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Chapter Text

"Can I…can I be a hero without a quirk?" It was a question Izuku had always held in heart. A question he had always wanted an answer for yet always denied. He could ask it to anyone he met, his mother, his classmates, even the random people he met on the streets, but whenever they answered, he'd dismiss it. He'd find some rationale to pick apart their answer or outright ignore it.

Now before him, stood the one person whose response he would never dare question. Before him stood the number one hero in all of Japan, possibly the World, All Might. Izuku watched the man with hope-filled eyes. His hero had saved him not a few moments ago from a villain. Perhaps he could give him the answer he had always wanted.

"No. You can't." All Might had answered. It wasn't any long-drawn-out explanation either, no sense of belittlement. All Might had lifted his shirt, revealing the injury he had been fighting through. A wound unlike any Izuku had ever seen. A wound caused by a villain, no one knew, that not only injured All Might but crippled him as well.

All Might had…in his defense, tried to mitigate the blow. He had told Izuku about all the numerous other avenues he could pursue, but it didn't work. It was all white noise to Izuku. Seeing as he had spent more time than needed, All Might leave, leaving Izuku alone with only his thoughts.

"I'm so sorry Izuku."

"You're nothing but a quirkless reject."

"As if he could be a hero."

Countless voices filled his head as he looked down at his notebook. His dreams didn't matter. He couldn't be a hero, not unless he had a quirk anyway. He collapsed on the roof, crying his heart out. Why did it have to be like this? Why was he born without a quirk? Why was he the unlucky one?

Izuku failed to notice that his intense emotions had drawn the interest of another being. A small little creature, almost the size of a little insect, fluttered beside him, its body was unnaturally white with, numerous red and purple veins spread across it. The creature looked at Izuku, feeling his distress. It was…perfect. The despair…the hopelessness, it was all that would be needed.

After Izuku had picked himself up. He gathered his things and walked home, his head low. After struggling for so many years, clinging senselessly to his dream, he felt defeated. He had reached rock bottom. Izuku looked at his notebooks, conflicted by what he saw. He had always made it a habit to write down whatever quirk he saw, hero or villain, big or small, he'd always write it down. He had hoped that with enough experience…he'd be able to make up the difference, but even that seemed ridiculous now. What would he do when faced with someone who could injure All Might? Die?

"Help me."

The young boy stopped. Someone had called his name. He froze as he looked around trying to find the source. Then he saw it. A small yet unnatural-looking bug was fluttering at the junction…staring at him. He wondered if it was the one who called him.

"Yes." It answered as it fluttered closer to his face. "Help me." The creature asked.

"Help you?" Izuku questioned. No, he couldn't. He was no hero. He was nobody.

"Please…help us." The creature repeated.

Izuku stilled his resolve. Even if he didn't have a quirk, he could still try to help. Even if it only amounted to calling someone to help, if he tried then perhaps he could still be someone. So he followed the creature, he followed it as it led him away from the city and to a nearby beach, Dagoba Beach. Once formerly a famed tourist spot had turned into a dumping ground over the past few years.

As he followed the creature, Izuku made his way further into the dump site. Surrounding him were mountains of trash, with no way of seeing the road. How ironic that he'd end up here, in the trash.

"No. Now's not the time." Izuku told himself as he continued after the creature. He climbed and crawled through the garbage till he eventually found what the creature had been leading him to.

At the edge of the coast, where the land and sea touched, there was an orb on the sand. Izuku looked at it in confusion as he approached the orb. It was unlike anything he had seen before. Stepping closer, Izuku could feel his hair stand on edge as the world around him started to feel different. It was heavier…hotter…more suffocating. His veins felt a little.

He quickly took a step back, moving out of the Orb's range. "What is that?" He questioned.

"My mistress." The creature answered. "She's stuck, trapped in the orb." The creature told him. "Please…free her." It asked. Izuku was hesitant. That feeling…it was unbearable. "Please." The creature pleaded once more, as it did, the creature lost altitude, falling to the sand. "Please." It said weakly.

Izuku felt horrified when he saw the creature begin to evaporate before him. No…no…this wasn't good. It was dying he realized. He had to do something. Against his previous judgment, Izuku hurried to the orb and tried to grab it. If he released the master…then surely she could save her servant. Without thinking he grabbed the orb and then…everything went to black.

"Where am I?" Izuku wondered as he looked around. He was standing before a mirror. His reflection peered back at him.

"Where you need to be" His reflection answered, catching Izuku off guard.

"What?" Izuku gasped. Had his reflection just talked? He moved closer to the mirror, his hand outstretched. "I'm starting to lose my mind." He muttered.

"Not yet." His reflection whispered, this time though the voice was distinctly female and taunting him. Before Izuku could react, a hand shot out of the mirror, grabbing his own. Purple veins pulsed on the hand in the mirror as it pulled him.

"No." He gasped in horror.

"Yes," The reflection taunted as its face approached the mirror. Izuku watched in horror as his face rippled, dissolving before being replaced with another. Golden glowing eyes met his terrified green, and a confident and sinister smirk appeared. Another hand emerged and grabbed his other arm before the figure pulled him completely into the mirror.

Dagoba Beach erupted as a pillar of purple energy shot into the sky—a lone figure standing among the wreckage. Where Izuku had been now stood a young woman with golden eyes and long flowing white hair. Flexing her fingers, the woman turned her head towards the city, a malicious smile gracing her lips.

"I declare judgment." She announced as she snapped her fingers. Several portals opened and numerous lances launched out of them. The Queen of the Void had returned.

Chapter Text

When Yagi regained consciousness he awoke to find himself in a familiar medical ward. He tried to move his left arm but found he was unable to, his whole left side was in too much pain. He winced as he gave up and resigned himself to staring at the ceiling.

"How long was I out?" He asked his nurse. At the side of his bed, waiting patiently was a short elderly woman.

She looked up at him with a sigh of relief. "A little over twelve hours." She noted, however, as she spoke a scowl formed on her face. "You were pushing yourself again, weren't you?" She asked.

"I had no choice." All Might answered. He had thought, hoped, that some hero would arrive who could have done a better job. Someone else could come and save the day while he was out. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

"Is the boy alright?" He questioned. He had the vaguest memories of what happened. The moment things had gone south, he pushed himself, running on only adrenaline his memories had become a blur. The only distinct memory he could recall was screaming, lots of loud screaming.

"He'll live but the damage to his arms was severe. From what his doctors tell me, he was struck in both shoulders as well as in the groin." She admitted. She could see the visible wincing on All Might's face. "For the most part, he is expected to recover but there will be some complications."

"I failed." All Might noted. "I was supposed to save him but I was too slow." He sighed.

"He's alive All Might. That's what matters right now." Recovery girl reassured him. "I've talked to the doctors and they said if he goes to therapy and takes his time he can recover and with some luck, live a semi-normal life."

All Might didn't say anything, but the nurse could see from the way his body loosened up that it had at least put his mind at ease. "That's right. That's what matters." He sighed. The boy may have been injured but he was still safe, he could still be with his family and friends.

However, a scowl crossed his face as another thought soon invaded his mind. "What about the villains?" All Might asked bitterly. "What happened to them?"

"Well, that's a little more tricky." Recovery Girl exhaled. "The slime villain is dead. He was burnt to death from the boy's quirk overtaxing itself. When he was injured the pain, fear, and adrenaline must have really pushed him over the edge. There is good news; due to the circumstance, no charges will be pressed."

"It would be foolish if there were." All Might grumbled. "I can't think of any judge or jury who would pronounce him guilty for defending himself."

"What about…the girl?" All Might asked with a rougher tone. "What happened to her?"

"As far as we know, she vanished without a trace." Recover girl answered. "That said you clearly seemed to have damaged her, but she was still standing in the end. Right now there are various agencies on the lookout for her. She's gotten quite a reputation after all the damage she cost before the fight."

"Damage?" All Might questioned. This was the first he heard of there being any damage. Then again he had only seen her when she had appeared.

Recovery Girl shot him a sorrowful look before handing him his phone with a recent news article opened. All Might glanced at the article, reading its content. His eyes widened in disbelief. The nurse had to quickly act before he could crush the phone in his bare hands.

"From what I heard there were a lot of injuries but so far no deaths." Recovery Girl added.

"Has there been any info found about her? An address or something that can be used to track her?" All Might questioned.

"The police and other agencies are working on it, but so far nothing has surfaced beyond one thing, her name." Recover Girl answered.

"Her name?"

"She calls herself, the Herrscher of the Void."

Izuku's eyes snapped open as he shot forward. His body was drenched in sweat. He looked around trying to discern where he was, only to sigh in relief when he noticed a familiar set of posters. He reached for the lamp next to him and turned it on. He was in his bedroom, back in his mother's apartment.

"What happened?" He muttered to himself. He tried to recall what happened, yesterday. His memories were hazy, at best, but he could make out some details. "Oh."

Yesterday had not been the best day for him. He had almost died of a villain attack. He had his dreams crushed by his hero. His bully had told him to commit suicide. On second thought, maybe it was for the best, he didn't dwell too much on the past. It wasn't so good anyway.

As he got out of bed, a sharp pain jolted through his shoulder. "Ouch." He winced as he held his arm. His body felt sore. Not that it was anything new, whenever Bakugo got him in his sights, he was usually far worse for wear.

"Weak."

Izuku's eyes widened as he looked around. Who had said that? He got no response, and he didn't see any sources around his room. Maybe he should take the day off…after yesterday, his head probably wasn't in the right place.

Leaving his room, Izuku dragged himself to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, scanning for anything to eat. Cereal and milk didn't seem appealing. He could try making a sandwich or something or….

"Ramen."

Oh, right there was ramen. He took the cup of noodles and began to prepare breakfast. After he had finished cooking he took the ramen and went to turn on the news. Maybe he could see something interesting, who knows maybe a new hero debuted. Hero…. that word felt a little sour in his mouth. Nevertheless, he still turned it on, if only out of habit. He grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, before resting it on the table before him.

"It's been 14hrs since the Herrscher of the Void appeared and local law enforcement have not given any word on whether she's been apprehended or not." The news anchor announced. Izuku perked up as the screen displayed the news.

A woman with long beautiful white hair, stood on screen, in an alleyway. The area around her was in flames as an all too familiar slime villain was behind her. "The slime guy." Izuku noticed. "Oh no…when I grabbed All Might…." Izuku realized in horror. He had let a villain loose.

If he hadn't grabbed onto All Might, then the villain wouldn't have escaped. Way to go Izuku, you really just allowed a dangerous villain to roam free. Now someone was hurt or worse and it was all your fault.

"Stay back…or the kid gets it." The villain had taunted the woman. Wait a kid…oh no, Izuku's breathing hitched. Please, don't say it was another kid who got hurt because of him. As the camera changed the reporter explained the situation further. That's when Izuku felt his heart drop.

The bowl of ramen fell from his hands as the reporter named the kid that was captured. "Katsuki Bakugo." The spoke as a familiar image was shown. Bakugo had been captured by the villain. Izuku's hands trembled at the scene.

This was a nightmare, it had to be a nightmare. He reached to grab the remote only to find it had disappeared from where he had left it. Surprised he had looked down at the table, only to find his bowl of ramen, resting untouched in front of him. Wait…didn't he just drop it? How did it land on the table? He didn't hear it hit the floor.

The news continued to play, showing the woman's face against the villain. At first, he had thought her to be a hero. Possibly a vigilante, since those frequently showed up every now and then, before being labeled as a criminal. She had seemed to hesitate at first when the villain announced he had a hostage.

That's when Izuku saw it. A confident smile, adorned her lips as she flicked her wrist forward. Three white and gold lances appeared out of nowhere and fired at the villain. Izuku had thought maybe she'd have some pinpoint accuracy, shoot to immobilize or something…he was very wrong.

He saw blood splat as Bakugo's shoulders were both pierced by the lances, with a third finding its way just below his belt before the video was censored. Izuku had thought maybe it was an accident. Maybe the woman had missed or the villain had moved Bakugo into harm's way.

"Right on target." The woman spoke. Izuku heard her voice clear as day, despite the footage showing her so far away from the one recording it. Izuku heard the screams and gasps of the crowd. He saw the pro heroes try to arrest the villain…but they couldn't. When they tried to touch her, she just phased right through them.

She then turned to the camera, pulling it closer to her with what Izuku assumed was her quirk. That's when he saw it. The haunting gold eyes from his nightmare before. The woman looked at the camera with a confident and arrogant smirk, before clenching her fist and destroying the camera.

The rest of the news recapped the remaining events. It didn't get better. According to the reports numerous heroes in the area had tried to arrest the villain after she acted, and all of them were injured soon after. The list of casualties was not limited to just one or two people. Yet that wasn't even the worst part.

"Last of all, All Might had stepped in to thwart the villain. Suffice to say he had put up a valiant effort as per usual however the situation then took an unexpected turn."

A series of images appeared documenting the fight. All Might had been at an advantage at the start, but that soon disappeared when the Herrscher retaliated. However, the most noticeable similarity in all these pictures was how much often All Might's face scrunched up in agony as the Herrscher struck his side or attacked it using some other method.

The fight had quickly risen the ranks to be proclaimed as one of the pro-hero's most brutal fights. However, that wasn't the only honor it had. It had another title, the one that had most people talking.

"All Might's first draw." He hadn't lost, but he hadn't won either. To the surprise of many, this young villainess had put up more than a decent fight for the hero.

No one seemed to know who this girl was. All she did was give her name, her villain name at least, the Herrscher of the Void. She had no confirmed identity, no human alias. She was a dangerous threat at large. Someone who upon arrival, already showed her power by reaching a stalemate with All Might. Just the thought of a villain being on equal terms with All Might…that alone was bone-chilling.

Izuku turned his television off too shocked by what he had witnessed. This couldn't be real right?

"And I'm just getting started." Izuku heard her whisper. Wait…what? He looked at the television seeing it still turned off. That's when he realized…that the sound didn't come from the TV…it was coming right next to him.

Izuku slowly turned his head, hoping that whatever God existed he was hearing things. Golden glowing eyes met green, as Izuku froze on the spot. His blood running cold and his hair standing on the ends. Before him floated the Herrscher of the Void, an amused smile on her face as she glanced at him with predatory eyes.

"Hello…little insect,"

Chapter Text

"Am I interrupting? I came as soon as I heard you were awake." A voice called out. All Might and Recovery Girl glanced at the door. Before them stood a figure renowned for his cunning intellect, his tactical genius, and his… unassuming appearance.

"Not at all, Principal." Recovery Girl smiled.

"Principal Nezu, how's it been?" All Might nervously asked.

"Oh the same old, same old, you know how it is, dealing with students and such." Nezu mused. "I'm glad to see you're doing okay, All Might."

"Well you know me, I won't go down that easy." All Might smiled.

"Good to hear," Nezu told him. "I want you to know that I truly do appreciate you," Nezu informed.

All Might frowned upon hearing those words. "What's the bad news?" He questioned. "Chiyo already informed me about the destruction the Herrscher caused yesterday. I know I'm not ready yet, but once I get the all-clear, I'll be ready to track her down."

"While I admired your dedication to the job, Toshi, I'm afraid that's only part of the problem," Nezu admitted. There are times when being intelligent had its perks, and then there were times when ignorance truly was bliss. "I just got word from Detective Naomasa. They've managed to track the origin of the Herrscher's attack."

"Really? That's fantastic. Have they found any leads?" Toshi eagerly asked.

"Unfortunately that's where the good news end. You see the Herrscher's attacks originated at Dagoba beach…however, when the investigation team arrived we discovered just how devastating that first strike really was." Nezu said solemnly. "The area as far as we know is now a disaster zone. It's irradiated by a strange energy that we honestly don't have any information."

"Irradiated." All Might said in disbelief. "As in radioactive?"

"I wish it was, that honestly might have been better. Whatever it is, it's not normal radiation, none of the usual procedures whether through technology or quirks is working on it. It's causing machines to malfunction on entry and it's causing humans to become sick just by being close to the area. No one has died yet but many of the people have been hospitalized from exposure. Quite a few of them have developed peculiar glowing red lines on their body." Nezu explained.

"It's entirely dependant on the Herrscher's quirk." All Might realized. "Which means we need to catch her as soon as possible. In order to hopefully undo the damage, and possibly reverse it." The pro-hero tried to get out of bed but was quickly stopped by Recovery Girl.

"Oh no you don't, you need to stay and rest." She instructed.

"The longer I stay here, the more time she has to strike again." All Might rationalized.

"You should listen to her, All Might," Nezu instructed. "As it stands we have no idea of her whereabouts. At best you may find her, but you'll be exhausted and at worst you'll worsen your condition even more."

All Might might have considered ignoring them, but even he knew they were right. If he let himself get worked up then it wouldn't help anyone.

"Good…now we can discuss the other issue," Nezu told him once he was sure All Might wasn't going anywhere. "So far we have no data on her origin, but we've speculated."

"We?" All Might questioned.

"David Shield and Sir Nighteye." Nezu clarified. "That fight wasn't exactly private. It was already being broadcast nationwide and once you appeared on the scene it blew up…and not in a good way. Oh and I should inform you that Nighteye is expected to call soon to discuss your 'successor'. Recent events have made him more worried." Nezu added.

"I'll keep that in mind." All Might be noted. "So what did you find?"

"We have three scenarios, the first is that she's simply some aspiring villain with an extremely powerful quirk. In which case this makes me worry that there are other such villains just waiting for one bad day to snap." Nezu told him. "Even then, a single powerful quirk is no issue if we have Aizawa and a decent enough plan. This is the most optimistic scenario mind you."

"What's the others?" All Might asked. He had a sinking feeling he knew what one of them could be but he really hoped he was wrong.

"Scenario Two, Trigger, it's been a while since the drug was in circulation. If Trigger is involved then we may have a more severe problem. We'll have an organization that's who knows how big, circulating the drug around and causing potential outbreaks of villains with enhanced quirks. Depending on how things play out, the Herrscher could be a one-off situation, or sign off more to come, in which case we'll need to find a cure for it and a way to cut off the supply." Nezu noted.

"A larger task but still within our capabilities. We cut off the supply and we cut off most of the problem."

"Exactly. Trigger effects aren't permanent unless the user has undergone extensive surgery and even then, it creates a dependence on the drug to ensure they can maintain the power. Number three however is a different story."

"All For One." All Might answered darkly.

"I'm afraid so." Nezu sighed. "With how extensive her powers and skill set were, it is very likely that the Herrscher has multiple quirks. We aren't sure how many, but given she can teleport, turn intangible, fly, and create projectiles, it's suffice to say she has an array. A single powerful quirk is one thing, having two is not out of the realm of possibility, but more than four."

"Only All For One would be capable of pulling off that kind of madness." All Might growled. Only AFO had the power to move quirks around like that. It wouldn't be the first time All Might had to deal with his multi-quirked minions. Even if All For One loved to hoard quirks for himself, it wasn't unknown for him to give out extras in return for loyalty and servitude. It also could explain how the Herrscher knew where to strike.

"I'm afraid so," Nezu answered. "That's the worst-case scenario. I'm sincerely hoping it's the wrong one."

"Why do I feel that it might very well be the most likely." All Might dreaded.

Izuku thought he was familiar with feeling fear. He had always felt it now and then in his life. He was a kid with no quirk, no special power to aid him, and surrounded by many with abilities so vast and dangerous that it would be strange not to feel scared. Regularly he saw criminals, always rushing to the scene of a crime in hopes of seeing a hero in action.

After all, when in public if a villain showed up, so too would a hero. Even yesterday when Izuku had thought he was alone, a hero still showed up, All Might had come to save him. Now before him, stood another villain, one who had broken into his house without him being any wiser. One who was supposedly just as strong as All Might.

He had screamed as one might expect when he recognized her, throwing himself over the couch and backing away from her. She…enjoyed the sight of it. He saw her smile widen as he cowered, he realized too late, that he had put himself in a corner. He hadn't even fully recovered from the slime villain and now, he was facing another one.

"I don't have anything of value." Izuku tried to reason. "We're not a very wealthy family." He had hoped if he told the villainess the truth, maybe she'd realize it was pointless robbing them and she would leave. That's generally what some villains wanted right, money.

"Oh, I don't need wealth." She chuckled. as she floated over to him. Landing with making the slightest of sounds. "I just need…you." She smiled as she leaned closer to Izuku "Relinquish the remaining control of your body and I'll ensure that whatever happens next…is quick and painless." She whispered into his ear.

"Wait…what?" Izuku was confused. Give her his body? What did she mean by that? Oh no, don't tell him it was that kind of villain. He paled even more as more horrifying images came to his mind.

"I mean exactly what I said." The young woman clarified she lifted a finger and pressed it onto his chest... "Your body, your mind, your soul…ever since yesterday," She told him as she pressed her finger into him. Izuku's eyes could only stare in horror as her hand phased into his chest. "It all belongs to me, now" She stated. He could feel her clenching her fist despite not seeing it.

The Herrscher pulled her hand out soon after. It was unscathed with no blood and no indication of where it had been. Looking down he saw no hole in his chest, but that feeling was burnt into his mind. He tried to piece together how he even landed in this situation.

"What…how." Izuku gasped, his mind connecting the dots. "Wait a second…that orb." The orb he had been lured to by that strange creature. The one it said held its mistress.

"Ah, so you can think." The woman answered. "But you're correct. When you touched the core, you became a host to me." She explained as she gestured to herself. "The Herrscher of the Void." She proudly proclaimed.

"What but that's…. how…it doesn't make any sense…how is that even possible?" Izuku's mind was at a loss for words. He tried to process it using the only thing he knew that made sense. "Is this your quirk?"

"It's amusing how much your head is looking like it will explode." The Herrscher chuckled. "But no, it's not my quirk, I don't have such a thing as the rest of you insects." She explained. "I am a Herrscher, a being born to bring Humanity's destruction" She elaborated.

"Humanity's…destruction." Izuku gaped.

"Yes. You should rejoice Izuku. I sensed the despair and hatred in your heart, buried deep within. It connected you to me. Then all I needed to do was lead you to me." The Herrscher explained, letting the pieces click into place for Izuku.

"You lied to me."

"Not so, I wanted help and you offered. How could I say no?" She questioned.

"That's not…I didn't know. I would have never let you out if I knew." Izuku denied.

"Perhaps you wouldn't have, but that's irrelevant because you already did. I'm here, and I'm not going anyway." The Herrscher chuckled. "All you can do now is stop wasting our time and disappear, and let me take your body."

"I won't do it." Izuku denied. "I won't give you my body."

The Herrscher laughed before him. "Oh, you think you have a choice. You already gave me your body, the only control you still have is how long you can still coexist with me." She told him.

"You see….I already can take over. I already did." She then glanced at the television. Izuku's eyes followed as the implications became clearer and clearer to him. "Yesterday. When you touched the core, you went to sleep, and I woke up…and I had a lot of fun." She smirked. "A lot of fun…I'm sure you'd like it."

"What you're doing now? You're just…delaying it." She told him.

"Delay…you mean you don't have full control," Izuku noted. A flash of hope had come to him. It wasn't all lost then.

"I mean your body isn't adjusted to my power." She clarified. "If you relinquish control, I can speed up the process and take over completely, but as for now…I'll have certain…limits." The Herrscher explained.

"Make no mistake, I will gain full control, it's not a matter of if, it's only a matter of when." She told him. "And when I do…" Her voice trailed off.

"You'll destroy everything." Izuku finished.

"Not everything, just all the humans that plague the planet. However, if you agree to relinquish control to me, I may spare your mind, and perhaps spare some of your loved ones, like your mom. What do you say, do we have a deal?" The Herrscher questioned.

There was silence between the two. Izuku said nothing, his expression was blank as he kept his head lowered. He had done this. Not only had he let the slime villain go but he also seemingly released another villain, one far more dangerous. They were right. He wasn't a hero. He was a useless failure. Still….

"Well….?" The Herrscher questioned.

"No." The word came out far more firmly than he let it. The thought of her hurting people, killing people, because of him… was not something he would allow.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" She said sternly.

"I said no," Izuku said as he looked up at the Herrscher. "I won't let you use me. I'm not a killer, I'm not a villain. I'm a hero, I will save people." He said defiantly. If there was ever a chance to be a hero it was now. He had already screwed up so much before. He couldn't screw this up again. Not when there were people's lives on the line.

The villainess cocked her head to the side. Her face smile had disappeared and her face was now blank and void of emotion. She floated around him, circling him like a predator, toying with its prey. He could feel her stare drilling into his body. Then she stopped.

Izuku braced himself. He expected the villainess to threaten him. Maybe she'd do something to intimidate him and scare him into submission. He didn't think she'd take being denied so well, most never did.

"Alright then." The woman said as she turned to walk away. She headed to the door before turning back to face him. "We'll just do it the long way, then." She told him. "I can wait a few months. I hope you can entertain me for that time, or else…." She told him as she leaned beside the door.

"What?" Izuku was shocked. He didn't think she'd have left so easily. Wait, this was too easy, maybe it was a trick.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." The Herrscher said. She didn't need to after all.

Izuku wanted to ask why, why didn't seem enraged, but he didn't get the chance. The front door had been opened and his eyes widened in horror once more. "Izuku, I'm home." Inko, his mother, greeted her as she walked inside, with several bags of groceries obscuring her view as she entered the apartment. She had walked straight past the Herrscher who was still hovering beside the door as it shut closed behind her.

Izuku's heart dropped as he saw the Herrscher standing right behind his mom, a sinister grin adorned across her face.

Chapter Text

"Mom," Izuku called out. He had to get his mom's attention. Yet when he saw the Herrscher placing her fingers on her lips, he froze. She hadn't done anything yet, if he made her angry then…what if she decided to...

"Yes, Izuku," Inko called as she looked at her son. He was deathly pale and sweating. "Dear, is everything alright?" She worriedly asked.

"No…it's just…I'm glad to see you're alright." Izuku quickly recovered.

"Izuku, I only said I'd be gone for a few minutes," Inko told him. "The city is in a mess after the Herrscher wrecked it and we need to stock up on supplies in case the worse comes to pass." She warned. "I told you this earlier." She reiterated.

"You did?" Izuku questioned before he noticed the Herrscher's subtle gestures. That's when it dawned on him. She had said his body was hers. Did that mean she also controlled him when he was unconscious? The Herrscher mockingly responded with a thumbs up, seemingly aware of what the growing dread on his face meant.

Izuku was terrified, to say the least. The Herrscher had pretended to be him, deceived his mother with ease and none of them were the wiser. It was frightening to think what else she could do while he was unconscious now.

"Izuku, are you sure everything is okay?" Inko asked once more as she turned to carry the groceries in the kitchen.

"Tell her yes." The Herrscher teleported behind him. "I promise, it's the only right answer you have right now. Just another little white lie, on top of all the others you've told her."

So Izuku lied. Just like he always did when he returned home from school after running into Bakugo and the others. His mom for the most part accepted his answers, but he wonders how much she actually believed his story.

"Listen Izuku, I know what happened yesterday must have been a lot to take in." Inko trailed off. "It's not every day you hear that…students from your school are attacked by a villain, and after everything that happened yesterday I know if you need to take time and process it all, you should, but just remember, if you have anything that's bothering you, anything you need to say, you can come and tell me alright," Inko spoke as tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at her son, seeing him all alone and scared.

"Mom, I…" Izuku tried to speak but his mom quickly pulled him in for a hug.

"Izuku, baby, you're all I've got. The thought of losing you, I just can't bear it." She repeated. "You have no idea how scared I was when I heard your school was destroyed. You hadn't come home, and I thought I'd lost for sure with all the chaos."

Izuku was speechless. His eyes glanced over to the Herrscher. "The school was destroyed." He whispered, not sure what to make of that.

"It was that girl, the Herrscher of the Void. She had destroyed several buildings before she fought All Might." Inko explained.

"She did?"

"I did." The Herrscher answered simply. "You had some…bad memories there. So as a gift to you…I erased it." She told him. "Consider this a thank you present for releasing me."

"It's all my fault." Izuku realized. It was all starting to make sense. The slime villain, All Might, the school, and Bakugo. He was frustrated and he had hated it all, and she had used that to her advantage.

"Izuku, please, don't think like that," Inko told him. "None of this is your fault." She consoled him.

Oh no! He had slipped up, he realized to late. Now what was he going to say to his mother? How was he going to explain the Herrscher and everything that had happened?

"Well, you did jump on All Might, you did cause him to lose slime villain, so you did technically cause Bakugo to be trapped by the villain." The Herrscher taunted. She wasn't wrong though, loathe as he would admit it.

Izuku did do all that. So, he confessed it to his mother, leaving out All Might's secret and the Herrscher's involvement of course. To say Inko was stunned would be an understatement. She merely looked at him as he finished up his explanation.

"Mom, I…"

SLAP!

Inko for the first time in his life, slapped him, and then she immediately regretted it. "What is wrong with you?" She questioned. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Izuku didn't say anything too stunned to respond. The Herrscher meanwhile just looked on with mild curiosity at the whole ordeal. It was a response on Inko's part that intrigued her. Izuku's mother paced around the room. Walking between him and her, never once acknowledging the Herrscher between her and her son.

"I know, you've been a fan of All Might, I know you've wanted to be a hero for as long as you can remember but pulling a stunt like that. Izuku, you could have tired. Did you ever think what could have happened if you had fallen off?" Inko scolded. "Never mind the slime villain, you could have been hurt or worse."

"It was fine Mom; All Might was there." Izuku tried to assure her. Unfortunately for him that was not the right words to calm her.

"That doesn't make it better." Inko scolded him. "At the end of the day, pro-heroes are still just people like you or me. They may have extraordinary power, but they are still people Izuku. You can't recklessly throw yourselves into danger and expect they'd save you, that's not the right mindset to live with."

"Look, I'm glad you're safe but just please…don't do that again." Inko sighed. "And…I'm sorry I slapped you." Inko apologized.

"No worries, Mom, I understand," Izuku told her.

"Good," Inko sighed. "I'm going to rest, we have some leftovers in the fridge," Inko told him as she headed to her room leaving Izuku and the Herrscher alone.

The Herrscher glanced at Izuku taking note where his mother had slapped him. "Oh wow…that looks red." The Herrscher chuckled. "Has she ever slapped you before?"

Izuku's eyes widened as he turned to the Herrscher and immediately went on the defensive. "No. You stay away from her." He demanded. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Now Izuku, why would I do that?" The Herrscher questioned. "Do you hate your mother so much that you think I'd kill her for you?" She mocked.

"What? No, I don't hate my mom." Izuku defended.

"Really. Surely you must have some animosity. She never told you could be a hero, she, and your father probably both had the recessive genes that made you quirkless. It was their fault you were denied your dreams."

"No. You're wrong." Izuku answered. "My mom loves me. She's always loved me." He reaffirmed. Her words did strike a chord in his heart, but he wouldn't let her see it.

"If you say so." The Herrscher of the Void mused as she floated around the apartment. She didn't feel the need to toy with him further. She was content to end the conversation there for the time being.

The boy was still stubborn but now she had explained his situation and the hopelessness of it all. She would need to get accustomed to this new world of quirks and heroes, but her host seemed to have enough knowledge in his head to help navigate it. He was almost too curious in fact.

"She can't actually see you, can she?" Izuku asked after he mulled over the recent events in his mind. The Herrscher glanced at him, a slightly amused smile on her lips. "All that time, she never once acknowledged your existence in the room. Never seemed to hear or see you."

"You're right…as expected for such a smart host." The Herrscher praised. "No one can see, or hear me, except for you. Imagine how crazy you must sound, hearing voices that aren't there, seeing a person that no one else sees. It sounds unbelievable…like a ghost story. Tell me Izuku…are you afraid of ghosts?" The Herrscher questioned dark giggle. Her voice reverbed a little as her body faded out of existence, till eventually she disappeared altogether.

Izuku stared at where she vanished. The air still felt heavy, almost suffocating. He glanced around his apartment, looking inside every room. There was no sign of her. A part of Izuku wanted to feel relieved, a more optimistic side wanted to write it off as hysteria. That happened right, victims of villain attacks often still felt the effects of it afterward.

Maybe he was imagining the whole thing. Maybe the Herrscher wasn't real and it was mind playing tricks on him from yesterday, trying to make some sort of twisted sense of what happened. Or maybe she was real and she was here, just gaslighting him, because that's what villains were, needlessly cruel beings who took pride in the misery of others. Maybe she did the same to him.

Yet a small part of Izuku, probably the part the Herrscher had hosted herself, whispered in his ears, in the Herrscher's sweetly dark voice, no, it was real. He had fallen into the Void and he wasn't getting out.

Nezu and Recovery girl had left All Might's room. He had wanted to know more, as expected of any hero who took the needs of people first, but they knew they couldn't entertain him much longer. The more they discussed the more agitated he'd get. They had already tried to limit the information he'd be allowed, hoping that he wouldn't be pressured into continuing further. Still, they locked the doors and had a few of UA's staff keep watch.

"Do you really think All For One's responsible?" Recovery Girl questioned. It was not a topic she liked to think about. The Symbol of Evil had brought too much grief to her.

"Even if it isn't, it would be foolish not to think he wouldn't notice," Nezu noted. "Quite a few of us, have long since expected him to be alive. Injured, hopefully, crippled but alive and licking his wounds. He's had quite a lot of time to prepare and plan." Nezu noted.

"And the girl?" Recovery girl wondered.

"If she has a strong quirk, then's a target for AFO, can you imagine letting someone with that kind of power go," Nezu noted. "Ultimately no matter how you look at it, I fear things will only be turbulent from here on out." Nezu sighed.

"What did Nighteye say?" Recovery Girl questioned. "I presume he had more to say than just what the beach."

"He did," Nezu answered. "That fight between All Might and the Herrscher, it ended in a tie." He frowned. "She may have fled the scene but he nearly collapsed from exhaustion."

"Those media jackals must be having a feel day with this." Recovery girl sighed. "It never changes."

"Sir Nighteye definitely believes so," Nezu noted.

"Just a few days ago, the thought of anyone beating All Might would seem impossible, but yesterday, some random girl did it. Some nobody managed to give the Symbol of Peace a tough time and then escape, having destroyed and injured several heroes and civilians."

"Even if it is a draw. It permanently cracks All Might's image. This wasn't some preplanned attack, not as far as we known. This wasn't some veteran villain or some large evil organization. This was just one girl who looked around 18 maybe 20 for the oldest, forcing All Might to a stalemate."

"Now…you and I know All Might's running out of time, his body is starting to fail, but the public doesn't that. He may have been weakened, he may have been passed his limit, he may have been struck in the weak spot, but it all doesn't matter because to the people; It looks like anyone can stand a chance at taking him down." Nezu recalled Nighteye's words.

"He wants All Might to pick his successor soon and then retire.' Nezu iterated. "He believes if All Might keeps going the way he is, he'll only destroy himself."

"That won't work. Yagi is too stubborn." Recovery Girl sighed.

"Yes, but what can we do?" Nezu wondered.

"All Might may not have been defeated, but the idea of the Symbol of Peace was. Now criminals of all kinds are going to feel bolder, so long as the Herrscher is around." Nezu noted. "Not to mention with several heroes injured, some organizations will have to reroute some forces to Musutafu, spreading themselves thin. I can only begin to fathom what this could mean going forward."

"We'll be ready when it comes." Recovery Girl reassured. "We always have to be, that's our job as heroes."

"I hope we are," Nezu muttered. "I hope we are."

Chapter Text

For the rest of the day, Izuku didn't see or hear the Herrscher. She had vanished without a trace, as if she was just a bad dream, or perhaps a living nightmare. He was relieved for the most part, but he still felt a weight on his mind. The heavy atmosphere she had left did not disappear with her and he was worried she'd return. It still felt like she was here somehow, but that couldn't be true. Right?

No matter, he and his mom went about their day, doing chores and cleaning around the apartment, seeing as they had time. Glancing out the windows every now and then Izuku could feel a pit form in his stomach as he saw the destruction the Herrscher had left in her wake.

She was still out there. That much was true, but that didn't mean Izuku would just accept she was a part of him, that was ridiculous after all. Why would such a powerful being want him? He was quirkless, he was positive if she needed a host, she could find loads of other people, maybe even villains with potentially destructive quirks to aid her. It just didn't seem to make sense to him.

Thus, the only thing he could properly rationalize was that she was gaslighting him. She was a sadist who saw it funny to mock and tease him. He couldn't do anything to her, that much he knew, he wasn't a threat that needed to be stomped. So perhaps she just takes his misery as entertainment. Well, now that she was gone, he wouldn't let her get to him. She'd probably be who knows where and forgot about him soon anyway. Such was his own unremarkable existence.

Eventually, the sun began to set as the day ended. Izuku and his mom prepared dinner and were now enjoying it at the table.

"How's dinner?" Inko questioned as she watched, her son take another mouthful of food.

"It's delicious," Izuku answered in between bites. "You really outdid yourself this time."

"I'm glad you like it." Inko smiled. Izuku had been silent the whole day, not that she blamed him, after what he's been through but still, she knew he needed time to himself. Still, numerous thoughts lingered in her mind about what had happened to her baby.

"Mom…is everything alright?" Izuku questioned noticing her sombre look.

"Oh, it's nothing, dear, just thinking." Inko dismissed.

"Mom," Izuku repeated. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Inko sighed. She knew she probably had to talk about this sooner or later. "I was just wondering…. that's all."

"About what?" Izuku inquired.

"Izuku do you hate me?" Inko worriedly asked.

"What?" Izuku said in surprise. The Herrscher's words echoed in his mind as he tried to make sense of it. "Mom, what are you talking about? What makes you think I hate you? When did I ever say that?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it like that." Inko corrected. "Ever since you met All Might, you were quiet, and then well…" She had slapped him for being reckless. He had finally gotten to meet his hero, but he had also gotten his dreams crushed by said hero. Rather than console him she had slapped him.

"No. You had every right to be mad." Izuku assured her. "It was stupid and dangerous, and I shouldn't have done it."

"Still." Inko trailed off.

"Mom…you have done everything for me," Izuku told her. "Probably more than I ever will know. You loved me so much, and you always supported me." He recounted as he walked over to his mom's side. "I could never hate you, I would never hate you," Izuku told her as he hugged her.

Tears welled up in both of their eyes, before erupting like geysers. The mother and son didn't care, they just took the time to hug and reassure each other. Izuku had spent so many hours watching videos and reading about heroes, but truth be told, his mom still did more for him than any of them. A fact he had so grossly ignored till the Herrscher put it into perspective for him.

He may not have powers, but he had his mother, who loved and supported him, and he was grateful for that.

Later that night, Izuku wished his mother good night before heading to bed himself. Today had been rather stressful. His encounter with the Herrscher this morning was rather frightful but thankfully it had come to pass. She was gone now, and he was alone with his own thoughts. He was also feeling much lighter after he spoke with his mom. It was nice.

Readying himself to sleep, Izuku put on a white vest and a pair of black shorts and headed to bed. He and his mom would be busy tomorrow and the next few days. Izuku much like a few other students would need to search for a new school to attend. There was no way his old middle school was going to be repaired in time and rather than go through cumbersome online classes, Izuku had told his mother about transferring.

It may have also been in part due to the guilt he felt with freeing the Herrscher. He couldn't dare dream about facing his peers and teachers, knowing he was the one responsible for all that. He wasn't even sure how he'd even face Bakugo.

"Stop thinking these thoughts." He told himself. It was time for bed. He'd go to sleep, get some rest, and then tomorrow was a new day, yeah, a new day. So off to bed, he went.

Izuku fell asleep not long after he hit the mattress. Then in a few minutes, he began to dream. Simple dreams, he had managed to become a hero despite all odds, and he had even impressed All Might. It was peaceful.

Meanwhile, as Izuku dreamt, his body began to stir. Shifting under the sheets, Izuku's hair began to grow, changing from black and green to a snowy white. His body was soon engulfed in energy as his form began to change, growing, stretching, reshaping itself into something else, someone else. When the energy faded the Herrscher opened her Golden eyes as she awoke.

Shigaraki pressed rewind once more on the video player. The young villain was currently relaxing on his couch with nothing more than a bowl of popcorn and some soda, he was all settled to watch his new favorite video. He had aptly called it All Might's most painful facial expressions.

"I must say, this Herrscher girl isn't a bad player." Shigaraki mused as he watched the fight over. Sure, she didn't get the goal, but she certainly got closer than anyone else he knew. "How interested do you think, she would be in joining our party?" He questioned as he took another mouthful of popcorn.

"Hard to say, the first issue is finding her," Kurogiri answered. "There have been no sightings of her since that fight. Judging from her abilities it seems she can teleport so there is no telling where she could be, if she is even in the city to begin with." He noted.

"Hmph, seems like she went premium. You need to step up your game Kurogiri." Shigaraki retorted. "You have similar powers, yet hers work so much better." He marveled as he watched his favorite part of the clip.

All Might smashes himself. The Symbol of Peace had gone for one of his stupidly named, smashes and the result was hilarious. His fist went into one portal and ended up punching himself in the stomach through another. It was the coolest thing Shigaraki had ever seen. The look of pain on All Might's face was priceless, oh how he wished Master could see this.

Speaking of Master….

"Has Master given any comment on this?" Shigaraki questioned. With such a powerful player, it was natural for AFO to take interest. If anything, Shigaraki expected him to be involved somehow, maybe he had given her the extra power. Then again that didn't make sense, Tomura was his apprentice after all.

"All for One has clarified that the Herrscher isn't his doing," Kurogiri added. "She's an entirely separate entity that neither he nor the Doctor has been involved in. As such he is advising you to be very careful in how you'd consider approaching her. I believe he might consider it a worthwhile challenge for you to recruit her." The warp gate user explained.

"Sounds easy enough." Shigaraki hummed. "I can't see any reason why she'd decline."

"May I remind you of the last time you tried to recruit villains?" Kurogiri asked.

"They had it coming." Shigaraki defended. "Those insects had no respect, so I taught them some."

"You decayed them to dust."

"And they were very respectful before they were completely dusted," Shigaraki noted.

Kurogiri just sighed. His charge still had a long way to go. He only hoped Shigaraki's advances on the girl would work far better than it did on the others. Then again, there was a very real possibility the Herrscher might just try to kill him on spot. Maybe Kurogiri should buy Shigaraki some books on how to impress the other sex. He certainly had doubted his charge had experience in that area.

"Still too weak." The Herrscher grimaced as she glanced down at her hands. She wiggled her fingers back and forth as she examined her new body. It took quite a bit of power to change her host completely but in her mind, it was worth it. She was not about to walk this world in such a weak human male's body.

She was grateful though. It was almost ironic, Izuku had been so adamant at first about not letting her take over, yet he underestimated if she was even there to begin with. He wrote her actions off as just a lie meant to scare him and let his guard and she took over even easier now.

She could still feel him though. It was a heaviness in her mind. His presence, his consciousness and subconsciousness were still with her, only sleeping, relaxing in the land of dreams. She knew better than to risk waking him though, let him sleep for now.

Removing the covers, she got out of Izuku's bed. It had almost caught her of guard how cold the floor had been beneath her bare feet. She hadn't reformed her outfit, not really seeing the need. In her current state, it was best to conserve as her strength till it was needed.

Standing up, she walked over to the nearest mirror she could find and examined herself properly. She had gotten all the details from her old body for the most part. She had transformed Izuku into an almost perfect replica of K-423, with long white hair, slender but toned limbs, a well-developed figure, and flawless skin. If you looked at them you'd never expect Izuku and her to be the same person, except for the clothes, though she had certainly stretched his vest a bit. There was only one small problem.

"It's still can't handle it." She frowned. Just because she could make the physical form identical, she couldn't exactly do the same for Izuku's Honkai adaptability. As it stood, if she tried to rampage like she did earlier, heck if she tried to cause another eruption, she'd burn out her vessel.

She grits her teeth in annoyance as she clenches her fist. She was half tempted to strike the mirror but restrained herself. It would do her no good to get angry now. This body was weak, it was pathetic, it couldn't handle her power. She had overestimated it yesterday. She had only realized it too late when she had started feeling sick during her fight with the Blonde Buffoon. The worst part of all….it was the only choice she had.

She looked around Izuku's room, taking note of all the posters he had. It was akin to a shrine, though instead of a God, he worshipped heroes. She could see why; this world was different. It was littered with 'quirks', superpowers almost every human seemed to have. Every human except Izuku.

Logically it should have meant she would have had an easier time finding a good host. Just look for a strong quirked human and take their body. It sounded easy enough…except she couldn't. For whatever reason, any human with a quirk who touched her core, died. She wasn't even actively killing them either. So, with no other options she was now stuck with Izuku Midoriya as her host, loathe as she would to admit it. Even worse, she couldn't just kill him like she could have done with Kiana, less she ran the risk of permanently ruining their body due to its low resistance.

All in all, she was stuck. Her host was too weak to let her use her full power and she was not confident enough in her knowledge to immediately resume her plans for destruction. She had lost far too many times from being overconfident and underestimating her opponents. Siegfied, Himeko, and Kiana, had been proof that she wasn't infallible.

GRRRRR!

The Herrscher frowned once more as she placed a hand on her stomach. She needed some more sustenance. She left Izuku's room and made her way to the kitchen. She recalled exactly where she had seen the Midoriya keep their food and began to prepare the only meal she knew, cup ramen.

After taking out the cup and putting on the kettle to boil, the Herrscher found herself exploring the rest of the apartment. She took note of the family picture on one of the tables. It should be a nice small family, Izuku, with his mom and his father.

She didn't recall seeing hearing mention of a dad, eh, he was probably deceased or gone from their lives, so she didn't bother to much on it. Instead, her eyes focused on Inko, her host's mother, and the only major obstacle she had really to taking over Izuku.

Inko from what the Herrscher had gathered was Izuku's rock. She was his mental foundation, the only seemingly positive influence in his life. She'd be the one who needed to go if Izuku was to fall to her. She'd be the one who needs

Walking back to the kitchen, the Herrscher found a knife on the counter. A lance may have been a better choice, but it was still a waste of power if Inko was a weak human. The Herrscher made her way to Inko's room with the knife in hand.

Opening the door ever so slightly, the Herrscher's shadow was cast over Inko's as she approached her. The Herrscher took note of Inko's sleeping figure, her back facing the Herrscher. It would be so easy right now, to simply impale her. One strike and it would be over. Inko would be removed from the picture…just like Himeko.

Just like Himeko….

The Herrscher froze.

Just like Himeko…

The Herrscher swore under her breath, quickly covering her mouth when she realized the mistake she made. Inko's body shifted, and the Herrscher immediately hid the knife. When Inko turned around she was surprised at what she found.

"What are you doing here, Izuku?" Inko questioned as she rubbed her eyes.

'Izuku' chuckled nervously as he scratched behind his head. "Sorry mom, I was having a midnight snack and then I heard a noise, so I came to check on you. Sorry for waking you up." 'Izuku' apologized.

"That's quite alright dear," Inko said as she went back to bed. "Just make sure you clean up when you're done." She yawned as she huddled back up into bed.

"Alright, mom." 'Izuku' answered as he turned and headed out the door.

"I love you, sweetie," Inko called out as she fell asleep.

'Izuku' froze by the door when 'he' heard the words. Turning 'his' head back, 'he' noticed how 'his' mom had already closed her eyes. "Yeah…I love you too mom." 'Izuku' answered as he left the room and quietly shut the door. They didn't see it, but Inko smiled when she heard those words.

Once outside, the Herrscher rubbed her temples as she grimaced at her lapse in judgment. Killing Inko would have been the worst move she could have made. Last time she killed one of her host's loved ones, which only motivated them to rebel more and made them more troublesome to deal with. The Herrscher wasn't going to risk it this time.

She returned the knife to its place before heading back to her noodles. She really needed to slow down and properly assess her situation. She had almost been too hasty back then and would have made another major mistake had she not caught herself. She couldn't afford to be so careless.

Izuku's mind had gently stirred when Inko had spoken to her. The Herrscher didn't like that. It meant his subconscious was still active. When she had awakened for yesterday, she had forced him into sleep, but she still felt him. It was like a ball on a chain for her. She had tried to indulge herself and slaughter humans but any conscious act to do so was hidden. She really had to push for it, to overwhelm his 'heroic' drive and even then that backfired on her.

"Blasted Heroes." She swore. First, it had to be her that foolish Kiana, getting help from the darn bird to suppress her, now it was this quirkless brat. It seems she was fated to always get stuck with naïve heroes, who just couldn't see the ugly truth.

"What to do…. what to do…" The Herrscher mused as she munched on her noodles. This world was getting more and more frustrating, still she knew she needed to figure out some way to handle it. She had failed to destroy humanity before, she wasn't going to fail again.

She mulled it over and in the end, she could only think of one long-term solution.

Just wait Izuku out.

It wasn't her most flashy of ideas. It was certainly going to be the one with the least bloodshed possible and be the longest and potentially most boring plan, but it could work. All she had to do was wait for Izuku to snap, wait for him to have a bad day and just guide him along the right path and snuff out what remaining light he had.

Izuku was already discriminated by so many people for his status. He was regularly abused by his peers. He could not stand injustice. He was frequently a target for bullying, insults, and scorn. He was soft, he had no confidence in himself, try as he might. By all accounts, he would be easy to break.

After all, how firm could his will possibly be? Izuku Midoriya's 'heroic' resolve couldn't be that strong, right?

Chapter Text

"I'll be working late tonight," Inko informed her son as she packed her purse. "Make sure you're back before sundown and lock the doors." She instructed.

"Got it, Mom," Izuku answered, as he also prepared himself. Maybe he'd stop and see if there were any interesting books to read, or any new magazines or hero merch available. He needed something to take his mind off recent events. He was also feeling cooped up for the past few days. It was time to get some fresh air and hopefully, he could also figure out what to do next, both concerning schooling and his future going forward.

For the past few days, they had been going back and forth with what school he should transfer to. In the end, they decided to wait for a short bit. His plan was simply to see what school Bakugo chose and make sure his choice was on the other side of town.

Considering Bakugo was being treated by some of the best doctors, no small part thanks to All Might, though Izuku couldn't mention that out loud as his mom had told him it in secret after Bakugo's mom told her. Although in hindsight it could also be a good story to help take the heat off All Might. While Izuku didn't doubt his hero's intentions, the media had not been kind following the Herrscher fiasco.

Izuku had tried to forget about his encounter with the Herrscher, but he just couldn't. It was hard when she seemed to be the talk of the town. He understood why, but that didn't mean he enjoyed seeing her face appearing on every news outlet on the web. He could have sworn that the images were now looking at him and Izuku was sure he had heard her voice laughing in his head now and then.

It was troubling for the young boy. The villain had only met him once, but she had left quite an impression, even more so than the slime villain. The Herrscher hadn't tried to kill him, quite ironically she hadn't even hurt him. She scared him but that was it.

She didn't do more than spout her creepy and frightening threats. So why was she still haunting him, when the villain who had nearly suffocated and choked him didn't? Maybe it was because she was a pretty girl.

Izuku shook his head trying to remove those thoughts. The Herrscher was a villain, he shouldn't be thinking like that. Yet for some reason, Izuku was dreaming about her. Dreaming about her being in his house, eating in his room, lying down on his bed, bathing in his shower. Most unsettling of all, he had dreamt the Herrscher standing by his mother's bed, with a knife in hand. It…. terrified him, how frequently she was appearing in his dreams.

Her words still echoed to him. "Your body, mind, soul, they are all mine now." She had told him. He had thought she was being dramatic, but the way she appeared in his dreams.

It was so vivid.

Elsewhere….

"This is a nice change of pace, isn't it?" Recovery girl smiled as she looked around the area. She and her patient were currently relaxing on a bench, just outside her office, enjoying the fresh air outside.

"When you said I was ready to leave my bed, I didn't think you meant to come and sit around." Yagi sighed as he leaned back. "I thought you'd clear me to get back to work."

"Oh please, you've been working non-stop." Recovery Girl scolded.

"Not true, I didn't leave the ward until today." Yagi defended. The response he received was a light tap on the head with the elder lady's cane.

"That may be true, but you haven't exactly been resting," Chiyo noted with a sigh. It was to be expected, how else would All Might be the number one hero if he didn't work diligently? That said, he needed to learn more self-control. "You've been going over any lead, report, or news footage you could get your hands on." She grumbled. "Rather than working your body, you're over-taxing your mind."

"It was just light reading." All Might defended.

"Yagi," Chiyo warned. "If you overexert yourself, you'll recover even slower. Besides you should leave all the research stuff to the others." She warned.

"Come on, Chiyo, you know how it is. I can't just sit still and do nothing." Yagi complained.

"Resting isn't doing nothing." The nurse pointed out. "As it stands you're still the strongest hero around. Ensuring you are healthy and ready to go, is a must."

"Yes, I know."

"Then stop being difficult and relax, take in the sights, get some fresh air." Chiyo scolded. "You won't be a hero forever. One day you'll retire, and when you do, you'll need to learn to relax." She pointed out.

"I see…so that's what this is about. Nighteye put you up to this." All Might accused. "He wants you to convince me to retire and choose a successor."

"He tried but I told him no." Chiyo dismissed. "You'll retire when you either can't keep up mentally or you physically can't keep going. As for a successor, while I don't doubt Nighteye's judgment, I know very well that a successor is someone who you will personally want to choose."

"I've considered retirement myself." Recovery girl noted. "However I much like you, am very strict. I don't just want someone who has the same qualifications, or a good healing quirk. I want to know that they truly share and hold my values. The one who comes after me must not only understand what I did but also why. They don't need to be the Second Recovery Girl, but they just need to embody the same ideals."

"Well, it's nice to know someone gets me." All Might chuckled.

"Oh, believe me, we all understand you," Chiyo admitted. "It's just we worry that you'll do something reckless and get yourself hurt or worse. Nighteye in particular wouldn't have been this eager if you didn't crawl out of your hospital bed, and go rushing to work while still injured."

However just as they were talking, Recovery girl's phone went off. Without hesitation, the pro hero took it out and checked. "Oh my." She gasped.

There was a major villain attack on the other side of the city. Numerous pros had already mobilized to go and solve it. Upon relaying the information, All Might was ready to bulk and leap across town, but Recovery Girl stopped him.

"They've got this." Recovery Girl told him. She sincerely hoped it was true. She knew All Might was always the number one choice, but you had to leave it to others at times.

"Fine." All Might grumbled. "But if it escalates, you let me go."

"Fine," Chiyo noted. He'd leave either way, there was no use in arguing, he was a hero after all. She just hoped it didn't reach that point.

Izuku felt dazed. He had finished up most of his errands for his mom and was just grabbing a bite to eat at a café. The next thing he knew a car had been flung through the window. He coughed as dust was thrown up everywhere. People were panicking and screaming outside. A lot of people were already leaving the café and joining the masses in panic. It was….

"Amusing."

No, not amusing, it was horrible. Izuku shook his head. He hurried to leave as well, however, when he was at the door he heard something. Something he couldn't refuse.

"Help me." A kid called. Izuku's eyes widened as he looked back. A kid had gotten stuck under some nearby rubble. Instinctively he rushed to aid the kid.

"Don't worry. I'm here." He told the kid as he hurried back to help them. He hurriedly started to dig through the rubble. Much to his relief, the kid hadn't been seriously hurt and he was able to clear everything away easily.

He could have sworn he heard someone scoff at this. Izuku didn't mind. Taking the kid up in his arms, Izuku was about to run to the exit when he heard a cracking. He froze looking around while he tried to identify the sound and that's when he noticed it.

"Oh no," he muttered as he saw the cracks begin to form in the ceiling. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going to happen next. Rushing forward Izuku used all the strength he had and threw the kid out of the window. The child may get some bruises but that was better than….

The ceiling collapsed.

Izuku wasn't fast enough and he found himself buried under the rubble, not unlike the child from earlier. This was far more than before, and Izuku could only look in horror as he was trapped in the darkness, alone and with it crushing him slowly. He prayed and hoped whatever Hero was out there that they would come, and save him before it was too late.

He was scared. He didn't want to die. Yet at this point, that was all he could expect with the pain he felt. His body was squashed under the concreted. His bones and organs were being compressed against his will. Well…at least he did some good. He'd die helping a kid, that must have counted for something right.

"That's your dying thought?" A familiar voice echoed in his mind. Izuku blinked in the darkness as two familiar glowing golden eyes appeared before him. "Seriously?"

"Wait a second…Herrscher of the Void?" Izuku realized. What is she doing here?

"Watching the life slowly leave your body." She answered. "I must say it was far more disappointing than I thought it would be. You're dying and the only thing you can think of is how you saved that insect." She told him. "Pathetic."

Izuku didn't say anything, too dumbfounded by her response and her behavior. It disturbed him how casual she was about his imminent death and how dismissive she was of his actions. Surprisingly though he hadn't anticipated what her next few words would be.

"Nevertheless, you'll have ample time to reconsider your dying words when I get us out here." She informed.

Wait…that can't be right. Did she say she was getting him out of there? Why would she do that?

"I told you Izuku. You're my host. Your body is mine. Ergo it is in my best interest to keep it alive, so that I may also remain alive." She explained.

"Wait…you were…you were serious about that!"

"I swear, you're a bigger Idiotka than Kiana ever was." The Herrscher muttered under her breath. "You know what, let me, not waste my breath. I'll just show you instead." The Herrscher announced.

"Show me wha-.." Izuku stopped mid-sentence as his body…from what little he could feel frozen in place. He had been immobilized before…but now he couldn't move at all. He couldn't feel his fingers, his toes, even his tongue and eyes weren't obeying them.

Suddenly Izuku felt his body move once more. No, moving was not the correct word. It was more like…something was happening to him. He could feel his body begin to grow, and shift, parts of himself seemingly conforming and moving, shifting the rubble around him.

"Much better." The Herrscher commented. Before Izuku knew what was going on, he felt the floor suddenly disappear beneath him as he was pushed down by the rubble, a bright light suddenly enveloping his view as he found himself staggering forward. He was lying down right…then why was he now standing up?

Wait…

Izuku looked forward, he could only look forward but he could recognize it enough. He was on the roof. He was on the roof opposite the café. He could hear the people screaming and running, he could hear everything.

He was outside. He was saved. A hero had saved him.

"It's surprising how naïve you are," Izuku spoke. No…that wasn't right. Izuku didn't say that. That wasn't his voice. Yet he felt it, he felt his lips move, no that's not it. It wasn't his lips, they were on his face, he could feel them, but they weren't his, they were foreign.

His whole body felt foreign to him. Then it clicked on him. Izuku felt his…no the Herrscher's lips begin to curl into a smile. "Finally." She chuckled. He finally realized the situation.

Chapter Text

"They'll think she's one of my creations." All For One pointed out as he lay on the hospital bed. It was one of his routine checkups with his personal Doctor and naturally, the two couldn't help but talk about recent events, specifically the fresh blood in town.

"All Might and his allies?" The Doctor wondered. "They probably will. From what little investigating I've done, I can't seem to pinpoint any singular quirk that could give such a variety in abilities." He noted.

"Do you have any theories as to why? As far as we know, aren't you the only one with the technology and the means to extract, duplicate, and graft quirks? Or do you think some other group can develop that technology?"

"I wouldn't put out of the realm of possibility. There are many cases when different individuals created the same inventions at different locations and times but without ever learning of each other." The Doctor explained.

"I see." All For One mused. "Then that could be problematic."

For decades, All For One has held control of the criminal underworld through his quirk, the rarest and arguably most powerful one of all. The ability to take and give quirks, All For One. It was what let him control the flow of power, stealing quirks from those that opposed him, and granting quirks to his followers in exchange for loyalty. For someone else to now possess such an ability. All For One clenched his fist.

"We need to find out just where she came from and how she attained such power." The villain noted. "Perhaps she merely has a powerful quirk, in which case that could be more than useful, but if she has someone else backing her, then we need to find them and destroy them." All For One explained.

If that fight was anything to go by, then there was a very likely, very real chance that should the Herrscher grow stronger, or should there be any beings like her, there is a very real chance they could kill All Might, and permanently destroy One for All. The destruction of One For All was not something he could allow.

"What is your plan, Master?" The Doctor questioned.

"How is the progress on the Nomu project?" All For One questioned.

"I've managed to stabilize the additional quirks within the current prototypes." The Doctor informed. "However, for the most part, these Nomus initially had similar quirks to the ones I implemented, very few can seem to hold completely different quirks and even then there are some unforeseen side effects."

"I see." All For One noted. "Have any of them taken to the Shock Absorption Quirk?" He questioned.

"So far only one has held on with Shock Absorption, I am currently working to see if I can incorporate the strength quirks you requested as well as a regeneration one."

"Very well." All For One told him. "We will need to gather more info on our new adversary. If it is possible I would also like you to look into designing a counter for our new obstacle. Should she become too problematic then we will need a means to wear her down and either remove her as a threat or submit her to our will." He instructed.

"Very well." The Doctor answered.

After discussing a few more points, the Doctor finished checking up on the villain. He bid his master farewell and left to resume his work on the Nomus. All For One was left alone with his thoughts.

There shouldn't be anyone else with this ability, his ability. To take and give quirks, was his power and his alone. He had granted it to the Doctor as a reward for his loyalty and as a means to continue his work. No one else should wield it. He'd need to find whoever had managed to copy his ability and exterminate them. There was only room in this world for Demon King after all.

Izuku felt terror like had never felt before. He was now a prisoner trapped in his own body, that had been warped into that of the Herrscher. He couldn't move a muscle, not unless she commanded it. He could hear, he could smell, he could taste, he could see, and he could feel everything around him. Yet he could do nothing at all. Every move was dictated by the Herrscher.

"Why are you doing this?" He thought. He had so many questions running through his mind right now.

"It was tempting to let you pass out." The Herrscher noted as she folded her arms under her chest. "Normally I'd let you go unconscious and then take over, but given the situation, I couldn't tell if you'd die first or not." She noted. "It was the safer bet to save you."

"So now what? What are you planning to do now that you have control?" He questioned the Herrscher.

"I think we should head home soon." The Herrscher noted. "The humans seem to be destroying themselves just fine without my involvement." She chuckled as she watched the civilians run from the villains.

"You…you aren't working with the villains?" Izuku realized.

"You dare assume I'd associate with that filth." The Herrscher growled. She was offended he'd even think she'd be aligned with such disgusting creatures. She had more self-respect than that.

She glanced down at the villains, feeling utterly repulsed by them. There were three villains, and they each had unique and grotesque abilities. One was a man whose main power seemed to be extending and manipulating his teeth. Another was green and chubby, like a giant gummy bear, with the power to eat any matter and spit out energy projectiles. The last one, a seemingly thin pale-yellow man, seemed to consume large quantities of water, filling up like a balloon, and then proceeded to spit out a highly corrosive acid.

In short, the entire villain group seems to have the common theme of their powers being related to their mouths. Two-thirds of them were upchucking something they consumed. How her host thought her elegant and divine nature was akin to them, she couldn't fathom.

Nevertheless, the 'villains' if she'd even call them that was amusing enough. It was nice watching the little insects flee in terror. Even better when she didn't have to do it herself. Unfortunately, her host didn't share the same sentiments.

"You have to do something." He pleaded with the Herrscher. "You can't just leave those people down there." He told her. It was a fool's errand. He knew that much but he had to try, maybe if could convince her to at least save one person at least.

The Herrscher rolled their eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. "Why would I ever do that?" She questioned. "In case you forgot, I want to see humanity destroyed. If you want a heroic Herrscher, try finding another one, preferably an Idiotka one." The Herrscher dismissed.

"But…"

"SILENCE!" The Herrscher snapped as she resumed watching. She tried to enjoy it. Savor the misery of the people running in fear, but she couldn't. She could quite feel enjoyment from it. However, she could feel a growing irritation inside her being as she watched on.

"This is wrong," Izuku whispered. "At the very least you shouldn't be taking joy in all this suffering." He argued. It felt disgusted to him, to watch these people suffer, to feel the Herrscher's satisfaction at seeing it all.

"You don't seem to think the same way when you watch your heroes." The Herrscher responded.

"What?"

"You heard me, Izuku. I've been watching how your world portrays its version of 'heroes and villains'. It mostly resolves in two super-powered humans fighting and the media simply picking a side to support." She scoffed.

"That's not true. Being heroes is about saving people." Izuku argued. "That's what separates them."

"Is it? Why is there so much coverage focused on the power of heroes and how they can beat others? Why are some of the top videos all about hero vs villain fights? Why is it…people like Bakugo, who were nothing but cruel and abusive to you, are seen as having the potential to be really good heroes?"

Izuku was silent. He should have had a simple answer to her retort. An answer to defend Bakugo. "It's because of his amazing quirk." He thought. He wanted to hide away that thought, but the Herrscher still heard it. She was listening specifically to hear him admit it.

"Hehehe…so that's your answer. You think just because he has such amazing power, and drive, he can be a hero, if that's the case then by all accounts I am a hero, maybe that's why you think so, but I know very well I'm not. If people like Bakugo are what you define heroes as being, then humanity here is no different than it was back then." The Herrscher noted that she saw the villains overpowering the people with reason rhyme or reason as to why they did.

"Why are you so interested in it? You seem to hate humanity so much so why are you still involving yourself with it? Why can't we just leave?" Izuku shouted in his mind.

"Oh, but that's just it. We love to see the things we hate get destroyed." The Herrscher smiled maliciously. "That's common for any being, and I'll gladly share my love with you." She mocked as she focused her eyes on the people being injured. People who were starting to bleed, who were at the mercy of the villains.

"NO!" Izuku gasped as he saw the villains ready to strike. The acid user was ingesting a lot of water, and the people on the ground were right in its path. Izuku wished he wouldn't see it. He wished more than anything that if anything horrible was going to happen, he wouldn't see it.

He got his wish. The Herrscher's eyes closed before him, throwing his entire world into darkness. "Believe me this isn't going to be any better." The Herrscher noted. "I'd argue it's even worse when you don't see it, because your mind can craft even worse horrors you can imagine, to fill in the -ahhhh."

The Herrscher's body was doused in liquid catching her off guard. Before she could even recover, Izuku shrieked in pain. Their body felt like it was on fire like the Herrscher's skin was being eaten away by the liquid itself. Her eyes snapped open as she looked for the source, trying to ignore both her pain and Izuku's annoying screams of agony. The Herrscher clutched her head she tried to focus but Izuku's screams were driving her crazy.

"WHO DARES?" She questioned as she looked around.

"Herrscher," Izuku pleaded. The Herrscher grimaced at her host's useless antics, feeling tears forming in her host's eyes, she tried to remove the acid on her face. Her vision was initially very blurry but gradually she was able to see clearer and as she did, her fury rose. Her teeth grit as she tensed her body, clenching her fists in rage. Whoever did this….

"Make it stop, please. Make it stop." Izuku continued to beg.

She intended to stop this pain. Seriously, couldn't her host keep it down? This reminded her of the children back in Babylon. All the children whose screams still lived on her head, and the burning sensations caused by the Honkai injected into their veins. She despised those memories. They reminded me of the pathetic helpless being who was taken and broken, all for humanity's benefit. She will break whoever thought they could drag her mind back to that place.

The Herrscher scanned the area before it fell on the source. The one who ignited her fury. She narrowed them on her target. Her rage swallowed the feelings of pain and replaced them with bloodlust.

"YOU!" She growled venomously as she stared at the Acid spitter and his allies. So, he and the other villains dared to attack her, even after she had left them be, typical humans. "Well, my host, I changed my mind. Looks like I will do something about these villains….."

The Herrscher hovered into the air, looking down at her enemies. She hadn't intended to get involved, she was still trying to conserve power, but if they were looking for a fight.

"I'LL GRANT THEIR DEATH WISHES." She spat.

Chapter Text

"Arrogant pests." Kai sneered as he looked up at the monitor. The yakuza leader was feeling especially aggravated today. Another villain outbreak had appeared in their territory. These were becoming troublesome day after day. It was the fifth one this week. "What is the status of the attack site?" He questioned one of his subordinates.

"Our estimated guess is that most of those businesses in the area will need to shut down or be moved elsewhere, to continue operating. We will also need to look for replacing staff for a few who might be killed." The subordinate answered.

"We need to look at speeding up our research on our cure then," Kai noted. "These wretched quirk users have been bothersome long enough."

"Yes sir,"

"You are dismissed," Kai told him as the subordinate left. He resumed watching the fight, trying to assess what was the best solution for this problem. For the time being, he'd make sure to take note of the villains. Once this was over, he'd see about personally punishing them for intruding on his territory.

Perhaps he could use them as the first set of trial tests for his quirk-erasing bullets. It would be fitting. He'd deal with two birds with one stone. All things considered, he'd need to ensure his bullets do the job as intended. The last thing he needed was to get involved with All For One, or All Might and get way over his head.

The greatest hero and the greatest villain were the two most well-known symptoms of the much larger disease of quirks. In his line of work, it was always wise to stay under All Might's radar and stay within All For One's good graces. Still, he wasn't going to just sit by and remain there. He had promised his boss he'd return the Yakuza to its former glory and he intended to do so. He'd topple these Gods, no matter the cost.

And once they were out of the picture he'd move to rid the world of all its 'heroes and villains'. Then there'd be no one left to challenge them, not Endeavor, not the Hero Society, and certainly not the Meta Liberation Army. Not even the….

"Herrscher?" He noted as he saw the figure appear on the monitor. The Yakuza boss looked intrigued by the new villain's appearance. She hadn't been seen since All Might's clash. It seems she had decided to make an appearance today. Oh joy, just what he needed, another villain destroying his territory.

Well, he might as well get what data he could on her.

Moonfish was drooling on himself. He had finally been able to quell his desire for flesh these past few days. With many of those pesky heroes out nothing was going to stop him now. He even had help collecting his food now. Spitter could soften them up, while Devo would just tenderize them.

Even now he was going to indulge himself when he saw a nice small-sized morsel running around. He wasn't worried, he'd catch them soon enough. Reeling back his head he launched his teeth forward, extending them with ease as they surged at the little delicacy. His teeth were just about to pierce his prey…

SNAP!

The space next to him exploded, throwing him to the side. He growled animalistically as he turned to find the culprit. The one who had gotten in between him and his meal. That's when he saw her.

The most delicious-looking treat before his eyes. She was a little skinny, not as much meat as any other. The villain didn't mind, he was sure the flavor would more than makeup for it. If anything her flesh smelled very delicious, very…exotic. He'd definitely take the first bite before the others realized it.

The Herrscher of the Void scowled as she stared at the villain before her. She still felt the acid burning her body, so she'd finish this quickly. Stretching out her hand, she pulled the villain toward her, suspending him in mid-air. She heard him struggling to free himself from her hold, a pointless endeavor. He wrenched his head back and launched his teeth at her.

Several, long sharp powerful blades emerged from his mouth, all lunging towards the Herrscher. She hummed softly as a portal opened in front of her, taking all the teeth in. She was left completely unharmed.

"GAH!" Moonfish gasped as a fresh scent of blood touched his nose. He felt something warm begin to flow down his chest. He tried to look down, forcefully bending his neck forward, while manipulating his teeth. His eyes widened. He had been stabbed, impaled even….by his own teeth.

Behind the villain, another portal had opened, the exit for the first one. The teeth he had launched at the Herrscher, were now in him. The villain felt faint, his world starting to darken. The Herrscher slid the portal up to the villain's mouth and snapped it shut, severing the villain's teeth. She then unceremoniously dropped him on the ground. His blood pooled out of his body.

"Moonfish." The other villains said in shock as they saw their comrade fall. They would have rushed to his side, if they didn't feel the murderous aura emitting from his killer.

"Wretched humans, your existence is a mistake, a sin to this world." The Herrscher said coldly as she walked slowly towards them. The villains, wisely, decided to turn around and run for their lives. "No." The Herrscher commanded as a giant purple block wall appeared trapping them with the Herrscher.

Panic set into the villains as their hearts began to race. They had no way out of this. They turned to find themselves faced with the Herrscher, who smiled sadistically at them. Spitter decided to continue trying to escape, ingesting what water he had remaining from a broken fire hydrant and trying to melt the wall.

Devo on the other hand decided to try fighting to the end. Opening his mouth the villain launched several tendrils that grabbed debris and pulled into his mouth. He chewed it up vigorously before spitting out an energized projectile at the Herrscher.

She dodged it and then flicked her wrist to him. A white lance materialized beside her and was launched at the villain at high speed. He reacted in time by opening up his mouth and ingesting the weapon before sending it back at her.

The Herrscher looked surprised at seeing her attack be redirected, but nevertheless, she was able to easily avoid being struck by her own lance. The villain then resumed launching more projectiles at her, grabbing whatever he could. He ate manhole covers, mailbox, broken car doors, concrete blocks, severed limbs, a squirming man, anything he could eat, he devoured and launched at the Herrscher. He'd hit her eventually, right?

"Enough." The Herrscher said as blocked the last projectile with a cube, a smaller one than the wall behind the villains. She then sent the cube forward, shrinking its size and accelerating its velocity. Devo opened his mouth and swallowed the cube.

He was prepared to fire it back. He prepared himself to launch and then….nothing. He panicked as she tried to force the cube out but it didn't budge. Wait…why did it feel bigger than when he ate it? It was then did he realized his mistake, when he saw the Herrscher smirking at him.

"Die." The Herrscher ordered as she opened her hand. The cube began to expand in irregular ways. Soon it had become much, much, larger than Devo.

"Two down, one to go." The Herrscher turned her attention to the acid villain who was still trying to escape.

"Mercy, mercy." The villain pleaded with the Herrscher. She laughed at his foolishness. She had none.

Realizing his position Spitter too decided to fight to the end. However, unlike his colleagues, he was dealt with far less gently.

The villain spewed more streams of acid, but the Herrscher dodged with ease, collecting all the acid inside her portals. She then pulled the wall, bringing the villain closer as she started to hover in the air. Once airborne she summoned three more walls, boxing the acid villain as she hovered out of her newly made box.

Inside the box, the villain tried everything he could, spewing acid to melt the walls but nothing worked. With no way to go but down, he tried melting the floor in a vain attempt to probably find a sewer. To his credit, the ground did give way…but only to reveal a floor made of the same energy as the walls around. Even worse, the acid was all pooling on the floor around him.

Realizing what was happening the villain stopped spewing but it was already too late. He looked up at the Herrscher who quickened the wall's movement, trapping the villain in an ever-shrinking box, it had once been the size of the street, but now it was reduced to no bigger than a bus and shrinking even faster.

"Here's a housewarming gift, a soothing plunge to die for." The Herrscher taunted as she opened a portal above, and all the acid he had spewed at her earlier that she had collected, flooded the prison, filling it even more. Once the portals were empty, she closed the portals and formed a lid on top of the box, sealing it on all sides.

The Herrscher then clenched her fist shut, immediately compressing the box, the villain, and the acid she left inside it. She could hear his delightful screams. She'd almost enjoy it as well if she wasn't still in pain from her acid burns and Izuku's scream.

Once finished she looked at the remains of the villains. She was satisfied her enemies were dead, vengeance now was hers. With only the remaining humans scrambling under the rubble or with their injuries, the Herrscher decided she'd wasted enough time and to leave before any heroes showed up.

She still had to remove the acid that had burnt her body, soaking into her skin and clothes. It still was eating away at her.

Her rage had initially dulled the pain, just like it always did, but now that her anger was satisfied it returned, and both the pain and Izuku's annoying screams were brought back to the forefront of her mind. She rubbed her temples, her host was still too weak, annoyingly so. She'd need to do something about that, she was fine with him being easy to scare, but him crying and whining so much was grating her nerves. How was it did he had enough willpower to keep her at bay again?

Never mind, she'd figure it out later. She opened a portal and soon headed back to the apartment.

"How intriguing," Kai noted. The Herrscher had taken care of his little problem. Granted she had still caused some more destruction, but it was still minor compared to other villains, and still far less than what she had done before.

She had impressed him, three villains all beaten within a few minutes. She was as dangerous as the reports had indicated, if not also efficient. He'd need to keep tabs on her.

His phone suddenly started to ring. Kai glanced at the number. He rolled his eyes at who it was calling. Switching off the monitor, he took the call.

"Quite the show, isn't it Overhaul." A voice taunted. "Sorry to hear about your loss."

"What do you want Re-Destro?" Kai cut off. He was not in the mood for formalities. He was still irked by the villain's attack and he didn't someone else mocking him for it.

"I need a new shipment of Trigger." Re-Destro commented. "I've been told you've gotten into the business recently. Seems like you've finally come around to seeing the value in quirks."

"You're delusional." Overhaul answers. "My goal is still the same."

"Well, at least you have conviction. That said I do know you're lacking in funds right now. Quite a lot of your territories have been hit." Re-Destro noted.

"I don't suppose you know anything about that," Kai growled.

"No, if it was me I'd let you know personally," Re-Destro answered. "I've been preoccupied with other things as of late, but I'm willing to do business with you, considering your current state of affairs. Do we have a deal?" Re-Destro noted.

"Fine," Kai answered.

Chapter Text

Upon arriving inside the apartment, the Herrscher glanced around making sure she was alone and that there were no open windows or doors.

"Hey! Insect, have you stopped crying like a baby yet?" The Herrscher muttered to her host. As tempting as it was to just leave him as is, she didn't trust that Inko wouldn't notice something off with her son. The Herrscher needed to make sure he was at least capable enough to look normal.

"Herrscher," Izuku whispered weakly. It was the first coherent sentence she heard from him that wasn't related to acid burns. "Where are we?"

"Home." She answered. "I'm going to give your body back now, so shut up and dry your tears. The last thing we want is your mom getting a heart attack if she finds out what happened." The Herrscher commented. There was no doubt in her mind, that Inko would be hesitant to leave her son's side after, which would make any attempts at control far harder in the long run, it was best to keep them separate for now.

"Okay," Izuku answered.

The Herrscher's body was engulfed in a soft light before it shrank and reshaped itself into Izuku's form.

"I'm free." Izuku sighed

"For now." The Herrscher corrected.

Izuku breathed heavily as he fell to the floor on his knees. He was both mentally and emotionally exhausted from his experience. On top of that, the Herrscher's use had also left his body feeling even weaker than before. He could barely muster the strength to stand back up, but his issues didn't stop there.

"What the?"

"Izuku?" The Herrscher questioned. She felt a tingling sensation start to emit on his skin.

"Something's wrong." Izuku gasped as he saw his skin start to smoke. He felt his flesh start to burn even more than before. "OW…OW….OW," He started to scream. "HERRSCHER!"

"That filthy worm." The Herrscher realized. She had underestimated the potency of the acid. It had remained on her skin and by extension Izuku's. She quickly grabbed what control Izuku was still willing to give, regaining her form. The acid was far less effective on her. No…that wasn't the right assumption, it was just easier for her body to heal off the burns, that didn't mean the acid wasn't on her anymore, just stuck on the surface of her skin.

"What happened?" Izuku questioned softly.

"We need to shower." The Herrscher told him as she hurried out of the room.

"Wait…WHAT?" Izuku questioned in surprise. Did he hear that right?

All Might glanced around at the scene. He should have been quicker. The villains had already been dealt with, but the damage was already done. All that he could do now was try and help. He approached the firefighters and the other public service units and humbly asked for how could assist before they pointed him where his strength would be needed.

The stench of the acid was very potent, even more so with what it had dissolved. It was a truly horrible sight to behold. "What happened to the heroes?" All Might asked a worker from of the shops.

"They tried to stop them but…" The young man pointed to one such puddle that had the remains of what looked like a pro hero costume. Not too far away was another individual partially buried beneath rubble, blood oozing at the side.

After tending to the worker, All Might hurried and cleared the rubble of the hero. His heart dropped at what he saw. "Oh no." He gasped. He called for a medic immediately.

Much to his relief, they came and took the fallen hero, who was unconscious but still very much alive. It was a small victory on their part, one less death. All Might stayed helping the disaster relief while a few other heroes came and join as well, including Wash who was able to clean the acid away far easier.

"What's the status report?" All Might asked Detective Naomasa.

"We don't have exact figures, but we have at least ten deaths, two of them the villains." He admitted.

"Only two?" All Might questioned. "I thought there were three of them."

"There were…the third one, Moonfish, is still alive, if barely. It seems like the Herrscher thought he was dead and didn't follow up." The Detective noted as he glanced at where the fallen villain was being taken away.

"Lucky him." All Might gritted his teeth. He may not have been one of 'those' kinds of heroes, but the Symbol of Peace still found it unjust how a psychopath like Moonfish had been fortunate enough to survive while so many of his victims didn't. "Is there any connection between them and the Herrscher?"

"From what eyewitnesses say, she was watching the attack from atop a building before the Acid user sprayed her. In which case she came and down and killed them in less than ten minutes for the most." True Man noted. "I'd be more than willing to assume she isn't involved given how the Villains supposedly acted, but you can never be too sure."

"I see." All Might noted. He'd need to inform Nezu and the others of this.

"Mr. All Might!" A young voice called. The pro turned his attention to a little kid who had run up to him. "Mr. All Might, please you have to help me. He's trapped."

"Who's trapped?" All Might asked.

"A boy, he threw me out of the café before it collapsed on him." The child cry as he pointed to the building. All Might hurried onto the scene taking care not to do any further damage.

"Hello." The pro called as he began to carefully move the rubble to the side. He got no response. Hastening the paste, All Might kept going but he found nothing there. "I'm sorry young one, but there isn't anyone here."

"But I saw him." The child said adamantly.

All Might looked at the little kid with sad eyes. "Okay little one, why don't you describe the boy who helped you and me and the detective can look for him." All Might reassured the kid. "What did the boy look like?"

The kid went on to describe his hero. Well, All Might thought him a hero if the child's words were to go by. It takes real selflessness to risk being buried alive to save someone. However, as the child described the boy, All Might felt uneasy. The description it sound very familiar to him.

