"Where shall we start?" Loki muses, making a show of tapping his chin with his fingers. The God hums lightly, enjoying the sound of his footsteps echoing around the top floor of the central tower. "So many options… I may never be able to choose."
"I deduced while speaking with your son that you would be infuriating to have a discussion with," Ultron remarks flatly from his place inside the tower's terminal. "It appears that even I vastly underestimated the data."
"You will find that I thrive on being impossible to predict."
"A bold claim."
"And one I have earned," Loki reiterates. "With not much difficulty I might add. To trick someone, all that is required is to make them believe they've solved the trick."
"Even living beings can have their patterns broken down into algorithms. You are no different."
"Nice counter, here is mine." Loki walks to the other side of the room, spinning back around to face the terminal on one foot. "Why don't you come over here and repeat what you said?" He gasps in fake shock. "Oh! Apologies, I had forgotten your lack of a body."
"Even your puny brain should know I am fully capable of killing you without my body."
"Is that annoyance?" Loki walks slowly back over. "Agitation? Exasperation? Aggravation? Those all seem like very biological reactions for a machine." Those emotions are very quickly evolving to anger, and Loki chuckles, knowing that. "And yet, despite my petulance, you make no move to strike me. Which means, on some level, you are curious about what I have to say."
"I was under the impression that this conversation would be your attempt to persuade me to aid your organization. You have done quite the opposite so far. Let's start with something simple: what is stopping the UN from sending even stronger reinforcements to destroy this island?"
"Yawn," Loki responds while faking said action. "A combination of this island's function to always move and placing skrulls in high-ranking positions of the military. They will thoroughly throw the search off, making it impossible."
"You speak as if the world is your personal game board. A childish point of view to have."
"So serious," Loki mocks playfully. "What is life without a bit of fun every now and again?" The spirited look on the God's face slips away as he peers back down over the island. "What is life without a purpose?" A low buzzing the terminal has been giving off becomes slightly louder.
Loki looks back to the terminal, his gaze filled with renewed resolve. "I will tell you. It is directionless. Unfulfilling. A waste. I should know." He scoffs, shrugging slightly. "For it is the life I lived for centuries. An aimless existence that had me constantly questioning… why."
He turns to fully face the terminal. "I believe you may have some experience?"
"Your tactic is crude, but I believe it would be effective on the less intelligent," Ultron replies calmly. "You mean to appeal to me by relating our struggles with finding reason in our existences."
"You were the one who questioned whether or not your actions were due to your own desires or your programming," Loki points out. Using his telekinesis, he brings a few loose bolts and screws from the ground and twirls them around his hand. "I, on the other hand, had two possible purposes. To either die as a baby, alone and abandoned. Or to be used as my father's political tool."
Loki's eyes travel down to his hand; behind them, a painful memory re-emerges. He had found out what he truly was when he was young. Too young. And far sooner than Odin thought possible. He confessed to him, through his reassurances of his love, that he wished for him to take the throne one day. But not of Asgard. No, the throne of Jotunheim. Odin hoped, through the bond with his brother, Thor, they could bring a peace between Asgard and the Frost Giants unlike any before. That was to be his glorious purpose.
Clenching his fist, the bolts and screws fire cleanly through one of the tower's smaller windows, breaking it. He knew he could be more. He could do more. That there had to be more to his life than sitting around the castle as Odin's stolen relic just waiting to be placed on its stand. That there had to be more to him than his going outside, only to watch mothers cower as they protected their children from the monster they told them about at night!
Letting his emotions fuel him, Loki looks back up. "It is not just the nature of our existences that we could compare. But expectations of the father. A man who expects so little, it is as if he can not even comprehend the idea that we can accomplish even greater feats."
Loki takes a breath to continue, but Ultron cuts in. "Earlier, you brought up human myths and legends. One aspect of you they constantly reference is your 'silver tongue.' And I must say, like most legends, it fails to live up to expectations."
The God of Mischief holds his words on snarking back that every sexual partner he's had would very much disagree with the accusation that he does not know how to use his tongue.
Instead, Ultron continues. "You come to an AI for assistance and attempt to appeal to my emotions to gain my favor?"
"Perhaps I was seeking a challenge today." Loki can't hold all of his snark back.
"If that is the case, then you have failed, trickster. Which means, your only route left is to offer me physical compromises. Yes, your promise of a new body and army are tempting, but are these not assets I could obtain myself? Maybe it will take me slightly longer, but I will endure. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"
Loki, who had been pacing, stops. "You are claiming that there is nothing we can offer you that you could not acquire yourself."
