Eat, drink, medicate, sleep - and wash your hands!! ily, stay safe <33
Enjoy the chapter!!
Discord server, if you know, like, nya: https://discord.gg/DSBF4dP
~
"Huh? Work study? Who are you again?" Gran Torino's voice blasted through the phone.
Izuku rolled his eyes, laying back onto his mattress and staring at the ceiling. "You know that doesn't work on me, Gran Torino-san. Anyway, yeah, I was wondering if you took any students for work study...?"
There was a pause, then a faint sigh as he dropped character. "Sorry, I'm working on something else right now, so I can't take care of you."
"I thought that'd be the case," he said in a small voice.
"Why come to me? Can't All Might introduce you to some people? Like to his old sidekick, Nighteye."
The boy's breath faltered. Just because he knew he had to follow his own footsteps, didn't mean he was prepared for what was to come. A twist of grief bloomed in his chest before he pushed it down with a shake of his head. Now was not the time to break.
"R-right," Izuku responded belatedly. "Yeah, I'll ask. Thanks, Gran Torino-san. Good luck with the case."
"Wait, what do you kno-"
He hung up. Izuku let his arm flop down onto the bed. The caramel hues of golden hour oozed through the glass and into his dorm room. His friends were elsewhere, so all he could do in the meantime was listen to the sound of his own breathing and try not to spiral.
At the very least, he'd have something to focus on in a little while. But, since it was another high-stakes situation, it was impossible to fully relax.
Izuku bit down on the side of his thumb, letting the pain ground him for a moment before he wiped away a few tears and stood up, mentally steeled for his next task. His green gaze flitted down to the seemingly innocuous black bracelet around his wrist, and he nodded to himself.
Alright. Time for business.
*
Oni was a ghost, blending into the darkness. He observed the two figures as they approached the isolated warehouse, nestled amongst the hills. One wore a tight black costume with white lines crossing his toned form, and the other wore a green bomber jacket with a thick purple ruff. A mask was strapped to his lower face, protruding like a beak, reminiscent of an old plague doctor mask.
Chisaki Kai. Quirk: Overhaul. Leader of the Eight Precepts of Death. A dangerous enemy, but not Oni's present target.
The two conversed quietly. Twice stepped forward and heaved the front doors apart, and the two stepped inside, the doors closing behind them. Oni remained stationary, checking the time and continuing to crouch tensely where he was hidden to one side.
He knew how this went down, before. He hoped he knew how it would go down, this time.
There was a small window of opportunity to move. For the moment, none of Overhaul's grunts were around, so Oni had to take his chance. He flashed to the side of the building, pressing himself to the wall and pausing before leaping upwards. His gloved hands clamped down onto a large pipe, and he hauled himself onto it, then hopped onto the flat roof of the warehouse. Leaves rustled and he kept low, footsteps silent across the concrete.
A drop into darkness was his target. Oni crept over to the side of the hole, not daring to take a peek below in case his silhouette blocked the moonlight casting inside and alerted the gathered villains. Now closer, he could pick up hints of their conversation, listening carefully for the first sign of a fight.
His heart was pounding, but he remained still. A life was on the line, and he couldn't forgive himself if he messed up just because he was nervous.
The tension in the room increased as Shigaraki hissed back to Overhaul. Light footsteps signalled them approaching one another. Overhaul was antagonising the other villain, speaking lowly and coolly.
"And then, I'll become the next leader," Overhaul stated.
Silence fell. Oni tensed up.
"Go home," Shigaraki breathed.
A rustle of cloth. Magne yelling.
Wait-
Running paces. A magnetic hum.
Wait-
Dragging feet. Rippling clothes.
Wait-
A swinging weapon, and-
Now.
Oni activated his Quirk and plunged inside the building, bursting a pouch of fake blood as he dropped into a crouch and instantly launched himself across the room, far faster than anyone could comprehend, his eyes solely locked onto the two figures about to clash, and he reached out and circled his arms around Magne's waist, spinning her away from Overhaul's bare finger and instantly sprinting away, then shooting back up onto the roof. He took a breath, but didn't dare pause, clutching the villain tighter to him and flashing away from the warehouse, far away, the surroundings blurring, until finally-
He stopped. His bones burned, but that was fine. They stood in a small clearing in the woods, dappled moonlight casting down upon them. Oni dropped Magne off, gritting his teeth as he dared amp his Quirk up a little further, then spun around to retrace his steps back to the building. A huge hole was torn in the front of the warehouse, allowing him to eavesdrop for a few moments and confirm that both sides presumed that Magne had been completely destroyed by Overhaul's Quirk. He didn't dare linger, already turning and flashing back to his original location in the woods, time seeming to catch up as he let One for All fade.
