Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
___
After the Bus Trip
Eraser POV
USJ
Standing before the gate of the enormous facility where they would be training today, Joker and the rest of the class stared at the building in awe. Seeing this, Eraser teased,
"If this already got you excited, then just wait for the inside."
Opening the door and entering the giant dome, the students and teachers who were here for the first time looked around, mouths agape, surprised by the sheer number of distinct training zones. Among them were a giant lake with a boat, a landslide zone, a burning city, and much more. It was truly one of the top-tier training facilities in the country.
At the archway before the staircase leading down to the main plaza, a hero was already waiting for them: the rescue hero Thirteen. Ochaco Uraraka, whose own costume was inspired by Thirteen's space-themed look, was immediately drawn to the hero and wanted to start firing off questions, but was cut short by Eraser.
"Let Thirteen give her speech before you bombard her with questions," the Erasure Hero lectured, before stepping back to give the pro some space.
And that's exactly what Thirteen did. She began her well-rehearsed speech about the dangers of quirks and the vital importance of rescue heroes. Eraser mostly tuned her out, he'd heard it every year for almost two decades and just wasn't interested anymore.
During the speech, however, a growing sense of unease began to creep into him. ‚Something's wrong... My gut tells me this is about to go sideways.'
As if on cue, he caught Midoriya's eyes widening slightly before narrowing again and locking with his.
Taking the hint, the two teachers walked toward each other and started whispering.
"You felt something, didn't you?"
"I did. Someone's trying to open a spatial distortion in the middle of the plaza, and I can sense smaller ones all over the facility," Joker replied quietly.
"Meaning?" Aizawa shot back.
Sighing, Midoriya looked at him sternly. "Meaning someone's trying to break into this facility using a portal quirk. A very powerful one at that."
"Understood. Keep scouting. I'll inform Toshinori and Thirteen, we need to get the kids out of here, now."
Eraser moved toward the other teachers, but before he could reach them, Joker suddenly yelled,
"Watch it, Eraser! It's coming from below!"
As he heard that, a swirling mass of black and purple mist appeared beneath the students and teachers still listening to the speech.
Reacting quickly, Eraser managed to use his capture weapon to pull Ayato out of the mist just in time. Of the rest, only Shoto was quick enough to grab Momo and Haruki and leap to safety. Thirteen, Toshinori, and the remaining students were all swallowed up before Eraser could reach them.
"Crap! Joker, where the hell did they go?!" Eraser shouted, storming toward his fellow teacher. But the space-user wasn't looking at him, he was staring at the center of the plaza.
"They've been scattered across the facility... but I don't think that's our main problem right now. Look."
Eraser was about to yell at him, but stopped cold when he saw what Joker was pointing at. In the center of the plaza, more warp gates were opening, and from them poured in a swarm of lowlife thugs.
At the end of the stream, two individuals emerged from a portal. The first was a lanky young man with blue hair and dried hands covering his upper body. The second was cloaked in black, a much taller figure, completely shrouded in mystery.
Eraser turned to Joker with concern. "I was under the impression you could disrupt other portal users. So why didn't you cancel all of them?"
Joker didn't turn, eyes locked on the plaza. "I can. But the main portal opened directly under their feet, if I'd disrupted it, the students might've been cut in half. Besides, after all the training I've given them, they should be more than capable of handling the low-level thugs spread around the facility."
"The only ones we need to worry about are the warp user, the hand guy, and the cloaked individual. The rest aren't even fit to be cannon fodder."
"Then for your sake, I hope you're right," Eraser muttered, eyes still fixed on the unfolding chaos. He was about to ask what Joker intended to do, when a huge cloud of black and green mist appeared above the plaza.
All combatants looked up as two figures stepped out of the cloud and stood mid-air, as if floating.
The first was a man clad in black combat pants and a hooded vest marked with green dragon symbols. A silver metallic mask with a dragon design covered his face, glowing green light shining from the eye slits.
The second was dressed in full Viking regalia, a feathered hooded cloak, and a wooden mask, with an eyepatch over the left eye. He held an ornate golden spear pulsing with Nordic runes and crackling electricity.
Eraser, recognizing one of them, froze. ‚If that dragon-masked bastard is anything like he was during the last encounter... this is going to be bad.'
He turned to Joker to warn him, but the cane-wielder spoke first.
"Eraser. The Situation changed. Those two are way too dangerous for you or the students to handle. Take the four here and find the others, then retreat."
Even knowing the space-user was right, Aizawa still protested. "You don't get to make that decision for me!"
What came next wasn't something Eraser ever expected to see again.
Midoriya turned to him, and the warm emerald green eyes Aizawa knew so well were gone. In their place were two black voids with glowing white irises. Eyes devoid of all emotion. Looking into them felt like having your soul hollowed out.
"That wasn't a suggestion, Aizawa. Go."
Eraser responded instinctively, like an old student snapping to attention. "Of course, Professor."
"Good. I'll deal with this mess," Joker affirmed, heading into the chaos.
Still dazed, Aizawa found himself flooded with memories, his time as a student at UA, alongside Present Mic and their old friend Oboro Shirakumo... and their professor.
A man in his early thirties, with silver hair tied into a man bun, a silver goatee, signature red-rimmed sunglasses and a cigarette stuck in his mouth.
Shaking off the flashback, Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. ‚I can't believe it. After all these years... those eyes still make me feel like a damn student.'
Refocusing, he turned to the four students still present, intent on following Joker's advice. But he stopped cold again.
Those eyes.
This time, they weren't on Midoriya, but on Ayato.
The boy stared blankly at the space-user's last position. His irises had gone black, with glowing white centers. The same as Joker's. The other three students were already watching him in stunned silence.
Then Ayato's head began moving rapidly and erratically. When he stilled, his white irises had turned deep blue. He stretched his body and, with a feminine yawn, spoke.
"Things are moving faster than expected. Don't you agree, First?"
The irises shifted back to white, and a different tone emerged, monotone, lifeless, tired.
"Yes, indeed. I think we should also make our move, Sixth."
Back to blue. The feminine voice returned with a smug grin.
"With pleasure, First."
Then Ayato's eyes returned to normal. He blinked a few times, then turned to Eraser with innocent confusion.
"Something wrong, Mr. Aizawa?"
The pro was about to answer, but then it hit. A massive shockwave from the plaza shook the entire facility. He knew that sensation instantly.
'That's Dragon's shockwave power, the one that knocks people out instantly. But... why does it feel like there's a second one?'
Rushing to the edge, he caught a glimpse of the battlefield.
Standing in a ring of unconscious thugs were Dragon and Joker, locked in a power clash, both releasing waves of that strange, mind-numbing energy.
Eraser was so entranced by what he saw that he didn't hear his students shouting a warning, until it was too late.
The blue-haired man with the hands was sent flying out of the plaza, crashing into Eraser with violent force and dragging him along hundreds of meters away, straight into the forest zone.
Now, Aizawa stood face-to-face with the hand-covered man.
And the real fight was just about to begin.