Chapter Twenty Five: Welcome to the League

"The Hero Community is still reeling in shock from the attack that took place on U.A's school training camp just three days ago," said a reporter on screen. Images were brought up of planes flying over a burning forest in the middle of the night, dropping hundreds of gallons of water to put out the wild emerald flames. "According to a report from Blood Hero: Vlad King who was on site, ambulances and firetrucks arrived on the scene fifteen minutes after the villains, who have been identified as part of the League of Villains, finished their raid and left the area. Of the forty-one students, fifteen lost consciousness and were in a critical state because of a gas attack. Twelve had injuries, ranging from minor to severe, and thirteen were uninjured. One of the students, Izuku Midoriya, was kidnapped."

"In addition, of the six Pro Heroes who were present at the time, Pixie-Bob of the Pussycats suffered a critical head injury and is currently being kept in a medical coma. Another of the Pussycats, Ragdoll, left a heavy blood trail, but has yet to be found."

"Of the villains, two were immediately apprehended and arrested, but a third villain found at the scene known by his villain alias Muscular, was dead on arrival. U.A is now being targeted by the public with severe criticisms for the attack and kidnapping-"

Kurogiri turned the TV off and set the remote down on the bar. He looked towards Tomura, who had been uncharacteristically silent.

"Were these results to your satisfaction?" Kurogiri asked quietly.

Tomura tapped his fingers against the bar for a few moments. "We achieved our goal. U.A and the hero society are getting all the blame. Even if we hadn't succeeded in taking Izuku, the attack on its own fractured the public's trust in heroes."

"…but?" Kurogiri prompted.

"…It's not enough," Tomura said at last. "Taking Izuku, who has already been targeting by part of the public, is fine and all. But to really shatter the heroes, he needs to be one of us. I want him to be seen with the League of Villains as one of our own."

"You want a demonstration."

Tomura smiled in a ghastly way. "Whether he intended to or not…just the fact that he killed Muscular means he's got that same, murderous instinct his dad has. It would be so easy to make a display of that if he were seen with us…but Teacher won't let me see him yet."

"He experienced severe injuries during the capture," Kurogiri reminded him, reaching over to clean a glass out of habit. "Teacher and the Doctor saw fit to keep him with them until he's recovered somewhat. You mustn't rush things, Tomura. We've achieved something important."

"I'm aware," Tomura replied, more relaxed than Kurogiri was expected. "I want to see All Might's face when he sees Izuku standing with us…but Teacher and Viper are right about something. I need to be a little more patient. Before, I was playing this game like an RPG, but I should be playing like a Sim. I need to manage the pawns I have available at any given time and slowly crumble the foundation that those high up are standing on."

"If you look at it as a game of Chess where I'm the "player", then Izuku is a "King" right now. A piece I need to keep safe at all costs. But if he joins us willingly…he'll turn into the "Queen" and be the most powerful piece on the board."

A small chuckle escaped Tomura's lips. "Well, like father like son, after all…"

A heartbeat monitor beeped consistently in the room, which was otherwise quiet. The lights were dim, but still bright enough to see easily.

Unmoving from his spot where he leaned against he wall, Hisashi studied Izuku's face as the teenager slept on the medical bed. He was hooked up to an IV and had a oxygen mask over his face. Both of his arms and his torso were wrapped in bandages after the Doctor's surgery in an attempt to fix the extensive damage.

He'd flitted in and out of consciousness for a few hours after they'd brought him here, but after the Doctor gave him a sedative, he'd stayed in a fitful rest for the last three days or so.

The sound of footsteps making their way down the hall made Hisashi pause and he turned his head as the newcomer entered the room. All for One.

"Still unconscious, I see," the man remarked quietly.

Hisashi nodded as his eyes returned to Izuku. "Your sure he didn't suffer brain damage?"

"You didn't strike him hard enough to cause brain damage," All for One replied, moving over to the other side of the room to stand by Izuku's bedside. "Oddly enough, it's fortunate your muscles have shrunken from misuse these last sixteen years. You got carried away in your rage- had you struck him with the same power you had back then, he'd have died."

"I underestimated how much my body had weakened," Hisashi agreed. "I was aiming to kill Pixie-Bob and Tora, but they both survived despite my enhancement."

"Well, Pixie-Bob might still die, but you didn't do much more than scorch Tora. Your body is still not back at its peak efficiency, even with the enhancements."

