Izuku watched as Kyouka led Kaminari back over to the couch, his heart heavy with sorrow. A hand clutched his shoulder, squeezing softly. "Come on," Todoroki said quietly. "There's one more place we need to stop by before we see Mei." He paused to look at Izuku's face. "If this is too much, you can always-"

"No," Izuku's voice didn't sound right, not even to his own ears. "Let's go." He bid a quiet farewell to those present before following Todoroki and Shinso out of the dorms, Aizawa and Kota stopping at the doorway.

"Problem child," Aizawa caught his attention. His one eye was narrowed. "Remember. None of this is your fault. You're an outsider here, you have no obligations."

Izuku was silent for a moment before replying softly, "Yeah, I guess."

Kota came up and squeezed one last hug around his middle. "Please stay safe, Izuku."

"I-I will, Kota," Izuku choked up slightly, rubbing the kid's head through the hat. He waved goodbye as he followed Todoroki and Shinso down the path.

"We'll stop by the 1B dorms, see if anyone's there," Todoroki told him. "But they're probably all at Gym Theta."

They'd mentioned that before. "What's at Gym Theta?" He asked.

"It's where the most injured are being taken care of," Shinso replied. "The nurse's office in the school isn't big enough for all of them."

"We take shifts helping the few doctors and nurses we have," Todoroki explained. "Both civilians and hero students alike are kept there. There's no other place big enough."

"Normally 3A and 3B would share the responsibility," Shinso tugged his scarf around him as a cold wind blew past them. "Ever since the war officially started we collaborated more and more. You- I mean our Izuku was a big part in building good relations between the two classes. Of course, we do take days to hang out with just our immediate classmates, like today."

Their Izuku sounds like a real hero, Izuku thought. They speak so highly of him.

Izuku, you are just as much of a hero as him, Nana said, her footfalls making no noise as he imagined her spirit walking beside him. Remember, this isn't your world. Nothing that has happened here is your fault in the slightest.

Maybe. Maybe not.

"They talking to you?" Todoroki asked, glancing back at him. "The vestiges I mean."

Nana's spirit drifted back within his subconscious as he nodded. "Just Nana. Gave me some advice."

He nodded in understanding. "Once everyone knew about One For All, our Izuku became more comfortable conversing aloud with them in the open."

"Still freaky." Shinso's grin, which had always come off as a bit creepy, peeked over his capture scarf. "Talking to ghosts and all. Cool, but freaky."

"Y-yeah, I guess so..." Izuku trailed off as the 1B, or rather, 3B dorms came into view. There wasn't anyone lingering outside and he didn't see any light coming from the windows. Todoroki knocked and entered the house for a minute before coming back out, shaking his head. "They must all be at the gym."

Izuku couldn't help but think about Eri as they moved on, heading away from the dorms. She was a sweet and innocent little girl who had a terrible life under the 'care' of Overhaul. Izuku was thankful he'd been able to save her in his world, but he failed to do so in this one. How had that impacted their Izuku?

He must have been so much stronger than me, Izuku realized. Being able to get through the tragedies that befell this world. And I can't even keep my emotions in check.

You're not being fair to yourself, Nana told him. You're acting the way you do because you care. There's nothing wrong nor weak about that.

I need to contain it, Izuku thought determinedly. I can't have any distractions. Not if I'm going to ki- beat All For One.

Could you really do it, kid? Daigoro this time. Could you really kill him? Nevermind if you're strong enough to face him while he's in possession of another version of One For All. Could you really go through with it?

I-I don't know, Izuku admitted. But if it means ridding the world of a monster like him and saving everyone here, then-

What about Shigaraki? Nana's question caught him off guard. Are you still planning on saving him even here?

She'd caught him off guard. It wasn't something he had considered.

How do we even know he's still alive? Hikage mused. Nobody's mentioned him so far. Perhaps he was killed during the war? Or maybe All For One grew tired of him.

"There's- there's something I need to know," Izuku spoke up, getting questioning looks from Todoroki and Shinso. "Shigaraki. Is he alive?"

"No," they answered in unison. Part of Izuku felt remorse, but another part of him felt relieved. He didn't know how he felt about that.

"Izuku killed him."

