Chapter Text
"It's finished," Pro Support Hero, Steampunk, called out. "Project: Free Dawn is fully operational."
The group of worn-out heroes gathered to stare in wonder at the elaborate piece of machinery, exchanging glances between them. The numbers were pitifully few, only a handful of the old heroes still alive after Shigaraki went on a hunt-and-kill spree with his Nomu army. Deku, broad-shouldered, strong and dependable, led one of the groups of the only rebels still left standing, running from the undead monstrosities and snatching food and water from wherever they could, whenever they could.
So many had been lost that year.
Eraser Head was one of the more recent to fall, being caught on a water run by the jet-black stealth Nomu. Deku remembered watching his mentor, his father, being torn to bloody ribbons, unable to do anything but listen to his screams. The loss hit the green-haired man harder than anyone else, and for the first time in a while, he crumbled under the weight of responsibility now placed on his shoulders alone, whereas before, he could share it with his teacher.
Since that particular death, they had moved bases constantly, using Steampunk's smaller inventions for decoy runs to redirect the Nomu as much as possible. After all, no matter how much the Nomu improved, they were still dead bodies.
(The heroes still had nightmares of Deku's agonized wails when he saw the Eraser Head Nomu. Shigaraki had taken the fallen hero's body and actually used it to create a new type of the monsters. They all couldn't sleep for days after that sight.)
The numbers only dwindled further as more heroes were caught and (more often than not) turned into a red smear on the pavement. Some were genuinely ambushed. Others couldn't live with seeing all the death and destruction and took the easy way out.
The only people that now remained in their group were Deku, Ground Zero, Duality, Steampunk, Edgeshot, Power Loader, Mirko, Ingenium, Creati, and Earphone Jack. Not many.
"So this will actually work?" Edgeshot asked uncertainly. "I mean, time travel is pretty far-fetched, even with tech like this."
"It will," Steampunk said firmly. "Besides, if it doesn't, what do we have to lose? Welcome to the Quirk era."
"True."
"Ah. Just one problem, though."
Earphone Jack glanced at the Support Hero warily. "What problem?"
"...That's the problem. Just one."
Edgeshot's brow furrowed slightly. "What does that mean?"
"This baby has just enough energy to transport one person as far back as we need to. Any more and it'll blow anything within a 50-mile radius sky-high, as well as anyone in it."
The silence was stifling as the gathered heroes processed the... inconvenient information. Then Ground Zero let out a loud, heartfelt "Fuck."
"For once, I agree," Ingenium said tiredly, having long grown resigned at the strings of colorful profanities and curses that often made their way out of his colleagues' mouths on almost a daily basis, himself included. "Is there no way of getting a newer source? Or at least enough to send two people?"
Steampunk shrugged apologetically. "I mean, if anyone's up for a raid at the nearest Nomu factory, sure."
"Can't Creati make more?" Duality asked.
"I don't know the chemical formula, unfortunately."
Even Mirko looked vaguely uncomfortable, as brash and confident as she was. "Who are we sending, then?"
For the first time in a while, Deku spoke up. "I think Power Loader or Edgeshot should-"
"Deku needs to go."
Ground Zero's snarl cut him off, and the younger hero stared incredulously. "Wait, me?! Edgeshot is the more logical choice! Or Power Loader! Or-"
"No, Zero's right," Power Loader said. "When you get there, you can't keep it a secret forever. You need to tell people, and Eraser will trust you more easily, as well as All Might and Naomasa. And you were present for all of the most important events. USJ. Stain. The camp. Kamino. Overhaul. The Paranormal Liberation War. Pretty much every major thing that happened is tied to you in some way. With One For All, you can save everyone. You weren't the Number One Hero for nothing, you know."
"Besides," Creati said more gently, "don't you want to see Eraser again? Alive and well?"
Any argument Deku had fizzled at the reminder that if he indeed agreed to shoulder this burden - alone - he would see his teacher again, his dad. Everyone else who lost their lives - Uravity, Tsukuyomi, Red Riot, Froppy, Pinky, Cementoss, Vlad King, Lemillion, Suneater, Tailman, Chargebolt, Anima, Sugarman, Tentacole, Cellophane, Invisible Girl, Present Mic, Midnight, so, so, so many others. He could save countless lives, lives he wasn't able to save before: a second chance. He would see his mother again. He would see his sister again. All Might. Sir Nighteye.
And so he straightened, squared his shoulders and faced his senior hero, bowing. "Fine. I'll go."
"Perfect." Steampunk rubbed her hands together and led the green-haired youth to a long table littered with scrap metal and various pieces of technology salvaged from abandoned factories and warehouses. "Alright. The tank has just enough energy to send you back about six years. It'll be sometime either before, during or after the USJ. Preferably, you should arrive about a day or so before, but just in case you get launched into the fighting right away, I had Creati make some materials to build new babies. Don't worry, though. If you arrive before or after, it should be off any more than a week.