All for One chuckled after a moment. "It's rather ironic, is it not? You, I, and All Might have all grown weaker over these past years."

Hisashi's eyes darkened. "I want him dead."

"In time," All for One assured him.

"That's not soon enough for me," the younger of the two villains scowled, half-glaring at Izuku. "I can't believe he passed One for All to him. There's no way to remove it?"

"Unfortunately, no. Not at this time. But we might yet make use of it once he learns how to control it."

"I don't want him to have that cursed power."

"Peace, Hisashi," All for One reached down to brush back some of the hair covering Izuku's eyes with disconcerting delicacy. "That power is only a "curse" as long as the wielder is against us. On our side…it will bring him no harm to possess it."

"Now, go and inform Tomura that he and the rest of the League will be meeting Izuku shortly. Tomorrow, after I've had time to run more tests."

Hisashi looked at him pointedly, but didn't argue. "In other words, you're about to do another one of your experiments."

"Not the kind you're thinking of- not yet," All for One murmured. His fingers brushed the soft skin of Izuku's face. "But he does have something I need."

"That was some Quirk back there-"

"You can be a hero-"

"I'm cursed! I'll hurt you!"

"Izu! You're home!"

"This is about your life, not ours-"

"I love you too, sweetie-"

"I'm not scared of you-"

"Like hell you're taking him!"

"It would've been bad luck if you tripped-"

"Deku?"

Izuku's eyes flew open with a sharp breath. He squeezed his eyes shut almost immediately as he felt his head pounding. Resisting the urge to vomit, he waited for what might have been minutes or hours until the pain faded away to tolerable levels before he made any attempt at moving.

He opened his eyes again more slowly this time, blinking tiredly around him. Nothing really looked familiar. The room was dark and his mind was sluggish. He felt weak and feverish; his skin was coated in a thin sheen of sweat.

He shivered in the cold air- he realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. Izuku slowly shifted his body so his legs were hanging off the bed, pushing the sheets aside. He was barefoot, but his lower half was covered by a pair of loose, dark pants.

What happened? He wondered, rubbing his face with his hand.

He heard footsteps and looked up towards the doorway to find, to his surprise, a girl about his age or maybe a little older in a high school uniform skipping into the room. She stopped dead upon seeing him and jumped up and down with a squeal. "You're awake! You're awake! Yaaaay!"

She bounced over to him, startling Izuku with her energy and sudden appearance. "I'm Himiko! It's nice to meet you, Izu! Do you mind if I call you Izu?"

"Wh-wha-?" Izuku managed, flustered and confused as she stood right in front of him.

She placed her hands on either side of his legs and leaned forward, causing Izuku to lean back on his elbows to put some distance between them. But his body was still weak and so he ended up just flopping on his back.

Himiko climbed onto the bed and practically straddled him so she could look at his face in more detail. Izuku reddened hotly. "Wh-who- wh-what are you-"

He lifted his hands to try and move her off of him- politely, if he could manage it- but Himiko grabbed his wrists and pinned them beside his head. It was easy for her, seeing as he was still so weak.

Her face leaned close to him and Izuku got a much closer view of her big, yellow eyes and slitted pupils than he would have been comfortable with. Her cheeks seemed to blossom as she studied his own, intense blush. "Mmm…you're cute when you blush~ All the blood rushes to your face and your freckles stand out more."

"Wh-who are you?!" He managed, feeling hotter by the seconds. She was so close to him and he could feel his confused, teenage body reacting involuntarily and in the most uncomfortable way possible and she was straddling his lap oh fuck what the hell was happening here?!

"I'm Himiko, remember?" She giggled, tilting her head in a cat-like way. "I just told you. I'm Himiko Toga. Oh, you never answered my questioned! Can I call you Izu? It's easier and cuter than Izuku, I think."

"I-s-sure, just- c-could you get off of m-me?" He asked weakly.

"Hm?" Himiko blinked at him and suddenly realized their position. "Oh! Izu, you naughty boy! Get your dirty thoughts out of the gutter!"

"N-n-no! Th-that's- I-I-I'm not d-doing it on purpose!" He yelped in embarrassment.

