CHAPTER 11: TRY AS YOU MIGHT…

My POV

It was a warm and clear Saturday as I checked my phone. 11:37. I was leaning against a tree in a t-shirt and jeans in mine and Deku's training clearing, the light breeze rustling through my clothes.

I think it was when we first found this place all those years ago, in fact, that I gave him that nickname. We dubbed it the training clearing about five years ago, but we found it way before that.

Deku… were that name coming from anyone else, it likely would have been an insult. Luckily, I managed to turn it on its head.

(FLASHBACK: 10 years ago)

"I see a clearing up ahead, Kacchan! Good thing too, these bushes are taller than us."

I could barely make out a green head of hair a few feet ahead above the bushes. We had decided to go off the beaten path that day since we were bored, but as you could expect, five-year-old's don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to being careful.

"Understood, Deku."

We tumbled out into the open, covered in random scratches and nicks as we took in our surroundings before my best friend turned and looked at me quizzically.

"What did you call me?"

I shrugged. "Deku. I figured since you gave me a nickname, I could give you one. If you look at the characters of your name, it can be read as Deku."

That just seemed to confuse the freckled boy further though as he cocked his head to the side. "Okay… but what does it mean?"

"Well, it sounds kinda like Dekiru, which means 'capable'. You're capable of becoming a hero one day, my friend, regardless of what others think."

The green-haired boy smiled at me, before regaining his confused expression. "Thanks Kacchan… but why not just call me Dekiru then?"

"De-ki-ru, that's three syllables. De-ku, that's two."

"Okay… yeah, I like that. Deku it is!"

(FLASHBACK END)

I softly smiled, resting my head against the rough bark of the tree. He would need to be capable, especially when he went up against threats like Gentle Criminal or Stain. Those two would be strong in their own right, but he made short work of both of them with support.

I would certainly work with Stain once the opportunity arose, perhaps attract his followers but I had to wait for the right time. Too early, and he might just brush me off. Too late, and I'll lose my chance.

I have Toga as a potential recruit for my little escapade, but she'll need to join the League for her to gain valuable intel. Though I do have to wonder who else among the Villain crowd I could get?

It's too late to get Shigaraki. I couldn't even if I wanted to, given that he's a good five years older than me.

Spinner's a zealot, I hate Magne, Muscular's a psycho plain and simple, and I know too little about Compress and Dabi, and I hate Mustard too. Twice is a maybe, but that will all depend on him bonding with Toga.

And as for… wait…

…how could I have missed it before?

Gentle Criminal! He was perfect! A guy unaligned with either faction, a free agent. Yeah, he's on the police's radar, but he and La Brava would be good allies going forward, especially for getaways and technological skill. He's the shadow of the Hero he hoped to be, but this way he could be a true Hero, even if he was on the wrong side of the law. Not to mention his Quirk is very versatile and powerful, and could work very well for what I have planned. Perhaps it's time Oracle stepped back out.

I'm fully aware that this is a drastic change to the timeline, but perhaps I can still remedy it. If Gentle agrees to partner up, I could send him to spar with Deku on the day he goes to buy rope. I really enjoyed seeing the man in the show, and thankfully I have an idea for how to find him. It's gonna take a while though.

Gentle Criminal POV (five days later)

I strolled out of the convenience store, twisting flamboyantly to face the camera, the rooftop nigh abandoned as I took a bow. "And so, my dearest viewers, once again I have proven that those drab do-gooders are no match for me! And so, dear viewers, I must say cheerio, until next time!"

La Brava lowered the camera and smiled. "That was magnificent, Gentle! You're really amazing."

I smiled at the praise before a new voice made itself known.

"You may be laying it on a bit thick there, La Brava. Though I will admit, his skills are admirable."

I turned to see a shorter man clad in a thick vest and hoodie, as well as black pants with many pockets. His face was covered by a black scarf and a red bird-like mask, the trail of the former fluttering in the breeze. In his right hand was a staff, black in colour with blue accents with slightly larger portions on either end. He stood leaning against the door to the roof, tension written all over him despite his posture. Not particularly elegant, but I suppose it works.

"Gentle Criminal and La Brava. I come with a proposition."

My diminutive assistant hid behind my legs as I smiled. "Ahahaha, Gentle Criminal at your service. I must say, your abilities must be a thing of wonder to find us so easily after we performed our escape! Though with that weapon, am I to assume you would incapacitate us if we did not agree to listen?"

