Izuku skipped around the forest. Elementary school had already let out, and Kacchan and his friends were nowhere to be found.
Today was Wednesday. Wednesday meant Tomura would visit.
They would never speak much. The teen would usually let the boy follow him around as he disintegrated random objects around the forest. Izuku wanted so badly to write about it, but the older boy said that he wasn't allowed to. Izuku decided that he would simply commit everything to memory. Any notes that he could have written down would just be ingrained into his head instead.
He always asked Tomura why he would destroy rocks and trees with seemingly no purpose. He would just respond with a simple "I didn't like it." That sort of attitude used to bother the green-haired boy, but he eventually came to accept it as just a facet of the teen. The more he saw the teen do it, the more he came to admire him. Kacchan was similar with his destructive tendencies, but unlike the blonde, he would never turn his quirk on Izuku.
It was a strange relationship they had. Neither really had anything in common at the time. Izuku was bright, inquisitive, and always looking for companionship. Tomura was always quiet, avoided speaking at length, and unless it was Midoriya, he would immediately stray from any sort of social interaction.
Izuku was still patiently awaiting his friend in the forest. They never had a designated meeting space, but somehow they always knew how to find one another.
Or at least, that's what it seemed like. An hour had passed since Izuku entered the forest, with no sign of the other boy. Still, he waited without complaint.
He crouched next to a small stream, watching small fish swim their way down. They never paid the boy any mind.
After some time, Izuku felt worry settle into his chest. Tomura still hadn't found him. It was well after the time they usually met, and they always met on Wednesdays.
The song of the cicadas began to weigh heavily on the boy's mind as time still passed. It felt almost oppressive, the shrill tunes that burrowed into his ears.
The sky began to dim, and yet there was still no sign of the older teen. He wasn't here. He wasn't here.
It was almost night time. Guilt ran through his chest. Did Tomura get bored of him? Was there something he said last time that made him mad?
He clutched his hair in clumps, wincing at the pain of his scalp being pulled.
He was alone again.
He stumbled though the trees, doing his best to choke back his sobs. He slipped on a loose patch of slick leaves, sending him tumbling down a small ravine. He felt stray, jutting rocks strike his back and shoulders. When he finally reached the end, he felt himself splash into the same small stream he had seen earlier, though he was further upstream from the last time he saw it. He could feel the small minnows scrambling around the new obstacle in their path, one even seemed to get caught in his hair until it managed to wriggle itself free.
He curled up into a ball once more in the ankle deep water. He couldn't find the effort to even move to dry land. He didn't know how long he had stayed in the water, but his clothes were soaked right to his skin and the last rays of sunlight were gone.
Izuku sobbed as he felt the world press down on his body. He knew no one was going to come for him. Whatever friendship he thought Tomura had with him was obviously not there.
He should have expected it, honestly. He was still a Deku. It was only a matter of time before the older boy would toss him away like a piece of trash-
"Dumbass."
He curled in further. The water had long seeped into his entire being, his clothes clung to his skin like bandages.
He felt a hand grab his shirt, and lift him up out of the stream. He was placed on dry land, though the faint breeze continued to freeze him to his core.
He slowly looked up, looking straight into the sunken eyes of Shigaraki Tomura. The teen clearly had an annoyed look on his face, but it softened only slightly as he saw how much the child in front of him was shivering.
He went to let go of Izuku's shirt, but moment he did he felt the small child's hands grab his forearm in a death grip.
"I-I'm sorry..." He choked out. "Please... don't leave me!"
"Jeez... what an annoying escort." The teen scratched his neck. "It's almost midnight, why the hell are you out here?"
Izuku whimpered, eyes locked to the dirt below him. It only seemed to irk Tomura further.
As he started to speak again, he was cut off by a much deeper voice behind the pair.
"I was wondering what you were doing out here, Tomura."
Izuku looked up to see a strange man, coated in a black mist. He seemed to wear some type of tailored bartending suit, and armored plating coating the area where his neck would be. He stood straight, with his hands clasped in front of him. For someone who he had just met, he couldn't shake the air of cordiality that seemed to permeate the air around him. It almost seemed relaxing, quietly tugging down the barriers of Izuku's guard with his demeanor.
