'[I'm not afraid of death. I'm not afraid of anything... I don't think of myself as a person. I don't think I am. I think I existed before, and I think I'll exist again after I die here, so I don't exactly know what I am. I don't think there is ever going to be an answer. I just know that I'm not like you.]' - The Man in the Woods

Church of All Might: Chapter: "A/N: I love you all... I don't know if you can hear this... but I just wanted to say that, and I am sorry. For what I have to do to them... For them being put in front of me like lambs to a slaughter... I never wanted this, not any of it. But he took everything away from me, and you are all going to pay. You, the followers of All Might are not safe... But those who believe in what I have... I can save you, I can save this world... I can fix it... I can fix you. I am not that hard to find, all you have to do is believe and I can be there for... all you have to do is... find me."

It was a rainy day as Izuku moved to study in the common area in the class 1-A dorms. He sat on the soft cushion of a comfortable couch. "Hey, Midoriya! Hey! Earth to Ryu!" a voice called out to him, causing him to jump in his seat. Izuku turned to see Kirishima, the hardening hero, standing before him. "Hey, Midoriya," Kirishima said. "Do you know where Mina is? She promised to meet me before the Valentine's party. We're all waiting for her."

"I...uh...," Izuku said, not sure where she was. He looked down at the floor, seeing that Kirishima's shoes were wet and muddy. "Haven't seen her? You look like you've been out in the rain."

"Oh, I just stepped out for a little bit," Kirishima replied, rubbing the back of his head with a smile. "She said she was going to run an errand and then join me. But she should have be back."

Izuku's mind thought about what Mina could be up to. Maybe she was with the rest of the girls, It would make sense since they were all close friends. Or maybe she was just running late?

"I haven't seen her today, Kirishima," Izuku replied. "Maybe you should try calling her."

"I'll try," Kirishima replied, reaching into his pocket. As he pulled out his phone, it vibrated, indicating a text message. "Oh, hey. It's from her."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Kirishima replied, looking at the screen. "She's heading back now. Says she's got something and need's my help with it. So, uh, Midoriya, do you know what she's planning?"

"Planning?"

"Yeah, I mean, I don't know... doesn't this feel weird to you? She had already got chocolates for everyone." Kirishima replied, showing Izuku a large bag filled with small boxes wrapped in paper. "She made them herself. Plus she got some of the girls to help. Tell her thank you when she gives you yours," Kirishima added, winking.

"You sure that's what she's getting us? Chocolates?"

"She wouldn't tell me what she was up to," Kirishima said, shrugging.

Speaking of the devil Mina burst into the room wet and out of breath, her face bright red, her body shaking and her hands empty. She ran up to the two boys, a wide grin on her face.

"Midori! Kiri... What's up?!" Mina spoke, her greeting sounding forced.

"Hey Ashido. Where have you been?"

"Oh, I just had to go do something important."

"Important? More important then the party?" Kirishima asked.

"Well, yeah. Kinda. You see, it's a secret," Mina replied, giving Izuku a glance.

"A secret?"

"Yes. A secret. Now if you don't mind, I have to get ready for the party."

"Sure, go ahead," Kirishima replied, Mina walking away. "What was that about?" he asked Izuku, once Mina was out of earshot.

"I have no idea," Izuku replied with a shrug. "She's been acting really weird today."

(...)

Several hours later Izuku was in his dorm room when he heard a knock at his door. Expecting it to be one of his friends, he hurried to answer it, only to find Mina standing there with a nervous expression on her face.

"Hey, Midori. Can I come in?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly. Izuku stepped aside, letting her enter. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath, seeming to compose herself. "Listen, Midori... I need to tell you something," she began. Her eyes met his, and she seemed to struggle with whatever she was about to say. "I... I don't know how to say this, but... I've been..." She paused her nerves getting the best of her. She did not know how she was going to confess her feelings, but knew it had to be today. She could not keep it inside her any longer.

Izuku, on the other hand, was confused. "You've been what, Ashido?" he prompted gently. "You can tell me anything." He sat down on his bed, patting the spot next to him. "You can trust me."

Mina hesitated, then took a deep breath and sat down beside him. "I... I've been in love with you for a long time, Midori," she blurted out, her voice shaking. "Ever since the first time we met, I think. But I never told you, and I never did anything about it, because... because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. I didn't want to lose you as a friend, and I didn't want you to think I was weird or creepy or anything."

"Ashido...," Izuku began, reaching out to take her hand. "You could never be weird or creepy to me. And... and I'm glad you told me. I mean, I'm not sure how I feel about it right now, because I..." He hesitated, feeling a blush creep up his neck. "I've never thought about it before. But I want you to know that I will never lose you as a friend, no matter what."

"Um... so?" Mina asked, her voice a mix of hope and fear. She looked into Izuku's eyes, searching for any sign of what he was thinking. She knew that she had just put herself out there, and now she was left to wait for his reaction.

Izuku looked back at her, feeling a mixture of emotions himself. He was flattered, surprised, and a little nervous. He took a deep breath and decided to be honest with her. "Well, Ashido... I've never really thought about it before, but... I mean, I've always thought you were really cool and pretty. And funny. And smart. And... and I've always been glad that we could be friends. So... I guess I could... try to see what this feels like."

"You mean..." Her excitement began to build as she searched his eyes for any hint of sarcasm or mockery. But all she saw was sincerity and honesty. "You could... try to see what it's like?"

Izuku smiled at her, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. "Yeah, Ashido. I could do that."

Mina's face brightened up and she began running out of Izuku's room. "Wait here!" she exclaimed, practically skipping down the hall. She returned a few moments later with a small box in her hands. "I actually made you something," she said shyly, handing him the box. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."