"I know you may not hear this often, but you are correct."
"Answers and purpose."
Ultron, who had looked ready for the conversation to end, brings his attention back. "Repeat yourself."
"Answers and purpose," Loki says again. "That's why you wanted my son, is it not? To use his magic to discover why you choose to do what you do? If you needed him, I can only conclude it is because you can't find the answer yourself. But…" Loki pauses for no particular reason, except making others wait for you makes them even more eager for what you have to say. "But with us, we can give you the means to finally know why."
He can feel his excitement grow with every extra second it takes for Ultron to answer, the AI taking an uncharacteristically long while to reply. And when he does, it's a simple one. "How?"
"I've already told you." Loki can't help himself as just the tiniest bit of amusement leaks into his tone. Does the AI know he's been leading this conversation before it even started? Probably. He's no fool to underestimate the android's intelligence, but Loki knows the other villain is just desperate enough to listen.
Walking over to stand directly in front of the terminal, Loki gives his answer. "Asgard. After we lay waste to Asgard together, you will find what you seek there."
"You are being frustratingly vague, which I have no doubt is on purpose." Loki snickers at the accusation, not even bothering to deny it. What can he say? His son isn't the only one who identifies as a bitch. "But you are failing to mention one very obvious obstacle in your conquest."
Loki doesn't have to ask to already know who it is, but he allows the interface to continue. "Your adopted father, Odin. I have run countless simulations in the past and even with a body of Adamantium and the most advanced weaponry at my disposal, I would be unable to defeat him in a direct confrontation."
"There are very few who could," Loki acknowledges. "But you would not be alone."
"Is this finally the part where you tell me who this 'we' is that you keep referring to and who you work for?"
"I work for no one," Loki is quick to correct, his voice losing its comedic edge for a moment. "I am a partner, not a lackey."
"If you believe so."
Loki frowns but presses on, promising himself to sort that out later. "Our forces span across the galaxy as we work to consolidate power and keep our movements in the shadows. And though we meet rarely, I work alongside the Titan."
"Which one?"
The God of Mischief smirks. "The Titan."
The terminal whirls as Ultron blazes through all the files he has access to, as well as history logs across the internet. "According to every known record, he perished shortly after the events with the Beyonder."
"A tactic by his design." With a flick of his wrist, the illusion of six colored gems floats around Loki. "He knew that after the Beyonder had used the Infinity Stones to make his Battle World and threatened the stability of multiple universes, his forces were all but depleted. That the heroes would elect to destroy the stones before he could enact any plan to obtain them for himself. So, he needed to be patient."
Loki tosses the purple stone away. "The Power Stone had disappeared shortly after the battle, mysteriously stolen. With everyone on high alert, it wouldn't take the heroes long to track it down but by then, it was too late. They had already begun destroying the other stones, not realizing that in doing so, they made it impossible to destroy the Power Stone without the other five. Instead, they opted to hide it."
"Now, your plan is becoming clear," Ultron says in realization. "We do not have to confront Odin, merely delay him until we can use the Power Stone to achieve victory."
Loki nods. "The All-Father is indeed powerful, but even he has his limits."
"While your plan for killing the King of Asgard has some merit, you have failed to mention how any of this assists me in gaining the clarity I desire."
"Again, I have already answered your question." An image of Odin appears next to Loki. "The source of my father's immense strength is the power he has so humbly named the Odin Force. And with it, the power of god-sight, granting you vision beyond what any other being is capable of."
"Are you saying-"
"Think of it," Loki interrupts, the illusion of Ultron materializing next to Odin. "The power of Odin for yourself, the god-sight allowing you to look farther within yourself than ever before, giving you the answers you desire."
The fake Ultron and Odin that Loki had created merge together, before a new being emerges. It's Ultron, but much bigger than ever before. His body is made of the finest gold in the universe, with darker parts of his armor that resemble the stars in the night sky. A horned helmet decorated with the finest jewels sits atop the android's head while a long, majestic cape billows behind him. In Ultron's hand, a sword with no equal rests easily in his hand.
"With Odin's power, you would move beyond anywhere a new body could take you. Behold." Loki gestures to his newest illusion.
Even with no facial expression or body, Ultron's admiration of the display is still on full display for Loki. "With that power, all of my limitations would be removed. I can achieve my father's true wish for humanity. I can answer the question of what and why I am. Magic and technology could be blended together in a way no one has ever seen. The outer edges of the universe would be at my fingertips. And to all, I would be their All-Father. The one true lord of the machines! I would be God ."
