A few days had passed since the alarm incident. Life at UA had settled back into its rhythm—morning classes with Present Mic's booming voice, math with a teacher whose name Izuku kept forgetting, history of quirks with a lecturer who spoke in a monotone that made even the most interesting facts sound like tax law. Normal. Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Izuku sat through his lessons taking notes on autopilot, his pen moving across the page while his mind drifted to the same thought, again and again, a loop he couldn't break: Something's coming. I don't know when, but it's coming.
Small moments punctuated the routine. Iida passed him a meticulously organized note about upcoming class schedules—color-coded, laminated, perfect, with a small diagram showing the optimal seating arrangement for maximum learning efficiency. Yaoyorozu caught his eye during a difficult question about quirk factor development, and they shared a silent moment of rep-to-rep understanding, a brief nod that said we've got this. Uraraka struggled to stay awake during history, her head bobbing lower with each passing minute until she was nearly face-down on her desk, and Izuku nudged her gently with his elbow. She shot him a grateful, sleepy smile that made the morning feel lighter.
Kirishima and Kaminari got scolded for whispering during Present Mic's lecture. Again. Tsuyu took neat, precise notes in her distinctive handwriting, occasionally murmuring "Kero. Interesting lecture" to no one in particular. Bakugo sat in the back, arms crossed, silent—but his notebook was open, his pen was moving, and he was actually doing the work. Progress, however small.
The lunch bell rang. Students filed out, conversations swelling.
The usual table was full—Izuku, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Tsuyu, Mina, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero all squeezed in together, trays crowding the surface, elbows bumping. Iida stopped by briefly, his arms chopping the air with their usual precision.
"I have organized the lunch rotation!" His voice carried across the cafeteria. "Everyone must maintain proper nutrition to ensure optimal cognitive function and physical performance!"
Kirishima grinned up at him. "Dude, relax. It's just food."
"FOOD IS FUEL!" Iida's arms chopped harder. "PROPER FUEL MEANS PROPER PERFORMANCE! WOULD YOU PUT LOW-GRADE GASOLINE IN A SPORTS CAR?!"
He marched off before anyone could answer, his engines humming faintly as he went. Everyone laughed.
Mina leaned forward, her pink fingers drumming the table. "So what do you think we're doing for hero training today?"
Kaminari propped his chin on his hand. "Hope it's something cool. Battle trials were awesome."
"MANLY TRAINING!" Kirishima's fist hit the table. "Whatever it is!"
Sero shrugged, a piece of bread in his mouth. "I heard someone say we might get to do rescue training."
Uraraka perked up. "Rescue training? Like saving people from disasters?"
Tsuyu tilted her head. "Kero. That sounds interesting."
Kaminari shuddered dramatically. "Better than fighting Bakugo. That guy's scary."
Kirishima waved a hand. "He's not that bad once you get to know him!"
A beat of silence. Sero raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone actually gotten to know him?"
Mina's face scrunched. "...no."
Kaminari leaned in. "I tried to talk to him once. He said 'die' and walked away."
Sero nodded slowly. "That's basically a conversation. For Bakugo."
Laughter rippled around the table, warm and easy.
Uraraka twirled her chopsticks. "I wonder what kind of hero we're meeting today?"
Kaminari's eyes went wide. "Hope it's someone cool!"
Yaoyorozu dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "The facility is run by Thirteen, a highly respected rescue hero. They specialize in disaster scenarios and have an impeccable safety record."
Kirishima nearly choked. "Thirteen?! The space hero?!"
Sero nodded. "I've seen them on news reports. Always wearing that suit."
Mina's eyes sparkled. "I wonder what they look like under there?"
Kaminari grinned. "Probably super handsome!"
No idea, Izuku thought, watching the speculation bounce around the table. Could be anyone. That suit hides everything.
Lunch ended. Students headed back to class, the hallway filling with voices and footsteps.
The afternoon arrived. Class returned to homeroom, and Aizawa was already there, still in his yellow sleeping bag, slumped against the wall like a discarded piece of luggage. No one knew how he got there. No one asked anymore.
"Today's hero training will be at an off-campus facility." His voice emerged flat from the cocoon. "The Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Get changed and meet at the bus."
The class erupted.
Kirishima shot to his feet. "OFF-CAMPUS?! YES!"
Kaminari pumped his fist. "This is gonna be awesome!"
