Would you kindly enter the Medical Pavilion? #3
When Izuku returned to Aesthetic Ideals, he was once again greeted by the splicer on the balcony. The moment the splicer spotted him, he hurled a firebomb down without hesitation. But Izuku didn't panic. With a calm flick of his hand, he activated the Telekinesis Plasmid, catching the firebomb mid-air and hurling it at the blocked passage. The resulting explosion blasted away the rubble, clearing the path forward.
Before the splicer could react, Izuku caught a second firebomb in the same effortless manner and launched it right back at him. The makeshift grenade found its mark, engulfing the splicer in flames and sending him flying in a fiery explosion.
"Honestly, when used correctly, any form of telekinesis could become a terrifying weapon," Izuku said, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Just thinking about the potential gives me the chills."
"Oh? Could you give me some examples?" Reiko asked, intrigued. She, too, had a Quirk that allowed her to manipulate objects, so she was curious about his perspective.
"Hmm... your Quirk is Poltergeist, right?" Izuku asked, watching her nod. "Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that you could carry small nails or marbles and use them like bullets, shooting them with your telekinetic power. Of course, a more extreme and brutal use of that would be to target someone's eyes, but it really depends on how far you're willing to go."
"Ugh, yeah, that sounds pretty gruesome and extreme," Reiko said, her face falling slightly as she looked uncomfortable. "How do you even think of stuff like that?"
Izuku scratched the back of his head, giving a sheepish smile. "Oh, well... I kind of went on a Final Destination movie binge once, watched all of them in one go. I guess I picked up a few ideas from there without even realizing it."
Now that the path was clear, Izuku pressed on in his pursuit of Dr. Chisaki. But the moment he stepped into the newly opened passage, he was met with a disturbing sight—a disfigured woman's corpse seated neatly in a wheelchair, with one of Dr. Chisaki's audio diaries resting beside her.
"Hell, that's pure nightmare fuel!" Yu exclaimed, a shiver running down her spine. "Honestly, after hearing that, I'm starting to second-guess all the beauty surgeries I've been thinking about and planning to get done."
"I highly doubt any doctors in our world would go that far," Pixie-Bob said, her face scrunching up in distaste. "Still, I don't think I could ever get comfortable with the idea of a knife or needles being anywhere near my face for too long."
Cautiously, Izuku tapped the body with his wrench to make sure it wasn't a trap.
"Heh, given everything he's faced up to now, I'm genuinely surprised that green-haired kid hasn't just blown that thing to pieces with his shotgun," Dabi remarked, leaning back in his chair with a lazy grin.
Once he was sure it posed no threat, he picked up the audio diary and played it.
'Today I had lunch with the Goddess. "Kai," she said... "I'm here to free you from the tyranny of the commonplace. I'm here to show you a new kind of beauty." I asked her, "What do you mean, goddess?" "Symmetry, dear Kai. It's time we did something about symmetry..."'
"Fucking moron, believing in something as silly as a god," Kai scoffed, shaking his head at his counterpart's words. "If God were real, He wouldn't allow abominations like Quirks or ADAM to exist in the world."
"Rich, coming from someone who'd torture a little girl for their own gain," Ibara retorted, glaring at Kai. "And don't worry! Whether you believe in the Lord or not, you're still gonna face the judgment coming your way!"
Tossing the audio diary aside, Izuku pressed on and entered a narrow passage choked with the signs of Rapture's decay—splicer corpses littered the floor, water leaked from cracks in the walls, oil pooled dangerously along the ground, and worst of all, a turret sat at the far end, its barrel pointed directly at him.
Reacting on instinct, Izuku dove out of the line of fire as bullets ripped past him. Then, with a surge of electricity, he stunned the machine and rushed in to hack it before it could recover.
"The more I watch Midoriya's counterpart in action, the more suspicious I get about his origins," Spinner clicked his tongue. "In just a few hours, he went from a normal guy barely scraping by to acting like some fucking hero out of those predictable action movies—doing unbelievably stupid things and somehow surviving."
"Or maybe you're just jealous that he gets to do all that and look cool while doing it," Compress said with a chuckle.
"There's nothing cool about being stuck in that underwater hell," Spinner scoffed, giving his fellow villain a sidelong glance. "I'd rather stay home and play League than look cool for the rotting corpses and fish of Rapture."
Once the immediate threat was neutralized, he began searching the area and came across an empty surgery room. As he scavenged for supplies, he found another audio diary from Dr. Chisaki. Curious, he played the recording as he looked through drawers and cabinets.
'Aphrodite is walking the halls - shimmering, like a scalpel... "Kai," she calls, "Kai! I have what you're looking for! Just open your eyes!" And when I see her, she cuts me into a thousand beautiful pieces.'
