Well...This Is Awkward HIATUS

Part 8: What Is Hopefully Just A Really Bad Trip

Upon next opening his eyes, Izuku found his mind was spinning more than it had been when he had decided to meditate. Honestly, he wasn't relaxed in the slightest. While he was glad to have more information about the quirk he now called his own, he was so very confused as to what the hell was going on. The vistages he'd talked to - and wasn't that a trip to think about - had told him how to control One For All and that All For One, if he was still alive, would target him should his quirk be revealed, but they hadn't told him what or who they are. Though, only two of them spoke to him, he felt like all of them had said at least something to him. Oh, he was so confused! Why couldn't things just be simple for once?

"Izu-kun?" Toga knocked on the door before opening it on his call, "Mama Inko says that dinner's ready."

Nodding, he stood from his seat on the floor and followed her down the stairs and to the kitchen. He decided that whatever was going on with his quirk could wait until later. For now, he's going to relax and eat the food his mother cooked.

***

Going to bed was a bit more challenging that he would have liked it to be. He didn't know why, but he both did and didn't want to go to sleep. On one hand, sleep is good and healthy and he can really only reap benefits from having a good sleep schedule that works for him. One the other hand, he really didn't wanna risk getting pulled back into wherever he was earlier and talking to those vistage things. They were creepy as everything and he really did not want to go through that again.

With a sigh, he decided that one sleepless night wouldn't hurt him. Quietly, he went over to his desk and pulled out his notebook. It was a new one he called Number Zero. In it were the quirks of his family and everyone he considers close. In order - with a few pages between each - he has his mother, Toga, Dabi, Detective Tsukatchi, and All Might. He was going to add to All Might's page, but ultimately decided against that and flipped a few pages, labeling this one for himself.

"What do I know about this quirk..." he mumbled to himself, flipping between his own and All Might's pages. "It's called One For All," he put at the top of the page, "and that it's a strength enhancement, but I'm inclined to think it's something more than that. If the trip earlier is to be believed, then OFA is less of an enhancement and more of a stockpile. But I knew that already." He thought back to the conversation he'd had with All Might when the man had told him about his quirk. "My next question is about the limits on the stockpile aspect. If I revisit the idea that it's got some kind of hold on the quirks of the people who ha OFA before me, then would I be able to use their quirks? If so, I should probably find out who all had One For All before me." he'd stopped writing by this point. "But, that'll be a whole process that'll take a lot of time that I don't have."

"You could just ask us." the voice he heard earlier when he opened his eyes in that strange hazy world said. He froze. "No need to be startled, I'll explain."

Izuku closed is notebook gently and put it back in its place. "Maybe I should sleep. Sleep is good. Sleep is healthy. Sleep will stop hallucinations."

"Usually."

"Usually." He agreed. He stopped just sort of picking up the blanket on his bed. That voice was new.

"Now look, you've scared the poor kid to death!" The first voice, a female, scolded teasingly.

The second voice, much gruffer and definately belonging to a man who' inhaled way too much smoke, said. "He's fine. He's still standing and his heart is still beating."

Izuku slowly lifted his right hand to his pulsepoint under his jaw. His heartbeat was still there. Good. That means that this is either a really bad trip, although he's never done drugs, or a really bad dream.

The two voices started laughing and a third one joined in. This one had spoken to him earlier with the female. The voice belonged to a male, but it was much softer and more androgynous than the other male's voice. "You're a very funny child."

The green haired boy shuddered softly and turned around. There were three people in his room. Three strange people. Three strange, fully grown adults. The woman was leaning on his desk, somehow not affecting the paper's she was surely sitting on. One male - the bald one - was leaning against  the wall beside his bookcase. The last person was sitting on his chair, the other two on either side of him.

"Who-" his voice left him, sohe cleared his throat awkwardly, "Who are you guys."

"You don't remember?" the woman asked, "We introduced ourselves earlier." Did they? He couldn't remember. "Nevertheless, I'm Shimura Nana, the seventh holder of One For All." Why was her name familiar?

The bald man spoke next, "Banjo Daigoro, the fifth holder of One For All."

Finally, the man in the middle said, "My name is Shigaraki Yoichi, the first holder of One For All."

"Okay," Izuku figured he could work with this. He just needs to calm down. "Okay."

"Are you alright, child?" Shigaraki Yoichi asked.

"Yeah, I'm- I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine to me." Banjo Daigoro oh-so helpfully snorted.

Shimura Nana reached over and scuffed the taller man on the back of his head. "Be nice."

"What are you guys?" Izuku interrupted.

"You must have a terrible memory-" Banjo scoffed.

"My memory is just fine, thank you."

The bald man continued, "Then you'll stop asking questions we answered already. We're just here to help you figure shit out."

"Language, Daigoro." Shimura scolded again.

He glared at her with a smirk, "Like you're one to talk 'Shimura-fucking-Nana'."

The woman flushed a bright red colour and turned to face away from the others in the room. "Would you leave that be? That was one time."

"Aw, but where's the fun in that? Besides, we all know that was said more than one time."

"Ignore them," Shigaraki said, "We understand that your entrance exams are less than a week from now. While we can't help with much, Nana's successor - your immediate predecessor - has done you a disservice by giving you a quirk this powerful without any time to get better at it before you need it. We're here to do what we can. To do that, though, you'll need to go to sleep."

"Huh? Why?"

"While it may seem illogical, they best way for you to get better right now is for you to go to sleep. While your body rests, we'll pull you into One For All itself - where we reside - and we'll help you control the strength stockpile first. You're mind will be exhausted in the morning, but it will only be for tonight." He stood from his seat, effectively shutting the other two up, "I'll explain more as we get there. What do you say?" He held his hand out for Izuku to take.

It took the previously quirkless child to wrap his head around this, but he figured this was strange, even for people born with quirks! Was he always destined to be the odd one out? What had he done in a past life to deserve this? Regardless, he steeled himself and took Shigaraki's hand. No turning back now.

Then, he fell asleep.