39

Chapter 39: Yesterday is But Today's Memory and Tomorrow is Today's DreamNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Things go from zero to one hundred rather quickly.

Izuku hears the laughter, and when the ground moves, he knows who this is.

"Look out!" He warns, just as large walls made of earth jut out of the ground.

His classmates stumble in surprise. Present Mic's face is grim. The floor continues to shift, upheaving their foundation, and closes them into smaller and smaller passageways. Present Mic leads their small group through the deadly labyrinth as more and more metal and earth warped walls appear.

Izuku tries to keep his bearings, but it's near impossible with all the running and dodging. He assumes they're moving in the direction of the exit though, as well as the fight in the center. That is, if their chaperone knows where he's going when Izuku doesn't.

The rumbling finally ceases when they are enclosed on all four sides by slabs of solid stone. Their little group- Present Mic, Uraraka, Tsuyu, Todoroki, Kacchan, Kirishima and him- stop to reevaluate the situation. They're surrounded now. Trapped.

But, thankfully, nothing else pursues them. It's unnaturally silent as they catch their breath and await a further attack.

Izuku thinks about the perpetrator, Mimic. His quirk doesn't usually allow full control of a building this big, so unless Izuku misunderstood the scope of his quirk, it's safe to assume he injected himself with Trigger. That being said, his consciousness doesn't seem focused on their group, or it probably wouldn't have ended with them just being confined. That's good. Izuku can use that. They're safe for now.

He can't say the same about the heroes in the plaza. Izuku still feels small tremors and distant booms, and he bites his lip. What can he do? Where is he needed the most?

"What is this?" Kirishima wonders, craning his neck up to see how high the walls around them stretch.

"A villain." Present Mic spits. "And this one has quite the annoying quirk."

Izuku is inclined to agree. With everyone's separation, he has no way of knowing how the heroes and teachers are faring. The thought makes him clench his fists.

Todoroki approaches a wall and knocks on it lightly. He hums in thought. "They seem rather thin. Perhaps it's too hard to create thicker ones over a vast space such as the USJ."

"We can break them down." Izuku clarifies, pressing his hand against the wall to feel for himself. It's sufficiently sturdy, but Todoroki's right, they're thin. Anyone with above average strength can break them down.

Present Mic smiles at the information. "All right little listeners, stand behind me. I'm going to use my quirk to create a path." He shifts his stance and opens his mouth.

"Wait!" Izuku stops him. "Do you know which direction to shout in?"

The voice hero frowns, but halts. The others look around as if trying to determine which way is which. So his teacher didn't know where he was leading them. The blind leading the blind.

"We can still see the ceiling." Kacchan points out, his eyes skyward. "And if we get high enough, I bet we can see over these weak ass walls."

He makes his point by blowing an explosion into the nearest one, creating a sizable hole.

"I can do it." Todoroki and Izuku volunteer at the same time. Izuku looks at his classmate, slightly surprised. Todoroki narrows his eyes.

Present Mic grabs his chin in thought. "I'm not sure it's necessary." He disagrees. "If we follow the curvature of the ceiling, we can stick to the outskirts and eventually reach the exit."

Kacchan makes a noise of frustration. "What about the heroes?" He questions. "Aren't they trapped too?"

"That's not our concern." Present Mic responds, although he looks plenty worried. "My job is to protect the three- well five now- of you. Nothing more."

"That's bullshit!" Kacchan protests with a popping of his quirk. "We can fight!"

Present Mic shakes his head with a frown. "Your capability doesn't matter here. The fact remains that the pro heroes are pros for a reason, and they can handle this."

He tries to express his faith in the heroes with a determined expression, but Izuku can see through the facade. He's just as anxious about their fate as the rest of them.

Kacchan doesn't talk back, but he doesn't look like he's going to drop the subject either. Knowing what happened last time, it makes sense. Kacchan arrived at the plaza to help out in the past, and so he would've done the same if current circumstances were different. Stealing a glance at Todoroki reveals he would as well.

Izuku clears his throat. All eyes swivel to him. "I still think it would be good to scout our position." He points to the ceiling. "We're close to the edge of the dome, but we don't know whether going right or left will take us to the exit quicker. Plus, we might be able to see where the villains are and if we need to take a detour to avoid them."

It's sound logic. And Izuku prays they won't discover the real reason he wants to distance himself from the group.

Present Mic furrows his brow in thought. Ultimately, it's up to him whether Izuku is allowed to jump the walls and have a look.

"You might be right." He concedes. "But have Todoroki go with you. I don't want anyone to get separated again."

Damn. Izuku was hoping he could go alone.

Because his plan kind of is to get separated.

Izuku wonders if he can argue the point. It's only to the top of the walls, right? They don't need two people to observe the situation. There may not even be good footholds up there- surely not nice enough to chance a second person's weight?

But looking at his chaperone- Izuku can see any argument is one he won't win.

Fine.

At the very least, he may be able to convince Todoroki to let him leave. The teen is a great friend and a valuable person to have on his side. Well…in the future at least, but Izuku has no reason not to think that the same boy is inside Todoroki even now.

He looks at his partner. Todoroki stares at him icily. He doesn't seem pleased.

"We'll take a look." He answers for them both, and then activates Full Cowl to help him leap up the sides. The walls are close enough together that it's stupidly easy to jump back and force between them. A chill fills the air as Todoroki uses his ice to make his own way up.

The top of the wall is narrow, as expected, but Izuku perches on it with ease. He has a rather good vantage point from here, but most of what he sees are more walls, and giant domes of brick that Mimic must have manipulated to contain people. Perhaps this is the League of Villain's second attempt to separate everyone since Kurogiri failed? He can only hope that the heroes are faring well until he reaches them.

He just needs to…go. Leap from wall to wall until he can burst through the barrier where the action is. He just needs to move.

"What are you plotting?"

Izuku startles so badly that he almost loses his balance. He turns and finds Todoroki observing him intensely with a steady, heterochromatic gaze. Between him and Tsuyu…Izuku supposes he should get used to the feeling of eyes on him.

"I'm worried about the heroes." He admits, eyes trailing back to the center of the massive labyrinth. He can see the earth twisting and forming, even from here. Mimic must be trying to keep them from breaking out.

