Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aizawa Shota was patrolling through a new area of Musutafu chasing a lead on a trigger ring in the city, Being run ragged by anyone who could since he didn’t have a class for the next 10 months the goal was to destroy the ring before the entrance exam. In the distance he noticed something that looked wrong. A movement that didn’t match the skyline he was seeing and a cold stone fell into his stomach. It was someone climbing over the protective fence. He dug deep and ran faster using his capture weapon to make further jumps and nearly missing a couple of times. Getting closer he could make out the fluffy green hair and the fact the person was small couldn’t be older than maybe 12.

One more roof . Just hold on for one more roof kid. As if reality was laughing at him the kid let go and began to fall. He was too late. The world was too cruel. He couldn’t save another person. He told himself that as a hero he couldn’t save everyone but still to fail a child. He couldn’t save him so he started the way down to the ground. Maybe he was lucky and the kid survived. He dropped to the concrete and turned the corner, noting that everyone was acting completely normal, not like someone had jumped off the roof and when he got closer he saw no signs of the impact that should have happened. Could the kid fly? Teleport? Did someone else save him? He began looking upwards hopeful until again there was no sign of a hero or child. Taking his phone out he dialed up Naomasa as he examined the bag and shoes left behind. When the overworked detective answered he sighed. “Hey Nao, I have a weird one. I need you to look up a kid in the registry. I think he has a quirk that lets him teleport. Or at least I hope he does.”

“Do you have a name or are we using a descriptor?” The tired detective sighed expecting a lot of work but he would never complain if it could save a kid.

Digging through the bag he finds a burned notebook. Hero Analysis for the future 13… “Midoriya Izuku. Dark hair, I think it was green?”

The sound of keys answers him again. “Well he doesn’t have a teleportation quirk…He doesn’t have any quirk at all registered. He’s Quirkless.”

“Well fuck. I remember how bad it was for me for having a villainous quirk and I have seen the statistics.” *That kid must have gone through hell. ”That explains why he jumped but not where he went.”

—----

The observants were harassing Clockwork because of the actions of Shigaraki Ken. He needed to be destroyed before he destroyed the mortal world and with it the ghost zone. Clockwork had already been aware of the situation. He had a plan in place Just as he did those centuries ago. When Dark Danny was at risk of being the King of the Infinite Realms. He looked at the many different roads to the future. One of the cogs on his wall gave a glimpse of a young blonde man standing against a white haired man older than he has any right to be. Their fight destroyed numerous buildings as they had each thrown the other through. “Close.”

A wave of his hand and the a view of the man rising unopposed as he stood over a crater with another large man a hole in his chest smoking. His laugh echoed through the destruction caused by their battle. “No. That won’t do at all.”

Next he notices a child with fluffy green hair standing on a rooftop before the scene fragments. “Ah…There we go, a future full of so many possibilities that merely need a nudge in the right direction. As long as he has the right heart he could save them all.” His voice wispy as he takes on his childish form. “Lets watch closely. If I’m wrong it's never too late to choose a different path.”

—----
The wind blew cold around him. The sky was shades of orange and pink. Somehow time was passing incredibly quickly in the surroundings of him but in his head it was creeping forward with the pace of frozen syrup. The events of the day played out on repeat for the umpteenth time. He didn’t feel real anymore. The only reminder he still had a physical body was the pain in this throat and chest from the odd green sludge villain that had tried to hijack his body before All Might saved him and destroyed himself.

His notebook was burned and was thrown in a pond . Why was Katsuki so mean? He has no reason to be this aggressive. Why?

”Without a Quirk? Pro heroes are always having to risk their lives. Some Villains just can’t be beaten without powers. So no, I don't think you can be a hero without a quirk. If you want to help people there are plenty of other ways to do it. Become a police officer, You’ll catch crap because the heroes capture most of the villains but it's a fine profession.”

The police won’t hire someone who is quirkless. The vast majority of jobs will turn you away despite the fact without a special license you can’t use your quirk in the workplace. And most people’s quirks wouldn’t help them if they did. So why? Why was he treated as if he was less than human all because of a few minor differences in his physiology.

”Take a swan dive on a roof and hope for a quirk in your next life”

Maybe he should.

A moment later he realized that he was outside the protective fence. His shoes and bag were on the inside of it. With a deep breath he turned to face the building, deciding he wanted the sky to be the last thing he saw as he let go and began to fall. The fall felt like it would never end, the buildings around him seeming to grow in his vision. “That cloud looks like Midnight. Weird.” Then there was a strange sound like ripping wet denim and he was suddenly very cold.

Chapter Text

When Izuku next opened his eyes the world had a slightly green tinge above him. His chest was hurting as he breathed too deeply. Stars glimmering brightly but not in patterns he was familiar with. His eyes traced over them rapidly trying to find even a single constellation or just Canopus. He sat up blinking slowly. As he stared around he realized he was in an observatory one wall covered in different constellations that when he looked up he could see they were present. His voice reached his ears slightly echoey. “So someone should still be around. Unless it's abandoned.” He continued to  notice how green everything was. “Do I have brain damage?” It would explain the odd way he hears his voice and the vision problems but how did he get there. He stood slowly; it was far easier than he expected. Each step caused him to bounce quite a bit. “Gravity is wrong…This isn’t Japan. This isn’t earth!” He started to hyperventilate causing his pain filled chest to tighten more until he began to painfully cough the sound wet and full of something. When he heard a voice.

“Well, it sounds like he is still alive.” The voice was definitely masculine but didn’t sound much older than Izuku, maybe 18 or 19. Izuku looked around for anywhere to hide but the most he had was to hide behind the large telescope or under a table covered in notes but neither would last a hiding place so he decided to just stand ready to try and run if it came to it when another voice answered the first.

The voice was loud and had a growling undertone almost like when he had seen interviews of Hound Dog. “Oh Great one. I’m sure he will be fine. Nothing in the infinite realms can really harm him as you yourself learned those many moons ago.”

“Yes but he arrived unconscious and I’m not sure why. I assume a random portal opened which as far as I can remember the chances of passing through one by accident is supposed to be all but impossible. And I feel something strange from him. I can’t really describe it and as my doctor I thought you might be able to handle it.” As their voices grew louder Izuku felt the air growing colder when their shadows crossed the only doorway into the room he noticed a thin rime spreading across the wooden floor. The first he saw was a young man who was all lithe muscle and black sclera with glowing green eyes. Dressed in a black hazmat suit a blazing bright D on his chest, with a cape that appeared to be made of the stars above but as he moved the stars shifted showing another set of stars at one moment even seeming to brighten to show a supernova leaving behind a beautiful nebula of differing colors. Behind him was a hulking mass of white fur almost like a…yeti. A person with a yeti quirk that is neat he had seen plenty of quirks of people that mimicked mythical creatures but they are incredibly rare. His father had a fire breathing quirk and slight scale mutation around his eyes showing a dragon quirk even if it was weak but this person had a full yeti one more like Ryukyu though hers was a transformation and his appeared to be a mutation quirk. As his mind rambled through the possibilities he missed as they came closer. “Well he seems to be working fine though he seems to be breathing rapidly. Some of the words didn’t make much sense but I can tell they are Japanese and what they mean just not in that order. So I’m guessing it's culture shock.”

Izuku snapped out of it realizing he had been mumbling up a storm again. He blushed crimson dark. “Sorry. I sometimes can’t keep the words in my head. I’ll shut up. Though I think I heard you could take me home? Does that mean you didn’t actually bring me here? How did I get here? Your cape is strange, is it part of your quirk?” As he started another ramble storm when he noticed the Yeti man’s arm made of ice around bone. “Can you move your fingers on that hand? Can you feel things with it? Does it hurt?” He continued when the young man held up his hands to placate him as he realized he had mumbled into a storm again.

“So let's start with introductions. I’m Danny Phantom. And to go through your questions I don’t know what a quirk is to answer that but as to where you are. You are in my observatory at the top of my castle. I am the king of the Infinite Realms. You are in the Infinite Realms; it is the gap between all worlds. The cape is connected to my power and obsession. I love space and it warped my appearance as I grew stronger while fighting to protect my home.” He explained calmly before he motioned to the Yeti. “This is Frostbite. My Doctor and the leader of the Far Frozen a realm of Ice and Darkness. He is one of my counselors who helps me remain aware of how others view me. Would you mind if he was to check you over to make sure you aren’t hurt?”

“Oh I’m fine just umm everything is green and voices sound weird.” He was bent over by a hard coughing fit. Holding a hand up as both men came closer to stop them and they respected it. He felt something come up his throat and splash against his hand. As he finally stopped he looked down at it and saw the faintly glowing toxic green slime.

“Well that is a problem.” The Yeti…Frostbite stated as he examined it. He leaned closer, his blue claw turned a sickly green as it touched the corrupted material. 

—----

A short time later they were all gathered in a dining hall Izuku not wearing a shirt, his skin a faint blue in places where frostbite had touched the young man. 

“So I have good news and bad news. The good news is that he has no injuries apart from irritation in his throat and lungs.” He sighs as he then delivers the bad news.“The bad news, his lungs have ectoplasm in them which while normally it would dissipate over the course of days if it were pure with him only having a minor illness like the flu. The problem is that it is corrupted and tainted. The best analogy I have is to think of water in your home realm, Great One. While normally perfectly safe but instead this is from the sewage of your large cities. The Ectoplasm in his body is tainted and corrupt.”

Danny sighed, rubbing his eyes. “So its poisoning him. Can anything be done?” Looking at the kid realizing how pale he is.

“Well of course my King but a decision must be made. You are the only ghost with the ability to remove it to my knowledge but you risk killing him. Another option would be for him to become as you are.” Izuku tried to follow the conversation but it felt like he was only getting every third word even though they were speaking perfect japanese. “If we return him to his home he will die within a few days. Though they may be able to use modern medicine to remove it.”

“Hospitals won’t help me.” Izuku mumbled barely loud enough to hear himself but both men snapped their heads towards him as if he had yelled it. So it appeared that the two had enhanced hearing. “Umm I’m quirkless.” He mumbled expecting them to decide he wasn’t worth the effort to save or kill and would just let him wander until he died. The quirkless only live to be maybe 30 if they are among the luckiest.

“So what? What is a quirk anyway? Why does it matter that you don’t have one?” Danny asked, his volume wavering a fair bit. He seemed to be containing his rage, his breath turning wisping out in curls of steam that reminded Izuku of his father though the color was off instead of black smoke.

“What? A quirk is a power that people have. Like breathing fire, wings, becoming a dragon, telekinesis, explosions. Anyone who doesn’t have one is considered subhuman. An emotional throwback to over 200 years ago.” He was confused. “You both have quirks…don’t you?” Looking between the two men as they then look at each other. Trying to figure out what he said that had caused the situation.

“We don’t have quirks, we aren't technically human kid. The easiest thing to say is we are ghosts. And before you ask, you are not dead.” Cutting off the panic attack that immediately started to build in his chest “You fell through a tear in your reality and brought you here. Now it sounds like sending you back is a death sentence. You can remain here without much risk though you will eventually die and probably become a ghost yourself. BUT and I emphasize this is a strong maybe, we can make you like me. I am what is known as a Halfa. I’m half human half ghost. There are few others like me but they are all my clones or their creator. It sounds like Frostbite knows a way to turn you into one and I hope it is less painful than my own transformation, that really sucked.” The man shivered before he snapped his fingers and a pair of pale moonlight rings passed over him turning his hair black. Eyes turned blue and he looked a little older, probably 25. His clothes were more relaxed a White T-shirt and blue jeans. His shoes were combat boots now. “You will become nearly immortal. I have aged only maybe 10 years in the past 300. Most of that was at the beginning of my journey. Give it some thought and we can even return you to your world or you can remain here.” Izuku couldn’t believe it. This guy was offering to give him a quirk…And send him home he could become a hero. His eyes began to well up before he began crying a waterfall, tears turning to an ice rink as the flowed towards Frostbite.

“Would I have the same quirk as you?” Izuku asked. The man seemed to be alive so he probably wouldn’t die. “What quirk do you have?”

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a lot of powers, some are unique to me, some my clones have, some all ghosts have, and one that every Halfa has.” He tilted his head back and forth as if counting them off in his head.

“Wait you have multiple…Most people only have one and the luckiest have dual quirks and normally that is actually one quirk that manifests in two different ways. What all can you do?” Izuku asked, stunned.

“I’ll start with the most basic because most of my abilities are just ghost things, invisibility, intangibility, flight, transformation between the two forms. I’m incredibly strong, durable, faster, as long as my core has ectoplasm I don't really get tired anymore but that takes time to gain; honestly anything physical I'm far better than any standard human. Ectoplasm manipulation, Energy blasts, shields, and my core is a cryo type giving me a form of cryokinesis. Your core could be very different giving you a few differing powers. I’ve seen people with everything from flaming hair, emotional manipulation, bad luck, all the way to controlling meat. So the abilities you gain are kinda a roll of the dice so don’t expect the ice side but the rest are pretty standard just take a lot of practice to not accidentally fall through a floor or turn invisible or maybe drop your spoon.” Danny looked sheepish and he remembered his early days with his abilities. “Now it also isn’t all good. I need to let you know about the downside as well. We all have what is known as an obsession. Now in my case it is guardianship. One of the first ghosts I met was the school lunch in my high school so understanding who you are at the core is going to help you. Acting against your obsession is incredibly painful. So as I said give it some thought there isn’t much of a rush. Frostbite said you have a few days in your world but I think here you will have longer.” Looking to the yeti in mention who speaks up.

“In the infinite realms I think he might have a couple of weeks as there is more clean ectoplasm to dilute the effects but eventually the corrosive nature will consume him.” Stroking his chin for a moment in deep thought.

Izuku was quiet for a moment. When he asked quietly. “With your powers do you think I could be a hero?” His voice shook as they seemed to be offering to give him a quirk and an incredibly powerful if slightly unpredictable one.

Danny rested a hand on his shoulder. “Kid, you don’t need special abilities to be a hero. You just need the drive to do it. My best friends when I was your age were heroes. They ran headfirst into problems to help me save others and that is all it took. The desire to help and the willingness to act. And my powers would have meant nothing without those things. Hell I saw what my powers could do if I turned evil. So I need you to promise if we do this that you won’t turn evil.” He joked.

“I…I promise. And yeah I’ll do it. I’m going to be a hero.” Swallowing down his fear and anxiety, wiping his tears away he squared his shoulders and looked up at the man. “I’ll do it.” They both look to Frostbite to understand what their next step is.

“Great one he must be given an infusion of clean ectoplasm. The potency matters greatly in many factors such as how powerful he will have the potential to become, the chances of him recovering, and a few other details such as his core will likely be influenced by the ectoplasm.” He went on to explain. “I also recommend not giving him only from one source. Rather he appears to have about 5 liters of blood so 5 liters of ectoplasm from 5 sources. I would be honored to give of myself for this momentous event.”

