Chapter Text
In the vast vacuum of existence there exists the multiverse. A cornucopia of different realities teaming with possibility. In one reality, an experiment was conducted to determine what would happen if these realities converged with one another. To see what would happen, how would they interact, what would change in their reality as timelines diverge.
Then a bunch of other Multiversal Physicists caught wind of this idea and copied it for their own.
Hey, what’s the worst that could happen. Its not like plagiarism or copyright infringement was a constant between realities. Except for the reality where it is. And what lawyer would pursue such a claim? Except for the reality where one did. But it’s not affecting this one, so this one will be the focus.
Here was delivered to five individuals across the multiversal plane a relevant bit of software that downloaded into their communication device of choice to allow perfect speech to text. Accompanying this was a message reading:
“You have been chosen to take part in a cultural exchange. You can opt out at any time but hopefully you will stick around and interact with a variety of unique people and new ways of looking at the world. Just talk into your device and read your companions updates.” -K
Message delivered.
Software enabled.
Link start.
K, User 1, User 2, User 3, User 4, User 5 have been added to the chat.
User1: Um...Hi. I just found this installed on my pentascroll. How is that possible?
User 2: Hey, uh, what is this thing? My phone just pinged me.
User 3: The hell is this shit? How'd a Hextech tablet end up in my cell.
User 4: Okie Doki, what’s going on here? My pipboy just lit up with something fierce.
User 5: Hey there. I'm Monkey D Luffy and I’m gonna be King of the Pirates! Where did this weird Den-Den Mushi come from?
User 5 name changed to Luffy
User 1: Well, hello there Luffy, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Charlie.
User 1 name changed to Charlie
User 4: Oooh, finally some new friendly...well, not faces... voices, lines of text? I’m Lucy McLean and I’m so grateful to have someone to talk to.
User 4 name changed to Lucy
User 3: So polite, how did I end up with such a bunch of prissy tools? Also, who’s the monkey?
User 2: Yeah, um, did he say he was a pirate?
Luffy: I’m a different kind of pirate.
Charlie: You’re redeeming the concept of piracy! Thathathathat’s incredible!
User 2: Woah yeah, it’s like your a hero in the world of pirates.
Luffy: Hey now, I’m no hero. Don’t insult me like that.
User 2: Wait what? But being a hero is the highest compliment anyone can get.
User 3: Pfft, seriously? Being a hero is not all it's cracked up to be. Especially when none are around to help the folk who are really suffering.
Charlie: Now, now, let's hear this out. Both sides deserve a chance to speak their mind, and we can reach a compromise.
Lucy: Yes, thank you! Seriously, why does no one want to do that up here?
User 2: Erm, up here?
Charlie: Now Luffy, please tell us why you think being called a hero is an insult.
Luffy: A hero is someone who shares their meat. They give out their meat to other people and help them. But I want all the meat for myself. It's my meat, no one else can have it.
Charlie: ...wait what...
User 3: Finally, someone after my own heart. This guy gets it. You’re alright monkey boy. Call me Vi.
User 3 name changed to Vi
Lucy: Wait, seriously, that’s all you have to say. What kind of debate is that?
User 2: No, no, actually, I understand what he means. Some people are driven more by personal gain. Others are driven by altruism. But you said you are a different kind of pirate, so I’m guessing you help people in some roundabout, following your own logic kind of way.
Luffy: I usually get lunch.
Lucy: OK, hold on. I guess if that’s your method I won’t fault it, but it is all it takes for you to abide the golden rule is to get a free meal.
Luffy: You never know when the next meal is going to come. But usually, I’ve seen people who get that feeling so they usually get me.
User 2: I suppose I can’t fault you for that. Miss Charlie, has the debate been settled?
Charlie: Right, yes, sorry. Wait, yes, the conflict is resolved! That. Was. Exhilarating! This is going to be so much help going forward with my rehabilitation project.
Vi: Rehab, yeesh, you must be fun at parties. Your first input into something finally gives me a decent conversation in years and it’s like some quack doctor trying to get me to look at the ink blots.
Charlie: Ahem. That aside. User 2, you’ve been unusually quiet. What seems to be troubling you? Oh, wait, sorry, name. I never even asked your name.
Vi: You are the worst therapist ever.
Charlie: I'm not a therapist.
Luffy: Oh good, Shanks told me about those types of people and that I should never try to be like them. He killed the last one he came across.
Lucy: He killed a therapist.