"You need to put this baby on first. It'll let you breathe when you're inside the actual portal, and it also functions as a gas mask and a D-COMM. The glass part over your eyes can display stuff. Heat vision, stats, terrain, the basics. Tap it twice on your left ear and it'll retract into a regular communication chip. I also had Creati make flashbang and smoke grenades, marble-sized. I'm not sure if you really need a weapon, though..."
"This will be fine," Deku assured. "I have One For All. It's enough of a weapon."
"The Ultimate Baby needs ten minutes to fully power up, and two more to fully transport you, tops. So suit up. And-"
Bang.
Everyone froze.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
"No," Earphone Jack breathed. "How did they find us?"
Ingenium looked grim. "Nomu?"
"They've surrounded us on every side. Five strength Nomu. Ten stealth. Four specialties. About a dozen of the generic ones. And-" she gulped. "The Eraser Nomu's here too." The others saw Deku pale, the blood draining from his face as he clenched his fists to hide their shaking.
Damn Shigaraki.
Damn All For One.
Damn the League.
Damn them all to the deepest, darkest corner of hell.
"Shit, shit, SHIT! STEAMPUNK! FIRE THE THING UP, NOW!"
Ground Zero's shouting jolted them out of their panicked states, and they all practically flew to engage all the defenses the Support Hero built in. It wouldn't hold for long, especially with five strength Nomu, but it should be enough to stall them long enough for the time machine - because yes, that was what it was - to warm up. While they did that, Deku hurriedly shoved the communication chip into his ear and tapped it twice, closing his eyes as sleek metal sprang forth and encased his head and upper neck. He fit the pouch full of marble-like explosives in a pocket of his utility belt, also double-checking to make sure his phone was still at his hip.
"OI, SHITTY DEKU! YOU STILL HAVE HIS RING?!"
Said hero checked under the material of his worn costume to assure himself that the ring was still there on the dull silver chain. It was Eraser Head's mother's wedding ring, the only thing he had of her when she passed. Eraser always gave it to him for safekeeping when he went out on the runs, and now, with him dead, Deku had kept it safe in his stead. All the heroes knew how much it meant to him, and with their time travel plan, it would be another thing to help prove that he was trustworthy. The reason for that was that Eraser Head never let anyone else handle it, always wearing it around his neck like Deku has been doing, not taking it off even when sleeping. It would be obvious, therefore, that Deku was someone Eraser trusted wholly and unconditionally.
"Yeah!"
"THEN GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND STAY OUT OF SIGHT!"
The hero scrambled to do as was told when he felt something being shoved into his hand. "Put it on," Ground Zero hissed.
The Explosion Hero's gauntlets had improved significantly over the years when the old ones proved to be too bulky and heavy to carry around all the time. Steampunk took the liberty of designing a more compact, streamlined version that did exactly what the grenade-shaped gauntlets did, but better. His support item looked more like a compression wrist brace now, painted in dark military green, designed to make sure the user, whoever it was, would suffer no backlash as long as they were strong to a certain degree. The one in Deku's hand was for his right arm, and he stared at his colleague. "I - I can't take this!"
"Just put the damn thing on, asshole!"
Deku flinched and nodded hastily, strapping it on and pressing a button on the side to secure it. While he did, the blonde opened one of the pouches on Deku's utility belt and carefully deposited three brittle cylinders full of his nitroglycerin. Actual explosives, not the ones that just let out smoke and noise and light. Deku let out a strangled laugh. "You must really be worried about me if you're giving me those."
Ground Zero remained uncharacteristically silent as he experimentally tugged on the gauntlet strapped on his rival's arm, making sure it stayed firmly in place. "When you get there, tell Eraser that I said hi, would you?"
The green-haired hero looked surprised, before nodding solemnly. "I will."
"And make sure you don't die."
"I won't."
"EIGHT MINUTES 'TILL FULL CHARGE!" Steampunk's voice yelled.
"Do me a favor, and make sure I'm not that much of a dick to younger you?"
Deku cracked a strained smile. "I'm not sure that's in my power, but I'll do my best."
"..." the blonde hero looked away. "Remember our motto?"
"Save to win..."
"...Win to save, yeah. Go Plus Ultra on Crusty Handjob and make sure he doesn't make it out alive in the war."
"...Are you actually worried about me?"
"You're walking into a fucking suicide mission to determine the fate of the fucking world. Of course I'm fucking worried, shitty nerd," he retorted without the usual bite.
Bang.
"Get over by the damn time machine thing. You're only in the way here."
"Right."
"Deku!" Ingenium skidded to a stop in front of his friend. "Make sure to stop me when I try to go against Stain. Please."