Danny nodded. “A liter from me. Then we need 3 more. I have a few ideas of who we can ask. Especially if this is going to influence his abilities.” A wave of his hand and a pool of green and black fire appeared on the ground from which rose a man in heavy looking black armor. Flaming purple hair and a gleaming white skull for a belt buckle. He immediately fell to his knee fist over his heart causing a loud clang of metal on metal.

“How many I serve you my lord?” His voice carried a surprisingly melodic tone as if he was used to a different cadence of speech. As he rose Izuku realized that the man towered over all 3 of them.

“Fright Knight, understand this is NOT an order but would you be willing to donate Ectoplasm to save the life of this young man. If we are correct about what will happen we will also require your assistance in teaching him to fight.” The fact his mountain of a man would be involved in training him sent a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the presence of the yeti in the corner.

The Knight turned and looked Izuku over. “If my lord wishes to train him then I see no reason to be against it. Training someone is the only way for a master to improve.” The phrase made Izuku hesitate. How could that possibly be true? Sparring with a nobody like him surely couldn’t help someone who was a master. Especially someone who called the King of the Infinite Realms my lord.

“Well that makes 3. Do we ask Clockwork, Nocturne, or Pandora? All three are incredibly powerful…” Danny seemed to drift into thought, his eyes turning an odd mix of the glowing green they had been before and their pale blue. He was mumbling as well but where Izuku made noise it appeared that Danny wasn’t breathing and thus made no noise. He snapped out of it and took Izuku’s hand, “We need to travel kid…You know I haven’t caught your name.”

“Oh…Midoriya Izuku.” He admitted rubbing the back of his neck with his freehand. “Didn’t you just summon that last guy? You are the king of everyone aren’t you?” He realized it was possibly a stupid question but one he still needed answered.

“While I am technically their king I don’t like summoning people. Its very rude in my opinion and also we are asking them for favors. Fright Knight is kinda an exception to the rule as far as I’m concerned. If I don’t act like a powerful king he will rebel and try to kill me. It happens pretty regularly so I just do it his way now. Its one thing if when i’m traveling I drop in to talk but if I need something I must summon him. Now Pandora is very nice but has a temper so it is better I treat her with the respect an ancient greek goddess is due.” He explained before Izuku’s stomach turned as he was suddenly weightless. “I probably should have warned you given how green your face just turned yeah until you get used to it flying can make you airsick. But there’s no other way to traverse the Infinite Realms. You’ll see.”

Danny lifted them both up out of the top of the observatory beside the telescope and Izuku realized he wasn’t joking the castle had a grounds the size of a couple of sports fields but then dropped off into endless nothingness. In the distance he saw more islands shifting slightly in unseen currents that pulled them along. One of the closest was a giant skull mountain with a jungle growing on and around it. Danny kept the speeds comparable to a slow rollercoaster as they wove around islands and he seemed to be finding a path that made no sense as they dove beneath one island to just come back up the other side despite them having been traveling at a height they wouldn’t have hit it in the first place. Izuku opened his mouth only to find the wind swept his words away leaving him with an unanswered question. After what felt like hours but probably was only about 15 minutes Danny slowed as they floated above a labyrinthine hedge surrounding an old temple like structure. They slowly lowered towards the bottom of the steps just inside the labyrinth. They both noticed a fat ghost wearing a beanie and overalls trimming the hedges back into clean lines on the inside. “I am the box ghost…Fear me!” He seemed to be saying to himself on repeat trying different tones. Danny putting a finger to his lips snuck up behind him.

“Your daughter is scarier than you.” Voice teasing causing the man to scream throwing the trimmers into the air. On their path back down they appeared to be headed straight for Izuku he flinched and started to jump out of the way when they passed straight through his leg with only an odd sensation. He yelped expecting the pain to be right behind it and started patting his leg for a hole or anything but instead there was nothing as Danny ran over rubbing his neck.

“I knew there was something i forgot to tell you. In this world you are the ghost. You are intangible unless we specifically make an effort to grab with with intent and focus expending energy to do so. And if you intended to you could pass through the ground here.” Turning back to the box ghost remembering how good the ghost was at telekinesis. “Hey Boxy. Think I could get a favor from you? This kid has poisoned ectoplasm in his chest. I need 5 Liters of purified Ectoplasm to help save him. You up for donating one?”

Speaking in a grandiose tone the ghost. “If you free me from my bondage of service I will happily give your strange human pet some of my lifeblood.” He put a hand on his chest.

“Deal I will talk with Pandora about it.” He smirked and led Izuku inside. A black hound made of fire and smoke ran up and Danny stroked its ears causing it to roll over and Danny began giving it belly rubs. “Hello Orthrus. Are you getting enough treats and bellyrubs?” The dog barked back at him. “Is that so?” Another bark. “Then you should tell her.” A final bark before the man stood up getting a lick on his cheek before the dog bounded off barking and a woman taller than All Might came out wearing a grecian helm. Her dress carried stars across her chest and trailing down to the hem.

“Hey Pandora I’m calling in that favor you owe me for returning your box to you 300 years ago.” He gave a smirk.

“I am glad to discharge such a debt but what could I possibly offer the King of the Infinite Realms.”

“I need your blood.”

Chapter Text

Pandora had been caught off guard by the request but reiterating what happened she seemed to have no problems with the arrangement especially since the box ghosts punishment had ended 50 years ago and he just continued to show up so she continued to put him to work. Her hedgemaze had never looked so good.

Izuku however was caught off guard when Danny explained that had one more stop to make and it was back to Musutafu.  He was expecting to be told it was all a joke and they either had no intention of saving a useless quirkless freak like him when he looked around at where they had landed he looked confused. “Why are we at a pawn shop?” He asked completely lost.

“Well I don’t have money and we need some. While I have stolen in the past I don’t like doing it if I can help it. Now I have some gemstones from Pandora and I will be paying her back when we are in the castle again.” Izuku was even more lost.

“Wait why do we need money from my world for the experiment?”

“We don’t. But while I can change my ghost forms clothes with a thought it took me a while to figure it out. So unless you want to wear that outfit until you learn how to do it we need to get you a new outfit.” Danny shrugged. As he led Izuku away from the entrance to prevent blocking anyone. “But if you prefer that then we will just use this money get some fast food to replenish everyone afterwards. Little secret everything that was once alive has small amounts of ectoplasm and your body will no longer require food to stay healthy but will need it to power the reactor of a core in your chest that will replace your heart. People have alot of ectoplasm in them which is what allows them to become ghosts after they die in the first place. But I never could stomach eating them. I think ectoplasm is the gooey remnants of lifeforce and emotion definitely plays its role. We will have to do one more thing before going back to the castle. We need somewhere to build a portal so you can freely come and go without me guiding you or the infinimap which has a habit of taking people where it thinks they should go, which has frequently included Madagascar for some reason.” He Shrugged. “There are neat monkeys there including the Purple Back Gorilla.”

“What kind of places do you need to build a portal? And is there any reason I would need to access the realms?” Realizing how that might sound he held his hands up as if to ward off a blow. “I really appreciate what you are doing but…I just don’t understand.” Tilting his head slightly as he tried to process the information.

“Your hometown here doesn’t have a high concentration of ectoplasm which while there is plenty to keep you alive you will overwork your core to process it into power if you want to be a hero. The portal will allow an easy flow between which will in turn give you access to purer ectoplasm as well. Your body will be able to heal anything as long as it has enough ectoplasm. I will teach you how to prepare medical supplies that will work on your new body in addition if you are hurt enough you should go to the Infinite realms and just soak in the ambient energy. Does that make sense?” Looking to the kid whose eyes were blown wide.

“Wait so you mean that I can regrow my limbs? And bullets won’t kill me? What about poisons or diseases?” He asked rapid fire before the ghost boy touched his lips.

“Yes and you can control how that appears. I spent a few months as a woman to win a bet. They will hurt alot, but lethal not unless your core is damaged and your body does a lot to protect it. Poisons can if they are specifically made to do so by being infused with ectoplasm. And there are a few diseases that specifically affect us but the common cold and the flu are no match. I once swallowed a vial of black plague and nothing happened.” He shrugged with a low chuckle. “Now are you ready?” When Izuku nodded Danny continued. “Good.”

After the pawn shop owner tested the gems finding them to be real and of incredible quality Danny had accepted whatever he was willing to give without any arguing knowing that the man would get far more money than he was giving. The two took off walking along the streets at Izuku’s recommendation because flying could be seen as illegal quirk use and Danny didn’t have a license to get out of the crime. Danny had visited most major cities on his home plane and this was similar to a few of the japanese ones there though the variety of peoples appearances made it very different. All of a sudden Danny snapped his head in one direction before grabbing the younger boy by the wrist and launching into the air fast enough to pop his ear and break the concrete beneath them. Izuku screaming as it seemed they traveled fast enough to shake windows as they passed. When Danny slowed Izuku could see a pillar of smoke coming from a residential garage door. Landing he immediately looked around not seeing any danger when a girl covered in grime and with singed pink dreadlocks and overalls with more than a few burn marks as she coughs. The look on Danny’s face looked fondly pained. “Are you okay kid?”

While Danny checked on her Izuku looked closer at the garage seeing the hand painted sign above the door. “Hatsume Industries?” He asked before nearly being tackled by the girl her eyes a bright yellow with crosshairs that rotated back and forth slightly as she took him in.

“Hatsume Mei. Future CEO at your service Greenie. Now I am fine but would you like to see my babies?” Izuku and Danny both choked at that as she took their hands and pulled them inside the still smokey garage where there was a smoking mangled pile of metal. “Baby number 3115. Attempt number 5. This time the explosion didn’t even damage the walls. So its almost ready.”

“Uh…What does it do?” Izuku asked, looking at it.

“It is an automatic fire extinguisher.”  She responded excitedly as his eyes trailed over the room seeing piles of parts and tools and devices in varying states of completion or disrepair. “I’m going to submit it to UA for the support entrance exam unless I can make something even better but they must have plenty of fires and explosions since they are the number one support course in the world!” She devolved into a fit of giggles as glimpses of world domination flash behind her eyes. A chill running through both young men.

“So you're a support student? You want to make gear for heroes?” Izuku asks excitedly, hoping to discuss quirk and heroes.

“Oh I don’t care about heroes but they are a good billboard for my babies. I want to make support gear to help improve everyone’s lives. Heroes are a necessary part of that plan. UA’s sports festival will give me a spotlight seen by people and support companies around the world. Their Cultural festival will put my babies in the real spotlight even if its only seen locally since people won’t be looking at all the flashy quirks and hero students. Why…Do you want to make babies too? Or do you want me to make babies for you? If you are going to be a hero student you just have to promise to only work with me.” Izuku realizes there is another person who can actually talk as fast as him, meaning he has such two people in a single day.

“Umm yeah I am going to try and join the Hero course at UA. But I’m getting some…special training with Fenton-san here.” He started to explain before being cut off.

“Perfect. Let me make babies for you so that you are already used to using them when you get to UA. You can then tell all the others about me and help me build my client base.” She smiled wide, invading Izuku’s space close enough he could feel her breath and if either of them moved wrong they’d be touching. “What do you need….Armor…A flamethrower? Everyone needs a flamethrower, more heroes need to use flamethrowers and they die or have to struggle. Oooooooh how about a rail gun…No I don’t think I can make one you can carry with what I have before I’m in UA. How about a melee weapon? Wait, what is your quirk? I should probably account for that.” She finally stopped to take a breath when Izuku finally was able to talk only to be cut off by Danny.

“Any Gear you use will need to be powered by an ecto-battery which if she is as smart as she seems she will be able to work with but will need to experiment to understand how to work with it. So…I think we should make a deal. Mei was it?” He remarked as her head snapped over. “I’ll hand you a piece of tech for you to experiment with and in return you make a suit for my friend here. You will get credit for anything you make with it but you need to understand its powersource is REQUIRED for anything you want him to use effectively. If you can prove you understand how to work with it I will help you secure a source of the materials to make a few of them.” Mei appeared to be vibrating in place at the prospect of a challenge and a new toy. Danny held his hand out “Do I take that as a yes?” Mei launched herself at Danny, shaking his hand profusely, agreeing at speeds and frequency that only a dog could hear.

“Get your measurements. Based on his body type he will be an agile fighter so something tighter to his body is best as anything with slack can be grabbed or get caught. That was a mistake I learned when I was a kid. I also recommend something sleeveless or maybe with long gloves to protect the arms? Combat boots were another one of those things I learned are better than sneakers. So Any requests or problems with what I suggest Izuku.” He gave a few recommendations.

“No. I think that all sounds good.” All his sketches of his future hero costume had strong references to a certain hero who had crushed his dreams. “As long as she doesn’t go overboard.”

And so the next half hour is spent with the girl groping him with no intent merely getting the most accurate measurements possible. After feeling incredibly violated the girl set to work and Danny vanished through a small portal he ripped in space with one hand when she began. Every so often Mei would come back to double check a measurement of something like his fingers or foot. After she was certain her measurements were perfect she pushed him out of the garage and slammed the door. Izuku, with nothing else to do, began walking home.

As he approached home he noticed that his door had a bright orange piece of paper stuck to it. With a bit of dread he approached and in big letters along the top read EVICTION NOTICE. Continuing to read it explained that the locks would be changed 3 days after posting to allow them to finish moving out. Anything left behind would be sold. When he opened the door Izuku saw the apartment was dark, his mom’s shoes missing despite it normally being the time his mother was sleeping so he didn’t worry about being quiet as he slipped his shoes off and walked deeper. He noticed a sheet of paper and an envelope on the dining room table. The envelope he found was full of Yen bills. The paper had his mother’s delicate handwriting.

Dear Izuku

If you are reading this then the time has come for you to be on your own. Japan recognized you as an adult two years ago and I have generously been supporting you longer. I do love you but I need to live my own life. I am leaving you all the money that should have been spent on rent for the past 3 months as well as some money I have been setting aside and your father sent for you, it should support you for a time while you find a job and get on your feet. I have gone to join your father in the United States. Please do not try to contact us. The US is worse about punishing the family of the quirkless than Japan so we cannot risk losing the good will and support of your fathers job. I wish you the best of luck and I know you can succeed at anything you try to do. Dinner is in the refrigerator. Have a good life.

Love,
Midoriya Inko.

He read the letter again and again hoping…praying the words would change but they never did. So Izuku slapped his face. He knew he was going to cry but there are things that need to be done, heading to his room and flinching at all the smiling All Might faces and immediately began the process of packing up the most valuable ones. He had received them as gifts but knew several of them were from limited runs And this was his afternoon packing then selling them and adding the money to the envelope and making his way back to the garage.

As he approached Izuku saw Danny standing in front of a smoking garage door with a basketball sized hole in it, a soft smile of nostalgia on his face. Izuku gave a similar smile as he finished walking up. “Is she okay?”

Danny shook his head the smile going nowhere. “She is fine. Its part of the creative process to have an explosion or two.”

