Wow, Chapter 1 had a really good reception. Of all my stories, I think it had the best turnout for the first chapter. Either way, thank you folks for reading whether you are returning from my other stories or a newcomer giving this a chance.

Anyway…

Explanation chapter yay!

No seriously, the explanations are the fun part of crossovers.

Thanks go to Asdf0789. He's pretty much a co-writer for this story even if he isn't tagged.


"You really made a mess of things, huh?"

Was he dreaming? Izuku rubbed his eyes, but that didn't make the figure in front of him any less blurry. Their entire upper body had been cladded in shadow. What he could see amounted to zori sandals worn with white tabi socks protected by leather shin guards.

"All you had to do was stay in one place. Guess that was too much to ask." The voice said in mocking disappointment. Why did it sound so familiar to him?

"Can you blame him? It's in his blood." A second similar-sounding voice drew Izuku's attention. Just like the first, only a pair of feet could be seen. The exception is that this person preferred dark-colored jikatabi with iron greaves.

"You make it sound like a bad thing~"

"In this case it is. The boy is out of our hands now. The danger to him is two-fold. Even this is high risk, so I suggest you say what you need to expeditiously."

The figure reached out and Izuku felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Heavy, yet comforting. "Since he's such a hard-ass I'll just say this: Remember you are a &$% *# %&*. All stories start with a single spark. Puff out your chest and keep going, see things to the end your way, and live with no regrets. That's what it means to live. That's how I live!"

Boisterous laughter accompanied his back being slapped, almost sending him to the floor of… wherever they were.

The second presence immediately took offense. "How reckless, self-serving, and irresponsible of you. I should not have expected any less from you. I don't know if you are a threat to order or necessary to maintain it. Because of you, an extra two people got swept up in your troubles. We don't even know where the third is."

"Fine." The first presence turned to Izuku again and he felt a wave of anxiety rush over him as the air turned serious. "Whenever you see fit, return to the beginning."

Suddenly a strong wind sent him backward, the distance between him and the two presences. He wanted to shout and wait and ask all the questions that were building up in his throat, but found his voice failed him and his hands were as useful as they were inside One For All.

"You would do well to wake up soon," The second presence said. "They are coming to speak with you."

He extended his hand hopelessly and the first presence offered him one last word.

"Ganbare."


Apollo materialized himself in the soft morning light right outside of Camp Half-Blood.

"I'm shining~! The air is clear~!" Apollo exaggeratedly gyrated his body around in a circle as he mimicked doing yoga or some other stretch he saw on Olympus TV. "And I'm ready to see my kids!"

A sudden elbow to the gut put a slight damper on his day. When he doubled over, a kick to the rear sent him sprawling in the dirt.

"Don't forget why we're here," Artemis said as she walked on top of him and passed through the border.

"Good…to see you too…Little Sis."

Apollo quickly scrambled backward and into the tall grass when Artemis' head robotically swiveled around, promises of pain on her face.

"Not. Your. Little. Sister."

"Will both of you stop playing around?"

Athena appeared next, grabbing the twin's attention.

"But Thena, you saw how she pushed me right?" Apollo bemoaned as he stood up and brushed himself off. These were designer cargo pants, thank you very much!

"I did, and your complaining is inconsequential to our objective."

"Cold hard logic and big words. Sometimes I wonder how you ended up with kids…" Apollo folded his hands behind his head and took big overdone steps as he followed the two goddesses through the camp.

He was amazed at the number of demigods out and about considering it was early morning. He smiled and waved at his son Michael Yew as they passed by. Perhaps it was the presence of three Olympians (five if you counted Dionysus and Hestia), but everyone steered clear of them. He did note they tended to mill in the general vicinity of the Big House.

When they got to the porch stairs, they were immediately greeted by Chiron who was in his wheelchair.

"Lady Athena, Lady Artemis, Lord Apollo," he greeted, bowing his head. Apollo would never get used to what was technically his uncle addressing him as 'Lord'. "I assume you're here about our… unusual guests?"

"Yes," Athena courtly replied. "Zeus' orders. Do you have anything unusual to report?"

"Charles Beckendorf and Selena Beauregard tried to change Mr. Deku into… more suitable wear given his heavy physique, but Lady Nagant insisted they leave the mask on."

"Is he some kind of Luchador?" Apollo wagged his fingers in a rhythm. "Are we talking about El Santo or Rey Mysterio? Cause that mask match where Mysterio lost to Kevin Nash was bullshit, you know. I lost a boatload to Triton on it!"

Artemis rolled her eyes and Athena sighed.

Chiron blinked and then continued. "No. I do not believe so."

"Please ignore him," Artemis said. "Can you take us to them, Chiron?"

"Of course."