The hero tilted his head. "You going after him was a big event, so I might have to leave that be. I can prevent Tensei from being injured too badly, though. I can't change too much of the original timeline, I don't think, because then I would be walking in blind and losing the one advantage I have over the League, which is knowing what will happen."
The Engine Hero's relief was instant. "Thank you."
"Hey, what are friends for?"
"SIX MINUTES!"
"Steampunk!" Earphone Jack shouted. "Strength Nomu 1 and 2 have breached security level one!"
"Creati, I need a sheet of metal over at corridor seven!" Power Loader called.
"On it!"
"The Eraser Nomu is trying to get in through the upper windows! It hasn't succeeded, but it's only a matter of time!"
"FUCK! I HATE NOMU! FIVE MINUTES!"
With that final call, all preparations stumbled to a halt and the group converged in front of the machine. The Symbol of Hope looked out at the ring of determined faces. Ground Zero: Bakugo Katsuki, his longtime bully-turned-rival and partner, the Symbol of Victory. Duality: Todoroki Shoto, son of Pro Hero Endeavor, a steadfast, reliable source of logic and calm, the Symbol of Justice. Ingenium: Iida Tenya, one of his two best friends and still taking his role as class president seriously, even after all these years. Earphone Jack: Jiro Kyoka, 1-A's badass guitarist and singer, hitting off her debut as a part-time musician with ALegacy Agency's trademark song, Hero Too. Creati: Yaoyorozu Momo, who unintentionally made every one of her classmates think that she was an actual goddess from heaven, being dubbed the 'class mom'. Steampunk: Hatsume Mei, inventor extraordinaire, founder of Hatsume Industries, one of the most well-known support companies to date. Power Loader, one of his teachers during his time in U.A., who had a huge part in developing Deku's more inventive and creative side. Edgeshot, a long-time source of inspiration for the green-haired hero, taking over his work studies in both his second and third years at U.A. and giving encouragement and gentle corrections when needed. Mirko, hard-hitting and fast, keeping their spirits up with her boundless enthusiasm, sassy remarks and more-or-less positive energy when even Deku couldn't muster up the courage to smile.
He took them all in one last time, aware that if he succeeded, he would never see this version of his friends, his comrades, again.
"Deku." Iida took a deep breath. "Izuku-kun." That started the unavoidable waterworks as Midoriya Izuku, Pro Hero Deku, adopted son of Eraser Head, All Might's protege, the Symbol of Hope, burst into tears and lurched into his friend's open arms. The rest of his classmates joined the pained embrace, save for Bakugo and Hatsume, as the senior heroes turned away to give the group a semblance of privacy. "Izuku-kun. You are the most capable, smartest, kindest person I've ever had the honor to know. I know you'll succeed in this endeavor." And that got out a shaky laugh from the breaking hero because of course Iida would still talk so formally despite the rather poor situation they were in.
"I agree." Todoroki stared into his first friend's viridian eyes. His lips quirked into a subtle hint of a grin. "When you smashed my problems away in the sports festival, there was just this one moment when I... saw this hero standing in your place. Not you. Just the hero that I saw you were going to become. It was just for a second, and I thought I imagined it, but thinking back now... I think it wasn't a coincidence. I believe in you. We all do."
"Yes. All Might chose well when he selected you as his successor," Yaoyorozu said.
Jiro cleared her throat hesitantly and opened her mouth, letting the words to a familiar song wash over them.
Hero too,
I am a hero too
My heart is set
And I won't back down
Hero too,
Strength doesn't make a hero
True heroes stand up for what they believe
So wait and see...
The remains of U.A.'s golden problem class took comfort in the memories of what had been. There was a cough behind them, and they turned as one to face Hatsume. "I'm really sorry to interrupt," she said softly, "but it should be ready in three - no, wait, two minutes."
Midoriya brought out his phone, charged by the batteries Yaoyorozu made on occasion. "Group photo before I go?"
There was no objection from any of the heroes and they gathered in front of one of the long metal workbenches while the green-haired youth propped up the device against an unfinished trinket. "Everyone say Plus Ultra!"
"PLUS ULTRA!" A flash, a click, and the Problem Child showed the photo. Everyone was genuinely smiling, even Bakugo, and framed by Project: Free Dawn, it painted a good picture.
"Just making sure, though," Jiro said. "You still have Hero Too downloaded on that, right?"
A laugh bubbled out of Midoriya's lungs. "Yeah, but that's what you're worried about?"
Bang.
Bang.
The atmosphere flipped a switch at the noises, the air growing heavy with fear and dread. Hatsume ran over to the side of the machine and heaved at a lever, and the portal came to life with a blaze of golden light and a roar. "When you're ready, Broccoli Head!"
Bang.
Bang.
Bangbangbang.