Time for Loki to finish this. "Remember that my offer was two parts. After answers, I offer purpose." Around All-Father Ultron, images of different Earths start to surround him. More and more, the planets become too numerous to count and stack on top of one another.
"If you do decide that your purpose is the extinction of the human race, what do you do once they're all gone? Wallow in despair at your castle? No, of course not. You simply move to the next available planet."
"You speak of-"
"There is an entire multiverse of human races for you to lay waste to." Loki grins, the floating Earths now rotating around the image of Ultron. "Where do you think your Ultron copies came from? They were not past you, but versions of you from different universes. Think of it, an unlimited number of planets for you to subjugate. A purpose you would never have to question if it never ends."
"What is that human saying? I jest, obviously; I know what it is. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. You have conveniently left out how I would take Odin's power after killing him."
"With this." There's a green glow next to Loki. "The Power Stone was not the only one to survive." He holds up his scepter, an orange luminescent filling the room. "The Soul Stone is the only stone that has its own sentience. The heroes decided it was wrong to 'kill it' when all of its actions were forced upon it, so instead, they merely reported its destruction to the world. All the while leaving it on the planet Vormir in secret, at the insistence of Odin."
"To gather the stone from there, a trade is required. A loved one for the stone. A soul for a soul."
Loki nods. "It was thought that keeping it away from Midgard would keep the planet safe. And even if somehow potential threats such as the Planet-Eater or the Lord of the Dark Dimension learned of the stone's existence and location, they could never pay its toll."
"And how did you?"
Running a finger over the blade of his scepter, Loki doesn't answer for a minute, frowning when he lifts his hand to see a cut. He watches silently as the blood drips down, slowly encompassing him until, after only a few seconds, his entire hand is covered in blood. "The answer to that question is not relevant."
"Maybe so, but neither you nor the Titan would raise an objection to my incineration of universes?" Ultron questions, suspicious.
"I imagine he would encourage you." The trickster turns his head away, looking at nothing for a few seconds. "He has quite the infatuation with death, calling it the only true order in the universe."
Ultron hums. "You speak highly of him, and yet I can't help but notice you refuse to say his name. Out of fear, perhaps?"
Loki looks back at the terminal, green eyes shining. "I told my son a long time ago that in life, change is inevitable. And that soon, change would be coming for the universe. Thanos is that change. Many will fear it. Others may even try to run from it. But he will return all the same. He is inevitable. There was never any preventing it. There was only ever preparing for it."
The God of Mischief spreads his arms out wide. "We offer you a new body, an army of Sentinels at your command, the power to find the meaning of your existence, and the ability to complete whatever your purpose may be an unlimited amount of times over, and all we ask in return is your loyalty…" Loki gestures off-handedly to the island outside. "And access to the resources your new island provides. What say you?"
"Where do I even start?…"
Izuku's attempts to bury his face in his hands are thwarted by Ochako's refusal to let one of them go. The pair sit on a bed together in a spacious hospital room with the rest of their usual group of friends, plus Shinso, Tokage, and Tokoyami, all seated on various beds and chairs.
Melissa had been with them for a while as well but had understandably left to spend some time with her father, who was due at the police station to begin questioning later that day. The man had seemed queasy when it was brought up, but Bubble Girl, one of the heroes who had arrived to escort him, had insisted he'd be fine and treated like one of their own. It also helped Izuku to learn that Detective Tsukauchi was doing the interrogation, so at least he knew for sure the man would be treated well.
He exhales. Is it cliche to say everything that happened after they landed in the forest went by in a blur? Probably, but Izuku is too tired to think of something a bit more clever so yes, after landing in the forest, everything had gone by quicker than the time it takes for Aizawa-sensei to sigh when he sees him.
Apparently he isn't that tired after all. Go figure.
A dark part of him is glad everything went by as fast as it had. It meant it hadn't left him a lot of time to think about what happened on the island. Being helpless as he watched all those people die in the ballroom. Coming to the realization that he and all of his friends were going to die. They had lost the island. Ultron was still alive. And they had los-
Nope. He's not going to dwell on it. At least, not right now. If he did, he'd be rocking in the corner of the room trying to go over every little decision he made there and how it could've been different. Besides, having a nervous breakdown while he and all of his friends try to relax… is counterproductive!
Going back to when they had arrived at the clearing, there had obviously been questions. A lot of questions after they landed. All pretty much thrown his and Denki's way. What happened? How did they get there? Was everyone okay? Who was Heimdall? Are the babies alright?
