.

His thoughts came crashing to a halt when he slammed into something and was sent to the ground. There were a few gasps of concern as he slowly sat up, knocked back into reality.

"Woah, that was a pretty hard fall. Are you okay?"

Izuku looked up to see Ochako and Iida looking down at him in concern. He ended up slamming into the pillar they were sitting by and falling over. He did his best to ignore the throbbing headache that was starting as he slowly sat up.

At some point Iida rushed over and helped pick him up. Once he was on his feet, his friend guided him over to the table they were sitting at and helped him sit down.

"Midoriya that looked like a bad fall, are you alright?" He asked.

Izuku nodded and set his backpack down beside him with a sigh. "Y-Yeah, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Sorry…" Izuku looked to the side as Iida gasped.

"Midoriya! Why weren't you paying attention? If you keep that up you'll end up getting hurt!" He began making chopping motions with his arms.

Ochako shifted on her side of the table so she was sitting a little closer to Izuku, ignoring Iida's rant. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Were you spacing out again? I noticed you kept blanking out in the middle of class."

Izuku looked up at that, someone noticed? That wasn't good, he was supposed to have pulled himself together already! What was wrong with him?

He stared at her for a moment before swallowing hard and looking away. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Just, still kinda processing everything. You know?"

Ochako nodded as Iida stopped his rant. "I get it, it really is a lot. But we gotta try our best and make the best with what we've got right?" She asked. "Even if what we've got is a little scary…"

"The heroes are doing their best to take care of everything, we should have faith in them." Iida said. "I understand that this is a difficult situation, but I'm sure we'll get through it."

Izuku absentmindedly nodded as he listened, and slowly set his head on the table and closed his eyes. He just wanted to make the nausea stop, the smell of food didn't help. Not in the slightest.

He listened to their conversation for a bit, beginning to zone out again. Their coherent words slowly turned into a buzz that faded in the background. He felt himself begin to drift off, to float away from the sick feeling and anxiety. His world felt a little bit darker as he felt himself slowly slip into that peaceful space between the world of waking and sleep.

Something thrummed in his chest, making it feel like a hollow echo inside of him. As he slipped further into that place he thought he felt something. Warm and soothing, a faint light that he could see from afar. He tried to reach for it, curiosity overtaking the exhaustion and fear weighing him down.

Before he could even get close to the strange light, a voice cut through everything and brought him back to reality. He looked up in confusion, trying to remember what was said. "What?" He asked.

Ochako blinked at him before repeating her question. "I asked if everything went okay with Mr. Aizawa. You did come running in here, did something happen?" She asked.

Izuku blinked owlishly before shaking his head furiously. "N-No! No, nothing really happened. He just had a few questions about my Quirk and living situation and stuff, and yeah." he waved his hands around. "It was mostly concerning what happened yesterday, it's no big deal."

The two shared a glance before looking back at Izuku.

"I'm not so sure it's 'not a big deal' Midoriya." Iida frowned. "You've been rather stressed lately, and it's clear something is eating away at you. Are you sure you're alright?" He asked.

"You know if something's wrong, then you can come talk to us. You know that right?" Ochako asked. "That's what friends are supposed to do."

Izuku didn't meet any of their gazes, keeping his head down. "Uh, yeah. I know that…"

He didn't need to pile his problems on them, they were his issues. His own problems to figure out. He shouldn't be piling anything else on anyone, that wasn't fair.

"Are you sure?" Ochako asked, leaning forward.

He shouldn't talk about it, it was his job to worry over everything, Nobody else, this was his job and he wasn't in any position to talk about it. It was fine. The crushing pressure in his chest was fine. The unease that's been sitting in his gut for what feels like forever, it was fine. The terrible aching that pulsed and creaked inside of him, it was fine.

They were his own problems, and as a student of a Keyblade Master he should be figuring out how to deal with everything. The Heartless, how to take care of Eri and the others, how to stay out of UA custody, how to keep everyone afloat. Instead here he was, spiralling all over again. It was a miracle he hadn't set half the cafeteria on fire by now.

Maybe it would help, somewhat to ease the burden. To share something with them. How he was terrified, how he was tired, how he wished everything would go back to normal, how he missed his family. How he wished he was strong enough to help everyone. How he wished he could just fix it.

Izuku groaned and slumped forward, his forehead resting on the table as he stared at the smooth gray tables. Unable to make any kind of patterns with the plain color. He felt their eyes on him, a hand hovered over his shoulder before slowly coming down and offering a small squeeze in reassurance.

"I'm just…scared, you know?" He admitted. "I really am, there's a lot going on and I-I can't help but feel powerless. I wish I could do something about it but I can't, and it's frustrating and scary and...and the only thing I really can do is just keep my sister and I afloat. A-And I'm trying my best but, it's hard you know?" Izuku grit his teeth as he felt tears begin to sting his eyes. "I wish there was something I could do, but I can't. I just wish I could somehow fix everything and I-I'm sorry, I know it sounds stupid." He stopped as he realized he was beginning to go on a rant. "I just...I hate how everything is falling apart. I hate how we keep losing people around us and...I just wish I could somehow fix it."

He took a shuddering breath, realizing he had tears streaming down his face. Their silence was deafening, and for a moment he felt nothing but burning shame wash over him.

That was stupid! What was I thinking? I should have just shut up, what's the matter with me? Now look, they don't want anything to do with you. That sounded ridiculous, and they're gonna-

His thoughts stopped when he registered someone sitting on the other side of him, and tentatively leaning against him. The hand on his shoulder was gone, but the presence was the same. He didn't dare look up, too scared to see the looks on their faces. He knew it was coming, painful rejection. What else could it be?

"I am so sorry you feel like that." Ochako whispered. "In all honesty, I'm pretty scared too, and I get the feeling of just wanting to fix everything. But we can't, we don't know how...but I wish I could. It's not stupid, it really isn't."

Izuku felt a warm hand on his other shoulder and heard a soft sigh. "This is a frightening situation indeed, and I do understand your fears, and concerns, and...frustrations. But all we can do for now is try to hold on." Iida said. "You're not alone Midoriya, and I can only imagine how long you've been trying to hold this in. I'm sorry that ever had to happen."

Izuku took another shuddering breath and tried to keep himself from outright bawling. It wasn't much, but it felt like something had eased off his chest. Just a little bit of the overwhelming pain he felt was gone.

"Midoriya, if there is anything you need to get off your chest please don't hesitate to come to us. No one should carry around those kinds of feelings, and just bottle them up."

Ochako nodded. "Yeah, you can come to us anytime. Please don't feel bad about it, that's what friends are for isn't it? We're supposed to help each other out."

Izuku tearfully nodded. "Th-Th-Thank you."

"Of course." They responded.

As Izuku began to pull himself together again and wipe his face, Iida asked him a question he didn't want to answer.

"Midoriya, lunch is almost over. Have you eaten anything?"

The two stopped and watched Izuku, noting how he refused to look at either of them.

"Izuku…" Ochako frowned.

"I-I'm okay, really!" Izuku insisted. "I don't...I don't think I can stomach much of anything right now anyway. I've been feeling a little nauseous today."

Iida frowned. "That's no excuse Midoriya, you should still eat something. Something light that won't upset your stomach." He took the small bowl of rice off from his plate and placed it in front of Izuku.

Ochako gave him a stern look as she grabbed a small plate of mochi and placed it beside the rice.

"Mochi? Uraraka, that can't be good for lunch. It doesn't contain the nutritional value that one needs." Iida crossed his arms.

"Well sometimes you need a little something sweet to make you feel better." She playfully argued. "Besides, it's strawberry flavored."

"That has nothing to do with anything!"

Izuku smiled to himself as he sat up a little straighter and bit into some of the mochi. The sweetness overtaking the bitter taste that had been lingering in his mouth. He listened to the other two's banter as he ate what he could.

He couldn't help but think about what Master Aqua said about her own friends, Terra and Ven. How they were best friends, the way she talked about them it was clear she loved them. How much she cherished them.

Izuku couldn't help but wonder if this is what it's like to be blessed with such good friends.

-HoL-

"I am here!"

Everyone looked up at the booming voice as the door was thrown open.

"Coming through the door like a hero!"

Every looked up at that and beamed, a few whispering in excitement as he marched to the front of the classroom.

"Oh my gosh it's really All Might!"

"He really is a teacher here that's so cool!"

"Is that his Silver Age costume?"

Izuku watched in awe as the Number 1 Hero turned to face them, his heroic smile on display for all of them.

"Welcome to the most important class at UA High! Think of it as Heroing 101, where you learn the basics of heroics! What it's like to be a Pro, and what it means to fight in the name of good!"

Izuku felt chills race up and down his spine as he said that. Learning how to be heroes, by the Number 1 hero himself! It was exciting!