Chiron rolled his wheelchair inside and guided them to the infirmary. "I also might mention that despite not showing the traditional signs of them being demigods, both have taken quite well to nectar and ambrosia. Lady Nagant has been alert and talking to us though she's been guarded. Mr. Deku on the other hand is still asleep, according to Will Solace, he should be waking in a little bit."

"Interesting… I have a couple of theories I'm going to confirm."

—X—

When they walked in, Thalia and Annabeth were sitting down and having a light conversation with Lady Nagant who was facing the door. Percy by contrast, was quietly leaning against the wall. On the bed, Deku was snoring peacefully. He quickly appraised Lady Nagant and found she passed the vibe test.

She was definitely exotic first and foremost. Artemis didn't undersell that. Purple and pink hair twisted in a cool blend that was aesthetically pleasing. Not only that, even while bound she carried an air of danger. Her eyes were sharp and military-trained. He'd bet 100 bucks that she already had some sort of escape or attack plan prepared in case shit hit the fan.

He might've made a pass at her if the situation wasn't tenser than last month's Olympian game night where they played Uno.

Eh, he'd probably get shot by her for trying. He never learned his lesson when it came to Britomartis-type women. Damn net goddess ruining his fun. Speaking of…

I heard she was a sniper… but where's her gun?

The four mortals stared at them with varying emotions. Mostly apprehensive. Or in the case of Percy: borderline hostile. Apollo supposed that was a given after last night.

"Mom?"

Athena took a half-step towards her daughter. "I know we didn't talk much last night… But it's good to see you safe."

Annabeth looked away. "Thanks…"

Safe is a relative term here I guess… Best to leave the mental issues to Dionysus. Having tact (and being a lie detector) is my job.

Apollo spread his hands warm and invitingly. "We're just here to check out the patient and ask a couple of questions. Is that okay?"

"Are you planning to put them to a vote too?" Percy directed at Athena with some clear resentment in his voice.

So much for friendliness, Apollo took the fact that no one checked his tone that they were similarly unimpressed with the council last night, even though he and his sister had voted against.

"Remember what I told you last night, Jackson. Control your fatal flaw. I assess both risk and value. You fall into the category of both. As do they," Lady Nagant didn't flinch when Athena pointed her finger at her. "I asked my father to be allowed to speak with them before a proper decision is made."

Thalia scoffed at Percy. "Told you, Seaweed Brain."

"If all of you are done, can we get on with the interrogation? I could really do with another cup of coffee after this."

Everyone turned to Nagant who simply shrugged. "This isn't my first rodeo. This time, I'm not in a straitjacket, hooked up to a giant machine reading my brain waves that's programmed to shoot me at my first bad thought. Piece of cake."

Even Athena lost her composure at hearing that. The three demigods and Chiron looked genuinely unnerved.

Truth.

Apollo tried to not let his mortification show.

Seeing their expressions, Nagant gave a dry rehearsed laugh. "It was a joke. I'm sorry."

Lie.

"Wasn't exactly funny…" Percy said first.

Thalia sucked her teeth in agreement. "That's some Clockwork Orange shit if I've ever heard it. Your humor is too dark."

"Please don't joke like that," Annabeth said last.

Apollo shared a look with his siblings and Chiron. None of them were fooled. At least now he had a good idea of why she was bound.

"Alrighty then…" Apollo said slowly. "Let's start with names. Good way to break the ice, yeah? My name is Apollo, and these are my sisters Artemis and Athena. Care to give us your real name so we aren't constantly calling you Lady Nagant or Nagant?"

"Kaina Tsutsumi."

Truth.

"Age?"

"30."

Truth.

Fast replies, no indecisiveness or fear. Military for sure. Seems she's made up her mind on spilling the beans. Apollo thought to himself. Knowing his twin, she probably came to the same conclusions.

"And what about him?" Athena followed up.

"He'll have to answer you when he wakes up, ma'am."

"Where's your weapon?"

Artemis' question caused Kaina to chuckle as she flipped her hair. "I am the weapon. I'm armed no matter where I am."

Truth.

That was confusing. Apollo felt like he was missing a critical piece of the puzzle. Judging by her face, Athena felt the same way. His twin sister on the other hand was visibly impressed.

"I didn't have time to ask you last night, but why are you bound to that man?"

Ah. Artemis was recruiting. That's why she was so interested.

Kaina held up her arm that was covered in the strange black plasma that linked her to Deku." Who says I'm bound to him? It's the other way around. "

"So that means this stuff is your doing?" Percy chimed in.

"No. It means she asked him to do it." Annabeth corrected.

"Is this some kind of bondage play? If it is, we'll stop asking."

