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Zero to Hero

Summary:

Izuku Midoriya, a mortal boy, stumbles across Camp Half-Blood while running from a hellhound. There, he meets Dionysus, masquerading as one Aizawa Shota, Ochako Uraraka (daughter of Hermes), Tenya Iida (Satyr of Pan), and a slew of other Demigods.

Including Katsuki Bakugou. His childhood bully.

Oh! And what's even worse, he gets selected for a QUEST! Yay!

By the way, did he mention he was mortal?

Chapter 1: It don't bite. YES IT DO, B*TCH!!!

Chapter Text

I tore through the underbrush of the sprawling New York forest. It was pouring rain, as far as I could tell, but the canopy of the piney forest kept me mostly dry. It was also really dark, but not enough for me to think it was nighttime. I wasn’t sure where I was going, how long I was going for, or when I would stop going. Those things all seemed like really trivial thoughts. At least they did right now. Normally, being lost in the woods, dashing like a madman, you’d wanna ask these questions. Things like: Why haven’t I used my cellphone to try to get some service? Or, Why not just backtrack and find my way back to a road where I can hitchhike? Well, firstly, this is New York. Hitchhiking is an honest 50/50 shot of making it home safely for anyone under 15. Which I am. Secondly, using my phone would only make the big fire dog more privy to my location. And I do NOT want to be caught by the big fire dog.

Oh, wait. I forgot to introduce myself.

Hey there! My name is Izuku Midoriya, I’m 13 years old, and I am currently being chased down by a massive fire-wolf-dog thing.

Speaking of, a loud roar behind me made my legs remember that this isn’t monologuing time.

I dashed past trees and shrubs, cursing as my legs and arms gained more and more cuts and scrapes. I wouldn’t fall down, not like I could afford to anyways. It was run for my life and die later fall and die now, or delude myself into thinking maybe the puppy just wants to play.

I’ll take Option 1, thank you very much.

The treeline suddenly broke in front of me, revealing a huge sweep of grassy plains. I stood in the now-evident mid-summer thunderstorm, basking in cold twilight rain. There was a hill in the distance, with a road leading to it and doubling back once at its base. The land behind the hill was masked by a swathe of forest. On the hill was a massive pine tree. It was radiating with very faint blue light, making a wide barrier around the forest.

Safety? Maybe?

I looked forward and saw the dude with the big legs and the cute girl from before. I mean, not saying that’s all I noticed. Because it wasn’t. She just so happened to be cute and that’s one of her defining features along with her cheeks and her face shape and her really striking brown eyes that seemed to shine in the light and the fact that she was very quick on her feet and approaching me?

I was very roughly pushed out of the way as the beast flew past me and the girl. It had lunged at me while I was stuck in place, and she had pushed me.

The fire-not-wolf tumbled down into the plains, making small craters and scrapes with its body and claws as it scrambled to get up. The girl grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, locking eyes with me.

“Come on! Let’s go!”

The dude with the big legs—sorry, no; with the GOAT legs—looked at me with a weird, almost suspicious look, but ran forward with me and the cute girl that was tugging me along. We ran down past the hound, who was just getting its bearings again. The dude with the goat legs strode past us and got to the top of the hill with almost Olympic-athlete-level speeds.

What did I walk into?

“Ochako! Run! Get past the tree!”

The girl—Ochako… cute name—dashed with me up the hill and phased through the barrier. But me…

WHUMP!

I slammed side-first into the blue shimmer, feeling both a firm and bouncy resistance. My fall onto the floor was anything but graceful, yet I stood up without flustering anyways. I put my hands on the force field, confused about why she made it through, but I didn't.

“Dear gods…” the goat dude muttered. “He’s mortal.”

Finally hearing him speak after a few hours of chasing him, I looked at the goat dude fully for the first time. He had blue hair, red irises, and a fine set of glasses on his face.

“M-mortal?” I questioned. “You say that like you aren’t.”

“I’m not,” he replied. “And neither is she. You should turn back now, or find some way around the hellhound. I’m surprised it caught your scent as much as it did ours, but splitting up from us should make it lose your trail.”

I blinked at him as he walked through the blue shield, my face a mask of horror.

“Go back to that thing?!”

I pointed back to the hellhound and turned my head to face it. Except it wasn’t at the tree line. It was at the base of the hill, ears back and mouth in a snarl.

“SHIT!”

I screamed as the massive dog-wolf thing leaped at me. I just barely managed to duck before the thing slammed into where I was standing and consequently, the barrier. It shook with a rumble, then quieted as the monster rebounded off of it.

I stared at the goat dude—I should really know his name by now—and gestured to the hound.