"Now then, let's not waste any time and get right into it!" All Might shouted as he pulled out a card for all of them to see. "This lesson will pull no punches!"

Izuku felt some of his excitement dissipate as he read what the card said.

"Actual combat?" He muttered.

"Hell yeah, fight training!" Katsuki grinned in front of him.

"But one of the keys of being a hero is...looking good!" He pointed at the wall as sections began to protrude from the wall, displaying the cases that held their hero costumes. They were all present, none had been removed despite the size of the class being halved. The sight of it gave everyone a small twinge of sadness.

"They were designed for you by your Quirk registration forms you sent in before school started."

Izuku spotted his own case before looking down at his backpack. "Costumes…"

"Now, get suited up, and meet me in Ground Beta!"

"Yes sir!" Everyone answered him in varying degrees of enthusiasm. They watched him laugh before speeding off, probably going to get the training area ready for them. Everyone got up and took their respective cases, Izuku was about to grab his when he was pushed to the side by Katsuki.

"Stay out of my way nerd before I hurt you." He glared at Izuku before grabbing his case and turning to walk away.

Izuku watched him stomp out of the classroom before getting his own case. He knew he wouldn't be wearing at least one of the items in the case, because he had his own version of it. Arguably much stronger, and definitely more meaningful.

Izuku pushed Katsuki's aggression out of his head and let a small feeling of excitement fill his chest. He was finally going to be able to put his Master's second gift to use.

-.-

Izuku nervously adjusted his jacket as he walked through the dark tunnel, he eyed his other classmates and saw how their costumes looked. Certainly a lot flashier than his, that was for sure. But this is what he wanted, something simple, something that suited him.

Everyone walked out of the tunnel, getting a little windswept by the howling winds once they were out. Everyone couldn't help but look at the sky, it was dark; and the dark gray, almost purple, clouds seemed to be swirling around each other. It was unsettling, and made a few of them shift nervously from foot to foot.

"Woah, it's storming so bad that's crazy…"

"Look at all this."

"Should we even be outside."

"UA is safe, c'mon don't be a baby!'

All Might approached the group, noticing their nervous looks.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, when they say that clothes make the pros they certainly mean it. Behold, you are the proof!" Everyone looked up at his voice. "Take this to heart, from now on you are all...heroes in training!" The hero watched everyone smile at the sound of that.

"Man this is getting me all revved up, you all look so cool! Now, shall we get started, you bunch of newbies?"

Izuku panted as he ran through the tunnel, having fallen behind as he was packing his things up. He skidded to a stop as soon as he reached the end of the tunnel, hoping no one noticed his tardiness.

"Oh hey Izuku!"

He looked up to see none other than Ochako hurrying over to approach him. Izuku looked over her costume and felt his face turn red before looking away.

"Woah, I really like your costume! Not too flashy, it really suits you." She smiled and rubbed her arm. "I really should have been more specific with what I wanted, this suit is skin tight, not really my style."

"O-Oh I uh...t-think you look r-really good in it." Izuku stammered.

"Oh, uh thank you." She looked away as her own face grew warm.

Izuku adjusted his jacket as he listened to All Might's lecture.

His costume was indeed simple, nothing too flashy. Black pants and fingerless gloves with faint green lines on the sides. He kept his red shoes, which matched the belt around his waist, holding small pouches of supplies. His shirt was white with the words 'Hero shirt' adorning the front.

His jacket was the most special of all, a gift from his Master, light green with black lines running up and down the arms and side of his torso. She and Eri worked together on certain parts of it, Eri's touch being the rabbit ears on the hood, claiming being a rabbit suited him. Then on the back, something he wore proudly, was his Master's symbol. What the public called, 'Guardian's Sigil' the heart on top of the cross.

Izuku smiled to himself as he pulled it a bit closer, the second gift his Master had given him after he passed the exams. It had a warm feeling surrounding it, almost like she was there with him. It was admittedly slightly bigger than him.

"You're gonna go through a growth spurt or two, I intended this to last for a while." She had smiled as he marvelled at it, crying in happiness as he held the jacket close to him.

He felt his eyes burn with tears before shaking his head and wiping them away. He wasn't supposed to be crying, he should be paying attention!

"Due to unfortunate circumstances your class size has been halved, and as such there will only be two rounds. One 3v3 and one 2v2. Your teams will be decided randomly, and as for who will be villain and hero teams, that will be randomly decided as well."

"Randomly?" A familiar voice came from a suit of armor. "Sir, are you sure that's for the best?"

Oh, that's Iida in there. He looks so cool!

All Might nodded at him. "Indeed! You see as a hero there are surprise team ups, and we must work around each other. This is not only a lesson in combat ability, but in teamwork as well. Now then," He held up a remote, "let's see how the teams are divided!"

All Might pressed a button on the remote and a screen appeared, showing four columns with spinning boxes. Two had three boxes, while the other two had two. With a click of a button the boxes began to slow down, slowly coming to a stop until all four columns were filled in.

Team A:

Kyoka Jirou

Shouto Todoroki

Team B:

Tsuyu Asui

Momo Yaoyorozu

Team C:

Katsuki Bakugo

Tenya Iida

Fumikage Tokoyami

Team D:

Izuku Midoriya

Ochako Uraraka

Eijirou Kirishima

Izuku gulped as he stared at the screen, it was clear what team he was going to go up against. The question was, was he going to be a hero or a villain in this exercise?

"Wow, what a line up!" All Might shouted. "It's clear who will be going up against who, now let's see who gets to be villains and who gets to be heroes!" He pressed another button and the colors of the frames began to change, until Team C and B were colored black, while A and D were white, marking them as heroes.

"Now remember, the heroes' objective is to secure the weapon while the villains are to protect it. You have 15 minutes to complete your goal."

They all nodded in understanding, slowly scooting over to their teammates.

"Now then, how about we start with the 3v3? The rest of you will be joining me in the observation room where we can watch the exercise play out."

All Might pointed out the room for them to head out before going to the three teams and handing them their supplies. A roll of capture tape, a floor plan, and communication devices.

"If things start to go too far, I will step in and stop the fight, understand?" He looked over the teams. "Now, you have 5 minutes to prepare."

"Yes sir." They all nodded.

Katsuki scowled and looked away, catching Izuku's eye. Once the hero turned away he openly glared at Izuku.

Izuku flinched at his gaze and looked down, before slowly looking back at him. He pretended not to notice as Katsuki flinched before huffing and stomping inside the building with the other two in tow.

Izuku watched him disappear before letting out a sigh and shaking his head.

"Man, Bakugo looks pretty intense." Kirishima walked over with a piece of paper in hand.

"He sure is." Ochako muttered. "Say do you think that they expect us to memorize this whole floor plan?"

"I hope not, I don't think I can memorize this thing…"

Ochako shrugged. "Maybe, but either way I'm happy we're not being threatened with some kind of punishment like last time. All Might is really cool, don't you-is everything okay?" She stopped mid-sentence and walked over to Izuku.

Izuku could feel himself shaking, hardly able to pay attention to the floor plan.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay." Izuku mumbled. "It's just that...we're up against Katsuki and.."

She frowned and looked at the building. "Yeah, and he keeps on picking on you."

"So not manly." Kirishima muttered.

"Yeah, but it's not only him, but it's Iida and Tokoyami too, who knows what plan they'll have up their sleeves."

Izuku took a shaky sigh and shut his eyes. Memories of the past few months replayed in his mind over and over again. He swore he could feel the intense heat on his skin again, where sunburst shaped scars were. Bruises and painful aches from the times Katsuki had caught him.

"He can be a real pain, but he's strong and ambitious, his Quirk is amazing…" Izuku muttered, feeling the pain fade as the memory of his Master shone through.

"Izuku, what that boy was doing to you is unacceptable. It's none of his business whether-hey look at me. It is none of his business whether you have powers or not understand?"

Izuku felt his good luck charm hum and vibrate at the memory of her. She believed in him right from the very start, she never treated him like he was anything less.

"I'm really proud of you, you know that?"

Izuku steeled his nerves and looked up as a warm feeling blossomed in his chest, chasing away the cold ache.

"But that just means I have to do better, I have to work harder." He stood up straight and glared ahead at the building. "I refuse to lose today."

The two stared at him before smiling.

"So it's a fated battle between rivals." Ochako smiled.

"O-Oh! I'm not trying to get you wrapped up in my fight or anything!"

"You kidding man?" Kirishima slung an arm over his shoulder. "We're a team, and we gotta stick together. You just give the word and we'll go. Let's win this!"

"Yeah!"

Izuku smiled to himself and looked up as an alarm went off. It was time to get to work, they could do this!