Once they were finished, the duo made sure to bid the child farewell as he went back to his mom. Once he was out of earshot, the Detective turned to All Might. "I'll follow up on this." The Detective noted as he showed All Might the sketch he made. All Might's eyes widened as he saw the image.

The pro grabbed it probably a lot quicker than he should have, but the Detective didn't mind. "Wait a minute, I know this boy." All Might realize.

"You do? Well, that's great. What's his name?"

"Izuku Midoriya."

Izuku found himself once again a prisoner in the Herrscher of the Void's body. This time though instead of being amid a villain attack, he and the Herrscher were in the shower, ready to wash the acid of their body. It wouldn't have been so bad, if...you know…it wasn't the Herrscher's body in particular that was being washed. The Herrscher had turned on the cold water, standing beneath the shower, as she let the acid be cleansed.

For the most part, Izuku tried not to let himself be distracted by the Herrscher's form, instead, he decided to sort out his thoughts and try to make sense of what had happened that day. He hosted the Herrscher that much was obvious now, he no longer was the sole user of his body, much to his shock. That said, the Herrscher's control was perhaps the least unsettling thing he had witnessed today.

Izuku's mind wandered back to the site of the attack. His mind replayed the events that had been burnt into his brain. He had never seen it get so terrible. He had never been at the center of it.

"What's the matter, hero?" The Herrscher taunted as she rinsed her arms. "You seem shaken up. Didn't you want to be a pro?" She mockingly asked.

"That place…it was horrible," Izuku answered her. He felt thinking about everything he saw, how easily the people died before him. He could still hear the screams. He could still remember their faces.

"Ha. That's normal. That's how the real world can get, my dear host. Being a hero isn't all the glamour and fame, that your pathetic pros make it out to be. When you're a hero, you see just what kind of cruelty exists in the world, all the destruction, the greed, the blood, all conveniently left out to the masses so that the rest of humanity can pretend that they are so righteous, kind, and noble." The Herrscher sneered.

Izuku didn't say anything, however, the Herrscher had started to enjoy the conversation and couldn't resist continuing it. "Tell me, Izuku, do you still want to try and be a hero in this wretched world? You're feeling queasy now, but I can tell you, this isn't even the ugliest it can get." She mused. "I wonder, if you do continue, how long would it take till you break?"

"A hero's job in my eyes, has always been to save people," Izuku spoke. "When I was young, I always thought saving people was the coolest thing in the world. That's why I want to be a hero."

"And now? Do you still think it's… cool?" The Herrscher questioned. "Running into a world of horrors, death, and destruction, knowing that your acts of heroism could very well leave you alone, helpless and trapped in the rubble, slowly being crushed to death."

"No. It's not cool." Izuku answered. "I don't think I can ever look back on today and think it's cool…but…I can say it's worth it. Helping someone else…that's the worth of being a hero."

"Haha…I see." The Herrscher noted with a manic laugh. "So, in the end, you are still just a deluded fool." The Herrscher told him. "Still thinking you can be a hero, now that's amusing."

"I can still try." Izuku retorted.

"How?" The Herrscher questioned. "How can you possibly help anyone?"

"Look I may not have a quirk but…"

"A quirk is the least of your worries, my foolish host." The Herrscher cut him off. "Your body is weak, pathetically weak if I'm being honest. You barely have any muscle, and your stamina is just awful." She chuckled. "Honestly what was even your plan to be a hero, hope that if you wanted it bad enough you would get it. Do you even know how to fight? How to defend yourself? How can you protect anything if you can't protect yourself?"

Izuku was silent, yet the Herrscher continued to taunt and mock him.

"Have no fear everyone, Izuku is here, just make sure you aren't too heavy otherwise he can't carry you, or hope even if he can, he doesn't get tired running." She laughed as she started to wash her hair. "If you can't even save yourself how do you honestly expect to save anyone."

"Then I'll train." Izuku defended. "I'll work hard and get stronger." He replied adamantly.

"Is that so?" The Herrscher notes as she moves her hair forward and lets the water cascade down her back. "I suppose that would be a start." A stronger host meant a stronger body for her, so regardless she didn't see any harm in letting him pursue his efforts. Maybe she should even encourage it, let him foolishly make her new vessel even stronger for her.

"Wait, do you think I have a chance, you think I can be a hero?" Izuku questioned. The Herrscher laughed even more.

"Nope. I'm just looking forward to seeing you break. To see as you put all your heart, soul, and passion into this, and then have it all crumble before." The Herrscher explained. There wasn't any better place to fall than from the top after all.

"I should have known." Izuku sighed. Of course that was her reason. Given how much disdain she had for humanity, he didn't know why he'd assume otherwise.

"One more piece of advice." The Herrscher told them as she started to rinse out her chest. "Don't scream like that again." She told him. "It…annoys me." She explained. It brought up too many bad memories. She had thought she had truly snuffed out Babylon from her mind, but she was wrong. The tower still stood in her mind, forever etched into her memories.

"Huh."

"You are my host; your body is mine. Ergo, you should remember, that whatever threatens you, threatens me. So, you don't need to scream loud enough to deafen anyone. I'll make sure to deal with any threats to us." The Herrscher explained. "And should you foolishly find yourself in a situation that could result in your death, I'll be more than happy to squash any attempts you might make to be free of me. Do you understand?" The Herrscher asked.

"Yes, loud and clear," Izuku told her. He didn't know how to feel about that response.

"Good." The Herrscher told him as she finished her shower. Once she was satisfied she was clean, and all the acid was off her body, she released her hold once more, and let their body return to Izuku's form.

"Now, go and freshen up, we are hungry and I want dinner, that cafe food was subpar." The Herrscher ordered.

Chapter Text

Izuku had finally recovered. The experience between swapping forms with the Herrscher, the acid, and just the day's events in general had taken a toll on him. He was tempted to just collapse on his bed and sleep but his fear of the Herrscher taking over once more while he was asleep made him reconsider the idea. So instead, he opted to do as she commanded.

He changed into more casual clothes, a blue vest, and some black shorts, and dragged himself out of his room. He headed to the kitchen to make some food, instinctively going to look for a pack of cup noodles. Once he had prepared the food he made his way back to the living room and sat on the couch.

"Took you long enough." The Herrscher remarked. Izuku jumped, startled by her voice, almost dropping his food. Luckily he didn't. Upon having finally caught himself, he turned to look at the Herrscher who was merely looking at him with an amused face.

It was then he noticed something odd about her. Upon closer inspection, he realized she was wearing the same outfit as he was. It even looked like it was the same size, given how eh…snug it was around her body. To his surprise, the Herrscher was also holding her cup noodles in front of him.

"How?" Izuku curiously asked. "How are you…"

"Here?" The Herrscher finished with an all-knowing smile. "None of your concern." She noted. "The important thing is that you eat." The Herrscher told him.

Staring at her still hesitant, Izuku grabbed his fork, as did the Herrscher. Then he dipped into the cup and picked up the noodles, the Herrscher mimicking his moves as well. Finally, he places it in his mouth, with the Herrscher following his movements to a tee. She even chewed it the same way he did and swallowed it as well.

"Do you have to unnerve me so much?" Izuku questioned.

"Yes." The Herrscher answered. "Your screaming annoyed me for the better part of the evening, if you're uncomfortable then I can say we're even for now." She answered simply.

"But…that wasn't intentional." Izuku defended.

"Don't care." She retorted. "Now eat." She ordered. He complied and soon Izuku and the Herrscher had the most awkward dinner he had ever experienced. He thought it would be best to break the tension by turning on the TV.

It did not alleviate the tension. Izuku had landed it on a news channel covering the current events, mainly what happened that day. Among the highlights was how devasting the damage was to the area. The reporter brought up the villains involved showing the Herrscher and the three villains onscreen before showing how the Herrscher handled them.

"Two of the villains were killed by the Herrscher, the third one is severely injured and being treated as we speak." The reporter explained.

That word stuck with him, 'KILLED', the Herrscher had effortlessly killed those villains using his body. Their deaths were on his hands.

"Hmmm, scrappy little thing. Next time I won't go easy on him." The Herrscher mused.

"You aren't bothered by it?" Izuku questioned as he glanced at the Herrscher. "You took two lives so easily. Don't you feel the slightest bit concerned?" He asked.

"Would it make it better if I said it was for the Greater Good of Humanity?" The Herrscher mockingly asked. "Those people were hardly any saints. They were killed just as easily as me and did it in far more gruesome ways. Besides I don't see what the big problem is, heroes kill the time." She noted.

"No, they don't," Izuku argued. "Heroes make sure villains are beaten and arrested." He told her. "They don't take lives."

"Oh, please, don't kid yourself. Maybe that's the narrative they push now, but heroes throughout history always have blood on their hands. Just look at a story where the heroes kill monsters, or war stories for any nation, where a country celebrates their war heroes who destroyed their enemy factions." Or Second Eruption where Sirin's death was a celebrated event, with many of the humans involved being hailed as heroes for stopping her.

"Heroes are only heroes when the majority of people choose to acknowledge them as such." The Herrscher told Izuku. "Otherwise, there is little difference between them and a villain. All that matters is who the public thinks is right, not who is right; a very easy opinion to change."

"What about disaster relief?" Izuku questioned.

"What?" The Herrscher questioned. Izuku glanced at the television.

"So far only 10 deaths have been recorded, 2 of which belong to the villains." The reporter claimed. "However, there were many more who were injured and buried under the falling rubble. Workers are still finding more people as we speak." The reporter claimed while the camera showed a firefighter helping to lift some rubble off an injured woman.

"Can those people be anything but heroes?" Izuku sighed in relief when he saw the woman reunite with her son. Firefighters and the other public servants, the medics, the cops, they all were doing their part to relieve the disaster.

"You didn't seem to think so." The girl refused. "When All Might, told you on the rooftops, that you couldn't be a pro-hero without a quirk. That if you want to save people, you should become one of those…public servants. What was your response? Were you delighted? Were you accepting of the idea? No, you weren't…you were heartbroken." She retorted.

"Your idol, your hero, the person you looked up to the most, said your dream was not possible and it shattered you." The Herrscher told him. "If you ask me, that says a lot about what you think those heroes are. Seems like most of the current populace don't see them as such."

"I'll confess, you're right about that," Izuku admitted with some shame. "I didn't know what it meant to be saved. The first time I was in danger, I was saved by All Might, so I didn't have any change in perspective. Then today, you saved me."

"Really, that's what convinced you." The Herrscher rolled her eyes.

"In a way, I realized it didn't matter whether it was All Might or you, I just wanted to be saved by someone, when I couldn't save myself. If firefighters, medics, and the like can do that, then it shouldn't matter. A hero is someone who saves people, nothing else." Izuku told her.

"Deluded fool." The Herrscher scoffed.

"You know, you could make a good hero if you tried," Izuku told her. "With your powers, you could become the greatest hero of all time."

"Not this again." The Herrscher rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you want me to use my powers for good, to protect all that is beautiful in this wretched world and whatnot." The Herrscher told him. "I don't care about humans, much less feel any inclination to save them, quite the opposite actually." The Herrscher informed.

"You technically saved me," Izuku told her. "And helped me with the acid." He tried to reason.

"Pragmatic reasons at best." The Herrscher dismissed. "As I said before, you are my vessel, your body's wellbeing is my main concern, nothing else matters. Not you, humanity or even your mother matter to me. In fact,…" She looked at him with a cruel smile. "What if I told you…I almost killed your mom."

"You what!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Come one…. Think back Izuku…. think back to those dreams you had." The Herrscher urged him. "The ones you had about me, these past few days."

"Wait…are you saying?" He gasped in horror. He remembered one specifically where the Herrscher had brandished a knife at his mother's vulnerable back.

"Those weren't dreams." The Herrscher chuckled. "Do you still think I can be a hero?"

"My mom's still alive," Izuku noted. "You didn't kill her."

"But I could."

"Why didn't you?" Izuku questioned. "You easily killed those villains, why not my mom."

"Pragmatic reasons," The Herrscher answered. "You're easier to control if she's alive." She admitted. It was the truth. Inko's death while leaving him guilty, could also make him more rebellious to her control. It was the logical move to make.

"So that's it. Any act of kindness you do, its all for a pragmatic reason?" Izuku asked.

"Do you think there is any other reason?" The Herrscher questioned him. How foolish her host could be. He knew not what it meant to be Herrscher.

"I don't know, I hope there is," Izuku answered. "I'm sure deep down, you must have some reason for doing all this." He told her.

"Oh, there is a reason." The Herrscher mused. At her core, she was nothing more than an embodiment of hatred and rage, given form. It was in her very nature to hate humanity and see it's worse, a nature she gladly accepted. The only thing that stopped her was naïve hosts, who believed otherwise. "Not that it matters of course."

"I had hoped I could convince you." Izuku sighed.

"What's done is done. Once your time runs out, I'll go and destroy whatever heroes are left and then the world. That's a promise." The Herrscher told him. "You're welcome to try and stop me, but it wouldn't matter. You've already seen what I can do. I'm inevitable."

"And I'm still here," Izuku answered. "Which means I still have a chance…however small it might be. I'm sure I can find a way to stop you." Izuku told her.

"You can try." The Herrscher yawned. "Well, I'm beat. Today was hectic, so I think I'll go and rest now." With that she vanished from his view, leaving Izuku alone in the living room, with his empty cup of noodles.

Izuku threw away the cup and then headed to his room. Lying on his bed, Izuku thought about his conversation with the Herrscher as looked up at the ceiling. She had made some good points, many were painful to hear, but they were true. He didn't understand what it meant to be a hero, nor did he try to become one. He would change that. He'd prove her wrong.

He turned to his table and saw his notebooks, the Hero Analysis for the future series he had written. Wait a minute…oh crap. Izuku got up and hurried to the table. Upon opening the first page he glanced it over quickly. He had a breakdown of a hero, advantages, breakdowns, and….

"Weakness." Izuku realized. He had the weaknesses of many heroes, in his books. Books are very easy to reach for the Herrscher. He thought back to the All Might fight. She had used the knowledge he had on All Might to exploit his weak spot. She couldn't let her do it again for others.

He hurried to his mom's room and grabbed the paper shredder she kept in her room for her documents. Now with the paper shredder in his room, he looked at the notebooks he had so carefully filled over how many years. Izuku took a deep breath before he opened one and ripped the page out.

He looked at the page, one of his first analysis attempts at All Might. With a heavy heart, he placed it in the shredder. Then he repeated the process again, taking page after page from the book, shredding every single one. Once one book was finished he moved to another and then another.

It hurt to do it, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Izuku had hoped for the Herrscher, but he wasn't going to be naïve about it. She made her intentions very clear, and he saw firsthand what she could do. He would try to find whatever good could possibly exist but not at the expense of anyone else.

Once he was finished he walked back to his bed and lay down. Never had he thought simply shredding paper could take such a mental and emotional toll out of him. It was worth it though to keep the information from her hands.

"I'll also need to keep those thoughts out of my head." Izuku realized. He had read those books so many times, that he probably memorized them. "Okay, just need to block it all off," Izuku told himself. "Just block it out. Just block it out." He repeated as he drifted off to sleep.

As Izuku fell into the world of dreams, his body shifted once more. Black and green hair turned to white, as once green eyes became gold. The Herrscher sat up and glanced at the torn paper in front of her. "How amusing." She thought.

She hadn't even considered the notes at the time. She was sure she could still handle most of the heroes, but the notes now piqued her curiosity. A shame they were destroyed. Perhaps she should be more invested in what her host could offer. Not that it would matter, All Might was an outlier, not the standard, she was sure she could handle anything anyone else threw at her.

"Still just to be sure." She tried to reach into Izuku's mind like she did before. It was easy enough, to slowly peel into his memories, so many memories she delved past until finally she found the books…and then.

"What?" The Herrscher frowned. She got nothing. That wasn't right. She tried again but her response was the same. "Dammit." She scowled.

She had laughed at the idea, but Izuku had actually done it. He actually kept the notes out of her reach. She frowned. This was bad. She thought back to early that day. Izuku had wanted to avoid seeing the destruction of the Acid villain, and he had gotten his wish. He didn't realize it at the time, but he was the one who closed their eyes, not her. She just pretended to keep him unaware and it had cost her.

"I need to figure out how to get a handle on this." She realized. She was not going to have a repeat of last time.

Chapter Text

The Herrscher of the Void leaned against the wall. She didn't like being in a medical office. She didn't like doctors at all, but this was where her host had taken her, so this is where she went. She glanced over at Inko taking note of how different she looked here.

She was taller, slimmer, a far cry from the short and chubby lady the Herrscher was used to seeing. Before Izuku and Inko sat a doctor, with a bald head and bushy moustache, slouched in his chair. "Sorry kid, it's just not gonna happen." The doctor informed them.

The Herrscher glanced at them, taking note of the situation. She saw when Izuku dropped the toy, he had been holding, an All Might action figure. What the Doctor said next wasn't much relevance to the Herrscher, her focus was on the young host before.

She glanced at the young boy; who was 4-5 years old with an indifferent stare. His eyes had widened but the rest of his body had been frozen from the shock. "This is your worst memory." She spoke to the boy. He didn't answer and she sighed to herself, of course, he couldn't.

She stared at him once more, taking note of the tears forming on his face. Izuku Midoriya's worst memory was being told he was quirkless. Was this supposed to be a joke? The Herrscher reached out and touched the teardrop. The moment her fingers contacted the tear; a wave of voices washed over her.

"A strong hero needs a strong quirk."

"You can be an awesome hero with an amazing quirk."

"When I get my quirk, I'll be a hero just like him."

The Herrscher blinked and she found herself standing before a computer. Young Izuku had been running to it, jumping into the chair, and excitedly rocking as Inko approached it. The white-haired girl watched as Inko put on a video, Izuku's favorite video.

It showed the worst-case scenario, a terrible disaster had occurred to humanity. Amid the chaos, All Might had emerged, carrying people with him, laughing in the face of danger. "He's so cool." Izuku cheered as he held his toy.

The Herrscher sighed. So that's why her foolish host idolized the blonde buffoon so much. She recalled Izuku's words, he always thought saving people was cool. All Might saves people, many people, that's why Izuku admired him. The Herrscher rubbed her temples.

Her host's worst day wasn't being quirkless, it was being unable to be a hero. She scowled at this way of thinking. He had no reason to want to save these insects, and yet he still wanted to. He was a fool even back then and still a fool even now. Why did her hosts always end up being foolish heroes?

The memory changed once more, the room was darker and Izuku was…smiling….and crying. The Herrscher looked on alongside Inko who was just remorseful. She watched as the mother consoled her son, a son whose idiotic dreams had been crushed and shattered before him.

"I'm sorry Izuku." Inko apologized as she hugged her son. As if this was somehow her fault. The Herrscher just turned and left. She didn't need to be reminded how much Inko loved and cared for her son.

"Still no hero memories." The Herrscher thought as she continued to scan through what she could. It had irked her, how her host had been able to lock away such information. If he could hide info from her, then that meant his will was strong enough to rebel. All his memories should be accessible to her.

She wandered around for a while before finding herself in a park. Another boy was cowering and Izuku had stood to defend him. The Herrscher's eyes glanced at where he was facing, and she frowned at what she saw. It was the brat she had skewed before.

"You want to pretend to be a hero. You don't stand a chance without a quirk. Deku." The brat taunted as he punched his fist, a small explosion igniting when he did. The Herrscher looked on as her terrified host was then jumped by the three boys.

She let the memory play out. They thrashed her host and left him on the ground, barely unconscious. It was…a very frustrating sight for the Herrscher. She looked at the boy who had been beaten down, her weak and powerless host, who couldn't even stand up to his bullies, was showing enough resolve to resist her attempts at accessing his memories.

"You can't hide yourself in such childish delusions forever." She sneered at the child before her. Soon or later he was going to have reality and see the truth of the world.

Izuku felt excited. Today was the day. He had already submitted his application to his new school and was currently waiting to see if he was accepted. Due to the nature of the villain attacks, it was rather easy to move around, especially since his grades were good enough. Now he'd wait and see if he got in, but for now…it was time to train.

"Alright, this should be good. Not many people in the area." He noted as he looked around. He had gotten a head start on the day. It was Saturday and he had just arrived at a nearby park at the crack of dawn. There was barely anyone around except maybe a little old lady feeding the pigeons nearby.

Izuku took out his notepad. He had been going through possible workout plans. He had considered weight training, but then realized the cost might be too much, he neither had the money to afford training at a gym nor buy the gear for home. The presence of the Herrscher also discouraged him from finding any gym, a small part of him felt it best to avoid populated spaces regularly if he could.

Glancing down at his routine, calisthenics, Izuku began to stretch to prepare himself for what came next. Calisthenics was simple exercises, focusing on using the body's weight to train it. It was basic stuff, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and running. It was easy to do and affordable for him. He sincerely hoped this was a good start.

It was 4 exercises; 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run. "I should be fine."

"Well, what do you think? Any bright ideas in that head of yours for how we deal with this girl?" All Might questioned as he sat across from Nezu. The principal in question was currently looking over the footage gathered from the Herrscher's latest outing.

"Hard to say, her ability to make portals certainly is astounding, she can redirect and store attacks making most projectile attacks quite difficult to use. Not even melee attacks are completely viable since as your fight shows, she can just turn it on yourself. Additionally, it would be almost impossible to hold her while she's conscious due to the chances she'll just teleport away. Her ability to make constructs means she also has a means to go on the offensive."

"In other words," All Might trailed off.

"I need some time to ponder this," Nezu noted as he rubbed his head. "Quirk users with spatial manipulation are always rather perplexing individuals at times."

"It's puzzling to me as well." All Might added. "It's one thing to rampage and attack heroes and civilians, but this time she didn't even seem interested in doing so." He pondered.

"I heard about that. According to the security footage we retrieved, the only real victims of the Herrscher this time were the villains. It's a rather puzzling development." He noted. "It seems the previous assumption people made that she was working with them was false."

"Are you sure?" All Might questioned. "She could have just double-crossed them when they accidentally struck her."

"While possible, I think the more likely case is just that she was in the area. These villains had several attacks in other areas prior, and she was absent from all of them. If they were allies she wouldn't have been so brutal to all three of them. At best, she would have only killed the one who wronged her." Nezu pointed out. "But I concur we can't rule out any possibilities, they may have recently recruited her."

All Might sighed as he leaned back in the chair. Another potential lead had potentially become a dead end. It was frustrating, to say the least. He had been so sure the villain's attack could lead to something. They had one of the villains in custody who could potentially reveal information but given the almost insane nature of the villain and the other circumstance, it was seeming very unlikely now.

"You seem to be rather frustrated. I think it may be best for us to switch topics for the time being. No use trying to grasp at straws." Nezu told All Might. "Is there anything else that's on the mind as late?"

All Might glanced at him. There was one thing but he wondered if he should indulge his curiosity. He had considered leaving it to True Man after all. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask the principal. "Does the name Izuku Midoriya sound familiar?" All Might questioned.

"Izuku Midoriya?" Nezu questioned. "It sounds familiar."

"He's a young boy who I am assuming applied for U.A." All Might noted.

"Assume?"

"I met him the other day. He shared with me his dreams of becoming a hero." All Might recounted.

"Sounds like many young people these days," Nezu noted. "What's his quirk?"

"He doesn't have one. He's quirkless." All Might added. Nezu's ears perked up at this as he looked up from his computer. He hadn't even touched the keys yet. "He asked me if I thought he could be a pro-hero without a quirk."

"I presume you told him no," Nezu noted. He wasn't against the idea personally, anyone had the potential to be a hero, but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of how challenging such a task would be on the young boy, how dangerous the job truly was.

"I did. I told him he couldn't. If he wanted to save people, I told him to go work with the public servants. He'd have much better luck there." All Might noted.

"A quirkless hero isn't impossible but it would require a lot of work and resources," Nezu noted. "If I'm not mistaken I remember another quirkless boy who thought the same thing."

"It would have been easier back then." All Might told him. "The power gap has only grown with time. Back then though difficult, a quirkless hero did seem possible but now…I'm not so sure."

"Do you think you'd still have tried if you didn't meet Nana?" Nezu questioned.

All Might looked up at him. "I don't know." He answered truthfully. "I've never stopped to consider it. It didn't seem to matter honestly, I got to be a hero either way. I became All Might, the number one hero, the World's Symbol of Peace. I did what I always wanted to do, save the world and give people hope. It's…hard to imagine living my life any other way."

"So why the sudden interest? It can't just be because he's quirkless. Perhaps his speech touched you that much." Nezu noted.

"I won't lie, he did remind me of myself, but I know better than anyone how hard it was to compete against people with quirks." All Might confessed. "But that's not the reason this time, you see, a young child at the villain attack site, had informed me a boy matching Izuku's description had saved him from some falling rubble. According to the boy, Izuku was buried underneath, but when I arrived and cleared the rubble, he was gone. If the one who saved the kid is Izuku, then perhaps…I should personally go and thank him, or at the very least, arrange for him to meet the kid. Selfless acts of heroism like his should be acknowledged as such."

"Rightly so," Nezu noted. "Ah, here's his file." The principal delighted said as he started to read Izuku's application. However, as soon as he read it, a frown began to form on his face. "How curious?"

"Is something the matter?" All Might questioned.

"Izuku Midoriya is a student of Aldera Junior High School," Nezu answered. He saw All Might's eyes widen at the revelation, but he continued regardless. "He's one of only two students who applied from said school, the other student being, Katsuki Bakugo."

"That's…."

"Worrisome." Nezu finished.

One of the first places the Herrscher destroyed in her rampage was that specific school. One of the first victims she claimed was a boy who attended said school. Now her second appearance had another boy from said school present. Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence. They certainly hoped there wouldn't be a third one.

"I think we may have found another lead." All Might told Nezu. Hopefully, they could find the Herrscher without having to worry about her causing any more trouble.

"I don't think I can move anymore." Izuku sighed as he collapsed underneath a tree. He was exhausted and he felt his whole body ached from his routine. That was good, right? No pain, no gain, that's what they said.

"Young man, what are you doing?" A voice called from beside him.

Izuku jumped in surprise. He then screamed in pain as his sore body did not like the sudden jerked movements. "Ow." He whined.

"Easy there, young boy." The lady told him as she helped him sit back down. "Are you alright?" She questioned. Izuku glanced at her. She was a short elderly woman, if he had to guess maybe over 50 just to be safe.

"Yeah," Izuku reassured her as he tried to give her a thumbs up. It didn't work his arms still felt sore and he winced a little when he flexed them. "I'm just sore from training that's all." He told her.

"I'm not sure about that." She noted. "You look ready to pass out." She reached into her purse and brought out an unsealed bottle of water. "Here drink this." She instructed.

"No…I'm just a little tired." Izuku told her as he politely refused. "I got up really early." He explained. The old woman glanced him over. She was shorter than him but that didn't stop him from feeling a little intimidated by her gaze.

"Very well." The old woman told him. "Just remember if you feel tired while working out, it's a sign from your body that you should stop and rest. If you push yourself then you risk passing out and that's not good when you're alone." She warned.

"Thank you for your advice, Ma'am." Izuku bowed. "I'll remember that in future."

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you training for?" The woman questioned.

"Uh…well…I'm training to be a hero." Izuku nervously chuckled.

The woman seemed to just chuckle at this. "I should have figured." The woman mused. "I presume you're applying to UA." She guessed.

"Yeah," Izuku told her. "I'm applying to UA. How did you know?" He questioned.

"Lucky guess." The woman told him. "Tell me. How long you have been training?" She wondered. "This is the first time I've seen you in this park."

"Well, I uh…. just started today," Izuku admitted. He was half expecting she'd scold him for being so late.

"Really." She wondered. "Well, I suppose now is a good time as any. You still have what 10/11 months. Plenty of time to get in shape."

"I suppose so," Izuku told her. He was surprised, she didn't ask for his quirk or lack thereof. As he glanced her over, he didn't notice anything that would indicate she might have a quirk. He could be wrong though.

"Well, good luck." The old lady said as she turned to leave. "Take care dear and make sure to pace yourself. I'm curious to see if you make it." She commented.

"Thanks, ma'am," Izuku responded as he watched her leave. "What a nice lady." He thought.

Chapter Text

"Is it really necessary that I go Mom?" Izuku questioned as he looked at his mother. "I'm just, I'm not feeling all that well and I wanted to rest for tomorrow." He lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. His entire body was sore from his training regime, plus he also had school the next day. He really did want to rest, but more importantly, he wanted to stay away.

"Izuku, I know it's difficult and he might have troubled you in the past, but it's not about him. It's about Mitsuki." Inko reiterated. "Katsuki was released yesterday, and she invited us over for dinner. She was really devasted when she got news her son was injured, and it would be rude if we declined." Inko told him.

"Yes, but I mean, it would be alright if you went alone." Izuku tried to reason. He didn't need to go there. The young hero didn't know how he'd feel if he saw Bakugo's injuries. Maybe it was wrong for him to want to avoid it, it was still technically his fault, right? He was the one who freed the Herrscher and gave her the fuel needed to injure him. Maybe he should make amends, and go and apologize to Kanchaan.

"Apologize for what? I just paid him 10 years' worth of pain that he inflicted on you in 10 seconds." The Herrscher scoffed. "You don't have any reason to apologize, it's not like I even killed him."

"Izuku, you two have known each other for years now. I'm sure he'll like some company." Inko tried to tell him. "Even if he won't admit it."

"I highly doubt that." Izuku thought nonetheless, he looked at his mom in her pleading eyes. He sighed. "Alright, I'll go." He answered his mom. "Just let me take a shower really quick." He told her as he left to go freshen up.

He hurried into the shower, throwing off his clothes and turning on the water. Izuku sighed as he let the water wash over him. He could feel the familiar presence next to him. He turned his gaze and saw the Herrscher's back, facing him.

"What are you thinking Herrscher?" Izuku questioned as he stared at the girl. She rarely appears unless its to taunt or tease him.

"I'm wondering how much fun I can have tonight when you let me out." She answered simply.

"What makes you think I will?" Izuku questioned.

"You're memories. You may admire this boy, but you also fear, resent, and hate him." The Herrscher noted. "When you meet him, you will most likely be a victim of his rage. Injured animals are often more violent when they feel threatened, and I did maim him quite a bit. I'm just wondering how long it will take for you to snap when Bakugo tries to blow you up again." She chuckled.

"I'd never indulge you like that. I would never hurt Bakugo." Izuku denied.

"Would never, or could never?" The Herrscher asked. "You see, I've seen your memories Izuku, I know that you've tried to fight him before, back when you were just a powerless little boy who wanted to be a hero." The Herrscher noted. "Back then you didn't have the power to defend yourself, you lost, and you never tried again." She whispered. "Now you have power, my power, and if you let me do as I please, I'll make sure to put Bakugo in his place."

"What you plan to do, and what I want, are too different things," Izuku answered. "You'll hurt him or worse. I don't want that."

"Are you sure?" The Herrscher told him. "Not even deep down."

Izuku didn't answer her. She chuckled; silence usually meant guilt. That's all she needed to know.

"Even if you deny it, there is always that part of us, our lowest instinctual desires. The parts of ourselves we ignore, that we reject because they don't match with what we think want." The Herrscher whispered. "It's natural for anyone, for anything, to feel anger, rage, and hatred for things that hurt them."

The Herrscher vanished not long after, leaving only her words to marinate in his mind. Deep down maybe he did want to fight Bakugo but it wasn't for what the Herrscher claimed. It just wasn't, right? It just wasn't.

Right?

The trip to the Bakugo's had been quiet. Izuku hadn't spoken and Inko hadn't pressed him further for any conversations, seeing that he had been reluctant to come. That said, she did notice how anxious Izuku had been.

She had seen him gripping his pants as he constantly glanced into the rare view mirror. Always looking back for someone who Inko could not see. Her eyes followed his and he kept staring at the back seat but never once said a word even as his expressions changed. It was concerning.

"You should stop worrying." The Herrscher whispered as she leaned next to Izuku's ear. "Your mom is getting concerned." The Herrscher reminded as her head tilted towards Inko.

Izuku's gaze shifted from the Herrscher to his mom. He hadn't realized how much of his discomfort she had noticed. Maybe he needed to learn to hide it better. He could hear a mocking giggle from the unseen third party. Couldn't this night just end soon?

"Are you sure this is a reasonable theory?" True man questioned All Might. "I mean while there is no doubt that those two boys may come from the same school it's still a shot in the dark." He commented.

"I know it looks far-fetched, but my intuition tells me there has to be some connection." All Might tried to reason. "She goes out of her way to destroy this school in particular. Why?" All Might wonders. "Maybe there were bad memories there?"

"She also destroyed one of the DMV's, should we assume she hates that as well."

"Don't be ridiculous." All Might snapped. "Everyone hates the DMV, but that's beside the point."

"We don't have much to go on, but we know these two boys are connected and that her only appearances tie into them."

"Her attacks also coincide with villain attacks; the result is that most villains involved in those attacks are dead or almost dead." True Man noted. "What is the chance she's a vigilante?"

"A vigilante wouldn't go after an innocent kid?" All Might be noted. "Vigilantes are just heroes without licenses. They may not abide by the laws, and most of them aren't looking to hurt innocents. Hurt villains maybe but not innocent civilians."

"That depends on who's defining innocent and guilty." True Man noted.

"That's fair." All Might sighed as he slouched in his chair. "This is driving me crazy."

"Yeah, Nezu told me so." True man chuckled. "But it's understandable to be paranoid." He added. "AFO is a man who's spent probably over 200 years, terrifying the world from the shadows. In that amount of time, there is no telling the connections and the power he could have amassed in secret."

"It's not impossible for him to be playing a long game with us."

"No, it isn't." All Might agreed. For the Symbol of Peace, All For One is his greatest nemesis, the ultimate evil, the be-all-end-all big bad boss. Yet the same couldn't be said for the villain. To AFO, All Might was nothing more than another bearer of One For All, the eighth user in a long line of heroes fighting him for the past 200 years. All Might may have been the most challenging one, but every other user would have been so at one point. For all he knew All For One could have already foreseen the growing cap, and accounted for it.

"Look if it makes you feel better, we can go and talk to the Bakugos, maybe that will put your mind at ease." True Man told the hero.

"I'm not sure it will." All Might admitted. If those boys were not involved with the Herrscher then they were at a dead end. If they did, then perhaps they had led but it was not one All Might would like to hear. The idea that the villain could be targeting those kids, it made him sick.

"Regardless, we should head out now." True Man suggested. "Katsuki Bakugo was recently released from the hospital yesterday. He should be resting home with his mother right now." True Man noted.

"Let's go." All Might stood up, buffing into his hero form.

"Wait a minute, Toshi, I think it might be a little concerning if All Might shows up." True Man told him. All Might looked down at himself. "Besides isn't it a waste of the few minutes you have to just stay buffed up?"

"No." All Might said before deflating back into the skeletal Yagi. "I could maintain the form for longer times provided I didn't do any fighting, but I see your point." He admitted. "It would attract too much attention."

"Alright then. Well, in that case, looks like you're my new assistant." True Man told him.

"I'm not going to need to walk with a notebook and write everything you discuss, right?" All Might questioned.

True Man didn't say anything.

"Good night, Mistuki." Inko greeted with Izuku following suit. "Sorry, we're a little late."

"Nah, you aren't late you're actually rather early." Mitsuki comments. "Nice to you again Izuku."

"Nice to see you as well Miss Bakugo," Izuku responds as she lets them in.

"If you're wondering about Katsuki, he's in his room, though I should warn you, he's still a little…moody, after…you know."

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuku answered. He had no intention of seeing Bakugo just yet instead finding himself sitting on the couch in the living room. It felt so wrong to be here. He shouldn't be here.

"Oh, trying to stay away." The Herrscher commented. "That's not very nice." She told him. "Heroes are supposed to be courageous. They need to face their fears, not chicken out." She taunted.

"I'm not chickening out. Didn't you hear? Kachaan's not in the mood. It would be rude to interrupt him." Izuku argued.

"Oh, really well we can't have that." The Herrscher told him. Izuku felt something overtaking his legs and his arms. Izuku's eyes widened in worry.

He tried to fight back, asserting his grip on the couch, and trying to keep himself in place. "What are you doing?" He pleaded in his mind. He could feel the Herrscher exerting her influence, his grip loosened, and he was forced to stand up.

"Helping you face your fears." The Herrscher responded as she forced Izuku to start walking or whatever you could call that movement. His legs were moving but his body was trying to resist as he fought with himself.

"No. I don't want to go." Izuku told her. "I don't want to go." Izuku turned his head to see his mom and Mitsuki, talking in the kitchen. He wanted to try calling for help but his hand immediately covered his mouth. He was lucky he was able to grab the corner of the wall with his next arm, but it still wasn't doing much to stop the Herrscher.

"Come on, if Kachaan is so nice, then you should have no problem confronting him," She teased. Izuku's grip remained on the wall. "Well, I guess, we'll have to do this the hard way." She sighed.

"Hard way?" Izuku muttered. Before he even realized it, a portal opened beneath his feet. "Oh…" Izuku fell into the void. He didn't fall for long as the portal reopened not more than a few feet away, right in front of Bakugo's door. Izuku was flung out, crashing right into the door with a loud thud. "Ow." Izuku winced.

How did she do that? Izuku thought she needed to transform to use her powers.

"Not really." The Herrscher responded. "I'm the Ruler of the Void, my dominion is manipulating space and to an extent even time." The Herrscher boastd. "Transforming your body is merely out of convenience for me since I much prefer my form over yours as it is stronger and more resilient. It is not a necessity for me to do so. If I so wanted, I could create portals and lances even now."

"Especially now." The Herrscher punctuated.

"WHO'S THERE?" Bakugo growled as he opened the door. Izuku squeaked as Bakugo's eyes fell on him. "DEKU!" He growled in a low voice.

Chapter Text

"What are you doing here Deku?" Bakugo yelled as little explosions went off in his hands. Izuku quickly stood up, backing himself into the wall. Beside him, the Herrscher was watching the interaction between the two boys with care.

"I'm not doing anything. Your mom invited us over." Izuku quickly defended as he held his hands up as a sign he meant no harm. The Herrscher frowned at him and forced his arms back down. Izuku's eyes widened as his arms moved to his side. He tried to move them back up but he was met with resistance from the Herrscher.

"Stop that!" The Herrscher spoke. Izuku didn't listen and continued to resist. "Do not submit yourself to that weakling. You are embarrassing us." She warned Izuku. He didn't listen to her.

"Are you making fun of me?" Bakugo sneered; his voice embittered as a vein popped out on his forehead. "Why you!" He threw a right hook at Izuku, his fist colliding quickly with Izuku's face. The green and black-haired boy, staggered back against the wall using it to support himself.

Izuku breathed deeply, holding his left cheek. It hurts a lot but it was nothing new. He could see the Herrscher's disapproving stare. She let out a sigh as she leaned back against the wall. "Well, are you just going to take that? Give me the reigns, let me finish him off" She whispered to him as her eyes drifted over to Bakugo. "Look at him." She commanded.

Izuku's eyes followed and to his surprise, Bakugo was also recoiling in pain. He was currently clutching his right shoulder as he bit back a scream. Izuku could feel the smugness on the Herrscher's face. "He's weaker than he once was, and you're stronger than before. If not me, then you can thrash him." The Herrscher tempted.

Izuku ignored the Herrscher. "Bakugo are you alright?" He asked the injured boy. His response was Bakugo thrusting his hand into his chest and releasing an explosion. The force pushed him back into the wall. Izuku gasped in pain as he struck the wall before Bakugo kneed him in the stomach. Izuku bent forward, clutching his abdomen. It hurt, it hurt a lot. Still, he'd bear it. He forced himself to stand back up straight.

"Fight back, Izuku. Punch him, kick him, headbutt the bastard" The Herrscher told him as she clenched her fists. It egged her to see her host like this. He was fine submitting himself to his bully, but against her, he'd resist. "Just do something, anything."

"I don't need your pity Deku." Bakugo yelled. "You think just because I'm injured, that means I'm some weakling like you now." Bakugo punched him in the ribs.

"No." Izuku apologized. "I ….would…. never." He defended himself. His voice was shaky. He didn't want to be here, to be facing Bakugo right now. He could feel his body starting to tremble as his palms became sweaty. It was an all too familiar feeling to him.

"You damn nerd! Get out of my sight right now." Bakugo ordered as he stepped forward. He expected Izuku to cower, to run away like the pest he was.

"No." The Herrscher spoke when she sensed Izuku's desire to leave. Izuku's feet were rooted in the ground and his body refused to move, as if it was paralyzed. "You will not run away, not this time. If you insist on resisting me then you ought to resist him as well."

It was no good. The Herrscher insisted on keeping him here. Looks like he had no choice, he had to try reasoning with Kachaan. "Bakugo, please, I don't want to hurt you." Izuku tried to warn his former friend. He didn't want to hurt him, to let the Herrscher out, not when so many others were around.

"Really…you think you can hurt me." Bakugo chuckled. "Give it your best shot." Bakugo taunted. As if the little quirkless wimp would do anything.

"Come on, Izuku, he's actually asking for you to do it." The Herrscher pointed out to the quirkless boy.

"No, that's not what I meant." Izuku tried to defend. "I just wanted to apologize." He spoke with a tremble in his voice. "For the Herrscher."

"The Herrscher," Bakugo said in a quieter voice, his eye slowly twitching. His teeth clenched as he heard the name of that wretch. He grabbed Izuku with his good arm and pulled him close. "What do you have to apologize for with the Herrscher?" Bakugo glowered at the boy.

"If…I…was there." Izuku stuttered. If he was awake at the time, perhaps he could have stopped the Herrscher, perhaps he could have convinced her not to do it. "I could have done something."

"What do you think you could even do?" Bakugo slammed Izuku back on the wall. "You think you could have saved me from the villain? Get it through your skull Deku. You're no hero." He mocked as he threw Izuku back on the ground. "I'm sure if you had been there, you'd have been dead on the spot. Heck, I bet the Herrscher wouldn't even kill you because that's how pathetic you are. It would be a waste of time."

The Herrscher didn't say anything and quite frankly Izuku didn't want her to speak. It was horrifying enough to live with her but he could only imagine the terrifying situation he'd be in without the mercy of being her host. It was very likely to be true as well.

"I'm nothing like you Deku," Bakugo repeated. "I'm not weak like you. When I recover, I'm going to train my quirk and get even stronger. Then when I become a hero…I'll make sure that whore pays." He clenched his fist as he glared at Izuku.

"Izuku." The Herrscher whispered darkly. "If you don't fight back. I will." The Herrscher threatened she was growing more and more annoyed by the boy attacking her host and insulting her as well.

Izuku tried to ignore the Herrscher's words as he looked over Bakugo. The explosion user was mad, anger practically radiated from his body. Yet Izuku saw something else, something he'd never thought he'd see on Bakugo. "You're shaking." He commented.

This seemed to surprise Bakugo whose eyes widened briefly. "What?" He gasped in surprise before looking down at his hand. "No, I'm not," Bakugo told him.

"You're afraid of the Herrscher," Izuku commented. It was a familiar feeling. One he had gotten to know too well. Of course, Bakugo didn't have the Herrscher's soul bonded to him, but Izuku could only imagine how much trauma she might have had.

"Me…. afraid." Bakugo gritted his teeth. He wasn't afraid. She had just gotten lucky. That was all. If he faced her again things would be different. "I'm not afraid." He screamed at Deku. He threw another punch, this time with his left hand, his quirk igniting once more.

Izuku braced himself. Prepared to take the blast head-on. He didn't want it to hit. It was going to hurt a lot. He didn't want to deal with another explosion, but he had to.

"ENOUGH!" The Herrscher screamed in Izuku's head. Izuku felt the Herrscher's will overtake him. He tried to stop it, but he couldn't. It was too strong at this point. He could feel the control of his body, get ripped right away from him.

Bakugo's eyes widened as green eyes turned gold and black hair turned white.

"How are you and Masaru taking it?" Inko questioned as she sat down with Mitsuki. She could only imagine just how scary such a situation might be.

Mitsuki looked at her friend and sighed. "We're glad he's alive," Mitsuki answered as she sipped her tea. "But it was still a terrifying time."

"Yeah, it's good things are better now," Inko noted.

"We still haven't told him." Mitsuki lamented as she placed her cup down. She glanced over at the stairway making sure no one was there. "According to the doctors, Katsuki's arms are damaged enough that his ability to use his quirk is now compromised."

"But he can still them right?" Inko questioned.

"Yeah, he can, but the kickback now will hurt him," Mitsuki noted. "Even when he fully recovers, he'll never be able to use them like how he used to. He's always been a proud boy…. overconfident at times, but he was always so sure of his quirk." Mitsuki noted. "Now I'm just wondering how to break it to him."

"Katsuki's a strong and stubborn child. I'm sure he'll be fine." Inko assured her.

"Inko, I know this is going to sound rude," Mitsuki told her. "But how did you handle it when you had to tell Izuku?"

Inko froze. She turned her gaze from Mitsuki and looked at her cup of tea. "I…I don't think I handled it well either. I was fortunate the Doctor had just bluntly told him. All I could do was try and console him afterward." Inko recalled.

"Somehow I don't think he'd be in the mood." Mitsuki chuckled. "There's a reason we have our floors and ceilings soundproof. When he starts exploding his frustrations it can be unpleasant." She noted.

"I sure hope Izuku and him are doing okay." Inko sighed as she looked up.

DING DONG!

"Oh, that's probably, Masaru. I'll go get the door." Mitsuki told Inko as she walked to the door.

"Inspector Naomasa!" Mitsuki gasped. Inko looked over from where she was sitting and saw two strange men at the door.

With a space, a purple void, The Herrscher of the Void had appeared before the young boy, his bedroom and hallway fully devoured by her domain. Her face was expressionless but her gaze was cold and unfeeling. Amber eyes pulsed with a radiant power, alien to this world and its inhabitants. They were devoid of any emotion, any warmth that was familiar to other beings. They were an empty void threatening to swallow the arrogant child.

Bakugo's body had frozen in its place at the woman before him. Her skin was pale, almost white like that of a ghost and her hair was just snowy. Bakugo tried to move but he felt his body stiffen even more as if he was being clutched by an invisible force.

He was powerless, he was helpless, he wanted to scream, but his mouth couldn't open. The Herrscher lifted her hand right hand and clenched her fist. Without even touching him, Bakugo felt a hand grasp around his neck as the air was forced out of his body. It was agonizing but no matter what, Bakugo couldn't make a sound, not a peep.

He opened his palms trying to make an explosion, but two portals appeared and devoured both his hands, leaving him with two stubs. After what felt like an eternity, the Herrscher released her 'grip' and Bakugo could finally breathe. He gasped for air.

"Too weak." She finally spoke softly, she was floating a few feet away, yet it felt like she was right next to him, her lips just barely touching his ears as she whispered. She formed a familiar lance above her head

Bakugo realized what that was. He started breathing heavily. His heart racing a million beats a minute. No, it couldn't be. Not again. Without hesitation, the lance was launched at him.

"NO!" Bakugo screamed as he covered himself. He didn't want to be impaled again. He waited, he expected the lance would skewer him again, but it never did. Slowly he he opened his eyes and noticed none other than Izuku, huddling up against the wall, right where Bakugo had last seen him, when he was just mere moments away from striking.

"What?" Bakugo asked as he looked around. There was no one here, only the useless Deku. He glanced over at Deku, black and green-haired Deku.

Deku didn't say anything, instead, he was huddled in the corner, his eyes averted from Bakugo. Suddenly Izuku stood up and Bakugo heard footsteps.

"Boys?" Inko called. Not wanting anyone else to see him like this, Bakugo also stood up, just as Inko came into view. "Mitsuki wants you both downstairs," Inko commented.

"We'll be right down," Izuku answered in a monotone voice as he tried to hide his face. "I just have to use the bathroom." He commented before heading to the nearby washroom. He hurried inside.

Bakugo meanwhile tried to maintain his image. He forced a calm expression on his face before agreeing to go with Inko. As he walked he felt his throat as a new memory had been engraved into him.

He was hallucinating. That's it. His meds were still making him trippy. There was no way she was here. She couldn't possibly be here. Why would she be here?

Inside the washroom, 'Izuku' locked the door before walking over to the sink. He scowled at his reflection, his amber eyes furious. 'Izuku' turned on the tap and splashed himself with some water as he did, his eyes faded to green. The young boy almost doubled over as he felt his body felt drained, just barely keeping himself standing by supporting himself on the vanity.

"What was that?" The Herrscher grumbled as she appeared beside the boy. The boy didn't answer her immediately. The contents of his stomach started to spill out into the sink, the repeated strike to his belly and the Herrscher's power had made him nauseous.

"I…couldn't let you hurt him." Izuku reasoned as he turned to face the Herrscher.

"That's not what I meant." The Herrscher muttered under her breath as she floated towards Izuku. The young boy backed away from the young lady as she invaded his personal space. "I meant…what was that stunt you pulled back there." The Herrscher hissed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Izuku defended.

"Oh yeah." The Herrscher scoffed she then gestured to the mirror. "Explain that." She told him.

Izuku glanced in the mirror noticing the bruised spots that had started to appear on his face from where Bakugo had hit him. There was slight swelling and some areas had started to change color.

"I'm waiting." The Herrscher glowered as she stood behind him.

"I…." Izuku tried to find the words. "This was an accident." He tried to argue.

"Oh is it."

"Yes. Bakugo's not usually like this." Izuku tried to defend. "He's…."

"Worse." The Herrscher finished. The memories had definitely shown far worse states than what she was seeing.

"He's not himself," Izuku argued. "He's…under distress." His eyes then glared at the Herrscher. "From you."

"Oh really." The Herrscher rolled her eyes. " From me. I only met him a few days ago. What about all the times before that, Izuku?" The Herrscher pressed on.

"I…"

"Yeah…go one Izuku…spit it out." The Herrscher jeered.

"It was my fault." Izuku reasoned. "I…" He was stopped when the Herrscher held up her hand.

"No." She told him. "Don't even say it. It wasn't your fault. It was his. He's the one who instigates those beatings." She answered. "You're blind if you don't see it."

"No. I'm just…" Izuku tried to find the words. "I don't want to hurt anyone. He's my friend. He's a good person, a future hero."

"You call that a friend." The Herrscher scoffed. "Don't make me laugh human, I have seen true bonds and yours with that worm, Bakudo is but a pathetic wretched thing. A friend is someone you play games with. A friend is someone willing to fry their brain to save you from danger. A friend is someone who can stick beside you…even if you are bonded to me." The Herrscher growled.

She recalled very vividly one very annoying yet very persistent insect who had dared to challenge her. A girl with silver hair, who had to rely on a robot to fight her and didn't even have real legs. The Herrscher may have hated her, but she certainly was aware enough to know she was a good friend. A friend named Bronya.

"Izuku…look at what he did to you." The Herrscher reiterated.

"It's nothing. It doesn't even hurt that much." Izuku reasoned. The Herrscher reached her fingers out and gently caressed his cheek. "Ouch." He winced. The Herrscher shot him an unimpressed look.

"He hurt you." The Herrscher glared at him.

"Why do you even care?" Izuku questioned.

"I don't." The Herrscher responded. She didn't. She just couldn't stand that her host, the one who was limiting her, who was restraining her was this…boy, before her. "I could feel every hit you received." She explained to him.

Izuku's eyes widened. "Oh you forgot, we're linked. Remember? Just like how you felt the acid burning you, I felt his blows. Every. Single. One." The Herrscher explained. "And you just stood there, and you let him do it. You just took it." She whispered.

"I couldn't do anything," Izuku told her.

"You could have asked me." The Herrscher told him. "I was right there, Izuku. One word and I would have solved it."

"You would have killed him." Izuku reasoned.

"Even if that's true….you still had so many other choices." The Herrscher scolded.

"I couldn't move. You kept me there. You forced me to stay there."

"I did…because I wasn't going to let you be a coward." The Herrscher told him. "But….I was wrong."

"I'm not…a coward," Izuku answered.

"Oh, you aren't. You had multiple choices in that situation." The Herrscher held up three fingers at him. "A, ask for my help, B, block him, or C, counterattack and fight back on your own. You know what you did, D, do nothing." The Herrscher scolded. "YOU. DID. NOTHING!"

Izuku said nothing in response. It irked her even more. She gritted her teeth as she stared at the boy.

It was frustrating to the Herrscher. If it was Kiana, she would have fought back. She would have beaten the brat senselessly for attacking her or her friend. "You are weak, Izuku, but it's not because you don't have a quirk." The Herrscher spat. "It's because you don't have a spine. If you had a spine, maybe people would actually notice you, especially if you actually stood on your own two feet and didn't double over when you got knocked over."

"You admired that boy because of his strength. Yet you never had the courage to stand back up…after he tore you down." The Herrscher scoffed. "Perhaps he was right if I didn't need your body. It would have been a waste to destroy."

Izuku still said nothing.

How could this…insect be the one to hold back? How is it that this is the human whose will can stop her? It was maddening to think about. It was almost paradoxical. He was so fragile, so 'delicate', so easy to break down to others, yet with her, he was defiant to the end. It was like God decided to pull another twisted joke on her.

"You know what. I've had enough of this." The Herrscher told her host. "I thought this night would be fun, but even I can't find any delight in this. Just head back out and stop wasting my time." The Herrscher sighed.

Izuku for once, did as she had told him. He turned around defeated and headed to the door.

"On second thought. Hold on." The Herrscher told him. Izuku turned to her once more and she floated over to him. She frowned as she saw his swollen face. The Herrscher placed touched his cheeks and Izuku felt a familiar warmth radiate through his body. It was uncomfortably pleasant. "There…that should do it. I would have healed it completely but I think that's a decent punishment for how much of a wimp you are."

Izuku glanced at the mirror and noticed his face. It was healed…somewhat. He brought a finger up to his face, and touch where the bruise had been. "Ouch." He winced. It still hurt…no it hurt even worse now but it looked normal. "What? Why did you?"

"As tempting as it would be to let you go out there and worry your mother. Potentially letting her grill you, and risking ruining her friendship, I am not in the mood for feeling your disgusting emotions running through me again. No doubt you'll tell them the same rubbish you told me so I'm saving us the trouble. Go eat, get it over with, and let's head home." The Herrscher told him.

Chapter Text

Izuku stepped out of the restroom, leaving the Herrscher to vanish from his view. Yet he still felt her, an indescribable weight that hovered over him for the past few days as her presence lingered since he had processed she was bonded to him. Strangely it wasn't just her presence that had weighed him, but also her words.

Those cruel, cruel worlds she had spoken to him. Not the ones that detailed and outlined her hatred, or her desire for destruction. It was not any of the insults she made about him being weak. He was long since accustomed to such abuse. However, the recent words she had spoken had left their mark on him.

"He hurt you. You let him. He's not your friend." Her words echoed as Izuku stepped forward. "You did nothing. You just stood there and took it. You're not weak because you lack a quirk, you're weak because you lack a spine."

It was not true, Izuku tried to rationalize. Once upon a time, he and Bakugo had been friends. They had been friends since they were little before they had even gotten their quirks. They were once inseparable.

But could that really be said now?

After Bakugo got his quirk and Izuku didn't, things changed. Bakugo started to excel, excel at everything. He was more popular, he was smarter, he was stronger, and he was braver. He was the coolest. He was everything Izuku wanted to be. It was like many people said, he was a prime candidate for being a hero.

The Herrscher seemed to think otherwise. She dismissed the idea that Bakugo was a hero and ignored every bit of proof he was. Every detail given, she would find a fault and easily dismiss it away.

"What would she know anyway?" Izuku would have liked to argue. The Herrscher was a villain, a parasite that had latched onto his body. She didn't care for him, all she cared about was destroying humanity. She only wanted to kill people. How could she know what it took to make a hero?

Besides, it's not like she was any different from what she said about Bakugo. She used her power to hurt others for no reason. She threatened Izuku just the same. She abused her power to hurt those around her for no reason other than just because she could, and it was only because of Izuku's reluctance that she could never go further.

Maybe it was all just her lies. Maybe it was all just a trick. She wanted him to listen to her, to give her a foothold. Then she'd just wrench it from and destroy his person. Izuku wasn't going to believe. He wasn't going to believe her lies.

He renewed his resolve and walked downstairs. That's right. He wasn't going to let those lies get to him. He knew the truth. He trusted the truth. She's a liar and he couldn't believe the words that came from her lips.

"Ouch." Izuku winced as he felt a jolt through his body. He held the side of the staircase to steady himself. His body still hurt. He was sore from his training and then Bakugo's… he caught himself. Bakugo venting his frustration had left him in even more pain. Still, Izuku continued as he went down the stairs.

And then he saw them…

Besides his mom, Mrs. Mitsuki, and Kachaan, was a detective and All Might in his shrunken form. Izuku's heart almost dropped as panic set in. Why was All Might here? Why now? Did he know?

"What the hell is the problem now?" The Herrscher snapped as she suddenly manifested beside him. Izuku almost jumped at her voice. Almost, the Herrscher had held him steady if only for a few seconds to avoid drawing attention. "Well." She asked half annoyed.

"Um…"

It was all Izuku could mutter before her eyes followed where he was watching. Her eyes seemed to light up upon seeing All Might. "Well, it looks like this night is not a total waste." She chuckled. She could do with a good fight and All Might as far she knew was the best one in this world.

"Ah, Izuku," Inko called out. "Come, this is Detective Naomasa and Mr. Yagi." She introduced the newcomers. Realizing he had no other options, Izuku walked down the steps. The pain from before seemed like a minor inconvenience compared to the sheer dread he felt now.

"Hello Young Midoriya." All Might…no Mr. Yagi greeted as he stretched out his hand. Izuku cautiously took it and shook it. His green eyes kept locked on the blazing blue of the symbol of peace. Izuku took a seat next to his mom. The Herrscher as if daring to mock him had floated and seated herself right beside All Might with an almost cheshire-like grin on her face.

"Now that both of you are here. We can finally get started." Detective Naomasa cleared his throat. "I'm sure you both have questions so let's start with what this is about."

"We are investigating the Herrscher," Yagi explained. "I know that you are all no strangers to her and I am deeply sorry if this conversation may get a little uncomfortable."

"Have you found that witch?" Mitsuki growled as she stood up. The polite tone she had used with them prior had disappeared almost immediately, leaving an angry woman not to dissimilar to her own child. No one could really blame her, it was an expected response for a mother to have to mention her son's attacker.

"I'm afraid we haven't." Mr. Yagi lifted his hands in defense. "We're working on it, trust me, that's why we are here."

"Mitsuki. Please calm down." Inko assured her as he held Mitsuki's arm and lowered her back to her seat. Suffice it to say it worked shockingly well; Inko had managed to easily curb her friend's anger.

"As Mr. Yagi was saying." Detective Naomasa continued. "We've been looking at all possible leads we could find."

"And have you found anything?" Inko asked.

"The current theory we have is that she's targeting those connected to Aldera Junior High." The Detective added. He let the room gasp in shock for a few seconds before he continued. "Now it's nothing concrete yet, so far it's just a sheer coincidence but we can't rule it out just yet." The Detective glanced at Yagi. The other man seemed to look a little nervous, at least that's what Izuku thought.

"Currently while she has two attacks, there have been pieces that have linked her to the school on at least three separate counts," Yagi explained. "The first is the destruction of the school in question, the second is when she attacked Young Bakugo…and the third was in the most recent attack with Young Midoriya." He noted.

"Wait…what?" Inko gasped as she turned to her son. "You were attacked by the Herrscher." She repeated as held onto her son.

"No Mom." Izuku tried to reassure. "It wasn't like that. I was just around the villain attack when it happened. I got away and found my way home." Izuku tried to calm her. "I didn't want you to worry. Nothing bad had happened to me."

"Mr. Midoriya." The Detective interrupted. "I must inform you beforehand that my quirk is a polygraph quirk." He warned. "It allows me to deduce whether a person is telling the truth or not. I know you don't want your mother to worry but right now we expect you to be very honest with us." The Detective informed.

"Oh…okay." Izuku gulped. Oh, this was bad, there was no way he was going to be able to get out of this one. His mom would definitely find out for sure what had happened to him. She'd learn all about the Herrscher and then. Izuku didn't want to think about it. If the secret got out, the Herrscher would hurt them, and Izuku couldn't do anything about it. His gaze narrowly shifted to the Herrscher who was just looking at him and smiling.

Then he saw it.

The blonde hair beside the Herrscher. Izuku's eyes glanced to All Might and a warmth feeling started to bubble in his chest, hope. Wait a minute, All Might was still here, he realized. He had fought the Herrscher before.

Glancing at the Detective the gears in Izuku's head started to turn. Normally, a confession like this might sound crazy, but the Detective could verify he was telling the truth. If he could warn them quickly enough then…All Might could stop the Herrscher. Izuku took a deep breath.

"I'd hold that tongue if I were you." The Herrscher warned with a smug smirk. "Do you really think it's that easy to betray me?" She questioned. "Or do you not realize how dire the situation really is for you?"

"I…" Izuku was caught like a deer in headlights and those headlights were piercing amber eyes that had locked onto his soul.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad." The Herrscher assured. "I've expected it for some time now, but I must warn you, this will not end how you expect it." She explained.

"If you lie to them, then they figure you are lying, think you are connected to me, arrest you, and force you to reveal what you know. You'll either be imprisoned for aiding me along with your mother or you'll be locked up all alone in a cell and left to rot with only me as your sole companion."

"Alternatively, you can tell the truth either now or in that scenario and risk this next outcome." The Herrscher chided. "You tell the truth, I take over and in the brief moments of shock that everyone might have, I kill everyone here." The Herrscher noted.

"So far I've avoided killing because I was being pragmatic, Izuku. I've left your mother alive as she's a decent tool to manipulate you with, I've let Bakugo live because I wanted to make him suffer for you," The Herrscher listed off. "As for All Might, he's simpler than you think. He has one foot in the grave, a very exploitable weak spot to hit and my power is the perfect counter to him."

"If you sell me out…I don't really have to care what happens next, they are all fair game and I can do it very quickly, very easily." The Herrscher whispered.

"So tell me…what are you going to do?"

"I can stop you." Izuku tried to defend.

"No, you can't." The Herrscher mocked. "All I need is to overpower you for one, only one second, and that's it for at least one person. A single lance, straight through the heart, it's all it will take."

"So I ask again, what are you going to do?"

Izuku didn't answer her. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know what to do. He clenched his fist, no, there has to be some way for him to get out of this.

"So now that we've cleared that up, which one of you would like to go first?" The Detective questioned.

"Deku." Bakugo volunteered. "You go first. Make it quick." He scowled.

"What? Why me?" Izuku argued.

"Simple…everyone already knows about me. Maybe they'll find something new from you." Bakugo brushed aside.

Izuku wanted to argue but he couldn't. He didn't have a rebuttal. "Alright." Izuku sighed in defeat.

"Mrs. Bakugo, Mrs. Midoriya may we please go in another room?" Naomasa asked the two moms. Inko glanced at her son. She was hesitant but eventually, she conceded. Izuku didn't say no and she didn't want to jeopardize her son's testimony. She had a feeling he'd try and lie if she was watching, he always tried to lie to avoid worrying her or hurting her.

"You may." Inko relented.

Seeing Inko give permission, Mitsuki leads the Detective and Izuku to Masaru's private study. Once there she closes the door and heads back to join Yagi, Inko, and Katsuki.

"So how do we do this exactly?" Izuku questioned. "I mean, how does your quirk work factor into this, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, it's simple." True Man told him. "I will ask you a question, if it is true my quirk will tell me it is, if it isn't then I will know you are not telling the truth."

"That's a really good quirk for a detective," Izuku admitted.

"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that." The Detective chuckled. "Alright then," his face hardened. "Let's start going through the questions."

"Question 1: When was the first time you ever saw the Herrscher?"

"Oh, that's an easy one. I saw her the day after she attacked Bakugo. She was on the news broadcast." Izuku answered as he recalled that…horrible day. He had thought it was a nightmare but it wasn't. It was real, very real.

"And have you seen her since?" The Detective followed up.

"Well…she's been on the news a lot," Izuku noted.

"I meant in person. We have an eyewitness who claims they saw you at the last villain attack scene. Did you see the Herrscher in person there?" The Detective questioned.

"Well…I saw she was on the roof." Izuku noted.

"Anywhere else before the roof?"

"Um…well." The Detective looked up at Izuku, his eyes were very serious. Izuku had to choose his next words very carefully. Especially with the two pairs of eyes looking at him. "Yes." Izuku admitted. "I did see her."

"Where?"

"She was in the cafe. No one saw her at the time because nobody could. I didn't even know she was there, not until…"

"Not until what?" The Detective asked curiously.

"The roof had collapsed and I was buried under the rubble," Izuku admitted. "That's when I found out she was there."

"She was buried under the rubble with you?" The Detective questioned in surprise. "But the rubble wasn't disturbed? All Might had arrived and cleared it out himself."

"That's because…" Izuku paused for a moment. There were other ways of describing what the Herrscher did. Right? She moved the rubble off. She teleported him away. She… "She saved me," Izuku answered.

To say the Detective was surprised was an understatement. He tried to hide it, but it was clear that wasn't the answer was expecting to hear. Although it also wasn't the answer Izuku wanted to give, it did have better follow-up.

"Is there a reason she saved you?" Naomasa asked suspiciously.

"When I talked to her, she said she was debating, whether to wait for me to fall unconscious or die first," Izuku answered. "However when she couldn't tell what was going to happen, she just opened a portal and warped us to another location," Izuku explained.

"I see," Naomasa noted.

"So, are there any other questions?" Izuku wondered.

"Do you have any idea why she'd target Aldera Junior High?" The Detective questioned.

"I'm not sure I can answer that without sounding biased," Izuku admitted.

"How so?"

"I uh…I don't have many pleasant memories with the school." Izuku confessed. "It's always been a miserable experience, the teachers were hard on me, and it always got a little rough with my classmates," Izuku told him. "If the Herrscher had unpleasant memories like mine, I can see her destroying the school."

"I see. You think she wants revenge."

"Who could say?" Izuku admitted. "For all the coverage we've gotten. I doubt any of us really 'know' the Herrscher, me included. She's… an enigmatic being. She's less of a person and feels more like an alien in a sense or some sort of spirit or ghost. I'm not sure I'd even understand what she thinks."

"Can't say I'm surprised." The Detective agreed. No one had actually figured out the Herrscher at the moment and that was the problem. How do you counter something you don't know?

"So the next question I have deals with Katsuki Bakugo. Do you have any idea why she might target him?" The Detective asked.

"Um…" This one had stumped Izuku. The Herrscher's explanation was that she hated him because Izuku hated him. That couldn't be true right? Would it make him an accomplice if he did answer that his rage was the reason? No, he should relax. Speak the truth.

"Bakugo's a good person," Izuku answered. "He's got the makings of a good hero when he gets older. I'm sure the Herrscher targeted him because of that." This time the detective paused. He looked down at what he had been writing the response from. "Is there a problem sir?" Izuku questioned.

"Izuku may I ask you another question, before I answer?"

"Um sure,"

"Izuku, is Bakugo your friend?" Naomasa asked.

"Yes," Izuku answered. "We've been friends since childhood."

"I see."

"So…what does your quirk say?" Izuku questioned.

"It says you are lying," Naomasa noted.

"That's…that's not true." Izuku defended. "Bakugo's my friend, I believe that."

"That's interesting," Naomasa noted. "Alright, you've convinced me. I believe Bakugo's your friend." He reassured Izuku. "I'll disregard the previous answers on the matter. Is that okay?"

"Oh…okay sir," Izuku answered.

"You've answered everything I've gotten so far." The Detective noted.

"Was it helpful?" Izuku wondered.

"Hard to say, but we hope it is. The Herrscher has caused a lot of problems for us."

"Don't I know it," Izuku muttered.

The Detective dismissed Izuku. The young boy felt relief that he had just narrowly managed to get by the Detective's lie detection quirk. Upon leaving the room there was a light feeling in his body. It was strange. the Herrscher's hostility had vanished. She was still there, but he didn't feel her anger as much now. She wasn't even visible now.

"Herrscher?" Izuku tried to call out. He could feel something, a light response from her. She was still present but it seemed like she was not in the mood to speak. Izuku didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, it didn't seem like she was considering killing everyone but the silence still unsettled him. He had tried to be as vague as possible and played very loosely with the way he described things.

His secret wasn't revealed but he also wasn't lying. At least he sincerely hoped he didn't get caught. Still...

When he rejoined the others, he found All Might chatting with his and Bakugo's mom. Seems like the pro hero really had a way with words. Surprisingly it was All Might who had noticed him. "Ah, Young Midoriya, you're back." He addressed. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it was fine," Izuku answered. "Kachaan."

"I'm going, Deku." Bakugo spat. Izuku didn't respond, instead waiting for Bakugo to leave and reach out of earshot.

"Mrs. Midoirya is it okay if I step out and talk to your son now? I have my questions that might need answering." Yagi told Inko.

"Um…okay." Inko agreed.

From how apprehensive she was before to how she was acting now, Izuku was stunned to say the least. He guessed All Might really do have a way with words.

Once again he followed All Might, this time outside the Bakugo residence.

"So…" Izuku wondered. "How can I help you…sir?"

"Well, credit where it's due. You kept your word." All Might smiled. "As for help? I'd like to ask you a question. Do you remember what I said to you on the roof?" He asked.

"Yeah…I remember." Izuku answered. "I couldn't be a hero without a quirk." Izuku sighed. "You don't have to remind me."

"I didn't come to remind you. I came to apologize." All Might told him. "I told you, you couldn't be a hero without a quirk. I was wrong."

"I'm sorry…what," Izuku said in disbelief.

"I said I was wrong." All Might admitted. "You see, at the second villain attack, I met a young kid, and they told me, a young boy who matched your description saved them from being buried under the rubble." He explained. "I presume that boy was you."

"Yeah…that was me," Izuku admitted.

"Well, that boy thinks you are a hero." All Might inform. "And I'm inclined to agree with him."

"What? But you said?"

"I know what I said." All Might told him. "I said you can't be a hero without a quirk and I still stand by that, but I should have worded it better. You can't be a PRO-hero without a quirk." All Might explained."However a hero is not just someone who has some fancy power or cool ability or even some amazing gadget, when it comes down it, a hero is someone who saves lives and Izuku…I believe….

You can still be a hero." All Might smiled at him.

Izuku hadn't even realized when his eyes started to water, nor did he notice when he started to cry.

"Easy there." All Might told him as he placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I know it's probably been hard for you, but I see this spark, it's amazing. I believe you have potential." All Might continued. "And I'm also personally recommending you to U.A."

"What?" Izuku gasped. "Is this for real?"

"U.A. isn't just a school for pro heroes, there are many who go and enter into other fields. If you want a good education then it's the right place to go…and if you…work hard, maybe…just maybe you can take a chance at the hero program." All Might told him.

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything right now. You can think about it for the time being." All Might pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it to Izuku. "It's a big decision and you should probably talk it over with your mom."

"Thank you, All Might."

"Don't thank me yet. Just prove me right." All Might told him. "That said if you still feel you need training you can always call me or send me a message and I can see what I can do. I know it may not look like it now, but once upon a time I was in a similar spot to you Izuku and someone took a chance on me." All Might informed.

"I'll…I'll keep it in mind," Izuku said in disbelief. "Thank you. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." All Might told him. "Now let's head back inside before we worry those two."

"Uh, yeah sure," Izuku answered.

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya was a paradox to her. He was strong yet weak, brave yet fearful, smart yet incredibly naïve. He was someone she had been sure of, no, the Herrscher had been positive that he would have been an easy host. She was betting on one of two outcomes when she looked at him.

Outcome one, Izuku would be just as spiteful as she was to the world that had wronged him, to the people who had abused him. He was tormented all his life, branded as something less than normal by the standards of this world. In a world where every human seemed to have a unique power, Izuku had none, and he was often seen as an inferior being because of it. He was taken advantage of because of it.

The strong preyed on the weak, Izuku at the absolute bottom of the food chain. His teachers, his peers, and everyone alike would see him as something not worthwhile. They would see him as just fodder and filler.

According to the Herrscher's own logic, that should have made him angry. Angry like they had been when the memories of the Babylon labs surfaced. Angry like they had been when they remembered how so many girls were dehumanized and stripped of what identity they had, becoming just numbers and statistics, human lab rats.

While Izuku's pain was nowhere near those girls, he should have had something, anything, for her to hold on to, but he didn't. In the end, he didn't want to destroy the world that wronged him, he wanted to save it, a concept that was so foreign and alien to the Herrscher.

She had expected someone who would have understood her, at least on some level but no, he was just another stupid hero.

As for the next outcome, since he wasn't someone who'd side with her, the Herrscher had another plan for him. She'd crush his will and devour his spirit. It required more effort, but she had been so sure it was possible. He was alone, he was beaten down often. He should have been ready and willing to give up. It should have taken her no time to erode him.

Yet Izuku persevered.

At the time she hadn't quite figured out why or how. She checked his heart and his mind and found no other additional entities living in his body. The Herrscher was the only one inside Izuku, not like Kiana who had the blasted chicken accompanying her. Yet against all odds, against the mental dread, she instilled, he resisted her. Now in front of Bakugo, the Herrscher finally understood why.

Izuku was strong, mentally strong, he'd been able to stand back up after everything the world threw at him and still smile, and still see the good in people. He was also conditioned to it. He didn't see the unfairness that befell him, it was a black-and-white world to the boy.

Bakugo could abuse him, and it would be fine because Bakugo could be a hero. Heroes were good, they were needed for society. However, the Herrscher was a villain, and no matter what, villains could never win, so even if the Herrscher offered him protection, safety, power, and the chance at revenge, he'd never take it. Not unless he truly wanted to live.

Izuku was infuriating to her, and he was going to become even more so if she didn't stop it.

She left when she realized how he had gotten out of that dilemma. He had found the one option she hadn't considered. He was clever, she'll give him that, and that only made her cautious.

Then if things weren't bad enough, All Might came and reaffirmed his dreams. The man who had once shattered Izuku's world had rebuilt it with even stronger support. She should have killed him when she had the chance. Nevertheless, now she was seething and trying to think of a new plan. She'd desperately need a new strategy.

"So did you get anything?" All Might questioned his partner as they drove back to the office. After finishing the interviews, the duo bid the two families goodbye before promising to keep in touch. For the most part, everything had gone well on his side of things. Now he only hoped things went well for Naomasa as well.

"Well…I got some info, but how useful it is, is another matter entirely." True Man answered.

"Now I'm curious. Anything about the Herrscher?" All Might asked.

"Yeah, and it's rather surprising." True Man answered. "The reason Izuku is alive…is because the Herrscher saves him." True Man explained.

"Wait…what?" All Might exclaimed. "But how?" She wasn't there prior. No one had seen the Herrscher before the attack, let alone in the café.

"According to Izuku, the Herrscher was invisible for the time being. He hadn't even noticed her, but she had been right there when everything happened. She was there when he was buried under the rubble." True Man explained.

"So…are they connected." All Might asked in disbelief.

"No. Izuku never knew of the Herrscher till he saw the news reports of her a day after her debut and from what he told me, she was just waiting to see if he fainted or died before getting bored. Overall, she doesn't seem connected to him." True Man noted.

"I see." All Might sighed. "Well, that's a relief."

"You seem to have taken quite the interest in this boy." Naomasa pointed out.

"You sound like Nezu."

"Just an observation." The Detective pointed out.

"He reminds me of myself." All Might noted. "I was like him once, young, quirkless, and hoping to be a hero in a world where even babies could probably kill me." All Might pondered. "Someone took a chance on me, I wanted to return the favor."

"You want to make him your successor?" Naomasa questioned.

"I've…considered it." All Might admitted. "However, I don't think that would be the right call. A lot of villains have become more active and while AFO hasn't shown himself, the Herrscher has. I don't think it's a good idea to pass on OFA to someone else with chaos just brewing at the edge. Maybe if things were more peaceful, I'd entertain the thought."

"So then why train Izuku?" Naomasa asked.

"Because that's the ideal scenario." All Might explained. "I'm no fool. If push comes to shove there is a chance I can be injured or worse. In my mind, Izuku's the best candidate for OFA but he can't just take it right off the bat. Plus I wanted to show my support."

"So basically, if I'm getting this right. You're training him so that while he may not need to be your successor, he can still be so in case of emergency." Naomasa summarized."

"Yup." All Might agreed. "Best case scenario, he'll never get OFA ever."

"Are you at least going to tell him about this?" Naomasa asked.

"Nope." All Might answered. Naomasa cast him a glance. "Don't give me that look. I just made a big deal to Young Midoriya that he can be a hero without a quirk. Do you know how shattering it would be, if I suddenly walked up to him and said, here's my quirk, now go be a hero?"

"It would be like hitting him with the US Smash." All Might said. "I told him I believed he could be a hero without a quirk, and I don't intend to go back on those words."

"Oh, brother." Naomasa shook his head. "I can't imagine how Night Eye would react. You finally choose a successor, and you don't even plan to give him the power unless you're about to die."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." All Might told him. He'd keep an eye out for other potential candidates should the need arise, but he'd ultimately hope they would never be needed. While being the Symbol of Peace was an honor, it was also a burden, one that he knew he would never wish on anyone else.

After having dinner with the Bakugos; Izuku and Inko returned home tired but content. The night had gone on without any more hiccups and Izuku's mood had been noticeably brighter, much to Inko's delight and Katsuki's dismay. Of course, how long he'd be so cheerful was going to be put to the test soon enough. Upon entering his bedroom, Izuku was greeted by none other than the Herrscher of the Void, who was leaning against the wall with her arms folded.

Izuku gulped. She had disappeared after the interview. He had hoped that was the light of her appearance for the night. Sadly he was wrong. He closed the door before him. The Herrscher upon noticing, gestured to a chair opposite to her. Not needing any further words, Izuku sat in the chair and the Herrscher mimicked his motions and sat on his bed.

"You seem happy for a boy who had the tuna knocked out of him by a loud mutt and then interrogated by a Detective." The Herrscher noted. "I take it the rest of the evening went well."

"Yeah…it went well," Izuku answered. He was still wary of the Herrscher. Just an hour or two ago, she almost threatened to kill everyone around him and now she was here acting polite. It unnerved him how easy it was for her to flip the switch. "I didn't tell the Detective anything, incriminating," Izuku noted.

"I heard." The Herrscher answered. "I must admit, I was surprised you found a third answer. You figured out the only solution that would satisfy you as a victory for yourself. It's impressive." She said the last part in a rather forced manner.

"Oh, well…thank you." Izuku took the praise with caution. What was she getting after?

"Nevertheless, you still lost some of the little respect I had for you." The Herrscher deadpanned. "You were more than willing to sell me out, you actually schemed it, yet it never occurred to you to also sell out Bakugo." She sneered. "Why?"

"What?"

"A lie detector comes to the house. You could have told them everything about what Bakugo did and you didn't." The Herrscher explained. "You let the boy who hurt you walk free while you conspired to expose the one who healed your wounds. You see what's wrong with this picture. Right?" The Herrscher asked.

"Um well…the thought just didn't occur to me." Izuku defended.

"Of course it didn't." The Herrscher sighed. "Because let me guess, Bakugo's a hero and I'm a villain. Is that it?"

"Yes." Izuku answered without thinking. The Herrscher glared at him. "I mean…no?"

"Do you still believe Bakugo's a good person?" The Herrscher questioned. "Or are you just in denial?" She questioned. "When asked by the Detective, he called you out on those being lies." She recounted.

"I…" Izuku sighed. He was forced to finally confront the idea. "For a long time, I've never wanted to admit it." Izuku finally confessed in defeat. "How could I, Bakugo was the only friend I had when I was younger, and when I grew older, he was the only person I could have even claimed was a friend."

"So you lied to yourself." The Herrscher reiterated. "You wanted to keep that false sense of friendship so you wouldn't be isolated." Surprisingly she didn't seem to be trying to mock him. Despite keeping her echo, her tone was different than its usual mocking and taunting.

"Yeah…I lied to myself." Izuku admitted.

"Well then, now that you've admitted he's a bad person. Why don't you let me go and punish him?" The Herrscher asked. "I promise I won't kill him."

"I can't let you do that," Izuku told her. "You've already done so much to him."

"Of course," The Herrscher scoffed. "Even when you admit he's a jerk, you still defend him."

"That's not why I'm defending him," Izuku argued.

"You defended him when he beat you, you defended him when the Detective interrogated you and now you defend him even when you admit he's bad and I decide to punish him." The Herrscher listed off. "It seems like you still think he's a good person, he is good hero material."

"I'm not defending him because I think he's still a good person. I'm defending him because I want to believe I'm still a good person." Izuku argued. "You've made it quite clear what your solutions are. You can't expect me in good conscience to let you do as you please." Izuku retorted.

The Herrscher sighed.

"So, it seems we're truly stuck at an impasse." The Herrscher lamented. "Tell me, now that you are aware, that bad people can be heroes, do you think good people can be villains?" She questioned.

"It's possible," Izuku admitted. "There are cases of people being labeled as villains because they simply tried to be heroes without a license." He recalled. "However…."

"Unfortunately, as much as I would like to believe otherwise. You don't seem to qualify as such." Izuku noted.

"Oh…you're doubting my intentions." The Herrscher noted.

"You've told me many times. Your end goal is the destruction of humanity. You've drilled it into my head. It feels hard to believe you could have any justifiable reason for such a desire." Izuku noted.

"I have a reason." The Herrscher added. She had 322 reasons for wanting humans to die, possibly more if she considered all the individuals outside the labs.

Izuku looked at her with a curious gaze. "Would you tell me?" He wondered.

The Herrscher looked like she was about to say something but she held her tongue. Izuku could take note of the changing expression on her face. "No." She answered. "Someone like you, wouldn't understand." The Herrscher told him.

"Someone like me?"