“HELP???”

He looked conflicted, taking a few precious seconds to think. Seconds I was in short supply of. I screamed again as I barely saw the hellhound leap at me, but I didn't move fast enough this time. I managed to avoid most of the danger, but a large rake was taken out of my arm as the hellhound flew by me and tore into my flesh with its claws. Luckily the wound was cauterized nearly immediately due to the temperature of the weapons it used.

Didn’t stop it from hurting, though.

I wailed in pain and clutched my arm as I fell to my knees.

“I, Tenya Iida, child of Pan and Seeker for Camp Half-Blood, give Izuku Midoriya permission to enter camp!”

I then felt a hand grab me and pull me along the ground right as the hellhound lunged again. Luckily, it ate my slightly-raised-track-of-mud as it collided with the barrier once more, with me safely behind it.

Then, I passed out.

 


 

The sun felt warm on my face as I woke up. A hand was gently holding mine and I mumbled to whoever it belonged to. Probably Mom.

“Mmmm… gimme ten moh minnuhs… ‘m tired…”

“O-oh! Sorry. I’ll leave you be.”

That wasn’t Mom’s voice.

I shot up in the cot I was laying in and tore my hand away from the gentle embrace, whipping my head around to see who it was.

It was the cute girl. Ochako, if I remembered correctly.

She looked shocked and had her hands in a defensive but also pacifying position, held up to her shoulders, arms tucked, and palms facing me.

That’s when it all came back.

I checked my arm, then saw the bandages. I tore them off, hearing a small, strangled noise come from Ochako as I did so.

The wound was fully healed, and only four large, rough, claw marks embedded into my arm in the form of scars remained. They looked pinkish-tan in color, much different than my normal fairish-tan skin tone. I started to breathe a little heavy, then my mind started to blur, then I couldn’t really breathe at all and—

Oh, fun. Panic attack.

I heard Ochako’s voice call out to me, then to someone else. After a second, a few people swarmed over me, making everything claustrophobic. They backed off, for some reason, as Tenya—the goat-legged dude—sat at my side with Uraraka.

“—uku. Izuku!”

My head started to clear as the soft sound of pan flutes being played entered my ears. It instantly calmed me down, made me relax, but kept me awake and aware. I looked around, seeing totally new faces, faces that looked like a rag-tag group of misfits. Or maybe a summer camp? Yeah, that was more likely, considering the giant streak of orange shirts with the same black lettering and logo plastered on the front.

Camp Half-Blood.

Camp Half-Blood.

Camp…

“Where am I?” I asked.

The group around me broke up and scurried away as a new, bigger person entered my vision. He was tall, tired-looking, and smelled of… diet Coke?

“You,” this new guy said. “Are in Camp Half-Blood. Home to all Greek demigods and some of the friendlier monsters. And you… are not a demigod.”

“Yeah, I know. Wait, demigods, gods, monsters… they’re… they’re real? Like real real. This isn’t some massive prank that you guys could get mega sued for?”

The new dude shook his head.

“Sadly, as easy as it seems to be fake, the gods—and by extension, demigods—are real. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I’m Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, debauchery, and pleasure. And you, as I said, are not a demigod.” He eyed me with a tired, yet almost contemptuous stare. “So why are you here, little mortal?”

I looked around again, finally getting a full bearing of my surroundings. I was sitting on the porch of what looked like a farmhouse, which overlooked a massive field of strawberries. On the hills behind the berries, there was a dense treeline, almost like a natural shield. To the left of the field, there were a few things that stood out as weird. There was an Olympic-sized volleyball court, an old greek amphitheater, and the hill where I passed out at.

“Well? I don’t have all day.”

I flicked my eyes back to Dionysus, who didn't look all that godly, then shrugged.

“I was running from the hellhound, following Ochako and Tenya when… y’know… hellhound.”

Dionysus ran a hand down his face, clearly exasperated. “Whatever. Ibaku Modoyaki, right? Go to the Hermes Cabin. Have Ikachi show you around.”

I would’ve told him what my name was, but Tenya and Ochako whisked me away. Probably not to irritate him further. I looked at the two of them, then dug my heels into the ground, stopping them both in their tracks.

“Okay,” I started. “I’m confused, a bit scared, REALLY refreshed, and somehow completely healed from that monster attack. I’ve been rolling with the punches, and I can tell she has too.” I gestured to Ochako, who blushed, but nodded in agreement. “I followed you because I was curious, then that thing caught my scent, then I followed you guys because you seemed to know where you were going. But NOW? No idea what’s going on. So can someone, preferably Tenya, PLEASE explain what’s going on?”

