In the early morning, as the sun prepared to rise, Izuku Midoriya, also known as Provisional Hero Deku, embarked on his daily jog through the sprawling campus of U.A. High School.
With each step, Izuku's mind was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts. He pondered his ongoing internship with Endeavor, his quest to master parallel processing to effortlessly wield not just Blackwhip but also all the quirks he would eventually unlock, the weight of All Might and One for All's legacy, and countless other matters.
While continuing his jog, he suddenly noticed a boy with striking white hair and a black jacket, his face adorned with a warm smile, steadily approaching him.
"Hello, Izuku. Nice to meet you," the boy greeted him.
"Hello?" Izuku said, still confused by the familiar tone the boy had adopted while talking to him. "I'm sorry, but have we met before? I don't recall ever meeting you," he said cautiously, maintaining a defensive stance, uncertain of the stranger's intentions.
"Actually, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting this version of you," the stranger admitted. Before Izuku could inquire about what he meant, the stranger swiftly interjected, "But what matters right now is what I have for you." With a flick of his hand, a parcel materialized. "Here, take this," he urged, tossing the package to Izuku.
Izuku caught the package in his hands, his brows furrowing. "What's inside this?" he asked, his tone tinged with caution. "And why are you giving it to me?"
"That's not important right now," the stranger evaded the question with a nonchalant shrug. "By the way, inside the package, there's a letter meant for Nezu. Please ensure it reaches him."
"Wait! Nezu? Why would you..." But before Izuku could finish his question, the stranger suddenly disappeared without a sound. This unexpected event startled Izuku, but he managed to stay calm and kept his guard up as he searched the area for any sign of the boy. However, despite looking around for a while, there was no sign of the boy to be found.
Eventually, Izuku's search proved futile, and he reluctantly reached for his phone, dialing the number of the person he trusted the most. "Hello, All Might..."
******
The following day, as the members of Class 1A were preparing for school, they received a message from their principal, notifying them that classes were canceled for the day. Instead, they were instructed to gather at the auditorium in one hour. True to the message, an hour later, the entire Class 1A was the first to arrive at the auditorium.
"Hey, guys, any ideas on why the principal called us here?" Mina asked. "Do you think it's possible he's about to announce a fun school event, like the cultural festival?"
"Well, if that were the case, why would he cancel classes for the entire day? Such announcements could easily be made during regular school hours," Momo interjected, offering a valid point. "Moreover, there wouldn't be a huge screen right in front of us if it were just a regular announcement."
"Maybe we are going to watch a movie. That would be fun," Kaminari suggested optimistically.
"I highly doubt that," Iida countered, refuting the idea. "Why would the principal organize a movie screening for us in the middle of the week, especially with our finals fast approaching?"
"Please, don't remind us of that," Mina and Kaminari groaned simultaneously, expressing their disdain for the upcoming exams.
And while the rest of the class engaged in their discussions, Bakugo's attention was drawn to Izuku, who sat there silently, fidgeting with his fingers and staring blankly at the wall. It was evident from his distant expression that he was lost deep in thought.
"Hey, Deku," Bakugo spoke up, capturing everyone's attention. "You know something, don't you?"
All eyes turned towards Izuku, awaiting his response, but before he could answer, the members of Class 1B arrived at the auditorium, diverting everyone's focus.
"Well, well, well... if it isn't the attention-seeking lot from 1A," Monoma declared with an arrogant smirk on his face, ready to taunt them. "What are you doing here, waiting for—" Before he could finish his sentence, Kendo swiftly silenced him with a chop to the back of his head, knocking him out.
"I apologize for his behavior," Kendo said with a respectful bow, as both Class 1A and Class 1B watched the scene unfold with sweat drops forming on their heads.
Just as Class 1B started to settle into their seats, Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki made their entrance, further adding to the confusion. However, it soon became evident that it wasn't the entire third-year class that had arrived but only the members of the esteemed Big 3 who were happily chatting with their respective juniors.
But then their eyes widened in awe as the next group arrived, consisting of none other than Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Mirko, Ryukyu, Mt. Lady, Gran Torino, and Fatgum. These were some of the top heroes of their nation, the pillars that carried the weight of society on their shoulders.
"Hey, you little squirts, where's your principal?" Mirko asked, her gaze fixed on the students who stood there, their eyes widened in astonishment. "What!? Cat got your tongue or something?" she added, bemused by their stunned silence.
"Mirko, that's not the way to address children," Ryukyu sighed, casting a disapproving look at her fellow hero and friend. She then turned her attention to her three interns, Uraraka, Asui, and Hado, and asked, "Do any of you have any idea what's happening here?"
