Chapter Five:

Uncle Yuuto said, "Whoa, you don't look good, kid."

Izuku just stared at his uncle, disheartened and heartsick. Without the blindfold, for the first time he could see his surroundings. He was trapped inside a metal vault, this one barely large enough to fit both the chair he was tied to and one other person. Tubes to release gas stuck out of the floor. A lantern hanging from the ceiling cast shadows on the metal walls. He hadn't been missing out on much.

"Sorry, I forgot you can't talk," Uncle Yuuto said, removing his gag. "Seriously, big brother went too far this time. What if this hurt your mouth?" He glared at the ball gag as if it offended him. "I snuck in here to persuade you to give me back my quirk, but I don't care about that any longer. You should just give big brother whatever he wants so you can leave here."

So All for One didn't know Yuuto was here? Izuku should take advantage of this opportunity. Try to use his uncle's sympathy to get out of his bonds. But no clever words would emerge from his mouth. He just wanted to break down and cry.

His Uncle Yuuto killed people. Had murdered Kacchan and so many others, often because of Izuku. His beloved uncle, who'd bandaged his childhood scrapes, hunted for hero merchandise with him, and encouraged him to stand up for himself against his often overbearing father. All of that kindness had been real. That only made the truth behind the mask even harder to stomach. Uncle Yuuto truly loved him. And Izuku still loved him in return even now.

The First seemed nice, but Izuku barely knew him and didn't quite consider him family yet. He certainly would never use the First as a replacement for Uncle Yuuto. After centuries apart, they'd been shaped by their different life experiences into different people. Knowing that he would still have a familial bond with the First in no way eased Izuku's sense of loss, because a loved one couldn't be replaced by finding a new one.

The brainwashing made it both easier and harder. He couldn't blame Uncle Yuuto. But if not anger or self-righteous hatred, then what was he supposed to feel toward the murderer smiling in concern at him?

Izuku could make the decision to cut his father out from his heart. But how was he supposed to treat his uncle, who was both victim and perpetrator? And his mother…he didn't even want to think about Mom. Yet like a missing tooth, his mind couldn't resist prodding the same question. I wonder what crimes Mom has committed?

"Kid?" Uncle Yuuto waved a hand before his eyes. "You're starting to worry me."

"Please let me out of here," Izuku said.

Yuuto's face fell. "I can't do that. You'll just make matters worse with your father if you escape again."

"That man isn't my father any longer."

"Of course he is." Yuuto laughed. "Sorry, but you can't pick your family."

Izuku stared at him. He knew now was his moment to be clever and quick-tongued. He would need to use all his skills to talk his way out of this chair. It was his only chance at escape. Yet not a word would emerge from his mouth. His mind wasn't working correctly. For the first time in his entire life, he hurt too much to cry.

The First whispered in the back of his mind, "Can I take over? The others think that since I'm the person who knows him the best, I might be able to persuade him to let you out."

"Please," Izuku whispered, surrendering control of his body with relief.

His mouth moved under the First's control. "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but it's not. I'm another Yuuto Shigaraki. A copy of your conscience living inside your old quirk, from before big bro—All for One brainwashed you."

"Absolutely none of that made sense," Yuuto said. "Another me? My brother would have told me, if he'd found something like that. You're a liar."

Izuku thought, Don't talk about the brainwashing. It agitates him. He got a feeling of confirmation in response.

The First said, "You decided you wanted to become a hero the day Hisashi saved your life by stealing a fire-breathing quirk. That was the most heroic sight you'd ever seen."

Yuuto stared. His face took on a hard look. "You could be a mindreader."

"Would a mindreader know exactly which memory to pick in order to convince you? If I combed your entire mind, I'd find countless examples of proof, but how would I know how to select the exact same one you would have in my place? Only the two of us could ever understand why that memory is the most important one."

Something passed between the two of them, something Izuku didn't understand. Then Yuuto said, "You're me back when I still wanted to become a hero? Ugh, how embarrassing. You've succeeded in one thing: I don't want One for All back any longer. Not with you inside it. If you weren't latched to my nephew like a parasite, I'd kill you here and now. You're a flawed copy. How else could you have lived so long and still clung to that stupid and idealistic delusion?"