Ochako turned to Tenya at the same time I did, her face less manic and afraid than mine. But he got the hint, then cleared his throat.

“Alright, I’ll explain what I can. It all starts with the Gaia and Ouranos…”

Chapter 2: A Wild Pomeranian Has Appeared!!!

Notes:

So Chapter 2!!! Small disclaimer up front, chapters for this and Spider Bite (my Spider-Deku fic) will be a bit wishy washy on priority. I'll try my best to get a chapter for EITHER out once a week, but no guarantees for both.

Anyways, hope you enjoy! And to my PJO fans here, welcome to the show!

Chapter Text

I sat down at the foot of the Hermes Cabin as Tenya got Ochako acquainted with her temporary (or permanent, in two cases) home.

My mind was still reeling from the sheer amount of information. The gods were real. The GREEK gods were real. Even trying to remember the Olympians was a struggle, and now I had to memorize some of the minor gods, monsters, witches… my head was already killing me.

Luckily, Ochako didn't take long.

"Phew," she said. "It's… very loud in there. And packed. And smelly."

She waved her hand by her nose and shot me a smile. At least she was taking it well.

I stood up and looked around, confused as to where Tenya went.

"So… did tall, dark, and shaggy leave us to ourselves?" I nodded to the cabin, not seeing Tenya anywhere inside or outside. People were clamoring about in the cabin and I couldn't see Tenya's signature blue hair.

"Nope, he's kinda just… stuck…" Ochako replied.

Then, almost on cue, Iida struggled to the doorway of the cabin and popped out, brushing himself off.

"Always the Hermes Cabin, we had to let Hermes host the new ones… not Hecate or even Hypno. No. Hermes."

I raised an eyebrow as he grumbled to himself. He seemed… not grumpy, but very strict and stiff. Like a goat when they faint and fall over. Only all the time. And on the inside as well as the outside.

"So," I began. "Where do I stay?"

Tenya shot me a look. It wasn't disgust or contempt so much as apathy. "I don't know, exactly. Mortals don't often come here. Much less stick around. Don't you have parents to go back to?"

I gave a so-so shake of my hand.

"Yes and no. I have a Mom, but she's an orphanage worker. She cares for and about me, but… she'd probably assume I'd been adopted. Besides, I followed you guys during the middle of the school day, remember? I'm not someone that people realize is gone."

Besides, I thought to myself, I've been gone for days at a time before. Usually at foster houses or friends' houses, but still.

Tenya gave me a blink and a sigh. "Come," he said. "Let's have Chiron talk to you."

I followed him as he led me to the Big House—the name of the farmhouse where I woke up. Everywhere around me, there were campers. Big, small, wide, thin, all different ethnicities and races. It was a lot. Way more diverse than any school or camp I'd been in.

"So everyone here is…"

"Yes," Tenya interrupted. "Everyone here is a Demigod. or a satyr, like me and Asui. Or a spirit, like the nymphs, dryads, nereids."

He gestured to the people around him. I could see plant people peeking out of trees, water people poking out of the lake in the distance, and goat people walking around with campers. Not only was the camp a human melting pot, but a general Greek Mythology melting pot too. At least… one with the friendly ones.

“And you…”

“I am a satyr. Half-man, half-goat. And satyrkind doesn't take kindly to mixing up what animal we are.” He shot me a look as if he knew I had tried about thirteen different hooved animals in my head while looking at him before settling on a goat. I shot my hands up in a surrender pose, not quite wanting yet another animal—or half-animal—on my ass. My surrender from the topic seemed to sate Tenya, as he turned back towards the Big House and kept walking.

The rest of the short walk was quiet, only accompanied by the soft rustle of the early-summer grass beneath our feet. Speaking of, it was strange to me that there were so many kids here when school was still in session. It was going to let out in… what… a few days now? But still, this camp had at least fifty, maybe sixty kids. How much would it be when school finally ends and summer begins?

Questions like that vanished from my head as the cool air of the Big House hit my face. Tenya held the door open and shut it behind us as we walked into the living room. It was a nice place, although it had some odd decorative elements. We walked through a hallway and into an office where a man was sitting at a desk. He had a plaque facing the door with the name ‘Sekijiro Kan’ inscribed on the face of it.

“Welcome,” said Sekijiro. “You must be very confused.”

He stood up and…

Okay, he’s half-horse.

“You’re half-horse.”

Sekijiro looked at me with a start, then turned to Tenya.

“It seems, sir,” Tenya said (with no lack of exasperation), “that this young man can see through the Mist. And to a great extent, as well. Much more than many parents of demigods.”

