The morning after the training incident hung heavy in the air. A strange quiet had settled over the Class 1-A dorms, a quiet that felt less like peace and more like a waiting game. Students moved through the common room with hushed voices, glancing at Lena, then quickly looking away. The fear from the day before still clung to them like a bad smell. Lena felt their eyes on her, even when they weren't directly looking, and it made the "Hole" inside her rumble louder. It was a constant, low growl, a reminder of what she was and what she could accidentally do.
Lena sat at a table by herself, trying to eat breakfast, but her food tasted like ash. She felt their worry, their confusion. She was a danger. How could she face them? Every time someone walked past, she tensed, afraid a spoon might suddenly bend or the milk carton might skip a second.
Suddenly, Tenya Iida marched straight up to her table. He was wearing his usual serious face, but his movements were a little stiffer than normal, like he was trying to hold something back. He put his hands on the table, leaning forward. "Oxton!" he began, his voice firm but clear. "The incident yesterday was… alarming! As class representative, I believe it is imperative that we understand the nature of these temporal anomalies! Have you reported these escalating occurrences to the faculty?" He wanted answers, and he wanted them in a very orderly way.
Lena flinched, pulling her shoulders up. "I… I just… I'm okay, Iida," she mumbled, not meeting his gaze. She didn't want to lie, but what could she say? My power is breaking the world, and I don't know why or how to stop it?
Before Iida could press further, Kyoka Jiro walked up, pulling Lena's chair out slightly. Her voice was calm and steady, like a quiet wave. "Iida, give her a minute. This isn't easy for her." She then looked at Lena, her eyes kind but firm. "Lena, he's right. The teachers know something's up. Principal Nezu and Mr. Aizawa were asking about it after the drill. They're going to talk to you. You need to tell them, or at least let us help you explain."
Momo Yaoyorozu approached, her posture perfect, but her face showed deep concern. "Kyoka is correct, Lena. We have observed the severity of these events. Your Quirk is manifesting in ways that require expert intervention. It is not a failure on your part, but a situation that requires collective assistance. We are all deeply worried about you." Momo's words were very proper, but her worry was true.
Lena's eyes darted between her friends. Iida, rigid with concern. Momo, thoughtful and kind. Kyoka, steady as a rock. Even now, they wanted to help her. But the idea of telling the teachers, of being examined like a broken experiment… it was terrifying. "I… I don't know what to say. It's… it's just getting worse. And I don't know why." Her voice was barely a whisper.
Shota Aizawa sat at a table in the faculty lounge, rubbing his tired eyes. He had just finished looking at the detailed reports from the training ground. The numbers on the screen confirmed his worst fears. Across from him, Principal Nezu sipped calmly from a teacup, but his small, intelligent eyes missed nothing.
"The temporal distortion from Young Oxton's Quirk lasted nearly ten seconds," Aizawa stated, his voice flat but serious. "It affected a significant area. The energy spikes are off the charts for a developing Quirk. This is no longer something we can just 'monitor.' This is an active, escalating threat." He knew Lena wasn't doing it on purpose, but facts were facts.
Nezu placed his teacup down with a soft click. "Indeed, Aizawa. And it directly matches the 'ghost' signals we've been seeing in the UA network. Brief outages, system hiccups, data skips. Her Quirk is so powerful, it's affecting our very systems without her even trying. It's truly a phenomenon. A very dangerous one."
"So, what's the plan?" Aizawa asked, looking at the Principal. "Do we put her on house arrest? Keep her out of training? She can't keep doing this." He didn't want to punish Lena, but he had to keep the other students safe.
"No, Aizawa, not house arrest," Nezu replied, a thoughtful hum in his voice. "We must approach this with care. She is a student, and this is beyond her control. We need more than just containment. We need understanding. Deep understanding. And for that, we need specialized expertise. I have already contacted David Shield. He has unique knowledge of such complex Quirk energies."
Aizawa's eyebrows went up slightly. "David Shield? The I-Island genius? That's… a big step. Are you sure he can help with this?" He knew David was smart, but this was different.
"If anyone can, it is he," Nezu said with certainty. "He possesses unique insights into the very nature of Quirk evolution, especially those with such… unique signatures." He paused. "He also happens to have some historical data on Young Oxton's Quirk, from a past, regrettable incident on I-Island that gave him an early, if incomplete, look at its true nature." Nezu's voice hinted at hidden knowledge, a secret known only to a few.
Winston Oxton stared at the holographic image of David Shield, who looked back with a mix of deep concern and scientific fascination. Winston had just sent him the new data from the UA incident. The images of Iida looping, Uraraka's object flickering, Sero's tape going back and forth – they played over and over in Winston's mind.