The First sidestepped the question. "We need to talk about our nephew's situation."

"Our nephew? There's no 'us' here. I'm the real thing. You're a bootlegged copy."

Izuku could feel his teeth grinding with the force of his uncle's rage. The First replied, "That's not the point. Please, let Izuku go. Isn't he your precious nephew?"

Yuuto frowned. "But big brother said this was the only way to keep him safe. He always knows best."

"Since when do we obey that bastard?"

"Since always? Hisashi is incredibly smart. He's the best big brother in the universe."

The First finally snapped. He shrieked, "Go stick your head in a meat grinder, you unholy abomination!"

The chair rattled with the force of the First's struggles. His distress leaked through their mental bond. Izuku thought, I understand how you feel, but that's not helping. He took back control of his body before he ended up with bruises along the straps binding him.

Banjo's voice spoke up inside his head. Sorry, I don't think the First is coming back. He's curled up in fetal position ranting and screaming nonstop. I can't blame him. Just look at what All for One did to his other self. The only thing more terrifying than being hated by that monster is being loved by him. There was a pause. But you, uh, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Izuku growled, I'm literally tied up inside a bank vault. You suck at comforting people.

Banjo sounded sheepish. So other people keep telling me.

Because it's true.

Banjo continued, The Second would like to come out next. I definitely think he's the best pick. He might even know the First better than himself.

I suppose he can't make things worse, Izuku said dryly. Come on in.

Thank you. I'll do my best. Kaji's voice sounded so similar to Kacchan's that it hurt Izuku's heart.

Yuuto was staring at him. "Izuku? Are you all right?"

"This is Kaji Bakugo speaking. I was the Second One for All User." Once again, Izuku's lips moved outside his control. "Do you remember me?"

Yuuto looked at him, then snorted. "I remember killing you."

As with the First, Izuku could feel how much these words hurt the vestige currently possessing him. Kaji said, "You seem to still remember your childhood. Before All for One…before you 'joined' him. Do you remember our first kiss? The first time I told you that I loved you?"

Yuuto regarded him calmly. "I remember telling you that I loved you back. But I don't remember feeling anything. At one distant point in the past, I tried to hold onto that feeling of love. Then I clung to the memory of loving you. Then I clung to the memory of the memory of loving you. But as I listen to you now, I feel nothing."

Through his bond with the Second, these words cut into Izuku like a knife. Kaji struggled to speak through his pain. "If you don't remember why you stopped caring for me, then you must admit that's odd—"

"I probably came to hate you because you stole my quirk," Yuuto said. "I'm pretty sure something bad happened to me after I lose One for All. That's why I wanted it back for so long, even though I don't remember the reason now."

Inside Izuku's mind, Kaji whimpered. Because I took One for All…that's why he was able to be brainwashed…it's all my fault!

Pain struck Izuku like a tsunami dragging a coastal town underwater. To see someone else in such deep suffering, everything inside Izuku cried out to help. Please, is there anything I can do?

But he didn't even think that Kaji could hear him over the sound of his internal screaming. Then the vestige slipped away.

The presence of the First returned. I'm sorry about that, Izuku. We just keep causing you trouble. He sounded much calmer now.

Is Kaji all right? Izuku asked.

The others are comforting him. He's strong. I'll tell him later that it wasn't his fault, as many times as it takes until he starts to believe it. Right now, it's most important to help you. I'm sorry for earlier. Please let me have another shot.

The First took control again. "Hey, you. History's greatest disgrace."

Izuku winced. They seemed to be off to a great start already. There was an element of self-loathing in the First's voice that made Izuku very worried about him.

Yuuto raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You again?"

"Look at your nephew. Really look at him. He's suffering. Even if you don't care about anyone else in the universe, I know you care about him."

"Izuku?" For the first time, a note of uncertainty entered Yuuto's voice. He stared straight into Izuku's eyes. He flinched from what he saw in there.

