A Deal With The Devil
Do you crave money? Power? Do you want to tear this world apart and rebuild it? Or make it suffer for all the pain it has caused you? If you answered yes to any of these, then you've come to the right place.
Yaku Academy Courses include:
Villainy 101
A Beginner's Guide To The Black Market
Infiltration And Sabotage In The Modern World
Disguise And Deception: Tips And Tricks
Culinary Arts: Poisons And You
The Ins And (Break) Outs Of Prison
And International Loopholes For Dummies!
Bakugou can't remember the day Midoriya disappeared.
What he does remember are the following days, and that growing feeling of dread. They were young, and the memory had faded a bit over the years, but he remembers enough.
Nobody talked about it, or seemed to notice, or care. It angered Bakugou, because he may just be some quirkless Deku, but he was Bakugou's friend, right? Why the hell would he just leave without telling him?
When he asked his teachers, they said Midoriya moved. When he asked his parents, they had no idea he'd even left.
Later, after much insisting, his mom said they hear he moved out of the country. He kept asking questions, but no one knew why they'd left so suddenly. They brushed of Bakugou's worry, it wasn't that big of a deal, he was overreacting, and kids just have the craziest imaginations, don't they?
But Bakugou was a stubborn kid. He never stopped looking, and at the same time convinced himself that he didn't actually care what had happened. He just wanted to ask Midoriya who he thought he was, just dropping Bakugou like that, not even mentioning that he was going to be moving soon, or to where.
He turned to heroes on the few times he saw them, asking them if they knew what happened to him, asked if they could keep an eye out for him. They never found anything, never got back to him.
When he was young, they would always tell him they'd keep an eye out, or pass the word on to All Might. Bakugou even wrote letters to All Might asking him to help look for him, find out what really happened.
It dragged on and on, his petty, childish reasons grew into genuine concern over the years. Concern for the kid that always followed him around, a mystery he couldn't solve.
The friend he never missed until he was gone.
The great Bakugou Katsuki, the kid everyone knew would become a great hero, couldn't even find a single person.
The whole situation was suspicious, he told himself. Something bad must have happened.
As he got older, he saw that there were more holes in the story, more questions than answers, but everyone still brushed him off. Maybe it was a family matter, he shouldn't be prying, it's been years why does he still care?
Bakugou didn't understand why he kept looking either. So much for being a brilliant kid.
He kept searching.
One teacher said he moved to Europe, his parents said he moved to America, the neighbors said he moved to Australia. When he was old enough to use the computer without his dad hovering over him, he would scour for hours to try and find something, anything.
But there was no trace of him. As far as anyone was concerned, Midoriya and his mom had ceased to exist.
He didn't realize it at the time, but the years of fruitlessly search started to corrode his faith in heroes. Not All Might, never All Might, but Bakugou learned pretty quickly that heroes wouldn't always be there for you. They weren't there for (him) Deku, or his mom, so Bakugou took it on himself. He was going to be the greatest, right? Better than all the heroes that (failed him) he admired so much, and he was going to prove it by bringing Deku back, by proving that something happened to the Midoriyas.
Bakugou kept searching.
"…Kacchan."
Bakugou twisted around so fast his neck cracked. Only one person had ever called him that, but he–there's no way it's–!
Before he even realized what's happening, a mop of dark green hair had already disappeared down the alleyway. Bakugou's body moved before he realized it, chasing a ghost, shouting a name he hadn't used in years.
How the hell is he moving so fast?!
He could barely keep up, each twist and turn seemed to only widen the gap between them. The temptation to use his quirk was infuriating. There's no way he could outrun Bakugou if he used it, but then a hero would notice, and he'd lose him again.
Out of the corner of his eye he'd catch glimpses of hair, of a familiar face. It was maddening, how the hell could he be outpacing Bakugou fucking Katsuki?
He screamed and shouted but there was no reaction, no words shouted back or even a parting glance, and Bakugou wondered for a split second if he was hallucinating. Did he finally snap, was he chasing after a person that only looked like Deku? It couldn't actually be him, right? Why would he suddenly appear out of nowhere, why did call out to him and run, WHY–?!
