an ODST among Heroes.

1 Snag.

Izuku stood frozen, his heart pounding as he watched the blazing inferno that had once been his home. Flames tore through the structure, and just as he managed to cross the police barricade, he saw the roof give way, collapsing into itself with a deafening roar. The ground felt as though it had dropped out from under him, and he sank to his knees, staring in shock. A single word escaped him, choked and hollow: "Mom..."

A voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts. "Excuse me, kid," Endeavor's deep, gravelly voice broke through the roar of the flames. "Was that your apartment building?"

Izuku looked up at the towering figure of the number two pro hero, his face twisted with fury and pain. "YOU," he spat, venom dripping from his voice.

Endeavor’s expression was impassive, almost detached, as he began to speak again. "I know you're upset, but—"

He didn't get the chance to finish. With a sudden burst of energy, Izuku leaped up and aimed a sharp kick, landing it squarely between Endeavor’s legs. The pro hero doubled over in shock and pain, his tough exterior momentarily shattered as he stumbled, gasping. By the time he had recovered, Izuku was gone, disappearing into the night.

Hours later, Izuku found himself alone on a park bench. The adrenaline had faded, leaving behind a numb emptiness as he stared blankly at the darkened playground. He hugged his knees to his chest, shivering not from the cold, but from the gaping void that had opened up in his life.

---

System X March 8th 2531 UNSC Vanishing point

Dr. Katherine Halsey sipped her coffee as she scrutinized the feed on her console. The images flickered with static, the faint hum of the Point Blank-class prowler’s systems surrounding her. ONI had deemed this mission highly classified, and now she understood why: an alternate Earth, discovered on the other side of a wormhole. "Intriguing," she murmured, her eyes narrowing with intense curiosity as she analyzed the unfamiliar landscape on the screen.

The A.I., Nolan, materialized beside her in his sleek, translucent form. "Always one for understatement, Doctor," he said with a hint of dry humor.

Halsey smirked slightly, glancing at him before turning back to the console. "At the very least, it gives us a fallback option—a second Earth—should the Covenant ever reach our own. It’s no wonder ONI sent a prowler to investigate. But their media only scratches the surface."

"I concur with your assessment. Our data remains superficial at best," Nolan replied, his tone calculated.

Halsey tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the console, her mind racing through possibilities. "A world with advanced powers—'Quirks,' they call them—embedded in its society. But it’s not technology, at least not as we know it. Genetic mutation, perhaps? We need deeper insight. There are limits to what remote observation can tell us."

She leaned forward, activating her comms with a quick swipe. "Colonel," she said, her voice calm but resolute, "prepare a couple of Spartans for deployment. I’m sending them planetside to gather more... detailed intelligence. Something that goes beyond what satellites and broadcasts can offer us."

"Yes, ma’am," came the immediate response.

As she signed off, Nolan raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn’t a more subtle infiltration team be advisable, given the unique societal structure?"

Halsey gave a thoughtful nod, considering. "True. But if these Quirks are as unpredictable as they appear, I’d prefer to have our finest operatives handling the unknown. Besides," she added with a smirk, "they’re better suited to navigate a society with superpowered civilians, wouldn’t you say?"