Luffy: Didn’t hear what happened. Just that he was doing something inappropriate with some lady and that he lost his family jewels. I think they said his name was Geld.
Charlie: ...oh...oh no... Luffy I think he was the rapist, and he was gelded.
Luffy: That’s it. I didn’t like what he did, least what Shanks told me, so I didn’t lose any sleep over what happened to him. Apparently, they let the woman do that.
Vi: Preferably with her bare hands.
Lucy: I hate to push the conversation away from this topic, especially when it merits much more deliberation and meditation. But I fear we are leaving out our quiet little friend.
User 2: Oh um, sorry, didn't mean to pull focus. By all means we should continue, this is an important conversation to have.
Vi: No, you have a valid reason for being here. We won't ignore you. Though I am glad you're at least acknowledging it.
User 2: Sniff...erm, thanks, thank you. My name is Izuku Midoriya and I just had a really rough day.
User 2 name changed to Izuku
Izuku: Oh, um, normally I would go with Midoriya since I don't know the rest of you very well and it might be, well, a bit informal.
Lucy: Izuku...are you perhaps... erm, Asian?
Charlie: Oh my Grandpa, Lucy, you can't just ask someone if they are Asian?
Izuku name changed to Midoriya
Midoriya: Oh, well, actually I'm Japanese. I'm not sure why it causes you discomfort. Do you feel comfortable talking about it?
Vi: It's cause she's racist.
Lucy: Woah, hey now, don't get it twisted. If anything, the Japanese were our biggest allies. Their technological boom and reconstruction work post war was a source of inspiration for many Americans and led to advancements in many resources we use today. It just sounded vaguely Chinese that I-
Vi: Racist. Doesn't matter if its against one group instead of the other, if you have to make a distinction, it means you have a preference for one over the other.
Charlie: lets take a detour and discuss Lucy's underlying racially charged mindset at a later date. we address each issue one at a time.
Lucy: No, wait-
Luffy: You heard the lady. Lets talk about your racing problem another time. Our friend needs our help.
Vi: Racing... are you only half listening to this conversation?
Midoriya: Friend... that's so kind of you. Oh, um, sorry Lucy, I'm sure you didn't mean to sound, well, you know, I'm guessing the chat feature really doesn't translate well to unfiltered thoughts.
Vi: yeah just look at Luffy.
Lucy: Oh don't you even. And thank you Midoriya.
Charlie: Focus people. Ahem. Midoriya, proceed.
Midoriya: Well. Here I was, having a pretty normal day, I see the normal patrols, I get to school a little late because of some villain. Then my teacher has to reveal in front of god and everybody that I'm looking to get into UA. And just because... well, I have my reasons to feel pretty bitter about it. Then my class laughs at me, then my friend, I don't know what happened, but something must have got under his skin because he was as mad as a trapped jaguar. He blows up my journal, uses his quirk on me and then he tells me... well, he was very insensitive.
Lucy: Wait, hold on.
Midoriya: Oh and then I go and get absolutely trashed by another villain. I almost die. When suddenly I'm saved by my greatest hero All Might. Who goes and signs my journal and gives me resuscitation.
Charlie: In that order!?
Midoriya: no, no, I'm sure it was the reverse. But yeah, he goes and carts me off to some building, granted I may have held onto him while he jumped because I really wanted to ask him questions and... well... when he goes and starts answering those questions, it's not the answers I want to hear.
Vi: Did you seriously jump onto a guys leg after surviving an attack-sorry sorry, that's not the best thing to ask, your ranting, I'll let you finish.
Midoriya: Then what goes and happens but the villain from before escapes and goes on a rampage. And who gets caught but my friend. Oh, my friend from before. With the journal. And none of the heroes can get close. So he starts going wild and I mean he's really scared. He has this look in his eyes like he needed some help. And I just...
Luffy: Tell us. What did you do?
Midoriya: It was foolish but... sorry I was so caught up in my rant I didn't notice you were all talking over me.
Luffy: You're only stupid if you stop now. Come on, keep going.
Midoriya: I ran in there. He needed help so I gave it to him. I know it was dangerous, I know I shouldn't be throwing my life away but... my body just started moving.
Luffy: You remind me of Shanks and my brothers. They didn't care who was in danger, they just ran in there like its nothing. Because they are heroes. I love heroes but I don't want to be one.
Lucy: You followed the golden rule perfectly; Do unto others as you would have done unto you. No way would I condemn your actions.
