The main compound of the Shie Hassaikai was simultaneously everything and nothing he expected. It was in a less reputable part of town, but the compound was quiet, organized, and clean. If it weren't for the sinister undercurrent surrounding the place, Izuku would have doubted that he was in the right place.

An unassuming man came out, eyes Izuku critically. "Can I help you? Offer directions, maybe?"

Izuku did everything he could to keep his face blank, even though the majority of it was covered by the medical mask. "I'm here to see Overhaul."

"Overhaul?" the man smiled nervously, his eyes flicking to the front door. "I think you're mistaken, we don't-"

"Enough," Izuku-no, Deku said flatly. "If I have to fight, I'll fight, but I will be speaking to Overhaul today."

Tension permeated the air as Izuku and the man stared down one another. He didn't let his focus waver, even when he had to draw his sword to slice away the encroaching vines. So the man could control plants, Izuku had had his suspicions.

He smiled, and it wasn't a kind smile. The man couldn't see it, but he definitely picked up on the dangerous glimmer in Izuku's eyes. "So I am in the right place, perfect."

The man panicked, raising his arms as he redoubled his efforts, causing vines to converge on Izuku, trapping him on all sides. It should have been impressive and intimidating, but it only took a few sword strokes to eliminate the threat completely.

"I expected more," Izuku said. "I hope Overhaul isn't as disappointing, or I'll have to change my plans."

"Oh, I'm just beginning," the man snarled. Izuku could have easily taken the man out then and there, but it was more convenient to wait for the man to raise the alarm and then knock him out.

Less people came than Izuku was expected, which really worked in his favor. He didn't want to have to use more than the sword in this initial altercation. His mind and sword were whirling, picking apart quirks and weaknesses, taking a good portion of the men down with a single hit from the flat of his blade. There were only three or so men, but it felt a little too easy.

He hesitantly sheathed his blade, keeping one hand on the handle just in case. Deku hung back from the doorway, sure that they weren't done yet. Sure enough, a hulking figure appeared - it was obvious that he was of a higher caliber than the other men, and a part of Izuku was secretly thrilled to have a challenge. Just looking at the man, Izuku would guess that he had a quirk dealing with crystals, probably fairly hard ones. "You're in the wrong place if you just want to pick a fight, kid."

"They attacked first," Deku said easily, sheathing his sword as a sign of goodwill. "I just want to talk to Overhaul. And don't try to tell me that I'm in the wrong place, you saw how that went over earlier."

The man looked him over critically. "And what would you want with Overhaul?"

"I hear he's doing something big, something that will give meaning to even my useless life," Deku said, inwardly recoiling at how right the words tasted on his lips.

The man's eyes widened just a bit. "Well first you have to prove that you can be useful."

Before the man had even stopped speaking, he rushed Deku, wickedly sharp crystals protruding from his forearm. The crystals clanged harshly on the metal of the sword, leaving a deep gouge in the crystals.

Izuku couldn't help but mentally thank whoever had made this sword.

A certain light came into the man's eyes as he rushed Deku again, this time a crystalline sword extending from his arm. The man was no amatuer, that was for sure. He pattered the crystals so they were much more durable - they didn't shatter on impact.

He was good, Izuku readily admitted that. He fought with the ferocity and reckless abandon that came with having nothing to lose. Izuku found himself curious about the man's abilities, so he made little mistakes just to see how he would respond. They were fairly evenly matched, so it cost Izuku a jagged gash across his upper arm.

When he decided the fight had gone on for long enough, Izuku pulled back and swung his katana with all his strength, aiming at the same gouge he had made earlier. The force had made tiny fractures all along that area of the crystal, and now hitting it again, the entire structure shattered.

Izuku had sheathed his sword by the time the man had recovered, brushing away tiny shards of crystal. "Like I said, I'm not here for a fight, I just want to talk to Overhaul."

"I'll admit, you've piqued my interest," a voice said from the doorway. Izuku had to hide the shudder that ran down his spine at the sight of Chisaki Kai in the flesh. The way his golden eyes glittered combined with the black beak mask made Izuku feel like he was cornered prey. "Follow me."

Their footsteps echoed in the sterile, empty halls. The interior was traditional Japanese decor, but it felt too perfect, almost as if it weren't meant to be lived in.

Unsurprisingly, the room Chisaki led him to was equally spotless. There were two couches in the room, facing one another. Wordlessly the other man pulled off his glove, touching Izuku's arm.