It was at time that the green-haired boy realized that this feeling was not unintentional. Behind those yellow, glowing eyes lay something capable of great malicious intent. Izuku realized this man carried the essence of a python with him, able to catch people off guard before they unwittingly slide into his jaws.
The boy's breath hitched as he cowered behind the older teen.
The man continued. "Would you be so kind as to tell me your name, young boy?"
"Mi-Midoriya Izuku, sir."
"Do you know who your friend is?"
"Shigaraki To-Tomura... sir."
The bartender chuckled. "You don't need to call me, 'sir.' I go by Kurogiri, I would appreciate it if you called me that."
Izuku nodded slowly.
"Now, Midorya. You know our names. Do you happen to know what we do?"
The silence seemed to weigh tenfold on the boy's shoulders as he thought about what he would say. He knew the answer, but he wasn't sure how to say it. He started mulling it over before he saw that Kurogiri was still patiently waiting for an answer. He began to panic, and before his thoughts could form in his head, his mouth had other ideas.
"Villains!" He blurted out, before covering his mouth.
Tomura spun around to face the young boy, eyes wide in surprise.
"Did Tomura ever tell you that he was a villain, Midoriya?"
Izuku shook his head, still covering his mouth.
"So how did you come to that conclusion?"
Tears began welling at the corners of his eyes as he pulled his hands down to his stomach, cradling himself. "Um... We-well Tomura pra-practices his quirk a lot a-a-and he re-really hates heroes for leaving him... also he doesn't we-wear a high school uni-uniform s-s-so he would either b-be a delinquent or a vil-villain but he doesn't act li-like a de-delin-"
"You've said enough." Kurogiri cut off, causing Izuku to flinch. "You're quite smart."
"Tha-thank you."
"Has Tomura told you what he wants to do as a villain?"
The boy shook his head once more. Kurogiri motioned to the teen. "Would you like to tell him?"
Tomura looked back and forth between the two people next to him, before settling his sight on the younger one. "I want to kill All Might."
Izuku grimaced, scrunching his eyes shut as he choked back a sob. He didn't doubt what Tomura was saying, but he knew what was going on behind the scenes in this conversation. He could envision what was going to happen next.
"Now, Midoriya, I want you to answer this question honestly."
He slowly nodded.
"Do you want to see All Might killed?"
The boy felt the put in his stomach widen, threatening to swallow him whole. He shook his head.
Kurogiri stared silently for some time, before speaking definitively. "That is what I had expected. Do you think it's okay for a child to associate with a villain who works against what they want?"
Izuku whimpered, shaking his head again.
"Then it is agreed. Whatever interactions you've had with Tomura up to this point will cease. You have no place in our world, and quite frankly we want no place in yours."
Izuku gripped his hands in the dirt, clenching his teeth. His tears felt like hot coals, running down his cheeks. He wanted to say something- anything. But the words were unwilling to escape his throat.
"Tomura, it is time to leave. Sensei wishes to speak with you, and it would be rude to make him wait."
Shigaraki paused, but ultimately got up to his feet. A warp gate opened behind the bartender, and both began walking towards the void. It was just as he was about to cross the threshold that he felt his legs lock up. He looked down to see Izuku pulled tightly against his legs.
"No! Please..." he gasped, "I don't care if you want to kill All Might!"
Kurogiri froze in place. The boy's voice no longer stuttered as he spoke. His nervousness had been lost, replaced by pure desperation.
"I like All Might, but... if you want to kill him then I'm okay with that! I know I'm just a useless kid, but you've been nothing but kind to me, and... I don't want to be alone again! I can't... I can't go back to that..." Izuku was hyperventilating, but continued to force the words from his mouth. "...and you don't want to be alone either, right? You stayed with me all these months! You helped me, and spent time with me, even though you never had to! You even gave me your old game system! You don't want to be alone, right?! You don't want to be by yourself, right?! Please... please tell me it all meant something!"
Tomura was stunned, the only thing breaking the silence was the shallow breathing of the boy gripping him like a vice. Kurogiri finally broke the silence.
"If you wish it, Tomura, we can take Midoriya with us through the portal."
The teen didn't move at first. Izuku held his breath, the tension killing him. Eventually, he felt the same four-fingered grip on his hoodie as he was lifted up and brought through the warp gate.
"This was quite an interesting turn of events, Kurogiri."