"They say that for an inventor or a scientist, it's necessary to be a little delusional to create great things, but it seems that Chisaki's counterpart here is a bit too delusional to even function as a human being. What a pity..." Garaki said, his voice dripping with mockery.
Kai's eyes narrowed, his tone icier than the depths of Rapture itself. "I wouldn't be so quick to judge my counterpart's sanity. Logically, there's no reason to believe he's any worse off than mine."
"And? You say that like it would bother me," Garaki chuckled, still grinning mockingly at Kai. "You're too young and naive to understand that as long as I leave my mark on the world, I don't care about my counterpart's situation. That includes death, which doesn't even scare me in our world."
'Right... that's why you refuse to let me touch you, fearing I'd take your longevity Quirk,' All for One thought, glancing at his oldest minion with barely contained disgust.
Exiting the room, Izuku moved deeper into the facility and arrived at a place labeled Viewing Rooms. It was there that he finally caught sight of Dr. Chisaki, hunched over an operating table with a trembling splicer beneath his scalpel. Only a thin sheet of glass separated Izuku from the gruesome scene.
"Finally, here comes—"
"Shut the hell up!" Shigaraki cut Kaminari off, shooting him a venomous glare. "Damn impatient idiot, trying to skip right to the boss fight without bothering with the build-up! No wonder this fool looks like someone who spent their entire childhood glued to mobile games!"
Ignoring Shigaraki's tirade, the others turned their attention to Kai's counterpart on the screen. Almost immediately, some of them were struck by waves of nausea as they watched what he was doing.
"What can I do with this one, Aphrodite? She WON'T. STAY. STILL!" Dr. Chisaki screeched, his voice echoing through the chamber as he drove the blade into the splicer again and again. "I want to make them beautiful—but they always turn out wrong!"
With each maddened outburst, spotlights flared to life, illuminating horrific displays around the room. "That one... too fat! This one... too tall! This one... too symmetrical!" he ranted, gesturing at his twisted failures—splicers strung up in chains like grotesque art installations, a haunting gallery of his obsession with perfection.
"Yep, no way I'm letting any knife or needle near me," Yu muttered, a visible shiver running through her body at the thought of herself lying on that cold operating table.
"Yeah, watching him make examples out of his failed creations is... seriously messed up," Nemuri added, her throat tightening as her eyes filled with disgust.
Meanwhile, Toga was practically bouncing in her seat, her face lit up with glee as she watched the scene unfold. "I wish I could help him!" she chirped, her gaze fixed on Kai's counterpart. Then, with a pout, she turned to their Kai, clearly disappointed. "Why can't you be more like him? If you were, I'd gladly join you!"
Kai, however, didn't even glance in her direction. His expression remained cold and distant, unbothered by the comments or the fascination surrounding his counterpart. He had long since written off the other version of himself, convincing himself it was nothing more than an inferior version of him.
"And now—what's this, goddess?" Dr. Chisaki suddenly paused, his gaze locking onto Izuku through the glass. "An intruder! He's ugly! Ugly, ugly, UGLY!" he howled, his voice rising to a deranged shriek as he whipped out a machine gun and opened fire. The reinforced glass shattered like paper under the barrage.
"Wow, that's a new one, even for me," Izuku joked, scratching the back of his head with a nervous laugh. "I've heard all kinds of insults before, but this is the first time someone's actually called me ugly."
"Don't sweat it, brother, I wouldn't take him too seriously," Eri reassured him, giving him a friendly pat on the back. "Even if the word 'beautiful' smacked him in the face, he wouldn't have the faintest clue what it meant." She flashed him a playful grin. "And besides, I'm pretty sure his words wouldn't sting half as much as those bullets he's shooting at you," she added, letting out a light chuckle.
Izuku dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the hail of bullets. Without wasting a second, he vaulted into the surgery room, eyes locking onto a nearby propane tank.
"Yep, I don't think this is going to end well for Overhaul," Izuku winced, his expression twisted in discomfort as he realized what his counterpart was about to do with that propane tank.
"Well, whatever," Eri muttered, rolling her eyes. "He and his counterpart both deserve every bit of suffering coming their way."
"I mean, don't you think this might be a bit too extreme, even for someone like him?" Izuku asked, managing a strained smile.
"Maybe, but like I said, he's definitely done enough to earn this," Eri crossed her arms, while Izuku just sighed.
With a flick of his wrist and a thought, he yanked it toward him using Telekinesis—then snapped his fingers, igniting it midair with a burst of flame. The tank exploded in a fiery blast right in Chisaki's face, engulfing the mad doctor in flames.
