Crossroads of Worlds on the Edge of Reality

Sei stared confusedly at the guys for whom she and Kohari had prepared a place to sleep, reflecting only on her own impulsiveness. Inviting two strangers, who clearly weren't all there, was the height of idiocy. And what was this even? Since when did she and Kohari sign up as altruists calling wandering lunatics to stay overnight? Besides, can this really be considered an altruistic act when, from the very first minutes of their acquaintance, they had only discussed how much the guys resembled their favorite characters instead of feeling sorry for their unjust fate? After preparing the sleeping arrangements for their newly minted (and, Sei hoped, temporary) neighbors, the girls quickly exited, citing some pressing matters. “So…” Sei began uncertainly after locking the bedroom door, only to be interrupted excitedly by Kyoki: “What the hell is happening?!” she exclaimed suspiciously loudly, clearly just as lost as the rest of them. Spontaneity is, of course, a good thing, but it was certainly not suited for the current situation. “I have an endless number of questions,” Inoti said, scratching her head awkwardly while glancing at the locked door as if afraid of being overheard. “Kohari, what have we done?” Say spoke again after a minute of anxious silence. “Why did we invite those strange guys into our place? What if they turn out to be dangerous criminals or mentally unstable people?” “I think the phrase ‘what if’ is unnecessary here. They are the crazy ones. They won't even tell us their names. Why? So we won't send them to a psychiatric hospital?” Kohari said thoughtfully and slightly tiredly, running her hand through her hair.

***

Tiredly scanning the interior of the living room where they were temporarily staying, Katsuki casually remarked, “We need to think about where to sleep tomorrow. And why the quirks still aren't working, damn it.” Nervously shrugging, Katsuki turned onto his other side. There were muffled rustling sounds coming from the futon he was sleeping on. “What?” Izuku turned in surprise toward Kacchan, who was opposite him. “I don’t think they can kick us out… if they invited us in the first place.” Although Deku said this, Bakugou could distinctly hear the uncertainty in his voice. It seemed Kacchan's seriousness had genuinely unsettled him. “Did you even see how they looked at us?” “And how was that?” “Like we had escaped from a mental hospital, Deku.” “But why would they offer us help if we look like psychos? Kacchan, I think you’re just tired. Tomorrow with a fresh mind, we can talk…” “Are you kidding me?” There was a palpable impatience and irritation in the blond's voice. “I’m not staying here any longer than necessary. I can’t figure out what they’re after, but evidently, they’re the ones who escaped from a mental hospital if they invited us.” “Kacchan,” Katsuki warned as he looked at Izuku, understanding what he was about to say. “As heroes, we should be glad that there are so many people who care about the problems of others. Personally, I’m happy we ran into them. They don’t seem like wrongdoers, and we don’t look like psychos either; we appear as injured people in their eyes, who have nowhere to sleep. What evil intent could possibly be drawn from this context?” “Now listen to me, Deku,” Bakugou said, impatiently sitting up and turning on the desk lamp in an attempt to look more convincing and finally win the argument. “They seemed suspicious to me from the very beginning. Who in their right mind invites two blood-soaked guys into their home late at night? What if we’re thugs or something? Criminals? And the fact that we’re guys? How could we possibly be a threat to their lives? How could they know that the blood is ours? And that girl said, ‘The wounds don’t look critical, but if you want, we can help you.’” Kacchan mimicked the girl sarcastically, which made Izuku grimace and roll his eyes. Fortunately, the lamp’s light didn’t illuminate Izuku’s face, and Katsuki continued, “Seriously? A simple trip to the hospital would be enough!” “Their help turned out to be timely and very appropriate, Kacchan. Enough. You sound extremely ungrateful. And what could the girls possibly do to us? Have you forgotten we’re heroes? Even if we theoretically assume they want to harm us, why would they? They don’t know us, and they look physically much weaker than we are.” “We don’t have our quirks.” “We're trained enough physically, Kacchan. I can’t believe we’re discussing our saviors in this way. Let’s just go to sleep.” “No.” “Kacchan…” “We’ll take turns watching the room. You until three in the morning, then I’ll take over.” “Are you serious? We sleep lightly, Kacchan!” Now Katsuki received a look from Izuku that said ‘crazy.’ “Uh-huh. We don’t have quirks now. What if we’ve lost our instincts too? There’s no need to take risks. Keep a close watch, got it?”

