Crimextar06 - The world isn't ready for two Izukus, so it will get two Izukus. Sanity is overrated either way.
SSJ-Jolt - Sorry, but you missed with the ship :v honestly, the only ship he needs rn is Rabbit/Family. Alternatively Rabbit/AnxietyMeds or Rabbit/EmotionalSupport :P
(***)
They all gathered in the room used by Kurogiri for his teleports soon before noon came. Each in their normal outfits (there was no standard uniform for the Villain Academy). Toxicity and Rabbit had backpacks with their things, while Juggernaut was carrying his stuff in a bag.
Odd, Rabbit decided. Toxicity decided to talk about random things (mostly about how excited she was to meet the League), and Rabbit and Juggernaut listened.
Kurogiri arrived together with another student. Awoo. The disfigured girl. Rabbit hated himself for it, but he couldn't look straight at her. Her eyes, nose and mouth were miraculously spared, but the rest was disfigured horribly with some acid. Rabbit still remembers having nightmares after he saw it for the first time.
"The four of you will intern together in the League of Villains." Kurogiri announces. Awoo looks away. They don't look at her, they know she doesn't like it. "I recommended you myself. Please do not make me regret that."
Rabbit will do his best! He doesn't say it aloud, but his face says it all.
The black cloud devours them whole. Rabbit opens his eyes in an unfamiliar room. It's like a large living room, full of couches, two different large TVs, and… a bar? It's mostly empty, No one behind the bar.
There is only one person in the room. Messy hair, bags under the eyes. Wearing what looks like a set of purple pajamas. He should certainly sleep more. He is sitting on one of the couches, drinking what looks like coffee, but puts it down and raises up when he sees them arrive.
"Kurogiri." The tired guy says. He doesn't seem much older than Rabbit is. 16-17 years, maybe? Knowing that a lot of League is composed of young people is one thing, but seeing it is… "So, that's our new interns, huh?"
He measures them with his eyes. Rabbit is certain he didn't measure up to whatever the bar was.
"Nice, we're going to get along just fine." He finally adds. Then he yawns. "Sorry for that, it's been a long night."
"Where is Legion?" Kurogiri asks.
"Late." Tired man replies. "Negotiating with some yakuza clan. Took Dabi, Decay and Stain with him for intimidation. Vantablack is doing something with Spinner and Vampire, Gremlin is doing her own things… so just me. I'll give them all the introductory talk, alright? Go scare some students straight." Kurogiri mumbles something and vanishes. Tired man turns towards them. "Alright, kids. Name's Hitoshi Shinsou, aka Mindscrew. Three of you are going to be working under me for the next two weeks. The last one will be working with Legion, but we are all living in one building, so let's get along regardless, alright?"
Toxicity nods fervently. Awoo looks away. Juggernaut is unreadable. Rabbit shrinks internally. Mindscrew sure, might not have looked intimidating (and was Kurogiri-sensei's friend, apparently), but he was still an A-Rank!
"Alright, follow me." Mindscrew adds. Then yawns again.
(***)
Rabbit and his friends weren't sure what they expected from the headquarters of THE League of Villains. What they got felt like a school dorm (at least to Rabbit who lived for a while in one).
Each of them was assigned a small room on the same floor, right next to the quarters of the remaining members of the League. Toxicity was overjoyed to hear that her room was equipped with some special air filtration system, meaning that she didn't passively make air inside toxic simply by sleeping there for a few hours. So she could get visitors in the mornings.
Then they were told to leave their stuff there (they did), and then they followed Mindscrew on a trip around the building.
The building was large. Two levels of underground - lower one included prison (almost never used, according to Mindscrew) and Gremlin's workshop (off-limits, unless accompanied by her). The upper one had a large combat training area, a gym and some storage room.
Then the surface level (probably) with the living room and the bar. Above it the level for the quarters of the members. Then the floor with the Legion's office, official meeting room, some planning area, and some unspecified archive.
No windows. Rabbit has no idea where they are. He doesn't even see an entrance door anywhere. It's confusing. The League must be using warps for everything and… well, that explains that nobody caught on to them.
Kurogiri has to be a massive asset. All he has to do is to teleport League members back and from various towns to buy groceries and do their operations. Due to that, the heroes can't even find out which city the League's headquarters is located in.
"Awoo, Toxicity and Juggernaut are going to join my personal combat party." Mindscrew eventually announces. "We lost one member during the Training Camp War and another isn't living here anymore and might drop out. So the Vanguard Action Squad is down to me, Dabi, Decay and Spinner, unless Mustard decides to stay. Dabi is the Endeavor's son from Hosu, the one with extensive scars. He is my second-in-command. You can expect to have a lot of free time, although be aware that we're going to train you to hell and back. Rabbit is an exception."