The masked man glanced at the polearm before eye-smiling back at me. "This was just in case things went south. My Quirk isn't suited for combat, as opposed to your own, so I had to improvise and train myself in other areas."

"I see. Very well, my skilled friend, I shall hear your proposition. But first, I must ask, how did you find us?"

I was interested to hear about this man who willingly gives up information about his capabilities. I do that as well, but only when I have already played my hand. The mystery man relaxed, leaned on his staff like a cane, and spoke.

"I suppose that's only fair. You see, I observed a pattern to your videos. You hit convenience stores and other such places, but only within a certain radius. As good as La Brava is, she doesn't block out the address numbers if they're deemed too far for the camera to see. I took screenshots and zoomed in to get the address numbers, though they were very pixelated, and I did end up with an incorrect combination or six before I got the right number. I cross-referenced those numbers with store locations and found a general area where you two operate. You operate outside of that, obviously, but four times out of ten you strike in this area. From there, it was a matter of guesswork of which store you would hit next. It took me… oh… four days to get everything in order."

It was by chance? But it was well-informed chance, and he figured it out rationally and rather quickly. If the police deemed us more of a threat, then they could find us with similar methods if they tried hard enough.

"Seriously? I thought I was doing better. Sorry Gentle." La Brava bowed her head, a somber air surrounding her.

"Chin up, my dear girl, you were doing wonderfully. We just need to be more careful. Now then…" I turned to face the man who found us out.

"What is your proposition? And do make it swift, I wish for the video to be uploaded tonight and La Brava needs time to edit."

The shifting of the fabric near his mouth indicated a small smile as he nodded, not moving from his current position.

"Very well, I shall get straight to the point. I wish to collaborate with the pair of you going forward. I have seen the future, and a great many events that will shape the course of history as we know it. If we succeed in our goals, we shall be immortalized in history as heroic vigilantes. With the visions of the future I received to guide us, we can fight against the chaos that is to come."

Immortalized in history? That sounds too good to be true. But then, what of the heroes proper? Wouldn't they put a stop to it?

"A very interesting idea, but it does appear to have a hole. What of the Pro Heroes? Surely they would find out about our involvement and persecute us?"

"Oh, undoubtedly. But as long as we move discreetly and act with caution and confidence in equal measure, we will be able to act regardless. We will add to our numbers in time, and the public will know of us eventually, but with our combined power and my future sight, we can help in the times of crisis to come."

I rubbed my fingers to my chin, thinking. A puff of red emerged from behind me as La Brava chose this moment to interject. "This idea won't interfere with our current plans too much, will it? We have an upload schedule and plans to keep."

The staff wielder sighed before responding to the girl. "If you do accept, I will request a refrain from crime. If you do have a schedule to keep, perhaps a shift to vigilante actions would be in order. Gentle is a Hero course dropout, so I know he wanted to be a Hero at one point. This way, he could become a true Hero."

I froze mid-rub. This man knew far more than he was letting on. I gained a wary expression as I faced him, ready to flee at a moment's notice. "How do you know about my past?"

"I have seen the future. Your clash with a UA student the visions center around brings all of this to the surface. You claimed you were the shadow of a Hero that could have been."

That… is plausible. Future sight is a powerful tool, so much so that he saw the future of those he wished to recruit. Or did those visions tell him who to seek out? And just who was this student his visions centered around?

"…who else have you spoken to, Mr…?"

"Oracle. And you are the second I have approached. I have formed a tentative alliance with Sir Nighteye, though he appears to be distrustful of me. As such, I do not entirely believe that he sees me as an ally, especially considering that I know too much."

Nighteye? All Might's former sidekick? If he contacted that man, he must indeed be serious. And just what precisely did he know? I doubt he would be forthcoming with it to someone he is unsure of. His proposal does sound interesting, and like a surefire way to achieve my dream.

La Brava chose this moment to interject, suspicion written all over her expression.

"How do we know we can trust you? You hide your face, and I'm willing to bet that's not even your real voice! So how can Gentle and I trust you?"

She does have a point. Oracle took a knee to look La Brava in the eye. He put himself in such a vulnerable position? Truly, this is a sign he trusts us. Well, trusts us enough to not attack him, anyway.