An intense pain radiated from Izuku's arm. In the heat of the moment he had barely even noticed the wound, but now he felt like his skin was attempting to tear itself apart. His jaw clenched so tightly that Izuku was honestly surprised that he hadn't cracked a tooth or something. But just as soon as it had started, the pain was gone as soon as Chisaki withdrew his hand.

Underneath, Izuku's arm was perfect. There was no blood or scar that remained.

"A show of goodwill," Chisaki explained. "I would recommend disinfecting that blade when you get the chance. Now tell me, what made you seek me out?"

Just seeing the photograph, Izuku had immediately had a visceral reaction to Chisaki. A part of him had wondered how anyone followed the man, but now he understood. The man was subtle and sinister, but with how the man acted towards Izuku, a part of him wanted to belong.

"Why does anyone come to you? I've been called useless my whole life and I want to prove everyone wrong. I want to find a use in your hands and watch the world burn," Deku said, the words too ready, too true.

The weight of those golden eyes on him was almost too much to bear. "Tell me your story."

"I don't have a story," he said flatly. "I'm just a Deku, someone thrown away. Whoever I was before is dead."

"The Shie Hassaikai needs people like you if we're going to finish what we've started. That was an impressive display of sword fighting out there, Deku. Is that your quirk?"

It took everything in him not to freeze up at the question, a force of habit after years of torment. "Didn't you know? Dekus don't have quirks."

Izuku felt like his heart was hammering in his chest. This was it, the moment of truth. Sir Nighteye had been so sure that Chisaki would be impressed with Izuku because he didn't have a quirk, but more and more Izuku was thinking that putting his life into Sir Nighteye's hands was a terrible idea. He didn't know how the Shie Hassaikai saw quirkless people, but there were plenty of people out there that readily engaged in quirkless hate crimes. Why didn't he listen to Tsukauchi?

Chisaki's eyes widened, his eyes taking on an interest that made Izuku a little uncomfortable. "You were right to seek us out, Deku. Together we can eradicate the disease that plagues this world and make it a place for the cleansed."

He managed to keep his face impassive, but inside Izuku was reeling. Did Overhaul just act like being Quirkless was a good thing? If he made it out of here alive, Izuku was going to set Saito loose on Sir Nighteye. He knew nothing. They didn't know the goals, motives, or even the people of the Shie Hassaikai! Why did Overhaul seem excited over a quirkless teenager? What was this creepy "cleansing" nonsense?

Pushing those emotions away, Izuku nodded once, which seemed to satisfy the other man because he waved his hand at the doorway. "Chrono, take Deku and his sword to be cleansed and show him to a room in the main compound."

"Are you sure? This boy has proven his strength, but not his loyalty," Chronostasis said. Izuku didn't dare look back at him, but he had seen pictures of the masked man in the (thin) file that Sir Nighteye had supplied.

"He will stay in the main compound," Overhaul repeated with a slight edge to his voice. "Put him in a room near the center."

"Yes, Overhaul. Follow me, boy," Chronostasis said, footsteps already echoing down the hall.

It took everything in Izuku's power not to scramble to his feet, instead standing up and bowing slightly to Overhaul with measured moments. He then caught up to Chronostasis not by running, but by lengthening his stride - all body language he'd had to perfect to become Deku. He had to act older and more composed than he was, all part of the efforts to be accepted into the Shie Hassaikai.

"As you heard, I am Chronostasis, Overhaul's right-hand man. You will not partake in any part of our operations until you are explicitly permitted to. This is your room, you will sanitize your sword as has been requested by Overhaul. One of the expendables will be sent to your shortly to show you where you've gotten clearance to go."

Chronostasis gestured to the doorway Izuku assumed was his new bedroom before walking swiftly away. He paused in front of the room. Logically it made sense, they were human too, but he'd never pictured Yakuza members having bedrooms. Somewhere in here, Chisaki could be in a room of his own, likely bathing in disinfectant.

He couldn't help but think of his own bedroom, and even his bedroom at the university in Hosu City. Like the rest of the compound, it was a traditional Japanese room, spotlessly clean. As instructed, Izuku took the time to hunt down some disinfectant wipes and clean his sword.

Aside from that, there wasn't a ton to do. Izuku doubted that anyone else would be as welcoming to him as Chisaki had been. He knew Chronostasis was only allowing him to stay because Chisaki wished it. It was doubtful that the others would demonstrate the same level of loyalty, or restraint.

He'd already dealt with the crystal-quirk user, but based on what little information Sir Nighteye had supplied, he would likely be the most sympathetic to Izuku. The few people he knew about were intimidating to say the least. He could do nothing but trust his training and the new toys the other officers had gotten him.