“Wait how is creating a suit causing an explosion?” Completely lost.

“It just is. My father cause an explosion when he created a thermos with the word Fenton in front…” The conversation was cut short by the door opening. She was soot stained but laughing maniacally.

“Its done so you better pay up.” Danny held up a thermos that looked like it was crossed with a microwave.

“As promised a piece of tech with an ecto-battery. I want you to reverse engineer it I have the original blueprints somewhere but I don’t think you want those do you?”

She snatched the device. “Nope. If I’m not smart enough to figure this out then I have no reason to use the tech.” Danny placed a tube like one would use to protect a painting in transport. “When you learn how to make that battery you will need to make this to get one of the ingredients. I’ll hand it over once he has the suit in hand and we are sure it fits.” Izuku surprised that he had a bargaining chip in case they were scammed but he doubted someone like Hatsume would risk damaging her reputation so soon.

She led them inside and sitting on the table was a bright pile of cloth. Izuku noticed the colors were white and Pink causing him to blush. “Is that the only color you had? I mean I really appreciate it but the color…” Hatsume shot him a look. “I mean If it fits i’m sure you could use it as a template to make it in a different color palate.”

Danny laughed. “Don’t worry kid. Those aren’t the colors they will be when you’re done. My suit was originally Its opposite if I remember the color wheel properly that will turn black and green. Go ahead, try it on if we need to make adjustments.”

Mei and Danny stepped outside where she activated the garage motor from her overalls giving Izuku the privacy to change. The door reopened a few minutes later and the new outfit is incredibly form-fitting. The boots cover his shins to stop just above his knee the material appeared to be a white leather with pink laces and soles. His arms had Pink gloves with White compression sleeves stopping halfway up his biceps. Finally he had a white leotard like one would expect for ballet with a pink belt and lines running up the sides to a hood. Danny busted a gut laughing and Mei looks so excited. “Does it fit well?”

“Its a little revealing…” He spoke quietly. “But It does fit perfectly.” Hatsume began circling him looking for anything out of the ordinary.

“The material is cut and burn resistant. My own clothes are made of them to protect me from my explosions and any sharp edges of my babies.” She explained as she stabbed him in the stomach with a screwdriver and while it thudded into him, it did not pass through the thin seeming material.

Danny sighed and stood taller. “We will return but we do need to get back to what we are working on.” Danny’s hand glowed bright green again before he moved his hand and cut a jagged hole in space again. Glimpses of the castle of black stone with glowing stars in the walls. Izuku took Danny’s hand before they stepped through the door closing behind them. The room they stepped through to was the same dining hall where he had been examined by the frostbite Frostbite standing beside 4 Vials of Glowing ooze. Two carrying hues of blue and two carrying hues of purple.

“On the table young Great One.” Frostbite explained his hand resting on the table a fractal forming over it as rime. Some truly ancient looking brass medical instruments sitting on a serving cart. As Izuku laid on his back looking up he wondered how he got to the point again. He was technically allowing himself to die but this time looking at a very different sky. It was still beautiful and then he felt one arm grow incredibly cold until he couldn’t feel anything but some slight pressure. Next he saw Frostbite move down the table a bit and then his thigh grew cold then couldn’t be felt. As he looked down he saw a massive brass syringe being depressed iinto his blue leg It was at this moment he felt the arm that he assumed had been injected similalrly began to heat up…rapidly as his arm felt like it was liquifying. Looking at it there was a small puncture in his arm that was glowing and veins began to spread from it down towards the glove then vanishing within. But he felt the prograss like burning ants that bit and tore his flesh away. In places the visible skin did split open a dark substance that he could barely realize was his blood rose up from it and so it continued until all four limbs of his were burning and veins had begun to spread over his entire body and Danny had ectoplasm drawn from him and Frostbite turned the final syringe intangible and drove it into Izukus heart. His eyes closed and he finally realized he had been screaming his voice ragged he could feel the ooze spread up his neck splitting his face his hair turning from a black and green to a gravity defying white and blue. And his eyes changed from deep pools of emerald to beacons of toxic green

Chapter Text

Izuku’s body couldn’t return to his normal form right away. The veins that had been glowing green before are currently black cracks in his flesh but each of the four days that has passed has shown them fading more and more. He felt very different, his body itched but he was definitely breathing better than he was when he first woke up in the strange castle. He had told Danny that his mom thought he was going camping with a friend from school so he could remain in the Infinite realms without worry. His duffle bag helped to have sold the story though he hadn’t been able to change into any of the clothes in it and the All Might Merch still inside would have made it harder to believe if Danny decided to check the story. He needed to find the time to sell it but he couldn’t until he could take his human form again. Frostbite had explained that his body was still forming its core so while had the beginnings of the physical capabilities he couldn’t fly, change forms, use any kind of ectoplasm. This was proven the second day when he had ripped one of the heavy wooden doors completely out of its frame when he tried to open it in the wrong direction. That was embarrassing but it also proved to him he was strong enough to be a hero even if he gained no other powers his strength was still at a level that could be called a quirk but he had also taken to sprinting around the castle and realized he wasn’t getting tired even if he did still need to breathe unlike the promises of Danny and Frostbite. He looked down at the cracks on his hands at their rate of healing. It would be three more days if he was right. Then supposedly his core would form and they would be able to determine his abilities and actually start training. To the empty room he lay in he spoke his voice echoing with an odd tone that sent a chill down his spine. “I have ten months to get ready for the Entrance Exam. I hope its enough.”

—Eraserhead—

Aizawa Shota had just finished his patrol as he stepped into the Musutafu Precinct 5 to file his paperwork with Naomasa. A couple of the trigger dealers he had captured were cuffed to chairs waiting to be fully processed as the precinct was a madhouse of activity, more so than usual for this time of night. Naomasa spotting him looked relieved and motioned him into his office. “Eraserhead. I have bad news, and worse news. The bad news is your night is getting longer. The worse news is that Midoriya is still missing, No hero filed a report of having saved him, no body has been found, its as if he disappeared into thin air and before you ask, no noone saw anything that implies a hero didn’t want to do the paperwork.” Handing a file over labeled Missing Child Midoriya Izuku. Aizawa began reading it.

“He really is quirkless…And his apartment shows they were evicted, his mother quit her job and appears to have left the country.” His eyes flitting over the too thin document. “She only bought a single ticket. So she abandoned him and we have a vulnerable kid on the streets.” He rubbed his eyes.

“And he may not even know he has been abandoned. His school has reported he hasn’t attended since the day he appeared to jump. He was reported missing by a family friend one Masaru Bakugo” Naomasa spoke up seeing the pain on Aizawa’s face at being reminded of being too slow to prevent him from jumping.

“Well that definitely doesn’t help. It's been 6 days, we both know 48 hours is the limit to really expect to find anything. We can put words out but I have a sneaking suspicion that anyone who sees the lack of a quirk will result in people willfully ignoring him.” Aizawa huffed.

“I wish I could say you are wrong but how long do you think we should wait to involve…He who shall not…” His phone began to ring the caller ID reading Satan Rat. “be named.” He picked up the phone as Aizawa smirked. “Detective Tsukauchi speaking…Yes Nezu…I understand…I’ll let him know.” The phone was hung up looking at Aizawa. “Wanna guess his side of the conversation?”

Aizawa held up fingers. “You spoke his name, He intends to get involved in this case as soon as he can, He wants to see me first thing in the morning?” Naomasa shook his head.

“Close enough.” Tsukauchi handed Aizawa an evidence bag holding a burned notebook. “What I can understand from this is that the kid is incredibly smart and I really hope he hasn’t turned into a villain. In that journal there is basically a how to guide to kill about 9 heroes including a couple in the top 25.”

Aizawa froze as he looked at the journal. “You’re kidding. Are you sure he hasn’t gone villain yet?”

“I don’t think so because there are also guides on how to improve their gear and questions on how to improve their quirks meaning I think it is just an analysis of everything that can be found about these heroes.”

“And there are at least 12 more of them. Though if they were lost in a fire that might be for the best.” Aizawa remarked.

“Now on to business we have word about a shipment of Trigger entering the city so you have been requested to help take it down.”

Aizawa sat in Nezu’s office staring at the stack of journals if he was right there were twenty of them set in three piles. Nezu’s high voice explaining “This stack is Spotlight Heroes, These are villains, and finally these are for Twilight and Underground heroes like yourself.” He pushed one journal towards Eraserhead with a page marked. Aizawa flipped to the page as he stared down his blood froze as he was faced with a well done drawing of him with his scarf and goggles and a scattered but detailed analysis about his fighting style, scarf, quirk, and even his actual name.

“How could he possibly have all of this information?” Looking to the genius. “Your name I can only assume he got it from the one year you participated in the Sports Festival but how he found you as an actual hero I can only assume it is from the rumors on forums dedicated to underground heroes and as he does live in the area he may have seen you in person.” His high voice explained calmly. “But I am worried about this Midoriya. If it weren’t for his file saying he is quirkless I might think he has an analysis quirk but also as I read through these the earlier ones are barely more than a toddlers doodles but it grows in complexity rapidly once the fourth and fifth journals and I believe he started his Underground journals after the seventh and the villains were started I believe in the past year and that is why there are only the two.” Explaining the closest thing to a timeline they had. “I am running numerous programs to try and find any sign of Midoriya in the time since the disappearance but so far I only have him entering an underpass and then he was on the roof that you witnessed him jump from.”

“Then how did he get there?”

—Izuku—

Izuku found himself sitting on the table again though any sign of the damage from his transformation from quirkless human into a halfa was curiously absent. Frostbite examined him again, his body not reacting to the cold of the yeti’s ice claw. “That is definitely a good sign.” Frostbite chuckled with a sound like glaciers grinding together. “That is an excellent sign the damage done to your body by the transference seems to have healed as well.” The Yeti explained, “I can feel your core inside and it is a chaotic little thing. I think it might be a result of mixing the conflicting types of ectoplasm. You need not worry, just practice and all will be well.”

Danny’s voice drew both their attention to the open door. “Make sure you never go too long without burning some off. I promise I learned that myself about a hundred years ago I didn’t have anyone to fight and the energy built up until I froze everything I passed until I vented the excess energy refreezing an ice cap. So make sure you burn off some. Recharging is as easy as eating a good meal but if you drain yourself too much it will take time to fully refill the tank. The Infinite realms are so saturated with ectoplasm that you can sustain yourself here on just the ambient ectoplasm as well as recover faster. So before I send you home, how about I teach you the most important lesson and the most fun one?”

Izuku nodded eagerly. “Yes please.” Danny laughed and ruffled his fluffy white hair.

“The most important lesson is Going Ghost.” Danny held his hand over his head making a fist and a ring of pure moonlight formed around it and descended while another one formed at his feet and rose up changing his jeans and T-shirt for the black and white hazmat suit with the matching cape behind where it passed. When the two rings met he was back to Phantom, his hair having taken on a gravity defying quality. “Going back is the same way. To me it is reaching down and focusing on something to bind me to the ground. So to go ghost I imagine the sensation of flight and loss of gravity. To go back to being human I focus on the feeling of solid ground beneath my feet and the subtle weight of it. I think when I discussed it with Dani, my clone is a bit different since she was born with it but for her she explained it as being underwater. To use her own words ‘the world is muted and incredibly heavy.’ The weight of it crushes down on her and going ghost is like breaking free of the surface into the light of the sun.” Izuku nodded as he tried to picture these things. He remembered the feeling of flying with Danny. It was amazing. But for now he needs to go back to becoming a human again. I need to feel trapped it seems… And his mind began to shift slightly and he began to remember his home. He didn’t doubt his mother loved him but he did feel that his home was a trap. It took about a minute before he had constructed the mental image needed before he felt the bright light spread over his body and felt gravity return a bit more making him feel more and he is rock solid again back to normal. “Now that was really quick, it took me about an hour before I could figure out how to do it. If you pass out you will become human again. This protected my identity but I think it will endanger your identity in your world and I don’t have a solution for that.”

“Most heroes are known and recognizable if you pay some attention. I’m surprised it protected your identity since the only real difference is your hair is white which a simple chemical reaction could undo in seconds.” Izuku Explained. “Alot of the most famous heroes difference is minor things like Present Mic whose signature look is his massive mohawk, Endeavor has a more subtle facial hair fire style instead of the over the top one…” He rambled before Danny held a hand up to stop him.

“Hold up kiddo I’m glad you are not in danger from your identity now the other power I want you to practice. Flight. I can fly in either form but it took time to figure it out so for now only fly in ghost form. Your body will probably instinctively activate different powers to defend you unless you can stop it. If something happens you can’t explain then tell me about it during the next lesson. I think we do it twice a week…Sunday and Wednesday?” He offered.

“Yes, that will be great.” Izuku accepts before Danny takes his wrist and that odd weightless sensation spreads over him as they rose through the air he floated them out across the void between the floating islands much like he had when they flew to see Pandora when there was nothing below them he let go and Izuku began to fall through the empty space. “What the…!” He screamed at Danny as he flew down parallel to the younger halfa.

“You learn to fly by throwing yourself at the ground and missing.” Danny laughed maniacally as Izuku freaked out before he realized he was falling with nothing to hit.

Izuku felt the wind through his hair and the freedom it was like flying with Danny over Musutafu. A ring of moonlight appeared in front of him, his body shooting through it, replacing his White and pink clothes with black and green, his hair taking on the white and blue anti-gravity appearance. After the transformation he realized he had stopped moving and instead was just floating upside down.

“That is step one now you need to get back to the castle kid.” Danny pointed at the island that seemed to be miles above. Izuku stared down past his body to see it.

“Wait…We aren’t moving…We are just kinda floating.” His mind rushed back to the research he did on flight when he started his journal entry on Hawks. “We don’t fly do we? Flying really requires lift but staying still there isn’t any we aren’t exerting fire like Endeavor, Hawks can fly but when he stays still he doesn’t bat his wings and I think he instead uses his control of his feathers and with their strength he can hover or fly at incredible speeds. This is more like subjective gravity… we believe we should fly so we do. Do we fly at the same speed regardless of what direction we fly in? Or can we…” His mind ran off in another storm before Danny kicked him causing him to be sent back and breaking him out of the muttering.

“You have the rest of eternity to explore your abilities. For now, focus on being able to use them.” Shaking his head. “I’ve been in space. It's very different so we don’t remove our gravity. I can tell you that much. Now try some things. Dani and I disagree about what using our powers are like so I have to assume it is unique to each of us.”