"Really? Seems like your body likes it, though," she grinned, flashing her sharp canine teeth. Himiko leaned closer to him until she was practically lying on top of him and her voice breathed softly in his ear. "I thought it was love at first sight for me when they brought you here, all covered in blood…it was sooo hot…"

Izuku felt a cold chill rush up his spine. "What?"

"Himiko, that's enough."

Himiko sat bolt upright and spun her head towards the door. Izuku followed her gaze and his eyes grew wide with fright.

Hisashi was leaning against the doorway, one eyebrow raised as he studied the two teenagers. He had replaced his open jacket with a simple dark, long-sleeve shirt, but he still wore dark pants and a pair of boots.

Himiko slapped her hands to her cheeks. "Ahh! Izu, your dad caught us! I'm so embarrassed!"

"And yet you're still sitting on him like that," Hisashi pointed out. Himiko stuck her tongue out at him and he shook his head. "Bring some water, Himiko. He's probably dehydrated."

"Kay!" Himiko spun back around to Izuku and leaned forward before he could react. Her teeth nipped at his neck right at his pulse point, not hard enough to draw blood, but it made Izuku flush with heat and yelp.

She pulled back and licked her lips as she dismounted Izuku and skipped away. "I'll be back, Izu!"

Himiko left the room and Hisashi's eyes followed her for a moment before looking back to Izuku. The teenager gulped and stared at Hisashi as his mind caught up and reminded him why he was here in the first place.

Hisashi didn't move to approach him at first. "Before I say anything else, this should go without saying, but don't try to leave. You've been unconscious for three days. Your body sustained a lot of damage and it took several surgeries to prevent you from having any permanent disabilities in your arms."

"No thanks to you," Izuku retorted.

"No, you can thank All Might for that."

The teenager froze. Hisashi snorted. "I know what it's like to be hit with One for All- I don't think I'd ever be able to forget it. You can deny it all you want, but I already know All Might passed his power onto you, Izuku."

"S-so?" Izuku glared at him. "It's not his fault I can't control it yet, I just-"

"It's completely his fault because he had no right to give you that Quirk," Hisashi snapped. "Don't try and use your inexperience as a way to avoid placing the blame on him."

"It's not-"

"Enough," he cut the teenager off. "Arguing about this right now is meaningless. You're stressed, tired, dehydrated, and weak. Bottom line is, you're not leaving here and that's final."

Izuku scowled. "So you're…what, keeping me prisoner?"

"No, I'm grounding you until you prove yourself trustworthy."

The scowl deepened. "You don't get to just act like my dad after all this time! You don't get to attack our training camp and hurt my friends, then kidnap me and act like everything is okay! I don't give a damn what you say! The only reason I'm in the mess is because of you!"

"Hey~!"

Himiko bounced back into the room with a pout on her face and a water bottle in one hand. She poked Hisashi's arm with the cold bottle. "Don't be mean to Izu!"

Hisashi ignored her as she skipped to Izuku and offered him the water bottle, which he accepted reluctantly. His eyes flitted to Himiko and he realized that if she was with Hisashi, it meant she was probably a villain as well.

It clicked in his mind a moment later; yeah, she had been one of the villains who appeared just before Hisashi showed up at the camp. She'd been wearing a mask and some kind of gear back then, but she'd definitely been there.

He took a drink after pausing to sniff the water suspiciously. Hisashi rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Why would we poison you after going to all that effort to get you here in the first place?"

"I don't know," Izuku retorted, trying to ignore Himiko as she sat down next to him. "I'm still trying to figure out what you want with me. You'd have to be insane to think I'd join you guys."

"Your place is with us, now."

"My place is with my mother. With my sister."

Hisashi froze at that. "Your what?"

Izuku stilled and he realized he'd let that slip. "I…I mean Eri…She's not really my sister, but…She might as well be after everything that's happened."

"…but that doesn't matter," he went on, casting a glare at Hisashi. "You're not going to keep me here forever. Eventually, All Might and the other heroes are gonna find you or I'll get away. How long do you think you can hold me here, Hisashi?"

Hisashi's eyes narrowed. "I guess we'll find out."

"Nooo~ I want you to stay, Izu!" Himiko whined and hugged his arm close to her chest, making him blush and try to pull away from her.

"Kn-knock it off!"

The older man turned away and grunted. "Himiko, get a shirt for him out of one of those drawers and introduce him to the others. I need to talk to Tomura's teacher."

Izuku locked onto that and glared after him, trying to ignore the way Himiko was still hugging his arm. "Is that All for One?"