Just like that Apollo broke the tension, Thalia and Percy started laughing out loud while Annabeth went red. Artemis was staring daggers at him. Athena gave him an unimpressed glance.

"No, no, no!" Kaina waved her arms flusteredly, her voice pitching up. "I still don't feel I can trust myself when I'm not in combat, so I begged him to restrain me. He didn't want to do it, but he relented when I told him it made me feel safer. At this point he just does it unconsciously I guess…"

Truth.

"I'm not entirely unconvinced this isn't a kink thing, but we'll move on." Both Kaina and Artemis' stare was downright murderous when he winked at her.

"What even is this stuff anyway?" Thalia asked, kicking at the tendril tentatively. It bent around her foot like a rubber band.

"It's called Blackwhip," Athena opened her mouth to ask a question, but Kaina cut her off. "Anything more and you'll have to ask him when he wakes up."

"Whip? You're really not beating the BDSM allegations here."

"Apollo…"

"Fine sis, I'll lay off the sex jokes."

Chiron cleared his throat. "We heard parts from the children but, would you mind telling us how you and he ended up on Mt. Tamalpais?"

"Saw a huge lightning bolt hit down, he figured it was another Jorōgumo causing trouble, those things are fucking obnoxious by the way, so he dragged me with him to check it out. We saw a bunch of yokai gathering, Mr. Hero wanted to see what it was, and that was that."

Truth.

Oh, dear things got a lot more complicated…

Annabeth's face had drained of all color. "G-Giant spiders?!"

Kaina raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I said Jorōgumo, it's a yokai, but I guess you can call it that."

"Duh, a Giant Spider is a monster," Percy pointed out.

Apollo wasn't about to correct the verbal misunderstanding. Best to leave two different pantheons as separate as possible. Judging by their lack of verbalization, Artemis, Athena, and Chiron had no intention of setting the record straight either.

"—Moving on. Do you know your heritage?" Athena steered the conversation to Apollo's relief.

"Heritage?" The woman tilted her head. "My mother had a hair manipulation quirk, and my father had a weapon quirk. Not sure. Never met the man."

"Quirk?"

Her face went slack, realizing her slip-up. "I've said too much. Ask him, if he decides to tell you, then I'll go along with whatever."

"Is Blackwhip a quirk too?"

Kaina didn't answer Athena, but her silence spoke volumes.

"Why are you so loyal to him?" Artemis asked. "Dedication like yours is hard to come across these days."

Kaina frowned and then briefly glanced at her sleeping companion. "He saved me. I made a deal with the devil, and he nullified the contract."

"What did he promise you?" Percy blurted out. He shuffled uncomfortably when they all stared at him. "You can't say that and not expect me to be curious."

Thalia nodded in agreement. "He's got a point."

Occasionally, Apollo forgot about the ADHD. It kept demigods from focusing on trauma, which was good. At other times it made them ask potentially insensitive and invasive questions.

Kaina snorted and made to reply when a groan caught their attention and Blackwhip disappeared. "He offered her power. He always does."

Deku had woken up and he pushed himself to a sitting position, the blanket falling away revealing his torso. Apollo heard his half-sister suck in a breath and quite frankly, he couldn't blame her.

His body was thick with muscle, but not overly so. His right arm from his shoulder to his hand was heavily scarred, but he wore it with pride. It was clear he was a warrior. Perhaps not military trained like Lady Nagant but his posture said he had seen his fair share of warfare. Apollo had heard he was malnourished, but it seemed like the Nectar and Ambrosia did their job nicely.

"In return, he asks them to help him tear down society."

"Nice of you to finally join the living," Kaina said mockingly while cracking her wrists. "Now I can leave all the explanation shit to you."

"That's fair."

The others watched intently when he reached up to tug at his mask and scarf. When he removed them, Apollo had to resist chuckling. The roundish face with freckles completely stood out as boyish compared to his mannish body. His hair was just as exotic as his partner's except it was a dull emerald green that had lost its luster. His eyes matched his hair and featured heavy bags underneath them.

Oddly, Apollo felt like he was in front of a crowd instead of a single person.

"You woke up and you still look like death warmed over."

Deku ignored Percy's comment in favor of rubbing his face and then running his hand through his hair.

Athena stepped closer to the bed. "As your friend may have implied, do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

He paused for a moment as if listening to something, then unnaturally jerked his head toward Athena.

"An interrogation? Fine, I guess."

She pulled out a notebook and pen, ready to jot down any and all information. "Please state your name and age."

"Midoriya Izuku. Wait, this is the United States; Izuku Midoriya," He corrected. "Age? Seventeen… I think?"

Truth. Green. How fitting. Think I'm gonna call him Midori.

"Your nationality?"

"Japanese."

Truth.

"Occupation?"

"Former first-year high school student, former part-time hero, current vigilante."