Izuku nods. He looks towards the island above and focuses on turning his body and after a minute of flailing his arms like a swimmer underwater he was facing up at last. He tries to imagine moving in a direction or the sensation of swimming his body moving through the water. A flicker of motion but not enough to really keep him moving. He held his hand towards the castle lining his hand up before making a fist and pulling his hand towards his feet. All he got for his effort was another flip. He was starting to get desperate to not be stranded here even though Danny was right there and wouldn’t let anything actually happen. He felt something deep inside his chest twitch before he tried to stomp his foot in the air and found solid ground beneath his foot and he was launched upwards a bit, confused but once he was in motion it was a lot easier to keep in motion as he flew upwards slowly at first just maintaining his speed. looking down he saw a fading toxic green smudge in space. “What?” But managed to keep himself from getting too distracted and kept rising and tried to go faster and his will made it so until the bottom of the castle’s island came up and he failed to turn or stop and instead crossed his arms in front of himself and instinctively phased right through stopping his motion in a bathroom when the phasing stopped and he impacted the ceiling. As he bounced off of it and fell to the floor of the room Danny passed through the floor laughing and carrying Izuku’s Duffle bag.

“Well you seem to figure it out but I suggest practicing stopping or turning. Or learn to actually phase through. It takes practice, kid. But are you ready to go?” Offering the bag to Izuku. Taking the bag he pushed Danny out of the room so he could change. Izuku redressed in his school uniform. He exited the room to find Danny waiting patiently.

Another wave of his hand and the portal formed where the door was. “Don’t be a stranger. I’ll wait for you at Mei’s on Wednesday for your next lesson. Won’t always be me teaching you but I will always be the one to meet you. If it's anyone else, don't trust them.” His tone turned icy with warning. With that Izuku stepped through, finding himself standing in front of Hatsume’s garage which was smoking…again.

His most important task was to find somewhere to sleep. While the temperatures are currently getting warmer as it is late April the nights are still colder than he would like. Logically he knows the cold shouldn’t bother him anymore but his mind still put it on the list of reasons to find shelter. He was near Takoba beach. If nothing else he could probably find a pile of garbage that would cut the wind and keep any rain off of him but he would rather something with a bit more privacy so he continued to stalk through the alleys looking for any broken doors he could get open. As he turned a corner he heard the sound of something banging around in a dumpster expecting a cat that had fallen in and the lid fell closed behind it. As he grabbed the lid he felt a tingle like television static shoot up his arm before all the garbage inside was suddenly on the ground and the offending cat was sprawled on top of the pile of garbage looking incredibly confused before it bolted away. “That’s the second time I’ve phased but I guess technically I phased something else. Huh.” And he began to mutter quietly as he moved away hoping to avoid any trouble. As he was lost in thought trying to properly understand how his new abilities interacted with the world since phasing the dumpster really hadn’t taken any effort it also hadn’t taken any thought since he didn’t mean to do it. As he came back to himself he realized he was surrounded by damaged buildings that had burn marks and some melted bricks from a battle between endeavor and an acid villain with purple skin a few months ago. Izuku remembered the whole block was supposedly scheduled for demolition that just never happened. Looking around he was sure he was alone deciding to get a little practice. He closed his eyes trying to figure out how to phase through things. The sensation of slipping through crowds as he attempted to avoid Bakugou and his lackeys. The rush of having gotten away. That was the key as he fell through the ground into the subway station that had served the local area. His eyes adjusted to the darkness easily. He began looking around before finding the maintenance closet and tucking his meager belongings in the locker inside. 

Chapter Text

Izuku was currently in a free fall over the city of Mustafa, his soul singing at the speed and the freedom of the wind rushing past. This was the greatest power. With a flick of his wrist he redirected his energy and launched himself parallel to the ground, his white and blue hair glimmered in the light of the full moon. Nothing could ruin his fun right now or so he thought until a shrill screech reached his ear. He slammed into the side of a brick apartment leaving a small impact crater in the side of the building. He had to shake it off then look at the damage he did to the building, his hands checking his body momentarily. There was little more than a scuff on his body. “What?!” While his mind processed the crater there was another scream.

Then he was moving again heading in the direction he had heard the scream come from. He flew stopping just over an alleyway where a woman with hair glowing like neon was pinned against a wall by a mountain of a man that looked like a cross between a man and a foo dog statue. Dropping to the ground he called out. “Hey let her go!” The man turned, letting out a growl that seemed to cause the whole world to vibrate.

“I’m just looking to let some steam off.” Tilting his head and letting out another growl. “But a pretty thing like you might be just as much fun.” Licking his lips as he let go of his hostage and she began sprinting the other way trying to get as much distance as she could between them and herself. The man threw a sloppy drunken fist at Izuku that landed cleanly on his cheek, knocking him back a couple of steps. There was a heavy pressure but Izuku definitely didn’t feel any of the pain he had been expecting. Thinking back to all the fights of All Might Izuku tried to copy the man as he drew his hand back running forward hitting the drunken man in the shoulder spinning him into a wall with a sickening pop before the man cried out in agony, his arm hanging loosely at his side. Izuku immediately felt incredibly sick. He had just maimed a man as easily as throwing a sloppy punch. As he threw another punch at the ghost kid, the lion man let out a roar of rage that threw Izuku back and caused his head to ring as if struck against a massive bell. The nausea from before quickly overtook the boy causing him to immediately begin vomiting the toxic ectoplasm on the ground of the alley. Izuku struggled to try and find his feet again but couldn’t seem to get the ground to stop spinning until there was a sensation like the tide receding and just as easily as it came the nausea was gone. Looking up Izuku noticed the man was tied up in a strange grey fabric. His eyes followed the fabric to find Eraserhead staring at both of them. “Kid, Vigilantism is illegal.” His voice was gravel as his glare would have frozen Izuku’s blood if it weren’t already full of ice. Izuku fell through the ground as his instincts took over.

–Aizawa–

Well that was something he never expected but oddities are expected. He had just handed the stone lion over to the police to handle when he picked up his phone dialing Naomasa’s office, knowing the man wasn’t going to be going home anytime soon. “We have a new vigilante on the scene. They look young. Probably a hero course washout.” He sighed.

“I’m assuming based on your tone they aren’t any of the 20 you expelled this year.” He sighed. “Anything you can tell me to help narrow it down.

“I think he might have a mutation quirk. Erasure didn’t work on him. White hair, Dark green gymnast outfit. His teeth were very sharp. He vomited a green slime that melted part of the ground. He can also apparently phase through the ground.” Giving it some more thought he spoke again. “Can you send a tech down so maybe they can get a sample?”

“I’ll get them started but these are really vague details and don’t line up with any animal that I know of that maybe I could narrow down further. You owe me good coffee for this shit.” The tired voice on the other end of the phone remarked.

“You know I’m good for it.” And the line went dead. The scruffy hero took to standing over the crime scene waiting for someone who could maybe gather the remnants of that slime so they could examine it and hopefully get another lead.


====Izuku====

Izuku was laying on his back trying to catch his breath despite not needing it. Sue him it was a habit. The sky above was a dark green and black that reminded him of his mother. He pushed himself back up to his feet. Locking eyes with the man who had put him on his back. Danny was standing with one hand legitimately tied behind his back with a weird faintly glowing fishing line. As Izuku stood back up Danny held his hand like a gun towards Izuku’s chest. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah I think so.” Izuku stated as he held his hand in front of himself trying to get the hang of today’s lesson. They had spent most of this month so far working on getting him to stop accidentally going intangible or turning other things intangible. Today Danny had informed him they would be trying to get another power under his control. The Ectoray.

“Remember Izuku the trigger on this one is the emotion of Anger.” His finger starting to glow as Izuku considered what could make him angry enough to allow him to force the emotion outwards. Izuku closed his eyes waiting to feel the sting of that blast. Maybe enough hits would cause him to feel enough anger at the situation to finally force it to manifest when instead a memory floated to the surface like strands of gossamer.


The sound of the phone that rang every Tuesday evening and the knowledge it was Hisashi and when Izuku would hope he would ask to speak with him it never happened. When he was younger his dad would talk once a month or would at least make a point to ensure he spoke to his son on his birthday or on holidays. But as he got older even those calls faded away. The anger he felt towards his mother who abandoned him with no warning, no home, and minimal resources. The anger at his parents felt like a series of glowing embers beneath his skin that he pushed down his arm until it would form a ball in his palm that wanted to force its way out and as it grew Danny lowered his hand as he could tell the kid was on the verge of something. It wasn’t the glowing green ball of ecto-energy he was expecting. Instead there in the middle of his hand was a writhing ball of bright green ectoplasm that was wrapped in a darker jade green Fire. To Izuku the heat had grown unbearable but it just wouldn’t leave his palm. It wouldn’t fly it wasn’t being projected. He opened his eyes and found that the burning sensation had created actual fire. Freaking out his flung his arm and the ball of flaming ectoplasm flew away from him on a wild arc until it impacted the wall of the castle and exploded covering everything it touched in green napalm.

“So not what we are aiming for but definitely a power I have seen before. Not one of mine but Both Fright Knight and Pandora have fire aspects to their cores. Take a break I’m going to deal with the fire before we continue. I recommed trying something different. I’m pretty sure if that stuff hit either one of us we would be in for a world of pain.” Danny began moving his hands weaving a wall of stars and night tossing it at the burning goo and it began to smother and dissolve leaving only wisps of smoke and droplets of ectoplasm.

“Can I do that?” Motioning at the cloth he had created as easily as breathing.

“Maybe one day but It will likely look very different. I’m an ancient at this power and have been the king for centuries. I can weave space and stars with an exertion of my will. But you will be able to manipulate ectoplasm. Everyone can but to what degree and what form it takes will vary. For example Box Ghost can make simple walls. I know one ghost whose ability to control ectoplasm is so great they actually created a few of the islands around here with nothing but a single pebble and the ambient ecto of the infinite realms.” Once he was satisified the ooze wouldn’t recombust or melt through the wall he turned back to Izuku. “Now Are you ready to try again? And lets focus on just the ectoray.”

Chapter Text

If you told Izuku that he would be receiving lessons from the greek titan of time he would never have believed you but he was about 80% sure that this man who kept aging and then becoming a child again could only be Chronus. “Halfa’s like yourself can be observed in possible futures but you are able to influence them if you have the correct information so I believe it is necessary for you to have a single fragment of information. You still hold the belief that you can only be a hero because you were gifted power and forged into a weapon by my ward.” He waved his odd staff towards one of the massive clocks that the hands vanished and the screen became static before it began to clear. “You need to see that isn’t true.”

There stood a man with scars across his face and down his left arm exposed by a destroyed section of his jumpsuit made of a heavy leather. A pauldron of dark metal on his right shoulder that expanded down his arm in interlocking hexagonal plates. He stood in front of a woman with pink hair and small yellow horns that was tending to a young boy with a clearly broken leg. A man with long jagged claws that were almost more like narrow swords approached them. As the man swung those claws the greenette stepped forward armored arm going up to intercept a strange wave of blue energy crackles down the plates before they unleashed a concussive wave blowing the quirk users hand back allowing the hero to throw a punch into the jaw of the off balanced villain before a heavy red boot crushed his nose. “That’s enough.” Leaning down to check the man’s pulse he delivered a vicious punch with the armored fist before he dragged the unconscious villain to a streetlamp ziptieing him to it as he reached for his ear.

The image changed, becoming the same man with fewer scars that only just peek out from his button down shirt and thin rimmed glasses, as he sat behind a desk in front of a bank of screens showing a city in flames as villains and monsters rampage. A silver microphone hung from his ear. “Dynamight you’re needed at the park two blocks east. There is a man with a quirk that appears to be based on the alligator snapping turtle, Eraserhead is holding him but there are more heteromorphs converging and he could use a heavy hitter.” His attention snapped to another screen and his fingers flew across the keys “Team Bravo, Incoming.” The view cut to show the screen in question where a man with white and red split hair and a man with spiked red hair dropped to their knees one creating a wall of Ice while the others body turned to stone and took a knee in front of the other hands sinking into the earth like the anchor of a ship, as a grenade went off the force of which destroyed the wall.

The image changed again showing the man with even more wicked scars that crawl up his neck and consume one of his eyes as she stands before a whiteboard. The students in the classroom are all wearing the UA uniform. As he gives a lecture on how to analyze quirks in combat situations when an alarm goes off and the students begin to panic he reaches under the desk drawing out a cane the handle of which twists releasing a sword the other half collapses into itself becoming a 7 inch baton and with only three steps he exits the room and his key locks the door.

The image froze, splitting to show all three individuals, no, the same individual three different times. “Wait. Is that me?” He approached the image seeing the figure he cut and the famous Midoriya tears welled up in his eyes. “How is this possible? All Might said…”

“There were many ways that conversation could have gone and your response to it.” He sounded tired; he had stopped turning into the child and remained the old man. “You were always destined to be a hero but now your future is very different. You have the potential to destroy the world. You also have the potential to be responsible for the birth of a new one. You are among the very few halfas to ever exist and considering how you were made I would argue you could be the strongest of them if you take your training seriously.” The explanation sent a shard of ice through her chest making her shiver.

“Why did Danny want me to see this?” He asked cautious.

“He didn’t.”

“...What?”

“He asked me to take a look into what abilities you might learn and i’m afraid I don’t have the ability. You are a Variable. What you could do is too varied for me to even try. His own experience with my interference is due to a single action that led to a cascade. You don’t have that point in your life that I can point to.” The man explained. “Most people don’t. But nearly every path of your life led to you being a hero to someone. Either a civilian or to heroes as the man on overwatch.” The man turned younger but only to the man about the age of Danny. “The lesson I actually think you need to learn is you must form your symbol. Mine is the staff, Pandora is her box, Fright Knight is his sword, and The King is his cape, before that was the symbol on his chest. Your symbol can act as a focus for your power letting you draw more energy or wield it more precisely.” To prove his point the staff grew a long wickedly curved blade of a scythe. “I understand from the young King that you are already developing a surprising skill at manipulating ectoplasm; it is a skill the King never truly mastered himself.” He explained with a dry chuckle. “But I shan’t keep you any longer. I can’t have you be late for your lesson with Fright Knight on my account.”

Izuku took off out a window and Clockwork gave a soft smile that he normally reserved for the king and his child. Turning back to the clock waving his hand as it showed two possible futures. One where Izuku stood at the head of an army of heroes, the other atop a mountain of their corpses, blood dripping from his fangs. “I hope I am choosing right.”

=========

Izuku flew back to the castle that he had come to think of as his second home landing in the courtyard where the suit of black armor stood waiting. Turning to look at him the Fright Knight slammed a fist over his heart. “Well met. As my kings newest knight it is my duty to train you to not disgrace our liege. The code of chivalry dictates what it means to be a knight, and you must hold yourself to a code and I find there are few more worthy. Bravery, Honor, Honesty, and Loyalty are the truths you must uphold.”

The tenets made sense and seemed like things that would be important for a hero to uphold as much as a knight might. “So are you going to be teaching me etiquette?” He asked curious about what he was going to learn from each of his mentors.

“No. You must discover what this code means for yourself. I am going to teach you the single most important thing for any ghost to know. How to say hello.” Giving a single bark of laughter at his own joke as he drew his sword before diving for Izuku swinging the sword in a wide arc at the younger man’s neck.