Hisashi paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Why?"

"What does he want with me? Is he trying to take One for All?"

"Didn't All Might tell you? One for All can't be forcibly stolen. I'm not sure exactly what he wants from you, but whatever the case may be, he's already taken something from you."

Izuku blanched. "What?! What did he take?!"

"It doesn't matter right now. It's for some experiment of his. He didn't touch your Quirks, if that's what you're worried about."

Hisashi left then and Himiko seemed to realize that Izuku wasn't going to be quite as fun for her after a few moments. Pouting, she walked over to a cabinet by the bed and opened it, turning her back on Izuku.

The next thing she knew, there was a hand wrapping around her throat from behind and another one grabbing her by the waist to pull her tightly against Izuku's torso. Himiko gasped, but Izuku tightened the grip on her throat.

"Don't scream," he warned her quietly. "Don't struggle. Not a sound out of you or I'll use my Quirk to burn you up. Place your hands against that cabinet and don't move them from there."

Himiko's lips curved into a smile and she did as he asked. Izuku waited a few seconds, carefully trying to decide if she might pull something. When he was satisfied that she would listen, he spoke again. "How many of you are there?"

"Hmm…" She hummed thoughtfully as though she weren't being held hostage. "Counting me, nine. Well, your dad comes and goes, but since he's here, I'll count him too~"

"Where is this place?"

"I dunno, I never bothered finding out what the address was. I just followed Tomura's broker friend here because he said they were with Mr. Stain. It's in the city, I guess?"

Izuku couldn't tell if she was lying or not. "What did All for One take from me?"

"All for what?"

"The Teacher. Tomura's Teacher."

"Ohhh, the TV guy! I don't know, actually. Your dad took you somewhere after we got back from the training camp and we didn't see you for a few days. He brought you back like, four hours ago, but you were asleep then. I guess that's where Tomura's Teacher is, wherever that might be."

Dammit, he wasn't learning anything from her!

"What happened to the training camp? How many people were hurt?"

"I dunno the numbers, exactly," Himiko hummed, tilting her head to think about it. "A lot? Hmmm…no one on the hero side died, I think. I didn't actually do much, either. I became friends with Tsu-Tsu and Kyoka, though! They were cute!"

"But no one was killed?"

"I mean, you killed Mr. Muscles, but that's it."

Izuku froze. "What?"

Himiko seemed surprised. "What, you didn't know? You totally killed him- like WHAM! I mean, all the blood ended up in the dirt, so it was kind of lame, but it's the effort that counts!"

Izuku felt horror rush through him. He…he'd killed someone? Even if it was a villain, he…

In his shock, his grip loosened.

Himiko spun around and tackled him to the floor in an instant, faster than Izuku could react. She sat on his stomach and pinned his hands above his head, her catlike eyes gleaming playfully.

"That was naughty of you Izu, trying to take me hostage like that," she teased. "If you just wanna gimme a hug because you like me, I don't mind…but here's a little tip, okay? Don't ever let your guard down around me~"

Izuku's face flushed again, this time from almost having the wind knocked out of him. Himiko didn't look like it, but she was surprisingly strong for an average high school girl.

Her eyes studied the crimson blossoming just under his skin and her tongue flickered out to wet her lips. "You're so cute like this. You're gonna drive me crazy, Izu."

She leaned down and nipped him again, just as she had before on his pulse point. Again, she didn't draw blood, but seemed to enjoy the way his blood rushed under his skin. She pulled back a bit and smirked at the little bruise forming there.

Himiko let him up and bounced to her feet, turning back to the cabinet and pulling out a simple white shirt which she then tossed to him on her way out the door. "Hurry up, Izu! Everyone wants to meet you!"

Izuku caught the shirt and sat up with a groan. His head was pounding again, but he didn't have time to just sit here. He had to find a way to get away from the League of Villains. He took a few deep breaths as he put the shirt on and tried to calm down. They wanted him alive- that was the whole reason they'd taken him, after all.

If they really wanted his cooperation, they weren't going to kill or torture him. They would have to play nice in order to try and sway him over to their side. Izuku could use that to his advantage. Until All Might and the other heroes found him or he managed to escape…

He was on his own.

The bar was quiet, but not as relaxed as it had been before Himiko bounced in with Izuku behind her. As soon as he walked in, he took a seat in the far corner of the bar and didn't say a word to any of the villains.