-.-

Izuku grunted as he climbed into a third story window. He didn't trust the front door, during those 5 minutes those three could have anything planned. Like having someone hidden on the first floor, ready to attack.

"Just like that, we're in." Ochako whispered, helping Kirishima inside.

"We need to be careful." Izuku said. "There are a lot of blind spots, and they could be anywhere."

"Right." The other two nodded.

Izuku stopped at a corner and peeked around, holding up a hand to make the others stop.

"Kirishima, your Quirk is Hardening right?" Izuku asked as he motioned for them to follow.

"Yeah, I can harden my skin, but I can't hold it forever." He nodded.

Izuku nodded and stopped them again. "I hate to ask this of you, but you're going to have to act as the main defense. If everything goes right, maybe you and I can distract all three long enough for Uraraka to slip past and grab the weapon. It'll be chaos, but I think it can be done."

Izuku paused before stopping the others, straining his ears. He felt his heart begin to hammer as he heard the faint sound of footsteps.

"But if it doesn't go right, you two are going to be on your own. Uraraka, if you can at least touch one of them, that'll take one of them off the board. Your best bet is going to be going after Iida, since he'll have to get in close to attack. Kirishima, like I said, main defense. I have a feeling Tokoyami is going to be a hard hitter too."

They watched Izuku and nodded.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." He whispered. "Now, let's-"

"Found you Deku!" Izuku whirled around and used his body to cover Ochako as a large explosion deafened them all.

Izuku hurriedly got up and faced Katsuki. Watching the smoke disperse to reveal an angry Katsuki.

"A sneak attack? Not manly at all Bakugo!"

"Izuku! Are you okay?" Ochako asked with alarm.

Izuku ignored the sting on the side of his face, he was barely grazed. "I'm okay, nothing to worry about."

"What's the matter Deku, afraid to stand up and fight me?"

"I knew you'd come after me first, and try to catch me by surprise."

Katsuki grinned and ran at Izuku. "Oh don't worry. I won't hurt you so bad they'll have to stop the fight. Just close!" He yelled and threw a hand towards Izuku.

Izuku moved forward and grabbed his gauntlet, firmly planting himself before yelling in effort as he threw Katsuki over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. A move none other than his Master taught him.

"Katsuki." Izuku watched him get up while the other two backed away. "You always start your fights with a big right hook. I know because I've watched you for years, I've been on the receiving end of it for years. I've analyzed every hero, I wanted to learn everything I could about them, even you."

The blonde growled as he got to his feet and began to shake with rage, a dark aura surrounding him.

"You can call me Deku all you want, but I'm not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore! You hear me? I've changed! I'm not going to let you push me around anymore!" He shouted.

Katsuki grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "Deku...Look at you, so scared you're shaking in your boots." He let off a few explosions. "Yet you still wanna fight me, act like you're more than you're worth! You don't know your damn place! That's why I hate you!"

Izuku couldn't help the way his body shook, but he refused to back down. He didn't get much chance to dwell on that thought before Katsuki launched himself at him.

"Uraraka, Kirishima, go!" He shouted, putting up his hands to block the kick aimed at his head.

"Ha! Ballsy move, think you can really take me on by yourself?" Katsuki sneered at him before noticing the white tape.

Izuku gasped and ducked, darting to the side as Katsuki tried to get him with another explosion.

Good, he's focused on me, let's keep it that way!

Izuku stared at Katsuki before making a mad dash down the hall.

"Hey, get back here Deku!"

My magic is finite, I can't go using it at random. If I'm going to do something I have to make it count. Especially against him.

Izuku hurriedly rounded another corner and ran down another hall. He looked at the different paths before throwing a small Blizzard spell down a hall, leaving a trail of frost. If he could get him off his trail for a moment that'd give him enough time to come up with something.

Izuku took another hallway and ran faster at the growls of frustration.

Okay, take stock of what you have. Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Aero, and Water. Fire is a no go, probably won't do any good. Aero is only good for dispersing any smoke, makybe taking away the heat from his explosions if I concentrate enough. Blizzard and Water are probably the best, it might nullify his Quirk for a bit. Thunder is a no go, I don't want to run the risk of hurting him so badly…

Izuku skidded to a stop and knelt down at a corner, listening to Katsuki rage somewhere in the building. His voice echoing through every hall.

"Damn it! You damn nerd, thinking you're all that just because you got a Quirk now? You seriously think you can beat me with that flimsy power of yours you good for nothing? Get your ass out here and let's see how that flashy power of yours compares to mine!"

Izuku flinched at the sound of explosions, but kept quiet. Once he was sure he was in the clear he made a dash to the staircase and ran further into the floor. Once he was sure he was hidden he sighed.

Alright, he's forgotten about the others, that's good. The others should be close to the weapon by now, seeing as Katsuki probably went rogue just to get to me…that's fine. I can capture him and move on, I just have to stay away from his hands. Barriers are going to be a big help in this case.

Izuku flinched as he heard one explosion after another. He was searching every room for him, just how long could he lead Katsuki around? He stared at his shaking hands and forced himself to take a deep breath.

You're not defenseless anymore, you're not defenseless anymore! I can't let him beat me, not here. Not with my team relying on me.

Izuku gulped and held his good luck charm.

"Come out and face me you coward!"

Izuku shuddered again at the overwhelming aura he gave off, even from so far away. So suffocating and painful, and it only grew stronger. Izuku's mind buzzed as he slowly stood up.

Was this what darkness felt like?

Izuku strained his ears, listening for any indication that Katsuki was heading up to his floor. Once he was sure he was safe he pressed the button on his communicator.

"Uraraka, Kirishima, how are you doing?" He whispered.

"We're okay, but we got spotted thanks to me. I'm sorry." Ochako apologized.

"They just noticed us, so we haven't started fighting yet. But it looks like we're about to. How are you Midoriya?" Kirishima asked.

"I'm okay, I still haven't captured Katsuki yet but I'll try to get it done fast so I can help you out over there. Where are you?"

"Middle of the fifth floor!"

"Okay, do your best! I'll meet you soon."

"Yeah, same goes to you."

Once the communicator was off, Izuku looked around before going down another hall.

Blizzard, Water, and Barrier. Okay, I can work with that. Barrier will be a little tricky, since I still need some time to make a solid shield that won't break so easily…but it'll be good for damage reduction at least.

Just as Izuku was about to move he was startled by a low hum. Izuku gasped in surprise and whirled around to see Katsuki standing behind him, holding up his gauntlet. "Would you look at that, I'm all loaded up."

Izuku tensed up and narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"Why haven't you used your fancy little Quirk yet Deku? You really think you can get by without it?" He asked.

Izuku steeled himself, feeling his body had begun to tremble again. He could win this, he just had to be careful. He tightened his hold on the capture tape and looked Katsuki in the eye.

"I'm not scared of you anymore. So go ahead, do your worst."

Katsuki growled taking a step forward before grinning. "You're such a stalker, so you know how my Quirk works right? Making explosions with nitroglycerin-like sweat, now guess what I can do if I had a bunch of it." He pointed the gauntlet at Izuku.

"These things aren't just for show Deku, they've been storing up my sweat for one monster blast." The opening of the gauntlet began to glow as Katsuki began to pull out the pin.

That was when they heard the warning from All Might.

"Young Bakugo don't do it! You'll kill him!"

"Oh he'll be fine as long as he dodges!"

Izuku watched him pull the pin as a large explosion was unleashed. What little time he had Izuku raised a Barrier, before he could try to reinforce it the intense firepower slammed into him and shattered it, sending him flying.

From above the others yelled in alarm at the shaking building.

"What the heck was that?" Kirishima yelled, struggling against Dark Shadow.

"Was that Bakugo?" Iida looked up.

"It must be…" Tokoyami stared at the door to the room.

Ochako hurriedly stood up from where she had been knocked down, facing the door. "Oh no, Izuku!" She shouted, fearing the worst for her friend.

Izuku groaned as the ringing in his ears slowly faded, there was a buzz from the communicator but he couldn't make out that much from the static. He forced himself onto shaky legs as Katsuki came walking into the room cackling.

"These things are really awesome." He looked down at his other gauntlet as it hummed. "Look at that, my other one is ready. Come on nerd, use your stupid Quirk on me, give it everything you got. Because no matter what you'll never beat me."

"What's wrong Deku, you scared? What happened to all that big talk earlier?"

Izuku looked to the side as a voice made it through the crackling static in his ear.

"Izuku are you okay?" Ochako asked frantically.

"I'm fine, are you two okay?"

"It's not looking good. Kirishima's pinned and Iida is keeping the weapon away from me. I think I have an idea, but it'll be hard to pull off."

"Okay, just be careful." Izuku warned.

"You too!"

"Why aren't you paying attention, nerd?" Katsuki's eye twitched, and he raised his other gauntlet. "What, was the first one not enough for you?"