Chisaki screamed and thrashed, rolling across the floor in agony. Izuku didn't hesitate. Another propane tank flew into his hands, and he hurled it at the writhing doctor. Another explosion rocked the room.
Still not done, Izuku pulled a third tank toward him. Chisaki barely had time to raise his head before the last explosive collided and detonated, sending fire and shrapnel across the room. The screams stopped. In their place, only the crackle of flames remained—and the charred corpse of Dr. Chisaki, finally still.
The room fell into stunned silence as they watched the absolute carnage Izuku's counterpart had unleashed on Kai's counterpart on the screen. Some of them could hardly keep their stomachs in check, their faces contorting in disgust as they witnessed the brutal scene unfold.
Most, however, were convinced that whatever had befallen the on-screen Kai was well deserved. Some even found themselves quietly impressed by the way Izuku's counterpart had handled the situation, the precision and intensity with which he brought it all to an end. Yet, there were a few who felt that it was an unnecessarily violent display—after all, a single bullet could have finished Kai's counterpart off, rather than resorting to the madness of burning him alive.
Meanwhile, Kai couldn't suppress the shiver that crawled down his spine as he witnessed his counterpart being torn apart by Izuku's version of himself. Despite the emotional distance he'd tried to create between himself and the on-screen Kai, a strange unease lingered in him. For all his attempts to dismiss the other as nothing more than an inferior copy, he couldn't shake the feeling that losing his arms might have been the lesser of two evils compared to the grisly fate his counterpart was now suffering.
Izuku, on the other hand, couldn't entirely suppress his own discomfort at the level of violence his counterpart had unleashed. A simple bullet could have sufficed to put the man down, yet his counterpart had chosen a much more drawn-out and painful approach. He didn't voice these thoughts to Eri, though. He understood well enough that he had no moral high ground to stand on in this situation—especially when Eri had been subjected to so much torment by the same man. In a way, he understood the need for retribution, even if it went further than he personally felt was necessary.
What unsettled him more, however, was the dark, unspoken part of him that found a strange sense of relief—and even a twisted form of appreciation—that his counterpart had done what he couldn't. In a way, his counterpart had brought justice to the girl he had come to view as a sister, something Izuku had never been able to accomplish.
Izuku took a moment to catch his breath as Dr. Chisaki's corpse crackled and cooled in the flickering light. Cautiously, he approached the charred remains. After a brief hesitation, he knelt and searched the body—his efforts rewarded when he found a scorched but surprisingly intact key nestled among the ashes, having somehow survived the flames and explosions.
"That was utterly reckless," Aizawa's voice cut through the silence, his tone stern and unyielding. "Using that much power to neutralize a single target was beyond stupid. If his luck hadn't held out, he could've jeopardized the entire mission, getting himself stuck there indefinitely." His gaze hardened as it shifted toward the students. "Let this be a warning to all of you. Don't even think about using excessive force—if I catch any of you doing something like that, it won't end well for you."
Just then, the radio on his hip crackled to life, and Atlas's voice came through. "You all right? It was time somebody took care of that sick bastard. Make sure you get the key off Chisaki and head back to Emergency Access. I'm working my way to the backside of Port Neptune myself. We'll get there soon enough."
"Hey, is it just me, or does this Atlas guy not sound worried about his family at all?" Nejire asked, furrowing her brow. "I mean, he keeps pushing Midoriya's counterpart to hurry, but there's no real sense of concern or urgency in his voice."
"You're right," Ryukyu agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "Even I can't see the worried husband and father he tries so hard to present himself as."
Izuku gave a small nod to no one in particular, acknowledging the message, then turned to search the surgery room. Among scattered tools and overturned trays, he found a wall safe with some cash and medical supplies tucked inside. Nearby, the body of a woman lay slumped in the corner, and on her, he found another of Chisaki's audio diaries. He played it while continuing to loot the room.
'Chisaki: Four-oh silk and... done.
Nurse: The nose looks terrific, Doctor Steinman... Doctor?
Chisaki: You know, looking at her now... I didn't realize how much her face sags... Scalpel...
Nurse: Excuse me?
Chisaki: Scalpel!
Nurse: Uh, doctor, she's not booked for a face lift...
Chisaki: Let's just come in here and... *starts whistling*
Nurse: Doctor... Stop cutting... Doctor, stop cutting... Get me the chief of surgery! Get me the chief of surgery NOW!'
"Humph! This must be where his madness started," Recovery Girl muttered, her expression hardening with a frown. "Still. People like him give this profession such a bad reputation! If you can't trust your doctor, who can you trust?!"