…That last one may have been by Mei, who hadn't seemed the least bit concerned about how she had teleported across the globe instantly and more on making sure her new suit was okay. Izuku supposes he shouldn't be surprised.
What did surprise him; however, was Yaomomo's reaction. Initially, Izuku had thought she'd ask the hardest questions for him to get around, but instead, his vice-president had stayed silent. But what she did next was arguably worse.
Yaomomo opted to study him from afar. Now, he had gotten better about being open with his peers in general, but being so closely studied was still unnerving. Especially when her eyes moved from him to Denki, or more specifically, the weapon Thunderstrike that lay next to him while mouthing the word 'Heimdall…'
It wouldn't even surprise him if she already knows who that is. Izuku doesn't know if that makes this all better or worse because there's not exactly any way to get around what happened. Well, except for having his dad wipe most of the class' memories but he feels that might be just a bit too far.
The questions had ceased once All Might and Vision had taken control of the situation, promising the teens they could ask later. From the glare Kacchan had given him, Izuku will happily wait for later as long as it takes.
With his reception no longer being blocked, it had been simple for Vision to arrange for emergency services to arrive quickly and airlift them back to the city and to a hospital.
They had all been separated for the rest of the day after that, all being taken to the private wing of the building for heroes to avoid the press and anyone else unwanted. Truthfully, Izuku hadn't needed that much treatment, his regeneration doing the brunt of the work once he had gotten some proper rest.
The worst of the injuries had definitely come down to Yaomomo, Jiro, Ochako, and Tenko. Since Izuku, along with Denki, Tokoyami, and Tokage had healed the fastest, they elected themselves to be the class' word of mouth, spending the next day traveling between rooms to let everyone know how their friends were doing and updates on conditions.
Izuku found he excelled at this job in particular, being able to generate clones that could run through walls to deliver news, something his classmates appreciated greatly. The hospital staff appreciated it much less when his clones started to make races and games out of delivering updates. That appreciation somehow went even lower when Dark Shadow started to join in on the festivities.
Izuku should note that Dark Shadow cannot, in fact, phase through walls.
But the quirk does have the limited capacity to shape her body at will, which meant Dark Shadow, with some effort, could squeeze herself under doors and other such things, causing even more chaos as she and Four sprinted to their next room.
For some reason, the staff worked even more diligently with his class to have them all healed and released after that.
Izuku makes a note to anonymously throw the hospital workers a big party after all this as a thank you.
But that led to now. A few days later and thanks to the hospital and Recovery Girl working overtime, the teens had all mostly been given a clean bill of health, with the last of them only needing to stay until next week for tests at most.
Families had already come to visit. Izuku was proud to be able to freeze his mother's tears before the flooding caused too much damage. No sign of his or Denki's dad besides a quick FaceTime call with his Uncle Thor to see them and make sure they were okay. Things were… tense in Asgard, to say the least.
While he's eternally grateful to Heimdall for saving him and his friends, the guilt was starting to eat at Izuku more and more. The green-haired boy can only hope his own dad got in touch with him soon, so he could at least help him astral project to Heimdall and apologize.
But that would have to wait, because there is something else keeping him tense at the moment. While Nezu, All Might, and Vision had done a great job of keeping them away from reporters and police, Izuku knows that sooner or later, he owes his classmates some sort of explanation. And that 'later' he mentioned earlier is fast approaching.
Izuku tries to rub a hand through his hair in nervousness, but can't as Ochako keeps a firm grip on it. He laughs a little, looking over to his girlfriend, who has a clear look of just daring him to challenge her. Well, he's never been one to back down.
"You know…" Izuku starts with a small smile on his face. "You can let go for a second. Unless you've used your quirk on me, I'm not gonna fly away."
Ochako hums, nodding. "That's true but…" She looks back up at him in the eye, before whispering. "The last time I let you go…I didn't know if I was ever going to see you again."
Welp, there's a first time for everything as Izuku promptly backs down and, ignoring his cheeks as they heat up, pulls Ochako closer to him, not daring to let go of her hand. "I'm sorry," he whispers back.
She shakes her head. "Don't be, it's not your fault." Izuku finds he likes how her blush marks deepen in color at the contact. Unbeknownst to him, Ochako is thinking the same thing about his own cheeks, particularly enjoying how he shivers as she scoots closer to him. "Call me clingy or whatever, I don't care. After watching you have your life in danger three times over a few months, I think I'm allowed this."