"You believed for years that your suffering was acceptable, all because the one who tormented you, could have been a hero." The Herrscher explained. "Your pain was ultimately not a factor, so long as a hero was not hindered for the good of humanity. Such a mindset is not one I believe would understand me." The Herrscher elaborated.

If anything, she felt Izuku would have said they deserved it. It was for the good of the world after all.

"I see."

The two stayed silent for a moment.

"Well, I think I've said my piece for tonight." The Herrscher noted as she stood up. They were both stubborn individuals, opposite in many ways except this one aspect.

"Thank you for healing me." Izuku told the Herrscher. "It meant a lot."

"Hmmph…you're my host, I need you to be in good shape." The Herrscher dismissed.

Izuku had gone to bed not long after, the Herrscher was left once more with her own thoughts. While he slept the Herrscher kept watch, hovering in his room while she pondered her next options. "I shouldn't have antagonized him." She mentally kicked herself.

Her plans for an aggressive takeover had backfired on her. Izuku's will had been stronger than she realized, and his 'heroic' nature was far beyond what she had expected. In hindsight, it seems like the best solution would have been to slowly corrupt him to her side.

He was weak, vulnerable even. All she had to do was become his friend, become someone he would trust. Someone who he'd listen to without question. Unfortunately, none of those plans seemed viable now.

He was all too aware of her nature. Even if they were capable of being cordial with one another, he'd have doubts about her motives. She had made her desires unapologetically very clear, and they were directly against his nature. The Herrscher even doubted she could fake a redemption. Given her host's fleeting moments of intelligence, he'd probably realize she was only faking.

All seemed lost for the Herrscher. That was until she took note of her host's sleeping form. Hang on…maybe it wasn't.

The Herrscher recalled the very troublesome family from almost a lifetime ago. The Kaslana family, specifically Cecilia, and Siegfied. A long time ago, Sirin tried to trap them in a dream, but Cecilia had turned it around on her. That had weakened Sirin considerably in a sense, left her exposed, and made her ponder things she didn't normally consider. Sirin's will had almost faltered right then and there.

A big consequence of that dream was no doubt the birth of the Herrscher's other half, the girl who would take the name Kiana Kaslana. Perhaps she could take some inspiration from that experience. The Herrscher floated to Izuku and pressed her fingers on his forehead and his heart. The Herrscher began to focus, thinking of a very pleasant dream.

Izuku found himself in a strange place. It felt familiar and unfamiliar if that made sense. It looked like the park he and his friends used to play around, but it was snowing and all the buildings were smaller, like those old villages from those stories he read. He didn't feel so cold even though he had no cloak.

"Help me." A voice called. Izuku on instinct rushed over to the source. Moving around some parts of the playground Izuku found the owner. On the ground was a girl with blue-ish maybe silver-like hair and draconic features. However the strange girl wasn't what surprised him, it was her assualters.

Standing over the girl was Bakugo and two of his friends. They were mocking and teasing the girl, calling her names. The girl whimpered and Izuku instinctively ran to protect the girl. "Leave her alone, Kachaan." Izuku shouted at Bakugo and his cronies.

Izuku felt terrified. He was shaking in his boots and tears were threatening to come from his eyes. He had jumped in to save the girl without thinking but he soon realized where he was, yet he still persisted. "If you keep making her cry, I'll stop you myself." He told them, trying his best to be brave.

Bakugo smirked at him maliciously. He punched his face creating a small explosion on the impact. Izuku recoiled instinctively in fear. "Still trying to be a hero." Bakugo taunted. The two 'friends' he had behind them shifted as their own powers activated. "You don't stand a chance without a quirk." Bakugo smiled.

The three boys looked at Izuku, with predatory grins before they lunged at him and the girl. Izuku froze, his body unable to move. Yet, just as they were about to hit. A purple blur came to the side of Izuku.

"Don't touch my Bella." A girl screamed as she swung a baseball bat over her shoulder. The bat recoiled with one of the attacking kids, knocking him to the ground. Bakugo and the other had stopped momentarily to see the girl. She was a young girl around Izuku's age, with a mass of purple hair and soft gentle amber eyes.

The boy who was struck whimpered in pain before running away. "Hey, get back here you loser," Bakugo screamed as his partner fled. He then turned to the remaining one. "You just gonna stand there. Get her." He ordered the other kid.

The next boy did as he was told, he extended his wings and flew to the girl who held the bat and swung it again to knock him away. However the victory was short-lived, Bakugo blindsided the girl, releasing an explosion in her face. The girl was knocked down and the bat had rolled over, lying in front of Izuku.

"Think you can make a fool of us, you little brat." Bakugo screamed.

Yet that was not where the bully stopped. He started to wail at the girl, hitting her with an explosion into the ground. She looked up to Izuku with pleading eyes.

"Being a hero is about saving people and I believe you can still be a hero Izuku." All Might's words echoed in the boy's head.

Izuku remembered all the pain he felt being in the girl's place. He couldn't stand seeing it again. Katsuki shouldn't be doing that. He shouldn't be doing that to someone else.

Then something snapped.

Izuku ran forward, grabbing the bat off the ground. He'd save the girl, he'd save her from Bakugo. He held it firm as he ran up to Bakugo and the girl. "STOP IT KACHAAN!" Izuku screamed as he swung the bat, right into the Bakugo's face.

Bakugo was knocked on unconscious by the swing, several of his baby teeth coming out and some blood running from his nose. Izuku huffed, surprised by the action he had taken. He looked down at Katsuki, almost feeling sick by what he saw, yet before he could fully process those thoughts he was hugged by the two girls.

"Thank you." The draconic-looking girl told him as she and her friend pulled Izuku away from Bakugo's battered body.

After they had moved to a different spot, the girls introduced themselves. "I'm Sirin and this is Bella." The purple-haired girl told him.

"I'm Izuku." He responded.

"Thank you for saving me," Bella repeated once more.

"I didn't really do anything." Izuku humbly denied it.

"Bella why don't you go and tell Mom, we're coming," Sirin ordered the other girl.

"Oh, okay," Bella answered before leaving.

Once Bella had disappeared from view, Sirin turned her attention to Izuku. Her eyes were familiar to Izuku, but he couldn't quite tell why. "Thank you for saving Bella," Sirin told him. "And for beating that bully." She smiled.

"Like I said, I really didn't do much." Izuku denied. "You did more than me, you beat two of them."

"You still saved me." Sirin smiled. "Weren't you scared?" The purple-haired girl commented. "You had frozen up earlier." She noted.

"I..I was." Izuku admitted. "But then…then I saw your eyes." Izuku told the amber-eyed girl.

"My eyes?" The girl repeated in confusion.

"You looked like…you were asking for help," Izuku told her.

As the words left his mouth, Sirin suddenly acted strange. Something clicked in the girl. Her body tensed as her eyes glowered. "What?" She dismissed. "I wasn't…I didn't." Sirin had wanted to say something but she'd stopped herself.

She took a deep breath then her body relaxed and her eyes dimmed. "I'm glad you saved me, Izuku." She told the boy with a smile. "You're my hero." She giggled.

"I…thank you…no one's ever said that before." Izuku blushed. He tried to hide it, tried fidgeting with his hands to ease his anxiety, that's when he realized, he still had the bat on his person.

"Oh, I almost forgot, here." Izuku offered the bat back to the girl. "It's a little dirty." Izuku innocently apologized when he noticed a stained spot on it.

Sirin eyed the spot, it was the dried blood that had fallen on the bat when Izuku had swung it. She smiled at Izuku before pushing the bat back into his hands. "Keep it," She told him. "I'm sure you'll use it better than me." She giggled.

"Uh, are you sure?" Izuku questioned.

"Positive," Sirin smiled, her eyes glowing softly.

Back in the real world…..

The Herrscher smiled as she saw the dream play out before. Izuku may not trust the Herrscher but he would trust others. While it may not have been real, it did reveal something about Izuku. He's very willing to do what it takes to save someone in danger, It's where he's his most courageous, the most reckless, and perhaps…the most vulnerable.

She was very pleased with this outcome. It may have been just a dream but seeing him smack Bakugo had been satisfying. She had assumed Izuku might have just tackled him, but he had actually taken up the bat and caved it into the other boy's skull. Perhaps there was something she could work with.

Glancing at the sleeping boy, the Herrscher reached out and caressed his face in an almost tender manner. She called upon the Honkai in their body once more, and this time she properly healed the injuries he had received from Bakugo the night before. It was a small reward.

However, despite this success, there was one thing that bothered the Herrscher. She had staged everything for Sirin to be the victim, how bruised she'd look, how her voice would sound. The only thing the Herrscher hadn't quite done, was the eyes, she didn't know how. Eyes were the windows to the souls after all. She had just used her own, albeit altered as placeholders.

So…what did Izuku mean when he said her eyes looked like they were pleading?

Chapter Text

It was another day at Aldera Junior High. Izuku had just finished his classes for the day and was now packing up his things. That was until a shadow loomed over him.

"Deku." A loud boisterous voice growled at him. Izuku's eyes looked up at the shadow's owner, Katsuki Bakugo. The red-eyed boy glared at Izuku before throwing the contents on Izuku's desk on the floor. "I heard you still haven't changed your mind about UA." Bakugo sneered. "I thought I told you that I'd be the only one allowed to qualify for the school."

Izuku glanced up at Bakugo. The green-haired teen had the most blank look on his face as he tried to stomach the emotions he was feeling. "That's not for you to decide," Izuku spoke under his breath. "UA decides who they want," Izuku explained.

"And you think they'll want a quirkless nobody like you?" Bakugo hissed. "Don't make me laugh."

"If they don't then I won't be accepted," Izuku answered simply. "It's as simple as that."

"So, you just plan on wasting everyone's time." Bakugo jeered. "Typical Deku."

"Yes," Izuku answered. "There's nothing else for me to do," Izuku noted.

"Hmph." Bakugo got up. "You're a joke Deku, a waste of space," Bakugo said as he got up. He then turned and walked away, his cronies following shortly after. Once they were out of sight, Izuku let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I can't believe that worked." He said to himself as he glanced up at the ceiling.

"You sucked the joy out of it for him." A soft voice echoed in Izuku's head. He felt a warmth wash over him, similar to the feeling of being hugged. "It became…boring."

Izuku paused for a moment, not saying a word. Unfortunately, the guest living in his head had noticed he had wanted to say something. "Izuku….is something on your mind?" The voice asked. "You know you can ask me anything, right?"

"Mei…were you ever bullied?" Izuku questioned.

"Yes," Mei answered. "I was, but not to the extent you are right now," Mei noted.

"Oh." It was all Izuku could say. He hadn't thought of Mei as being the type who would get bullied. In his eyes, she seemed like it would never be a possibility after all she was Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder.

They had met around a week ago, Izuku had been at the lowest point after All Might had told him he couldn't be a hero. Needing space to clear his head, he found himself in Dagoba Beach, where he stumbled upon a few surprises, including a real-life dragon. Suffice it to say, when he met the dragon, it was protecting a pulsing purple core, and upon touching it, Izuku became host to the Herrscher.

It was…awkward to say the least. He had been scared to death when he woke up and saw the young woman looming over him. Her eyes pulsed purple with power as red lightning danced along her form. Yet despite her intimidating appearance, she was…polite, and very kind to him.

She explained her situation, how she landed in it, what she knew, what she was, and what was going on. Izuku felt sorry for her. Perhaps it was naïve on his part, he had only just met her, and he didn't know if she was telling the truth or not, but he trusted her. He looked into his eyes, and saw she truly needed help so…

He took a leap of faith…and he was forever grateful he did.

"Either way, let's not dwell on it further for now. I'll tell you more about it some other time." Mei noted as she changed the topic. "Come on let's go. You said you wanted to do some training today. It's best not to stay out too late."

"Oh, right," Izuku answered as he packed his things and hurried out of school.

It didn't take long but he had eventually found himself back at Dagoba Beach where the duo had taken as their training ground. Upon arriving, Izuku put his stuff to the side, and removed his clothes, quickly changing into some workout clothes. Once he was finished, he went to an open space and began to stretch.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Mei asked as she materialized in front of Izuku. She was a ghost in a sense. No one else could see her, hear her or touch her, only Izuku could. That said Mei saw nothing wrong with this situation. She quite liked it all things considered.

Izuku glanced at the girl, noticing how she wore nothing but a sports bar and shorts. His face flushed red, earning a soft giggle from her. He quickly composed himself shortly after. Honestly, he didn't know if she just liked teasing him or was just oblivious to the impact she left on him. Nevertheless, he was able to formulate a response.

"You said you were going to teach me about close-quarters combat." Izuku reminded her. He was still unsure how she'd teach that given the incorporeal nature of their relationship.

"Ah." Mei realized. "I did say that. Very well then." She noted as she got into a stance. "For this training, I'll need your permission to exert control of your body. So will you trust me?" She requested.

Izuku blinked. She wanted to control his body. It was an aspect of their relationship that Mei often tended to avoid, only controlling him when the situation was dangerous or when he told her she could. It was very rare for her to ever ask or request it directly.

That said, Mei had never given him any reason to not trust her. It was arguable she trusted herself far less. "Of course, Mei."

"Alright then." Mei smiled as she held out her palm towards him. "Try and punch it." She smirked.

"What?"

"You heard me. Try and punch my palm." Mei repeated. Seeing he had no other choice, Izuku did his best and punched her. To his surprise, she had caught his hand mid-air.

Izuku gasped. "How did you? Are you?" Izuku stuttered.

"No…I'm still just visible to you." Mei answered. "I merely stopped and stiffened your body when you would have made contact." She explained. That was…impressive, Izuku had to admit. He'd never have considered that would be her method of teaching close combat. He always figured she'd just guide his movements more directly or have him refine his technique.

"Incredible," Izuku muttered.

"Come on, we only just started," Mei said smugly. "Show me what you can do hero."

Izuku and Mei continued to spar till the sun slowly began to set. Once they had finished, Izuku gathered his stuff and they prepared to head to the apartment. "Anything in particular you want for dinner?" Mei wondered as she hovered behind Izuku.

"I saw a new pizza place open down the street," Izuku noted. "I have some money saved up, we could try one."

"Are you sure?" Mei asked. "I could always just cook something for you."

"You've cooked every day for the week. You should take a break." Izuku told her. Tasty as Mei's food was, it felt bad that she had cooked so many times. Even worse was that only Izuku knew she did, meaning she had to listen to his mom praise him instead of her. Izuku felt a little guilty for that.

"Fine." Mei pouted. It was an unusual response; one he hadn't expected. Did she really see making dinner that big of a deal? Izuku didn't get to ponder this further.

"HELP!" A voice screamed. Izuku and Mei's eyes widened as he quickly ran to the source. It led them to an alleyway where the duo found the source. Mei quickly moved Izuku's body to the side.

"Careful…don't want them to spot you." She warned as she glanced at the villains.

"How many do you count?" Izuku questioned.

"Two of them," Mei told him. "Any heroes coming?" She wondered.

"I don't see or hear anyone," Izuku admitted. "How long will you need?"

"Give me 42.3 seconds," Mei smirked. Izuku smiled in turn, his eyes glowing briefly as electricity coursed through his body. Green eyes faded to purple, as purple lightning flashed briefly in the sky. Izuku's body vanished completely in a purple bolt.

Sometime after…..

"Mom. I'm home." Izuku announced as he entered his apartment. "Mom?" He questioned as he looked around. That's when he caught sight of a note on the fridge. It seems his mom had gone early for her shift.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Izuku told his partner as he noticed the Herrscher materialized beside him.

"Sorry, it took so long." Mei apologized. She had underestimated how long the villain situation would have taken. When they had finished the pizza place was closed.

"No worries," Izuku assured. They had saved someone, that was more than enough for him. "Looks like you can cook dinner after all." He sighed.

"How about I make us something simple then?" Mei suggested. "Have you ever tried pizza toast?" She inquired.

Izuku shook his head at her.

"Well go, freshen up, then I'll make it," Mei instructed as she glanced over at the kitchen and Izuku. He flashed her a smile as she waited in the kitchen. Once he had showered and changed his clothes, he returned wearing some baggy shorts and a baggy jersey. "Are you ready?" She questioned him.

"Yeah," Izuku told her as he closed his eyes. Mei vanished before him, or rather she vanished into him. Upon entering his being, Izuku's body began to change. His frame grew taller, but slowly reshaped itself into a more feminine shape. The boy's hair grew longer, changing from dark green to a dark purple hue. His body slowly morphed till it became an exact copy of the Herrscher's.

Mei opened Izuku's eyes, having taken control of his body. She glanced down, noticing how the clothes he wore fit her nicely, if still a little loose in some areas. They had managed to work out a system after a while, so she wouldn't just materialize one of her fully armored outfits.

"So, what's first." Izuku wondered as he now materialized next to Mei. The roles had been swapped, Izuku was now the ghost and Mei was the one in the real world.

"Gather the ingredients," Mei told him as she moved around the kitchen. She had already grown so familiar with it; she knew exactly where everything she needed was.

Izuku had caught her looking at the kitchen a time, that's when she had confessed how she loved to cook. It was something she had greatly enjoyed when she had her own body. So naturally, Izuku had offered to lend her his for whenever she wanted to cook.

Suffice to say, he had quickly grown to adore Mei's food, and as selfish as it was, he loved letting her cook whenever he could, though he did still feel guilt about doing it afterward. Letting Mei cook had been quite the experience, he had never considered she'd transform his body to do it. Though in hindsight he was glad she did. One could only imagine how awkward it felt to move in someone else's skin.

Izuku paid attention as Mei prepared the toast, the sauce, and the different toppings for the dish. It was simple, very easy to do, at least she made it look so. Within seconds they had already placed the dish in the oven. "Now all we need to do is wait." She instructed him. "I'll change back, and you can take it out when it's ready."

"How about you stay in control for now?" Izuku suggested. "It's your dish. Besides you deserve some relaxation."

"Alright." Mei sighed as she walked over to the couch and sat down, resting her feet on the stool. Izuku was insistent at times that she got her turns to herself. No matter how many times she insisted it was his body alone and she was just a passenger, he was content to give her some time outside of fighting. "Let's see what the news has." Mei wondered as she switched on the TV.

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count." Izuku chuckled.

On-screen the local news showed none other than Mei in Herrscher form handing over the criminals to police before she quickly fled the scene. The cops and a pro hero or two that just arrived had given chase to her not long after. "Your world has such strict laws on vigilantism," Mei noted.

"Isn't it like that in your world?" Izuku wondered.

"Not really, the power gap is a lot bigger. Not everyone has abilities like quirks and those who gain powers are often recruited to fight the Honkai." Mei explained. "While low-level crime does still exist, it isn't our main concern." It's hard to worry about petty thugs when you have zombies, monsters, and out-of-control mechas roaming around trying to kill humanity.

"Do you think the Honkai will come to this world?" Izuku wondered. Mei paused.

"I'm not sure, but I do hope it doesn't," Mei admitted. "Many people have suffered due to it, me included. It's not a fate I'd wish on any world."

"Surely it wasn't completely hopeless." Izuku wondered.

"It wasn't. Many heroes would dare to challenge it. Dare to defy the Honkai's will." Mei smiled sadly.

"Kiana," Izuku muttered. Mei nodded but her saddened expression remained. "I'm sorry." Izuku apologized. He shouldn't have brought it up.

"No, it's alright," Mei assured him. "Kiana is the first person that comes to my mind when I think about heroes who fought the Honkai."

"What was she like?" Izuku wondered.

"She was like you. Obsessed with helping others, even if it leads to her being reckless. She'd smile and try to reassure others the pain she felt was nothing, but I could have always seen the cracks she tried to hide." Mei noted. "She had a rough life all things considered…yet despite how cruel it all was…she still found it in herself to be a hero, to look for the good in the world." Mei recounted.

"Just like you, Izuku."

"Like me?" Izuku said in disbelief. "She sounds like an amazing person. Meanwhile, I'm…just…nobody special."

"While it is true you two are different…that doesn't change the fact you had that same drive. That desire to want to help people even if they may have wronged you." Mei consoled. She recalled how during the first encounter with Izuku, he had been worried for his bully when he found out the boy had been attacked. Despite it all, he found it within him to care…to forgive.

"It's not the powers that make the hero, it's the hero that makes themselves," Mei told him. "If Kiana didn't have that drive, that love for her friends, family, or the world as a whole, that desire to protect the innocent, to be a hero. She would have been lost a long time ago and the world would have already ended." Mei said firmly. It was through Kiana's own resolve, alongside the help of everyone else was she able to overcome the Herrscher of the Void.

"Never forgot that Izuku," Mei told him. Mei's ears then perked up when she heard the timer finish. "Sounds like it's done."

She moved to take out the pizza toast, leaving Izuku to meditate on her words. Mei never told him the full story, just bits and pieces here and there. It was amazing to hear at times. She always looked so happy to share her world with him. Yet at the same time, he could feel a sadness and longing for her to return.

They hadn't figured out what had led Mei to his world. Quite frankly she herself didn't remember what exactly caused it. Her mind was hazy, she could recall certain events of her past but not what could have led her to this world. With no way of knowing how she came; it was difficult to tell if she could return.

Izuku promised to help…but how they'd do that exactly they didn't know. Mei's power was alien to the world. She wasn't keen on sharing for fear it might get the wrong attention. The arrest warrants on her head for being a vigilante didn't help either.

"Dinner's ready," Mei called as she placed the Pizza toast on the table. Izuku soon joined her. "Ready to dig in?" She smiled.

"Yeah," Izuku answered.

Mei took one of the slices of bread and lifted it up to her mouth. She blew on it gently savouring the scent. Then she opened her mouth and took a bite of it, switching places with Izuku.

Izuku blinked as he found himself suddenly in Mei's seat, with his mouth already full of pizza toast, Mei glanced at him with a mischievous smile. He chewed the toast and swallowed, savoring the taste. "It's delicious." He told her.

"Glad you liked it," Mei answered as she joined him soon after.

They were an interesting duo. The sinner and the hero, a girl who wielded incredible power and a boy who wielded none. Come what may though, they would face the world together.

Chapter Text

Inko loved her son. He was her baby boy after all. What mother didn't love their child? She tried her best to be supportive of his dream. He wanted to be a hero, just like All Might, someone who would go and save people because it was cool. She was proud of him for that. He was a good boy who wanted to do good for others. What more could she ask for?

Well, that was a lie. She would want him to be safe, and happy. Inko knew firsthand the world was not going to be kind to him. Her baby boy was strong in his heart and very smart, but he didn't have a quirk, and that had always left him at a disadvantage. Still, he always persisted and always tried to push forward. It filled her with pride and dread.

It was selfish of her; she knew it would be. Yet there were always some days when she'd hoped that Izuku would just give up on his dangerous dreams. Like that day when Izuku told her about All Might and his conversation with him.

It was something she wasn't proud of, but she always wanted Izuku to be safe. If he were to by chance come to realize that being a hero wasn't for him, Inko would have been over the moon. Yet he never did. In the end, he always wanted to be a hero and she would try her best to be there for him.

However lately…things were changing and not in ways she would have liked. She had noticed it a few days ago. Izuku was starting to act…differently. He was always a quiet boy but now he was more withdrawn than usual. He'd often hold himself up in his room, and even when he came out, he kept their conversations brief.

Inko swore she saw him zone out a few times. She would start a conversation with Izuku and then midway in, Izuku would lose focus, his attention turning to anything else. It only got worse when she noticed him suddenly freaking out, becoming more anxious and jumpier. It terrified her.

Then they met the inspector and Inko felt her heart nearly give out. Her baby boy had met the Herrscher. The same woman who had nearly killed Katsuki had contacted her baby. Did she do something to him? Did she hurt him? Thankfully it seemed like no harm was done, but Inko felt disturbed even thinking about it.

Still….

"How could I be so stupid." Inko scolded herself as she looked at her coffee. She had gotten up early as usual. She wanted to be there for when Izuku left for his new school. She already made breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen, now she was just relaxing and getting lost in her thoughts…fun.

Nevertheless, even quiet moments like these had to end. She glanced at the time it was starting to get a little late. Inko headed to Izuku's room to wake him up. She paused just before the door to take another sip of her coffee. That's when she heard Izuku's voice. He was awake and he was talking to someone.

"Yeah, I did have a pleasant dream." Izuku had spoken. "No, you weren't in it. Why would you be? It was the first decent dream I had in a while."

This was new to Inko. Izuku was having nightmares. How much else didn't she know? She was tempted to knock but didn't. Her own curiosity got the better of her as she listened to the conversation between Izuku and this mysterious person.

"A pretty girl like you, well you are pretty but…you know I'm not entertaining this anymore. I got to organize for school, and she's gone." Izuku voiced. Inko could hear him sighing.

So, he had a new friend who he called in the morning. Well, this was a pleasant surprise all things considered, and she was a pretty girl apparently, if his own words were to go by. Inko's mind started to come up with varying interesting scenarios with this new information, but she quickly squashed those theories.

Clearing her throat, Inko knocked on the door. "Izuku, it's time to wake up. You have school." She called out. She could make out the distinct sound of her son scrambling. The door suddenly opened and Izuku was there. He had yet to change out of his pajamas.

"Morning Mom." Izuku greeted as he hurried out and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Inko watched her son as he headed off. Her eyes slowly drifted to his bedroom. Well, she had to do laundry and might as well get it.

Inko entered Izuku's room noticing for the first time how it had changed. He still had a few of All Might's posters up, but a large bit of them were gone. However, more concerning to her was how the collection of journals Izuku had written was no longer on his bookshelf.

SLAM!

Inko jumped in horror, she turned around suddenly only to find nothing there. Holding her hand to her chest, Inko tried to calm herself as she suddenly felt a draft. Her eyes finally noticed the wind coming through the window. Letting out a little breath of relief, Inko made her way over to the laundry pile.

There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. She didn't even see his phone anyway. Perhaps she lingered a bit too long, but Inko was starting to feel a bit uneasy. She felt a shiver running up her spine. Picking up the laundry from the hamper, Inko quickly turned to leave.

CLANG!

She jumped once more. She glanced back around noticing that one of the deodorants that Izuku owned had fallen off the table. Using her quirk to pick it up, Inko carefully placed it on the table, fixing it to ensure it wouldn't fall again. She glanced over the table making sure nothing would fall again. It was a good thing too because just as she did, a comb fell over. Acting quickly, Inko caught it.

She was about to place the comb down…but then she saw it.

On the comb was a clump of hair, a clump of pure white hair. Inko's eyes narrowed on it as she plucked a strand off. She was expecting it to be short but no, the strand turned out to be very long. This was not Inko's hair, and this wasn't Izuku's, she knew that much. It was most likely from a girl.

"So, are you excited about your new school?" Inko questioned as she and Izuku sat for breakfast. She hadn't figured out how to address the topic of Izuku having a potential girlfriend. She thought maybe it would be best to approach this at a reasonably slow pace.

"Yeah," Izuku answered as he absentmindedly took a bite out of his pancakes. "Delicious." He commented.

"Thank you." Inko accepted. "I was just worried you'd be a little sad since you have to make new friends."

"Oh, not really. I mean I'd have to make new friends either way when I start high school. Maybe I'll just consider this practice." Izuku told her.

"Still…I'm sure it must be hard leaving your old friends behind." Inko added.

"Yeah…it is," Izuku answered. "Pass me the syrup." He smiled.

"Think you'll meet any nice girls?" Inko questioned. She could have probably timed that better. Maybe ask it when her son was not mid-swallow. Izuku almost choked on his food but luckily it went down.

"MOM!" Izuku gasped with embarrassment.

"What?" Inko whistled innocently. "I just want to know. You're reaching that age and I want you to know that I'm supportive if you do have a girlfriend." She elaborated on the last part.

"I…I don't know how to respond to that." Izuku answered. Inko noted how his eyes drifted to the side every few minutes, she followed his gaze but found nothing there.

"Well…just know that if you get a girlfriend, or if you have a girlfriend. I'd really love to meet her." Inko explained.

"Okay," Izuku answered as his delicious breakfast turned into an awkward one. His acquaintance, however, found the entire thing to be very amusing, laughing much to his dismay at his situation.

"It is a sad day for Japan, two heroes were tragically killed in the line of duty this morning." The reporter announced. Chisaki cast a glance at the screen. The Yakuza head was currently working in his lab, going over some of his experiments for his 'promised' project.

It was admittedly one of the few things that calmed the Yakuza head, a nice break from business so to speak. It was much less draining than dealing with people, and a lot more sanitary as well. Nevertheless, he still needed to keep up with business. As read the headlines he took note of the incident on display. There was a rampage by a very powerful villain, and despite being subdued, he took down two heroes with him.

"Destro," Chisakai noted as he stared at the screen. He wiped his hands as he walked beside the chair.

"Who's Destro?" A soft voice questioned. Overhaul cast a glance at his prime 'assistant', sitting in the chair. They hadn't moved from there since he began. A good sign, he thought.

"He's a bad man, who does bad things." Overhaul answered. "He believes that quirks are the future, thinks they make us special." He noted. "He's a fool. Quirks will only bring ruin to this world. They're a disease that plagues, growing until eventually, they'll kill us all."

He took note of how his 'assistant' tightened her grip on her stuffed toy. She was terrified. Good, she should be. That future was the worst-case scenario. Luckily, he could prevent it, with her help of course.

"It doesn't have to happen though." Overhaul noted. "I've got a very good plan on how to stop it."

"You do?" The soft voice asked.

"Of course. I'll make special medicine that will cure the quirks. Then with the quirks gone, everyone can be happy." Overhaul told them. "Quirks won't hurt anyone again." He told them.

"You promise." the little 'assistant' asked.

"Yes…I'll make sure no one else loses their father, like you did." Overhaul whispered. "But I can't do it without you." He noted. "Do you think you can help me today?" He questioned.

She nodded yes. Overhaul smiled at this, carefully patting her head. "That's a good girl, Eri. Come on, let's get to work." Overhaul told her.

Eri did as she was told, taking the TV and heading over to her special spot. Overhaul meanwhile cast another look at the TV, he frowned before turning it off.

Destro was already making his move. With more heroes' dead, Destro now had more chances to insert his little…. fake heroes into the area and assert more influence. It was a troublesome thought because now it meant the Yakuza would have more issues if their territories overlapped. "How troublesome." He thought as he followed Eri. He would need to work faster if he wanted to keep ahead of the competition.

"So, it's his first day, are you nervous?" Mitsuki questioned on the phone. She had just left lunch with Katsuki and was now relaxing talking to Inko.

"Yeah, I was nervous about how he'd take it, but Izuku seems to be doing fine," Inko noted as she flipped through the channels on TV. "He's been trying to move out of the hero mindset. He still wants to help people but he's looking at alternatives if he can't be a pro-hero."

Upon stopping at a new station, Inko grimaced as she saw the events onscreen. Wrecked buildings with various injured personnel everywhere, the pro-heroes had won, but the damage had been done. Now it was time for the other groups to help clean up.

"That's nice to hear," Mitsuki noted. "Izuku's a good kid, I'm sure he'll find something. Ever since the villain attack, I've wondered if Katsuki should continue." She sighed. "I have no doubt he wants to but…the danger."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Inko agreed. "I've always been worried about Izuku getting involved with heroics, but I could never bring myself to stop him. It always felt like if he had to stop, it would need to be his choice." Inko explained.

"Maybe…it's always been his dream to be a hero, and I don't want him to give up just yet, Katsuki's headstrong like that," Mitsuki commented.

"Well, he could always go the route of a rescue hero." Inko pointed. "I'm sure his quirk would be useful."

"Do you think he'd settle for that?" Mitsuki laughed.

"It was worth a shot." Inko chuckled.

"So, is there anything else interesting going on?" Mitsuki wondered.

"Well, I'm not sure how to phrase this but I think Izuku might have a girlfriend," Inko muttered.

"Wait what?" Mitsuki sat up. "How?"

"Well, it's nothing confirmed. I just overheard him talking to someone on the phone." Inko noted. "And when I went to his room, I found a strand of hair in his room."

Mitsuki froze for a moment as she processed the words Inko said. "Inko," She whispered. "Do you realize what this means?" Mitsuki asked.

"My baby is growing up." Inko smiled.

"Well, yes…but it also means Izuku's been inviting a girl to come to the house while you weren't home." Mitsuki pointed out. There was a dead silence on Inko's end.

"OH MY GOD!" Mrs. Midoriya screamed, almost deafening Mitsuki.

Chapter Text

"Hello, my name is Izuku Midoriya, and I am quirkless." Izuku introduced himself to his new class. It was the first day at his new school and he could already see his new classmates looking at him with varying looks. Some were utterly confused, and some had looks of mockery, others though had pity. It was as one might expect.

He glanced at his new teacher, who merely gestured for him to sit. Izuku's eyes fell on a desk in the back. He supposed it wasn't going to be bad, he'd be out of people's view. He was about to head there until the teacher stopped him. It was then that Izuku got a sinking feeling.

"Mr. Hill would you please move to the back." The teacher called. A boy in front turned and eyed Izuku. "Why me?" He questioned.

"We need to cater to Mr. Midoriya's needs." The teacher commented. Of course, it would be this situation. If it wasn't the ones who insulted and belittled him, it would be the ones who would try and coddle him.

"No, no. It's okay, Miss." Izuku tried to dissuade her. He did not need this. Not on the first day.

"Nonsense, Izuku, I won't have you falling behind." The Teacher continued. "Mr. Hill, I won't ask again." The Teacher told the boy.

"Fine." The boy relented. They were not in the mood to challenge her. The white-haired boy backed up his things begrudgingly and then moved to the back. Izuku for the most part was hesitant to take his new seat. He could see his classmates all looking at him with hostile eyes. They did not like him. Especially since he seemed like a special needs kid whom the teacher might favor if only to avoid the looking quirkist. "First few hours in and it's already a rough start." Izuku sighed.

The Herrscher didn't respond. She had made it very clear she disliked the school and would rather blow it up. Since that was not an option, she decided to spend her day sleeping. Izuku was fine with this as he was left to his own thoughts, but now he admittedly missed her commentary, worrying as it was. Oh well.

The first day was nothing special. Same old subjects as before, Izuku kept pace fair enough, but the teacher kept pausing to find out if he was keeping up. He knew she met well but it was getting very frustrating both for him and, from what he could tell, his classmates. Eventually, the bell rang, and the day ended. The teacher reminded them about their assignments and then she left shortly after.

It was not more than a few minutes after she left, that Izuku found a shadow cast over him. He looked up with a nervous smile on his face. He could already tell what was coming next. "Look here's your desk." Izuku quickly stood up, grabbed his things, and was ready to leave. Except he couldn't because two other boys were blocking his path. Izuku gulped.

The Herrscher rolled her eyes to herself as she watched Izuku get surrounded by the boys. She had left him well enough alone to see if the dreams had been any help. She wasn't expecting any drastic changes, but it seems her host was still insistent on making things more difficult for himself. She watched from afar as the boys knocked Izuku's belongings to the ground. Not long after Izuku would soon join them.

All he had to do was give control and she'd deal with them. She thought he'd learn the lesson by now, but it seems he still had a way to go before he could move past fighting the bullies in his dream, to fighting them in real life. Izuku was punched, shoved, kicked, and damaged by the pathetic insects.

Eventually, after a few minutes, the boy grew exhausted beating up her host. Good thing as well, she was also getting bored watching them. Floating over to where Izuku was she sighed at his sorry state. "Can you be any more pathetic?" She wondered as she watched him pick up his things.

"I had it handled," Izuku argued.

"Doubtful."

"Don't be, they all hit like a bunch of babies." Izuku laughed off the pain. He had been bullied all his life. The beatdown they had given him was actually a lot less painful than what Kaachan gave him on average.

"If you say so." The Herrscher noted. "Come on. Let's go, I'm sick of this place." She told him as she picked up his stuff with her powers and handed it to Izuku.

Izuku looked over to make sure he had everything, Izuku left school, relieved it was finally over.

"Why do you let people walk all over you?" The Herrscher wondered as she floated beside Izuku. She had been bothered by this for quite some time. It was getting frustratingly annoying at this point. "It would have been easy enough for me to handle the situation."

"You would have killed them," Izuku noted.

"That's beside the point." The Herrscher interjected. "With Bakugo, you have that toxic, hero-worship mentality excusing you, but you don't know these kids. Is it just a habit or are you just spineless?" she insulted.

"Why does it matter to you?" Izuku questioned.

"Your body is mine. Even if you think you can walk off all these injuries right now, they'll come back to haunt you later in life, and by you, I mean me." The Herrscher pointed out. "I can only heal you so much before the Honkai starts to corrupt your being instead."

"You have a limit to how much you can heal?" Izuku noted, half intrigued, half hoping to change the subject.

"Answer the question." The Herrscher snapped.

"Oh, well, I uh, I just don't like conflict that's all." Izuku stuttered. "It's easier to just roll with the situation than to try and escalate it."

"Even if it means you'll take a beating as a result." The Herrscher recounted.

"Look, I know it looks like I can't help myself….and maybe that's partially true, but even if I fight back, I'll just get in trouble for it," Izuku noted. "Back at my old school, the teachers would turn a blind eye to any complaints I made, and it would only get worse if I did. Even now I'm sure things will be written off as such."

"And yet you still remain an annoying goody two shoes." The Herrscher groaned. "I swear you are either the dumbest human I've met, or you have the strongest will, and neither is appealing to me." She sighed.

"Uh, thanks," Izuku answered.

"That was not a compliment." The Herrscher told him. "As for your own question, yes, there is a limit to how much I can heal you." The Herrscher added.

"Really?" Izuku wondered. He was half surprised she'd even entertain him but he wasn't going to complain. Despite her antagonistic nature, apart of Izuku was still curious about her powers in general; call it a morbid curiosity.

"Yes. You see normally I'd use the Honkai to repair and enhance your body, it's a simple enough process. The downside is that it requires your body to be able to withstand the Honkai to begin with. Your body while better than most in the world is still subpar, so I couldn't heal you as good as I liked."

"What happens if you use too much 'Honkai'?" Izuku wondered. He took note of the word she used, Honkai, he would research it later.

"Well for normal people there are two outcomes, either one, you die, or two you turn into a zombie." The Herrscher listed off.

"Wait…what?" Izuku gasped. "You mean this might kill me."

"Yes. It's like water, a little bit is needed to hydrate you, but a lot can drown you." She explained.

"I see….and just how good would your healing be, if I were to be well suited to Honkai." Izuku wondered. As far as he could tell, the healing was already powerful due to mitigating corrosive acid. The limit couldn't be that high right?

"Let me put it this way, you'd be able to survive having a spear rip through your heart. It would take an absurd amount of effort to permanently kill us if that was the case, I'm talking borderline black hole levels of power," she noted.

"That strong."

"Yeah, if I was at my peak the world would be mine to destroy, quirks or not, but as it stands, I'll lose a battle of attrition. As powerful as I am, even I will admit that I can be worn down and exhausted eventually." The Herrscher admitted. "Which is why you should also take of yourself." She glared at him.

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuku answered as he headed home.

"Mom," Izuku called out as he opened the door. It was unlocked, which was concerning, especially when there was silence in the apartment. "Hello," Izuku called. His heart beat faster as dread set in.

"I'm here," Inko called much to his relief. Upon entering Izuku found his mother sitting by the dining table. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were blank. She had a thousand-yard stare in her eyes.

"Mom…is everything alright?" Izuku questioned as he took note of his mother's state. Did something happen to her? Was she hurt? Did she need to go to the hospital?

"Yes…yes…everything is fine. Why don't you take a seat?" She motioned to the empty chair opposite her. Izuku glanced at her again, still unsure what to make of her state. With no other options though, he took a seat. The Herrscher likewise had gone silent as she also watched Inko's movements.

Once Izuku was seated Inko made her move. "So how was school today?" Inko asked her voice was still warm and friendly but there was an edge to it Izuku couldn't explain. Something at the back of his mind was triggering a warning but for what he didn't know.

"School was fine." Izuku lied as he fixed his collar. Why was the room feeling so warm? "The classes weren't too difficult, and the teacher was nice." He answered.

"Did you make any new friends?" Inko questioned.

"No," Izuku admitted. "I didn't make any friends. You know how it is when you're new." He chuckled nervously.

"Okay," Inko answered as she looked at him again.

"Mom. Am I in trouble?" Izuku asked nervously. He could feel her eyes boring in his head.

"I don't know. Should you be in trouble?" Inko questioned in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Um….no. I don't think so." Izuku whispered. "Herrscher, does she know," He mentally asked his acquaintance.

"Beats me." The Herrscher answered. While she would find it funny for Izuku to be caught like a deer in headlights. Inko was starting to admittedly concern her with this erratic behavior.

"Are you sure?" Inko repeated her question once more. Her eyes narrowed on Izuku. "If you have something to confess, now's the time," Inko told him.

"Nope. I don't have anything to confess." Izuku answered.

"Is that your final answer?" Inko inquired once more. Somehow Izuku felt he was trapped, and he had just denied whatever options were available to escape.

"Yes," Izuku answered. He silently said his prayers, hoping that this was just a misunderstanding or a joke on his mom's part.

"Okay," Inko said as she stood up. Izuku was about to stand as well but Inko stopped him and told him to stay seated. Izuku wisely listened to his mother and remained where he was. "Izuku, how old are you?" Inko questioned him. It was rhetorical, yet he answered anyway.

"That's right and for all those years I've raised. I know you Izuku. You're my precious baby boy, my only child." Inko elaborated. "So then…why…why would you do it." She questioned tearfully. "Why would you lie to me? Why would you betray my trust and go behind my back and do this?"

Izuku's eyes widened. She knew. Somehow, she had figured them out. He turned to the Herrscher who still seemed passive to everything. "Don't look at me, look at her." The Herrscher told him.

"Mom, I swear. It's not what you think." Izuku said without thinking.

"Oh really," Inko said as she brought out her first piece of evidence. "Then how do you explain this?" She pulled out a hairbrush from his room and slammed it on the table. "Exhibit A."

"A hairbrush?" Izuku questioned.

"Yes, a hairbrush from your room, and on this hairbrush was this." Inko placed a plastic bag with a strand of white hair inside it, right next to the brush. "A strand of long white hair." Inko pointed out.

"Um…there is a really good reason for that," Izuku muttered as he looked at the Herrscher.

"No there isn't." The Herrscher added. Not unless Izuku wanted to admit she was here which she doubted he would. Unfortunately, Inko wasn't done yet as she produced more evidence.

"If it wasn't bad enough, we also have exhibit B," Inko said. It was more hair, but this one looked like it had been in a…more damp location.

"Where did you get that one?" Izuku questioned.

"Well after I found the first clue, I was a little upset so I did some cleaning to clear my mind, I went and cleaned the shower, and lo and behold this was in the drain as well," Inko explained. "So, what's the excuse for this?" Inko interrogated.

"Um well…"

"And don't even say it's yours because I heard you talking to her," Inko told him. "I heard you this morning, mentioning how she's pretty," Inko added. "So Izuku let me ask…what's the excuse?" Inko stared at him.

"Well, you see Mom, I uh…." Izuku stuttered. "Herrscher help." He thought.

"You are on your own for this. I am not dealing with an angry mother. My advice, act dumb." The Herrscher told him.

"I have a girlfriend," Izuku answered nervously.

"Not that dumb." The Herrscher facepalmed. He did not just say that.

"I knew it." Inko cheered.

"Wait…what?" Izuku and the Herrscher both exclaimed upon hearing her response. "Mom…what exactly do you know?" He asked.

"That you have a girlfriend," Inko answered. "You thought you could hide it from me, but I know you Izuku. I'm your mother. You can't hide anything from me." She told him.

Izuku glanced at the Herrscher. "Don't look at me. You're the one that came up with this story." She told him.

"So, um…. are we good now?" Izuku wondered.

"Oh no. We are still far from good." Inko told him. "You are in so much trouble, young man." She scolded.

"What? Why?" Izuku asked. "Because I kept it a secret?"

"No, I would have been fine if you kept your girlfriend a secret," Inko told him. "What I'm not fine with, is you inviting her home when I'm not here and letting her comb her hair in your room or use our shower," Inko told him. "Izuku you are not an adult, if you want to invite girls over, you need to tell me." Inko scolded.

"I….I….don't know what to say." Izuku was flabbergasted.

"Well, I'm sorry would be a start," Inko told him. "However I would suggest you call up, your little girlfriend and invite her over. I want to meet her.' Inko told him.

"Meet her?" Izuku gasped.

"Is that a problem?" Inko glared. "She seems to know where we live and had no issues coming here before." She said sternly.

"Um well….I'll need to talk with her," Izuku explained.

"You can call her up now," Inko demanded.

"What?" Izuku gaped.

"I said you can call her now," Inko explained.

"Uh…I can't." Izuku told her.

"Why not?"

"Well, you see….her phone got destroyed in a villain attack." Izuku lied. "I only know because she borrowed someone else's phone to message me." Izuku tried to convince her.

"Okay then…." Inko told him. "You have till the end of the week to tell her to come over or am I confiscating all your electronics," Inko told him.

Izuku had no response. He merely agreed with his mom and headed toward his room.

"Herrscher do you have any ideas how to get out of this?" Izuku mentally questioned. "Ideas that don't involve murder," Izuku added.

"Nope. You dug your grave with this one, now lay in it." She answered.

"What am I going to do?" Izuku sighed.

"Eh, you're smart, you'll figure something out." The Herrscher told him.

The next day, Izuku still hadn't figured it out. It was lunchtime, and Izuku had found himself sitting underneath a tree in the schoolyard, eating his lunch and scribbling ideas in an empty notebook. He had spent all of last night, and a good bit of the morning trying to figure out a solution.

Nothing he thought of was realistically plausible and without consequence. He was positive no girl he knew would agree to pretend to be his girlfriend. He was also sure; that he had no money to buy off a fake girlfriend either. He had considered cross-dressing, but Izuku was also sure that would only end in disaster.

Suffice it to say, Izuku was screwed.

"Hey…Quirkless rat." Someone called. He looked up in time to see the bullies from before. Today just kept getting better and better.

Much like before, he got bullied. They stole his lunch, his pocket change, and beat him up. The Herrscher had manifested once more and asked for his approval but just like before he denied her.

"I've got better things to worry about." He told her. She had rolled her eyes at him before disappearing once again. If he didn't want to help himself then who was she to intervene?

"Maybe I can call All Might?" Izuku thought as he daydreamed ideas while in his afternoon classes. He promptly scratched out the idea when he realized All Might ask more questions than his mom, and Izuku was positive he'd have even fewer answers for the pro-hero.

Eventually, the day was over and Izuku found himself packing up his things once more. The bullies had left him alone after lunch and it seemed like they had called it a day on picking on him, talk about a lucky break. With his bag on his back, Izuku was ready to leave the school once more, though this time he was more reluctant to do so. The idea of going home and being hounded by his mom again for his imaginary girlfriend did not seem so appealing to the boy.

"Maybe I can walk home really slowly." Izuku thought as he headed out.

That's when he saw them. The same boys from before, Hill and his cronies. Izuku gulped not wanting to receive another beating and immediately hid. Fortunately for him, they didn't notice and passed Izuku's hiding spot none the wiser.

"On second thought. Maybe mom's interrogation isn't so bad." Izuku reconsidered as he prepared to bolt.

"Leave me alone." A voice called out. Izuku froze in his spot and turned back to where the bullies had been. They were still there…and they were picking on another kid. Izuku froze.

"Hey human, what's the hold up?" The Herrscher manifested once more beside her host. She had wondered why Izuku was still in school. However, once her eyes landed on the bullies and their victims, she put two and two together. A soft smile appeared on her face.

"Well, well, it looks like you've got a lucky break." She whispered. "Now all you need to do is just turn around and walk away," It was a tempting offer only a coward would take. She wondered if Izuku would take it.

Izuku gripped his bag tight as he stared at them. He then let out a breath and walked away. The Herrscher looked on disappointed. It seems she was wrong about him.

…then Izuku turned around and ran straight for the bullies.

Or maybe she wasn't.

"Nice going, Hero." A young boy scolded Izuku. Both boys were now nursing their injuries, after being beaten up by Hill and his crew and left under the tree in the schoolyard.

"I just wanted to help," Izuku admitted as he leaned back against the tree. "I can't stand seeing others get hurt."

"Yeah…well…it was a waste of time." The boy admitted as he let out a breath. "Should have just let it be Izuku." The boy told him. "Still…thanks anyway…I guess. I think I actually saw Hill cry from that punch." He noted. Izuku had landed a few cheap shots in but he had been quickly overwhelmed once they realized what had happened.

"Uh… you're welcome," Izuku answered before it dawned on him. "Wait…you know my name."

"Everyone knows your name; the teacher has made it very clear who you are." The boy noted.

"Oh." Izuku realized. That's not exactly the best reason to know. "So, what's yours?" Izuku asked.

"Hitoshi Shinso." The boy was introduced. "Well as much as I'd like to talk more. It's getting late and I should really head home before my folks worry." Shinso told him. "Nice meeting you though."

"Yeah, likewise," Izuku responded as he stood up. He and Shinso gathered their things before going their separate ways. Looks like he made a friend…probably. Izuku didn't seem to dwell too much on it as he found the Herrscher waiting for him once more.

"You look like crap." The Herrscher noted as she took a good look at Izuku.

"Thanks." He answered, not even in the mood to deal with her antics. He was beaten up for what was the second time, and he still had no idea how to deal with his mother.

Strangely as he began to walk, Izuku felt the soreness from his body start to fade away. He glanced down and checked himself, noticing how any bruised areas for now gone. "Herrscher?" He questioned. She was the only one who could be doing this.

"Yes." She answered.

"Are you?" He gestured to himself.

"Yes." She answered. "You went back and stood up to the bullies and while you did get beaten to a pulp, you still went down swinging," she noted. "Seeing as you aren't a total worse, I suppose I can heal your wounds," she admitted. This was what positive reinforcement was. Right?

"Thank you," Izuku told her. "I appreciate it."

"Eh, don't let this be a one-time thing and I'll call us even." The Herrscher told him. "I still want to kill them." She informed.

"No, you can't."

"Worth a shot."

"I still have to deal with my mom. I don't think I can handle you adding a potential charge to my name as well." Izuku admitted.

"About your mom. I think I might have an idea for that." The Herrscher told him.

"Does it involve you hurting her?" Izuku questioned.

"No."

"Then what is it?" Izuku wondered.

"I'll introduce myself to your mom." The Herrscher told him.

Chapter Text

"NO! NOPE! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Izuku exclaimed at the Herrscher. After the Herrscher had revealed her solution, Izuku made a beeline for the nearest vacant space he could find. Now in an alley with no one else in sight, he was screaming his disapproval at the Herrscher.

"Relax, Izuku, I'm not going to do anything violent to your mom." The Herrscher raised her hands in an attempt to calm him. Suffice it to say it had mixed results. "I'm just going to meet her so we can clear things up. She tried to explain it as simply as she could.

"I thought the whole deal was that we wouldn't reveal your existence," Izuku argued. She had made it a big deal for him not to tell, now she was just going to go and reveal everything just like that. It was an absurd thought to the quirkless boy.

"We aren't, I'm going to pretend to be your girlfriend." The Herrscher deadpanned.

"Wait what?" Izuku froze as he tried to register her words. Did he hear her right? Or was his mind finally cracking from the stress? "What did you just say?" He asked her, trying to make sure he heard her properly.

"Your mom wants to meet your girlfriend, so I will pretend to be your girlfriend." The Herrscher explained. "When I meet her, I'll be an awful girlfriend. She'll be appalled that her baby is with such a terrible person and demand you break up with me. I pretend to be heartbroken, I make a scene and tell her I'd never see you again and then I leave, never to be seen again. Simple." The Herrscher explained.

"That plan is anything but simple." Izuku deadpanned at the Herrscher. "And what do you mean by being an awful girlfriend? Are you going to hurt my mom or destroy my home?" Izuku questioned.

"It's tempting…but no. I don't think that's needed." The Herrscher told him. "I'll just try to act in a way she might disapprove of. What are some qualities of your friends that your mom dislikes?" The Herrscher questioned.

"I don't have any friends, at least none that my mom dislikes," Izuku told her. He never invited any over, not that any would come. Most kids didn't really want to have anything to do with him.

"Okay." The Herrscher sighed. Right, her host was always alone and ostracized. "Well then, what about who your mom does like? I'll just try and behave the opposite to them." The Herrscher told him.

"My mom liked Bakugo," Izuku noted.

"Okay…so in order to make your mom hate me, I need to be the opposite of a loud, arrogant, violent insect and inconsiderate insect." The Herrscher noted. She raised an eyebrow as repeated the words over and over in her head. "Are you sure she will hate that?" The Herrscher questioned.

The opposite of Bakugo's behavior would result in her acting, calm, humble, and considerate. It was a far cry from her usual behavior, sure, but it still felt off. Then again, neither Kiana nor Sirin had actual normal childhoods and normal social interactions. Kiana had a deadbeat dad who abandoned her when she was 11, with Theresea lying to her about her nature and Himeko being a bit of a drunkard at times. Sirin herself had most of her final years as a lab experiment.

"Well, she's also friends with Bakugo's mom who behaves similarly to Bakugo at times," Izuku noted.

On second thought, maybe the Herrscher really didn't know what normal human interactions should be, outside of those involved with Honkai.

"Okay, so I pretend to be like the opposite of those people." The Herrscher added. "Your mom dislikes me and that's the end of the story."

"But wouldn't she recognize you from the news?" Izuku pointed out. "Your face has been plastered everywhere, you are technically public enemy number 1." Izuku pointed out. "Not to mention she'll recognize you specifically because it was you that hurt her friend's son," Izuku added.

"That's an easy fix. I'll just wear a disguise." The Herrscher pointed out. "She'll never suspect a thing."

"Seriously?" Izuku questioned.

The Herrscher was in fact very serious about the plan. Serious enough that now Izuku found himself in front of a nearby sporting goods store, the Astral Experience. He had passed a few times, it was good from what he heard, and cheap, thankfully. Not wasting any time he entered.

"Welcome to the Astral, how may Pom Pom help you?" A store employee asked. Izuku looked down at the worker, Pom-Pom, a small anthropomorphic rabbit person.

"Um…I'm just looking around." Izuku told the rabbit. He didn't quite want to divulge any extra information, not unless he absolutely had to. Luckily Pom-Pom didn't seem to press him further, leaving him be, but not before showing him where the young men's section was.

Now on his own, Izuku looked around, curious just what the Herrscher might find to disguise herself. Much to his surprise, he found her looking over at some jackets. "It's not quite the same." She mused.

"Did you find anything?" Izuku questioned. He took a good look at the jackets she was staring at, they were sports jackets, a few sizes bigger than either of them.

"Yeah…I think this is the one." She noted as she pointed to a blue jacket.

"Isn't it too big?" Izuku wondered.

"That's the idea." The herrscher told him.

"I'm confused."

"Trust me, it will work." The Herrscher informed. "Just grab a few of those hair scrunchies and those cheap glasses." The Herrscher told him as they headed for the changing room. Izuku was still doubtful but did as she instructed.

Once in the changing room, he gives the Herrscher some control letting her transform them. Now in control, the Herrscher took the jacket and wore it over her usual dress. Next, she parted her hair in two before braiding it into two very long braids. Finally, she placed the glasses on her face and pulled the hood overhead.

"How do I look?" The Herrscher questioned as she glanced at the mirror. Izuku stared at her disguised form. The jacket hid her figure well while the glasses and the hairstyle change did make her face look slightly different. Still….

"It's different but I can still tell it's you," Izuku noted. Even with the minor changes, he still felt the girl he saw was the Herrscher.

"Alright then, I still have one last trick." The Herrscher told him as her lips curled into her smile. She closed her eyes, darkening Izuku's view of the outside world. He felt her adjust herself, though not in the same way as before when she altered her body.

When the Herrscher opened her eyes once more, Izuku saw a different girl looking back at him. She looked meek, with her shoulders hunched forward, her sleeves stretched over her arms with quite a bit of excess hanging over. She kept her hands forward, always rubbing them.

"Herrscher," Izuku whispered. It couldn't actually be her.

"Izu…. Izuku-senpai." The girl stuttered with a very soft voice as she looked at him. "Do I look cute?" she asked, her lips quivering as she did.

Who the heck was this? Izuku thought this was some sort of joke. Maybe she had gone and found someone else with the same hair color and outfit. He knew it was impossible, but his mind just couldn't believe it.

Yet apparently it was. The girl standing before who looked just as anxious as he usually was apparently the same person as the woman who blew up the beach. The girl was supposed to be the Herrscher, yet, she didn't have the same kind of aura as the Herrscher. He didn't feel the same weight in her presence. It was baffling.

She giggled, not in the sinister and confident way he had heard her snicker before, but in a softer, more innocent, and more girly way. The air of superiority she had was gone. Almost like she had completely changed.

He had no words. She must have changed their body again. That was the only logical explanation, how she could look so different. "How?" He asked.

He saw a familiar smirk form on the girl's face. She straightened her posture standing tall and proud, like the Herrscher he had known. She rolled her sleeves back and unzipped the jacket revealing the same outfit she always wore underneath, the same physique. He watched as the Herrscher even pulled the hood back revealing the same white hair she had, still braided, but still the same. She hadn't altered her appearance in the slightest, only her body language.

Finally, she lifted the glasses off her face and rested them on her head. Then she narrowed her gaze, even with her eyes dimmed, Izuku still felt the same chill run up his spine as usually felt when the Herrscher stared into his eyes.

"Miss me." She whispered. Her voice still lacked the usual reverb, but the edge had returned. Her tone was firmer and more confident just like it always was.

"How?" Izuku repeated. He had heard of some heroes having secret identities, a holdover from the days of old, but it was the first time he ever felt or saw such a distinction. The Herrscher he had known and the girl he had just seen felt like two different people, yet there was no physical change in appearance or wardrobe.

"Body Language. It's something I've picked up on watching humans, other Herrschers, and even my previous host." The Herrscher explained as she removed the jacket and glasses and unbraided her hair. Once she finished, she handed back control to Izuku as their body reverted. The Herrscher's form manifested beside Izuku who now glanced down at the items she had left.

"Humans are by nature, very deceptive creatures. They can appear a certain way one minute and then in another, they can become almost unrecognizable. Take for instance All Might," She explained. "On the news, he portrays an energetic and very optimistic personality, the Symbol of Peace as you call it, but in reality, he's a tired and worn down man who even admits he's terrified behind his smile."

"I think that might be a different case. His powers still change his appearance." Izuku pondered.

"Fair enough, that was a bad example on my part." The Herrscher sighed. "How about your mother then? On the surface, she's a very soft-spoken lady, very polite and very kind. Yet yesterday when she needed to be stern with you, her actions made her seem like a completely different person." The Herrscher pointed out.

"I guess that makes sense," Izuku noted.

"It's what happens when you have expectations. If you have it in your mind that a person will only act and behave a certain way, you become complacent and start to underestimate them." The Herrscher informed. She knew from her own experience how very suddenly people could change. Murata Himeko, Raiden Mei, and Fu Hua were the most vivid examples of her.

Himeko would spend her off time from work getting drunk on beer, trying and failing to get a date, and somehow landing in Kiana's bed when she was hung over, but when the time came to be a teacher and a Valk, she was a dead serious no-nonsense woman.

Raiden Mei and the Herrscher of Thunder were some slightly more extreme cases being different entities in the same body, but the point still stood. The Herrscher of Thunder was much like HoV herself, a cold and serious individual who carried herself with an air of confidence and pride as was expected of the Honkai's chosen. Raiden Mei by contrast was a much softer individual, a girl who had self-esteem issues and was weighed down by guilt for most of her life as a Herrscher. They shared a body but rarely had they shared the same demeanor.

Finally, there was Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience. One was a 50000-year-old hag trying to be a teenage girl and the other was a literal toddler in a teenage girl's body. They couldn't be more different even if their body was practically the same with only the hair changing.

"Still…I can't believe it was such a drastic change." Izuku remarked. "Have you done this before?" He questioned.

"Not really." The Herrscher admitted. "But I've seen enough of how others act to try and fake it." Especially when that person was Kiana. The girl had lived life very lax and carefree at first before the Herrscher of the Void had revealed herself and Himeko had passed. After those events, Kiana had gotten more serious, and her demeanor shifted. A change HoV would recognize as the Kiana whom she had known in Arc City was a drastic change to the one she faced in the Theatre of Domination.

Of course, Kiana wasn't the only source she drew inspiration from, the Herrscher also took cues from Kiana's other friends and acquaintances about how to act 'girly', except the maid, that one was just all kinds of creepy.

"So…is this all?" Izuku wondered as he looked down at the stuff, a jacket, a pair of plain glasses, and hair scrunchies. It wasn't much but she proved it could work.

"Just grab me a pair of shorts, a vest, and some rubber slippers, that's all I'll need." The Herrscher told him.

"Okay then," Izuku answered as they headed out.

Getting the rest of the items was far easier than expected. The Herrscher of the Void wasn't picky so long as they were the right size and Izuku was grateful. She was ironically easier to shop with than his mom. Of course, it could never be smooth sailing for Izuku.

While he was looking at the vests on one of the shelves, the Herrscher noticed a box that was kept at the top. From what she saw, it was some old baseball bats that were marked down for sale, probably old stuff. Still, it was quite lucky they had found them. Using a bit of her power, the Herrscher gently tugged the box outwards.

It only needed to be a few centimeters off before…..

"Look out." The Herrscher warned Izuku, moving him to the side. The box fell right beside her host. The bats scattered around them. Immediately Izuku began apologizing thinking it was his fault but Pom-Pom put his fears to rest.

"Caelus, Stelle, clean up this mess." Pom Pom ordered two of the other staff members. He then turned to Izuku. "Please forgive my staff." He apologizes to Izuku.

"No…no…it was alright. I should have been looking." Izuku told him.

"Are you sure?" Pom-Pom questioned. Izuku merely nodded his head. "Still if you are hurt or require any aid, please tell us." Pom-Pom reiterated.

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuku told him as he stood up and dusted himself off. He was about to move when he noticed a bat rolling by his foot. He reached down and picked up the bat, glancing it over. It wasn't the same one as in his dream but it did feel nice in his hands. "This is a nice bat," Izuku commented.

"Yes. It was a part of our trailblazer series." Pom Pom noted. "Really good material that one, a real shame it never sold much. People just aren't interested if you don't have a quirk." He sighed.

"It's still useful." Izuku thought as images passed in his mind about the dream where he used a bat to fend off his bullies. The Herrscher looked on with hope as he glanced down at the bat. She took note of how he gripped it and the uncertainty on his face. "How much for the bat?" Izuku asked. The Herrscher smiled.

"I can't believe he gave you 10 bats." The Herrscher commented as she glanced at the box in Izuku's hand. She had expected him to buy 1, not get a box of them for free.

"He said he needed to clear up inventory," Izuku told her.

"I swear he's just bribing you." The Herrscher commented. The store worker just gave 10 free bats, either those bats weren't any good, or he was just bribing Izuku to come back for more not to mention the whole, box almost fell on top of him.

"Well, I'm not complaining," Izuku told her. "Still how am I supposed to carry all this back." Izuku wondered.

"Put it in your bag." The Herrscher told him.

"I don't think it will fit." Izuku wondered. Still, she hadn't been wrong so far today, so he trusted her and took his bag off his back. When he opened it, it was empty, but then the Herrscher held out her hand, and a portal opened inside right above his books.

"A pocket dimension. Just drop everything inside and I'll keep it for later." The Herrscher told him.

"Why are you being so nice?" Izuku questioned as he finally zipped up his bag. "This isn't usually like you." He noted. Throughout the day and evening, the Herrscher's behavior shifted a lot. It was a welcome change of pace but after hearing her spiel about people being deceptive, he wonders if there was any reason for this sudden change.

"I've said it before, you showed backbone today and I respect that, hence that's why I'm respecting you more today." The Herrscher told him. "Is that a problem?"

"No…no this is good." Izuku quickly defended. The Herrscher was far more bearable when she wasn't constantly criticizing him.

"Alright." The Herrscher answered as she turned her attention forward. "Although I must admit, that's not the only reason." She explained. "I may also feel partially responsible for getting you into this situation." She confessed.

"Really?" Izuku exclaimed.

"Don't get it twisted. I still stand by the idea of you saying you had a girlfriend was just pure folly, however, I did make the circumstances that landed you here. Consider this my apology for that." She told him.

"Okay…wow. I did not expect that." Izuku told her. "I was expecting some angle."

"Oh, there is. I get to show how much better I am than humanity by owning up to my mistakes." The Herrscher admitted.

"So you'll own up to this…but not the people you hurt." Izuku wonders.

"Those weren't mistakes." The Herrscher answered.

"Okay," Izuku answered. He will leave this subject as is for now. The Herrscher's morality and mindset were still dubious to him, though he felt he got a little more insight into her as a person now. Hopefully, he could figure out what to do about her in the future. For now, he'd have to deal with his mother and how to introduce the Herrscher to her.

Wait.

"Who am I supposed to introduce you as?" Izuku questioned.

The Herrscher turned to him with a slightly confused look. "What do you mean? You're introducing me as your girlfriend." She told him.

"Yes, but I mean, what's the name I'm giving." Izuku wondered.

"Name?"

"Yeah, what's your name," Izuku asked.

The Herrscher opened her mouth and then closed it, a perplexed look crossed her face. "I don't have a name." She told Izuku.

"You don't have a name?" Izuku repeated.

"Never needed one. Everyone always just called me the Herrscher of the Void, it's my title and it's been the only real name I ever needed." She explained.

"Yeah, but that's still just a title. Surely you must have some name." Izuku inquired.

"Well…I do…but they aren't technically mine. The two of the other names I have are ones I shared with my previous life and my previous host, but I doubt they apply to me." She noted. She couldn't just tell him that Sirin was her name, that would raise questions about the dreams she was giving him. Nor was she willing to sink low enough to take Kiana's name. "I suppose the only other name I have besides my Herrscher title is K-423." She noted.

"K-423, it's like a serial number. My body at least the previous body was the 423rd in a series of clones. Apart from that, I don't have any other actual names." The Queen of the Void, and the Queen of the Honkai, it was all just intimidating titles.

"Okay," Izuku answered. He was not expecting this. He always figured she had a name even if she didn't say it. That was the norm, right? Everyone had a name, even if villains changed and took new ones, they still had a birth name. "Do you…want one?" He asked her.

"It's never really mattered before." She reiterated. "Still if I had to pick one….I suppose I'd take the name Void." She told him.

"Isn't that just your title but shortened." Izuku wondered.

"Yes, but, if a name is supposed to represent you then I think it's only fitting for Void to be mine." Most of her existence had been defined by her power, her nature as a Herrscher, and her connection to the Honkai. Without it she really didn't have anything else, Kiana had her family and friends, but the Herrscher honestly didn't have that. Raiden Mei took Benares from her so the Herrscher didn't have anything else to fall back on, not like needed anything else.

"So…I can call you Void from now on then," Izuku questioned the Herrscher, questioned Void.

"Yes, you may address me as such," Void answered. "But only you have that privilege, no one else must know my name." She told him.

"What about mom?" Izuku questioned.

"As much as I like this name, it would still be too on the nose," Void told Izuku. It was still just a shortened form. "Do you know the names of any cute girls?" She asked Izuku.

"Uh…cute girls?" Izuku repeated. He didn't know or talk to many girls. Not that many girls actually talked to him. Now that he thought about it, the only girl he knew of in recent memory was the girl from his dreams. Sirin.

"Sirin?" Void mused with a smile on her slips. "Who's Sirin?" She asked Izuku.

"Oh. Did I say that out loud?" Izuku wondered.

"You thought it," Void noted.

"Oh." Izuku realized.

"Still it's a nice name. I'll take it," Void commented. "I'll introduce myself as Sirin Schriac. How does that sound?"

"Well, I guess it sounds right," Izuku answered.

"Good, because we still have one last thing to discuss before I'm ready to meet your mother," Void told him.

"What is there left to do?" Izuku wondered.

"We need to figure out how we'll both be there." The Herrscher told him.

"Wait what?" Izuku exclaimed. He thought only Void was going.

"What did you think I was going alone? I'm meeting your mom, you need to be there." Void told him.

"But how…we're sharing a body."

"Don't worry…I have a plan."

Izuku felt very worried.

Chapter Text

"Alright, dinner is almost done," Inko remarked as she took the chicken out of the oven. She turned to her son who was still sweeping the floor. "You should go and get ready Izuku, you don't want to look dusty when she comes," Inko instructed.

"Sure Mom," Izuku answered as he put the broom away. He then went to his room and grabbed his towel. He looked at Void leaning on the door with a cat-like grin on her face. "I hope your plan works." He told her.

"Please…it's foolproof," Void answered smugly. "Now…go and bathe Izuku, you need to freshen up for when I arrive." she teased.

"You're enjoying this way too much." Izuku pointed out.

"Your mom just made a whole dinner just for me, plus I get to see you squirm for the whole night. What's not to enjoy?" Void told him. Izuku didn't entertain her further. He just headed back out and into the shower.

"Well, he's getting bolder." Void noted as she saw him leave. Deciding to leave him be for now, she closed her eyes and began to focus on her part in this scheme. She decided to go over her lines a few more times, trying to extrapolate as much as she could from her memories of Kiana and her friends for her disguise.

Inko had just finished setting the table. Everything had been finished but the mother still found herself readjusting every small detail she could find. She wanted to make a good impression on this girl. Show her she meant business, if this young lady planned to date her son, Inko was going to show her she had standards that would need to be met.

There was just one thing that she needed to do before this 'Sirin' arrived. Inko walked to the mirror and while looking at her reflection, she cleared her throat. "So, you're the young lady who is courting my son." She said sternly at her reflection.

"No that's not it." She shook her head.

"So…Sirin, it's nice to finally meet you, welcome to our home, or well I suppose you've already been here." She tried again. That one felt too passive-aggressive.

"Hello, Sirin." Inko smiled. "I'm Inko Midoriya, you may call me Mrs. Midoriya, it's nice to meet you."

"What are you doing?" Izuku commented. Inko nearly jumped as she heard her son's voice. She turned around to see him wrapped in a towel, just about ready to go into his room.

Inko blushed. That was so embarrassing. Her son had caught her little practice session. "Nothing, go and change," Inko told Izuku as she turned her away. Lucky for her Izuku didn't seem to question it further as he went into his room and shut the door.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Inko turned to try another attempt before he finished.

"Greetings Sir…"

Ding dong!

Inko almost jumped as the doorbell rang. She managed to avoid falling by catching herself against the wall. "Who is it?" She questioned as she headed towards the door.

"It's Si…Sirin, ma'am." A soft voice called from the other side. Inko glanced at the nearby clock. She shouldn't be here yet. It was still half an hour earlier. As if knowing what she was thinking Sirin continued speaking. "I know it's a little early but I don't like to travel in the dark, so I thought I would come now," Sirin confessed.

Inko let out a sigh. Fair enough, it wasn't exactly ideal for a young defenseless lady to be walking around after dark. She walked over to the door and opened it. She was ready to size up Sirin.

"Hel…Hello, ma'am. I mean…Good afternoon…no is it still afternoon…I mean good even…yes. Good Evening, Mrs. Midoriya." The young girl stuttered as she greeted Inko. The green-haired woman kept her face blank as she stared at the girl, trying her best to read her. "I'm Sirin…though I guess you knew that already." The girl nervously laughed.

Sirin seemed to find the floor more interesting than Inko herself as her gaze was focused solely on that, only occasionally glancing back up. "May I come in?" Sirin cautiously asked.

Inko let her stare linger on the girl a little longer before letting out a sigh. Stepping aside, she allowed Sirin to enter the apartment. The girl didn't even make it a few feet before Inko cleared her throat. Sirin froze in her spot and slowly turned around to face Inko, with a pleading look, as if to ask what she did wrong.

"Your slippers." Inko didn't say it but she did shift her eyes down.

"Oh." Sirin mouthed. She lifted up her leg and took the slipper off one foot before trying to get the other slipper off the other. Keyword being tried. She fell on her rump due to her being unbalanced. "My bad." She quickly apologized as she took the other slipper off and quickly got up and placed it by the door.

Inko just stared at her, with a few different thoughts running through her mind. She had thought her son was shy, but never did she expect he'd meet a girl just as shy if not more so than himself. She had quite a few things to say, but the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "Are you okay?" She asked the nervous girl.

Sirin, who was dusting her clothes, straightened herself immediately. "Yes…yes, I'm fine." Sirin told her.

"How about you go and relax, while I call Izuku from his room," Inko told her.

"Sure…no problem," Sirin told her.

As Inko walked to go and get her baby boy, she heard a loud noise behind her. She turned back around quickly to see Sirin, nervously fiddling with her phone. She stared at the girl who looked like a small-time villain caught by All Might. "I… I need to take this." Sirin told her. "Can I go outside?" She nervously asked.

"Yes," Inko told her. Suffice it to say her opinion of the girl was that she was a bundle of nerves. Sirin excused herself, stepping out, even forgetting her slippers. At the very least, she shut the door tight when she left.

"Well, she's something." Inko thought as she went to knock on her son's bedroom door. She didn't even need to knock as Izuku opened the door.

"Oh…hey mom." Izuku greeted her. "I heard some voices. Is Sirin here yet?" Izuku asked.

"She's here, but she stepped out to take a call," Inko informed him.

"Ah, well, let's go and prepare for dinner," Izuku told her. "Knowing her she wouldn't have taken it if it wasn't important," Izuku explained.

As Izuku and Inko took out the food, Inko caught him glancing back at her. "So…" his voice trailed off. "What did you think of her?" Izuku asked.

"She's nice," Inko answered. "A little jumpy but I think she means well," Inko admitted.

"Yeah…she definitely scares easily," Izuku noted.

"What is taking her long though?" Inko wondered as she stared at the door. "Maybe I should go and call her."

"No." Izuku stopped his mom. "That won't be necessary. I'll go and get her." Izuku said as he stepped outside. A few seconds later, he reappeared. "Just give her a minute. It's work." Izuku told Inko.

"Work?" Inko wondered. What work did Sirin do?

"Yeah…she had to take today off…she's just trying to avoid any complications," Izuku said as he came back inside. "Oh…um will you excuse me. I need to use the bathroom. I think I may have snacked a little too much while we were preparing dinner." Izuku told his mom.

"Izuku, I told you not to eat too much." Inko scolded. Seriously.

"I know but I won't be long," Izuku told her as he hurried to the bathroom and locked the door.

Sirin came back inside shortly after. "Sorry about that." She apologized. "It was my boss…well one of them." She explained.

"Yes. Izuku mentioned that." Inko told her dryly. "I'm curious. What work do you do?" She wondered.

"Oh…I babysit." Sirin explained. "Well…I also dogsit, and catsit…I sit anything. I once even sat a dragon quirk user." She excitedly explained. "I'm sure if they are willing, I can even 'take care' of Izuku's dickless friend, Kachaan." She offhandedly commented.

"Pardon?" Inko perked up. Did she hear that right?

"Yeah, Izuku told me, he had a reckless friend, Kachaan or something, who he said was hurt, if his parents need someone to help 'take care' of him, I'm available," Sirin informed Inko.

"I see," Inko answered. "I'll pass on the message then."

"So…um…the food looks nice," Sirin said as she stretched out a hand to grab a portion. "It looks really nice." She was awed at the food.

Inko gently grabbed her hand.

"Yes. Izuku and I spent all evening cooking it." She smiled at Sirin as she shook her hand. "He was very excited that I'd finally get to meet you." She told the girl.

"Wow…that's a strong grip you have there, Mrs. Midoriya." Sirin weakly chuckled as she let Inko shake her hand. Sirin in turn gripped the underneath of the table. After what felt like an eternity, Inko released the girl's hand.

"Hehehe…" Sirin nervously laughed as she shook hands and wiggled her fingers. "I think I'll wait till Izuku comes before I dig in," Sirin answered. She glanced down at her other hand beneath the table, taking note of the splinters in it.

"That would be for the best." Inko agreed.

"Um…where is Izuku by the way?" Sirin questioned.

"He's in the little boy's room," Inko answered.

"Ah…so it's just you and me for now." Sirin whistled nervously. Inko almost felt bad, maybe she was being too hard on the girl. She did seem like a nice girl after all. Perhaps she misjudged the situation.

While Inko pondered the situation, she noticed Sirin's gaze turning to the restroom door. "Ah, she's probably hoping Izuku comes out soon." Inko thought with a smile.

They then heard the toilet flush. Before Inko could say a word, Sirin bolted for the door. It wasn't even fully opened before Sirin disappeared inside and Izuku walked out. Izuku shot Inko a look, and the mother wondered if she had scared the girl that much before her son joined her.

"So…how's it going?" Izuku questioned. "Did you two hit it off?" He wondered. "It's okay if you don't. I won't blame you, Mom." Izuku told her. "Sirin is a character…but she means well…most of the time…I think." Izuku wondered.

"Well, she definitely has some work to do." Inko deadpanned. "She could use some confidence for sure. The world would probably just blow her over if she's not careful."

"Somehow I don't think you need to worry about her," Izuku told his mom. "She's like you," Izuku told his mother. "She looks sweet, but she's a very strong girl."

"Izuku, I am your mother. I don't think comparing the woman who raised you to a girl you met not that long ago, is a smart decision." Inko told him.

"Yeah. I probably shouldn't have." Izuku nervously answered. It was then that Izuku's phone suddenly went off in his pocket. Inko sighed at this.

"What is it with you kids and having that same ringtone?" Inko asked him. It's not that she hated it, but the song was just not to her taste.

"What? I thought we'd match." Izuku told his mom.

"To be young and in love." Inko mused.

"I'll just take this," Izuku said as he stepped away and answered the phone. "Huh…yeah…wait…what? Are you kidding me? Oh no…okay…okay…yeah…I'll be right there." Izuku exclaimed.

"Is there something wrong?" Inko asked, worried about her son's sudden outburst. It wasn't normal for him to panic like this.

"Um…so don't get mad…but I need to leave." Izuku told her. His mother was about to comment but he quickly talked over her. "Look I have this assignment, I was working with a partner in class, and his laptop just crashed. I've got to head out to go help him." Izuku informed her.

"Izuku…are you serious Right now?" Inko questioned.

"Look I know…it might seem like one assignment but it's like 25% of my grade, Mom, and if I don't help…it might look like I'm unreliable," Izuku told her.

"Okay…okay…I get it." Inko told her son. "You go and work on your project. Do you want me to drop you?" Inko asked.

"No…it's not that far. I can walk. You stay here…have dinner with Sirin. I'll be back in jiffy." Izuku said as he ran inside and grabbed his computer. He came back out with his bag. "Tell Sirin, where I went," Izuku said as he headed off.

"Take care, sweetie," Inko told him as she saw him off.

A few minutes later Sirin came out of the restroom, she glanced around taking note of Inko by the table, alone. "Where's Izuku?" She questioned.

"He had to do some stuff for school, so he headed out," Inko explained.

"Ah…so should I leave?" Sirin wondered.

"No, no, you can stay. We still have much to talk about." Inko told her. She gestured to the seat opposite of her. "Let's eat first," Inko told her.

The two ate in silence. Neither party had anything of note to say to the other. Inko wasn't too sure where to start and from her point of view, it seemed Sirin was too nervous to make small talk. At the very least, Sirin did seem to enjoy the food, commenting ever so often and praising it. Inko for the most part accepted the praise and thanked her. However, Inko was surprised by just how much Sirin could eat.

"That was delicious," Sirin said as she finished her last plate. "I think I'm done for the night," Sirin told Inko as she stood up and carried her plate to the sink.

"Me too," Inko told her as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"May I take your plate?" Sirin asked her.

"Sure," Inko answered as she waited for Sirin to come and take the plate. That's when Sirin surprised her. The girl held out her hand and the plate floated into the hair before going towards Sirin's open palm. Inko stared at her with wide eyes.

"Uh…is something wrong?" Sirin asked when she saw Inko's perplexed expression.

"Is that your quirk?" Inko asked. She mentally kicked herself for asking such a question. Of course, it's her quirk, what else could it be? She was still taken aback by it.

"Oh…yeah. It is…" Sirin answered nervously. "I move things with my mind," Sirin explained as she took the empty cup from Inko. However just as the cup was moving it stopped mid-air and then moved back towards Inko's hand. "Huh," The girl muttered in surprise.

"That's incredible…because mine is very similar," Inko commented. Is this what Izuku meant when he said they were similar? She looked at the bottle of soda that was left on the table and pulled it over to her. "Seeing as we're finished eating, let's have that discussion now," Inko told her as she took the bottle and headed to the couch.

"So….how did you meet?" Inko questioned as she poured the soda into her cup, except it wasn't just going in her cup. Much to her surprise the soda stream split into some going into Inko's cup but a lot more flowing into Sirin's. The white-haired girl smugly took a sip as she eyed Inko.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you going to do that?" Sirin asked her.

"No…it's fine," Inko answered.

"Okay, now, as for where we met, it was at Dagoba Beach," Sirin explained. "One of the pets I was watching got out and ran into the dump so I chased after it. I…uh got stuck in there and Izuku was passing by when he heard me call for help." Sirin admitted. "Not…the best way to meet somebody, I must admit. I mean how many people can say they met their….um….bo-I mean best friend while in the dumps." Sirin laughed.

"My baby boy's always been the hero type." Inko smiled. "Still you should be careful. If he hadn't been passing you could have been stuck there for who knows how long, not to mention if any less than savory characters were to find you," Inko trailed off.

"Yeah, I'm really grateful to him," Sirin told her. Inko smiled at this, happy to hear someone praise her son.

"So how close are you with my son?" Inko asked her more sternly. "He's invited you over before from what I gathered. You two haven't…"

"No!" Sirin exclaimed. "We never did anything, I promise." She frantically told Inko. "I just visited a few times, because I was in the area, and one time a villain managed to slime me so I need to take a shower," Sirin explained. "That's it."