"You want to go to them." Todoroki states- not a question, simply an acknowledgement. Almost accusatory.

Hesitantly, Izuku nods. It's no use denying it.

Todoroki contemplates this seriously. He pins Izuku with an inscrutable expression. "Midoriya…what are you doing here?"

The question takes Izuku by surprise. Mainly because he doesn't understand what Todoroki's asking. He's here because of the field trip, why else? It's not like he showed up here unannounced. He's been here from the start with the rest of the UA students. They all know why he's here- because he has to be.

Somehow, he doesn't think that's what Todoroki's getting at.

"What do you mean?" He wonders.

The dual-haired teen opens his mouth to respond.

"Hey!" Izuku hears Kacchan shout, faint from the distance. "What the hell's taking you two so long?!"

Annoyance flickers over Todoroki's face, but he smooths it down a second later. Izuku feels uneasy, though he isn't sure why. Is he missing something? This is the right thing to do, isn't it? He has a lot to be anxious about given their current situation though, so he pushes the feeling out of his mind.

Him and Todoroki exchange looks.

"Just a second!" Izuku yells down, just to buy some time. He runs a hand through his hair and tugs at the ends.

"I guess they want us down there." He comments lightly.

"I guess they do." Todoroki responds, but neither of them make a move to jump down.

What are you doing here? Todoroki asked, for whatever reason. It bothers Izuku, because...

Because he is just sitting here, while the real battle takes place. He's not there helping out, even though he knows he can be doing something. He knows he's supposed to stick to the plan, but the plan can hardly apply anymore. Izuku didn't foresee the arrival of the Eight Precepts and so Nedzu didn't plan for it. The students are safe, at least that was a success. The only ones still in the facility are his group (most likely) and they are far from danger.

It's the perfect time to slip away.

"You're not going down there." Todoroki points out.

"Neither are you."

Todoroki scowls. "I don't trust you."

It's not surprising- they've hardly interacted- but Izuku still suppresses a twinge of hurt. This isn't your Todoroki. He reminds himself with a wiry smile.

"What would you do…if I left?" He wonders, eyes on the battlefield.

"Try to stop you." Todoroki answers immediately, eyes narrowing into a glare. His muscles tighten, as if ready to fight right here and now.

Izuku sighs. He looks at the teen, someone who is both his friend and not. Someone who is still shackled by grief and anger. Someone who still holds himself back from his full potential. "Why?"

Todoroki face twists. "Why wouldn't I?"

Izuku laughs. "That's not an answer."

The seconds tick by without a response and Izuku's patience thins. Why does he bother? He doesn't have time for this. Someone will check on them soon. They've been taking too long.

Izuku sighs again. He rises to his feet, and Todoroki matches him warily. The temperature drops in preparation for the inevitable.

"Todoroki! Midoriya! You guys need to come down here right now!" Present Mic orders them, and his quirk allows his voice to be heard perfectly- as if he was standing right beside them.

What are you doing here? Todoroki asked, and Izuku knows he wasn't questioning why Izuku was traveling with them, why he was hesitating instead of fighting, but now Izuku is. That's all he can think about. He shouldn't be here. He should be over there.

He needs to go.

Perhaps it shows on his face, or in his body language- what he's about to do. Perhaps Todoroki knew this whole time.

"Midoriya," He begins, voice low in warning. "Don't-"

"Sorry." Izuku tells him honestly. He activates his quirk as Todoroki does the same. "Lead them to safety for me, okay?"

Todoroki sends an avalanche of ice towards him and Izuku runs straight into it, instead of away. He pulls back his arm and punches the center of the approaching mass, splintering the ice and buffeting the shards away in a tornado of wind.

Todoroki stands stunned, eyes wide and mouth open, but Izuku keeps advancing. Before Todoroki can shake off his surprise, Izuku is on top of him.

"Clench your teeth." He warns, and then he pushes Todoroki off his foothold of ice, following it by driving a heel into his stomach and forcing him to the ground.

The dual quirk user plummets and lands harshly back with their group, who make various noises of surprise.

"Midoriya!"

"Deku!"

But Izuku has already taken off.

The others will find the exit, he's sure of it. Present Mic will lead them to safety. He's a good hero, and it's his job. Uraraka, Tsuyu, Todoroki, or Kacchan can use their quirks to scout the direction every once in a while, to make sure they're on the right track, and Present Mic, Kirishima and Kacchan can break the walls to advance. They don't need him.

They just need to forget about him.

Izuku is fine.

Now he can make sure everybody else is too.

The walls, more than anything, are what prolong the fight.

Toshinori has the awful amalgamation of quirks, known as the Noumu, on the ropes, when the ground starts to move and a wave of earth sprouts between them.

Of course, the Noumu bursts through it instantaneously and they grapple with each other once more, but that doesn't stop everything from shifting like a poorly constructed funhouse.

Whatever this monster is…it's tough. Toshinori has hardly ever faced opponents that can withstand one of his punches. While it's true that he's fighting with the surrounding heroes in mind, and therefore not unleashing the full force of his quirk, it shouldn't be this difficult to defeat a single opponent. Maybe he underestimated how quickly he's been weakening. The need for a successor burns fiercely at the back of his mind, never more prominent than now.

Of course, young Midoriya refused his quirk…

Focus! Toshinori reminds himself. He catches a punch and returns ten more, that the Noumu's shock absorption nullifies. He can't let the thing gain the upper hand here. He is the only hero capable of beating it- it being designed to destroy him. If he falters here, the monster might target his fellow heroes next.

Out of the corner of his eye, Toshinori observes an opening expand in the wall. Two figures walk through it, and then the hole closes, as if it wasn't there in the first place.

The newcomers are unfortunately all too familiar.

"This is taking too long." The man-child covered in hands rasps, seemingly agitated. He claws at his own skin, unperturbed by the blood slowly collecting under his fingernails.

The other man is calmer. More collected. "Patience." He cautions, his eyes glinting from just above his strange birdlike mask.

Toshinori feels dread pool in his gut at the arrival of the two villains. He has no doubt that they both must be strong in their own right. And he is already occupied by the Noumu.

There are a few heroes trapped in this section with Toshinori, but he doesn't know how well they will do against these men. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to leave it to them.