It came as a surprise to some of them- Hisashi had come out of the room and informed them that Izuku was agitated not five minutes prior to them arriving, before Kurogiri warped him away to see Tomura's Teacher. And since they knew about Himiko's rather…energetic personality, they'd expected him to be a little rattled at least upon seeing them all.

The way he was sitting in his seat almost lazily, taking his time studying everything in the room was making some of them uneasy, but they hid it well. A few of the villains also took the chance to study him in turn, seeing as he didn't seem to be in the mood for talking. He wasn't giving much away, though.

Himiko didn't seem to mind; she had hopped over to the other side of the bar and was leaning close to Izuku, chattering aimlessly to him. Occasionally, he responded, but it was a pretty one-sided conversation.

After about thirty minutes of Izuku more or less ignoring them, Spinner let his impatience get the better of him.

"Hey," the reptilian man said as he approached Izuku from the front, getting the teenager's attention. "The name's Spinner. You're the kid Stain deemed worthy of the name "hero" after all, aren't you? I'd like it if you could tell me about him. How about we have a talk?"

Izuku watched as Spinner stopped about two meters away from him. He remained silent for a few seconds.

His left hand rose up from the bar.

That little movement was enough to get the attention of the rest of the bar, but what set the villains on edge was when he curled his middle finger against his thumb, like he was about to flick it. Plasma charged up around his finger.

Dabi's eyes widened. Is he actually serious?!

All of the villains tensed immediately. Himiko's smile twisted with a hint of something crazy as one of her hands reached for the knife inside her sleeve. Dabi's fingers twitched with blue fire and Kurogiri's gaseous body shifted in case he had to intercept an attack. Magne's grip tightened on her metal rod and Spinner hesitated before reaching for one of his blades. Twice's eyes just widened and Tomura watched Izuku warily, while Compress merely cocked his head.

Izuku's gaze flitted about the bar for a few seconds, his finger still aimed at Spinner. But then the charge of plasma disappeared and he set his elbow against the bar again, propping his chin on his palm to look at Himiko. "Is there anything to eat here?"

Himiko's smile became a little less psychotic and more genuine. "Yep! Whaddya want?"

"What do you have?"

Spinner grinned a little nervously as he let go of his weapon. "Smart move, kid. Seems you know your position well."

Izuku ignored him, seemingly listening to what Himiko was offering for food.

Smart move? Magne stared at Izuku warily. Spinner, you idiot. He was never going to fire that shot. As soon as he lifted his hand, he was looking around to see how we would react. He's not stupid enough to think he can take us all on- he was probing for weaknesses!

You're the one who doesn't understand his position. He knows that we aren't going to harm him unless we have to. As long as he doesn't do anything rash, he's got the freedom to sit there and study us all he wants. He's been looking around the bar like that ever since he got here, looking for exits or weak points.

Magne felt a bead of sweat form on the side of her head. This fucking kid…He's too smart to do something reckless when he doesn't know all of our Quirks. I'll bet he was trying to see if we'd use them when he pulled that stunt. Even worse, he's not just intelligent, he's powerful. He killed that Muscular guy in a battle of brute strength. If he gets a shot off with that power of his, it'll probably destroy the bar and alert everyone in the area. Our cover will be blown in an instant.

Izuku took a sip of water from his water bottle as Himiko asked Kurogiri for more details on what they had to eat. His eyes lifted to study the wall behind the bar, but there was nothing casual about how intently he was looking. Magne's brow wrinkled stressfully as she glanced at Dabi, who nodded slightly. He understood what Izuku was doing as well.

If our information is correct, he knows about the Quirks of Tomura, Kurogiri, Dabi, Viper, and maybe Twice. He didn't get to see my, Spinner, or Compress's Quirks, but there's no way of knowing if Himiko told him about hers or not. She's getting too chatty with him. If nothing else, he's probably at least realized that Himiko and Spinner are close-range types. That means the only ones he has no information about at all are Compress and myself.

This is dangerous…It's like trying to keep a bomb from going off. He probably isn't going to rush anything, either. He's going to take his time…and all the while it's going to make us edgy. Why the hell did they bring him back here!? They should've kept him with Tomura's Teacher, wherever he is! At least restrain him somehow!