Truth.

"Parent's quirks?"

"Emitter and Mutant-Type: Dragon's Breath, and Emitter-Type: Small Object Manipulation."

Truth.

"Any vestigial traits passed down?"

"Longer tongue than a normal human and a higher heat resistance."

Truth.

"What's your quirk?"

"Accumulation-Type: Superpower."

Lie.

To her credit, Kaina remained blank-faced as Athena smoothly slipped in a trap.

"Too vague. What does it do?"

"Allows me to tap into a well of power to perform various abilities."

Half-Truth.

The demigods' eyes bounced between the two like a ping-pong match. However, Apollo knew it was about to end. Athena was ready to go in for the kill.

"Your friend said it was Blackwhip. Care to explain the discrepancy?"

Izuku's face slackened for a split second but then regained composure. "Both are a cover. My real quirk is nationally classified information."

Truth.

Athena turned to Apollo for confirmation.

"Both of them check out," he said. "Aside from the obvious one, neither of them lied."

"Truth quirk?"

"Don't need one, dude. I'm Apollo: The god of truth. No one can tell a lie in my presence without me knowing about it."

"It's quite annoying," Artemis interjected, making a sound of frustration. "You used to struggle to keep things to yourself."

"Ha." Izuku laughed, but it wasn't a joyful one. It was hollow and empty. "I thought I'd lost my grip on reality when I fought a Titan and got told to help the Greek Moon Goddess. But it seems we have actually stepped into a fairytale. What the hell kind of quirk did All For One slip in you, Tsutsumi?!"

"I told you already. He did it in exchange for giving me a copy of 'Air Walk'. He said it was a bomb quirk he took designed to and I quote 'remove the extras from the story'," Kaina put her head in her palms. "I'm sorry I got you wrapped up in my bullshit."

"Damnit!" Izuku slammed his fist on his lap, his agitation boiling over. The whole Big House and all its occupants shook under the force of the action. Chiron reached out his hand, but Apollo signaled for him to stop. The teen's mood lessened almost as easily as it came. "It's not your fault. That man uses people, grooms people, and destroys lives as easy as breathing. Why? For no other reason than he wants to be the center of attention forever. I won't let him use Japan as his personal playground. It's my responsibility to stop him and Shigaraki."

Kaina peeked at him through her hands, a healthy dose of realism in her eyes. "And why is it yours? Why not the adults who looked away and let the festering underbelly of society get to this point? The League of Villains' main members were all children who slipped through the cracks and were denied help by those capable. Shouldn't the adults be the ones to bear the burden since they created the cause?"

"You know the answer to that question. I don't claim to have the answers on how to magically fix everything. I do know I have the power to do something about it, so it's my responsibility. If I run away, they'll hunt me down wherever I go regardless. When I get back, I'll put an end to this before they can gather their strength for an offensive."

His speech was met with a clicking of the tongue. "Idealistic as ever I see. Your master, All Might, barely beat him the first go around, and that came at the cost of All For One pulling his guts out his body. Not to mention the now literal leagues of villains, cutthroats, cultists, murderers, and a clone of himself that stands behind him, what makes you think you can pull it off?"

Green lighting came off the teen's arm when he held up the mask. "I don't care who they throw at me! It's not a matter of whether or not I can do it. A hero's job is to risk his life to turn his promises into a reality. To let the people, they help know everything will be alright. That's my promise every time I put on my costume!"

Kaina leaned back and crossed her legs, a relaxed but weary smile on her face. "You're one hell of a guy, you know that? If our society had more selfless people like you, it wouldn't be as fucked up as it is. The fact we have to send a 17-year-old and his fresh-out-of-diapers classmates to the front lines of a civil war speaks for itself."

Izuku grunted and set his mask down. "I'm nothing special. I just think that if we work together and support each other we can…" He trailed off when he realized they weren't alone. He at once broke out into a nervous sweat.

"I'm guessing that was a private conversation," Percy seemed to speak for all of them, utterly dumbfounded. Athena's notepad was completely full.

"See what a good night's sleep does for you, Izuku?" Kaina happily kicked Izuku's bed happily. "I haven't seen you that passionate about anything since we fought."

"Care to fill us in?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond.

"They already know the jist, so tell them what they need to know and nothing more," Seeing Izuku still silent she shook her head. "I guess I'll shame the devil first. My quirk is called Rifle, and I was given the quirk Air Walk by a villain named All For One who sent me to assassinate him. We fought. I failed. The bomb quirk went off. He jumped in trying to save me. Next thing we know, we're in the Bay Area being attacked by a Jorōgumo..."

"Apparently 150 years in the past too," Izuku supplied.

