Location: Sprawl - Second floor Lobby

6:49 PM

Isaac and half of Class 1A exited out of the elevator. Izuku and his friends now donned their first spacesuits, each of them sharing the same features with one another. If one were to look at them from afar, they could have been mistaken for a missing squad of one of Titan's Security Forces. The only thing that'll give it away was the equipment of their hero costumes combined with their space suits, and that none of them were carrying guns on top of that. Not that they need any since they have their quirks to defend themselves. But even so it didn't stop a certain engineer's heart from worrying about all the possible situations that might arise during their survival through the sprawl.

Isaac Clarke turned his gaze towards Uraraka. From what he learned about her power, or quirk as she and the others called it, allows her to nullify the effects of gravity on solid targets (living and nonliving) by touching them with the pads on her fingertips, causing them to become weightless and float. Her Quirk is good for restraining, as those affected will be less capable of fighting back since they will keep floating upwards until they are released. If the battle is over, she cancels the effect of her Quirk by touching her finger pads together. While Isaac finds these aspects of her power fascinating, that didn't make him any less worried for the gravity girl.

What worried the engineer more of all was the thought of her being surrounded by a pack of slashers. Even if she imagined making contact with one or two necromorphs, there's no telling what the others would do; they'll slaughter her without mercy if she's not quick enough to act. While Isaac had faith in Uraraka's abilities to handle herself, she should at least carry a weapon in case things get bad. Maybe even the other girls too.

Isaac blinked. An interface screen suddenly appears in front of him. The video call opens, revealing the same stranger who had tried to talk to him not too long ago. The video's crackling was loud enough to grab Izuku and his friends' attention.

Oh, him again, Isaac thought.

"Isaac! Isaac! You still alive? We can't talk long. I think they're tracking our signals," The stranger said hurriedly, looking around to ensure no one was watching, then looked back at the screen. "Are the memories coming back to you? They're coming back to me… the good ones… Ow!"

The stranger gripped his head whilst turning away from the screen. His eyes shut tight.

"The-the bad ones… The more I remember, the more my head hurts."

The stranger once again looked over his shoulder. Finding no phantom of a man in sight, he redirected his focus back at Isaac.

"I keep seeing the symbols… Do you see the symbols too, Isaac?" He glanced down at the floor with a thousand yard stare. "And him… I keep seeing his face…"

The stranger turned away from the screen. He paused, staring straight ahead at something neither Isaac or half of Class 1A can see. He turned back to face the screen.

"Ah sh#%*… they've found me."

The last thing the group saw was the stranger turning away from the screen before the video call ended with static.

"Memories? Symbols? What is he talking about?" Hagakure asked, bewildered.

Isaac shook his head.

"Alright, to hell with this," Isaac declared, bringing his hand up to his earpiece. The radio crackled to life once he got through. "Hey Daina, there's this crazy guy that keeps contacting me. I saw him back at the hospital."

"Nolan Stross. He was a patient in the project just like you," Daina replied.

"Yeah? Why was he there? What does he want?" Isaac probed, looking at the line interface curiously.

"He's a psychopath, Isaac, stay clear of him. He murdered his own wife and child." Daina stated.

Isaac nodded his head. "Okay, I'll be careful."

The radio transmissions ended abruptly as the static dissipated. Isaac brought his hand back to his side, then lifted his head to face Izuku and his friends. His countenance softened when he saw the horrid looks of each teen present. Even Bakugo and Todoroki, the most well composed of the group, seemed to be disturbed.

"He killed his wife and…child?" Kaminari voiced, voicing the exact words everyone was thinking. "That… who could be so inhumane to do that?"

Hagakure placed her clenched fist close to her heart and glanced down at the floor.

"That's so horrible," Hagakure muttered, her tears threatening to spill.

Isaac nodded in agreement.