Mina grabbed Uraraka's arm. "What's the Unforeseen Simulation Joint?"
Yaoyorozu answered before Uraraka could. "A disaster simulation facility. Earthquakes, floods, fires—they can replicate various crisis scenarios for training purposes."
Uraraka's expression shifted somewhere between nervous and excited. "That sounds... intense."
Tsuyu blinked her wide eyes. "Kero. And exciting."
Izuku's blood ran cold.
The USJ.
It's today.
Aizawa's voice cut through the noise. "Move. Don't be late."
He rolled away, sleeping bag dragging behind him.
Izuku watched him go, a knot forming in his stomach that no amount of deep breathing could loosen.
Students flooded into the locker rooms, energy high, voices bouncing off the walls. Izuku opened his locker and stared at the Verdant Knight armor hanging inside—deep navy blue, matte black panels, glowing emerald lines tracing patterns across the chest and arms. His fingers brushed the fabric of the canon jumpsuit folded underneath. His mom's gift. For courage.
He put it on.
Kirishima appeared at his shoulder, already changed, his costume fitting like a second skin. "Dude, your costume is still the coolest."
"Thanks." Izuku adjusted the vambrace on his forearm. "Yours is pretty manly too."
Kirishima's face split into a wide grin. "MANLY COMPLIMENT ACCEPTED!"
Across the room, Kaminari was staring at his own costume with visible anxiety. "I just hope I don't fry myself today..."
Sero clapped him on the back. "You'll fry yourself. It's okay. We're used to it."
"NOT HELPFUL."
Mina bounced in, already suited up, her pink skin bright against the dark fabric. "Is everyone excited?! I've never been to an off-campus training thing!"
Tsuyu followed at a more measured pace. "Kero. Neither have I."
They headed to the bus.
The bus ride was loud.
Students spread out in natural groups, settling into seats, voices overlapping. Izuku sat with Uraraka and Yaoyorozu near the middle. Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero claimed the back, their laughter echoing forward. Tsuyu and Mina sat together across the aisle, talking quietly. Iida had his notebook out, reviewing something with intense focus. Todoroki stared out the window, his reflection blank against the passing city. Bakugo sat alone near the front, arms crossed, jaw tight, not speaking to anyone.
The bus pulled away from UA, tires humming against the road. Conversation flowed.
From the back: "Okay, hypothetical." Kirishima's voice carried. "You can have any animal as a sidekick. What do you pick?"
Kaminari didn't hesitate. "A lion. Obviously. Lions are cool."
Sero scoffed. "Lions are lazy. They sleep like twenty hours a day. I'd pick a hawk. Aerial support."
"Bears." Kirishima's voice was firm. "Bears are MANLY."
Mina twisted in her seat. "Tsuyu, you'd pick a frog, right?"
Tsuyu considered this. "Kero. That's predictable. I'd pick a cat. They're independent. They do what they want."
"Cats are cute!" Mina approved. "Good choice!"
Uraraka leaned across the aisle. "What would you pick, Midoriya?"
Izuku thought for a moment. "A boar."
Kaminari's head appeared over the seatback. "A BOAR?! That's random!"
"Boars are tough," Izuku said. "Stubborn. They don't back down. When something threatens them, they charge straight at it. No hesitation." He paused. "Loyal too. Underrated animal."
Kirishima's voice boomed from the back. "That's actually pretty manly!"
"I expected something boring like a dog," Sero admitted. "Boar's cool."
Uraraka pressed her hands together. "I'd pick something fluffy!"
Yaoyorozu folded her hands in her lap. "I'd choose a peregrine falcon. High-speed aerial reconnaissance. They can dive at over three hundred kilometers per hour."
Kaminari slumped. "Show-off."
"I'm just answering the question."
Mina threw her hands up. "I want whatever animal matches my aesthetic! Something colorful!"
Sero deadpanned. "A peacock?"
"YES!"
In the front, Iida was muttering to himself, his pen moving across his notebook. "Sidekick animals... there are no protocols for this in the student handbook... I need to research this thoroughly... there must be guidelines..."
Kaminari shouted forward. "Iida! What animal would you pick?!"
Iida stiffened. "THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR HYPOTHETICALS! WE MUST FOCUS ON THE TRAINING AHEAD!"
Sero's voice was dry. "So... a dog?"