The three girls shook their heads in response, indicating their lack of knowledge about the situation.
"Alright, that's it!" Bakugo yelled and stood up from his seat, "Deku, what the hell is going on here?"
"Bakugo, why are you jumping to conclusions and assuming Izuku has something to do with all of this?" Momo questioned, narrowing her eyes at Bakugo with a hint of skepticism.
"Look at him Ponytail," Bakugo retorted, pointing a finger at Izuku. "Normally, nerd would be freaking out at the sight of so many pros gathered in one place. But he's surprisingly calm, and it's making me uneasy."
Momo took a moment to consider Bakugo's observation, glancing between him and Izuku. Eventually, she sighed and turned her attention to Izuku, posing a direct question. "Izuku, what are you hiding?"
Once again, all eyes were fixated on Izuku, the intensity of their gaze increasing even more. However, once again before he could provide a response, the door to the auditorium swung open, revealing the entrance of Nezu, accompanied by the U.A. staff members.
"Excellent! It appears that everyone I called for has already arrived," Nezu said as he entered the auditorium, perched on Aizawa's shoulder. "Now, if you could all kindly take your seats, I will proceed to explain what is going on here."
Soon, everyone heeded the principal's words and made their way to the vacant seats scattered across the auditorium. Once everyone was settled, Nezu commenced his explanation.
"Now, I'm sure you're all curious about the reason behind this gathering," Nezu began, and many heads nodded in agreement. "Well, it's because of something Midoriya brought to my attention yesterday morning."
"Ha! I knew it," Bakugo said with a smug grin, while Mina and Kaminari rolled their eyes.
"Of course, it's something related to the problem child," Aizawa sighed. "So what exactly happened that required such high-ranking heroes to gather at our school?"
"That's because..." Then Nezu narrated the event that transpired with Izuku yesterday morning. "The contents of that package and the letter that was addressed to me are the reasons why I have gathered you all here."
"And now, I am going to read the contents of the letter," Nezu continued and began reading aloud.
[Dear Nezu, Principal of U.A High School,
I understand that there must be numerous questions swirling in your mind since you received that package from Izuku. I also assume that you have already seen the contents of the package. So, without further delay, I will come straight to the point.
In a few months, your lives will be turned upside down as a massive war looms on the horizon. The disc you received contains footage of that war, which occurred in an alternate timeline closely resembling your own. While there may be a few differences, the majority of the history aligns with yours, and so will the future if you do not learn from the events depicted on the disc.
Now, the choice is yours. You can dismiss this disc and letter as some kind of prank and discard them, or you can watch the footage and gain a significant advantage against the impending calamity. In the best-case scenario, you may even be able to prevent facing this danger altogether.
Furthermore, the case is enchanted and will only open when you gather the list of individuals mentioned alongside this letter.
That is all I have to convey at the moment.
Yours truly,
Grey, The Overseer of the Multiverse.]
"I see," Endeavor said, "so that must mean that our names were on that list."
"Indeed," Nezu nodded in response. "And if I were to speculate, I would say that each and every one of you present here will have a crucial role to play in this upcoming war."
"But should we truly place our trust in the sender of this letter?" Mt. Lady questioned. "I mean, the whole idea of an alternate timeline sounds like complete nonsense to me."
"Well, even if it does sound questionable, there's no harm in watching whatever the sender wants us to see, right?" Fat Gum chimed in, trying to find a more open-minded perspective.
"By the way, the letter mentioned a disk, correct?" Nemuri inquired. Nezu nodded and passed the disk case to her, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. Then, one by one, the case was passed among the audience members, and each of them had a similar reaction to Nemuri. It was because of the image displayed on the case...
'Midoriya...' Aizawa thought as he glanced at the said boy. He clearly didn't like the fact that one of his students was displayed at the forefront of this conflict, described as a calamity by an unknown entity. And not only Aizawa but many people in the audience who knew Izuku personally were worried about him considering his past experiences with villains and his tendency to sustain injuries after each encounter.
"Well, he doesn't look like much. I wonder what's so special about him," Mirko thought out loud.
"I don't know about being special or not, but he did take down Overhaul on his own," Ryukyu explained, "and he managed to do it while minimizing damage to the surrounding structures."
"Did he now," Mirko responded, showing a bit more interest in the green-haired boy than before.
"Hey, Toshi," Gran Torino said, pointing at the white-haired individual in the picture, "maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but isn't this guy...?"