Sekijiro nodded, then walked around his desk to stand in front of me. His coat was a start white, matching his short white hair. Everything was accented by a tanned shade of fair skin and red eyes, making his whole figure seem present and dangerous. Despite his semi-formal teacher’s garb, he looked like he could throw down with nearly anyone. I was intimidated, mostly because I’d seen videos online of how powerful a kick from a horse could be. My ribcage would be shattered in an instant if I couldn't run. And based on my interaction with the hellhound…

I didn't like my chances.

“Well… I can tell you’re mortal. You don’t have the goldy scent like demigods do. And from what Tenya told me last night, you did have to be let in.”

I gulped down my nerves and nodded.

“Y-yes, sir. I’m a mortal boy, got two mortal parents, not a drop of god blood in me.”

Sekijiro smiled a warm smile and ruffled my hair. His hands were rough but kind. It felt like an older uncle giving you a head-pat, only more fatherly. I couldn’t resist the urge to give a small smile, which only prompted a similarly-sized chuckle from Sekijiro.

“Well,” he said. “It seems like you’ve had a rough night and morning. Coming to terms with old myths like yours truly being real can’t be good for one’s mental health.”

I blinked at him. “What do you mean, ‘like yours truly’? I know you’re a… horse… man…”

“Centaur.” Sekijiro smiled as he corrected me as if he was glad for the chance to educate.

“Right, centaur,” I amended. “But aren’t centaurs sort of… a general myth? Not like… the… uhm… Misfortune Crime Committed Upon Persephone?”

Sekijiro shook his head as if reminiscing. “Yes, yes, you’re right. Centaurs are common, even now. But I am no ordinary centaur. You’re currently speaking to Chiron, centaur child of Zeus, mentor and teacher of great heroes such as Heracles, Achilles, Jason, and Asclepius, just to name a few.”

I looked at him with a blank face. Mostly because like, fifty percent of those words had absolutely zero significance to me other than dating him by a few thousand years. I nodded and tried to look impressed, but by the face of mild disappointment Chiron made, it didn’t work.

“Sorry…” I muttered. “I don’t really… know a lot of this stuff. Mostly just the basics. And I’m even rusty on those.”

Chiron shook away the disappointed face, then looked at me again.

“It’s fine, young one. We’ve not had a mortal be in camp and be aware that they’re here in many years. So, forgive the small hiccup in placing you somewhere. Do you have anywhere you need to go? A home, perhaps?”

I shook my head, then explained my situation to Chiron just as I had with Tenya. He seemed a bit saddened but thought for a few moments before commenting.

“Well, if you’re in no rush to go home, especially since you have no mode of transport besides walking, you’re permitted to stay here for the meantime. I’ll try and get a contact from the city to take you home within the next week, just so no major suspicions arise.”

Tenya seemed mildly aghast at that proclamation, but I was honestly excited.

“So… do I get to stay in the Hermes cabin? Or is that a privilege only the goldy get?”

Chiron laughed, then shook his head.

“You’ll be staying here, in the Big House. The couch in the living room should be a pull-out. Feel free to make Camp Half-Blood your temporary home. I’ll have one of my trusted satyrs see you around to a greater extent than today, but that will come later. For now, it seems like it’s just about lunchtime.”

My stomach agreed with that statement and rumbled. Tenya rolled his eyes and Chiron laughed.

“Yeah,” I chuckled out. “It seems so.”

 


 

The day passed, lunch was eaten (I definitely didn’t order about 3 plates of hot wings then immediately regret it. No. Whoever told you that lied.), and Camp was shown to me. There were a decent amount of activities that were… very dangerous to a mortal. Like the climbing wall. With an actual lava fall. No, I’m not kidding.

Now, though, it was time for the campfire and dinner. After getting my plate of ribs, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and glass of Coke, I walked over to the campfire. Asui—the satyr assigned to me by Chiron—was walking with me, explaining why we hang out with mosquitoes.

“It’s about the gods. More specifically, their relationship to modern sacrifice.”

I tensed up immediately and considered if a demigod-enhanced bodily state could catch me.

“We give them some food from our dinner to show our appreciation and to use as a way to pray to them. Just slide a bit of everything into the fire and wait until it burns up. Then we can sit back under the pavilion.”

I let out a quick sigh of relief. Glad to know the sacrifice wasn’t human.

I got to the campfire and scraped in a rib, some mash, and a few sticks of my greens. The food immediately burned and morphed into a gold-ish powder, floating up and disappearing after a bit. It smelled like… home. Like the orphanage on Baking Nights and during game tourneys. I suddenly felt homesick. Which wasn’t something I felt very often.