"Calm down, Recovery Girl," Nezu said in a calm, measured tone. "I understand your frustration, but there's no need to let it get the best of you. Raising your blood pressure won't help anything. Besides, something like this wouldn't have lasted long in our world, so I wouldn't worry too much about it."
"It better not be!" Recovery Girl shot back, her voice firm as she tapped her staff on the ground with a decisive thud. "Because if it is, they'll learn that these old bones still know how to deal with a few morons!"
With nothing else of value left, Izuku turned and began retracing his steps. But just as he reached the narrow passage, a group of splicers rounded the corner and charged at him.
Izuku didn't flinch. He spotted the water pooled across the floor, raised a hand, and sent a bolt of electricity coursing through it. The splicers didn't even have time to scream as they convulsed and dropped, their bodies sizzling in the shallow flood.
"Wow, another great application of my quirk," Kaminari said, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Too bad we don't have anyone with a water-based quirk in our class. If we did, we'd make a deadly combo."
"Are you sure that would work, and not just turn you and this imaginary partner of yours into a real 'deadly' combo?" Mina remarked. "I mean, you already have trouble controlling your output, so how can you be sure you won't just fry whoever you hit with it?"
Kaminari paused, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Oh, I didn't really think that through, but I'm sure I'd figure something out," he said with a shrug, clearly undeterred by the potential risk.
Izuku continued retracing his steps, but as he entered the glass tunnel connecting the two buildings, the entire structure began to tremble. Over the crackle of his radio, Atlas's voice came through again.
"Sounds like another tunnel collapse. Welcome to Rapture, the world's fastest-growing pile of junk."
"And whose fault is that, huh?!" Re-Destro spat through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with frustration. "If only you people weren't so greedy and intolerably selfish! Everyone could have the perfect paradise, but no! As soon as the pie comes out of the oven, everyone wants to stick their dirty, greedy hands in it, making a mess until it eventually falls to the ground, ruining all the hard work of the one who labored to make that pie!"
Izuku ignored the snide remark and picked up his pace. But as he ran, flashes of memory—moments just before the plane crash—suddenly surged through his mind. A jolt of panic stirred in his chest, but he shook his head and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.
"A weird place to see these hallucinations…" Nezu mused, narrowing his eyes in thought. "He didn't spot any wreckage from the plane crash or anything that might hint at it... so why now? It's strange…"
Reaching the end of the tunnel, he discovered the path back to the Medical Pavilion was now completely blocked. Gritting his teeth, he turned down the newly opened route, knowing it was the only way forward now.
"Nothing can ever be easy for this counterpart of Izuku, it seems," Momo sighed, shaking her head. "Looks like he's going to have to take another detour."
"Yeah, it's almost like Rapture itself is trying to lead him somewhere," Toru chimed in. "Not that I actually think the city is alive or anything, but it sure feels that way."
Just as Izuku stepped into the hallway, the ground shook violently with the force of an explosion. A split second later, a Big Daddy came crashing through the wall, its massive body skidding across the floor. Flames danced along its exoskeleton, and from the way it lay motionless, whatever had been piloting it was likely already dead.
"See! I told you! It's like the city itself is leading him to these interesting places where something huge is about to happen!" Toru said cheerfully, pumping her fist in the air with enthusiasm.
"Well, I doubt Deku's counterpart feels like any of this is interesting," Ochako remarked with a small chuckle. "In fact, I'm pretty sure he'd prefer a simple, boring journey over all this chaos."
Cautiously, Izuku moved forward and spotted a Little Sister standing near the fallen protector, her expression filled with worry. Without a word, she turned and ran toward the far end of the hall, just as Atlas's voice crackled through the radio.
"That's a Little One... Here's your chance to get some ADAM."
"I fucking swear... I hope this bastard Atlas isn't suggesting what I think he is, or I'll go through this screen!" Rumi growled, her ears standing straight up, fully alert.
"You should hope that Midoriya's counterpart doesn't follow whatever nonsense Atlas is suggesting," Ryukyu replied, her tone calm but firm. "He's the one in charge of his actions and body, not that man feeding him stupid advice."
Izuku frowned at the suggestion but didn't slow his pace. As he moved ahead, he caught sight of a splicer creeping toward the Little Sister from earlier, gripping a bloodstained pipe in his hands, clearly intent on hurting her.
"It's just you, me, and all the tasty ADAM I can drink..." the splicer hissed as he drew closer.
"Oh no! I can't watch this!" Mina exclaimed, quickly shielding her eyes. "Midori! Tell your counterpart to do something!"
"I mean, I hate this as much as you do... but what do you expect me to do?" Izuku asked with a helpless smile, clearly feeling torn. "I really hope my counterpart has enough heart left to do the right thing and help her, though."