"Yes," All Might responded, his voice filled with a hint of hesitation and regrate, "he is Tomura Shigaraki."
"Wait! I remember seeing him on TV. Wasn't his hair blue or something?" Kaminari exclaimed, recalling his previous appearances.
"Never mind his hair. Just the sight of him gives me the chills," Mina commented, feeling a shiver run down her spine.
And while all of this was going on, Hawks sat there, consumed by various thoughts swirling in his mind. However, the most prominent one was the frustration and anger he felt towards himself. If what the person in the letter was saying is true, it meant that he not only failed his mission but also jeopardized the entire country because he wasn't fast enough to stop the League.
"Now then," Nezu declared, capturing everyone's attention, "I would like to hear everyone's opinion on whether we should watch the contents of this disk or not."
"I believe we should watch it," Endeavor was the first to voice his opinion. "Although I have my doubts about this alternate timeline concept, I see no harm in exploring the contents and learning about this horrible future mentioned by this sender."
"I concur," Jeanist added, expressing his agreement. "It would be unwise to disregard this opportunity to gather valuable information about our adversaries."
And so, one by one, agreements started flooding in. "Well, if everyone is in agreement, then we should-"
"Wait a minute," Bakugo yelled, interrupting Nezu. "Hey, Deku. All Might. Are you sure you want everyone to watch this? If what that Grey or whatever was saying is true, then you know what could be revealed to everyone."
Izuku and All Might shared a glance and nodded at each other. "I know, Kacchan, but All Might and I have already discussed this," Izuku said as he stared at Bakugo without hesitation in his eyes. "And both of us believe that the information we could obtain from this is worth the risk of exposing our secrets."
"Great! Just great!" Bakugo glared at Izuku. "You-"
"Bakugo, there is no need to escalate this matter any further," All Might interjected in a stern voice. "We have made this decision after a lengthy and thorough discussion. So you don't have to worry about it."
"Tsk, whatever," Bakugo muttered as he sat back in his seat. A part of him was hurt that he wasn't included in that discussion, though he would never admit it to anyone.
Meanwhile, the rest of the audience directed their attention towards the trio, intrigued by their conversation. The collective gaze upon them became increasingly unsettling and bothersome, particularly Aizawa's intense and penetrating stare, which seemed to bore through their very skin.
"Well, now that's settled, let's proceed," Nezu declared, inserting the disk into the player and taking a seat among the audience members.
The screen opened with Izuku's voice narrating, 'In a superhuman society, where 80% of the population is born with a supernatural power called a Quirk. Not everyone uses their powers for good, though. Which is why the world needed a new profession: Heroes.' The screen displayed a slideshow of images showcasing top heroes, culminating with Endeavor being titled the No.1 Hero.
"Yeah, we know this, get to the point already," Mirko complained.
"Be patient, Rumi. I'm sure this is leading somewhere," Ryuko sighed at her friend's impatience. "And please behave yourself. We're in front of kids who look up to us, and we need to maintain a certain image."
"Yeah, I get it, alright," Rumi replied, rolling her eyes.
'I, Izuku Midoriya, inherited the Quirk One for All from All Might and enrolled in the Hero Course at U.A. High School.' The scene shifts to show a shirtless Izuku standing in front of All Might on the edge of Takoba Beach.
The auditorium fell into a heavy silence as all eyes shifted between Izuku and All Might, who patiently awaited everyone's reaction.
"I knew it was a bad idea," Bakugo grumbled under his breath, glaring at Izuku. However, Izuku sighed and chose to ignore his stare.
After a few minutes of silence, a voice broke through. It was Shoto Todoroki who asked, "So... All Might is not your father?"
A small smile tugged at the corners of Izuku's lips as he responded, "No, Todoroki, he is not."
The next person to speak up was Aizawa, his gaze piercing as he stared at All Might. "Yagi, is this true?"
All Might met Aizawa's gaze without flinching. "Yes, Aizawa," he replied firmly. "Young Midoriya is my successor and the 9th wielder of One for All."
Aizawa rubbed his face in frustration, his voice tinged with exasperation. "Yagi... Yagi," he muttered. "Why didn't you inform us about this earlier when he was pushing himself to the brink? And when exactly did you give him that quirk?"
"On the day of the entrance exam," All Might admitted, causing a reaction not just from Aizawa, but also from Izuku's classmates and other teachers in the room.
"Great!" Aizawa exclaimed. "No wonder he was using that power recklessly, like a child who had just awakened their quirk."
"Aizawa, to be fair," All Might interjected, "you were ready to expel him simply because he had some connection with me. If I had revealed this situation, you would have never allowed him into the hero course in the first place."