"I hide my face and voice to protect the people I love and care about. I live with my family, so if someone knew my face, I would lead an unsavoury character directly to them. I cannot allow that. I may trust you enough to recruit you, but we are exposed here."

I looked over the edge of the building. Flight Quirks or moves that enabled flight were fairly common, so a Hero seeing us wasn't entirely out of the question. "Quite right, my good man. However, La Brava still has a point. You know our faces, but we do not know yours. We are at a slight disadvantage here."

The hooded man stood, his staff firmly gripped. Was he prepared to fight? "True. But the less I give out, the less danger my family is in. You will find out in time, but I would rather tell you all at once when the time comes. I intend to recruit two more after you, though that may change going forward."

"And who might those be?" Obviously he would need more than just myself and La Brava. We don't directly engage in combat, and based on what he said, he doesn't either. So by that logic, his next potential allies must be good fighters.

"The Pro Hero Hawks, and the Hero Killer Stain."

I blinked, a moment of silence hanging in the air before I began laughing. "A jolly good joke, Oracle. A Hero and a Hero Killer? Those two would go together like oil and water."

He frowned. Or at least I think he did below that mask of his. "Not necessarily. Hawks isn't the type of Hero to seek glory, which won't put him on Stain's radar automatically. Stain only kills heroes he deems focused on fame and fortune, and Hawks has a strong work ethic despite his demeanor."

Good lord, he's serious. But his argument does make sense. I don't keep up with current events all that well, as I tend to focus on the videos, but I do know the top heroes. Hawks seems like a bit of a showboat, but I suppose I am not one to talk.

This proposition… might just be the break I need.

"Very well, my good man. I shall join you in this crusade. I presume you have a plan?"

La Brava looked up at me, stunned. It was unusual of me to collaborate with another, I admit, but his offer was tantalizing. In truth, I would like to know more before I fully commit, but this opportunity is simply too good to pass up.

The masked man eye-smiled, genuinely pleased. "Welcome aboard! I cannot tell you everything right away, but I can assure you we will work very well together. You, La Brava, and myself will create a three-man team, for the time being at least."

He reached out his empty hand to shake. I smiled and gripped the extended hand, shaking it firmly. He then held out his hand to La Brava, who smiled and shook it as well. She must still harbour doubts, but not enough that she can't work with him. I took a moment to think. If I was going to refrain from villainy, Gentle Criminal wouldn't be the most fitting name.

"Perhaps a bit of a rebranding is in order. I shall have to create a new name." I bowed dramatically, smiling my usual smile.

Oracle smiled further, leaning the staff over his shoulders. "Perfect! La Brava, please find any intel you can on Hawks and Stain. I shall give you my own intel to create a dossier of both. You may have to look at the Public Hero Safety Commission's files on him. As a master hacker, this will be well within your ability."

La Brava gave a wary smiled and nodded. "As long as it doesn't interfere with helping Gentle with his videos, I can do my best. Speaking of which, if we're going to switch to vigilante activity, we'll need to create a new schedule."

True, that would set us back a week. But if history will remember me, it is a sacrifice I'm willing to make. "We'll contact you once a new production schedule has been made. If we are to collaborate, the sharing of information must go both ways."

"Understood. You can contact me at this email address. Also, we shall have to come up with a training schedule if we are to fight together effectively."

He held out a slip of paper, which my diminutive assistant took and read, nodding at me once she was done.

"Very well then. We shall be in touch, Oracle."

"Likewise, my good man." He divided his staff in two, placing both halves on his back as he walked towards the fire escape. Truly an interesting person, and one I suspect I'll be seeing much more of in the coming days.

My POV

That went better than I could have hoped. Gentle is a little self-absorbed, but thankfully he's intelligent and reasonable enough to see my points. The email I gave him was a sock puppet account, of which I had set up several using VPN software to change the IP addresses. I would check it daily to ensure I wasn't missing any updates.

I dropped to the ground and took a long way back home. There was going to be a lot more planning to do.

Toga POV

I sat on a closed dumpster in my alleyway, bored out of my mind as I slumped against the wall. Why did I promise Katsuki I wouldn't attack civilians? There are just so many targets I could lure in. Ugh, what a drag…

I appreciate him caring about me enough to keep me out of trouble, but trouble is fun. I just want to-

"Hey there, little lady."