The villains watch his battle lazily, and then take notice of the other pros when two rush their position.

If Toshinori is seeing things currently, it is a couple of Ectoplasm's clones that engage the new threats. Upon making contact with the man in the bird mask, one clone explodes. And the other one, after being touched by the hand villain, slowly disintegrates, as if being turned into sand.

Distracted, Toshinori catches a blow to his gut that makes him spew blood.

"Don't worry All Might!" Ectoplasm exclaims. "We've got these two!"

The hand villain continues to scratch. "Let's get rid of the hindrances." He hisses.

At first, Toshinori believes that the two villains will charge the heroes themselves. They must have come here with the expectation that they can handle everyone present, right?

But, neither man moves, and the heroes instead cooperate to surround the villains in a way that avoids their quirks. That is, until the hand villain murmurs something under his breath.

In an instant, the Noumu leaping for him switches targets. One second, it's rearing back to punch Toshinori, and the next second, it's hurtling towards the nearest hero and slamming them into the wall.

Time seems to slow down.

Toshinori has no time to check up on whoever was unfortunate enough to get hit. The Noumu isn't stopping after one takedown. Before the monster can attack another pro, Toshinori is barreling into it, knocking it away from everyone else. However, the thing shakes his blows off as it has been doing, and continues to target the other heroes. Toshinori is left playing keep away, rather than fighting it fully.

He holds the Noumu in one place as much as he can, gritting his teeth against the strain in his muscles and quirk. When he has the beast in a chokehold, from his peripheral, he sees a hand reach towards his old injury.

Years of experience and quick reaction times has Toshinori dancing out of reach before the fingers can even brush him, keeping a hold on the Noumu in his arms that desperately tries to pull free.

He makes eye contact with the man the hand belongs to- the bird mask villain- who only tilts his head at Toshinori, as if the hero dodging disappoints him.

"Noumu." The other villain calls, with something gleeful edging in his raspy voice.

Suddenly, the Noumu uses its position to jerk backwards and slam Toshinori into the ground. Its target has changed once again, and Toshinori gets bombarded with a flurry of punches that pound him deeper and deeper into the floor.

He calls upon his quirk and sends it flying into the air with a powerful smash, but the damage he sustains is heavy. He needs to defeat this thing quickly. Drawing the fight out will only leave him at a disadvantage.

Unfortunately, it seems the villains know this too.

Once more, the hand villain orders the Noumu to pursue the surrounding heroes, and once more, to prevent casualties, Toshinori chases the monster or instead sweeps a fellow hero out of the way. While he struggles to contain his opponent, the other villains advance on his position, waiting for an opportunity to use their quirks. He doesn't give them one.

If that isn't challenging enough for the number one hero already, the USJ starts to move again.

For a while, the heroes here, as well as him and the Noumu, were contained within a dome of warped tile and brick, as if the very floor of the facility had risen up and swallowed them. Any holes punched through the material were mended almost immediately, though Toshinori had to focus on the Noumu and therefore couldn't test it indefinitely. From what he could tell, the other heroes weren't capable of escaping with their current power.

It seems whoever possessed the quirk responsible for manipulating their surroundings had returned. Slabs of earth erupt from the ground, impeding his attempts to rescue his companions, or pits open up beneath his feet, trying to ensnare him with unearthed pipes and metal beams.

The villains continue to play their tricks, alternating the Noumu's attention, creeping closer to Toshinori when he's momentarily stopped, purposefully dividing his efforts and placing the other heroes in danger. Almost as if it's a game to them.

One hero appears behind the hand villain with a stealth quirk and attempts an attack using a swift kick towards his neck. The hand villain somehow anticipates the move and catches the hero's ankle in his five-fingered grip. Immediately, the hero falls and releases an agonized scream. Another hero fires a ranged quirk that causes the hand villain to step back and release his grip, but Toshinori can already see the blood pooling under the injury and how muscle sinew has been exposed to open air.

"Noumu." The hand villain tosses over his shoulder almost flippantly. He points to the hero with the ranged quirk, and the monster targets him, leaving Toshinori scrambling to intercept in time.

Meanwhile, the hand villain advances on his fallen prey, splaying a hand out as he reaches for their face. Petrified and wounded, the hero with the stealth quirk doesn't move.

Toshinori isn't sure if he will be fast enough. He already has to keep this dangerous thing from hurting any more people. He can't free the Noumu, or it will kill someone, but he can't allow this villain to murder a hero right before his eyes either.

He's the number one hero. He has always lived with the expectations of others on his shoulders. He knows how strong he is, how fast he is, how much he can endure.

But he cannot stop this.

The floor sucks at his ankles like quicksand. The Noumu pummels at his ironclad grip. The hand villain is a hair's breadth away from ending someone's life.

At this moment, Toshinori is not strong enough. Not fast enough. He needs more time. He needs more arms, more legs. He needs One For All to split himself in two.

He needs a hero.

Distantly, Toshinori hears a loud crash, the sound of concrete cracking under the force of a hundred tons, but his eyes are glued to the hero under the hand villain. He catalogs every feature of their terrified face.

And then something snakes around the hero's waist and yanks them backwards, not a moment too soon.

All eyes follow the strange movement, ending up at-

Young Midoriya.

Toshinori blinks. He wrestles with the Noumu absentmindedly because how? How is the young man here? Aren't all the students outside of the facility? Where is his chaperone? His partner?

While these questions worry at his mind, Toshinori does not have the liberty to ask them. All he can do is be thankful that the crisis was averted and continue his own battle. However, Midoriya's presence here is a problem. Not only will Toshinori have to continue defending the surrounding heroes, but now an inexperienced hero student too. It seems he will not be afforded a break.

But, Midoriya should know that these villains are dangerous, and he should also know to stay back and let the pros handle it. Surely, the boy will not engage the enemies and wait obediently for the chance to make an escape.

And that's, of course, when young Midoriya charges straight for the hand villain.

Once Izuku verifies that the man he rescued is okay, he immediately lunges at Shigaraki.

Izuku has only encountered the villain a few times, and each time it was brief, or from a distance. Still, Izuku can easily tell who the most dangerous person in the room is at this moment.