"A certain asshole who shall not be named tied your nephew to a chair and blindfolded him. Sensory deprivation and solitary confinement are forms of torture. If there's any last remnant of me inside of you, you know what you have to do. Help him."

Yuuto shook his head like a dog shaking off water. "Don't order me to do something I was already going to do anyway." He dropped to his knees and pulled out a knife, sawing through the straps on Izuku's arms.

"Uncle Yuuto?" Izuku whispered, not daring to believe it.

Yuuto looked up. His green eyes filled with warm concern. "I don't understand what's going on between you and my brother, but he's gone too far. I don't want to see you hurting any longer. I'm getting you out of here."

Izuku finally burst into tears. After all his pain, it was relief that finally tipped him over the edge.

Yuuto took him into his arms, crooning and rubbing his hair. After drying off his nephew's tears, he resumed freeing him.

Yuuto opened a round door to reveal a forest. Izuku blinked as the sunlight hit his eyes. He rubbed his bruised wrists. "Where are we?"

"A research facility a few hours outside town." Yuuto handed Izuku back his phone. "I put the location into Google Maps. It's too far to walk, so you should call All Might and get him to pick you up."

"Uh, aren't you worried about heroes finding out where you are?" Izuku knew he shouldn't ask, but he hadn't been able to stop the words from slipping out.

"This place is very well-guarded." Yuuto grinned. "It would be fun if All Might tried to attack. I might get my chance to kill him."

Right, he'd been expecting sanity from the wrong person. Izuku shivered at a gust of wind.

Yuuto took off his coat and put it over his nephew's shoulders. Izuku could feel several knives weighing down the pockets. It made him feel better to have a weapon. Though he hoped he wouldn't have to use it.

He glanced over his shoulder, still seeing no sign of pursuit. "Thank you. What's going to happen to you now? I'm pretty sure that room had cameras. Won't he be angry?"

Yuuto shrugged. "Don't worry, my big brother gets mad at me all the time. Just yesterday, I killed a hero who had a quirk he wanted to steal first. He shouted a bit, but then he got over it. He always forgives me if I pout at him."

A knife went into Izuku's heart at how casually his uncle spoke of killing people. He remembered the moment when he'd had the chance to end all of this by killing All for One, but he'd refused. Every single person Yuuto killed under brainwashing from this point forward would have been preventable if he'd just let Nana do it. It was all his fault. I hesitated once. I'll never hesitate again.

"Speaking of which, I have to get going," Yuuto said. "I have another target to pick up." He glanced at a note he'd written on his wrist. "One Emica Takahashi."

Izuku froze. He whispered, "She's only seven years old."

"That's right, how did you know that?"

"I overheard Dr. Garaki talking with Mom. He made her pick out his next target." Oh, god, this blood would be on Mom's hands. Please, no…

"Ah, that makes it even more important, then. I could care less about disappointing Hisashi, but I can't let big sis down." Yuuto winked.

Izuku gripped his uncle's sleeve. "Don't. Please." If he could delay this even a little, then he could get All Might over in time to save the child.

"What's wrong?" Yuuto frowned. "Is this your hero game again? I keep telling you, people who aren't family don't matter."

"B-but…Mom…" A sob choked off Izuku's words. Though tears poured down his face, he spoke through them. "Y-you said you only care about family? Then stop for Mom's sake. She'll feel so guilty. She might not be able to live with herself." Izuku remembered the First breaking down in the Void. Nana telling him that she doubted if Yuuto could be saved, because if he got his conscience back then his memories would break him. "M-mom, I'm going to save her. S-she's not a fighter, they wouldn't send her to kill anyone. So it can't be too late for her. I have to still be able to save her."

"I'm not understanding what you're talking about, kid."

"If you do this, you'll turn Mom into a killer." Izuku stared up, tears and snot mingling on his face, desperately trying to make his uncle understand. "I mean, I wouldn't blame her, I'd just blame All for One and Dr. Garaki, and maybe myself a bit. But Mom's like me. That's how I know she'll blame herself. I wouldn't be able to survive that kind of guilt…and I don't think she would, either."