"Okay." Inko nodded. She'd give the girl the benefit of the doubt. "But back to my question," Inko asked.

"I'd like to think Izuku and I are very close, that I know what he's thinking so I don't misunderstand him or make our relationship…rocky," Sirin told her. This earned a little chuckle from Inko. "What did I say?" Sirin asked curiously.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. It's just…Izuku always has a habit when he sees an interesting quirk. He starts to write ideas for any quirk in his notebook, mumbling all sorts of theories and stuff. I figured his mind would be running 100 miles an hour." She explained.

"Ah," Sirin noted. "Yeah…he does have that habit." She commented.

"Still, you must be very smart. Are you doing well in school?" Inko asked.

"Oh." Sirin suddenly became flustered. "I don't go to school….I uh…dropped out." Sirin answered.

"What did you say?" Inko gasped.

"Yeah…due to some complications in my life…I dropped out of school. I'd rather not talk about it so can we please move to another topic." Sirin politely told her.

"Very well, but you should still try for an education, even if you don't attend any classes, try something at least," Inko told her.

"I'll keep that in mind," Sirin told her.

"So what about your family?" Inko questioned as she glanced Sirin over. She did look like a relatively normal girl. That said she was sure if Sirin's family was well off the young lady wouldn't be chasing pets in the dump.

"Oh, so where do you want to start?" Sirin asked.

"Wherever you feel comfortable," Inko told her.

"Okay…so can I start with my dad?"

"If you feel like it," Inko told her as she took a sip of soda.

"So my dad's a lot like Izuku's dad," Sirin told her. "He's…a deadbeat."

Inko nearly spit out her soda at the girl's words. "Pardon?" Inko questioned her.

"My dad, he was rarely home when we lived together," Sirin explained. "Some days he'd just leave the house to go and work and then when he came home, he'd just go to bed drunk. He and I were never really close at the start, he always kept his distance. He'd buy me whatever I wanted but he was always distant." Sirin told her.

Then her voice trailed off….

"Then there was this one time…I remember we were in a cabin and it was snowing. It was just me and Dad, he left and he didn't come back and I waited…and waited. I got tired eventually so I stopped waiting around and tried to follow him, took a backpack, and hiked my way back to the city in the snow. It was fun." Sirin smiled. "Never did find him, but eh…I'm sure he's okay." Sirin told her.

"Oh…that's…that's something," Inko told her. She was not expecting that. Maybe the mother would be better.

"What about your mom?" Inko asked.

"Which one?" Sirin responded.

"You have more than one," Inko remarked.

"Well...I think they'd count as well. My biological mom died when I was younger from this rare disease and I never knew my biological father." Sirin explained. "Even now my memories of her are becoming much foggier. It's alright, though, because this nice lady, Cecilia, wanted to adopt me." Sirin explained.

"Wanted to?" Inko questioned.

"We were…attacked by some…villains and we were injured. She could have left me to die, maybe save herself, but she insisted on staying beside me. She died of blood loss a while later. Her husband was the one who found me after…the deadbeat." Sirin told her.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Inko told her.

"Yeah…I think he blamed me for her death…but he still wanted to honor her wish so that's how I ended up in his care." Sirin explained.

"Until you weren't," Inko noted.

"Details," Sirin told her. "After I made my way back to the city I made some friends, and found a place to stay, I managed to find some work and now I'm settled." Sirin smiled. "It's not the best but I'm a survivor."

"I see," Inko answered as she put down her cup. "Well that's quite the story," Inko told her.

"Yeah." Sirin sighed.

The young girl wasn't ready for what happened next. Inko pulled her into a hug. Sirin's body stiffened as she felt the other woman embrace her. "Um…Mrs. Midoriya?" She weakly asked as she glanced at Inko.

"Shh…let me just…give you a hug," Inko told her as she gently stroked Sirin's hair. "You've been through a lot," Inko noted. "Far more than anyone your age should have been." She added.

"It's really nothing," Sirin told her. "I'm fine. Really." She tried to fight to free herself but Inko wasn't letting her go just yet. After hugging her some more Inko finally let her go. Sirin immediately wrapped her arms around herself. "You don't need to pity me." Sirin accused.

"I wasn't trying to," Inko told her. Sirin didn't seem to believe it.

"Yes, you are," Sirin told her. "I'm fine. I've always been." She told Inko. "I know you don't like me." She whispered silently.

"Sirin, it's not like that." Inko sighed. "I mean yes, I had issues with you and my son but I see now I was wrong,"

Sirin looked at her and Inko saw her eyes. They were filled with pain and sadness. She had been hurt a lot. "Don't lie to me," Sirin told her. "People are always lying," Sirin told her.

"No…I promise. I'm not…lying to you Sirin," Inko said as she placed a hand on Sirin's shoulder. That was the worst thing she could have done.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Sirin exclaimed as she recalled back. Inko looked fearful and Sirin could see it. "I'm sorry." She apologized. She then turned around and headed to the door. "I was so stupid. It wouldn't have worked with me and Izuku. I'll break up with him and get out of your hair." Sirin told her.

"No…wait…" Inko pleaded but Sirin had already fled out the door. When Inko went to follow her, she had just disappeared. Closing the door behind her, Inko let out a sigh as she leaned back against it. That did not go how she expected it to go.

Fifteen minutes later, Izuku returned home. He noticed how his mother looked down. "Hey mom," Izuku told her. "Is everything alright?"

"Izuku…we need to talk?" Inko told him. She then sat down and relayed to him what had transpired.

"Oh…I see." Izuku answered. "Well…if that's what she wants…then I will respect her wishes." Izuku told her.

"Izuku you can't break up with her," Inko told him.

"Wait…what?" Izuku said in surprise.

"That came out wrong. I mean…you can't just leave her alone." Inko told him. "She seems like a good kid, just, she's just hurting," Inko explained.

"I know…but…do you think it's really a good idea?" Izuku asked her. "If she doesn't want anything to do with me…maybe it's for the best. I mean we can't force her," Izuku told his mom.

"I know, but the way she sounds, she needs people in her life. Even if you two aren't together…it wouldn't hurt for you to keep an eye." Inko told him. "Isn't that what heroes do? Look out for those who are hurting." She told him.

"At the very least if you don't want to, I'll be willing to do it myself," Inko told him.

"That won't be necessary Mom. I'll keep an eye on her." Izuku relented.

"That's my baby," Inko told him as she hugged him. "Maybe when she feels better you can invite her over again,"

Later that night Inko had gone to bed, leaving Izuku and Void to reflect on today's events. The Herrscher, for the most part, seemed more anxious to Izuku, and as far as he could tell. It wasn't an act though as far as he knew. She had seemed agitated ever since Inko hugged her. Izuku had felt her heart rate change when his mom hugged her. He had tried his best to keep her focus and to an extent it worked.

"I don't get what went wrong." Void wondered as she paced back and forth. "She should have been excited we would break up, but she wants us to keep in touch and stay together," She told him. "Why would she do that?"

"You do realize, you pitched to her a very tragic backstory," Izuku said to the Herrscher. "I'm sure Mom wants me to keep in touch because she feels sorry for you."

"I don't need her pity," Void told him. "Besides, why would she even care for me, I'm a stranger to her."

"Some people are just like that." Izuku reasoned. "My mom's just that nice a lady."

"Dammit," Void cursed. "I thought making myself seem like a problem child would have driven her away," She groaned.

"Seriously? That was the plan?" Izuku wondered.

"Well, you told me murder and blowing up the house was not an option," Void told him. "So I thought, what mother would want her only son to date a girl who has so much baggage; daddy issues, mommy issues, abandonment in general. It seemed like it would work. I mean, you want your son to be settled with someone who is well-adjusted and well-put together, not a train wreck. Now she wants us to meet again," She groaned. This was the worst.

She continued to pace around the room. Her behavior was concerning, to say the least. Even if Izuku could restrain it, he still noticed the emotions swirling inside her. He even saw it slowly seeping out with how various objects seemed to shake and move as she kept pacing. The Herrscher had been put on edge by his mom and he didn't how. So against his better judgment, Izuku decided to ask a stupid question.

"Is everything alright?" He asked the Herrscher. She turned to him with an expression of confusion.

"What?" Void answered.

"I mean…this wasn't the worst outcome, we can just say you skipped town and vanished without a trace," Izuku told her. "You seem to be taking this….a little…"

"Don't…let's not go down that road," Void sighed. "I need to clear my head." She told him. She then glanced at Izuku. "Come one…get up. We're going to take a little trip." The Herrscher told him as she dematerialized before him.

Izuku felt his body transform as the Herrscher took over.

"Wait…where are we going?" Izuku asked her. The Herrscher glanced out the window, taking note of the full moon in the sky.

"Somewhere I can let off some steam without worrying you about collateral damage." The Herrscher told him.

Chapter Text

"Void," Izuku whispered to the Herrscher. She hadn't responded just yet focusing her attention on the moon above them and the streets below them. They were currently perched atop of one the tallest skyscrapers in the city and Izuku couldn't help but feel anxious as the Herrscher's eyes lingered downwards. "Void…are you okay?" He questioned, his voice filled with far more concern than before, not just for himself but for her as well.

"How far down do you think it is?" The Herrscher mused. "I mean…it looks high enough,"

"What are you thinking, Void?" Izuku questioned.

He could feel her lips curl into a smile. "A swan dive off the roof," She answered.

"Wait…what?" Before Izuku could even register what she said, the Herrscher leaped off the roof. Izuku felt his heart drop.

As they fell, Izuku could feel the air around them start to pick up as they accelerated even more, a feeling of dread settling within him as he realized the dangerous situation they were in. They were free-falling off one of the tallest buildings, blind and out of control.

"Herrscher," He tried calling again but she had zoned him out.

After what felt like hours, the Herrscher's eyes snapped open giving Izuku a very clear view of the floor rising towards him. He screamed in horror and the Herrscher smiled smugly as she immediately pulled up.

"Hahaha…." She laughed as she soared into the sky, her arms spread outwards as she glided between the buildings. She could feel Izuku entering a state of calmness as he slowly realized what she had done.

"You…You…" Izuku stuttered, not quite sure what words to tell her. He was conflicted. He had been terrified of the fall. He was worried about her mental state, and he was angry at her for pulling such a trick. "Why?" He finally asked, and then he remembered who he was talking to. "Never mind," He told her.

Void smiled as she flew through the air, passing just above many of the people on the streets and swerving through the traffic. Eventually, she landed on top of a truck, taking a short break. She could hear the people looking on, no doubt the sight of her would cause a small uproar.

"I need to clear my head," Void told Izuku. "I figured going for a night fly would do it, maybe get an adrenaline rush." She explained to him.

"Is it working?" Izuku asked. He was slightly concerned when he saw the slight panic she induced among the people. She hadn't attacked any yet so that was a good sign but it still kept him on edge.

"No," Void told her. "It's still too noisy." She noted.

"I mean…it's the city. The only time it sleeps is when it's empty." Izuku noted. "Besides, we should probably get going, I feel like if we stick around, more heroes will show up." He explained.

"Oh, you're concerned I'll be beaten by the heroes." Void mused as she flexed her fingers.

"No…I'm more concerned by what you'll do to them," Izuku retorted.

"Smart boy." Void praised. "However, I'm not in the mood, so I'll pass on the fighting." She told him. "Besides, it's a waste of strength."

"That's a relief," Izuku told her. "So…uh what are we going to do then, you know…alarm everyone with your presence. Are we going to fly around some more?" He asked. He still hadn't fully recovered from the sudden swan dive to flying but he wouldn't lie, the rush did feel good now that he thought about it.

"Flying, yes, around the city, no," Void explained as she looked up. "This little joyride was a test run. Our real trip is up there," She pointed.

"THE MOON?" Izuku gasped as she saw where her eyes focused. "Um…Void…. are you serious?" Izuku questioned, trying to wrap his head around this.

"You think I'm joking?" She asked.

"Well…yes…I mean…this isn't just teleportation we're talking about. You're going to the vacuum of space, no oxygen. It's hard to envision and believe." Izuku remarked.

"Believe," Void told him. Her eyes glanced around, and she noticed many colorful individuals encroaching on her area. "Seems we have company." She noted. "Well…time to go," She smiled as she crouched down.

The next thing Izuku knew, she had launched herself off the truck, taking to the air. He thought the flying up would be better than the free fall but the speed the Herrscher reached made it no different. As the Herrscher kept going Izuku could only watch as they approached the clouds in amazement and then…the Herrscher looked down.

"Wow." Izuku gasped as he saw the ground, no, the city, shrink within his view. The buildings were no longer the massive structures he knew, looking like small building blocks. The roads looked like small lines of grey paint. And the people…the people were so small they looked like…

"Insects," Void finished. Izuku wouldn't normally agree with her, but for once…yeah…they did look like insects. She focused her gaze back up and Izuku watched as she kept soaring higher and higher, not even fazed by the thinning atmosphere, or drop in temperature.

Eventually, they had reached it, the outer edge of the world. The Herrscher had slowed her ascension, merely floating freely in the air not hindered by gravity in the slightest. She wasn't even using her powers this time. She glanced around before noticing a nearby satellite. She gently propelled herself to it, grabbing onto the side.

"Amazing," Izuku awed as they looked down at the world. Never in his wildest dreams would he have assumed he would have gone to space. It seemed like an even bigger impossibility than being a hero.

"It is, isn't it." The Herrscher smiled as she looked down. Seeing the small world before her, brought a sense of calmness to her being, one she couldn't quite describe. "But we're not done yet." She told Izuku.

She looked to the moon which was slowly becoming more massive now. She leaped once more from the satellite, propelling herself forward with her powers. Though the distance was far emptier it was no less just as intriguing to Izuku who felt lost in the sheer amazement of the space trip.

Thud!

The Herrscher landed on the moon's service with the grace and elegance of a trained gymnast. This was incredible, Izuku thought as he felt the moon under their feet. He could see the Herrscher looking around the area.

"Strange, it's emptier than I expected," Void noted as she tried to feel around the area. The moon… was far more barren than the one she knew. The Will of the Honkai….it wasn't here.

"Well, it's the moon," Izuku noted. "After quirks emerged, not many really focused on space after, it was always just an effort trying to regulate and keep things in check on the Earth."

"Eh, I suppose so, still I thought there would be something more," Void told him. "The last moon I remember had a lot of old ruins we could rest in." She commented.

"The last moon…wait…Void. Are you an alien?" Izuku questioned.

The Herrscher seemed to freeze up at his words.

Void folded her arms and closed her eyes as she thought how to respond. "Yes and no," She answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Yes and no? What does that even mean?" Izuku questioned.

"I asked you first," Void told him. "Why do you think I am an alien?"

"Well, aren't you?" Izuku wondered. "Your powers don't seem to fit how powers work in my world. You call other people humans or insects. You also just mentioned something about the last moon you visited." Izuku noted. "I was just wondering if you may be an alien. It would explain a lot of things." He added.

"I suppose that makes sense, but again my answer is still yes and no," Void explained. "I am from 'Earth', I was born on 'Earth'. However, I am not native to your 'Earth'." Void told him. "In simple terms, I came from another world that was identical but still had notable differences."

"Seriously." Izuku wondered. "You're from another world. You mean like those fantasy or sci-fi stories." Izuku told her.

"I suppose that's the best way to describe it," Void noted. "What did you think I was?"

"I mean even if you did say you didn't have a quirk, I still assumed you did and was just lying about it," Izuku answered. "It would be a good way to scare people."

"I see."

"So…if you are technically an alien…is that why you hate us," Izuku wondered. It was something he hadn't quite realized till now. Void had always addressed the people as humans or insects, he had written it off to her apathetic nature but now that he knew better, perhaps that wasn't the case.

This seemed to catch the Herrscher off guard. "Hate you?" She repeated. "You think I hate you because I'm from another world." She mused.

"Yeah. I mean…that's how it is in movies." Izuku told her. The Herrscher let out a light chuckle. The next thing Izuku knew she had leaned backwards, falling on the ground. Her gaze focused on the Earth which was now floating above them.

"Sometimes I forget you're still such a child." Void chuckled as she placed her hands behind her head. "I don't hate you for such petty reasons." The Herrscher answers truthfully. "My hatred for humanity is…more…. reasonable than that," Void whispered.

"Would you tell me why though?" Izuku questioned. "Why do you hate us so much?" A few days ago, she had said he wouldn't understand but he thought things were changing between them. Even if she still had an edge, she was becoming more tolerant.

She was silent.

"Void?" Izuku whispered. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Do you value your life Izuku?" The Herrscher questioned.

"Yes," Izuku answered. Of course, he valued his life.

"So, if you were told to just throw it away, just like that. You wouldn't do it." The Herrscher clarified.

"No. I wouldn't. I want to live, and I don't want to die just because someone told me to." Izuku answered her. He thought back to the day he first met the Herrscher. Bakugo had told him about jumping off the roof. Izuku scoffed at it. He loved his life; he couldn't just give it up.

"What if someone told you, you'd have to die so others could live?" The Herrscher questioned. "Essentially you can save everyone in the world, but the cost is your life. Would you still do it?"

"I…I don't know." Izuku answered. "Are we sure it's the only way?"

"It's your life or theirs, no compromise, no alternative solutions. Either you die or everyone else does." The Herrscher elaborated.

"Then…if it means saving everyone…I'll sacrifice myself," Izuku told her.

The Herrscher went silent for a moment. He could hear her muttering but couldn't make out what she said. "So you're fine with sacrificing your life for the greater good?" The Herrscher asked once more. "You'll be fine dying for millions of blank faces who you don't know, people who likewise don't know about you either."

"Yes," Izuku told her.

"What if it was your mother then?" The Herrscher questioned.

"Pardon?" Izuku told her. "Could you…explain what you mean?" He asked her.

"What if instead of you, it was your mother who was being sacrificed for the greater good of humanity?" Void asked him. "And what if she didn't want to do it but she didn't have a choice, because it was what everyone else decided for her?"

"I…."

"What would you do then? Would you stand aside and let your mom be sacrificed for others? Would you be content watching her scream and plead for her life, instead of suffering for others?" The Herrscher questioned. "What would you do Izuku?"

"I'd save her," Izuku shouted. "I'd save her." Selfish as it sounded, he knew what he would do. "If she doesn't want to do it, then she shouldn't." He clarified. "We'd find another way."

"What if there isn't?"

"There is always another way," Izuku affirmed.

"Alright then." The Herrscher told him.

"What does this have to do with you?" Izuku questioned.

"In my world, we have something called the Honkai, a destructive force of nature that has existed with humanities for thousands, maybe even millions of years, perhaps since the world even began." The Herrscher explained. "The Honkai has always been at war with humans, attacking in various forms, either manifesting as monsters, or by infecting people, turning them into zombies, or just outright killing them. It was a natural cycle, if Humanity grew and developed and so would the Honkai." Void explained.

"Of course, humans don't like to lose, so they tried to develop all sorts of countermeasures to the Honkai, be it robots, or weapons…or even specially trained soldiers. Humanity would not fall and for the greater good of humanity, many would be willing to sacrifice themselves to fend off the Honkai."

"But there were some…who were willing to sacrifice others." The Herrscher told him.

"They sacrificed you," Izuku concluded.

"No," The Herrscher shook her head. "They sacrificed everyone else." She coldly answered.

"They built a tower, far away from everyone else, and filled it with children, many children. Then they would 'experiment' with them, filling their bodies with liquid extracts of the Honkai, and waiting to see who would live and who wouldn't."

"Those children…did not consent to such activities." The Herrscher growled. "Yet no matter how much they denied it, how much they screamed and begged and pleaded, it didn't matter. It was after all, for the greater good of mankind." The Herrscher repeated the last sentence in an almost mocking manner.

"One by one, the children all died. Some on the operating table but some died in their cells with their friends watching, wondering if they were next. One by one they would die, their bodies harvested, if possible, thrown out like trash if they had nothing of use, and the cycle would repeat."

"Then one day…a young girl had just finished her round of experimentation." The Herrscher narrated. "She was the sole survivor from her group of friends, the last one standing. This girl had lost everything, her mom, her friends, there was nothing else left to take. Still, the girl had to try, so the girl prayed." The Herrscher trailed off.

"She prayed to whatever God would hear to help her. To give her the power needed to escape, to right the injustice that had been done to her. And you know what? 'God' answered…or rather the Honkai did." The Herrscher told him.

"The very being who humanity had sought to fight. The very being whom humanity had sacrificed all those young children to fend against, had answered the girl's prayers. From that prayer, 'God' blessed the girl, and a Herrscher was born."

The Herrscher let her voice trail off. She allowed Izuku to take in her words and meditate on what had been said. It was a lot to take in after all.

"That girl…. that was you, wasn't it," Izuku noted.

"It depends on how you view it," Void told him. "My existence is complicated, and I will explain it later, but yes the hatred I hold is because of this very incident." She clarified upon sensing his confusion.

"But…that wasn't humanity's fault…" Izuku reasoned. "Sure those scientists may have been the bad guys…but not all of humanity is like them."

"Oh, you think so?" The Herrscher questioned. "After all the scientists and lab personnel were killed, the 'authorities' were brought in to investigate the situation." The Herrscher explained. "The lab was supposedly an off-the-books project."

"See…" Izuku interrupted despite how he could feel the calm fury of the Herrscher bubbling just beneath the surface, he thought he should have pointed it out.

"Well these rescuers saw all these kids, but rather than take them to safety, and properly treat them, they had mentioned taking the kids to private school, where they would be trained to be soldiers against the Honkai." Void continued.

"These children weren't even out of those wretched labs and the first thought that came to their mind was to try and brainwash them to be mindless soldiers." The Herrscher spat. "What's more, the Herrscher was made to be a target because of her crimes for killing those scientists, the same scientists who abused them and treated them  like lab rats rather than people." The Herrscher clarified.

"Oh."

"Yes…oh," Void told him. "Do you know what the worst part was?" She asked the boy.

"What?"

"The organization that had been involved with this. The ones whose resources were used to torture and kill these kids. They were all praised as heroes by the public. They were good guys because what they did helped 'Humanity'. Those kids were written off as noble sacrifices who gave themselves for the cause."

"There was nothing noble in their deaths. None of them wanted to die, no one wanted to be poisoned and left to rot in a cell while others watched. If that's what it meant to sacrifice for the Greater Good of Humanity…then Humanity does not deserve to exist." The Herrscher told him. "Humanity…is a mistake."

"Still…it still wasn't their fault." Izuku tried to reason.

"At this point, I don't care." The Herrscher admitted. "Even if they were not the ones in the lab, the potential humanity has for such cruelty, especially for such innocent beings among their own, it's unforgivable." The Herrscher told him. "And I know it wasn't just those scientists in the labs, all throughout history humans betray each other, preying on those weaker than them. It is in humanity's nature to be such wretched beings." The Herrscher told him. "And it is why I seek to end humanity…once and for all."

"That's…" Izuku wasn't sure what to say after that. His mind drew a blank. "So that's why you hate us." He realized. As much as he'd want to sympathize with her and he really did, her actions were too extreme for him. "I…I'm sorry you had to go through that. I can't even pretend to understand what it was like for you. Still…"

"It is what it is, Izuku. I don't expect you to understand." The Herrscher told him. "You can see now why I was doubtful of you."

"You think I would have been like those scientists." Izuku wondered.

"No," The Herrscher told him. "You're too kind for that. I thought you'd be like the humans who saw the sacrifice as something noble." The Herrscher clarified.

That actually made Izuku feel a little better. Yet the Herrscher wasn't finished.

"There is something else you were wrong about though." The Herrscher told him. "I don't hate you, Izuku." Void confessed. "I...I never have."

"Huh…but I thought…" Izuku trailed off, but the Herrscher stopped him.

"To hate you would imply you wronged me, but you never have. You have neither offended me nor hurt me. When we first met I was apathetic to you, I saw you as a nuance much like how you'd see a lone ant in the grass at the park, small, harmless, and nothing worthwhile. Then I got to know you and I saw what you are inside."

"What did you see?"

"You are a reckless, self-sacrificing hero. You have nearly no self-esteem, and you are very foolish and naïve in your methods and your outlook." The Herrscher told him. "Yet when I see you, when I look into your soul, I always find myself impressed."

"You are kind, you truly wish to think the best of others, and you truly wish to save people just because you feel it's the right thing to do. It's not about any assumed personal responsibility, it's not about anyone forcing you. It's your own choice to do it. You're selfless….an exception to humanity." She voiced.

"Wow…" Izuku responded. If he had his body still, he'd blush at the comment. He would have never expected such high praise from the Herrscher. "I thought…I thought you hated me. You always made it a point about how I'd be snuffed out by your will." He told her.

"It's a cruel mercy," Void told him. "I had offered you a chance to end the world with me. I truly hoped you would have accepted, but naturally, you wouldn't. You are a hero, after all. So of course it made sense. Letting you live to see it all gone, letting you fall to such despair…it's too cruel an end. Alternatively, I could simply let you keep resisting, an act that would just foster resentment between us." The Herrscher explained.

"In the end, you don't see a peaceful resolution." Izuku realized.

"Either we fight forever, or one of us loses and I don't want to lose." The Herrscher told him. "Still…I'm hopeful."

"Hopeful?" Izuku wondered. "What are you hopeful for?"

"When I first bonded with you, I thought we could be kindred spirits," Void explained. "We're both beings who suffered at the expense of our own worlds. I have known only an existence of trauma, pain, and hatred while you have been beaten down by the world simply for being less powerful than everyone else."

"Our situation isn't the same." Izuku reasoned.

"No, but I still thought it was possible. I thought perhaps, deep down there is a side of you that is resentful, a side that is perfectly willing to give in to your hatred. You have no reason to love the world, in fact, you have many reasons to despise it. It's one of the reasons I acted the way that I did when you first touched my core."

"You wanted to fulfill my darkest desires," Izuku noted. He had known long ago this was her goal, he thought it was simply a means to corrupt him, not that she was doing it as a sign of camaraderie. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not who I am."

"I know. Still, deep down, I'm sure that person is sleeping within you, a version of you who has no problems seeing it all disappear. A version of you who will welcome it, revel in it." She told him wistfully. "He just hasn't found his way to the surface yet." She realized.

"Do you intend to push me to that edge?" Izuku wondered.

"No," The Herrscher told him. "It's pointless to make you hate me by making you suffer as such, but humanity…they could push you. I'm willing to bet on that. They might push you over the edge and when they do…I'll be waiting…to catch you and help you destroy them."

"Thanks…I think." Izuku responded. "Seeing as you're being so honest, I have something I would like to share."

"Oh,"

"I hope you can let it go." Izuku told the Herrscher. "I hope you can let go of your hatred, let go of your anger. I hope you can move past it all and become a better person for it." Izuku confessed.

"As pathetic as it sounds, you are the closest thing I have to a friend, and I'd like our relationship to be better. When you aren't trying to destroy everything, you do seem like a good person…at times. I'd like to believe you are, and you're just rough around the edge because of what you've been through."

"I'd like to see just what kind of girl you can become…if you free yourself from the pain and the trauma," Izuku told her.

He had expected the Herrscher would scoff at this idea. Perhaps she would ridicule it, and state that her purpose and resolve were absolute. Tell him that it was a pipe dream to believe such a thing. Instead…she laughed.

"You really believe I deserve a second chance," Void told him. "Even after I made it clear how much I hate humanity, and how I don't care that I killed and hurt so many humans regardless."

"Just like you believe there is a darkness in me…I believe there is a light in you," Izuku told her.

"No, there isn't, not anymore," Void told him. "She's gone," Void told him.

"I'm sure there is still some good in you," Izuku tried to reason.

"No…I mean she literally isn't here anymore." The Herrscher explained.

"Um…what?"

"Remember how I said my existence was complicated," The Herrscher told him.

"Yes."

"Well here's the complicated part," Void informed. "Despite wanting to destroy everything, the girl who became the Herrscher, still wanted to be loved and to have a happy family, it was something she held with her even as she died."

"Um…where is this going?" Izuku wondered.

"For most people, death is the end, but for others…they aren't so lucky," Void told him. "When the girl was experimented on had died, the humans could not leave her dead. A madman took that girl's remains, and through some wretched science, he brought her back, in a different body, one that was cloned from another."

"That's…insane." Izuku realized.

"You don't say." Void deadpanned. "Of course when the Herrscher came back, she did not return as she once was," Void explained. "She was broken…split in two."

"One half of her took her desire to be loved and cared for, to have a family, and became a girl known as Kiana Kaslana, an optimistic, kind girl who, while a bit of an airhead, was determined to save the world."

"The other half, held on to the desire to destroy and hate, to end humanity and it became yours truly." Void gestured to herself.

"So…you're…you're basically…her hatred given form." Izuku realized.

"I suppose that's one way you can view it. You can think of me as her dark side, you can think of me as the one who carries her original will or you can even think of me as my own person, bound by the shackles of the past that wasn't mine yet knowing not what else to do." Void told him.

"In the end, I just feel a hatred burning within me. I have memories of the horrors that happened to those people. I have a desire to destroy humanity because of them. Whether it is my own or not, I don't care, and quite frankly I rather not know. All I know is that it's my purpose."

"Does it have to be?" Izuku questioned. "You can start over. That story has already ended."

"If it truly did…we wouldn't have been brought back." Void sighed. "Me and Kiana figured it out a long time ago, there was no room to negotiate. She had her desire and I have mine. She's the Hero of Humanity and I'm the Herald of the Honkai."

"Then I'll save you," Izuku told her. "I'll save you from this past. I'll help you see that there is more for you than this."

"Really?" The Herrscher scoffed. "Even after all I told you, you still think you can change my mind. If you couldn't change Bakugo, what makes you think you can change me?" Void wondered.

"You told me you and this Kiana girl were opposites, but we aren't. Even if you could never agree with Kiana, perhaps maybe I could show you my view." Izuku reasoned.

"And I've seen how you acted around my mom," Izuku added. "When she hugged you and tried to comfort you. I felt it, a part of you deep down wanted to return it, and a part of you enjoyed it, but you didn't believe you should. I believe you and Kiana are two halves of the same whole if what you say is true, but I don't believe she's all good and you're all bad." Izuku told her.

"Like yeah, you have your moments…a lot of moments actually, where it seems like you're nothing but spite," Izuku admitted. "But you still have some minor nice ones as well, like when you helped clean the acid off us or when you healed my bruises."

"I've told you before…they're pragmatic reasoning." The Herrscher told him.

"Are they?"

"You can think whatever you want." The Herrscher relented. "When the time comes, you'll see you were wrong."

"I bet I won't," Izuku told her.

"I suppose we will." The Herrscher told him as she stood up. "Oh bother, I wanted to come here to find answers from the Honkai, but instead I ended up spilling my sob story to you." The Herrscher lamented. "Maybe I'm getting soft."

"What do you mean, find the Honkai here? Is the Honkai on the moon?" Izuku questioned.

"It was originally in my world, however, I don't sense any on the moon," Void explained. "For what it's worth I don't think the Honkai exists in this world, at least not yet," Void told him.

"Yet?"

"Honkai exists in many parallel worlds, just because it has not shown up yet, doesn't mean it won't," Void warned. "After all, if I can come, why not anyone else,"

"That's a scary thought." Izuku shuddered. "You're already so strong alone, I can only imagine how powerful a group will be."

"Oh please, I was the strongest back then and still am now. People needed to gang up and cheat to beat me, using ancient weapons, other Herrschers, and that stupid chicken."

"An actual chicken or…"

"It was a breastless chicken, I can tell you that much." The Herrscher chuckled.

"Uh…what?" Izuku asked in confusion.

"I'll explain it when you're older," Void told him. "Let's head back, it's getting late, and if we don't leave now the planet will rotate too much."

"I swear, even when I know what you mean. It still feels so unbelievable at times." Izuku told her as he felt the Herrscher stand up. "Do you…think we can to space again?" He asked.

"I don't see why not," Void told him. "It's nice and quiet, no heroes or villains to bother us." She smiled as she kneeled down and then…she jumped, propelling herself straight back to Earth.

"That's enough for today." Overhaul sighed as he sent Eri off to bed. The girl in question didn't say much, merely taking her toy and walking off to bed with one of her caretakers.

He had acquired quite a few samples for her, not to mention some interesting results from observing her powers in action. Still, there was only so much he could get from the kid before she would start to break and he couldn't afford that. She was the sole reason this project existed in the first place.

Still, there had to be some alternative just in case.

"Boss…Boss come quick!" One of his henchmen barged in.

"This better be important." Overhaul rolled his eyes as he glared at the man before him.

"It's Kurono." The man stuttered.

Okay, that was important enough, thought as he stood up and headed out. What he found was unsettling? Kurono was coughing up blood as red neon-like veins illuminated his neck. His body was also pale, far paler than he was naturally so.

"Make it stop, it's burning me on the side." He begged between breaths.

"What happened to him?" Overhaul asked as he examined his second in command. Was this some sort of poison or disease?

"We were investigating Dagoba Beach." One of the men informed. "You know just trying to see what goods we could salvage, next thing we knew this giant white monster emerged and attacked us."

"We managed to fend it off but Kurono used his quirk on it and impaled the creature with his hair. It disappeared shortly after, vanishing like it was nothing, but well…."

"It did something to Kurono." Overhaul realized it was probably poisonous. He rolled up his sleeves. "Kurono, I'd suggest you brace yourself." He told his second in command.

Kurono did as he was told. Removing his gloves Overhaul activated his quirk as he touched his old friend. There was a brief flash as Kurono was immediately disassembled and then reassembled by Overhaul. His body was restored to its former state, and beside him a small puddle of glowing neon blood formed on the floor.

"Thank you," Kurono whispered as he almost collapsed on the floor. Luckily a few of the men were able to catch him. His gaze lingered on the substance on the ground, instinctively causing him to recoil away from it. "Keep it away from me." He hissed as he recalled the pain.

"What even is this?" Overhaul wondered as he took out a vial to sample it. He had never seen anything like it before. If it could cause such pain, perhaps it could be used to help later in any upcoming projects.

"Honkai," Kurono whispered.

"What?" Overhaul perked up. His eyes moved over to Kurono who was still shivering as he saw the substance in the vial.

"I said…it's called Honkai." He answered.

"How do you even know?" Overhaul questioned as he eyed the substance.

"It told me," Kurono answered, the Honkai's impact still felt like it held him, even though all of it had been purged. "Trust me," He told Overhaul. Overhaul glanced at the vial, curious about its contents.

Chapter Text

"A pro without combat-focused powers?" All Might wondered as he listened to Izuku on the phone. He was currently going over some reports on villain activity when the young boy had called.

"I mean…. it's not uncommon." All Might noted as he got from his seat. Stretching his legs, the symbol of peace took his empty mug and headed to a nearby coffee maker. "Numerous heroes lack powers that give them actual physical advantages and instead opt for more support oriented roles. What do you have in mind?" He wondered.

"Well, I was thinking about using gadgets and weapons to fight villains," Izuku told him. "You know maybe use something like a taser, or brass knuckles….or a bat." He wondered as he held up the bat he had gotten from Pom-Pom's store.

"Do you own any of those?" All Might questioned.

"I own about 10 bats," Izuku told him.

"Why do you own 10 bats?"

"It was a deal." Izuku nervously answered.

"Okay…" All Might deadpanned. "Well unless you are very proficient with those bats, I don't think it's advisable." All Might explained.

"Really?" Izuku wondered. "Why not?"

"Part of the hero work is not only being capable of fighting, rescuing, or providing support but also being able to afford the equipment. For the most part, a lot of pro heroes are often government-sponsored first, where they usually stay unless they go private. Even then once you establish yourself as a brand, you can make a ton of extra cash out of merchandising and marketing your brand." All Might explain. "To put it lightly, if you're going to rely on gadgets and weapons, you'll need to be able to afford the cost of owning, replenishing, and repairing all of them."

"Oh…I did not think of that." Izuku said dejectedly. "I presume the chances of me getting sponsored are going to be very low. Why risk it on a quirkless kid when you already have many potential heroes with quirks?"

"It's a sad truth." All Might answered. He paused for a moment as he thought it through. "Look if you want…I could sponsor you." All Might told him.

"Really?" Izuku questioned. "I mean…won't that cause problems." Izuku wondered. "The world's number one hero suddenly starts backing a quirkless nobody from parts unknown. I can think of a lot that could go wrong with this." Izuku noted.

"Well for one, I won't sponsor you directly." All Might told him. "I have a friend, David Shield, he does a lot of work in the support industry for pro-heroes. So, with anonymity, I can assume the media, various villain groups, and the paparazzi will leave you alone." All Might explained. "That said, you will need to prove yourself to them. I trust in you because you have a good heart and you have all the right motivations and reasons to be a hero, but you need to prove your body is up for the challenge."

"Of course." Izuku agreed. "I've already started working out for my UA entrance exams," Izuku told him. "If I work harder, I'm sure I can prepare myself for whenever you want me to meet Mr. Shield.

"Easy there Young Midoriya, let's slow down." All Might told Izuku. "I said I'd try to arrange with David to have you sponsored, I didn't mean right away. As it stands, you aren't even out of middle school yet. You shouldn't rush into being a hero." All Might warned.

"I get that you want to be a hero, but Izuku, you're still a kid. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. Yes, it's good to prepare yourself for the future but you shouldn't ignore the time you have now when things are simpler. You won't get it back when it's gone." All Might spoke in a somber tone.

"Oh…okay," Izuku responded.

"Sorry if I sound harsh but I do mean it when I say you need to enjoy the time you have now." All Might told him. "Just focus on preparing yourself for UA and maybe learn how to use those bats well, and then we can focus on what to do next."

"Yeah…we'll take it one step at a time," Izuku answered. "Thanks for taking the time to talk," Izuku told All Might.

"Don't worry about it. It was a nice break from all this paperwork." The pro hero noted. "Ah yes…another thing you'll have to worry about when you get older."

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Izuku sighed as he hung up. That had gone better than he thought it would.

"He's not wrong."

Izuku looked to his side as the Herrscher floated beside him. Ever since the moon trip, she had become more…amiable.

"You agree with All Might." Izuku noted.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." The Herrscher answered. "The time you have now, the normalcy, it's a gift you should enjoy. Many dream of having it again once it's gone."

"Do you?" Izuku wondered. The Herrscher paused as she rested a hand under her chin.

"I suppose maybe at some point my human self would have wanted it, but she was robbed of it for the greater good of humanity." The Herrscher spat. "All Might has my respect because he isn't pushing you to grow up so fast, but I still say it is a foolish endeavor to try and be a hero for these…insects."

"Not all humans are bad," Izuku told her. It was a common occurrence with them now. She'd insult humanity and he'd try to rebuke it.

"Good humans are an exception, not a norm." The Herrscher argued.

"Yeah…yeah…." Izuku sighed. He'd make progress somehow with her, but first, he needed to figure out how to improve his proficiency with the bat.

"Why are you still trying to be a pro? I thought you had already decided that being a hero was pointless and it was better to do anything else." The Herrscher noted as she glanced over his shoulder.

"I mean I can still go that route as my plan B, I'll just try it if the dream of being a pro fails," Izuku told her.

"You're hopeless." The Herrscher rolled her eyes as she glanced back at the bats.

"I just don't want to have any regrets later," Izuku told her. "Now what's the best way to swing a bat?" Izuku pondered as he began to search the internet.

"Usually, it's best to swing for the limbs, aim for the sides in an attempt to throw them off balance." The Herrscher commented as she inspected the bats. Izuku glanced back at the Herrscher who had now levitated a bat and was rotating it before her.

"What?" Izuku asked.

"The best way to use a bat, aim for the limbs and apply as much force as possible." She explained. "You'll get more force out of the attack and potentially disarm them of anything they might be holding or throw them off balance and let them fall."

"And you know this why?" Izuku questioned. With her power, he would have expected such weapons would be beneath her or simply be crude human creations.

"My previous host's father taught her how to fight among other things, and due to memory sharing, I also know those things," Void explained. "Should the need ever arise, I know how to use guns, swords, bats, and of course, lances." The Herrscher explained. "I can also fight rather well in hand-to-hand combat without my powers in case you're wondering as well." The Herrscher added.

"And here I thought you were already too dangerous." Izuku grimaced.

Void took note of how Izuku said it with displeasure. Still, he was wary of her abilities, she'd need to change that. "I am danger." The Herrscher told him. "That's why when people face me, they usually run. That said…. if you want, I can teach you some of my skills." The Herrscher told him.

Izuku stared at her in disbelief. Did he hear her right? "What's the catch?" He asked.

Void chuckled at him. "You don't trust me." She feigned, placing her hand on her chest.

"Yes," Izuku told her.

"Alright fine, I want more time to stretch my legs." The Herrscher told him.

"No." Izuku immediately denied it. "I'm not letting you go out and rampage."

"Oh please, I know better than to try that." The Herrscher dismissed. "Knowing you, it's much easier if I just decided to fly around, maybe go for a dip in the sea or something," Void explained. "Anything besides being stuck inside here every day."

"Oh…well…" Izuku stammered. Maybe he should give a little bit of freedom in return. So long as she doesn't abuse it can't be too bad?

"If you agree, I'll also apologize to your mom for my outburst and try to smooth things over with her," Void added.

"Okay…fine…but it's only for one day a week," Izuku told the Herrscher.

"Eh, I can work with that for now. I hope you can as well when the roles are eventually reversed." Void agreed.

"Overhaul's log on Honkai experiment number #39. The Honkai sample collected from Chronostasis has proven to be rather potent. Just a single drop has the power to overwhelm a test subject with excruciating pain. A single drop is bearable but should there be additional drops, the subject will start to experience corruption as their veins become inflamed." Overhaul noted as he watched the experiment struggling against the restraints in his lab.

"Please….please stop. I promise I'll never say what I saw, you'll never see me again." The experiment pleaded. Overhaul rolled his eyes at the man as he ignored his pleas and glanced at the nearby machine.

"It seems Honkai is more effective against users with quirks than users without." He noted. "Though they initially provided a boost to the infected's quirks, after an extended period the quirks are slowly destroyed, either partially or completely as the Honkai is expelled from their body….providing, of course, they survive." Overhaul continued to speak into the recorder.

He walked over to his other experiment, another man though this one was a lot less…sentient. Overhaul glanced at the subject noticing how their skin had turned to an almost ash white, their hair now bleached and their eyes an almost glowing amber. He glanced at the veins on the subject that were now glowing red as the subject made incohesive sounds.

He glanced at the experiment's information. Initially, he had cranked the dosage up to test what the lethal level was. It wasn't that high, to be honest, and the subject had ended up dead not a few seconds after he stuck the needle. That said, now they were not dead, but also not quite alive either. They were…a zombie by all accounts.

This was disappointing for the villain. He needed a weapon that would kill his enemies permanently, not make them into living corpses. Pulling out his gloves he touched the zombie with his bare hands, using his quirk to reduce the creature into a pile of flesh and retrieve what little of the Honkai he had wasted on it.

"Fascinating," Overhaul noted as he wiped the blood off his hands with some tissues. He glanced down at the Honkai he had …extracted from the zombie. It seems to be a lot greater than what was injected into them previously. It seems like he procured more Honkai if he destroyed zombified patients. Using a syringe to collect the Honkai he glanced at it in slight awe at this…miracle substance.

This was already proven to be a very useful substance in his plans. The potential it had to be an alternative to Eri's quirk was already very astounding but now it seemed like it could easily replenish itself when used. Still, he would need to run some more tests to ensure it truly was a viable alternative.

Overhaul turned back to the previous subject, the syringe in hand. "Hold still." He told the man. The man screamed and pleaded but it fell on deaf ears as Overhaul stuck the needle in his arm. Overhaul watched as the larger dosage quirky turned the man into a zombie, seemingly instantly destroying his quirk. Oh yes, the Honkai had potential.

"Is this a good idea?" Izuku wondered as he snuck through the alleys. They had made their way close to Dagoba Beach, the Herrscher making portals to sneak him through the blockades. He had been hesitant at first. The reports and news about the area being irradiated had left him fearful but the Herrscher was sure it wouldn't be a bother. Considering they had survived in the vacuum of space he decided to trust her.

"Depends…" The Herrscher told him. "If what I sensed is what I think it is, then we will have what we need for you to practice." The Herrscher told him.

"Um…what can I possibly need from an irradiated zoned?" Izuku questioned as he followed the Herrscher's instructions and landed into an abandoned building. It looked like a gym but it was already falling into disrepair from lack of use. "Wait why is the place in such a mess, it shouldn't have been abandoned that long?" He wondered.

"My best guess is looters if it's humans who did it." The Herrscher added. "However…if it's not human." She let her voice trail off.

She could feel Izuku pause at her words.

"If its not human?" He questioned as he glanced at the Herrscher. "What do you mean if it's not human? Are you talking about animals?" He asked warily.

"Nope." The Herrscher told him as she glanced around the room. "Ready your bat." She instructed.

"Why?" Izuku asked as he tightened his grip on the bat. That's when a portal opened in front of him. His eyes widened as he saw a white…paw…eh…claw…appendage, come out of said portal and a strange almost alien-like monster emerged.

"What is that?" He gasped as he stepped back. The Herrscher now floating right beside him with her arms folded. The creature had an unnaturally white body with purple and pink highlights adorning it.

"It's a Honkai Beast, a Chariot species if I recall. They are big, slow, easy to hit, and very common." The Herrscher commented. "He's going to be your sparring partner."

"Huh…" Izuku glanced at the Herrscher. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope. The best way to learn to fight is to be in a fight and Chariot here is the perfect candidate for you." The Herrscher told him. "He also provides an extra incentive beyond just being a pretty face. If you leave him alone, he'll find other humans and attack them." She informed.

"And what if he kills me?" Izuku asked as he saw the creature eying him. He assumed it was, it didn't have anything he recognized as a face but it was leaning what he thought was its head in his general direction.

"It won't. I won't let it." The Herrscher reassured. "I'll call it off should the need be."

"You can control it?"

"Only when I'm in control of our body. It wouldn't attack me, but it would be willing to attack you." Void noted. "Like I said, it's in their nature to destroy humans. Or would you rather not fight at all…and give up this fruitless dream of heroism,"

"I know what you're doing and it won't work," Izuku told the Herrscher. He readied his bat. "I'll show you my resolve," He rushed forward, running straight toward the monster.

"SMAASSSH!" He let out a war cry as he swung the bat. The Herrscher watched as her host attacked the creature.

THUD!

The sound of the bat striking the creature was audible. However, no sooner did it hit, did Izuku also recoiled backward as the bat pitched out his hand. "Ow…ow…ow." He whimpered as he rubbed his hands. The creature had not budged.

The Herrscher let out a disappointing sigh. They had work to do. "We need to build your upper body strength." She told Izuku. "On your left." She warned. Izuku turned just in time to see the monster try to strike him. He leaped back in a panic state, barely escaping the Chariot's strike. "In combat, you need to be aware of your enemy's movements. Hesitation and idleness will get you killed if you don't have complete control of the battlefield." She instructed.

"Control…it feels like I don't even have that," Izuku muttered as he backed up. He kept his eyes on the monster as it shifted its weight, taking step after step to approach him. Izuku kept his movement drifting in a circle, trying to always ensure he had a way out, a lesson learned from his bullies.

"A fight is about who is left standing." The Herrscher told him as she warped the bat back into his hands. Izuku gripped it as he stood back up. "Knock it down once and we'll call it a day." She told him. "Just once." She enunciated for him.

Preparing himself once more, Izuku lunged at the Honkai Beast once again.

"Boss…Boss…we have trouble." One of the Yakuza called in a panicked voice. Overhaul glanced up from his experiments with an unbothered look.

"What you babbling on about?" He questioned the man.

"Eri…she's lost control again." The man gasped as he tried to catch his breath. Alright, this was important enough to warrant his involvement. Carefully putting down the vials, Overhaul headed out of his labs as he made his way to his charge.

"Oh dear." Overhaul commented as he stared at the room before. What was once a decently furnished, clean, and tidy room was now littered with several pieces of clothes, shoes, and other equipment no doubt belonging to Overhaul's now ex-yakuza members. "How many?" He asked.

"Uh…about 4 of them." One of the surviving members said. When it had started, Eri had freaked out upon accidentally killing her handler and had tried to get help from the others. Those others met with similar fates.

"How troublesome." Overhaul scoffed as he rolled up his sleeves and took off his gloves. "Oh little girl." He called out. Eri turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Stand still." He told her as she touched the ground before him. Almost immediately Eri found herself encased with concrete as Overhaul warped the floor around them.

With Eri now immobilized and restrained, Overhaul calmly walked forward. "I didn't mean it." She cried. "It wasn't my fault."

"I know." Overhaul assured her. "You never mean it, but it still happens, don't worry though, I know its not your fault. It's that disease, that quirk of yours that's to blame." Overhaul told her as he reached out his hand. "But you still need to take responsibility for what you did." He told her as he placed his hand on Eri's head.

Immediately the young girl was ripped apart, she only had a brief second to register it, even less to scream. Eri gasped as she came back together. Tears continuously streamed from her eyes as she felt her body still try to readjust itself. All her organs were still vibrating trying to reposition themselves. Her skin felt loose in some areas and tighter in others. Even the hair on her head felt hollow and slack, like a hat just placed there though slowly it tightened and melded back into her scalp.

"Don't cry child…you know why this happened." Overhaul told her as he touched the encasing, freeing her from her restraints. Eri fell before his feet still panting. "It's all because of your quirk. Don't worry though, I'll make sure we can use it to ensure many others will avoid such a fate, and hopefully so will you." Overhaul said as he turned left Eri, still trying to cope with what had just happened.

Izuku's eyes bulged as the Chariot managed to land a hit on him. He had thought he could take it from the side, he had thought he could wear it down. He was wrong, so very wrong. The next thing the boy knew he was sent flying across the room with his bat.

"You ready to call it quits for today." The Herrscher questioned as she looked on at her host.

"No," Izuku said as he struggled but still managed to get back up. "I can do this all day." He told her as he gripped the bat.

The Herrscher smiled at his resolve. "Alright then. Let's go again." She told him as she glanced back at the Chariot. "Remember…just knock him down and you win."

"Just knock him down," Izuku repeated as he stared at the monster. He had tried attacking from all sides but it hadn't budged, not the sides, not the front, not the back nor above nor below. The creature was just too sturdy for him and then when it retaliated it hit just as hard. Wait…when it retaliated….

Izuku rushed forward once more prepared to strike once again. Then…he stopped, right at the last second he paused his attack and jumped back, avoiding the creature's attempt to counterattack. His eyes widened as he took notice of the creature's movement when it struck. He moved several more times, narrowly avoiding the lumber beast's hit each time.

"That's it." He smiled as an idea formed in his mind.

"Oh." The Herrscher mused as she felt a surge of inspiration hit her host. She watched him rush forward one more time.

"It's all or nothing." He thought as she prepared the bat to swing once more. This time he threw all his weight into the swing….and he missed.

The Herrscher sighed in disappointment as she saw Izuku miss his strike and the creature prepared to strike again lifting its appendage up. Wait…why didn't Izuku stop? Her eyes widened as she saw Izuku continue moving with the moment of his first spin, making a complete 360 rotation before he swung the bat again. "Huh."

"Heeyah!" Izuku screamed as he struck the creature on its side, mid-strike. The beast with one foot off the floor was knocked off balance and fell over on its side as Izuku managed to just barely catch himself.

"I….I…did it." He cheered as he watched the creature sprawl out on its back. The Herrscher looked at him impressed and satisfied with his ability…if only a little.

"Not bad." She commended.

However, Izuku's victory was soon cut short as the Chariot stood back up. "Ah." He gasped as the creature let out an angry roar at him. Oh no, it seemed mad. Its body had turned red with rage, literally.

"Oh no you don't." The Herrscher interrupted as she snapped a finger and the Chariot was immediately impaled with a lance emerging from right beneath it, pinning it to the ceiling.

Izuku stared in shock at the lance that had appeared. It was near instant, faster than he could react. The Chariot's…blood dripped on him, shining with an almost otherworldly glow. His hands trembled as he tried to keep ahold of his bat.

"Relax." The Herrscher whispered as she held onto his hands, steadying them. "I told you I'd keep you safe, didn't I?" Void told him.

"Yeah…yeah," Izuku said as he felt himself slowly calm down.

"Good…Let's call it a day." The Herrscher told him as she opened a portal. "Consider this a three-star pass for your first day." She told him. "But it's only going to be hard from now."

"I'll…I'll keep that in mind." Izuku still stuttered as he walked through the portal.

This….this was something else. Still, it was progress, he had managed to knock the beast down. It was small but it was progress. He shuddered to think what would be next.

Chapter Text

"My arms are killing me." Izuku winced as he tried to take off his jersey. He could feel his muscles ache every time they contracted and relaxed.

"You're not used to the recoil," Void explained as she floated to his side. "Once you get enough practice, and maybe build some muscle, you won't feel as much pain,"

"How much training do you think I'll need?" He wondered, somehow he felt it would take months or even years to make progress.

"Maybe a few days, a few weeks at most." The Herrscher answered.

"What?" Izuku gaped. "Are you for real?"

"If you were a human it would take far longer. Either you'd need stigma or a quirk to be able to handle the Honkai easily or some type of weapon, otherwise well…you wouldn't be standing here. Lucky for you…you have me." Void gestured to herself. "The human body breaks itself and rebuilds itself constantly, and with my power, I can help speed up the process."

"You're making me stronger." Izuku realized. Then it dawned on him. "Does this also help you with your goal of taking me over?"

"In the long run, yes, but it ensures you can survive for the time being," The Herrscher told him. "Considering how dangerous your world is, I thought it apt," Void explained.

"Dangerous? What do you mean dangerous?" Izuku wondered. "Yeah Japan has some crime but we have some of the best heroes in the world,"

"I suppose you wouldn't notice it considering you've never been to others." The Herrscher realized. "In my world, the major threat to humans is the Honkai, but even then the Honkai isn't as widespread as your quirks."

"It's powerful and dangerous but it's also somewhat scarce. Scarce enough that you can have a small handful of organizations dedicated to fighting across various parts of the world." The Herrscher noted. "Unless there is a Herrscher or a high-level beast involved, very rarely will you see a massive Honkai attack."

"Really? I always assumed given your nature, your world was more dangerous than mine." Izuku mused.

"It is. The difference in power is still there, but let's put it this way. Compared to your world where 20% of the population is quirkless vs 80% who have random superpowers, my world has less than 0.0001% of people with powers and everyone else is essentially quirkless." The Herrscher explained.

"That's….wow." Izuku wondered. The world was almost quirkless. It was something he could barely fathom. Sure he heard stories about their old world, the pre-quirk era, but they sounded almost like their own fantasy setting, like how one would compare the era of Piracy, the Dark Ages, and the Wild West. Real but hard to imagine.

"Yeah." The Herrscher agreed. "You should count yourself lucky. Against a basic Honkai Beast like that, I'm sure most people would have died. You managed to knock it down." She complimented.

"I had you backing me," Izuku admitted. "It took me quite a while to knock it down, but in the end, I only really staggered it once before you killed it instantly."

"At least you know your place," Void smirked, "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll reach a point where you can kill them with a single swing of your bat." She explained, and hopefully, she can convince him to take out some of that frustration on others.

"You love violence way too much," Izuku argued.

"And you dislike it way too much," Void retorted. "Now go and get clean up, I doubt you'd want your mom to catch you with beast blood on you." She told him.

"Hey David, it's been a while, how are things" All Might smiled at his old pal on the video screen.

"Doing fine Toshi," David answered. "Is everything alright?" He questioned as he eyed All Might carefully.

"Eh, not really, injury's still a pain but I'm making do with it." All Might answered as he rolled his shoulder. "Nothing to lose sleep over."

"If you need a checkup you're welcome to stop by I-island, my lab is open anytime. I'm sure Melissa would be happy to hear if you are coming." David added.

"I'll keep that in mind." All Might told him. "So tell me, what did you discover about the Dagoba Beach incident?"

"I'm afraid, not much," David admitted. "We've been trying to treat the 'corruption' the Honkai did to the people but we haven't made much progress." He explained.

"The 'Honkai'?" All Might wondered.

"It's what we've been calling the 'radiation'," David explained. He furrowed his brows as began fidgeting with his fingers. "I don't know how to tell you this but the way we came across that name….it's a…it's not normal," David stammered.

All Might raised a brow at this. Now what did that mean?

"The people that were infected. They…they weren't exactly themselves. Quite a few of them turned ghostly pale, with white hair, white skin, and glowing gold eyes. They began thrashing around, attacking anyone who approached, their words nothing more than incoherent babbling."

"Not everyone was in that state, but I don't know if that's a good thing or not." David sigh. "Those who weren't at that stage…who was threading close to it. They began to hear things. At least that's what they told us." David shuddered as he remembered one of their patients.

The young man was shivering as his glowing neon veins pulsed. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" He screamed at the doctors. "STOP TALKING! STOP!"He pleaded.

"Who's talking to you? Tell us." The Doctors tried to reason with him.

"Before…he….went over the edge…he told us…it was the Honkai talking. It was the Honkai that had infected him." David lamented. "And it was the Honkai that was in him."

"So the Honkai is the radiation or the source?" All Might wondered as he clenched his desk. It was bad enough that this thing tormented their physical bodies but it also seemingly tormented their minds as well. This was even more worrisome.

"Hard to say, most patients seem to agree, its what's in them…and well…trying to say it otherwise does not illicit the best responses," David said grimly.

"Do you think the Herrscher might be the source?" All Might questioned.

"There is a possibility, of course, she can also be another victim for all we know so we can't tell unless we manage to capture her," David noted.

"That's easier said than done." All Might grumbled. "She's a teleporter who acts randomly and can fly." He added.

"We might have an answer for that." David perked up. "Melissa has been working on analyzing the Honkai. She's currently developing a tracker that can detect it. Hopefully, we can use it to find the Herrscher and get some answers." David explained.

"The Herrscher just got a lucky shot." One lady commented. Izuku grimaced at her words as he stared at the screen. After a long day of training, he and the Herrscher had settled down to have dinner, cup ramen and watch TV. At least that had been the plan, until they saw a talk show going on with the Herrscher's picture being featured.

"Really? They call that luck." Void scoffed. It seems like this was an attempt by the media to try and boost morale. "They should consider themselves lucky they are alive." She grumbled.

"Eh, you know how it is. No one wants to admit they are scared." Izuku told her. "A lot of times people will always try to smile and laugh to hide their fears. You know, like All Might."

"Well, if they don't stop insulting my strength, I'll just have to remind them of my power." The Herrscher responded. "Only this time I'll make sure they suffer a worse humiliation."

"Please don't kill them." Izuku pleaded. The Herrscher huffed as they continued to look at the program. It was not a reassuring sound but at the very least, for the time being, he didn't have to worry about getting any more blood on his hands.

"I won't. They are beneath me." The Herrscher assured him.

Izuku heard her but he didn't believe her. He knew another such individual who always put others beneath them yet still managed to get to pissed off. It also didn't reassure him when he saw the next person to come on the show, Burnin, one of the side kicks of Endeavor.

"So, Burning, is there any word and what Endeavor's thoughts are on the Herrscher?" The hostess questioned.

"Ha, oh please, the Herrscher's not a problem, not for Endeavor anyway. Yeah, she's powerful and dangerous but what villain isn't? She's just another run-of-the-mill villain." Burns laughed.

"So, what about Endeavor setting up a temporary agency in Musutafu? Is there any comment on that?" The hostess pressed.

"Eh, we've been meaning to expand for a while, and with the sudden rise in crime, it seems like now might be the time to do so. We need to ensure we do all that's possible to handle those villains that have been flocking to the area." Burnin explained.

"I see… that is true. The crime rate has skyrocketed recently, sad as it may be, but hopefully now that' Endeavor's here things will start to ease up." The hostess finished.

"Run of the mill….that's funny." Void laughed. "I'm a Herald of Humanity's Destruction, a Ruler of Ruin, that hot head doesn't even know how many ways I can end her miserable life." The Herrscher listed. "In fact…I just had an idea." The Herrscher smiled as she watched the screen.

Izuku felt wary, he could feel the tug and pull of the Herrscher's powers. She was doing something with them, something big but he didn't know exactly what it was. "Void what are you?"

"Shhh…I'm not gonna kill her…yet." The Herrscher told him as she stared at the screen. A portal then appeared, not within his living room, but on the set of the show, right above Burnin.

"Herrscher." Izuku gasped. The next thing he knew a torrent of water came tumbling down on top of the heroine, flooding the studio. Shortly after the brief flash flood, the portal closed and the water stopped. The show was also promptly put on hold as a screen came up reading technical difficulties.

"Like I said…they are beneath me." The Herrscher told him with a smile. "And I didn't kill them…I think so you don't need to worry." She answered. The media would probably have a field day laughing and making fun of the talk show but eh, that wasn't her problem.

"Really…that's why you drenched them."

"Yes…she's beneath me and on fire, logically it's in my best interest to extinguish a fire before it burns me." Void joked.

"Well, you do realize you put a target on your back for the Endeavor Agency, right?" Izuku questioned, wondering if the Herrscher truly knew the consequences of what she had just done. He knew she was powerful, but Endeavor was no pushover.

"You say that as if I'm not the target of many hero agencies alike. I am already at the top of the list, I'm sure most heroes want to beat me to solidify themselves as superior to All Might." The Herrscher retorted.

"Still…it's Endeavor. He's number two for a reason." Izuku told her.

"Is it because he's a piece of crap? Because most humans are like that." Void interjected.

"What? No, it's because he is a determined, hardworking, and all-round ruthless hero. While All Might is one of the most approachable and friendliest heroes, Endeavor is a lot more serious and down to business, at least that's how it looks in public." Izuku explained.

"Well, I certainly hope he puts up a good enough fight." The Herrscher admitted. "What's his powers like anyway?" She questioned.

"It's called HellFlame, a fire-based quirk that's very strong," Izuku explained.

"So like fire breathing, fire hair like that lady?" The Herrscher asked.

"No, his entire body is on fire," Izuku explained.

"Oh…" The Herrscher sighed. Izuku could feel a slight disturbance in her being as she seemed to meditate on her thoughts.

"Is there a problem?" Izuku wondered.

"No. Fire users are just…annoying." The Herrscher dismissed. Siegfied and Himeko were outliers, relying on ancient weapons built by far more advanced civilizations while using two additional sources of power to augment their abilities. Endeavor didn't have such power available to him. Then again, she didn't know just what the extent of these quirks was.

"You sure?" Izuku wondered. From the way the Herrscher seemed to drift off, he wondered if she was lying. Maybe she had a fire weakness that the heroes could exploit or maybe it was just a bad match-up. Nevertheless, he'd sincerely hoped they didn't fight Endeavor. As much as he wanted the Herrscher to stop, he did not want to feel himself being incinerated by Endeavor's flames. The lesson from the Acid villain had been quite literally burnt into his mind.

"Melissa's gotten well adjusted, right?" All Might questioned. "I mean…she's happy now, right?"

"Yeah, she's been doing swell." David smiled. "I was worried she'd be depressed being quirkless but she's come a long way. She's proven herself to many of the other engineers and has without a doubt earned herself a spot. I can rest all easy now because of it." David informed.

"I'm glad to hear." All Might told him. "I've actually been planning to work with someone similar." He added as he looked at David. He noticed David looking at him with a perplexed look. "I've met a quirkless boy who wanted to be a hero and I've decided to take him under my wing." All Might explained.

"Really?" David remarked. "Never thought you'd be the kind to take an apprentice."

"He reminded me of myself in more ways than one." All Might explained. "He's got a strong sense of justice and real desire to save people almost to a reckless degree. "

"Yeah…that sounds like you." David chuckled. "Always being headstrong and stubborn about helping people, that's vintage All Might."

"Well jokes aside, he's mentioned wanting to use various gadgets and weapons to help mitigate his lack of a quirk." All Might explained. "He's a good kid but I'm not sure he'll be able to handle the cost and I have very low expectations on the government considering sponsoring him."

"You know it will be hard for even I-island to consider it," David noted. "Although I'm sure it can easily be spun as a decent marketing strategy to convince the board. Quirk or no Quirk, our Support Gear works regardless. Still… are you sure about this?"

"I've seen and heard a lot about the impact that I've left on the world. I've inspired many this boy included." All Might explained. "Yet, if this boy does manage to do the impossible and become recognized as hero despite lacking a quirk, he will do something that I could never do." All Might told him.

"What's that?"

"He can truly prove that anyone can be a hero. That it isn't about the power, it's about the heart and desire." All Might explained. "As harsh as it sounds, many people have now come to see my heroic feats and my status as a privilege granted to me thanks to my immense power and my quirk. While I will never say that I dislike the power I've been granted, it has caused a rather toxic mindset to develop."

"Power is not a privilege, it's a gift to be used for the betterment of others, that's what I've always believed, and my predecessors have likewise also believed, but many don't see it as such. They think power alone makes them entitled to being called a hero, or some other status." All Might elaborated.

"Hmm…you're serious about this." David realized.

"Yeah…I suppose I am." All Might admitted. "If it were possible I'd personally sponsor young Midoriya, but as it stands it's better not to."

"Hmm…I'll see what I can but I make no promises," David told him.

"You don't need to do it right away. He's still young, I just wanted to make sure you know in advance so we can set things in place early." All Might explained.

"Well if he is as good as you say, then I'm sure Melissa will be thrilled to meet him," David told his friend.

"Yes. Hopefully, they can work together in the future as well, just like we did." All Might told him.

Chapter Text

"You know, maybe this was a bad idea?" The Herrscher noted as she looked the front of Izuku's apartment. She was in her 'casual' clothes as she stood outside.

"Don't tell me you're actually scared of my mom?" Izuku wondered aloud as he looked at the Herrscher's response. She could easily kill tons of Honkai Beasts, fly them to the moon and back in a single night, and piss off numerous pro heroes, but she was intimidated by his mom.

"I'm not scared." The Herrscher denied. "I'm just thinking the idea might not be good. Your mom is a nice lady, and she ought to enjoy the peace of mind her ignorance and obliviousness can provide."

"She's not going to stop bugging us if you don't show up and reassure her." Izuku told the Herrscher. "She's worried about you." He sighed.

Void sighed. Of course, leave it to an exception, a bleeding heart, to worry about her, humanity's destroyer. "Your mom is a fool for worrying about me."

"I beg to differ."

"Whatever," Void huffed as she slapped her cheeks and got into her human persona. She pulled her sleeves down till there was excess over her hands and slouched her posture. The last piece was pulling up her hoodie and fixing her glasses on her face. She cleared her throat, trying to pitch her voice slightly higher than usual. "Testing one, two, three." She repeated. "Neko-charm," She cheered.

"What?" Izuku questioned.

"I needed something weird to say," Void answered as she knocked on the door.

A few minutes later, the door opened revealing none other than Inko Midoriya herself. The short woman looked at the girl before, her eyes widening slowly. "Hey, Mrs. Midoriya," Void…no… 'Sirin' greeted.

"Sirin," Inko greeted warmly. "How are you? Is everything all right? Izuku stepped out not too long ago. Do you want me to call him?" She prattled off.

"No…no its fine Mrs. Midoriya." Sirin assured her. "I actually wanted to come and see you." She explained. "I think I may have overreacted the last time and I wanted to apologize."

"Oh, do you want to come inside?" Inko offered.

"I wouldn't want to impose," Sirin told her.

"Oh, alright, we can talk out here if you want to," Inko told her.

"Um…well…I was actually thinking maybe we could talk about it, while we take a walk?" Sirin offered. A walk was good, it kept them moving, and she liked that, to move, to not stay still for too long.

"Sure," Inko said. "I'll just go and lock up." She informed as she headed back inside leaving Sirin alone with her thoughts and the green-haired boy she shared them with.

"A walk?" Izuku wondered. That wasn't exactly the plan they had in mind, but it seemed to ease the nerves of the Herrscher.

"I'm not good sitting still, plus it will be far easier for me to just get lost in the ground and ditch your mom." Void reasoned.

"You say that but…" Izuku trailed off.

"But what?"

"Nothing," Izuku answered. No sooner had he finished, than his mom opened the door in some casual clothes for a walk around the area.

The walk was…awkward if Izuku had to best describe it. Neither party had spoken to the other for the duration. With his mom, he understood her silence, she was being polite, but the Herrscher's silence was not something he'd expected. "I wonder if it's due to her nature." Izuku pondered.

From what he knew she was a being of rage, hate, and sadness. She was made of negative emotions, so perhaps she just had trouble processing those feelings in any other way. "Void…you need to talk to her," Izuku told her. "It was your idea to do this."

"Don't remind me." Void sighed internally. After walking to a rather familiar park, the Herrscher stopped and turned to Inko. "So about the last time we met," She started, slipping back into the 'Sirin' persona.

"I'm sorry if I did something to upset you or offend you." Inko apologized right away.

"No…no…that is not necessary," Sirin told her. "It was my fault that I overreacted." She explained. "I have a lot of bad memories with people or things touching me." She elaborated. "It's a personal issue, and I should have explained it to you beforehand, I just wasn't expecting you to be so forward," Sirin told Inko.

"I see, well, for what it's worth, I'm not upset by your actions," Inko told the girl. "I understand that we all go through our own hardships, some more difficult than others," Inko continued. "From what you've shared, you've had a hard life, let me and Izuku help make it easier," Inko told her.

Sirin stared dumbfounded at the woman. "You…you don't even know me," She reiterated.

Inko sighed. "Maybe, but still, what's the harm in helping someone." Inko wondered.

"Oh bother, you're naïve just like Izuku. No, now that I think about it, you're probably where he got it from." Sirin chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Inko told her. "Izuku," She repeated softly. "I won't lie to you Sirin, I was wary about you from when we first met," Inko told her.

"My son was secretly sneaking a strange girl into my home, without me knowing," Inko explained. "Any mother would be worried. Not to mention it is very easy to assume the worst. I thought he and you were…" Inko trailed off. "I'm not ready to be a grandma just yet." Inko exhaled.

"Wait…no…we never did any of that." Sirin quickly dismissed. "We never even kissed or hugged let alone that," Sirin informed as her face turned red. "We're just…good friends." She reiterated.

"I know that now," Inko told her. "At the time I was panicking and thinking a hundred different things worse than that. The point is, I'm not worried as much now, that I've met you." Inko explained. "You seem like a nice girl all things considered, and you and Izuku seem to get along well enough."

"Yeah…you could say we share many things with each other." Sirin laughed.

"That's good," Inko told her. "I know it's not my place to pry, but if you ever need someone to talk to besides Izuku or need help with anything, you can come to me," Inko informed.

"I'll keep that in mind," Sirin told her. However, their conversation was soon cut short by a loud rumble.

"What was that?" Inko questioned.

"My stomach." Sirin bashfully answered.

"You didn't eat?"

"I did but I was in a rush," Sirin answered.

"I know a food stand nearby," Inko told her.

"No that's not necessary," Sirin argued. Her stomach grumbled again. "Fine, maybe one." She told Inko.

"Where is it?" Eri wondered as she glanced around the lab. Overhaul was supposed to do another 'test' to try and fix her, but he had been called out to do some grown-up stuff, so she was now all alone. Looking around she noticed how his lab had recently been cleaned. There were now some empty beds, though the mattress still looked stained with blood and now there were some giant jugs filled with some strange glowing pink substance.

Curiously she made her way over to the container. It looked so pretty. She glanced at the label trying to decipher the words it spelt. "H-O-N-K-A-I. Hon-kai, Honkai." Eri said as she read the label. She tilted her head in confusion, she had no idea what that was.

Next to the Honkai container though she noticed a recording device. Overhaul often used those to record his voice. Maybe he had an explanation for it. She reached for it and picked it up off the table. She pressed play and then held it up to her ears.

"Honkai Test # 423: The potential cure." Overhaul's voice spoke. "I've done it. I found what may be my second breakthrough in the eradication of the quirk epidemic. The Honkai has proven itself useful in destroying quirks, not just temporarily like with Eri's quirk but also permanently." Eri's eyes widened at his words.

"A…A cure." She thought. Her arms started to shake with joy. Was it true? Did he finally have an honest-to-goodness cure? Eri stayed at the liquid once, it's pretty color was so calming and its warm glow felt so safe now. She smiled as she pressed play again.

"All a subject needs is to be injected with a small dosage and it can destroy the quirks in less than a day. Not just emitters, but also transformations and mutations, unlike Eri's quirk which only does the former. This is a huge breakthrough…with this…" Eri cut it off.

A cure, it was a real-life cure. She looked around the desk taking note of all the vials he had that stored the Honkai. All she would need was a little dose. She looked at one of the syringes, still holding a few drops of it. She hurried over to it, stretching her arms she reached out for the cure.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Overhauls snatched her arm and lifted Eri up by her collar. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY PUT!" He growled. He then noticed the Honkai nearby. "Wait..where you….are you insane?" He questioned.

"The cure…" Eri said weakly.

"It's not done yet." Overhaul told her as he quickly moved back to the operating table and dropped Eri on it. He wasted no time using his quirk to make a dome around the Honkai-related experiments. "Don't go interfering with it again, not until I tell you." He warned her. "Especially the Honkai."

"But…"

"NO!" He growled. Eri closed her mouth. "Good…now then…let's resume your treatment today." He told her.

"This is delicious," Sirin noted as she took another bite of her food. "What is it?"

"It's called loaded fries. It's basically French fries with some minced-up chicken mixed with a sauce on top." Inko told her as she finished hers.

"It's giving ramen a run for its money." Sirin smiled as she finished her meal.

"I suppose it does," Inko told her. She turned and paid the vendor and the two left the stand. "I'm really glad we got to have this talk," Inko told her.

"Yeah…me too," Sirin answered.

"So…where should we go…LOOK OUT!" Inko hurriedly pushed Sirin out of the way.

"HUH?" Sirin questioned as she looked up. She saw what she assumed to be a villain stomping around on the road.

"VILLAIN!" Some shouted as panic began to set in. It was a villain attack. Sirin rolled her eyes as she stood up. Inko beside already panicking.

"Easy ." Sirin tried to reassure her as she helped her up.

"Sirin, we got to go." Inko gasped.

"Yeah, let's hurry and go before we get caught, quick follow me," Sirin said as she turned to head away from the fight. So much for having an easy day.

"SIRIN!" Inko screamed. Sirin turned around only to see a long tentacle wrap around Inko before it pulled her away, the old woman screaming at the top of her voice.

"MOM!" "INKO!" Both Izuku and Void said together as they watched Inko get held up by the villain. He looked human enough, but he had several giant octopus arms sprouting from his back, several of which were holding a few hostages. Accompanying him were what looked like a humanoid rhino and an anthropomorphic scorpion, along with some others.

"We got to save her." Izuku told the Herrscher.

"What?" The Herrscher responded. She felt his desire pull her, tugging her forward. Her body responded if haphazardly. Luckily she was stopped by someone else.

"Not so fast, little lady, this a job for a hero," Some random guy told her. The Herrscher glared at the person, some low-ranked hero, and then took note of the other heroes arriving on the scene. Her body relaxed but she still felt Izuku tugging at her. Realizing the situation they were in, she took the Hero's advice and evacuated from the area.

"What are you doing?" Izuku argued. He still hadn't realized the effect he was having on their body.

"Seems like the heroes have it covered." The Herrscher excused as she looked back at the scene. "Probably for the best." Void dismissed as she tried to reassert control on her body.

"What?" Izuku argued. "Mom's in trouble, you have to help her." Izuku reasoned.

"Seriously," Void deadpanned. "You do realize if I show up things will get even worse right? Not only would we out ourselves to Inko, but we'd also reveal she's connected to us," She pointed out.

"That won't matter if she's dead," Izuku argued. "I saw how you were acting back there. Even if you claim to pretend, you do like my mom." Izuku tried to reason. "I know that much."

"No…I…"

"Save it," Izuku said. The panic was setting in. "I know it's important to trust the pros, but we both know you're stronger, and the pros aren't always guaranteed to save them." He pleaded. "Please…you have the power."

"But it's not my responsibility," Void retorted. It didn't last though as much as she didn't want to admit. "Fine…I'll do it." She told him. She was going to do it anyway but still.

The Herrscher hurried into a nearby bathroom and entered into one of the stalls. Shutting it, she let her power flow, changing into her usual outfit and then warping to the top of the roof.

"Alright then." She cracked her knuckles. It was going to be her versus these six sinister-looking villains.

Chapter Text

"Um…Void…why aren't you moving?" Izuku questioned. The Herrscher had cracked her knuckles and had agreed to fight but now she was merely standing on the roof overlooking the villains.

"I'm thinking," Void told Izuku.

"Thinking?"

"If I save your mom, they'll know she's connected to us, which is hollow since it will mean more trouble," Void told him.

"So…that doesn't matter now." Izuku reasoned.

"You're not thinking clearly Izuku. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment." Void told him. "I can't believe I said that."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Izuku questioned.

"If I save anyone, they'll make an assumption, so ideally saving no one means they can't connect us. So I'll just need to make it look like saving Inko was a byproduct." Void reasoned.

"Or you can just save everyone," Izuku pressured.

"I hate when you think." Void sighed. As much as she hated it, she doubted she could pull off her plan and accidentally save Inko. This was honestly going to be less work but damn it she did not want to save humans. "Alright, let's go," Void told him as she warped to the villain's location.

"Have you no honor fiend." Man-Spider gritted his teeth behind his mask. He was currently staring off against the villains with several other heroes in tow. Unfortunately, these villains were the truly despicable kind. "Release those hostages," He growled.

"Oh sure," The leader said. "Give the heroes the only leverage we have. Are you that idiotic?" He sarcastically asked.

"Why you!" The Man Spider pulled back his arm forming a web ball in it.

"Really?" The tentacle villain questioned as he squeezed one of his hostages, a short green-haired woman. The hero loosened his grip and lowered his fist. "That's better." He told them.

"Now here's what's going to happen. You are all going to stand down and let us walk away. If I'm sure we're safe, I'll release one hostage at a time, if not…well…it doesn't take much force to make some of them pop in my tentacles…or in the appendages of my other friends," He noted. "What's it going to be hero?"

Man Spider glared at the villain. But ultimately…he had to give, the safety of the people was more important. "Alright fine," Kamui agreed. "Everyone…stand down…for now." He whispered.

"Smart bug." The leader said.

"And dumb Octopus," A low female voice called. Several spears and cubes emerged around the villains, separating them from the heroes and the civilians. The villains looked around, recognizing the items.

"Well…well…to what do we oh the pleasure, Herrscher," The leader announced as he took note of the villainess before him. "I assure you your help is not needed, but we do greatly appreciate it."

The Herrscher said nothing, instead glaring at the villains. "Um, boss, I don't think she's happy to see us." The Rhino user noted as saw the disdain on the girl's face.

"Seems like one of you has a brain, and it's definitely not you, Professor Squid." She sneered.

"It's Doctor Octo-"

"I don't care." The Herrscher cut him off. "Musutafu is my turf, and I won't have some 3rd rate villains with 4th rate powers intruding." She told them. "So, either you get out of my city, or I send you to the morgue." She threatened as her eyes pulsed with an orange glow.

"Uh boss…" One of the villains whispered.

"No worries, Herrscher." Professor Squid agreed. "Just put down your barrier and we'll be on our way." He told her. "Come on fellas." He told them.

"Wait…just like that…there is six of us and one of her, we can take her." One of the villains, a vulture-themed one noted.

"Yes, and we'd risk losing an extremely potential asset." The Professor noted. "Just follow my lead." He told them. "Ignore my friend, he's had too much to drink." The Professor informed.

The Herrscher complied and lowered her barrier. The villains were once again greeted by the Heroes and cops all lined up around them. "Insolent pests." The Herrscher sneered as she noticed the ground that had gathered.

"Tell me about it," Professor Squid sighed. He held up another hostage. "Allow me to get them to back off while you make a portal for us to leave."

"No." The Herrscher responded. "Find your own way out." She told him, eyeing the hostages.

"Alright fine." The Professor said.

"One more thing…drop the hostages." She ordered.

"I beg your pardon…these are our ticket out of here." One of the villains noted. "We can't just drop our hostages."

"No…they are MY HOSTAGES." The Herrscher added. "My turf, my hostages." She reiterated.

"You truly are a stubborn woman." The Professor noted. "Perhaps far too stubborn to be reasoned with. No deal." He told her. "Vulture it seems like we'll be going with your plan."

"I warned you." The Herrscher told them. Every villain that wasn't holding a hostage immediately had a portal opened below them. So that was about two of them, the Rhino and a Lizard guy. The next thing anyone knew, those villains came falling down from high up in the air, hitting the floor and leaving two craters beside them. "Next!"

"You're going to kill us over not putting down a few measly hostages." Professor Squid.

"Humans have killed for far less," The Herrscher retorted as she summoned her lances, all around the area. She stretched her hands out and drew several patterns with her fingers, the lances all launched in coordinated patterns striking the villains in numerous locations.

The scorpion was struck at the base of his tail, the vulture was struck in his wings, and a bettle-themed one was struck in his back. All dropped their respective hostages who the Herrscher simply portal to the side. Professor Squid got the worst of it, being hit his back at the focal point of all his tentacles. He lost feeling crashing down but he hadn't let go of his hostages.

"Damn Squid," The Herrscher noted as she pierced the arms still holding the people, freeing them. She looked in the corner of her eyes as Inko seemingly paused to look at her with confusion. Void hesitated for a moment when she saw Inko's panicked expression. The Herrscher quickly turned her sights back on the villains.

"Freeze," The heroes said as they looked at the Herrscher who had nonchalantly crossed her arms. "You're under arrest." One of them said.

The Herrscher rolled her eyes as she looked at them. "Seriously." She noted as she side-eyed them. "You couldn't even handle these clowns." She warned them.

"Void," Izuku whispered trying to ease his partner's rage. "It's over now." He tried to reason. "They're not worth it. They're beneath you." He tried to convince her.