But Magne knew there wouldn't be any restraining him. Izuku hadn't taken that shot- he hadn't done anything wrong, per se. Handcuffing him or locking him up would only antagonize him further and make it more difficult to turn him into a willing recruit.

He was figuring out their game with their every reaction and it was eerie how he just…started playing it. Izuku let his eyes move around the bar again and he locked on Magne, meeting her gaze steadily. The green orbs were sharp as he inspected her like a bird of prey, in a way that made her suppress a shiver before he moved on. He was more like his father than any of them had anticipated.

Was killing Muscular just a fluke, or is he actually that kind of dangerous person?

"Hey~" Himiko poked Izuku's shoulder with her finger. "Izu, are you still listening to me?"

"Yeah, why?" He responded without looking at her. It had gotten late and a few of the other villains had turned in. Where they'd gone…he wasn't exactly sure since he hadn't left the bar more than once to use the bathroom, but he figured they'd be around somewhere. Kurogiri was still behind the bar itself, polishing a glass. Tomura was making a pyramid out of cards at the chair furthest away from him- Izuku was tempted to blow at them in an attempt to make them fall over.

"I've been talking forever but you hardly say anything back!" Himiko pouted. "Have you just been ignoring me?"

"I haven't been ignoring you," he replied as he studied the door on the opposite side of the room. He wondered if he could bust that thing down with 5% of his power…

"Really? Then answer these questions!" Himiko demanded as her cheek puffed up. "How old am I?"

"Sixteen."

She blinked. "You remember?"

"I told you I was listening, didn't I?"

"…what's my favorite type of guy?"

"Ones that are covered in blood."

"Wow, right again! What's my favorite kind of story?"

"Love stories."

Himiko stared at him in surprise. "I totally thought you were tuning me out!"

Izuku gave her a sideways look. "Why would I tune you out?"

The teenage girl just looked back, her eyes somewhat brighter than before as her head tilted to the side a little.

"If you guys are going to keep talking, can you take it elsewhere?" Tomura grunted. "I'm getting tired."

Himiko pouted at him and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, fine. C'mon, Izu."

She hopped over the bar (much to Kurogiri's chagrin) and made to go back towards the room Izuku had been in when he arrived. Himiko took Izuku's wrist and he didn't fight it- instead letting her pull him away.

Kurogiri watched them go warily. "…He's too agreeable."

"I know," Tomura agreed as he carefully balanced another card on his pyramid. "I was planning on trying to convince him to join us, but I didn't think he'd pull that stunt earlier. It caught me by surprise."

"He's going to be a problem without Hisashi or your Teacher to watch him."

"…I…think we should ask Teacher about what to do," Tomura said, surprising Kurogiri. "I don't like how calm he is about this. He's not behaving at all how I thought he would. I'm sure he's planning something. I need more information so I know how to manage him. Would you mind asking him to come here?"

Kurogiri nodded. This was the kind of development Teacher had been hoping for in Tomura- the ability to admit he didn't know the answer to something and ask for help.

He reached for the phone.

Himiko tugged Izuku back to what he guessed was "his" room now and turned to smile at him. "Mind if I stay and talk more?"

"I don't mind," Izuku replied. Admittedly listening to Himiko talk was…trying. Sometimes it was normal high school girl chatter (which he knew nothing about and didn't know how to respond to most of the time) and sometimes it was about something gruesome like murder (which he didn't want to know anything about and didn't respond at all).

But he let her talk. She had more or less attached herself to him ever since he woke up and throughout the day…he'd noticed she didn't bother talking to anyone else except maybe that Twice guy a couple of times, though she almost immediately returned to talk to Izuku. Whether she was trying to get a rise out of him or actually was interested in him, he didn't know, but…for some reason, he didn't try to make her stop talking.

He didn't understand why he hadn't stopped her yet. Whenever she talked, rather gleefully, about murdering someone, it sent horrific shivers up his spine. She'd mentioned going on a date with some guy that ended with her bleeding him dry. It was freaky as all hell and he wanted her to shut the fuck up every time she started another story like that, of which there had been several.

It made him uncomfortable and though he knew he couldn't force her to stop, (as that might have provoked the villains, and he didn't have enough intel to fight them yet) he hadn't even said something like politely trying to change the subject. He'd let her ramble about her fixation on bleeding guys until she was satisfied.