"Bakugo!" All Might's voice came over the loudspeaker, crackling in and out of static. "Do not use another blast like that, do it and I'll end the exercise, your team will lose by default! You are supposed to be protecting your stronghold, not destroying it. Do I make myself clear?"

Katsuki growled and lowered his weapon. "Fine then, I guess we'll have to do it the old fashioned way!" He shouted and charged at Izuku.

Izuku moved to dodge, but the ground broke from underneath his feet.

I can't dodge!

Izuku put up his hands to raise a Barrier, but before it could form Katsuki let out a blast and sailed over Izuku. Before he could turn around Katsuki set off an intense blast, grinning at the cry of pain.

Izuku flinched in pain at the slight movements, his jacket had protected him from most of the fire damage. He didn't get the chance to counter Katsuki at all before he slammed a gauntlet into his side, taking the wind out of him. Izuku wheezed as Katsuki grabbed his arm and whirled around, using his explosions to slam Izuku to the ground.

"Don't you ever forget what you are Deku, a useless weakling who can't do anything right!"

Izuku stared at the ceiling with blurred vision, he couldn't catch his breath. It feels like he was suffocating, like his energy was being sapped away.

Move! Move! You have to get up and fight!

Izuku was about to push himself up when Katsuki came down on him again, using one hand to grab his jacket and the other to punch him.

Get up.

Izuku grunted as reached a hand up to grab Katsuki's shirt.

You're not done yet!

He yelled and pulled him down, headbutting Katsuki. He heard a cry of pain and was let go. He used this moment to grab one of the gauntlets and sent a rush of ice magic through his hands.

Colder, colder! Completely freeze it over!

Izuku shuddered as a harsh chill ran through his body, and ice began to creep up Katsuki's arm.

"What the hell! Get off of me!"

Izuku grit his teeth as Katsuki wrenched his arm free. Before he could throw another punch, Izuku kicked him off and hurried to his feet.

Keep his temperature down, don't let him sweat. No sweat, no explosions.

Katsuki glared at his frozen arm before looking at Izuku. "This really the best you can do, nerd?" He went to smack the gauntlet against the wall to break the ice off, only for the entire thing to shatter into pieces. Leaving his arm bare and exposed.

Izuku sniffed and wiped away his sweat. "I'm not done yet Katsuki. You haven't beaten me."

Katsuki grit his teeth. "Look at yourself nerd, you look half dead and you've barely laid a scratch on me. All you've done is break my gauntlet." He held up the other. "And you broke the wrong one dumbass."

Izuku swallowed hard and clenched his fists. "So what? You're not supposed to use it, if you do you'll fail."

Katsuki grinned. "I don't give a damn about this stupid test anymore Deku. What really matters is reminding you where you belong." He began to walk towards Izuku, hands sparking. "You keep forgetting over, and over again. Thinking you can be some kind of hero, when you really can't!" He swung at Izuku.

He dodged the punch, shouting as he summoned up an ice spell and sent it towards Katsuki. He moved and exploded the ice, hardly any of it struck him. What little did sent a light frost spreading over his skin.

"You're a useless idiot who thinks he can be more than what he really is!"

Izuku watched the blonde launch himself forward and moved to dodge again. Only for Katsuki to anticipate this, before he could get very far he was grabbed again and was slammed into the wall. He fell to the ground, and moved to get up, only to be sent down with a kick to the gut.

He couldn't help the helpless feeling that began to overtake him, memories of being dragged to places no one could see or hear him yell. Memories of pain, intense heat, aching bruises that could never seem to heal. He was there again, with no power, with nobody to help him.

Katsuki watched him try to pick himself up again, yelling as he slammed his foot into him again.

"You're a Quirkless loser that nobody wants around. Thinking you can actually be something." He growled as Izuku wheezed in pain, but kept trying to get up. He saw him try to form a small shield around himself, Katsuki didn't give him the chance.

"You. Are. Nothing!" He emphasized each word with a harsh kick. "And you know it."

Izuku tried to blink the stars from his vision as he looked up. "N-No...I'm not." He pushed himself up before a foot slammed into his head. Katsuki dug his heel in and looked down at him. There was static in his ear, an annoying crackling that made him throw out his earpiece.

"Yes, you are. You actually thought you could beat someone like me…" Katsuki grinned. "But you can't. Because even with some kind of Quirk, you'll always be worthless. Nothing but dirt under my shoe. A little bug to crush."

Izuku weakly grabbed his leg, tears pouring down his face. Ice raced up Katsuki's leg before he freed himself and stomped on Izuku's hand, earning a cry of pain.

"I saw your dumbass come running through the gate this morning, you had to be saved by All Might. Your useless power can't even help you against those monsters." He sneered. "You should have died that night, at least the world would have been freed of one more useless freak." He delivered one last kick to Izuku's face before turning away.

"You're weak, and you always will be."

Though fading consciousness Izuku watched him walk away. He was falling into that space again, between sleep and waking. Struggling, and desperately trying to stay awake. He couldn't stop, not here!

He was going to hurt them, Kirishima and Ochako, maybe even his own team.

Katsuki's words weighed him down though, and briefly halted his efforts to stay awake.

What good could he do? His plan was a failure, he didn't do anything against him. What hope could he have to beat him? Was he really this useless?

A sense of despair wrapped around Izuku the more he thought about it, dragging him further down. He couldn't even stop Katsuki, he was letting his team down. He had the chance to stand up for himself, and prove he wasn't worthless anymore, and he failed. He let everyone down.

He was certain even his Master would be ashamed of him.

"No matter what I'm proud of you. Always."

An inkling of light shone up above Izuku, glowing brightly against the darkness. Izuku looked up at the light, it seemed so far away, yet so close. He began to reach for it, feeling it's warmth.

No, she wouldn't be ashamed of me.

He grit his teeth and struggled against the darkness that tried to drag him down, reaching for the light that grew brighter and brighter.

I have to keep going, I can't stop here, I won't!

The light seemed to come closer to him, drawn to him.

I can't do this on my own. Not just fighting him, but the Heartless. I can't do it on my own, so please, help me!

Izuku reached both hands out, gently wrapping them around the radiant glow. A warm feeling blossomed in his chest and spread through the rest of his body.

I'll prove myself worthy of you.

He never felt more whole in his life.

I'll keep my light burning strong.

I promise.

-.-

Katsuki was about to leave the room when he heard Izuku shift behind him. He paused before turning around, ready to beat Izuku again. A bolt of lightning zapped past him, giving him a light shock.

He looked up in anger and was about to yell, only for nothing to come out.

Izuku was on his feet again looking up in a daze and surrounded by magic. Lightning sparked around him, while wind magic swirled ice, fire, and water around him. His injuries were slowly healed by small petals of light falling around him.

Eyes that were pools of green light stared at Katsuki. Izuku looked him in the eye as he held out a hand, small particles of light gathered in front of him.

Katsuki stared at him, paralyzed for a moment before rage fuelled him to scream, and launch himself at Izuku. In no time he was right in front of him, Izuku hadn't moved, he hadn't even flinched.

"You little bastard!"

Katsuki went to hit him, only to hear a loud crack and be sent flying. He felt the pain before he hit the ground. He forced himself up and was about to yell at Izuku until he saw him.

The elements had dispersed and Izuku was still standing there, an unsettling calm surrounding him. In his hand was a strange key-like sword.

It almost looked like a skeleton key, the teeth were cut into the shape of half a five point star, with two indentations near the silver neck of the blade. There was a small red band on the blade before it came to the green, circular guard. The top half of the guard stretched down like an upside down crescent moon, with three black stars lining the top, matching the grip. The keychain that dangled from the bottom was a green sphere, encaged by silver lines.

Katsuki felt something inside him shudder in fear when he saw the blade. Fear that was quickly replaced with rage.

"What the hell is that supposed to be Deku? You think that fancy new toy is supposed to help you?"

Izuku didn't answer, instead walking towards Katsuki. He didn't react when he was charged at again, but instead blocked the hit. With his free hand Izuku punched him in the face, leaving ice where he hit him.

Katsuki staggered back and stared at Izuku. "What, think you're too good to talk to me anymore nerd?" He stopped and watched Izuku's movements. No, he was too calm and collected. It wasn't like him.

"Don't tell me he's unconscious…" Katsuki muttered, letting a few sparks off before scowling.

"No."

Katsuki froze.

Izuku looked him in the eye again, the green glow was gone this time. Katsuki swore there was a flicker of blue in his eyes.

"I'm wide awake!"

Izuku shouted and charged forward, moving to the side at the last moment to dodge a surprise blast. He brought the blade down, and sent Katsuki staggering with stars in his vision. He didn't let up, still moving forward and striking again and again. Katsuki blocked some of the hits with his remaining gauntlet, but was still struck a few times.