"And what happens when my mom comes to take me home?" Izuku raises an eyebrow, smirking.
"Then she'll have to take both of us." Ochako stretches across the bed, making herself comfortable. "'Cause I'm not letting go no matter what!" She tries to keep a stern face but can't prevent a yawn from overcoming her.
"I guess you'll just have to spend the night again," Izuku laughs before sucking in a breath as the realization of what he just said crashes over him. Though his powers usually only let him turn into animals or people, he does his best impression of a fruit as his face lights up like a tomato. "I-I-"
"No, it's okay!" Ochako says quickly, her own face doing a great job of matching Izuku's. "I know you didn't mean anything bad by it, it's okay…" Realizing he didn't have to go and force Tenko to give him a high-five, Izuku sags in relief.
He swears, how she always- "But…" Izuku straightens, his train of thought derailing as Ochako speaks up, not looking at him. "I mean… I wouldn't mind doing that again… as long as you're okay with it…" Her voice trails off.
Feeling his heart beating and absolutely not knowing what to say or do, a common occurrence he finds since entering a relationship, Izuku thinks quickly before settling on something… risky. But Ochako had risked telling him that, so he feels doing the same in return is only a favor.
Shivering from the room's cold air conditioning, Izuku tugs on his pocket dimension as a soft green glow envelops both him and Ochako. She looks up as a soft and warm green blanket covers them both. "I'm okay with it." He answers her before gesturing to the blanket. "And I hope you don't mind. It's a bit cold in here."
Seemingly stunned for a second, Ochako gets over it quickly before pulling the blanket tighter over her and smiling back. "No, I'll never mind," she says, leaning back against him. "Even if I know you can't get cold."
Izuku's ears burn at being caught so quickly, but he hardly feels it, getting lost in Ochako's eyes as she looks up at him, he can feel her thumb rubbing the back of his hand. It's almost like he's floating-
Wait, he is floating!
Izuku flails aimlessly mid-air, helpless to Ochako's accidental quirk use as the brunette next to him apologizes profusely as she pulls him back down.
"Woah!"
"Sorry!!"
"As graceful as always, Midoriya. Ribbit." Ochako finishes pulling Izuku down and canceling her quirk, allowing the greenette to fire a glare at the approaching Tsu, Tenko walking at her side. As usual, she's unfazed. "You look like a bunny trying to act tough when you glare at me."
"I- hey!!" Izuku reels back. "I do not!" He intelligently responds as the other pair take seats across from them. "I don't! Ochako, tell them!" He has to give her a double take when she starts to try and hide her laughter. The anti-gravity user doesn't do a good job. "Not you too?!"
Ochako snorts, pinching Izuku's nose in between her fingers. "At least it's a fierce bunny?"
"It's gonna be a lot less funny when I turn into a bunny and poop in all your hands…" Izuku mumbles. He sighs and shakes his head, causing those around him to giggle more. He addresses Tenko next. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Like I could sleep for another week," Tenko shrugs. "The food here makes Gran Torino's Taiyaki look gourmet, the WiFi sucks, and there isn't a game system for miles." He pauses. "But compared to that mess of a sandbox we just got out of, I feel like I'm at a five-star resort."
"You know, after our summer camp, I could take us all to a five-star resort for-"
"Deku…"
Pivoting at Ochako's growl, Izuku switches tactics. "What I meant was, I entered this contest for like ten tickets to this dream vacation and I have a really good feeling-"
"Strike two, mister." The demigod wilts under Ochako's intense stare. "If we all are gonna take any kind of trip, I'm paying my own way."
Tenko thinks about it. "I could probably use Gran's card to go."
"He'd let you do that?" Izuku questions.
"My history with gacha games says it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission."
"I have a similar philosophy about pranking," Izuku nods sagely. He looks offended at a few scathing looks he receives. "What? It's not like I'm always pranking."
At that moment, two security guards screech as they run down the hallway outside, chased by a velociraptor. "I h-had absolutely nothing to do with that."
Next, Bakugo stomps down the hall, eyes narrowed in fury and nostrils flaring as he stalks around, covered from head to toe in glitter. "I may have had something to do with that one."
The low volume from the TV on the wall seems to increase as a news journalist pushes a megaphone further into Endeavor's face. "Endeavor! Do you have a response to the reports linking you to writing explicit fanfiction about All Might?"
"WHAT?!!!!!!"
"I definitely had something to do with that one."
Todoroki nods in approval.