Todoroki's words chilled Izuku. So the Izuku here was capable of killing. He'd always avoided that option, always seeing it as the difference between him and villains. Of course, some part of him understood that killing a villain was in some cases necessary in order to save lives, but he knew that once he crossed that line, he would lose something precious.

"He didn't have a choice," Shinso clarified upon Todorki's words, shooting the dual colored haired boy a glare. "All For One was planning to merge with him, and we didn't know the sort of consequences that would come of it, nor did we want to find out. According to Izuku, Shigaraki asked to be killed at that point, so... Izuku killed him. Let's just say All For One wasn't the least bit happy about that."

"I bet he wasn't," Izuku said, his small smile holding no humor.

...

"Izuku, I would like to warn you again, but..." Shinso hesitated as they neared Gym Theta. "Look, what happened to Kaminari was absolutely terrible, but it's not the only tragic thing to have happened. I don't know if you're up for it-"

"It doesn't matter if I am or not," Izuku interrupted, already moving past him. He remembered the hug of both joy and sorrow Aizawa had given him. The lifted spirits he had brought 1A. And Kaminari... "I have to do this." Izuku's determination was set, whatever lay before him be damned. "For them. For-"

He broke off as the door opened in front of him, Tokage walking out, still dressed in her hero outfit. She stopped when she saw him, eyes widening. She stared for a second with an unreadable expression before she seemed to refocus and began walking away at a brisk pace.

"Setsuna, wait!" Shinso called after her before breaking into a coughing fit again. He groaned, rubbing his throat. "Dang't. That girl, I swear."

"Oh."

All eyes turned back to the door, where Ibara Shiozaki now stood. She wore nurse scrubs and her vines were kept short, hanging just above her shoulders. She stared at Izuku much like Tokage had, but instead of walking away, she moved towards him, cupping his cheeks in both hands. "I wasn't able to get a good look at you before, but now... You really are Izuku, even if you aren't ours. I humbly apologize and ask for your forgiveness for what we did to you."

"N-no, it's... it's okay," Izuku felt choked up. It wasn't because his face was being held by a girl's hands. No, it was because of the amount of care she seemed to be showing him. A motherly sort of affection. His heart ached as he pushed that thought away.

Pity was evident in her gaze. "You look so tired. Have you been getting enough rest? Food?"

Izuku found he couldn't meet her gaze. "E-enough, I guess."

Shiozaki's hands parted from his face. "You guess?" Izuku returned his gaze to hers to find that her eyes had hardened. "My word, you have not been taking proper care of yourself have you?" Her vines shot forward in length, wrapping themselves around his middle, lifting him off the ground. "Come on." She turned and marched back into the building, carrying him along like a party balloon.

Izuku's first impression was the smell of sanitization. It was like walking into a hospital. His second impression was that it looked like one too. Nurses tended to patients in makeshift beds, carried supplies, and rested at a few tables in the back. Patients lay asleep or propped up on pillows, all looking worse for wear. In the far left corner a section had been cut off with curtains covering whatever lay behind. Izuku watched as Itsuka Kendo ducked out from behind one of the curtains, pausing to stare as Shiozaki carried him to the opposite corner. Sbe marched with a singular purpose as people made way, many of the nurses pausing in their activities to watch him pass.

Izuku was set gently down on a chair at a small table in the far corner, the vines wrapping themselves securely around the chair for good measure. Several more vines opened a nearby door and shot inside what Izuku could see was a storage room. The vines returned with several cans of food and hovered each one in front of Izuku.

"Choose," Shiozaki ordered.

"Uh..." Izuku's brain was still trying to catch up.

"Best do as she says," Shinso advised, coming to sit across from him. "When Shiozaki gets like this, you can't exactly refuse."

"The soba looks good," Todoroki reached for said can, only for a vine to slap his hand.

"Don't touch," Shiozaki growled at him.

Todoroki looked hurt as he sat back. Shinso chuckled, earning a glare from the other boy. "Denied him his soba. That's gold."

"Izuku, I need you to choose," Shiozaki said again.

"Uh, the soba, I guess," He said, earning himself a glare from the next seat over.