Each time he was hit Katsuki felt something in him writhe and lash out in anger, causing him to do the same. Izuku dodged most of his explosions if he didn't block them with his Barrier.

Izuku jumped back and aimed his Keyblade at Katsuki, gathering up a great deal of magic and firing off a Blizzard spell that hit him head on. He didn't have time to dodge. The blonde yelled as a flurry of ice consumed him and slammed him into the wall. He was about to move forward when Izuku fired off another spell, this time freezing over his arms and pinning him to the wall.

Katsuki shouted and tried to use his Quirk to melt off some of the ice, shocked that it wasn't melting instantly. His power seemed so flimsy before.

Izuku ran forward, yelling as he swung his Keyblade down.

Katsuki instinctively flinched, expecting to be hit by it. When he looked up he saw the end of his weapon pointed at his throat. Izuku was panting, glaring at Katsuki.

"I said I wasn't going to lose, and I meant it. You see this?" He held up his Keyblade, his vision began to blur. "This is proof, I'm not going to let you push me around anymore. I'm not worthless, not anymore. This is it, my Indomitable Spirit!"

Izuku lowered his weapon and turned away, he ignored Katsuki's screams of anger as he made his way to the torn up entrance. When the spinning became too much he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavy and staring at his Keyblade.

He tried to pull himself up when a loud alarm went off. He looked up, and through crackling speakers All Might spoke.

"The hero team...wins!"

Izuku smiled to himself and sighed, laying his head down. They won, they did it! Izuku only wished he could have been of more help. He stared at his Keyblade and felt tears pour down his face.

He got his Keyblade, finally!

Though the feeling was bittersweet, yes he got it, but his Master wasn't there to celebrate with him. To congratulate him, to teach him even more. She was gone...

He heard voices around him, mixing into each other and becoming nothing more than a buzzing background noise. Izuku sobbed loudly, startling those around him. The voices grew louder, surrounding him until a louder voice quieted them down. He heard something break and angry stomping, and then it was quiet.

He continued to cry until he felt a hand gently rest itself on his head, grabbing his attention. All Might was kneeling beside him, he had sent the others away.

Izuku couldn't help but notice a sad look on All Might's face, where there was usually a heroic smile, was an expression of sorrow and understanding.

"Young Midoriya, I understand. I understand the pain of not having your mentor there with you, especially when you've hit a milestone…" He glanced at Izuku's Keyblade, noting how it reminded him of Guardian's. "It is painful, no doubt, but I promise the pain will pass with time. Just know that she would be proud of you, I know it."

Izuku looked up with wide eyes. "Y-You knew…?"

All Might nodded. "Yes, but I am sworn to secrecy. So have no fear, no one else will know." He whispered.

Izuku laid his head down again, another sob escaping him.

All Might knew...is he the one who left us food? Does that mean Master Aqua met up with him before? Did she ask him to take care of Eri and I if something ever went wrong? Maybe she did, of course she would. She always looked out for us…

"You can rest now Midoriya, you've done enough."

Izuku gripped his Keyblade tightly and nodded. He continued to cry until he finally passed out, as soon as he was unconscious his Keyblade vanished in a flash of light.

Katsuki stood outside the room, shaking in rage. It took everything he had to not run in and yell at them. What did All Might know? Who was he talking about?

More importantly, how did Deku get an upgrade for his power, and why?

-HoL-

Mirio sighed as he made his way down the hall. He was looking through his phone, going over the messages he sent to his friends.

Nejire had replied earlier, but Amajiki never replied to the first message. It was worrying to say the least, he was supposed to meet them earlier in the day after he moved everything from his house to the UA Dorms.

Mirio couldn't help but fear the worst, of course he couldn't. That was one of his best friends, one of his closest friends. The mere thought of losing him scared him half to death. He would be fine, he was sure. He just had to have faith. Amajiki was one of the strongest people Mirio knew, he could hold his own in a fight, and when he put his mind to it he was unstoppable.

Mirio stared at the text message, almost begging for the text bubbles to pop up. For some sign his friend had gotten the message other than the 'read' icon.

He couldn't help but dread his meeting with Nighteye after school. He was supposed to help with patrols, but the thought made him feel uneasy. He couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen, like one more tragedy was right on top of them.

He mulled over the thought before shaking his head and pushing the feeling down. He had to concentrate, so many people were depending on him. It was going to be up to him to fix everything. Afterall he was the sole survivor...at least that's what Sir said.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a pair of medic robots carrying a stretcher with a body on it. A body with a head of green hair, and a familiar set of freckles.

"Midoriya?" Mirio's eyes widened and he hurried over to the robots, walking alongside them.

"What happened to him?" He asked. "Is he okay?"

"Hero Training." One of the robots said.

"You should see the other guy." The other responded.

Mirio frowned and looked over Izuku, there were no visible injuries. Maybe he was suffering from something closer to a concussion, then passed out after the exercise? Maybe he was just tired?

He took note of the tear marks on his face, he had been crying. A pit of dread appeared in Mirio's gut. Did he have another breakdown? Did anyone else get hurt?

He wordlessly followed the robots to the Nurse's Office, he was supposed to help keep an eye on Midoriya. That was the job All Might gave him, he trusted him to help watch him. Besides, he was in a free period. There was no harm in making sure he got to the Nurse's Office safely.

When they got to the office Mirio opened the door for the robots, getting a thank you in return. He followed them inside and shut the door behind him. He heard a tired sigh from Recovery Girl as the robots placed Izuku on the bed and zoomed out of the room, Mirio opened the door for them again.

"My goodness, only the third day of school and this boy is a regular patient." She tsked and looked over him.

"Uh, is he okay?" Mirio asked, getting a 'shush' from her as she took his vitals. The third year was quiet for a while, looking over the medicine cabinets as she did her job. It was starting to dawn on him that maybe he shouldn't be there, he was just there to get confirmation that Midoriya was okay, but he didn't want to leave him.

He began to scroll through a few of his apps when he heard Recovery Girl sigh. She went back to her desk and wrote down a few things.

Mirio watched her for a bit before scooting closer, looking Izuku over before turning back to her.

"Is he…"

"He'll be okay, he's just tired. Training probably took a lot out of him, so it's best if he rests." She answered him.

Mirio sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair. "That's good to know. I'm glad." He glanced over to the first year again before moving towards a chair. "Is it okay if I stay here for a bit?"

Recovery Girl turned towards him and looked at the clock. "Don't you have a class to go to?"

"Not really, it's a free period before I have to go to my internship. I'm usually supposed to eat and rest up a bit before I go. I just...wanna stay with him." He sat down in the chair he pulled up.

"Does this have anything to do with you being there with him yesterday?" She asked.

Mirio laughed. "Kinda, I just...feel sort of responsible for him. I saw him in the morning yesterday, and I saw he wasn't looking too good. I should have brought him to you and instead...well…"

"I see." She watched Izuku before looking back at his chart. "You can stay, might be good to have a familiar face to wake up to. By the way, how are those burns feeling?" She pointed at his bandaged arms. "While you're here I should finish healing those up."

Mirio shook his head. "No need ma'am, I'm okay. I don't feel a thing!"

"That wasn't a suggestion."

"Oh."

He laughed sheepishly and shifted in his chair to face her as she walked over to him. He watched her unwrap the bandages before kissing his injuries.

Mirio watched the rest of his burns disappear before sighing. "Thank you Recovery Girl." He smiled.

"No problem, it's still your free period so get some rest. You need to be in top shape before going on patrol." She walked back to her desk.

"Of course, thank you ma'am." He leaned back in his chair with a yawn, looking up at the ceiling. It hadn't taken up too much of his stamina, but still, rest sounded good. With how little he slept the night before, and how tired he's felt all day it sounded like heaven.

He started to drift off a few minutes later, falling into a light sleep. He would be faintly aware of clacking keys, and of Recovery Girl walking around, it didn't bother him. It was soothing in a way.

He only startled out of his sleep when the door opened and two people walked in hurriedly. Mirio jolted and looked up to see a girl holding a yellow backpack accompanied by a taller boy with glasses. Both were in their regular uniforms, but the girl looked a little bruised up.

"Izuku?" She asked as she hurried in.

"Hush!" Recovery Girl scolded her. "I have students resting in here!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized. "We're worried about our friend, Izuku Midoriya. Is he still here?"

Recovery Girl nodded. "Right over there in that bed. Don't worry, he's not injured. Just exhausted, he and another student are resting so keep your voices down."

"It's okay Recovery Girl." Mirio stood up and stretched. "That was a good nap, but I should probably start getting ready."

The two first years looked at him.

"Oh, uh, who are you?"