"Fine." She huffed. She was about to make her leave via portal when she noticed the Squid guy standing up.

"We're not done yet." He winced as he held something by his arm. Void eyed him in confusion when it was revealed to be a syringe of sorts. The man hunched over as his skin started to turn pale, his hair turning white and his eyes glowing gold. "Wait…something's…. wrong." He screamed as he felt an incomprehensible amount of pain start to flow through his body. "This power…"

"Trigger." One of the heroes warned. "Quickly get all civilians out of here." They instructed as the villain started to grow, his tentacles returned to full strength, growing, and mutating with their own.

"What is happening?" Izuku questioned.

"Honkai," Void answered him as she saw the partially mutated, partially zombified man start to grow before her. What little of his human body that remained was immediately morphed before her eyes. His arms and legs turned into even more tentacles before they wrapped around each other to make new makeshift limbs. "Okay, it's probably Honkai Hentai," Void noted.

"What are we going to do?" Izuku questioned.

"Get popcorn," Void suggested. She was eager to see the zombified villain wreak havoc on the humans, now that Inko was out of the way. Unfortunately, her wishful thinking was dismissed when the mutated villain raised its arm and smashed her with it.

"Traitor," The Villain called.

"How annoying," The Herrscher sighed. "It seems like it still carried its original desire to fight me." She noted.

"Traitor,"

"Well, I guess it's time we put out of its misery." The Herrscher noted.

"Wait what?" Izuku realized. "You can't just kill him." He pleaded.

"Izuku, he was just threatening to kill your mom to get out of being arrested. I think he more than likely deserves this." Void noted as she launched several lances, puncturing the villain's body once more. It didn't seem to phase it as much this time as the villain was still able to try and strike her.

"He deserves to be locked away and left at the mercy of the law." Izuku reasoned.

"Seriously, you wanted my help and now you want to dictate how I handle it." She reasoned.

"I wanted you to save mom," Izuku argued.

"Uh…fair enough." The Herrscher noted. "But I should warn you, zombification is already a death sentence." She informed. "His mind's being degraded as we speak, and any sentience, if any, is slowly being destroyed by the Honkai." She explained.

"So what? Can't you just remove it?" Izuku questioned. The Herrscher started to fly around the villain. Circling him before sending a lance straight into one of his eyes.

"I can but…it's far more…merciful…to kill him." She reasoned. "Honkai infection is almost incurable, with the only cures available requiring Schriac blood and I'm not sure it exists here. Even if I remove the Honkai the damage might already be done." She noted.

Sensing her presence the villain turned to strike her, only to hit a building nearby. "AH," A familiar voice screamed. Void looked down to see Inko with a few heroes and civilians nearby panicking at the falling debris. She quickly made a portal to catch all the debris before dropping it on the Mutate Villain.

"Alright, that's twice he tried to kill your mom. Can I kill him now?" The Herrscher questioned.

Izuku was silent.

"Izuku,"

"Incapacitate him but let him live. He needs to be punished for his crimes. Death would be too easy for him." Izuku told the Herrscher. The last part wasn't exactly his own ideal. He would rather the villain be jailed than dead, but the Herrscher seemed to take joy in choosing the sadistic option, so perhaps making her think sparing was more sadistic might yield better results.

"It's not outright I want but fine, you're getting it," she noted. Unfortunately for her, the villain still had some semblance of intellect as it sprayed ink in the Herrscher's face. "On second thought….I'll kill him." She told Izuku.

Izuku wanted to argue but he felt the sudden rage of the Herrscher slowly start to weigh down on him. "Fine," He told her. He'd managed to get her to help save a lot of people, he could let her mercy kill this villain. Right?

"Good." The Herrscher smiled as she wiped the ink off her face. Her eyes began to glow even more vibrantly as a sinister smirk crossed her lips. "Judgement." She declared as she snapped her fingers and triggered an explosion in front of the villain. The villain fell landing right beside the crater where its previous allies had fallen.

"Now to end this." She noted as she opened numerous portals ready to end the villain.

"Not so fast,"Man-Spider called as he launched his web attack at the Herrscher.

"You're starting to aggravate me, spider man." Void threatened as she made her body intangible and slipped out of his grasp. She summoned a cube to the side and knocked the hero down, before turning back to the villain. Landing on the ground the Herrscher concentrated her energy before she smacked the ground with all her might.

The ground rumbled as the Herrscher kept her hands planted on the floor. Suddenly several thousand lances of varying sizes emerged from the ground beneath the giant villain, skewering him where they could. The result was not a pretty sight for most people as the villain was now suspended by the lances, his body now completely zombified and dripping blood all over the area.

"And that's it," Void noted as she looked up her handiwork. "Another villain beat," She told Izuku in an attempt to cheer him up.

"I think I'm going to be sick." He responded, not like the sight of the now presumed dead villain. It didn't look that different to other monsters he saw her kill but still. This was a person.

"You'll get used to it," the Herrscher noted as she reached out her arm and tried to tug at the Honkai she had felt from the villain. The suspended mass started to move as wisps of gold and blue energy emerged from the villain and floated to the Herrscher. As the energy flowed the corpse started to shrivel up, becoming like a husk.

"Well at least it was quick," Izuku sighed. However, their attention was soon caught off guard when the corpse seemed to crack. "Huh," The cracks got wider, and soon something fell out. "What is that?"

"Please tell me, he didn't reproduce," The Herrscher grimaced as she looked at what had fallen. "Wait…is that?"

"No way," Izuku noted. It was the villain. He was alive now, but his quirk. "It's gone, his quirk's gone." Izuku stared in shock. The villain was clearly a mutant but now, his mutation had disappeared entirely. The only features he had retained were white hair and skin and golden eyes.

"So…do I kill him again?" The Herrscher wondered.

"No, I don't think that's needed." Izuku quickly told her. "He's stripped of his powers now; he can't hurt anybody." He argued.

"Fine." The Herrscher sighed. She lifted the man up with her powers and then tossed him at the heroes along with the other villains. "Here, take care of the trash," She told them. "Let's go and look for Inko, she's probably worried sick." Void thought to her partner.

However before they could leave, another hero arrived on the scene, and upon seeing the Herrscher wide open, he moved to subdue her.

""Yeah…let's….ARRRGGHHH!" Izuku screamed along with Void as their body was engulfed in fire. They felt their skin get charred as their hair was turned to a crisp. When the flames died down, the Herrscher turned her head to the source. A man covered in flames was now standing before her.

"You're under arrest." The man said stoically as he stared down at the Herrscher. Izuku recognized the man almost immediately.

Endeavor.

"Void," He called to his partner hoping to get them to leave. However, the Herrscher was not responding. Her breathing had become heavier as she had focused on the hero before her. Her vision turned red as her eyes glowed even more intensely.

She clenched her fists as she stared at the firehero. Numerous emotions were whirlpooling inside her.

Chapter Text

"This was bad…this was really… bad." Izuku thought as he felt the Herrscher's eyes narrow on Endeavor. The number two hero had launched a surprise attack on the Herrscher and from the corner of their vision, Izuku could see the other heroes closing in, far more confident now.

He felt trapped, and not just in the sense that the heroes had surrounded them. The Herrscher was mad. He knew that much but this kind of range that Endeavor had triggered. It was something else, something primal. Izuku his entire body became immobilized, not because they were being restrained, but by the mere fact that Herrscher's body had tensed so much from anger.

Yet immobility was the least of his concerns. The aspiring hero also felt a weight pressing down on his mind unlike any before. It was hard to explain but it felt like his very consciousness was being suppressed, he was trying to stay afloat but something, most likely Void, was trying to remove him altogether from the waking world.

"Void," Izuku called out trying to get the Herrscher's attention. "VOID!" He called out even more, yet his words fell on deaf ears. Or perhaps she just didn't care to listen to him now.

"Destroy!"

Izuku's felt surprised when he heard another voice whisper beside his own. Yet something was wrong. That voice…that voice was…unnatural. It called to them sounding like nothing…yet everything.

"Destroy the hero," It whispered once more. "Make them pay for what they did," It continued to instruct. "Punish them for hurting you,"

Who was saying that? Izuku couldn't tell but what he did know was that Void was hearing it…and she was listening to it.

"I will," Void answered darkly as she clenched her hands and healed her body back to its previous state.

Endeavor didn't take this as a sign to back down, instead throwing another stream of fire at the Herrscher. Void summoned a portal and immediately redirected the flame to the side of her, scorching several buildings. Endeavor immediately stopped his attack to avoid further damage. Realizing long range wasn't his best option, the hero lunged at the Herrscher fist first.

Void backed out of the way, avoiding his strikes before countering with her own. Izuku felt it all. Compared to their usual movements, it felt like his body was forcefully being bent and contorted as the Herrscher moved to evade and counter Endeavor's strikes moving lances and cubes to hit, only for Endeavor to narrowly evade them.

After evading one attack, the Herrscher was prized to deliver a killing blow with one of her lance, a direct strike to the chest. Izuku couldn't allow it. Try as he might he fought back.

The Herrscher slipped up, she mistimed or misjudged the distance, her body moved too slow, and Endeavor got a lucky strike sending her spinning back into a car.

"Stand down," Endeavor ordered as he looked at the Herrscher. "Or are you going to run away like a coward," He taunted, hoping to use the girl's temper to keep her from running away. He got his wish.

Void digged her fingers into the car, as she forced her power to the surface. She lifted the car up with the power of the Void and threw it at Endeavor. The hero dodged the attack blasting the car to pieces; however, the Herrscher wasn't done yet. She summoned several lances and lunged them all at the hero one after the other.

Unfortunately for her Endeavor was fast, and he made sure to flee as she started firing, using his flames to propel himself away. The Herrscher did not intend to let him escape. She gave chase flying after him.

He was fast but not fast enough to escape her when she warped right behind him. She turned one of her lances into a white ribbon which lunged at Endeavor managing to coil around him with the leg. She grabbed the other end of the ribbon, she pulled Endeavor back to the ground. The pro hero though was able to brace himself by using his flames to try and slow himself down before he hit the ground. He still slammed into the road at high speed but at a much more survivable rate. The Herrscher gritted her teeth and launched a lance at Endeavor, intending to skew him.

Endeavor reacted quickly and narrowly managed to avoid the lance. The Herrscher launched more and while Endeavor couldn't deflect them all…he didn't need to. The lances were knocked out of their intended path by several balls of green flame. The Herrscher looked up at the source only to a boot coming right at the face.

"Surprise," Burning screamed as she struck the Herrscher. Void was having none of it. While the boot did connect, Void didn't budge, instead grabbing the hero by the leg and then throwing her down with all her strength, crashing her into Endeavor.

The Herrscher stared down at the heroes, huffing as she tried to catch her breath. She felt a moment of relief as she saw them lying there but something was wrong. Her body ached from the burns, but the pain was nothing new to her, physical pain at least. Her head was aching as she heard a familiar voice.

"Herrsher…. Void," Izuku called. The Herrscher tried to ignore him but he kept repeating her name, calling out to her. "Void please, can you hear me." He called again.

"Shut up," Void told him as she straightened her posture and floated down at the heroes. She used her power to telepathically press Endeavor and his sidekick onto the ground. "I already did what you wanted, now I'm doing what I want,"

"You can't do this," Izuku tried to convince her.

"Oh but I can, he picked this fight, not me," She reasoned as she summoned multiple lances around her all aimed at the heroes.

"No…that's not what I meant," Izuku tried to plead. He glanced at all the lances. Even if the Herrscher only intended for Endeavor, her lances weren't 100% in her control once she fired them. "There are still innocent people around." He tried to reason. He glanced to the side noticing that not everyone had evacuated. In fact, even his mom was still in a crowd of people trying to get away.

"I DON'T CARE," The Herrscher roared as she prepared to launch all of them.

"NO!" Izuku screamed. He couldn't let her go through with this. He won't.

"Gah," The Herrscher clutched her head as she felt Izuku's will clash with her own. It was like having a jackhammer pressed into her brain. "What are you doing?" She screamed as she shook her head. The lances and portals began to glitch in and out of reality.

" I don't know, but I can't let you do this," Izuku told her.

"You don't get to decide what I do." The Herrscher told him as she tried to get him to shut up. She looked forward but her vision was starting to lose focus as the battle between her and Izuku raged on. Neon cracks started to form on her body.

As the Herrscher struggled to fight back at the battle within her mind. Endeavor was already getting back up on his feet with his sidekick beside him. "What's going on with her?" Burnin asked as she noticed the Herrscher struggling.

"Don't know." Endeavor answered. "But you should get to safety." He told her as he clenched his fist. Burning did not say anything, following her boss's orders and fleeing from the area as Endeavor stood up and approached the struggling girl. "This ends now Herrscher," He told the villain as he stood up.

Void saw the hero appear in her line of sight. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. "PROMINENCE BURN!" Endeavor called as he unleashed his ultimate move point-blank at the Herrscher.

The Herrscher of the Void managed to open a portal just in time to collect the blast. The attack was redirected, coming out from a portal behind blasting apart another building, however… "No!" The Herrscher gasped as the portal started to flicker in and out before it faded out completely. "ARRRGHHHH!" She screamed as she took the attack head on.

Compared to the attack from before, this was worse. Memories started to run through her mind as the flames devoured her. Memories that had been engraved into her heart a lifetime ago, a memory of a man, no a monster, with black and blue armor-like skin and snow-white hair.

When the flames finally died down the Herrscher's entire body had been charred completely. Her dress burnt, her skin blackened and unrecognizable. Yet…she was still alive…if barely. The Herrscher fell forward, landing on her knees.

Izuku thought it was over. The Herrscher had been defeated, right? As much as he didn't like the pain they felt. It had to be over…right? Yet when the Herrscher looked up something wasn't right. Endeavor should have been standing right before them, yet he wasn't. There was someone else standing in front of them. A man who looked partially mutated into some sort of demon or dragon, a man who wielded a huge sword that was covered in flames. A man who looked ready to kill them with his claws.

"NO! NOT THIS TIME!" The Herrscher screamed as she forced herself back to her feet. This time her emotions were even more unbearable. Izuku was too drained mentally to fight back and soon he felt himself get pulled beneath the surface. His world faded to darkness.

Endeavor frowned as he saw the charred skin start to flake off the Herrscher, revealing fair skin underneath. Despite hitting her with his strongest attack. She was still standing and even worse, she was healing once more. Preparing another attack, Endeavor readied to strike again intent on hitting as many times as it took.

"Prominence…Burn," Endeavor called as he launched another attack. Yet he suddenly froze, not just him either…everything. A dome had formed, around him, the Herrscher, and a significant part of the area around them, and within that dome…time fractured.

Glanced at the man before her, her strength fluctuating as her body tried to heal but the use of Honkai started to exceed what limits she had. She stared down at her arm noticing the crack beginning to form in her body as the blood in her veins began to glow neon pink. It didn't matter to her though. She'd finish Endeavor first.

"I DECLARE JUDGMENT!" She told him as time resumed and a portal appeared before.

Izuku's eyes snapped open as he shot up from where he lay. He breathed heavily as the events of before still played in his mind. "Herrscher," He called instinctively. No response.

Looking around Izuku found that he was in a snow-covered forest. Wait…a forest? He looked up at the sky noticing it was nighttime but even stranger, there were lights dancing in the skies, but there were no auroras in Japan. He looked around seeing nothing but trees surrounding him, all covered with snow. Last, he checked it was almost summer, why was there snow now?

"Where…when am I?" He wondered as he looked around. Where was his mom? Where did the Herrscher take him? He looked around the forest for any sign of civilization or any clue on where to go and that's when he saw it, a tower standing in the distance.

He hurried towards the tower, running through the snow. He ran and he ran yet the tower seemed to keep moving away from him. Exhaustion finally caught up to him and he stopped to catch his breath.

"You'll never reach it." A voice told him. Izuku's turned around immediately to the source. To his surprise there was a girl, sitting beside a bunch of sticks, with snowy white hair tied in twin tails, looking at him, with her baby blue eyes. "Not unless she allows you," The girl added.

"She?"

"The angry girl," The girl noted as she turned to fire. She held out a strange gun and pointed at the wood, a small stream of fire shot out, igniting the sticks, and making a small campfire. "You look cold," the girl noted.

"Void?" Izuku questioned as he glanced at the familiar girl.

"Drifter," The girl corrected. "You can call me Drifter," She explained.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Izuku questioned. "Where's my mom?" He started to panic.

"Your mom is fine." The girl reassured him as she patted him on the back. "You saved her remember." She told him.

"I…what?" Izuku asked in confusion.

"You stopped the Herrscher's attack." She explained. "Saved a lot of people back there. You should be proud."

"You know about the Herrscher," Izuku said in shock as he backed away. The girl simply nodded; the news was nothing special to her.

"Yeah, I know a lot about her." The girl answered. "But we're not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about you and her," The girl explained.

"Huh?" Izuku questioned. "The Herrscher? Why?"

"How can I put this in the best of terms?" The girl wondered as she placed a finger on her chin. "The Herrscher likes you, or at the very least…she doesn't detest your very being…I think,"

"You think."

"There's a slight chance she thinks what you did to her is a betrayal," The girl noted. "You kind of shut off her powers mid-fight and got her barbecued worse than anything I ever cooked,"

"She was going to hurt innocents with that attack," Izuku defended.

"I know, and I'm not saying you stopping her is anything wrong, it's good that you did that." Drifter reiterated. "All I'm saying is that the Herrscher is going to be angry with you because in stopping her then you allowed her to be cooked by Endeavor."

"So now she hates me?" Izuku wondered.

"Allegedly," Drifter pointed out. "If you point out how your mom was in the crowd, there is a very likely chance that she won't completely shut you out."

"Why does it matter to you if she shuts me out or not?" Izuku questioned. "After today, I'm starting to think it was a mistake. I trusted her to help me save my mom and look where it got us. She went loose and almost killed a lot of innocent people. It was one thing if it was just the villains but…"

"She never makes it easier." Drifter shook her head. "She's…horrible, and no one knows that better than me…but…"

"But?" Izuku repeated.

Drifter sighed. "I can't say I have the right to ask you this." She told him. "In all honesty, it shouldn't be your responsibility but you're the best chance I got."

"What is it?"

"I need you…to…not give up on her," Drifter told him. "The Herrscher…is a problem…but I believe she has the capacity to be good. I believe you can save her." The girl told him solemnly.

"Why me?"

"Because you know the face behind the monster." The Drifter spoke. "You know what she is, a being born from the trauma of another, shackled by a past defined by only pain and suffering." The Drifter explained. "I've seen the type of person you are. You are kind and forgiving, you believe anyone can be saved."

"The Herrscher needs to be reminded that sadness, hatred, and anger, aren't the only things that define a person, that they aren't the only things that can or should define her," Drifter explained.

"You really believe in her," Izuku noted. "Why?"

"Because someone has to…I know what's it like to feel like a monster, to feel like that's all I ever was, all that I was ever meant to be, but I had people who showed me otherwise, who were willing to believe me even when I didn't believe in myself," Drifter explained.

"I'll try," Izuku told Drifter. His mind trailed back to his previous interactions with the Herrscher, most notably the interactions she had with his mom. Even if it was all meant to be fake, he couldn't help but feel there was some underlying truth to it all.

"Thank you," Drifter told him. "It really means a lot to me,"

"You're welcome," Izuku told her. "Now…um…would you mind explaining where we are?"

"We're in the Herrscher's mindscape," Drifter explained. "You were sucked in when her rage reached a breaking point. It should be easy for you to get back to the waking world, now that she's calming down, of course I can help speed up the process." The girl told Izuku. Sticking her fingers into her lips, the girl whistled loudly. Not long after a giant dragon appeared landing right beside her. "Izuku…meet Benares, she'll be you're escorted out of here."

"Wait what? Why didn't you do so before?" Izuku questioned as he glanced at the dragon. Admittedly he was also kind of in awe by such a majestic-looking creature.

"In her frenzied state, even if you escaped, you'd only be sucked back inside," Drifter explained. "If that happened too many times, you'd probably be stuck in here forever,"

"Oh,"

"Yes, Oh." The girl repeated as she stroked Benare's snout.

"But I can return now," Izuku questioned.

"Yes."

"Will it be bad?" He asked. The girl stopped stroking the dragon.

"It's always bad whenever the Herrscher's involved," Drifter answered. "A Herrscher's very existence brings destruction."

"But is it truly worth it," Izuku asked.

"Oh, it's worth it," Drifter answered. "If you're strong enough." She added.

"Okay…send me back." He told her. Drifter let go of Benare's snout as the dragon lifted itself up. It opened its mouth and then breathed a beam of energy of Izuku. In a flash, he was gone.

"Good luck, Izuku," Drifter told him.

Once again Izuku came too, but this time, he was in a familiar place. He recognized the ceiling almost immediately. Sitting up on the sofa, Izuku looked around, he was back in his apartment. "Mom," He called as he glanced around. He made his way to her room and opened the door. "Mom," He called. There was still no answer.

He walked back to the living room still calling out to her, when he still got no response, he decided to try another person. "Void," He called.

He felt the air shift behind him. He turned around finding the Herrscher of the Void floating behind him her face was unreadable. She didn't sprout the confident, haughty look he had grown accustomed to. Her expression was…tired.

"She's in the hospital." The Herrscher told him. "She's just getting looked at after the incident." The Herrscher clarified.

"What happened?" Izuku asked.

"I won." She answered.

Chapter Text

A few moments earlier…..

Rage….anger….fury….wrath.

These were emotions the Herrscher of the Void was very familiar with. They were the emotions that practically made up her very being. The desire for revenge, the desire to unleash all of Sirin's rage against humanity for wronging her. It was the emotion Void knew, the emotion that defined her being, that separated her from her other half. Where Kiana let go of her anger, the Herrscher of the Void would embrace it.

So why was she struggling to keep it all contained now? Why despite winning, despite having taken her revenge on Endeavor and retreating safely back to the apartment, was she barely able to stand? Did the hero do that much damage to her?

She clenched her head as she stopped floating. She was in agony. Izuku's body, her body, had been pushed to its limits. They were covered with numerous cracks along their flesh, all illuminated with a pulsing neon-pink glow. The more she tried to push her power, the more painful just existing became for her.

Yet when she stopped, she felt agitated. She felt it impossible to stay still. She wanted to keep going, but her body couldn't keep up. She wanted to scream, to erupt in a pillar of Honkai energy, destroying this god-forsaken city and sending every soul to the afterlife, but her body was practically breaking down the more she moved.

Eventually, it became so unbearable, that the very form of the Herrscher fizzled as she nearly collapsed. The Herrscher's body reverted back into Izuku's form as the stumbled forward eventually falling onto the couch. Now free from her mortal form, the Herrscher's ghostly form appeared beside her vessel, still gasping breathing heavily despite no longer needing to.

Choosing to lie on the floor while she recovered her strength, the Herrscher cast her host's body a glance. A scowl had formed on her face as she stared at them. Her body was stiffening as she clenched her teeth. She could see nothing but blood red around the room, with the sole exception being Izuku.

Numerous thoughts ran through her head. Hundreds of ways to torture him, thousands of ways to make him suffer, a million ways to make him wish he did swan dive of the roof. Her mind was racing….if she wanted to…right now she could….

"What am I doing?" She caught herself as her hand was outstretched. She still needed him alive at least…their body needed to remain alive. She had almost destroyed her chance for revenge in a fit of rage.

"What's happening to me?" She asked herself. Even though she had stopped herself. She was still feeling an immense surge of anger threatening to consume her.

This wasn't normal. This was something else. She had been angry before. Of course, she had been. It was to seek revenge for Sirin, to ensure all the rage Sirin had felt could still be returned to the ones who had incited her fury. That was Void's whole purpose for existing. Void had control of herself when she acted on Sirin's rage. She was able to detach herself and act on Sirin's destructive desires.

Now similar desires were overwhelming her, suffocating her. She felt rage, just the same as before. However, in addition to her wrath, something else was there. Something inside her was clawing at her whenever she stared at her…host. It made her feel sick. It made her feel off. She felt….hollow.

"What did you do to me?" She growled as she stared at the boy. He wasn't conscious, but she knew for a fact he wasn't just sleeping. Her connection with him was still there, but it felt strange like he was here but at the same time he wasn't. It frustrated her.

She wanted him to come…if only so she could yell at him and rebuke him.

"Why am I feeling this?" She asked herself. She didn't know who could answer her question.

"Haha…." A young man laughed as he looked up at the burning sig, a sign of Endeavor, the once-great second-best zero. He smiled at this, having witnessed the best show of all. Elated by what he saw he continued to dance, wisps of blue flames spewing out of him as he happily skipped down the city. The buildings burned bright blue as he bathed them with his joy.

Many people were screaming as they saw him but he didn't care. He had just been so happy to see the utter humiliation of the man. Oh, how it was glorious, to see him bathed in his own blood on live television for all the world to see. Unable to stand no more, or even move.

The man's joy was uncontainable as he felt it continuously build and build, needing him to release it all out to the world around him. Even as many others came to restrain him, his happiness could not be contained. They were all turned to ashes as he continued to make his way through the ruined street.

He stopped by a store taking note of how it had yet to be burned. He was just about to set ablaze when he noticed it was a liquor store. "Eh…what the hell…it's a special occasion," The young man said to himself as he entered the store and grabbed a bottle. It was one of the best days of his life and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to celebrate.

Maybe he should head home and check his family, he would love to see how they react to the good news.

"You won? What do you mean you won?" Izuku questioned as he stared at the Herrscher. She didn't respond immediately, only glaring at him. Her eyes started to glow even more intensely.

Izuku felt a wave of pain, surge through his body as he lost his balance and fell back before the Herrscher. He looked at her, only to find her expression unchanging, with no sympathy visible before. Yet more unsettling were the neon veins glowing all over her skin, marks that glowed eerily on his own.

"I mean…that despite your meddling. I survived and walked away from that fight." The Herrscher told him coldly. The veins grew, creeping up her neck as she spoke. "You weren't expecting that. Were you? You thought they could beat me. You thought I'd just roll over and die. Right?" She accused him as she floated forward.

"No…it's not like that." Izuku denied. "I never intended for it to get like this." Izuku tried to defend. "I didn't mean to hurt you," He pleaded.

"Well, you failed," The Herrscher told him. "I got hurt and whenever something hurts me, I usually like to hurt it back." She told him as she bent over and stretched her arms out to him. Izuku backed away but where could he go? He bumped into the wall as the Herrscher's hands fazed into his body.

"ARGH!" Izuku screamed as various sensations overwhelmed his body. He could not move, only feel. He felt himself set ablaze as if he was right back in the fight with Endeavor. The scent of burnt flesh assaulted his nose, as he heard fire crackling around him, his vision obscured completely by the flames.

The Herrscher soon stopped as she pulled her hands out. Izuku coughed as he tried to gasp for air. His breathing had become heavier, his mouth tasted like smoke and ash. He looked at the Herrscher who looked just as dazed as he was. Yet when her eyes fell on him, she smiled and laughed.

"Not so fun now is it," She chuckled maniacally. "It's not fun to be burnt by people you thought were good." She told him as she approached him once more. "You should have known betraying me like this would have cost you dearly," she told him.

"I've spent weeks, trying to be… 'nice' to you, because my previous methods were…unsuccessful with my last host," Void told him. "But there is only so much foolishness I can take," she told him.

"You could have killed my mom." Izuku whimpered as he looked over at the Herrscher towering over him. Void's expression shifted, if only for a brief second."I didn't intend for you to be hit by Endeavor's flames, but I just couldn't let you kill her recklessly," Izuku responded. "It was an accident,"

"AND WHO PAID FOR IT?" The Herrscher shouted as she held out her hand. Izuku felt an invisible presence wrap itself around his throat as he was lifted off the ground. The Herrscher him up to face her at eye level. "WHO GOT HURT BECAUSE OF YOUR ACCIDENT?" She interrogated him.

"You," Izuku choked out.

"That's right," She told him. "I got hurt, because of your mistake," she told him. "So do you know what is going to happen now?" Izuku shook his head. His hair was standing on edge as he looked at the burning amber eyes of the Herrscher. "Now you're going to pay for it, the only way you can," She whispered.

"Hand over your body," She ordered as she reached into his chest and wrapped her fingers around his heart.

"No," Izuku told her.

"Oh, really," She mocked as she clenched his heart. Neon red veins started to crawl all over her skin and Izuku's. "You don't seem to realize what happened. Your body is currently overloaded with Honkai, thanks to that fight. Now you either have two choices, one…you die a less painful death, surrendering your body to me. Or two…you live a more painful existence for the next few days, and then I take your corpse as my new body." She told him as she dropped him back onto the floor. "Either way, I win,"

"Void…please…I'm sorry," Izuku pleaded. "I know you're angry…but…"

"Save your useless drivel," Void told him. "I tried to help you a lot, but in the end, it barely ever amounted to much. It was a waste of time. You just couldn't see what was right in front of you," she told him as she vanished before his eyes.

Left alone, Izuku picked himself up, still in disbelief at what he saw. He winced as he took a step forward, glancing at his body, he noticed the lines of Honkai that had been engraved in him were now glowing more vibrant. He took off his t-shirt, throwing it aside, his eyes widened at the sight before him. His entire chest was now covered in neon lines all pulsing outward from his heart.

Izuku hurried over to the mirror noticing how the lines had made their way up his neck, his green hair turning white at its roots. He looked pale.

"This can't be happening," Izuku tried to convince himself, but even he couldn't deny it. The Herrscher's words still echoed in his head, the rage, the pain, the hate in her voice. It had all embedded itself in his memories, yet they weren't the worst of it. The worst of it was the last feeling that had stayed with him.

It was the pain in her eyes.

"Looks like I might need to update the curriculum," Nezu winced as he looked at the news display. Beside him, Recovery girl was sipping her tea as she also took stock of what had happened. "The fallout from this one… it's going to be among the worst in a long while."

"I don't think there are many ways this could have gone better Nezu." Recovery Girl noted as she looked at the feed. "Even if he succeeded in arresting her…she's already gotten a grip on the public."

"Everyone has their own story of events. Their interpretations of what happened, am I right?" Nezu noted. "Yet so far, she's been the focus of it all. Some people see her as a hero, not bound by the 'corrupt' system who punishes villains in a way that many see as being deserved, often excusing the collateral she causes."

"It's hard to argue when you see it clearly that she saved all those people from the attack, only for Endeavor to burn her right after." Recovery girl pointed out.

"If I'm not mistaken there is still a significant portion who view as a villain," Nezu argued. "For most that's more than enough, she's a violent individual who acts on her own whims. We've just been lucky most of those whims have been in retaliation against villains." Nezu reasoned. "All it took was one reckless mistake from Endeavour."

You never shot first at a villain not unless people were actively in danger. If you did, a fight would almost always escalate especially if you weren't prepared for it. Against the Herrscher, none of them had been sure how to even fight her, much less subdue or defeat her.

"I swear, I knew that hothead attitude of his was going to get him trouble one day, I just never imagined it would be like this."

"How's he doing?" Nezu asked.

"Hard to say. All Might had left as soon as he got wind of it. All I know is that he's in critical condition, but whether he makes it or not." She took a deep breath. "Those injuries aren't ones you just 'survive', even if he lives…he won't be the same," She told the Principal.

"I was afraid of that," Nezu grimaced.

It was quiet in his head for the first time in weeks. True to her word, she left him, or at least her presence had greatly diminished. The Herrscher wasn't there anymore, she wasn't whispering in his ears, she wasn't commenting on what was around them, insulting whatever they saw. It was silent with only his thoughts to keep him company.

He should have been happy. At least he'd finally have peace of mind. That's what he had wanted. Yet it felt hollow. Maybe Void had been right about him. He was technically dying now, yet that seemed to be the least of his concerns. Instead, his thoughts were divided, between his mother and the Herrscher.

The Herrscher was a villain. She was a violent individual who cared little for the lives of others. Yet she had still made an effort to try and help him in her warped way and she had even gone at his behest to save his mom when he had asked, and he had hurt in return. He hated how awful he was about it.

After all…there wasn't any other choice, right? If he didn't stop her, then his mom…she would be….

He didn't know what to think anymore. He hated how she had almost hurt his mom, but he also hated how he had hurt her. It was infuriating. Why does he feel guilty for hurting the girl who wants to destroy all of humanity? Because she was the closest he ever had to a friend? Because even if it was her own goal, she still tried to help him be better.

"Why am I feeling like this?" He wondered. He didn't know who he could turn to for an answer.

Chapter Text

"Excuse me, can you help me find my mom," Izuku questioned the receptionist.

"Name?"

"Inko Midoriya, I'm her son, Izuku Midoriya." He explained.

"Ah yes…she's with Nurse Sigewinne, here's the room number." The receptionist told him as she gave him the information. Izuku made his way to his mom, when he arrived he was relieved to find her smiling and chatting with a little girl in a nurse out.

"Um hello," Izuku greeted.

"Izuku," Inko greeted in relief.

"Hello, I'm Nurse Sigewinne," the little girl…er Nurse introduced herself.

"Hello," Izuku nervously answered. "So Mom, are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, I'm fine," Inko assured her son as she sat in her hospital bed. "Nothing happened to me, I'm just here because the medics wanted to make sure there was nothing to worry about."

"I can concur, Mrs. Midoriya is in perfect health I was just about to get the paperwork to discharge her," Sigewinne explained.

"I see," Izuku told her.

"I'll leave you two to talk while sort of the paperwork, bye bye," Sigewinne said as she headed out.

"Is she…." Izuku trailed off.

"She looks young but she's actually a very old nurse," Inko noted. "I think I recall seeing her around a few times, it seems like her quirk keeps her looking young."

"Wow…wait…that's beside the point," Izuku caught himself as he turned his attention back to his mom. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Izuku, the nurse just told you. I'm perfectly fine, I'm uninjured." Inko told him.

"I don't mean physically mom." Izuku corrected. "I saw you were taken hostage." He explained.

"Oh, yeah…" Inko sighed. "That was scary." She somberly said. "I didn't know what would have happened to me….although I should count myself lucky…the Herrscher…she saved me." Inko told him.

Izuku felt his stomach sink as he looked at his mom's somber expression. "Oh…um…that's good to hear." He told her. "I saw that she put the villain in his place."

"She looked…very familiar," Inko noted. "I had always seen her image before on the tabloids and now in person. I couldn't help but feel she looked like someone I knew." Inko added.

"What? That's ridiculous. How would you even know her?" Izuku panicked.

"I don't know. I just know that for the briefest moment, I locked eyes with her and she seemed to recognize me." Inko noted. "It sounds crazy right, maybe I'm reading too much into this." She sighed.

"Yeah….maybe….maybe." Izuku nervously laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"So…where's Sirin?" Inko questioned.

"Sirin….um…that's a good question," Izuku told her. "Um…about that."

"Izuku…did something happen to her?" Inko questioned worriedly. "She was fine last I saw. Izuku is she…"

"No...no…she's alive Mom….very much so," Izuku told her. "We just…we just had a bit of a fight," Izuku explained. "That's why she's not here now."

"Oh…I see." Inko noted. "What did you fight about it?"

"It's…complicated," Izuku told her.

"Izuku," Inko said sternly. "What was the fight about?" Inko firmly asked her son.

"I…I overreacted when I saw you had gotten caught up in the villain attack while she was around, and then the Herrscher came out and she almost hurt you and I may have done or said some things that hurt Sirin as a result." Izuku explained in as vague a way as he could.

"I see," Inko said. She had never expected to hear this kind of behavior from her son. "Izuku…you know what happened, it wasn't her fault. Right?" Inko asked. "Those villains that showed up, it wasn't Sirin who brought them."

"Yeah…" Izuku admitted. "Still…" She did have the power to stop them. He knew that.

"Furthermore, Sirin isn't a hero, she's never struck me as the type to try and be one. She's just a normal girl, it's wrong for you to assume that she should do anything in a situation like that. It's not her responsibility." Inko implored.

"She was right there. If it were me, I'd have rushed to save you." Izuku told her.

"Yes, and while I am grateful you would do that, if a little scared you might…that's still your choice," Inko told him. "It's her choice to not involve herself and her right to want to walk away."

"I really messed up." Izuku finally admitted. Void had made it clear that she didn't want to be involved and he had pressured her into doing so anyway and she had gotten hurt because of him. It was because of him she had been retraumatized by Endeavor. "I messed up so bad." He told Inko.

"Izuku," Inko reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know you were worried for me, and I can't fault you for how you might have acted then. If it was me and you were in danger, I don't know how I'd react either." Inko assured him. "But the important thing is that you figure out what to do moving forward." She told him.

"She hates me, Mom," Izuku sniffled. "I finally had a friend, and I blew it so bad she now absolutely abhors me. Maybe they are right, I am pathetic, a useless quirkless Deku." He admitted.

"Izuku," Inko said sternly. "Listen to me. You are not pathetic. So, what if you made some mistakes, you could still make things right." Inko told him.

"How Mom? What do I do to fix this?"

"Man up," Inko told him. "Izuku, you're a young man and if you make a mistake you need to own up to it. A man needs to honor his responsibilities." Inko told him. "You made a mistake, you wronged that girl, and now you have to make things right."

"How? She won't even let me talk to her." Izuku told her.

"That's not for me to answer, Izuku," Inko told him. "If you truly want to make things right with her, then I'd just you find a way, no excuses," Inko told him. "Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Izuku responded.

"Good, now let's go home," Inko told him.

"Make things right? Oh, please…what a joke?" The Herrscher huffed as she shut off her view to the outside world. "Like that idiot even understands what he did." She ranted as she roamed across the mindscape. The Herrscher then caught herself. "And I'm talking to no one,"

She sighed. She had gotten so used to the human, but it was always going to be in vain. Humans were liars and cheaters, always going to betray and hurt you. The Herrscher held out her hands and mindscape bent to her will. Before her two replicas formed, one of a white dragon and the other of a purple-haired girl, the original Sirin.

"Where was I…oh yeah, that idiot human thinks he can just make it up, but he can't." She spoke to the replicas. "After all, I know why he's doing it. He's afraid of dying, why else would he want to suck up and get back in our good graces."

The Dragon growled and whined under its breath. The Herrscher didn't understand its speech, but she didn't need to. The feelings were obvious…it didn't like how its mistress was treated.

With a weak smile, the Herrscher continued. "Yes…that's right. He shouldn't have dared mess with me. I should have known…I should have expected it. Humans can't be trusted…they can never be trusted." She continued to rant.

"Then why are you so surprised." Sirin's voice asked. The Herrscher stopped. She turned around and looked at the replica.

"What did you say?" The Herrscher walked up to Sirin.

Sirin turned to face the Herrscher, her eyes never blinking, her movements stiff and inhuman. "Why are you surprised?" The purple-haired human asked in a monotonous voice.

"I'm not…I'm not surprised." Void retorted. The replica moved forward.

"You sound surprised." It repeated. "You sound like you didn't expect it." It added.

"That's ridiculous." The Herrscher waved her hand. The replica vanished before her. "Why wouldn't I expect it? Of course, I expect it, he's human."

"Then why is it hurting you." Another voice called, this one louder. The Herrscher turned to find Benares now looking down at her. "Why does the pain of his betrayal linger…despite you expecting it?"

"I'm not hurting. I don't feel anything towards it, nothing besides annoyance that he tried it." Void defended.

"Then why…"

"SILENCE," Void dismissed the replica of Benares. "Damn dragon, was never useful to me alive and now it has to audacity to smart mouth me here." She grumbled. Well, it wasn't true, Benares was still far superior to the other creatures she once commanded. If only it had been more loyal to her rather than….

"Kiana Kaslana," Void spat in disgust. Before her, was a familiar girl with white hair and blue eyes, a face all too similar to her own smiling at her, mocking her. The Herrscher lunged at the girl, grabbing her by the throat and holding her up.

"You." She growled as she held up the girl. The one who had betrayed her first, herself. "I should have known," Void spoke. Yet the girl in hands simply dissolved into nothing, much to the Herrscher's surprise.

"Another trick?" Void wondered as she looked around the area. Go figure it would be her, her wretched other self. Humanity had taken Sirin's second life and warped and twisted it. Had Void not retained the memories, then they probably would have succeeded in their ploy.

It disgusted her to no end. The same group that had experimented on Sirin, Kiana had gone to work willingly for it. The same group, the valks, that had hunted Sirin, Kiana had aspired to be one, if not the best. The same people who were involved in killing her, Theresea and Siegfried, Kiana called them her family. The Honkai had saved her, yet Kiana sort to end it. The monsters that had helped Sirin fight back, Kiana sought to hunt.

Everything that they stood for; Kiana stood against. She was the disease that stained their soul. The sickness that always hindered and sabotaged them. Herrscher shouldn't have been surprised if it was her other half helping Izuku and interfering with the Herrscher.

"I'll find you," Void growled as she glared around. She'd get to the bottom of this annoyance. She could still feel her, no matter how faint, she would find that pest.

"Should I make dinner?" Inko asked as the Midoriya's arrived home. The trip back was thankfully uneventful. A godsend considering what's been going on with the news. Apparently, there was a fire villain loose, lighting up the better part of downtown.

For the most part, Izuku didn't have the heart to check the news to see what heroes or quirks might be on display. The memories the Herrscher had left him from her encounter with Endeavor were more than enough.

"No, you rest," Izuku told his mom. "I'll make us some ramen." He told her.

"Izuku…" Inko protested.

"Please…you are still my responsibility, as much as I am yours," Izuku told her. Inko sighed and resigned herself to the couch.

Izuku made his way to the kitchen. Opening the cupboard, he found the stash of cup noodles he kept for both him and Void. The young boy sighed as thought back to the times the Herrscher broke her intimidating persona, any time they were hungry.

Maybe she would still be willing if…

His thoughts trailed off as he watched the water boil. His mom was watching TV in the background, letting him substitute the silence with whatever noise he could get. Closing his eyes, he called to her.

"Herrscher….Void…are you there?" He called.

There was no answer.

His concentration was broken when he heard the whistling of the kettle. Sighing, he made his way over and emptied it into the two cups, letting the boiling water heat it up for a moment. As the food was being prepped, he could feel the aroma waft up into the air. He took a deep breath, waiting, hoping, he'd hear something from her, maybe a command, heck he'd even think a sarcastic insult.

No, there was nothing to be heard. True to her words she didn't even come for her favorite food. Disappointedly, he carried it to his mom and the two ate in silence. Once they were finished, he bid his mom good night as she went to bed before heading to his own room.

"How do I make things right, if I can't even talk to her?" Izuku questioned as he paced in his room. He couldn't sleep. He tried, but he just couldn't. The silence was jarring, it was too quiet now. Everything sounded too loud. If a door creaked, he heard it, if a car blew a horn, he heard it, if a bug scuttled across the floor…he heard it.

"Think Izuku, she has to still be in there." He wondered as he stared at his reflection. He hummed as he turned to the desk. Maybe it was a stupid idea, but it was all he had. He took a pen and ripped a page out of one of his new notebooks and began to write. It was slim but who knew maybe she'd read a note he'd left.

A few minutes later…. he was done. It wasn't much. He didn't know how many words it would take to apologize but he knew he didn't have enough. Still, he hoped she'd read them. Even if it was slim, it was still something. He went and placed the letter in the cupboard by the cup noodles.

"That still is not enough." He muttered as he lay back in his bed. It was eating at him, even more so now. He hadn't felt this loss ever since she drowned him in her emotions. Wait a minute…

"Of course." Izuku realized. Why was he waiting for her to come to him? Surely if they still shared and coexisted in the same body, then maybe he could go to see her on the inside. The question though was if he could…he had only entered that space once and only by chance…still…it was worth a shot.

Closing his eyes Izuku began to concentrate, focusing on his desire to find the Herrscher, to reach to her. "Come on." He told himself.

"Found you," Void yelled as she tackled the Kaslana girl. The duo tumbled into the mindscape, rolling down a hill before crashing into the forest. The Herrscher didn't care. She had finally gotten her hands on the annoying girl. "Any last words, Kaslana," Void growled as she stared at Kiana's eyes.

"Best two out of three," Kiana smiled cheekily.

"Why you,"

Poof!

She was gone. Void looked at her hands, Kiana's neck had been right there and now she was…

"Behind you!" Kiana announced startling the Herrscher.

"YOU!"

"Yes…me," Kiana laughed.

"What are you doing here? How are you even here?" Void demanded. "You won, I lost, I left, so why are you following me to another world." She grumbled. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Hey this wasn't my idea," Kiana raised her hands in defense.

"Really…you expect me to believe that?" Void dismissed.

"Think Void, why would Kiana follow you to another host body in another world when she has her own body and her own world to deal with." 'Kiana' asked the Herrscher.

Void stared at her for a moment, the gears turning in her head. Then as if a switched flip the Herrscher's eyes widened as the realization hit. "You're….you're not her." The Herrscher noted. "You're just a shadow of her…imprinted on the core…just like…"

"You." 'Kiana' finished. "Not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot," The copied tuna taunted.

"I'll destroy you." Void threatened.

"Like Kiana destroyed you…" The copy said. Void froze. "Face it, you can't destroy me, no more than Kiana could destroy you, I'm a part of you, just as you were a part of her," Kopiana said.

"So what, are you here to try and take over my new host? Is that it?" Void asked.

"Nope. As it stands….I'm even less of a person than you." The copy spoke. "A fragment only kept around because you still need me." She told the Herrscher.

"I don't need you." Void dismissed.

"You can say it, but that doesn't mean it's true, Void." The copy said. "Say you do destroy me, where will that leave you then…you'll be all alone again in this place." She explained.

"I like it so," Void told her.

"Is that why you made copies of Sirin and Benares to vent to?"

Void froze. The copy had seen that. It was a stupid question, of course, she saw it. That's why they had been acting weird in the first place.

"Admit Void… you're lonely…now that you've distanced yourself from your human." The Kiana copy spoke.

"So what," Void argued.

"Come now…do you really want to be?" Kopiana asked. "It's not good to be alone when you have such chaotic emotions festering inside you."

"I can handle my emotions just fine," Void told the copy. "In case you forgot, I was made out of Sirin's hate, her rage, and her sorrow. I am her trauma and her will-given form."

"That may be true…" Kopiana mused. "But that doesn't mean much in this situation now," She pointed out. "After all…Izuku didn't hurt Sirin…he hurt you."

"So…"

"You aren't Sirin." Kopiana elaborated. "Just as I am not Kiana, or Kiana isn't Sirin or Void, you aren't Sirin either. You are Void and these emotions your feeling…they belong to you."

"Shut up," Void told her.

"Tsk Tsk…temper," Kopiana said. "Besides…I'm the least of your worries…" She shifted her gaze to another figure in the distance.

"Izuku," Void noted as she saw the boy in the distance. "How'd he get in?" It then hit her. "You," Void snapped as she turned to Kopiana.

"He wants to apologize, so I let him in."

"I'm not interested in hearing it," Void told her.

"I figured…" Kopiana shrugged.

"But if he's in here…then that means…" Void disappeared, heading to the outside world.

"Hmmph….rude," Kopiana said. She didn't bother stopping the Herrscher. She needed to blow off some steam. That said, Kopiana warped to meet the young boy.

"Void?" Izuku called. "Void?" He had managed to return but there was still no sign of Void.

"She's not here," Drifter announced as she appeared before Izuku. "The moment she realized you were here she left."

"Oh," Izuku said dejectedly. "I should have known."

"You aren't worried?" Drifter questioned. "The Herrscher's out and you're here."

"I mean…she never tried to do much before, not unless she was provoked first, I don't think that changed." Izuku reasoned.

"I suppose that's fair," Drifter noted. Void was limited by the subconscious restraint of Izuku and her own mental fatigue. A person could only be angry for so long before they eventually tired out and Void was already exhausted from earlier. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked. "I take it you're trying to make amends."

"Yeah…I was a real jerk to her." Izuku admitted. "I want to set things right." He told her.

"I'm afraid that's going to take some time," Drifter told him. "There is no easy fix for what you did, especially not with someone like her. I thought you had a chance before but I severely underestimated the damage that was done."

"I still have to try," Izuku told her. "What I did to her…it wasn't fair of me…it was cruel," Izuku told Drifter. "Please…you're the only one I know who can help me."

"Look if you really want to make amends I might know where you can start…but I should warn you… it's dangerous." Drifter told him. "And even if you make it through I won't guarantee things will be better. In fact, I'm sure it could get worse, a lot worse…" Drifter noted.

"What is it?" Izuku asked her.

It was then he felt the world around them begin to shake. He almost fell over as the ground shook, only barely holding on as Drifter caught him. "It's cold." Izuku shivered. Snow had started to fall around them as they were now in a familiar part of the forest.

Izuku immediately turned around and found himself face-to-face with it. "Babylon," He whispered as he stared at the haunting tower that loomed above him.

"That's right. The Tower of Babylon," Drifter noted. "It's where the Herrscher represses every bad memory she and her previous life ever had. If you want to truly understand her, to truly understand why your actions hurt her, that's where you need to start." Drifter told him. "So…are you prepared to enter it?" She asked.

Izuku looked up at the tower and then at Drifter. "Yes…if it means getting a chance to make things right then I'll do it."

"Good luck," Drifter said as the door opened before him. She didn't waste any time and yeeted Izuku inside. "You'll need it."

Chapter Text

"Stupid copy, stupid human," Void grumbled as she awoke in Izuku's room. She stood and almost had to catch herself as she staggered forward. Oh right, they were still drained from the fight earlier. Taking a deep breath she collected herself and began to hover, floating out of Izuku's bedroom and into the kitchen.

Food. That was a good way to take her mind off things. Eating was something that always felt better. So she opened the cupboard to get some cup noodles to make for herself. "Uh…what's this?" She thought as she picked up a note from Izuku. She frowned to herself as she crumpled up the note and tossed it into her pocket dimension. She closed the cupboard as she headed back to the room.

She wasn't in the mood to make anything, much less eat in the Midoriya household. She found some spare change Izuku had and changed into a human disguise before making a portal and warping out of the apartment.

The Herrscher emerged in an alley not too far from the Midoriya residence. Landing softly, she pulled her hood over her head and made her way looking for the nearby diner to get a late-night snack. She was lucky because it didn't take too long before she found a modest diner that was still open even after midnight.

Slowly she entered the diner, taking care not to make too much noise. Suffice it to say the place was dead, only one or two customers were present. She made her way to an empty table and sat down. She opened the menu finding a couple of dishes she had never heard of though the pictures look pleasing.

"Hello, may I take your order?" A waitress asked as she came to the table with her notepad in hand. The Herrscher glanced at her; a girl who looked not much older than Herrscher herself.

"What's the deal with the Firefly Fries?" Void asked as she glanced at the menu.

"Oh…um…well you see…. that's…" The girl started to stutter under her gaze.

"It's a special dish that our very own little Firefly here created." Another waitress said. This waitress was an older woman with burgundy hair and a pair of sunglasses on her head. "We have a lot of dishes named after some of our workers, this one being some french fries covered in minced chicken, a special sauce, and some melted cheese."

"Sounds good, I'll have one of those," Void told the waitress as she handed the menu back to her. Firefly bowed before she headed back inside to place the order. The other waitress meanwhile turned to pouring out coffee for another customer. With nothing else to do Void leaned back into her seat as she waited for her food.

Izuku opened his eyes. He was in bed. As he sat up, he glanced out his window. It was morning. Getting out of bed he stretched his limbs and went out and into the dining area. Much to his surprise, he saw his mom making breakfast for him. Her auburn hair was tied with a cloth.

"Good morning, dear," She greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…I just had a weird dream." He told her.

"We've all been there." She smiled. She laid out the table before them. Izuku helped set the plates while she set out the food. Once they finished the two of them said grace before they decided to eat.

"This was delicious, mama," Izuku told her as he finished his meal. While his mom still sat back to relax, Izuku made himself useful and took the dishes to the sink. As he started to wash them he heard his mother speaking behind him.

"You know those flowers you like, they're in bloom now." She told him. "Why don't we go and see them." She spoke.

"Really?" Izuku asked. She just smiled and nodded.

A little later, Izuku found himself running through the field, while his mother watched from the side. He was having the time of his life. No school, no worries, just enjoying the smell of the flowers. However, soon he noticed something. His mother was coughing.

"Mama?" He asked as he turned to face her. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing dear. Just a little cough," She told him.

It was just a little cough. It started small but soon she started coughing more frequently. She also started to get out of breath a lot quicker. Before she could have swept the whole house without getting tired but now she couldn't even sweep half a room. She assured Izuku everything was fine, and she was going to check with the doctor but she never got better.

"Do you need anything?" Izuku asked. His mom was now lying on her bed, looking a lot paler than usual. "Any water, or do you want me to cook you something to eat?" He asked.

"I'm fine, dear." She smiled softly as she caressed Izuku's head. "You've done a good job dear, I just need to rest.' She smiled.

"Oh…okay," Izuku said dejectedly.

"The flower fields are in bloom, why don't you go and see them," She noted.

"I'd rather stay here with you," Izuku answered.

"Nonsense, you loved the fields." She tried to get up but her body was failing her. "Why don't you go and pick us some flowers and we can keep them by my bed." She suggested. "I'm sure they'll make me feel better."

So Izuku did as she asked. He hurried as fast as he could, he went to the flower field and found the perfect set of flowers, and then brought them back. His mom was delighted with them. He hadn't seen her smile in such a long time.

Unfortunately, that would be the last time he saw that smile. A few days later Izuku was sitting beside his mother's bed when she spoke up.

"I love you, Sirin," His mother whispered as she lay on her bed. The machines plugged into her were humming softly. "Don't be sad," She softly spoke as she held her child's hand.

"Promise me, that you'll take care of yourself," She smiled at them. The machine beeping started to falter. They could feel her grip start to fade away.

"Live well,"

"Sirin."

The machines dimmed.

Mama was dead.

"MOM!" Izuku yelled as he shot up once more. Tears were streaming down his eyes. "MOM!" He called again as he tried to move but someone was holding him in place. "Mom, Mom…." He kept repeating.

"Easy there….easy Izuku, it's alright." A soft voice tried to soothe him. He could feel someone holding him, hugging him as tears kept streaming down his face. As he was held in place, slowly he calmed down. That's when he noticed who was holding him.

"Drifter?" He asked weakly. "Where's mom?"

"She's alright, Izuku," Drifter assured. "Your mom's alright,"

"But I…she was…." Izuku stammered.

"That wasn't…. your mom," Drifter told him.

"Not my…wait…" Suddenly everything started to click in place. "Wait…was that…. Void's memories?"

"Yeah," Drifter answered. "Those were her memories."

"Her mom…." Izuku trailed off. "Is she?"

"I'm afraid so. She's been dead for many years now, at least 2 maybe 3 decades in Void's lifetime, give or take a few years." Drifter sighed.

"How old was she?" Izuku wondered.

"Barely double digits," Drifter answered. "As far as I can tell, she has little to no memory of her father, with only her mother's memories being the only thing she can remember from her previous life beyond…you know."

"I didn't know," Izuku told her. "I just…I never really thought…"

"Yeah…I know. It's hard to imagine her in such a position after you see her as…well a Herrscher." Drifter sighed.

"It felt so real," Izuku noted. "Like I was actually there. I couldn't even remember who I was. I thought... I thought her life was my own. I thought…I thought mom had actually…" He trailed off.

"You weren't just exposed to her memories; you were also exposed to the emotions attached to them," Drifter explained. "We often attribute certain feelings to our memories, good or bad. The death of a loved one…it's something that stays with you and the more important they are to you…the bigger the hole is left when they go."

"She was her world," Izuku noted. "And when she died…"

"It didn't get better," Drifter answered. "Her mom's death was only the beginning of her tragic tale."

"…." Izuku didn't say anything. His gaze turned to the tower once more.

"If you want to stop…." Drifter trailed off.

"No. I need to see this through." Izuku told her. "Send me back in," He requested.

"If you insist." The older girl responded. "Just try and brace yourself. These next ones…they are a lot worse," She warned.

"Here's your order." Firefly greeted as she placed the dish in front of Void. "I hope it will set your taste buds ablaze." She smiled.

"Thank you," Void told her as she dug in. Much to her delight the food was actually very good. The spice was just right. Suffice it to say the Herrscher was so into the food she hadn't even noticed when someone else walked into the diner until the waitress spoke up.

"Working late again, Yagi," The older waitress teased as a blonde-haired skeleton of a man entered. Void's ears perked up as she turned to see none other All Might himself enter the diner in his frail form.

"Ah, you know me, Kafka, work just doesn't care about sleep," All Might spoke to the woman. "Just give me the usual," He told her as he walked to take a seat.

Void, still with some fries in her mouth, turned back to her dish and kept her head down. He hadn't seen her in her disguise, and she doubted he'd expect to see her in some dingy old diner of all things.

Just as she expected, All Might walked past her. Although for the briefest of moments he stopped, before glancing around. His eyes fell on her and for a moment she considered phasing out right away but stilled her hand. He merely shrugged before turning back and finding his table.

"Oh great," Void thought. As if the night couldn't get any more bothersome. An alarm went off. "Fudge,"

The Herrscher perked up as a window was heard breaking outside. She glanced out noticing a robbery taking place. She cast a glance at All Might noticing him staring at the scene while clutching his side. "He's out of time," Void realized. That was disappointing…it meant he wasn't going to get involved. Or would he?

"Alright, yes, they are in a black car and just headed up the street," Kafka said as she spoke on the phone. "Alright, thank you." She hung up. "Cops are already on it," She told them.

"That was fast." All Might said.

"I ought to be…that's where my kids work." She explained. "Luckily they were closed, otherwise…well…" Void said nothing, merely continuing to eat her meal. She didn't have the energy to deal with this anymore.

When Izuku came to he was back in the village. He had just finished visiting his mom's grave and was just heading home when he saw it. There were several strange men in the plaza. "What's going on?" He thought.

He blinked. One moment they were in the plaza the next thing he knew they had surrounded him. He tried to flee but the men grabbed him and threw him into the truck. He watched as the doors closed, trapping him inside. As he tried to open the doors he could hear the truck drive off. The village slowly faded away into the distance as rode further and further away.

When the door finally reopened, it wasn't to a warm village like the one Izuku had known. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a cold unfeeling tower, standing right before him.

The strange men came and pulled him out of the truck along with several others. They were ushered inside. Their hands were chained, and the clothes they had were taken or stripped away as the people present made him and the others wear hospital gowns.

As they walked Izuku could see numerous cells, in the tower. At first, he expected to see animals in there or even monsters, however, when he passed by one cell he saw them. Kids, their children older than him, younger than him, of all ages locked inside. Many of them were wrapped in bandages, some with just a single wrap while others looked completely mummified.

He saw one person who was in the middle of being wrapped, they turned to face him, their face exposed. A glowing eye looked at him, with several pulsing purple veins marred across a part of their face. Izuku jumped back as the person stared at him.

"Don't worry, it's all for the Greater Good," A voice whispered behind Izuku.

The next thing the boy knew…he was on an operating table, all his limbs restrained. He could do nothing but look up at the lamp shining on his face as he felt the coldness of the metal behind his back. The only sound he could hear was that of the instruments shifting in the tray beside him as a person…no a monster loomed over him.

"Let me go," He pleaded. His hair was already on edge. He didn't know what they were going to do but he doubted it would be pleasant.

"I'm afraid that's not possible dear. We're doing this for the Greater Good of Humanity." The Doctor said. "If we stop…think about all the people who would suffer."

"Please," He pleaded. The Doctor didn't respond, instead, he jammed a needle into Izuku's arm. Almost immediately his body was set ablaze as something was forced into him.

"AHHHHHHHH!" He screamed. His veins had been filled with lava or something…the pain… was unbearable. Izuku blacked out.

Once she was finished the Herrscher paid for food, bought a soda, and then headed outside of the café. Suffice it to say the police were already around the area. She had expected All Might would have gone to check on him, so she'd put some distance between herself and them.

"Excuse me Miss…" A familiar voice spoke. She turned half irritated to see All Might approaching her. She had half of a mind to not entertain him but she couldn't exactly flee without drawing suspicion to herself.

"What?" She snarled as the hero approached.

"You forgot your change." He said as he stopped before to catch his breath. Void raised an eyebrow.

"I paid exact." She said suspiciously.

"Oh well…um…"All Might stammered.

"What do you want, you buffoon?" She asked wearily.

"Oh well…I couldn't help but notice you have these…lines on your skin." He gestured to her neck. The Herrscher's eyes widen as she subconsciously touches her neck. She had forgotten that their body was still corrupted from the excess power used earlier.

"So…it's a tattoo…what about it?" She dismissed.

"Miss. I believe we both know that it isn't a tattoo." All Might said. "A friend of mine has been investigating this matter. I know it's an infection." He told her.

"Your point?"

"Look…it seems like you are not too far gone, I'm sure if you come with me we can get you treated." All Might explained.

Oh, not this load of bullcrap. The Herrscher sighed. She was beyond annoyed now. "I'll pass." The Herrscher said as she let some of her power echo through her voice as she pulled her hood off. They were sufficiently far away, and she really had no idea how else to get him to leave her alone.

"HERRSCHER?" All Might gasped as he jumped back. She didn't let him move too far though. She grabbed his collar and shushed him.

"Now now…All Might, don't go blabbering with your big mouth." She warned. She could see his eyes widen with fear. Oh yes, no one was supposed to know that secret…how fortunate she did. "I may be tired, but I can still do damage if you provoke me."

"You…" He scowled but kept silent. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"Same as you, I got hungry," Void answered. "You don't really feel like cooking after a big battle."

"You attacked Endeavor." He growled.

"No… he attacked me first." She corrected. "It was self-defense."

"Self-defense? You literally sent a spear up his…"

"Well, I was cooked alive twice, I wasn't exactly feeling merciful," She corrected. "Besides I thought you would be thanking me. Endeavor notwithstanding, I did your job and saved those people." She gloated. She didn't actually want any thanks, but it would still please her to twist a proverbial knife in All Might's gut.

"What?…" All Might froze as he realized what he meant. "Wait a second…did you actually try to save those people?"

"It wasn't by choice. Those pests came into my territory. So, I figured I'd send a message so no other two-bit mook would come. It just so happened that the old hothead didn't realize it. He picked a fight with me and attacked from behind. I fought back and won." Void explained. She left out all the unpleasant parts with Izuku of course.

"I see," All Might stopped. He then took another look at Herrscher, he analyzed her. Seeing as he had nothing else to say, the Herrscher decided to take her leave. "Wait." He called out.

"What now?"

"What do you know about the Honkai?" All Might asked. This caused Void to freeze. She turned to him with her eyes focused on the hero and nothing else.

"Who told you about that?" She asked.

"So, you know." All Might realize.

"Who told you about the Honkai?" She repeated.

"Like I said…an associate has been investigating it." All Might responded. "People are being infected with it and the results all end the same. They turn into mindless husks of themselves." He explained. Wait now that he thought about it. The characteristics of those infected definitely seemed to match the Herrscher, pale skin, white hair, and glowing amber eyes.

"Oh, so it's only made zombies," The Herrscher sighed. "Go figure,"

"What do you know, Herrscher? Are you the cause of it? Did you make the Honkai?"

"Haha," Void laughed. "Me? Make the Honkai? Are you that dumb?" She laughed some more. "I didn't make the Honkai…it made me." She explained.

"What?"

"The Honkai is a force beyond human comprehension, an entity that exists beyond both you and I." She explained. "Think of it…like a God," She explained. "One that sees humanity as a mistake because of the evil they do." She told All Might.

"A mistake?" All Might said. "What do you mean by mistake?"

"I don't think I need to spell it out. The world is an ugly place…and the Honkai seeks to rid the world of that ugliness." She explained. "I'm sure as a 'hero' you've seen the vilest that humanity can offer."

All for One was the first thought that crossed the hero's mind.

"See…I can tell you have." Void told him. "So, the Honkai seeks to purge it, either by wiping them out slowly…or…by sending people like me, who have seen the evil firsthand." She explained. "Well…I've entertained you enough." Void told him. "Goodbye."

She ducked into an alley and immediately warped herself away before All Might even realized it. The hero was still stuck trying to process everything he had witnessed and make sense of any of it.

Days faded into weeks and weeks into months. Izuku lost count. He didn't know how long he was here. He couldn't even tell time anymore. When was the last time he even saw the sun? When he thought about the sun, the only thing that came to mind was the lamp in the lab.

He glanced down at his arms, noticing the bandages that had covered them. What did they look like before? He wondered. Suddenly the door opened and before him, another girl was thrown in. Wait…he knew that girl.

"Bella!" He gasped in horror as he ran over to the barely conscious girl. He held her up. Her eyes were glazed over. "BELLA!" He called as he tried to shake her alive.

Bella's eyes flickered as she came to her. Her eyes focused on Izuku. That's when life returned to her body.

"THE PAIN!" Was Bella's first words as she grabbed Izuku by the collar. "ITS KILLING ME FROM INSIDE, SIRIN!" She screamed.

"DON'T LET THEM PUT ANY MORE IN YOU…DON'T LET THEM!" Bella repeated. However, as she spoke her voice became weaker. "Don't…" she trailed off as her body fell limp in Sirin's arms.

"Bella? BELLA?" Izuku screamed as hugged the girl. He pressed his head against her chest. His eyes widened, and her heart had stopped beating. "BELLA!" He screamed once more frantically trying to wake her up.

"DON'T, DON'T LEAVE ME BELLA!" He pleaded.

That's when the door opened once more. The monsters returned. Izuku tried to keep Bella safe in his arms but they yanked her away. He tried to grab her back but they pushed him down. "The Subject expired at 2312 hours," The monster said. "This batch is too weak, they're dropping like flies." They complained as they dragged her body out.

"NO, DON'T TAKE BELLA AWAY!" Izuku pleaded but his words fell on deaf ears. He was left alone, crying, sobbing on his knees as he watched his friend go, just like many others.

He wanted someone to save them, he pleaded for someone to save them, but no one came. Why would anyone come though? This was all for humanity's benefit. Still, there was one other person he could turn to…someone else."

"God," He prayed. "If you can hear me…please give me power," He asked.

And God answered.

Izuku was awoken once more. This time he was lying down. He blinked as he noticed something obscuring his vision. "Where?"

"You're outside now," Drifter said as she stroked his head. That's when Izuku put two and two together. He was lying on Drifter's lap which meant what he was seeing was. He blushed as he immediately sat up. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked.

"Yeah…I'm…that was…" Izuku couldn't form the words. He subconsciously started to rub his arms, hiding them behind his back as he turned to face Drifter.

"Awful," Drifter finished.

"It was hell," Izuku told her. "I can't think of anything else. All those children…and those…monsters." He couldn't even call them people.

"So you understand where hatred comes from…her anger?" Drifter questioned.

"They were tortured." Izuku gasped. He looked at Drifter seeing a somber expression on her face.

"They were." Drifter agreed. "I don't know how many, maybe a hundred, maybe a thousand it could be more for all we know. All subjected to those…experiments, used and discarded,"

"All for the greater good of humanity," Izuku spat. The words felt awful in his mouth. He felt like puking just saying it.

"Yes," Drifter answered. She eyed him curiously. "How do you feel?"

"What kind of question is that?" He asked. He felt horrified, knowing that such things were possible. That people would do such things and claim it was for everyone's sake. That it was a necessity.

"Do you still want to be a hero?" Drifter asked. "Do you still want to save people…save humans?" She questioned.

"I…well yes," Izuku answered. "If anything…I want to save them now more than ever. Back there….those kids…they needed someone…." He trailed off. "I needed someone."

"That's good." Drifter sighed. "You haven't lost sight," She smiled.

"Lost sight?" Izuku repeated.

"When you were exposed to the memories, you lived them as the Herrscher did. As far as Void is concerned, those memories are the foundation for her views on humanity, it's why she so readily chooses to destroy them."

"I don't blame her," Izuku said. "but…I still don't support her decision." He admitted. "I understand it…but…"

"You don't agree." Drifter finished. "That's a fair takeaway from this," Drifter said.

"So is there more?" Izuku wondered.

"There is, but I think it's best for you to refrain from deep diving anymore," Drifter told him. "You might not know it, but you've spent only a few hours inside there," Drifter explained.

"Wait…a few hours? I thought…"

"Time moves differently and our memories can stretch or compress it," Drifter explained. "What you experienced was more akin to the emotional highs and lows she felt."

"I don't think I'd call any of those highs." Izuku deadpanned.

"Fair point," Drifter said. "For now I think it's best for you to avoid any further memory viewing." She warned. "The more you experience the more blurry the line will become between you and her."

"I…I still can't wrap my head around it." Izuku said.

"I will warn you might experience some side effects to this later," Drifter warned.

"Huh?"

"Look behind you," Drifter urged.

Izuku did as he was told turning around. Almost immediately he panicked. Before him was none other than Babylon Tower. He instinctively ran away, grabbing Drifter and pulling her as he tried to escape into the forest. Drifter however stopped him.

"We have to get away," Izuku told her but Drifter didn't budge. She held him in place and turned him away from the tower.

"Easy," She soothed. "Easy…. don't look at the tower, just focus on me," She told him.

"But…." his words died in his throat as he looked into Drifter's eyes. A sense of calmness washed over him. He was confused, why did he suddenly feel so afraid? He hadn't been so before. That's when it clicked. He had taken Void's memories and felt her experiences…that Tower….it terrified her and no it did so to him.

"You wanted to understand her. Looks like your wish is granted." Drifter said.

"So what now?"

"Now you return to the waking world," Drifter told him. "There is nothing else to do now,"

"So Void has returned?"

"She's here but I don't think it's time yet for you to approach her," Drifter said. "You still need time to properly adjust to the info you received." Izuku wanted to say something but held his tongue, she was right. Both he and Void did need time.

"Alright," Izuku answered. "I'll see you later." He told her as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Soon his body dissolved as he returned to the waking world. Drifter smiled as she saw him lead off.

Once she was sure he was gone, Drifter let out a sigh of relief. She turned to face her other guest and was promptly met with a fist to the face. She staggered back as she saw her attacker, a very pissed-off Herrscher of the Void.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Void screamed as she summoned hundreds of lances.

Chapter Text

When Izuku came to he was in his room. He sat up and looked around, not really noticing much had changed. Getting out of bed he didn't feel all too different, he made his way out and into the living room. For the most part, it sounded like his mother was still asleep.

"Mama," Izuku repeated. It wasn't how he addressed her yet at the same time it didn't necessarily feel wrong when the words rolled off his tongue. He made his way over to the pantry. He was going to make a nice breakfast for him and his mom.

As he looked around for the ingredients, Izuku stopped by the cup noodle stash. He spared it a glance, noticing that the note was missing but that the number of cup noodles remained the same. He assumed Void had gotten the note but whether she read it or not was a different story. He had hoped she did, but if she didn't he'd just have to write another one.

A few minutes later he was making pancakes when his mom came out of her bedroom. "What smells so good?" Inko wondered. She was immediately pulled into a hug by her son. "Huh, Izuku," Inko noted as she felt her son wrap his arms around her. "What's gotten into you?" Inko questioned.

"Nothing…I was just really grateful to still have you in my life." Izuku smiled at her as he wiped his tears. "Come on, I made us breakfast. Let's eat." He told her.

"Are you still worried about yesterday? I told you I'm fine." Inko told Izuku.

"Yeah…I know…but still. That scare yesterday…it put a lot of stuff into perspective for me." Izuku told her. "Not just about you, but about myself…and well and Sirin," Izuku added.

"She still hasn't talked to you." Inko wondered.

"I left her a letter, but I think it's too soon," Izuku explained. "I think I need more than just words to fix what I did," he said somberly.

"Like what?" Inko wondered.

"I don't know. The first thing that comes to mind is bettering myself." Izuku said.

"Bettering yourself for someone else isn't the answer Izuku," Inko noted.

"No…this one isn't for her. I want to better myself for me. When we…fought. She made it clear what she thought of me and in all honestly….she was right." Izuku said softly.

"Wait…what did she say?" Inko asked curiously. Did Sirin say something to hurt her baby?

"It was nothing bad," Izuku assured her. "She's told me before of many things. Like how I simply dreamed of being a hero instead of working towards it by learning to fight or exercise. Or she called me out for being naïve in thinking heroism is only about quirks and what the media says." Izuku pointed out.

"I see." Inko pondered. "She seems to have a very mature approach to the topic," Inko noted.

"She's had bad experiences with people who were supposed to be heroes," Inko mentioned. "That's all I can say, but it's helped me realize that the idea I had for what a hero should be…wasn't what they needed to be."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Inko said.

"I just wished I understood her sooner," Izuku said. "She's been through so much…and I didn't mean to make it worse." He somberly said.

"Give it time, Izuku," Inko said. "Time heals all wounds." She smiled. "It will get better."

"Yeah," Izuku answered. He then went to take a nice sip of the cool and refreshing, freshly squeezed orange juice he made.

"Oh…by the way, Mitsuki and Katsuki are going to be visiting later," Inko added. "I talked to them earlier before I came out." She smiled.

Izuku then immediately spit out all his orange juice.

"How dare you!" Void screamed as she launched the lances at Drifter. The other girl scurried back, dodging the lances as the Herrscher kept throwing them at her one after the other.

Drifter summoned a flaming sword in her hand as she managed to land upright. She used the blade to deflect or destroy any remaining lances. "Now Void…I can explain," She said in defense as she tried to calm the Herrscher down. It was not working.

"JUST DIE!" Void told her as she went with a good old fashion lunge attack. The Herrscher wrestled the sword out of her hand, throwing it to the side as they went tumbling down.

"Come on," Drifter said as she managed to right herself on top of the Herrscher. "Why are you so mad? You already told him about your past." She reasoned. The Herrscher grabbed her hair and pulled her to the side. The duo once more rolled down the hill.

"You had no right," Void told her. "If I wanted to show him, I would have done so weeks ago." She spat as she punched Drifter in the face.

"Hmph," Drifter grunted as she managed to catch the punch. "I don't see what's the problem. You wanted him to understand. You wanted him to see just how messed up humanity is." She argued. "Now that he has, you're angry about it." Drifter scowled.

Void threw another punch but Drifter caught this one as well. The Herrscher wasn't done though and headbutted her other half. Drfiter staggered back rubbing her head in surprise at the Herrscher's actions. She then glanced at the Herrscher who was still seething. That's when Drifter had a realization.

"Wait a second…you're not mad because he knows." She realized. "You're mad because of how he learned it," she noted. Void's eyes widened slightly and that was all the confirmation Drifter needed.

"Haha…that's unbelievable." Drifter laughed. Void clocked her in the head once more but Drifter didn't bother. "To think that's why you're angry now."

"I'm not angry about that." Void dismissed. "I could care less about what he knows or doesn't know."

"Really…then what are you mad about?" Drifter asked, doubtful of the answers Void might give.

"I'm mad because even after Sirin killed them, you're still letting them hurt other people," Void told her. "Those monsters are dead. They are gone. They can't hurt anyone else. Yet you still managed to use them, they still somehow were able to hurt someone else." Void growled as she glared at Kopiana.

"Hey…I did it to help you….I did it…for…"

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Void told her. Drifter closed her mouth. She decided it was best not to continue antagonizing the Herrscher. After a while, Void seemed to ease up as she didn't try to waste Kiana anymore. Instead, she opted to insult her and resort to name-calling.

"Honestly, you're just as idiotic as the real one. Always trying to be 'good and helpful' yet always playing into Schiskal's lies and traps." Void scowled.

"So, you do admit your care," Drifter said smugly. Void glared at her, but Drifter merely held up her hands in defense. "Well, what do you call wanting to stop him from experiencing the same pain you felt?" She asked.

"Whether I care about Izuku or not is irrelevant," Void told her. "All I know is that what happened in Babylon, should never happen again. Even if I despise my enemies, there are very few who deserve that fate," Void told her.

"Last I check you shoved a lance up a guy's…"

"I make it quick and painless, if people want to struggle to fight me and keep going then that's on them. I'll prolong it if I hate them, but I won't go as far as Babylon did. I'm better than them." Void told her.

"And Izuku?" Drifter asked.

"What about him?" Void responded.

Drifter sighed. "Do you really believe you don't care about him?" Drifter asked. "I'm telling you right now. That punch to the face…definitely felt like it was more out of protective instinct than it was pure hate for using your past." Drifter explained.

"You can believe what you want." Void scowled. "Izuku betrayed us…he betrayed me." She told Drifter. "I don't think I have much else to say to that." She added as she turned to walk away.

"Why are you always so stubborn," Drifter sighed.

"Wait…really?" Nezu gaped in disbelief. He was also joined by David Shield who was appearing on a video call with the Principal of UA and the World's Symbol of Peace. "She really said that."

"I'm skeptical about it as well." All Might clarified. "But I can't think of anyone else who might have more concrete information. The Herrscher has been intrinsically linked to the Honkai with most of it being assumed to be a byproduct of her powers. That said the fact she outright admits that it's actually the other way around and even scoffs at the notion makes me want to reconsider that idea."

"Are you sure she wouldn't be lying?" David inquired. "I mean it wouldn't be the first time someone lied about their powers or misunderstood them." He noted. All Might tense at the statement knowing all too well that he fell into that category. Nezu luckily noticed this and eased the conversation in a different direction.

"Regardless of whether or not the chicken or the egg came first, the point still stands that Herrscher and the Honkai are linked. If this Honkai is a force of nature…and eldritch being or a God of sorts then that could be problematic of its own." Nezu noted.

"Wait…you can't actually believe this," David questioned. "I mean it sounds like it's a plot out of a video game." He noted. "A wicked God who seeks to end humanity because of our sins."

"Might I remind you, Mr. Shield, it was only a little over 200 years ago that people assumed the same about superheroes, super villains, and superpowers as a whole, and we still don't even have an answer for why quirks exist let alone how they came to be and how they work? Perhaps it's just time to admit that as humans there are forces beyond us." Nezu suggested.

"Still…as a scientist, I don't think I can just accept that answer like this. The Honkai God has declared humanity a problem and seeks to destroy us for our sins." David repeated.

"Perhaps it's not the whole answer." Nezu pondered. "Yagi, did you get any other info from the Herrscher?" Nezu questioned.

"She said the Honkai chose her." All Might explained. "Either it was going to destroy humanity slowly, via the infection…or it would use those who understood the mistake of humanity." He added.

"Hmm…well that could bring an alternative." Nezu rationalized. "Perhaps the Honkai is a cult, an extremist group of individuals dissatisfied with their lot in life." Nezu wondered.

"Now that actually makes sense," David said.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, Mr. Shield." Nezu interrupted. "The Honkai is still a threat posing as a very corruptive substance that affects the health and mental welfare of an individual. Whether it's an actual deity or symptom of the sickness where people hallucinate its voice is still up for debate." Nezu said.

"Which do you believe it is?" All Might questioned.

"Optimistically, I'd like to assume it's the latter…because I have no idea how to even handle the former." He explained. "Still this is a potential lead, so I'd suggest we try to 'meet' the Herrscher to get more answers," Nezu suggested.

"You mean like a trap." David wondered.

"No, a trap implies we can contain her," Nezu said. "Unless you've figured out a way to contain a person who has the ability to just warp out of our restraints and turn intangible, we will do no such thing. By all accounts, if we make her angry at us, it could make our situation worse." Nezu said.

"So then what do you propose?" All Might questioned.

"A simple meeting would suffice. If we can find her and talk to her as normal." Nezu noted.

"Um…Principal you know we don't exactly have much leads on locating her."

"I wouldn't say that. She ate at the diner. I'm sure there must be a camera feed that could give us a clear shot of her in her disguise, and considering she's made that area her 'territory' I'm sure she must have been around town. There is bound to be a local or two who might have seen her disguised form." Nezu noted.

"Looks like I'll be heading back to Musutafu." All Might sighed. "I'll check with Truman and see if he has any leads. He's working the area for the time being."

"Good…" Nezu answered.

Izuku was tense. How could he not be? Kachaan….no…Katsuki was coming over. He still remembered what happened last time. He remembered how Katsuki had beaten him, and how Void had defended him. "Void," Izuku whispered to himself. She had yet to return.

"No," He shouldn't be thinking that. He needed to stick up for himself. He had recalled just how pathetic he had been before her. He didn't even try to fight back, to stand his ground against Katsuki's bullying, instead he…just stood there and took it.

It was going to be different now. He was going to show Bakugo he wasn't going to be his punching bag. Yes…today was the day.

"HEY OPEN THE DOOR DEKU!" Katsuki screamed.

"YOU DAMN BRAT! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE A SCENE!" Mitsuki scolded her son.

"It sounds like they are here." Inko smiled as she walked over and opened the door before they stood Mitsuki and Katsuki, the latter rubbing his ears, no doubt from the former's scolding. "Welcome to our home." Inko greeted.

Izuku sighed. They hadn't finished preparing dinner. Fortunately, or unfortunately from Izuku's perspective, Mitsuki didn't mind, so she offered to help Inko finish while Katsuki and Izuku just relaxed in Izuku's room. Yeah…sure. So now Izuku was inside his room, with his bully.

"You know I got an All Might autograph on." Bakugo bragged. He had gotten it from when the pro had visited him in the hospital. Not that the latter detail needed to be known.

"Huh," Izuku said as he sat by his computer. He was trying his best to tune out Bakugo.

"Hey are you listening to me you dumb Deku," Bakugo grumbled as he tossed a crumple paper ball at him. He had gotten the page from one of Deku's notebooks…so it was probably trash either way.

"Sorry, I was distracted," Izuku told him as he glanced at the screen. Call it a bad habit but he was rewatching the fight between Endeavor and Void, he had wanted to see just how it ended. Sure, he knew Void won but he knew it didn't come without a cost.

Bakugo made his way over to the side of Izuku's desk. He looked over his shoulder watching the video. "Tch…that's a stupid fight anyway. That dumb girl just got lucky." He scoffed.

"She beat the number 2 hero; I doubt it was all luck," Izuku spoke under his breath.