Try as he might, he just couldn't repress the wave of irritation at Sir Nighteye. He wouldn't change his decision, he knew that being here undercover would change a lot of people's lives for the better. No, a part of him couldn't help but feel expendable to the hero, almost as if Sir Nighteye was simply gauging Izuku's abilities.

It seemed like whoever was coming to show Izuku around wasn't in any particular hurry, but he didn't dare take off his sword or fanny pack. He wondered if it would be one of the few he had files on that picked him up. He had gotten lucky so far, but while he had trained in analysis for months, he preferred not to start from scratch in a life-or-death situation.

Izuku had decided to meditate while he was waiting, and this was how his escorts found him when they knocked and opened the door.

Not one, but two people stood in the doorway, both wearing Overhaul's trademark plague masks. The smaller was no one Izuku knew about, but the larger was the last person Izuku wanted it to be: Rappa Kendou. Rappa was a former MMA fighter who found his pleasure in life through fighting to the death, and he was almost certainly going to ask Izuku to fight.

"So you're the new recruit," the unknown man said, eyeing Izuku up and down.

"He's smaller than I imagined," Rappa said, disappointed. "I'm probably not going to get a very good fight out of him."

Making a show of standing and adjusting his sword, he merely dipped his head down and said, "Deku" as way of introduction.

Rappa bristled. "What did you just call me?"

"My name is Deku," he said, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes.

"If I show you to the training room, would you show me what kind of damage that sword can do?" Rappa asked, intrigued.

"Oh, you wouldn't see it coming," Izuku promised. As he bantered with Rappa, he was doing his best to analyze the other man.

"I am Tengai Hekiji," the stranger interjected, "and this is Rappa Kendou. We are here to show you which part of the compound you are permitted to be in for now."

"Well are you going to stand around, or…?"

"Right, if you'll follow us, first we'll show you-"

"The training room!" Rappa interrupted, too eagerly.

"The dining hall," Tengai corrected forcefully. "And if this does end in you two sparring, it will be through Deku's consent, and you will restrain yourself." He lowered his voice, mistakenly assuming that Izuku couldn't hear him. "Overhaul likes this one for some reason. If you kill him there will be consequences."

"I'm not getting any younger," Izuku said, inwardly wincing at how rude he was being. "Am I going to see the compound sometime today, or should I find a spare futon for you two?"

"Our apologies, Deku. If you'll follow us."

The compound was fairly predictable. It was all spotlessly clean, and frankly a little boring. He saw the dining area - as it wasn't mealtime, the only occupant was a man rummaging through the fridge. In passing Izuku felt a bit dizzy, but it faded quickly as he walked away. His mind spun with quirk possibilities as he was led through an entertainment room, the infirmary, and finally the training room.

It came as no surprise when Rappa challenged Izuku the second they set foot into the room, but the other two looked surprised when Izuku accepted immediately and without hesitation.

The other occupants of the room stopped what they were doing and stared at the newcomers, whispers flying around the room.

"Is that the kid Overhaul likes so much?"

"Rappa is going to crush him, I almost want to feel bad for him."

"I bet you five-thousand yen that the kid's sword is going to break before he even touches Rappa."

"I'll give the kid the benefit of the doubt and say he'll get one good shot in."

Placing a hand on the sword handle, Izuku stared Rappa down. The masks really were unsettling, but Izuku didn't let himself dwell on it for too long - he had to seem completely unaffected. His mind whirled with statistics and possibilities. Rappa was one of the few names that Sir Nighteye had given Izuku, and he had done some digging. He may have given his laptop a virus, but he had found footage of some of Rappa's fights, so he was fairly certain of what the man was going to do.

"Show me what you've got, kid!" Rappa bellowed, charging forward.

Izuku made a show like he was going to unsheathe his sword, but instead of that he merely dove out of Rappa's way at the last possible second. Rappa was an experienced fighter, and a single blow would be devastating to Izuku. Luckily Rappa was so massive he telegraphed his movements - they could be read from a mile away. He was also wickedly fast, but Izuku was faster - for now. He needed to end the fight quickly before he slipped up.

Rappa was already charging at him again, this time from behind. Izuku tensed, listening intently before throwing himself into action, dancing around the other man - and away from his fists - with ease.

He dodged a few more attacks like this, much to Rappa's fury. Finally the man stomped, demanding, "Fight me already!"

"Oh, you want me to get serious?" Izuku asked with a terrible glint in his eye. "Very well."

Changing his stance, Izuku made a show of grasping his sword handle with one hand, while the other came to rest on his chest, or more accurately, right near his fanny pack. While every occupant in the room focused on the sound of Izuku drawing his sword, no one even registered his other hand unzipping the fanny pack and snaking inside.