"When coming into contact with the minds of living beings; the Marker signal is able to manipulate their central nervous system, inducing a form of dementia that manifests itself in different ways. Those affected by it would experience hallucinations," Isaac began, taking the initiative to explain his thoughts to Class 1A. "In many cases illusions of their loved ones or other people they know, which push them into a delusional state that will have them contributing to the Markers' agenda. Most of those afflicted are simply deemed to be Necromorph fodder by the signal, which will drive the victim into a state of paranoia or even rage, pushing them to carry out homicidal or suicidal actions and thus create corpses for the Necromorphs."

Yaoyorozu and the girls stared at Isaac with realization plastered on their faces.

"So you're saying that this marker drove that man, Nolan Stross, crazy enough to kill them?" Yaoyorozu asked, horror lacing her tone. Isaac nodded his head.

"Yeah," Isaac replied.

Izuku looked at Isaac curiously.

"Have you been affected by it?" Izuku asked.

Isaac nodded his head.

"In a way, yeah," Isaac replied. "But it wasn't as bad as it was for others around me. But that's a story for another time."

Bakugo narrowed his eyes on Isaac.

"So you're positive that we won't have to worry about you going through a crisis?" Bakugo questioned skeptically. Izuku and his friends looked at Isaac expectantly, hoping that they wouldn't encounter such an unfortunate situation.

Isaac glanced down at the floor. Images of Nicole's ghost flashed in the forefront of his mind, prompting the engineer to close his eyes. The image of Nicole screaming at him back at the shuttle caused a chill running down his spine.

"I can't promise that won't," started Isaac. "But I can promise you guys that if it happens, I'll do everything in my power to keep myself under control."

Izuku stepped up to the engineer.

"No, you shouldn't have to do this alone," Izuku insisted. "If it happens—if it becomes too hard for you, then we'll be there to keep you level headed."

Uraraka nodded in agreement.

"He's right," Uraraka agreed, stepping next to Izuku with a determined look in her eyes. "You're not going through this nightmare alone anymore, Isaac; you have us. So we got your back."

Isaac stood there whilst blinking twice. Momentarily taken aback by the overwhelming wave of encouragement from his friends. Behind Izuku and Uraraka, he could see familiar faces, each one nodding in solidarity, their expressions reflecting a deep-seated commitment to stand by him. This collective support enveloped him like a warm embrace, far more comforting than any physical warmth could provide. A genuine smile broke across his face as he inhaled deeply, allowing the moment to sink in.

He sensed a profound connection when he locked eyes with Uraraka. An unspoken bond that had been forged through their shared experiences. Each nod from his young companions resonated within him, a quiet vow that he was not facing his battles alone. The encouragement surged through him, lifting the heavy burden he had carried for so long. For the first time in recent memory, a spark of hope flickered to life inside him. With a newfound sense of purpose, he squared his shoulders, prepared to confront the obstacles ahead, bolstered by the steadfast loyalty of his friends.

"Thank you, guys. I appreciate the vote of confidence. Really," Isaac said earnestly.

Half of Class 1A rolled their bodies around to proceed forward. Uraraka turned to join them, until Isaac gently grabbed her by the arm. She paused halfway in turning around, and gave a small questioning look back to Isaac.

"Here, you're gonna need this," Isaac said, pulling out another plasma cutter out of his space inventory and handing it to Uraraka.

Uraraka stared down at the weapon she held. The instrument's shape and size were foreign to her. Unlike the makeshift plasma cutter Isaac wield, this one was shaped differently, and its color on four parts of the weapon were dark brown.

"Why give me this?" Uraraka asked, looking back at him with bewilderment.

"Think of it as a safety precaution in case you find yourself in a bad situation," Isaac explained. "You never know what kind of crazies you might run into, especially after what happened to us earlier."

Uraraka stared at the new weapon for a brief moment, examining its appearance as well as the handle design. When her eyes met Isaac's once more, uncertainty was still evident on her features.

"But I've never used a gun in my life," she confessed.

Isaac's helmet mechanically unfolds over his head. Revealing his face to Uraraka, smiling at her.

"That's okay," Isaac reassured, raising his plasma cutter up. "I didn't know how to use one either the first time I held one. So I'll happily teach you how on the way."

