It all started with a handshake.
Delsin Rowe, the infamous Conduit of Seattle, had faced plenty of crazy situations in his time—fighting oppressive regimes, absorbing powers, and taking down other Conduits. But none of that prepared him for what happened when he shook hands with the last Conduit standing.
Her name was Selena, and she had powers Delsin had never seen before. She called it "Reality Warp." Delsin didn't think much of it at first—another fancy name for another fancy power. She'd claimed she could bend space and time to her will, and he laughed, half-joking that it sounded more like something out of a comic book than the real world.
But then… he touched her.
The moment his hand gripped hers, the familiar surge of energy shot through him. Her power rushed into his veins like molten fire, but something was different this time. It wasn't like copying neon from Fetch or absorbing smoke from Hank. It was wild, uncontrollable.
His vision blurred as the world around him bent, twisted, and shattered like broken glass. His body felt like it was being pulled in a thousand different directions, and for a brief, terrifying moment, Delsin felt like he was being ripped apart at the seams.
"Selena!" he shouted, though his voice sounded distant, like he was underwater. "What the hell is happening?!"
She didn't answer. Instead, the world exploded in a burst of light—and everything went dark.
--
When Delsin opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was how different everything felt. The cityscape, the air, even his own body—it was all... younger? He glanced down at his hands. His skin looked smoother, his body leaner. He felt... smaller. Lighter. Like he was sixteen again.
"What the—" He shook his head, the disorientation still fresh in his mind. Where the hell was he?
Before he could piece together an answer, the world around him became clearer. He was standing in a courtyard, surrounded by a crowd of teenagers, all staring at him like he had dropped out of the sky.
And, to be fair, it kind of felt like he had.
"Who is this guy?" one student whispered.
"He's not wearing a U.A. uniform. Is he lost?"
Delsin frowned, confused and trying to get his bearings. U.A.? What was that? And where was Seattle? He looked around—this wasn't his world. The towering buildings were sleek, modern, and unfamiliar. And the people… some of them had strange features. One person had pink skin, another had wings. What kind of place was this?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sharp voice of a blonde kid, storming toward him with an expression that screamed "trouble." His spiked hair made him look like he'd just rolled out of bed angry.
"Oi! What's your deal?" the blonde barked, fists clenched. "You lost, dumbass? Or are you some villain trying to sneak in here?"
Delsin blinked, still trying to process everything. "Uh, villain? No, man, I'm just trying to figure out where I am."
The blonde scowled, sparks of light flickering from his palms. "You've gotta be kidding me. You break into U.A. and don't even know where you are? You really are a moron." He raised his hand, and the sparks grew into small explosions.
Delsin stepped back, instantly on alert. 'What is with this guy?' His hands instinctively came up, and as soon as Bakugo's hand got too close, Delsin felt it—the power transfer. It was familiar, like the times he'd absorbed smoke or neon. His body reacted to the energy, and suddenly, his mind was flooded with something else.
Information
He saw flashes—of heroes, Quirks, the Hero Society. The world's structure, laws, and the role of U.A. High School in training future pro-heroes. He saw names, places, and the entire landscape of this strange new reality. In an instant, everything clicked.
His head throbbed with the influx of knowledge, but as it settled, Delsin understood. This wasn't his world anymore. He was in a place where people were born with abilities—Quirks—and where being a hero was a real profession.
And he was now standing in the middle of the most prestigious hero school in Japan. U.A. High School.
He could also feel something else—the heat of Bakugo's Quirk now pulsing through him. Delsin glanced down at his hands, already seeing the smoke starting to curl from his fingertips, much like Bakugo's.
"Oh shit..I think I just picked up something new.." Delsin muttered, feeling the rush of explosive energy in his veins. It wasn't quite like the Conduit powers he'd absorbed before—it felt different, more raw.
Bakugo's eyes widened when he saw Delsin's hands beginning to spark with his own Quirk. "What the—how did you—?" He scowled, his temper flaring. "You stole my Quirk?!"
Delsin shook his head with a grin. "Nah, man. I didn't steal anything. I just borrowed it for a bit."
