'Shit.'

He hadn't become the intimidating, be-all end-all, Hitler-esque superpowered monster whomst solely exists to destroy everything.He had become a joker. Why? Because, they were brooding assholes. Why? Because, they were fucking insufferable.

'I didn't mind the Overhaul guy. He was pretty cool. Fuck the rest, though.'

There was only two months left 'til the start if U.A, and in his valiant attempts to instill enough fear into villains so he could get a name and be recruited, only two truly stuck out to him. Overhaul and Tomura. The reason was simple.

'They weren't scared of a guy who can control time.'

That isn't normal. By anyone's standards. Ever. And yet, here they sat, interested. Although he far preferred Overhaul to Tomura, the latter had a far more lowkey operation going on, and that just appealed to Izuku more. Maybe it was the years of bullying he'd faced or a natural attraction, but he tended to favour underdogs far more than clear-cut winners. Speaking of the unwashed, dandruff-ridden, hand lovinh cun-

"Deku! How many fucking times do you need told that the U.A recruitment plan is a no-go?"

The guy was pissed.

"Look, I know what I'm doing. You forget I can stop time for, what, eight seconds? I can wound All-Might, for fuck's sake! What about you?!"

"Well, I can desintegrate people." Tomura retorted, smirking.

"..." Izuku remained silent.

"...cat got your-"

That weird fuckin' bass, clock reversal noise blared in his ears. Shit went yellow, time went and stopped. He only needed to deck Tomura, but he (for good measure) put his finger in his nose for shits and giggles.

Time resumed.

"-tou-SON OF A FUCK!"

The villain leader collapsed.

Deku smiled.

Three Months Later

Deku fucking despised his class. It wasn't long 'til the planned strike, but that didn't have to mean he had to like the class, right?

"Hey, umm..." The dipshit with the literal balls on his head looked around sheepishly.

"What is it, Mineta?"

"Want to come eat with me and Denki?"

Perhaps, it was the last embers of his old, trusting self flaring into a bonfire, perhaps he was happy to have friends.

"Yeah. That'd be cool."

He sat. They all talked. It was good, fun.

'You'll never experience joy like this after your betrayal, you know.'

"Shit, dude!" Denki yelled out.

"What is it, Kaminari?" Dipshit responded.

"That USJ trip's in two days! I haven't trained!"

The three boys in the room were caught off guard by the trip: one in fear, one in joy (at the showing of costume boobies, of course) and one in sadness, knowing he'd never have real friends after this.

All in the job, I guess.

A.N: Well aware I took ages to update. Family stuff. Wrote it entirely differently to the prologue's tone because it was too edgy and cliché, and yes, I butchered Izuku's canon self because him becominh a world leader who has quips and rules in fear sounds way cooler than a kid who cries and gets hurt constantly. Leave your thoughts below, any criticism is valid criticism.