"Of course, I wouldn't have allowed someone who had just obtained their quirk into the hero course. That's common sense, Yagi," Aizawa retorted. "Besides, he would have benefitted much more if he had learned to control that power in a controlled environment, rather than damaging his own body during hero training."
"Alright, calm down, both of you," Nezu interjected, putting an end to their argument. "Let's all agree that mistakes were made by each of us. All Might, your mistake was assuming that Midoriya would possess the same level of control as you without considering how much One for All has grown during your time as its wielder. Aizawa, your mistake was assuming that Midoriya's lack of control was due to laziness, rather than taking the time to understand and help him. Instead, you dismissed it with two words, 'get better.' And my mistake was underestimating the League of Villains and allowing them to grow to the point where they are now referred to as a calamity by some unknown entity."
As the argument between Aizawa and All Might came to an end, Izuku stood up and bowed to his friends. "I am sorry for lying to all of you like that."
"Deku, what are you talking about?" Ochako asked. "There is no need for you to apologize for anything at all."
"She's right, Midoriya. It would have been foolish for you to go around revealing this secret," Iida added.
"Yeah, you don't owe us anything, 'ribbit'," Tsu chimed in. "It was your choice to keep it a secret."
The rest of their classmates agreed, offering words of encouragement to Izuku.
"Thank you, everyone," Izuku said, wiping away his tears. "You guys are truly amazing."
Suddenly, Momo stood up from her seat and approached Izuku's seat. "Iida, may I?" she asked, requesting to switch seats with Iida, who agreed. Momo then sat down next to Izuku and said, "Izuku, I know you were burdened by your secret before and were unable to ask for help, but now that we know your secret, please promise me that you'll come to me... to us... whenever you need assistance with your quirk or anything else."
"I don't know how to do that, you know? All my life, I've tried to solve my problems on my own," Izuku smiled at her. "But I will try from now on."
While the members of Class 1A were experiencing some joyful moments together, Class 1B remained stunned by the revelation. The students of Class 1B didn't know Izuku well enough to have strong emotional reactions to the news, except for being surprised that one of their fellow students was All Might's chosen successor. However, even with their limited acquaintance with Izuku, they recognized him as a kind and soft-spoken person, someone who could easily become a target for Setsuna's teasing.
Among them sat Monoma, wearing a frown on his face as he thought, 'Of course, the Golden Boy with the Golden Quirk,' he thought, 'while the rest of us are just side characters.'
Meanwhile, Hawks found himself grappling with how to process this newfound information and determine the best course of action moving forward. Of course, he was well aware that he couldn't allow this information to reach the Hero Commission, cause he was sure that they would either try to claim the boy for their own purposes or coerce him into giving up his quirk to someone of their choosing. Based on his own experiences, Hawks couldn't allow either outcome to transpire.
Then we see some significant moments from Izuku's life that occurred throughout the year. First, we observe Izuku leaping into action and delivering a powerful punch to the giant robot during the entrance exam.
"Yeah, I remember this moment," Ochako reminisced with a gentle smile on her lips. "I was so scared back then that I thought it was the end for me, but then you saved me like a hero."
"That's not true," Izuku shook his head. "You also saved me from falling to my death with three broken limbs."
"And I'm glad I did. Otherwise, I would have lost my best friend even before truly getting to know him," Ochako responded, her smile becoming even sweeter.
Then we see the intense clash between Izuku and Muscular that occurred during the training camp attack.
"Hey, isn't that Muscular?" Mirko inquired, her voice filled with disdain. "The psychotic killer who takes pleasure in brutalizing his opponents."
"Indeed, Mirko. He is the very same individual you're referring to," Edgeshot responded with a tinge of sadness in his voice. "A few years ago, I was assigned to apprehend this villain. Regrettably, I arrived too late, and two valiant heroes lost their lives while protecting innocent civilians. To this day, their deaths weigh heavily on my conscience as a mark of shame."
"And you didn't attempt to capture this bastard afterward?" Mirko asked.
"I did, but he proved remarkably adept at concealing his tracks when he wasn't actively taking lives. Moreover, as my rank rose, my time became increasingly limited, focusing on more immediate threats that demanded our attention," Edgeshot explained.
"I understand," Mirko said, dropping the topic, but she cast another glance at Izuku before returning her attention to the screen.
Then we see Izuku, along with Iida and Kirishima, rescuing Bakugo during All Might's battle with All for One at Kamino Ward.
"Hey! I remember seeing you kids at Kamino," Yu said. "I also remember breaking my nose to help you guys escape."