Rabbit is afraid of being an exception.
"Legion said that he is overworked and in need of an assistant." Mindscrew says. "You won't be fully exempt from combat training, but expect to spend a lot of time on the top floor. Legion should call you when he comes back. Also we have an operation schedule for the next week, so don't slack off with your training, got it?" Wave of nods. "Great. You're free to lounge around for today. Gremlin is tinkering with some special support items for you, consider those the welcome gifts. Feel free to drop by the bar when Kurogiri ends sending students to internships, that's his joint. Just don't enter the kitchen or touch the alcohol without his permission. Should be some food left in the living room if you get hungry." He yawns. "Jesus, I need a nap. You're all dismissed for now."
They spend the next two hours in Rabbit's room, for some reason (minus Awoo, who vanished in hers). Mostly talking about how weird the whole thing was. Eventually Mindscrew (now marginally less tired) knocked on the door and said that Rabbit is supposed to go to the top floor.
(***)
The kid was small.
That was what Izuku thought first when he saw Rabbit entering his office. Of course, it was just a slightly hypocritical statement. The 'kid' was only a bit more than one year younger than him AND Izuku wasn't particularly big.
Rabbit (his real name not really important for anything) was facing steadily decreasing chances of some last, final growth spurt that would make him grow to a sensible height. Izuku was about 165cm tall, Rabbit didn't grow up to 150 and was… well, scrawny.
Their hair was similarly messy, though Rabbit's was black. His eyes were black too.
Did dad have a secret affair and Izuku just met his long lost brother? Highly unlikely. Mom would find out. And then Izuku wouldn't have a father. For all his powerful defensive quirks, Izuku doubts that even All for One could survive having his internal organs suddenly exit his body.
Izuku points towards a lone chair in front of the desk. Rabbit hurries to it, while Izuku sits on the verge of the desk.
"You're probably wondering why I wanted you as an intern, hmm?" Izuku asks and Rabbit quietly nods. "Well, I read about what you did with your school. And you managed to impress me. That was some excellent planning and very good execution. You have…" Rabbit seems to shake his head ever so slightly. Was it even done consciously? "What is it?"
That startles the intern.
"Er, no, I just, uhm…" Rabbit takes a deep breath. "I didn't execute it well, I messed up. My bully shouldn't be at home when I set up the bomb, that was…"
Izuku laughs. Rabbit, once again, looks like one of the animals that he was named after it was suddenly enveloped in the car's headlights. 'Startled' is putting it lightly.
"You should have seen me during the attack on the USJ." Legion replies calmly. "Everything went to hell when All Might arrived instead of Thunderbolt, and then almost did it again when Nedzu forced Thunderbolt to arrive alongside the faculty. It's a miracle and a lot of improvisation that we managed to pull it off." Rabbit stares at him in shock. "For your first operation this is more than an acceptable amount of mess-ups, Rabbit. You have lots of room for growth, and I'm really looking forward to a capable assistant. But… I need you to be honest with me." Izuku leans forward a bit and adopts a serious face. "What is your quirk?"
It is best to start unfucking the mess that Rabbit's mind is posthaste. Legion's words almost give him a heart attack.
"It's… uhm, it's analysis and…" No, it mostly certainly isn't. Izuku sighs.
"You do realize that you are talking to a late-bloomer?" He asks, and Rabbit freezes. "I was eight years old when my childhood friend told me to take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in my next life. Sunset is a close friend of mine, and the Quirkless Equality Movement was born thanks to my money and support. I'm not going to judge. But I want you to be honest with me."
Silence. Few long seconds of it. Finally, Rabbit relents. On his face, a death mask - he expects to be berated for that.
"I… I'm quirkless." He looks down. The floor appears to be oddly fascinating to him. "I'm sorry for… I'm sorry that I lied to you." Legion decides that the kid is about to cry on him, and he needs to move fast.
Notice-Me-Not should work well. It's not flashy (then again, the kid doesn't need flashy), but Rabbit urgently needs a confidence boost. And, let's be honest, he is one day going to be a terrifying person. Legion is confident that he won't be overtaken, but he loves the idea of having someone he can converse about his plans and strategies on more or less equal level.
Nedzu and Sir Nighteye play in the same league, but it's not like he can talk about his plans with them. They both have the fields where they specialize in, making them a terrifying duo when they team-up. Izuku wants something similar.