"Whatever…Endeavor's still only number 2. I'm sure if there were more actual heroes around, she wouldn't even stand a chance." Katsuki said. "Still…that fight had one of the most moments I ever saw." He told Izuku as he pushed his hands forward and grabbed the keyboard and mouse.

"Hey, what are you…." Izuku tried to stop him but he had already finished.

"Here…the best part of the video." Katsuki smiled as he played the video.

Izuku looked at the screen. He had brushed over it before not wanting to relive it but it looked like Bakugo had the opposite idea. Izuku watched as Void was incinerated by Endeavor, not once but twice. The first time while less fiery was in no way any less painful…but the second time.

"AHHHH!" Her screams echoed in the video, much to Bakugo's delight.

"Serves her right." He told Izuku as he laughed at the clip. Izuku glared at Bakugo, gritting his teeth. "Here let's watch it again," Katsuki said. Izuku would have none of it.

"No," Izuku said as he shoved Bakugo. He wasn't going to watch his only friend suffer again, much less due to his bully's desire to delight in it.

"The hell," Bakugo swore. "What's your problem Deku?" He growled as his palms shook, small sparks flickered in them.

"You are…" Izuku answered his body shaky, but he held strong. "You're my problem, you've always been my problem," Izuku told him. "Always bullying me, and mocking me for it and I won't let you laugh and mock anyone else."

"Laugh and mock anyone else," Katsuki said in disbelief. "I was mocking a villain." He told Izuku.

"Doesn't matter if she was a villain or not. She's still a person." Izuku told him. "Besides…that never stopped you from mocking me or anyone else." He stared at his bully.

"Heh…really…in case you forgot. I deserve to mock her. After all, she attacked me. She deserved whatever pain she got from fighting Endeavor." Bakugo told him. "I'd argue she deserves even more than that." He told Izuku.

That was it. Izuku tried to throw a punch but Katsuki caught it, twisting Izuku's wrist and slamming him down on the table. "Seriously, you're fighting me because I insulted that whore." Bakugo said. "What is wrong with you?" He questioned.

"She attacked a hero like Endeavor, but more importantly she attacked a would-be hero like me. She damaged my quirk, Izuku." Katsuki hissed. "Don't you get it, because of her it's now going to be even harder for me to become a hero. She messed up my chances." He told Deku. "But what would a quirkless deku know about that," Bakugo said as he pushed Izuku onto the floor.

Izuku picked himself up, looking at Bakugo's angered expression. He looked at him dead in the eyes.

"I know you deserved it," Izuku said.

"What did you say?" Katsuki growled. "What did you say you quirkless nobody?"

"You heard me," Izuku responded. "You deserved it." He lifted his fists up. Bakugo lunged at him, ready to throw a right hook but Izuku caught it and flipped him over, slamming him on the ground. "You always abused your power. Always used it to bully me and others." Izuku yelled at him. "That's not what a hero does, a hero doesn't abuse their powers like that," Izuku told him.

"It's my power Deku," Bakugo said. "I can use it how I want." He stood up. "Who are you to judge if I'm a hero or not."

"A nobody, but even a nobody can see you're nothing more than a bully," Izuku responded. This time Bakugo didn't rely on his quirk. He punched Izuku right in the face. Izuku staggered back, knocking over his box with baseball bats.

"You really feel you can talk down to me. My power's weaker but it's not gonna, I'm still 100 times the person you'll ever be." Bakugo said as he struck Izuku again. Izuku stumbled to the floor as Bakugo hit him again. He slipped on the bat and fell on his knees before Bakugo. "You're nothing but a worthless Deku, always have been and you always will be," Bakugo growled.

Izuku looked up to see Katsuki's eyes staring at him. He felt terrified, but he wasn't going to let up here.

"No…I'm not." Izuku said as his fingers gripped one of the bats. He swung it up with all his might. Katsuki couldn't react as the bat struck him. "I may not have a quirk but that doesn't mean you can just do what you want with me," Izuku said as he brandished the bat. "You're not a hero Katsuki. You never were. You know what you are..." Izuku told him. "A bully," Izuku said.

"Why you," Bakugo lunged once more as Izuku readied his bat, both of them ready to fight once more.

"WHAT'S THAT RACKET?" Mitsuki's voice echoed outside. Instinctively Bakugo moved his hands behind his back. Izuku meanwhile wasn't so quick. He froze. The door opened to show Inko and Mitsuki looking inside, one looking concerned while the other looked ready to explode. "What the?" Mitsuki gasped.

"What happened to you two?" Inko asked as she noticed the bruises on the two boys.

"Nothing." Izuku and Katsuki said as they looked away.

"We were just…" Izuku trailed off as he fidgeted with his hands, waiting for his hands. Izuku's eyes widened as he realized the bat had disappeared from his hands.

"Sparring." Bakugo finished.

"Sparring?" Both moms asked.

"Yeah…the little dweeb wanted to spar so I said we can go a few rounds," Katsuki said as he cast a side glance at Izuku. Izuku forgot about the disappearing bat as he glanced back at Katsuki.

"Of course, as if he would actually admit I could fight back." Izuku thought. "Still, I only have issues with him…not Mitsuki…no sense ruining mom's friendship with her over this." Izuku thought. He'd play along with Bakugo…but this would be the last time.

"Well, if you two are done roughhousing, dinner is ready," Mitsuki told them. "Go and get cleaned up."

"Yes, ma'am." Both boys said. Not sensing anything that might warrant further discussion, both parents left. Leaving the two boys in the room once more. Izuku felt a weight in his hands as the bat reappeared, almost immediately he turned to see Katsuki squaring him up with his palms open ready to fight.

Izuku gripped the bat once more, however a smile formed as he pieced two and two together. He felt even more assured now as he tightened his hold and held it towards Katsuki.

"Tch…" Katsuki scoffed as he closed his palms. He then turned and walked towards the door. "Don't get a big head Deku, next time you won't be so lucky, Mom won't be able to save you," He told Izuku as he walked out. "Loser,"

Izuku watched as Katsuki left. Once he was sure the door was closed and Katsuki had left, he dropped the bat almost immediately. He rushed to the door, locking it as he turned and leaned back against it, sliding down to the floor. He let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding.

He had done it. He stood up to Bakugo. Izuku couldn't believe it. He smiled as he looked up. "I did it Void." He whispered. He hoped she would respond.

She didn't.

Well…he would still take this win for now. He glanced at the bat in his hand. The bat that had disappeared and then reappeared. He hugged it, silly as it may sound, before putting it in the box with all the others and placing it back on the desk.

"Well, would you look at that?" Drifter smiled. "Seems someone isn't a total pushover after all." She smirked as she looked at Void. She noticed the small smile tugging on the Herrscher's lips. "And it seems someone is happy about it too."

Void quickly scowled as she turned her face away. "So what?" Void dismissed.

"That was really sweet of you," Drifter said.

"I just wanted to ensure no issues with my vessel." Void dismissed.

"Yeah sure, you did," Drifter smirked. "Sure, you did. Just admit it…you care."

"No, I don't," Void said vehemently. "I don't care about that traitor. He still hurt me;" She said adamantly.

"Really?" Drifter deadpanned. "Don't you think you're being ridiculous?"

"You don't believe me?" Void growled at her.

"I believe Izuku screwed up. I believe he did so royally. That said…I know you…and I'm sure you ought to have given him a good reason." Drifter said.

"Fine then…let's go," Void told her. "I'll prove to you why I can't forgive him."

Chapter Text

"Here we are," Void said as she touched the memory. The world around them rippled as it transformed from the messy plane of the mindscape, into a more organized area. The duo was back in the city, a copy of Void was to their left and Endeavor was to the right. "This is where he betrayed us," She explained.

Drifter glanced at the scene before with skeptical eyes. She watched as the fight played out as it did. Endeavor blindsided them, Void noticed then she engaged. The fight between them escalated and Endeavor's sidekick soon appeared. Then finally the copy had enough. Endeavor and his sidekick were pressed on the ground and Void had summoned numerous lances, all of them ready to strike.

Yet when she launched them.

"GAH!" the copy screamed, clutching her head. The lances all glitched out of existence.

"I had them right where I wanted them, and he stopped me," Void explained to Drifter who simply stared at the scene before her. "But that wasn't the end..." She hissed.

The scene continued to play out. While the copy was distracted, Endeavour stood up and then channeled all his power. "PROMINENCE BURN!"

The copy summoned a portal to redirect the flames…however, the portal fizzled out. The Herrscher was exposed to the full brunt of the attack. Drifter winced as she saw the now charred Herrscher fall to the ground.

"See," Void spoke as she looked at her charred body. She rubbed her arms subconsciously trying to soothe whatever memories came with it. "It was his fault."

Drifter sighed at the sight of it. "I don't blame you for hating him for this." She admitted. It was not good to expect anyone who suffered to be open to the one who caused it. Still….

"It was an accident," Drifter told her.

"An accident….AN ACCIDENT!" Void growled as she walked up to Drifter, yelling straight in her face. "HOW IS THIS AN ACCIDENT?"

"He didn't want me to hurt the heroes, so he let me get hurt instead." She added.

Drifter didn't flinch at her words. She merely turned around and looked back at the memory. "You never told him how he affected your powers," Drifter explained. Void's eyes widened slightly before she turned to look back at the memory. "Every time his emotions and desires tried to affect you, you played it off and pretended they didn't. As far as he knows…you gave him an illusion that nothing he did could affect you and you would only act because he…. convinced you," Drifter explained.

"So…" was all Void could say. "He still picked them over me. They attacked me first. I saved those people at his behest and then got ambushed by them." She added. "He should have had my back, especially since I was only out because he wanted me to help," She argued.

"I won't deny that," Drifter told her. "He should have had your back, but you forced his hand just the same,"

"Oh please, because I was going to beat those heroes,"Void scoffed. It was just like Kiana all over again. Void wanted to kill the organizations that had hurt Sirin and enabled Babylon, with their Valks and whatnot, and Kiana didn't because she had been brainwashed and allied with them.

"No…because of this," Drifter said as she brought back up the section with Void preparing the lances. "Look closer and tell me…who else is here," Drifter spoke.

Void glanced around noticing Endeavor and his sidekick and the other heroes. "The Heroes…" She answered.

"Look closer," Drifter said. "Who's standing behind them?"

Void starred once more. She furrowed her brows when she saw it. "Humans," Void whispered.

"What?" Drifter asked. "I didn't hear you."

"I said HUMANS," Void answered.

"Innocent humans, humans who had nothing to do with your fight," Drifter pointed out.

"They shouldn't have been there watching in the first place." Void retorted. "They should have just left."

"You're right. It was foolish of them, but as it stands not everyone could leave right away, with how much destruction had been caused around the area." Drifter argued.

"Your point…he still picked them over me,"

"No…he picked her." Drifter pointed out as the memory showed one person in particular standing amongst the crowd. It was Inko, Izuku's mom. "She was still in the area," Drifter noted. "She was still within range." She whispered to Void.

"I wouldn't have hit her." Void tried to defend.

"Are you sure about that?" Drifter asked. She snapped her fingers and the scene reappeared with the lances once more. This time instead of glitching out of existence, the lances were allowed to fire. The entire field was littered with them after. "Are you sure you can guess and control where dozens of your lances will go, especially when you were so emotional?" Drifter asked once more.

The two gazed over at where the lances had struck. Before them lay Inko impaled in her stomach. Just above her was another Inko, impaled in her back. The left and right were two more impaled on either side. All around the initial standing point were different Inko Midoriya impaled with Void's lances in different locations.

"Even if you ignore…every other human or hero," Drifter whispered. "His mom was still in the range of your attack. So, tell me…what was he supposed to do."

"He was…." Void started but she couldn't bring herself to finish it. She knew what she wanted to say but she also knew…despite everything it was not the right answer.

"Go on…say it," Drifter told her.

"Why does it matter to you?" Void asked.

"It doesn't, but it matters to you." Drifter motioned. "You are the Herrscher of the Void, the big bad Queen of the Honkai, the Destroyer of Humanity," Drifter said. "Something as easy as this sentence should be no problem for you."

"You know the answer," Void said.

"Perhaps…but I just want to be sure," Drifter said. "After all…I could be wrong. You are the embodiment of trauma, the manifestation of pain and suffering, the desire for revenge. The one who will avenge Sirin's loss." Drifter continued. "You are a being who only knows anger, hatred, and sadness….that is all you act on…right?"

"It…it is…." Void told her but her voice was weaker.

"Then what was Izuku supposed to do? What was he supposed to do when he saw his mom in the blast range? What was he supposed to feel when he saw the most important woman in his life have her own life threatened?" Drifter asked. "Come on….Herrscher…what is the answer a being who only knows pain, loss, and suffering, can give?" Drifter said as her eyes glowed neon blue as she stared directly into the Herrscher's eyes.

"He should have saved her…no matter the cost," Void relented. It's what she would do if it were her mother. The loss of Sirin's mother, the pain felt from that emptiness left behind. Void knew it well. Cecilia left a similar hole…as did Himeko.

"See…you knew the answer deep down," Drifter smiled as her eyes dimmed. "Doesn't it feel better to admit it now?" Drifter asked as she glanced at her other half.

"No…no it doesn't," Void told her. "In fact, I feel even worse now." She admitted as she shivered.

"That's guilt," Drifter told her.

"What?" Void gasped. "Why would I be guilty?"

"Do I really need to tell you?" Drifter deadpanned.

"No," Void admitted. She had gotten angry that Izuku had hurt her and used his heroism and idealism as an excuse. In reality, he had just been trying to protect his mom, and she had no rational reason to be angry with him. She knew what Inko meant to him, and how hurt he would be if he lost her. If Void was in position, she knew she'd do the same.

"Just go kiss and makeup," Drifter told her other half. Void didn't dignify a response, merely fading out as she headed back into the real world. Drifter stared where the Herrscher had been a soft smile on her face.

"Now you're starting to accept…that you are more than just Sirin's desire for revenge,"

"No civilians are allowed," A young man spoke up as he blocked the doorway. All Might glanced at the individual taking note of the tired expression on his face. "I'm a friend," He told the boy as he waved him over.

"That's what they all say," The boy told him. All Might let out a soft chuckle as he glanced the boy over. He definitely was his father's son. The pro hero glanced around making sure none of the cameras were on him or at least not his whole body. He shifted his form briefly going from his small skeletal form to the buff All Might form the public knew before shifting back. "All Might," the boy gasped.

"Believe me now…Young Todoroki," All Might told the boy.

The boy, Shoto, if All Might recalled correctly glanced to the side. He moved out of the doorway to let him pass. "Thank you," He told the young man as he walked inside.

"He's not responsive," Shoto whispered under his breath.

"I see," All Might mused. "Thanks for telling me," All Might told him as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

Shoto scoffed as the door closed. Still, curiosity got the better of him. So he sat a little closer and maybe pressed his ears a little close against the door.

"Oh bother, where do I begin?" All Might wondered as he sat in the chair near his former classmate. "I'd suppose it would be good to ask how you've been…but considering the circumstances….I doubt any response would be pleasant." He mused.

All Might sighed…maybe he could have said it better. "Look I just wanted to let you know that for what it's worth a lot of people…your fans, your friends, and your family and I…they still believe you'll wake up," He told Endeavor. "You're too stubborn to die." He chuckled.

Still….

"Of course when you do wake up that will be another story," All Might admitted. "I never told you this but after my big fight a couple of years ago, things weren't always the same with me. It seems like you also had your own big fight with the Herrscher, so just so you know…if you want to talk…" All Might scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah…good talk," All Might said. "Look I know things haven't exactly been good with your family. First Toya and then Rei, I can't imagine having hard it must have been to handle that and be a hero. So…I'll make you a promise. I'll look after the kids for you…or at least keep an eye out for them. I heard your son is applying for UA, I'm going to be a teacher there soon so you know. I mean I won't play favorites of course that wouldn't be right but…..just wake up soon Enji." All Might said.

With nothing else left to say, All Might left the room. On his way out he found the young Todoroki boy sitting by the door trying his best not to look like he had been eavesdropping. He merely smiled at the boy's naivety before patting him on the head.

"How much did you hear?" He asked Shoto.

"Most of it," Shoto answered, hiding his embarrassment at being caught. "Nothing slips past a pro I guess."

"I've had to learn to keep my fair share of secrets away from prying eyes and ears." All Might told him.

"Like that injury," Shoto wondered.

"Yup…like that injury," All Might said as he lifted his shirt slightly to show Shoto the scar before dropping it back down. "Hero work isn't all the media portrays it. The danger is real and the price we pay is also a big part of it."

"It's hard to see it. Sometimes I swear all some heroes even look for is the "glory", regardless of what damage it does to themselves or others." Shoto answered.

"Yeah…it's an unfortunate reality for us," All Might answered grimly. "Nevertheless we should always try to do what we can to make it better," He told the young boy.

"Yeah…" Shoto answered.

There was a moment of silence between the two. All Might never felt so awkward before in his life. He was unsure what to say to the son of his former classmate.

"I'm sorry about your father," All Might told him after much deliberation on his words.

"He had it coming," Shoto muttered under his breath much to the hero's surprise.

"What?"

"Nothing," Shoto quickly corrected. "I was just thinking about how reckless it was. The Herrscher didn't seem like a threat at the time and he went and escalated things with a strike from behind." Shoto explained. "Isn't rule number 1, never escalate the situation?"

"It is. Always try to de-escalate, talk it down if you can, especially if you aren't in control." All Might explained. "Alas, it's probably the one rule we break more than anything else." All Might admitted. He knew very well he wouldn't even entertain the idea of negotiating when faced with some monsters, especially if he had no incentives like innocent civilians to keep him at bay.

"At least you can admit it," Shoto told him.

"Yeah…I'm going to be going now, I still have some more places to check," All Might said. "You know how it is,"

"Yeah," Shoto told him. "I know,"

Before he left he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Look I meant what I said, if you ever do need anything, anyone to talk to or whatnot, I'm always a phone call away," All Might said as he handed Shoto his card.

"I'll keep it in mind," Shoto said as he put the card away.

"Oh…one more thing, about the celebration tomorrow," All Might noted.

"I'm not going," Shoto told him. "That 'memorial' or whatever they are calling it is nothing worth our time. It's a tribute to Endeavor but it doesn't really seem like something he would attend. Knowing him, he'd probably send Burning or someone else while he actually did other hero work," Shoto noted. "I think Fuyumi might be more interested in attending than me," He added.

"Oh, well…I uh, I was going to say I might not be attending either," All Might laughed nervously.

"Oh…." Shoto answered sheepishly.

Izuku sighed as he started to clean up his room. It wasn't that messy but it was still far less than ideal after Bakugo was here. The rest of the night had been uneventful. His mom and Mitsuki chatted, he and Katsuki didn't and that was it. Katsuki didn't bother him after which he was grateful. He doubted it would last.

Still….

It was a start.

He glanced at the bats he owned. Reaching for the one he had used against Bakugo, Izuku took it out and examined it. It hadn't been damaged much to his relief, nor was there any blood on it, unlike the one from that dream he had. He glanced at the mirror looking at himself as he held the bat. Feeling a little cheeky he held out the bat and gave it some practice swings.

"Ha," He swung. He envisioned the monsters coming as he did and smiled as he swatted them away. He imagined villains coming and Bakugo, as he swung the bat against them to defend any people being attacked.

After a few rounds of playing, he glanced at the bat once more. A soft smile graced his face as he remembered the friend who taught him all the techniques he needed to use.

Suddenly something moved in the corner of his eyes. He looked up at the mirror seeing his reflection once more, only this time it looked like his eyes were Void's. He blinked in disbelief. That's when his reflection changed completely. Before him was none other than the Herrscher.

"Void?" Izuku gasped. She glanced at him with a sad smile, her eyes no longer empty and cold as before. He ran up to meet her, only as he did the person in the mirror morphed back into his reflection. "Void?" He repeated weakly. Was she not just here?

"No…she probably wasn't." He thought dejectedly as he placed the bat back where it belonged and headed to bed. Closing his eyes he tried to focus on returning to the mindscape once more. However he didn't return there, instead, he merely fell asleep, his mind simply falling into the realm of dreams.

Once she was certain Izuku was asleep, the Herrscher manifested herself right beside him. She floated around glancing at the sleeping boy with uncertainty across her face. A hand stretched out to caress her host but she froze not knowing if she should. Sighing to herself the Herrscher didn't make contact with her host, instead fading back into her little corner in his head.

"Back so soon," Drifter noted as she approached the Herrscher. "I presume everything went well,"

"Yeah…everything went swell," Void answered.

"Don't lie to me, you can't lie to yourself Herrscher," Drifter told her aggressive side. "What happened?"

"I was there…I was right there. I had appeared before him for a few seconds and then as I floated there, I didn't know what to do." Void explained. "All I knew was that in the moment….I didn't want to be there." She told Drifter as she paced back and forth.

"Come now, all you gotta do is apologize," Drifter said. "Tell him you overreacted, that in the heat of the moment, you acted irrationally," She continued.

"Tell him…that you were wrong,"

"Wrong…I'm never wrong," Void defended. "I've never been wrong," She added.

"Well there is a first time for everything," Drifter added. "Think of it this way, you were wrong, and you're owning up to it, that's more than most humans will ever do," She tried to appease the Herrscher.

"That's not the issue," Void told her.

"Hmph….what is the issue then?" Drifter asked. "You know what you need to do. You know he misses you and he wants to apologize and earn your forgiveness. What's the challenge now?" Drifter questioned. "What's so wrong in admitting you made a mistake?"

"EVERYTHING!" Void snapped at the other girl. "Everything's wrong with it!" Void told her. "Everything is wrong with it." Her voice whispered weakly.

"In all my existence I have never once doubted myself or my purpose." The Herrscher told Drifter. "It's always been so clear to me. This is what I must do. Every decision I made, I was sure was correct for me, Sirin, and even Kiana." She told Drifter. "Yet now…I'm not so sure,"

"If I was wrong about this…then what else could I be wrong about?" Void wondered.

"I don't think I can answer that without sounding biased," Drifter sighed.

"Gee…that's really helpful," Void snarked.

"Look Herrscher, I don't know if you noticed, but that boy considers you a friend, not to mention his mother also has come to care for you. If you want, you can ignore and throw it all away because of your pride, and a heartless, lonely girl whose only purpose is to bring destruction for the Honkai….or you can put it aside…and have something beyond just the hatred, grief, and trauma Sirin left you." Drifter told her. "It's your choice. Figure out what you want more,"

This time Drifter was the one to leave. She offered all she could to Void and was now annoyed more than anything at the other half's indecisiveness.

"You better have a good excuse for what happened back there," Re-Destro growled through the phone. Overhaul merely rolled his eyes as he looked over the footage of the Herrshcer's fight with the Trigger-enhanced villain, taking notes of what had transpired.

"I don't," Overhaul lied. "Perhaps his quirk didn't agree with Trigger, or perhaps fighting the Herrscher had some sort of side effect," Overhaul explained.

"Do you think you can trick me by blaming the Herrscher," Re-Destro questioned. "You made a bad batch and now one of my followers has lost his quirk. Given your views on quirks….." He trailed off.

"Yet you still thought it fit to hire me to make drugs for your followers to use, even paid me to do so," Overhaul mocked. "Do you really think I would bite the hand that's feeding me?" He questioned.

Re-Destro didn't say anything to respond. Overhaul smirked as he continued to speak noting how he had gotten the man's attention. "Listen Re-Destro, I didn't do it, and whether you believe me or not, I don't care. If you don't want me making Trigger then find another supplier." Overhaul informed. "You'll still run into the same problem regardless,"

"Is that so?" Re-Destro questioned.

"Yes," Overhaul told him. "After all if you continue to have people operate in that area, they'll eventually be dealing with the Herrscher and the infection she brings." Overhaul explained.

"Come again,"

"In case you haven't noticed, the first outing of the Herrscher left Dagobah Beach irradiated, with a strange substance that's been dubbed the Honkai. The Honkai 1st Impact has left that place uninhabitable by most, making many people sick and even spawning strange beasts in its wake. As someone with territory there, I made it my mission to learn more about it." Overhaul explained. "Honkai and quirks don't mix," Overhaul added. "It destroys quirks."

"I see," Re-Destro noted. "And you don't have plans in mind with this Honkai substance,"

"As powerful as it is, it runs the risk of destroying the very territory I seek to control. I don't about you, but I'd never risk using something I can't control."

"There was a Second minor Eruption of Honkai not that long ago by the Herrscher with Endeavor. Though the place is less irradiated, I wouldn't rule it out as being any less dangerous." Overhaul noted. "I can sense you still doubt me, but I'd advise you to look into all the cases around the city with Honkai corrupted victims and tell me if you don't see similarities between them and your fallen follower," Overhaul chided.

"I'll make sure I look into it then," Re-Destro spoke. "But I'd advise you Chisaki, you are still on thin ice. If I find out you've been playing me,"

"You'll kill me, destroy the Shie Hassaki, make the Yakuza go extinct," Overhaul listed off. "Yeah, I know, now go do your homework, I've got my own problems to worry about," The Yakuza leader said as he hung up the phone.

"Moron," Overhaul was finally able to say as he turned back to his research. The experiment was a success. Honkai could remove quirks even when used with enhancers like Trigger. He was skeptical at first, wondering if the Trigger would counter it, and testing on his own was not a wise idea given the potential chance of the user going rouge and destroying his territory but it seems like it was all for naught. Honkai still won in the end.

With this result at hand, Overhaul was in a rather pleasant mode as he left his lab. Destro was on a wild ghost chase, no doubt going after the Herrscher. Overhaul expected she'd either wipe him out or be back into a corner enough to cause a 3rd Eruption, either way, he'd benefit by getting more material to work it or removing a nuisance to his plans.

Not long after he arrived at Eri's bedroom. He knocked on the door of his 'special' helper. "Oh Eri," He called.

He heard her shuffling inside as she came and opened the door. "Yes," She greeted. "Is it time to help you?" She asked weakly as she rubbed her arms.

"No Eri," Overhaul told her. "I've had a change of plans. I'll be doing some other work tomorrow." He informed. "So you'll have tomorrow off," He told her as he patted her head.

"Oh okay," Eri answered.

"Good, you're dismissed." Overhaul told the girl as he turned to leave. Eri nodded as she closed the door. The Yakuza leader yawned, maybe he should get some rest as well, he thought as he turned and walked back through the hall. The guard returned to their posts as he left and made his way back to his own room.

However unbeknownst to Overhaul….

"So are you ready to resume our tea party?" Eri asked the little white creature that was hovering by her bed. The creature merely nodded its head as she poured out more pretend tea for it. "Here you go," Eri smiled.

"Izuku, we need to talk,"

Chapter Text

It had been no different than any other when they had met. He had just finished taking the high score at an arcade and was making his way back to the bar where his master had left him and Kurogiri. Of course, like any other, they had been a 'villain' attack on the way back. The area had gotten blocked out and he had to take a detour.

It was troublesome but in hindsight, it had become one of his favorite days looking back now. Why? On that day, he found himself by the old dump that was once Dagoba Beach. He didn't know why but he had felt curious. Maybe it was the idea to let out some steam by decaying whatever was around or maybe he just wanted to climb to the top and take a nice look at the ocean. Either way, he was there, and he found it…he had found her.

A dark orb lay by the ocean, with orange energy pulsating at its edges. Around the orb, Shigaraki had felt off. Like there was something else, something not of this world. It sounds like something out of a video game, after all…it was sitting ominously at the shore with the area around it cleared of any debris and a weird aura.

Well, he indulged in it, best case scenario, he got a super cool power-up. Worst case scenario…he didn't have any extra lives. You know what they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, he walked closer to the orb and then he touched it, then everything went black.

When he awoke, he found himself in another place entirely, a world one could argue that didn't look like his own. He was standing in a pool of water that extended as far as he could see.

"Where am I?" Shigaraki wondered as he walked around this strange space. As he did, a mirror emerged from the water, hovering just on its surface. Shigaraki approached it cautiously taking note of his reflection.

Suddenly…his reflection began to morph before his very eyes. The reflection's hair turned pure white extending to their knees, while their body transformed into that of a girl. Its outfit was no longer the same dark clothes he wore instead being a white dress with orange, black, and purple accents.

Finally, Shigaraki saw them open their eyes, a glowing pair of amber orbs with crosshairs over their pupils. Shigaraki froze as they stared at him. They were….completely devoid of feeling, blank and empty. Yet there was something else behind them, something he found familiar.

"Who are you?" He questioned as he raised his hand up, readying his quirk should the need arise. She merely tilted her head as she looked at him. She mirrored his movements placing her hand on the mirror's edge as she imitated him.

He felt…annoyed by her silence. Fine if she wasn't going to tell him, then he would force it out of her. He met their gaze, placing his own palm against the surface, mirroring her own. Now to….decay her?

She smiled at him as the mirror rippled under his touch. He felt…a wave of emotion hit him. He almost fell…but something stopped him…. something grabbed him. His eyes widened as he stared at the mirror noticing that the girl with white hair had grabbed his hand. Her fingers interlaced with his own as she held him, her fingers slipping through the mirror as his own sank within it.

He looked at her, confused, intrigued, and maybe even shocked that she was not crumbling under his touch. "Who are you?" He asked once more.

She looked at him with a smile…her eyes glowing eerily as she did. "I am Decay," She spoke for the first time her voice reverberating around him.

"Decay?" Shigaraki questioned. That was the name of his quirk, but he knew well enough that this girl wasn't it.

"Who are you?" She questioned.

"Tomura Shigaraki," He answered. He had long since discarded the name Tenko Shimura, taking his new moniker from his master.

The girl's smile grew as she watched him. "Do you wish to destroy this world?" She asked. This caught him by surprise. Destroy the world, he had never really thought it possible, maybe he'd have become its ruler if he continued to follow Master but destroying it. He found the idea entertaining, desirable even, more so than his master's plans.

"Yes," He answered. "I want to destroy the world."

"Good," The girl grinned as she pulled him into the mirror, she embraced him into a hug her hair wrapped around them. "Let's destroy this world together," She whispered into his ears.

Dagoba beach erupted in Honkai, the First Eruption had occurred, and the Herrscher of the Void had awakened once more.

A few days later…

"Best Jeanist…that's the stupidest name I've ever heard. What's next…T-shirt Man." The Herrscher commented as she looked at the skull in her hand. With her free hand, she lifted up the beheaded body bathed by blood. "Like seriously, his outfit is basically…his pants are reaching to his mouth."

"Hahaha…," Shigaraki in response. The Herrscher smiled at this as she placed the skull back on the body. Using her power, she then began to puppet the body. "Hello I'm best jeanist, the jeanest superhero…have no fear I'm definitely going to beat the Herrscher," She mocked. Shigaraki laughed more and soon the Herrscher joined. "These guys are so dumb."

"I know, but wait till you see Wash."

"Wash?"

"He's the washing machine hero," Shigaraki laughed. "I kid you not he or she, I honestly don't know, looks like a washing machine with eyes."

"Uh…so lame,"

It had been a few days and while initially they had been awkward, Shigaraki couldn't be more pleased with his new…companion. The Herrscher of the Void, a being from another world who now inhabited his body. She was a harbinger of destruction sent by the Honkai, a force of nature that shared a name with his quirk, to bring about the end of humanity.

Initially, he had been skeptical of her claims, but then they had their first outing. She had transformed his body, turning it into an exact copy of her own, including the clothes and then she warped them to where the hero and villains were fighting earlier. Summoning numerous lances from thin air she proceeded to impale many of them, heroes and villains alike, killing them and any fools dumb enough to watch.

Her actions drew the attention of many heroes and as such, they also killed many heroes. It was the most beautiful thing Shigaraki had ever seen. All the while his heart raced as he was filled with immense joy at the woman with him. He had never such power or such pleasure…it was intoxicating.

Of course, all good things had to come to an end and eventually, the Herrscher had to take a break, his body was not used to such activities with her, but make no mistake he understood well enough why. You don't get a body count near the hundreds in such a short time without some drawbacks.

"Master will be very pleased," Shigaraki had told her, excited to show All For One his new…friend. "You can be a great help to us,"

"I think we should wait…I'd rather not meet your master until after we've spent some time together and gotten to know each other." She explained. "You've proven yourself to be quite the catch but I know better than to rush," She smiled.

"Oh, you've done this before?" Shigaraki questioned.

"My last host was…the hero type. She was obsessed with being a hero and defending humanity instead of wasting them."

"She sounds like a fool," Shigaraki had responded. He wasn't even thinking about what he had said, he just gave his honest thought. Yet…the Herrscher laughed and Shigaraki…loved hearing it.

"She was quite the fool," The Herrscher agreed. It was the first time a human had said something that provoked such a genuine laugh of amusement from her. "I had thought it was over…that losing to her would be my end…but…it wasn't…and now."

"Now?"

"Now…I have you," The Herrscher told him. "My…perfect host." She whispered into his ears.

So he didn't tell Master about her at her behest. Instead, Tomura would go about his days as per usual, explaining and introducing the Herrscher to his world. Lord help him, this woman needed to know there were other foods beyond cup noodles and he could only eat so much.

Still, it was nice having someone around who he could freely talk to about all these things and share his interests. Kurogiri was less of a person and more of an experiment given his history as an experiment from the Doctor, as far as Tomura knew he was definitely more like an NPC, listening and doing what was told. His master likewise was still a busy man, being the symbol of evil and working in the shadows, but the Herrscher…he had her undivided attention and he loved it.

Once the sun went down though, and Shigaraki retired to his quarters. It was the Herrscher's turn to enjoy herself. She would pick a random city, sometimes asking for his advice whenever she didn't know which to go to, she would teleport to that city. They would see the sites, maybe try some local cuisine, and then proceed to remove whatever heroes were involved, sometimes leveling the whole city in the process and Shigaraki got to witness it all firsthand.

Sometimes the Herrscher would even give him reigns, letting him use her body to kill, either using her power or his own. It was weird, controlling the Herrscher's body, even weirder being a girl, but he quickly grew out of it when saw the life leave Captain Celebrity's eyes as they strangled him.

They never tackled All Might though or some others like Stars and Stripes. Master had plans for them, at least from what they heard, so Shigaraki didn't bother and HoV complied seeing as she got to waste everyone else.

Tomura honestly never felt happier…a feeling also shared by his partner. Of course that was all about to change soon enough.

A few weeks later…

"I must admit, you have quite the reputation," AFO spoke as he greeted the woman before him. The Herrscher eyed the strange man as stepped out of the portal. She had frequently seen him before on the screen but never in person. He looked uglier in real life.

"Hey…Master's just injured." Tomura defended.

"Still ugly," She thought. "What do you want" She asked AFO.

"I can't tell if I should be amused or disappointed by your lack of concern. Do you not know who I am?" He asked.

"Uh…Dark Vader?" The Herrscher asked.

"That's the first time in centuries I've heard that name….but no," AFO answered. "My mask has nothing to do with it."

"Lex Luthor," The Herrscher guessed again.

"Yeah I walked into that one," AFO sighed. "I am All For One, the symbol of Evil, the greatest villain of all time, the Demon King,"

"A Demon is nothing to a Goddess," The Herrscher scoffed. "I am the Herrscher of the Void, the Ruler of Nothingness, Herald of the Honkai and its Queen." She introduced.

"You are quite the overconfident child." All for One told her as he extended his hand out. Despite her arrogance, the Herrscher extended her own.

"It's not overconfidence if it's true." She smiled as she shook his hand. AFO smiled in turn as he activated his quirk.

"Huh," AFO said in confusion. He didn't feel any different. The Herrscher was also looking at him with the same expression as she continued to shake his hand. AFO tried to activate his quirk again. It was the same result.

"I don't have a quirk." The Herrscher smiled at AFO as she clasped his hand.

"You…don't have a quirk?" He asked his mind trying to make sense of this absurdity. "Pardon?"

"I am not from this world, neither is my power," She explained. "Ergo, I don't have a quirk of my own for you to steal," She told him.

"So…you're an alien?" AFO asked still in disbelief.

"Yes." She answered.

"Okay…I think I need to go and take a seat now," He responded. Maybe he was starting to lose his mind.

"Oh and I'm with your son," The Herrscher added. There was a good 13-second delay before it registered to the villain.

"WAIT WHAT?"

One awkward conversation later….

"So you see that's how it happened," Shigaraki explained.

"So you basically bonded to an interdimensional traveler with reality-warping powers given to her from some eldritch entity and can use that power by turning into a young woman," AFO repeated.

"I know it sounds weird when you say it like that," Shigaraki answered.

"I think it would sound weird regardless," AFO answered.

"Your world has a washing machine as a superhero," HoV briefly took over and spoke through Shigaraki's mouth.

"I can't argue there, most of the good names are already taken by this point," AFO admitted.

"Well regardless, she has been helping me and I've been helping her," Shigaraki explained.

"It's a relief," AFO admitted. "I thought for a second I'd have to deal with an entirely new individual vying for my place, but it seems all my fears for naught," AFO explained. "Welcome to the family, Herrscher of the Void. It's nice to know Tomura has found such a lovely young lady for himself,"

"The pleasure is all mine," HoV spoke as she transformed their body into her form and bowed before All for One. "I look forward to being a part of it."

"Don't worry you will," All for One told her. "Tomura, it seems you might be more ready than I thought," He told his apprentice. "If this continues, I might be able to retire soon," He mused.

"Wait…seriously?" Shigaraki questioned. "I thought you didn't plan to retire till All Might was dead."

"You and your friend have certainly gained quite a lot of power. I think it's safe to say you two might be able to kill without any trouble…. of course, if you would be willing…I'd be more than happy to pass my quirk to you so that I may be with you as you deliver the final blow," AFO explained.

"Really?" Shigaraki gasped. "That's awesome," He exclaimed. "When can we do it?"

"Soon Tomura…. soon," All for One said. He had gotten this wonderful opportunity; he wasn't going to waste it. If he played his cards right, he could get a new body and power.

A few months later….

"Look like it's time," The Herrscher said. "How are you feeling?"

"I should be asking you that." Tomura told the Herrscher. "To think you'd actually agreed to the surgery." He muttered. "I thought you hated doctors."

"I do…but I like you more." She teased. Tomura blushed at her response, clearly not used to her forwardness. The Herrscher seemed to ignore his flustered reaction or at least not embarrass him even more. "For so long, I've been on my own. It was always me against the world. Everyone I had known from a previous life had died or had been against me. I had been content with it, being alone in my campaign against humanity, but then I met you." The Herrscher confessed.

"You made me laugh, you shared in my pain and helped me to get revenge on the filth that was humanity. You…you made me realize…I don't want to be alone anymore." She smiled at him.

"Herrscher…I…I don't know what to say," Tomura responded.

"You don't need to," She told him.

"No, I do," Tomura answered. "You've been my first friend in as far as I can remember." He confessed. "You've…made me feel…warm inside. When I'm with you…I don't feel like anything else matters…. I feel…happy with you." He explained to her. "I like feeling happy, I like seeing you happy and being able to share that. It doesn't matter what whether it's eating noodles or crushing the skulls of a hero, so long as you're with me…I could care less about anything else."

"Tomura," She whispered. "We'll be together….always." She reassured him. "Now…let's go destroy this wretched Hero Society," She smiled.

"Yes…let's do it." Tomura agreed. He was ready to test his new power, thankful to his master for giving it to him and letting him show off in front of the Herrscher.

One irony later…..

"I'll kill you," Tomura screamed at his master.

They had gone to fight All Might. It was Tomura and the Herrscher working together against the Number One Hero. Despite whatever preparations the heroes had made, any anti-Honkai weapons or countermeasures against his quirks. It had been useless. The duo had steamrolled the heroes and now…now it was time to end it once and for all, by destroying the Symbol of Peace this world had treasured so much, except they didn't…or rather they couldn't.

"You bastard," The Herrscher growled as she felt herself being restrained by the mental attacks of All for One. The villain had betrayed them at the last second. He had interfered with their powers, exposing them to the heroes.

"Did you really think I'd allow you to kill All Might," He explained to them. "He has my brother's powers, and I will not allow it to die just yet." He told them.

"How are you here?" Shigaraki wondered.

"Quirks…every quirk has a fragment of its original wielder, and mine is no exception. I've had years to imprint myself on my quirk, so much so that now an entire copy of myself exists within All for One." The villain explained.

"Wait a second…and entire copy…YOU!" Shigaraki suddenly pieced it together as he felt memories and emotions, not his own start to invade his body. "You….you…."

"Yes…out with the new and in with the old," AFO said as his body started to melt and liquify, flowing to merge with Shigaraki's. Of course, the process was altered by the last remaining individual.

"Wretched worm," The Herrscher growled as she forcefully broke the bond between Master and Student. "You dare betray Tomura," She glared as she summoned her own will.

"I don't see why this is a problem. "You've practically done the same," AFO reasoned as he turned his attention to HoV. Leaving Shigaraki to contend with the fight outside and the roots of AFO, the villain turned to dispose of the final hindrance. "After all, didn't you want him to be your own host?" AFO questioned.

"Arrogant insect, you have no idea what I want," HoV said as she lunged at AFO. The villain managed to catch her; his will stronger as he repelled her back.

"Oh, but I think I do," AFO taunted. "You are not the person you claimed to be, rather you are a shell of her. That girl, Sirin, she's long gone and all that's left is you…a little ember of her rage still clutching to a life that is long overdue to expire."

"That's not true," HoV disagreed as she tried to stand up but her will wasn't strong enough. AFO's words…despite how much she hated them…had some weight.

"It isn't. The other girl, Kiana, had more life, more purpose, but you…not so much." He kicked the Herrscher down. "You're just nothing more than a raw power guide and formed by an ember of rage. A pity, you could have been something more." He told her. "In fact, you still can," He gripped the Herrscher by her throat and lifted her up. "I can give you a purpose…if you just surrender your power and body to me." He told the Herrscher.

"Let her go," Shigaraki roared as he attacked AFO from behind.

"Insolent brat," AFO said as he stood back up. "If I had known you'd be this troublesome then perhaps I'd have reconsidered using that Dabi kid," He spat.

"What?" Shigaraki gasped. That's when more memories began to invade his mind. Memories of his father but they weren't from Tomura's perspective…in fact, they were from AFO's. "Wait…a second…"

"Now you get it," AFO said. "You've never had a choice in this matter," He told Tomura. "You were always meant to be a tool. Everything that ever happened to you…good or bad, your family life, your quirk…even your status as a villain now. It was me, Tenko, I was the one responsible for it all. I was always there watching and waiting. Ready to destroy and build you back up…every single time."

"Haha…how cruel is fate," AFO boasted. "Your girlfriend is nothing more than a scrap piece of emotion rejected by her own power and you…are nothing but a pawn with no life beyond my machinations." He taunted.

"Tell me what is there left for you now, beyond just dying and surrendering your body to me," AFO jeered.

"Oh shut up already," The Herrscher said as she managed to stand back up. She glared at AFO feeling a rage build inside her like never before. It had been one thing for the villain to attack her but now. Now he signed his death. This man was the most despicable human she had ever met but worst of all…he had attacked her other half. "Begone," She told him as she launched another lance.

"Foolish…gah," AFO was hit from behind by Tomura. "What?"

"I said stay away from my queen," Tomura growled as he attacked AFO again. The Herrscher followed suit attacking in unison with Tomura. "You dared to hurt her."

"Now Tomura,"

"SILENCE!" Both said in unison. Their hearts and wills began to resonate with each other.

"What's happening?" AFO realized as he sensed their wills strengthing.

"You lied to us. You tricked us. You betrayed us." The duo said together as they walked towards AFO. "You will be punished." They said as their bodies started to merge by a force greater than any quirk or Honkai power.

Love…and the pure primal rage of seeing someone you loved get hurt.

"WE DECLARE JUDGEMENT!" The fusion said.

It was at this moment, AFO realized…he messed up.

Meanwhile in the real world…..

All Might felt a chill run up his spine. Tomura Shigaraki the apprentice of All for One had launched an attack not long ago, using the powers of the Herrscher. The heroes or what remained of them in Japan had banded together to fight and beat the villain.

Initially, they had been pushed back but by some stroke of luck, Shigaraki had frozen, his powers shut off and he was made vulnerable to their attacks. They had pushed everything into beating the villain. Now the villain had laid unconscious, their body unmoving. So why did All Might feel terrified as he cautiously walked to make sure the villain was defeated?

Then it happened…Shigaraki's eyes snapped open…but they weren't his eyes in particular. They were glowing golden eyes with familiar crosshairs over the pupils. The Herrscher had awakened in Shigaraki's body. All Might watched in horror as the villain before he transformed into the Herrscher of the Void.

The villainess stood up her entire outfit had changed, she was now bare feet, adorned with a white and brown tattered dress with a flower crown in her hair. Her wings were now dark and tattered. She craned her head as she looked at All Might. Her eyes locked on him.

All Might readied himself prepared to fight but there was no fight. She lifted her hand and All Might's body was immediately held in place by her telekinetic abilities. He couldn't move despite all his strength. He tried but it was to no avail. Then she pulled him closer and he was immediately brought before her. The Herrscher placed her hand on his face and All Might immediately felt his body erupt in pain as the skin on his face disintegrated under her touch, followed by the muscle and eventual skull.

He wished it was quick. That his death had been swift but it was slow enough for him to feel everything be destroyed. His quirk…One for All was forcefully pulled from his body as the last of life faded. The Symbol of Peace was dead.

His killer stood a maniac grin appearing on her face as she let out a maniac laugh. It was now over. The Herrscher had both of the powers, All for One and One for All, all at their fingertips.

One Apocalypse later…..

No matter which hero or villain game. None could suffice against the power of the now fully awakened Herrscher of the Void. She was unstoppable, a demon not a Goddess of Destruction that wreaked havoc on the land. Taking and absorbing just about any power she came across.

Many heroes and villains well before her might, their powers taken and only adding to her own. The underground hero, Eraserhead had his eyes practically plucked out of his head when he tried to erase any of the Herrscher's quirks. His ally Nezu had his head ripped off as the Herrscher took his high specs.

The yakuza leader, Overhaul, had made a quirk destroying bullets using a young girl's power Rewind, and had given the ammo to Lady Nagant but the bullets all failed and the trio was decayed by the Herrscher who stole both Overhaul and Rewind.

Sir Nighteye had tried his best to find a potential future where they could win but it was all for naught. There was only destruction in this world's future, only death. The Herrscher stole his power as well and laughed at the absolute victory she had seen.

Even the great Stars and Stripes had fallen under the world's new Goddess. She had attempted to use a trojan horse, by turning her quirk into a virus to destroy the other quirks within the Herrscher but she had learned far too late…that the Herrscher was not just powered by quirks alone.

"No…it can't be." Stars gasped as she felt the Herrscher squeeze her neck.

"Her king holds the quirks and his queen holds the power of the Honkai," The Herrscher spoke with two voices. "And his queen declares that New Order will not hurt her king and will be strengthened by them." The Herrscher spoke as the last hero died in their hands.

Now with all the power they needed, the Herrscher's boy grew bigger than the world itself. Floating in space, the Herrscher looked at the Earth, now nothing but a small ball before their being. Smiling wickedly they placed a hand on the planet and the world decayed in their hands, destroyed by their touch.

Satisfied the Herrscher returned to their normal size, finding themselves back at what remained of Dagoba Beach.

"We have done it," They spoke before their body began to glow and from it, Shigaraki's body was separated. The young man landed with a soft thud as the Herrscher floated beside him.

"Well, I'll be," Her king muttered. "We actually did it." He muttered. "It's finally over."

"Your will was a big part of this." His queen added. "My power alone would not have been enough."

"You still did a lot of the work," He countered.

"You knew what quirks we needed." She smiled at him as she reached out and touched his shoulder. "To both destroy the world and to make ourselves new bodies."

"Let's say it was just a team effort," Shigaraki said. "So…what now?" He wondered as he looked on into the sunset.

"I don't know," The Herrscher answered. "I never considered what to do after," she admitted.

"Well….we could always go to other worlds?" Shigaraki proposed. "Now that we've accomplished our goal, perhaps we can see other worlds that may be in need of our aid or we can just sightsee, we don't need to fight anymore. I mean we could also just stay here and settle down." He explained.

"Hmm…so long as you're with me…I think I can go for whatever you have in mind," HoV smiled as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on Shigaraki's lips. "My King,"

"Whatever you say…my Queen," Shigaraki smiled as the two embraced.

One happy ending after…..

"This idea is stupid," The Herrscher commented.

"Yet you still helped me with it," Shigaraki said.

"You know I can't say no to you," She smiled as she hugged her other half. "Besides you've had this game idea for a long time." She noted. "Still…. making an entirely new world from the ground up."

"It's not entirely new, I've used a lot of stuff from our previous world."

"Still…I don't think any world has actual experience points as a metric for growth."

"Well, this is not any world, it's our world," Shigaraki responded. "So if I want video game logic to run it, then so be it." He announced.

"Fair enough my love, but please should any civilizations dear to blaspheme against us, allow me to punish them without any mercy." The Herrscher spoke.

"Fair enough," Shigaraki answered. "That said I've made a special rule for this world." He confessed.

"Oh…what rule would that be?" The Herrscher wondered. He showed her the rule he had made. The Herrscher's face turned red. "You dunderhead." She scolded. The rule read….Sirin and Tenko will forever be soulmates in this world, bound by a cycle of love and reincarnation.

"What is it too cheesy?" Shigaraki questioned.

"No… it's fine." She admitted. "So have you come up with a name for this new world?" She questioned in an attempt to change the subject.

"Yes." He answered. "What do you think of the name…Teyvat?" Shigaraki told her.

"Sounds…fun." The Herrscher answered.

"Good now what do you think of this idea I had or its Divine Sustainer," Shigaraki added as he showed the Herrscher a sketch of her in a very divine-themed outfit. "I call her the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles." He explained.

"You dunderhead." The Herrscher blushed.

Chapter Text

"Izuku." The herrscher softly called. The boy stared at her, dumbfounded by her sudden appearance, almost dropping the spoon he was eating his breakfast with.

"Void," He greeted happily. "You're here?"

"I'm always here," She answered.

"Oh...right," Izuku sheepishly responded. "Look...I just want to say. I'm sorry." He started but the Herrscher had raised a hand.

"Don't..." She interrupted. "As pleasing as it is to hear. You were not entirely at fault for what happened." She admitted as she floated down and sat herself on the chair opposite to her host.

"No...I was." Izuku insisted. "I should have never pushed you like that. I should have respected your choices to not involve yourself." He admitted.

"You're naive to a fault." Void chuckled as she took in his words. "You didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to do." She responded.

"Void..."

"Look Izuku...did you mean to shut off my powers?" Void asked.

"No...I don't even know how." He explained.

"I know...I know." She sighed. "I lied... a lot." Void sheepishly responded.

"Come again," Izuku asked.

"We are linked," Void explained. "Your body houses the core that holds my consciousness and power." She added. "In some ways..." She paused as she chose her next few words carefully.

"You also have some access to my power." She explained.

"What?" Izuku gasped. "What do you mean I can access your power?"

"I mean exactly as I said," Void told him. "The Void core can respond to your emotions and in turn, it can act on your... impulses." She explained.

"My emotions."

"Your desires to be a hero. The urge to rush to help others." Void listed off. "These are powerful feelings of yours that hold the same weight as my desire for revenge," Void explained. "You just never knew about it, because I pretended that it was my own change of whim."

"Huh…you mean….I was unconsciously affecting you." Izuku repeated. He thought about her words for a moment. A frown formed on his face. "Void I'm so sorry." He told her.

"You're unbelievable." Void sighed. "I try to take over your body, to use it as my own, threaten you, and yet you still find it in your heart to apologize to me," Void notes.

"You stealing my body was never something I liked. Quite frankly I would much rather you have your own. Also, while I must admit I was and probably still am terrified of you, there are instances where I'm glad for your company." Izuku admitted.

"I've unintentionally learned more about being a hero from you, than I have from anywhere else, whether it was intended or not, and I've also learned just what it means to be a hero and what kind of hero I want to be," Izuku told her.

"Still…I never expected my desire to be a hero was so strong." Izuku mused. "I…I don't know if I should be happy or worried." He pondered.

"Why would you be worried?" Void asked her brows furrowed. "The way I see it, you should be thrilled. Your righteous desire has the potential to turn a weapon of humanity into a tool for its benefit. Not to mention…for the first time in your life….you actually have power now." Void elaborated.

"I think in another life. I probably would have." Izuku answered. "I can finally have the power to be a hero…but…."

"But…."

"I don't want it," Izuku told her. "I don't want to take your power," Izuku explained.

"You don't…want it. All these years of suffering because of not having a 'quirk' and when you finally get a power that surpasses all quirks. You don't want it." Void chuckled. "Let me guess…is it because… it's tainted with the evil of the honkai, the corruption that tries to wipe out humanity." Void wondered.

"While a part of me does think so…it's also because of you," Izuku admitted.

"Me?"

"You've told me your story, Void, and I've seen your memories," Izuku explained. "I know how you got this power; I know what you went through before getting it. The power you wield wasn't some birthright, nor was it something you could simply 'get' through normal means. Even if I still disagree with you, the power you wield is something that I believe belongs to you and only you." Izuku told her. "To take it away…it doesn't feel right to me." He confessed.

Void looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. For a moment Izuku was worried he had offended the Herrscher even more, by making it seem like he pitied her. He sincerely hoped she didn't misconstrue his reasoning.

"Heheh….Hahahaha…" Void burst into laughter as she rocked back in the chair opposite to Izuku. "Oh brother….that is funny." Void hollered in between breaths.

"What's so funny?" Izuku questioned.

"The whole reason I lied in the first place, was because I thought you'd jump at the chance to steal my power, but you don't even want it." Void chuckled. "Oh brother…it turns out I was worried for nothing." She admitted.

"You…you thought I'd try to steal your power?" Izuku questioned.

"I mean…yeah…I did." Void told him. "It is the perfect situation. You beat a 'villain', save her future victims by taking her power, and then use said powers as your own to help more people in the future. That's what my last host did." Void told him.

"Kiana and I fought, she won and as such all the power I had previously wielded went to her…in fact, I dare say it chose her over me." Void confessed. "When I met you, I thought it would be the same deal."

"Hmmm…I won't lie…I probably would have considered it once," Izuku told her. "To say I wouldn't be tempted would be a lie…but…. it's different now." Izuku explained.

"It's your power, not mine, if it should be used for humanity's sake, it should be your choice to make," Izuku explained. He took a deep breath as he recalled his previous conversation with his mom.

"I've always believed that those with power and even those without, have a responsibility to help others to the best of their ability, but after seeing your memories…seeing….how people took that to such a horrifying extreme." He clenched his fists. "It feels…wrong to impose that responsibility on others if they don't want it. Just because anyone can be a hero, doesn't mean everyone wants to be a hero."

"Yeah," Void agreed not unsure what to say. "So about Babylon," Void tried to change the subject.

Izuku shivered as he heard the name, Even if it never happened to him, the memories…the memories were now ingrained in his very psyche. It was a strange experience having these memories from someone else living in his head. "Yeah," Izuku answered softly. "I saw it. I saw the whole thing." He explained.

"It's….its….awful," Izuku explained. "Never in my life did I think such a place could have existed, yet it did."

"Then you understand…the source of my rage and my hatred," Void explained.

"Yeah…I understand it….but…." Izuku trailed off.

"But?"

"But I still don't support it…" Izuku admitted.

"I should have figured." Void sighed. "Even my other half refused to support my desire despite witnessing our shared past and origin."

"I understand your rage but the actions and justifications you try to make." Izuku trailed off. "It's one thing that you want revenge for all those who were wronged but hurting innocent people won't change what happened, nor will it make things better," Izuku argued.

"I'd beg to differ. The only reason we suffered was because of the greater good for humanity, no humanity no more need for suffering." Void explained, summing up her entire belief in one sentence.

"It wasn't humanity who decided to hurt you," Izuku retorted. "It was those villains wearing lab coats who used humanity as an excuse. I'm sure that if others had known they'd help."

"Perhaps," Void mused as she thought about a few individuals. "Cecilia might have been one such individual but even then she and her husband would have still been in Schiskal's grasp. As it stands no one came, not until after the Honkai answered."

"Left alone in a cell with everyone she knew dead, my past life prayed for strength, prayed for the power to punish those vile villains, and the Honkai answered. With her new powers, she made sure to punish them, slaughtering every scientist in the building and freeing all the kids." Void explained.

"But that wasn't the end of the story, Schiskal sent its 'heroes', the Valkyries and the Knights, and even the robots from AE, all to hunt my past life down. No one knew of those tortured kids, till the Honkai chose a herald amongst them, nobody even knew they existed, till the humans in charge were all killed in an attempt of freedom. When they did hear about it, they didn't come with the expectations of freeing those children, they came with the expectations of just moving them to another facility and either turning them into soldiers or continuing said experiments." Void explained.

"In my world, the heroes we were supposed to look up to were truly the villains," Void said. "They would do whatever crime they see necessary for humanity. If humanity required such sacrifices then it should exist in the first place." Void whispered.

"That's your world," Izuku argued. "In my world it's different," He reasoned.

"Is it?" Void asked. "In your world heroism is treated as a business, and heroes are nothing but a job for people to earn money and prestige," Void argued.

"Perhaps but there are still good people who choose to do good and help others," Izuku explained. "Whether you want to believe it or not, there are heroes like All Might and Wash and many others who choose to help people because they can," Izuku answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Void asked. "How can you guarantee that right now, right as we speak, that there isn't a child locked away in some lab to be experimented on?" Void questioned. "I've seen your world, see how varied some powers are. Power is coveted wherever it exists. I'm sure that in the 200 years, quirks have been active, there must have been at least a hundred, no, maybe a thousand instances and counting of people experimenting on quirk users, either trying to harness their power for themselves or in an attempt to cure the world." Void noted.

"I won't deny it's a possibility," Izuku answered. The fact Babylon could happen in a place so remote was terrifying enough, but the reminder that similar events could be happening right now set chills up his spine. "Yet I'm sure there are many who would try to help or even chose to help if they could."

"If what you say is true. If a kid is out there crying for help, hoping for someone to come save them," Izuku trailed off. "I'm sure somewhere, somehow there is also a chance that good people know, that perhaps some heroes are rescuing people right now," Izuku said optimistically.

"And what if no one is?" Void asked. "What if while you and I sit here talking, there is another girl out there, another 'Sirin' who going through hell but no one knows or cares to save her," Void elaborated.

Izuku didn't respond right away. He didn't have a good answer. He wasn't going to make some false promise, some faux proclamation that he would save this other 'Sirin'.

"If I knew some like her exists….I'd try my best to save her, to find her, hopefully before it's too late." Izuku answered. "But you can't expect people to be able to act if they know nothing. Many people aren't omnipotent and all-knowing. I will feel regretful that I can't help, I will feel guilty that I was incapable of acting, but even I know that if I lack any way of knowing then I can't do anything."

"I see." Void scoffed as she leaned back. "I should have expected as much." She sighed.

"What about you?" Izuku questioned. "What would you do if you found another girl in that situation, another 'Sirin'?" Izuku questioned.

"If such a cruel act were to be repeated….I'd save her as well," Void answered truthfully. "I'd save her and then I'd burn this cruel world down till not even ashes remain," Void announced.

"If you did, you'd know I would try to stop you, right?" Izuku asked.

"I would expect nothing else," Void chuckled. "You are one of the few people I truly consider heroic when you aren't being a spineless wimp."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Izuku told the Herrscher.

"It was," Void told him. "It's the truth after all."

"Alright I think I have it narrowed down," Principal Nezu exclaimed as he showed All Might and Recovery Girl his map. "I believe the Herrscher has made her home base in this region."

"How did you come to that conclusion? I mean she is a teleporter; she could be warping from somewhere else and just using that area as a diversion," All Might notes.

"I must admit that I thought so as well, but given how personal some of her attacks are and how territorial she has become, I'm inclined to believe otherwise." Nezu countered. "You said it yourself she was in civilian clothes, ordering food late at night at a restaurant."

"That doesn't really prove much," All Might pointed out. "I asked around, it was her first time attending that restaurant."

"True but the mere fact she was comfortable enough to just around public shows a familiarity with the place. She has the power to teleport, turn intangible, and fly, there is literally nothing to stop her from just phasing into a kitchen of any food establishment, grabbing a meal, and then leaving." Nezu pointed out. "I'd argue it's also a waste of time warping to red herring for something as menial as ordering food."

"To say nothing of all the other clues," Nezu noted. "All her appearances have rarely left the city and as far as we know her only one appearance of doing so has had her fly out of the city rather than teleporting. Any non-provoked appearances have also been against people or institutes in this area." Nezu explained, to say nothing of her provoked appearances. I highly doubt she would just warp from a remote location to get caught in the crossfire and make a scene. I suspect most of those villain attacks had her present beforehand." Nezu reasoned.

"So should we canvas the area then?" All Might questioned. "I can inform some other pros and the police."

"That will alert her," Nezu noted. "As we established earlier, there is very little that can stop or contain her right now. She can go where she pleases. If we make it known we're on to her, then she will just disappear into the wind." Nezu noted.

"If we need to scope out the area, we need to be subtle, go by foot, just the three of us." Nezu pointed out.

"Are you sure?" All Might questioned. "That could take ages," He argued.

"Actually, it wouldn't." Recover girl finally interjected after being silent for most of the meeting. "I've been surveying that area for quite some time." She explained.

"You have?" Both Nezu and All Might said in disbelief.

"Of course, my intention had never been to search for the Herrscher, rather I was trying to see just what the corruption she left behind did to people in a normal setting," Recovery girl explained. "There are many individuals who are convinced they don't need or can afford medical attention and underestimate the dire consequences of it."

"While I appreciate the sentiments, that is unbelievably dangerous, suppose you had gotten infected," Nezu scolded.

"Well, I haven't." Recovery girl answered. "and from the looks of it, neither have a lot of people, at least, not in this area." Recovery girl noted as she marked a region inside Nezu's area.

"Hmmm…"

"What's this?" Nezu noted.

"I'm calling it a safe space," Recovery girl noted. "All the areas around it have had moderate outbreaks of Honkai infection, but the area inside is far sparser. Now this wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't for the several hot spots for Honkai activity surrounding it." She pointed out.

"So you're theorizing that the Herrscher resides here because there is less Honkai, how would that make sense?" All Might questioned.

"It wouldn't," Nezu noted. "By all accounts, the area the Herrscher resides should actually be the place that's overflowing with Honkai…unless….

"Unless she's absorbing it," All Might realized. "It empowers her, it makes sense why she wouldn't let it just leak out constantly." He thought back to Vlad, who had a blood quirk, while it was useful to manipulate it outside the body it would be detrimental to him if it just flowed out continuously.

"How long will it take till the Shields finish their Honkai detector?" Nezu asked.

"I'm not sure." All Might answered.

"Well regardless tell them to try testing it on this area for the time being," Nezu pointed out. "If what we theorize might be true, then we could get a more precise location to start our search,"

"I'll make sure to inform them," All Might added.

"Is there anything else you discovered Recovery Girl?" Nezu asked.

"There is one more detail," Chiyo noted. "Quirk users experience more pain and damage than quirkless individuals." She explained. "I'm not sure whether its relevant or not but regardless prolonged exposure still turns them into those zombies if it doesn't kill them.

"Hmm….how many quirkless reside in this area?" Nezu wondered.

"From what I've checked, only a handful," Recovery Girl explained. "However…when I was checking the records, I noticed that a boy by the name of Izuku Midoriya also lives within the area. I've met him once or twice but he hasn't shown any signs of infection." She explained. "He mentioned to me he was training to apply for UA."

"Wait…Young Midoriya lives there?" All Might realized.

"You know him?" Recovery Girl wondered.

"He is one of our current candidates for One For All, not to mention he was present when the Herrscher made her second appearance," Nezu noted.

"Oh,"

"I also met him the day the Herrscher arrived, in fact, he actually learned my weak spot a few hours before I actually fought the Herrscher." All Might realized.

"You think?"

"No, we don't have any proof, and I would rather not jump to assumptions," All Might dismissed. "Izuku's a good kid, and he passed Truman's lie detection test." All Might thought.

"Still a potential lead," Nezu noted as he put a pin on the map, right where Izuku lived. "Alright, change of plans. We'll go and ask around the area surrounding Izuku's address."

"Just to keep it simple, we'll ask about this version of the Herrscher," Nezu explained as he held up an image of the disguised Herrscher. Keep in mind, we don't mention this girl as being the Herrscher. Let's just see if she's a frequent visitor of the area first, then we'll move from there," Nezu explained and with that, the trio was off on their hunt for the Herrscher.

Chapter Text

"I won't be able to undo the corruption," Void grimaced as she floated behind Izuku. The two had been heading to his school, making their way down the streets.

"Hmmm," Izuku glanced at her.

"I know you haven't brought it up," Void added. "But I think you should know, the Honkai corruption we're experiencing can't be undone, it can only be slowed down," She warned.

"Oh," Izuku answered, unsure how else to respond.

"I know. I was once happy about it myself, but now it seems like that damn Drifter was right." Void admitted. "I have gotten soft,"

"Does that mean…you don't want me to die?" Izuku asked.

"I've said it before I've never really wanted you to die. I've hoped you were a kindred spirit who'd understand me." Void admitted. "Of course, there was a brief moment where I may have wanted it." She confessed.

"But now?"

"Now, I dislike the idea," Void admitted. "I've grown attached to you," Void whispered. "The only good thing that's mine and not Sirin or Kiana's." She lamented.

"So why can't the corruption be undone?" Izuku asked. "I mean, can't you control it," He wondered.

"I've told you before the Honkai in our system can be affected by our desires and emotions," Void explained.

"Yeah, you said it's why some of your powers were affected by me," Izuku recalled.

"Well, what happens when you have two conflicting forces constantly pulling at each other?" Void asked.

"You'll either be left in a stalemate, the stronger side will win, or whatever they pull will break," Izuku answered.

"Exactly. Even if I don't want you dead right now, the very conflicting nature of our beliefs makes the Honkai unstable, I can burn out some of it, but that slows the effects it doesn't stop it." Void admitted.

"And loathe as I am to admit it, I really would rather you remain alive than dead," Void sighed. "Go figure,"

"Is there anything else we can do?" Izuku asked.

"Would you side with me and destroy humanity?" Void asked.

"No,"

"Would you be willing to let me go and take over another helpless mortal vessel?" Void questioned.

"No," Izuku responded.

"Then no, we don't have much options left," Void admitted. "Except….." She trailed off.

"Except?" Izuku repeated.

"It's nothing. Forget I even mentioned it." Void told him.

Dabi gritted his teeth as he saw the monitor before him. He had to do all he could to not erupt into a pillar of flames right at that moment. "Is this some sort of joke?" He growled. On the screen, Endeavor's image was plastered across the display.

"For a True Hero," The title read.

"Many fans have gathered as a show of support for Endeavor," the newswoman spoke. "Although he lost against the Herrscher in a brutal battle, many civilians are still speaking out, singing praises for the Hero's deeds." The video played.

"Praise…they are still praising him." Dabi snapped. Coating his arms with blue flames, Dabi lit the monitors and the building on fire in frustration. To think even with his defeat, people are still glorifying that man, worshiping that monster. "Damn it,"

Enraged Dabi then turned his attention in another direction. That rally was still live. If that were the case, then perhaps Endeavor's long-lost son should make an appearance. He'd have quite a few words to say after all about his dear old dad. Channeling his flames into his feet, the villain rocketed away, intent on settling the score.

Void glanced at the classroom bored out of her mind.. She had considered returning to the mindscape but the thought of seeing Kopiana's annoying face was enough to make her decide not to. So, she waited now, watching out of the window for something, maybe anything interesting to happen.

Luckily the day moved by fast. Classes went normally and then it was time to leave. "Hey Quirkless," A familiar voice grated on her nerves. Or not, Void turned her head to see three familiar figures approaching her host.

Rolling her eyes once more, Void was left to watch as Izuku was once again picked on by his mew bullies.

"Izuku," The Herrscher questioned excitedly.

"No you can't kill them," Izuku quickly responded. Void pouted as she looked on. As entertaining as it would be to watch them suffer. The Herrscher felt more annoyed by the bullies constantly getting away with their abuse.

"What if I don't kill them?" Void asked.

"That's an option?" Izuku questioned.

"I'll just mess with them a little…scare them," She mused.

"No permanent harm," Izuku told her.

"Fine," The Herrscher agreed she stretched out her hand as the three bullies approached Izuku and then she lifted it straight up.

"Ayeeeee!"

Izuku watched in amazement as the three bullies' underwear was hoisted out of their pants lifting them off the floor. To say anything about the expressions on their faces. Izuku had never seen that kind of pained looked before and he had seen plenty of others.

Satisfied, the Herrscher dropped the bullies on the floor who were still recovering from the pain. Not wasting any time, Izuku hurried out of school before the bullies had time to recollect themselves.

"Wasn't that a little too far?" Izuku commented.

"They'll be fine," Void told him as they walked. "Besides, compared to the crap they dealt to you and Shinso, they've gotten off easy." She noted.

"Why are you so agreeable now?" Izuku wondered.

"We can finally go home," Void explained. "I don't know if it needs to be said, but I'm not a school person." She explained. "And usually when you're confronted with those bullies it usually ends up going one way," She added.

"Ah…" Izuku realized as the hurried down the street.

"Besides, I'll take whatever small win I can get." Void noted. "They irked me a lot more today for some reason."

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuku chuckled. It felt good to be speaking with the Herrscher again. He couldn't quite explain it but it seems their recent talk had left them both feeling much happier.

As the duo continued downtown, they were caught off guard when they saw fire trucks rushing past them. "What in the world?" Izuku wondered. Void merely shrugged before she gestured to his phone, upon taking it out Izuku glanced at the situation as the most urgent breaking news came up.

"Endeavor fan gathering goes up in flames," He read. A massive attack had hit the parade for the Fire Hero. On-screen, the scene was covered in blue flames as the villain dressed in black stood laughing as everything burned around him.

"Ironic," Void noted. "I mean….it's probably bad to you humans, but it's funny to me," She admitted.

"I'm going to ignore that." Izuku sighed as he continued to walk home. "It seems Endeavor's got a lot of hate still directed at him."

"Hey, it wasn't me this time," Void defended. "Besides attacking a parade is just stupid, if it were me, I'd just go after his home and base," Void admitted.

"It says, the Endeavor Agency HQ had already been attacked by similar blue flames a few days ago." Izuku read.

"Huh," The Herrscher admitted. "Well…I guess that's that," The Herrscher noted. "Let's head home." She spoke as she floated towards the direction of Izuku's apartment. Izuku trailed behind slowly, his head still focused on his phone.

As they walked, the Herrscher felt a familiar tugging in her core. She cast a glance at Izuku who was still focusing on his phone but not saying a word. "Izuku," She whispered softly.

Izuku looked up noticing the Herrscher staring at him. "Yeah," he answered.

"Why don't you just spit out what's on your mind," Void told him. She could feel the desires bubbling underneath the surface.

"It's nothing really," Izuku dismissed. Void was not convinced.

"You want to go and help?" She asked.

"I mean yeah," Izuku responded. "But what difference would it make,"

"Probably none," The Herrscher noted.

Izuku just sighed at her answer and lowered his head as continued to walk home. The Herrscher eyed him suspiciously.

"Wait that's it," She spoke up. "You're just going to accept that answer and walk home."

"I mean…yeah," Izuku told her. "I've already promised you that I wouldn't abuse your powers and while I can't guarantee you that I wouldn't go running to danger in front of me. I know that for now, I can at least curb my impulse." He explained.

"Oh…" Void answered. "I didn't expect you'd actually honor it." She admitted. She thought for sure his words were thinly veiled pleasantries, but it seemed like she was wrong. He was serious about not trying to use her powers.

"I've said it before. I respect the power of the Void as being your power, not mine. If you don't want it to be used in ways you disapprove off, then I won't try to undermine you. I'll stop you if I disagree with you, but I won't try and steal your power," Izuku explained.

"Well…that's good to hear," Void told him. She had thought he would still be stubborn, but it seems he had become less naïve after all. He understood his place and knew when he could and could not help. She was glad….still….

Void glanced down at the screen noticing the flames engulfing the crowds. It…triggered something in her. Flashbacks to her own body getting engulfed in fire.

"This villain's using a fire-based quirk," Void noted.

"Um well yeah…" Izuku answered.

"I don't like it," Void told him. "I utterly despise pyro users," Void added.

"Huh…what are you talking about…. where are you going with this?" Izuku questioned.

"I was thinking maybe we should go to that parade." Void proposed.

"I'm sorry…what?" Izuku gaped. "You want to go and save them?" He asked.

"Not really…." Void dismissed. "I just figured I can probably get away with having fun with villains more than heroes. Besides…so long as I don't kill anyone…you'll let me have that fun right?" Void asked.

"So long as no innocents are hurt," Izuku added.

"Fine," Void smiled. "No innocents, only the vile villains," she told him.

"Good day, Miss,"

Kafka turned around to notice, a strange creature walking into her café. "Oh, hello, what can I do for you today?" She greeted.

"I'd like a cup of coffee please, extra milk and cream," He added.

Kafka complied handing the order to Firefly who hurried to make the coffee. As they waited, she glanced at the newcomer taking in his strange appearance. While it was often common to see people with animalistic quirks, this one seemed to be even more animal than human.

She also noticed that he seemed to be looking around a lot. "Are you looking for someone?" Kafka questioned.

"You could say that," the small creature answered. "My name is Nezu," He introduced. "I'm a principal of a high school." He explained. "Recently a colleague of mine, I believe you know him as Yagi had brought my attention to a young girl with a lot of potential." Nezu took out a picture and handed it to Kafka.

"You wish to enroll her?" Kafka wondered. "I wouldn't say this is normal procedure for how a school gets students."

"It isn't," Nezu confessed. "But as it stands, I merely wish to have a chat with her. I sincerely doubt she'd agree to enroll. Nevertheless, this young lady has proven to be quite hard to find."

"I've only met her once," Kafka admitted. "But she has appeared around the area. I'm sure you'll find her if you ask around."

"Much oblige," Nezu said.

"Here is your coffee," Firefly announced as she walked in with a cup of coffee for Nezu.

"Thank you, dear," Nezu smiled as he took a sip.

"FUYUMI!" Shoto called as he pushed the debris off his body. "FUYUMI!" He called once more. There was fire everywhere. Hot burning blue fire engulfed the area around them. Shoto could hear the screams of many of the fans who had gathered around.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!"

Shoto's eyes widened as he heard it. A sick twisted laughter, he glanced up and saw a figure dressed in all black standing amongst the sea of flames. He gritted his teeth. So this was the villain who attacked them.

"WHERE'S YOUR HERO NOW!" The figure laughed as he shot out more fire into the surrounding environment. "HUH, TELL ME, WHERE IS THE GREAT ENDEAVOR NOW? NOT THERE WHEN YOU NEED HIM THE MOST?" The figure laughed.

Shoto kept his eyes on the figure, darting around ever so often to try and find Fuyumi. The first thing he needed to do was find his sister then maybe figure out what to do next. As the maniac kept firing haphazardly, Shoto scurried around the field looking for his sister.

"Shoto!" Fuyumi called out. Shoto turned to see his sister, relief washing across his face. He rushed towards her.

"No no no," blue flames spewed between him and his sister. Shoto turned his attention to the source. "Sorry little Endeavor Jr. but that's as far as you're gonna go." The figure laughed as they landed between the two, facing Shoto with a maniacal grin.

Shoto glared at the figure, his heart beating as he saw the villain right in front of his sister. A hundred horrible scenarios played out his mind. He couldn't let this villain hurt her. Half his family was already gone, he wasn't going to lose the other half.

"Get away from her," Shoto growled.

"Oh, like you actually care, bro" The villain chuckled. "I know Endeavor didn't give a crap about his family." The villain mused. "If his daughter dies, he can just make another one, I'm sure he's already looking for another wife to replace his first." He mocked. "Family's just another tool to that monster."

"You're the monster here," Fuyumi called out.

"Geez sis, I know I look a little rugged but don't insult me because I speak the truth." The villain taunted. "Let's not pretend like any of this parade crap is actually deserved. Endeavor's no hero, heck he's probably worse than some of the scum he's locked away, this farce…it should be burnt away and forgotten."

"That may be true," Shoto said. "But these people had nothing to do with it," He concentrated on summoning the ice aspect of his quirk, extinguishing the flames around him.

"Oh, but they do," The villain said. "They…enabled him, validated his crimes, they're all guilty." He told them.

"Human's truly are wretched creatures," a voice spoke behind him. Before any of the trio could react, a large cube smashed into the villain sending him flying across the street.

Shoto and Fuyumi turned their head to the source of the voice, a familiar portal had opened and from it came none other than the lady who hospitalized Endeavor, the Herrscher of the Void. Shoto immediately rushed in front of Fuyumi, pulling her behind him as he got into a defensive stance, ice coating his arm.

"Stay back," He warned the Herrscher.

The Herrscher merely glanced at him with an amused look on her face. "I'm not here to fight you, I'm here to fight him," She warned in return. "Step in my way like Endeavor did…and you'll join him soon enough,"

Deciding to wisely accept her threat, Shoto grabbed Fuyumi and fled. The two weren't sure what to make of it but they knew better than to pick a fight they couldn't win. The same could not be said for the villain.

"YOU!" The villain said in disbelief. "What are you doing defending them? They're Endeavor's children, I thought you'd be happy to help kill them."

"They were," Void pondered. "I didn't notice," She admitted. "Ah well, the moment's gone,"

"Well step aside, I've got a score to settle," The villain ordered.

"Foolish insect, do you think you can order me around?" The Herrscher boasted as she snapped her fingers. A dome soon formed around them encasing both the Herrscher and the villain within the pocket space.

"Why you," The villain threw a ball of fire of the Herrscher, but she opened a portal that swallowed the projectile. "What's your problem first you beat Endeavor to a pulp and now you're defending him?"

"Eh, my problem is humans in general," Void admitted. "That said I dislike humans who wield fire even more; they trigger bad memories for me." She shrugged. "So you and Endeavor are kind of on the same boat for me,"

"What!" The villain exclaimed. "That is your reasoning for what you did to Endeavor."

"Well, I mean he did ambush me, but yeah, I hate fire users with a burning passion." She added.

"You….you…YOU WRETCH!" The villain screamed. At first, he had thought it was just another villain who had hated Endeavor, who had been wronged by him and had taken their revenge. It should have been him who destroyed Endeavor but he was glad someone else took revenge, now he learns that the Herrscher didn't even care that much about it.

"That was my moment….you stole my moment." He screamed as he shot more flames at the woman. The Herrscher flew around the area, shielding herself with portals and cubes.

"Izuku, do you have any idea what he's screaming about?" She questioned her host.

"Beats me." Izuku shrugged.

As the villain's speech started to dissolve into incoherent ramblings, Void just kept dodging his flames as they flew around the makeshift dome. "I'm curious if this will actually work," Izuku asked his partner.

"Well unless the flames can survive without oxygen, it should," Void assured as she flew. She had trapped herself and the villain in a pocket of space, detached from the normal world. Inside this isolated location, the Herrscher and villain would be kept in the same spot for as long as the Herrscher could maintain it.

"Stay still," The villain gasped as he kept trying to burn the kill-stealing girl.

The Herrscher merely smiled at him, taunting him further as she did. He attacked her over and over again. She had robbed him. She had stolen his chance of revenge. Now he'd make her pay.

Except….

He couldn't.

Dabi started gasping. His breathing became heavy. He tried to summon his flames but they were shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller each time. "What's happening to me?" He gasped. He was feeling light-headed all of a sudden.

"Used up all your oxygen," Void explained with a smirk. "After my fight with the number 2, I realized I needed a more effective way of fighting fire," She admitted. "No oxygen, no fire, of course….I don't need such trivial commodities like air to breathe…you though." She smiled.

"Screw you," Dabi cursed as he passed out shortly after. After giving him a few moments to be unconscious, Void snapped her fingers and the dome around them vanished.

"That felt far easier than it should be," Izuku admitted.

"I learn from my mistakes," Void told him. "And besides….I'm thinking much clearer now," She admits.

"Freeze!" A few voices called around the Herrscher.

Void rolled her eyes. "Seriously," She thought.

"Hey come on now, you promised no innocents will be hurt," Izuku reminded.

"Fine," Void relented as she dropped into a portal on the floor.

"So have you seen this girl?" Nezu asked the nearby vendor. He was currently trying this delectable loaded fries dish while the vendor looked over the photo.

"Yes, I have seen her." He admitted. "Just the other day, she and this other woman stopped by." The vendor told Nezu.

"Other woman?" Nezu asked, his curiosity now peaked. The Herrscher had been here with someone else. Was it a friend, an ally, or someone else? "Can you describe her?"

"She was older, like I don't know maybe in her late thirties, early forties…I'm guessing. She was short and had green hair." He explained.

"Did you catch any names by chance?" Nezu asked.

"Well, the girl was called….Siren, eh Sirus…Sirin I think, meanwhile the lady was called….um…I think it was Inko." The Vendor explained.

"I see," Nezu noted as he memorized the names. He finished the food and then paid the vendor for his services. "Thank you for the meal…and please keep the change." He told him as he walked away.

Taking out his phone, Nezu inputted the new information into his device. While the name Sirin didn't bring up anything useful, the name Inko certainly did.

Nezu knew his next target now.

Chapter Text

First I'd like to apologize for this not being a chapter, I'm sorry to disappoint but this is something more serious and I couldn't wait.

As you all know I am RushAlias, the Author of this story Fall into the Void. I have been posting this story on both Fanfiction.net and AO3 since the beginning of the year, 23rd of January, 2024. 

I have ONLY been posting on AO3 and Fanfiction.net.

