The room was silent apart from the humming of the machines, Izuku glaring at the galaxy…man…thing in front of him.
"Quite confident, aren't you?" the teen muttered, getting unsteadily to his feet, his head still swimming slightly, "What makes you think that you'd be able to succeed? Or are you just that arrogant?"
The man chuckled, leaning forwards slightly, his face coming into the dim light. Izuku recoiled, staring at the blank scarring that covered the top of the man's head, the eyeless face grinning at him as numerous tubes and needles pierced its skin.
"My, you have quite the attitude. Perhaps you should behave," each word seemed to hit Izuku physically, weighing down on him like a chain. Izuku almost fell to his knees, his mind fogging as he felt the weight of the words
The teen gritted his teeth, staring into the massive star filled void in front of him, frantically searching. He saw it, the star that pulsed and twinkled as the man spoke, latching onto it as he felt his own quirk twist and shift.
"You're not the only one who can do that," Izuku grunted, almost smiling when the man seemed to recoil back slightly himself, his grin dropping as he seemed to inspect Izuku with interest.
"My," the man said, "That is quite impressive. It seems my usual methods won't work on you."
"Not unless you're ready to have them thrown right back in your ugly face."
"Now now, no need to be rude," the man laughed, his twisted grin back on his face, "But you must be hungry and thirsty! You have been in that box for quite some time."
The man snapped his fingers, Izuku jumping as the cart was wheeled out of the shadows, being pushed by a short overweight man with a bushy moustache and thick goggles. With his attention on the scarred man, Izuku hadn't noticed him, even though he must have been waiting in the shadows since the start. Izuku's stomach grumbled as he saw the Katsu-don, steaming hot and waiting to be eaten, a tall glass of cold water beside it.
"Thank you, Doctor," the man said calmly, "You may leave us now."
"Of course, Sensei," the man nodded, turning away and walking back into the shadows.
"Come now, young man," the shadowed man chuckled, "Eat, drink, make merry!"
"I'm good," Izuku hummed, "I don't trust you enough to risk eating any of your food."
"It's not drugged, I assure you," the man laughed, reaching out and picking up a piece of the meat, popping it into his mouth and chewing, before swallowing it, "Would you like me to try some of the water as well?"
"No," Izuku replied, stepping towards the bowl, "You don't have any chemical resistance quirks, so you're probably not lying."
"Of course I'm not, what good would it do me to violate your trust when we've only just met," the man laughed again, making Izuku supress a shudder, "Now, what can you tell me about the good Doctor's quirk?"
Izuku looked at the man as he shovelled some rice into his mouth, chewing slowly as he stared down the blank skin where his eyes should be.
"It's not his," Izuku huffed through his food, "And that's not just because you have the same one. I don't think yours is even the original version either."
"My, how very astute," the man hummed, sitting back in his chair, watching as Izuku continued to eat, "Now, what can you tell me about my quirk?"
"It's called All for One," Izuku replied, "And it allows you to take the quirks of others."
"Not entirely correct, but good enough," the man huffed, "My quirk also allows me to give quirks, as well as take them. Do you understand what that means?"
"I have a few ideas," Izuku sighed as he finished the food, quickly draining the glass of water.
"Oh, do enlighten me."
"You're the legendary bogeyman of the Villain world, the same one that caused the first great quirk war almost two hundred years ago," Izuku said, "But you're getting old, even with life extending quirks, you won't live forever."
"Ha!" the man chuckled, "My, you certainly do know your stuff! Did that fool, what was his name? Toshinori? Did he tell you all this?"
"Bits and pieces," Izuku shrugged, "I put the rest together by myself."
"Quite the smart one, I see," the man smiled, "And do tell me, what do you think we plan to do with you?"
"You want to see if you can use my quirk to create stronger Nomu," Izuku said flatly, staring at the shadowed man, "You think that if you can figure out how to…I don't know, replicate it? Like you did with the Doctor's quirk, then you'd be able to make even stronger fighters, maybe not have them be so…brainless."
