MHA : Chronos

[A week later...]

As they left the café, the sun had begun to set. Izuku walked beside Ochaco, their conversation drifting from casual topics to their shared dreams of becoming pro heroes. He felt lighter, as though the weight of the day's challenges had eased, even if just for a little while.

Ochaco stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied sigh. "That ramen hit the spot. I think I'll sleep like a rock tonight."

Izuku chuckled. "Same here."

"You've already proven yourself. Take some time to let your body recover, okay?" She said.

He nodded, her concern warming his chest. "I will. Thanks, Ochaco."

They walked in silence for a moment, the city sounds humming around them.

Ochaco glanced at him, her cheeks slightly pink. "Hey, Izuku?"

"Yeah?"

"You know... it's okay to lean on others sometimes. You're always so focused on improving and helping everyone else, but it's okay to let people help you too." She hesitated, then added, "Like me, for example. If you ever need someone to talk to or, I don't know, grab ramen with... I'm here."

Izuku blinked, her words catching him off guard. His face grew hot, and he looked down at his feet, trying to gather his thoughts. "I—I appreciate that, Ochaco. It means a lot. And… I'll try to remember that."

"Good," she said, smiling brightly. "Because you're not alone, you know. We're a team."

Her words echoed in his mind as they continued walking.

When they finally reached Ochaco's home, Ochaco gave him a small wave. "Goodnight, Deku. Don't stay up too late training, okay?"

"Goodnight, Ochaco," he said, his voice softer than he intended. "And… thanks again. For everything."

As she disappeared into the building, Izuku stood outside for a moment, staring up at the stars. Chronos' voice broke the silence in his mind. 

"You're soft," the quirk muttered, though its tone lacked its usual harshness. "But maybe that's not a bad thing. Just don't let it make you weak." Day by day, Izuku had wondered if Chronos was a quirk or a real entity. In the beginning, he was cruel as hell, always about taking over his body, but lately, he had become a teacher of sorts, but it wasn't possible, 14 years are like minutes to this man.

Izuku sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Chronos was a mystery—one he'd been trying to solve ever since he first activated his quirk. At times, the voice felt like a relentless drill instructor. Other times, it offered guidance, as though it had lived through countless battles and seen the heights and pitfalls of power.

"Are you even a quirk?" Izuku muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the stars.

"Does it matter?" Chronos replied. "You and I are bound, Young Mortal. Call me a quirk, a mentor, or whatever else makes you feel comfortable. It won't change the reality—you need me, and I need you."

Izuku frowned, frustrated by the cryptic reply. "It matters to me. I need to understand. If you're something more than a quirk, what are you? Why do you even care what I do?"

Chronos paused. "You think I care, boy? I don't. But if you fail, so do I. Your body is fragile. You're unrefined, and without my guidance, you'll crumble under the weight of your dreams. I've seen it happen to countless others. I won't let you waste this power."

"Countless others? What do you mean? Are there others like me? Have you been with someone else before?"

"Enough questions for tonight," Chronos snapped. "You need rest. Tomorrow is another day to prove you're worth my time."

"Alright, dude, your wish. Whistle, whistle, whistle." Izuku began whistling as he walked home.

*CUT*

The next day, Izuku woke up, thanks to his mother.

The sound of his mother's gentle voice was accompanied by a faint knock on my door. "Izuku, time to wake up. You'll be late for school."

He groaned, rolling over and pulling the blanket tighter around himself. 

"Coming, Mom," He mumbled, my voice muffled by the pillow.

Chronos, of course, had something to add. "A warrior sleeps lightly, Izuku. You should have been up with the sun."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a warrior yet," He muttered under his breath, dragging himself out of bed, barely.

"Excuses," Chronos said.

Today was another chance to grow, another chance to step closer to his dream.

Downstairs, the smell of his mother's cooking greeted him. She had prepared a breakfast—eggs, toast, and rice, all neatly plated. I couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning, Izuku," she said warmly, placing a glass of juice on the table.

"Good morning, Mom," I said, sitting down and digging in. 

As he finished eating and grabbed my bag, she called out after him, "Have a great day, Izuku. And don't push yourself too hard!"