And usually, this is the part of the story where the protagonist makes a long-winded speech about realizing that this may be the wrong path for them, and family is the true meaning of life.

Key word: usually.

“What. The fuck.”

I almost dropped my plate, but nerves kept me in place.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope, triple nope. Not today.

Without making eye contact with the literal devil incarnate, I turned on my heels and started to speedwalk back to the pavilion. Hopefully, he just thinks it's a misunderstanding, and I can get away again. Yup. Just like all the other times.

But, luck was not on my side. Tyche must really have it out for me.

I was scooped up by my collar and the unmistakable breath of Katsuki Bakugou wafted over my left shoulder.

“Don’t run now, nerd. We’re not done.”

Fuck, fuck, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!!

Now, a little lesson about humans. We have a thing called: Fight or Flight. Some add Freeze to that list too, which is cool, but not relevant. This little phenomenon is a thing with the brain when it’s in mega danger. Either we run like babies, or fight like idiots. Normally, I flee, engage my wings and fly.

But sometimes…

“Oh, so not like how you’re done brushing your teeth?”

Sometimes my brain fights.

“THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?”

I cursed myself as he turned me around, decked me in the face, and sent me sprawling. Nice, cool dirt. Mmmm. My favorite late-afternoon snack.

“Oh, so your firecracker personality left you deaf, too. I said your breath smells like ASS!”

My mouth didn’t stop. I don't know why since this dude is very strong and that's at least four times stronger than me. I looked up at him, already feeling my cheek bruising, and smirked.

“Nice to see you too, Katsuki.”

Katsuki snarled at me and prepared a kick, but a few campers stopped him and held him back. I would swear up and down I saw his body and eyes start to leak a red wispy aura, but I wasn't sure.

After a second, Katsuki decided to spit on me, which was fair, I did say he needed a mint or five. I stood up, brushing myself off, and looked at him. Same red eyes, blonde hair, and slightly bigger (now much bigger) build that I remember seeing when crying on the playground. Fun times. Except now, he was seething with rage and wanting to kill me. Before, he was only boiling, and hurting me was about all he could want to do.

Footsteps and hoof… steps. Hoof-steps? Point is, Chiron and Dionysus—who I’m supposed to call Mr. D, but I won’t—decided to pull up and inspect the scenario.

“Now what do we have here?”

I looked up to see Dionysus’ tired, pale, scraggy face. He looked good for a god on community service punishment. Or at least as good as one could look while babysitting mini-gods.

“What we have,” Katsuki snarled, “is this little FUCK—”

“Language, Katsuki!” Chiron shouted.

“BITE ME, HOOVES FOR BRAINS! This little whelp doesn't belong here! He’s puny and weak!”

I stuck my tongue out at Katsuki, mildly offended at the weak part. I worked out… sometimes. “Yeah, asshat, I know! I’m a mortal, you’re literally divine, and I couldn’t care less about your inferiority complex right now. I was trying to eat dinner and honor the gods who spared me from being your cousin.”

“YOU LITTLE—”

A few notes of a pan flute later and Katsuki was gagged by vines and leaves, muffling his screaming and making it sound more like angry pillow speak.

Chiron sighed as he led me away from the scene, Dionysus trailing not that far behind us.

“For someone as timid as you seemed,” Chiron began. “You certainly have a sharp tongue.”

“Only for him. He’s always been a bully. I just grew a spine. I last saw him in… maybe fourth grade. Third? It’s been a while. He was an ass then, and apparently still is now. When I got to middle school, I decided to not be beaten down like that anymore. Grew me a pair of balls and started fighting back. Sometimes. When it was easier than running. Okay, almost never. But I did have some very intense conversations in my head.”

Chiron looked at me like a disappointed father. A look I didn’t really get the chance to see until now.

I didn’t like it, so I looked away.

“Listen, however… arrogant and abrasive Katsuki may be, you’re still at camp. A safe haven for demigods. And you, for the next few days. While we do train our campers to fight, it’s for the purpose of self-defense, not for picking schoolyard scraps. Please try and ignore Katsuki if you can. We’ve had problems with him in the past, but not any that were this intense.”

Dionysus nodded, then sneezed.

“Chiron’s right,” the god said. “As much as I couldn't care any less about you brats, you’re under my protection, and liabilities are too much paperwork and grief for me to handle. So, keep the fighting to a minimum. But if there is fighting, do it in the arena where the harpies will clean the blood up.”

Chiron shot Dionysus a look, and I shrunk a little bit.

“Right,” I replied. “No picking flights. Got it.”

After dismissing me to dinner and rounding up Katsuki, both Dionysus and Chiron walked off to the Big house. I went back to the pavilion, got a new plate of ribs, and barely touched it.