"My, quite smart indeed," the man hummed in satisfaction, "I am thoroughly impressed."
"Compliments can get you anywhere," Izuku shrugged again, a slight sardonic grin inching across his face, "Though you've been asking me a bunch of questions. How about I get to grill you a little?"
"By all means," the man chuckled, leaning back in his chair as Izuku felt a stare that wasn't there focus in on him, "Ask away."
"That brat!" Tomura shouted, hurling the remote at the screen, a portal opening just in front of it as the object shot through into Kurogiri's hand, "How dare he speak to Sensei like that! I'll kill him! I'll torture him until there's nothing left then I'll kill him!"
"Calm yourself, Tomura Shigaraki," Kurogiri hummed, placing the remote carefully down on the bar, "Sensei has plans for this one, you cannot simply have your way with him."
"Why not?" the Villain whined, "I'm supposed to be Sensei's successor! Why is he being so…so nice to this brat that keeps ruining all my plans!"
"Calm yourself, Tomura Shigaraki," Kurogiri repeated, his mist-like body flaring slightly as he spoke, Tomura blinking at the strange display of annoyance, "Be silent and watch."
"Now you've put me on the spot," Izuku chuckled, looking around the room, "I didn't think you'd actually say yes!"
"I do enjoy a good conversation," the man chuckled back, "And it would hardly be a conversation if I were the only one asking questions."
"Right," Izuku hummed, "So…why?"
"Why what?" the man replied.
"Why are you a Villain? Or I guess you probably don't see yourself as a Villain, most people like you don't," Izuku shrugged, leaning against the cart, "I guess what I'm trying to ask is why are you doing all this? For power? Money? Your own sick sense of humour?"
"Ah," the man muttered, looking away as if in contemplation, "That is quite the question. Now how to answer?"
The two sat in silence for several minutes, before the man let out a sigh, turning back to Izuku and smiling tiredly.
"I suppose it all begins with the story of two brothers."
"Are you sure this is fine?" Mina asked as they stood outside the hospital at night, the pink-skinned girl still wrapped in a thin layer of bandages, but otherwise fine, "I don't see Iida anywhere. Is he still coming?"
"We'll wait a few more minutes," Neito hummed, "Then, if he still hasn't shown up, we'll go without him."
"You're all crazy," Shinso sighed, "Seriously, doing something like this just for Midoriya."
"Hey, you're coming with us too!" Kirishima chuckled.
"Oh," Momo gasped, pointing to the shadows as a figure emerged, "Iida is here."
"And he's not alone," the gruff voice muttered as their teacher walked from the shadows just behind the boy, the six other students all freezing as they saw him, "What do you lot think you're doing?"
"I'm sorry everyone," Iida sighed, bowing, "But…but I couldn't allow you to do this. I can't risk losing a friend, even if it means…means that I can't help someone."
"What are you saying, Iida?" Mina gasped, "You told on us?"
"He did," Aizawa growled, "And, quite frankly, I should expel the lot of you for trying to do something so reckless! Especially you, Shinso!"
The six students flinched, looking down at the ground in disappointment as the man glared at them.
"However, you haven't actually done anything wrong just yet," the man sighed, "But you're not going to do anything tonight. Not with the operation already underway."
"Underway?" Mina asked, "Then you mean…?"
"All Might is already on site. As are a number of other Heroes. Thanks to Yaoyorozu's tracking device, we were able to find Midoriya's location easily, and have already evacuated the surrounding area," Aizawa explained, "Now, technically I shouldn't be telling you any of this. But if it's more likely to stop you doing something stupid, then I'm prepared to stretch the rules."
"What if…what if we still want to go?" Kirishima muttered under his breath, the other students all looking at him.
"Then I'll expel you right now, and you can go get yourself arrested for Vigilantism," Aizawa replied flatly, before his expression softened slightly, "I know what it's like. To lose a friend. I don't want any of you to go through that. So, I'm stopping your little rescue mission here."