The Noumu? Genetically terrifying, Izuku will admit. It's a product of All For One's twisted quirk research and Hosu is a testament to the damage they can do. However, All Might can defeat it. Izuku saw it happen last time, and with an All Might that still possesses One For All, not just the dredges of it, there's no reason to believe the same outcome won't happen here.

Overhaul? A formidable foe, one that has done horrible things for the sake of his ideals. Along with the entire Eight Precepts. But, like the Noumu, Izuku has witnessed his defeat. He has seen the villain ended at the hands of the heroes and he believes it can happen again.

But Shigaraki? Shigaraki is All For One's prodigy. He has created problem after problem. Produced tragedy after tragedy. And not once, in his own timeline or this one, has he come any closer to being caught.

Izuku wants to change that.

When he charges towards Shigaraki, he takes the man by surprise. Activating One For All, he roundhouse kicks Shigaraki in the head, knocking the hand from his face and throwing him to the side where he slides across the ground.

For a blissful second, Izuku thinks the blow knocked him out, but Shigaraki lifts his head, his limbs trembling in anger, and glares venomously at Izuku. Blood drips down the side of his face from his hairline, contrasting starkly against his abnormally pale skin.

Izuku stares right back, ready to reset years of All For One's progress by defeating Shigaraki once and for all.

He's primed to rush in again, lightning crackling over his limbs, when a mountain of earth juts out in front of him. He dodges the rock, but feels people on either side of him grab his arms and drag him back, away from Shigaraki. Thankfully, Izuku realizes they are heroes before he Detroit Smashes them into oblivion.

"Midoriya!" Ectoplasm shouts on one side. "What are you doing?! You shouldn't be here! Leave now!"

Izuku only frowns, not making a single move to flee. The hole he made in the wall to get in here is closed now, and while he could make another one, he isn't going to abandon the people here.

As soon as he joined the battle, he noticed how the villains intentionally played into All Might's desire to save everyone. Shigaraki sics the Noumu on surrounding heroes, who would be mortally wounded if All Might doesn't intervene, and then tries to injure the number one hero himself, alongside Overhaul, while Mimic trips him up.

It's methodical and insane and Izuku knows the longer it lasts the harder it will be on his mentor. If he can do just the slightest bit to alleviate that burden, then that's what he'll do.

"I can help." He tells Ectoplasm earnestly, almost desperately. "All Might can handle the Noumu, but he can't protect all of us at the same time. We need to lead Shigaraki, Overhaul, and Mimic away from here."

Ectoplasm frowns. "Midoriya, it's us , the pro heroes, who will figure something out. Your only job is to get to safety."

The Noumu interrupts their conversation by rushing at a hero nearby. Izuku sends out black whip and pulls them out of its trajectory as All Might chases it and once again pins it down. They need to leave soon so All Might won't have to worry anymore about someone getting hurt and can focus on the fight.

"If we have any hope of winning, we all need to get to safety." Izuku reasons. "Right now, I'm just as trapped as you are. I know you want to protect me, but my absence won't make anything better. We need to create a situation where All Might can fight that thing one on one."

Ectoplasm doesn't say anything. The other heroes wear grim expressions.

"...The villains are purposely targeting All Might, they aren't likely to follow us if we try to drag them away." Ectoplasm points out. "Besides, none of us can break through the walls keeping us in. The villain- Mimic- prevents us from making a sizable dent. We'd need a stronger blow he can't immediately repair."

He's right. With Mimic's main body being somewhere nearby, the focus and strength of his quirk is centered here. Overhaul probably called him to this location to help hinder All Might, since Kurogiri was still indisposed.

Izuku bites his lip in thought. He could produce an opening, at least momentarily, with One For All- that's how he got in here. But would that allow the heroes enough time to escape? How fast could Mimic repair the things Izuku breaks, especially now that he's already revealed his quirk?

The other problem is- what about Shigaraki and Overhaul? Shigaraki, for sure, is here to kill All Might. That shouldn't have changed from the original timeline. But why is Overhaul here? What stake does he have in this battle? If Izuku doesn't know the answer to that, he won't be able to find a way to draw the man away.

Even if they can't get the villain's attention though, the fact remains that they can't stay here. Shigaraki is making use of the heroes to prevent All Might from going 100%. If they don't leave soon, Izuku isn't sure how much more All Might can take before he drops his muscled form.

"I can make a hole temporarily." Izuku proposes. "But there might be a better way."

He scans the walls enclosing them. Mimic's physical body should be around here somewhere. He's studied Mimic's quirk. He's read file after file on it in this timeline, and his own, in his effort to prepare for when he'd face the man. And in the past, he was able to locate Mimic by the sound of his voice. He can use his knowledge to triangulate Mimic's position and pull him out of the walls.

If Izuku and the heroes can take care of Mimic, it will be possible to not only escape, but also to remove another hindrance from All Might's fight, as well as the villains' forces.

Izuku relays this information to the surrounding heroes, and they come up with a plan to capture Mimic. Now all he needs to do is-

"Midoriya! Look out!"

Izuku hears the cry and immediately leaps back, dodging a blow from the Noumu that would have taken off his head. It appears the thing has targeted him now. He infuses more power into his legs as he hops around to dodge the beast, receiving assistance from the other heroes' quirks that barely seem to do anything to the Noumu. All Might is hot on the heels of the thing, and Izuku debates whether his punch will be strong enough to injure it.

He never fought the Noumu in his own time. At the USJ when it appeared, his mastery of One For All was still low. Would he be able to compete with it as he is now?

…It seems possible.

Izuku is about to attack the Noumu to test his theory when the floor moves once again, rising from beneath his feet, disrupting his footing. Izuku immediately retreats a few steps, but more spikes and walls sprout from the ground, almost like they're chasing him, and he is too preoccupied with dodging or smashing through them to worry about anything else.

Strangely, the Noumu doesn't pursue him anymore. He can see it back with All Might, afterimages blinking in and out as they fight. The heroes he was standing with earlier are further away from him now, separated by Mimic's creations. And the villains…

They're not within his sight.

Something inside of him screams at him, alarms blaring, and Izuku turns around just in time to avoid a hand reaching out. It grazes the front of his hero costume and he shivers, leaping back.