Shiozaki nodded, setting the other cans down while another vine tore off the lid of the soba can. She set it down in front of him along with a pair of chopsticks. But before Izuku could reach to touch it, Shiozaki pressed her hands together as she closed her eyes. "Dear Father in Heaven," she prayed. "I thank you for the grace you have shown us. Even through these dark and troubling times, and amidst all this grief, you still provide. Izuku... Our brave Izuku was lost to us, but now another Izuku is here, and I pray that you give him guidance and watch over him as he carries on with the burdens he bears. And show him that despite that, there will be those who will forever stand beside him. In Jesus' name, amen."

"I do apologize if that was too forward of me, praying for you," Shiozaki lowered her hands, eyes reopening. "But it felt like something I had to do for you."

"No, i-it's fine," Izuku's eyes were beginning to mist up again. He wasn't the religious sort, but the faith and love behind her words had meant a great deal to him. More than he could even fully understand. "It was nice."

"I'm glad!" Shiozaki beamed at him. "Now eat up, or I'll force the food down your throat." The vines around her head raised threateningly and Izuku took that as his cue to pick up his chopsticks. As he took his first slurp of noodles with Todoroki's glare weighing him down, Kendo joined them, sitting on his other side.

"How are you holding up?" She asked, studying him.

"We were just at 1A's dorms," Shinso answered for him.

Kendo nodded in understanding and rested her right hand on his arm. Her only hand. "We're here for you, Izuku." She glanced around at them. "Did you happen to see Set on your way out?"

"Yeah," Shinso grumbled, folding his arms.

"She has this look in her eyes when she sees me," Izuku lowered his chopsticks. "I get the sense that she doesn't want to talk to me. Why is that?"

Shinso, Todoroki, Kendo, and Shiozaki all shared a look. "Don't take it personally," Kendo said finally. "She's going through a lot. Most of the top heroes are dead or missing, and many of our upperclassmen went the same way. She's one of our smartest strategists, so she's taken on a leadership role in their absence. More so with our Izuku gone." She sighed. "It's not exactly our place to tell you everything that's going on with her, but... If you asked her, she might tell you. Or maybe she'll come to you."

Izuku opened his mouth to question her further, only to stop as he noticed Shiozaki's vines creeping towards his chopsticks. He hurriedly grabbed them and began eating again. Even though it was cold, the soba noodles were good. The jelly packs had been enough to satiate his hunger, but eating actual food felt heavenly.

"Huh, almost didn't believe it, but here you are."

Izuku nearly choked on his noodles as he whirled around in his seat. Yosetsu Awase stood there, dressed in scrubs with his signature bandana wrapped around his forehead.

"Surprised you even came to this sorry place," he went on, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You're gonna find nothing but pain here. You should-"

"Awase," Kendo stood. "Enough."

Awase glared at her for a few moments before huffing and walking away.

"I'm sorry about him," Kendo apologizes, resitting. "Sen and him were practically brothers. Ever since Sen was killed, he hasn't known what to do with himself. He's angry. Not really at you. The villains, this screwed up world, but mostly himself. So don't take it personally."

Izuku knew that. He really did. But he also couldn't shake the emotions plaguing him.

As Izuku surveyed the makeshift hospital, he picked out various Class 1B students. Awase had returned to helping feed a struggling older gentleman while Tsuburaba helped by applying damp towels on his forehead. Further he saw Pony Tsunotori with her head wrapped in bandages, her horns sticking out from them as she conversed with Hiryu Rin and Kosei Tsuburaba, whose arm was in a sling. Yui Kodai returned from the storage room, a box full of shrunken items in her grasp and a face mask covering her face. She made to move past their table, only to stop once she noticed Izuku. She didn't say anything, but her eyes told a story of grief and pain before she gave him a small nod and moved on towards the closed off area. When she ducked behind the curtains, Izuku caught a brief glimpse of inside. He stood abruptly, barely realizing that Shiozaki had since removed her vines from around him.

Shinso followed his gaze, but this time he made no comment, only shaking his head at Shiozaki when her vines moved to restrain the green haired boy again. Izuku's footsteps pounded in his ears as he neared. It was only when his hand reached for the wall of fabric that a gloved hand settled on his wrist, closing around it gently.

"If you're going in there, you need to at least wash your hands," Akane said, a face mask muffling her voice. "And put this on." She held up a mask. "This is our intensive care unit. It's not as outfitted as I'd prefer, but with our main supply of resources in intensive care herself, it's the best we got. Hatsume can only build so much with what she's got to work with."

