The warmth of the bar felt comforting, the low hum of the city outside barely reaching the intimate space where the six women sat. The laughter from their reminiscing slowly faded, replaced by an old ache they had all tried to bury Izuku Midoriya's absence.
Mina sighed, slumping over the table, her pink fingers wrapped around the cold glass of beer.
"Gosh, All Might looked so sad that week," she murmured.
The other girls nodded.
"It wasn't just sadness," Momo added, tapping a manicured nail against the side of her glass. "It was like… guilt. Like he blamed himself."
Uraraka exhaled, arms crossed. "I don't think he ever forgave himself for what happened to Deku. Even though he never said it outright, I could tell."
Toru snorted. "Yeah, but then a months later, the guy was dancing in the hallway like a damn cartoon character."
A round of giggles spread through the group as they recalled the memory.
-A Year After the War – U.A. High Hallway-
The former Class 1-A students had been lingering in the classroom, halfheartedly attending their final months at U.A. without their sixth sense of disaster Izuku. It felt unnatural to go through the days without him running around, muttering to himself, or pushing himself too hard.
But on that particular morning, the sight of All Might waltzing down the hallway, humming a cheerful tune, had stopped them in their tracks.
"Sensei… are you okay?" Momo had asked cautiously, as if approaching a wild animal.
All Might had turned to them with an enormous grin and proudly declared, "I'm simply in a wonderful mood today!"
Then, without hesitation, he had whipped out his phone and held it up. "Young Midoriya sent me this."
The entire class crowded around, peering at the screen like starved children. And there he was Izuku Midoriya, standing on a sunny beach, waves gently lapping at the shore. He looked older, taller, and… happy. The grainy video captured his voice as he chuckled, walking beside his mother, who was smiling up at him.
"I miss you, All Might. I wish I could be there to celebrate your birthday with you."
And just like that, chaos erupted.
"THAT'S MIDORIYA?!"
"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!"
"DID HE GROW?! HE LOOKS SO DIFFERENT!"
"DID WE MISS ALL MIGHT'S BIRTHDAY?!"
In an instant, their focus had shifted. Within the hour, they had abandoned classes and started planning an impromptu birthday party for their retired mentor, completely disregarding the wrath of their teachers.
And while they got detention for it, it had been worth it.
-Back to the Present – Momo's Bar-
Mina chuckled, resting her chin in her palm. "We were like wild animals staring at All Might's phone, and then Midoriya said 'birthday,' and it was pandemonium."
Jiro smirked, strumming her fingers on the table. "That was the only time we saw Midoriya after he left. Just a video. But damn, he looked taller and… kind of handsome, wouldn't you agree, Uraraka?"
Uraraka spluttered mid-drink, coughing as the teasing eyes of her friends locked onto her. "W-what?! Where is this coming from?!"
Mina smirked, leaning in. "Come on, Ochako, it's been seven years. You're still thinking about him, aren't you?"
The gravity heroine shifted uncomfortably, her fingers gripping her glass.
"It's not like that," she mumbled.
Toru sat up suddenly. "You know what? We should find him."
Uraraka blinked. "Huh?"
Momo giggled, eyes glinting mischievously. "For you, of course. We've all failed at our love lives, but the only one who hasn't found closure is you."
Mina slammed her hands on the table.
"That's right! We need to find him so we can break this Class 1-A girl's curse! You two need to hook up, Uraraka!"
Uraraka's face turned bright red. "W-why me?!"
Jiro smirked. "Because he's your first love."
Silence.
Uraraka's breath hitched.
Jiro's smirk softened. "Isn't that the reason why your previous relationship didn't work out?"
Uraraka's lips parted in shock. "H-how did you know I even dated anyone?"
Toru burst into laughter. "Girl, you really thought you could keep that a secret from us? We knew the second you went on your first date. We just didn't say anything and pretended we didn't know."
Mina winked. "We wanted to see if it lasted. Spoiler alert it didn't."
Uraraka groaned, covering her face.
Momo smiled gently. "Why did you two break up?"
Uraraka sighed, fingers tracing the condensation on her glass. "I thought he was the right guy, but… he wasn't."
Toru leaned forward. "Is it because the right guy was Midoriya?"
The words hung in the air.
Uraraka didn't confirm it.
But she didn't deny it, either.
A deep sigh escaped her lips as she finally looked up, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Even if I wanted to see him again… we don't even know where to start looking."
Mina grinned. "Well, good thing we're all pro heroes. If anyone can track him down, it's us."
Momo nodded. "All Might knows something. He just never told us because he respected Midoriya's wishes."
Jiro smirked. "Then we'll just have to get creative."
Uraraka swallowed. The idea of seeing Izuku again after all these years made her heart race but was it excitement, or fear?
"What if he had moved on? What if he didn't want to be found? What if… he wasn't the same Midoriya anymore?"
But then, Toru reached across the table, placing a hand on hers.
"Come on, Uraraka. Don't you think it's time to stop wondering… and start finding out?"
Uraraka hesitated.
Then, slowly, she nodded.
Momo's private bar had been filled with warmth and laughter just moments ago. The girls of Class 1-A had gathered for a night of reminiscing, teasing, and maybe even complaining about their loveless lives. But that lightheartedness evaporated the moment Momo grabbed the remote, her usually calm expression replaced with deep concern.
"Something big is happening in America."
She turned off the music, brightened the lights, and switched the television to an international news channel. The girls barely had time to react before the images on screen sent a chill down their spines.
New York was burning.