"Any idea how that happened, Mr. Quirk theorist?" Kaina asked. "I thought time based quirks were exceedingly rare."

Izuku scratched his chin. "Overhaul's data, including the other Rewind Bullet, actually went missing after the Shie Hassaikai drug raid I participated in. Detective Tsukauchi mentioned it when I was filling out my post-op report. My best guess is that All For One got his hands on it and wanted to experiment with replicating Eri's rewind quirk. Kurogiri could be involved too, due to time and space being related, but I'm not completely sure. Of course, they could be completely unrelated because why would we end up in America…?"

The teen then broke out into muttering so low and fast, that only Athena and Annabeth were able to keep up. Working on a new notebook, she hungrily took in every word he spoke. The teen was apparently cut from the same cloth, Blackwhip extended from his body reaching out; Thalia jumped out of the way as it went for his yellow backpack and dug through it, finally retrieving his own notebook and pen and bringing it back to him to write almost as fast as the goddess.

Apollo glanced at the others; they were as lost as he was.

"Time out!" Apollo held his arms up in an X, Percy laughed at the unintentional pun. "You two dropped so many bombshells on us but can we talk about the time travel first?!"

Izuku nodded. "Yes. Where we were, the current year was 2157…But I'm not totally sure if the world is the same one. The history is congruent, however, there are inconsistencies with the topography. Mainly with Europe."

Athena tapped her pencil on the notebook. "What's the difference?"

"Yeah, tell me, because I didn't have time to notice this crap," Kaina said with a slight edge to her voice.

Blackwhip pulled a map and unfurled it to allow them to see. Apollo immediately noticed what the kid was talking about. "What the hell is that landmass next to France and Spain?"

"It's called the island of Oseon, and it houses two countries. Otheon and Klayd."

"You did an internship there didn't you?" Kaina said. "I read the report prior to engaging you. That's where you took down Flect-Turn and the Humarise cult."

"Yes." His face soured. The memory apparently wasn't a pleasant one.

"How do we know you're not making all this shit up?" Thalia pointed out.

Blackwhip pulled a small flat disk and unceremoniously dropped it in Thalia's lap. "Press the button."

"Holy shit, you still have that?" Kaina said incredulously.

"It means a lot to me. I saw no harm in taking it when I left."

The daughter of Zeus did what she was told and a hologram featuring a massive man in a gold-striped suit appeared making them all flinch back in surprise. Next to him was a program studio marked with the letters UA in sparkling gold.

Externally Apollo was stoic. Internally he was geeking out. Even Hephaestus said hologram tech was at least 10 years away for them. If he had this, he'd be the envy of all the gods!

"Your master, All Might, did the acceptance letters?!"

"I know right?! This is a collector's item now!"

Darn. He didn't have the heart to ask him for the disk now after seeing them both fanboy over it.

"That's All Might? He seems pretty well for someone who got disemboweled." Artemis said.

Izuku's joyful expression turned wistful and forlorn. "He could hold that form for only three hours a day at that point, and it was dwindling."

"Booyah! I am here as a projection!" All Might flexed muscles multiple times for emphasis. A finger appeared from out of the shot and made a 'wrap it up' gesture. "Wait, get a move on? I have to do how many of these?! My apologies young man. The truth is… I didn't come to this city just to fight villains. You are looking at UA's newest faculty member! Even though you passed the written test, you got zero points in the practical exam. Sorry. But before we get to that I have another surprise here, look! A short clip for your viewing pleasure!"

"Wow, his text is bold! Shouldn't you gods have bold text too?"

"Quiet, Jackson. You are not supposed to acknowledge that." Athena shushed. "He's drawn differently than us, that's why."

"Yeah, it's a mythology gag, no pun intended. Just roll with it, Kid," Apollo added.

Kaina ignored them and started laughing. "You didn't even get one point? With your quirk? That's unbelievable. What did you do? Fight the Zero Pointer?"

When her partner didn't answer she facepalmed.

All Might reached into his suit pocket and produced a remote. The screen behind him flashed and showed a teenage girl dressed in a Japanese seifuku. Apollo instantly noticed the actual blush stickers on her face and the weird bean-like protrusions on her finger.

"Umm, do you have a sec? I was wondering if it was possible to give him some of the points I earned in the exam? I heard him say something about wanting to get just one point in. He saved me! I have to make it up to him. Please sir, just give him my points!"

Apollo had to keep from laughing. He doubted Thalia and Annabeth understood a lick of what she said.

"And that's why I am here. You see, the practical exam wasn't graded on combat alone. How could a hero course reject someone who is so committed to saving others no matter the consequences to himself. After all… That is what makes a hero."

"So, we have…rescue points!"

A scoreboard appeared showing the exam's top 10 scores, including a kid humorously named Iron-iron, Iron-iron when said aloud.