"Hit me with all you've got, kid!" Rappa bellowed, charging forward. Just like before, Izuku merely sidestepped the man and his deadly fists. But he stepped around the arm and closer to Rappa, close enough that using his sword wasn't an option anymore.

There was just enough time for the other man to say, "What are you-" before Izuku tased him in the throat.

It shouldn't have worked, considering Rappa's size, and it wouldn't have with his old taser. But as an official part of the police force, he had been issued a taser with adjustable voltage, so it was effective against almost any opponent. As it was, he set it on the low end for Rappa's size so it didn't knock him out. It just stunned the man long enough for Izuku to step back and raise his blade to Rappa's throat.

"That wasn't a fight, it was just dirty tricks," one of the spectators muttered.

"I told you that you wouldn't see it coming," Izuku said, sheathing his sword. Acting bolder than he felt, he walked away without looking back, leaving his back exposed and his "guides" behind.

He existed in a sort of limbo for the next few days - some of the Shie Hassaikai members were slowly taking a liking to him, but others were vehemently opposed to him. He heard the whispers around the compound, questions of his loyalty and true intentions. They were perfectly valid suspicions, especially as Izuku was a double agent, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

The Eight Expendables were slowly taking their time testing him one by one. Rappa had been asking for a rematch for days, but Izuku had managed to deter him each time. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to put it off, but Tengai usually kept Rappa in line. Hojo also seemed to like Deku, but his relationship with the rest of them was tenuous at best. It was a natural reaction, especially to a quirkless person.

It all led to one possible outcome: a test of loyalty. Chisaki was going to have to find some task or mission for Deku to prove himself.

Knowing this didn't make it any easier to manage his nerves when Chronostasis stopped in his room, announcing that Overhaul expected his presence in an hour. He ended up spending his time meditating, fully immersing himself in "Deku."

When the time came, Hojo was waiting to lead him to the same room he had first talked with Overhaul in. Izuku had locked himself away, and he walked with even more confidence than before.

The majority of the Expendables were waiting, including Nemoto Shin, the one person he'd been avoiding at all costs. The man drew compulsory confessions and truths out of people, and Deku had come up with very few ways to counter the quirk. He had a few tricks up his sleeve against the likes of Tsukauchi and Makoto, but this was an entirely different bag of worms. His only defense was some method acting.

As he had feared, Nemoto was the first to speak.

"What is your name?"

"Deku," he spat, against his will.

"And your quirk?"

"I don't have one."

"Why did you come to the Shie Hassaikai?"

"This world is corrupt, and it needs to be fixed."

A few people murmured to one another, but Chisaki's eyes got that certain gleam that worried Izuku deeply - or it would later, rather.

"And what is your quirk?"

"I don't have one."

"Are you loyal to Overhaul?"

At this Deku clamped his mouth shut, suddenly feeling like his medical mask was suffocating him. But the words were stolen from him, leaving him feeling empty and violated.

"Not yet, but I want to know how he intends to cleanse the world."

His fingernails sank deeply into the meat of his palms, hating this feeling. This was too much, he couldn't decide if it was Deku or Izuku that was genuinely intrigued by what Overhaul's "cleansed" world looked like. Would there be a place for him there?

"Well there you are, he's already more loyal than some of you," Overhaul said with what Deku guessed was disdain. "Deku, you're officially a member of the Shie Hassaikai, and we have our first assignment for you."

"Anything, Overhaul."

That look was definitely a dangerous one. If his mouth were visible, it would be curled up into a wicked smile when Overhaul said, "I need you to establish contact with the League of Villains."

A/N: I'm alive! I was planning on having this chapter done forever ago, but there were a lot of parties, family time, and the inevitable family drama. I love my family, but the problems and drama weren't really what I needed before I started my last semester of my undergrad. This chapter was surprisingly hard to write. I had a lot of writer's block, and I'm still unsure of how to characterize Overhaul, but I tried.

This was an extra-long chapter, so I gave myself permission not to do a quirk analysis this round. I know some of you have said you enjoy them, but now that I'm dealing with canon characters, they're harder, and more time consuming than they should be. I was going to post this on Todoroki's birthday and do the quirk analysis on him, but now it's my birthday, so I'm not going to force myself.

Wish me luck on the new semester everyone! I just have to survive long enough to get my diploma, right? But also, let me know what you guys think! I'm hoping as some of the family drama has abated now I'll be in a better writing headspace and I'll bring a better story. I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter, I even rewrote it a few times. But I have big plans for next chapter, so be on the lookout!

-Rogue