"David, you saw it," Winston's voice was strained, heavy with fear. "It's not just affecting objects now. It's affecting people. Living, breathing people. And for ten whole seconds!" His hands trembled slightly as he pointed to a graph showing the energy spikes. "This is beyond anything I predicted. She's… she's a living temporal storm, David. My daughter."
David nodded slowly, his expression grim. He looked at his own screens, where complex models of Lena's Quirk, based on the past data he'd managed to retrieve from his research, spun and pulsed. "Indeed, Winston. The 'entropic singularity' I've theorized is no longer theoretical. It is manifesting with alarming speed. Her Quirk isn't simply manipulating time. It's a localized point where the very rules of cause and effect are breaking down." His voice was calm, but the seriousness in it was unmistakable. "The data I retrieved about her unique energy signature, during that… unfortunate incident on I-Island years ago… it allowed me to predict something of this scale. But not this speed of development."
"So, what do we do?" Winston pleaded, running a hand through his hair. "I'm a scientist, David, not a hero. I don't know how to stop this. I only know how to measure it, and my measurements say we're running out of time."
David leaned closer to the hologram, his gaze steady and direct. "We bring her here, Winston. To I-Island. It is the only place. My lab is shielded from the outside world. My equipment can handle these energy levels. And, crucially, my research, based on that prior data, has allowed me to develop a unique method to attempt stabilization for such extreme anomalies. It's a high-risk, high-reward approach, but it is the only viable path I see to prevent her Quirk from becoming an uncontrolled global phenomenon."
Winston's eyes widened. "I-Island? Take her from UA? What about her friends? Her education?" He worried about Lena being seen as a problem, a scientific experiment.
"Her life, and the safety of countless others, is more important than her current curriculum," David stated firmly. "This is a unique situation that demands unique solutions. We must act quickly, before the 'Hole' consumes her entirely, or rips a hole in reality that we cannot mend."
In her dark lab, Moira O'Deorain watched the live feed from UA's training ground. The video showed the chaotic loop, then Lena's pale, guilty face. Moira's thin lips curled into a cold, knowing smile. "Excellent," she purred, a low, satisfied sound. "The catalyst grows more powerful with each manifestation. She is reaching criticality."
Reaper, observing from a hidden spot overlooking UA, spoke into his comms. His voice was a gravelly whisper. "The girl's power is escalating. The temporal loops are no longer just subtle. They are impacting the physical world and those around her. It's a faster rate than predicted, even with her latent potential."
Moira listened, nodding slowly. "Indeed, Reaper. The internal entropic acceleration is remarkable." She turned to a holographic map of the world. "Sombra, have you detected any high-level communications about I-Island? Nezu will undoubtedly be reaching out to David Shield. His methods for Quirk study are… unconventional, but highly effective for such anomalies."
Sombra's voice, though electronically altered, held a hint of frustration. "I-Island's core firewalls remain impenetrable, Moira. Trust me, I've tried. They remember me. But I'm monitoring external diplomatic and scientific communication channels that are linked to I-Island. Anything about a high-profile transfer, or a new 'project,' would show up there." Her tone was a blend of annoyance at her past failure and sharp focus on the present task. "I can track their movements, their plans for her. David Shield might be a genius, but even he has to use public networks for certain things."
Moira smiled. "Precisely. We may not breach their fortress, but we will observe. We need to understand David Shield's methodology for 'stabilization.' It might just provide us with the key to further unlock her true potential, or even replicate it." Her eyes gleamed with a predatory light. "This is not a setback, Sombra. This is a fascinating turn of events."
Lena sat on her bed again, Kyoka still beside her. The sounds of other students moving around in the dorms, laughing softly, felt very far away. The "Hole" inside her was quiet for now, but its memory lingered, a heavy, dark presence. She closed her eyes, seeing Iida's confused face, Uraraka's worried look, Mina's shock. She had caused that. Her own Quirk had hurt them.
"I can't go on like this," Lena whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm a danger. To everyone. I need… I need to figure this out." Her hands were clenched tight in her lap.
Kyoka wrapped an arm around Lena's shoulders, pulling her gently closer. Her voice was soft, but firm, like a promise. "You're not a danger, Lena. You're just… strong. Too strong to control right now. And it's not your fault. But you're right. You can't go on like this alone." Kyoka paused, then looked directly at Lena. "If the teachers offer a way, a place… even somewhere far away like I-Island… you have to consider it. For yourself. For us."
Lena leaned into Kyoka's touch, finding a small comfort there. The idea of leaving her friends, leaving UA, was painful. She didn't want to be a problem sent away. But the thought of another incident, of truly hurting someone… that fear was even bigger. The "Hole" inside her felt like a monster, but Kyoka's words and the image of her friends' faces were a shield. She had to fight this. She had to gain control. For them.
The path ahead was unclear and scary, but for the first time, Lena felt a small spark of purpose guiding her. She wasn't fighting alone.