"Wow, that Iron kid's parents must've hated him. "

Apollo clicked his tongue. "I personally think 'Eternal darkness to walk through shadows' is a bit on the nose too, don 'cha think?"

"The ninth placer? True. Edgy for no reason."

Annabeth looked at Percy skeptically but said nothing.

"Seventh place: Izuku Midoriya! 60 rescue points! Zero Villain Points! Third place: Ochako Uraraka! 45 rescue points! 25 Villain Points!"

"That many rescue points… Oh my god, you did do something stupid!" Kaina reached over and took the disk from Thalia's lap, making the projection fizzle out.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"Too bad. Deal with it." She turned over the disk and pressed a second button. "If I fiddle with this button, a recording of his practical should pop up. It's meant for examinees to review prior to class starting."

"I don't think this is necessary!" Izuku flusteredly said, waving his arms in a panic. The moment he threw the covers back, Athena snapped her fingers.

"Ergo."

The moment she said that word. Percy and Annabeth hopped back much to Thalia's confusion.

Golden ropes came out from under the bed and strapped him to the mattress. Artemis followed up with a lazy wave of her hand, frost freezing the incoming Blackwhip in its tracks. The demigods stared at the two in wonder. Chiron sighed and adjusted his wheelchair. "Here we go…" he muttered.

"I'm curious." was Athena's simple reply to the crowd.

"Give it up, Midori," Apollo said to the still-struggling Midoriya. He chuckled and sat down on the bed, intent on enjoying the show. He even summoned a bucket of popcorn in his hand. "Those ropes are tough enough for an Olympian; you stand no chance."

"I appreciate it." Kaina hit one final button, and a new projection appeared.

"Class 1-A, Seat #18: Izuku Midoriya. Age 15."

The video cut into a noticeably younger and thinner Izuku running full speed across a city. He skidded to a stop as a giant robot with a white number 1 burst through the wall of a building in front of him.

Given that he had zero villain points, Apollo didn't need to see the future to know what happened next.

Midoriya froze up.

Right when the robot was about to attack him, it was blasted to bits by a guy who could fire a laser from his stomach.

"C'mon dude… it was right there," Thalia commented disappointedly.

"First-time jitters?" Annabeth offered hopefully.

The next robot he found was taken out by a guy who had engine rods steaming with smoke sticking out of his legs.

The one after was crushed by Ochako with an ability that canceled the Higgs field of an object—or in Ares speak, gravity.

Next? A guy who could discharge electricity short-circuited a robot before Midoriya could run up to it.

A girl with vines for hair pierced through hers.

The same situation repeated over and over and over again. Apollo started to feel pity for the kid. He didn't know if it was a lack of ability, a horrible situation, or just plain bad luck. After every failure, Midoriya grew more desperate and frantic as he picked up his pace. At least he could say he had good cardio.

"When is this zero pointer supposed to show up?"

Percy's question got quickly answered when buildings started to topple like dominos, or gods after drinking too much of Dionysus' wine.

A gigantic robotic monstrosity appeared out of nowhere, easily dwarfing the highest buildings in the area. The simple grip of its hands was enough to crush the top of a building, sending debris onto a poor Midori who had to scramble out of the way.

"Holy Hephaestus!" Percy exclaimed at having gotten his answer.

"Hephaestus wishes he could see this!" Apollo said right after.

They watched as the test takers scrambled when the Zero-Pointer slammed its fist on the street below. They saw Midori about to make a run for it as well when he turned around and noticed Ochako's legs had been caught under the wreckage. He slapped his cheeks and then started running toward the damn thing!

"Deep breath! Clench your buttcheeks! And yell—" Midoriya glowed bright as a star one moment and the next, the face of the Zero pointer had caved in! "SMAAASH!"

"What the fuck?!"

"Oh, my!"

The gigantic robot detonated in a series of explosions as it tilted over and collapsed on the streets.

"Clench your buttcheeks? Really dude? That's horrible advice. I could have told you that," Percy said, not noticing another questionable look from the two girls. Apollo was inclined to agree with him, however.

"That was my first time using my quirk," Midoriya spat back with venom, still straining against his bonds. "I didn't know what I was doing."

Percy held up his hands in surrender. "My bad, dude…"

Back on the hologram, Midoriya fell through the air. He tried to starfish, but his left arm and legs flailed boneless behind him. He reared his remaining arm back and aimed a punch for the ground.

He's going to use the force of the punch to cushion his fall. He'd have absolutely shattered all four limbs—but he'd be alive. Smart move. Apollo stuffed a handful of popcorn in his mouth, intent on seeing how it played out.

He was saved from trying when Ochako floating on a trashed missile launcher, came to his rescue, slapping his face and rendering him weightless.