Yuuto tilted his head, total incomprehension in his eyes. "But didn't your mom want that girl's quirk? This is for her sake."

"No!" Izuku shrieked. "Don't make Mom into a murderer!"

"Your dad is going to want at least one new quirk, though. I'm already going to get in trouble with him, so I ought to at least do this one job properly."

Izuku could see that he couldn't convince his uncle this time. Yuuto had freed Izuku because he cared about him. But those under the influence of the brainwashing didn't care about anyone outside Hisashi's narrow definition of family. There was no possible way to move Yuuto. There wasn't even a way to make him understand.

Even if Izuku could somehow prevent this death, Yuuto would only kill different people instead. He murdered on a daily basis. And it's all my fault because I hesitated to kill my father. I could have put an end to everything, right then and there. I added more blood onto my uncle's hands. Countless more people will die because of me. I won't be able to save Mom because I missed my one and only shot before he tainted her too. It's all my fault.

Yuuto turned back toward the facility. He'd completely let down his guard. His back was unprotected.

I hesitated once. I'll never hesitate again.

Izuku pulled out a knife from his pocket and stabbed it into his uncle's back.

A cry escaped Yuuto's lips. He stumbled down on one knee. To his horror, Izuku realized he hadn't gotten the right spot. He stabbed again.

Uncle Yuuto fell over sideways. His eyes stared up at Izuku, agonized, uncomprehending, and starting to show a trace of fear.

Was that expression how Present Mic had looked when the man he'd been trying to help had gutted him? Had Kotaro died in such slow pain? But that wasn't what this was about. Izuku wasn't doing this for justice, there was no justice to be found in this horrible nightmare. He was doing this to save his uncle, the only way he could. Because Izuku would have rather died than be used as a tool to kill innocent people, and he understood with painful clarity that Yuuto was the same way. They had always been similar. That was how Izuku knew it would be kinder to kill his uncle than to remove the brainwashing and let him see what he'd become.

Another sound of pain came from Yuuto's lips. He was trying to speak. Izuku's heart broke.

You hesitated to kill once and that's how you ended up in this situation. Never, ever hesitate again to do what needs to be done for the rest of your life.

Izuku summoned the full power of One for All and swung down.

His arm broke as he punched through his uncle's chest. Something else far more important broke inside of him.

Hisashi followed the trail of smashed cameras in a bad temper. He knew the only person who could have let his son out. He was honestly more angry at himself than Yuuto, because he knew his brother's soft-hearted idiocy very well and should have taken better precautions. He hoped he'd be able to catch Izuku before he left the facility. But his mind already spun with plans in case not. He had confidence in his ability to catch his son, one way or another.

The scent of blood hit Hisashi's nose first. Then he saw the body.

His mind went blank. He dropped to his knees and cradled his beloved little brother's corpse, screaming until his throat gave out.

A great deal of time passed before Hisashi started to be able to think again. Most of his mind remained in a numb state of horror. The world looked distant to him. He could barely feel the blood coating his hands. He could barely believe this was real. Everything had been perfect. He'd had his whole family safely inside his strongest fortress. How could this have possibly happened? Another scream tried to tear its way out of his damaged throat.

A small voice whispered, There's still the vestige inside One for All.

Hisashi froze. His relief nearly dizzied him. Of course! It was too late to give up hope. He felt high with euphoria. A back-up had been an excellent idea. The one bright side of Izuku having One for All was that he'd have a potential vestige. As long as he had copies of his family, none of them would be able to truly die. He'd never, ever have to suffer like this again.

Hisashi got to his feet, already making plans. Obtaining One for All had shot from important to highest priority.

It never once crossed his mind that Izuku could have done this, not that sweet boy whose kindness had always been his greatest weakness. Izuku adored his uncle so much that Hisashi had occasionally been jealous. No, it must have been one of those hypocritical heroes who'd no doubt made Izuku watch while they murdered his uncle.

He would wreck a terrible vengeance on all of them. He would get his family back. He swore it on his name as All for One.