Getting punched in the face really hurts your appetite.

Chapter 3: I Never Was A Team Player...

Notes:

Howdy Hey! Sorry this is... 3 weeks late... I've been busy... hehe. Senior year is kicking my ass, so yeah, don't expect a huge influx of chapters. Just enough to keep u going for a month... hopefully.

Anyways, enjoy the long chapter 3!

Chapter Text

The next few days at camp were… interesting. As a mortal, people tended to have one of three reactions: pity, disgust, or straight-up obliviousness. People snarled at me for being weak and invading their space, some gave me “a helping hand” at basic tasks, and some just… forgot I was there at all.

But a few kids were cool.

Ochako, of course, was very sweet and kind but had a fighter hidden under her nice girl exterior. She was fierce on the battlefield; good at what she did, too, thanks to the demigod reflexes. From the times I’d happened to see her sparring or training, she seemed to prefer blunt weapons over bladed ones. Something that was unusual, apparently. Good for her, breaking the mold.

A girl named Momo Yaoyorozu was also pretty cool. She was insanely smart (even for an Athena kid), very prim and proper, and kinda… sheltered. I saw her eating rich-people food at the mess hall more than once, and she had a habit of walking like an heiress to some rich company. However, despite all that, she was very sincere and even a little absent-minded.

Two Hermes kids, Hanta and Kosei, were pranksters and immediately decided to pull a massive joke on the entire camp, which they needed my help with. They got another kid, Mina from the Aphrodite cabin, to play “announcer” as they had a sparring match. A few kids had shown up, but the crowd soon drew more and more people. Mina then started to use something called Chamspeak (essentially hypnosis on steroids, apparently) to make the crowd feel a bunch of suspense. Then, I was to walk out onto the field, right into the middle of their swords clashing. When the time was right, I did that, trusting that they’d stop. But they didn’t.

What’s good though, is that I didn't feel a thing. The blades phased through me, clashing inside of my body. I looked over to Sero, who winked and nodded his eyebrows to Mina. She was screaming and narrating how I was “a ghost sent to haunt us from the Underworld” or something. The crowd started to scream and run, emptying the stadium in less than fifteen seconds.

One laugh and bite to eat later, three new friends.

The last person that I really made friends with was a girl named Reiko. One of 3 kids in the Hecate cabin, she was sort of a loner by situation, and an even bigger loner by nature. She had been reading under Thalia’s tree when I first saw her, then was practicing her magic alone at night the next time. It was the third time I saw her, eating by herself by the lake during lunch, that I decided to talk to her.

I put down my plate of Dominican rice and my burger and sat down, looking off at the lake. She didn’t seem to react to me sitting until I turned to speak to her.

“You’re that mortal. Came in a few days ago after a hellhound attack.”

Wasn’t a question so much as an observation, but I nodded anyways.

“Yeah. And you’re that chick that reads under a tree instead of talking to people.”

She blushed and turned her head away, but didn’t deny it. I smiled to myself. Lots of people can dish out plenty of shit, but can’t take a fraction of it themselves. Seemed she was no different.

“Name’s Izuku Midoriya. And you are?”

“Reiko Yanagi. Fourth daughter of Hecate in 25 years, seventh child. Why are you talking to me?”

I shrugged, took a bite of my burger, then nodded at the nereids in the lake winking and waving to us. One of them blew me a kiss, and I rolled my eyes at her. She pouted and swam away, which made me smile a little.

“I dunno,” I said. “Why the lunch with a twenty percent chance of getting wet via annoyed water lady?”

Reiko blinked, then looked at her food. It was a very traditionally Japanese dinner of tonkatsu and steamed cabbage. Her hands fiddled with themselves, then came to a rest in her lap. She had on the classic Camp Half-Blood shirt but was wearing a long pleated skirt instead of the jeans and shorts I’d seen other campers wear.

“It’s quieter here. Less energy floating around. Especially with the Ares kids. If I get anywhere near some of them, I get a headache. One of them makes me see red. Literally.”

She picked at a wildflower on the ground. A dandelion. Maybe, I don't know plants.

“Besides, not many people like the Hecate kids. One of my older sisters and all of my older brothers were known for playing pranks and abusing the Mist before they eventually left camp. Or died. Now there’s a little bit of a stigma towards us. Makes being alone easier, I guess.”

I frowned and gave her a look.

“That’s bullshit, y’know?”

She looked at me with a start. I wasn’t sure if it was from my language (and it shouldn’t have been; Kacchan gave me a huge potty mouth) or from what I meant. But I was glad for her attention nonetheless.