Recently it has been brought to my attention, that my work is being reposted on another site, Webnovel, by a user, called LT_Ryuu_X. Now if Mr/Mrs. LT_Ryuu_X is reading this, then I would like to implore you to either respond to this chapter in whichever site, Fanfiction.net or AO3 so that we may talk this out properly. I have not given my permission for this work to be reposted. I have given permission to a YouTuber before to use it in a video but that is it.

I do not want any trouble, I just want my work to be distributed with my knowledge and permission. I am going to be polite about it and simply post this here right now since I suspect you read this, if not then I will see about taking action on the Webnovel site instead. 


I understand that you might mean well because you did credit me in the post, but that is not enough for me. At the very least if you wanted the story on Webnovel, you could have asked and I'd post it there myself but for now, that is not what happened.

That will be all. 

Rush Alias, Author of Fall into the Void.

Chapter Text

"That was amusing," Void chimed as she hovered behind Izuku. "Watching him squirm as he used up all his air was fun." She chuckled. Izuku nervously scratched behind his head. He had thought it was cool but when she put it in such a dark tone, he was starting to feel almost remorseful about suggesting the idea.

"Can't you look beyond that?" Izuku questioned. "We managed to subdue a villain without any serious damage and heavy collateral." Izuku pointed out.

"Eh, you focus on what you liked, and I'll focus on what I enjoyed." Void retorted. "Yes, ending it quickly without hurting myself was nice. So, I'll give it to you that idea was very smart."

"I'm not sure it was all that impressive. Your powers….they are something else entirely." Izuku noted. It was strange. He had feared the Herrscher and power for so long. Yet now, having come to understand her and dare he say, even befriend her, he couldn't help but marvel at her abilities and the complexity behind them.

"Well…I am the Ruler of the Void; I am its Queen…it's Goddess." Void boasted to her human. "So naturally my dominion would far exceed most others."

"You're as humble as ever," Izuku sighed.

"It would be overconfidence if I didn't have the power to back it up." Void mused. "I've beaten the number one and two of this world, and even in my own world was considered a pure force of nature who required great sacrifices and great resources to defeat," she admitted. "When it takes two large armies to hunt you down, and a reliance on ancient, advanced technology to beat you, you know you're a big deal," Void said confidently.

"I'm still not sure I should be impressed or scared by that."

"Both…both are good," Void told him.

"So would you like some cup noodles oh great queen of the void," Izuku teased.

"Yes…and make one for yourself my human, I dislike dining alone." Void added as the duo walked to the apartment.

"Ugh….we have got to get you to try other foods," Izuku admitted. "You can't keep eating cup noodles almost every day. That can't be healthy."

"Don't worry, I assure you, it won't ruin my figure." Void laughed as Izuku opened the door. The young boy then froze as he walked in. The Herrscher however didn't notice. "I assure you whatever we eat can simply be for pleasure, rather than….uh Izuku." Void noted as she saw Izuku looking ahead. Her eyes trailed off before noticing that Inko had company over.

"Oh, it seems we have company," A small…bear….mouse…dog…eh thing said as they sipped a cup of tea, sitting across from Inko. "Greetings I'm…."

"You're Nezu," Izuku blurted out. "The famous High intelligence Pro hero and Principal of U.A."

"Well, I see you're well-informed." Nezu chuckled as he held his tea cup to Inko. "More please."

"Isn't this wonderful Izuku, the Principal wanted to come over and discuss your enrollment into U.A." Inko told her son.

"My….enrollment?" Izuku stuttered in disbelief.

"That's odd," Void raised an eyebrow as she looked at the small person-sized mouse. Though she didn't know much about the…um…animal, she didn't like the idea of a small white hair or white-furred little person running a school that's essentially turning kids into soldiers. It reminded her of another white-haired midget with an oversized cross.

"Um…" Izuku swallowed. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but is it usual for the Principal of the school to visit all his potential applicants, several months in advance?" Izuku questioned.

Nezu smiled at this question as he glanced at Izuku. "Ordinarily….no…but you are a special case," Nezu noted.

"Is it because I'm quirkless?" Izuku blurted out. "I know in the past…UA had a rule that prevented quirkless kids from attending." He nervously admitted. "But…."

"We got rid of the rule," Nezu noted. "Admittedly that rule has always been a complicated one to deal with. On one hand, it was more of a safety precaution to avoid the potential consequences of inexperienced quirk users injuring nonquirk users. However, as the numbers of quirk users increased and the application level dropped, I felt it had seemed almost redundant to keep." Nezu noted.

"Oh….I see," Izuku said dejectedly.

"It's been almost two decades since a non-quirk user applied to my school…why the last quirkless person to apply would have been when All Might himself was probably now applying as well," Nezu noted as he smirked himself. History truly did repeat itself at times.

"So wait a minute…does this mean Izuku's not going to be allowed into U.A.?" Inko said in disbelief.

"Who said that? Not me," Nezu smiled. "U.A. is meant to be a school for heroes and quirks aren't a requirement for that. If that were the case then every individual with a quirk would be eligible and we all know that's not the case."

"So I will be allowed?" Izuku asked.

"I'd like to have a personal interview with you Mr. Midoriya, just me and you, before I can decide that." Nezu informed. "As it stands, you won't be prohibited from trying to enroll but whether or not I accept you into my school is another matter entirely."

"Oh…okay…when do you want to have it?" Izuku asked.

"Right here, right now," Nezu told him.

"Pardon?" Izuku and Inko gaped.

"I'm the Principal of U.A., and most times I'm usually the one to hold the final decision on certain matters, seeing as your case is special, I figured let's just cut out all the red tape and get to the point," Nezu informed. "Is that alright with you?"

"Sure," Izuku agreed. He would have liked to have more time to prep but it seems like this was happening right here, right now.

"So….um…do you want me to step out?" Inko questioned nervously.

"That won't be necessary," Nezu informed. "With your permission, I'd much rather take Mr. Midoriya to talk on the roof, if that's alright."

"Oh okay," Inko told him.

"I don't like this," Void spoke up as she and Izuku followed Nezu. "I don't trust that rat."

"Any particular reason why?" Izuku asked.

"He has that look in his eyes," Void answered as she imagined a familiar blonde-haired man, the Overseer, standing next to Nezu. "The look of confidence and control, as if he knows everything and is just stringing us along for his plan."

"Are you sure you aren't overreacting?" Izuku wondered.

"I've rarely been overpowered, but I've been outsmarted more than a few times, be on your guard and think before you speak," Void warned.

"I'll keep it in mind," Izuku told her as they walked up the stairs.

"Is there anything I can do?" All Might questioned as he looked down at the two siblings. As much as he wanted to smile and try to reassure them, he just couldn't right now. Not when the damage had already been done. He had been busy fighting villains elsewhere and when they needed him the most…. he couldn't be there.

"Can you keep the media off us?" Shoto asked. "Right now…we….just need some space." He told the pro hero as he glanced at his sister. Fuyumi hadn't said a word since the incident. The villain was already taken into custody by the time All Might arrived and not much else could be done except extinguish the flames and tend to the aftermath.

"Of course, I'll try my best." All Might told them as he headed out to make some calls. He was sure there were some people he could talk to help ease this tense moment.

With the pro out of earshot, Shoto sighed as he leaned back in his chair, his gaze still on his sister who was still staring at her feet with a dazed expression. "Fuyumi," He whispered unsure how to handle this.

A scowl formed on the ice and fire user as he looked down at his hands. He remembered how he had felt upon seeing his sister in danger. He had frozen in place, powerless to do anything. Only stare at the deranged fire user who had come after them because of….Endeavor.

"Of course, it's his fault," Shoto whispered. "Even now, when he's unconscious…he's still making problems for us." He bitterly muttered as he closed his eyes.

"Toya,"

Shoto's eyes snapped open as he glanced at Fuyumi. "Fuyumi," Shoto called.

"Toya," She repeated. "That was Toya," She muttered as she looked up at Shoto. "He's alive."

"What…but that's…impossible," Shoto said in disbelief. "Toya's…." Shoto held his tongue not sure if to actually say the words to his sister.

"Alive," She repeated.

"How can you be so sure?" Shoto asked.

"His eyes….they were Toya's eyes," Fuyumi told him. "I could never forget those eyes." She muttered as she recalled that long-forgotten past. When she was still a baby, she recalled her older brother, Toya, looking at her with those same eyes as she reached out to him.

"I….I see." Shoto told her. She had to still be mistaken. There was no way it was actually Toya. He had died so many years ago, burnt to death in a forest. Yet…that villain…. that looked just like a burnt walking corpse….oh…

If that was the case then…

"I need to go see Dad," Shoto told Fuyumi. These words were enough to snap her out of her stupor. Fuyumi blinked as she looked up at Shoto who was already heading to the door.

"Shoto," She called.

"I'll be back." He told her.

Shoto opened the door to see All Might standing in front of him. "All Might, could you please keep an eye on Fuyumi," Shoto asked.

"Young Todoroki, where are you going?" All Might asked as he blocked the boy's path.

"I need to see my Father," Shoto told him. "Now can you please stand aside?" Shoto pleaded.

"Alright," All Might sighed as he moved to let the young boy pass. However just as Shoto was about to pass him, All Might held up his hand once more. In between his fingers was a card. "Call me if anything happens." All Might told him.

"I will," Shoto told him as he took the card.

"Damn it," Dabi sighed as he felt himself falling into the void, just barely on the edge of consciousness. He had failed. He couldn't have exacted revenge on Endeavor and when the time came to finish the golden boy….that 'woman' had gotten in his way…again.

"She's always in my way." He gritted his teeth. First, she steals his chance to take revenge on Endeavor, and now this. The Herrscher hadn't even known nor cared for whoever Endeavor was. He was a mild inconvenience for her. It was thought that irked him.

Endeavor had been the source of all Dabi's rage, all his suffering, all his hatred. It was supposed to be him to take Endeavor down. He had once been grateful someone had put the old man in his place but now that he had time to think, he realized…nothing had changed.

Endeavor was still a pariah to the people. He was a hero who went down fighting an all-powerful villain. No one would care now what wrong might have happened before. They'd right it off as people trying to slander him and with no Endeavor to interrogate, it might as well have all been for nothing.

"DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!" Dabi screamed into the void.

He needed to wake up. He needed to get out of here. He needed to go and find them. He couldn't just let it all end here. He couldn't just let himself be locked away while things remained as is.

Then….it came…..

Dabi blinked.

One moment he had been in a black void of unconsciousness and now he was somewhere else. It was a room of white. "Where am I?" Dabi asked as he looked around, his eyes settled on a figure sitting in a chair before him.

"Hey," He called as he rushed forward. "You there." He summoned his flames. "Where am…..I?" The words were caught in his throat as he saw the figure before him. It was….Toya…or rather it looked like Toya.

A copy of Toya Todoroki stood before him, completely white, looking almost like a marble statue with little to no details on the face. Dabi froze as 'Toya' looked at him with a smile forming in his mouth.

"Who…what are you?" Dabi asked as Toya started to move towards him. Dabi threw a stream of blue fire reactively at 'Toya'. "Huh," Dabi said in disbelief as the white figure's hand emerged from the flames and clutched his hand.

The blue flames dissipated before the villain, revealing not 'Toya' but 'Dabi' facing the villain. Before Dabi could react to seeing his mirrored form, the copy placed a hand on his face. Numerous images flooded the villain's mind. Images of the Todoroko's corpses, of the Herrscher, and of the world burning.

Red neon veins sprouted along Dabi's body as he started to laugh. The figure slowly removes their hand from his face. "Is that all?" Dabi asked, having gotten the message from his new ally. "Consider it done," The villain smiled.

"Huh?" Void glanced around. She could swear she felt something happen. She blinked a few times, looking around but not seeing anything else around them. Instead, it was just Izuku and Nezu on the roof, overlooking the setting son of the city.

"It was on a rooftop like this, wasn't it?" Nezu questioned the boy.

"Excuse me?" Izuku wondered.

"Where you met All Might and learned his secret," Nezu clarified. "He's told me about you. Quite a lot about you actually and what he hopes and expects of you." Nezu informed.

"Oh…All Might talked about me." Izuku blushed. "I didn't expect that."

"What can I say, you left an impact on him," Nezu told the boy. "The boy who wants to be the first Quirkless hero. You've proven to him you have good intentions so….."

"I don't want any special treatment." Izuku interrupted. "I'm happy All Might acknowledged me…but I don't want to get in if it's by his recommendation." Izuku quickly pointed out.

"Well…I never intended to bring that up…but at least you have humility and integrity." Nezu noted happy with Izuku's point. Of course, there was another reason he was here. "I've been that you view hero work as the coolest thing ever. That you think there is nothing better than saving people." Nezu noted. "Is that correct?"

"Yes," Izuku answered. "I've always believed that there is nothing better than to help another person. Whether it is physically by saving them from danger or…" Izuku's eyes glanced at the Herrscher, "Or by being there to help them stand up or soothe them." Izuku added.

"I see." Nezu agreed as he thought about his next few words. "So where would aiding the Herrscher fit into this mindset?" Nezu asked.

"Well….I…wait what?" Izuku caught himself as he finally processed the Principal's words. "Um…could you repeat what you just said?" Izuku asked.

"Nope," Nezu smiled. It was still the same cheery smile he had, but Izuku was now feeling that the Principal before him was more bear than mouse. "I'm afraid the entrance interrogation is over, now it's time for the real one to begin," Nezu told him.

"Can I kill him?" Void asked. Izuku didn't even bother responding to her. "No, you're right that would be bad." She realized.

"Mr. Midoriya allow me to explain why I'm really here," Nezu told the boy. "It's come to my attention that you and the Herrscher might be very…close to each other," Nezu explained. "I'm not one to make my wild assumptions unless I am 99% sure I have the answer, so please tell me where I might be wrong," Nezu spoke as he listed the evidence before Izuku.

"Wow…" was all Izuku could say after he heard everything the principal had to offer. "That's um…that's some story you've gotten Principal."

"Mr. Midoriya, I'm a principal of a high school. I think it should be obvious that I know when teenagers are lying to me." Nezu pointed out. "You might have fooled the Detective but I assure you, you won't fool me." Nezu proudly stated.

"That's fair," Izuku admitted. "Though forgive me for asking…but even if what you say was true. Why are you willing to risk it?" Izuku wondered. "The Herrscher's arguably the most powerful woman in the world, I'd think she'd warrant an entire army of heroes coming after her, or two, not just…a school Principal, no offense," Izuku responded.

"To sort this out peacefully of course," Nezu answered.

"Peacefully? Seriously?" Izuku wondered.

Nezu chuckled at his response. "I suppose I don't blame you." He noted. "Considering her reputation, I doubt most would even entertain the thought of a peaceful interaction…but well…let's just say I've had different thoughts on the matter." Nezu pointed out.

"What kind of thoughts?" Izuku questioned.

"I believe I might understand her," Nezu explained. "And I wish to seek an audience with her to show my understanding."

"What?" Both Void and Izuku gaped. "What does he mean understand her? What is there to understand?" Void wondered aloud in Izuku's head.

"Pardon?" Izuku repeated. "You want an audience with the Herrscher."

"Oh yes….and I believe you might be my ticket to said audience," Nezu admitted. "You see, I'm giving you a choice here young hero," Nezu explained. "You have two options, you let me talk to her, and we work something out, or you don't, and I…."

"Call the police?" Izuku questioned.

"I wouldn't need to," Nezu explained. "I may have been the first to solve the puzzle but there will be others not far behind. The Herrscher has become a rather infamous figure, fighting and besting many great heroes. There are many people out there who deem her a threat, both heroes and villains alike." He reiterated.

"What I'm giving you now is a chance to try and salvage the situation and help yourself because believe me, I doubt anyone else will be as generous with you two," Nezu noted. "There are villains out there far worse than those you know, villains who can be scheming for years, watching you, orchestrating your downfall. Likewise, there are also heroes out there who may choose to do what's necessary for the greater good…amoral as it may be."

The last few words set a chill up Izuku's spine, necessitating the greater good…he could already hear the screams of Babylon starting to echo. He rubbed his temples as he tried to silence them, barely succeeding. All the while Nezu stayed in front of him.

"So, tell me…what's your choice?" The Principal asked.

"I…." Izuku froze with the words at the edge of his tongue. "Void," He called to his other half. "What should we do?" He questioned.

"Let me talk to him," Void answered much to Izuku's surprise.

"Wait…what?" Izuku gasped.

"Yes….it seems he is determined about this and if what he says is true, then we really have no choice."

"Won't we just be confirming everything if we do?" Izuku asked.

"I can't think of any solution to this, and I know you don't have any ideas as well," Void admitted. "He has us right now, loathe as I am to admit it. For all we know he could be lying, but even then, I'd consider it foolish not to listen to him." She confessed. "I hate smart people."

"Okay," Izuku took a deep breath. "I'll agree to get you an audience," Izuku told Nezu.

"Smart boy," Nezu smiled. "So when and where will we meet? Or would you rather I plan it?" He asked.

"To use your own words. 'Right here, right now,'" Izuku and Void spoke as Izuku's eyes glowed an amber gold and his hair turned snow white.

Nezu stared in surprise as the quirkless boy before was bathed in light, morphing into the Herrscher of Void. The transformation was brisk, one moment it was Izuku, and then....

"Hello…little mouse." The Herrscher spoke as her eyes focused on him. She snapped her finger and two of them were immediately warped away from the roof.

Chapter Text

"You know…I have to give you props. I honestly didn't expect you'd actually go the route with the lava." Nezu admitted as he looked at the lava below him. He was levitated, upside down over a volcano, with the Herrscher watching him with her arms crossed, rocking back in the air. "I honestly thought you'd just impale me. It seemed like a quicker death." Nezu admitted.

"Now, come on, let's not dwell on horrid things. This is going to be our last conversation, and I'm the one who's going to have to live with that." The Herrscher smirked as she looked at the little mouse. "I'd suggest rather than wasting what little time you have left…you start pleading your case." The Herrscher advised.

"Izuku," Nezu called out but the Herrscher lifted her hand.

"Okay, let's just clarify this before we continue. No, I am not Izuku. I am the Herrscher of the Void. Though we inhabit the same body, we are not the same person, Izuku is Izuku, and I am me." Void explained. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Nezu answered. "Yes, I understand,"

"Good. Proceed." Void ordered.

"Alright then," Nezu took a deep breath. "Based on what I've been told, it is my understanding that you hate humanity," Nezu spoke up. "If the information I have is correct, you denounced your own humanity in favor of serving the 'Honkai' am I correct?"

"That's one way to put it." Void scoffed. "Humans are vile creatures who will do whatever it takes for their own selfish survival, not caring who they hurt so long as it benefits them and their society, they are a plague to the world."

"Tell me about it." Nezu sighed. "I can't tell you how frustrating it is watching all those humans waste their gifts for selfish gains." Nezu lamented.

"Oh, you're speaking now as if you aren't a human yourself." Void scoffed.

"Actually Void," Izuku was about to interrupt, however, Nezu beat him to it.

"You're very observant Herrscher. It is indeed true that I'm not human, though I will take it as a compliment that you see me as one." Nezu chuckled.

"Wait…what?" Void questioned. "You mean…."

"What you have in front of you, Young Herrscher is an actual mouse. It's just that due to my quirk, I look a lot different than the others of my species." Nezu noted.

"So, you're an actual rat instead of just a human-looking one," Void scoffed. "That doesn't exactly change my perspective on you," Void explained.

"I figured as much…but I'd like to share a story that just might change it," Nezu admitted.

"You have less than 500 words," Void told him. "Make them count."

"It all started years ago. I was still young, and my quirk had just barely manifested. I was not as gifted with words then as I am now, but my intelligence was still noticeable enough to the people around me." Nezu explained.

"At first there was nothing significant in my life. It was always about living, I was content to just rely on my instincts for the most part, only using my quirk when a challenge came forward. It was a simple life…but a happy one." Nezu admitted.

"But then…then they came…. the men in white," Nezu whispered. "The world still hadn't quite adjusted to quirks yet and there were numerous agencies trying to make sense of it. Some people viewed it as some religious or divine sign while others viewed it as humanity's next step towards evolution. One thing was for certain…people had questions, and they wanted answers."

"And they did whatever they had to in order to get them." Void guessed.

"And they did whatever they had to, in order to get them," Nezu agreed. "Of course, most humanitarian groups were vehemently opposed to experimenting on humans. After all they were living breathing people. How dare those scientists treat them so…. inhumanely." Nezu recounted.

"But the same could not be said for animals," Izuku rationalized.

"You were experimented on." Void muttered under her breath. She had turned Nezu right side up to meet his gaze. She saw a familiar darkness in his eyes.

"Experimented on….ha…that would have been better," Nezu chuckled darkly. "What they did to me….I was torn apart and stitched back together numerous times…only kept alive because no other specimen existed." Nezu growled under his breath.

"The scar over your eye," Void noted.

"One of many," Nezu explained. "I have many more hidden under my suit." He admitted. "Though the one on my eye…let's just say it's the most…memorable one for me." Intelligence doesn't reside in any other organs or systems outside the brain and well you can only really get to the brain in so few ways.

"Are you expecting me to sympathize with you?" Void wondered. "To say, look, he moved on maybe I could as well."

"Hmph…that would be ideal…but it's too idealistic," Nezu noted. "To denounce your own humanity, and to declare war against all mankind, something must have happened to you in the past. Right?" Nezu asked.

"And what could you possibly know of my past?" Void questioned.

"Nothing," Nezu answered. "I can only speculate and guess. So far all I can think about is that you were either abused for your powers, or you lost many things you cared about due to human involvement. Or perhaps it's a combination of the two." Nezu noted.

"Hmph….you figured all that from my one conversation with All Might?" Void questioned.

"No…I figured that from how you carried yourself." Nezu explained. "In my time, I've seen many villains. Quite a few of them carry an air of entitlement. They believe the world should work for them one way or the other and thus they feel free to act as they please." Nezu explained.

"And then there are the other cases…the people who hate the world or some aspect of it. Often most of these people will have issues caused by other sources who color their perspectives on everything." Nezu continued.

"A daughter abandoned by her father might grow up thinking all men are scum. A civilian wronged by a dirty police officer might see all police as corrupted. A child bitten by a dog might think all animals are rabid." Nezu continued.

"A person doesn't just wake up and hate the world. Some may wake up wanting to rule it, burn it, or even destroy it, just because they can…but to hate the world, no…that requires something else." Nezu noted. "So tell me, why do you hate the world." Nezu challenged.

The Herrscher looked at him carefully. "Why do you want to know?" She asked. "What do you possibly have to gain from this?"

"If I am being honest…I hope to convince you to seek an alternative path. You are a powerful young lady," Nezu noted.

"And why would I do that? What if I like my current path?" Void questioned. "The ability to seek revenge on a wretched world, I've come to despise, to slaughter humanity. What is there is not like?" She asked.

"Dedicating oneself to revenge, often lets revenge consume them, eating away at everything else that makes up their being until there is nothing else left." Nezu pointed out. "I've seen it firsthand with my own eyes."

"It was easy. Escaping from the cage and finding all the doctors who had hurt me and the others. It was easy to orchestrate their deaths….but even when they died…I never felt satisfied."

"Once I had finished, I still wanted more. I wanted to make humanity as a whole pay. So I tried…and I had almost succeeded if not for some…special encounters along the way." Nezu explained.

"You changed."

"I saw the truth." Nezu explained. "Not all humanity is evil."

"The good parts are a lot smaller than the evil ones," Void noted. "It's better to end them all than just dance around the naïve view that they'll change. Tell me no matter how many villains you lock up, how many more still come, evil always finds a way." Void warned him.

"One could make the same argument about good." Nezu pointed out. This caught the Herrscher off guard, momentarily stunning her. "Good and Evil are two halves of humanity. So long as there is a chance of people being selfish or selfless, they will always follow." Nezu said.

"So in the end, the only way to permanently remove evil is to remove good as well," Void pointed out. "Cut it out at the source and then it all disappears. No more suffering, no more greed, no more pain…all because no more humans." Void added.

"Wouldn't that be a boring world?" Nezu pointed as he looked at Void.

"Boring?" Void asked. "It would be a better world I suppose if only a little boring."

"Perhaps but I have to ask….what do you plan to do when you've destroyed it all? With no other people, you'd be all alone." Nezu pointed out. "A world with humanity, without sentient life, where everything just devolves to the basic survival instincts of the animals. Is that really a world you want to live in? A world where you will be all alone?"

"What makes you think I'll be alone?" Void asked. "I still have my host." She pointed out. "And I have the Honkai."

"And you're content with that? Just you and the Honkai for all eternity." Nezu wondered. "Whatever your relationship with Izuku is, I'd like to assume that he does not share the desire for all of humanity's destruction." Nezu presumed. "That said, if your plan is to keep him imprisoned with you to escape the loneliness of your own choices, then I think you might need to reconsider just how much you truly value humanity if it only takes one human to ease an eternity of loneliness in a soon to be desolate world."

"Hmph," The Herrscher eyed the mouse, still hovering above the lava with her power. "I should drop you right now." She pointed out. "One command and you'll be barbequed in no time."

"I am well prepared for that." Nezu pointed out. "Just the act of confronting you alone was suicidal, but it was a risk I needed to take to talk to you."

"You still never answered why you would take such a risk." Void pointed out.

"Once upon a time, I was like you." Nezu pointed out. "I hated humanity, I despised them. I wanted nothing more than to kill them all for what they did to me and so many other innocent souls." Nezu admitted.

"But then…then I met her…a woman by the name of Nana Shimura. She had saved me from the labs and had taken me in for the time being. Of course, I didn't trust her at first. I even tried to kill her because I thought she was going to betray me or do something worse." He confessed.

"But she didn't. She was patient, she saw me for what I was. A hurt individual who had seen horrors, no one should ever see. She made it her mission to help me, to show me that the horrors I witnessed were not the be-all and end-all of it." Nezu said.

"I'd like to think that as a Principal and as a Hero now, I can return the favor and show others that such a path isn't the answer," Nezu admitted.

"And you expect I'd just change my mind so easily,"

"Of course not." Nezu chuckled. "I merely wanted to let you know of an alternative and to show you that there are other ways. I have no idea what you went through, I won't pretend like I do, as it stands your anger, your hatred, it can all be completely justified for all I know." Nezu pointed out.

"But you don't need to let it be the only factor in deciding what you do next," Nezu admitted.

"And what if I still want to destroy humans," Void pointed out. "What if I am thinking straight and rationally and I realize that killing humans still seems like the logical choice?" Void questioned.

"Then might I suggest you focus that anger on the absolute worst of humanity." Nezu pointed out. "Don't just kill indiscriminately but actually stop and figure out if the person you want to kill deserves it. I mean….I don't think a little kid would be judged the same as a rapist or pedophile. There a millions of evil people who prey on others, whether those others are innocent or not doesn't matter…at the end of the day it's as you said…. there is evil and it would be good to just get rid of it."

"Are you advising me that I should continue killing?" Void questioned. "That's not very heroic." Void pointed out.

"I never said you should." Nezu chuckled. "I said to carefully deliberate whether you should or should not do it. As it stands, I agree with you, pay evil onto evil. Death is a form of punishment that might warrant many, too many in fact, but there are other fates far worse. I know for a fact I took personal glee watching the same humans who experimented on me get locked away like the monsters they are and left to rot in prison for decades while I moved on."

"It was my ultimate victory. Showing them that despite all they did, all that they tried to do. I didn't break. I didn't crack. I survived and I thrived." Nezu told her. "They have no power over me now. It's one of the most liberating feelings in the world." Nezu smiled.

"Is that so?" Void wondered. She snapped her fingers and suddenly she and Nezu were back on the roof.

Shoto looked at Endeavor's unconscious form. He was still covered in bandages, all trying to conceal the damage done by the fight. The only part of Endeavor's body that was exposed was none other than his face. A face that looked so peaceful, so calm, as if he was simply sleeping soundly.

It disgusted Shoto.

"I hope you're finally reconsidering your actions." Shoto spat as he looked at his dad. "Maybe for once you can actually reflect when you wake up."

It was an interesting experience. Shoto had been advised that even if Endeavor was unconscious, he could still come and talk to him like he normally would. It was supposed to be good for his mental health. Initially, he had talked to his father about normal stuff, training, and such…but it briefly became an outlet for something else.

"Oh, who am I kidding," Shoto sighed. "You didn't even reflect when Toya died, or Mom had to be sent away. If anything, you just doubled down and made it worse for everyone else." Shoto relented.

"The number two hero, the man who's supposed to be the second closest to All Might." Shoto mused. "After meeting him in person, I can safely say…that's the biggest lie I've ever heard. I'd dare say I'd even call him a better father figure than you'd ever be, after only meeting him a few times. That's how bad you are." Shoto confessed.

The boy paused as he waited for Endeavor to respond. He didn't. The machines simply beeped slowly as they monitored the man's vitals. Nothing changed as always.

"Do you know…we were attacked by a villain today, attending your stupid parade?" Shoto asked. "I know. You don't care about those things, but your fans do. Many of them sing your praises, thinking and holding it in their head that you are this…amazing person. A great role model, father figure, and hero, someone who people can look up to. It's so disgusting how far from the truth it is."

"But I am getting beside the point," Shoto admitted. "So villain attack, Fuyumi and I were caught in the crossfire. At first, we thought it was just going to be another villain you probably caught or ticked off who came seeking revenge." Shoto explained.

"Fuyumi however thinks it might be…Toya," Shoto admits. "And now that I think about…. she might be right," Shoto told him. "Can you believe it….Toya's back?" Shoto asked.

Still no response.

"No, I didn't think that would wake you either." Shoto chuckled to himself. "Although it is funny how things might be slowly getting better for us now." He admitted. "Sure, it's not ideal but I mean look at it this way."

"We no longer have to worry about you hurting us and pushing us around. Toya is back and even if he's a little angry I'm sure we can work things out. Let's not forget now that you are unable to move, maybe Mom might finally get better knowing you can't hurt her or do anything to her now. She wouldn't have to live in fear that you will send her away again." Shoto listed off.

"Honestly… it's aggravating that this is what passes for a potential happy outcome for us," Shoto admitted. "I honestly wish it could have been better than this."

"Oh believe me….I've wished the same." A voice spoke up. Shoto's eyes widened as he turned around bring himself face to face with his brother. "Hey bro," Toya greeted.

"Toya," Shoto gasped.

"I prefer to go by Dabi now actually," Dabi informed. "Nice speech, about time someone told the Old Man off. I just wished you'd have done it when he was awake." Dabi mused as he walked into the room.

"Are you here to talk to him as well?" Shoto asked.

"Something like that." Dabi smiled as he formed a ball of fire in his hands. "You were right though; things could have been better for us. Its just Endeavor was only one part of the problem." Dabi smiled.

"The other part…was you."

"I'll admit. You surprised me." Void confessed. "I don't think killing you is worthwhile anymore." She admitted as she glanced at Nezu.

"I'm relieved to hear that." Nezu smiled.

"Don't get me wrong…if you try and interfere with my host and his mom…I will destroy you." Void commented. "So I'd advise you don't press your luck and open your mouth too much around others."

"Yes…I've been meaning to ask about…what exactly is your relationship with Izuku?"

"He's my host, an unwitting pawn in this whole thing," Void told the Principal. "I tricked him into freeing me, then I latched on and made him my host. It's that simple. He has no input in what I do. Everything is on me and Izuku is just along for the ride. If he dares to tell anyone, I threaten to kill those around him including his mom." Void told the Principal. "So if you do tell anyone about this….make sure you get straight who's the mastermind behind all this."

"You care for him and his mom a lot," Nezu pointed out. The way she had emphasized her involvement. She absolutely wanted him to focus on her and her alone.

"Weren't you listening?" Void stammered. "I said, he's nothing but a mere pawn in this. I could very easily just go and find another host. I just so happen to pick Izuku because of convenience."

"Yes…which is why you pretend to be his girlfriend in front of Ms. Midoriya, or how you saved her from those villains." Nezu pointed out.

"Why you…"

"It was also why I believed a conversation with you might be worth the risk." Nezu admitted. "They were something you didn't seem to hate as much. It was my suspicion that some of your actions are born from seeking revenge for Izuku and his mom."

"Well…you aren't wrong," Void admitted. "Izuku is my host. Any act against him is an act against me and those who act against me will often regret making those choices." She told the principal.

"I see…well in that case what do you plan to do now that you've shared this secret with me?" Nezu wondered.

"That's up to you." Void pointed out. "If you go and spill it and do anything that might hurt Izuku and his mom. I'll drop you into the sun myself." Void threatened.

"And if I try to offer Izuku and his mom shelter from those who might want to hurt him and give him a chance to fulfill his dream?" Nezu questioned.

"Well, then I'll play nice and consider what you told me," Void admitted. "I make no promises though that you'll find my 'good' behavior acceptable. We still have very different opinions on what's right and what's wrong."

"Well, that's better than what I expected," Nezu admitted.

BOOM!

A pillar of blue flames erupted in the distance.

"What in the world?" Nezu asked as he looked to the source. His phone started beeping insistently as he struggled to answer it. "Hello? There's been a what? Oh dear….alright keep me posted." Nezu told them before hanging up.

"Problem?" Void asked as she stared at the smoke. She felt something…off about it. There was a very familiar energy coming from that spot.

"That villain you fought…he's back," Nezu admitted. "He just blew up a hospital," Nezu explained.

"Void!" Izuku called to the Herrscher. He had been silent for the time being, letting her talk with the Principal in private it seemed that time was over.

"Don't worry, I'm still more than happy to fight," Void admitted. "Was it by that explosion?" Void asked the Principal as she floated up.

"Yeah," Nezu answered. "Are you going to stop him?" He questioned as he noticed the Herrscher looking toward the explosion.

"Will that be a problem if I do?" Void asked. "Considering I fought him earlier, it would look rather embarrassing for me if he already caused more trouble after I…punished him."

"No…not at all." Nezu smiled.

"Good," Void told him. Hopefully, this will also give Nezu another reason to keep his mouth shut.

"You're actually going to help," Izuku said in disbelief. "I thought you'd brush it off."

"Normally I would have…but something's not right about this." Void admitted as they flew towards the scene.

Shoto coughed as he pushed the rubble of his body. He felt dazed, having just barely shielded himself with a wall of ice before the place burst into flames. As he tried to get his bearings he noticed Dabi, floating above the ground looking at him.

"Resilient as ever." His brother commented as he landed on the ground.

"You just destroyed a hospital full of people," Shoto said in disbelief.

"I assure you…they were dead before that. Let's just say not many people were willing to let me go and see our dear old dad in this state." Dabi commented.

"Listen Toya…we can fix this….I'm sure we can work something out." Shoto pleaded. "I don't want to fight you."

"Oh please. The only way this could be fixed is if you die with Endeavor," Dabi told him. "It will be better for all of us if that happened," Dabi spoke as he walked forward, his body slowly burning with bright blue flames as the red neon veins spread across his body.

"What?"

"Of course, you'd never notice. You're just as blinded as him." Dabi chuckled. "Your birth Shoto was a mistake. You were a mistake. If you never existed, we wouldn't be here right now." Dabi pointed out.

"Endeavor would have realized having another child would be a lost cause. He'd probably would have stopped if he never got his Golden Child." Dabi taunted.

"That's not true." Shoto denied. "He wouldn't have cared either way. If I didn't have this quirk, he'd just try again."

"Perhaps…but you'd still be born, and he'd still be trying," Dabi noted. "If you didn't exist, he'd probably acknowledge me as his true successor. With me there not needing nearly as much training as you, he probably would have been a better parent to Fuyumi and Natsuo or at least he'd have less reasons to harm them." Dabi explained.

"That's…."

"And let's not forget about Mom," Dabi continued. "You were the straw that finally broke her. She never snapped with me, Fuyumi or Natsuo….but with you, Shoto. It was your birth that sealed her fate." Dabi continued as he walked towards Shoto. "Face it. The only person who was happy with your existence was Endeavour. Everyone else, Mom, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and me, we all despised you."

"It would have been better for us all…if you never existed," Dabi said. "And I'll fix that right now." He said.

"I don't think so." A loud voice boomed. Before Dabi could react a large fist struck him right in the face, sending the villain flying back down the street and into the road. The fist was none other than All Might himself standing protectively in front of Shoto. "Is everything alright, Young Todoroki?" All Might asked as he kept his eyes on the villain.

"Yeah…yeah…I'm fine." Shoto told him. "Did you….?" He asked gesturing to where Dabi was sent flying.

"I have my doubts." All Might admitted as he shook his fist, noticing the burn marks on his knuckle. "I came as soon as I heard."

"Well well well….." Dabi's laughter echoed as a pillar of blue flames erupted from the ground. All Might and Shoto braced themselves as a wave of heat washed over the entire area. "Look who decided to show up,"

"It's so hot." All Might admitted as he noticed how the world around him started to distort. The fire was so hot the world seemed to slowly start to melt around them.

"You know….if I beat you and Shoto…there will be no denying it then." Dabi mused. To beat the number one hero and Endeavor's gold boy in one fell swoop, would definitely cement him as the best. The only thing that would make it better would be….. "Ah…so you're here as well," Dabi smirked as he sensed a familiar presence.

"Come on out Herrscher of the Void," He called. "I know you're watching me. You must have noticed it." He taunted.

Beside All Might and Shoto, a portal opened as the Herrscher of the Void stepped through. Her expression was neutral but her gaze never left the villain. "Where did you get that power?" She questioned.

"It was a gift from the one you disappointed," Dabi explained. "A gift from God, given to me, to succeed where you failed." He smirked. "Behold…. the new Herrscher of Flamescion." Dabi boasted.

"What…another one?" All Might explained.

However, Void just stared at him with anger in her eyes. "Don't make me laugh, God's chosen, what a joke, you're not even Herrscher, let alone one with a dumb name like Flamescion." She growled. The villain before her had Honkai but he wasn't even near Wind's level of Honkai, let alone Thunder or Reason or even fricking Sentience.

"Maybe not yet, but when I kill you and take your core…I will be." Dabi told her.

"I'd like to you see try," Void said as she got into a defensive stance. "All Might…stand aside…he's mine," Void told the Hero beside her.

"I don't know what's the deal between the two of you, but I can't just sit idly by." All Might said as he prepared to fight alongside Void. "Young Todoroki, we'll hold him off. You get to safety." All Might ordered.

"I don't think so," Dabi smirked as he pressed his hands down. The entire block around the group suddenly erupted as a ring of blue flames surrounded everyone trapping them inside.

"Welcome to HELL!"  Dabi screamed at the trio. He was happy to have them all here, ready to destroy. All Might the reason for his birth, to surpass him for Endeavor, Shoto the golden boy who sought to replace Dabi, and The Herrscher, the one who robbed him of his revenge. He would end them all now.

Chapter Text

"You call this hell," Void laughed as she looked around at the burning world around her. She had seen what hell looked like before. It was lonely, cold, and sterile, far from this villain's current attempt. "Don't make me laugh," She mocked.

"What business do you have with Endeavor and his family?" All Might demanded from the villain. "Are you another criminal who's just here for revenge because he caught you and locked you away?" All Might asked.

"No, I'm not just some 'criminal'," Dabi laughed. "I'm his son," He explained before All Might. "Toya Todoroki," he revealed.

"Wow….is this supposed to mean something to us?" Void asked Izuku.

"If I'm not mistaken, Toya Todoroki is the firstborn of Endeavor who died in a training accident," Izuku recalled. "That was many years ago, ever since then the family's been kept out of the public eye for the most part out of respect."

"So what I'm hearing is…he's technically supposed to be dead, but he's not, so in any case, if I kill him…nothing will be wrong with that." Void rationalized.

"Um…I don't think it works like that," Izuku nervously answered.

"If you truly are Endeavor's son then why do this?" All Might asked. "Why attack your own family? Why kill so many people just to find your brother and father? What can you possibly hope to gain from all this?"

"Revenge," Dabi simply said. "It's always been to get revenge on them for how they wronged me,"

"What did your papa not love you?" Void joked.

"NO! HE DIDN'T!" Dabi screamed back. "The only one he ever cared about was the brat right behind you. SHOTO!" Dabi screamed before taking a deep breath and trying to collect himself.

"Seriously…that's his reason….he has daddy issues." Void was less than impressed by this development. Of all the stupid reasons to be a Herrscher, it had to be this.

"You don't get to look down on me," Dabi retaliated as he threw a stream of fire at the Herrscher. Void opened a portal and swallowed the flames with ease much to his shock.

"At first I thought he might be a threat, but it seems this kid really is just an idiot with power," Void yawned as she turned to All Might. "Maybe you should handle him then." She told the Hero.

"Wait seriously," Izuku and All Might said in unison. Surprised, she would just so easily give up the chance to make Dabi pay.

"He's…. too pathetic to fight," Void admitted.

"PATHETIC…PATHETIC!" Dabi growled. "You dare mock my hardships so readily," He growled as he threw another fire blast in rage. This time it was deflected by All Might who merely clapped his hands and dispersed the fire with the shockwave alone. Dabi was pushed back by the wind, nearly stumbling in the process.

"A round of applause and he's down," Void mocked. "For someone claiming to be a Herrscher, you sure are underdelivering on those claims." She continued to belittle the villain.

Dabi stared down at the trio before. His eyes burned with the desire to cremate all three of them. Yet even now the gap was still so great between him, All Might and the Herrscher of the Void. Nothing had changed. He was stronger now, but they still had more power than him.

Then his eyes turned to the Herrscher of the Void and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"You're right," He agreed with Void. "They don't make Herrschers like they used to. Once upon a time, the first Herrscher of the Void was a force of nature, requiring the sacrifice of the then strongest Valkyrie, Cecilia, and her husband Siegfied using his ICHOR form and the near-death of the Herrscher of Reason." Dabi spattered out.

"Second Herrscher of the Void?" All Might gasped.

Void didn't bother to address his question, her eyes instead focused on Dabi.

"Herrscher of the Void, how far you have fallen," Dabi chuckled as he stood up. "Look at yourself, siding with the humans, submitting yourself to their whim, you were once the Proud Queen who stood atop the world as it crumbled and burned beneath your feet."

Void narrowed her eyes at the villain. "I'm not siding with the humans," Void rebutted his claims. "I just hate you, more than I hate them,"

"Void?" Izuku asked as he felt anger starting to bubble within his partner. "Void he's trying to psyche us out," Izuku warned.

"I know that; that's the plan whenever any fighter opens their mouth." Void scolded.

Dabi noticed her attention was split. He smiled at this, realizing it was the perfect time to play his hand. "You waged war against the entire Earth on your own, killing millions as you destroyed cities with ease. Now look at you, you can't even fight unless your pathetic insect loosens your leash, as if you were some trained pet."

"What?" Both Izuku and Void thought. Now the emotions were bubbling even more. "Void," Izuku tried to call once more.

"Shut up Izuku, I can handle this," Void thought as she glared at the villain. She was no one's pet.

"Watch your tongue, the power you wield for a few moments is, but a small pebble compared to the mountainous amount I have," Void growled. "Do not think that you truly understand everything because you have tasted power similar to mine."

"I understand that you've wavered in your resolve." Dabi taunted. "You've been killed twice now, bested first by humanity and then by yourself. Now you're so afraid, that even the mere thought that the insect might resist makes you tremble, makes you panic that he will oust you from his body and steal your power." Dabi chuckled. "Isn't that what Kiana did?"

"Kiana? Who's Kiana?" All Might asked in confusion. They had tried finding as many leads as they could on the Herrscher but never had they encountered the name Kiana before.

"She's no one important," Void dismissed as she continued to eye Dabi. "As for you, if you value your life, I suggest you silence yourself," She manifested several lances in the air, all pointed at the villain, yet he didn't seem to waver. Instead, he merely looked at them with amusement, an act that irked her so much.

"Calm down Void," Izuku told her. "He's trying to egg you on,"

"I know what I'm doing Izuku, I'm the fighter here," She told him.

"As if you will actually kill me," Dabi mocked. "You know deep down, what I'm saying is true. You've grown weak Herrscher, you've failed at almost every turn. Even your 'hard-earned' victories are hollow. You could neither save nor avenge anyone, not your mother, not the children in Babylon,"

Dabi then smirked as he delivered the Coup de grâce. "You couldn't even save Bella or Benares when they needed you the most," Dabi laughed.

Izuku felt himself get washed away as Void's emotions reached an all-time high.

"ENOUGH!" Void screamed as she launched all of her lances at the villain. Her intent to kill him, the murderous desire to silence him once and for all dispersed any sense of rationality she had prior.

Dabi smiled as he saw the attack coming. He concentrated the flames in his body, propelling himself like a rocket as he took the sky dodging her attacks which soon decimated the world around her. She soon gave chase, ignoring the others at her side as she went after the villain.

"Come on Herrscher," Dabi taunted as they flew around his makeshift arena. It was just a couple of blocks, but it was more than enough for his purpose. Void kept throwing her attacks at him haphazardly, her rage consuming her whole mind, drowning out even Izuku's words.

"DIE!" Void screamed as she launched attack after attack not caring what she destroyed in the process. She blasted numerous buildings to pieces, tore up the roads, and smashed whatever vehicles were in her way, all to get the arrogant little punk before her.

"This is bad. She's going to destroy the whole place," All Might realized as he saw the destruction unfold. He had hoped he wouldn't have to fight her, but it seemed like fate had other plans.

Dabi confidently eased the power of his flames. He slowed his speed allowing for her to catch up, still evading her attacks and then he turned and rocketed himself towards the Herrscher. He sped by in a blur, almost colliding with the Herrscher had she not gotten out of the way. Yet he didn't stop, he kept going, heading back to All Might and his brother.

"Get back here!" Void screamed as she followed him. She was just about to catch him the second time as well. Except just she was about to grasp the villain.

"That's enough," All Might tackled her out of the sky. He had struck the Herrscher, both of them colliding with a nearby building as they both rolled against the floor. The Herrscher was displeased by this.

"YOU MORON! I ALMOST HAD HIM" The Herrscher growled as she stood up, her eyes now focused on the hero before her. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" She yelled at him.

"I couldn't just let you destroy the city." All Might defended as he stood up. "Do you have any idea how much destruction you caused while chasing him?"

"I don't care about your city," Void gritted her teeth as she stood up. "I can handle him on my own, this city be damned if it needs to." She responded.

"It seems like I'll need to take you down first," All Might noted as he prepared himself to fight the Herrscher. "You're too dangerous to be left out."

"Is that so?" Void asked as she turned her attention to All Might.

"Now that was too easy," Dabi said as he looked at the duo. All it took was a little misdirection. All Might was a hero who would always prioritize saving others beyond beating the villains and HoV, she was too easily angered and led astray by her emotions. With the two of them now occupied, Dabi was free to hunt Shoto…but first…..

"I've got you," A voice called to Izuku. He could feel the emotions around him begin to subside as a familiar figure appeared to him.

"Drifter," Izuku noted in relief.

"I hate that we meet like this," Drifter sighed as she glanced over at Izuku. "Seems like she's letting her emotions cloud her judgment once again," Drifter noted.

"That guy…is he really a Herrscher?" Izuku wondered.

"No…he's still a few ways from being a true Herrscher," Drifter explained. "However, he has access to power only the Honkai can give and knowledge only someone from our world can have, very personal and private knowledge." Drifter continued.

"Void, she's…last thing I remember was becoming even more overwhelmed by her anger." Izuku realized. "This time…though…this time it felt different. With Endeavor I could feel rage and hatred, emotions I've never felt before. Yet for this time, this time I felt…fear." Izuku explained.

"Void's afraid," Izuku repeated as he glanced at Drifter. "Why is she afraid?"

"Why do you think she's afraid?" Drifter asked in return. "What can possibly scare the Herrscher? Is she afraid of losing to this villain?"

"No," Izuku answered as he thought about it. "She's not afraid of facing any enemy. She's afraid of facing the truth,"

"And of facing herself," Drifter added. "That villain was right, despite all her power and despite all that she did and tried to do, it never amounted to anything. Like he said, she failed to protect or avenge those closest to her. She has nothing and no one left."

"She has me," Izuku admitted. "As Mr. Nezu said, she has a chance to change her mind and find something more than just her pain,"

A sad smile formed on Drifter's face as he said this. "Yes, she does," Drifter admitted but soon her lips fell into a frown. "But she's a bit hard-headed to realize that" The white-haired girl noted. "Or perhaps she's just too much of a coward to accept it?" She mused.

"What do we do now?" Izuku asked. "She's obviously too worked up to be reasoned with and if we don't stop her, she could destroy everything,"

"I'm afraid that's the least of our concerns," Drifter warned. Something was off, something bad was going to happen.

"What," Izuku asked in confusion. "What do you GAH!" Izuku screamed as he felt a sharp pain run through his back. It was as if he was stabbed with a claw that was penetrating his back, talons worming their way into his body.

"IZUKU!" Drifter called as her eyes turned a bright amber.

"IZUKU!" Void screamed as she felt something squeeze her core. Her body froze in the spot, paralyzed from the pain. It overwhelmed her senses so much, that she hadn't even registered what she had said as she held All Might by his collar, the man now in his skinny form but still very much conscious and aware of what was going on.

"You really thought it was a good idea, to take your eyes off of me," Dabi laughed gleefully as he pushed his hand further into Void. He could feel the essence of her core within his grasp as he held onto to source of the Herrscher's power, her very soul. "You took everything from me,"

Void tried to force more words out of her mouth as she slowly turned back to see the villain. Dabi smiled. He was all but ready to pull out the core and take the power of the Herrscher for himself. Yet before he could get his prize.

Ice erupted around the villain, encasing him. The source was none other than Shoto Todoroki, himself, having followed the trio to the building they were on. "That's enough, Toya!" Shoto demanded. "I can get having problems with me and Dad but keep it with us, this is our fight and no one else," He told his brother.

The ice cracked as Dabi escaped with ease. "You really like to be a thorn in my side," Dabi growled as he saw Shoto. Shoto didn't back down, instead sending another wave of ice.

Unfortunately for the young boy, Dabi melted it with ease. The villain smirked at his brother's pitful attempt, however, Shoto had already made a beeline for the exit using his ice powers. "No, you're not going to get away from me this time," Dabi yelled as he gave chase to his brother leaving Void and All Might on the floor.

Void clutched her sides feeling the pain of having her core even touched by an outsider leaving her shaking and trembling. Memories of being pinned to the ground by Siegfied surfaced in her mind as the familiar feeling of dread came to mind. The image of a monster ripping her apart, piece by piece, yet this time it wasn't just the power of the Honkai being taken out. It was also….

"Izuku," Void called softly. "Izuku?" She called again in mind.

She searched for him. She tried to feel the consciousness of her host. He was still there. It was faint but he was still there.

"You let yourself get played," Drifter's voice echoed in her mind. "You let your emotions overrule you."

"Shut up," Void told her. "Just keep an eye on Izuku, I'll go and finish what we started," Void responded.

"You fool," Drifter told her.

"Who did you just call out?" All Might asked as he struggled to get back to his feet. Once more his weakness had been exploited but he was still able to get back on his feet. Calling upon the power of One for All, All Might be powered through the pain forcing himself to buff up, only to immediately turn back to his skinny self, staggering as he tried to stay standing.

"No one important," Void said as she struggled to get back to her feet. She could only reach as far as kneeling before she felt intense pain run down her back. "OW!" She gasped.

All Might didn't bother drilling her for more information. He had other matters to attend to. He looked in the direction of the trail of ice where both Todoroki brothers had fled. "He's going to kill young Shoto," All Might spoke aloud as he tried to power through telling himself the stakes to try and keep himself going.

"Yeah…yeah he is," Void admitted as she tried to distract herself from the pain and the sudden silence in her mind. The last thing she remember was….was Izuku screaming in pain. "I shouldn't have gotten distracted." Void cursed herself as she pushed her hands into the ground and forced herself to her feet. "He was right there," Void spoke out, right within my grasp. "But then…you…" She turned to eye All Might.

"Don't blame me for your mistake," All Might quickly shut her down. "You're the one who got angry and started to destroy the city." He scolded. "If I stayed put, you would have destroyed everything before you had even touched him again." All Might admitted.

"If you had just left me be, then I would have definitely killed him." Void countered. She then sighed as it quickly became clear what had happened. "He played us, played me," She corrected.

"You let your anger control you, not me, now look what happened." All Might pointed out.

"Yeah," Void repeated as she mentally kicked herself. She had been played like a fiddle. "So, what's the plan?" Void asked him.

"Plan, what plan?" All Might asked.

"The plan for you to save Shoto, and the plan for me to kill that bastard," Void told him.

"Is this a joke?" All Might asked. "You just tried to kill me and now you want to work together."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Void spoke. "That's how that saying goes right? He tricked me, played to our weakness, and then tried to ambush us. Now we either work together to stop him, or we try to beat him individually in our weakened states." She explained.

"You really think it's that simple." All Might said.

"Isn't it? When a kid's life is on the line does it need to be more complicated?" Void told him.

"I suppose not." All Might told her. "But still how can I trust you?" All Might questioned.

"You can't. I very much intend to kill that bastard the moment I lay hands on him." Void told the hero. "As it stands, he tried to take my power so either the next time he comes around he succeeds in killing me and gets stronger or we stop him in his tracks right now," Void told All Might. "You don't have much time with your injury, and I don't have much time after he squeezed my core. So what will it be?"

"Fine, here's the plan." All Might resigned himself to this temporary team-up.

Chapter Text

It was a foolish move. Shoto despite his training was still new to this. He had learnt many things about his quirk. He knew how to use it to spar with Endeavor, hit practice dummies, and compete through the course. Yet he had never needed to use his quirk against someone who was trying to kill him. Let alone be forced to use his quirk against his own family.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Dabi screamed as he chased after the boy. He launched fireballs at the young hero in training, blowing up the area without a care in the world. Eventually, he was fortunate enough and despite Shoto's best efforts, he was still knocked down by the blast.

Shoto winced as he rolled across the floor. He could hear the footsteps of his brother landing right behind him. "Stay back, Toya," Shoto pleaded as he summoned a wave of ice to block Toya's path.

"Oh, but I just want to see you, little bro," Dabi laughed as he easily melted the ice. He used his flames to propel himself ever so slightly up before he rocketed down on top of Shoto. Now with Shoto beneath his heel, Dabi could finally look his brother in the eyes. "End of the road Shoto." Dabi smiled as he channeled his fire into his feet.

Shoto felt it, the heat rising on his body. Almost on instinct, he summoned his ice, all the ice he could possibly use. It encased his body, shielding him from Dabi, but it was no use. He could still feel it. Despite a constantly reforming layer of ice on top of his chest, he could feel Dabi's flames begin to burn.

"Try all you want, you won't live this time," Dabi mocked as he increased his power even more. The Honkai veins glowed intensely as he did, melting every last piece of ice around them. He looked down to see Shoto stare at him with eyes full of nothing but fear.

He loved it.

Smirking to himself, Dabi lowered his hand to the unscarred side of Shoto's face. "Here before you go, let me just make sure it matches," He spoke with a sarcastic tone of consideration. Shoto's eyes panicked when he realized what Dabi was doing. His hand came closer till he clutched Shoto's face with his flames.

"AH!" Shoto screamed. It was music to Dabi's ears.

"JUDGEMENT!" A voice called. Dabi didn't even notice when a blur of white struck him with a jump kick, sending him flying. Void flipped herself over, landing on both her feet, after being tossed by All Might.

She looked down at Shoto, frowning as the familiar scent of burnt flesh entered her nose. Rushing over to the boy that had saved her, she checked to see if he was still alive. "Shoto," She blinked as he stared at her. His face only light burnt thanks to his fire resistance. She stared at him as his eyes focused on her.

"Mom," Shoto whispered in a daze. The only thing visible to him was the snow-white hair of his savior. Hair that reminded him of his mom

"Okay it's weird now," Void said as she glanced at where Dabi had landed.

"YOU!" Dabi screamed. "It's always you who gets in my way." He growled as he stared at Void who had put Shoto behind her.

"Well, I tend to make it a habit to screw with people who mess with me," Void warned him. "Trying to rip my core out, BIG MISTAKE!" Void glared back.

Dabi launched himself at the Herrscher at high speed, fire coating his very being as he rushed her. She had opened numerous portals, but he was quick enough to maneuver around all her attempts to warp him. Yet he failed to realize something. The last portal she opened was not facing him as it approached, instead it was turned to the side. He flew past it without even glancing at it.

"DETROIT SMASH!" A fist emerged from the portal striking Dabi midflight. The villain was launched into the floor leaving a trail of torn up concrete in his wake.

"Have no fear, Young Todoroki, for we are here." All Might proclaimed as he emerged from the portal. His eyes focused on Dabi, as Void moved to stand beside him.

"I didn't agree to the catchphrase," Void lamented.

"It's already said," All Might told her as he stared at the villain. Dabi had recovered from the punch, standing back up as he glared at the hero and herrscher. His clothes were torn apart by the blow, leaving him with just his ripped pants.

Void smiled as she looked over at the villain. His body was covered in Honkai-infused veins, that practically pulsed as he moved. "Can't hold your Honkai little baby," Void taunted.

"Your words mean nothing," Dabi glared. He was ready to launch another strike. Yet before he could, Void snapped her fingers and encased him in a portal dome. It was the same trick as before, a completely spherical portal, perfectly encasing the villain in a room with no escape.

"How are you feeling?" Drifter asked Izuku. The young boy looked at her while holding his heart.

"I feel like my entire being was almost ripped apart," Izuku gasped. The pain…it put even Babylon to shame with how intense it was.

"You're lucky, that boy stepped in," Drifter noted. "If he hadn't frozen the villain…well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty for any of us."

"What would have happened?" Izuku asked.

"You and Void would have been literally ripped from each other. Whether you'd survive after would be another story entirely," Drifter warned.

"What's Void doing right now?" Izuku questioned as he tried to change the subject. The idea of being ripped apart was not a pleasant one for him.

"She's working with All Might believe it or not," Drifter told him.

"Wait…what?" Izuku gasped in surprise.

The black dome soon cracked as fire began to erupt from within. Finally it shattered in a explosion of blue flames. From within it Dabi emerged.

"Hehe…You won't beat me the same way twice." He chuckled.

"I don't have to," Void smirked. All Might charged at the villain, Void trailing right behind him.

"DIE!" Dabi screamed as he threw more fireballs at them to stop them. Void blocked them all with a portal that appeared in front of her and All Might. As the two drew closer, Void closed the portal, allowing All Might to hit Dabi a third time in the face.

The villain was sent sliding across the floor. This time, however, he used his flames to try and catch himself, keeping himself from impacting any wall. When he looked up, he found himself face to face with the Herrscher. Her eyes burned a bright gold as she phased right through Dabi. As she did, a bubble formed around them, an area where time slowed to a crawl as the Herrscher moved past Dabi.

He tried to move but the next thing he knew…. he was impaled with a lance in the back.

Void looked on as the villain fell to his knees. She eyed him with hesitation, knowing from her own personal experience how hard it was to put down a Herrscher. "It's over Toya," All Might warned as the looked at the downed villain.

"NO!" Dabi screamed. "IT'S NOT OVER! I REFUSE TO LET THIS BE THE END!" His chest started to glow as the red neon veins erupted around his body. "IF I CAN'T KILL YOU HERE, THEN I'LL JUST TAKE YOU ALL DOWN WITH ME!" Her roared as his center began to pulse. Energy began to leak out around them as Dabi went supercritical.

"Blowing yourself up? You fool, don't you get it, you'll die as well," Void told him.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER. NONE OF IT MATTERS. SO LONG AS YOU ALL DIE, SO LONG AS SHOTO, ENDEAVOR, AND EVERYONE DIE, IT WILL BE WORTH IT!" Dabi laughed maniacally. "I'LL DESTROY IT ALL, I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING!"

"I don't think so," Void interrupted as she reached into Dabi and grabbed his incomplete core. She ripped it out with ease, pushing the villain back on the floor.

"NO!" Dabi screamed. As the limitless energy of the Honkai left his body.

"Did you really think you were the only one who could rip out a Herrscher's core?" Void asked as she absorbed the core.

With the source of his power gone, all that was left now was Dabi, depowered before All Might and Void. "No…no…that's not.." Dabi tried to speak but his words started to grow weaker. He started to cough, vomiting blood as he tried to speak. "I can't….I'm not done." He tried to stand but his body couldn't.

He fell face first before the duo, falling right at there feet. "No…No….I'm not." He repeated the words over and over again like a mad man. Each time his voice growing weaker, growing softer till…..

Toya Todoroki, also known as Dabi, was dead.

Shoto walked up behind the duo, his eyes never leaving Toya's decayed form. "What happened to him?" Shoto asked.

"He couldn't handle the Honkai," Void explained. "His body was already damaged from his own power, adding more just hastened the process. Then it was only a matter of how much a fight he could give," Void reasoned.

"It's more than that," All Might added. "It wasn't just his own power," All Might note. "It was his own desire for revenge. He could have been so much more if he didn't focus on that. Hell, his father could have been more if he didn't envy me." All Might admitted feeling partially responsible for the death before him.

"He's not the only one who could be more," Drifter added.

"Is Izuku alright?" Void asked.

"He's fine, you can talk to him more after you return home." Drifter told her.

"Hmph," Void scoffed as she turned to leave before something stopped her. Or rather someone. She turned her head back taking a glance at Shoto. "So, tell me, do we fight next?" She questioned Shoto out of the blue.

"Huh," Shoto glanced up at the Herrscher, as did All Might.

"What did you say?" All Might questioned.

"First it was father, now it's his brother," Void noted. "That's the second member of his family I've fought. I'm curious if he wishes to seek revenge on me now," Void explained. "As it stands I'm exhausted and I've grown tired of fighting fire wielders. If you wish to take revenge, then do it now," Void told Shoto.

"Seriously," All Might frowned. He was about to scold the Herrscher once more, but Shoto interrupted him.

"No, I have no desire for revenge," Shoto told her. "As it stands, I'm tired as well. Not just off the fighting but with so much else." Shoto admitted. "I just…I just want to go back to what family I have left," Shoto told her.

"I see," Void noted as a portal opened behind her. I'll keep an eye on you, though, " she told him as she sank into the portal. "Just in case you change your mind, " she said, and then disappeared.

Nezu nearly jumped when he saw the portal open behind him. He was expecting the Herrscher to walk out, standing proud. Instead, she staggered out of the portal almost collapsing as it closed behind her. Her form actually shattered before his eyes as the being before him turned from the Herrscher of the Void back into Izuku Midoriya.

"Izuku," Nezu called.

"Mr. Nezu," Izuku noted. "You've been here the whole time?" He asked.

"Well as smart as I am, I didn't exactly have an answer for your mom after you disappeared," Nezu explained.

"Oh…sorry about that,"

"No need to apologize," Nezu told him. "These things happen. I presume from the state Ms. Void came back in that things were rougher than expected."

"That's an understatement," Izuku told him. "As much as I want to talk about it, I think All Might will give you a better recount as to what happened," Izuku told him. "I need to lie down now."

"Sure," Nezu answered. "I'll take my leave now then as well," Nezu told Izuku as they headed down the stairs.

"Goodbye, Mr. Nezu," Izuku said as Nezu continued to walk down the stairs.

"DAMN IT!" Void screamed as she fell flat into the ground of the mindscape. "I WAS SO STUPID!" She scolded herself.

"At least you admit it," Drifter sighed.

"SHUT UP!" Void told her.

"Hey don't be mad at me, you're the one who got worked up over that guy's trash talk," Drifter noted.

"Except…." Void trailed off.

"Wait…you're not thinking about what he said," Drifter asked worriedly.

"He's not wrong about me. I should be burning this world to the ground but instead, look at me. Worrying about a human, working with a hero. It's….it's ….Gah!" She screamed as she threw her lances into the air.

Drifter sighed. "I thought we were getting better."

"Better for who?" Void asked.

"Better for both of us," Drifter told her. "Ah, Forget it," Drifter told her. "We have other things to worry about," Drifter noted.

"Like what?" Void asked. "Like the heroes who might be on to us….please…give me some time to recover and I'll be slaughtering them all," Void told her.

"That's not what we should worry about," Drifter admitted. "After all that villain today was halfway to becoming a Herrscher." She noted. "And I have a feeling that sooner or later….more will come," Drifter warned.

Void huffed. "Would that be so bad?" She asked.

"What do you think?" Drifter questioned.

Void didn't entertain an answer.

Chapter Text

"You're looking far better than last time," Nezu commented while observing the pro hero. All Might only rolled his eyes, too tired to even respond, while Recovery Girl was treating his wounds. "How bad was the fight? Or would you rather we wait till you're all better so you can make a proper report?" Nezu wondered.

"No, that won't be necessary. I can give you a verbal recount," All Might spoke up. As it stood, the hero wasn't really wanting to do any paperwork after this fight. "You were right." He admitted.

"I was?" Nezu answered with a half-raised eyebrow. "May I ask about what?"

"During the fight, Endeavor's son launched a sneak attack on the Herrscher of the Void. I couldn't quite tell what it was, only that his hand had practically lunged into her back." All Might explained. "He mentioned something about stealing a core from her, and from the look of it, she seemed to have said core hidden inside her body." All Might noted. "What was more shocking, though, is when he did try to steal it, the Herrscher screamed… 'Izuku'," All Might informed. He wasn't sure what role Izuku had in this. He wasn't anywhere near them, yet she still called out the young boy's name.

"So, she does know the boy," Recovery Girl noted. "And from the looks of it, she seems very close to him." There weren't many reasons to scream random names in a situation like that.

"That would appear to be the case," Nezu answered. "I have made quite a few discoveries in my investigation today into Mr. Midoriya and the Herrscher, even speaking with both of them prior to your encounter with Endeavor's children."

"You what?" Recovery Girl gasped. "Why didn't you notify us?" she demanded as she smacked Nezu with her cane. "It's bad enough he's getting into fights with her. Now you're going and meeting her without any backup."

"In my defense…. I wasn't expecting to find her." Nezu winced as he rubbed his head. "And second, would you keep it down?" He shushed. "The last thing we need is someone eavesdropping on this information," Nezu admitted as he shuffled to the door. He glanced outside, making sure the hall outside the medical room was empty. Once he was positive, he returned to his companions and gave them a short summary of what he had learnt.

Suffice to say…their expressions were….as he'd expect.

"So let me get this straight…. she's possessing his body." All Might repeated as he tried to wrap his head around the concept. The Herrscher didn't have a physical body of her own. Instead, she had what was essentially her core, which could possess others, granting them her powers. "And turning him into a copy of being."

"In a sense…yes…young, mild-mannered quirkless Izuku Midoriya is secretly the deadly, ruthless, destroyer, the Herrscher of the Void," Nezu explained. "For the most part, the Herrscher has claimed all the death, destruction, and such to be all her own doing, stating that Izuku is nothing more than a pawn in the grand scheme of things."

"And you actually believe that?" Recovery Girl questioned.

"I see no reason why she or Izuku would try and pretend to have a second personality and form. As it stands, Izuku and his mom have had long histories within the area, with numerous records to verify that they are legitimately who they say they are. There is next to no room to scrutinize that Izuku Midoriya does in fact exist as a real person." Nezu explained.

"And the Herrscher?" Recovery Girl wondered.

"Honestly, I can't tell what would be more absurd to believe," Nezu sighed. "Would you rather believe that the once quirkless Izuku, got a quirk or other power of some kind that allowed him not only become a powerful person but also turned him into a young woman or that a random super powered young woman from another world/dimension whatever just landed in our world and possessed a weak human turning them into a copy of themselves."

"No matter how you spin it…. the situation's honestly absurd either way." He sighed. "Personally, I just accept it's the latter, because even though that sounds crazier… it's admittedly less convoluted compared to the former."

"I swear…I'm getting too old for this." All Might sighed. He, too, agreed with the former. As it stood, Izuku had honestly seemed like such an earnest young hero. He couldn't quite imagine such an act being faked. "So now what do we do with this information. I can't imagine you'd simply just report what you know," All Might pondered.

"We both know how disastrous that would be. Any group that knows will most likely act irrationally and try to ambush or manipulate them. As it stands, the Herrscher, despite her claims, does seem to care about Izuku and his mom. She just would rather not admit it." Nezu noted. Why else would she go out of her way to ensure her 'pawn' is exempt from all her crimes?

"And if she feels threatened, she'll most likely react like any cornered animal. Lashing out at everything around her." Recovery girl noted.

"So, we're still playing the waiting game." All Might groaned.

"Not necessarily," Nezu pointed out. "While we may not have the means to defeat her, we can still try to sway her to our side. She's proven willing to work with you and despite her claims…. I do still believe she has the potential to change."

"And what gave you that idea?" All Might questioned.

"She and I have quite a lot in common," Nezu explained. "I dare say had it not been for a certain individual, I would have also gone down the same path as her," Nezu noted.

"It's not going to be easy." All Might sighed.

"When has it ever been?" Nezu chuckled.

"I've counted at least 30 different bite marks on Nana," Recovery girl added as she cast a sly glance at a bashful Nezu.

"Damn brat," Void grimaced as she looked over the wound. It wasn't long-lasting; within a few days, it should have healed, but such a wound shouldn't have existed in the first place. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"It's not like we'd have known he'd come back so soon. Most people you fight remain out of commission for more than a few hours." Drifter noted.

Izuku glanced between the white heads, unsure what to say. Void was…angrier than usual, but it didn't seem targeted at him this time. Drifter, meanwhile, was trying to keep things…optimistic…is that the right word?

"So, what do we do now?" Izuku questioned as he glanced at the two.

"Honestly…we don't know," Drifter admitted.

"The heroes clearly know where we live." Void pointed out. "It's only a matter of time before some of them come looking for us."

"Let's not forget the Honkai seems to be closing in on this world." Drifter pondered. "That by itself is a concerning development. Humanity is still unprepared to handle them."

"You talk as if we ought to care about that." Void scoffed. "I'd say let it come; let it burn this world down."

"Regardless of if we care or not, let's not forget that while a threat, the Honkai is just as easily harnessed by humans for their own purposes," Drifter noted. "I'm sure you of all people, would rather there not be any humans 'misusing' the Honkai."

The Herrscher huffed.

"Looks like we need to tread more carefully," Izuku noted. "I guess that means we have to be careful on any more outings."

"You also need to get stronger." Void mused. "We can't rely on my power alone if trouble finds us. It will just prove our connection even more." She hummed.

"Yeah. I suppose it would really draw attention, regardless." Izuku admitted.

"Well…it looks like we'll have to resume your training," Void noted. "However,…."

"You're thinking about Nezu's words." Drifter voiced.

"If he means well. I see no reason in trusting him." Void explained. "If he's lying to us. If he betrays us, well…then I'm just going to waste this city and his school." Void threatened.

"Hmmm…. he said something that struck a chord with you," Izuku noted. "I felt it during the conversation,"

"Make of it what you want." Void sighed. "The fact is, he isn't that far off the mark. That makes him potentially our biggest obstacle or our greatest ally." Void admitted. "He found us once, I'm sure he can do it again, and I'm sure that there are methods being developed to do so more efficiently by other parties. Making an alliance with him might not be our worst option."

"Never thought I'd see the day you decided to play nice with humans." Drifter wondered. "Then again…Nezu isn't exactly human." She recalled. "Still, you may be right."

"Looks like we'll have to call him," Izuku noted. It was a good thing Nezu left his card.

"Speak of the devil," Nezu noted as he glanced at his phone. He turned to show it to All Might and Recovery Girl. It was Izuku Midoriya. He moved quickly to shut the door to the room as he answered the phone, setting it to a loudspeaker.

"Good night, Mr. Midoriya," Nezu greeted. "I was just discussing you with some of my colleagues. I should warn you that you are currently on speaker phone."

"You have me on what?" Izuku asked.

"Like I said…. speaker phone," Nezu added. "Think of it as me being very transparent with our relationship."

"Who's with you?" Izuku asked.

"I am here." All Might added, but it was far more dejected than his usual catchphrase. His tone was drearier and more somber. "Nezu has filled me in on quite a number of details about you and your 'girlfriend'." All Might cringed as he said the last part.

"That's….she's….we're….oh brother." Izuku stuttered.

"I have to ask…. how and why?" All Might added. It was a simple question he needed to know. Surprisingly, it wasn't Izuku who answered.

"It was after your talk with him." The Herrscher interrupted. "He walked home lost and despaired, and it made him the perfect prey for me." She spoke.

"Izuku wants nothing more than to be a hero. It's all he ever wanted. He thinks saving you worthless insects is the coolest thing in the world, despite how many of you humans abuse and beat him down. After you told him he couldn't be a hero, it was very easy to trick him. I feigned being a damsel in distress, and he came running, just like a real, if not naïve, hero would." Void explained.

"After that, he touched my core, and I claimed his body, and that's it." Void finished.

"And Young Bakugo?" All Might questioned.

"An attempt to convince him to surrender himself to me," Void answered. "I wanted to show him what real power looked like. Show him how I punish the world that scorned him with ease."

"But Bakugo is just a kid." All Might told her.

"And so is Izuku," Void argued. "Izuku is a kid just the same, yet when Bakugo bullied him, everyone turned a blind eye. Izuku is a kid, and when Bakugo physically hurt him, nobody noticed. Izuku is a kid, and when Bakugo told him to kill himself, nobody seemed to care."

"I had thought that finally having someone take that first step and punish Bakugo for his crimes would have been enough to convince him." Void lamented.

"But he didn't," Nezu noted with a smile. "Because he's too good a person to allow such actions."

"Yes," Void answered. "He's…. too heroic for that. I've tried to corrupt him, but he just won't budge." She admitted.

"And you're telling us this, why?" Nezu leads on.

"She wants us to take you up on your offer," Izuku spoke up.

Nezu's eyes widened as he stared at the phone. "Pardon?"

"You heard my human." Void interrupted. "As it stands, you've given us a good offer. You give Izuku and his mom protection from any groups trying to get to me, hero or otherwise, and I'll…. tone down….my activities." Void remarked.

"By tone down….you mean…."

"I'll try to stop killing or maiming whoever challenges me, at least not to the same extent as before." She offered. "But that's as far as I'll go, and should anyone be more persistent with trying to hurt me or those I deem 'important' to me, all bets are off."

"In exchange…you do your best to avoid drawing attention to my connection with Izuku. Also… I want you to ensure his mom is safe and protected from whatever crimes or charges that you, heroes, would place on us. She is completely unaware of any of this, and while I couldn't care less if you betray me and try to kill me. If anyone tries to hurt or kill her, or imprison her for a crime she didn't commit, I'll show your world just what kind of impact Honkai could bring."

"Is that a threat?" Nezu asked.

"It's a promise." Void corrected. "So, what do you say? My good behavior, for their safety."

"I'd like to add some of my own terms as well, thank you very much." Nezu countered. "In addition to providing their safety, I'd like to ask that we have further talks, that is, you, me, All Might, and Izuku. I think we can benefit a lot from having some healthy discussions."

"Is that so?" Void asked.

"My powers are all about intelligence. Naturally, this means I have a rather curious mind. As a being from beyond this world, you intrigue me." Nezu added. "Of course I do want to talk about other matters."

The Herrscher huffed. "Fine." She agreed.

"You've got yourself a deal."

Chapter Text

"What is it?" Izuku questioned. He eyed the floating gem in Void's hand, a bright blue crystal that flickered like a candle flame. It felt…bitter, not unlike Void. A presence that just radiated intense emotions.

"I'm calling it to Gem of Hatred," Void answered. It was a more fitting name, and far cooler than the…other fire-related gem that the Herrscher knew of, especially since said gem belonged to her…other half.

"That sounds…. worrying." Izuku voiced as he stared at the crystal, recalling just how murderous the girl before him could become.

"Eh, the names aren't exactly special. They are flavor text more than anything." She mused. The Gem of Serenity did not inspire any actual feelings of peace in her being, she had felt rather agitated back then. "As for this one, I named it because hatred was honestly the only thing that described Endeavor's charred brat," Void admitted.

"Wait…so that's…that's his core." Izuku realized.

"Eh, not quite, it's incomplete due to how rushed the process was and how little his honkai levels were. That said…I've been pondering what to do with it." Void noted. "I'm not exactly a fan of flames, but I won't deny that this power is too dangerous to leave alone in this world." More specifically, this power was not the kind she'd rather fight again if it just so happened to land in the hands of someone who wanted to kill her.

"I mean…I could see why that would be concerning." Izuku noted. He really hadn't enjoyed his own upfront experiences with fire, and while useful, it was really dangerous.

"Hmmph." Void continued to stare at the gem before eyeing Izuku. "What are your thoughts on the involvement of Nezu, All Might, and whoever else they might inform?"

"I…honestly don't know," Izuku answered. "I thought I knew everything about heroes, but I'm constantly being reminded of how little I actually know. I'd like to assume that it was safe to trust them, that they wouldn't double-cross us,"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Void wondered. "I've made it no secret about my intentions." She confessed. "Even now, you and I both know that if given the chance, I wouldn't hesitate to destroy this world. By all accounts, I'm threat they need to figure out how to beat and I have no doubt that with all their resources, they are trying to figure out a solution."

"Maybe…but Nezu sounded confident in his tone," Izuku added. "I think he honestly believes."

"Believe in what? Believes he can convince me otherwise?" Void wondered. "He believes that if given the chance, I can change my mindset."

"Yes…and I believe so as well." Izuku followed up.

"Izuku," Void sighed. "That's a naïve way of thinking." She told him. "Just because…I… I think of you as being better than most humans, doesn't mean I've forgotten how bad other humans are."

"And have you forgotten how good some other humans can be as well?" Izuku asked. Void didn't respond. Sighing, Izuku decided to change the topic to something else.

"On another note…. There is something I want to ask you." Izuku inquired.

"What is it?" The Herrscher eyed him curiously.

"I want to tell Mom about us," Izuku told her. "The honest truth about you and me," Izuku added.

"Hmmm."

"Look, all things considered, if the heroes can find us, so can any villains," Izuku noted. "If that does happen, then I'd much rather be the one to tell my mom so she can mentally prepare herself. I don't want her to get blindsided by anything." Izuku told Void. "She needs to know just what kind of trouble we might be in…we owe her that much."

Void sighed. "Are you sure about it?" Void questioned. This surprised Izuku; he hadn't expected her to be so…willing. Previously, she had been against the idea. "As it stands, we made a pretty big deal about how she didn't know about us."

"Yes," Izuku answered. "I know it's risky, but should the worst come to pass....I want to at least be aware of what might happen," Izuku admitted. "If we have to flee or we...you know, die...I want her to at least know what's going on. The last thing I want is to just disappear, and she's left not knowing what happened,"

"I won't fall....not this time," Void reassured.

"I know...but just in case," 

"Fine. When do you want to do it?" She questioned.

"I…haven't thought of that," Izuku admitted.

"Do you…want me to do it?" She wondered aloud.

"No…this is something I need to tell her myself. As it stands, you've already gone out of your way to talk with Nezu and All Might about us. The least I can do is tell my mom." Besides, on the off chance his mom reacts badly, at least Void wouldn't be front and center of that outburst. He didn't know what kind of reaction she would have, but Izuku didn't expect a good one.

"How are you feeling, Young Todoroki?" All Might questioned as he stared at the young man. He had finally made time to visit the young boy after their last meeting. Shoto's injuries, for the most part, were healing well enough, but All Might knew there was more than just physical damage done to this boy.

"I don't know," Shoto answered as he lay in his bed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel at this point." He wondered aloud. Should he be happy that his father's no longer around to abuse his family? Should he be sad that, after reuniting with his long thought dead brother that Toya wanted to kill him? Should he be mad that the world has screwed him over yet again?

Shoto wasn't sure. It felt wrong to feel any of those emotions. All he felt was exhaustion. He wanted to curl up in a ball and just shut out the rest of the world. Sadly, that wouldn't be the case. His family was once again going to be the topic of discussion because Toya's last attack had quite literally put him into conflict with both All Might, the Herrscher, and Shoto had also been involved. It was the perfect storm for those media vultures.

"That makes two of us." All Might told him. "I must admit, it's been quite hectic on my end as well."

"People are confused about your involvement with the Herrscher," Shoto noted. "One minute you're fighting to death and the next minute you're tag teaming Toya."

"People read too much into some situations." All Might dismissed. "At the time, both of us deemed Dabi to be a greater threat," He corrected. "As it stands, any incident dealing with her has its own complexities, and I'd honestly rather not think of her any more than I have to."

"That's…. fair." Shoto mused. "What about the other stuff related to media?"

"Well…for the most part, it seems to be doing well at least for your side of things." All Might noted as he showed an article on his phone to the young boy. "For the most part, the public is calling you a hero. Shoto glanced at the article, and it did say that, but the Headlines made Shoto feel disgusted.

"Endeavor's legacy lives on! No.2 Hero's son helps All Might face down TWO Herrschers." Shoto read. "What kind of trash is that?" Shoto questioned.

"It's probably what the marketing and social media managers thought would make for a catchy story." All Might admitted as he put the phone away. He mentally kicked himself for not realizing how the title would have offended Shoto. "I shouldn't have shown you that."

"No…that's not your fault," Shoto assured him, having calmed himself down. "I should have expected that they would have done something like that. The world still doesn't know the truth about Endeavor." He admitted. "Not yet anyway." He muttered under his breath.

This didn't go unnoticed by All Might. "Are you planning on telling them?" the hero questioned. This little…. secret of Endeavor's, the ugly truth that had been so well kept from the general public and even most of Endeavor's colleagues. It was not something that could be taken lightly.

"I do," Shoto answered softly. "It's been long overdue, and though it's a little too late now for some of my family," Shoto added. "We can still get some closure from the rest of them." He informed. His mom was locked in an asylum due to being perceived as a flight risk, due to Endeavor's abuse. His brother, who had also been abused, had been warped into a monster of hatred, all because of Endeavor.