"That's a pretty useful power. Can be used both offensively and supportive," Athena commented. She jotted down notes like she was the one doing the grading. Poor kid.

Ochako then emptied the contents of her stomach on the ground when she released her quirk.

The demigods winced as they watched Midoriya try to crawl his way when—

"TIME'S UP, LISTENERS!"

"A valiant effort…" Chiron sighed when the feed cut. "I must commend you for saving that girl though."

"That was a wicked punch!" Thalia said.

"You were absolutely reckless, but I see why you got that many Rescue points," Kaina said, putting the disk back into the backpack. "Big, flashy, selfless. All things UA is pushing nowadays. We don't need more Endeavors in the world."

Athena snapped her fingers again and the ropes released Midoriya who sat up and rubbed his stomach. "He's doing his best to atone. Just watch him and see where he goes."

"Dabi is living proof the past doesn't go away," she countered. That was an ominous villain name. Apollo saw Percy's face twitch.

"Endeavor doesn't want it to. The Todoroki family as a whole will face him together."

Kaina nodded and turned back to them. "Are we done here, or are you going to execute us, oh mighty smiter gods of Olympus?"

The Hero and the Sniper stared at the three of them, no dominant emotion on their faces. Percy nearby had his fist clenched and Annabeth looked at her mother pleadingly. Thalia was torn between being starstruck at the foreigners and scornful at them. Chiron had his gaze focused out the window and a claw over his heart, as if he already knew what was coming.

Athena was the one who spoke. "For now…They'll watch the orientation video and eat breakfast with the demigods. We need time to discuss."

"Please tell me it's not another vote…"

"No voting, my daughter. Not yet at least."

She wasn't entirely satisfied, but Annabeth nodded and began ushering Thalia and Percy out of the room. Midoriya stood up and became confused at the pair of sweatpants he was wearing.

Chiron cleared his throat and addressed him. "Mr. Beckendorf of the Hephaestus cabin, or Cabin 9, has the remainder of your…*ahem* suit. He left the mask and scarf out of confidentiality but requested you stop by later." he then wheeled his chair to the door and gestured for the pair to follow him. "If you come with me, we can see about getting both of you more appropriate attire."

Midoriya nodded and picked up his backpack, Kaina close behind him.

The gods watched them go, and as soon as the door clicked Apollo rounded on Athena, flipping onto his stomach and kicking his legs. "What's the scoop? What sort of theory have you pieced together Ace Detective?"

"Before I say anything, what do you two think of them? Well… of everything we've heard?"

Apollo quickly stopped kicking his legs and placed his hand under his chin. "Unreal," he said the first word that came to mind. "… A universe different from ours? I mean, as the god of prophecy, I'm accustomed to knowing alternate realities—Like one where you won the last hand of Uno after I stopped Ares from playing that draw 4, Thena."

"Be serious before I tell Father you cheated."

"Another world entirely is next level. Society is pretty fucked in the ass is the gist I got from their little row though. Otherwise, Deku and Nagant strike me as good people in my book." Apollo's eyes turned sharp and serious. "I do have to say: Deku bears a mighty fate. It's on a world-changing scale too. It's probably only matched by Percy. Fate is for sure out of whack in the world he's left. That is–If time is flowing the same in his absence."

"Artemis?"

"I'm amazed, but ambivalent. Their world is not my concern; I'm not there."

Apollo mockingly rubbed his arms. "Brrr. That's ice cold, sis."

His twin shrugged. "It is the truth. All For One is a monster from what I gather, but they are beyond my reach, thus I shall not worry myself with them. That's a quick way for a god to go insane. As for the individuals who do find themselves within my reach, I wish to recruit the woman if she wants to join my hunt."

"Wow, didn't see that coming…"

Artemis rolled her eyes at him and continued speaking. "I'm neither blind nor stupid. I'm not Athena, but I can piece stuff together too. Her "quirk" has to do with her sniping ability. Most likely she's able to turn part of her body into a weapon as unbelievable as it sounds. I would like to scout her combat abilities before I make an offer."

"And the boy?"

"Noble. He has my respect. I would not mind fighting alongside him."

Athena nodded knowing that alone was the highest praise Artemis could give a man.

"Dionysus?"

The curtain divider pulled back to reveal the god of wine and theater sitting in a chair, legs crossed swirling a can of Diet Coke.

"No matter the world a hero is a hero. Their lives are tragedies waiting to play out on the theater we call fate," he said not looking at them and still at his beverage. "Both of them aren't exceptions. It might be more of a mercy to kill them now than to let them suffer long-term."

Apollo scratched the back of his head. His younger brother could be pretty bitter and pragmatic when sober. It was also the reason he appeared ugly since his punishment started. "That's a harsh view don't you think?"