Izuku nodded, but his thoughts were stuck on "our main supply of resources in intensive care herself". Did that mean...

When he'd washed his hands and outfitted the mask, he slowly entered intensive care. The smell of sanitization was stronger within and the sound of machines beeping softly greeted him. There was a row of seven beds. The one that stood out the most was the one in front of him, separated from the other beds by a much wider distance with a glass screen around it. A mass of what looked to be mushrooms occupied the bed and when Izuku looked closely, the fungi moved up and down like it was breathing.

"Kinoko Komori," Akane stepped inside. "When she was grievously injured, her body began sprouting these mushrooms around her body. Many we aren't able to identify, but from what we were able to test, they are healing her. Albeit slowly." She guided him towards the next bed, where Kodai was changing out an old IV solution with a new one. The slow breaths of Momo Yaoyorozu fogged up the respirator attached to her face.

"-in intensive care herself."

"With Yaoyorozu out of the picture, we have to make do with what she's already made," Akane told him. "Hatsume does a good job of creating stuff, but given that her inventions have a tendency to explode, you can see why we wouldn't risk using them here."

Izuku nodded mutely, eyes already straying to the next bed over. Monoma lay there, but aside from a few bandages, didn't seem to have any obvious life threatening injuries.

"He's in a coma," Akane explained. "Tried copying All For One's quirk out of desperation, and now he won't wake up. Even if he did, who knows if he'll be the same."

Izuku had begun to tune her out. His mind was trying to process what he was seeing, and as a result everything else in the world faded to background noise as he slowly moved from bed to bed. There was Ojiro, laying on his side with a heavily bandaged stump where his tail used to be. Tetsutetsu, who looked the most heavily bandaged out of them all. Asui's eyes flickered for a few seconds before closing, but Izuku's gaze didn't stay on her for long. There, laying in the last bed was-

"Kacchan," Izuku whispered. He didn't even know how he was standing at this point. His friend was extremely pale and the heartbeat monitor beside him pulsed in Izuku's head. Akane was saying something, her hand once again on his shoulder, but he couldn't hear her. Then Kacchan, as if sensing his presence, tilted his head slightly in his direction. His eyelids fluttered, before opening a crack. And as he moved his mouth to speak, Izuku could suddenly hear again.

"H-hey, I-Izu-ku-"

And suddenly Izuku's mind went dark. He hadn't even registered that he'd been running until a cool breeze hit him as he came to a stop ten meters out of the gym doors. He gasped, taking in huge gulps of the night air, hands clasped onto his knees. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, his heart pained at those lost and left broken by the war. A single question, however, wouldn't leave him alone. A question he hadn't dared asked for fear of it breaking him. But- what if- he needed to be wrong. She had to be alive. She just had to! He needed this more than anything right now! Just this once! Because if she- if she- was gone- then- then nothing else-

"Mom..." His voice was small. Todoroki and Shinso had rushed after him in concern and now stood on either side of him. "My mom... is she...?" He couldn't even voice the question. He didn't want to see the expressions on both Todoroki and Shinso's faces when silence was the only thing that greeted him. He looked anyway. And before he could even fully process the twin looks of pain on both of them, he was already on the move again, One For All activating and Black Whip shooting from his hands as he desperately tried to run away from what felt like the world collapsing around him.

...

Izuku felt like his heart was being torn asunder. His friends. Beaten, scarred, and dead in some cases. Even his own mother, his kind, caring, and ever worried mother, killed. He didn't want to know how. Knowing she was dead was enough. Everyone here had suffered so much and it was just. So! Unbearable!

Izuku clawed at his chest, choking on his tears as his body was wracked with heaving sobs. "It's not my world," he whispered. "It's not my world. It's not my world. IT'S NOT MY WORLD!" His scream was lost to the night as he slumped forward, his breathing labored.

He had to do something. Anything to ease the hearts of those who were still alive here. He raised his gaze, casting it over what Todoroki had called UA Haven. The small fires that kept the people warm in the absence of electricity dotted the ruined landscape. These people had lost about all the hope they once had in heroes to save the day. To stop the bad guys and ensure peace. He looked further, over the ruined cityscape of Japan. Somewhere out there was All For One and his forces.