***

“I won’t be able to sleep,” Sei sighed deeply. “Oh, how tired I am. Damn my tongue. Why on earth did we offer them that?…” By the end, she winced from the stream of curse words she had just let out. “Sei, calm down…” “It’s exactly my fault. What an idiot I am. I just gave in to temptation and offered help to two strangers just because they resemble our favorite anime characters! Unthinkable. And you had to go along with my stupid idea. They were about to leave. ‘The wounds don’t look critical, but if you want, we can help you,’” Sei mimicked herself, unaware that she was doing the same thing as Katsuki in the next room. “You were just startled by the sight of blood,” Kohari replied calmly, in a soothing tone as if talking to a child. “Yes, we made a mess, but that blond guy, like Kacchan, wasn’t thrilled with our hospitality. Just you wait, they’ll leave on their own tomorrow. Remember, we only offered them a place to stay for one night?” “That green-haired one even called the other one Kacchan. God, they’re either messing with us, which is not funny at all, or they’re completely out of their minds! Did you see their scars? What a cosplay! I’m seriously worried about our lives, so…” “Sei…” Kohari watched her friend with surprise as she started doing push-ups to chase away sleep, even though Kohari saw that she was struggling to stay awake. Literally, because a few seconds later, Inoti tiredly collapsed onto the floor. To which she suggested, “How about we take turns watching the room? I’ll take the shift until three in the morning, and then you can take over. What do you say?” “Okay. Are you too tired? Sorry for bothering you, but this is my fault.” “Have you ever seen me fall asleep before three in the morning?” Sei shook her head wearily and lay back down in bed.

***

In an instant, heroes Deku and Dynamight were gone. A surprised reporter captured the empty battlefield, where a fierce battle had just raged moments ago. Only the satisfied smirk of the villain remained on his face as he looked at the vanished heroes — his cunning plan had succeeded. Silence now reigned in the area, interrupted only by the soft hum of the camera documenting the aftermath of their confrontation. “Incredible!” the reporter’s voice broke the unpleasant silence. “Heroes Deku and Dynamight just disappeared into a portal, and it seems that an unknown villain has…” “Claimed victory!” the aforementioned villain shouted triumphantly. “Remember my name, for I have defeated the two most…” His triumphant cries were abruptly cut off by the arrival of hero Chargebolt, also known as Kaminari, who shocked the arrogant little man. “Where are Deku and Kacchan?!” Kaminari exclaimed, his face frozen in shock. “Oh no! I was literally one second too late! Jiro, my love,” Kaminari whined as he saw his girlfriend arriving on the scene, “Deku and Kacchan have vanished into that portal!” “Damn it!” she exclaimed, frustrated. “We need to tie this idiot up and interrogate him!” Said and done. Next, it was up to Aizawa himself, as he understood just how loud this situation would become. The disappearance of the two highest-ranked heroes at that moment was not the most pleasant headline of the day. Receiving the signal about the sudden disappearance of Deku and Dynamight, Shota Aizawa hurried to the scene. His face remained impassive, but inside, anxiety simmered. As an experienced hero and mentor, he fully understood the threat posed by the disappearance of two leading heroes in the midst of rising crime. After all, both of them had been incredibly troublesome kids since their first days of training. Aizawa vividly remembered how difficult and contradictory the journey of each of them had been. Izuku Midoriya, the quiet and shy kid, had once been devoid of quirks but, through his persistence and bravery, had proven that he could become a great hero. And Katsuki Bakugou, with his explosive and arrogant nature, had overcome numerous internal barriers to find his place in society. And now, just when these two had finally set out on the right path, fate had mocked them once again. Aizawa clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger and determination surging through him. He simply could not allow these promising heroes to go missing while being in great danger. Gathering all his resolve, Shota Aizawa immediately put into motion all his experience and connections to organize a large-scale rescue operation. He knew that he could not afford to make a mistake — Izuku and Bakugou’s fate depended entirely on his actions. And Aizawa was determined to do everything possible to bring these boys back, alive and unhurt. The main thing was that nobody must find out about it...

All Might:

Aizawa, have you heard about Midoriya and Bakugou? Is it true? I haven’t seen a report yet, so I hope these are just rumors.