Izuku quickly raised his revolver to stop him—but before he could fire, gunshots rang out from above. The splicer collapsed, blood pooling beneath him. Izuku snapped his head toward the source and spotted a woman standing in the gallery above, her pistol still trained on the downed splicer.
"Stay away from her, or it is you who will be shot next..." she warned coldly, her aim shifting toward Izuku.
"Wait, that's—!" Kaina exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock as she saw herself on the screen. But then, after a brief pause, she took a deep breath and calmed herself, her gaze sharpening as she analyzed her counterpart. "At least she's saving that child's life. Much better than what I thought she'd be like."
Before Izuku could respond, Atlas's voice came through the radio again. "Easy now, Doctor... He's just looking for a wee bit of Adam, just enough to get by..."
"I'll not have him hurt my Little Ones..." the woman snapped, her tone fierce.
"It's okay, lad. That's not a child, not anymore it ain't. Dr. Tsutsumi saw to that," Atlas urges him as Izuku turns towards the little girl, only to see the little child cowering in fear next to him.
Seeing the terrified, cowering little girl on the screen shattered many hearts, while simultaneously, it ignited a burning anger toward Atlas for trying to manipulate Izuku's counterpart into harming such an innocent child. The urge to teach Atlas a lesson for his cruelty crossed the minds of many, but they kept their composure, knowing there was no way to actually reach him.
Kaina, however, found herself once again torn about her own counterpart. Hearing that the little girl's condition was the direct result of her counterpart's actions weighed heavily on her. Despite the turmoil brewing within her, she clung to the hope that Atlas was simply bluffing, trying to manipulate Izuku's counterpart with lies to further his own twisted agenda.
As Izuku stepped toward the Little Sister, she quickly scrambled away and hid in the corner.
Eri noticed the anxious look on Izuku's face and immediately took his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly for reassurance. "Don't worry, that little girl will be all right."
"I hope so," Izuku replied, offering her a gentle smile, though the worry still lingered in his eyes.
"Bitte, do not hurt her! Do you have no heart?" Kaina pleaded, her voice full of urgency and sorrow.
"What a hypocrite!" Dabi scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "First, you turn those girls into little abominations, and now you're trying to guilt-trip that boy's counterpart into leaving her alone... what a fucking joke."
"At least she's trying to atone for her mistakes," Kuina shot back, her eyes blazing with anger. "Unlike you, who call yourselves big villains and attack children's summer camps like the scum you are." She sneered at him. "I wish I were a teacher at U.A. at that time, so all of you would have bullets in your heads."
"Ha! Once a killer, always a killer!" Dabi mocked, taking obvious pleasure in the way she glared at him. "Besides, try all you want... I won't die until I've killed all the demons of my own," he declared, his savage grin widening as he reveled in his twisted declaration.
"Aye, that's a pretty sermon coming from the ghoul who cooked up them creatures in the first place. Took fine little girls and turned them into that, didn't you? Listen to me, boyo: you won't survive without the Adam those... things... are carrying. Are you prepared to trade your life, the lives of my wife and child, for Tenenbaum's little Frankensteins?" Atlas shot back, challenging Kaina's plea for the little girl's life.
"Okay, I'm officially starting to hate this guy!" Mina said, glaring at the screen. "I get that he wants to save his family, but that doesn't mean he should force Midoriya's counterpart to hurt that innocent little girl!"
"Exactly! How is he even going to face his family, if he does manage to save them?" Toru added, her voice heavy with frustration.
"Why would Atlas' family even care about what he did to save them?" Hawks interjected, his expression deadpan and unbothered. "The morality you all follow doesn't apply to the people of Rapture, where they have to fight for even the smallest scrap of food."
"So you're okay with that kid's counterpart killing that little girl?" Rumi asked, narrowing her eyes as she glared at Hawks.
"I never said that," Hawks replied with a casual shrug. "I'm just pointing out that you shouldn't judge people by your own moral standards. Everyone has their own circumstances and reasons for doing things. Sure, some things are unforgivable, but you should be smart enough to distinguish between situations before you start passing judgment."
Izuku hesitated but continued walking toward the terrified girl when Kaina called out again, this time holding up a small flask glowing with a soft red light.
"Here! There is another way..." she said, tossing the flask to him. Izuku caught it instinctively. "Use this, free them from their torment... I will make it to be worth your while... somehow."
"What a foolish offer! Why should he risk his own life to save some random freak he's never met in his life?!" Shigaraki scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Because a little kindness goes a long way," Izuku replied calmly, his words met with an immediate, vicious glare from Shigaraki.
