What was Album going to do? How was he going to get that much money every single month? It was impossible! Besides, no one here would hire him! Maybe if he lied and said he was nineteen or something? They would probably believe him, right?

Or, he supposed the easiest way was to just, once again, work as a villain. But that was dangerous, and he'd be gone a lot, and he didn't know how he was going to explain his absences. If he just left completely, Daniel would look for him, it would be a pain in the ass to try and avoid that.

"Little punk, making my life even more complicated." Album grumbled, kicking a rock hard and gritted his teeth against the pain. He had his own problems to deal with, he didn't have the time to think of how he was going to get money every month too!

He walked home, opened the door, and went straight to his room, collapsing on the bed. If the boy turned up dead then it could all be over with. But there was the small chance that he could get caught, and he wasn't sure if he was willing to take that risk or not.

"Feeling down, huh?" Adrien said, looking up from his laptop to grin at him.

"I'm fine." he said into his pillow.

"You look it. What happened, you accidentally see your reflection in a store window?"

"Ha ha, very funny." Album said and sat up, "But no."

He took a deep breath and sighed. He supposed this was a good opportunity to make it Adrien's problem too, the idea cheered him up a bit. "Someone knows. About what we did."

"What do you mean about what we did?" Adrien asked slowly.

"They caught me talking with one of my employers. I accidentally dropped your name too."

"What! You did what! How stupid can you be, do you even have a brain in there or is it hollow, you fucking moron, I'm gonna strangle you!"

"Sorry, but there is a way we can stop him from releasing the information to the public."

"How?" Adrien asked.

"Well, he wants money, a lot of money, like a never-ending debt I suppose."

Adrien raised an eyebrow, settling down a bit, relieved this could be stopped. "How much?"

"I think he said 54,000 or something? Every month."

"54,000… yen?" Album nodded. "That's like 500 dollars! What are we going to do!"

Album had actually thought it was more than that, so the knowledge that it was only 500 dollars made the amount seem less daunting, but Adrien didn't seem so relaxed. "If it's only 500 dollars, what's the problem?"

"The problem is it's about half the rent of this apartment you're standing in. THAT'S the problem!"

"Okay…"

"Daniel's never going to pay that! We can't get that kind of money by ourselves, and if we ask for it he's gonna get suspicious. I can't get a job, I'm only twelve, and not a lot of people would take you either! And to clarify they wouldn't take you because you're stupid as hell!"

"Hey, calm down, we'll figure something out." Album said, raising an eyebrow. "And I thought I overreacted…" he muttered.

"Overreacting! You little shit, I'm not overreacting, I'm acting perfectly normal after I found out we're basically paying the rent of a small apartment! Some thirty-year-old's aren't even capable of that!"

"Whoa, no need to start calling people out."

"My point is how are the two of us going to do something adults struggle with!"

"Hey, I'm pretty sure we've been through worse than this."

"Who is this guy anyway? I'll kill him myself!"

"Uh, well, he goes to my school. I'm pretty sure he's only fifteen."

Adrien rolled his eyes, "Only. You're two years older, stop acting superior."

"I'm not acting superior, I'm only saying, it's not like he's an adult or anything."

"My question is what's he going to do with all the money we're supposed to be giving him. I mean, if I had that much money, I don't even know what I would do with myself."

"I didn't ask, actually. Probably drugs or maybe he ran into some people, I don't know."

"Really? Drugs is the first thing you come up with. Bad people? That's what you would do, don't project yourself."

"I would not do drugs."

"You already have."

"That is NOT the point. Stop being a brat and actually help the situation!"

"Fine, fine, what's he like?"

"I don't know him very well…"

"Think, what was your first impression?"

"He…" Album was embarrassed to admit it, but, "Actually, he kind of scared me."

"Scared you? Was he really tall or like… I dunno, muscly?"

"No. He was shorter than me. And I don't know how to describe it. But the way he talked to me and how he sounded, how he approached… now that I think about it, it was almost feminine."

"Feminine?"

"Yeah, he touched me, not like another guy normally would. But it wasn't just that. I felt like he could understand me, and know things about me that I didn't want him to know."

"Know what sort of things?"

"Like how I was feeling, what I was thinking, how I was thinking it."

"Well I bet he got a lot of blanks since you don't exactly think." Adrien said with a smirk.

"Shut up." Album said, glaring and continued. "Most of all though, he was confident even though he'd never talked to me before, not a conversation. But it was like he knew he could make me do anything he wanted."

"Could he?"