The faces around him blurred, his lungs burned, footsteps pounded in his ears as he darted around people and jumped over whatever junk got in his way. The buildings bled into the sky, and some reasonable voice in the back of his head screamed what the fuck are you doing?!
He didn't know. He didn't know where he was going, what he'd do if he caught up to him, what he'd say, what he'd do if he wasn't even chasing after the right guy…!
But he kept running.
Suddenly, the alley opened up, and Bakugou lost sight of him. Abandoned buildings loomed over him in the dying sun, and he was completely alone. He turned around, panting, and realized just how far he'd ran. This part of town was not the nicest, certainly not the place for a middle schooler to be.
"Where the fuck are you?!" He screamed, voice cracking.
He jumped as the loud BANG of a metal door echoed all around him. He saw a flash of green and whipped his head around and up at one of buildings. He knows he saw him there, darting around in front of the windows.
He took off without hesitating, practically ripped the door off its rusted hinges as he tore into the decrepit building. When he came to the stairs he was forced to slow down. The entire place was falling apart, but the stairs looked especially treacherous. His cursing wasn't enough to drown out the oppressive silence, but he was too full of adrenaline to give a damn. When he made it to the right floor, it was completely barren, dozens of empty rooms greeted him. Most didn't even have doors, and a few had massive holes in the floor.
He smashed his fist into a wall, blowing a small chunk of it off and rattling the entire room.
"What kind of fucking game are you playing, DEKU?!" He snarled at no one, jerking his head as he scanned the area
His palms ignited in frustration, but he wouldn't give up that easily. He immediately started searching, instinct telling him Deku was still here, somewhere. The place was huge, but he will find him.
He made his way to the final floor, and walked past the stairs he assumed led to the roof. That stairwell was completely caved in, so he knew Deku wasn't up there. He'd kept a close watch of the exits, never saw him make his way downstairs. He was here. Bakugou was closing in on him, after so many years, he finally–!
He paused his search, took a second to calm down. He felt overwhelmed, confused, couldn't even tell if was about to cry or just scream some more. He didn't waste time, gave himself just a few more seconds before he started searching again, slower, more cautiously. The building was in shit condition, but this last floor looked like a warzone. The ceiling had caved in several places, piles of loose concrete reached up to the ceiling, creating a dangerous maze he had to navigate. He could blow away anything that fell, but he had a feeling the explosion would just cause even more bits of ceiling and metal to crumble. Not to mention, he was seriously worried the floor would cave under him if he wasn't careful.
Despite the hazards, he was able to nimbly make his way around the top floor. It helped that most of the rooms up here were blocked off by debris, and even fewer rooms looked safe to enter.
Then came the last room, entrance blocked in a way that hid it well, but he saw his opening. A rusted door was bent in half, propping up a large chunk of wall. It was far too narrow for an adult to squeeze through, but Bakugou knew he'd fit.
For the first time that evening, he hesitated. It looked like a strong breeze could knock over the wall, and it was a massive chunk. He had no doubt it'd crush him, and upon closer inspection, it looked like if the wall fell, most of the ceiling would come down with it. He didn't think an explosion could save himself from that. Still, he had to check the room. He carefully peaked his head inside, heart pounding as he carefully stepped through, and then his stomach dropped to the floor.
Midoriya stood on the far side of the large room, blown-out windows behind him. The setting sun cast the entire place in a warm glow, and hid Midoriya's face in shadows. Bakugou stepped inside, fingers digging into the crumbling wall as he held himself back. His brain had finally caught up with him.
Bakugou's breathing was evening out, but his ears were ringing, and a swarm of emotions kept building. Rage was one of them, one he knew well, but blowing Deku through a wall would be counterproductive, no matter how good it might make him feel in the moment. As if he sensed Bakugou was about do something, Midoriya stepped forward, and for a single moment their eyes locked.
Something cold washed over Bakugou, and his rage was snuffed out. There was an unnatural stillness between them.
It shattered the second Midoriya spoke.