Magne stepped back as she got her bearings, realising she was completely lost. She noticed him and stumbled away, going for her weapon, only to realise it had been long since dropped. Unable to make use of her Quirk, Magne gritted her teeth and glared at him.
"Where are we?!" She snapped, daring to glance around but clearly finding nothing familiar. "You're that hero who helped All Might, aren't you? Why are you here? What did you do?!"
Don't be soft. You're not Deku.
"You have two choices," Oni said evenly, spreading his hands. "Either leave and start anew and never return to villainy, or I'll take you down to the police station."
Magne stepped back again, appearing increasingly more panicked. "You- you wouldn't. You can't. I won't leave them. Why am I even here?!"
"Wrong choice," he murmured, and a second later she was handcuffed. "Sorry, Magne-san."
She struggled, trying to brute force her way free. "No- how did you even find us? I need to warn them, you're-"
"I'm not turning anyone in. No-one even knows I'm here," Oni explained, his Deku instincts overriding logic and pushing him to comfort her.
Magne eyed him warily, but relaxed marginally. "How do I know you can trust you? And why did you intervene?" She shook her head, gazing at him desperately. "If I'm stuck here, the least you could do is explain why."
He sighed, the sound warped by his helmet, then motioned towards the hourglass insignia on his chest. "Something bad would've happened if I didn't."
She took a few moments to stare at him, visibly trying to work out what that could mean before her eyes widened. "A time Quirk? What... What would've happened to me?"
"...villain or not, you didn't deserve that fate."
The two of them faced one another, alone in the woods. Magne was analysing her hands in horror. She hesitantly looked back up at him through her red hair, questioning and lost. Her expression hardened.
"...heroes don't care about people like me," she snapped.
In a burst of movement, she kicked up a flurry of dead leaves, then turned and sprinted off into the forest, her crashing paces clearly audible. Oni blinked after her, disappointed but not surprised.
"Toga! Shigaraki!" She bellowed urgently. "Compress! Twice! I'm over here! Come help me!"
It was... upsetting to listen to. He pushed down his feelings and padded after her, then launched into a run, smoothly flashing between trees and skidding to a halt in front of Magne, who yelped in surprise. Oni lightly grabbed her arm to stop her from trying to flee again, and her face crumpled.
"P-please, let me go back to them, they're the only family I have-"
"I know," he said softly. "I really am sorry, Magne-san."
Not long later, the pair were approaching a police station, one significantly more calmly than the other. A piece of fabric was draped around Magne's head to conceal her face, which was most of the reason she hadn't tried to bolt for a sixth time. Oni kept their arms loosely linked, feeling her tense up the closer they got to the front doors.
He felt terrible for taking her away from her family, no matter how villainous they were, but it was better that than her being dead.
Tsukauchi met them in the foyer as requested, expression nearly neutral aside from a crease between his eyebrows. The detective motioned for them to enter his office, and the second they were away from prying eyes he let out a heavy sigh.
"Am I going to get an explanation for this?" He asked tiredly.
"...not anytime soon, I don't think. Sorry," Oni apologised, reaching up to lightly tug the fabric down and reveal the villain's face, much to her alarm.
"Magne-san." Tsukauchi cast an even glance to the small hero. "You brought me Magne-san. Okay. What's the catch?"
"Don't publicise her capture. Keep it between as few a people as possible," he explained. "They think she's dead, and I'd like to keep it that way."
Magne made a pained noise that bordered a sob, but she dipped her head, jaw clenched to keep herself quiet. She twisted her hands together, knuckles turning white with the pressure. Oni reached over with his other hand and cautiously pried her fingers apart, stopping her from hurting herself further. It was clear she still wanted to flee, but knew by now that she was far outmatched by the hero.
"I know you're busy," he added. "But you're the only person I can trust with this right now."
"Right," Tsukauchi sighed, then got out his phone. "You probably need to get back. I'll call in- Can I call in Sansa-kun?"
"Of course," Oni confirmed, glancing sideways at the villain. "I know you don't want this to happen, Magne-san, but I couldn't let you die."
"You just wanted to keep your conscience clear, didn't you?" She muttered with venom in her tone, but her voice shook.
"Maybe so. But I believe people shouldn't have to die if there's an alternative." He squeezed her arm a little. "And there's always an alternative."
She scoffed. "Naive. All you heroes have no idea what it's like out there. People like me don't have the same options as you: we have to make do with the scraps you leave behind."
"I want what's best for everyone, but... you're right. I can't always provide that – so I try to help where I can," he admitted quietly.
"Go home, Oni-kun," Tsukauchi cut in. "I'll handle it from here."