Izuku took the box, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. "Thanks, Ashido," he said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He set the box down on his bed and opened it carefully. Inside was a simple silver necklace, with a small charm in the shape of All Might's emblem. "It's beautiful," he breathed, taking it out and examining it more closely. "Thank you."

Mina beamed at him, her heart fluttering with excitement. "You're welcome," she replied, feeling her cheeks heat up as well. She leaned forward, her face inches from his. "So... what do we do now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Izuku blushed, he had no idea this was happening in the first place. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words. All he could do was look into Mina's beautiful eyes and feel a warmth spreading through his chest. He leaned forward as well, their faces just inches apart. He could feel her breath on his skin, smell the sweet scent of her perfume. It was all so surreal.

She stopped him with a hand on his chest, her heart racing. This was it. This was the moment she had been waiting for, and now that it was finally here, she didn't want it to end. "Midori," she breathed, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I've... I've had a crush on you for so long. I never thought you could feel the same way, but... I'm glad we could try this." She had to stop him before they went a little to far, they haven't defined the relationship with each other... what were they now? she at least had to ask. "So... are we... dating?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Izuku froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked into her eyes, and all he could see was sincerity and hope. He swallowed hard and nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Yeah," he managed to croak. "Yeah, I guess we are." A slow smile spread across his face.

Mina's heart was pounding in her chest, but she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She had finally confessed her feelings, and Midori had returned them. "And what do I call you?"

Izuku grinned at her. "You can call me Izuku. Or Midori. Whatever feels right to you." He leaned forward, their faces mere inches apart.

"Yeah... Midori seems right... Call me Mina," she said, her voice still shaking slightly. Her heart was racing, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over her. She leaned forward even closer, closing the distance between them, until their lips were almost touching. "I'm glad we could do this, Midori..." she whispered, her breath fanning across his cheek.

"M-Mina." The name felt foreign in Izuku's mouth but he liked saying it, liked the way it rolled off his tongue. He leaned in further, their lips now just barely touching. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin, and the softness of her lips beneath his. It was like a dream come true, a girl saying that she liked him. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment, the feel of her hands on his shoulders, pulling him closer.

Mina's heart raced as she felt his lips press against hers. It was softer than she imagined, and somehow more intense. His hands found their way to her waist, holding her close, and she could feel the warmth of his body through their clothes. It was a surreal moment, one she had dreamt of for so long, and now that it was finally here, she never wanted it to end.

(...)

A month had come and gone with everything changing, Izuku Midoriya, the hero Ryujin, was being broadcasted nationally on TV, he was tied to a chair not in the best of shape. Class 1-A tuned in after a week of him being missing. The news spread and his friends and girlfriend watched worried and scared. They were all relieved to hear he was alive but the image of him did not look good, Mina was heart broken at the sight of him.

A man under a mask roughly grabbed at Izuku's hair so he would be looking into the camera. "We warned those who follow the church of All Might that we will be coming, we warned you that you follow a coward and a fool. And now, your precious messiah, your great son will suffer for your sins." He paused, a sick grin spreading across his face. "But, he's not alone. We're going to give him a chance to redeem himself. Maybe if he proves himself worthy, to do what All Might couldn't." The man drops a gun on Izuku's lap. "Die."

Mina's heart dropped, a cold sweat started to form, and her worst nightmare was right in front of her on the screen. "No." Her voice barely audible, her eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. She looked over at Shoto, who was sitting beside her, and saw the same expression of shock and horror on his face.

"Today we see a promising hero fall, today your so called leaders will learn the truth, today me and my people tell All Might that he is a liar, today is our day, today is the day we rage against the machine. Your heroes are not safe, no one is safe until the lie is exposed." The man under the mask continued, his words filled with hate and anger. Mina couldn't take her eyes off of Izuku, she wanted to run to him, to protect him. But she was frozen in place, her heart racing, her breath coming in short gasps.

Izuku looked lifeless staring into the camera, his eyes glazed over. Mina felt her heart drop even further. She wanted to reach through the screen and grab him, to pull him away from this nightmare. Shoto's hand found hers, squeezing it tightly. He didn't know what to say, what to do. He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.

As the seconds ticked by, Izuku didn't move. He didn't react to the gun on his lap, to the man's threats. Mina's heart was racing, her thoughts spinning out of control. She couldn't believe this was happening, that this was really happening to her Midori. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.

The man grabbed the gun and roughly pointed it at Izuku skull as he hummed to himself. "Since the dawn of our existence, humanity, humanity has always searched for that answer to what happens when they die. A man of science will have you believe that they become one with the earth and nothing more." The man chuckled as he turned the safety off. "And a man of faith views things from a much much much different perspective... But what about those like us All Might? For us there is no death." The man played with Izuku's hair, "This world is our hell..."

Mina was inconsolable watching the scene unfold before her eyes. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to comprehend what was happening. She felt helpless, unable to do anything to save Izuku from this nightmare. Shoto held her hand tightly, offering what little comfort he could.

The man let out a manic laugh. "This world is our hell." He repeated. "WE DON'T BELONG HERE." He shouted. "I know you can hear me..." He gestured at the camera. "And now my eyes are open and I don't fear you anymore." He was angry. "I pity you." He cocked the gun. "It's time for you to go home. Find me... FIND MEEE..."

The gun went off.

Mina screamed. It felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't process what had just happened. Izuku was gone. Her best friend, her boyfriend, her Midori, was dead.

The entire class watched in silence as the screen went dark and the man's voice remained. "Tiiiiiiime is on my... side." He sung as Mina's world went dark. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs felt like they were filled with lead. Shoto gripped her hand tighter, as if trying to hold on to something, anything that would keep her from sinking. But there was nothing. There was no one behind her eyes.