Rose of the Underground
Escape Reality

Part 1

The Multiversal Universe

Chapter 1

Humble Beginnings

The events of that night still haunted Izuku, the previously beautiful oceanic scene was tainted by his own view, a view of dread, of fear. But most of all, his view of vengeance. Before that night, he never knew what could drive someone to kill another person.

In his hand, he tightly gripped the gift that All Might gave to him before he left. It was a pale stone, with patterns of vines carved in, as well as a dove made of glass shards in the center, just above the word "hope". He told him to use the stone as a reminder that even when times are dark, there is still hope with him.

'That's All Might for you. Even now, in these times, he can still give us something to keep us going.' Izuku laughed as he looked out over the side of the ship. The water had ended, and now they were floating through space. He looked down and saw the fragmented world. It was the first time he had seen the expansive world. It felt like an impossibility that a world like this could exist and still hold life, yet then again, more impossible things have happened in the span of a single month.

"Hey, Izuku!" Reyn shouted behind him, coming over to him. They both stood there, leaning on the railing and looking at the emptiness before them. Though fragments of the planet were scattered across the view, they looked more like meteors than islands.

Though, Izuku knew Reyn wouldn't just wander around for any old reason. "So what's up Reyn?"

"Just checking up on everyone." He stood corrected. "So how are you doing? You know, after the whole fiasco?"

Izuku laughed at that last part. "I guess that's one way to phrase the events that happened that night."

"You know, it's still baffling that there's really a Multiverse out there. And here I thought that I would only live to see the Bionis and Mechonis my entire life."

"Bion— what?"

"It's a rather long story. I'll let Shulk do the explaining on that one, though it's not really important."

They continued to stare off into the void that separated the world, with several rays of light breaking through the fragments. The ruined remains of Victory still seemed to burst with radiant energy, as if the power that shattered it was still surging through the ground of the kingdom.

"By the way, how exactly do we plan to get to Titanic when we're flat broke?" Izuku asked.

Reyn shifted a bit, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek. "Well… we don't exactly know. B-But I'm sure Dunban and Shulk will figure something out!"

Izuku loudly sighed at Reyn's not at all convincing remark. "So basically we're at a dead end. Just give it to me straight."

"Yeah. Dead end. But hopefully, the village on Suizo will have some paying work so we can afford another ship to the next place." Reyn was certainly an optimist, Izuku couldn't deny that.

"Well, I guess hero work does have its limits." Izuku chuckled near the end as a fragment passed over them, entirely engulfing their view.

"You're saying that being a hero is an actual profession in your world? Well I'll be." Reyn laughed at the mere thought.

"What's so funny about it?"

"Well, it's just that being part of the defense force of Colony 9 wasn't exactly the most glamorous of jobs. I'm just imagining what it must be like to have trained for something you knew was coming instead of a boogeyman."

Izuku laughed at that for a while. "If you mean all the attacks that we've been through, I would say we were hardly trained for something like that. Hell, the attack on the USJ was during a rescue training session, nothing involving combat."

"Still sounds better than training under Colonel Square-tashe." The name alone made Izuku burst out laughing.

"Square-tashe? Please tell me the image in my head is as good as reality."

"Oh, probably. Mustache at perfect right angles, vibrant pink." Izuku laughed even harder now at the mental image.

"Oh, that's much better than what I was imagining."

"Yo guys!" Kirishima shouted across the deck. "Shulk gave me the word to gather up everyone! We're going over the game plan!"

"We'll be right there!" Izuku responded, taking one last look over the interior of the fragmented planet before heading off with Reyn.

—Meanwhile, on Suizo—

"She went that way!" The blades of her pursuers lit up with energy, illuminating the dark corridors that she hid within. When she thought she had avoided the authorities, she was faced with one of the elite guards.

"You're the infamous assassin, right? We've had one hell of a time hunting you down." His titanium blade became illuminated at the blade with a pulsing blue energy.

"Good. I needed more fuel for my weapon." The assassin unsheathed her sword, which digitally constructed itself from the hilt outward.

'No doubt about it. The weapon seals the deal.' The guard charged forward, using a wide slash as his opening move. The assassin leaped over the slash as it tears through three pipes. The clouds of steam that erupted cloaked both of their views, forcing the guard to leap backward. But as he did so, the assassin was able to slash his thigh, though the cut wasn't too deep, just a graze.

Without hesitation, the assassin rushes him from the cloud of steam, giving him mere milliseconds to react. Thankfully, he was able to block the incoming strike, but not before the blade burst at the tip, a small fragment piercing just above his eyebrow. A few other fragments merely bounced off his armor. The blood trickled into his eye, but he pushed through the stinging pain and slashed once more at the agile assassin. To no avail, though, as her blade was plunged into his shoulder.

"You wanna know something funny?" The assassin said, pulling the trigger on the hilt, "Blood is a rather suitable building material for weapons. So I think I'll take yours."

In that moment, his wound became dry. The drainage continued into his veins, and eventually, even his heart was sucked dry. The assassin took his blade and pierced his chest with it, afterwards setting fire to the hilt.

"You humans amaze me. You destroyed us back then, yet you fall this easily now. Time clearly wasn't kind to your species." With those words, she made her escape, making it to the rooftops. She looked out over the port, where numerous vessels hovered, and one closed in. She continued her escape, a sense of dread looming over her once more.