"I won't!" He promised, waving goodbye as he headed out the door.

But as he reached the gates, "Ready yourself, boy," Chronos murmured in his mind. "Another day of proving your worth awaits."

"Yeah, yeah, David Goggins," he muttered, stepping onto campus.

As he approached the classroom, he caught sight of Bakugo glaring at some poor first-year who had made the mistake of walking too slowly in front of him. Typical. Todoroki walked past them without a glance.

When he stepped into the classroom, Ochaco waved to me from her desk. "Morning, Deku!" she said brightly.

"Morning, Ochaco," He replied, walking over to take my seat. 

Snap. Just like that. It was noon now, and they carried on with their usual classes, Aizawa told them about a surprise today, and Izuku figured that it was next period.

"What do you think the surprise is?" He asked the people sitting at the bench where he was also sitting.

"Maybe it's another training exercise," Iida speculated, adjusting his glasses. "Aizawa-sensei did mention adaptability in his recent lectures. It could be a practical lesson to test us."

"Ugh, I hope it's not something too exhausting," Kaminari groaned, slouching in his seat. "We've barely recovered from last week's rescue drills."

"Stop whining, Pikachu," Bakugo snapped from his seat. "Whatever it is, I'll crush it."

Mina leaned forward. "What if it's something fun, like a field trip or a special guest hero?"

"Doubtful," Todoroki said, "Aizawa-sensei's surprises are rarely fun."

Ochaco tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it's a new group exercise? He's been emphasizing teamwork a lot lately."

Ding Ding Ding. The bell rang as the lunch break was over. Izuku sighed and deposited my plate at the cleaning centre. He sure as hell, was excited.

Soon, the classroom filled with murmurs of excitement as everyone gathered in anticipation. Suddenly, Izuku heard a voice he could only describe as iconic.

"I AM HERE, COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" he shouted, dashing.

"That costume, it's his Silver Age Costume!" one student whispered in awe. "I can't believe All Might is teaching us!"

Kirishima couldn't contain his enthusiasm. His eyes were practically sparkling. "All Might!" he shouted. "What brings you here today?"

"FOUNDATIONAL HERO STUDIES!" All Might announced. "For this class, we'll be building up your hero foundation through various trials. The Trial of Battle!".

"OOH yeah, baby! That's what I'm talking about, that's what we've been waiting for!" Kirishima shouted, clearly hyped as f***.

"I'm so excited!" Mina exclaimed, and did her dances?

All Might raised a hand, and instantly, the room was deafeningly silent. "Alright, listen up!".

"We're going to test your abilities with a little exercise called the Trial of Battle. You'll be split into teams, and you'll face off in combat scenarios. The goal isn't just to win, but to showcase your hero instincts. How well do you handle battle situations? How effectively can you think on your feet?" All Might explained.

Kirishima couldn't hold back his enthusiasm. "This is going to be amazing!" he shouted, practically shaking with anticipation. It was clear that he thrived in situations like this. He was flying in joy, probably going above light speed.

Bakugo, however, wasn't as excited. Instead, he grinned. "This is going to be fun," he said, "Fun when I show all of you goddamn SIDE characters your place!"

Aizawa, who had been quietly observing from the back, stepped forward. His tired eyes flicked toward All Might before he addressed the class. "No holding back. You'll be tested on combat, strategy, and teamwork. But don't get too comfortable thinking it's all about brute force. You'll be judged on your ability to think, adapt, and make decisions quickly. And trust me, there will be consequences if you fail.".

The class quickly moved to the training ground where the school had prepared a set.

The class was then divided into teams, and Izuku found himself paired with none other than Bakugo in Group A.

"Great," Izuku muttered under his breath. He had been hoping to team up with someone like Ochaco or Iida, but instead, he was stuck with his volatile, short-tempered rival.

Bakugo shot him a glare that could've melted steel. "You better not screw up, Deku,"

"Bitch, who was top of the test yesterday?" Izuku snapped at Bakugo, his ego spiking.

"I don't care about your test scores damn it!" Bakugo growled.

"Whatever, we're up against... group D?" Izuku looked at the billboard. The people in group D were... Todoroki and Ochaco.