Aizawa could only roll his eyes; regardless, he didn’t have time to respond to All Might. The news would reach everyone who was not isolated from society — his briefing was unnecessary. Gathering all his composure and calm, Shota Aizawa swiftly activated all his connections and resources. He immediately got in touch with fellow heroes and the police, demanding an emergency meeting. Every minute of delay could cost Izuku and Katsuki their lives. The villain had to be interrogated immediately: how did his quirk work, why had he targeted them, and how could he possibly know that he could defeat the number one and number two heroes? Were they even alive? He tried not to dwell on the last thought; the pessimism he was usually known for would not help in this situation. Logic and rationality needed to prevail. The news of the disappearance of Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugou, two of the brightest graduates of U.A. and heroes of the war, swiftly spread through the agencies that former academy students worked in, plunging everyone into a state of shock and despair. Without wasting a second, Deku and Kacchan’s former classmates quickly gathered at Tsukauchi's agency; their faces were twisted with worry and fear for their friends' fate. At first, they tried calling them on their phones, but all attempts proved futile — no one was picking up. Bound by fear, the others exchanged helpless glances, unsure of what to do. However, the feeling of powerlessness quickly shifted to determination—for these were their friends, fellow team members, and they simply could not leave them in danger. Kirishima, usually the one to inspire everyone and simply the best friend of Katsuki, slammed his fist on the table, drawing everyone's attention. “We can’t just sit here doing nothing! We need to head out and search immediately!” he exclaimed, his voice trembling with overflowing emotions. Hagakure nodded resolutely, even though it couldn't be seen: “Kirishima is right. We are heroes now! We can’t abandon Midoriya and Bakugou; they need our help!” Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the young heroes quickly organized themselves. They split into small search groups, each assigned a sector to comb through. The hope that their location was still here was fleeting, but they couldn’t just sit idly by. Those whose quirks were the most suited decided to scour the area surrounding the site of the disappearance. The list of sectors urgently compiled by Yaoyorozu and Iida looked as follows: 1. Aerial Search Sector: Uraraka can use her quirk to scout the city rooftops and high places. Tokoyami — his “Shadow” will allow him to penetrate tight crevices and dark areas, as well as survey the city from above. 2. Ground/Underground Search Sector: Asui — her amphibious abilities will assist in searching the sewers, drains, and other underground systems. Koda will utilize his quirk to call on animals, including service dogs. 3. Search Sector for Hard-to-Reach Locations: Kirishima — his quirk will enable him to climb high and unstable structures. Todoroki — his ice will aid in accomplishing the same function. 4. Search Sector Utilizing Sensory Abilities: Shoji — his multiple arms and senses will facilitate thorough searching. Jirou — her ear jack (how painful it was for Yaomomo to correct the word “jacks” to “jack” at Iida's reminder) can detect the faintest sounds. 