He closed one of his hands into a fist. He had to stop him. This may not be his world, but he was still a hero. And this world was in desperate need of them. He stood, walking to the roof's edge. The wind blew softly against his back, his green curls dancing in front of his face.

"Thought I'd find you up here."

Izuku turned his head slowly, surprise etched across his weary features. Leaning against the open doorway that gave roof access was Setsuna Tokage. She'd changed since he'd last seen her, replacing her hero costume for jeans and a black sweater with the word 'chair' written in bold white katakana. The sweater threw him for a loop. It looked like the one he had stored away for the colder months back in his drawer at UA.

She arched an amused eyebrow at him. "What? Never seen a beautiful girl before?"

"Wha-!?" Izuku sputtered, waving his hands in front of him. "N-no, I-I-!"

"Geez," she sighed, stuffing her hands into the sweater's pockets. "You're just like him. He would come to this spot often to be alone. To think. Strategize. And grieve where no one else could see him."

Izuku lowered his hands slowly, staring at her. "I-"

"Did anyone tell you yet?" She asked, coming to stand next to him. She glanced sideways, her eyes searching his. "About me and our Izuku?"

"U-uh, n-no," Izuku glanced away from her gaze. For some reason it felt too strong, but he couldn't understand why.

She nodded before crouching down and sitting on the edge of the roof, legs dangling over the side. "Be care-" Izuku started before he stopped himself, realizing two things. Her quirk allowed her to fly, which meant falling was a nonissue. Not to mention that he was one to talk, standing so close to the edge. To cover his embarrassment, he slid into a sitting position beside her.

She'd spared another glance at him, a smirk halfway forming at the words that'd slipped out of his mouth, but she didn't comment on them. Instead, "Me and Izuku were friends. We'd become something of respective leaders of our classes. In fact, our friendship was what helped our classes get over each other's differences. Well, it took Neito a while, but he's a special case. Anyway, as a result of our classes participating in the war effort, we gradually navigated to listening to some of our most intelligent and tactical oriented classmates. Yaomomo, Itsuka, me, and Izuku, of course."

"Me?" Izuku was baffled. "I'm not a leader."

She rolled her eyes. "Heard that one before. While you weren't so sure at first, you did assume the role. Quite well I might add. It's how he and I got to know one another more. It seemed we had a lot more in common than our green hair, if you can believe it. Heh." She crossed her arms and laid her chin on them, staring out over the ruined landscape. "He really was one of the best."

Izuku wasn't used to praise like this, spoken so casually. Sure, it wasn't actually about him, but it felt like it was. He also felt warm inside knowing that he had gotten to know a girl like Tokage. He smiled at her, not quite sure why talking to her felt easier than talking to anyone else in this world. "And our taste in shirts, apparently. I have one just like it."

She glanced down briefly at what she was wearing and her expression darkened. Izuku was worried he'd messed up, but she smiled and said, "Yeah, that too. Say, tell me," she leaned back, hands propping her up. "What's the state of things in your world?"

Izuku's gaze returned to his lap, hands folded. "Well, for starters we seem to be behind by at least a year. The war's only just begun. Shigaraki has been awakened and All For One has escaped. Society is crumbling while the heroes that remain are doing their best to help. I'm trying to hunt down All For One, but it... it hasn't been going that well." He looked at her. "If you can tell me anything about how things went for you guys, anything at all, it could help me find him. End things so what's happened here will never happen to my world."

"You're-" Tokage's eyes widened. "You're going to try and fight him by yourself, aren't you?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, pressing on. "It's my responsibility. As the ninth holder of One For All, I have to-"

"You don't have to do anything."

Izuku stopped, surprised. Her bangs had lowered, partially covering her expression as she stared at the ground. One of her hands had curled into a shaking fist.

"I-I do!" He said, placing a hand on his chest. "Don't you see what's happened here!? Everyone... Everyone is either hurt or dead! I can't- I can't let that happen again! Only I can stop him!" His breathing had become ragged. A small part of him wondered when he had gotten so worked up about this.

He watched as Tokage's fist slowly stopped trembling. "You really believe that, don't you." She stood, towering over Izuku. Her eyes had narrowed. "I guess there's one thing our Izuku had that you don't."