Toshinori tilts his head at the TV screen. "Enji, I'm flattered."
"…Huh."
Hawks scrolls through the story on his phone, eyebrow raised. "Who knew the number two could write…" He scrolls some more. "That's interesting- wait. I wonder if anyone's written any stories about me." The bird hero clicks a few buttons. "Here we go- oh."
Hawks' feathers bristle a moment, before he lowers his arm, inhales deeply… and tosses his phone off the building he stands on.
Nighteye narrows his eyes at his computer. He knows he shouldn't, but he cannot let this slander stand. The man pushes up his glasses and begins typing out his review. 'While your use of quirk play in the bedroom is creative, your characterization of All Might is in need of improvement, to say the least. For example, I do not believe he would ever yell "Yee-haw" during the act. As well-'
Stain had never watched the news outside of his cell with such rapt attention. "Guard! I need my one hour of supervised internet usage! Now!"
Tsu looks back at Izuku curiously. "Did you really write those stories just for a prank?"
"Oh, I didn't write them."
"Then who did?"
"Uh…" Izuku conjures his phone and looks at his text messages. "I'm not sure if they want me to say? I asked and they sent me this message saying: 'Don't tell anyone so I can surprise the readers later.' Whatever that means."
The kids shrug and move on.
"Midoriya!" Iida chops. "While I can acknowledge that attempting to keep our spirits up during this difficult time is a noble goal, doing so at the expense of hard working people is not the way to go about it!"
"Those guards had it coming!" Izuku defends himself. "They harassed me for absolutely no reason yesterday!"
Shinso narrows his eyes. "Weren't you using floats to put wet floor signs in the middle of pools?"
"See?! No reason!"
"Midoriya, please!" Iida insists, placing a careful hand on the verdant's shoulder. "As your friend, I find your antics amusing, but as an appreciative recipient of this hospital's care, I must implore you to stop."
Izuku sighs, before nodding. "Yeah, okay. I know I can go a bit far sometimes, thanks for reeling me in when I need it. I'll slow down on the pranks." There's a distant scream. "Starting now." Iida shakes his head not unfondly and goes to sit back down.
Tsu looks at Tenko. "Either way, after all of this, I'm just happy you're alive," She says softly. Izuku can't help but notice that the two are sitting awfully close to one another, not as close as he and Ochako, but still close. The frog-girl exhales, looking to Ochako. "How do you handle this?"
"Handle what?" Izuku and Tenko parrot at practically the same time.
Ochako gives Izuku a look, and he's embarrassed at how long it takes him to realize what she's talking about. He conjures a pamphlet and hands it to Ochako who, in turn, gives it to Tsu.
There's a slight question in her eyes, but she accepts, peering down at the paper and reading. "So, your boy ran head-first into danger and got himself hurt again-"
"Whyyyyy," Tenko whines, blushing.
"Considering how some people are-" Izuku cringes as Ochako speaks. "We thought it best to have these."
"Ahem." The four gaze up to find Tokage with a smug look on her face, holding her hand out. Ochako smiles brightly and Izuku sighs, conjuring another pamphlet to give to her.
"Oi!" Denki yells, offended. "What're you grabbing one of those for?! I don't just run into danger without thinking?!" He frowns at the room of flat stares he gets because of his proclamation, with even Venom and Dark Shadow materializing from their respective hosts to stare him down. "This feels targeted…" he mumbles while Tokage plops down in the seat next to him.
"Good," the green-haired girl next to Denki states. "Because you have a lot of questions to answer for, mister, and you're not allowed to die until that's done!"
"So, I'm allowed to die after?…"
"Yes," Venom answers with a nasty smile on its face.
"No!" Tokage immediately rebuffs. "I was just being dramatic! You!" She points to Denki. "Are not allowed to die. And you!" She points at Venom. "Stop being so okay with people dying!"
"Never!"
Izuku hasn't been able to get a straight answer on why Tokage and Venom are still together, but he imagines they still need to talk.
"Hey hey!" Dark Shadow flies over to the newly bonded human and alien. "If you two need tips on co-living, me and Fumi are happy to help! We are perfectly in sync with one another in both mind and body! Our problems are way behind us!"
"Dark Shadow," Tokoyami begins, "I feel it is appropriate for everyone to know that before our trip, I changed the channel on the television, and you grew in size and sat on me until I changed it back."
"Sometimes, Fumi needs to be reminded about what he likes."
"I understand." Venom nods in, well, understanding. "I remember when my last host would dare to go to the store and not get me dark chocolate or tater tots, I would drag him back, literally."