"I DID NOT SAY THAT!"
"He totally meant dog."
Laughter echoed through the bus, warm and full. Even Todoroki's reflection in the window seemed to shift—his lip twitching, just slightly, before he looked away.
The bus arrived at a massive domed facility, a structure so large it seemed to bend the horizon. Students filed out, staring up at the curved walls, the impossible scale of it.
Kirishima craned his neck. "THIS PLACE IS HUGE!"
Kaminari spun in a slow circle. "It's like a whole city in there!"
Mina bounced on her heels. "I'm so excited I could scream!"
Uraraka shielded her eyes, scanning the entrance. "Where's the hero? I thought someone was meeting us?"
A figure approached from the facility entrance—a space-themed hero suit, helmet obscuring any feature, one arm raised in welcome.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!"
The class reacted with immediate awe.
Kirishima's jaw dropped. "THAT'S THIRTEEN?! SO COOL!"
Kaminari pressed forward. "The suit is amazing!"
Mina squinted. "I can't tell if they're a guy or a girl!"
Sero shrugged. "That's kind of the point."
Izuku stared at Thirteen's suit, the familiar shape from memories that weren't quite his own. No clue. Could be anyone under there. Doesn't matter—they're one of the best rescue heroes alive.
Thirteen gestured toward the dome, explaining the facility's purpose—each zone designed to simulate a different disaster, each environment a lesson in saving lives. Students listened, captivated.
Izuku's mind wandered for a second, unbidden. I wonder what their actual face looks like? Probably just a normal person. Heroes are people too.
He shook it off, forced himself to focus.
Something's wrong. I can feel it. The hair on my neck won't settle.
Thirteen led them inside.
The interior was vast—a cityscape of disaster zones stretching under a single artificial sky. Flood zones with deep water and shipwrecks. Fire zones with collapsed buildings. Earthquake zones with rubble and dust. Landslide zones with dirt and stone.
Thirteen stopped at a raised platform overlooking the facility. "Some of you have powerful quirks. Quirks that can defeat villains, that can smash through walls, that can reshape the battlefield. But remember—a quirk that can destroy can also destroy what you're trying to protect." Their voice carried, steady and warm. "At USJ, you'll learn that rescue is just as important as combat. Saving a life is harder than taking one. And it matters more."
Students listened, attentive, absorbing.
Thirteen raised an arm toward the zones. "Today, we'll focus on—"
Aizawa, who had been silent at the back since they entered, suddenly went rigid.
The lights flickered.
Not a power surge. Not a technical glitch. A ripple, like something was pressing against the building from the inside out.
Aizawa's voice cut across the platform. "Everyone stay back. Now."
In the center of the facility, the air tore open.
A dark portal—swirling, purple-black, wrong—expanded like a wound in space. Students froze, stared, their training forgotten, their voices trapped in their throats.
Figures began emerging from the portal. Dozens of them. Men and women in masks, in makeshift armor, in clothes that looked like they'd been scavenged from somewhere dark. They spread across the floor, their movements casual, unhurried. Like they owned the place.
A rasping voice echoed from the portal, dry and cracked and somehow amused.
"Nice to meet you. We're the League of Villains."
Chaos erupted.
Students screamed. Some stumbled backward. Some froze entirely. The careful order of the platform dissolved into panic.
Aizawa stepped forward, his capture weapon floating around his shoulders, already unwinding. "Don't move. Thirteen, protect the students."
Thirteen's voice was steady. "Understood."
The lead villain emerged fully from the portal—a man covered in hands, severed hands gripping his face, his arms, his neck, crawling up his body like they were trying to climb inside him. He stood in the center of the facility, surrounded by his army, and scratched at his throat with lazy, absent fingers.
"All Might." His voice was soft, almost conversational. "The Symbol of Peace. Is he here? We came all this way to kill him."
Aizawa's eyes didn't leave the villain. "You won't touch my students."
The hand-covered man tilted his head, his gaze drifting across the platform like he was counting inventory. "Tomura Shigaraki." He scratched harder, his nails scraping against skin. "Remember that name. You're going to wish you didn't, but remember it anyway."
He gestured behind him, casual, dismissive. "Where is All Might? Surely the great Symbol of Peace wouldn't hide behind children?"
A massive creature stepped forward from the portal—brains exposed, muscles bulging, eyes empty. It was easily three meters tall, its hands hanging low, its presence sucking the warmth from the air.