Isaac stepped up to Uraraka and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Just remember: those necromorphs are not people anymore," Isaac advised. "The second you see them—shoot to kill."

Uraraka nodded in understanding.

"Okay," Uraraka responded.

Uraraka brought her arm down to her side with her plasma cutter still in hand. She turns away back to the others. Isaac trails after her and his helmet folds back over his countenance. The group rounded a corner and found another elevator.

Isaac approached the machine boxss' front cover and removed it. He slides his arm through the tangled mess of wires inside. His hand groped blindly, searching for the right weak point to connect. He squinted his eyes in concentration, carefully working to identify the correct sequence.

After a few tweaks the train elevator doors slid open with a hiss. The group entered said elevator together, and the car's doors shut behind them with a hiss, followed by a cick. The car began to slowly descend while Isaac brought his hand up to his earpiece. The radio crackled to life once he touched the earpiece.

"Daina. I thought you were routing me to residential. This looks like… a Unitology recruitment center? Am I still on track?" Isaac asked, arching a brow beneath his helmet.

"Yes. There's an old maintenance access point in there that will take you through the waste disposal system and into the Cassini Towers. Stay sharp," Daina replied. "Also, Isaac—I've been meaning to ask. I've detected new heat signatures following you throughout your travel, who are they?"

Isaac perked up.

"Oh…um.." Isaac looked around at Izuku and his friends then turned away. "Just new friends that I made along the way, don't worry they're not crazy. I think you'll like them - they're good kids."

"Kids?" Daina was surprised. "Isaac, are you sure they won't slow you down? You know as well as I do how long it wouldn't take for anyone to be influenced by the marker's signal."

"Well, they aren't, I promise," Isaac reassured her. "If they would've showed the signs a long time ago if they were."

Daina sighs through the call.

"Can they at least defend themselves?"

"Yeah, they can."

"…Alright. Well, as I have established, stay sharp."

Daina ends the call through the com and Isaac brings his hand back to his side. Izuku's walkie-talkie suddenly crackled to life. Bits of syllables flew through the speaker but after a few seconds the words became clear enough to understand.

"Midoriya-kun? Midoriya-kun, are you there?"

All but Isaacs' eyes widened.

Izuku immediately retrieved his walkie-talkie.

"Ida-kun!"

Location: Sprawl - gymnasium

6:41 PM

Tenya Ida and his friends walked through a door that slid to the side for them. They stepped into the vast gymnasium, the echoes of their footsteps reverberated off the high walls, amplifying the eerie silence that enveloped them. The gym, typically a hub of activity and laughter, now felt like a hollow shell, devoid of life. Each boy's heart raced beneath the weight of an unspoken tension that hung thick in the air, a shared unease that simmered just beneath the surface. They exchanged furtive glances, their eyes darting around, searching for any movement, any flicker that might suggest they were not alone.

Yet the emptiness was palpable, almost mocking. It was as if the very walls were closing in, amplifying the sensation of being observed by an unseen presence. The hairs on the back of Tenya's neck stood on end, a primal instinct warning him that they were not merely trespassers in this space; they were prey. The boys instinctively huddled closer, their breaths shallow as they strained to catch any hint of a sound, any sign of life that might break the oppressive stillness.

Despite their efforts, the gym remained a void—an unsettling reminder that something lurked just out of sight. The feeling of being watched intensified, a chilling reminder that their fears were not unfounded. They were trapped in a moment of uncertainty, caught between the familiarity of their friendship and the unknown danger that loomed just beyond their perception. Each heartbeat echoed louder, a countdown to an inevitable confrontation with whatever shadowed them in the dark corners of the gym.

"Seriously, where is everyone?" Kirishima asked incredulously. "It's been twenty minutes and we haven't seen anybody."

Sero glanced at Kirishima.

"I know what you mean, man," said Sero. "And look at this place — it looks like a ghost town."