He straightened up, swallowing his emotions. "Thank you, Tsukauchi-san." He faced the door, hesitated, then looked over his shoulder. "Take care, Magne-san."
*
Strips of capture gear squeezed tighter around him, and he screwed up his half-wrapped face in a slight wince. Izuku squinted open one green eye, staring dolefully up at his teacher and his mentor, both of whom were glaring down at him with disappointed expressions. The reels loosened enough to drop away from his head, giving him permission to speak.
"Visiting villains," Aizawa hissed. "You went to visit the League of Villains without asking for back-up?!"
"It was good of you to save Magne-san, but Aizawa-kun is right. What if you'd been seen? What if you got hurt?" Toshinori added sternly, stress printed clear in the lines of his face.
"I know, I'm sorry – but I knew I could handle it! And I couldn't risk any more people with Magne-san's life on the line!" Izuku insisted, squirming a little against the capture gear.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "What about your life, problem child?"
"If you'd have been killed..." Toshinori trailed off, looking distinctly unwell. "We might never have found out what happened to you."
"You-" He bit his tongue, scrunching his nose as he scanned the carpet, as if it would give him the perfect words. "I'm limited by my younger body, yes, but... that doesn't erase the years of experience I've had." His gaze lifted, a steely emerald of a Pro Hero who had seen terrible things, yet still remained hopeful and loving. "I have as much experience going against villains as you, sensei. If I didn't think I was capable, I would've asked for help – trust me."
"Trust you?" Aizawa echoed flatly, fists clenching tighter around the capture gear. "You didn't say where you were going. You offhandedly mentioned you had something to do as Oni, and only when you return do we find out that you were with the League."
"We understand you need to keep a lot of things secret, my boy," Toshinori hastened to add, bony hand raised placatingly. "But we would prefer it if you told us a little more information, just so we know you're going to be okay and can offer help if needed."
"Alright," Izuku acquiesced with a dip of his head. "Okay. That's fair. But, please... Even if you worry, even if you don't think I should do something... Please, don't try to stop me. I- I want to be able to help as many people as possible, even if it puts myself in danger."
The teacher let his capture gear slink back around his own shoulders with a tired sigh. "I have a feeling we wouldn't be able to stop you if we tried, kid."
He got a sheepish half-shrug and smile in response. Toshinori stepped forward, placing his palm on the boy's shoulder and squeezing gently, thumb brushing over the fabric of his shirt. Izuku gazed up at him with big eyes.
"The world's burdens are not yours to bear alone, Young Izuku. Don't forget that." His mentor straightened back up, checking the clock on the wall and frowning. "It's late. You should get to bed."
Izuku cracked a mischievous grin and stood up from Aizawa's chair. "Okay, dad."
*
"Uh," Powerloader said apprehensively. "Should you be in here?"
Izuku looked up from his little invention, a pencil held in his jaws. Soot and oil and other unidentifiable stains covered his skin and clothes. He swiped his fringe away from his eyes, consequently adding another dark smear over his forehead, then removed the pencil to speak.
"Nedzu-san gave me permission," he explained, gaze already drifting back to the messy desk.
"Oh. Okay..." The teacher trailed off, cautiously padding closer. "Do you... know what you're doing?" At the indignant look he got in response, he raised his hands in surrender, the gear on his fingertips clacking together. "It's not often we get hero course students in here, especially not so early in the morning. I wasn't aware you were taught how to make... what are you making, exactly?"
"A shielding device..." Izuku glanced back at his sketchy blueprints, then back at the creation that didn't look like much more than a bundle of wires and metal tacked together.
Powerloader leaned over to peer at it. "Do you need any help – uh, Midoriya, is it?"
The boy's eyes flitted up to him, considering for a moment, before shaking his head – a lot of the technology and techniques he was using was mostly unknown to the current timeline. "No, thank you."
"Okay. Um, try not to blow anything up?" He said hopefully.
Izuku connected two wires with a spark. The device crackled, then sent out a large puff of black smoke. He held his breath and frantically waved a hand to clear the area, shrinking and smiling guiltily under Powerloader's unseen, judgemental stare.
"Sorry?" Izuku squeaked out. "It won't happen again, I swear-"
The machine rumbled ominously.
*
Toshinori looked up from the sheet he'd been given, shadowed eyes wide with worry. "You want me to introduce you to Sir Nighteye for a work study?"
"Yeah! I think there's a lot he could teach me." Izuku explained quietly.
A hum rumbled deep in the man's chest. "Well, I suppose it would be good for you... Few people would understand the intricacies of time like he does..." He lifted his head abruptly, nervous and guilty. "Sorry, I refuse. I'm not saying that to be mean. There are a couple of reasons; firstly, I opposed the work studies, and secondly... There are some things that make it hard for me to talk to him."