"The name's Mirio Togata, third year heroics student. Nice to meet you." He held out a hand to them.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Ochako Uraraka." She shook his hand.

"And I am Tenya Iida, a pleasure to meet you." He made chopping motions, with his hands, and stopped to Mirio's hands. "We came to drop off Midoriya's bag and see how he's doing."

"He's still asleep." Mirio shrugged. "Whatever happened during training really took it out of him."

Ochako looked over at Izuku with a light frown. "Yeah, whatever happened was really rough on him. But I'm glad he's okay." She went over and placed his bag on the chair beside his bed. She stood there for a minute, looking over his features. He seemed so relaxed and at peace, the opposite of how he's been for the past two days.

I hope he's having a nice dream at least…

She smiled to herself, before pausing and shaking her head. She felt her face turn a bright pink.

"A-Anyway, we should probably get to the Dorms." She walked over to Iida. "Mr. Aizawa said we should head back, especially since the storm outside is getting pretty bad."

Recovery Girl nodded. "Go back to your dorms and get some rest. And you," she pointed at Mirio, "you should probably get going before you're late."

"Yeah, I probably should." He finished stretching and moved past the other two. "Thank you Recovery Girl, and it was nice meeting you two! I Togata go!" He grinned at his cheesy pun, waiting for a moment to see Iida sigh, and Ochako snort in laughter.

Without another word he took off, running down the hall. The last two looked at each other before waving goodbye to Recovery Girl and heading to the Dorms.

-.-

He was in that place again, the glass mural with a picture of himself on it.

He was lying on the warm glass, slowly coming out of a tired haze. His body felt sore, and his head was fuzzy. He stared up at the bright light overhead, taking in the warm glow.

He wasn't sure how long he laid there, lost in his head and trying to focus. Faint memories of how he got there played in his mind, again and again. When the memory of his Keyblade came forth he stopped, he sat up in a hurry and went over it again.

A Keyblade, his Keyblade. That was right, he was able to summon it. And then…

He slowly got to his feet and held out his hand, willing the Keyblade forward. He jumped in surprise when it appeared in his hand. It felt light, almost weightless. Like it was where it belonged, a piece of him he didn't know he was missing.

He let himself feel complete joy, he had done it! He finally got his Keyblade, only if Master Aqua was there to see it, he could only imagine what her reaction would have been.

He smiled to himself and held it tightly and looked it over. He didn't get to admire it very long before he saw something that caught his eye. He looked up from his Keyblade, Indomitable Spirit, and focused his attention on the glass panels. Katsuki's panel to be specific, the cracks were worse than last time. They ran deeper and were larger.

Izuku took a step towards them, kneeling down to get a closer look. A dull ache ran through his chest the longer he stared at them, it was a painful rift. He frowned and reached out to touch one of the cracks, wishing he could heal it somehow.

Before he could touch it he heard something. It was faint at first, but the longer he focused on it the louder it got.

Izuku stood up and looked around, trying to find the source. It sounded familiar, too familiar.

"Izuku!" He looked up and whirled around. He'd recognize that voice from anywhere.

Eri.

She sounded scared, panicked, afraid.

"Eri?" He called out, running towards where he heard the voice come from. "Eri, where are you?"

"Izuku, you have to wake up!" She was on the verge of tears. "Please!"

A harsh shudder went through Izuku as fear took over. "Where are you? Eri, you have to tell me so I can find you!"

"Wake up!"

-.-

Izuku jolted awake and sat up in a hurry. He panted and looked around, he was in the Infirmary. It was dark, and cold. The lights had a weak glow, and would flicker in and out. Eventually they popped, and went out, leaving him in darkness.

The wind howled outside, beating against the school. Other than the wind everything else was eerily silent.

Something's not right.

Izuku looked around and saw his bag on a chair nearby. He grabbed it and went through his things to find his phone. Much to his shock it was hours after school let out. There were multiple missed calls and text messages from Eri.

Izuku pulled his backpack on and unlocked his phone to look over the messages.

Izuku where are you?

Are you okay?

Missed Call

I'm getting scared, I think something's wrong

Izuku all the lights went out!

Please text back

I'm scared!

Missed Call (2)

A few of the Moogles went outside, they didn't come back

Izuku something really bad is happening, please come back!

There's something outside

I'm really scared

Missed Call (5)

There's something inside

Help

Izuku looked at the text messages in horror, he didn't have a second thought as he shoved his phone in his pocket. The last message was about 5 minutes ago. Mr. Aizawa and his rules be damned, he was not leaving her alone!

Izuku dashed out of the Nurse's Office and sped down the halls, he ignored the unnerving silence and the eerie creaks throughout the school. He ignored the fact that there should be other people there at least, some kind of teacher or even a student. The main building was desolate, as if it was completely abandoned.

His sole focus was on Eri, he had to get to her. He had to get to her now.

He slammed the front doors open and ran out into the courtyard, stumbling over himself. As he righted himself he got a good look at the outside. The sky was pitch black, a giant vortex had appeared far above them. Glowing red, orange, and purple.

From afar he could see bits and pieces of buildings being sucked into it, mercilessly consumed by the darkness and never to return.

Get to Eri.

Izuku steeled himself and began to run through the courtyard. The faster he got to her, the sooner he could save her. The sooner she'd be okay.

He promised he'd take care of her, he'd keep her safe. There was no way he was going to break that promise!

He was halfway through the courtyard when he heard a shrill scream and stopped in his tracks. He looked towards the source and froze in terror when he saw Ochako and Iida running from a swarm of Heartless. They were scrambling over each other, trying to get to the two.

He moved without thinking, sprinting towards his friends and hearing their cries of surprise at the sight of him. He disregarded it for the moment as he ran past them and summoned his Keyblade.

"Midoriya, what are you doing?"

"Stay behind me!"

Izuku gripped his Keyblade tightly and pointed it at the Heartless.

"Thunder!"

A wave of lightning surrounded the group before racing towards the Heartless. They flinched at the haunting hisses and shrieks that came from the shadows as they writhed in pain. Spasming and twitching in agony before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The few that survived wasted no time in attempting to avenge their fallen. Jumping up with claws outstretched to tear into them. Izuku shouted and swing his blade in a wide arc, knocking them all down before launching another spell.

"Fire!"

A small wall of flames swallowed them, burning away the darkness and leaving nothing behind.

Izuku stared at the charred ground in surprise before looking down at his Keyblade.

That was...a lot stronger than I expected…

Before he could go in depth with his thoughts Izuku shook his head and looked at the others, who wore mixed expressions of shock and relief.

"Are you two okay? What happened? Where is everyone?" He fired off one question after another.

"W-We don't know!" Ochako replied first. "We were in the dorms when everything went dark, we thought it was just a normal power outage. And then...then the screams started…"

"Unfortunately we were the only ones who were able to escape the dorms." Iida continued, he was visibly shaking. "Everyone else…after we escaped we realized you were still in the Infirmary. We weren't sure if you were conscious or not, but we were worried."

"I'm okay." Izuku nodded. "I just woke up, and I'm glad you guys are okay too. Are you sure nobody else made it out of the dorms?"

Iida stared at the ground for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't believe so."

"Wait!" Ochako spoke up. "Todoroki left the building earlier, he said he needed some air. D-Do you think he might still be around?"

"It's possible." Izuku mumbled. "We can keep an eye out for him while we run. Come on, we gotta go!" He began to run towards the school gates.

"Go? Go where?" Iida sputtered and began to run alongside Izuku, Ochako right behind him.

"We have to get out of here, there's someone waiting and I'm really worried about her."

Ochako and Iida looked at each other in confusion.

"Who?"

Izuku looked over his shoulder. "My sister!"

The two felt ice run through their veins. If she was waiting for Izuku, did that mean she was alone?

"Lead the way Izuku!" Ochako shouted.

"Okay, stay close!"

Most of the streets were dead, abandoned and overturned cars and broken shop windows. A few plants had been ripped from the ground from the strong winds, and were strewn about all over the ground.

The streets that weren't quiet were filled with chaos. People ran around screaming and crying as they were hunted down by the Heartless. One by one people were killed and disappeared. Some tried to save each other and reach some kind of safety, while others sacrificed one another and pushed them into danger to save themselves.

The three couldn't help their shock as they watched people commit these acts. Izuku put his Keyblade away and grabbed Ochako and Iida's hands, pulling them along and weaving through the chaos to get to where they were needed. They all tried to ignore the screams that were suddenly cut off, or the enraged yells as people fought with one another. They looked away from the spatters of blood that decorated the streets.

Just get to Eri, just get to Eri, just get to Eri!

Izuku heard Ochako's horrified sobs and Iida's stunned silence, but they couldn't slow down now. They were still in danger, Eri was still in danger. If they stood still then they could be caught, either by the Heartless or someone willing to give up the lives of others.