Jiro looked grim. "Security level four has been breached. We have about two minutes until they break through."
The crunch of metal outside was getting louder and louder, sending visible tremors along the walls. Todoroki turned away to stare, face pale, where the walls were starting to dent. "Shit, we're completely out of time. You need to go."
"Get this right, Deku."
Midoriya squared his shoulders. "I won't let you down."
"GET GOING ALREADY, DAMN NERD!"
"Go, Midoriya. Save us."
The green-haired man nodded, turned to Bakugo, and reached out to clasp forearms with his brother, his rival, his friend. "See you on the other side, brother."
"You bet." The hero grinned slightly and shoved him to the portal. "Now go!"
The last thing he heard before the swirling light overtook him was an earthshaking roar.
The heroes looked on as the Number One Hero disappeared into the rush of gold. Mirko smirked lazily and flexed her shoulders, the joints letting out a crackling sound as she rolled them. "All we need to do is hold them back for a few, right?"
"About three minutes," Hatsume said, hoisting a homemade flamethrower and cackling maniacally. "Plenty of time to give them hell."
There were very noticeable marks in the two-feet-thick metal door as it creaked ominously, a new dent appearing with the painful pounding of flesh on metal. A beat of silence followed, and then, with almost no warning save for Mirko's "GET DOWN!", the entire front wall exploded into rubble, showering the rebels in a layer of grit. When the dust settled, four Nomu were standing where the barrier used to be, the Eraser Nomu at the head and the weaker, mass-produced Nomu filing in and gradually cornering the group to Project: Free Dawn.
"Hold," Hatsume said. "They can't touch it. Stall for two more minutes."
"Hold them off? Piece of cake," Bakugo snarked.
"Well," Iida said, fixing his helmet. "It was an honor, everyone. Truly."
"The final battle, huh?" Edgeshot mused. "This is quite anticlimactic for such an event."
"Too bad the Triple Aces couldn't all go," Jiro said, plugging her ear jacks into her directional speakers. "But then, if they did, none of them would've made it to the other side. There is no way we can defend without Zero and Dual."
"Let us do our best, everyone," Yaoyorozu said, pulling a katana out of her arm and a blowtorch out of her leg.
"Remember, everyone," Power Loader said, flexing his arms. "Even in our final moment, go beyond-"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Nothing.
That was what Midoriya saw the moment his foot entered the portal. His eyelids were heavy, some unknown force was pressing at his shoulders and his limbs felt like they were being stretched like taffy. He so, so, so wanted to throw up.
Who knew time travel could be this disorienting?
Definitely no one who theorized it. Nope. No one at all.
He finally forced his eyes open against the swirling void of absolute nothingness and frowned as images blurred and flashed by. Pictures of hauntingly familiar faces, ones he always dreamed about whenever he closed his eyes, preserved in a near photographic condition in the flow of time. Midoriya Inko - Mom. Kirishima Eijiro. Ashido Mina. Tokoyami Fumikage. Kaminari Denki. Asui Tsuyu. Sero Hanta. Ojiro Mashirao. Sato Rikido. Koda Koji. Shoji Mezo. Aoyama Yuga. Uraraka Ochaco. Hagakure Toru. Shinso Hitoshi. Yagi Toshinori - All Might. Gran Torino. Sir Nighteye. Togata Mirio. Hado Nejire. Amajiki Tamaki. Yamada Hizashi - Present Mic. Nemuri Kayama - Midnight. Aizawa Eri. Aizawa...
Aizawa Shota. Dad. Dad. Sensei. Dad.
Midoriya's eyelids stung as he tried to force the image out of his head - the Nomu, tearing its claws into his adopted father's chest, screams of agony tearing past his lips, the sidewalk painted in blood, blood, so much blood, why was there so much-
Dad.
Dad.
Dad.
Aizawa-sensei.
Dad.
Dad.
He needed to save Dad. Save Aizawa-sensei-
Save him save him save him savehimsavehimsavehimsavehimsavehim-
"DAD!"
With that final scream, he felt his back connect to something extremely solid, felt the odd, rubbery texture leave his limbs and he panted there, tears streaming beneath his mask, as he took in his surroundings, and-
A white dome.
A pool of water, two green heads watching, side by side.
Pale blue hair, so many hands-
Shigaraki Tomura.
A black, misty figure with a metal brace around where the neck should be-
Kurogiri.
A giant thing, with a massive toothed beak and bulging muscles and an exposed brain-
It was a strength Nomu, and Shigaraki was pointing at someone underneath it, and as the creature raised one arm to slam it back down he caught a glimpse of a familiar white scarf, and before he knew it he had fired up One For All at 76% and was bolting, hands outstretched as a furious roar erupted from his lungs and he summoned his inner Ground Zero.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM, DEADBRAIN JACKASS!"