Izuku kicked off the ground, leaping backwards a good twenty meters. “What was that!?” He asked keeping a close eye on the knight and his blade.

“To a ghost combat is an entire language. A heated battle is a spirited debate as much as anything else.” He explained. “But I am also going to teach you how to wield at least one weapon. You must however decide for yourself what that weapon is. I am partial to the sword but I know how to wield a great many weapons.” As he spoke the sword became an axe, a spear, a lance, before returning to its sword form. “I will say you are much like the king in build and I expect in style so I would suggest a lighter weapon.”

Izuku gave it some thought about what he had seen as weapons. Most people he thought about used weapons like knives or guns. “I think I would need it to be in one hand. Taking your advice of a lighter weapon I think maces and axes are probably out.” Devolving into a mutter storm. “If I develop proficiency you seem to imply you would teach me other weapons?” Looking up at the knight.

“Correct. The more you have in your arsenal the more prepared you will be to serve the King.”

As he gave his options a thought he remembered the fact he seemed to have some fire based ability when the idea hit him. “Then I think I would like to use the Tessen.”

“Picture it in your mind and make it real. The King tells us all you can manipulate ectoplasm so you should be able to do this. And making it from ectoplasm also means if it is damaged or thrown away from you you are never truly without it.”

Izuku closed his eyes and tried to picture the iron tipped fan in his mind. He felt the odd tugging sensation of manipulating ectoplasm. It began to congeal around his hand and slithered to his palm as he opened his eyes he found a flat piece of…metal? In his palm. It was roughly the shape of a singular fin of the fan and much thicker. “Before our lessons can really begin you must be able to form the weapon. Study your weapon to be able form it properly in your mind.”

When Izuku returned home through the portal created by Danny a blonde haired girl was watching from an alley as Izuku snuck into his new home heading through the boarded up entrance to the subway station.

Chapter Text

Izuku thought he finally had the hang of flying at least under normal conditions. These were not what he would call normal. Currently he found he was being chased by a musclebound ghost with glowing green flames for hair and a goatee like Endeavor. 

That wouldn’t be so bad on its own except the fact he had more of an arsenal than some small countries militaries and seemed hellbent on using it to kill him…rekill him? Now's not the time to have an existential crisis, Izuku. Focus! He heard the approach of the rocket as he turned giving him a route that looked clear so he spun around to fly backwards forming a claw with his hand growling as a ball of white and green energy formed in it forcing throwing his hand out unsure what power was going to come out but pleasantly surprised when it was the blast of an ectoray though it did miss the rocket he was aiming for it instead hit the ghost in the metal wing blowing it clean off. The rocket however slammed into Izuku exploding and launching him off course to slam into the skull island they had been flying past. As he stood and checked himself over he could tell he’d be bruised but the fact was he was so much more durable as he rose from the crater he’d made with his face. 

As the Ghost Zone’s greatest hunter came towards him firing darts from a machine gun on  his wrist Izuku let the rage he felt in his heart towards the fact of just how alone he truly was for years before meeting Danny. The hatred for everyone who assaulted him just because he had an extra joint in  his foot as he exhaled he brought his hand up his entire arm wreathed in green flames as  he moved it from left to right creating a wave of fire that rolled away from him consuming the darts and sent the other ghost tumbling back sections of his blue skin blackened by the intense heat. The drain he felt from that move sent him to his knees. Holding a hand up as he felt the sensation of his transformation, the rings of moonlight forming around his hand and traveling up his arm. When Skulker continued to move in, the Fright Knight dropped in from above. Making it clear that the lesson was over, the Skulker looked disappointed but still backed off. “You must get control of how much energy you put into your attacks. If you put it all in an attack like that you will leave yourself completely vulnerable. Rest.”  He picked the young halfa up like a helpless kitten. His dark steed leapt from the flames of his sword allowing the duo to mount it. 

=======

Laying in the makeshift bed he had put together he felt a massive burst of energy roll through the air a wisp of cold air escaped his lips and he immediately shifted to ghost form shooting through his roof feeling a strong tug in his fledgling core letting it guide him as he flew narrowly dodging buildings and hoping that he wouldn’t run into any heroes who might take offense with him flying. In one corner of his mind he found himself working through roughly where he was going when he realized that he was being pulled towards Mei’s house and felt like he was getting faster the closer he got. He could taste the ectoplasm in the air.

The bruises from getting into a fight the night before fading rapidly when he landed he found a bright green glow coming out of her garage and the inventor was cackling. A portal tore open near him and outstepped the king of the Infinite Realms in full regalia when he saw the glow he began laughing. “It only took her 4 months to get it working!” Wiping at a non-existent tear he caught his breath. “I guess I owe her those ingredients. Looking at Izuku he smiled. “Looks like you’ll get your own tech. 

As the two men entered her workshop there it stood a hexagonal metal frame that appeared to be made from differing colors of scrap metal. Mei’s topaz eyes hidden behind her goggles lit up with green fire that licked at the edges of the portal. There was a wicked looking acid burn on her cheek. Danny walked closer, gently grasping her chin to redirect her attention to the left. Giving him a better look. “Ectoplasm burns. So the portal is stable but the tear brought more into the world than the original portal did.” He absently wondered trying to work out the specifics and then back at the portal. “At least I hope it's stable.” He shuddered with a memory of something he shouldn’t have. The portal was the entire reason he was king. “I have the remains of my family's original portal if you need another one built, but for now Izuku you can enter the ghost zone on your own through this. I will warn you some of my denizens are likely to use this to try and satisfy their obsessions. I will talk with them about not damaging your workshop, Mei.” 

“Now then Izuku you have an appointment with Pandora.” He remarked before pushing Izuku through the portal.

Turning to Mei. “As for the promise I made. For now I will personally supply you with ecto but.” He drew her attention to a cylinder on the side of the portal. “This is the Filter which will accumulate ecto that you can use in your creations. It must be replaced monthly but I found it can gather enough to be viable for experimentation after only a week.”

=======

Pandora had taken a much smaller form when dealing with Izuku. The First mortal if Izuku knew the stories well enough though some texts argued she was actually an earth goddess. “So I believe you have been struggling to differentiate your abilities? Sometimes going invisible when you mean to go intangible, Fire when you mean to use your ectoray?” She offered what she had been told by the other mentors. 

Izuku blushed rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded along with her. “Yeah…”

Pandora nodded with a soft motherly smile. “It is common when a ghost is gaining strength and a new power wakes up. I believe, and Frostbite agrees with me that the problem is likely that you are starting out so strong that you don’t have the luxury of mastering one or two powers. Can you describe anything that divides the powers in your mind?” 

“My fire is controlled by rage. I realized that a couple of days ago when facing the Skulker ghost.” He admitted. “I change to my ghost form by the sensation of happy days. I return to human by remembering what it felt like being trapped.” His voice turning to mutters.

“You should see if you can connect any other powers to a memory rather than emotion as while the human experience is so wide and varied, if you use anger to power your ectoray and rage to power your flames then you could use them accidentally. My best example is my stinger is powered by remember the first time I saw the anger of Zeus struck my brother in law, Prometheus.”

Chapter Text

The strange blonde girl Izuku had noticed on his practice flights was in trouble it seemed. She was in an alley with a much larger guy. As he flew down he realized the girl wasn’t the victim but rather seemed to be the one putting the man in danger as she had a knife dripping with blood. As he landed she turned her attention to him and looked terrified as she released the man. “Wait. I didn’t mean…I…I don’t…” She seemed to ramble a little bit.

Izuku raised his hands. “Please just put the knife down. I can help both of you but I need everyone to be safe first.” His voice echoey and she tilted her head. 

“I think he might have slammed me harder into that wall than I thought.” Tilting her head and gently rubbing the back of her head when her fingers came back stained red he froze. “I don’t think I understood that. Try again?”

Izuku was confused but took a deep breath and spoke slower focusing on using smaller words. Voice still echoing but at least it wasn’t ghost speak this time. “Please put the knife down. I want to help.” Keeping his hands where she could see them as he took a few steps forward. She hesitated then looked at the man who was starting to run and set the knife on a trashcan.

“He just smelled so yummy.” She tried to defend then flinched as she realized how that probably sounded to the hero in front of her. At least she thought he was a hero. When he nodded for her to continue she did, “My quirk means I need to drink blood but…” She trailed off. 

“It’s not easy to obtain?” He asked tilting his head. He tried to think of how someone might have obtained it. The blood quirk heroes he could think of all relied on their own blood.

“Technically I think it is supposed to be?” She shrugged “The quirk counselor said that I should test how often I need to drink it to stay healthy.” Looking up at him and noticing he appeared to be truly interested in what she had to say. “My parents refused to let me feed. I tried to be good and not drink anything but I found a dead bird and it was just so pretty the red dripping from it.” She shook her head. “They locked me in my room for a while. Then…I…” She trailed off again. 

“You attack a person?” He asked quietly. She just nodded in response. “Can I ask what your quirk is?”

“Oh…Its called Transform. If I drink someone’s blood I can turn into them. The more I drink the longer I can be them. I love being someone else.” She admitted. 

“That is so cool you could be an amazing hero with a quirk like that! So many stealth abilities. You just have to get a hold of a goon.” He started to babble.

“Maybe. I never thought about being a hero since my quirk is a villain quirk.”

“No such thing.”

“What if I’m afraid.”

“That is a different problem. But if you don’t think you can then don’t.” He smiled softly. “Sorry, but how long can you go without blood? I could let you feed from me sometimes?” He offered.

“Wait. You..would…huh?” She shook her head. “I get hungry after about three days. It takes like a week before I start getting fuzzier headed.” She tried to explain. “But you don’t have too…”

“Really I don’t mind. I heal really quickly.” He offered. He also noticed her edging a little closer to him and sniffing. He gave her a smile that flashed teeth including his own small fangs and she clutched her hands in front of her chest and bounced on the balls of her feet. 

“You have little fangs too!” Pointing to her own. She leaned closer and sniffed then recoiled a bit. “You smell like some of the homeless people who are really sick.” As he considered that and sniffed himself wondering if the smell of the infinite realms was clinging to him. 

“Give me a moment.” Remembering the sensation of gravity weighing down on him and returning to his normal green and sniffing himself realizing he smelled worse to himself since he actually smelled like body odor. 

“You can transform?” When he nodded, he sniffed again and leaned closer taking a deeper sniff. “You need a shower but you don’t smell sick anymore and honestly your blood smells a lot nicer.”

He chuckled in response. “I will see about getting one.” As he got another look at her he realized her own clothes were showing signs of wear and filth a lot like his own. And he can see the moment that she comes to the same realization. “Do you have somewhere safe to live?” She froze but shook her head. 

“I can offer you shelter but I don’t have somewhere for a shower.” She bit her lip but took his hand. “Do you need to drink some of my blood before we go?”

She thought about it for a moment. She had been shaken out of her blood thirsty fog but really she hadn’t drank anything and it could substitute for food if she had enough. She nodded picking her knife back up. “If you don’t mind?” He nodded and held his wrist out. 

“Do you want to use the knife or your teeth?” He asked quietly to not spook her.

“Its easier to stop if I use the knife to make the opening. It won’t be as deep.” She whispered and he made a fist to keep his arm still as the knife hovered over the skin. In a swift motion and a sharp flash of pain a thin line began to bead up with crimson blood that seemed even darker than normal; they both wrote it off as part of the low light in the alley. The sensation of her drinking while it wasn’t unpleasant, it was definitely odd. He could feel a thread of something connecting to her. He made a mental note to talk to Frostbite. 

When she stopped drinking she looked back at him with green eyes he used to see in the mirror rather than yellow cat ones.

=====

Izuku had spent days in the library after hours researching the history of war fans and found they had a varied history in their use and construction. He definitely preferred the idea of a folding fan and began sketching one to hopefully help get the imagery in his head better. He had spent the past month practicing just manifesting things that were a lot more simple. A steel pipe was the first he created without any issue. He was careful not to regularly create the same thing for fear of it somehow becoming his symbol and the Pipe ghost was not something he wanted to be known for. He loved the time he spent with Boxy learning to work with his telekinesis. He really didn’t want to be shoehorned like him.

 Box Ghost revealed that while everyone thought about his abilities as being with boxes and he could more easily perform mass telekinesis and finite with boxes he still was one of the more skilled telekinetics in the shallow regions (At least in relation to Izuku) of the infinite realms. He apparently had more power than a lot of other entities realized. Especially given he was only a few centuries dead. Izuku realized that Boxes are likely the man’s symbol if he had one. 

He sat on a rooftop in his human form focused on manipulating a formless blob of ectoplasm. It was a lot more difficult in his human form but he considered it a good way of training as if he could do it with the extra difficulty now then later it would be a lot more simple. He turned his palm flat and imagined the ball warping and thinning itself out until it was about the size of a dinner plate. It was a perfect cylinder flat on top and bottom and about a half an inch thick. He imagined it thinning further and growing small fangs along the edges until it was the blade for a circular saw. Next he brought his fingers towards each other and it began to bend in the middle before warping a bit and he stretched it back until it was flat again. He began flattening it further condensing it realizing that he could make it denser than should be feasible. It wasn’t any more difficult to make it an eighth of an inch thick than half an inch. Deciding to try a more difficult shape. Drawing it back into a small ball then made a half circle with spikes sticking out the edge of the curved side. He smiled as he closed his hand and saw it slide along itself to be a singular point. It was probably the hardest part of making his fan. Letting out a cheer he redoubled his efforts and just before the sun rose he had a folded fan with a webbing that just needed to be further manipulated into a flat cloth. When it lay open there were 13 sticks, each ending in a metal spike or curved claw, connected by a web of what appeared to be  spider silk. It was so thin. 

He let it dissolve into nothingness and transformed and tried again. 

It only took about a minute.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for the two homeless youth to find a proper rhythm. Himiko seemed to be more nocturnal whether that was a latent part of her quirk or just sleep pattern from it being easier to pass unseen in the city at night. True to his word Izuku opened a vein every third night. Something about it made him think she wasn’t drinking as deep as she should be. Though this did result in a pair of discoveries neither expected. First, the small cuts would seal immediately after Izuku transformed. Second, Himiko didn’t get hungry as quickly. Whether this was due to regular access to a source of blood or something else wasn’t clear. They had decided not to space her feedings out more as it also reduced her need for normal food. While Izuku wasn’t above stealing to feed her, they did want to limit it as much as possible. 

Izuku had a few concerns with the fact of how rapidly she seemed to be recovering. He was definitely happy but a thought wouldn’t leave him alone. I was turned into this because I was given a rapid infusion of Ectoplasm. She is drinking it regularly in small amounts. Is it possible she will become a halfa. Izuku needed an answer. He was willing to risk it but it wasn’t his choice alone. Himiko had a right to know. 