Buildings lay in ruin, their skeletal remains barely standing amid the smoke and fire. Sirens wailed, screams of terrified civilians filled the air, and the camera shook violently as news anchors struggled to report through their own fear. But all of it the destruction, the panic, the devastation stemmed from one figure hovering in the sky.
A colossal being with gleaming, armored scales.
Umak the Dragon.
Momo's breath hitched. "No…"
The room fell into dead silence. Even without his monstrous reputation, the sight alone was enough to instill terror.
Umak was not just another villain. He was an emperor. A warlord. A conqueror so powerful that when he seized control of his homeland, the world did not retaliate they bargained with him, fearing the cost of resistance. For years, he had remained within his domain, ruling with an iron grip.
And yet, here he was, unleashing destruction upon America.
"What the hell is he doing outside his country?" Jiro whispered, gripping the edge of the bar.
The camera zoomed in, revealing a sight even more horrifying.
In Umak's clawed hand, the limp body of Captain Celebrity the Number One Hero of America.
The once-proud hero barely stirred, his battered form proof that even the strongest America had to offer had been effortlessly defeated. Like a discarded toy, Umak flung him onto a nearby rooftop, the sickening crack of impact echoing in the stunned silence.
"This is the best this country has to offer?" Umak's voice rumbled through the air, filled with disappointment. "Pathetic."
The girls felt a cold dread settle in their stomachs. They had fought monsters before. They had survived a war. But there was something about Umak something about the sheer casualness with which he was tearing through one of the most powerful nations in the world that made their blood run cold.
"I came here to die," Umak declared, his golden eyes scanning the wreckage. "I sought warriors, champions, gods." He spread his arms wide. "But I see now… they are all gone. The war took them."
The memories of that war resurfaced in the minds of the girls, their breaths shallow.
"All Might. Star and Stripe. All For One. Shigaraki." Umak's gaze darkened. "Deku."
Uraraka's chest tightened at the name.
Umak's expression twisted with frustration. "Where are they now? Dead. Gone. Scattered like dust. And what remains?" He sneered, gesturing toward the fallen heroes. "This?"
His disappointment turned into cold resolve.
"If this world has no warriors left… then I will burn it all."
A massive sphere of fire erupted in his palm, its sheer intensity distorting the air around it. The heat was suffocating even through the screen.
The girls' bodies tensed, their nails digging into their skin.
And then, the words that shattered their very souls
"After this, I will go to every nation. I will challenge your strongest. If none satisfy me…" His lips curled into a cruel smile.
"I will burn your homes. Your families. Your loved ones."
The bar was silent except for the pounding of their hearts.
Umak lifted the fireball high above his head, his final declaration sending a bolt of ice through their veins
"And I will start… with JAPAN."
Momo felt her breath leave her body.
"No…" Mina whispered, covering her mouth in horror.
Even as Pro Heroes, even as survivors of a brutal war, they knew the truth Japan would not escape unscathed. They could fight, but against Umak? Against the monster currently standing amidst the ruins of one of the world's greatest cities?
Death. Destruction. Devastation.
It was inevitable.
Momo clenched her fists, trying to suppress the shaking in her hands. "If he comes here… we might not survive."
The girls instinctively held onto one another, dread sinking into their bones.
And then
A golden streak tore through the sky.
The fireball in Umak's hand never touched the ground. A blinding force crashed into it, sending flames scattering harmlessly into the air.
Momo gasped, her heart pounding. "Someone stopped it!"
The camera caught the image of a winged figure descending from the heavens, his golden feathers shimmering in the sunlight. His presence alone turned the tide, his sheer aura pushing back the smoke and darkness.
Mina's eyes widened. "That's-"
"The Hero of the Sky…" Momo whispered in awe.
"Gold Legion!"
Hope flickered in their chests. Gold Legion had been a rising star in America, a hero whose speed, strength, and healing abilities made him nearly unstoppable. He was young, yet his power was already on par with legends.
But could he really stand against 'that'?
Their answer came in the form of a battle that shook the heavens.
Gold Legion moved like lightning, his attacks relentless, driving Umak away from the city. Each strike forced the dragon villain back, his golden feathers healing those caught in the crossfire even as he fought.
The world held its breath.
Then-
Umak's fist crashed into Gold Legion's face with monstrous force, sending him spiraling through the sky.
The impact was devastating. The kind of blow that could kill even the strongest heroes.
The girls screamed.
But when the dust settled-
Gold Legion was still standing.
His body barely showed signs of damage. He wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, his breathing steady.
And then-
His mask fell.
The world stopped.
The girls' minds went blank as the golden helmet tumbled away, revealing the face underneath.
Wild green hair. Freckles.
Familiar green eyes, glowing with raw power.
Uraraka felt her chest tighten, her pulse hammering in her ears. That face… That face had once occupied her thoughts day and night.
Momo's breath caught. Jiro's hands trembled. Mina's drink slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor.
Every survivor of the war knew that face.
And so did Umak.
For a moment, the dragon villain was stunned. Then, slowly, his lips stretched into a manic grin.
"Finally…"
His entire body trembled with excitement.
"FINALLY! A WORTHY OPPONENT!"
His laughter roared through the air, his fists clenching with uncontained exhilaration.
"our battle will be legendary!"
With a single beat of his wings, Umak lunged forward.
And Izuku Midoriya met him head-on.
Their clash shattered the sky.
Back in Japan, the girls could only watch in stunned silence.
The world had believed that Izuku Midoriya the boy who had once been their brightest star, the hero who had sacrificed everything was gone forever.
And yet-
Here he was.
Not as the frail, broken man they thought had disappeared into obscurity.
But as a warrior standing against an unstoppable force.
As a legend reborn.