Ojiro's brow knitted in confusion as he scanned the gym. The empty space mirrored the puzzled looks of his friends, amplifying their collective unease. Chairs and tables lay askew, while the floor was strewn with discarded cups and remnants of hastily abandoned cardboard cutouts. The chaotic scene hinted at a sudden evacuation, leaving Ojiro even more perplexed about what could have prompted such a frantic exit. What could have caused everyone to leave in such a hurry? His mind raced with questions, each one deepening his sense of bewilderment.

The group halted when their eyes landed on the floor. Their eyes slowly widened, as if they felt their hearts stop at the sight before them. Laying flat on their back, Ida and his friends saw the body of a corpse. Motionless, Its limbs sprawled in all directions, its bright burning orange eyes fixed upon a single spot in the ceiling, unblinking. Its whole body was covered in mottled black and green tissue, and the presence of maggots infested its person.

"What…what is that?" Koda asked in a hushed tone, fear evident in the way his voice quavered slightly.

Ida took a deep breath before slowly approaching the molten body. His friends trailed after him, apprehensive and frightened, each of them casting worried glances toward each other; their expressions telling volumes. But Ida and his friends were struck by a wave of stench, thick with rot, and spilled blood. They choked back bile.

The group paused.

Did those eyes just move?

No, they couldn't be. Their minds are playing tricks with them.

The molten slasher faced forward and bolted upright in a sudden, inhuman burst of speed. Followed by a deep, gurgling growl that shook the group's bones. Without warning, the molten necromorph sprinted towards them with terrifying speed.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami called out as he threw himself in front of his classmates.

Dark Shadow materialized out from Tokoyami's back, circling around him until he hovered in front of the speeding monster. Dark Shadow shot his left arm fast, grabbing for purchase until he seized the creature by the waist. He stretched his arm long enough to pin the slasher to the wall. The creature flailed its arms wildly, unable to escape its assailant's hold. Dark Shadow anchored his other arm behind him, clamping his hand to a tight fist, and swung away.

Said fist struck hard on the slasher's face. The impact was so forceful that the necromorph's body caved into the wall behind it. It emanated one final, gurgling growl before its arms fell to the slasher's sides and its head hangs limp.

Silence descended into the gymnasium.

"What the heck is that?!" Sero yelled in shock, his voice breaking the silence. "I've never seen anything like that. Did you guys see how fast it was?"

"Yes, we all did," Shoji replied.

"That creature…it looked human, and yet," Ojiro spoke up, his voice wavering uncertainly. "It wasn't human."

"Indeed," Tokoyami agreed solemnly, watching Dark Shadow pull his hand back away from the necromorph's corpse before returning back into his friend's hollow body. "This thing—whatever it is, is a monstrous nightmare giving form."

Koda looked between his friends with wide eyes.

"You guys don't think our friends have probably encountered these things, right?" Koda asked. No one responded.

Ida immediately retrieved his walkie-talkie. He tweaked the dial, then clicked the button.

"Midoriya-kun. Midoriya-kun, can you hear me? Do you copy?" Static crackled through the speaker of the device. "Midoriya-kun?"

There was no response. Iida's stomach sank; his heart thundered against his ribs, but he fought to keep his cool. He tweaked the dial a second before pressing the button again.

"Midoriya-kun? Midoriya-kun, are you there?" Ida repeated.

The radio crackled again.

"Ida-kun!"

Ida and his friends stared down at the walkie-talkie with smiles gracing their lips. Relief flooded the boys' faces as they finally heard Midoriya's voice. They breathed in relief; they would not be the only ones experiencing a similar reaction.

"Midoriya-kun, thank goodness. It's so good to hear your voice," Ida began. "Are you alright? Is Bakugo, Todoroki, and the others with you?"

The class president and his stood together as they listened to Midoriya through the radio.

Location: Sprawl - Unitology recruitment center

6:54 PM

Isaac and half of class 1A found themselves in an unfamiliar environment as they stood together at the edge of a narrow passageway. The air was thick with a foggy gray mist that obscured their view, creating an unsettling atmosphere. Scattered across the floor were small green metal boxes, their purpose unknown, while a large sand-colored crate leaned against the wall, seemingly out of place. The dim yellow lights overhead cast an eerie glow, illuminating the space in a way that highlighted the shadows and distorted colors around them. The muffled hum of machinery reverberated through the walls, adding to the sense of unease and curiosity that hung in the air as they exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what lay ahead.