So he headed for the portal at Mei’s. Just being near her house made Izuku feel better. She lived in a nice enough part of town though there really wasn’t anything abandoned they could commandeer. As he walked into the garage he saw the pinkette was passed out. One hand wrapped around a screwdriver the other clutching an empty energy drink. He lifted the girl easily transferring her to a cot that was tucked behind another workstation covered in a dissected engine. He pulled the blanket up over her body with a soft smile as he felt his heart warm. 

He walked to the portal at the back of the garage and slid his hand into a receptacle that had been added since it was built. A set of five needles bit his hand  sampling his blood before the electrified metal grate on the front retracted. The changes were a precaution added to prevent Mei’s parents from accidentally entering the portal, and the electricity apparently would prevent any ghosts from exiting through it. 

The portal opened on a small island that seemed barren apart from a single cherry tree that grew on the edge of a pool of crystalline water. Steam rose from it in wisps like breath from some slumbering spirit. Izuku floated through the realms following one of the paths he had memorized. Technically it didn’t seem to matter where he flew as intent carried more power than proper navigation. 

The realm of the far frozen appeared to be a floating glacier. The cold there was enough that it overrode Izuku’s new resistance to environmental conditions. The running theory was his core hadn’t developed enough in the ice side to protect him like Danny and Frostbite were. He floated down in the shadow of the massive statue of Danny. It only took a minute before someone had gotten Frostbite who seemed both happy and concerned to see the halfa. “Youngling. What brings you to our home? You do not have anything scheduled with me for another two weeks, do you?” They both knew the time dilation sometimes got further apart than expected. 

“No, Sir.” The Greenette replied with a chuckle. “I actually wanted to know about the potential consequences of something. You helped turn me into a halfa by basically forcibly replacing my vital fluids with Ectoplasm in a matter of an hour. What would happen if ectoplasm were to be slowly introduced to someone every few days?”

“Ah. So a question of biology and physiology. I am happy to aid you in your understanding. Though I must inquire as to why you are interested in this specific topic.” And truly he did appear to be excited to speak at length about the topic. 

And so Izuku explained about Himiko and as an after thought added. “I also know that the girl who helped create the portal I use to access the infinite realms is spending a great deal of time in close proximity to the portal. Is she in danger of anything happening?”

“As for the girl and the portal you will need to speak with the Great One. He and his family lived on top of a portal for years. He would know far more about it and the impact it had upon their health. As for the girl with the parasitic need to drink the vitality of others. I would need to examine her to say for certain but, I expect that your blood will act as a steroid. She is unlikely to develop a core but I know that the Great One’s former consort gained some abilities and retained them after being infused but she didn’t become a halfa. I expect she will be made stronger by you and she will most likely form a proper ghost after her death.”

“Thank you Frostbite.” He bowed before beginning to float away shaking frost crystals from his hair. “I’ll see you in two weeks for that appointment.”

Chapter Text

“Ghostling, it is the perfect time for me to teach you about something that is known as convergence. In the infinite Realms I am known as the Fright Knight but in other Realms I have another name I am Samhain. I was never human unlike many you have met in the service of the king. I am Neverborn.” The ghostly suit of armor explained. “But convergence is to put it simply, all of the Realms overlap on top of one another; some it is more obvious for example the infinite Realms sits just beneath all other worlds of your own, the King's original world, that matters not. Convergence is the specific times and places where those with strong conceptual ties gain additional power due to this overlapping. For me I am the embodiment of fear and the idea that fear will protect. I was born when the first human told the first ghost story to keep children from wandering away from the fire. But the time of year your people call October is the convergence on which my power grows. For this month and this month alone I am nearly as strong as the High King himself. But even so this increase in power is fleeting so it does me no good to challenge my liege.” 

The armor shrunk slightly. “But convergence also means that there is a weakening in the separation between the Realms of the living of your world and this one which means it is also the perfect time to teach you something that I believe you should have picked up from my power. Well technically it wouldn't just be me but I'll be teaching you to do it how I do it but Pandora and the King himself both possess this ability as well and for all three of us to share it is almost a guarantee you do as well.” 

The Fright Knight drew his flaming sword and drove it into the space in front of them and it vanished with a slight tearing burning sound and as he drugged it down it left behind a jagged glowing green gash in space. When he drew the blade out the gaping wound in reality just hung there. “Wait, you mean that you can create portals as well? The way King Phantom spoke it was something that only he could do?” Izuku stared in astonishment. 

“No. He is far from the only one but he can do it as easily as breathing given he is the fledgling ancient of space. Many ghosts do possess the ability but either require specific aids like sites of convergence or it is more like slipping through the holes of a sieve. I am unable to do it without my sword except during the month of October. Wulf, a good friend of the king, his claws can leave a gaping hole in reality but he must stay near it otherwise it collapses. The king's own Hound can dig through the barrier as easily as one might bury a bone in soft soil but he leaves no portal behind he just pops through. Pandora can do it anywhere with a strong tie to the Hellenistic faith so most of her ability lies within the Western world, Europe and the Americas.” 

“What if I'm limited to a location  like Pandora?”

“You may have limits but unless you are a Hellenist yourself I do not believe you will have the same type of locations. Now It takes a great deal of practice to feel how to slip the blade between the threads of reality. Something to know. You will normally open the way to a place that is linked in some way to where you are. A place full of fear will bring you to somewhere in the infinite realm that is full of fear.”

“So…If I open a portal in a library I am likely to come out near a library in the realms?” His voice lighter and thoughtful.

“Correct. Now you should use your fan and try to visualize it sliding between the plates in a great suit of armor and finding the soft flesh beneath. Then twist and drag a wound wide enough to pass through.” 

Izuku spent the next hour trying to figure out how to stab something that wasn’t real. Ultimately he felt like an idiot shadowboxing. Sinking to sit on the barren ground an idea struck him. “Can Portals be opened on surfaces? Like say a wall? You and King Phantom both just make them float in the air.”

“Yes, Portals can be made nearly anywhere. Some places the veil may be too dense for you to make one just due to a lack of strength. Others may be specifically warded against it. For example the Great Hunter warded his lands to prevent prey from slipping away using that trick.” The knight explained. 

Izuku summoned the fan, snapping it closed and it began to warp slightly as he focused on his intent. The blades at the tip had morphed to be the teeth of an old school key and pressed it into the ground beneath him. He felt it gave a little as if trying to press through but it just wasn’t enough. He just couldn’t press it through. 

“Practice ghostling.”

========

Danny had taken Izuku through a portal to a dusty valley covered in red rocks. Even the sky overhead was red as the sun beat down on it. “Where are we? Why did we come here?” Izuku asked as he breathed he could tell his lungs were filling but it tasted strange. 

“We are on Mars. This lesson is too dangerous to give near others. Even the undead.” Danny explained his freckles glowing faintly.

“Wait, I’m on Mars. Another planet Mars?” He asked as Danny chuckled. 

“Izuku focus. You are rapidly getting a hand on your basic abilities. You don’t appear to have started to form your unique abilities yet which is fine. Your core is still calcifying. Frostbite tells me based on your speed of development and experience with both Dani and myself you should begin to develop them before the new year. But he also warned me that a power we KNOW you will have could be coming online at the same time. I have experienced a few different timelines due to correcting mistakes but the first time I changed the future this power developed after a decade. After that time it took less than a year. We used to think it was a unique ability to myself but some research and traveling the realms found that it isn’t it also isn’t unique to halfas. However it is an ability that no Neverborn have ever held. It is unique to beings that died and formed ghosts here. And they all have one thing in common. And you have it in common with me and them.” Danny shivered and took a steadying breath.

“What?” Izuku asked, voice cracking with fear and anticipation.

“You died screaming. While yes you revived yourself the event that makes a halfa is as close to death as you can get without actually taking the final step across the threshold. This ability is the Ghostly wail. Until I took up my throne it was the single strongest ability I possessed. We are here on mars for two reasons. The first is so I can demonstrate it. The second is I want to test how strong you are with a power I have seen you use but I don’t believe we have been training.”

At the concerned look on Izuku’s face Danny chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m bad at it. The same way you struggled to use your ectoray in the beginning. I struggled to make shields. But before that let me show you the wail.” He began floating and the two flew until they found an area with alot of large boulders some of which were larger than houses. They flew a pair of laps around it before Danny pointed to a spot for Izuku to stay. 

Danny flew about two hundred meters away before he landed, set his feet shoulder width apart and inhaled impossibly deep. But when he screamed it dropped Izuku to his knees. It was definitely loud but it was actually the psychic assault that was the worst. He felt himself being set on fire, electricity tore through him, then acid poured into the burns. Then Izuku was back on the table in the king's castle. He was trapped in a loop of the ectoplasm destroying his body before it began to build it. Nerves the last to be destroyed and the first rebuilt. After what felt like hours Danny pulled him up to his feet and the world came back to focus. Izuku blinked looking out across the field and saw a crater the length of his middle school and nearly as deep as it was tall. “I’m going to be able to do that?”

“Yes.” Danny explained and Izuku noticed a stripe of black in his white hair. "But lets head home. I didn't realize the effect it would have on you. Its best if you are at your strongest when we train your sheilding."

Chapter Text

Izuku and Himiko woke to find a man dressed in a robe made of light and shadow in an interesting pattern reminiscent of black roses. He seemed somehow to both be only a few years older than them but something in his eyes carried the weight of centuries. Something about him put the core in Izuku’s chest humming in warning. Izuku gathered a tiny crystalized fragment of ectoplasm in his left palm. He could near instantly convert it into his weapon if this turned hostile. 

“Relax Youngling. I mean you no harm.” His voice was a beautiful agony. The sound somehow carried with it the feeling of a rising sun after a night of fear and storms, The other was the cloying feeling of being watched when you should be alone. “I merely wished to speak with a being of the realms though you are familiar to me.” Then Izuku felt it in the man’s chest was a collection of small fragments.  They hummed with the power of beings from the infinite realms. 

Destroyed cores.

 Izuku felt the crystal in his palm turn to liquid that flowed towards the man before evaporating against his skin. “What are you?”

“You truly are young if your education hasn’t included information about my kind. I am the Tutelary of Musutafu.  Many places have them. We are guardian spirits bound to locations. I can feel you have recently met with the High King Phantom. He is a Guardian spirit not bound by location but by duty. He must maintain the balance between the Mortal realms and the Infinite. And I can feel your core. It is that of another guardian spirit. This city has many living guardians.” His visage shifts subtly until he looks like a man Izuku recognized as Eraserhead, Present Mic, then Midnight before he returned to his original appearance. “They give of themselves expecting nothing in return. They step out their doors with the knowledge in their heart that they may never enter them again but they hold their heads high. They trade their bodies to give others hope. All three of them lost friends and allies and yet they find the courage to step out again. Their shoulders will never buckle under the weight of duty. I find them so interesting. I guide them to places they should have no reason to go except to make sure they save one more person.” The way he spoke with reverence as if describing angels descending from the heavens wreathed in golden flames that turn away the filth and darkness and leaves only hope behind. “One day they will fall and if I can I will welcome them into my embrace. And should they pass into the arms of the infinite then so be it. I will guide those inspired by them to do the same.” He looked at the two and sighed. 

“I lived in this city for my whole life. I always asked if I could be a hero like them. I want to know your opinion.”

“I remember you. The small child neglected by family, abused by those you called friends, and beaten down by those who should have guided you. I have a better question for you. Do you believe you can stand where they do? Do you believe you are able to carry that burden? If you cannot then please find a life worth living. If you can then please stand up and put that weight on your shoulders, lift it and take your share. You are a fledgeling. You can forge your own future. Bow before none. You are not guaranteed anything except the power to choose. Use it.”

And as a train passed through the tunnel the man was gone. 

=============

Izuku was climbing out of a tank of pure ectoplasm in the far frozen. Frostbite wanted to do a complete exam as according to him he could feel Izuku’s core was fully formed and calcified. The hope was the exam would finally reveal if his core had a specific lean. Then they could find ghosts with similar cores to maybe get a sense of other abilities he can expect to come online. When he was on cold land he put his clothes back on while Frostbite and Glacia finished going over the results the two froze in place. Then at a word Glacia took off at a speed Izuku had never seen from the massive denizens. 

“Uhh whats wrong? Am I still dying?!” Izuku started to panic. 

“No. Take a deep breath. But these results are concerning for a different reason. Come with me Youngling.” The two headed towards a large cave behind the statue of King Phantom when he was much younger. Inside was what appeared to be a temple with ice sculptures  and panes of colored ice depicting a great battle, seven figures in robes, a massive sarcophagus with a key in its chest, the same sarcophagus being destroyed and finally Danny holding a crown wreathed in fire. “We will wait for the Great One. Do not worry you are safe. In the meantime I will explain some things about ghost anatomy.”

“If you’re sure and aren’t secretly planning to kill me.” Izuku asked concerned. He had been training for several months now but he doubted he could actually take Frostbite, the leader of an entire realm. Especially a realm where the smallest of them looked like they could snap him in half. 

“No.” He chuckled. “So the only organ that ghosts really have is our cores. If your core survives an attack it will slowly gather ectoplasm until it gathers enough to form a new body around it. It also gathers ectoplasm and recycles it. You should eat and drink for the sake of your human body but you can actually live on only ectoplasm. The Great One explained that it is very unpleasant. But cores come in a variety of types. Technically cores can produce any power but they tend to follow specific trends of abilities. For example nearly every denizen of the Far Frozen has an Ice Core. Giving us basically immunity to temperatures below zero, And in return we are weak to heat.” 

He continued “The ectoplasm for your core came from My Ice core, The Fright Knight’s Flame core, The Box Ghost’s Core is an Earth core, Lady Pandora’s Ancient Pandamonia Core is a special type of electrical core. Finally the Great One’s Core is the Core of the Ancient of Space. Those two cores are Ancient Cores. They show up in cycles. Normally when something important tied to what they represent is going to happen. The Space Core showed up in the Great One because the boundary of the infinite Realms gained a permanent wound and there needed to be a being that could help protect that boundary. Your Core is an Ancient Core. It is fledgeling and still growing in power and it likely will for centuries.”

Danny arrived towards the end of the description. “So what is so concerning? I get that he has an Ancient Core but we knew the possibility was there.”

“The concern is not that his core is an Ancient Core. It is which ancient core. Have you told him the story of the last High King?”

“No. It hasn’t come up and given he is still trapped in the coffin of forever sleep under the watchful gaze of Nocturne I didn’t feel it was important.” Danny looked confused. “Do you think he is going to break free?”

“It is possible Great One. His core is one of those seven Ancients that locked the Sarcophagus the first time. The only living ancient who had taken part in that battle was Lady Pandora. She will likely want to adopt the ghostling for his own protection.”

“Izuku. I would not have kept this from you if I had even a suspicion it would come to pass…” Danny began to tell the story of how Pariah Dark was a tyrant who had ruled over the Infinite realms for millenia by commanding a legion of skeletal guards and Fright Knight. And In a last ditch effort to free the realms from him seven Ancients sealed him away. Almost none of their names were known as most supposedly succumbed to their wounds. 