"Kacchan…" There was a fire in Midoriya's eyes and confidence in his stance, despite the hesitation in his voice. "We need to talk."
"You piece of shit." All of a sudden his rage was back full force, and the wall around his hands shattered. The building rattled a bit, concrete tumbled down throughout the building, from such a weak explosion.
He didn't even notice.
"Careful! You're going to bring this place down on us." There was a bit a fear in Deku's eyes, but it was smothered as quickly as it came.
That was enough to make Bakugou hesitate, and he glanced up and around. Midoriya was right, but Bakugou wasn't planning on aiming at the building itself.
He was always better at fighting instead of talking. Midoriya probably caught onto what Bakugou was thinking, as he spoke as soon as Bakugou took a step forward.
"I have a quirk, Kacchan." That stopped him dead in his tracks.
"…Don't fuck with me." Bakugou was beyond pissed, and more so at himself for even believing that for a split second.
"I'm serious, I was given one! A quirk." Now Midoriya was the one hesitating. Bakugou may have stopped moving, but his mouth hadn't.
"That's not possible, no way in hell!" He ground his teeth together. "Is that all you came to say?! You disappear off the face of the fucking earth, and then come back spouting some bullshit story about a quirk–!"
"Why would I lie about something like this?!" Midoriya was getting frustrated. "Look, we're getting off topic–"
"Then what the hell do you want to talk about?! I want answers damn it!"
"I'm getting to that! I didn't bring you here for no reason!" He took a deep breath. "I met someone powerful, so incredibly powerful, and he said he could give me a quirk." Bakugou sneered.
Bakugou looked a little less like he wanted to blow Deku sky high, but the slight tremble in Bakugou's hands gave him away, he was seething. Midoriya had to make this quick, before he lost his temper again. He didn't come here to fight.
"He's planning something big, and he needs people. I told him about you, about how incredible and powerful you are. He wants to meet you." Bakugou stares at him like he's grown a second head.
"Tell your mysterious fucking friend he can shove his invite up his ass! I don't want any FUCKING CHARITY!" Bakugou stormed forward.
"It's not–!"
"SHUT UP–!"
Click.
...
...What in the actual fuck?
"Kacchan, don't move."
The chill was back, but this time Bakugou recognized the cold washing over him.
Fear.
They were both fucking terrified, but...
Well.
Midoriya wasn't the one looking down the barrel of a gun.
"I just want you to meet him, to hear him out." Midoriya's voice was quiet, and his arm trembled, but his eyes were steel. Bakugou wanted to ask where the hell he got a gun, but for once his voice died in his throat.
"I know you'll be interested in what he has to say..." He continued. Midoriya's grip was firm, even as his hand shook, even as he aimed right between Bakugou's eyes. It took a minute for Bakugou to find his voice again, but Midoriya had always been patient.
"...Who?"
Midoriya actually had the gall to look relieved, but he didn't lower the gun.
"He calls himself All For One."
The sudden teleportation was unpleasant.
When he first coughed up that sludge, he though Deku had done something to him, but then Bakugou had seen Midoriya coughing up that putrid stuff as well. As the coughing subsided and he spit the last of that shit out of his mouth, he took a look around. The room he ended up in looked like some sort of office, aside from the hospital bed near the massive windows. A computer with several monitors ran along the wall next to him, and Bakugou eyed the twisted equipment surrounding it. His eyes followed the massive tubes and wires back to the hospital bed. He noticed for the first time that someone's in the bed, half hidden in shadows cast by the setting sun. Deku may be gone, but Bakugou could put two and two together.
"…Are you supposed to be All For One?" He asked unimpressed. This bedridden guy was supposed to be the all-powerful friend? What the fuck?
"Yes, I am. And you're Bakugou Katsuki, Izuku's old friend." Bakugou found his voice annoying, and creepy. "Tell me, how long has it been since you two have seen each other?"
"Cut the bullshit, I'm not here to make chitchat. He wanted me to meet you so bad, so spit out whatever you want to say." This had been one hell of a day, he just wanted to get this over with.
"You're quite the spitfire, aren't you?" His amusement pissed Bakugou off. "But you're right, you were brought here for a reason. I want to ask you a question first."