"Yeah, and that way leads you straight to your fucking grave!" Shigaraki shot back, his glare burning into Izuku.
Izuku turned back toward the Little Sister. She backed away on trembling legs until her back hit the wall, nowhere left to run. Slowly, Izuku knelt down, then gently lifted her into his arms. She thrashed and kicked, her tiny fists pounding against his chest in fear—but he didn't let go.
He raised his plasmid-charged hand to her head, and the world was swallowed in blinding white light.
The entire audience collectively held its breath, tension thick in the air as they awaited Izuku's counterpart's decision. On one side, hopes were high that he would choose to save the little girl, while on the other, there were those who silently wished for him to harvest the ADAM from her, regardless of the consequences.
When the light faded, the Little Sister stood before him, her skin no longer pale and sickly, her eyes no longer glowing. Just a child again—fragile, human, free.
"Thank you, mister... thank you," she said with a soft smile, bowing politely before disappearing into a nearby child-sized vent.
Just then, Kaina's voice came through the radio, "The path of the righteous is not always easy, yes? The reward will become clear in time... be patient."
Half of the audience let out a collective sigh of relief as they watched Izuku's counterpart rescue the Little Sister instead of harvesting her for ADAM. The tension lifted for some, while others clicked their tongues in disgust, calling him weak and hurling insults his way.
Izuku, however, was the most relieved of them all. His grip on Eri's hand tightened as a sense of joy and pride washed over him. His counterpart had resisted Atlas's influence and made his own decision.
As her transmission ended, Atlas's voice cut in from a different channel, "Tsutsumi's playing you for a sap. Those things may look like wee little girls, but looks don't make it so. You'll need all the Adam you can get to survive. If you cross paths with another of them, Gatherer's Garden machines, make sure you pick up a new plasmid or two. That's if the price ain't too dear, of course..."
"This man is still trying to influence young Midoriya's counterpart to hurt those innocent girls," All Might frowned, his voice heavy with rage as his eyes burned with determination. "I wish I could go to Rapture and have a little chat with this Atlas guy..."
"It won't do a damn thing," Aizawa interjected, his voice flat but stern. "Like Hawks said, living in that city must have dulled everyone's moral compass to the point where survival and the safety of their loved ones are all that matters."
All Might turned to Aizawa, his expression sharp with conviction. "I understand what you're saying, but you're forgetting one important thing, Aizawa," he said, locking eyes with the underground hero. "It's in times like these that a person's true character shines. We saw that when young Midoriya's counterpart decided to save that girl... that's what we call having the heart to do the right thing, even in the worst of times."
Izuku glanced to his side and spotted it: a Gatherer's Garden vending machine, as eerie as ever, flanked by mannequins of two little girls. He'd seen these machines before—gotten his first Plasmid from one, even picked up Telekinesis from another—but now, with the truth about ADAM and the Little Sisters fresh in his mind, the machine's design felt... disturbing. And suddenly, it made perfect sense.
"You have to be a special kind of creepy—or just a downright messed-up person—to design a vending machine with the image of little girls who've been experimented on," Nemuri said, her face contorting with disgust. "No wonder this place fell apart with all these vile people running around."
As he stepped closer to the machine, his eyes caught an audio diary lying nearby. It had Dr. Chisaki's name on the label, so Izuku picked it up and played the recording as he browsed the machine's offerings.
'Not only are those little girls veritable ADAM factories, they're nearly indestructible. They regenerate any wounded flesh with stem versions of the dead cells. But their relationship with the implanted slugs is symbiotic... if you harvest the slug, the host will die. "So you see, it's not like killing," Tsutsumi said. "It's more like removing a terminal patient from life support."'
"This bastard!" Kaina gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with fury as she glared at Kai. "You know what? I'm actually glad Midoriya's counterpart roasted your counterpart alive! Weren't those girls already living in hell? What kind of sick mind thinks they need more pain inflicted on them?!"
Kai raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the anger directed at him. "Why are you condemning me when it's my counterpart you have a grudge against?" he retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Besides, this hell those girls are going through? That's your counterpart's doing. From what we've gathered, it's safe to assume she experimented on them, turning them into the creatures they are now. So, if you're going to criticize anyone, maybe focus on your own counterpart first."
Izuku's gaze turned eerily calm as he spoke, his voice unwavering. "Before she does that, why don't you do the same, Overhaul?" His eyes never left Kai, steady and unflinching. "It seems like no matter the world, you always find a way to hurt innocent, defenseless girls. Says a lot about you, don't you think?"
Kai's face twisted with irritation, his voice sharp as he snapped back. "Insufferable brat! I never took pleasure in what I did to that girl," he said, briefly glancing at Eri. "All I did was for the betterment of the world!"