Within that amount of time, Mimic has produced thick and tall walls to surround the immediate area, creating a rudimentary room. The only ones inside are Izuku, Shigaraki, and Overhaul.

This is bad.

Sweat drips down Izuku's neck, and he itches to fight, but he also recognizes that now is a good time to keep the villain's occupied and find out what they're up to. If they are focused on him, then they aren't focused on All Might. He just needs to distract them long enough for his mentor to finish his battle.

Izuku opens his mouth to speak, but Shigaraki beats him to it. The two villains have been eerily silent as they study him.

"See?" Shigaraki says, scratching at his neck. His eyes are on Izuku's face, but his question is not directed at him. "What do you think?"

Overhaul hums, tilting his head as his gaze pierces through Izuku. "A remarkable resemblance indeed. Perhaps this endeavor will be profitable after all."

Izuku shifts his stance uneasily. He has no idea what these men want or what they're talking about. But for some reason, they're speaking as if they recognize him.

"What are you talking about?" He asks. He needs to keep them talking. Keep them monologuing…

Overhaul's eyes crinkle beneath his mask like he's smiling. "Did you really think that you could hide from us for so long…

…vigilante-kun?"

All at once, the blood rushes out of Izuku's body. He takes a step back unconsciously.

"W-what?"

"You gave Sensei so much trouble ." Shigaraki hisses, his eyes narrowed and venomous as he scratches faster and faster. "Who knew you'd be an underleveled hero school brat?"

What?

All For One…and the Eight Precepts- are aware of him? Midoriya Izuku him? The only qualm they should have with him is with his vigilante persona, and yet...they could recognize him? He never gave away any clues to his identity or interacted with them prior to this besides his infiltration to rescue Eri. And he was positive during that time he was wearing a ma-

A memory surfaces suddenly, and time seems to stand still.

On the night that Izuku rescued Eri and arrived at Aizawa-sensei's doorstep, he'd lost his mask. And he'd lost it when...when it fell off his face while he was fighting. Shit! That would've revealed his face to them, but-

He disabled the cameras. It's how he snuck in. They wouldn't be able to find him using anything other than personal recognition, if the people fighting Izuku even remembered what he looked like. There should be no clear picture of his face since the cameras didn't turn back on until…

Izuku grimaces. He wants to smack himself in the face with a One For All infused slap. He's such an idiot! The cameras turned on before he got out. He hadn't realized it in the moment since he was so focused on leaving that place. This whole time, the Eight Precepts knew exactly what he looked like.

Or, Izuku thinks with mounting dread...they knew enough to kidnap people that bore a large resemblance to him.

He clenches his fists as his limbs tremble with anger and guilt. Those people- the missing persons- it was because of him. Because he stole Eri from the Eight Precepts and stupidly showed his face. This was his fault.

"You…" Izuku can barely form words through his mounting anger. "You've been looking for me." He grits out.

"You're a hard man to find." Overhaul replies in agreement, unconcerned with the rage in Izuku's tone. He looks over Izuku's form lazily. "Or shall I say boy?"

Izuku wonders what they think of him. If they think he won't hurt them just because he's a student at UA. If they think his youth makes him naive.

And maybe he is naive. Maybe he made too many mistakes on the road up to this point. Maybe he's been short-sighted and selfish and maybe that ignorance will eventually cost people their lives. But right now, in this moment, no one is dead yet. No one is hurt. He hasn't failed yet, not completely, and even if he loses trust, or his position at UA, or the life that he's built in this world, as long as nothing bad happens anymore, he'll be able to endure it.

His gaze narrows as he assesses the villains before him.

Their quirks are deadly, especially considering he's a close range fighter. One touch from Shigaraki could incapacitate him, and one from Overhaul is bound to be the end. That doesn't mean it's hopeless though. Izuku is faster and stronger than they are at present. If he utilizes One For All well, along with Black Whip…

There's also the possibility he can use his other quirks. Just a few seconds ago it felt like he could sense Shigaraki behind him before he actually saw it for himself. And this morning, there was that moment where he felt weightless…

The only thing is, Izuku doesn't know how to call those powers out. So at the most, they'd be unreliable, and at the worst, they'd be completely useless. With the high percentage of One For All he can now wield, and Black Whip, his current arsenal is probably more than enough.

Keeping that in mind, Izuku rushes Shigaraki. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Overhaul touch the ground. Spikes materialize from the ground and Izuku races them as he sprints towards Shigaraki, but a shield of earth blocks his blow right before it lands. The thing splinters immediately, but the force is greatly negated and Shigaraki uses the chance to retreat where Izuku's fist doesn't reach.

Izuku watches the remainder of the shield crumble and hears Mimic faintly laughing. Damnit. A three on one will be a little more difficult. Maybe he should look for the puppet first?

Overhaul produces more spikes under Izuku's feet and he retreats backwards to avoid them. Even though it's frustrating to keep avoiding and not land any hits, at the very least, he's still succeeding in stalling the villains for All Might. That makes Izuku feel a little better.

But he does want to punch them at least once.

Izuku charges Overhaul this time, and the man produces columns and more spikes to deter him. He breaks through most of them, but they form too rapidly for him to deal with them all like that. A few give him shallow scratches, but Izuku focuses on his plan. Once Overhaul has fortified his position in a protective layer of stone and spikes, Izuku fires Black Whip at the ceiling and pulls himself up.

Just like he told Uraraka once upon a time, no one thinks to look above them.

He then sends another tendril out to curl around a startled Overhaul and yank him up from the ground. Izuku swings his whip around and hurls the man into Shigaraki, throwing them both into the wall with a sizable force, forming a small crater.

He can't enjoy that though, because Mimic knocks him from his position with a large amalgamation of building material.

"You brat!" He screeches, "I'll kill you!" And then he proceeds to try to kill Izuku by stabbing him with spikes or crushing him in a rapidly enclosing space. Izuku continuously smashes through everything to survive, his eyes darting around to locate the source of Mimic's physical form.

It has to be around here somewhere.

Mimic still needs to manifest an eye if he wants to see or a mouth if he wants to speak. He can hide it all he wants within whatever object he possesses, but there's bound to be traces left behind. Izuku keeps this in mind as he tries to locate the pattern of movement. His gaze scans every inch of material as everything shifts around him. There must be something that Mimic is protecting- something he consistently moves among everything else. 