"Indeed, Sensei." The bartender replied. He was in the back room of the bar, while the teen and younger boy were alone in the main bar. He could hear the sounds of the old game console playing faintly on the other side of the wall. He was staring at a small screen, with only the silhouette of a very intimidating figure shown.
"What are your opinions of the boy?"
"He's quite the curious case. It's obvious that he is quite dependent on our young villain in training. If I were a doctor I would be concerned, but... it could work in our favor down the line. It's hard to get your hands on loyal followers when they're old. This could also be a valuable learning experience for Tomura."
"I agree. If he is to learn to lead, someone who is willing to follow his every command is invaluable. Very well, I believe that we should allow this relationship to continue."
Kurogiri nodded. "I will do the best I can, Sensei."
There was a pause before Sensei responded. "Come now, Kurogiri. We've known each other long enough that I know when you are having doubts. Speak your mind."
"I understand it is my duty to raise Tomura, and I fully agree that Midoriya is an almost ideal stepping stone for him. But... he is still just a boy."
There was a chuckle from the other end of the feed. "I understand your sentiments. You mentioned he was quirkless?"
Kurogiri nodded.
"It is very likely that he has suffered a great deal of abuse at the hands of society. If you are worried about him, perhaps you should consider nurturing the both of them? In the boy's current state, he will be more than ecstatic with the idea of being our prodigy's right hand man. If we treat him with care and give him the attention he was denied, he can be crafted into a villain just as great as Tomura."
After some time, the bartender responded. "I am more comfortable with that idea. That boy has quite the number of scars already. Without our guidance, it's likely he wouldn't last long in this world at all. I regret speaking to him as coldly as I did before."
"Now that is something I haven't heard you say in a while."
Kurogiri sighed. "When I saw him, I initially assumed he followed Tomura out of childish adoration. When he was so desperately begging him not to leave, I realized there was much more to their relationship than what I had initially thought. He reminded me of how I used to act around you."
He heard a small laugh on the other end of the feed.
"I guess history tends to repeat itself." Sensei paused for a moment, before continuing. "I must go for now. I'll let you tend to the children in the other room."
Kurogiri nodded. "Of course, Sensei."
Izuku looked slightly confused at the sight of Kurogiri bowing before him.
"Midoriya. I am afraid that I must apologize for my earlier actions. I realize now that it was irresponsible to attempt to break such a relationship. I will never do such a thing again."
The boy just held up his hands. "N-No! You do-don't have to apologize fo-for that!"
The bartender stood up straight, before continuing. "From now on, you are free to use this bar to spend time with Tomura as you see fit. It is much safer than the forest and I am sure that both of your will enjoy playing games together here."
Izuku still felt off put by the cordiality of the black misted man, but he began to pay it less mind.
"Thanks, Kuro... Kurogiri?"
"There is no need to thank me, Midoriya. It is the least I can offer. Speaking of which..." He looked up at the clock on the wall. "It is almost midnight, and I am sure your parents must be worried about you."
"I mean, it's just me and my mother, but... she is probably really scared right now."
Kurogiri nodded. "If you tell me where you live, I can warp you somewhere nearby where no one would see you. I would suggest you tell her you got lost in the forest and got stuck somewhere. Considering your..." He glanced at the boy, covered in dirt and twigs, his clothes stiff from the cold water that had soaked them. "...appearance, I have no doubt she will believe you."
Izuku nodded. "I don't like lying to my mom, but... if it's so I can see Tomura again, it's okay!"
Sensei sat at his desk, thinking intensely. Surely the introduction of Midoriya Izuku meant a change to almost the entirety of his plan for crafting the ultimate villain, but at the same time this turn of events were almost too good to pass up. It brought so many possibilities that could be utilized, and the fact that the boy was quirkless seemingly the gourmet cherry on top of a succulent bowl of ice cream. He felt himself smile slightly as he mulled over what his new plans would entail.
Eventually, that smile faded into an expression of deep thought. There was a question burning in his mind, one that could change everything depending on which answer he chose.
"Tomura must be raised to be a fine villain, but what would be a better learning experience for him? Learning how to ruthlessly command someone who would go to any length for him... or learning what it means to care for someone who is more than just a lackey?"
A/N: HEYOOOOOOOOOO SURPRISE UPDATE
This chapter took longer than I wanted to write, but I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for your comments and support, everyone!