Izuku shook the thought from his head and made to remove his shirt. As soon as it was over his head, a hand slapped over his throat from behind and another hugged his torso. Himiko's body pressed against his back and he felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as she breathed into his ear.

"I told you never to let your guard down around me, Izu~"

"And if I flare up?" He retorted, unwilling to let her get away with scaring him. "Even if you try and flick out that knife in your jacket, you could still burn to death."

"Oh, you saw my knife? Nice eye," she giggled, letting her hand leave his throat. It trailed down his chest as he tossed his shirt aside and lowered his arms- Izuku didn't like the way she was touching him, but his mind was focusing on analysis right now. Where were her limits? What habits did she have? What could he use against her if he had to fight her?

He turned his head to glare at her and she stared back, still smiling lazily.

Himiko was also testing his limits and both of their bodies were tense. The teenage girl might have been crazy at times, but she wasn't stupid. She could tell Izuku was looking for an escape route in the bar- that was something she did whenever she was going to murder someone. If she didn't have a getaway plan, then it was too risky to pull off.

He'd been trying to find their weak points, so she went looking for his. This was the easiest way to unsettle a male- catch them off guard and take them out of control. If Izuku was going to give up a weakness to her, this was the quickest way to go about it.

Her fingers trailed from his collarbone down past his sternum. They hovered above Izuku's stomach for a few seconds before slowly dragging down along his abs. The muscles clenched under her touch.

She passed his naval and reached the edge of his pants. Most guys by now at least said something, though Himiko had only used this particular method once or twice. Now even she was starting to feel a bit out of her depth.

Her thumb teased the edge of the clothing, sliding under it just a tad between his pants and underwear. Himiko shifted her thumb again to touch the skin at his hips and her eyes flit down-

Izuku had her wrists in his hands in an instant and he yanked her arms away from him before spinning around, grabbing her shoulder, and then shoving her face-first into the bed. He kept her arm pinned behind her back and twisted it until she winced.

"Oww, Izu!"

He tried to let out a long breath to calm himself as quietly as he could despite his racing heart and blazing cheeks. She'd really, really pushed his comfort zone there, but he'd won that little trade- he'd gotten a weakness out of her. As crazy as she was, Himiko apparently still experienced the same uncertainty with…mature matters like other teenagers their age.

He didn't think that was a weakness he'd actually be able to exploit, but at least he knew a bit more about her personality now.

"Let me gooo!" She whined.

"Where's the knife?"

"In my undies."

"You're lying," he snapped, twisting her arm further. "Where is it?"

"Owowow…ugh, fine! It's in my sleeve. The arm you're twisting, by the wrist."

Izuku carefully pulled her sleeve back and extracted the switchblade, which he pocketed. He glared at her for another moment. "Any others?"

"Who do I look like, Spinner?" She complained.

There was no point in interrogating her further, so he let her go and stepped back as she straightened and turned to pout at him. Izuku took the knife out of his pocket and held it up to show her. "You get this back when you leave my room."

No point in trying to steal it or keep it from her, he thought to himself in annoyance. If he stole a knife, she'd tell the others and he'd have to give it up. He also seriously doubted it was the only knife in the bar- she probably had another one stashed somewhere. This was a temporary disarmament to make her think he felt more secure without the weapon on her.

"That was mean, Izu," she winced as she stretched her arm to the side.

"Don't try and sneak up on me, then."

"I was just giving you a hug," she muttered.

Bullshit, he thought, but mentally sighed. He couldn't believe he was about to do this.

"If you want to give me a hug, just ask," he told her, his cheeks reddening with legitimate embarrassment. Did he want to hug her? No. Did he want her trust? Yes.

It'd make it easier for him to escape if she was relaxed around him.

Himiko smiled playfully. "Aww, that's sweet of you!"

Izuku just grunted and walked over to the bed to sit on the mattress, careful to keep the knife on the side opposite Himiko. She plopped herself down next to him and leaned against his shoulder, her voice becoming teasing again.

"Here we are again, all alone in your room…your dad isn't here to catch us, you know~" She whispered into his ear, giggling slightly.

Izuku was calling her bluff. He knew where her limits stood now and that at this point, she was just trying to get a rise out of him.

"I thought I wasn't your type," he goaded her, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. "Didn't you say you liked guys who were covered in blood?"