Maybe Izuku should do what Toga and Twice did in his original timeline? The man does have an easily exploitable temper, from what he witnessed. But aggravating villains isn't something Izuku does intentionally- nor has he ever tried. That's more Kacchan's style.

Regardless, he ought to think of something…

"Um, your quirk sucks, and your employer sucks even more." Izuku taunts, the words awkward in his mouth, and then he sticks his tongue out for good measure. The action feels strange to him- he isn't used to insulting people and it makes him feel vaguely embarrassed. Thankfully, no one is present to hear his terrible trash talk.

And even more thankfully, it seems Mimic isn't above rising to the bait of elementary level insults.

"What the hell did you just say, punk?! Do you even know how hard our boss works?! You must have a death wish, you shitty brat!" He curses, his voice carrying nicely over to Izuku above the increased grinding and shifting of his surroundings.

Izuku's eyes flick towards the source as he flips through attacks, zeroing in on a stretch of rock with a small crack in it, one that Izuku can see an eye peeking out of.

While he dodges Mimic's materializations, he acts as if he doesn't notice it. (He doesn't want the man to move his body again.) Izuku positions himself closer to the opening with each movement, and when he finally gets close enough, he shoots Black Whip out to cleave the rock in two and drag Mimic out.

The man shouts in surprise, cursing and struggling fruitlessly within his bonds. Izuku reels the villain in, resting from the prior onslaught.

"Irinaka Joi." He calls, and the man stops squirming to look at him. "Your quirk allows you to transfer your body and mind into any object you want to possess."

"Shut up!" Irinaka Joi spits acerbically, the ground reacting to his rage with yet another wave of spikes. Unfortunately, he still has control over the facility with his quirk, having not deactivated it, but now that Izuku can see his true body, he notices the strain the Trigger-use, and overuse of his Mimicry quirk has done. Naturally, the man doesn't look like he'll hold out for much longer with or without Izuku's interference. That being said, Izuku wishes Aizawa-sensei was here to turn off the villain's quirk.

"Let me go let me go let me go let me go let me go let me go!" Irinaka Joi repeats, each word shaking the USJ as if an earthquake is splitting the place apart. Cracks form along the walls and floors, and the previous structures Mimic held in place crumble to the ground.

For one blissful second, nothing moves. The divisions separating everyone are gone. Izuku sees scattered groups of heroes, and to his relief, they look fine.

"I said LET ME GO!"

And then, the moment breaks and a tidal wave of matter bursts from beneath Izuku's feet like some sort of sleeping Goliath awakening. The mountainous protrusion follows him, relentlessly stabbing at him and trying to suffocate him under a tsunami of stone, all for the sake of forcing him to release the man still confined within Black Whip. Izuku allows more of One For All to energize his body, increasing his speed and damage for dealing with the attacks.

Irinaka Joi thrashes behind him, practically foaming at the mouth as he spits and curses at Izuku. It seems like his anger is getting the best of him, and his condition is rapidly deteriorating, however, his quirk shows no signs of stopping or slowing down yet.

A few people shoot past Izuku and start bashing away at the forming walls and protrusion seeking him out. The heroes that were formerly separated are now grouping up and using their quirks against Mimic's antics. Izuku finds it's a little easier to dodge, but being the sole focus of an aggressive villain is quickly wearing him out.

He reaches the outer wall of the facility and then lands on it, using it as a springboard to propel him back the way he came. The large mass chasing him crashes into the wall, ripping a hole in it, before it resumes its pursuit.

Izuku wonders if it really will turn into a battle of attrition when suddenly, no other attacks reach him. He glances behind him to witness Mimic's formation deteriorating before his eyes- returning to non-sentient matter and plummeting to the ground. Thankfully, the heroes work to keep people clear of the falling rubble, and the USJ becomes almost deafeningly silent once nothing else moves. Izuku exhales in relief, catching his breath and wondering why Irinaka Joi suddenly disabled his quirk. Has the Trigger finally worn off? But the man still seems to be coherent as he spouts out strings of curses…

"Midoriya." A voice grabs his attention. He knows that voice. Knows that tone. Izuku can't help the shiver that travels his spine as he turns around to face his teacher.

Aizawa-sensei.

The man stands, disheveled, only a short distance away. His hair and scarf float ominously as he stares at the person just behind Izuku. They may not be making eye contact, but Izuku can feel the anger radiating off the hero. He feels like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, despite the fact he succeeded in…something.

"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" Aizawa-sensei demands of him, taking a step closer with each word. Izuku thinks of running away, but considering he's still got a villain attached to him like a kite string, he probably shouldn't be moving away from the only guy keeping him in check.

"Aizawa-sensei…" Izuku says awkwardly, like they're greeting each other at the grocery store. He takes a step back almost involuntarily.

A few more heroes gather around. Someone approaches Irinaka Joi to cuff him and drag him away. Izuku doesn't see any of the Eight Bullets around and he hopes that means they're taken care of and didn't do much damage to the people present.

If anyone got seriously injured here, or killed, then…

"Midoriya. I'll ask again. Why are you here? Where's your chaperone?" Aizawa-sensei now stands directly before him, looming over him like the tombstone he will surely need soon.

Izuku swallows. He debates what he should say. Once Present Mic relays what Izuku did, Aizawa-sensei will know the truth anyway, so is there any need to think up a lie here?

Izuku wets his lips. Perhaps it's all the dust hovering in the air from the destruction, because his mouth feels inexplicably dry.

"I was…trying to help." He defends lamely, not able to hold Aizawa-sensei's gaze and see the anger that will surely be there.

A tense silence triggers between them, and Izuku unconsciously holds his breath. It's over now, isn't it? It's really over. He's finally done too much and his teacher is expelling him.

Then again, that's the least of my worries right now. Izuku thinks. The Eight Precepts barging into the equation…Izuku's vigilante identity known by the villains…Nedzu's plan falling through because of unforeseen circumstances…it's all a mess. Izuku reckons he's lucky not to be in handcuffs right now, he doesn't have the luxury to worry about expulsion.