"So stop wasting my time and ask the damn question!" He was two seconds from storming out, from wherever this was. His hands sparked.
"What is your ambition?" Bakugou scoffs at him.
"To be the fucking best, of course." His cocky grin falters slightly when All For One chuckles. It's fucking creepy.
"Such confidence. It seems Izuku wasn't exaggerating, but tell me, do you really have the determination, the drive? Will you do whatever it takes to accomplish your dream?"
Bakugou eyes him carefully. He knows when he's being tested, feels himself tense under the weight of All For One's stare, not that he can see his eyes, or face. The room is too dark to make out much. The bastard is smirking, he's sure of that, and the air feels heavy now. He isn't hesitating, he's Bakugou fucking Katsuki and he doesn't hesitate, but something is telling himself to think carefully before he speaks.
"I will. Whatever it takes." He doesn't need to shout to show this smug asshole how serious he is. "I will prove to the world I'm the greatest, and not even you are going to stop me." He glares at the bedridden man before him, daring him to say something about it. He ignores the chill running down his spine, the cold burn in his veins.
"Good, good. You may be worth my time after all." He sounds almost predatory, but all Bakugou can imagine is Deku, telling him what his "friend" could do for him. Bakugou is obviously worth his damn time!
"Listen, I don't know what Deku told you, but I don't need your help!" His hands spark and crackle. "If this turns out to be a waste of my time, you and Deku can–!"
All For One's amusement never falters, but suddenly Bakugou is frozen on the spot.
His stomach drops to the floor, his blood freezes in his veins, the room starts closing in around him, crushing him. His words die in his throat, he stops breathing, suddenly, painfully aware that this…pressure is coming from him. From All For One.
How the hell...?
This feeling isn't even fear, Bakugou just suddenly knows, deep in his bones, that their difference in power is astronomical. If All For One felt like it, he could kill him. Bakugou would be dead, he swears he can see it.
That feeling of absolute helplessness squashes any fight he had in him, any snide remark or challenge. His confidence shrivels up and dies.
Bakugou's mind is blank, he couldn't think if he wanted to. All he can do, as he faces All For One, is wait, and watch.
Helpless.
"You do have a choice here, Bakugou Katsuki." Bakugou flinched. "I certainly don't care what you choose, though Izuku has quite a lot of faith you'll agree with us."
Suddenly he can breathe again, and his eyes widen as the life floods back into him. He's broken out it a cold sweat, he doesn't even try to hide his shaking.
What the fuck was that…?
He can't see him, but Bakugou can feel him staring. He doesn't try to speak, just tries to calm his racing heart and pull himself back together. It seems he takes too long, because All For One is speaking again.
"Izuku has been watching you for some time now, incessant on making you a part of this. However, so long as you never speak of this meeting, you're more than welcome to leave. You can continue on with your life like none of this ever happened."
"...Seriously?" Bakugou's voice cracks, but he can't find it in himself to give a shit. Being watched by…? There was no way All For One hadn't been keeping an eye on what Deku was doing, fucking hell, did that mean he was watching his parents too?
"Yes, I'm serious. I am not an unreasonable man. Izuku still considers you to be a close friend, and I swore to him I wouldn't hurt you."
So long as you don't give me a reason to, Bakugou reads through the lines.
"All you have to do is not go to the authorities, or tell another living soul. Now, let me tell you what will happen if you do accept." He holds out an envelope, but Bakugou doesn't want to go anywhere near him.
"If you accept my offer, open this letter. If not, burn it and forget today ever happened. You do have potential, but at the rate you're going you'll never reach your goal. I don't hand things out to people, they must earn it, make it their own. No one can become strong by relying on handouts." He gestures with the envelope. Bakugou slowly makes his way forward and takes it, giving it a once over. He can barely resist the urge to step back. He can see All For One's face in excruciating detail, eyeless and disfigured. That damn smirk is going to haunt him in his dreams.