5. Public Places Search Sector (parks, shopping centers): Ashido can use her acid to dissolve obstacles or create distractions. Sero can use his tape to immobilize targets or create improvised traps. Kaminari can use his electricity to detect electronic devices or turn off lights to conceal the group from potential dangers. Momo Yaoyorozu equipped each team with the necessary gear — radios, flashlights, even thermal cameras. She understood that they might have to search for clues in complete darkness or in hard-to-reach places. However, another concern nagged at Yaoyorozu. How on earth had Kaminari managed to capture the villain in mere seconds, while Deku and Dynamight, even with their combined efforts, had failed to defeat him? What was the secret? “Guys, I want to talk about a very important detail that’s been bothering me,” Momo began, a bit nervously, glancing around at everyone present. “We're listening, Yaomomo,” Jirou encouraged gently, always a supportive and perceptive friend. “Let it not seem like I’m throwing stones at Kaminari, but how did he defeat Rift in mere seconds while Midoriya and Bakugou couldn’t manage to do the same, even together?” “Hey, what are you talking about?!” Kaminari exclaimed, clearly offended by her words. “Denki, I have to agree with her,” Kyouka interrupted, cutting off the stream of his indignation. “Jirou, you’re with her too! We’re dating, after all!” Chargebolt puffed up, only to be immediately encouraged by Red Riot, who seemed to agree with the girls. “I don’t want to interrupt you, but Midoriya and Bakugou are still in danger,” Todoroki spoke in a calm, ice-cold voice. “Yaoyorozu, please continue.” “Thank you, Todoroki-san,” Momo smiled. “On the screen, there will now be footage from a recent report, and we need to study their fight carefully. I doubt Bakugou would allow a villain to win.” After watching the fight, many questions arose. Mineta tried to voice them during the viewing, until Todoroki threatened him with being trapped in a glacier for the duration of his stay here. Just like in the old days. “Heeeroesss…” the villain drawls languidly. “Did I really go through all this trouble just to direct a bunch of people who don’t have a clue where to go? All to meet you!” “You’re with Kin Maeda, and live on air with none other than the Symbol of Peace and Hero Number Two — Dynamight! How long can this villain possibly hold out against the strongest?” “Not long at all,” he finally activates his quirk. Several portals open up simultaneously in various locations, causing Deku to tense up and look back nervously. “Hero Dynamight seems to be in grave danger!” the reporter announces, though there’s no sign of worry in her voice; rather, it’s enthusiasm, as she is the one capturing these images. “Kacchan, hold on!” Both of them are on edge, but Katsuki doesn’t listen: half of his body has already disappeared through the portal, his left hand is on the other side of the enormous black hole, and only his right hand, the one he has rehabilitated for so long, has the potential to be his salvation right now. Or his death, for both of them. “What was that all about?” Mineta exclaims, finally managing to wait until the end of the footage and cautiously glancing at Todoroki. “Did you notice Bakugou’s fluctuations throughout the entire fight?” Tokoyami chimes in, who had been silent until now and couldn’t bring himself to believe what was happening. “Yes,” Jirou nods. “That’s not really his style. Maybe he was holding back because of the reporter?” “I don’t think so,” Kirishima suddenly responds. He gazes intently at every pixel of the last scene on the screen and sees how Bakugou hesitated to extend his hand to Midoriya. He feels guilty about it. Kirishima suddenly realizes that Katsuki is still punishing himself for the past. He would be ready to sacrifice himself to save Deku and the city. “Kacchan, I…” Katsuki, with a hint of surprise, notices tears in his friend's eyes, “I will save you, whether you like it or not!” Kirishima offers a weak smile; it proves his point. But his smile quickly vanishes as he grapples with the most important realization — Katsuki was even willing to die for forgiveness. He had accepted his fate. After all, he had already died once. A chill ran down Eijirou’s spine, and he immediately tried to focus on what the others were saying, hoping that maybe he was wrong after all.