"Great." He says, startling the kid even more. "Listen, I would like to use my quirk on you. It works differently than media speculates. No pain unless you try to resist what I'll do, but if it works well… you should be super happy. Are you alright with that?"
He isn't going to FORCE the procedure on the kid without asking him about that first. He isn't repeating the One for All business, learning on the mistakes of others is the only thing better than learning on your mistakes.
And he is going to take it back if the kid reacts negatively. He isn't his father. He just doesn't want to explain the quirk transfer thing without proof that it is truly possible.
Rabbit nods. He would probably agree to everything right now. Izuku needs to work on his confidence and self-assertiveness. But not now.
Izuku stands up, approaches Rabbit and puts his hand on his head. Then he activates All for One. Some static discharges in the air, and…
Static discharges shouldn't be a thing. Izuku stretches his consciousness into Rabbit's body… and almost laughs at what he discovers inside. He retreats and deactivates All for One. There is no need for it.
"Well, Rabbit." Legion takes a step back and smiles. "I have some news for you. My actual quirk is a bit special in that it can… influence quirks, so to say. I'm going to have to ask you to keep that a secret. Even from your friends, although this will not last for long." He and his friends will most likely join the League. They have potential and fit the mindsets oh so common in it.
"Is… is it like the Quirk Thief?" Rabbit perks up and asks. Izuku marvels at the intuition. "Err, sorry for asking, it's just… quirks influencing quirks are extremely rare, and I saw you on the TV using another quirk, and the Quirk Thief, I know it's an urban legend but I think it's a possible one and..." He starts mumbling. Izuku decides to ask his dad if he really didn't have any affair because holy shit this kid even acts like Izuku used to.
"Yes." Izuku decides to admit it. "My quirk is much more limited than the one from the legend, but to a limited degree it works similarly. Can't go into details yet. Now, the fun part is that the red discharges shouldn't be there. They are a sign that my quirk managed to interface with another quirk."
"Another quirk?" Rabbit asks. It's hard to say if he already came to the right conclusion. He is smart enough to do that, but smarts aren't enough to overwhelm years of mental conditioning by stupid and abusive people.
"Yes." Izuku replies. "Yours. You are not quirkless, Rabbit."
The kid stares at him blankly. For several long seconds. Then the hurricane of emotions overtakes his face.
"But… but… I have the additional toe joint and…" Izuku raises his hand and interrupts him.
"So do I. And so did Eclipse. And so do other late-bloomers… like us." He sees realization dawning on Rabbit's face. "Yours is still dormant, but almost fully developed. I suspect that it will awaken before your next birthday. I can't say what sort of quirk it will be, however."
"My quirk." Rabbit mouths. "I'm going to have a quirk."
Izuku isn't surprised when Rabbit ends up breaking into tears. He closes the distance and gives him a hug, before muttering some reassurances. Being hugged by an SSS-Rank villain is probably NOT what Rabbit expected to happen that day.
Eventually Izuku manages to calm him down. He always has some tissues hidden on him. He doesn't cry THAT much anymore (he did it after Zealot died, but in private), but some things stuck to him.
"T...thank you." Rabbit is much calmer. But still shaken. "I'm sorry for… I'm sorry for crying."
"You don't have to." Izuku shrugs. "You felt like you needed to cry, so you did. It's alright. But now we have to talk about some things. Namely, what to do with your quirk." Rabbit's head perks up and his eyes navigate towards Izuku's face. "I know two people who accidentally killed someone when their quirk kicked in first. One of them is a member of the League. Late-bloomers never get quirks beneath Class Four, this means that depending on what your quirk will be, it might be lethal. So I need you to promise me two things." He raises a finger. "First - you are going to message me if you feel anything out of the ordinary. I won't be angry at you if you call me and it turns out to be a stomach ache or something like that. If you feel something that you aren't familiar with, call me immediately. I am an expert quirk analyst, so I should be able to discern what quirk we're dealing with without having to risk my life. Got it?"
Rabbit nods fervently.
"Great. Now the second promise. "He raises another finger. "I need you to tell your friends that you are quirkless, that you're going to be a late-bloomer and about the first activation problems."
Rabbit instantly shrinks. It's like seeing All Might deflate (although it's no longer a thing after the Training Camp). It's almost painful to see it happen to someone already this small.
"B… but they will hate me." He says quietly, and once again towards the floor. "I lied to them. And I'm… I'm still quirkless."
Old habits die hard.