“Why judge you or any of your mom’s kids just because a few were pranksters? I would ask if all Ares kids are aggressive, but that’s a moot point because they all are. And the Athena kids aren’t any better at not all being smart. Sometimes it’s insufferable how oblivious they are when they annoy people. Anyways, my point is…”

I trailed off as I heard her giggling. I stopped talking and smiled, waiting for her fit to finish.

“I’m sorry, Izuku, truly. You just have an excellent sense of humor.”

I cocked an eyebrow and grinned. “Oh, so we’re joking now?”

She laughed harder and I smiled a bit softer. We talked a bit more, ate our food, then said our goodbyes as we parted ways after lunch. Since then, which was about a week ago, my little group of misfits was complete. The quiet Reiko and Momo complimented the loudness of Tsubaraba and Hanta, with me and Uraraka playing either mediator or “Don’t do that, idiot”-er. Take a guess who’s who.

Anyways, we were all sitting by the campfire on a Friday night when… it happened.

Capture The Flag.

 


 

We were all hanging by the campfire during dinner when the war brigade started to march through. I couldn’t help but look on in resigned wonder. It looked like a genuine battle formation. Two armies of campers professionally lined up and poised with shining armor and glinting weapons. I saw two distinct banners flying above each line of soldiers. One with a boar, colored bloody red on deep black fabric, and the other with a silver owl on a blue-gray background.

The red and black boar flag belonged to the Ares cabin. I saw Katsuki at the front, sneering with a smug and already-victorious expression.

It annoyed me.

Someone I didn’t quite know was leading the Athena cabin; the one with the blue owl flag. He was around Katsuki’s height, blonde, with an unassuming face and set of features. Looked normal. Like most kids here, actually.

“—is name is Mashirao Ojiro. He’s head of the Athena cabin, and a good head too. He does a lot of the work and is deserving of having the title all to himself… even if he insists on calling me his co-head.” Momo muttered. She was looking down into her lap, a face of slight dejection on her face.

That annoyed me too.

“So, Ares and Athena are duking it out?” I asked. I looked at the two cabins, smiling at the joke about to roll off of my lips. “Brains versus Crayon-Eating?”

Momo giggled, as did the rest of our group, but shook her head.

“Nope, not just them, anyways. They’re allied with other cabins. Athena has Hermes and Apollo, the two biggest cabins. Strength in numbers. Ares claimed everyone else. Athena had to work hard for its alliances, though. Lots of swapped duties and privileges.”

I nodded and looked at my group.

“So… where does that leave me?”

Everyone shrugged, then stilled as Chiron made himself known behind us. He was with Dionysus, who looked as tired and as depressed as ever.

“You, young man,” he started. “You will have the choice to participate, should you choose. This is a dangerous sport, but I’ve noticed that you’ve been feeling a little left out. I understand how that must feel, so I talked with Mr. D here and he agreed… although for motivations much less altruistic than mine.”

Dionysus only nodded, smiling like a sadist. It was creepy, so I elected to ignore it.

“Okay,” I said. “Do I get to choose teams?”

Chiron nodded, and I nodded in kind. “Good, then I choose Athena.”

A smile drifted across Chiron’s face, and it was almost as if the centaur had known I would choose that. I suddenly felt comforted, yet a million times more anxious.

“Good. I’ll have one of the Hephaestus kids fit you.”

Both adults walked away, which gave my anxiety plenty of time to rise and make me instantly regret saying yes to them. I clearly wasn’t thinking straight because I had just agreed to get into a grudge match with a bunch of literal mini-gods. My hands became sweaty and my head spun as I fell down into my seat on the log. The group tried their best to calm me down, and it helped. But my head was already swimming. It all was too much.

I felt more than made myself rise and walk off towards the forges, where I would be fitted. The next hour was a blur of armor straps, measurements, and lining up with a bunch of strangers. I caught glimpses of shining armor plates and whispers of conversation, but none of it stuck well enough to form clear memories. Dissociative episode? Maybe, but I couldn't have been sure.

I returned to focus as we were marching into the woods, getting into our battle formations and fanning out through the trees. Mashirao was directing campers literally left and right, and when it came to me, he did just the same.

“Izuku, take the left flank and push forward with Joseph and Criss.” Mashirao pointed me towards two other boys, then spoke again once my focus returned to him. “You’ll be scouts for the Ares flag. If you see anything happening that draws the attention of their guards, push the flag and try to get back here as fast as you can. You got it?”