"No. But that was what it felt like."

"Maybe it's a quirk."

"I suppose it could be, but it seemed ingrained in is personality. I can't explain it, I don't know how."

Adrien stared at him and then sighed. "Damn, I was hoping he'd be someone easy to manipulate. It seems not." Adrien grumbled. "Hey, does he know what I look like?"

"No, I don't think so." Album paused. "Why?"

Adrien smirked a little, an expression Album knew meant trouble. "I think I should be introduced to him then. I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly."

Unfortunately, Album knew that meeting would probably end in homicide. The question on who exactly would be murdered? He supposed that was still up to debate.

"I don't know how to find him. I assumed when he wanted payment he'd come find me, which shouldn't be hard since we go to the same school."

"This week's the sports festival?"

"It starts tomorrow."

Adrien smirked and said, "The sports festival is always after school so everybody can watch it. This week will be my best chance at talking to this guy. By the way, what's his name, maybe I can pose as a fan."

"Monoma."

"Monoma? I guess that's his last name then." Album nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure it is. Midoriya called him Monoma too, and we both know he's too respectful to say his first name, even out of spite." Album said.

"Alright then. I just have to meet him, just one conversation, and I'll know what to do."

"Really?" Album asked doubtfully.

Adrien nodded. "Tomorrow, tomorrow is our only shot."


The next morning, Adrien woke up early and got dressed, preparing what he would say in his head. To Album's blackmailer, he was just a middle schooler, not worth any time. Adrien would be an idiot in this boy's eyes. Which meant he could get away with asking questions other couldn't, he just had to pretend to be stupid.

Album woke up just in time to get dressed and clamber in the car ten minutes after Adrien and Daniel went in. That conversation had gone a little like,

"Okay, everybody in the car."

So Adrien and Daniel had climbed in the car and five minutes after, he said, "Album's not awake, is he?"

"Nope."

So Daniel sighed and went in and woke up Album. Three minutes later they were on their way to U.A, but Album was glaring at him the entire time. That was fine, Adrien was used to Album blaming him for his own shortcomings.

They parked, and Adrien had honestly never been so happy the Daniel was a pro because if there wasn't a place reserved for pro heroes they would've had to park miles away.

Midoriya was walking into the school just as Album was getting out of the car and waved at him, waiting at the entrance. Album rolled his eyes and took the standing there to mean he wanted to walk in together.

"Daniel, can I go in with Album. I'll meet you in the stands. Please." Adrien pleaded, pouting.

"Alright, that's fine, but keep an eye on him Album."

"Yes sir." Album sneered but Daniel either ignored or didn't here the sarcasm in his voice because he just nodded and walked the other directions.

"Well, brother, shall we go?"

"Don't call me that." Album said and hurried toward the entrance, Adrien following him.

"Good morning, Chonice-san." Midoriya said with a smile and nodded at Adrien who ignored him.

"Good morning." Album brushed past him and into the building, Adrien on his heels before Midoriya walked in after them.

Album ran a hand through his hair, "Chonice-san, our classroom's this way, we're supposed to meet there."

"Right, right. Do you happen to know what class Monoma's in?"

"Monoma-san? Um, I think class 1-B, but why do you want to know that?"

Album paused and then turned to face with a smile that made Midoriya take a step back. "We got a fan here." Album said smacking his hand on Adrien's head rather hard, disguising it as a pat.

"Really? I didn't think Monoma-san had any fans."

"Believe me, neither did I. Who would've known I was living with one?"

"I really thought only pros had fans."

"You thought wrong." Adrien said bluntly. "Now where's 1-B, Izuku."

"Uh, that's not really." Midoriya said nervously, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "That is to say, I don't really um…" Midoriya fell silent. "It's the third door on the left of the second hallway if you go down straight. You can't miss it."

Adrien went off in that direction without hesitation and Album led a sputtering, Midoriya into class 1-A.

Adrien's first thought after entering U.A had been that it was huge, and his second thought was that he hoped to god Daniel never sent him there.

Adrien glanced around and then into class 1-B. It didn't look like Monoma was in yet. He mentally ran the description Album had given him over each of the faces he saw and didn't find a match. Blonde, gray eyes, cocky son of a bitch. Nope, none of that in the classroom just yet. That was great, because now he didn't have to go in and somehow get the guy alone, he could just kill him out here.

But that would be suspicious. Midoriya knew he'd gone down this way and that he had been looking for Monoma. If the very same Monoma turned up dead that was more than a bit incriminating. Shit.