Izuku scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh please, I've read your file. All that nonsense with Quirk-Erasing Bullets and Trigger happened because you and your little Yakuza gang couldn't keep up with the times," he said dismissively. "So spare me the grandiose speech about 'saving the world.'"
"That's right!" Eri chirped, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as she wiggled her finger at an increasingly irritated Kai. "Talk shit and my brother will beat the shit out of you!"
As the recording ended, Izuku finished his shopping. He picked up a few EVE and adrenaline syringes, and a new Plasmid labeled Armored Shell, which would reinforce his body, making him more resistant to piercing and blunt-force trauma.
"So, it's like my quirk or TetsuTetsu's?" Kirishima asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Izuku shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "No, I doubt it would be as strong as either of your quirks," he replied. "Your quirk turns your skin into rock, and TetsuTetsu's turns his skin into iron. It'd be hard to match the kind of durability either of you have. But, that said, it should still be pretty strong. Plasmids have shown to be effective and powerful so far, so I'm expecting something similar from this."
Izuku continued on his way, eventually making it back to the Medical Pavilion. But the moment he stepped inside, the ground trembled beneath his feet, and the unmistakable thud of heavy footsteps echoed through the halls.
"Oh boy, I think I know what that sound means, and I'm not sure if I like it," Ochako said with a grimace. "It's so unfortunate that Deku's counterpart ran into a Big Daddy just when he was almost at the Emergency Access."
"It seems like facing unexpected obstacles has become the norm for Midoriya's counterpart, so there's really no point in getting surprised every single time," Iida remarked while adjusting his glasses.
"I'm not surprised, just frustrated," Ochako grumbled, her voice tinged with irritation. "It's like even the simplest tasks take forever because of all this unexpected crap."
"You're ready now... It's time to take on one of them Big Daddies," Atlas's voice came through the radio just as Izuku spotted a Little Sister turning a corner—her hulking protector trailing right behind her. "It won't be easy, but it's the only way to get to the Little Sisters... and the ADAM they carry."
"What's with this Atlas guy and his obsession with Little Sisters?" Itsuka said, her voice thick with disgust. "Seriously, though, the real question is—now he wants Midoriya's counterpart to take on that giant. Has he completely lost his mind?"
"I don't think Izuku's counterpart taking on a Big Daddy is as far-fetched as you're making it out to be," Momo said thoughtfully. "Think about it—earlier, a splicer managed to trick one of these things into blowing itself up. So why couldn't Izuku, who has three different kinds of plasmids and 100 times more intelligence than those splicers, do the same?"
"Now that you put it that way, I think even I could see Midoriya's counterpart defeating him," Itsuka said. "In that case, I can't wait to see him take down that Big Daddy!" She leaned forward, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "This is going to be good!"
Izuku took a deep breath and fired the first shot, his revolver round hitting the Big Daddy square in the face. The massive figure flinched for a moment, the lights on its helmet flickering—then flaring red. With a deafening roar, it charged.
Izuku narrowly dodged the whirling drill mounted on its arm and quickly retaliated, hitting it with a jolt of electricity before unloading his shotgun into its face.
"What kind of dumbass thinks unloading a shotgun into a heavily armored enemy is a good idea?" Shigaraki asked, throwing his arms up in frustration. "He doesn't even have armor-piercing rounds, he's just wasting his ammo!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Spinner retorted. "It's working! You can see the Big Daddy flinching with every shot!"
"But it shouldn't!" Shigaraki snapped back, his frustration mounting. "It doesn't make any fucking sense!" He clenched his fists, pacing back and forth. "Armor like that... those shots shouldn't be doing anything! This doesn't add up!"
The Big Daddy recovered fast, swinging its free arm with brutal force. The blow sent Izuku flying into a wall, crashing hard. The hulking brute didn't stop—rushing after him with terrifying speed. But Izuku recovered just in time, rolling out of the way as the drill punched clean through the wall, shattering it on impact.
"Damn, that looked painful," Izuku grimaced, watching his counterpart get slammed into the wall. "I can feel my own back screaming in pain just by looking at that impact."
"You think that was painful?" Tsu asked, tilting her head. "What about the drill that nearly made a hole in your counterpart? Ribbit."
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, that looked scary too," Izuku said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head.
Thinking quickly, Izuku sprinted down the corridor, luring the Big Daddy into a puddle beneath a leaking pipe. As it stepped in, he electrocuted the water, stunning the beast once more. Seizing the moment, he reloaded his shotgun with slugs and emptied the chamber directly into its face.
This time, the giant didn't get back up.