"I'd be surprised if they didn't suspect that you are quirkless already. And if they still didn't ask you, it means they are giving you a space and waiting for you to admit it on your own." Izuku replies honestly. There are reasons why quirkless rarely manage to pretend that they are quirked for long, as it's not toe-joint. Mental quirks almost always have some form of tells for activation, and it's hard to fake those. Mindscrew's quirk is unique in that it lacks those. "But you have to tell them for their sake. The other person with traumatic first activation killed their father, because their quirk was lethal on touch and said father tried to hug them to calm them when the quirk kicked in. Toxicity and Juggernaut have to know not to approach you when this happens, even if said activation will be painful to you. It's better to tell them the truth instead of trying to add more lies."
"I… I guess." Izuku can see Rabbit biting his lip a bit. Really nervous that one. "I'll do it today."
Good. That settles it.
"Wonderful." Izuku nods. "That'll be all for today. Don't stay late, we're going to have lots of work tomorrow. Internships are going to be the HARDER half of your education, trust me on that. Now shoo."
Rabbit stands up, bows slightly, utters some 'thank you and goodbye' (if Izuku hears it correctly) and quickly vanishes from the room.
Izuku can't be THAT scary, right?
He pulls out his phone and sends a private message to Kurogiri.
Legion: I absolutely love my new intern. Your choice of students is simply flawless and I love it.
Kurogiri: Did you give him a quirk? I suspect that this was your plan to get him friendly if you decided that you like him.
Legion: Oh?
Kurogiri: I'm having a bit of an issue with you not mentioning that to me.
Kurogiri: Rabbit is MY student first and foremost.
Legion: Sorry. I'll talk about things like that with you in the future. Got a bit too involved. It's like seeing myself in the mirror! Just with more anxiety and less quirks. I really should ask my father if he didn't have an affair. It's like having a younger brother all of a sudden!
Legion: I'm terrified by what happens when Vampire spots him, ugh. She'll probably try to get him adopted and I'm not fighting a custody war with you.
Kurogiri: … please, stop with the adoption talks. I'm no one's parent.
Legion: You are almost everyone's parent, just finally get used to that and stop pretending otherwise.
Legion: Also I didn't give him a quirk. I didn't have to.
Kurogiri: He actually had an analysis one?
Legion: Nope. He is a late-bloomer in the making. His quirk should awaken in the next few months.
Kurogiri: What quirk class? You should have been able to find that out if you interfaced with him with All for One.
Kurogiri: I remember your father saying that the classes are all rather distinct when seen through his quirk.
Legion: Class-Six. Like All for One, One for All and Eri's Rewind.
Kurogiri: … Oh.
Legion: I said I love your choice of interns, didn't I?
Rabbit was far enough for Legion to dare to start laughing loudly. Oh he was looking forward to the internships just so much!
(***)
Rabbit returns to his room with a complicated mixture of overwhelming happiness and fright. Legion told him that he is going to have a quirk! And most likely a powerful one! It's like a dream come true. He always wanted to have one, to be able to stand up to bullies, to not be intimidated by them so easily… he only lashed out (with quirkless means) when he finally understood that it's not going to happen.
But it is going to happen! He trusts Legion. He isn't sure why. He is conscious enough to know that it might be because he really wants to trust his words. He really wants to have a quirk.
Fright is because he will have to talk with his friends about all of that.
(and they'll stop being his friends he knows it he lied to them ever since they met for the first time)
There is also a hint of fascination in him. What exactly did Legion try to do to him with his quirk? He didn't say it, but… similar to the quirk thief but more limited?
Could Legion GRANT quirks to others? And take them? Was he planning to give one to Rabbit before he discovered that he already had one? Is that why his quirk 'interfaced' with Rabbit's? Because he was planning to give him one, but then discovered that his quirk has something to potentially take from Rabbit?
He said that Sunset is his friend. Didn't Sunset pop up right after Eclipse vanished, with a quirk that was almost identical to hers?
Rabbit panics internally. He is certain that he wasn't supposed to even suspect that. But… but if that's true, and Legion is a Quirk Thief… is he planning to steal Rabbit's once it awakens? Rabbit doesn't want that! He doesn't know what his quirk is going to be (he hopes for some size alteration or strengthening one, something to make people no longer look down on him), but he knows that he doesn't want to lose it!
(Legion acts like he likes Rabbit, why would he like him if not for his quirk, he probably knew beforehand, Kurogiri most likely found out and told him and they are both together in this)
Legion said next few months. Should be enough time to find out what sort of person he is. If Rabbit decides that it's a possibility, he'll vanish. He is good at that. Lack of exit in this place will not stop him if Legion is a danger to him. Besides, it might awaken at school and that should be easier to escape from.