Dionysus shrugged. "She asked for my opinion, and I gave it. Besides, if they live, they'll inevitably get stuck with me. Then again: I couldn't give a shit either way. The campers will probably assimilate them into their orbit if the problem child trio that just left has a say in it. Speaking of—I have to go show my face at breakfast."

He then disappeared in a purple-red mist and a leopard's roar.

"If we're asking everyone, you're the last one Aunt Hestia," Artemis said to the TV set that flickered on by itself revealing static, occasionally arranging itself to where one could get the barest glimpse of a woman's face. The TV had replaced the hearth as the centerpiece of a home, so Hestia naturally (and perhaps oddly) gained power over them. At least she didn't walk through the TV this time. Apollo had seen enough of The Ring, thank you very much.

The eldest god's voice cracked and fizzed as it filtered through the set. "My word does not carry as much weight as you four anymore—" She ignored the three separate versions of 'nonsense' the younger Olympians retorted with. "—But I think they should be allowed to live. The boy is lost in more ways than one. The other is starting to find her light. I do not wish to have the blood of an innocent on my hands based on what they may or may not do. Even indirectly. Besides, didn't your city practice the acceptance of immigrants during the ancient times, my niece?"

Athena's brow furrowed in thought as the TV set shut off.

"Now are you going to tell us?" Apollo asked.

The goddess of wisdom slipped her journal into the breast pocket of her gray pantsuit and crossed her arms. "I'm missing a few pieces, but I think I have the whole picture. In their world most if not all mortals are born with their own personal superpowers that are akin to genetics and can be passed down. They call them quirks and can be classified into different types. I theorize that's also the cause for the multicolored hair."

"Yup!" Apollo said. "We know three of 'em. Emitter, Mutant, and Accumulation." he listed off on his fingers. "Mutant type is the obvious one based on context clues. I'm guessing Emitter-types are people who can produce a phenomenon on their own, like how my kids and Artemis' hunters can glow in the dark. Finally, Accumulation-types are people who have to build up a quantity of something before being able to use their powers."

"All For One was blessed with the ability to give—and probably steal–quirks which he used to rule Japan, possibly the world at large—At least until All Might stood up to him," Artemis said.

Athena hummed. "Yes. From there I can gather that All Might won the first fight and ushered in an era of peace, but now All For One is back and is waging all-out war. Izuku Midoriya is the central figure or a high-ranking target that All For One wants to get rid of."

"Why not steal his quirk? Fastest way to get rid of the competition if that's the case."

Athena focused her stormy gray eyes on him. "I have a couple of ideas, but all of them would need confirmation from Midoriya himself."

"And how do you plan to go about that?" he questioned. Despite everything, Midoriya was pretty tight-lipped and elusive when it came to his quirk.

Athena turned to Artemis. "I'll need your assistance. Perhaps achieving your goal will help me reach mine."

Apollo smiled. He almost felt bad for the kid. Athena had found a new toy to play with. For both good and bad, once you were in Athena's crosshairs she wouldn't let you out until she was satisfied. In that way, she was just like the other 11 Olympians.

"Wipe that creepy smile off your face," Artemis said, kicking the bed he was on.

"I'm just happy Thena has found a new toy to play with."

"Excuse me?" Athena glared at him hotly. Apollo brushed it off and continued to smile, even throwing a wink her way.

"You can't fool me in the area of desire. Those two are a wealth of knowledge about an unseen, undocumented world. You're like a kid in a candy shop!" A vision of the future passed through Apollo's eyes. Eight and Nine overlapping in a storm of fire, lightning, wind, and snow. Water below and an island above. "I wonder, just how many people can you manipulate before it blows up in your face?"

"What are you saying?"

"Just that Izuku Midoriya is abnormal. Try to control him too much and it'll backfire spectacularly. Either that or you'll get blindsided by something even we don't expect."

"I'll keep your council in mind…"

"What's the plan, Athena?" Artemis asked.

"You've fought against Atlas, yes?" Artemis nodded and Athena kept going. "That was merely a warm-up for what's to come. I think it's time I got mine in as well…"

The goddess of wisdom stretched her arms and cracked her knuckles.

Oh, this was gonna be good. It had been a minute since he watched Athena fight for personal satisfaction rather than a convoluted grand scheme.


AN:

That fourth wall break is a call back to Ch 1 of the manga where Izuku outright says All Might is drawn differently than everyone else. It comes back in Vigilante Arc where Bakugo says the same thing about Deku.

By the way, the next chapter probably won't be coming out until the week after next. I just wanted to put this out for my self-called Taka-Week for a week of consistent uploads. I do have a MHAXPJO One-Shot to finish the week off so stay tuned for that!