Oh well, he'd have to think of something else. Adrien turned around in time to see a teenage, blonde come around the corner. He was walking fast, hair a mess and long sleeves even though it was boiling outside. In fact, he was in such a rush, he nearly barreled straight into Adrien and probably through him after that. "Watch where you're going." He said, screeching to a halt. And even though he matched Album's physical description, Adrien didn't see anything to suggest this guy was really a blackmailer.

"Hello, aren't you Monoma-sama?"

"Yes, I am." He said, raising an eyebrow at the formal address, but did nothing more than play with the sleeves of his shirt, pulling them down further over his wrists.

"Ah, I'm one of your hugest fans! It's an honor to meet you!"

"Right, and who might you happen to be?"

"I'm Album's little brother, I think you've heard of him."

"Chonice-san? Oh, yes, I suppose I do."

And he gave the small smirk Adrien had been waiting for since the beginning, confirming his suspicions. "Are you and my brother friends?"

"Something of the sort, though I prefer the term, business partner." Monoma crouched down a bit to talk to him, and Adrien's hands itched to punch him. "How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Ah, then I suppose it will be a little while until you get here. That is, unless you plan to follow in your brother's footsteps."

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked innocently, though he knew exactly what Monoma was suggesting. Are you going to become a villain too?

"Oh nothing, honey. Did you want an autograph or something?"

"No, that's okay. I'm sure I've already bothered you enough, I should let you get to your friends." Adrien chose his words carefully, a plan already formulating in his mind.

"Well, I wouldn't say friends quite yet. They're not quite so fond of me as you seem to be."

"I can't imagine why."

"Neither can I." Monoma said, pausing to display a small frown, and Adrien honestly couldn't tell if he was faking or not.

"Yeah… well have a nice day. I should get back to my brother."

Monoma gave a nod of acknowledgement and entered his own classroom. After he was gone, Adrien stood there and watched him interact with his classmates. He was rather loud, Adrien could still hear him, but he couldn't sense anything sinister or all-knowing as Album had said.

He seemed pretty confident, but no more than anyone else would be, nothing overwhelming as Album had seemed to think. In fact, he came off as so ordinary, Adrien would have thought it was just Album's crippling social anxiety getting the better of him, if Adrien hadn't felt he was hiding something. And he was obviously the blackmailer, but nothing else about his personality told him why.

Adrien took a step back and then turned around. He had to go find Daniel before he started getting worried. But Adrien thought maybe Album and Monoma were similar in a few ways. Adrien noticed the blonde keeping his classmates somewhere at arms length, and didn't even call them his friends, so it was hard to endear yourself to him.

But he also suspected Monoma was lonely, regardless of what he said, which left a perfect opening for Adrien to get that blackmail back and make sure his past identity and secrets were never revealed.

Adrien and Album had two different impressions of him, so Adrien concluded he was acting as different people towards different people in different situations. And he seemed to be good at it.

What didn't add up was why he had looked so messy this morning. Even Adrien knew that a guy like this wasn't ever disorganized unless it was part of an act, another personality he had ingrained into himself.

And then there was the question of why he was acting as different people towards others. As Adrien understood plenty of people acted a little different towards certain people and friend groups like talking about certain things with one group and then other certain things with another group. Being more professional and then casual towards different people.

But to completely reinvent yourself with different degrees of confidence and personality. Not a lot of people went that far, and the people that did, only did because they had something to hide.

As far as Adrien could tell he acted differently even with his classmates then the conversation he and Adrien had outside the classroom. In there, it was almost as if he was acting a bit stupid and he didn't know if that was to show familiarity or if it was to deflect their attention to what was really going on.

Adrien made his way out to the stands, taking the route he and Daniel usually took and sat down beside his cousin to watch the sports festival. "Did you have fun with Album?" Daniel asked.

Adrien nodded but didn't respond, still too busy thinking about what he'd really just discovered. Now his curiosity was peaked. He obviously still wanted to get rid of that black mail as soon as possible, but he also wanted to know what was going on.

And he knew just the plan to get him both.

Unfortunately that plan revolved around him relying on Album.

And he didn't think Album was going to like it.


A/N Here's the next chapter! I'm getting really excited to continue this, and the inspiration just won't stop! You see, I actually have a lot planned for this book, and I'm not sure how much of my ideas I'll actually write in this story here, but let's just say that a I have a LOT more ideas than what is written right here and this is actually og stuff that I can laugh about and call it 'classic'. Anyway, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Reviews are love, bye!