Izuku guided them through the chaos and led them to another quiet street. He kept them moving, as long as they were moving they were safe. He blinked back the tears and continued to run down the street. It was selfish, but his friends were his priority. His family was his priority, and he refused to put them in any more danger.

"Izuku!"

He was brought out of his thoughts as he slammed into a glacier. He stumbled back and was steadied by Ochako.

"Midoriya, are you okay?" Iida asked through his panting.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry. I'm more concerned with what this is." He put a hand to the ice.

"I'm not sure, but I have a guess…" Iida muttered.

They jumped when the ice shattered and was replaced by another wall of ice. Izuku pulled them out of the way and watched as countless Heartless were swept away by the attack. The shadows were sent flying and skittered around in frustration. Izuku hurriedly cleared them out with a wave of fire magic. He was still trying to get used to the new boost in power.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming!" Ochako shouted.

The three heard a sound of confusion, then the wall of ice began to melt. Behind the wall revealed none other than Todoroki.

"Todoroki!" Izuku shouted.

"Oh, he's alive!" Ochako sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness."

The teen stared at them in silence before raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing off campus?" He asked.

"We could ask you the same thing!" Ochako shouted, she was gripping Izuku's arm tightly. Her calm facade was beginning to break apart.

"I was chased off the campus, shortly after I went to take a walk." He narrowed his eyes.

"The same thing happened to us except...the monsters got into the dorms." Iida looked him in the eye. "Uraraka and I were the only ones to make it out, and we went to get Midoriya to see if he was okay. He ended up saving us."

Todoroki looked at Izuku, sending a rush of fear through the boy.

"We had to run, we're going to get my sister and then we're going to try and find a safe place." Izuku explained quickly. "Please, come with us."

Todoroki raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe Izuku was the one to save them. "Why should I?"

Izuku grit his teeth, the longer they stood here talking the longer it took to get to Eri. He felt something in him snap.

"Are you kidding me? We're the only surviving students of our class and you want to ask me why you should come with us? We're all in danger, but with more people we have a better chance at defending ourselves! We can't lose anyone else, so just come with us!" He shouted, taking the other aback.

"But if you're going to decide, then do it quick. Because the longer we sit here talking about this the more danger my sister is in! Or if you'd like I can make the decision for you and just drag you with us because I'm not losing anyone else today!"

Izuku panted, swallowing hard before looking up apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. But we're running out of time, so-"

"I'll go with you." Todoroki cut him off. "You're somewhat right in the sense there'll be more of us to protect each other. Besides, even if I refused you may have just pulled me along anyway."

Izuku nodded and looked at the others. They nodded back at him, they were okay and ready to start moving again. He looked up at Todoroki.

"Stay close, and stay behind me. We're almost there. Okay?"

"Understood."

"Okay, let's go!" He took off at a sprint again, looking over his shoulder to make sure the others were with him. A small group of survivors, a group he of all people was in charge of. Izuku began to feel nausea set in from the anxiety. He swallowed back the bile and forced himself to focus.

Eri needed him, he did not have time to be falling apart.

As they ran they came across small groups of Heartless. Izuku gave them no time to attack as he sent off waves of fire and lightning to destroy them. He glared at a few that hid in small alleys and corners, almost daring them to come out and try and stop them.

Izuku almost felt relieved as he saw familiar buildings, or what was left of them.

"We're almost there, follow me!" He rounded a corner and slipped into an alleyway, Just one more turn and they'd be home. He'd find Eri, and he would save her.

"Midoriya, where are we going?" Iida asked.

"You live in this area?" Ochako asked.

"This is my second home." Izuku admitted. "It's my sister that mainly lives here, but because of certain circumstances I've been living here full time."

"What kind of circumstances?" Todoroki asked.

Izuku opened his mouth to answer, but stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the entrance. He felt Ochako bump into him.

"Izuku? What's wrong?" She asked, looking over his shoulder and gasping.

The makeshift barricade from the morning was completely torn apart. Splinters of wood and shards of metal laid all around the ground.

Something got in…

"You stay behind me." Izuku ordered, looking over his shoulder. They could see an expression of terror mirroring their own. "Don't go anywhere else, just stay behind me."

Once they nodded, Izuku rushed inside and looked around. The furniture was all ripped up and scattered about in the house. There were scratches all over the walls and floor, whatever came through left a path of destruction. The more he looked at it the more he began to panic.

Where is she? Where is she?

He couldn't take it, the terror was killing him.

"Eri!" He screamed. "Where are you!"

He looked around, not seeing any movement from the first floor. He was about to make his way to the stairs when a loud scream answered him.

Izuku wasted no time, rushing up the stairs to where he heard the scream. He made it to the second floor where all the rooms were, and saw Eri backed against the door at the end of the hall. A large shadow jumped and was about to come down on her when she screamed again.

"Izuku!"

"Get away from her!" He yelled, summoning his Keyblade and throwing it at the shadow. It smacked into the Heartless and sent it tumbling to the ground in front of her. It tried to leap at her again, only for Izuku to throw himself at it and drag it away from Eri.

It clawed at his arms and hissed angrily.

Izuku growled and sent fire magic racing through his hands, making the shadow shriek in pain as it began to burn. The shadow desperately lashed out and scratched Izuku's face, making him lose his grip momentarily.

The Heartless used this to its advantage and focused its attention on Izuku, clawing at him and trying to tear him apart.

Iida rushed forward and kicked the Heartless away, stunning it for a moment. Ochako hurried over and helped him up, once he was on his feet again he ran to where his Keyblade had landed and grabbed it. Just as he turned around the Heartless ran at them, shrieking in anger.

Before it could attack them again Izuku moved forward and brought his weapon down, dispelling the darkness and making the terrible creature fade. He panted for a moment and regained his bearings.

He turned around and ran over to Eri, getting to his knees and opening his arms as she scrambled over to him.

"Eri!"

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as she sobbed in terror, burying her face in his jacket and clinging onto him.

"It's okay, you're okay." He whispered as he rubbed her back. "I've got you now, you're okay." He murmured.

"You're okay!" She wailed. "I-I thought you...y-you didn't a-answer and I-I…" She devolved into a mess of tears before she could finish the thought. "I-I thought you we-weren't coming back!"

Izuku shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. But I'm okay, and you're okay. I've got you now and I'm not going to let anything happen to you okay?"

He felt Eri nod.

He was about to pick her up when one of the doors opened. Everyone tensed up and readied themselves for another fight. Instead of a Heartless appearing, a Moogle poked their head out the door.

"K-K-Kupo?" They asked.

"Mogma?" Izuku's eyes widened.

"Kupo!" Mogma cried and ran towards him and Eri. Izuku was quick to wrap them into the hug as well.

"M-Mogma you-you're okay." Eri stammered and held an arm out. The young Moogle hopped into her arms.

Mogma nodded wordlessly and trembled in her arms. "I-I could only h-hide...I'm sorry Kupo."

Izuku took a deep breath and picked Eri up, who had Mogma in her arms. "I'm glad you two are okay. Are any of the other Moogles around?" He asked.

The two looked up at him tearfully and shook their heads.

Oh god…

Izuku held them closer and turned to the others.

"Eri, a few of my friends came with me to come save you. Now that we got you, we're going to try and find a safe place. Okay?" He asked.

Eri glanced at them before hiding her face in his shirt.

The other three stood there in surprise. Ochako was the first to approach them.

"Hi Eri, I'm Ochako. Izuku was really worried about you, I'm so glad you're okay." She smiled softly. Eri peeked up at her before looking away.

"My name is Tenya Iida, I'm relieved we got here in time." He waved a hand.

Todoroki stepped closer and held up a hand. "Shouto Todoroki." He said simply.

"And I'm Mogma." The Moogle murmured. "Hi…"

The others nodded at the Moogle before looking at Izuku.

"Okay Izuku, what's the plan?" Ochako asked.

Izuku stared at her, his mind blank for a moment. This was as far as he thought, his main focus was to get Eri. But now what?

Before he could get too lost in thought Izuku blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Supplies." He said quickly. "We need supplies."

"Where on earth are we going to get those? Do you have a first aid kit somewhere?" Iida asked.

Izuku shook his head. "No, something better."

He moved past the others and headed down the stairs, making his way to a now broken cupboard. The other three stared in confusion as he opened the cabinet to reveal bottles with green liquid sloshing around inside, and blue stones of varying sizes.

Izuku knelt down to set Eri down, only to get a loud whine as she held on tighter.

"Eri, I need both my hands for this. I'm not leaving, as soon as I'm done I'll get you again." He tried to put her down again. This time she reluctantly let go, but still kept herself pressed against Izuku.

