That night, Izuku found himself plagued with a bout of insomnia. He wasn't quite sure what it was – perhaps the prospect that he would be willingly bringing conflict to Ibara, despite that being the exact reason he was pushed down this path?
It makes sense, in an odd – if somewhat disconcerting way. He can understand his personal reluctance, sure. But if this continues to irk him tomorrow, all the way up to the operation, what will that mean for him and the rest of the League?
Will he hesitate during a vital moment? Stumble during an attack and get someone hurt? What happens if he ends up facing Ibara? Or maybe he'd—
"Oi! Brat! I can hear you thinking in there! Go the fuck to bed! How are you supposed to test the NPCs if your stamina bar's low?"
Izuku blinks, somewhat surprised that Tomura was able to get so close without him noticing. Was he really that distracted?
What are you on about?" Izuku retorts. "And what do you mean you can hear me thinking? If anything, that's my thing!"
"Well obviously not! Your perception very clearly sucks! Heh, I bet you'd say that the wind blew you over if an arrow was lodged in your head!"
Izuku suddenly hears Tomura swiping and pointing at the air in front of him. He even senses the man-child's face light up in glee.
"And besides," Tomura continues, "in your character sheet window your status says that you're awake! So take that!"
Izuku rubs his face in exasperation. "Tomura, what are you on about?"
"Of course you wouldn't understand. You obviously aren't the player character if these terms escape you!"
Izuku sighs. "Tomura. I want to strangle you. So badly."
"Too bad I can respawn!" Tomura cackles. "Oh wait! Console commands!"
"I swear to the gods–"
Izuku went out like a light.
"So this is how it is, Izuku?"
His head swiveled to his right. The glare of the sun rushed into his eyes, preventing him from identifying the silhouette whose dress flowed in the breeze.
"You dare stray from the path of God?"
The vines rushed at his face.
A sharp pain resonated on his left. His hands rushed to the sight, hands meeting cold steel. The sound of metal on flesh permeating his ears. The rush of blood streaming down his side, staining the cloth of his clothes red.
Two cat-like eyes peered out from the darkness. The figure stepped forward, sharp canines glistening in the darkness. The girl giggled, hands half covering her face as her sips swayed from side to side.
"What was that about a girlfriend, Zuzu?"
He can't see. There's smoke in the air, thick and suffocating. His eyes burn, tears trailing down the sides of his head. The weight above him is impossibly heavy. Every moment he can feel it getting worse, an impossible burden piling on his chest. His chest, his ribs… They might just break!
"Michi-kun… I want more babies…"
He blinks.
He's in a field surrounded by flowers.
A tap of his shoulder has him turning around, a blur of red and white entering his vision.
"We've got to stop meeting like this."
"AHH!"
Izuku shoots up in his bed. Sweat pours down his head, the blankets wrapping him feeling incredibly constricting. He takes a few deep breaths, eyes adjusting to the darkness of his room.
"Oh. Just a dream."
"You wish it was, kid."
Izuku jerks. His head turns towards the voice.
Somebody is in his room. Somebody he can't hear.
"Course not. I willed it to be."
"Wha–" His eyes bulge out of his sockets. "Star and Stripe?!"
And it is her. Flowing golden hair. Red and white striped cape. Rippling muscles. Her towering form.
"Midoriya Izuku will–"
"Wait, how do you even know my–"
"Suffer the curse of the indefinite hiatus!"
"Nooooooooo–"
"–ooooooooo!"
Izuku shoots up in his bed. Sweat pours down his head, the blankets wrapping him feeling incredibly constricting. He takes a few deep breaths, eyes adjusting to the darkness of his room.
"Oh. Just a nightmare."
The wall suddenly collapses, wood and concrete splashing into the interior of his room.
An enormous humanoid robot peers in through the opening. A compartment opens, revealing a glowing orb flashing and undulating and—
"I said nightmare. Not a Knightmare!"
A/N: Sorry about that. Wanted to have some fun with this announcement.
What announcement? Ah yes.
The. Hiatus. Is. Over.
Chapters will once again be coming out once a week! I even have a backlog this time, so hopefully no late updates! And yeah, I waited for April Fools to announce this, and even purposely waited an extra day to hopefully ward off some peoples' initial suspicions.
Anyways. Life has finally allowed me to get my groove back into this. I'm just hoping that I can keep it up.
Still, to let you all know we won't actually be getting back into the main story for another week. Though, that doesn't mean that I'll be leaving you all hanging till then. What do I mean? Well, just head on over to the next chapter!
Cheers!