"Yeah, you were waaaay hotter when your arms were all busted up," she admitted cheerily. "You're still cute, though. You'd be cuter if you were bleeding a bit. Maybe I should bite you again!"

He was about to deny her, but did a mental pause before he opened his mouth.

…what if he let her?

If he gave her that kind of control, that kind of trust…how would she respond? He'd already figured out from her reaction earlier that she was, in some ways, still a teenager mentally. Could he use that as a way to gain her trust? Or…even convince her to help him escape?

Just today, he'd figured out that no matter how he went about it, escaping the League of Villains right now was impossible. He couldn't make some haphazard attempt at escape or they'd stop him with ridiculous ease. He also had no idea where he was, except that it was in a city of some kind.

There was no way of knowing if and when the heroes would find this location. Wherever it was, it was well hidden, and Kurogiri's warping meant he could send the villains anywhere at a moment's notice. At the end of the day, it was just Izuku against nine, powerful villains- and possibly even All for One.

He had no outside ears or eyes. No information except what he was told.

If he gained Himiko's trust- and with absolute certainty, at that- could she be his way out? On his own, the task was going to be insanely difficult, but if he had her on his side…

Izuku knew, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, that he didn't have the luxury of being picky here. This was a matter of survival. He had to take any and every chance he was given- even if that meant getting closer to the villains than he would have ever liked to.

"Okay, why don't you?"

Himiko laughed. "Nice joke, Izu."

"No, really."

She paused and twisted her head to blink at him owlishly. "You…want me to make you bleed?"

"I mean, not a lot," he scratched the back of his head nervously. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Maybe being around the villains was making him insane, too. "Just…maybe if you bit me again? If you want, I mean."

Himiko stared at him. "You're serious."

"It's only if you want to," he muttered, embarrassed. Even if it was for a really fucked up reason, he was still telling a girl it was okay to…to bite him. He couldn't fake how much it freaked him out.

"…why? No one's ever…willingly let me do that."

"W-well, you said you like blood, but…Maybe it'd be easier if you just make me bleed a little instead of killing people?"

"…you're kind of weird."

Izuku wanted to face-palm. Great, even the psychotic, murder-happy girl thought he was weird. Talk about a new low.

He froze as Himiko suddenly moved and straddled his lap, just as she had at the start of the day. She stared down at him, the smile on her face gone and her eyes uncharacteristically serious. "You're not trying to make fun of me?"

"I'm trying to help you," he responded quietly.

She was still a killer. There was no escaping that fact. But if he could convince her to help him escape, maybe he could…help her somehow. Have her sent somewhere to help whatever mental problems she had instead of a jail cell. That was what his hero side told him, anyway.

Himiko considered it for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Then…I'll do it. Just a little, right?"

Izuku swallowed, his adams apple bobbing up and down. His throat felt dry and he turned his head to the side a little, exposing his throat to her. "Just a little…"

She licked her lips and leaned down near his pulse point. Izuku cringed, fighting off tears as he felt her sharp canines pierce his skin and warm blood rolled down his neck. His arms wrapped around her and squeezed in an attempt to steady himself- to keep himself from reacting badly. One of Himiko's hands gripped his hair as she lapped at his blood with her tongue and shifted to bite him again.

Manipulation.

Outside the room, All for One stood against the wall and smiled to himself darkly. He'd heard Izuku's conversation with Himiko- knew what the teenage boy was going for. He approved. He approved completely.

When one is placed in a situation where survival is on the line, one must adapt accordingly, he thought to himself. Now that you're with the League of Villains, Izuku, you've surely realized…if help does not come, you must escape on your own. Your options are limited. You have no one to rely on but yourself. In a position where you are so alone, you must have the iron will to manipulate others to your benefit.

The mind of someone as young as you is so easily subject to change. Even if you escape, will you be the same person you were before? The longer this goes on, the more your perception will adapt to suit that of a villain. It will become easier for you to throw away things like morality when you have no other choice. You've already expressed your capability in doing so by killing Muscular, whether it was on purpose or by accident. That seed has been planted, and now this decision you've made to manipulate Himiko will let it sprout.

Without realizing it, Izuku, you've already taken your first steps to become a villain.

A/N: Finally, some REAL variation from canon. I know this chapter might make some people uneasy, but I told you guys things were going to get worse. They still haven't reached that true low point, either. Brace yourselves for the future.

As ever, please review and thanks for reading!