Izuku rose from his seat and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Mt. Lady, for assisting us during that time." Iida, Kirishima, Momo, and Shoto quickly followed suit, joining Izuku in expressing their gratitude. "We were able to successfully rescue Bakugo because of your invaluable help."
A blush crept across Yu's face as she responded modestly, "Oh, it's alright. I was just doing my job." She was genuinely moved by the heartfelt appreciation displayed by these young heroes.
Then we see Izuku, his eyes filled with murderous rage, delivering a powerful punch that sends Overhaul plummeting through the ground. The power of One for All illuminates his body and hair as he carries Eri on his back.
"Whoa!" The students erupted in cheers and applause, amazed by the incredible display of power from Izuku that they had never witnessed before.
"Hey, Midoriya, why don't you bring that kind of power to the next joint training?" Kamakiri challenged with a grin on his face.
"Sure, I'll just have to keep breaking every bone in my body while trying not to be erased from existence," Izuku replied, chuckling.
"What!?" many in the audience exclaimed, not understanding the reference behind Izuku's comment.
"Well, actually, during our raid on the Overhaul compound, there was a moment when Eri lost control of her quirk out of fear. That's why I had to keep breaking my body to prevent myself from being rewound out of existence while battling Overhaul," Izuku explained casually as if recounting an ordinary experience on a Tuesday afternoon.
"Midoriya," Kendo spoke up after a brief pause, her tone a mix of astonishment and concern. "You're truly insane."
In response, Izuku simply smiled, knowing deep within himself that he would never regret going through all of that for the sake of protecting Eri.
Then we see the clash between vibrant green and lovely pink energies as Izuku and Gentle face off against each other.
"Izuku, isn't that the villain who used to upload his criminal activities online?" Momo asked, recalling having seen one of his videos somewhere around the cultural festival.
"Yeah, that's Gentle Criminal, my most challenging opponent yet," Izuku replied, his mind wandering back to the day of the Cultural Festival.
"Wait! So he was even stronger than Muscular and Overhaul?" Mina questioned.
"No, not really," Izuku smiled warmly at Mina, shaking his head. "It wasn't a matter of strength you know? Fighting him was difficult because, unlike Muscular or Overhaul, Gentle didn't harbor any malicious intentions or a desire to harm others. He was simply engaging in small, harmless crimes that he believed brought some meaning to his life."
"But he's still a criminal," Aizawa interjected, narrowing his eyes at Izuku.
"Yes, and he's behind bars now. And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to justify his actions. However, categorizing him and Muscular as the same type of villain wouldn't be entirely fair either," Izuku explained, while All Might wore a proud smile on his face.
'As we were caught up in various incidents, my incredible classmates and I got our provisional hero licenses.' We witness the incident that took place during the joint training session, where Izuku was grappling with the challenge of controlling his newly manifested Blackwhip quirk. Uraraka and Shinso came to his aid, working together to help him gain control and prevent further destruction of the training ground.
"Midoriya, was this the first time you manifested those black things?" Endeavor asked as he studied the footage on the screen.
"Yes, sir," Izuku replied.
Endeavor pondered for a moment before asking the next question. "Do you have any idea how it happened?"
Izuku took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Well, at that time, I was facing Monoma, and he said something that really angered me. I felt a strong desire to capture him quickly, and then One for All responded to my feelings and manifested Balckwhip," Izuku explained, trying to convey the sequence of events as accurately as possible.
"I see..." Endeavor pondered for a moment. "In that case, I suggest you try to replicate that same feeling whenever you utilize Blackwhip in the future. It's possible that it will enhance the reaction time of the whips and the speed at which they reach their targets."
"Yes, sir! I will make a conscious effort to recall that feeling during my training. I'll strive to improve my control over Blackwhip," Izuku affirmed with a determined gaze.
The next scene showed Izuku jogging through the U.A. campus, with the nearby trees adorned in a magnificent display of blooming Cherry Blossoms.
"You guys at U.A. really put a lot of effort into maintaining the aesthetics of the school, huh?" Ryukyu remarked, admiring the view on the screen.
"We certainly do," Nemuri replied with a proud smile. "After all, we are the number one school in Japan."
Izuku stopped and stared at the school building behind him. 'We had our hands full at our second spring at U.A. Which is why we didn't even realize the evil quietly growing in the shadows until it was too strong to ignore.'
'I really hope this evil isn't what I think it is, and if it is, then...' Hawks shuddered, as he was the only one present who knew the potential danger that lay ahead.
To be continued...