Bakugo didn't seem to appreciate the distinction. With a growl, he lunged at Delsin, ready to launch another attack.
Before either of them could make a move, a tall kid with glasses and engines sticking out of his legs sprinted toward them. He stopped just short of the two, chopping the air with his hands.
"Bakugo! Cease this at once!" The tall kid—Delsin now knew his name was Iida—looked at both of them, his stern expression radiating authority. "This is no place for fighting."
Bakugo glared but backed off, crossing his arms. "Tch, fine. But this guy's trouble, Iida. He just copied my Quirk!"
Iida turned to Delsin, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're not a student here. State your name and business."
Delsin hesitated. He couldn't exactly tell them the truth—that he was from another world, a Conduit who'd accidentally been dropped into theirs. Instead, he shrugged, playing it cool.
"Name's Delsin Rowe. I'm just... passing through."
Iida didn't seem convinced. "Passing through? That's not an answer." He looked back at the students around them. "This needs to be reported to the faculty. Come with me. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Before Delsin could protest, a shadow fell over them, and a massive figure stepped into view—All Might, in his full hero form, his presence dominating the courtyard. He smiled, but Delsin could tell the hero was assessing the situation closely.
"Well, young man," All Might boomed, his tone light but authoritative. "It seems you've caused quite the stir on your first visit. Why don't we take this inside for a little chat?"
Delsin met All Might's gaze, weighing his options. It was clear he wasn't going to be able to walk away from this easily. These people weren't like the authorities back home. They were trained to deal with people like him—people with powers. Here, they called them Quirks, but to Delsin, it was all the same.
"Yeah, sure," Delsin said with a shrug, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. "Lead the way."
--
Inside the U.A. building, Delsin was led to a small room—more like an interrogation room than a school office. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as he sat down in a chair across from All Might and a few other faculty members, including a stern-looking woman who Delsin quickly learned was the pro hero, Midnight.
"Now then," Midnight said, her voice smooth but serious, "let's get to the bottom of this. You appeared on school grounds without any explanation. And according to Bakugo, you copied his Quirk. That's not something we can ignore."
Delsin leaned back in his chair, feeling the weight of their eyes on him. "Yeah, I can... borrow abilities for a little while. Call it my Quirk, I guess."
All Might leaned forward slightly. "You say it so casually. Have you ever been trained in using your Quirk?"
"Nope. Self-taught." Delsin crossed his arms. "Look, I didn't mean to cause trouble. I just showed up here and... things happened."
Midnight raised an eyebrow. "Just showed up?"
Delsin knew he had to tread carefully. He wasn't ready to tell them about the other world, the Conduits, or Selena's Reality Warp power. That would raise too many questions. Instead, he shrugged again.
"I don't really know how I got here. One second, I was somewhere else. Next thing I know, I'm standing in your courtyard. And before you ask, no, I'm not some villain."
The room was silent for a moment. All Might and Midnight exchanged a glance, clearly trying to make sense of his story.
"Regardless," All Might finally said, "your arrival is... unusual. And copying a student's Quirk like that—well, we'll need to investigate further."
Delsin could feel their suspicion, but there wasn't much more he could say. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't exactly giving them the whole truth either. Still, he had a sense that All Might wasn't just going to throw him out.
"Look," Delsin said, leaning forward. "I'm not here to cause problems. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. If you let me stick around, I might be able to help out."
Midnight frowned. "Help out? What makes you think you can be of any help?"
Delsin smirked. "I don't know, but I've been in tougher spots than this. I've got some tricks that might come in handy."
All Might studied him for a moment longer before nodding slightly. "We'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now. But you'll be under close watch. If you prove to be a danger to anyone here, we'll have no choice but to take further action."
"Sounds fair," Delsin said, standing up. "So... where do I sign up for hero classes?"
Midnight and All Might exchanged another glance, this one more amused than cautious. "We'll see about that," All Might said with a chuckle.
As Delsin left the room, he couldn't help but feel like he was getting deeper into something bigger than he expected. But if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that this world was going to be a lot more fun than the last one.