"Uhm, Rabbit?" He hears Toxicity's voice, and he is rapidly brought back to Reality. "You told us that you have something to say to us, but now you are mumbling. What is it?"
Oh. Oh he completely forgot about all that. He promised to tell them the truth. They are in his small room. Juggernaut feels like he is filling it whole with his presence. Rabbit is sitting on his bed, Toxicity on the chair, and Juggernaut is standing next to her.
(he is in the right position to stop him escaping through the door, this is a trap, he knows that)
(don't hyperventilate, don't make them know how weak and panicked you are, they will attack you when you're at the weakest)
"S...sorry." He is doing his best not to mumble. "Uhm, the thing is… I lied to you, I lied to everyone for like a month, and…"
"You're quirkless." Juggernaut says. It's a rare occurrence, but when he does say something, it's always important.
Rabbit is surprised. Like a normal rabbit facing a car after jumping onto the road at night.
(the results will be just as bloody to him)
He is trying to form a reply, but his voice fails him. He just nods.
"Oh, so you're finally admitting!" Toxicity laughs and Rabbit's eyes are drawn to her. "Come on, you are a good actor but not THAT good. I knew a kid with an analysis quirk and his eyes glowed when he used it. You do that 'face freezing' routine when you are 'using your quirk', but someone once dropped a book near you while you were doing that and you jumped up in shock slightly. I didn't say a thing, but me and Jug were both wondering when you're going to come forward with it."
"You… you're not angry at me?" Rabbit utters, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.
"I can barely imagine something that would make me angry at you!" Toxicity and chuckles seeing the shock on Rabbit's face. "Oh come on, it's barely a month but you are like a younger brother to me already! You and Jug are the only people who weren't afraid of shaking my hand THROUGH a glove. Oh, and Kurogiri, but I'm not sure if he is afraid of anything. And I really think that destroying a school without even using a quirk is awesome!"
They are not angry at Rabbit?! Why aren't they angry at Rabbit?! They should be angry at him! He lied to them! He was… is… He has no idea what he should say about his quirk state at this point, this is just so damn confusing.
"What brought this?" Juggernaut is intrigued and comes straight to the point.
"Uhm... " Rabbit is just a tiny bit startled. But it adds to its earlier startleness, and gets quite bad. "It's... Legion did something to me. Some form of test. He… says that I'm going to be a late-bloomer."
"That's awesome!" Toxicity is, as always, expressive for them both. "What quirk? Do you know that already?" Juggernaut grunts slightly, in the positive way.
"Err, no." Rabbit is slowly coming to a realization that they truly mean it. "He… he says that it should awaken in the next few months. Told me to tell him if I feel weird in any way, and… to tell you, because… uhm… he knows someone who killed someone else during their first activation because their quirk was painful to them, the other person tried to hug them to calm them down and their quirk was lethal on touch and…"
Toxicity raises her hand, and Rabbit stops.
"So, in short, do not approach you when something weird starts happening to you." She summarizes promptly. "No problem. If we see weird things happen to you, we'll go tell Kurogiri or whatever member of the League will be here. See, it wasn't that hard?"
Rabbit did his best to not cry at the realization that they truly WERE his friends. He, like in many other things in his life, failed.
(***)
Tenko Shimura enjoyed playing videogames above (almost) everything else. He spent three hours playing some handheld consoles while his Player Two was talking business with some surviving yakuza clan. They weren't any bigwigs, and were mostly mob creatures. But had a certain degree of an honour code left, and Izuku decided that it's enough for him to want to work with them.
They relented. Decay and Stain said nothing during the meeting. Dabi quipped about burning things a few times. Bringing three boss monsters to talk with a bunch of low level NPCs was a nice intimidation factor. They were all minmaxed for it.
When he returned home, he finally had time to play something properly. Izuku mentioned some new folks in the base, but he saw no one. He trusted his words on it. He trusted his words on all things. He didn't care enough to look for them on his own to find out who they were.
Time has passed, familiar faces have vanished from the living room. It was probably night on the outside. Everyone went to sleep. He liked being left alone.
He was taking a sip from an energy drink can, finishing his preparations for dealing with a particularly obnoxious boss monster… when something happened. Someone sneaked into the living room. The steps were quiet, but Tenko spent years hiding in the alleyways from people trying to beat him or worse. He wasn't easy to sneak up on.
He paused the game and turned his head to inspect the dex/agi build intruder. He trusted Izuku to find only worthwhile new members for the guild, and…
Tenko Shimura sees the most beautiful girl his eyes ever rested upon.
(***)
IT IS HAPPENING PEOPLE
The next chapter will be glorious
and so, eventually, will be Rabbit's quirk