I leapt off the metal container and pulled my knife at the voice that had snuck up on me. He was an old man, a front tooth missing from his smile as he held his hands up.

"Whoa there missy, no need for violence here. I just wanted to meet you. You've been causing quite a ruckus."

I held my knife in a reverse grip, ready to fight regardless. "Who are you?"

The man lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Someone who's very good at scouting potential Villains. I deal in support items and costumes."

Villains? Didn't Katsuki want me to avoid those? But he seems nice enough. Pushing these doubts to the back of my mind, I scoffed. "What, you're here to 'scout' me? Sorry, but I don't plan to end up in prison because I just wanted to have a little fun."

The man was seemingly unaffected by my blowing him off, blowing a cloud of smoke off to the side. "I"m only in this for the money, but even I can see that you've got potential. Word gets around fast in this part of town. If you work with me, I can hook you up with whatever you need, for the right price."

He seems like he's being honest. But he supports Villains, and he doesn't care what they do. But at the same time, he does sound like he has faith in what I can do. Anyone who thinks I can be good at something with my abilities can't be that bad.

"Okay, I'll hear you out. What's your name?"

A chuckle escaped the old man. "Just call me… Giran."

My POV

*CLANG* My sword clashed against stone-like skin as Kirishima and I fought. We had started to bond this last little bit, so I figured it would be fun if he came over to spar. I refrained from using Sword Skill, but my explosions were fair game.

The sword was black, with a wide blade, a red pommel, and gold trim forming a celtic knot in the center of the wide cutlass-shaped blade. This was Arondight, Shadow's sword from Black Knight.

He leapt over my next sweeping slash and threw a punch at my head. Hiding behind my sword, I took the brunt of the attack and fired back with an explosion. Thank goodness this one was wide enough to hide behind.

"Kick his butt, Bakugo!"

"You can do it, Kirishima!"

Kendo and Deku cheered us on as we clashed again, pressing down an overhead slash against armoured forearms. I figured a bit of roulette training would help us all bond and grow stronger, so here we are. I tried calling Sero, but he refused. Apparently he sparred with Kendo once, and that was all he needed.

Flipping the weapon into a reverse grip, I used an explosion to spin, becoming a twirling pillar of death. Sparks flew as Arondight grinded against the artificial red-head's arms before he grabbed it, halting my momentum.

"You're good, but let's see how you do without this." He tossed it behind him, the blade sticking in the ground by a tree.

He then flew into the offensive, punching as I did my best to dodge. I gained a small cut on my cheek as a hardened fist blew by my face.

Time to get serious. Reeling my hands back, I grinned, and uttered two simple words.

"Get ready."

With that, I was off, regardless of Kirishima's confusion. I began peppering him with a barrage of explosions… and the battle cry of a vampire.

"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!"

The explosions were relentless, punctuating each 'mu' and 'da' as I rapidly fired the barrage. Kirishima did his best to withstand the onslaught, unable to do much against the force of the blasts despite being unharmed.

Once the smoke cleared, Kirishima's shirt looked rather ragged. The man himself wasn't faring much better, panting and holding his arms in a defensive position as his hardening relaxed.

"You're good. I'm done though. That show of power was real manly."

I grinned. "You weren't so bad yourself. Not many people can take my attacks like that."

I looked over at the other two. "Any thoughts?"

Deku held up his notebook, having taken notes on Kirishima's Quirk and fighting style.

"Well, Kirishima would make a good counter to your explosions, assuming you didn't mix Sword Skill in with them. He could outlast you in an endurance match if he pushed himself. I dunno, I couldn't find any weak spots when I tried fighting him. His entire body really is that hard. Your barrage was a good move, but if he was more experienced, he could forge through it and deck you."

Yeah, he had a point. If he went Unbreakable, I doubt I could stop him with Explosion alone. Thankfully, he hasn't reached that level quite yet.

Deku vs Kirishima was one-sided. Deku tried everything he could without using One For All only to have Kirishima wall him. Of course, Kendo just picked him up and slammed him into a tree during her fight with him. Deku against me ended up in a tie, with the two of us knowing each other's moves too well. The last match to go was…

"Okay then. Deku, Kendo, you two are up."