Charlie: A true sign of a good soul is the willingness to strive past your limits of your morals, to really challenge yourself and help others without the possibility of a reward. Because that's when you know that an act is done out of pure altruism.
Vi: I'm not going to pile on some more praise because I'm certain you need to learn a lesson, a hard won lesson, about self preservation. But I can dig your whole deal. I would've done the same. In fact, I did do the same.
Midoriya: Yeah, that begs the question, what did you mean by talking to a doctor and Lucy what did you mean about being up here, do you live below ground.
Vi: I guess me and Lucy both do, I've been underground for the past who knows how long at this stage, the days run together. Prison is no fairy tail.
Midoriya: YOU'RE IN PRISON! Lucy, what about you?
Lucy: Ahh, no. Until recently I lived in a vault with the remainder of my family until we were violently and viciously attacked by raiders and one of them, their leader, stole my Dad. I'm not even sure why she stole him but gosh darn it I'm going after him even if no one else will brave the wasteland.
Vi: Wasteland hold up, what? Also, what is Japan? And China? And Asia?
Lucy: You don't even know what they are and you decided to put me on blast. Not cool daddio.
Charlie: Daddio? You sound like my friend Angel, are you from the same time period? He died in the forties.
Midoriya: DIED? Okay, this is getting crazy. Can we have a layout of where we are and... when we are?
Lucy: Hey yeah, what is up with not knowing China, they literally caused this whole mess.
Luffy: What mess? The seas everywhere or the whole thing with the nut jobs with fishbowls.
Charlie: ...What...where are you guys?
Midoriya: I guess I'll go first.
Luffy: Yeah, what's up with calling people villains. Are you into comic books or something, like Germa.
Midoriya: I live in a world of heroes and villains. Many years ago, people started being born with quirks in their DNA that gave them super powers. People began doing things right out of the comic books and started flying, shooting energy out their hands and lifting entire buildings with one hand. You guys know about the glowing baby right.
Vi: This was done with technology right?
Midoriya: Biologically.
Vi: Oh fuck. Yeah, no, I live in a world ruled by arcane technology. Everything from the blimps to the teleporter run on these wild runes and crystals that some magic scientist wackjob nearly killed me over. And... actually killed people over. It's all over the place and I just... I have to live with that. All around me.
Charlie: Vi come back to us. Don't worry, we're here. You are in the here and now.
Vi: Sorry, just... not feeling myself you know.
Lucy: I guess I'm next. I mean, woah, magic, superpowers. I've read a few of my brothers comics, a little bit of the Silver Shadow and Grognok, Manta Man. But, I don't know, maybe people like that exist in the wasteland. I mean, the whole world has been irradiated since before I was born. Ever since the bombs fell, courtesy of China, mind you, we've only been hearing what our readings tell us. Radiation is everywhere and maybe some people are getting superpowers.
Midoriya: Huh, I guess that would explain why China was the first to develop a glowing baby but our world certainly did not end, at least not in that way.
Lucy: In what other way could it happen?
Charlie: Wait, all of this is happening on Earth or at least Earth adjacent!?
Lucy: ...Charlie, why are all our worlds seeming less insane by comparison?
Charlie: I thought you were all based in hell and were put in contact with me so you could get started on your rehabilitation through my Hazbin Hotel. I only got permission thanks to my father being too distracted to raise any hell over my trying to undermine his status quo.
Vi: ...Charlie...who is your dad?
Charlie: Lucifer. Morningstar.
Vi: I thought for sure I was on hell on earth but somehow you come to me telling me that I have that to look forward to.
Midoriya: Evil exists on an empirical scale.
Lucy: The Devil. Your father is the devil and Hell is real.
Luffy: Is he the one who gave me the Gum Gum Fruit? It's the devil fruit that turned me into rubber.
Midoriya: Rubber. You're made of rubber, how, why, when? I have so many questions, the logistics. Why devil fruit, who would call it that? WHAT?
Luffy: Well it's because it stops me from swimming. If I fall in the water, I start drowning. Which is easy to do when most of the world is nothing but ocean. Don't know how I'm navigating it but I got my little boat and I'm heading on an adventure to find the One Piece. And become... KING OF THE PIRATES!
Midoriya: I I I I I, I'm getting my quirk from All Might! oh gosh, I was so overwhelmed that I just had to say something. But even that doesn't compare to what you've told me.
Luffy: ... Who? Sorry, I zoned out for that last bit about the time you were talking about being a hero. What did I miss?