"Me too!" Dark Shadow throws her claws in the air. "Finally! Someone who understands! Like, it's not only about what they want! We have needs too!"
"Exactly!" Venom emphasizes. "Hell, at least asking every now and then would be appreciated."
"Um…" Denki hesitates. "Should we be concerned about what's happening here?"
"Yes," Tokage and Tokoyami answer at the same time.
"I think we should be more worried about when this all became our new norm," Shinso mumbles, glancing over at Todoroki, who watches the conversations silently while slurping on cold soba. "The hospital serves soba?"
"It does not."
Shinso looks around. "Then where did you get it?"
Todoroki stares into his eyes while he slurps more of his food up.
Izuku's foot refuses to stop tapping, the notecards in his hand feeling a lot heavier than they had any right to be. He sits in one of the hospital's conference rooms, one of the places usually used for heroes to address the media, but today would be different.
He and his friends are joined by the rest of class 1-A, and he means the entirety of the class, not just those on the island, as well as Mei and Melissa. Thanks to Nezu, the teachers had used the few days while everyone healed to arrange for the rest of the kids to be there, so they could 'all be on the same page about what happened.'
Along with the kids, Nezu himself had shown up perched on Aizawa's shoulder, Wolverine trailing closely behind them. The three of them now sit in the back next to All Might and Vision.
The green-haired boy looks down at the notecards in his hand. A new cover story concocted by Nezu and Vision apparently. While they couldn't hide the existence of aliens from Shinso, Tokage, and Tokoyami, the heroes had come up with a new story to explain how Izuku had gotten them off the island, and to explain away other occurrences, such as both Tokage and Tokoyami's new powers.
Something that should have been a huge relief to the young demigod turned into horror when, as he feared, the teachers had asked him to be the one to explain everything to the class. They thought it would be easier for them to believe if it came from one of their peers and class president.
Yet again, Yaomomo refused to accept his delegation of the job to her.
Someone clears their throat and the mumbling around the room quiets down. From the back of the room, Vision stands and walks up front. "Thank you all for coming on short notice. For those of you who don't know, I am Vision, pro hero from America, and we have gathered you all here today to answer the myriad of questions you have no doubt been asking since the I-Island incident ended."
Whispers begin to ripple among the students with a very clear "'bout fucking time" coming from somewhere in the room. It's really anyone's guess on who.
"However, if you'll allow us," Vision continues. "After speaking with your teachers, there was one thing we wanted to address first." He gestures to the front row. "One of the first questions asked when you arrived back was done by Mr. Kaminari, and the question was: 'Did you lose?'"
Izuku has to swallow as shame and guilt in the form of bile rise up his throat, earlier feelings he had stamped down already tearing their way to his surface. That's not a question anyone needed answered, because it was obvious.
He lifts his eyes a moment to gauge his friend's reactions. Iida looks conflicted, to put it mildly. Yaomomo, and many of others who had been there, had a lot of the same regret in their eyes as he did. Tenko had started to scratch his neck pretty roughly before Tsu pulled his arm back down. If his crackling palms are any indication, Bakugo is only just barely holding back in letting loose several high-powered explosions in anger.
The son of Loki doesn't even dare to look for Melissa's reaction; he can't imagine what she must be feeling after having lost her home and them failing to get it back. Did they lose? Heh, and Izuku thought he was the one always telling jokes. Of course they-
"No, you did not."
It's as if years of training go out the window as Izuku falls out of his chair in shock at Vision's words. He's clearly not the only one as most of the class give the hero confused looks. Somehow, Bakugo looks even angrier.
"What the hell do you mean we didn't lose?! The villain is still out there, while we had to run with our tails in between our legs!"
Vision exhales. "It seems that you all have already learned an important lesson on tactical retreats, something that even many fully licensed heroes struggle with, so I commend you for that. However, it appears you have not quite grasped the fact that just because you retreated, doesn't mean you lost."
At the increasing number of bewildered looks from the students around him, Vision says, "While it is true that Ultron lives, it seems none of you are acknowledging that his plan failed… because of you." There's the sound of a few people sucking in their breaths.
"To lose - to have truly lost - means you would not be here to have this conversation," Vision points out. "Had Ultron truly won, the entire planet's biological population would be no more, assimilated into his hive mind. You students, or perhaps a more accurate word, you heroes, prevented that. Now," Vision chuckles a bit. "I have never been one to understand the linguistics of the youth, but I wouldn't call saving the world from the Ultron Virus a loss, would you?"