When Izuku finally made contact with Ida through the radio, he began to inform him and his friends on the other side about the situation. He recounted the events leading up to them arriving here, how his classmates got separated, and reunited soon after. He also filled them in on the necromorphs roaming around the sprawl, including the marker which was the sole cause for all of this chaos. Silence descended over their group when he finished.

"I see," Ida finally responded through the radio. "So that was what attacked us earlier."

Bakugo's walkie-talkie crackled to life as he brought it up to his view.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that everyone's okay," Kirishima said from the other end of the line. "So Bakugo, you encountered these monsters too, huh? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Bakugo huffed with narrowed eyes.

"As if I'd let you freaks get close to me," Bakugo barked back. "I blew those bastards up to pieces."

"So, where are you all right now?" Ida asked, changing the subject to something more practical. "How can we find you?"

Izuku looked around the area they were in.

"Well, right now we're in the depths of a recruitment center," Izuku explained as he glanced around before redirecting his gaze back at the walkie-talkie in hand. "What about you guys?"

"We're in what I believe to be a school gym," Ida answered. "The place looks abandoned, judging by the discarded chairs and tables. Seems like however many people were here, must've left in a hurry."

Izuku briefly closed his eyes then snapped them back open.

"Ida-kun, you and the others keep moving. If you happen to find a store machine, use it; it'll give you and the others a suit like the ones we are wearing right now," Izuku instructed. "Once you have them on, call us. I'll send a waypoint to you once we reached our next checkpoint, we'll wait for you there."

"Alright, you all be careful out there," Ida replied seriously.

"You too, Ida-kun," Uraraka said. "Watch out for any more of those monsters."

"Will do," Ida confirmed as he and the others ended the transmission.

After he ended the call, Izuku slipped his Walkie-talkie back to his side then faced the rest of his classmates and space engineer. He parted his lips to speak until he paused. From the corner of his eye, Izuku saw the body of a guard sitting on a chair with their head hanging limp, corpses of necromorphs hanging next to it. The others looked to the same direction Izuku was looking and a few of them gasped upon seeing the dead man.

Isaac was the first to approach the man's body. When he got close an interface popped up on the table, revealing a recorded video of the man before he died, glancing up at the camera. Isaac and half of Class 1A watched as the security guard slowly lifted his face, blood dripping down his chin and onto his chest.

"Okay. Whoever sees this, listen up. You can use kinesis to pull blades off dead ones, and shoot it back at them," he said through panting breaths, turning away from the camera. "Watch, watch."

The man aimed his palm at a bone-like blade on the floor. He picked it up with the support of his kinesis, maneuvering it towards a dead necromorph stuck to the wall. He looks at the camera over his shoulder.

"I stayed alive three hours using this trick," the man stated, shifting his gaze back at his target.

He shot the bone-like blade at the necromorph's body with the thrust of his palm. The impact rattled the entire room. He glanced at the screen over his shoulder.

"You see? Just shoot it back at them."

He repeated his action again for the audience until he suddenly hunched over. He placed his hand on a bloody wound near his hip as he coughed up blood. He rolled his body around to face the camera one last time.

"Uh, I'm going to bleed out soon; I got clipped pretty bad earlier," he said, a small warm smile gracing his lips. "So I hope this helps you out, whoever you are."

Both the video and the interface disappeared without warning. Silence descended over the group as their expressions mirrored each other: stunned but also sad. Their state was broken when Isaac placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Come on," Isaac urged.

Izuku briefly looked back at the man's corpse before shifting his gaze back at Isaac and nodded. The group walked past the dead man then ascended up a ramp. Said ramp led them to a garbage disposal control room with a set of five wall lockers, orange interface panels and an upgrade bench next to a wall. Uraraka approached the bench with curiosity as she tilted her head.