The group nodded slowly, looking sadly at each other as the man sighed again.
"That's not to say you won't be still be punished," Aizawa said, making them start, "But I think I know exactly who to ask to do that."
Toshinori Yagi, also known as the number one Hero All Might, stood outside of the destroyed warehouse, the other Heroes around him quickly rounding up the Nomu from their tanks as he glared into the destruction. It had taken them the better part of a day to find the place, having located the approximate location of Young Midoriya that morning thanks to the help of Young Yaoyorozu. Beside him, Endeavor growled.
"This is ridiculous! They're all unresponsive, why did I need to even be here?" the Pro grumbled, his shoulders flaring up slightly as he glared at All Might's back, "What makes you so sure that the boss will be here, anyway?"
"Because this is where Young Midoriya is," All Might muttered in response, looking over the debris strewn floor, "Come on, there has to be an entrance or something around here."
"Why are you so worried about that brat?" Endeavor growled, "He has nothing but a bad attitude and no respect for his elders!"
"It is not advised to speak ill of others, Endeavor," Best Jeanist hummed beside him, the Pro looking down at the denim clad man, "Especially when the number one Hero is looking at you like that."
Endeavor snorted as he glanced back up at All Might, eyes going wide as he saw the unbridled rage burning in his gaze.
"Enough, Todoroki," the muscular man growled, "We have to find him. Now. Before it's too late."
Tomura watched the screen as he listened, enraptured by the tale he'd never heard before. The story of his Sensei's origins, and the origins of the accursed power of All Might. He had no idea about any of this, only the scant few facts that Sensei had told him. And yet here was the man that Tomura respected over everything else in the world, spilling his guts about his past to some nobody brat that kept ruining Tomura's plans.
The Villain jumped as the door rattled with a knock, looking over in confusion for a moment as someone called out.
"Pizza delivery!"
"Huh?" he growled, getting off his chair, a deep scowl on his face, "What's going on?"
The wall exploded in as Death Arms charged through the brick, throwing debris across the room, Kamui Woods swinging down a moment later and shouting.
"Lacquered Chain Prison!" his arm extending out into numerous branches as it wrapped around the surprised Shigaraki and Kurogiri.
"It's best that you surrender, Villains," Edgeshot said as he opened the door to the bar, being followed in by a number of fully armed police officers, "We have you surrounded."
"You think this is it?" Tomura squawked, a wide grin stretching across his face, "Kurogiri! Bring in the Nomu!"
"Tomura Shigaraki," the mist man said, "The Nomu, they aren't where they're supposed to be!"
"What the hell is all this racket?" a voice called as the black-haired man stepped into the bar from the back door, yawning, "I'm trying to fucking slee- Oh shit."
The Heroes stared at Dabi in surprise, as he stared back, before bringing up a hand and sending a wall of flame rushing towards them. Kamui screamed as his wood was incinerated, Death Arms just barely able to leap in front of the police officers to shield them, his costume burning from the attack.
"Shit," the man shouted, "Hey, bartender! Get us the fuck out of here!"
"Of course!" the man shouted back, his body expanding as they were suddenly engulfed in black mist.
"My, it seems that our story is being interrupted," the man sighed as the ceiling shook above them, "A pity, I was just getting to the good part."
"Not the end of the world," Izuku shrugged, "I mean, I heard a similar story from All Might not too long ago."
"Ha, as if that fool's rendition could match up to that of a person who actually experienced it!" the man spat, slowly rising from his chair, "Doctor, fetch me my helmet. It's time I go greet our uninvited guests."
Izuku watched as the man that was only referred to as "Doctor" appeared from the shadows again, holding an intimidating looking helmet. It took several minutes of adjustments, but finally the object was fixed over the man's head. Slowly, deliberately, he turned to Izuku.
"Come now, young man," his voice reverberated menacingly inside the helmet, "I believe it's time you watch me destroy the Symbol of Peace."