"Eraserhead, we've just received word that All Might has taken care of the Noumu." A hero reports, interrupting the stalemate. Izuku slumps in relief, allowing a smile to grace his features. All Might did it.

"What about the other villains?" Aizawa-sensei asks.

The hero shakes his head, looking regretful. "We're unable to locate both Shigaraki and Overhaul at this time. We believe they escaped sometime before Mimic went berserk."

That makes Izuku frown. The two main villains managed to escape? How? As far as he knows, Kurogiri is still in the possession of the heroes. If they got away on foot,...they might be somewhere close by.

Aizawa-sensei looks at him and glares. "Midoriya," He snaps. "We'll talk later. As of right now, you will not interfere anymore and will join the rest of your classmates outside of the facility."

Izuku recoils sheepishly. Ah…he must have been mumbling again. Will it be alright to leave things as they are? It's not like Izuku knows where the villains are heading any more than the heroes do. He won't be helpful since he doesn't have a quirk suited to tracking either. As much as he wants to find Shigaraki and end things once and for all, it might be best to take a backseat for now. He doesn't think he can outrun Aizawa-sensei anyway if he made a break for it.

"Thirteen, make sure he gets there." Aizawa-sensei orders, still glaring daggers at Izuku. The space-themed hero approaches and pats Izuku on the shoulder, keeping their hand firmly there.

Thirteen guides Izuku while making light conversation, their gentle hold on him remaining as he's steered towards the exit. Just before they leave, a number of voices reach him at once.

"Deku-kun!"

"Midoriya!

"Deku!"

Izuku turns around to find his original group and chaperone, plus Uraraka and Tsuyu. Besides the death glare Kacchan and Todoroki are giving him, they all look relieved to see him. Izuku scans each person up and down, but spots no injuries. Good. While he doesn't regret splitting from them, a part of him was worried that something might've happened in his absence.

"Are you alright?" Present Mic wonders, eyebrows pinched together in concern. He pats Izuku down as if he's not assured that Izuku is physically standing before him.

Izuku smiles guiltily. "I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you."

"Worrying me?" Present Mic repeats incredulously. "Geez kid, you about gave me a heart attack! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Izuku winces at the uptick in volume from the voice-quirk user. He sounds genuinely upset, which makes Izuku feel even guiltier. The way Todoroki occasionally winces while ghosting a hand over his stomach doesn't help either.

"I…I'm sorry…I just-"

"Sorry?!" Present Mic screeches, causing everyone to flinch, before he calms himself down with a sigh. He massages his forehead in a move reminiscent of Aizawa-sensei.

"Let's head outside first." He utters in defeat. He glances at Izuku once again, before frowning and turning away. He doesn't seem angry, but disappointed, and somehow that's harder to deal with than anger. Izuku is used to anger. Speaking of…

"Deku!" Kacchan hisses, almost wrenching Izuku's arm out of its socket with the amount of force he uses to grab him. "What the fuck was that?!

Izuku lets himself be manhandled, only because he's too tired to continuously avoid this confrontation. He has to reap the consequences of his actions one way or another.

"I thought I could help the heroes." Izuku explains, well aware of the many ears around him perking up at his answer. "I didn't like sitting around when there were people in danger."

"And you think we did?!" Kacchan shoots back. "You shouldn't have gone running off like that!"

Izuku frowns, because…isn't that hypocritical? Knowing what happened originally, Kacchan also would've done the same thing if he could. Why is he so upset that Izuku did it? Because he did it alone? Because Kacchan couldn't and it made him jealous?

"He's right, you know." Tsuyu chimes in.

Izuku looks at the group at large. Uraraka won't meet his eyes, Todoroki is giving him dirty looks while pretending to ignore him, Kirishima looks flustered, and Present Mic seems tired. Kacchan's hands are still tightly cutting off circulation in his arm.

"You would've done the same thing." Izuku announces, not sure exactly who he's talking to.

He's frustrated despite himself. He locks gaze with each person and knows, intrinsically, that they would've also chosen to help if they got the chance. The friends he knows, the ones he remembers, would've moved for the safety of the heroes, had done so before, in a time and place that none of them even remember.

When no one responds to him, Izuku sighs, feeling the onset of tears that he blinks away. "It's nothing." He responds robotically. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

It's a lie. Izuku knows it. They know it. He doesn't even know why he's lying again when it's so obvious.

His classmates shift, like they have something to say, but no one speaks.

Present Mic finally sighs, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I understand that you all want to fight, but you are still not heroes yet." He states firmly to the despondent group. "The teachers present here are trained for these sorts of scenarios."

Kacchan opens his mouth to protest, or maybe just be difficult, but Present Mic barrels over him. "I'm not saying you can't fight in emergencies like this, I'm saying to do it as a last resort. You are students, and it is our responsibility to protect you all. Recklessly jumping into a fight will only put you in needless danger. These are vicious criminals. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" He looks at each of them, holding their gazes.

Izuku understands where Present Mic is coming from, as well as Aizawa-sensei and any of the other heroes. He understands that UA students, as young as they are, shouldn't be experiencing life and death scenarios. They shouldn't be placed in harm's way, fighting battles they don't need to, just because they have the ability to.

But what if they have no other choice?

The USJ. Hosu. The training camp. Kamino. Their internships…has there ever been a time when they were not put at risk? Knowing how the future is, would it be better to hope for the best and let his classmates lead a life of least resistance, or prepare them for the worst, possibly warping their naivety and hope?

Regardless of the choice his classmates make, unfortunately Izuku doesn't get an out. He chose One For All, just as All Might chose him for it. This is a destiny he cannot abandon. Izuku can't sit back. He can't leave this to others. This legacy has been placed on his shoulders, and his alone. He can't choose the easy life, but he doesn't want to take that choice away from his friends either. Especially now, when Izuku has the chance to be the only one who carry the memories he has. As long as he is here, he will make sure the people he loves will not have to struggle as they once had.

At the lack of an answer, Present Mic sighs again, slumping over as he cradles his head. "Shouta did warn me I got the high maintenance ones…" He mutters, just loud enough for Izuku to catch it. "At the very least, everything turned out fine this time."