***

The clock showed 1:47. Izuku let out a loud yawn and immediately heard Katsuki’s snoring nearby — his instincts in sleep had faded, how unfortunate. He still had to keep watch for some reason until three in the morning! Deep down, he understood Katsuki — after going through fire and water, as well as a full-scale war against the League, anyone would start to suspect, whether they wanted to or not. Katsuki was trying for their sake, and even if their fears turned out to be unfounded, he still appreciated his concern. Suddenly, Izuku felt movement in the kitchen. He quietly got up, trying not to wake Katsuki, and carefully headed in that direction. To his surprise, he found Kohari in the kitchen, also awake and on alert. “Kyoki-san?” Izuku whispered. “You can’t sleep either?” Kohari jumped but relaxed a bit upon recognizing Izuku. “Yeah, I… I decided to check if everything was alright,” she whispered. “I heard something from the direction of the kitchen, that’s all. And what about you? Can’t sleep? It’s because of today, right?” Kohari involuntarily smiled, looking at such a familiar yet foreign face. Even that scar… “Yeah, can’t sleep,” Izuku almost lied. Even if he weren’t keeping watch as a punishment from Katsuki, he would hardly fall asleep after the events of today. However, Katsuki, despite all his suspicion and being a participant in everything that happened, had fallen asleep in no time at all. After all, it was Izuku who was more inclined to carefully analyze everything happening around them, not Katsuki. Kohari immediately noticed the improper number of scars on the boy’s arms. Goodness, if it were up to her, she would run to grab her phone to compare Izuku’s arms with those from the anime. However, as mentioned earlier, being an artist, she had already memorized how many scars and freckles Izuku had. And the numbers matched. How insane was the person standing before her, to go for such a detailed cosplay? The probability of someone having the same anatomy and features was very low. She became anxious and now fully understood Sei. She picked up a mug that was sitting next to the green-haired boy and, as if casually, gently touched his hand. Kohari nearly gasped — it was the real deal, those were genuine scars. However, there was no doubt about their authenticity; after all, shouldn’t the makeup have come off after washing their hands or using alcohol? “Listen, I think you have a lot of questions for me,” Izuku said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “My friend is wearing me out with questions about why you allowed us to stay overnight. Don’t take this the wrong way, we’re very grateful to you!” Suddenly, the boy blushed under the scrutinizing gaze of his currently silent companion. “He just loves to suspect everyone and everything, so…” “Everything is fine. Our motives might indeed seem suspicious, if it comes to that,” the girl responded. “My friend is also… cautious around you, so you can’t blame the white-haired one.” “White-haired one?” Deku snorted. “If you’re talking about our injuries, that’s simple. We got them during a fight with a villain,” he stated innocently, instantly noticing the change in Kohari’s expression. “A fight? With… a villain?” the girl stammered, flinching back cautiously. “What are you talking about?” “I’m joking!” Deku exclaimed hastily, still not understanding the girl's sudden reaction. “There are no villains! The war has been over for a long time…” However, this seemingly did not inspire any trust from Kohari. Nervously smiling, she turned and walked back into the room. Deku’s keen eye noticed that she nearly broke into a run, which made him feel quite uneasy. He hurriedly ran to Katsuki, intending to tell him what had happened. “Kacchan! Kacchan!” Izuku called, trying not to be too loud as he woke the blonde. Katsuki pretended not to hear his annoying friend and burrowed deeper under the blankets. Izuku shook Katsuki by the shoulders more vigorously and babbled, “Kacchan, I swear, this is really urgent! We met one of the girls, and…” Katsuki opened his eyes immediately, and Izuku was faced with an extremely displeased expression from the blonde, peeking out from under the blanket. “What do you want? Is it already my turn?” “No, not yet,” Izuku quickly replied. “But something happened. I ran into one of the girls in the kitchen…” “Which one?” “Kyoki-san,” Izuku exhaled impatiently at the blank look on Katsuki’s face; evidently, he still had a habit of not remembering people's last names. “The blue-eyed girl. Without glasses.” “And?" “I… I think she started to suspect something,” Izuku said nervously. “She saw the scars on my arms and…” “And what?” Katsuki sat up, looking at Izuku with irritation. “She touched them and was surprised. Then, when I joked about getting them in a fight with a villain, she reacted strangely. She… she ran away.” “Ran away?” Katsuki frowned. “What the hell did you tell her?” “I just said we got them during a fight, and she…” “It doesn’t matter what you said, Deku,” Katsuki interrupted. “What matters is that she started to suspect something. Wait a minute… What was she doing at the time? Are they keeping watch over their room too? Where’s the glasses girl?” “I don’t know. Maybe they are keeping watch. It makes more sense for them to do that than for us.” “Why’s that?” Katsuki asked irritably, stretching his stiff arms. “You said from the very beginning that they shouldn’t have let us in. They’re probably regretting it. They haven’t kicked us out yet, but they don’t trust us either,” Izuku said, growing sadder as he recalled Kohari’s terrified and horrified face. Maybe they really shouldn’t have accepted their help? His head was buzzing, and there was still no solution to the problem. “Stop whining; that’s the last thing we need,” Bakugou said. “Go to sleep. I don’t think they’ll come back to the kitchen again. I’ll keep watch.” “But it’s not even three in the morning yet…” “You can’t keep watch,” he decisively cut in, looking at his loudly yawning friend from underneath his brow. Adjusting the oversized T-shirt lent to him by the girl with glasses as he walked, he headed to the scene of the incident. “You’re not supposed to be walking around in bloody costumes,” she had said, offering him the baggy T-shirt that resembled a cloak more than a shirt, and Katsuki had no choice but to accept her gifts. He rolled his eyes and shut the door. Kacchan is right. I really need to sleep. But what if the situation escalates? Kacchan’s methods are not always humane... What if the girls call the police? Izuku turned onto his side, hoping for the best. After all, what hadn’t he and Kacchan dealt with before?