"See? I told you, deadly combo!" Kaminari said, smirking at Mina, who just rolled her eyes at him.
"Yeah, sure," Mina replied dryly, crossing her arms. "As long as you can keep your electricity under control and don't fry the entire team class and your own brain in the process, then maybe we can call it a 'combo.'"
Breathing heavily, Izuku's eyes drifted to the Little Sister beside the fallen protector. She was crying, desperately trying to wake him up. Slowly, Izuku stepped toward her. Just like before, he gently scooped her up and used the special plasmid.
A flash of white light engulfed them, and when it faded, the girl stood there, no longer glowing, her skin returned to normal. She looked up at him, eyes wide with gratitude.
"Thank you, mister... thank you," she whispered with a bow before disappearing into a nearby vent.
"Well, at least now he has a chance to do some good while trying to survive that hellhole," Ryukyu said. "Still, when—if—he manages to find a way out of Rapture, I really hope he takes those girls with him. It would be too cruel to leave them behind."
"You mean if he finds a way out of my counterpart's city?" Re-Destro chimed in with a mocking smirk. "Because I'm certain that sooner or later, his luck will run out, and he'll fall to the true ruler of Rapture."
Once the little girl had vanished into the vent, Izuku began retracing his steps, eventually making his way back to the entrance of the Medical Pavilion. Just then, his radio crackled to life again. "Are you almost back to Emergency Access? Come through as soon as you get there. You got Rikiya Yotsubashi's eye now. You won't hear him coming... but he'll be there before you know it."
"Yeah, I'm having a hard time buying all the hype surrounding this Rikiya Yotsubashi," Monoma said dismissively. "So far, all we've heard about is how dangerous he is, but when it comes to actually doing something, like capturing a civilian from the outside world, he can't even manage that. In the end, he just looks like a fool who can't even win a simple game of tag in his own house."
"Shut the hell up, brat!" Geten snapped, his anger flaring up on Re-Destro's behalf. "You have no idea who you're messing with."
"Yeah, I don't, and honestly, I don't care," Monoma replied coolly, giving him a sidelong glance. "Besides, you threatening me just proves my point."
Izuku quickened his pace, urgency creeping into his steps. When he finally reached Emergency Access, the terminal was still flashing red with ACCESS DENIED blinking across the screen. He inserted the key he had retrieved from Dr. Chisaki, and a moment later, the harsh red lights shifted to a warm green glow as an automated voice announced: 'Security alert deactivated. Thank you for your patience!'
"Fucking finally!" Rumi exclaimed with an exasperated sigh. "Feels like it's been ages since we were last here. At least now, he can finally move forward."
"I don't know how you managed it, but you did," Atlas's voice came through once more. "Come through to Port Neptune now. I'm looking forward to shaking your hand.
Without wasting another second, Izuku stepped into the Emergency Access room and entered the bathysphere. He pulled the lever down to the label marked Neptune's Bounty.
"It looks like next time, we'll finally get to see what Atlas's family looks like," Momo said, her voice filled with curiosity. A few heads nodded in agreement as the group eagerly anticipated the reveal.
Then the screen turned black.
"So, what are your thoughts?" Nezu asked.
"I think my counterpart is starting to be shaped by Rapture," Izuku replied, his expression growing more thoughtful as he spoke. "He's getting better at surviving, sure, but it's also becoming clear that his cruelty and disregard for life are growing along with it."
"That's only natural, I'm afraid," Hawks sighed. "When everything that moves tries to kill you, you start seeing everything that moves as your enemy. And it doesn't help that Atlas is constantly rushing him from one objective to the next, never giving him the time to reflect on his actions."
Ochako puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Speaking of Atlas, I'm really starting to hate that guy!" She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly upset.
"I think we all are," Ryukyu said with a sigh, agreeing with Ochako's sentiment. "Honestly, I just hope that once Midoriya's counterpart saves his family, he'll ditch Atlas and explore Rapture on his own terms."
"We were also introduced to three new characters from this universe—counterparts of Overhaul, Lady Nagant, and Kyudai Garaki," Momo pointed out, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Overhaul's counterpart was killed in this viewing, we met Lady Nagant, who seems to have some connection with Atlas, and Garaki's whereabouts are still unknown."
"I don't know about the other two, but I'm sure glad Overhaul's counterpart is dead," Recovery Girl huffed. "He was a disgrace to all the doctors in the world!"
"And it seems my counterpart has her hands in some shady business," Kaina said with a sigh. "I just hope that by the end of this universe, she gets a chance to atone for whatever she did to those little girls."
With that, the discussion ended, and everyone moved on to the next universe.
To be continued...
Source: BioShock (2007)