“So if you know my core is connected to these Seven you must know what it can do?”

“Not exactly. We know what it is called, and the name of the ancient who bore it. Her name was Nayven.” Frostbite explained. 

“What core did she have?” Danny asked and Izuku wondered

“The Nemesis Core.”

Chapter Text

It took a couple of weeks before Pandora returned from the business she had in the depths of the realms. So the three aware of the truth of his core were in agreement to remain in secrecy about the birth of a new ancient. In the meantime Izuku was spending more time in the Library trying to get ready for the entrance exam in 5 weeks. Himiko joined him almost everyday, sneaking into a quiet reading room normally used for storytime where heroes would come once or twice a month and read to children as community outreach. She had decided to try to get in as well but she wanted to be a support student. She realized that with her quirk she could actually know what the gear would feel like to her clients. She wanted to help but isn’t sure she could keep her calm if dealing with a situation like her own. Izuku was hoping to convince her to go for a split major and also join the hero courses to become a reconnaissance hero. 

They also discovered that she was being changed by the ectoplasm laced blood she had been drinking. She could now cause shadows to get a little deeper and help hide her. There were also times she would stretch or bend and it seemed like her bones might have merely been suggestions.

One evening as they were leaving shortly before the library closed, they were stopped by a man in a black jumpsuit wearing a long gray scarf. It took Izuku a moment to recognize him. “Eraserhead?”

The man sighed and nodded. He knew the boy knew who he was but the fact he remembered the underground hero was both a blessing and a curse. First it meant the kid knew he was a hero, Secondly it meant that the kid really was as smart as the journals implied. “Midoriya, we need to talk. Preferably in private. Would you mind coming with me?” Izuku was stunned and sorta scared that someone like Eraserhead knew his name. 

Himiko looked like she was about to speak up but a glance from Izuku stopped her. “I’ll see you at…later.” Izuku nodded with a slight smile as the girl headed in the opposite direction from the subway station. 

“Where are we going, Eraserhead sir?” 

“My hero agency.” 

Twenty minutes later the two were sitting in the Rooftop agency. A rather ironic name considering the building was a squat brick thing near UA with the roof replaced by a panoramic glass ceiling. From what he could tell it was just 4 rooms. A bathroom, a small bunkroom with attached kitchenette, the Main room with desks and office things. The final room Izuku guessed was a supply closet. The two sat at one of the desks. “So you said you needed to talk to me? Sir.” He added quickly.

The man seemed to be steeling himself for something. “I need to know how you survived.”

“I’m sorry?” Izuku was visibly confused. 

“In early April someone who looked just like you jumped off the roof of the Yaoyorozu building. Your notebook was found with a pair of red shoes near where they jumped.” He sounded as if his calm was being strained. “But there was no report of a hero rescuing them.”

Izuku’s blood ran cold and for a moment he thought he was back on the table with Frostbite about to give him another infusion. “Oh.” Izuku wasn’t sure what to say. As he sat in silence trying to order his thoughts Eraserhead snapped his fingers in front of him. He startled looking up at the man again.

“I asked if it was you.” He sounded calmer now that Izuku was looking his way again. 

“Oh. Yes. And I survived because a portal opened beneath me. Right place, Right time.” Holding his hands up. “The people on the other side helped me address the issues and got my head back on straight.” 

Eraserhead seemed to be running through every hero he could think of in case any of them had a portal quirk but was drawing a blank. “I’m glad you’re safe. Can you tell me what put you on that roof?” He was trying to work out exactly what happened. 

“Umm can I ask you a few questions?” The younger voice spoke up. 

Eraserhead considered a moment then decided it probably wouldn’t hurt. “How about this? You answer a question I answer one?” 

“Deal. I was attacked by a villain. A hero saved me from the villain but when I was about to ask a question they jumped and I sorta grabbed their leg and went with them.” He sounded a bit embarrassed. “Do you think someone quirkless can be a hero?”

This question was both expected and yet still so painful to hear the tone in his voice. It was obvious he was expecting a bad answer. “Yes. They will have to work harder than anyone else to be able to do it. They are starting with a handicap but also a headstart. They don’t have a quirk to fall back on. But that also means they aren’t a man who only has a hammer, The world doesn’t become a pile of nails.” Izuku broke down in tears of joy and the fact it was that extreme a reaction was definitely a surprise. 

The man considered his next question. He needed to try and build a rapport before attacking the big ones. “Where did you learn to do analysis? Nezu found your journals when we were trying to figure out what happened to you.”

Izuku froze. Aizawa was fairly certain he made a mistake. He forgot for a moment the fact they had the journals also meant they knew he was evicted. Izuku spoke up softly. “They aren’t anything special. It was just something I did because I didn’t have a quirk. I was really interested in them, I tracked down every hero fight, every report on the news, every fuzzy clip on shady forums and just wrote down my suspicions. Like I said they’re just a hobby. Sorry their kinda weird.” Izuku shut up when Eraserhead put three stacks of bills on the desk between them. 

“Take them.”

“What?”

“Take the money.”

“Why?”

“Each of those stacks is what it would cost me to get an analysis nearly as in depth as the one you did on me.”

He stared at the stacks and was honestly intimidated. “Are they really worth that much?”

“¥250,000. And that is a conservative estimate based on how accurate the entry you had on me.”

“Wait. Each of those stacks…”

“Yes, our agency employs three heroes. All three of us agreed to pay for them. Nezu has your journals as he was using them to try and find you. But we kinda got distracted. It is your turn to ask me a question.”

“How would someone with a quirk that requires they drink blood get the blood they need if they don’t have a regular donor?” The question caught him off guard. He knew the kid was quirkless but then his mind snapped to the girl and the small fangs he had noticed. 

Shit. 

“I unfortunately don’t know but I can get that answer.” Taking his phone out, he sent a text to Shuzenji. “Who is the girl who was with you?”

Izuku flinched but answered anyway. “Her name is Himiko. Yes she has a quirk that means she needs to drink blood. I’m letting her feed on me but…”

“One person can’t realistically provide what she needs long term.” He finished. 

“Yeah. Is there anything you can tell me about the entrance exam for UA? I know you were a student there.”

“The written test is 200 multiple choice questions and an essay depending on your department. The hero course has a practical that focuses on one aspect of heroism but it rotates. The Support course has to submit a prototype or design depending on which track they are focusing on, Business course has a practical as well but I don’t know its details. I take it you are intending to go to UA for the hero course?” He asked knowing he lost a question on it but he could tell the kid was relaxing. 

“Yes. Though I am out of things to ask that won’t be stupid like what is your favorite food.”

Shota chuckled. “I’ve only got one or two more myself. And my favorite food is jelly pouches. I like the cinnamon apple ones best.” He decided he needed to hit the hard questions now. “I’m sure you can guess we know you aren’t in the foster system, your mother left you here alone, do you have somewhere safe to live? Are you staying with a friend?”

“I am safe.” And Shota knew from his tone that was all he was going to get on the subject he wrote a number on a sticky note. 

“My number in case you ever need help.” His phone chimed so he took a moment to read the message from Shuzenji. “She need to see a doctor and they will basically give a prescription. Recovery girl will likely do so if we arrange a meeting.” Izuku smiled at the thought of Himiko getting the help she really needed. “Now two more questions. First, you mentioned that people on the other side of the portal basically got your head on straight. Who are they?” 

Izuku seemed like he didn’t want to answer but decided to answer somewhat truthfully. “His name is Danny and his ally Frostbite.” The name Danny meant he wasn’t local and would make finding a portal user even harder but Frostbite at least was a hero name so maybe Nezu could find details. “Finally who left you on that roof.”

“All Might.” Izuku said was he hesitantly took the money and exited the agency. 

Aizawa was going to kill his new coworker. Naomasa would probably help him get away with it.

=======

Pandora sat around the table with Frostbite, Danny, and Izuku. Fright Knight was put on security for the meeting. “So Nayven’s core has returned. Her core as you know was the Nemesis Core but what you don’t know is she was the one who orchestrated the fall of Pariah. She was the mastermind. She had the Sarcophagus built in the first place.” 

Danny asked the question. “What abilities should Izuku be on the lookout for? From the notes Frostbite had on her it seemed like her core doesn’t have a tilt like most. My core is space but still leans me towards the ice side.”

“The Nemesis core doesn’t have one because it exists to balance others. The special ability I know from that battle is her constructs were nearly unbreakable. She was able to throw out Fire, Ice, Electricity, Manipulate the ectoplasm of Dark’s castle to have it help trap him, She could use short range teleportation, And she could exert control over shadows.”

Izuku who was taking notes gave each power its own page so he could experiment and note things down as they experimented and any ideas for special applications. “Could she make portals?”

“Not to my knowledge but we also didn’t have much need to so it may have just not come up.” She responded with a shrug. 

Danny asked something he and Frostbite had been concerned about. “Do you believe she could have defeated him alone?”

“She had a great deal of raw power but none of us could duplicate ourselves like you did my king. And as you know you need at least bodies to actually lock that sarcophagus. I think she designed it that way so that none of us would become high king or queen. She believed that the realms should govern themselves.”

“I am glad. Pariah was a true tyrant. Sometimes I wonder if the reason The Great One is not a tyrant is because of the life he lived in a world without kings and courts. The Crown and Ring are not able to latch on to those traits and amplify them.”

“That makes a weird kind of sense. I grew up in a world where people were expected to be the hero of their own story so I kinda expect the realms to govern themselves and only come to me if there is an issue between realms as a whole.” 

As they finished drinking their tea Izuku asked a question that floated through the back of his head before he could crush it. 

“How did she die?” He wasn’t even sure it was the right way to phrase the question.

“Her core was damaged in the fight and couldn’t process ectoplasm anymore and without a being with strong enough purified ectoplasm to heal her. So she slowly wasted away until she was a husk of her former self and she was consumed by Nocturne.”

Chapter Text

The duo looked around the small space they had come to think of as home over the past months, well aware that if they succeeded during the entrance exam in less than a month they would be moving to the dorms. Both were doing better as they were able to eat their fill rather than relying on the side effects of their conditions. Izuku finally eating real food took strain off his core he hadn’t even realized was there. His physical enhancement was improving daily. He had even beaten Skulker in unarmed combat. Himiko was improving as well since she was properly feeding both sides of her needs. She seemed to get more of the steroid effect Frostbite had informed them of since the ectoplasm wasn’t burning just to keep her alive. 

The two stood getting dressed in fresh clothes making them feel more human. They were the same clothes they’d had before but they were actually clean. The pair headed out since Izuku had gotten word that Mei had something to show him. En route they picked up onigiri for a light lunch since the pair each had errands to run after meeting with Mei. 

Upon arrival the only thing that had changed since their last meeting was there was now a scorched gouge carved out of the driveway. Izuku ran up the drive leaving Himiko to hold lunch. He was fully expecting to find another explosion and perhaps an unconscious pinkette. “Mei are you in here?” 

Her head poked up from the other side of a stack of blueprints. Giving him an evil grin. “Greenie, I'm right here. And I have babies for you!” She exclaimed as she ran out to grab his hand and drag him in. Himiko catching up just a moment behind since Izuku wasn’t launched flying…this time. 

“We brought lunch.” The blonde remarked, holding up the box. “Maybe you should eat first?”

“No need. We have babies. I can eat after. Probably.” She tacked on as she dug through pile of inventions drawing out a forearm computer. 

“Is it going to blow my arm off?” Izuku asked as he gingerly took the invention. Slipping the bands securely up his arm. 

“No, it only exploded once.”

“What does it do then?” As he noted it powering on once both straps were tightened down. 

“That is ectobaby number 4. It emits a pulse of ectoplasmic radiation to map the surrounding space. It will be helpful if you need to phase through a building it can give a map. The specific radiation isn’t blocked by normal building materials.” As she explained the screen displayed a map of the garage, the house, and penetrated down to the sewer below. The screen even showed each individual table in the room.

“Can you make it pick up people?” Himiko asked as she leaned closer to see the screen.

“Probably but I need to figure out how to calibrate it to not freak out from Izuku. When Danny took a look at it during one of his visits to give me materials it nearly exploded.” She remarked as she began moving to another pile digging around before pulling an inhaler. “I didn’t design this one but Danny wanted to make sure I could make it for you. He called it Ecto-Dejecto. Supposedly it will temporarily boost your strength. Most of it I made is going to be given to UA when we get in!” She explained excitedly. Finally she handed him a thermos. “This is Ectobaby number 11. It condenses ectoplasm from the air. I have two of them for myself but you need one too.” 

Izuku was stunned at the fact that just a year ago he was a nobody with no real chance to become a hero. But now he is days away from attempting to get into the best hero school in Japan and one of the best in the world. He had real friends not people he claimed were his friends despite the fact they tormented him. He had a mentor who believed in him. He had a team. An Idea hit him. “Danny said that for me to have gear made it needs infused with ectoplasm like this. Could you infuse materials for a new costume?”

“Yes I can make you a new suit do you have something in mind?” 

“I wanna help!” Himiko called as she ran forward. The three of them bent over a blank sheet of blue paper and began designing Izuku’s new and (hopefully) less embarrassing suit.

==========

The island on the other side of the portal had grown as Izuku had gained power. The pool of water had grown beautiful trees around it creating a privacy screen. The ground had sprouted flowers in shades of green and blue creating a living carpet that as he crossed over it ripples of color would spread from him based upon his mood. 

A small hut had formed on another section inside was a library filled with Izuku’s journals and gifts from the denizens of King Phantom’s domain. A book from the Ghost Writer which contained the story of Pariah Dark. A lunch box from the Box Ghost’s daughter. A dagger from Fright Knight. And Frostbite had entrusted him with the infinimap which hung on his wall. 

It was however a domain that was truly his own. It didn’t even react to Danny’s will. Something that confused the king and his advisors.

It was time for Izuku’s final lesson before the entrance exam. Danny had called in a favor from Nocturne to give him a combat lesson against another ancient. Danny, Pandora, and Ember had come to observe. The giant ghost formed from mist and purple energy towering over Izuku. His body was made of shadow and stars similar to the King’s Cape but something about it seemed dulled in comparison. His core thrummed almost as if it remembered the ghost that had consumed it once before. 

“Oh Ghostling I do hope you survive. And should I kill you, blame the king for thinking someone with even less training than he had when he fought me the first time could defeat me. For feeding a lamb to a wolf.” His voice dripped with disdain. Izuku nodded, swallowing hard. He had technically trained with ancients but all of them had been…not kind but they truly wanted him to grow stronger out of respect for their king’s wishes. 

This man though, he could feel the hatred boiling off of him. 

And his own core was hungry for it. 

 Izuku’s chest hummed with energy and a rage he had never felt before. His mind slides to Himiko and the thought she could starve if he didn’t make it back. Then to everyone who believed in him. Danny the king, Frostbite, Even the ancient of Time himself but more importantly, Eraserhead. One of the heroes who he had looked up to his entire life had said he could be a hero even without this power. So he would return. He would use this power he was given to be a better hero.

