Chapter Text
It starts with wailing.
Izuku should be focusing on pro hero Thirteen’s words but that proves to be getting increasingly more difficult with each passing second. The reason for his lack of focus is quite simple. It’s difficult to hear someone speak when their voice gets drowned out by a crowd of ghosts — all appearing out of nowhere — that decide to scream at the top of their lungs. Except they don't have lungs anymore so they don't run out of breath. They don't stop screaming even once and out of the corner of his eyes he can see Oboro look ahead at them with wide eyes.
Upon realizing just how many of them are suddenly in the plaza of the USJ, Izuku's heart drops down to his stomach. The deceased rarely tend to gather in crowds and when they do that's a sign of something sinister approaching.
Just a few seconds later, Izuku is proven right as a portal opens in the middle of the place and a large crowd of living people step out of it.
It doesn't take Izuku long to figure out what the connection between the ghosts and the crowd is.
Oh, he thinks, those are villains.
The pro heroes spring into action immediately and his classmates start to panic. Izuku, however, can't seem to act. Instead, he stands there and watches as the crowd increases and the wailing gets louder. He smells smoke and all the noise is suddenly replaced by loud coughing.
The scenery turns blurry and all the colours mash together as he's trapped in old memories. Tiny hands reach out for him, grabbing onto the sleeves of his grey raincoat accompanied by crying and screams echoing in the background. He feels his mouth moving, countless reassurances spilling out as he reaches back. Just how much longer will this last?
“Ninth!” A voice calls out, muffled by the explosion of noises around him.
“Ninth.”
It repeats and repeats until—
Ninth!
Izuku blinks—and then he breaks back into the present, just in time to see black-purple mist spread around the place. A quirk?
“Ninth, watch out—”
His surroundings shift once more.
But oddly enough, Izuku’s not really disturbed at the moment. Maybe it's because of the previous memory that almost swallowed his consciousness, but at the very moment he can't help but think how familiar this quirk feels. He just can't figure out why. That feeling itself is more disorienting than suddenly being dropped in a complete other direction.
“Midoriya?” Ojiro calls out to him and he finally snaps out of the daze he was in.
It's quieter than before but not by much. Still, it's easier now to breathe. To think.
“Sorry, I'm fine,” he mutters. “But…”
He looks around. They're surrounded by villains. Midoriya frowns at the ghosts trailing the villains. Just what in the world was happening?
“We don't have time to waste. Let's find out what they are after,” someone else speaks up.
Todoroki steps up beside him and Izuku can't help but frown upon seeing the other’s expression.
What a cold gaze.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Fifth groans. “A whole villain attack? Three days into his first year?”
“As they say,” Oboro mumbles, “Plus Ultra.”
Fifth frowns. “Are you ok? You sound off.”
Oboro just smiles slightly. Somehow he seems paler than usual, which is weird, considering he's a ghost.
“I'm fine, just… I feel a bit weird? Tingly? Dunno how to describe it. Nothing's wrong though.”
Fifth raises an eyebrow, disbelief visibly reflected on his face. He's definitely not buying any of that.
However, before he can further comment on the other's state, both tense up and immediately turn around…
…to the sight of ice.
“Wha…”
The culprit is no one other than Izuku’s classmate.
“Ah, the Todoroki…” Oboro mumbles, the surprise dying down quickly. Consider what that child’s father was capable of…
There's one that's weird though.
“That kid's not scared at all,” Fifth points out. “He's oddly calm.”
“Isn't Izuku either though? The only one who seems panicked is the one with the tail… uh, Ojiro?”
“Izuku's definitely panicking. Just internally.”
“Maybe he's the same? His father is well-known… Is that kid threatening the villain?”
“What the actual fuck.”
They don't have long to dwell on it once they hear the villain reveal what exactly the goal of this attack is.
“Shit,” mutters Izuku.
“Shit,” repeats Fifth, groaning. “I don't like where this is going at all.”
They all are thinking it, when they see the Nomu for the first time, but First is the only one who has the guts to voice it.
“You know, this thing really has my brother written all over it.”
Seventh smiles. “Pack it up, boys. First just jinxed us.”
At the end of the day, everyone has survived. Izuku is obviously very grateful about that, however, that day has left him with multiple new issues. For example, whatever the hell is going on with Todoroki. There's definitely something wrong there. Or that whole Nomu thing. He's heard his companion ghosts’ little breakdown and he's going to make them talk for sure.
The biggest issue is, however, the one that's currently immediate.
Aizawa, who currently seems to be his temporary guardian, is unconscious. His mother is still out of the question either.
And Izuku has undergone another medical operation which would have needed a guardian’s permission.
“Aizawa wouldn't sue U.A., would he?” All Might questions, sounding meeker than usual. Recovery Girl really does scare him, huh.
With the way she currently looks like she might just finish what the Nomu couldn't, Izuku can't blame the man.
“U.A. currently has custody of me… right?” At least that's the only logical conclusion he could come to.
Recovery Girl nods. “At least one of you isn't stupid.”
Wow, All Might must have really pissed her off.
Tuning out whatever (very one-sided) argument has started between them, Izuku glances around the room until he spots Oboro. He can't help but frown at the other's expression. Since the attack he's been oddly quiet and Five has been telling him that something seems wrong with Oboro.
There's no way Izuku can ask him anything at the moment, which bothers him immensely. He'd prefer if he could just check up on the other but that would lead to Recovery Girl assuming that he's losing it for good.
He can't dwell on it much longer though, because in that moment Present Mic dashes into the room.
“Shouta is up!”
Izuku can't help but feel relieved.