All Might looked at the boy sitting in his living room. Izuku didn't meet his gaze. He only sat with a blanket over his shoulders, his head down, and a mug of hot chocolate untouched in his trembling hands.

Toshinori cleared his throat, torn between a desire not to disturb the boy and a desperate need to offer comfort.

It had only been a few hours since All Might had arrived in response to Izuku's phone call and found his young successor covered in the blood of a man he'd claimed had been the brainwashed First One for All user. That had been less of a surprise to Toshinori, since he'd read the records of past holders. The real shock had been what Izuku had next revealed about his parentage. His heart broke to think of what this boy had been through. How could that monster have treated his own son in such a way? Not that he should be surprised at the depths All for One would sink to. Toshinori kept going over past events in his mind, a masochistic exercise, trying to figure out what he should have done in order to prevent Izuku from ever going through this ordeal.

Again, Toshinori cleared his throat. No response. He twisted his hands together. "Young Midoriya, is there anything I can do for you?"

Izuku looked up. Something in his eyes nearly sent All Might fleeing to the other side of the room. It reminded him entirely too much of a certain villain. In a dead voice, Izuku said, "You don't have to worry, All Might. My personal issues won't interfere with my responsibilities. I'm ready to complete my duty as the nineth successor of One for All. I'll kill All for One."

What? No, that hadn't been what he'd meant at all. "My boy, I'd never ask you to kill your own father."

"I have to, for Mom's sake. It's the only way to reverse the brainwashing." Izuku clenched his mug so tightly his knuckles turned white. "If I kill him fast enough, I might still be able to save her. Uncle Yuuto couldn't have lived with himself if his mind came back. But I don't think Mom has killed anyone yet. T-they just had her bringing them cookies d-during their…experiments. It can't be too late to save her." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "Then I'm going to take Mom somewhere far away, and we'll live together quietly. I'll give One for All to whoever you'd like just as soon as I'm done. I know you probably don't want All for One's son as a successor."

"Young Midoriya, I don't hold you responsible for anything your father did. No one expects you to kill him. That's not why I gave you my quirk—I thought he was already dead at the time!" Toshinori's tone turned pleading. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry."

"I'm not killing him for you. It's for my Mom. And everything else he did."

"I'll save your mother, I promise. But you don't have to be the one to kill All for One. Let someone else do it. I'd never want to make you kill your own father."

"He's no father to me." Hatred filled Izuku's voice.

"Of course, I'm sorry." Toshinori raised his hands. He knew he wasn't saying the right thing, but he didn't know what else to say.

"I already failed you once. I had a chance to kill All for One, and I didn't take it."

"No, no! You didn't fail me. You're a child, Young Midoriya. You shouldn't kill anyone."

In a chillingly sing-song voice, Izuku said, "I've already done something much harder. That's how I can be so certain. When the time comes to kill All for One, I won't even hesitate."

Toshinori looked at the flakes of blood still under Izuku's nails. "My boy…there are counseling services at U.A. I think you should talk to someone. You've been through a terrible ordeal."

"Whatever you think is best," Izuku said.

Toshinori didn't feel reassured. That had been nothing but an attempt to appease him. Something was broken here, and he had no idea how to fix it. It filled his heart with desperation.

The light had vanished from Izuku's eyes. That light had been what had made All Might pick the boy as his successor. Now, not the slightest trace of it remained. It left Toshinori feeling sad, guilty, and perhaps a little frightened of the darkness in its place.

Author's Note: I'm truly sorry.

Izuku doesn't see evil Yuuto and good Yuuto as the same person—in his mind, they're more like twins who diverged into different people due to their different experiences. Hisashi sees both Yuutos as the same person, hence why he immediately starts plotting to replace his Yuuto with the vestige after he dies. But this is because Hisashi sees people as objects, so that's not a good thing. For Izuku, he's lost someone he loves and there's no replacing that.

Although Izuku was correct that Yuuto would have wanted someone to kill that twisted mockery of himself, he wouldn't have wanted his teenage nephew to be the one to do it. This experience changed Izuku, and not for the better. The epilogue next week will explore the fallout.