They are escorted to an area outside the USJ that is set up as a temporary base of operations. Izuku rejoins his classmates there as he watches the heroes bustle about. He notices a number of police vans packed full of criminals handcuffed in the back. Inside are various members of the Eight Precepts, including most of the Eight Bullets, if not all.

Izuku feels the first little bit of pride bloom in his chest, like a hesitant weed that's been plucked again and again but refuses to stop growing. This sight…it's a good one.

Despite Overhaul's mysterious disappearance, the Eight Precepts as an organization is basically done for. All of their manpower will now be behind bars. That means Eri will be safe for now. It means Mirio won't lose his quirk in the future. And it also means that Sir Nighteye won't lose his life.

As for Shigaraki…he no longer has Kurogiri to warp him around. As long as the mist quirk user is in the hero's possession, the events at the training camp, and the arrival of the noumus in Hosu, will be harder to accomplish. Izuku has no doubt the League will find a workaround, but delaying them for now is enough. If he can rally the heroes right after the damages the villains have taken here, perhaps they can make a raid on Kamino and defeat All For One earlier too. He'll have to bring up the idea to Nedzu.

That is, if All For One does not become cautious after this event, or if he was even in Kamino before Kacchan was kidnapped in his time. There's a large chance that All For One has multiple locations that he operates out of, though it doesn't hurt to take out at least one of them. And now that the heroes have seen the Noumu, and the League has announced itself, it will become an increasingly high-profile mission to find and defeat All For One with or without any further interference from Izuku.

Someone taps him on the shoulder, jolting him from his thoughts. Izuku spins around. He's greeted by Yaoyorozu, who smiles sheepishly at him.

"Everything alright?" She asks him. Her smile is clearly plastered on, and her eyes flit across his face like she's looking for answers there. There's a heaviness in her expression- like she's well aware of what the events of today will bring into tomorrow.

Maybe she's already put it together, seeing as how she's so smart.

"Yaoyorozu." Izuku returns one fake smile with another. "I'm fine. And you?"

"Me as well. I was one of the first ones to make it out." Yaoyorozu tells him. "Sensei managed to activate his quirk right before the mist villain could warp us anywhere. Although Midnight-sensei was distressed only half of our group avoided it." She grimaces, and Izuku does the same once he recalls that Uraraka and Tsuyu were originally under Midnight as well.

"I bet she was. It's good that everyone made it out safely."

"Yes…" Yaoyorozu agrees uneasily, before biting her lip. "It was. But Midoriya…did you know?"

Izuku looks at her quizzically. "Did I know what?"

"You, um, I know you said your quirk wasn't precognition, but this morning you left and I…" She stumbles over her next words, as if they've clogged her throat. "I noticed you weren't feeling well. And the- and the teachers seemed to be on guard against something…" She sounds breathless as more and more words tumble from her lips, and yet she utters no accusations.

"I just thought…well, maybe you had seen-"

Izuku stands there, before his classmate, before his friend, and yet it feels like he is anywhere but in his body. As if he's astral projecting and is somehow viewing everything from above, so far removed from what is happening that he can't process it well.

He sees the others from 1-A, huddled at a distance, trading whispers under their breaths with haunted expressions. He sees the medics treating heroes, some unresponsive on gurneys. He sees the heroes of UA talking with law enforcement off to the side. Izuku recognizes detective Tsukauchi among them, who is determinedly saying something to Aizawa-sensei.

As if the men feel him looking, both turn to stare at him. Tsukauchi's expression is solemn. Aizawa-sensei looks like someone just told him a close family friend died.

They start walking over towards him.

"Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu prompts.

He pulls his eyes away from the two quickly approaching people and back to the conversation at hand. Something in the back of his mind is ringing at him though, warning him he's making a big mistake.

Like something bad is about to happen.

"I…" Izuku's heart thumps faster. The truth sits at the top of his tongue.

"I knew something like this could happen, yes." Izuku confesses in a hushed tone, "But I wasn't sure. And I definitely didn't want it to happen, or anything like that." He rushes to explain.

Yaoyorozu's eyes widen. Her face flickers through many emotions before settling on something contemplative. She opens her mouth and Izuku anxiously waits to hear the verdict.

He never gets to.

Thick straps of white cloth snake around his body and bind him. The sensation of One For All fades away, falling like sand through an hourglass. Izuku lands heavily on the ground, completely immobile from head to toe as he stares up at the red eyes of his teacher. Unfortunately, his mouth is also covered, so he has no room to ask questions.

Thankfully, Yaoyorozu asks for him.

"What's going on?!" She exclaims.

Aizawa-sensei does not look away from him. "Yaoyorozu, step back."

"But Midoriya-"

"Step. Back." Aizawa-sensei repeats. The hardness in his tone is chilling. Izuku watches as Yaoyorozu retreats out of his line of sight.

Tsukauchi steps forward and kneels by Izuku's side. He pulls out a pair of quirk suppressant handcuffs and snaps them over Izuku's wrists with a cold efficiency.

"Midoriya Izuku. You are being arrested under suspicion of engaging in the following crimes: vigilantism, unauthorized quirk use, colluding with known villains, kidnapping, and terrorist activity."

Izuku stares up at him in shock. His eyes find Aizawa-sensei's, but the man's face gives nothing away. Even if he could speak, Izuku wouldn't know what to say.

Tsukauchi continues unprompted. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."

The cloth loosens around Izuku's mouth. He feels dizzy and lightheaded, if not from terror, than definitely from the constrictions cutting off blood flow around his body. Was it the captured villains that tipped them off? Samehada? Or maybe Nedzu?

Tsukauchi looms above him, like a funeral director about to seal the casket. Izuku wonders distantly, if they've already alerted his mother.

"Do you understand the rights that I have just read to you?"

Notes:

Hi hey yes I am back from the grave with a new chapter. You have no idea how many times I thought I was close to finishing this only to add on like, a thousand more words.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Writing more is one of my new year's resolutions, so cheer me on! That being said, Happy New Year everyone! Hope the holidays were fantastic for each of you, whatever you celebrate.

As a side note, I just think it's funny, the idea of Izuku IMMEDIATELY charging Shigaraki the second he's able to. Like hands on sight. Haha, also the trash talking, I can't imagine Izuku would be very good at it but idk, that's just me.