Shigaraki gestured toward it with something like pride. "This is Nomu. Built to kill All Might." His fingers twitched. "But since he's not here..." A grin spread across his face, skin flaking at the edges. "Maybe if I kill enough students, he'll come running."
Aizawa's eyes glowed red.
Erasure activated.
The mist villain—Kurogiri, Izuku's mind supplied, a name from another life—tried to spread his warp gate, darkness pooling at his feet. Aizawa locked onto him immediately, his gaze burning through the distance.
That mist quirk is the biggest threat, Izuku thought, his body already tensing. If he separates the students, we lose.
Kurogiri's warp gate flickered, suppressed, unstable. His form wavered.
"What's wrong, Kurogiri?" Shigaraki's voice was bored, curious.
Kurogiri's voice emerged from the mist, strained. "He's canceling my quirk. But... not completely. The range is shortened, but the quirk itself still functions."
Aizawa's eyes narrowed. Not completely suppressed? Is his whole body made of that warp gate?
Shigaraki chuckled, the sound dry and wrong. "Interesting. Aizawa Shota, the Erasure Hero. I've heard of you." He tilted his head, his fingers finding his throat again. "Nomu."
The massive creature moved—not toward Aizawa, but to the side. A single step, deliberate, calculated. It positioned itself between Aizawa and Kurogiri, its bulk blocking line of sight.
Aizawa's Erasure cut off.
"Much better." Shigaraki's voice was pleased. "Now then... Kurogiri, do your thing."
Kurogiri's warp gate flared to full power.
Students screamed as portals opened around them—darkness swallowing the floor, the walls, the air itself.
Aizawa lunged forward, capture weapon lashing. "EVERYONE STAY TOGETHER!"
Kurogiri's portals spread through the facility like cracks in reality. Kirishima vanished into darkness. Kaminari. Tsuyu. Mina. Sero. One by one, they were pulled in, their voices cut off mid-scream.
Aizawa spun toward the nearest student. "Iida! Front! Now!"
Iida rushed forward, engines roaring, his face a mask of barely controlled panic. "Aizawa-sensei!"
"You're fastest." Aizawa's voice was steel. "Get help. Go."
Iida's eyes went wide. "What?! I can fight! I can help protect everyone!"
Aizawa's expression didn't change. "This isn't a debate. You're the only one who can outrun them. GO."
Iida's fists clenched at his sides. His whole body trembled. "I... I don't want to abandon my classmates!"
Thirteen's voice cut through, steady and firm. "Iida. You're not abandoning anyone. You're saving us. If you don't go, no one does."
Iida looked at the platform—at the students still screaming, at the portals swallowing his friends, at the villains spreading across the floor. His face twisted. His engines roared.
"I UNDERSTAND!" His voice cracked. "I WILL RETURN WITH HELP!"
He rocketed toward the exit, a blur of speed and desperation.
Shigaraki's voice was annoyed. "Stop him."
Kurogiri tried to redirect his warp, darkness reaching toward the fleeing Iida—
Aizawa lunged forward, capture weapon lashing, his body moving faster than Izuku had ever seen. "You're not touching my student!"
He locked eyes with Kurogiri—Erasure reactivated.
The warp gate flickered, unstable, suppressed.
But Nomu shifted again, its massive body blocking Aizawa's line of sight with mechanical precision.
Aizawa's Erasure cut off.
Kurogiri's warp expanded.
Izuku grabbed Uraraka's arm, his grip iron. "STAY WITH ME!"
Kurogiri appeared directly in front of them—the mist villain had moved closer, now near the entrance where the students were huddled, his form solidifying just enough to be visible.
Izuku saw it.
Kurogiri's neck. Exposed. Vulnerable. The metal collar, the mist parting just enough, the solid flesh beneath.
If I can just reach him—stop him—
He burst forward at eight percent, the power surging through his legs, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
His hand reached for Kurogiri's neck—
Kurogiri noticed at the last second. His eyes widened behind the mist.
The warp gate flared wildly, uncontrolled, a convulsion of darkness.
Izuku felt himself pulled. Twisted. Falling.
He heard Uraraka scream his name.
Then nothing.
He fell through darkness and slammed into water.
