Lost Cause// A Vigilante Midoriya AU

I Can't Save Everyone...

He's floating... or falling. He can't tell.

In any case, he knows the inky black void was not there when he fell asleep in his dorm room that night. He flails experimentally in the darkness, trying to figure out how wherever he is operates. He can at least shift himself up right, but... he's stuck otherwise. The void makes it hard to tell whether he's swimming forward or being pulled back. He wonders if this is the work of a Quirk, or just some really weird dream.

He doesn't wonder for long.

Bony white arms suddenly burst from the void, grappling onto Izuku. They drag him into an invisible wall, thrashing him violently against it. Izuku thrashes back, desperately trying to rip off the arms and get as far away from them as possible. More arms shoot up, firmly anchoring him to the invisible wall as he continues to struggle. Something... horrifying echoes throughout the void.

YoU bRoKe Us!1!1!!11111!!!1!!!!1!1

Izuku feels his heart freeze as the voice practically tears through him like tissue paper. Unfiltered, pure fear sinks into the bottom of his consciousness, causing him to cower and struggle harder. As his vision blurs and the adrenaline begins to course wildly throughout his veins, Izuku forces himself to swivel out of his bondage, throwing his limbs wildly. Wait... where did the weight go? Perplexed, Izuku opens his eyes. The arms are gone.

Izuku puts a hand to his chest, hoping to calm down his heavy breathing.

"Hey-" His foot is already preparing to decapitate the intruder, but it's caught in a... surprisingly firm grip. He hears a grunt.

"Sheesh, kid. I know we spooked you a bit, but calm down!"

While Izuku's heartbeat is still hammering in his chest, he takes not of the stranger. They're tall; taller than him at least. They're wearing something akin to a hero costume: a black bodysuit (minus the sleeves), white boots and cape, and yellow gloves. Their face is feminine, with a mole near her lip, narrow black eyes, and shoulder length black hair done in a ponytail. The playful smile on her face almost puts Izuku at ease.

Almost.

"W-w...who...?" It takes Izuku a minute to find his voice; he almost felt like he was suffocating to death a while ago. "W-who... are you?" he manages. The mysterious stranger's smile softens.

"Nana," she answers, "Nana Shimura. And you and I need to have a talk, kid..."

Nana drops Izuku's heel (the boy "Ow"s as his foot hits the floor a little too hard), and gestures for him to follow. Izuku doesn't question why suddenly gravity is a thing or how he's able to walk on an invisible floor, but when the heck did that campfire get here? He's wondering how he missed it in the first place; the fire is a bright, blazing green, burning contently in front of a conveniently sittable log.

Nana takes a seat at the log; she pats at the empty space next to her.

"Well, before we get started," Nana begins, her voice soothing and even, "Do you have any questions?" Izuku has several hundred lists of questions, but he settles on the first thing that comes to mind:

"Where are we?"

Nana chuckles a bit at that. "Easy: we're in your subconscious. You could say you're 'dreaming' right now, although this dream is a bit... different." No duh , Izuku thinks, most of my dreams don't involve me being strangled to death .

"Who are you?" Izuku asks, more at ease than he was at the start.

"Like I said, I'm Nana Shimura. I'm a hero, or... at least I was. Death will do that to ya..." She tries at a half hearted laugh, but then she notices Izuku has yet to freak out. "You're... not freaked out that I'm a ghost?" she inquires. Izuku shrugs.