"I can give you the tools you need to become the strongest. Resources, training, advice, experience. I have contacts and allies everywhere, and all I ask in return is your loyalty. I won't ask anything unreasonable of you, so long as you'll be on my side when the time comes."
"When what comes? What the do you expect me to do?" To say Bakugou is suspicious is an understatement, but he was getting some of his bite back, at least. Still, he was terrified of making him angry.
"You only have to worry about that if you accept. So, Bakugou Katsuki, I suggest you think long and hard about this."
Bakugou wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of here, but with his senses coming back to him, he remembered what Deku said. Bakugou needed answers.
"...Is it true? Did you seriously give Deku a quirk?" He had to know.
All For One laughs. It's unsettling to see him grin, to watch his face contract and stretch. Bakugou doesn't even try to hide his grimace. All For One would probably see through him anyways.
"Yes, I gave him a quirk that suits him quite well." Bakugou…isn't sure how he feels about that.
Quirks can be given?
"…You're shitting me."
"Why would I lie about that?" Bakugou gives him a look that makes All For One chuckle. And Bakugou thought his grin was creepy, Jesus fuck.
"You should know how lucky you are, Bakugou. Izuku still thinks so highly of you…" All For One leans forward as far as he can from his bed, and this time Bakugou steps back.
He feels the atmosphere shift again.
"When it came time to give him a quirk, he turned down my first offer immediately. The quirk he has now is my second pick. It's a shame, really..."
Morbid curiosity overcomes Bakugou when it becomes clear All For One is waiting for a response. Bakugou knows he isn't going to like the answer, but Midoriya seemed to have a lot of faith in him, so why the hell would he turn down something All For One picked himself...?
"What was it? The first quirk." He bites out. The smirk he receives makes him regret asking, but there's no going back now.
"My power is not just giving quirks, but taking them."
...Oh.
"I thought it'd be quite fitting for Izuku..."
Oh fuck.
"...The helpless, quirkless victim receiving his bully's quirk? Poetic justice, wouldn't you say, Kacchan?"
Bakugou feels like throwing up. He never wanted to hear Kacchan out of his mouth ever again. It felt so wrong, so vile…
"Of course, taking such a vital part of a person does come with risks, but it never came to that, lucky for you. But now there's no need to worry about the what-ifs, that time has long passed."
Bakugou's head is spinning. All For One continues to watch him, amused.
Black sludge surrounds Bakugou again, but he's still petrified, and doesn't even fight it this time. Right before he teleports away, he hears the door behind him open, but he isn't around long enough to see Midoriya enter.
"Quite lucky indeed." All For One laughs.
Everything goes black.
Bakugou blinks in the sudden darkness, sludge long gone. He's back in the abandoned building he cornered Deku in.
...No, this is where Deku cornered him.
The useless kid he knew is long gone, replaced by some stranger with a quirk. Deku has a quirk. Given one by that man–
And then the reality of what just happened crashes into him, and it makes his legs give out. His heart is trying to beat out of his chest, he's breathing hard and he can't stop shaking. He's feeling every emotion at once yet somehow is still numb to it all, he's drowning. There's only one coherent thought in his head, he keeps repeating like a mantra: What the fuck just happened?
Bakugou has no idea how long he spent crumpled on the ground, but a voice in the back of his mind says he's having a panic attack, he needs to breathe, calm down. Strong people don't do this, it's pathetic–
As he starts to get himself together, he rolls onto his back and pulls out his phone. And speaking of panic, he has a lot of missed texts and calls from his parents.
Shit.
He does not struggle to stand back up, absolutely does not, and sees that the setting sun is long gone. It's night, and he has no idea where the hell he is or how long it's going to take to get back home. Fuck.
He sends his dad a quick text about getting turned around or some bullshit, not wanting to deal with the barrage of messages his mom would undoubtedly send. He doesn't even know what he typed, it felt like he was watching someone else send the message, screen too blurred to read, fingers shaking and typing way too slow. His dad responds almost immediately, wanting to call and speak to him, so Bakugou texts some other pathetic excuse about his throat hurting, probably getting a cold or whatever, so he shouldn't call.