The mentioned two nodded before trading places with Kirishima and I. Leaning against the tree, I watched as the hardener slumped to the ground, worn out.

Deku POV

I assumed one of All Might's stances as Kendo took one from boxing. Okay, boxers use exclusively their fists, and Kendo's Quirk will no doubt ensure that. This could mean that her legs are vulnerable, or I could get her in a hold from behind.

I don't want to use One For All, but I don't need to rely on it.

"Begin!"

With a leap, I threw a few punches to test my theory, aiming for vulnerable spots. Solar plexus. Kendo caught that without enlarging her hand. Mandibular nerve. She brushed that aside like nothing. Stomach. She tucked in her arms and blocked that.

Now to go for the knees. I changed gears and kicked at the knee instead. Dodging to the side, Kendo fixed me with a stare. She was thinking through my moves as well.

She's nimble, but has a firm stance, so that compensates for the potential weaknesses of either. I've got to get her to use her Quirk.

I charged. Kendo tensed, expecting some sort of all-out attack, which I guess it was. She threw a right hook. Perfect. Grabbing the offending limb, I planted my feet on the red-head's stomach and fell backwards, flipping her over over me and letting her tumble on the forest floor.

I sprung back up and waited, ready for her next move.

"You're good, Midoriya. You live up to what Bakugo said, when facing an opponent you can hit."

That was when she grinned though, meaning she was gonna try something. I scanned the clearing looking for something I could use.

"But I've got my Quirk. Let's see how you handle that."

My eyes settled on Arondight, which was sticking out of the ground behind me. Kirishima's throw put it deeper than I thought, but still not super deep. I could only do this once, but it's a chance.

Kendo's hands enlarged as she charged me, and I turned tail and ran, my opponent hot on my tail. Reaching the weapon, I jumped, and using the pommel as a foothold, jumped backwards towards her.

The boxer flinched, blinking in shock as I sailed over her head and landed right behind her. I lashed out with a kick, intent on dealing one good blow as my foot made contact with her spine.

She staggered before swinging a giant hand, trying to backhand me, but I got in close and grabbed her shoulders in an attempted full nelson. Grunting with effort, I held tightly as my opponent struggled. Kacchan informed me of Kendo's enhanced strength, but that won't do a lot of good if she doesn't have any leverage.

Shrinking her hands back to normal, she and I turned in circles as she tried to dislodge me, eventually ending up against a tree. "Get off, will ya?"

"No chance. Your Quirk is only useful if you can hit me, and right now, you can't!"

Kendo paused in her thrashing for a moment. What was she planning?

She pushed her arms forwards, trying to break my hold as I hung on with all I had. Enlarging her hands again, the red-head reached around behind me and grabbed me with her massive fingers. I held on as best as I could, but in the end she peeled me off her back and tossed me to the far side of the clearing, a good four meters or so.

"OOF! OW! Ughh…"

I sat up and got to my feet just to be met with a massive flat palm colliding with my head, which sent me sprawling to the ground.

"…I give." I said weakly from my spot on the training clearing floor. Unless I got control of One For All, I wasn't about to win a fight against anyone. Rolling over, I saw Kendo shrink down her hands and offer me one of them. I firmly gripped it and hoisted myself up.

"That was pretty good, Midoriya. You're agile, and you used the battlefield to your advantage. I admit, using the sword as a foothold caught me off guard." She smiled, and I nodded in return, blushing at holding a girl's hand.

Kirishima weighed in from the sidelines. "Nice work, both of you. Real manly!"

Kacchan just stood there, his arms folded as he smiled like a proud parent. I smiled in return, happy that I got this far thanks to training with him. Now if I could only figure out how to master One For All…

My POV

I smiled, proud of Deku for being able to fight Kendo 1v1 without giving up. He would need to be strong for what's to come. And if my guess is correct, it will begin soon.

Cut! That's the chapter! I have no idea how well I wrote Gentle and La Brava, but I think I did okay given what we had to work with in their one appearance thus far. As SI-Bakugo stated, I will be adding to this vigilante group with Stain and Hawks being recruited down the line. I also want to recruit Toga (duh), Nagant, and maybe Stain's followers going forward, since I think it's definitely possible. If anyone can think of any other Next time, I'm going to start the USJ arc!

What do you think? Please review or PM, I always enjoy hearing from you guys, and as always, see you next time!