Izuku took off his backpack and dumped out all the contents. He sifted through his supplies, scanning over the contents to make sure he wasn't missing anything. He spotted his two notebooks. One of Hero Notes, and the other his Training Notes.

He stared at them for a second before shoving them in his backpack, then standing up to pile Potions and Ethers in his backpack.

"What are those supposed to be?" Todoroki asked.

"Potions and Ethers." He answered. "Potions will heal your injuries, Ethers will restore your energy, but only I can use them. If you guys try you might end up getting hurt."

"Potions?" Iida asked. "Midoriya, I'm sorry, but that sounds ridiculous."

Izuku stopped and looked at Iida, staring at him before grabbing a potion from the cabinet and uncorking it. He downed about half of it and put it down.

They watched in awe as Izuku's injuries mostly vanished, and the pain seemed to be alleviated.

"They actually heal injuries…" Ochako murmured. "That's amazing."

Izuku shoved a few more Ethers into his backpack and closed it up. That seemed to be enough. He turned around and picked up Eri again, positioning her so he could hold her with one arm. With his free hand he summoned his Keyblade and looked at them.

"I have some of a plan, but I think it might work. We can't stay here, this place has already been torn up, not to mention there's only one entrance and exit we can use. Most of the city is overrun, but I think I know a place where we'll be safe. It's not as populated, but it is a bit more open. But maybe using Todoroki's ice we can make it more defendable. Does that sound good?" He asked.

"Sounds better than nothing." Todoroki shrugged.

"I agree with Todoroki." Iida nodded.

"Wherever you go, we go." Ochako promised.

"Okay." Izuku nodded, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to stop shaking. "I'm holding Eri, but I'm also our main defense. So if we see any of those monsters we run. Todoroki, you're going to be in the back of the line, so you can freeze the path behind us and buy us more time. Iida will be in front of you, so if you fall behind he can get you and help you catch up. Uraraka, you stay in the middle okay? I might have to hand Eri off to you if things get bad."

All three nodded at Izuku.

"Eri." Izuku looked down at her. "I need you and Mogma to hold on real tight okay?"

"Okay." She whispered.

Izuku patted her back and adjusted his hold on her to make sure she wouldn't fall. They approached the door in formation, all of them steeling their nerves and getting ready for the run.

"Are you ready?" Izuku asked shakily.

"Yes." They all responded, looking just as nervous.

"Okay, let's go!"

Izuku sprinted out of the door and into the alley, turning a different corner on a familiar path. They were still in the small alleys, from where they were they could hear more of the chaos in the distance. All of them elected to ignore it and ran forward.

Izuku led them through the winding alleyways before finally emerging onto the wider street. It was quiet, destruction was everywhere, but it was free of people. At the moment there was no sign of the Heartless. Making them feel somewhat at ease.

"They haven't come here yet." Ochako muttered, sticking close to Izuku.

"Don't hold your breath!" Todoroki raised his voice as he looked over his shoulder. A few Heartless had sensed them and were rising from the ground.

Iida looked over his shoulder, his eyes widened and the quickly growing horde. "Todoroki!"

"On it!" He stopped in his tracks and slammed a foot down, creating a wall of ice and blocking off the street. Once he was finished he turned around and sped forward to catch up.

More and more Heartless appeared, coming from the shadows and taking interest in the fleeing group. They began to dart towards the group, the shadows crashing into each other and slowly converge and meld into one another.

Ochako took a chance to look behind her, seeing the creatures climb over the ice wall and combining into one another.

"Uh, guys? The monsters are doing something weird!" She shouted.

Izuku looked behind him and saw what she meant. How they all melted into each other to form a grotesque ball of darkness that only grew bigger and bigger.

Oh crap…

"Just keep running!" He yelled, speeding up. The other matched his pace and followed him out to a large field. Far above them was a gargantuan ball of darkness, still consuming everything it could.

"Uh, Izuku, what's that supposed to be?" Ochako asked, pointing overhead.

"I-I...I have no idea." He admitted.

Eri tried to look up, only for Izuku to pull her close again.

"Don't look Eri, don't look."

He felt her nod as they made it to the center of the field. The growing swarm of Heartless were right on their tails.

"A field?" Iida asked.

"It's better than the city!" Izuku defended his choice.

"Todoroki, can you make a- look out!"

Izuku raised his Keyblade and fired off a wave of fire, repelling the ever growing swarm of shadows.

"That thing is getting bigger." Todoroki noted. "If I made an ice dome, I don't think it would hold very long against it."

"I don't think it would either…" Izuku admitted, trying to come up with another plan. Something else that could work. He had to think of something quick, he didn't have time!

"Izuku there's another one!" Ochako shouted, pointing at a new tide. This one looked even bigger than the one that way already circling them.

"Oh...Kupo this is bad. This is really, really bad…" Mogma was starting to panic.

Eri had dared to look up and was terrified. She gripped Izuku's shirt tightly and tried to look away, but she couldn't.

"I-Izuku?"

"There's another one!" Iida announced, watching a third rise from the ground and charge towards them.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku summoned the torrent of water, pushing back the tide and sending it away. Like the other two it had begun to circle them, getting ready to attack.

Izuku felt himself begin to panic, he was trying to come up with some kind of plan. Something, anything. Anything would be better than what he was doing now, which was absolutely nothing! He blinked back tears and swallowed back the bile that kept creeping up his throat.

He was scared.

He was scared and he didn't know what to do.

"Izuku?" Ochako looked at her friend, only to see he was just as frightened as her.

He needed to protect them! He needed to keep them safe, he needed to shield them from the inevitable attack!

A lightbulb went off in Izuku's head. A shield, a Barrier. He could make one, maybe one big enough to cover them all. But there was no way he could make one strong enough...unless there was.

Izuku knelt down and shrugged his backpack off, opening it and digging through the contents. He coaxed Eri into letting him set her down so he could hasten his search.

"Midoriya, what are you doing!" Todoroki glared at him.

"Something stupid." Izuku admitted. "But it'll be worth it. I promise."

"How stupid?" Iida asked.

Izuku grabbed a handful of Ethers and sighed. "I might end up poisoning myself."

"What!" Ochako looked at him in alarm.

Izuku said nothing as she shoved the Ethers into his mouth. Ignoring the overpoweringly bitter yet sweet taste of them. Izuku forced them down before eating another handful.

Mogma stared at him in horror and got down from Eri's arms.

"Kupo what are you doing! Stop! Stop eating those, you're gonna have too much magic in your system! That can kill you!"

Izuku swallowed another Ether and grunted in pain, his body protesting the foreign substance, and the vast amount of magic coursing through him

"An overflow is what I'm going for." Izuku coughed, grabbing one more small Ether and swallowing it. He was shaking uncontrollably and felt hot and cold at the same time. He couldn't breathe, but at the same time felt like there was too much air in his lungs. His eyes became pools of green light.

"Izuku…" Eri looked up in fear as Izuku stood up.

"I-It's fine." Izuku gathered up as much magic as he could hold. "I-I said I would protect us, a-and I meant it."

Izuku screamed as he raised his hands and formed a barrier around them, making it large and giving them plenty of room.

Make it stronger.

It flashed and grew brighter, it was reinforced.

Stronger.

Another layer was added.

Stronger!

The second layer was reinforced.

"They're coming!" Ochako shouted.

Please be enough. Please be enough!

Izuku felt the three swarms of Heartless slam into the Barriers, making him shout in surprise. They desperately scratched and clawed at it, breaking it and sending cracking through it.

Izuku used his magic to fix the damage and try to push back against the Heartless. He flinched as the first Barrier began breaking faster than he could repair it. They were tearing through it like it was nothing! Even with his overflow of magic!

Izuku continued to pour magic into the Barriers, only for the first one to finally shatter with a deafening crash. The Heartless wasted no time in slamming into the final Barrier, eager to get to their prey and tear them apart.

Izuku poured everything he could into the final Barrier, trying to make it as strong as possible. If they could survive this wave then they'd be okay.

Izuku fell to his knees as the Barrier began to grow smaller, the Heartless pressing tightly against it. It was taking everything he had to hold it, the sudden rush of magic was quickly taken from him. Leaving him feeling sick and unsteady.

He panted as he heard the Barrier begin to crack. His attempts to repair it couldn't keep up with the damage. The Barrier grew smaller and smaller, everyone was pressed close together.

He couldn't hold it any longer, he felt the Barrier was about to break.

Eri saw this and held onto Izuku for dear life, refusing to look at the Heartless.

"Guys…" Tears poured down Izuku's face as the last of his magic gave away. "I am so sorry."

The Barrier shattered, and everyone screamed as the Heartless converged on them. Dragging them into an unknown darkness as the rest of their world fell apart.