He couldn't talk if he wanted to, but not because he was fucking scared, he's perfectly fucking fine, he's just thirsty, from all the running Deku made him do earlier. Yeah, that's why he can't talk.
He turns off his phone and ends up regretting that pretty quickly. It's dark and he's tripping over everything as he makes his way out of the run-down building. He's too stubborn to turn it back on, and by some miracle he doesn't trip and fall through a hole in the floor, or have something topple over and crush him. He's too out of it to remember his quirk would provide a source of light.
Once he's outside he has to figure out which way he came from. Nothing is recognizable in the dark, though he doubted he'd recognize anything in daylight either. He grips his phone tightly as he resists the urge to turn it on. The last thing he wants to deal with is his parents, or at least that's what he tells himself. He makes his way through an ally and walks towards the first streetlight he sees.
He just needs to see where the fuck he is. He just staying in the light so he can see better, he's not a goddamn kid afraid of the dark. It's not like All For One is going to pop out of every shadowy corner, the fucker is bedridden.
Despite the illumination, Bakugou still has no idea where the hell he is. He's in a really shitty part of town, that much is obvious, but he has no idea which way will get him home quicker. Fucking Deku got him turned around, but Bakugou is too drained to give a shit, so he just picks a direction and walks.
He sees way too many shady people watching him, and he crushes the paranoia that they're all henchmen of that scarfaced bastard. He's shaking, but he channels every ounce of energy he has left into pure, absolute rage. He forces himself to keep his stride sure and confident, sends his worst fucking glares at any and everyone. He doesn't fucking care if he intimidates them or not, he just wants to be left the fuck alone.
He's holding onto his sanity by a thread, and if someone even thinks to try and mug him, they're getting blasted sky high, fuck the rules against using quirks.
He's so caught up in his head that he doesn't even realize he's in a better part of town until he bumps into someone. That finally snaps him out of it, and to his relief he finally recognizes where he is. He's so emotionally drained that he can't even feel anymore, let alone get mad at the guy that bumped into him. He just trudges back as best he can, exhaustion slowing his movements.
When he opens the door it's to his mother's furious yelling, but he just ignores her and tries to make his way to the stairs. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and it spins him around, but whatever his parents were going to say is silenced once they get a good look at him.
Bakugou knows he must look like shit, but it must be pretty bad to make his mother's mood do a complete 180. His father is looking at him in complete shock, but Bakugou is too tired to feel guilty about worrying them. The consequences of staying out so late are not his problem right now. He mumbles something akin to an apology and just goes upstairs to his room.
They don't try to stop him.
The minute he shuts his door he leans back against it and lets out a shaky breath. He stays like that for a while, slightly trembling in the safety of his room. He goes to put his head in his head in his hands, but is reminded that he's still holding that envelope.
He throws it in the trash.
It takes him another minute to realize he's crying. He wipes his eyes as best he can, then just throws himself onto the bed. He doesn't bother changing, leaves the lights on, and is out the minute his head hits the pillow.
The next morning, Bakugou has a blissful few minutes of peace before the memories from the other day start trickling in. It doesn't feel real, but…
He groans into his pillow, knowing he won't be able to get back to sleep now. He forces himself up, and immediately heads to the trashcan and fishes the envelope out. He can't keep denying what happened when the damn proof is right in front of his face. He wants to blow the piece of shit to smithereens, doesn't want anything to do with that creepy motherfucker...
He tears it open.
He starts reading the letter and does a double-take. Bakugou blinks owlishly at it, confused as hell.
"...What the fuck?"
Be honest, tell me what you think of this so far! I'd like to think I'm putting an interesting twist on the whole Villain!AU genre.
This chapter was a bit of a prelude to the main story, and next chapter will be after a time skip. That's when the actual villain academy part starts, but from Midoriya's pov. This fic is going to mostly be told from Midoriya and Bakugou's perspective, as they're the main focus of this fic, but I'm sure I'll switch it up every now and then.
I want to point out that this in a gen fic, and while I realize there are a lot of BakuDeku vibes in this first chapter, I have no plans for any romance/shipping in this fic. If this changes I'll be sure to let you know.