"Letting personal feelings get in the way, All Might?" Present Mic teased from the other side of the desks.
Izuku sighed, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. "I had a feeling that would happen... I'm not giving up, though. It's super important for me to work under Sir Nighteye-san."
Toshinori sat up a little straighter. "I... see. Well... I can't introduce you, but..."
*
"You... are... here!" Togata cheered, grinning and leaning back on the sofa. "Just kidding! Sorry, I got a little too excited when I heard you wanted to talk to me, All Might-san. I've no idea what's going on! You know anything, Midoriya-kun?"
"Mmhm!"
Togata blinked his blue eyes, then laughed again. "Not telling me, huh? Okay, I'll just have to wait and see, then!"
"Young Togata is currently doing his work study under Nighteye," Toshinori explained from where he sat on the stool on the other side of the table between them.
"That's so cool," Izuku enthused. "Working under Nighteye-san... I bet you're learning a lot!"
He beamed, nodding energetically. "I am! It's not long 'til I graduate, so hopefully he won't change his mind before then so I can be a sidekick!"
"Getting straight to the point," Toshinori interjected, "do you think Young Izuku can work under Nighteye, Young Togata?"
"Ah, I see!" Togata scooted across the sofa and threw an arm over the other boy's shoulders. "You want me to introduce Midoriya-kun to Sir!" He then frowned a little, gazing over at the hero. "Why go through me, thought? Sir would be really happy if you talked to him directly."
Izuku nodded his agreement, trying not to focus too much on the feeling of Togata's arm resting on him, because if he thought about it for too long he'd get homesick and probably cry, and, well, if he started crying right now, then he doubted he'd be able to stop for ages-
"I can't really face him right now... I ended up exactly as he warned," Toshinori admitted quietly. "So, anyway, what do you think of Young Izuku?"
Togata removed his arm, looking contemplative. "Well... His fighting is already very good, and his strategies, and he's clearly as good a team player as solo player, but..." He glanced down at the boy. "What kind of hero do you want to be?"
"I..." Izuku smiled down at his lap, nostalgic. "I want people to see me and feel safe, to know that I won't let anything bad happen to them... I want to help those who need help, and defeat villains to protect others. I want people to be able to smile, because they know I'm out there keeping the peace. I want to give everyone hope. So... I need to get stronger, so I can be the greatest hero."
There was a long pause. Togata's face was impassive as he stared at the other boy, but he soon broke into a small smile.
"That's a crazy goal," he said softly. "But... I think you can definitely do it. I'll introduce you to Sir!"
Izuku couldn't help but grin excitedly, leaning closer. "Really?! Thank you so much!"
"Yeah, I always thought Sir would like you." Togata nodded – Izuku resisted the urge to cringe. "I don't know if Sir will agree to it yet, though..."
"Even so, thank you so much!"
*
A huge building loomed over them, all opaque windows and cold concrete. Izuku stared apprehensively up at it, clutching at the straps of his yellow backpack. Dread was already pooling in his gut as memories rushed before his eyes.
He'd done as much as he could to prepare himself, both physically and mentally, but that knowledge didn't comfort him much. Waiting was only making him more anxious, yet his feet remained stuck to the pavement outside.
"Hey, don't be so stiff! It's not good," Togata exclaimed, clearly noticing his nerves. "I didn't get to tell you this before, but Sir's really strict. But he also has a different side to him than what you see in the press, so if you want to be accepted today, you need to make him laugh at least once."
"Oh," was all Izuku could choke out.
Understandably mistaking it for unease at the prospect, Togata grinned, patting him heavily on the shoulder. "From what I've seen, that shouldn't be a problem with you, though, right? Everyone's always cheerful around you, and you seem pretty funny! So I don't think you have anything to worry about, really, I just thought I should warn you."
He padded over to the glass doors and pushed one open, heading inside but keeping his arm outstretched to hold the door. Blue eyes glinted inquisitively over his shoulder as he stared at the small boy, who was still hesitating.
This would be the first step towards a whole deluge of unpleasantness.
Well, Izuku thought to himself with a forced, wobbly smile, no time like the present!
He entered the building.
~
Lads look at these baller stats haha
Nine Nine!
And secondly, here's the titles for the next ten chapters. Wanna take a guess at what happens?
Oh oh and thirdly! I've been gettin' a little bit of fanart (I've been blessed,,,) and been linking them on Ao3 because it's less messy than on Wattpad, but I wanna show it off on here too, despite how much of a pain Wattpad can be with images. So, like... Should I start adding pieces of fanart at the end of chapters?