It was not right. It was unfair. Endeavor was still called a hero. He was still seen as an idol, as an inspiration for so many, and no one knew the truth. No one knew just how horrible he truly was. Shoto didn't want Endeavor's legacy. He didn't need Endeavor's legacy. Not with all this blood and tears on it.

"Shoto." All Might said softly. "I understand why you are thinking this but let me ask you again. Are you truly sure this is a path you're willing to take?" He wondered. "News like this….it will affect more than just Endeavor and your family when it's put out there."

"There will be backlash, not just from Endeavor's fans and followers, but also from various Hero agencies around the world. Endeavor is Japan's number two hero, and I can assure that quite a number of people will try to preserve said image out of necessity because if Endeavor can have such a dark side, then who's to say that there aren't any others out there." All Might added.

"Are you one of those?" Shoto questioned as he turned to the hero. "One of those heroes who has a dark secret locked away. One who lies because he wants to save face." He told the hero.

This had caught All Might off guard. He had not been expecting Shoto to bring up such things with him, and yet he did. All Might looked at the boy who was staring at him with cold eyes. Somehow, All Might's thoughts lead him back to a rooftop with another boy not that long ago. This time though, the hero made a choice. Taking a deep breath, All Might exhaled and his form changed, shrinking down from that of the tall Symbol of Peace to a skeleton of man that he truly was.

"Yes," Yagi admitted as he revealed the other side. "I do."

"All Might…you…you're." Shoto stuttered in surprise.

"Yeah…it's me," Yagi told him. "I know it's quite the shock." He chuckled as he raised his shirt and showed Shoto his scar. "But yeah…though it's not the same as Endeavor's…. I have my own secrets. This form…. this is one of them." He admitted.

"What?"

"I'll skip some of the details, but I was in an intense battle and got injured pretty badly. Now I'm limited in how much I can do as a hero. I've tried to keep it a secret because I know if people knew that I was weak and vulnerable that they might lose faith in me and other heroes, or that it might encourage more villains to act." He admitted.

"I'm not saying it's the same. I'm just saying that some of us do have things that are hidden for good reason." All Might explained.

"I see." Shoto answered. "How long?"

"Several years now." All Might answered. "At least…five."

"I…I didn't…."

"No…you were right." All Might reassured. "A lot of heroes like me aren't honest, and that's the truth. We lie and deceive and do so much more because we all feel its justified because it's for the greater good," he added. "It's the sad reality of this world, it's…."

"Complicated…." Shoto concluded.

"I'm not going to try and convince you whether you should or should not do it." All Might told him. "I personally think Endeavor's actions are indeed horrible and that he should be properly punished for said crimes, but I want you to know and be sure that this is something you truly want to do, because once you put this out there, there will be no going back."

"Every group will have their eyes on you, some will choose to slander your name further as a means of venerating Endeavor's. Some may view you as an ungrateful brat who chose to toss his father aside when he needed him the most, and some will view you as a liability to the current hero system." All Might admitted.

"But…"

"But there will be some who will sympathize with you. Some who will see that what happened is the truth and that it was beyond your control," All Might added.

"Will you?"

"Yes, Young Todoroki." All Might told him. "When you need me…. I'll be here for you." All Might said.

Chapter Text

"How do you plan to break the news to your mom?" Void questioned. They had agreed to tell Inko and agreed that Izuku would be the one to do it. They just didn't have the exact method figured out.

"Well, I was thinking we would take it, step by step," Izuku suggested. It was a no-brainer that such a reveal might overwhelm his mother, so things had to be done slowly. He figured they would do it at supper, when everything was calm and slow.

"And the first step?" Void wondered.

"Explain to my mom that 'Sirin' and 'The Herrscher' are one and the same, in other words…you," Izuku explained. "If we can get through that part smoothly, I'm sure we can get through the whole…. sharing a body bit," Izuku explained.

"I think you are either vastly underestimating how much this will freak her out by, or you are too normalized to the idea of our relationship to even realize just how messed up and unnatural it is." Void deadpanned.

"The first half of this plan is me trying to convince my mom that my 'girlfriend' is also the same woman who fought All Might to a stalemate and went on to make a fool of a dozen or so other heroes. She's made it clear she was wary about you before; this is just going to bring back that animosity," he added.

"I mean, no offense, but I want my mom to like you and well," Izuku trailed off.

"Yeah, I can see why someone has as protective as Inko might see me as a red flag," Void noted.

"Yeah," Izuku sighed. "I love my mom, but even I know her patience has limits,"

"Somehow I don't think a lack of patience will our main concern," Void wondered. "What do you think will happen if she decides to sell me out?"

"You think she'll do so?" Izuku asked.

"I won't pretend like its not expected," Void told him. "If she deems me a threat and a danger to you, she's…well she's within her right to contact those she believes will neutralize said threat." Void admitted. "Of course, I don't blame her," If there was one thing Void would respect it was a mother's love and compassion, no matter how naïve and wasted it was.

"I believe she won't. My mom has a kind heart. I'm sure she'll listen,"

"And if she doesn't?"

"I….well, I don't know," Izuku admitted.

"Well…you better think of something fast," Void told him. She could sense Inko had arrived at the building not too long ago and was currently approaching the apartment.

"Well, here goes nothing," Izuku thought.

Inko had returned from running her errands. For the most part she looked happy. She was humming a little as she walked in, and she had a big and bright smile on her face. Izuku understandably felt very disheartened to break this news, but it had to be done. Better to do it now than never, or worse, have someone else do it.

"Mom, we need to talk," Izuku told his mom as he stood before her. His hands were trembling, but he clenched them tight, holding himself steady.

Inko looked up, unsure what to make of her son's strange behavior. "Is everything alright, sweetie?" Inko asked as she looked over her son. He seemed fine, but…why did he look so anxious?

"Yeah…everything's fine. Well, not really…" Izuku doubled back. "It's um…uncertain. I think it's mostly fine, but we're really not quite sure." He stammered.

"Huh…Izuku, you aren't really making any sense?" Inko questioned. "Did something again with you and Sirin?" She wondered.

"Yes…sort of," Izuku admitted. "Well, what I wanted to tell you…it does concern Sirin, it concerns her quite a bit," Izuku continued.

"Wai,t did something happen to her?" Inko asked worriedly.

"No…not exactly," Izuku confessed. "You see…there's a secret about Sirin that I've…well, we've been keeping from you," Izuku told her.

"Huh?"

"You see….Sirin's…well, she's a super villain," Izuku admitted.

"She's a WHAT?" Inko exclaimed. She quickly rushed over to her son and began to look him over. "What happened? Did she hurt you or something?"

"No…no…" Izuku pulled away. "It's not like that," Izuku assured her. Well, it was kind of like that. Their initial relationship wasn't and isn't always the most amicable. Also, whenever Void does fight, they both get hurt, so maybe that would count? Eh, half the time it's because of his recklessness,s and the other half is her temper issues.

"Then what is it like?" Inko asked sternly. "Is she involved in gangs?" She asked.

"No."

"Did she steal anything?"

"No, she didn't."

"Has she murdered anyone?"

"Um….."

"Oh god," Inko paled.

"Mom, I swear….it was uh well…" Izuku stammered. Void's past is filled with very intentional murders, although for the most part its been towards super villains and such. He couldn't exactly excuse it, nor did Izuku want to sugarcoat it either.

"Listen…I know it looks bad….but it's fine now," Izuku admitted. "We've talked to All Might and Principal Nezu," He told Inko.

"Wait…what?" Inko questioned. "You mean…."

"Yeah…. the conversation yesterday was about 'Sirin," Izuku explained. "He believes she can be reformed and turn over a new leaf," He testified. "At the very least, he understands the harsh circumstances she experienced."

"Oh…okay," Inko told him as she shuffled to a nearby chair. "I think I need to sit down for a minute," Inko told him.

"Yeah…yeah…this is a bit of a bombshell," Izuku admitted as he hurried to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. He handed it to his mom. Inko took a few sips of water, taking a few deep breaths as she did.

"So…. How long have you known? No scratch that…. how did you even meet her?" Inko questioned.

"A lot of what we've told you were true," Izuku admitted. "I did meet her at Dagoba Beach, and we've been…. close ever since,

"She was in need of someone, and I just so happened to be around at the time," Izuku confessed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Inko asked.

"I…well…. I'll admit I wasn't sure how I should have gone on about it," Izuku admitted. "She made me promise not to tell, and I'll admit…I was very concerned that telling someone and well betraying her, would be bad."

"Did she threaten you?" Inko asked.

"Well, yes, but it wasn't as bad as Katsuki did," Izuku noted.

"Wai,t what?" Inko gasped.

"Like I said, it was only at the start," He admitted.

"Izuku," Inko whispered under her breath. She wanted to move, but Izuku held out his hands.

"Wait, there's more to Sirin," He continued. "This next part…I need you to prepare yourself, before I go forward…it's a little bit more to take in," He warned.

"More? What more can they be?" Inko wondered.

"Well…I told you she was a super villain, right?" Izuku reiterated. "I just didn't mention which super villain," He explained. "She's…a rather infamous one,"

"What? What do you mean? Who exactly is she?" Inko questioned.

"She's the Herrscher," Izuku blurted out.

"I'm sorry…what did you just say?" Inko questioned as she stared at her son with wide eyes. "I could have sworn you said….The Herrscher,"

"Ehe…yeah…that's what I said," Izuku told her. "Sirin's the Herrscher of the Void," He chuckled nervously. "Surprise,"

"Izuku….I know I'm going to regret asking this, but did you, by chance, spike my drink?" Inko questioned.

"Nope,"

"Did you inhale or drink anything suspicious today?" She continued.

"Nope,"

"Eat anything unusual?"

"Nada,"

"Okay," Inko said softly.

…

…

….

…

"THE HERRSCHER!" Inko suddenly yelled. "SIRIN IS THE HERRSCHER!" She screamed.

"Keep it down," Izuku warned his mom.

"Keep it down," Inko repeated. "Izuku, your girlfriend is the HERRSCHER OF THE VOID," She enunciated the last part with extra edge in her voice. "You know the current number 1 super villain in Japan. The one who stalemated All Might, who sent Endeavor into a coma. The girl who…. oh my god…she's the girl who injured Katsuki and blew up Aldera," Inko realized. "Wait, Izuku, did you…"

"No," He denied. "No…I never told her to do any of that," Izuku quickly explained. "I never even knew about those incidents till after she had done them,"

"Oh…okay then," Inko said as she tried to steady her breathing.

"So….um…what do you think of her now?" Izuku questioned as he looked at his mom.

"What do I think of her?" Inko repeated as she looked at her son with a worried expression. "Izuku…what do you mean, what do I think of her? You just told me she was the most dangerous villain in Japan. What am I supposed to think of her?"

"I…that's a fair point," Izuku admitted. "I guess…I really shouldn't expect your opinion on her to be so kind now," He lamented.

"Izuku…why do you sound disappointed in that?" Inko questioned. "Wait…don't tell me you're still together," Inko paled as she realized her baby boy was currently courting a powerful, murderous, young woman. It was already bad enough when she had to worry about regular girls seducing and tempting her innocent son, now she has the number one villainess doing it.

"What, no," Izuku defended. "Well, I mean…technically yes…we're together. It's just, we're not together together. We're 'together'," He told his mom.

"I'm sorry…what?" Inko stared at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Mom…we're technically sharing a body," Izuku blurted out. All right, it was time to just do it. Just rip the bandage out. No turning back now, he thought.

Inko blinked once, twice, and then three times as she looked at her son.

"I'm sorry…could you explain exactly what you just said?" Inko told him. Of all the things to hear today, that was not something she was ready or able to actually process on her own.

"Okay…so long story short, Void is from another world," Izuku slowly spoke. "She landed in our world as just a core, a small round thing, with no body," He continued. "I found the core and it bound to me, and with it, came Void."

"And now…whenever the time comes that Void wants or needs to come out…I, well, my body transforms into hers," Izuku finished.

"Uh-huh," Inko answered.

"Yes," Izuku told her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"So…you're telling me that you, my sweet baby boy, are actually turning into that very powerful, very dangerous young woman that's been making headlines for the past few months," Inko laughed. "Oh….that's funny, Izuku," She continued. It was a good joke.

"You and Sirin really got me good," Inko continued. This had to be a joke, right?

"Mom…I'm being serious," Izuku told her. "I know it sounds far-fetched, but it's the truth," Izuku added.

"Izuku…please…. listen to yourself," Inko tried to reason. "Don't take this the wrong way, but that story…it's unbelievable," she told him. "It's like a bad…what was it…fanfiction," She iterated.

Izuku sighed as he saw his mom laughing. He will admit, he did see this coming. He knew the story as a whole sounded just plain insane. Izuku, a quirkless nobody, was secretly the other half of Void, the most powerful villainess in Japan. Well, there was only one thing left to do.

"Void?" Izuku called.

"Yeah…I know what you're thinking," Void told him.

Izuku took a deep breath. "Mom," He called, earning Inko's attention.

"Yes, sweetie," Inko said.

"Brace yourself," Izuku warned, and his body started to morph before her eyes. Inko's laughter died in her throat as she saw her son, body stretch and grow, reshaping itself. He went from the shape of an adolescent boy into a young woman. His hair lengthened to become white as pure snow. It became increasingly clear…this wasn't Izuku anymore.

And if Inko didn't believe it then, well, when the person who stood before her opened their eyes, Inko was greeted by two burning amber orbs, with black crosshairs. The Herrscher stared at her.

"Good day, Mrs. Midoriya," The Herrscher spoke.

Inko stared at her once more. She got out of her seat and walked towards the white haired girl. She looked at the Herrscher up and down.

Yep, this was unmistakably the villainess, and not her son, Inko realized as she stood before the Herrscher.

Inko Midoriya collapsed onto the floor.

Chapter Text

When Inko came to, she was in her bedroom, tucked into her bed. The sky outside was dark, and the alarm next to her table said it was near midnight. Getting up from her bed, Inko found herself sweating as she recollected what she had seen. It had to be the most absurd nightmare she had ever experienced.

"It still felt so real," she thought as she put on her slipper. Getting out of bed, she headed outside, her stomach rumbling. Apparently, she hadn't eaten any dinner before bed. So she made her way to the kitchen, becoming a little intrigued when she noticed that the lights were still on outside.

That's when she noticed it. A head of snowy white hair in her kitchen. Inko froze, recalling the dream she had experienced. She shook her head, surely it wasn't true. Still….

"Sirin," Inko called. The head turned, and Izuku saw a familiar face turn to face her. It was Sirin, Inko realized, and she took notice of the outfit the girl was wearing, a very familiar white dress with black and orange gloves and boots. Inko staggered a little as she noticed that Sirin was indeed wearing the outfit of the Herrscher, and for the most part, the resemblance was 1 to 1. "Wait…you," She stuttered.

Inko turned to run, yet the Herrscher had already warped before her. "Mrs. Midoriya," the Herrscher called, but Inko didn't pay her mind. She ran back to the kitchen, picking up a knife and holding it threateningly at the Herrscher. The Herrscher, for the most part, held up her hands when Inko pointed the knife at her.

"Stay back," Inko warned as she waved the knife in front of her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," The Herrscher told her. "I just want to talk to you," she said.

"Where's my baby?" Inko demanded. "What have you done with Izuku?"

"He's fine…ish," The Herrscher answered.

"Where is he?" Inko asked. "Tell me…or else,"

"Mrs. Midoriya, a knife isn't going to do anything to me," the Herrscher deadpanned as she looked at Inko. "And as for Izuku, like I said, he's fine. He's here," she told the mother as she gestured to her heart.

"Wait…what?" Inko asked, as if on cue to Herrscher's form shifted in a brief flash of light. One moment it was the Herrscher and then…it was Izuku.

"Izuku!" Inko cried as she rushed over and hugged her son. Her eyes erupted into literal geysers as she held onto him. "My baby,"

"Ah, you're….crushing me," Izuku winced as he felt his mom wrap her arms around him.

Inko soon broke the hug. "Wait….what's going on…" She realized as her mind slowly began to process everything. "One minute she was…and then you were….where….what?"

"Okay…I'm going to try and explain this again, and I want you to please bear with me and have an open mind," Izuku told her. "Capiche,"

Inko nodded. Izuku took her hand and led her to the table, where they both sat down as he began to retell some of his misadventures with the Herrscher. He gave a rather brief recounting of what happened from his POV, minus a few little details.

"So yeah…that's what happened," Izuku finished as he glanced at his mom, who was holding a cup of tea.

"So you and Sirin, I mean Void, share a body," Inko repeated. It was the biggest thing of note for her. While yes, her son being associated with a villain could be higher, the fact that he was sharing his body with one and actively turning into said villain was more worrisome.

"Yes," Izuku confirmed.

"And what happens when she isn't in control?" Inko asked. "I mean…I'm talking to you right now, but from what you said…it sounds like she's still aware,"

"Well, she is," Izuku admitted. "Void sees whatever I see; she exists most of the time as a little voice in my head, but other times she can just project herself within my view. So in a sense, I can see her moving around and speaking as if she were here, even though physically she isn't," Izuku elaborated. "That said…given her powers, she's still able to interact with the world to a certain degree,"

As if to elaborate, the tea kettle on the table floated up and poured out more tea for Izuku and his mom. All the while, Inko's eyes never stopped tracking it. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have assumed Izuku had awakened a quirk, a feat that would have been exciting had that actually been the case.

"So…what exactly is she?" Inko questioned. The nature of the Herrscher was just boggling to her. "Is she a ghost or something, a split personality, some sort of monster or demon or alien?" Inko questioned.

"Um…I'm not sure how to explain it?" Izuku answered honestly. "She was born as a human in her own world, and then well…things happened," Izuku explained. "Right now, she doesn't see herself as being human."

"Okay," Inko answered.

"Mom…how are you taking this?" Izuku wondered.

"I honestly don't know," Inko answered. "A part of me still thinks it's a dream, a part of me wants to believe this is a dream," She added. "I'm just not sure…. how or what I should be thinking right now," Inko admitted.

"I mean, I've always…always had worry and concern that one day, you might have gotten caught crossfire of a villain attack. You always said you wanted to be a hero, and it always worried me that if you ever succeeded, that I'd be so scared of everyday after wondering just what might happen to you in this world." Inko confessed. "But this…I don't even know where to begin,"

"Would it…. would it help if you talked with Void herself?" Izuku questioned.

"Void," Inko repeated. "When I first met her, I had thought she was such a young, timid girl, scared of her own shadow," Inko admitted as she recalled their first meeting. "To think this was her true identity all along," Inko sighed. "So…. where exactly does Sirin place in all this?"

"Sirin was the cover Void used, her human persona, so to speak," Izuku explained. "When you found her hair, we devised a ruse that would involve her pretending to be my girlfriend," Izuku elaborated.

"So…that night, she was teleporting you, back and forth between the different rooms," Inko realized.

"Yeah, she was," Izuku admitted.

"Wait a minute…. then that means the villain attacked when we went out," Inko put the pieces together. "She wasn't there because those villains were attacking her turf…she was there because I was captured."

"Ehe…I actually had to beg her for that one," Izuku admitted. "She wanted to leave it to the heroes, but I pleaded with her to save you." He looked down. "She got hurt a lot for that one," Izuku said shamefully.

"What about Bakugo and your old Middle School?" Inko questioned.

"I think it's better if you talk to her about those topics yourself, Mom," Izuku told Inko. "The Herrscher has had her own reasons for doing a lot of things, and close as we may be, there are many things I feel are better discussed with her directly," Izuku explained.

"Okay," Inko told him as she drank the last of her tea. "I'll talk to her,"

"Are you sure?" Izuku questioned. "I need to know you won't faint or pull a knife on her," Izuku added. He needed to make sure his mom didn't hurt herself.

"Yes…I'm fine now," Inko assured him. Deciding to take her word for it, Izuku closed his eyes once more as his body began to morph. Inko watched as her son transformed into Herrscher for the second time before her. When the Herrscher opened her eyes, Inko was greeted with two burning orbs as the Herrscher focused on her.

"Um…hello," Inko greeted as she stretched out her hand.

The Herrscher looked at it with a blank face, her expression was unreadable to Inko, devoid of any emotion. It was surreal, where Sirin had been stuttering and stammering, tripping over her words and fidgeting non-stop, Void was very detached and somewhat cold in her appearance. It unnerved Inko.

She considered taking back her arm, but to her surprise, the Herrscher did eventually take it. Void shook her hand slowly and gently, her grip was barely felt, almost like she was trying not to break Inko.

"Hello," Void answered. Her voice was even and monotone. The distinct echo that was common to any of her public appearances was completely absent now.

"So, you're the Herrscher," Inko repeated. "The Herrscher of the Void,"

"Yes," Void answered simply.

"Okay," Inko nodded. The two stayed there in silence. Only the faint sounds of their own breathing were any indication that they were both actually alive. "I have to ask," Inko finally broke the silence. "Why Izuku?" She questioned. "Why my son?"

"I have many reasons for picking him," Void answered softly. "For one, he was powerless. I had thought it would be easy to tempt him, but alas, your son has to be one of the most stubborn and most heroic mortals I've ever met in two worlds," Void confessed.

"He is," Inko said in surprise.

"Yes, had it not been for Izuku, this world would have been a very different place right now," Void mused. "He's a ball and chain, restraining me from doing what I please most of the time," She confessed.

"If he's so difficult, then why stay then?" Inko questioned.

"It was also a matter of convenience," Void answered.

"Convenience?" Inko wondered.

"When I awoke in this world, I was unable to take form, my original body had been….unavailable to me," Void explained. "I needed a new body, a new vessel and as fate would have it, your son found around the area," She explained.

"I sensed the pain in his heart, and I called to it, using whatever power I had to get his attention," Void continued. "As you might have guessed, he listened and came to me, and when he touched my core…. we became bonded," Void finished.

"Is this bond permanent?" Inko asked as she glanced at the Herrscher. Void didn't respond right away, but Inko pressed on. "Will you be in my son forever?"

"I'm not sure," Void answered. "Unless a potential candidate comes along who exceeds my expectations, then I think I will be hear to stay for the long run," Void confessed.

"So then…." Inko muttered.

The next thing she said took both Void and Izuku by surprise.

"What if I offered myself to be your host?" Inko spoke up.

"Pardon?"

"I asked about me being your host," Inko clarified. "You leave my son, and I'll be your host instead."

"You what?" Suffice it to say, Void's mask had actually broken in that moment. She was genuinely stunned that Inko would go that far. "No, I'm afraid that wouldn't work," She quickly collected herself.

"Huh? Why not?" Inko questioned.

"You have a quirk," Void added. "Those don't mix well with me," She admitted. "A quirk and the Honkai together burns a body out rather quickly, it's a pointless endeavor," Void quickly dismissed.

"Oh, I see," Inko sighed in defeat. Yet another problem in Izuku's life, because of quirklessness.

"Suffice to say, I'm surprised you would go so far as to just offer yourself to me," Void mused. "You truly love your son a lot," She complimented.

"My son is my world," Inko smiled. "Every mother is supposed to love their children wholeheartedly, and to see them suffer and in pain, it's not something we can stand,"

"What makes you sure that Izuku's suffering is as my host?" Void questioned.

"I know my son," Inko spoke up. "He's a good boy. He wouldn't support your goal and ambitions. You said it yourself; he restrains you," Inko added.

"Yes, and in return, I've only done whatever I could to try and please him," Void dryly replied. "Do you know how many times I've tried to convince him? I've tried to convince him for so long that I could make his dream come true by granting him unimaginable power, but he turned me down. I offered to take revenge on those who wronged him, but he does not believe in doing so. I've tried to remind him that this world is cruel and unjust to him, and he just doesn't care." Void lamented.

"Are you truly being honest with me this time, or are you trying to fabricate another lie?" Inko asked. Void looked at her, dead in the eyes.

"I am serious, Mrs. Midoriya," Void insisted. "I will not make any pretense about who or what I am. The truth is, I absolutely loathe humanity. I hate them with every fiber of my being,"

"Why?" Inko asked. "Why do you hate us so much?"

"Oh, I don't hate you," Void clarified. "I hate them," She gestured out the window. "Believe it or not, I consider you and Izuku to be among the best that humanity has to offer," She confessed.

"Why?"

"I…have a soft spot for good mothers and abused children," Void admitted.

"Abused?" Inko asked weakly. "What do you mean abused?"

"He hides it well," Void admitted. "But I'm sure you've always seen the signs," Void added. "Izuku's quirklessness, they haven't really made things easy for him," She noted.

"I know," Inko admitted. "It's almost impossible for him to even try to be a hero with that state, and yeah, he might not be able to become a pro-hero, but he could still have a good life," Inko reasoned.

"Perhaps, but the world doesn't exactly think the same way," Void noted. "So I figured, I'd punish those that have wronged him when I first awoke, as a gift to him, he didn't like it of course," She admitted.

"That day," Inko realized. "All Might, Katsuki, and the school,"

"I still stand by my decision with those," Void claimed. "All Might was the straw to break the camel's back, dismissing Izuku's dream as an impossibility; he was also my way of gauging the strength of this world, so fighting him served two purposes," Void admitted.

"And the school and Katsuki? Why? Katsuki's a kid," Inko said in horror. Katsuki was also her friend's son. He was supposed to be Izuku's childhood friend as well.

"Katsuki Bakugo is an egotistical, spoiled, self-entitled little brat," Void spat. "Izuku may have hidden it, but I won't. The little punk was a bully, he believed he was superior to everyone around him because he had a quirk, and anyone who dared to challenge that mindset, he would intimidate or threaten. Hardly the mindset of a hero," Void listed off.

"His prime target was Izuku; he had always been bullying and mocking Izuku all throughout his life, but Izuku never told you because Katsuki could be a hero someday," Void admitted.

"What?"

"You can try asking Izuku about it later," Void told him. "It took a lot of coaxing to make him realize that a guy who picked on others and was willing to gang up with his friends to attack a powerless little boy was no hero," Void admitted. "As far as I'm concerned, what I did to Bakugo is a well-deserved humbling several years in the making," Void said proudly.

"Even if he did that, he's still a kid, you shouldn't have done that," Inko told her.

"Perhaps, but Bakugo's a symptom of the much broader problem," Void admitted. "Aldera and your society as a whole put a lot of weight on the power of quirks and heroes. So many of Bakugo's actions were always excused because 'he had a good quirk', or 'he could be a great hero someday', or whatever other useless crap they could spew,"

Inko didn't say anything in response.

"Do you want to know what it was that truly convinced me to hurt Bakugo and that school so bad?" Void asked. Inko nodded slowly. "On the day that I awoke, Izuku had expressed his desire to be a hero, but Bakugo and their peers from Aldera had shut down the idea of him being so because he was quirkless. As an added bonus, Bakugo had given Izuku some 'interesting' advice." Void trailed off.

"If you really want to be a hero that badly, there actually might be another way. Just pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof of the building." Void repeated. The quote was one that was burned into Izuku's memory and one that was proof enough that this world was as corrupted as her previous one.

"HE SAID WHAT!" Inko yelled as she stood up, surprising even the Herrscher.

"Mrs. Midoriya…as satisfying as it is to see this, could you please sit down?" Void urged.

"Sit down…. how do you expect me to be calm when I just heard this?" Inko quickly started to pace. "All these years I thought things were okay, I thought it was difficult, but we could manage, and now you're telling me it wasn't," Inko began to pace up and down.

"Why I ....? No," Inko collected herself. She took a deep breath as she held onto her chair. "No, he already got punished for this," Inko told herself. It wouldn't do any good to punish Bakugo anymore, instead, she should probably try and figure out how to keep that boy away from her son.

"So you understand why I did it?" Void asked.

"I understand why you hate him, but as for your methods….No, I don't support those," Inko said. "Even if right now, I feel like he deserves more, it's not my call to make," She told the Herrscher.

"Like mother, like son, I suppose," Void scoffed. "At the very least, I've tried to coach Izuku into showing more backbone so the next time Bakugo says anything, he'll be able to handle himself better," Void admitted.

"Really?" Inko asked. "You helped my son like that," She wondered.

"I've helped him a lot," Void admitted. "I figured it would have been better for me to try and have a more amicable relationship," The Herrscher noted. "If I were less antagonistic, then maybe he'd be easier to persuade. I sincerely doubt screaming 'kill them all' in his ears 24/7 was going to convince him I was someone worth trusting,"

"I see," Inko realized. "You seem to care a lot about him," Inko noted.

"He's my host. Anyone who tries to hurt him hurts me, and thus I will ensure they suffer," Void explained. "And as it stands, he's one of the few true heroes I've ever seen here. If I can help him improve and become a 'hero' that can surpass some of the others in this world, I'll consider it another win for myself against humanity," Void admitted.

"Seriously," Inko deadpanned. "Isn't that kind of…. petty?" Don't get her wrong, she was relieved that someone at least believed Izuku could be a hero other than her, it was just….weird that the reason they were helping him seemed so childish.

"Eh, it's amusing to me so that's all I concern myself with," Void explained. "Is that all the questions you have?"

"Almost," Inko told her. "Izuku mentioned how All Might and Mr. Nezu knew about you. How do they believe you can change?"

"Ah….I almost forgot," Void realized. "Yes…The heroes had come to meet with us, that's partially why we decided to reveal ourselves to you now. It was to ensure no offense else could take you by surprise later on. As for Nezu, he claims to be someone with similar experiences to me, a lab experiment for the good of humanity, to that end, he believes that he can convince me to try and find a different path than the one I'm on." She explained.

"And…." Inko looked at the Herrscher.

"I have my doubts. I don't think he's right, but..." Void admitted. "Regardless, we've come to an understanding of sorts,"

"What kind of understanding?"

"A simple one, he will try to help keep my connection to you and Izuku a secret, in return, I'll behave like a good girl," Void answered. "He says if I do plan to be murderous, please try and focus that on the 'truly' worst of humanity," Void elaborated.

"He actually said that!" Inko exclaimed.

"Well, not explicitly, it was more in reference to my actions against villains, focusing the fight on them," Void explained. "Of course, if anyone picks a fight with me, it's all fair game either way, hero or villain, I'll destroy them all. That said, the offer to protect you and Izuku and have some semblance of normalcy was too tempting to pass up," Void noted. "I can fight for a long time, wiping out cities and destroying armies, but even I will get tired at some point,"

"Okay," Inko told her.

"So now I have a question," Void told Inko. "Now that I've revealed myself to you and revealed my connection to your son, what are you going to do next?" Void wondered.

"Hmmm…."Inko thought for a moment. A part of her still didn't like this idea. A part of her still considered associating with the Herrscher to be a mistake. Even if she might 'mean well' for Inko and her son, it was clear that this girl was not normal, and she didn't just mean in the powers. Sirin..eh, Void was a magnet for trouble,e and Inko could imagine how much danger Izuku would face going forward if they remained connected.

But what could she do either way? Inko and the authorities clearly had no means to challenge or stop Void. As far as she knows, Void has also never lost any fight. The Herrscher was undoubtedly powerful, and Inko knew that it was always unwise to pick fights with those. As it stood, involving the police and the general public…it would put a target on her son's back. She was sure that the Herrscher would be on the list of kill by any means necessary. Selfish as it was, she didn't want that for her son.

"If what you said is true and you are planning to behave…Then I suppose this secret can become mine as well," Inko told the Herrscher.

"Well, that's good to"

"But…" Inko raised a hand. "There is one thing I want you to promise me. I want you to promise that whatever happens, you'll keep my son safe," Inko told her. "Can you do that?"

"Of course," Void told her. Izuku was her host, and hers alone. They were connected after all, mind, body, and soul, it would only be expected that she'd protect him and herself.

"Good…so then," Inko held out her hand. "I'm Inko Midoriya," She reintroduced herself.

"Void Schriac," The Herrscher introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Void."

"Nice to meet you as well,"

Chapter Text

"You know you don't have to pick me up every day," Izuku noted as he looked at none other than All Might himself, at least in his skinny form. The number one hero was parked outside his school, waiting for Izuku. "Surely there are better things you can be doing instead of babysitting me?" Izuku questioned.

"Better than keep an eye on you know who," All Might ushered as he unlocked the door.

"Okay…I walked into that one," Izuku sighed as he tossed his bag in the back where a portal opened and sucked it inside. Izuku took the front seat, putting on his seat belt as All Might pulled off. "Still, I didn't think you'd be doing this every day,"

"Believe me, I didn't think it would be like this either," All Might admitted. "But Nezu figured it was the best way to avoid any unnecessary confrontations, and I'll confess I do see some reasoning,"

"Basically, make sure you deal with the problem before Void does."

"Basically," All Might agreed. Izuku chuckled to himself, much to the Hero's annoyance. "What's so funny, Young Midoriya?"

"Sorry," Izuku apologized. "It's just…the irony of the situation is just amusing to me,"

"Let me guess, once upon a time, you once would have been star-struck at the idea that I would be doing this for you, but as it stands, you aren't that same person now," All Might notes calmly.

"Yeah…that's about it," Izuku confesses. "Still, I'm sorry I laughed."

"Nah, it's alright," All Might dismissed. "Personally, it's amusing to me too, all things considered." He definitely wasn't complaining that it was taking only an old car to properly handle and transport the Herrscher and Izuku.

"So…any interesting incidents today?" Izuku asked. Yeah, he had grown, somewhat, but some of those fanboy tendencies were still there.

"Nothing too eventful," All Might admitted. "A couple of small-time robberies, a few petty thefts, and a cat was stuck in a tree."

"Sounds awesome," Izuku admitted. "Doesn't sound like anyone got hurt?"

"Heh, it sure is nice," All Might admitted. "I always loved days like this. It means many people are able to enjoy the peace." He smiled, but that smile didn't last too long. "That said, it also has me on edge at times."

"You're thinking about any villains who might be plotting," Izuku wondered.

"Yup," All Might answered. His eyes glanced at a nearby digital billboard, which was an advertisement for the Todoroki press release that would be happening later tonight. "One of the downsides about being a hero is that you always end up in a state of 'hyper-alertness', you're always looking over your shoulder or waiting and expecting someone to call for an emergency," All Might admitted.

"Huh…never thought about that," Izuku admitted.

"Well…it's not like that for every hero," All Might told him. "Small-time heroes who are now starting are often more eager than anxious to work, and some heroes in small, populated areas don't even have as big an influx in crime, but me."

"You're the number one hero in Japan," Izuku admitted. "If all else fails, who else could people turn to but you?" He finished.

"I can still fail," All Might responds. "I've tried my best at times, but sometimes…it still isn't enough."

"I mean…you're still just a person at the end of the day,"

"Perhaps, but I still have responsibilities, especially with the power I wield," All Might added. "The greater the power, the greater the responsibility."

"Hmmm…."

"Something on your mind, Young Midoriya?" All Might questioned.

"What's your opinion on Void?" Izuku asked the pro hero.

"Well…that's a tricky one," All Might admitted. "I've had a lot of thoughts about Ms. Void, and they've changed over time,"

"My initial impression was that she was another megalomanic villain who did what she wants simply because she enjoys it and gets kick off of hurting others," All Might thought back to another individual, a self-proclaimed Demon king who no doubt has tried to live up to that title by committing numerous evils in over 2 centuries. "Of course, recent developments have made me see her in other ways,"

"Like…." Izuku whispered.

"She's a girl who has suffered greatly, and those circumstances have shaped who she is today; had they not happened, she would have probably taken a different path, a better path," All Might spoke. "That said…. I still can't excuse what she does and the destruction that follows. I am willing to entertain the idea of her reformation, but I know from personal experience that some villains just don't want to be better or reform in any meaningful way. If she doesn't desire to change her ways, then I will have to see to it to stop her before she harms any others,"

"I see, it's good to hear you at least seem willing," Izuku sighed.

"Now, if I may, Young Midoriya, I must ask, what are your thoughts on her?" All Might wondered. "Your relationship with the Herrscher is unique and unlike any other I've ever seen or dealt with, and given your history and hers, well… it's something I'd like to understand better going forward,"

"Well, if I'm being honest, she's definitely something," Izuku admitted. "I won't lie; she scared the hell out of me at first. When I first met her, I thought I was going insane because her presence wasn't as constant at first. She rarely spoke, and when she did, it was always cryptic and vague, with hints of mockery and a condescending tone. She laughed at my desire to be a hero and made it a point to taunt and tempt me about my own lack of powers."

"Hmmm…..that sounds….rough," All Might admitted. He did see where she would come from. A boy without a quirk, bullied for his lack of strength, it would be all too easy to tempt them with absolute power.

"It was…but over time…things changed, I'm not sure when or how exactly, but our relationship is…different than it was at the start. I'd go as far as to say, she's like my best friend now," Izuku admitted.

"It changed that much?"

"Well, it's not like I had many friends to begin with," Izuku admitted. "I was always ostracized and picked on by other kids for my lack of a quirk; I never really had friends, so to speak. However, with Void, that didn't matter; she was strong enough for the two of us, so my being quirkless or not was irrelevant to her."

"Still…from how she talks, she still sees you as her host," All Might noted.

"That's how she says it, but really it doesn't always feel that way," Izuku admits. "From my point of view, I've….admittedly gotten more out of this than she has,"

"Oh,"

"She's…made me a better hero and a better person," Izuku continues. "I know, it sounds crazy, but it's because of her that I've learnt so much, she's trained me physically, and through my experiences with her I've learnt about what kind of hero I truly want to be."

"And what is that?" All Might asked genuinely.

"Quirk or no quirk, I want to be a hero who can simply be there for someone when they need me to be. A hero isn't defined by their power but by what they do for others, whether it's saving them from a villain or just helping someone who's lost their way. That's what it means to be a hero."

"Well…I'll give credit where it's due, that's my personal view on what a hero should be as well." All Might agreed. It was rather comforting to know the Herrscher hadn't corrupted Izuku. Still, it felt like a kick in the gut how the circumstances came to be. How had the world reached a point where Izuku's best friend and number 1 supporter was also a traumatized girl who wanted to destroy all of humanity and was practically a parasite that had latched onto Izuku? Why was the one person outside his mom who seemed to care the number one villainess who could kill as easily as she breathed without any remorse?

"She's also helped me realize that not all 'heroes' in the public are good," Izuku admitted, though his tone was more somber. "Or at least…not all people with a promising quirk and hero career…are good people,"

"Young Bakugo," All Might muttered. His thoughts also trailed off to Endeavor. The Fire user was always the runner-up to All Might's own title as the Number 1 hero. All Might had hoped that, should the time have ever come, he could entrust Endeavor with the future of the world. Yet upon learning all the harm that had come from Endeavor's quest to surpass All Might, the pro hero could only feel shame and disgust.

"I still don't think what she did was right," Izuku quickly defended. "However, I've come to terms that Bakugo wasn't a good person. He was a bully, and one I had always dismissed as being one because I was always blinded by how he had a quirk and could be a promising hero when he grew up. A real hero doesn't act like how Bakugo did. They protect the weak and help those in need."

"Void may not be a hero herself, but at least I can say I know and understand how she ended up being the way she is, even if I don't agree. She was tortured and traumatized for the good of humanity, so she sees humanity as being responsible, I get that…but Bakugo…he doesn't have any reason to be bad…he just is." Izuku admitted.

"You do realize, you are comparing a girl who has no qualms about destroying all of humanity, to a young kid who has at his worst been a bully to you and a few others." All Might noted.

"Yeah, I'm aware that my relationship with Void may have skewed my views on certain things," Izuku admitted. "Having someone else's memories and their life inside me, it's a bit much. I suppose that's the main difference. I know Void on a far more intimate level than anyone else. I know her pain, her past, her desires, I know it more than even my own. I guess that's why I can empathize with her more than Bakugo. I don't understand why he chose to be the person he was, nor do I know what might have led him down that path."

"But you know Void?" All Might asked.

"Yeah…." Izuku answered. "I know Void,"

"Hmmm…." All Might hummed. "Is it permitted that you discuss her origins with me?" He asked.

"You want to know about her past?"

"I want to hear her story for myself." All Might clarified. "I want to know just what drove her to this point,"

"Hmmm…." Izuku thought as he mentally reached out to her. "Void,"

"Tell him," She whispered before adding just what to say.

"Okay," Izuku told All Might, as he slowly began to relay the story of Babylon and Sirin, and the countless others.

All Might listened keenly, drinking every word Izuku spoke. Suffice to say, when the young hero finally finished, All Might was resisting the urge to crash his steering wheel under his grip.

"That's…. awful," Was all he could say.

"Yeah," Izuku admitted. "I don't support her idea for revenge against humanity, but…. after hearing and experiencing those horrors for myself, her rage is…. understandable," He finished.

"Understandable, maybe," All Might said. "Still…." He held his tongue, not sure how to voice his thoughts. "Regardless, I'll keep this in mind, should we fight another time in the future," Void wasn't like AFO, that much was true; she was a girl wronged by the worst side of humanity. Still, Nezu was similar, perhaps this truly was why they thought her redeemable. He'd like to hope she could be redeemed. The question was would she even wanted redemption, though. "What is her view of me?" All Might questioned.

"She thinks you're a blonde buffoon," Izuku admitted. "In her own words, you're just as big a fool as I am, if not more so. Her biggest peeve is that you're recklessly doing heroics even in an injured state for an 'ungrateful' race who will easily replace you when the next flashy insect takes the stage," Izuku paraphrased.

"I take it she doesn't quite understand why we do what we do," All Might frowned.

"She sees humanity in a very warped way. Humans are willing to sacrifice their own, hurt their own innocence, all for the chance at saving the rest. In her eyes, such a trade is unfair, especially when it's not voluntary, and our desire to be heroes is a little more than psychological manipulation to risk ourselves for their betterment," Izuku muttered. "For me, being a hero is a choice we should have; it's not something everyone should be burdened with against their will. The main difference between me and Void is that I got to choose to do good for humanity, while Sirin was forced to sacrifice and suffer for them."

"She was robbed of a normal life," All Might realized.

"Yeah, I just wish she could let go of her hatred to see can still have one now," Izuku bemused.

"It's impossible to just go back," All Might argued. "When one goes through experiences like that, there are irreversible changes done on the psyche, changes that you can't just undo or forget no matter how hard you try. All you can do is try and embrace them and learn to live with them.

"Hmmm…."

"Sorry, things got a little too serious there," All Might apologized.

"No, it's good to know," Izuku reassured. "I've always wanted to learn from a pro, and this is honestly very insightful," He admitted.

"You still think you can be a pro with the Herrscher living inside you?" All Might questioned.

"I still think I can be a hero," Izuku answered. "Whether I can go pro or not, time will tell."

"Hmmm…. well, I think you might be right, you can still be a hero," All Might smiled. He was glad, the boy's heroic spirit hadn't wavered one bit.

"Oh…there's one more thing," Izuku perked up. "I told my mom about me and Void."

"Oh…wait, what?"

"Yeah…with how Principal Nezu found us, we decided it was best to keep her in the loop, just in case any other heroes or villains might have found it. At least this way, she can have closure and be mentally prepared." Izuku explained.

"Did you tell her about me?" All Might asked.

"Nope," Izuku answered.

"Phew, I swear, Young Midoriya, you need to learn how to properly share this kind of information. Just blurting it out like that is gonna be the death of some people," All Might warned.

"Ehe…"

"Don't you ehe me," All Might told him

"Mom, I'm home," Izuku called as he entered the house. Inko looked up at her son, a smile on her face as she saw him. Of course, that changed very quickly when Izuku shut the door behind him.

As Izuku entered the house, he threw his bag and shirt aside with small portals opening to collect them and transport them elsewhere. She watched as the cupboard opened behind her and some cheese puffs floated out. It was strange, to say the least, to witness all this. Had it been another life, she would have been thrilled; her baby had manifested his quirk, and she could now rest easy knowing life wouldn't be as hard.

Of course, that was wishful thinking because she knew the truth. It wasn't her baby's quirk. It was something else entirely. It was Void, the girl from beyond who had forced herself into Izuku's life, always putting him in danger. Inko took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. This was Izuku's best friend, and despite what Inko might think, she made Izuku happy. Inko would stomach her own dislike for the girl, at least for the time being, but Inko would always be watching.

"So, how was work?" Izuku asked as he munched on a cheese puff.

"It was good," Inko answered. "Nothing out of the ordinary,"

"That's good, I suppose," Izuku admitted.

"What about you?" Inko questioned.

"Eh, All Might gave me a ride home again," Izuku told her. "I told him he didn't need to, but he reassured me it was necessary."

"Is it really okay that the number one pro hero is constantly seen with you?" Inko asked warily. That seemed like another way to put a target on Izuku's back.

"No, he was in disguise," Izuku told her. "We had a nice chat, though."

"Well…I suppose if there was anyone I could trust you to be with, it would be All Might," Inko laughed nervously.

"Yeah," Izuku admitted. "So…um…what's for dinner?" He asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Inko told him. "I figured I would ask you when you came home and make something."

"Hmm…. well…." Izuku nervously stammered off.

"Well, what?"

"I was thinking about just having some cup noodles," Izuku told her.

"Cup noodles?"

"Yeah," Izuku told her.

"But we don't have cup noodles," Inko noted. "I didn't buy any last time I went grocery."

"Well…funny that you mention that," Izuku chuckled as he opened one of the cupboards that his mom hardly used. Inko's eyes widened when she noticed the stash of cup noodles. "I um….bought some,"

"How did you afford this?" Inko asked suspiciously.

"Well…I don't need to pay much to travel now because, well, teleporting," Izuku admitted. "Not to mention,n they were on sale, so it was easy to buy them in bulk."

"Okay…but why so many?" Inko questioned.

"Well…" Izuku trailed off as he looked to the empty space next to him. It didn't take long before Inko put 2 and 2 together.

"Seriously?" She questioned.

"Believe it or not, she's a very picky eater, and when she doesn't eat her noodle…she gets very hangry," Izuku told her. "Well, you do," Izuku quickly spoke up to the empty space.

"I see," Inko responded, not entirely sure how to react to this news. Should she be concerned that her son was now eating a surplus of cup noodles, or shocked that cup noodles were apparently a preferred method of appeasing the genocidal girl that existed within her son? Inko figured she was too tired to think about this anymore and decided to leave it for her future self to deal with. "Alright, I'll make them."

"Would it be okay if Void helps?" Izuku asked.

"Hmmmm…." Inko froze at the words her son spoke. She was not, absolutely not. She turned to face him, intending to tell him just that, but then, noticing his hopeful big green eyes pleading at her, Inko folded. "Sure," She smiled. "I'd be happy to cook with her," Inko told him.

"Alright," Izuku cheered as his body glowed. The change was instant, and now Void was floating before her.

"Hello," the Herrscher greeted.

"Hello, Void," Inko greeted the Herrscher. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

Inko stared at the pot before her. It was meant to be a simple pot of water being boiled for the cup noodles. It was quite possibly one of the simplest tasks one could do in cooking, besides putting water in a cup. Yet once more, the Herrscher had destroyed any rational understanding Inko should have of the normal world.

"How?" She asked as she turned to the Herrscher. Void seemed equally as impressed by how bad this had turned out. She rather nervously shrugged at Inko as she summoned a fire extinguisher from a portal. Where did she get it? Inko didn't know, nor did she want to know.

Inko took the fire extinguisher and then turned to the mess before her. A giant blue fireball had formed in the pot of water. Yes, the Herrscher had managed to set the water on fire, illogical as it may be. Even more impressive was that it was blue fire, which was supposedly hotter, yet Inko didn't feel it as much. Ironically, it felt weirdly cooler to be around.

Do Herrscher usually break the laws of physics so easily? Inko didn't know and frankly didn't care. She pulled the trigger and extinguished the fire.

"Well, that happened," Void chuckled nervously as she glanced at Inko. The older woman just stared at her with a deadpan look, causing the Queen of the Void to cringe and look anywhere else but at Inko.

"Have you ever cooked in my kitchen before?" Inko questioned.

"No, um…Izuku's handled most of the cooking," Void admitted. "I've just bought the groceries," She admitted.

"Uh-huh," Inko nodded her head. No wonder she never noticed before. If Void had cooked, she was sure the apartment would have been burned down by now. "So, before meeting my son, how exactly would you have survived?" She wondered.

"Hehe…as a Herrscher, my body didn't need the same kind of sustenance as humans' ones," Void explained. "I don't need food, water, sleep, or even air," She proudly stated.

"But Izuku…." Inko focused.

"He needs it…periodically," Void added. "We can travel in the vacuum of space just fine, as well as take a deep dive into the Mariana Trench," She noted.

"Wait…when did you two ever do that?" Inko questioned.

"Not every outing we have results in me being on the news," Void explained. "Sometimes we just go for a little bit of travelling to explore the world,"

"Okay," Inko spoke as she took in what was said. So apparently her son had been sneaking off to go to space and the bottom of the sea with the Herrscher. She'll just…file that away for now, focus on what she can understand and properly process right now. "So, do you even cook at all? Like, did anyone ever teach you how to make food well before you became a Herscher?"

"No…well…actually," A memory filtered into Void's head. "Siegfied taught me how to make pizza toast," She recalled without thinking.

"Siegfied?"

"My…previous host's dad," Void corrected. "He taught her how to cook, and I know how to cook from her memories." She explained.

"And were there cookings as bad as this?" Inko wondered aloud.

"No….it was worse," Void confessed. "My previous host's entire bloodline is, um…rather infamous for an inability to make properly edible foods, it's known as the Kaslana cooking curse by many in my previous world."

"Well…that's not ominous sounding at all," Inko nervously chuckled as she looked at the girl. Was Void serious about there being an actual curse, though? "Is Izuku going to be affected by this curse?"

"I doubt it. As it stands, he's cooked, but nothing bad has happened," Void noted. "Still, we don't know if my inability will rub off on him."

"No…" Inko cut her off. "No, my baby is going to keep his ability to cook," She declared as she grabbed Void's hand. "And I'm gonna make sure to undo whatever this curse is," She promised as she dragged Void along to try again. "If my baby ends up spending the rest of their life with you, you both will need to know how to cook."

"Wait, what? When you say it like that, it makes it sound like we're married," Void said aloud.

"Well, your relationship is one of the most intimate that I think any two people can have, and considering he sees you as a good friend….yeah," Inko brushed off as she started teaching Void the art of cooking.

"Okay, well, that was a bad idea," Drifter thought as she pulled her hand away from the core. She had only meant to inspect the damn thing. How was she supposed to know that it would suddenly glow and release a minor pulse of power?

"Yuh think?" Izuku deadpanned.

"Hey…at least they got the situation under control," Drifter raised her hands in defense. "I see that as an absolute win."

"Well….I won't tell them if you won't," Izuku told her.

"Deal," Drifter told him.

So the duo stared at the core once more. Drifter's hand lifted up slowly as a mischievous smile formed on her face.

"No," Izuku told her as he grabbed her hands.

"Meanie," She huffed.

"I want my mom's kitchen not to burn down, thank you very much," Izuku told her.

"And yet you left Void to cook with her," Drifter wondered.

"I mean…I didn't think it would be that bad," Izuku confessed. "I just wanted them to spend some time together, try and ease the tension between them." He may have grown accustomed to the weirdness, but Izuku could still spot the subtle signs. His mom's relationship with Void was still a bit tense. No doubt, hearing about the nature of their relationship had put them on thin ice. His mom had already been wary when she knew nothing about Void, and thought she was just a random girl, but now. She knew he was bonded to the girl who was essentially among the top villains in the world.

"Well, regardless, your mom has definitely managed to do the impossible," Drifter noted as they watched Void and Inko. Inko looked somewhat proud of herself for managing to teach the Herrscher, a feeling not exclusive to her either. Void was feeling smug and not the usual overconfident kind. She was feeling genuinely proud and happy with herself. She had boiled a pot of water.

"I'm shocked," Izuku feigned.

"Half of Void's failures can be attributed to her own pride and stubbornness," Drifter joked. "With you, she can make excuses to avoid confronting the problem, but with Inko, well, that's a different story."

"Well, either way, it's good she knows this," Izuku smiled. It was honestly refreshing to see Void have a somewhat normal interaction with someone else and for it to be as herself. Her previous interactions have either been her being the intimidating Herrscher, as she portrays herself, or deceiving people with the civilian person she crafted for herself. This, however, was her finally having some normalcy. "A normal life is what she needs," Izuku muttered.

"Yeah…it is," Drifter smiled. "Oh…look…they finished making the noodles," Drifter pointed out.

"Well," Void wondered as she saw Inko place the noodles in front of her. The Herrscher had expected that this would be normal cup noodles. Just boil the water and toss it inside. It was…for the first few minutes, then Inko decided to make some minor adjustments to the dish, add a few extra things to 'enhance' the flavor.

"It smells good," Inko told her as she took up a cup and blew on it. She took a mouthful of noodles and ingested them. Void looked at her warily as Inko swallowed. "Hmmm…not bad…" Inko commented. "It could use some work, but it's edible and doesn't taste awful."

"Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?" Void questioned.

"Whichever you prefer," Inko told her as she slid one of the other cups over. Void took her own mouthful of the noodles, slurping it slowly. "Well…."

"It is much better than what I could normally make," Void noted in disbelief.

"Good, but don't think this will get you off the hook," Inko told her. "I have many more lessons planned out for you and I in the future. The next thing I'll teach you is how to make some of Izuku's favorite dishes."

"Okay," Void said slowly, not sure what to make of Inko's demands. Was this Inko's way to cope with the situation or was the Herrscher just reading too much into it?

"Well…now that we've made dinner, let's watch some TV," Inko urged as she moved over to the couch, cup noodles in hand. Void floated after her, making herself comfy on one couch, while Inko took another.

As Inko sat, her eyes drifted onto the Herrscher, more specifically…what she was wearing. The Herrscher was wearing a T-shirt and shorts that both belonged to Izuku, but given Void's different proportions, the look was radically different, especially since Void was also older than Izuku and thus her body was more mature. The T-shirt was smaller and tighter, exposing Void's midriff and really drawing attention to her chest. The shorts, meanwhile, were well short, leaving much of her thighs and legs exposed. This all left Inko with some questions, one such being….

"Are you wearing any underwear?" Inko asked.

Void nearly choked on her first mouthful of food. Her face turned a bright shade of red as she turned to face Inko. "Excuse me?" Void asked.

"Are you wearing any underwear right now, or are you wearing Izuku's underwear?" Inko asked.

"Ummm…."

"How does it even work…is Izuku like seeing you through your eyes right now, has he seen you naked. Have you seen him naked?" She wondered.

"What?"

"Speaking of which, you also feel things…so is he feeling your naked body? Do you feel his?" She began to mutter. "Wait a minute…does this mean if he beats his monkey wrench, you feel it too…"

"Beats his what?" Void asked in confusion.

"How is he going to date now? Does he still like girls? Does he like guys now? Is my baby confused about his identity?"

"Well…I know where he gets his muttering from," Void mused as Inko mumbled more. "Hey…..hey…..Mrs. Midoriya….SHUT UP!" Void snapped at the woman, shocking her out of her ramblings. "I CAN'T ANSWER OR EXPLAIN ANYTHING IF YOU KEEP YAPPING," Void told her.

Void looked at Mama Midoriya, who had gone silent under the Herrscher's glare, shrinking in her seat. The Herrscher sighed as her stare softened when she realized she was unintentionally intimidating Inko. "Okay, how about I answer some questions slowly?" Void told her. "I understand you're concerned for Izuku, but I assure you, for what its worth, the 'sexual' aspect of our relationship is barely touched upon," Void explained.

"Okay," Inko told her. She wasn't exactly trusting their word, but it was probably better not to anger the Herrscher as much. "So…"

"In regard to how it works, Izuku and I can sometimes choose what we want to see or not, and what we want the other to see or not. For example, neither of us has any interest in watching the other use the toilet, so we just don't see or acknowledge that. Heck, I don't even need to use the toilet." Void told her. "But alternatively, in a scenario such as this one, Izuku can still view what's going on while not really being all that present in my mind."

"Wait, what…what do you mean not being present?" Inko questioned.

"It's…kind of weird to explain. Basically, our shared consciousness has a sort of joint mental landscape. It's like our own inner world where Izuku and I can coexist and properly talk to each other. If you want to be technical, that's basically where I live when Izuku goes about his normal, boring days at school."

"So he's there right now?"

"Yep. He's probably watching us right now," Void added.

"I see," Inko muttered. "So then I take it you can cancel out your other senses as well,"

"Yeah, most of the time," Void noted. "The only sensation that's kept on constantly is taste. That said, very intense stimuli can overwhelm that block. For example, if I fight anyone and get hurt, chances are Izuku's going to feel some of the pain. That said, he's definitely not going to be feeling stuff like how the clothes feel around my body or how my chest feels….at least I think he doesn't," Void wondered.

"Hmmmm….okay….and what about…."

"I have barely any interest in other humans, let alone in engaging in any such acts with humans, male or female. As for Izuku…I don't care who he involves himself with. Izuku, for the most part, doesn't seem to have any interest beyond being a hero, so as far as I'm concerned, neither of us will have to worry about relationships," Void noted. As it stands, Izuku was hers, and she sincerely doubted she'd find any other hosts she'd like as much. The Herrscher also sincerely doubted any other girl was going to be able to separate her from her host. Izuku was also a sacrificing idiot, so he probably wouldn't even look at other girls under the assumption he'd be sparing them from her.

"I can't tell if I should be worried about that or not," Inko confessed. Yes, she loved her son. Yes, she wanted him to be happy and in love. Yes, she wanted grandchildren. But she was also still uncomfortable with the idea that her little boy was growing up and dating. She only wanted what was best for him and didn't want him to be hurt, but still….

"Regardless, are you satisfied with my answers?" Void questioned.

"I just have two more questions," Inko told her. "Are you wearing underwear or not, and if you are…is it Izuku's underwear or girls' underwear?" She asked the Herrscher.

Void blinked at her. "I turn his underwear into girls' underwear and then turn them back," Void explained. "I can make my dress out of whatever clothes he's wearing; the underwear isn't honestly that hard to make," She explained.

"Okay…just checking," Inko told her.

"So….do you have any more awkward questions for me to answer?" Void wondered.

"None at the moment…." Inko answered.

"Good…let's watch TV then," She told the older woman as she took the remote and turned the TV on. To Void's surprise, on screen was none other than a press conference with Shoto Todoroki and All Might. "Well, I'll be, I knew there was a conference, but I didn't think it was tonight," She pondered.

"Do you want to watch it?" Inko asked. Inko knew Izuku always tried to keep up with news about All Might, and even if he wasn't here, she figured she could still try and keep him in the loop.

That was how that worked, right? Whatever the Herrscher saw, he saw.

"Eh…sure," Void admitted as she glanced at the youngest of the Todorokis. "I'm curious what Shoto's going to say about me,"

"Shoto…that's the boy who was present at that recent fight?" Inko recalled.

"Yep. His brother had some daddy issues that resulted in him becoming infected with Honkai. I'm curious if Shoto is any different," Void explained as they looked at the television.

Chapter Text

"I understand a lot of you have questions," Shoto said. "We have had quite the number of ordeals these past few days. A lot of them are centered around my…family." Shoto muttered. "I'm hear to answer them all as best as I can, and as well as share some of my own insights," Shoto spoke into the mic.

"Do you plan to go after the Herrscher once you become a hero?" One person asked.

"No, I have no…intentions of fighting or even chasing after the Herrscher," Shoto informed.

"Not even to avenge your dad," Someone questioned.

"Revenge is not something I'm keen on pursuing. I've seen up close just what kind of monster it can make. I don't want to follow that path," Shoto answered.

"Your father was a loved and respected hero, the number two hero in all of Japan. Are you really content to just sit back and let his attacker roam free? One Herrscher almost killed him, leaving him in a coma, and from what rumors are circulating, another Herrscher appeared to finish the job." Someone added. "Don't you think it's your duty as a son to do the right thing and get justice for him?"

"First off…there is only one Herrscher, and she's the Herrscher of the Void," Shoto corrected. "Second, no, I don't see it as my duty. That's all I'll be answering in regard to the Herrscher."

"Then what of the other villain, the one who claimed he was a Herrscher, but you claimed was not? What do you have to say about him?"

"A lot," Shoto deadpanned. "I have a lot to say about him,"

"Oh…Okay…like what?"

"First off, I'd like to apologize to anyone whom he has hurt in the past, those affected by his recent attacks, and anyone affected prior," Shoto told the reporters.

"Why are you apologizing for what the villain did?"

"It's because… that villain is my older brother, Toya Todoroki, Endeavour's first-born son," Shoto explained.

There were numerous gasps in the audience. Shoto had expected as much. Endeavor was a well-respected hero after all so to hear that his son could be…that. It must have been quite a shock. That said…it wasn't the only one these people were going to experience.

"Are you sure?" One reporter asked. "Could he have just been an impostor trying to slander Endeavor's name?"

"No," Shoto answered. "He was the real Toya. He knew things about us that no one else did. I looked him in the eye; there was no denying it." Shoto answered.

"If what you say is true… then why?" Someone asked. "Why would Endeavor's own son become such a villain?"

Shoto looked at the crowd with a stoic face. He held his breath as he debated the next course of action. His mouth feeling dry as if the words themselves were sucking the life out of him. It was now or never.

"It's because Endeavor was just as bad a villain himself," Shoto said calmly.

There was a moment of silence… and then.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

The crowd erupted into a very vocal state of disbelief. It was chaotic and loud. Yet for Shoto, things never sounded clearer. After saying the words, it felt like a weight had been lifted off his soul. It was only thanks to All Might that Shoto was able to ground himself.

"That's enough!" All Might bellowed at the crowd. "I'm sure you all have questions and points you want to make to defend Endeavor, but I implore you to wait till Young Shoto is done speaking before you ask any further questions," All Might told them. He then turned to Shoto, who nodded at the number one hero.

"Endeavor may have been a pro, but he was not a hero," Shoto confessed. "And while I don't think any of this should excuse what Toya did, after all, he did make his own choice, I still felt like this needed to be said. I can't just walk around knowing that it's because of them things that turned out like this. Toya became a villain; he hurt a lot of people because he wanted revenge on Endeavor. He made his choice, but I won't pretend that Endeavor was a saint, that he didn't push Toya to such an extreme, that he didn't fail to realize the consequences of his own actions." Shoto's tears began to form as his voice broke.

"And what actions did Endeavor do?" Some criticized. "He saved countless lives, he worked harder than any hero all for the good of people."

"Then tell me…HOW DOES A QUIRKLESS MARRIAGE BENEFIT THE PEOPLE!" Shot yelled out. It shocked quite a number of people who had been ready to complain. "You think he's a hero, but you're wrong. He was a selfish bastard who only ever cared about being number one."

"He didn't work hard because he wanted to save people. He only did it so those numbers on the chart would push him to number one, because he knew that deep down, no one ever truly felt around him. He knew that no matter what he did, he couldn't mask what he truly was." Shoto proclaimed.

"He was greedy, insecure, and selfish. Always trying to be number one…and when that didn't fail, he resorted to other means." Shoto whispered. "If he couldn't be number one, then he'd at least sire a child who could."

"He spent quite a lot of money and pulled quite a few strings to 'convince' my mom's family to wed her to him. I won't pretend I know what they discussed…All I know is that under his roof, my mom was never happy." Shoto told them. "None of us were."

"Toya was the first, born with his fire but my mother's weakness to it. One of the worst possible combinations. His flames literally ate away at his body, burning bright blue." Shoto explained. "It was strong, and as many might have seen, his flames became much hotter than Endeavor's, but that wasn't enough for him. So he moved on to make…other alternatives."

"My older sister, Fuyumi, born with Mom's Frost quirk, was of no use to him, nor was my other brother, Natsuo." Shoto lamented. "Finally, there was me, the fourth child in this 'family,'" Shoto explained. "Endeavor's youngest son…and the one who finally gave him the result he wanted."

"When he got what he wanted…he cast all others aside. Fuyumi and Natsuo were ignored completely by him, never even getting a sliver of affection from their father. Toya, who was his previous protégé being trained under him, was not seen as being worth the effort to train anymore." Shoto continued.

"Toya ran away not long after, desperate to try and prove himself and train, he had supposedly perished in a forest fire of his own making, trying to earn the love of Endeavor, of his father, the man who he had always tried to please, but love doesn't exist with that man, if any it was only for himself."

"In time, the pressure got to my mom, and she… she broke," Shoto choked on his words. "I saw it in her eyes. The pain and fear, I saw it as clear as ice, she had been through hell, Endeavor had broken her so much to get what he wanted, and when she saw my left side…. the side that resembled Endeavor….it drove her mad." Shoto cried.

"And you know what happened next…. Endeavor didn't see this as an issue. He saw it as a solution. He had my mother hospitalized and taken away from us. Then it was just us and him." Shoto wiped his tears. "Or rather it was my siblings…. then me and him, because he barely let me interact with them. He always kept me isolated as if spending time with them would somehow ruin me." He told her.

"It was hell, very fitting of his quirk's name, Hellflame," Shoto noted. "That's all…now you know the truth of Endeavor." He told the audience. "Believe me or not, love him, hate him, I don't care anymore. I just want the truth to be known. That's all," Shoto finished.

And then there was an uproar, and All Might did what he did best: he helped the young boy who needed him.

"Well…um…." Void glanced at the television.

"That poor child," Inko cried as geysers of tears erupted from her eyes.

"Izuku…." Void called to her other half. "Did you see that?" She asked.

"I knew it was bad but…. I didn't think it was this bad," Izuku told her. Void opened her palm, and Dabi's core manifested on it.

"No wonder his hatred runs so deep," Void mused as she stared at the core before reabsorbing it. She felt a rage ignite within her as the core of Dabi pulsed ever so lightly. "I should have killed him indeed,"

"No….that wouldn't be justice," Izuku told her.

"IZUKU!" Void growled.

"Let me finish. If you kill him now, he will remain a martyr; he will never face the true consequences of his actions. Let him live, let him see the consequences of his actions. Let him be judged by the world and have him live knowing that the world sees the truth and that all his injustice has been laid out in front of him."

"Alright…but if he gets away…if some corrupt government system doesn't bring him to justice….Then I will," Void agreed.

"Fine," Izuku told her.

"Now….what do I do about your mom?" Void asked.

"Let me console her," Izuku told the Herrscher as they swapped places. He quickly went to try and console his mom, hiding his own fury and disappointment with the reveal of the corrupted pro hero.

"When you're finished, we need to take a little late-night trip. I need to check something or rather someone," Void told him.

"Okay," Izuku told her.

"He's so sad," Eri thought as she stared at the screen before her. The image of a crying boy with white and red hair was paused as the girl looked on with worry.

"Yes….he is sad," A voice echoed in her head. "This poor young man has been through so much, just like you," It whispered.

"Just like me," Eri wondered as she looked down at herself. Was he hurting just like she was?

"Yes, all the pain he has is because of his quirk. A quirk that his father tried to create in his siblings. Just like you, his quirk drove his mother away, and just like you he does not like his quirk and he wishes it was gone," The voice continued.

"It's just like Mr. Overhaul said," Eri muttered. "Quirks are bad." She repeated.

"Yes…Eri…Quirks are very bad, and humans with quirks are also very bad. They do bad things every day because of their quirks." It explained.

"Am I bad?" Eri asked.

"No, Eri," The voice reassured. "You are a gift." It told her. "With your power, we can purge this world of the quirked humans, and we can make a new, better one. Would you like that?"

"Yes," Eri answered. 

"Good, but you need to be patient, Eri, this will take time," The voice warned her.

"How much time?" Eri wondered.

"We are not yet strong enough to grant you the power needed to fix everything," The voice whispered. "But we will be soon, you just need to hold out a little longer, Mr. Overhaul still has to finish the cure." It confided.

"Do we really have to wait on him?" Eri asked as she rubbed her arms.

"I know it's scary, but yes," The voice comforted. "But don't worry, he's almost done. Once he finishes the cure, we'll have everything we need to fix the world… starting with Mr. Overhaul," The voice chuckled.

"We're going to fix Mr. Overhaul? But I thought he didn't need fixing?" Eri wondered.

"Oh, my sweet child, Mr. Overhaul is sick just like everyone else. It's why he ignores your pain; it's his quirk. He doesn't realize it hurts you because it doesn't hurt him." The voice assured. "Once he finishes, we'll cure him first and then cure everyone else here. Then we'll even show Mr. Overhaul how much his quirk actually hurts. Okay, little one?"

"Okay,"

"Good, and then we'll introduce you to Big Sister Void,"

"Big Sister Void?" Eri asked.

"Yes…Big Sister Void, she'll help you cure everyone." The voice told her. "After all, once she sees you…how can she not? She'll love and care for you, she'll play with you every day, and she'll never leave your side," The voice weaved more dreams for Eri. "Once she learns how alike you two are, she won't even hesitate." The Voice chuckled.

"She sounds nice," Eri yawned as she began to rub her eyes.

"Yes…. now go to sleep, kiddo, you'll need your strength," The voice whispered as it lulled Eri to sleep.

When Shoto arrived home, he admittedly ignored his sister and brother. He had walked right passed them and headed straight for his room, locking the door and sitting on the floor right beside it. He took a few deep breaths as he steadied himself, leaning against the hardwood.

"It's over," He thought as he finally relaxed his muscles. The tensions of the meeting were melting away. He did it. He freed himself of this burden. The world knew the truth now, and whatever happened next…well, he'd be ready for it.

He had expected the worst. He expected that people would ignore his words. He expected to be called an ungrateful brat, a horrible son, and many other vile nicknames by Endeavor's cult. Suffice to say…it wasn't all like that.

It was split. He didn't know by how much, nor did he really care about it. Still, it was nice to know that there were many who believed him. Maybe some of them wanted to believe in the gossip it would generate or the opportunity it would present, that was all fine and dandy, but he knew there had to be some shred of decent people who truly believed him because they saw the signs and could tell.

Of course, he knew better than to expect harsh words would just be all he got. Shoto had already seen more issues cropping up in the future. Maybe the zealots would come after him, maybe he would be blackmailed to retract his statement, or make an apology. Maybe someone will try and warp his words and make his mother and his siblings look like demons.

Shoto would be ready. He had discussed it with his siblings. They all knew the consequences for this going forward…but it had to be done. The truth needed to be put out there. Maybe it wasn't the justice he wanted, but Shoto hoped that whatever part of Toya that might have still remained would be content and would be put to rest. Endeavor's legacy and his image were now irreversibly damaged. No matter what lies are painted, there will forever be an echo in the back of the public's mind, doubting and questioning if it actually happened.

Of course, there was one thing he didn't account for…..

"How did you get into my room?" Shoto blinked as he stared at the girl with snowy white hair and glowing amber eyes. The Herrscher was in his room.

Chapter Text

"I still can't believe he did it," Fuyumi sighed as she looked at the living room TV screen. All Might stared with a frown as he flipped through the various channels. He hadn't wanted to look, but Fuyumi was insistent she'd see how things played out. Suffice it to say it wasn't pleasant.

"For what it's worth, I must commend him," All Might admitted. "This injustice has gone on for too long, and despite knowing the consequences, he was more than ready to face it head-on."

"I agree," Fuyumi noted. "Truth be told, we've both wanted to do this, well, Natsuo more than any of us, but we never did. Endeavor had numerous connections, and while we'd like to believe he'd never hurt us, we knew how deep his connections ran. People would quicker bend over backward to try and save his reputation than to save ours. People would get something more helpful for him than for us,"

"Still,"

"What's done is done," she told the pro hero. "In the end, Shoto spilled his secret, and while I doubt everyone would believe or accept it, Dad's ranking is no doubt going to go down. In the end, it wasn't the villainous child or the reject who did him in; it was his prize Golden Child. Natsuo is probably laughing his butt off over how ironic it is, and Toya is probably laughing himself away in the afterlife," She mused.

"And what about you?" All Might asked.

"I… don't know," Fuyumi admitted. "Dad never treated me as badly as he did my brothers. Toya and Shoto were the ones he trained brutally, but Natsuo, well, Natsuo had a different problem. Natsuo always felt like he didn't belong; he always felt like he was a living disappointment. Sure, he might resent Endeavor now, but at one point in time, he was probably just as eager and wanting for his approval, I'm sure we all were at one point."

"For me…. I just wanted to have a happy family," Fuyumi confessed. "I would have liked to have been able to go on a picnic to the beach with my brothers and both mom and dad. I'd like to imagine we'd build sandcastles or play volleyball or whatever silly stuff families do. Maybe some people would hit on Mom and me, and then Dad or Toya would scare the life out of them with their flame," Fuyumi smiled to herself.

All Might looked at the young woman as tears began to form. "You can still do so," He told her.

"How All Might?" Fuyumi asked. "Mom's locked in an asylum, Dad is in a coma and hated by all of us, and Toya's dead."

"You still have Shoto and Natsuo," All Might told her. "I haven't told many people this, but I, too, have lost my family," He whispered. "All of my blood relatives were killed at the hands of villains when I was a young boy. I lived for a long time on my own, and then I met her."

"I met a kind woman by the name of Nana Shimura. As an unknown heroine, she wasn't particularly well known, but the impact she left on me." All Might swallowed. "She was like a second mother to me, and thanks to her I was able to become a great hero, meeting many new people whom I would grow close to, even seeing them as a second family." He told her.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that even if we don't have the best starts, or fate deals us an awful hand, we can't just give up and despair so readily. I'm sure that you'll meet new people, and while they can never replace or fix your family, you can still be happy." All Might told her. "And the family you have now, though it may be small and a little broken, it's still good," All Might reassured.

"Thanks, All Might," Fuyumi smiled. "It means a lot to me,"

"You're welcome," All Might told her.

"So…if you don't mind me asking…what ever happened to Nana?" Fuyumi asked.

"Oh…Nana," All Might muttered. "She was…well… a villain killed her," All Might grimaced.

"Oh…I'm so sorry," Fuyumi apologized, now feeling incredibly awkward about bringing up All Might's mentor.

"No…don't worry," All Might told her. "It's an occupational hazard… but yeah. Life hasn't always been easy for me either, or while I can never truly understand what everyone goes through, I know for a fact that while the world may not always be kind, we can find happiness despite what circumstances may befall us. So yeah,"

"I'll keep that in mind," Fuyumi yawned. "Sorry, it's just with school and everything."

"I understand, and I'm sorry for overstaying my welcome," All Might apologized.

"Don't be, it was nice chatting," Fuyumi told him. "I'll just carry some dinner for Shoto, knowing him, he probably hasn't eaten a thing since he came home."

"Allow me," All Might told her. "I'll take young Todoroki his dinner while you go and rest up,"

"Thank you, All Might," Fuyumi smiled as she headed to her bed. It was located on the opposite side of the house. All Might, meanwhile, headed to Shoto's room.

"Seriously?" Void stared at him with a deadpan look. "I think I've made it clear that I can use portals to travel," She bemused.

"Ah, forgive me, let me rephrase. Why are you here?" Shoto wondered.

"Well…that was quite the show. Well done," The young woman spoke as she floated in the air, gently rocking back, as if she were in a hammock. "I must admit I didn't exactly expect such a scene," Void admitted. "I was expecting some grand speech, a declaration of revenge against me, maybe swearing on your father's name you'd hunt me down and kill me for what I've done to your family," Void wondered.

"You're disappointed?" Shoto questioned.

"I'm perplexed." Void corrected. "Instead of coming after me, you instead choose to go after your dear old dad," She noted as she eyed Shoto.

"My dead old dad was the source of most if not all, the problems my family has," Shoto told the Herrscher. "Forgive me if we weren't considerate enough to involve you in them."

"I'll pass, I have my own deadbeat father to deal with back home, I don't have yours," Void shrugged. "But our annoying father's aside, let's just get to the real reason I'm here. What's your plan for now?" Void questioned.

"What's it to you?" Shoto wondered. "I had thought you'd want nothing to do with me, and yet…."

"Here I am?" Void finished off. "Well, it's simple really, I said I'd keep an eye on you in case you become a threat to me. After seeing that display, I thought it was time for me to check up on you."

"Huh?" Shoto stared at her, baffled.

"Well after your brother proved to be a potential host to Honkai power, literally powering himself based on hatred and a desire for revenge against Endeavor, I figured why wouldn't you be compatible either," Void mused. "That interview on the news, there was…a lot of emotion behind your words. I could sense your disdain through the screen," She recalled.

"So what? Are you here to recruit me to your cause?" Shoto wondered.

Void hummed. "I can sense the anger and hatred in your heart." She hovered around him. "I know for a fact that this matter isn't over yet, it didn't just stop when you turned off the mic," She whispered.

"Endeavor's ungrateful son lies and denounces him when needed the most. Number 2 hero deserved better children," She muttered. "Gold digger wife has children with the number two pro hero," She continued. "Those are only a few of the stories circulating on the web."

"I knew this was coming, long before I even took the stand," Shoto answered. "The world has always seen him as a hero, making excuses for his less-than-savory actions. All the lives he saved will think the world of him, unable to separate the man from his duties."

"If I'm not mistaken, part of the reason he even did all these horrid acts…they were because the world encouraged and enabled it, right? The strongest heroes are often the ones with the very powerful quirks, and Endeavor sought to make his bloodline stronger, and thanks to his influence, he was able to do it unperturbed." Void pondered. "So, tell me what you are going to do now?" She questioned. "I thought I'd advise you that should you desire to wipe out humanity and punish those humans who enable and side with Endeavor, I'd be more than willing to give you some pointers so long as you don't interfere with my territory."

"Pardon?"

"I mean, you seem to dislike using your flames, so I'm willing to give you a chance," Void noted. "Consider it a thank you for helping me back there," She continued. "So if you plan to wipe out some humans, give me a call and I'll make you an escape route,"

"Wait…what do you mean wipe out humans?" Shoto questioned. "I have no intentions of doing any such thing,"

The Herrscher turned to face him, a perplexed look on her face. "Seriously," She deadpanned. "You went through all that, and you aren't even considering getting some revenge on those arrogant little insects who enabled Endeavor. I swear…there is something utterly wrong with this world," She groaned.

"I've seen what revenge can lead to. I don't intend to follow it," Shoto responded. "Toya let his whole life be devoted to taking revenge on Endeavor and me, and look what that got him, he became an empty husk, with no other purpose than to hate Endeavor. I don't want that to be me," Shoto explained.

"Hmmm…you talk as if it were a bad thing," Void told him. "Your brother was cocky, he deliberately ignored that his body couldn't handle his power and more importantly he was stupid enough to try and take me on. If he hadn't picked a fight with me, I would have been more than happy to leave him be. If he did that, then maybe he would have lived,"

"You call that living?" Shoto wondered. "He was crashing out because you had robbed him of his chance to truly get revenge on Endeavor. There was nothing left in him besides a desire for revenge. When he couldn't get that, he didn't even look like he had any further purpose beyond just destroying what little it had left," Shoto argued.

"Perhaps…but even a desire for destruction can be a purpose," Void told him.

"Maybe to you, but I don't see it," Shoto told her. "At the end of the day, he devoted his life to getting revenge on Endeavor, and once he realized he couldn't do it, there really wasn't anything left to do," Shoto repeated. "In the end, the only thing left for him to do was…" Shoto froze. The only thing left for Dabi to do was to destroy everything, including himself. "When all you seek is revenge…what's left for you when you can't get it, or better yet, what's left when you do get it?" Shoto asked her.

This seemed to surprise the Herrscher as she had no actual answer for the young hero's words. "I don't know," She mused. "It seems I was mistaken, despite hating Endeavor, you clearly don't hate him enough."

"No, I hate him. I despise him for everything he's done and for everything he got away with," Shoto corrected. "But my issues are with him, and him alone. I don't bring others into my squabbles,"

"Even if Endeavor only did it to prove himself to others?" Void asked.

"He made his choice, not them," Shoto argued. "I'm not gonna punish or blame people for just existing when Endeavor was the one who decided to abuse his family in the name of some selfish pride to be on a stupid ranking system," Shoto told her.

"I still don't trust you, peppermint," Void told him. "But I'm not gonna beat a dead horse. I don't sense any Honkai, and you clearly don't seem to hate humanity. I guess I'll take my leave now," She noted.

However, just before the Herrscher could step through the portal, the door to Todoroki's room opened. "Young Todoroki, I brought you din….," All Might announced as he stepped into the room. The pro hero paused in his tracks as he saw the other occupant.

"Oh great, Dad Might's here," Void rolled her eyes, unaware that Shoto had heard her, with the gears slowly turning in his head. It was bad enough that he was constantly picking up Izuku after school, now he was keeping an eye on Shoto as well.

"What are you doing here?" All Might asked Void. He then turned to Shoto. "What is she doing here?"

"I um…don't know,"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not causing any trouble, I just wanted to check on peppermint here," Void told the pro. "Surely that doesn't count as me misbehaving,"

"I don't care what your reasoning is. I don't think you should be seeing him at all," All Might scolded.

"I can see whoever I want. What are you gonna do, ground me?" Void taunted. "You're already bothering me by stalking Iz- I mean my boyfriend, are you gonna stalk any boy I speak with?"

"Yes," All Might answered. "That's my job." She may view it as stalking, but when you have a person of mass destruction running loose, you definitely need to keep track of their every move. Clearly, they weren't keeping track enough.

"How troublesome," Void huffed. "Well, later peppermint," She told Shoto as she hopped into a portal, leaving to go who knows where.

Once the portal closed, it left only All Might and Shoto in the room, staring at where the portal had once been. "So…All Might," Shoto started.

"Listen, Todoroki, I know what you must be thinking." The pro really hoped that the young man didn't think he was colluding with the Herrscher. He could already see questions of why he didn't apprehend her or why they didn't fight right away. "But I swear…..I"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your daughter," Shoto assured All Might."

"I'm not working with her…" All Might spoke over. The pro hero then froze as his mind slowly registered what Shoto said. First, he was calm as he understood the words…then shock as he finally realized what had been said…finally, he was in utter disbelief with what the words meant as a whole,"

"MY DAUGHTER?!" All Might exclaimed calmly in a reasonable tone of voice.