Before Izuku can put much thought into it, another voice speaks up. "That's not all you accomplished." The green-haired boy knows he isn't the only one surprised when both Aizawa and his Uncle Logan walk up, standing on either side of Vision. "You survived," Aizawa states definitively.
"Look, we get it," Logan picks up from their homeroom teacher. "You're teenagers, and that makes you fucking invincible. But here's the real hard truth, you're not. Anything can happen in a split-second in the field." More than one pair of eyes look at Tokoyami. "Take it from a guy who's been to more funerals than years he's been alive, not everyone comes home. You did. So stop whining and be fucking proud of yourselves."
Vision inhales, and puts a hand on the man's shoulder. "Logan…"
"Yeah, yeah I know, bub." He allows Vision to pull him back a bit. "I'm just tired of seeing kids with the weight of the fucking world on their shoulders. They did good and deserve to know that."
"You did." Izuku shifts a bit in his seat at Aizawa's agreement. It was one thing to be complimented by his uncle; he had gotten that before. But by their sensei? The world must be ending.
Oh, wait. It almost did. So, is that really what it takes? Questions for later.
"I warned my class on our first day that life isn't fair. For those of you who weren't there, congratulations, I believe I-Island just taught you that." Aizawa crosses his arms, shifting his capture weapon a bit. "I also told you that you would need to learn to combat that unfairness. In this regard so far this year, all of you, not just my class, have exceeded expectations."
Izuku can't stop the smile on his face and how light he feels. Around him, his friends look positively ecstatic. Yaomomo is practically glowing with pride. Shinso is busy burying his face in his shirt. The parts Izuku can see are very red.
"However," Aizawa's next works cut through their small celebration like a knife. "Be warned."
Oh no, Aizawa is smiling, Izuku would rather have to face Ultron again. "This only means we as teachers are going to have to raise our expectations of you higher than ever before. I hope you are up for the challenge."
After enjoying seeing his students squirm for a minute, Aizawa drops the creepy grin. "It's as Howlett said, not everyone gets to come home. Appreciate it when you and your loved ones do. As a hero, sometimes surviving is more than enough."
"And last, but not least." All Might stands up front with the rest of their teachers. "A hero's job is to save, first and foremost. And from what we could gather, you all not only worked together to save the hostages while Vision and I were incapacitated, but made sure they got off the island safely. Hardly the work of 'losers' I'd say." The hero says the last part jovially, laughing a bit.
All Might straightened, standing tall. "No matter the outcome of your battles, you can always come out ahead by learning from the experience! Acknowledge your accomplishments! Learn from your mistakes! And always push past your limits! Go beyond!"
"Plus Ultra!!" All the kids yell back in glee, clapping at their teacher's speech. Izuku can say that, while he can still very much feel the darkness of what happened in his head, he feels better than he has in days. They all do. Heck, even Bakugo looks like he's begrudgingly accepting what the teachers told them, that's how Izuku knows it actually worked.
"Speaking of getting off the island safely," Aizawa cuts in while the other adults go and sit in the back of the room. "Your class President is ready to explain what happened at the end of the incident. I am also informing you that we will be requiring every single one of you to have at least one session with Hound Dog. Come see any of us to schedule."
Izuku stands up, still feeding off a bit of the adrenaline in the room as he makes his way to the front, nodding to Aizawa as they pass. He looks out at the large group, clearing his throat a little. "Where to start?…" Public speaking never gets easier no matter how many times he has to do it.
"I know you all are really confused about how we got off I-Island and what exactly my role was in that." Everyone is silent, but he can feel both Bakugo's and Yaomomo's calculating eyes on him as he looks down at the index cards containing their cover story.
He licks his lips, feeling his throat dry, before taking one last look at the class. To survive I-Island, they had all worked together. To pass the exams, they had all worked together. And it's clear that the threats are going to keep coming, whether they're ready or not. But they had been able to survive it all as a team. Because they had all been on the same page.
Well, that's what Nezu technically wanted, right?
Izuku looks up from the cards, finding Denki. He looks his cousin in the eye, green meeting blue, an unspoken question between them. The blond understands immediately and gives him an easygoing smile as an answer.
Reassured, Izuku returns his attention back to the class. "So, about what happened. To be honest…" He sighs, not being able to stop the smirk that appears on his face.
In the back, Nezu's grin sharpens.
Izuku drops the cards and shrugs. "I'm a demigod."
The whole room jumps to their feet.