Izuku would have taken a step back had he not been standing on the edge of a roof. Her expression, having been nonchalant before, had given way to a hard glare. "Wh-what's that?" He asked, unsure if he should be afraid or not. He'd never really interacted much with Tokage before in his world, much less had a face-to-face conversation.

"You may be slightly younger than him, but-!" She grit her sharp teeth. "Your demeanor, the way you talk, that damn infectious smile! It's all so him! But what you lack-!" She jabbed a finger in his chest. "Is his spirit! His willingness to never let anything keep him down for long! That light that always shone in his eyes no matter what pain he'd endured! That light isn't there in your eyes, Izuku!"

"What I'm seeing right now is someone who has let the suffering of others finally get to him," she spoke harshly, her finger digging into his skin through the fabric. "You're taking on all their burdens and placing it on your own shoulders without a care for your own wellbeing. You're forcing yourself onwards well past the breaking point and soon enough you. Will. Break. And you know it."

Izuku looked away. "You don't understand, I-"

SLAP!

"Don't tell me I don't understand!" Tokage snapped, his cheek stinging as he stared wide-eyed at her. "I understand better than most! You believe it's your responsibility to take down All For One! Because of the bloody history both One For All and All For One share! So you decided it's best that you go off on your own to end things, because you believe that you're the only one who can!"

Izuku continued to stare at her in undisguised shock. Whatever he might have expected from her, it definitely wasn't this.

"My-our Izuku knew better!" She shouted, voice thick with emotion. "That while he may have had power beyond that of normal people, he was only ever just one person! He understood that even heroes need help!"

Tokage had become breathless, face red as she glared at him, tears pricking the corners of her dark emerald eyes. She whirled around, choking back a sob. "Dammit. I don't know why I'm even saying all this. It doesn't matter. You're not- You're not him."

That stung. More than Izuku would be willing to admit. But he just couldn't understand why it did. It was like- almost as if-

The pieces finally fell into place. Everything Tokage had been saying about her Izuku up to this point started to make sense. Her Izuku.

"You and Izuku," he said slowly, watching as her shoulders tensed. "What were-"

"Don't!"

She'd spun around, her expression a mixture of grief and rage. "Don't. You aren't him. Izuku- MY Izuku is gone. A true hero, someone with both the power and kindness to lead us through the dark times. But he's gone now! So those of us left behind now have to pick up the pieces! We have to be better if we have any hope of saving what little remains!" She took a few moments to catch her breath before squaring her shoulders. "Izuku Midoriya." Her gaze had hardened, the tears dried on her cheeks. "You are not some godly being. You are not some prophesied hero. You're just you. A single human being. If you really believe that only you can put an end to All For One, here and in your world, then you're even more stupid than I thought."

Alright, who does this chick think she is?! Daigoro shouted indignantly. I'll give her a piece of my-!

"Hey!" Tokage shouted, glaring not quite directly at Izuku, but somewhat to the left of his head. "It's just me and Mumbles here talking, so stay out of it, vestige!"

Shit. Daigoro's presence faded faster than Izuku could ever remember him doing so.

"How did you..." Izuku trailed off.

"Your eyes," she cocked an angry eyebrow. "You need to work on that habit of your eyes straying to where you hear their voices." She turned sharply, marching back towards the roof door. "We're done here. I shouldn't have even come here in the first place. It's clear that while you may share the same name and looks, you are nothing like Izuku Midoriya."

She stalked back to the door and without looking back shut it loudly behind her. Izuku just stood there with his head down as the wind picked up around him. He raised his hand to his cheek. It no longer stung, but it was almost as if he could still feel the impact. He let his hand drop to his side.

The grief he'd felt had evaporated. The rage he wanted to unleash on All For One dissipated. The brief happiness he'd gotten from speaking with Tokage gone with the wind. Now all he could feel was how tired he was.

He raised his gaze to the bleak night sky. He was just so tired. So, so tired.

The term is now ended and I am now free to write to my heart's content. Well, free is relatively speaking. I'm going to work more. Need more money for University in the fall. However, that still leaves me for more time to write than when I was doing school and work. So get ready. This is only the halfway point. Toodles~