"Isaac-Sensei, what is this?" Uraraka asked, looking at Isaac over her shoulder whilst pointing at the bench.

Isaac paused upon the word 'Sensei' but shook his head.

"That's a work bench," Isaac replied. "It can upgrade any weapon you're holding, as well as your Stasis or Kinesis modules, or your RIG."

Kaminari looked over his shoulder at his RIG attached to his back.

"Is that what these things are?" Kaminari asked, looking at the engineer curiously.

"Yup, it serves to indicate the user's general state of health as a glowing segmented bar which depletes as the user takes damage. When the user dies, it emits a "flat-line" sound similar to an EKG, which is loud enough to alert others within earshot of the RIG wearer's demise," Isaac explained, approaching the control panel and beginning pressing buttons.

Isaac initiated the diagnostic mode for Waste Compression Chamber seven-hundred-and-two. He meticulously checked each system to ensure everything was functioning correctly, successfully taking the compressor piston offline, then signaled to half of Class 1A to follow him out of the control room. As they moved through the dimly lit corridor, they encountered a few hostile slashers and a particularly aggressive puker.

After swiftly dispatching these threats, the group squeezed through an airlock chamber that led them into an expansive area of zero gravity. They floated momentarily, marveling at the surreal environment, before entering a vertical shaft where Isaac prepared to expel a significant amount of waste. With a sense of urgency, he activated the blow-off mechanism, sending debris cascading away from the chamber, clearing the path for them to continue flying forward.

All the while Isaac was trying his hardest to Ignore the whispers hauntingly calling his name.

Soon the familiar sights of the residential area faded behind them as they were replaced by an unsettling silence. In a dimly lit room that resembled a nursery, Isaac suddenly collapsed, his body wracked by a seizure. The world around him transformed into a nightmarish carousel, spinning wildly and blurring the edges of reality. The concerned voices of Izuku and his friends became muffled echoes, lost in the chaos of his mind.

In that disorienting moment, Isaac's gaze fixed upon a spectral figure—Nicole, her presence haunting yet serene. She sat on the bed, her form illuminated by an ethereal glow that radiated from her mouth and eyes, casting a soft light in the otherwise dark room. The juxtaposition of her gentle aura against the turmoil within him deepened the surreal experience, leaving Isaac caught between two realms.

"I'm afraid, Isaac. I don't want to die. But it's the only way out," Nicole confessed, staring deep into Isaac's eyes.

Isaac shook his head.

Isaac closed his eyes. "You're not Nicole! Nicole is dead! You're not really here."

Isaac reopened his eyes to see the ghost of Nicole was gone. The emanating static gave way to silence. He looked around and saw that Izuku and his friends were looking at him, their expressions plastered with worry.

"Are you okay?" Tsuyu asked, her tone laced with concern.

Isaac nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm good," Isaac replied.

Mineta tilted his head.

"Uh, who's Nicole?" Mineta questioned, puzzlement written over his features.

Isaac frowns under his helmet whilst glancing at the floor.

"My dead girlfriend," Isaac answered somberly. Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

Isaac shook his head.

"Let's keep moving."

Izuku and his friends watched Isaac dodge past them. The door slid upward for him to walk through, and the others followed after him.

The closed shut behind them with a hiss.

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, young readers! Yes I know Ida and the others didn't reunite with Izuku and the rest of Class 1A in this chapter, I really tried but at least they were able to communicate with each other through radio. Hopefully the next chapter will be the one. But as I have established, I was doing my best to make this chapter be the one but goodness I'm exhausted; this chapter took me four days to get done, and to ensure its quality (writing wise) was good for the eye of the reader to read. Not only that, I have other stories in my library that I want to get back to, ones that I have not been given the time to write more chapters for in a very long time.

But now that I have finished this chapter, I'm gonna need a break. It's not that I've burned myself out, I just don't want to continue out of fear that I will absolutely burn myself from both creative writing and wanting to write more chapters. But that's all I'll say for now, folks. As always, I'll see you young readers in the next chapter. Have a nice day!