I nodded, then went around with the two campers I’d been assigned to. I was holding a very heavy spear and wearing very heavy armor and running in very humid conditions. Safe to say I wasn’t the happiest camper. The woods were cool, but my armor was suffocating me and almost boiling me alive. It was like being in a room where you’re the only cold one, so everyone kinda just stares at you as you shiver. But I was about to pass out from heat stroke.

We finally made it to the post we were assigned, and I was short on breath to the point where every inhale was a gasp. My eyes stung from the sweat and my bones hurt. My ears picked up on the sound of the starting horn, but I wasn’t fully there to listen to it. Luckily, the dude and non-dude (Criss wasn’t a guy or a girl) beside me helped me stand and catch my breath.

“You okay, dude?” Criss looked at me with a soft look. They were around a few years older than me but no older than seventeen.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just inferior to everyone here in almost every way.”

Joseph and Criss quietly chuckled, but they didn’t deny anything I said. They hunkered down after I recovered from the trek, keeping me between them. I was at no risk of getting hurt by a weapon, but I could still get thrown around and used as leverage. Thankfully, the Athena kids were able to figure that out before the Ares kids did.

I hope.

The battlefield made itself known a few minutes into the game’s start. The clanging of swords and armor rang through the forest, drawing the attention of the three of us. We looked at each other, then moved up farther towards the Ares flag. It was difficult trying to keep quiet with armor on, but we managed.

Eventually, we found a hiding place with the Ares flag in view. It was behind a thin treeline, but it was a hiding place nonetheless. I sat behind a thicker pine, catching my breath and letting the cool tree and dirt drain the heat from my body and armor. Joseph stood watching the flag, and Criss was doing their own thing. I tried my best to stand and look like I was doing something, but standing took a lot of effort and I really didn’t have the energy to do much else.

We sat there for maybe ten minutes with each second, then half-minute, then minute, dragging on like walking through a pool full of molasses. With iron chains on your feet. And a wrecking ball. But eventually, after the wait, we got some action in sight.

Two Ares kids burst through the brush, tapping fire and char off of their shirts.

“FUCK!” said one of them. “WHY DO THEY HAVE LIGHTNING? NORMAL PEOPLE DON’T JUST HAVE THAT!!!”

“Damn Hephaestus kids! Always being fuckin’ weirdos with their shit!”

Ah, so ALL Ares kids have potty mouths. Good to know.

Actually explains a lot about Bakugou.

Criss and Joseph hunkered down, but I didn’t move. I was thin and didn’t fill my armor all the way, so any move I made would’ve made noise. I watched the Ares kids for a second, then glanced at Joseph. He mouthed something to me, but I couldn’t make it out fully. I shrugged, and he gave me a look that seemed both discriminatory and pitying at the same time.

I furrowed my brows, then nodded to the Ares kids. They were getting ready to dash back into the fray, and Criss smacked Joseph and gave him a mean look. He took the hint from them, then started looking at the Ares duo. I was glad that at least someone had my back.

Unlike the tree that I thought I was leaning on.

My face met dirt faster than I could’ve processed the fall, and the pain hit a second after. My ankle cracked as someone pushed me to the ground and knelt on my back. I screamed as fire and brimstone shot on my leg all the way up to my knee. I could feel the already broken bone be twisted by my and the assailant’s body weight. A howl of pure pain and agony ripped from my throat, but it met either occupied or non-caring ears.

“Heh. Looks like we caught a nerd on the loose.”

I fucking hate that voice.

Bakugou leaned down and dug his knee into my back. I could feel my spine stretching and creaking under his weight and strength. Strength far too powerful for any normal human. His body had a definite faint red glow to it. At least what I could see of it was glowing. He took off my helmet, grabbed my fair, then slammed my face into hard dirt. My nose crunched into my face, the bones and cartilage suddenly deciding to intimately meet one another due to Bakugou’s meddling.

“Atreus! Hold him!”

I felt a brief moment of reprieve before an even heavier weight met my person. The armor bent and creaked as the person-who-I-immediately-hate above me knelt on my back. Fucking hell, Ares kids were crazy.

Bakugou knelt in front of me as his crony lifted my head by my hair. He smirked that ever-so-asshole-ish look smirk at me and raised his eyebrows as a greeting.

“So. Enjoying camp?”

I spit at him. Luckily, the watering of my eyes and rapid fading of most intricate motor skills didn't inhibit me from nailing a blood-soaked loogie right onto his cheek. He looked at me with a blank face which slowly grew darker in expression as a red aura leaked off of him like a lava lamp with anger issues.

He stood up, then looked down on me. And at me.

“Die, you fucking mortal.”

And as his boot met my face and my consciousness was abruptly put on pause, all I could think was one thing.

Did he just fucking call me a SLUR?