Izuku: the one

Training

My eyes snap open and I thrash against the chair, trying to rip the cable from the back of his neck.

"Get this thing out of me!"

"Easy, Deku. Easy."

Ingenium holds me while Uravity unlocks it. Once it's out, I tear away from them, falling as I trip free of the harness."

"Don't touch me! Get away from me!"

On I hands and knees, I reel as the world spins. Sweat pours off me as a pressure builds inside my skull as if my brain had been put into a centrifuge.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it!"

"He's going to pop!" Lazer yelled

Vomiting violently, I pitch forward and black out.

Hours later I blink, regaining consciousness. The room is dark. I am stretched out on my bed.

"I can't go back, can I?"

All Might is sitting like a shadow on a chair in the far corner.

"No. But if you could, would you really want to?"

Deep down, I know that answer.

"I feel that I owe you an apology. There is a rule that we do not free a mind once it reaches a certain age. It is dangerous. They have trouble letting go. Their mind turns against them. I've seen it happen. I'm sorry. I broke the rule because I had to." He stares into the darkness, confessing as much to himself as to me. "When the Matrix was first built there was a man born inside that had the ability to change what he wanted, to remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was this man that freed the first of us and taught us the truth; as long as the Matrix exists, the human race will never be free. When he died, the Oracle prophesied his return and envisioned that his coming would hail the destruction of the Matrix, an end to the war and freedom for our people. That is why there are those of us that have spent our entire lives searching the Matrix, looking for him."

"Ask about me " Neo asked me.

"All Might, what do you know about Neo."

"He's your predecessor as the One, he settled a truce with the machines but accidentally broke said truce when he and Trinity were reunited. The Oracle prophesied his return and you could finally destroy the Matrix. Under the title he was the sixth version." I can feel his eyes on me. "I did what I did because I believe the search is over."

He stands up.

"Get some rest. You're going to need it."

"For what?"

"Your training."

There is no morning; there is only darkness and then the fluorescent light sticks flicker on. I am awake in my bed, staring up at the lights. The door opens and Mic steps inside.

"Morning. Did you sleep?"

"No." I said.

"You will tonight. I guarantee it. I'm Mic. I'll be your operator."

He offers his hand and I shake it. I notice that Mic doesn't have any jacks.

"You don't have..."

"Any holes? Nope. Me and Ingenium, we are 100% percent pure, old fashioned, home-grown human. Born free. Right here in the real world. Genuine child of IO."

"IO?"

"If this war ends tomorrow, IO is where the party would be."

"It's a city?"

"The last human city and where Sentients live among us as allies. The only place we got left."

"Where is it?

"Deep underground. Near the earth's core, where it's still warm. You live long enough; you might even see it."

"There's also a holographic barrier to keep the Sentinels out." Neo said to me.

Mic smiles. "Goddamn, I got to tell you, I'm fairly excited to see what you are capable of. I mean if All Might is right and all. We're not supposed to talk about any of that but if you are, well then this is an exciting time. We got a lot to do so let's get to it."

Later, I am plugged in, hanging in one of the suspension chairs again. Last time i passed out.

"We're supposed to load all these operations programs first, but this is some major boring shit. Why don't we start with something a little fun?"

Mic smiles as he plops into his operator's chair. He begins flipping through a tall carousel loaded with micro discs.

"How about some combat training?"

I read the label on the disc.

"Jujitsu? I'm going to learn jujitsu?"

He slides the disc into my supplement drive.

"No way."

"Yes way." Neo says.

Smiling, He punches the "load" code. My body jumps against the harness as my eyes clamp shut. The monitors kick wildly as my heart pounds, adrenaline surges, and my brain sizzles. An instant later my eyes snap open.

"Holy shit!"

"Hey, Mikey, he likes it! Ready for more?

"Hell yes!"

A computer monitor as grey pixels slowly fill a small, half-empty box. It is a meter displaying how much download time is left. The title bar reads: "Combat Series 20 of 22," file categories flashing beneath it: "Savate, Jujitsu, Karate, Jeet Kun Do, Nanto Seiken, Ken Po, Ninjitsu, Spinjitsu, Hapkido, Hokuto Shinken, Drunken Boxing..."

All Might walks in.

"How is he?"

"Ten hours straight. He's a machine."

My body spasms and relaxes as my eyes open, breath hissing from my lips. I look like I just orgasmed.

"This is incredible. I know kung fu."

"Show me." He said.