Everyone there couldn’t help but notice as the fields of green and blue shifted to blacks and reds as if blood and oil were poured over the landscape. His face shifted his grin a little wider and his teeth sharper. The whites of his eyes consumed in shadows making the piercing toxic glow even more terrifying. When he spoke it was with three voices. One in Japanese, One in the static of ghost speak, and the last in a language that seemed to lack any vowels and carried the intensity of natural disasters. His hair had lost its blue tint and gone the white of snow. 

“Nocturne. You are nothing more substantial than a fleeting moment of terror. If you believe you can destroy your betters you must be dreaming.” His sentence was punctuated by his fan snapping into his left hand made of ornate Ice. In his right a ball of fire formed and extended up his arm wrapping like chains.

Nocturne let out a roar “Sleepwalkers, Form!” And four ghosts seemingly made of sack cloth with crossed eyes stitched into their faces formed around Izuku. In the back of his mind he could feel the threads between them and their master feeding them power. Then a whisper began. 

Sleepwalkers. Such a crude construct. Pariah’s skeletal soldiers were more substantial and required no power feed from the king. Incapacitate but don’t destroy. 

He had no idea what the voice was; it certainly wasn’t his own thoughts but decided to trust it as he was outnumbered. Flicking his flame wrapped arm towards the ground, chains of fire rose around one sleep walker and dragged it beneath the surface of his island entombed. Another took the opportunity to leap at his side while he was occupied. It delivered a vicious blow to his ribs that launched him into one of the trees surrounding the spring. The voice in Izuku’s head hummed as if considering options at the same time Izuku looked over the remaining combatants noticing that Nocturn wasn’t engaging. Izuku flung the fan out towards the group of ghosts sending a shower of razor sharp needles of ice at them. The one at the center of the blast was shredded and returned to mist flowing back to his master. 

Too much power behind the attack. The voice chided but Izuku knew it was right then a different idea hit him. He reached inside and felt a tug in response the fan warped to one made of lightning instead. Izuku launched himself forward, fire lashing towards a sleepwalker while a flick of his wrist sent the fan at Nocturn who laughed when it embedded itself in his chest doing almost nothing. The flame wrapped around its intended target and flicked towards the other sending the two tumbling off his island. 

“You really think such a small weapon is a threat to me?” He laughed “And you’re supposed to be the kings chosen!” 

Izuku rose his hand and smirked. “My name is Izuku, not the kings champion.” When he closed his fist the fan in his chest exploded with a blast of sonic energy that blew one of the massive ghost’s arms off.

Nocturn reformed the destroyed limb almost immediately. And lunged for Izuku claws spread and trailing a pink mist as he lashed at the young halfa. The mist reminded Izuku of Midnight’s somnambulist quirk. Nocturn is the ghost of dreams. The ghost raked claws across Izuku’s chest leaving behind wounds weeping ectoplasm. When Izuku screamed he inhaled the mist and his head began to swim. Then that burning rage coursed through him again and the slash sealed and his head cleared. Don’t breathe you fool!

Nocturn had been expecting him to drop but as he shook off the sleep magic he realized this kid was more of a threat than he realized. Izuku brought his hands together the flames receding into a ball between his hands. He fed it the pain and anger. He fed it the betrayal he felt from the memories of Bakugo attacking him and it grew hotter. He fed it the agony of becoming a halfa and lightning began to wreathe it. He fed it the fear he held that he would fail to protect the few people he still cared for, and it condensed from a basketball to instead be a tennis ball. Danny threw a shield up between the two as this was meant to be a training match. When Izuku unleashed the force of nature he had trapped in his palm  the kings shield failed and nocturne was only saved by Danny ripping a hole in reality sending the sleep ghost to a different part of the realms while the attack detonated throwing Danny into Pandora. 

Izuku collapsed to the ground rings of moonlight returned him to normal. 

Perhaps you aren’t ready yet.

Chapter Text

This morning was what they had both been preparing for for months. The two had actually gone out the day before to purchase brand new clothes just for the occasion though Izuku found it kind of silly that he was counted in this since he was going to be wearing his ghost form for the more important part. But to keep Himiko from feeling self-conscious Izuku got a new outfit including a new pair of shoes. The Red Primordials he had worn were replaced with a similar pair of forest green high tops. His shirt wasn't one of his many tees with a random article of clothing word on it instead he wore a long sleeved shirt carrying the pattern of Midnight’s Pro hero costume with black cargo pants. Himiko was dressed in a sweater and skirt reminiscent of the clothes she used to wear before being rescued by Izuku. Though the Yellow was replaced with a deep crimson.

====Himiko===

 The entrance exam was divided by focus so once they checked in the two were sent to different halls for their exam. Himiko found herself sitting in a large workshop with about fifty other applicants while a heroine wearing an outfit patterned like Izubean's new shirt stood on a stage made of a few work tables put together with one of those rolling whiteboards behind her reading, Support Department Entrance Exam, “Now there's always one or two darlings that end up in here by mistake. Is anyone here supposed to be in the business course exam?” When three men raised their hands she smiled and motioned to the door. “Your exam is across the hall.” As the three filed out she asked about the other courses but it appeared everyone left was support course applicants. “Excellent, this is one of the largest turn outs for the support course since I've taught her my darling engineers.” She bounced on one foot the other popped behind her for a moment like some demented cheerleader. 

“So I always need to ask if you are a Design Track applicant please sit towards the front, Engineering Track towards the back. Your exams are slightly different and we need to make sure you have the best chance to pass.” Himiko and 9 other applicants moved to the front. A couple remained but the rest moved back. “Excellent. You get three hours to complete your packet once done there is a meal waiting down the hall prepared by our resident chef Lunch Rush. Followed by your practical exams. Design Track is in room 1-I, Engineering Track is in 1-H.” 

Once everyone was seated, the staff came around passing out the dense exam booklets. When she opened it she began silently thanking Izuku for making sure she took all those practice exams. Most of the information she could easily remember but some of the harder questions she heard a faint whisper in her head that while it wasn’t telling her the answer it was almost translating the question into a way she could better understand. Something about the voice was familiar but she couldn’t place it or even be sure it was real. 

Her practical exam was surprising. She had expected to have sewn something but instead it was closer to an interview with the goal being to create a technical package for a costume. She was sitting opposite one of the heroes on staff Izuku had taught her about several of them. This one she believed was Vlad something. “You are looking to change up your design sir?” 

“Yes, This design was good when I was younger but even we heroes cannot defeat time. I’m looking for something to support my joints, and a coworker has requested I close my boob window.” He explained the parameters of the exam that was chosen for this year. All 8 of the heroes participating in this were heroes with at least a decade of experience so updating suits for aging was chosen. Last year they had selected 8 hero graduates and asked they participate and its challenge was sidekicks going on to their own. 

“I assume you don’t want to change up your color scheme?” The fanged girl remarked as she started by eyeballing the colors of his suit marking them in one corner. 

“That is correct.” 

“Now I have a strange request.” She asked and he expected it was the request for an autograph that many heroes got during these one on one moments. He motioned for her to continue. “Can I taste your blood?” 

Kan was stunned and took a moment to recalibrate his brain. “What?”

“My quirk allows me to turn into someone if I can taste their blood. The more I drink the longer I can make it last. If I had to actually make the suit I would need more to test the fit afterwards but I just want to get a sense for any problem spots in your joints since that is your primary concern.” She had fallen to a word storm much like Izuku did and it was definitely an odd sensation to be on this side of. “Also my quirk replicates your clothes so I will be able to tell how your current suit feels and hopefully incorporate a design that will have the least possible change in sensation.” 

Kan nodded and offered his wrist. Blood based quirks were rare enough that he felt a slight kinship and wanted to give her the best chance possible. And many people with blood quirks weren’t able to ever actually use them but she had found a career path that would help. As she bit him he noted he couldn’t really feel it. His mind wandered to the possibility that she either had a sedative in her saliva or if he was just used to it since his current suit cut his shoulder to give him blood to use. When she released he waited to see her change. “Nothing?” 

“Oh…I will use it once I'm alone, I sorta have to…” She let the answer drift off and it took kan a moment to realize the difference in their size probably would destroy her clothes. And he laughed uproariously. 

“Of course. I have another appointment I must keep. Do you have any other questions before I leave you to it?”

“Will you actually see the design?”

“Yes, though I won’t be able to use it. We are brought in to give our opinion on the design and if we would be willing to wear it.” She nodded and headed for one of the changing rooms she had seen down the hall. Vlad made note of her name and went towards the observation deck for the hero practical that would be starting in half an hour. 

The design she submitted focused the extra support with compression on his arms and a flexible pad on the elbow. His gloves had a minor redesign to extend the protection of his knuckles down each finger with interlocking plates. The boob window was closed with just a red panel of the same existing kevlar blend. There was a note to see if there was a lighter metal that could be used for his bracers.

===========

Izuku stood in front of, Training Field Beta. He was towards the back of the pack since he knew he could fly to not get caught in the crush. As he looked over the people he saw he was in the same group as the blue-haired boy who had accused UA of being lazy because Present Mic said there were three robot types worth points when the paperwork they were given said four. How much power should I use? Can I pass this trial with only what I can access in human form? I have trained with some of the universe's greatest fighters to get control of these abilities. I trained with gods. If I dig deep enough they probably won’t be able to touch my score. Is it fair to go all out? His mind was running rampant as the dilemma loomed large. His hands going through the motion of writing. As he processed the possibilities he realized everyone here did their own training. And many of them probably had trained for a decade at this point. He couldn’t insult them by not giving it his all. He was falling into the trap that caused him to be tormented most of his life. He was stronger so he was considering giving less than them because they weren’t good enough to compete against his best. “GO! There are no countdowns in hero work!” Yelled Present Mic from up above. 

Izuku launched himself into the air igniting his transformation as the rings of moonlight traveled along his body revealing the new costume designed by the three friends. Izuku now was dressed in a Dark green leather jacket. He now had actual pants. They were black leather with brighter green lacing that went up the sides reinforcing the stitching. The top matched the pants with the bright green forming a pattern on his chest that followed the jagged scars underneath to a starburst over where his heart should be. 

Something about his flight had never faded and that was the sense of euphoric freedom he had been flying for nearly a year now and it was still just as wonderful as his first terrifying flight. He decided to head a couple streets over and let the mass of applicants fight in the main road. Taking a deep breath he recalled the typhoon that had rampaged two years ago the hum of destructive energy that hung in the air. His mind drew up a name from the time he spent in the Ghost Writers archive. The Ancient of Weather Vortex. But that destructive energy he remembered came to his fingertips gathered and arced back and forth. As he exhaled he focused on the image in his mind of a line connecting the five robots beneath him before he flung his hand down energizing the image in his mind with ectoplasm that the lightning chased along to each robot causing them to explode. The attack drew the attention of more bots. The only ones that had the ability to target him in the air were the Two and three pointers as they launched lasers and volleys of rockets respectively. The three pointers reacted first each of the three bots launched a salvo. Crossing his arms in front of himself, ectoplasm collected and formed into a dome shield. When the smoke cleared there was no sign of even a crack in the shielding. The lasers of the two-point robots hit the shield without any visible effect. While the bots reoriented their aim he flung his arms apart and the shield that had protected him shattered into fragments the size of his fist and sharp as needles flying down destroying his attackers and some of the one pointers that were heading towards a neighboring street. 

He moved to the street the bots had been headed for where he found a boy with gravity defying purple hair swinging a metal pipe from one of the damaged buildings at a pair of one pointers. He gathered a ball of ectoplasm in his hand pitching it at a three pointer that had noticed the combat. The ball of unshaped ooze blocked its rocket bay from opening while melting the metal and effectively welding the chamber closed. And so he set about the process of moving through the arena blocking attacks from hitting applicants blind spots or destroying the robot before the attack could gain momentum.

=====

In the observation room three of the hero teachers were staring at a single screen showing a boy with gravity defying blue-white hair. Two of them felt their hearts crushed, the last looked to the others as if checking if they were okay. They all had the same thought though. Oboro. Nezu forced the screen to change to another applicant breaking the spell on them. “This year may be more difficult to judge but remember He isn’t the same boy we lost. That is Izuku Midoriya.” The name fell into the silence like a gunshot. Aizawa knew he was quirkless. How was he flying and how had he changed his appearance. Transformation, Flight like that was normally considered an emitter ability, And phasing. The kid had three quirks. Two connected ones was incredibly rare but three was a one in a million chance but from what was happening on screen the kid had more. How did a quirkless kid suddenly gain multiple quirks. The only thing that made sense to him was a Traumatic awakening and he had seen the kid two months ago and he still asked if a quirkless person could be a hero. What happened to you problem child? 

A blonde in that room was seeing something very different. He saw someone with multiple quirks and in his heart he knew they were a threat. Somehow All for One had survived and sent this child as a direct challenge to him. The kid had gathered more hero points than All Might himself had even before he gained hero points by stepping in front of attacks for his fellow applicants with that shield of his. He needed to find a successor soon.

========

Honestly he was somewhat disappointed at how little energy it took from him to destroy the robots. He had hoped to stretch his wings a bit against the large numbers but collateral damage was just too likely until the city began to shake and a robot taller than many of the buildings began to rampage. A giant 0 emblazoned on its chest. He was just taking aim at a group of One pointers ready to unleash a wave of ice to immobilize them and prevent them from chasing the applicants who were fleeing from the giant robot when he heard a scream. He headed in its direction wondering if someone had been cornered near it when he saw it a girl with blonde and green hair stuck under a section of building that had fallen when the robot rose. He landed near her. “If I get you out do you think you can move?” He asked keeping an eye on the robot.

“Maybe but my leg doesn’t feel right.” She squeaked. He could grab her and run but this was also a chance to test what he could really do. That robot was massive. He grabbed the girl and turned them both intangible until they had the room. As the returned to a physical form he could see the swelling in her ankle and just knew that it was sprained at the very least. 

“Hold tight its about to get really warm. Holding her in one arm his other hand erupted in glowing green fire as he called the war fan to his hand. He focused energy in it and hoped everyone else had gotten clear. The fire shifted colors from his hand towards the tip. The green giving way to blue then white at the tips. The arm around the girl he tried to call ice to help shield her as he felt his undead form begin to sweat. This was more heat than he had called on even when training in the far frozen. As he pitched the fan towards the robot he threw himself ontop of the girl in  his arms picturing a dome of Ice and ectoplasm that formed around them. The sound that came when the fan melted through its chassis was like that of an oncoming train. Then the world changed colors. Inside the dome the green of ectoplasm grew brighter as the ice covering the dome melted. The glass of the nearest buildings glowed and ran like magma. The robot was nothing more than a few misshapen piles of red hot slag. When the dome fell Izuku lay on top of the blonde girl and rings of light returned him to normal.

====

A week later they both received the acceptance letters. Izuku had the record for most points.

113 Villain Points and 80 Rescue Points.