The cold hit first—shock, lungs seizing, limbs flailing. He surfaced gasping, coughing, his arms cutting through the water on instinct. The Verdant Knight armor was heavier than his gym uniform, pulling at him, but the buoyancy of the undersuit kept him afloat.
He looked around.
Massive body of water stretched in every direction, gray-green and churning. A partially sunken shipwreck loomed nearby—rusted, tilted, half-submerged, its hull groaning against the current. The only solid structure in sight.
The flood zone. I'm in the flood zone.
He swam toward the ship, his strokes measured, conserving energy. The metal hull was slick with algae, the deck tilted at a sharp angle, but he found purchase and pulled himself up. Water poured from his armor, pooling at his feet. The ship groaned beneath him, metal protesting, but it held.
His HUD activated automatically—scanning, analyzing, highlighting heat signatures in the water below.
He scanned the readings. Read them again.
No one else nearby.
I'm alone.
He thought of the others. Uraraka, her scream still echoing in his ears. Yaoyorozu, calm and capable, but scattered somewhere in this nightmare. Kirishima, Kaminari, Tsuyu, Mina, Sero—all of them pulled into darkness, all of them somewhere in this facility, all of them facing their own floods, their own fires, their own monsters.
They're strong. They'll survive. I have to trust that.
He activated Full Cowling—five percent, enough to move, enough to react, not enough to burn out. The green lightning flickered across his skin, casting emerald reflections on the water below.
First priority: assess the situation. Second: find others. Third: survive until help arrives.
A splash behind him.
He turned.
A villain was pulling himself onto the ship—gills slits in his neck, webbed hands gripping the railing, claws scraping metal. His grin was wide, hungry, confident.
"Well, well." He hauled himself onto the deck, water streaming from his makeshift armor. "A lost little hero. The others went for the main event, but I got lucky."
Izuku settled into his stance. Low center of gravity. Weight distributed. The Bast reflexes humming beneath his skin. The Flexible trait loose, ready.
Main event. They're targeting the others.
The villain lunged, claws extended—
Izuku flowed around the attack, his body moving before his mind caught up. His palm found the villain's neck, fingers pressing into the soft tissue below the jaw. A pressure point. One strike. Precise.
The villain's eyes went wide. His body went slack.
He crumpled to the deck, unconscious.
Izuku stood over him, breathing steady. "One down."
A blue screen flickered in his vision, bright against the gray sky.
[ FEAT ACHIEVED: DEFEATED YOUR FIRST VILLAIN ]
[ +1 BRONZE GACHA TICKET ]
[ ROLLING... ]
[ KUJIN STYLE ]
[ UNCOMMON SKILL ]
A martial arts style developed to counter heavily armored or lumbering large opponents. Based around throws, sweeps, and trips to get opponents to the ground, then finishing them with powerful blows. May struggle against more traditional martial arts.
Izuku blinked at the screen. New knowledge settled into his muscles—techniques for fighting bigger enemies, for taking them off their feet, for controlling the fight on the ground. Sweeps. Holds. Throws designed to use an opponent's weight against them. The ghost of training he'd never taken, settling into his bones like it had always been there.
Kujin Style. For big opponents. Good to know.
He dismissed the screen and looked out at the water.
Shadows moved beneath the surface. Multiple heat signatures. Swimming toward the ship. Circling.
More coming. They'll keep coming. But I can't leave this ship—it's the only high ground.
He took a breath. Steadied himself. Felt the new techniques humming alongside his existing skills, slotting into place like pieces of a puzzle he hadn't known he was solving.
I'll hold here. As long as I can. Someone else will come. They have to.
The ship creaked around him. Water lapped against the hull. Somewhere in the distance, an explosion echoed across the facility—low, heavy, final.
Izuku waited.
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Author's Notes:
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If you're enjoying the series and want to read ahead (or just help keep it going), consider checking it out — every bit of support means a lot. Thanks for sticking around and being part of the journey!
15 CHAPTERS ADVANCE OF STARTING WITH BLACK CLOVER
5 CHAPTERS ADVANCE OF MHA: LIMITED CHAOS GACHA
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NOTE: WE ARE FINALLY AT USJJ!! but tbh im wondering if my pacing is a bit too fast. Well, compared to a lot of MHA fanfics where they start before canon or just at the start of canon, I started like on the day of UA exams. I hope you will enjoy this and the future chapters fr. Also how's my writing?